SF pushes for debate on Harris future
A MOTION of no confidence in Simon Harris could be debated this week.
The Health Minister is today expected to express regret over the failure to disclose the spiralling cost of the new National Children’s Hospital but Sinn Féin is asking other parties for time to discuss his political future this week.
Mr Harris yesterday responded to the proposed motion with a reference to Sinn Féin’s troubled past, noting it was ‘a party that has a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later’ and said Ireland has reached ‘peak Mary Lou’ because of party leader Mary Lou McDonald’s tendency to table no-confidence motions.
Fianna Fáil said it still expects an ‘apology’ from Mr Harris because the Government told Fianna Fáil’s health spokesman last September that the costs of the National Children’s Hospital were ‘broadly’ on course. By then, there were already demands behind the scenes for nearly an additional €400million for completion of the work at the St James’s site, with expectations of worse to come.
Mr Harris will today tell the Dáil he regrets he did not ‘contextualise’ his answer to Fianna Fáil with additional information that the guaranteed maximum price of the hospital had still not been pinned down then.
Ms McDonald has called on Fianna Fáil to support her party’s motion of no confidence in Mr Harris, which they could get on the order paper this week by exchanging speaking time with Solidarity-People Before Profit or Independents 4 C hang eTDs.ButF ian na Fail sources say they will not support the ‘opportunistic’ Sinn Féin motion under any circumstances.