OPINION: Can youth beat experience?

THE new Minister for Health, Simon Harris, wouldn’t remember the day Beaumont Hospital first opened its doors to patients on November 29, 1987. Sure how could he? He was just a few weeks off his first birthday at the time.

Of all the ministerial appointments announced this month, the elevation of Harris to the problematic health portfolio has been the one met with most surprise. Famously dubbed ‘Angola’ (or was it Anglo?) by Brian Cowen, taking on the Department of Health would prove a daunting task for even the most seasoned politician, let alone a relatively new TD not even out of his twenties.

His detractors would argue that Harris is too young and inexperienced for such a mammoth task. Sure the lad isn’t even a doctor, for crying out loud.

But in fairness to Harris, his predecessors Leo Varadkar and James Reilly both had backgrounds in the medical profession and they can hardly be credited with turning the ship around. Like the last Government and the one before it, this administration has inherited a shameful hospital trolley and waiting list crises. Things are as bad as ever, if not worse.

Given the sheer scale of the problems in our health service, no one minister has the ability to make an impact in the short-term, nor can they be expected to. Personally, I think it was a mistake to move Varadkar from a job he has only been in for less than two years. Fixing the health service is a medium to long-term challenge and any minister deserves at least a full term in the position to get a proper run at it.

This is not intended as a slight on Simon Harris, an able politician who has set up an autism support and lobby group in his native Wicklow. And perhaps an infusion of youthful enthusiasm and fresh ideas are exactly what the health service needs.

Fine Gael has pointed out that Harris works tirelessly as a disability advocate and has first-hand, meaningful understanding of issues affecting people with special needs. In this respect, he may yet turn out to be an inspired choice.

However, the reality is that this minority Government is on very shaky ground and is highly unlikely to survive a full term. Like all his ministerial colleagues, Harris could be out on his ear in the event of an early general election.

Simon Harris is only 29 years-of-age but he’d need to be touching 40 before any realistic reform of the health sector can be achieved. Maybe his youth will stand to him after all.

t.mccullagh@dublinpeople.com