As every other player in society swiftly rose to the challenge of beating Covid-19, those leading the schools system dithered dangerously – and are still dithering

Sex trafficking is an affront to human rights, but a group representing sex workers say they were excluded from all discussions on an Irish law enacted in 2017 aimed at tackling the problem but which they say will make it worse

No government can be expected to get everything right on Covid-19, but the authorities have no margin for error on this one

The dramatic claims and counterclaims with regard to the rate of Covid-19 infection among our healthcare staff are not helpful. What we need is openness and a willingness to learn

The next programme for government must tackle both healthcare reform and ongoing health service operations

Meeting in the historic chamber to practise social distancing still risks the spread of infection

The advisory expert panel has served the government well. Let it continue to do its job without being handicapped by outside political skulduggery

We can fix this issue, and seize the rare opportunity to use private hospitals to reduce waiting lists

Covid-19 has temporarily given us a single-tier health system – and we will never take our health service for granted again

A 20% daily growth rate in the virus would mean 60,000 cases in four weeks whereas a 30% rate would mean 570,000. The situation is as stark as it gets

Our next Taoiseach, whoever he or she is, will have to articulate a new national healthcare vision. That means joined-up policies and abandoning the idea that Sláintecare is a workable plan

The HSE has a funding crisis. Unless it is solved, the Sláintecare health reform programme cannot be implemented

Anti-abortion activists have no right to pose a threat to women seeking medical care, and that is what their protests outside maternity hospitals and GP surgeries are intended to do

The Minister for Health engaged in an ill-informed and ill-advised exercise in finger-pointing, instead of taking responsibility for his government‘s failure to solve the trolley crisis

Paramedics and advanced paramedics are vital for our emergency services, yet paramedics are not defined as health care professionals or subject to regulation

The government’s response to the problems in emergency departments is well-rehearsed and utterly ineffective. The steps needed to ease the pressure are obvious. To do anything less is to turn overcrowding into official policy

The narrative that Ireland is an excessively high spender on health should be challenged

There is huge frustration in government that funds spent on health do not readily translate into positive, measurable impact, unlike voter-friendly tax cuts

Freed from fighting fires over operational matters, those in charge could take the time to step back and look at the big picture – to the benefit of us all

Not only does the government fail to let the health service plan ahead or budget for vital services, it cynically lets the HSE take the blame for any shortfalls