Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have spoken repeatedly about a number of issues. The Sláintecare report is an integral part of policy. It has been adopted by the Department and now must be implemented. We all accept that. Anybody who has spent time in a Department will readily acknowledge that timescales are very difficult to fulfil. If we think that one simply turns over a new page and overnight we will have a new system that will be effective, responsive and accountable, we are kidding ourselves. It does not work that way and never has. There are repeated examples of that.

The Secretary General referred to the 1980s but I can refer back to the 1970s when we had a system-----