The words you’ve bandied are sufficient;
’Tis deeds that I prefer to see:
In compliments you’re both proficient,
But might, the while, more useful be.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, Prelude

Big projects are taking far too long to deliver, said Simon Harris when asked about the delivery of important healthcare projects,, such as Teach An Saol. We have to cut through the red tape.

The words you’ve bandied are sufficient;
’Tis deeds that I prefer to see:

Simon Harris might but, most likely, did not have Goethe’s Faust in mind when he stated in his own words what Germany’s most famous writer and poet had written about 200 years ago.

When asked by Deputy Paul McAuliffe in the Irish Parliament about the delivery of projects in the context of the National Development Plan, among them the An Saol Foundation’s Teach An Saol project for Life and Living with a severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI), the Tánaiste stated that “Big projects are taking far too long to deliver” because of excessive bureaucracy.

During the week, I became a certified TWC Professional, having attended a course in the Wayfinding Centre in Glasnevin, apparently the only centre in the world, where you can practice how to use public transport.

The Centre is outstanding. Not only do they have buses, a taxi, a tram, and even an aeroplane on site. They also have a huge board allowing visitors to tell everybody about their problems when using public transport, their proposed solutions, and their wishes for the future.

Pádraig and I continue to attend the National Hyperbaric Centre, ideally twice a week. Last week, he managed to hold his head up high with his mask without any support, including the headband. It might sound like a small thing, but it is massive. His head control is improving all the time. So is his alertness and ability to participate in physical exercise, conversations, and social contacts.

Inclusion, participation, integration – all need adequate space to facilitate them. It’s more than a ramp that is needed.

And it is time to stop the talking and the shoulder clapping.

It’s time to act. To cut through the red tape.