Harney's attendance at Super Bowl on US trip defended

The Minister for Health, Mary Harney, attended the Super Bowl, the highlight of the American Football year, in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday night during a week-long trip to the United States for meetings with healthcare specialists in three cities.

In the Dáil last night Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter asked if the Minister's absence from an important Dáil debate on cystic fibrosis was due to her attendance at the Super Bowl.

Dr Jimmy Devins, the Minister of State who was standing in for Ms Harney, described the implication of Mr Shatter's remark as "disgusting".

He said the Minister was on a long-standing visit to examine cancer services.

The Minister and her party flew out of Baldonnel in the Government jet last Friday.

Their itinerary involved meetings in Arizona, Texas and Washington, and the group will return home in the Government jet on Friday.

Among the Minister's party were her husband, Brian Geoghegan, her press officer Derek Cunningham and her special adviser, Patricia Ryan.

The deputy chief medical officer of the Department of Health, Tony Holohan, and a senior official, Chris Fitzgerald, were also on the trip.

A spokesman for the Minister said the US trip had been organised by the Department of Health some months ago and its focus was on cancer and dental services.

He pointed out that the Fine Gael Dáil motion on cystic fibrosis was tabled last Friday while the Minister was on the way to the airport.

"Minister Harney and her officials treat these trips really seriously, not only to study the methodology being applied to the health services in other countries but to interact with key personnel," the spokesman continued.

He said that a similar trip to Canada last year began the process leading to the appointment of Prof Tom Keane to head the national cancer strategy.

The spokesman added that the outing to the Super Bowl in Phoenix arose as a result of a personal invitation to the Minister, which arose long after the trip had been arranged.

During her time in Phoenix Ms Harney visited the Arizona School of Dental and Oral Health, the Mayo Clinic facility, Arizona State University and the Arizona Leadership Forum. She also met the governor of the state, Janet Napolitano.

Ms Harney travelled on to Houston in Texas to visit the Andersen Cancer Centre and is due to go on to Washington, where she will meet Dr Peter Pronovost, medical director of the Centre for Innovation in Quality Patient Care at Johns Hopkins University's school of medicine.

She will also meet the US deputy secretary of state for health, Tevi David Troy.

Opening the Dáil debate last night, the Fine Gael spokesman on health, Dr James Reilly, expressed his disappointment that Ms Harney was not in the chamber.

He said it was important that she should hear about the serious issues involved.

Six years ago Ms Harney became embroiled in controversy when it emerged that she had used a Department of Defence marine patrol aircraft to fly to open a friend's off-licence in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times