Dr. Sara Burke:

I argued contrary to my colleagues and many people on the original committee. I felt at that time like it should be in the Department of Health. I thought if that Department is not doing it then what Department should it be, but it was the committee that determined it should be under the Department of the Taoiseach. The committee was right. A fundamental issue with the Department of Health and the HSE leading on Sláintecare is they must change for it to be delivered. This is not about everything new that is happening, namely, universal services free at the point of delivery, because to a certain extent that is actually happening. It is instead about the 95% or 98% of other work in the system that needs to change. The structure of the Department of Health pretty much still operates in those old pillars of primary care, community care, disability and mental health.