It’s time to do the honourable thing, minister... £983M
considering he spent two years as a junior minister in the Department of Finance. The Taoiseach claims the huge overspend was “unavoidable” – but surely this would only be true if you’re paying out top dollar without haggling? I also think the Government under Enda Kenny deserves much criticism for appointing such a rookie politician as health minister in the first place. I could understand it if Mr Harris had academic qualifications related to health or had worked in the field of medicine. But he studied journalism and French and then worked as Francis Fitzgerald’s assistant in the Seanad.
He was still only 24 when first elected as a TD and then five years later was given his senior Cabinet role.
It’s certainly not a CV that would get you a top job in the HSE. It’s bonkers how novice TDS are appointed to leading positions simply because they’re based in a certain constituency or are an ally of the Taoiseach.
Mr Harris was the most highprofile party member to support Simon Coveney in the leadership battle, which makes me wonder if this was the real reason Mr Varadkar allowed him to stay on in this poisoned chalice of a job.
As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Mr Harris was once talked up as a future leader – but now his career is hanging in the balance thanks to this fiasco.
And I haven’t even mentioned his inability to resolve the nurses’ dispute.
Similarly, Mr Harris appears to be burying his head in the sand and hoping it will disappear.
He should do the honourable thing and quit – before he’s pushed into that black hole. Mirror story