Sláintecare and dysfunctional systems

Sir, – Further to your headline "Frustration at slow pace of change and layers of bureaucracy the backdrop to Sláintecare resignations" (News, September 10th), I am afraid that is par for the course regarding the functioning of the Department of Health and the HSE.

Your correspondent could be rewriting the same headline in a year’s time and even thereafter! – Yours, etc,

TADHG McCARTHY,

Bray,

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Co Wicklow.

Sir, –I read in The Irish Times that senior figures with responsibility for Sláintecare reform of our "health service" have resigned. In a separate area, you report that the "reforming" Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is concerned that the proposed Garda reforms "go too far" ("Commissioner Drew Harris raised concerns over Garda reform plans for almost two years", News, September 9th). No coincidence here.

While many have highlighted that we don’t really do “implementation” in this country, I think we can safely now add “reform” to the list of national deficiencies. That the Minister for Health has effectively blocked key aspects of the Sláintecare programme, presumably with the backing of the Department of Health, should come as no surprise to anyone. No prizes for guessing what the Minister for Justice will do to the proposed Garda “reforms”? – Yours, etc,

CATHAL O’SULLIVAN,

Rathmines,

Dublin 6.

Sir, – Slán to care. – Yours, etc,

ULTAN Ó BROIN,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.