Sher cheek
Harris blasted over sf health budget claim
THE Taoiseach has been accused of “deliberate misinformation” after he said in the Dail that Sinn Fein’s health budget “vanished like Shergar”.
The opposition party’s alternative health budget, published in September 2023, however, is still available on its website.
A Google search for “Sinn Fein alternative health budget 2024” does result in a broken link. However, the document remains on the party’s website.
On Tuesday, Mr Harris stated that Sinn Fein’s alternative budget pledged less to health than the Government had allocated.
Yesterday as leader Mary Lou Mcdonald tackled him on cancelled appointments, Mr Harris suggested the party had deleted the document after he raised it in the chamber.
He said: “I’d like to know [on Tuesday] after I raised the issue of Sinn Fein’s alternative budget for health why it disappeared and vanished like Shergar from your website. I have a copy of it here. Why did you take it down yesterday?
Parents need to know. They have every right to know that your party provided less money for their children’s healthcare than our party did.
“Put the plan back up on the website.”
The suggestion elicited a furious response from Sinn Fein, with TD Pearse Doherty accusing him of misinformation.
“More deliberate misinformation from Taoiseach after getting caught out yesterday deliberately spoofing about Sinn Fein just like Helen Mcentee caught out last week on Morning Ireland deliberately misrepresenting Sinn Fein policy,” he wrote on X.
“Is this a new strategy from Fine Gael can’t defend their record. Here is our policy on our website.”
He then attached a link to the budget.
The party’s health spokesman David Cullinane also hit out at the Taoiseach. He wrote: “For the
HIT OUT second day running the Taoiseach is wrong again.
“Nothing to say about 250,000 hospital cancellations. Nothing to say about the recruitment embargo.
“Instead he misleads about Sinn Fein Health plan being removed from our website.
“Not true. Read it for yourself.” A spokesman for the Taoiseach said: “It’s good that Sinn Fein policy is back in the spotlight for everyone to compare and contrast with what the Government delivered in Budget 2024. Everyone should now ask Sinn Fein why it proposed at least half a billion euro less for the health service than the Government did.”
Asked in Brussels if he apologises to Sinn Fein and Pearse Doherty, the Taoiseach said: “I don’t.”
He criticised Sinn Fein’s health budget and housing policies. He also accused them
of “populist politics”.
I’d like to know why it disappeared like Shergar from website SIMON HARRIS ON SINN FEIN HEALTH BUDGET