"The health boards are a handy whipping boy. The problems in the health service did not begin, or end with the health boards." - Fine Gael health spokesperson, Deputy Olivia Mitchell, giving a heavily qualified welcome to the Government's plans:
"The measures announced today will do nothing to deal with the crisis facing the Mater Hospital which has forced it to make contingency plans to treat accident and emergency patients in the car-park. Nor will it do anything for the problems facing Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, which has resulted in the hospital now having fewer beds than it did 50 years ago," - Labour Party Health spokesperson, Deputy Liz McManus
"The difficulty is that patient's voices are not being heard in the present debate on health service reform. If it is being proposed that politician be removed from health boards then the Green Party are proposing that they be immediately replaced by patients groups and professional consumer groups" - Green Party Health Spokesperson, Deputy Mr John Gormley
"While new bureaucratic structures are being set up, public patients will continue to suffer and die on waiting lists, hospital beds will remain closed and 200,000 people will be left without the medical card cover promised them," - Sinn Féin TD, Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin.