Stephen Donnelly - Minister for Health

California Dreamer

A TD since 2011, joint leader of Social Democrats, Fianna Fail and now taking on the poisoned chalice of the department of health.

Is he a man of zero experience and will self implode within a year

OR

New blood not tainted by stroke politics and actually do something good?

Peter Flynt

California Dreamer wrote: »

A TD since 2011, joint leader of Social Democrats, Fianna Fail and now taking on the poisoned chalice of the department of health.

Is he a man of zero experience and will self implode within a year

OR

New blood not tainted by stroke politics and actually do something good?

He's a man of ZERO integrity.

whippet

He had all the answers when he was in opposition .. so no doubt he will be a roaring success 👀

tayto lover

Did nothing but criticise FF for years and next thing he’s a member.
Hypocrite.

ILoveYourVibes

California Dreamer wrote: »

Is he a man of zero experience and will self implode within a year

?

Don't worry he is a white straight male he HAS to be have been chosen on merit alone!

StackSteevens

whippet wrote: »

He had all the answers when he was in opposition .. so no doubt he will be a roaring success ��

One thing he has going for him is that he'll be marked by SF's appalling Louise O'Reilly who appears to believe that outraged ranting is the only way to go.

I suspect that he'll get a far rougher ride from Rosie Shortall who appears to know what she's talking about on health issues.

threeball

California Dreamer wrote: »

A TD since 2011, joint leader of Social Democrats, Fianna Fail and now taking on the poisoned chalice of the department of health.

Is he a man of zero experience and will self implode within a year

OR

New blood not tainted by stroke politics and actually do something good?

I don't know which would be more naive, believing that anyone can do anything to fix the health service without first tearing it apart or to believe that person would be Stephen Donnelly.

charlie14

StackSteevens wrote: »

One thing he has going for him is that he'll be marked by SF's appalling Louise O'Reilly who appears to believe that outraged ranting is the only way to go.

I suspect that he'll get a far rougher ride from Rosie Shortall who appears to know what she's talking about on health issues.

I would not see Shorthall being in a great position to criticise.

She sent years banging on about Slainte Care, yet when the Health portfolio was theirs for the taking the Social Democrats ran away and hid.

jd1983

He's definitely an individual where ambition overrides principal, similar probably to Mary Lou in that respect. However I do suspect there's some sincerity and conviction in him unlike Leo. Given what's on offer from the three parties, he'd probably be my choice as minister for health. Although realistically I can't see health being adequately reformed without taking on health insurance companies and private hospitals and FG are certain to put road blocks in his way.
His main achievement to date has been exposing the various noonan tax loop holes put in place for vulture funds. He put a lot of work into this but he was also well supported by his party at the time, Soc Dems.

Skyfloater

I'd agree with most of the above, but I'd still hope he does a great job in Health for all our sakes. The guy is no dummy, and will hopefully be less prone to Stockholm syndrome than his predecessors.

LiquidZeb

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Don't worry he is a white straight male he HAS to be have been chosen on merit alone!

Well to be honest considering how many BAME people work in our health service and yet none of them were picked for the role, I do think the old boys club played a sizeable role.

tayto lover

Skyfloater wrote: »

I'd agree with most of the above, but I'd still hope he does a great job in Health for all our sakes. The guy is no dummy, and will hopefully be less prone to Stockholm syndrome than his predecessors.

He seems to have contracted Stockholm Syndrome even before he joined FF.
Power hungry with that large dose of hypocrisy added.

Cute customer. No integrity but he’s a politician so it’s a necessity to have none. If he doesn’t **** this up he could be a future party leader.

Earthhorse

He's a man with zero experience and little staying power it seems. Doubt he will have any impact in Health but it has been a "just don't make things worse" portfolio for years and I think he's up to that challenge, at least.

Muahahaha

I wish him the best of luck, we have had two Fine Gael doctors as Minister for Health and they didnt make any improvements. Time to let the management consultant from McKinsey have a shot at it, he can hardly do any worse than the doctors who were supposed to know what they were doing and failed in that department.

1800_Ladladlad

a mechanical engineer who got elected on the 16th count and has said in the past "nurses are paid enough".........fcuk sake

StackSteevens

1800_Ladladlad wrote: »

a mechanical engineer who got elected on the 16th count and has said in the past "nurses are paid enough".........fcuk sake

Yep I had hoped that he'd lose his seat and was disappointed that he slithered in.

But he was quite correct about nurses.

StackSteevens

charlie14 wrote: »

I would not see Shorthall being in a great position to criticise.

She sent years banging on about Slainte Care, yet when the Health portfolio was theirs for the taking the Social Democrats ran away and hid.

She's well in with the female political media brigade who won't hesitate to parrot any criticisms that she makes and won't highlight her fence sitting (which she pathetically tried to defend in the Dáil last night).

Furthermore, nowadays health appears to be all about womens' innards so Baldy is on a hiding to nothing.

1800_Ladladlad

This didnt age at all.....


img

California Dreamer

I miss vinb!!

https://youtu.be/8GutwV8hqtA

Spanish Eyes

It would appear that no Minister for Health can avoid throwing more money at the HSE, and no Minister for Health has faced down the Unions either. That is a big worry.

Appears to me that the Unions run the HSE not the so called managers. If that was fixed and flexibility allowed for 18/24/7 operations in diagnostics etc., well something might happen to help the situation.

The private hospitals are not the problem at all IMV. One can choose to subscribe if one can afford it, but we can ALL avail of the Public System, and many with emergency needs actually do, as is their right.

Annasopra

He's a spoofer

circadian

100% spoofer.

mariaalice

He gave a print interview in which he said I fully expect to be the next minister for health and then on RTE radio today he said he had not expected to be made minister for health:p

is_that_so

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

It would appear that no Minister for Health can avoid throwing more money at the HSE, and no Minister for Health has faced down the Unions either. That is a big worry.

Appears to me that the Unions run the HSE not the so called managers. If that was fixed and flexibility allowed for 18/24/7 operations in diagnostics etc., well something might happen to help the situation.

The private hospitals are not the problem at all IMV. One can choose to subscribe if one can afford it, but we can ALL avail of the Public System, and many with emergency needs actually do, as is their right.

I'd keep an eye on what Reid does. Has done very well during this and is the future for the HSE. Donnelly will claim what good he does, of course.

mariaalice

is_that_so wrote: »

I'd keep an eye on what Reid does. Has done very well during this and is the future for the HSE. Donnelly will claim what good he does, of course.

Paul Reid is very very good so the is a possibility that Stephen Donnelly could benefit from this.

Spanish Eyes

is_that_so wrote: »

I'd keep an eye on what Reid does. Has done very well during this and is the future for the HSE. Donnelly will claim what good he does, of course.

I sincerely hope Mr. Reid succeeds in getting to grips with the HSE. I have been impressed so far with his straightforward approach, and lack of airs and graces.

I was a Union member myself back in the day, but was always very wary of the power that the Unions had in the HSE, looking sideways of course. That really has to change to serve the people of this country, not the Union members, and it can be done with a bit of diplomacy and finesse. The frontline workers did us proud, many of them got sick and some died, I am not for a moment taking away from that.

Just shows that when the Unions shut up, the members just got on with it for the sake of us all. It can be done.

Beechwoodspark

StackSteevens wrote: »

One thing he has going for him is that he'll be marked by SF's appalling Louise O'Reilly who appears to believe that outraged ranting is the only way to go.

I suspect that he'll get a far rougher ride from Rosie Shortall who appears to know what she's talking about on health issues.

Appalling just about covers my opinion on O’Reilly too.

Any time she is on tv she has an angry self entitled scowl and seems to think shouting and roaring is the best debating tactic.

To put it in her sort of language - the bleeedin hack of her

As for Donnelly - I also have picked up on his “self regarding” streak, this sort of “I’m a management consultant don’t you know” attitude.

He talks a good game and has an answer for everything so time for action now

I’m willing to give him a fair go but I have little confidence in him.

suicide_circus

threeball wrote: »

I don't know which would be more naive, believing that anyone can do anything to fix the health service without first tearing it apart...

This is it.

Someone needs to throw a grenade into the HSE and start swinging a sledgehammer. But there's no public appetite to deal with the fallout.

There's also not enough public trust in the institutions to stomach significant tax increases to pump into the HSE.

The person who fixes the health service will be one of outstanding fortitude, character and vision.

I've no reason to believe Stephen Donnelly is that person.

Mortelaro

tayto lover wrote: »

Did nothing but criticise FF for years and next thing he’s a member.
Hypocrite.

Or the cleverest one of them all..

ratracer

suicide_circus wrote: »

This is it.

Someone needs to throw a grenade into the HSE and start swinging a sledgehammer. But there's no public appetite to deal with the fallout.

There's also not enough public trust in the institutions to stomach significant tax increases to pump into the HSE.

The person who fixes the health service will be one of outstanding fortitude, character and vision.

I've no reason to believe Stephen Donnelly is that person.

The problem across all govt dept’s, apart from any union issues, is that there has never been ( at least in my lifetime) a politician with an ambitious long term plan for the good of the country. At National and local level, every one of them is only playing the game and the parish pump politics to get re-elected.

Until that changes, we won’t see anything change, and I don’t think I’ll see it in my lifetime.