Labour To Table a motion of no confidence in Harney

national | miscellaneous | press release Friday November 23, 2007 15:35 by Labour Lover - Labour

Labour lash out!!!

The Labour Party has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Health, Mary Harney TD, which will be taken in Labour Party Private Members time on Tuesday and Wednesday next.

The Labour Party Spokesperson on Health, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan said:
"The tabling of a motion of no confidence in a government minister is a very serious development that is only merited in the most serious of situations.

"However, the disclosures about the failures in cancer screening and care at the Midland Hospital, Portlaoise, and the questions that have been raised about the subsequent handling of the disclosure of information by the Department of Health and the HSE are of such seriousness that they cannot be ignored by the Dail.

"While nobody questions Minister Harney's personal integrity, the patience of the public has now expired at the continued failures in the health service on her watch.

"The disclosure that ninety-seven patients who attended at Portlaoise for ultrasound scans were being recalled for a surgical review was bad enough, but the fact these women heard about this development over the airwaves is scandalous. And then we learn today that these women have not yet even been contacted by the HSE, never mind being offered the counselling that they will now need.

"Minister Harney's claim that she was not even aware that these ninety-seven women were being recalled, suggests that she is out of touch and that the HSE is out of control. The HSE was Mary Harney's political initiative and she must now take responsibility for the monster she has created.

"If the principle of political accountability is to mean anything Mary Harney must accept overall responsibility for the Portlaoise debacle.

"The motion of no confidence will enable members of the Dail to outline their views on Minister Harney's record and will allow all members to vote on whether or not they have confidence in her. I hope that those Fianna Fail backbenchers and Independents who have been happy to engage in whispered criticisms of Mary Harney in the corridors of Leinister House, will now have the courage of the convictions and come into the House and put those views on the record.

"It is time for all members to stand up and be counted on where they stand on the record of Mary Harney and this government on health."