Sláintecare resignation
The reform process for the health service has suffered another high-profile resignation with the departure of Dr Anthony O’Connor from the Sláintecare implementation advisory council.
Dr O’Connor tendered his resignation in a letter to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly this week.
He confirmed his resignation to The Irish Examiner on Thursday but said he does not wish to make any public comment.
Dr O’Connor, originally from Cork, is clinical lead of the department of gastroenterology at Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin.
His departure follows a meeting with HSE chief executive Paul Reid and Department of Health secretary general Robert Watt on Wednesday.
This was the first between council members and the health officials since the resignations earlier this month of Sláintecare executive director Laura Magahy and chairman Prof Tom Keane over the slow pace of the plan to overhaul the health service.
Croke Park concert concerns
A representative of the Croke Park Area Residents Association has explained why they are opposed to more than three concerts per year in the GAA stadium.
Colm Stephens, PRO for the Clonliffe & Croke Park Area Residents Association told Newstalk Breakfast that they were prepared to “bend over backwards” and compromise with the GAA for three concerts, but not for any more.
The residents association has called on Dublin City Council to reject any further applications for additional concerts in Croke Park in 2022 and voiced their opposition at a meeting with the GAA last night.
Mr Stephens pointed out that Croke Park was “a huge building” set in the middle of a residential area. There was no traffic infrastructure in place to deal with the crowds attending such events.
“It’s like having a nightclub for 80,000 people in the middle of a residential area.”
Mica redress costs
The State could be left with a bill of up to €3.2bn to fix the issues in homes affected by mica in Donegal and Mayo, a report of the Government working group has found.
Earlier this year the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien set up the group comprising homeowner representatives and department officials to examine potential changes to the defective blocks scheme.
As The Irish Times reports, the group circulated its final draft report late last night and did not recommend 100 per cent redress which campaigners have been seeking.
Instead it found that a 100 per cent grant should be made available for remediation work that does not involve full demolition.
The report says that “based on the homeowners’ final submission the estimated costs of the changes requested could rise by €1.8bn to €3.2bn.”
