Labour joins support for the motion of no confidence in Harris
LABOUR has stated it will support the motion of no confidence in Health Minister Simon Harris.
Leader Brendan Howlin said yesterday that the Government needed to be held to account.
Sinn Fein proposed today’s motion after a number of issues in his brief came to a head in recent weeks, most notably the significant cost overruns in the construction of the National Children’s Hospital.
Speaking at Leinster House, Mr Howlin said: “We can’t keep going on like this. We can see a degree of dysfunction in parliament across the water but that dysfunction is migrating here.
“[It’s] a very worrying situation for all of us who depend on parliament to be the watchdog of the people.”
Fianna Fail has said it would be an act of “national sabotage” if it were to back the motion and put the country through a General Election at a time of deep uncertainty over Brexit.
Independent TD Dr Michael Harty said on Monday he would back the vote.
In a statement on Monday, he added the delay in providing a 60-bed unit at University Hospital Limerick sparked his decision.
Dr Harty had indicated he would abstain on the vote of no confidence on the basis of ensuring the Government did not fall at a critical time for Brexit.
But in the statement he said he had “lost trust” in Mr Harris and the Government as a result of the lack of commitment to delivering the Limerick project as promised.
Speaking at Leinster
House, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou Mcdonald said: “The botching of the children’s hospital project speaks for itself and will have real consequences and effects.”
She added that the outcome of the vote rests with Fianna Fail.
Ms Mcdonald said: “It’s on Fianna Fail’s watch and with their support that this minister fails so spectacularly.
“If they sit on their hands, if they chose to tolerate and facilitate bad decisions, bad government and incompetence, well then, Simon Harris will remain in office.
“If they have the courage, if they are actually to act as opposition deputies and assist us to hold the Government to account, and delivering for citizens, well then, they’ll support our motion.”
Asked whether she agreed with Fianna Fail’s claim that it would be an act of sabotage, she replied: “Absolutely not, and really that kind of language suggests that Fianna Fail are doing the wrong thing and they are knowingly doing the wrong thing by sitting on their hands.”