No more health cuts, Varadkar tells colleagues

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar told Fine Gael colleagues yesterday there should be no more cuts in the health sector and that the Government should revise health policy, as Taoiseach Enda Kenny warned Ministers not to publicly pre-empt budget negotiations.

Mr Kenny told the weekly pre-Cabinet meeting of Fine Gael Ministers that nobody should speak out on tax matters before the budget next month. He also warned his Cabinet colleagues, both Labour and Fine Gael, not to pre-empt budget negotiations by speaking about possible tax changes. He also told them to stay "on message".

Wider discussion

However, sources said there was a wider discussion at the meeting of Fine Gael Ministers which takes place before the full Cabinet meeting.

Mr Kenny gave Mr Varadkar a public rebuke this week, saying budget negotiations should be kept behind closed doors and he wanted solutions in the Department of Health rather than reasons why things could not be done.

Since taking over from Dr James Reilly, Mr Varadkar has shelved universal health insurance, as well as reassessing other aspects of Coalition health policy such as the abolition of the HSE.

This week Mr Varadkar said he did not think people wanted “an extra fiver or tenner” in their payslips if it came at the expense of the health service.

Sources said he agreed with Mr Kenny’s warning yesterday on not pre-empting whatever tax changes may come in the budget, but also repeated there should be no more health cuts.

“He repeated that there should be no more health cuts, and said the Government should work on a revised health programme,” a party source said.

Refocusing

However, another source said Mr Varadkar was not as direct in expressing his views but did say there should be a refocusing of health policy.

“Leo was wrong,” said one Minister. “A senior Cabinet Minister can’t go around saying those things, but there was no argy-bargy. The Taoiseach just said everyone had to be on message for the budget.”

Fine Gael TDs are split on the rebuke given to Mr Varadkar by Mr Kenny. “If you want to create a contender that’s how you do it,” said one deputy, while another said Mr Varadkar had “over-feasted on the carcass of James Reilly’s plans” and deserved the dressing down.

Mr Kenny said yesterday he expected the Minister for Health to “do his job”.

“I expect that he will do his job, and do it very successfully,” the Taoiseach said at the opening of a Guinness brewhouse at St James’ Gate in Dublin. “He is entitled to reflect on the challenges in the various sectors in the health system so Government will continue to focus on keeping the patient central to the system and we will end the discriminatory two-tier system that we’ve had in the past.”