Minister for Health Mary Harney should resign over the Health Service Executive's handling of the cancer care crisis, Fianna Fáil backbencher Ned O'Keeffe has said.
Former minister of state Mr O'Keeffe, who failed to vote confidence in Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last month, said he did "not want to be hard on Minister Harney, or hard on anyone. But I believe . . . this issue is interfering with the popularity of the Government and the Fianna Fáil party," he told Newstalk's Lunchtime with Éamon Keaneprogramme.
"I think Mary Harney should resign. It's a matter of life and death for many unfortunate female persons across the island of Ireland," said the long-serving Cork East TD.
Attacking Ms Harney's policies, Mr O'Keeffe said: "I'm convinced that we're trying to impose a private health system on the Irish people and private health doesn't work in any part of the world today because of the huge costs. I think we should pull back from what we're doing and look at a new model. Most of my colleagues in Dáil Éireann and the Fianna Fáil side are appalled."
Questioned about fears that more women were given inadequate treatment by Cork University Hospital, Mr O'Keeffe said: "It's all very disturbing and I'm very concerned about it but I think it goes back to the whole HSE. It has created more administrative systems, it has done little in the whole medical area and I think there is a necessity to break it up into four or five regional systems.
"I have to say the health service has deteriorated since the HSE was formed," he added.