Fianna Fáil Urge Taoiseach To 'Come Clean' Over Health Reform Failings

The Taoiseach has been urged to "come clean on the glaring failings in Government health policy", Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin has said.

Making the call, Deputy Martin said: "Enda Kenny is clearly frustrated and uncomfortable with the new Health Minister Leo Varadkar’s attempts to distance himself from the Government’s failure to reform the health service and protect frontline services.

"The Taoiseach needs to come clean on why he has been misleading the public for the last four years. Every time Enda Kenny has been confronted by me in the Dáil about the crisis in the health services, from cuts in services to the funding crisis, the Taoiseach has denied there were any problems with the Government’s policies."

Mr Kenny said that while former health minister James Reilly had enjoyed the full confidence of the government for his handling of the health service over the last four years, it's clear the Taoiseach is now "annoyed" Leo Varadkar has broken ranks and commented publicly about "the need to put the brakes on many of the more unpopular reforms."

"The Taoiseach is chair of the Cabinet sub-committee on health and has stood by the failed reforms and botched budgets for the last four years in health.  He needs to explain why he is slapping down Minister Varadkar instead of explaining why he has been misleading the public about the Government’s agenda," Mr Kenny said.

Adding: "Rather than engaging in a public spat with Minister Varadkar the Taoiseach should be explaining why he misled the public and the Dáil about the Government’s policies on Universal Health Insurance, Free GP care roll-out, medical cards and the crisis in the health budget."

(MH/CD)