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Harris expected to survive no confidence vote as Fianna Fáil abstains

The Dáil is debating a motion of no confidence in the Health Minister Simon Harris this evening....
Michael Staines
Michael Staines

07.34 20 Feb 2019


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Harris expected to survive no...

Harris expected to survive no confidence vote as Fianna Fáil abstains

Michael Staines
Michael Staines

07.34 20 Feb 2019


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The Dáil is debating a motion of no confidence in the Health Minister Simon Harris this evening.

Sinn Féin has submitted the motion over Simon Harris’ handling of cost overruns at the new National Children's Hospital.

The motion has the support of Labour, the Green Party and a range of independents – including the chair of the Oireachtas Health Committee Dr Michael Harty.

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However, Minister Harris is expected to survive the vote – as Fianna Fáil has indicated it will abstain.

In the debate ahead of this evening's vote, a number of opposition TDs sharply criticised Fianna Fáil.

Sinn Féin's health spokesperson claimed there won't be results by keeping the current Health Minister in place.

Louise O'Reilly also described Fianna Fáil as "opportunistic cowards" for their decision to abstain.

"Past performance is, I believe, an indicator of future performance," she told Minister Harris.

"But your past performance makes me certain that you are not up to the job of being Minister for Health."

Overrun

The projected cost of the children's hospital project has spiralled to at least €1.7bn over recent months – up from the original €650m estimate.

On Newstalk Breakfast yesterday, Minister Simon Harris insisted the overspend is not a scandal - and said the only scandal in relation to the project would have been to cancel it.

On the same programme this morning, Deputy Harty outlined why he is supporting the motion.

“There is now an acceptance that 400, 500 of 600 people on trolleys every day of the week is acceptable – and of course that is not the case,” he said.

“So it crystallises down into that issue but it is a metaphor for what has happening in the health service and the failure of this minister to introduce health reform.”

Harris

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has urged Fianna Fáil to reconsider its position

“It is on Fianna Fáil’s watch and with their support that this minister failed so spectacularly,” she said.

“And if they choose to sit on their hands; if they choose to tolerate and facilitate bad decisions, bad Government and incompetence, Simon Harris will remain in office.”

Confidence and supply

Fianna Fáil has warned that backing the motion would collapse the Government at a critical time for Brexit.

The party’s confidence and supply arrangement with Fine Gael obliges it to either abstain or support the Government on votes relating to budgetary matters and motions of no confidence.

The Communications Minister Richard Bruton labelled the Sinn Féin strategy a "political ploy" - and praised Fianna Fáil for its stance.

“Being in a confidence and supply agreement is not always comfortable but I would also acknowledge that they are doing the right thing in the interest of the country,” he said.

Independent TD Michael Healy Rae said Fianna Fáil is peddling a "nonsense" argument.

“That is nonsense that is being put out there by Fianna Fáil because they are just afraid of everything and like Deputy McGrath has said on numerous occasions, they are going to get completely paralysed at some stage because their hands are underneath their bottoms so much.

“They are just sitting on the fence and they are mouthing about everything bu they are doing nothing.”

In a tweet this afternoon, Fianna Fáil health spokesperson Lisa Chambers warned the Health Minister that he would be “gone” if the threat of Brexit was not looming over the country.

Vote

With the Fianna Fáil abstention, the Government needs just 57 votes to win the motion.

They should be able to reach that figure with the votes of 49 Fine Gael members, four Independence Alliance members and Independents Katherine Zappone, Sean Canney, Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish.

Tonight’s motion of no confidence is the third the Government has faced since Leo Varadkar was confirmed as Taoiseach.

The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy survived a vote in September while Frances Fitzgerald resigned as Tánaiste and Business Minister hours before a motion came before the Dáil.


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