You’re sorry Simon?
..it’s too little too late
SIMON Harris’ record as Health Minister was slammed by Sinn Fein yesterday as “shambolic” after he apologised for misleading the Dail about the rocketing costs of the National Children’s Hospital.
The bill soared from just under €1billion in 2017 before increasing to more than €1.4billion at the end of last year.
Mr Harris knew of the huge overspend in August but failed to tell anyone until November – despite being asked in September about the project’s progress by Fianna Fail’s Barry Cowen.
Speaking in the Dail yesterday, Mr Harris apologised.
He said: “I now want to refer to a Parliamentary Question I answered on the record of this House on September
18, 2018, about the National Children’s Hospital project.
“The timeline of information available to me is well established because I have published relevant documents in order to be fully transparent.
“At the time, I was not in a position to give commercially sensitive figures but, as I said at the Health Committee last week, I should have answered it more fully as it would never be my intention to mislead this House.
“I should have added further detail to inform that a process was ongoing to finalise costs and that updated costs would be known when that process concluded.
“I apologise for not doing this. I have always tried to approach my work in this House, and especially as Health Minister, in a collaborative way.
“I want to acknowledge the constructive contribution of colleagues on many issues, including this one. I take the need for accountability seriously. I account for my actions and decisions and I will ensure others are held to account for theirs.
“But I hope we can find a way to unite around our common goal to complete this vital project which has been so long promised and which will transform children’s healthcare. I will be happy to work together with members on all sides in the service of that aim.”
But Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou Mcdonald was not impressed and again called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to sack the minister. She said: “It is a democratic imperative ministers are held accountable and that they can be removed by this Dail if that is what it so decides. That is essential.
“The record of the Minister for Health is not a great one. It’s not even a good one.
“It is, truth be told, a shambolic one, which merits a motion in this Dail and affords us an opportunity to assess the minister’s record.”
I was not in a position to give sensitive figures. I should’ve answered more fully HEALTH MINISTER SIMON HARRIS DAIL YESTERDAY
It is imperative ministers are held accountable by the Dail and can be removed MARY LOU MCDONALD DAIL YESTERDAY