TD calls on Health Minister to appear before Oireachtas Health Committee to answer questions on Sláintecare resignations

People Before Profit TD and party Health spokesperson Gino Kenny says he is calling on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to appear before the Oireachtas Health Committee to answer questions about the resignations from Sláintecare and key implementation failures.

The Dublin Mid West TD said that it was clear from the comments of the chair of the Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council that the  requirements for implementation of the plan were seriously lacking were “jarring” and required the Minister to answer questions at the Health Committee.

Deputy Kenny also pointed out the clear disregard for the Sláintecare plan’s call for the “elimination of private care from public hospitals” from the Government, citing the examples of private care in the new National Childrens’ Hospital and the failure to ensure public ownership of the National Maternity Hospital.

He said: “The resignations and comments from the former Chair of the Slaintecare Implementation Advisory Council are jarring. Following the resignation of these two high ranking officials, and the comments of the former Chair that the requirements for implementing Sláintecare are seriously lacking, the Minister for Health must appear before the Oireachtas Health Committee and answer questions as to why these officials have resigned.

“It is clear that the political will is not present in Government to properly implement a plan for the delivery of Sláintecare. We can see this clearly with the presence of private care at the new National Childrens’ Hospital and the government’s failure to ensure public ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital.

“With figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund showing that waiting list figures are over 900,000, it is essential that Ireland moves to a universal, single tier National Health Service, free at the point of delivery, as called for over four years ago in Sláintecare, without delay.

“The failure for this lies at the door of successive governments, but particularly the current Fianna Fáil/ Fine Geal and Green Government for continuing the under-resourcing of public health.

“I will be writing to the Health Committee Chair for Minister Donnelly to appear before the committee next week”.