Harris will not meet consultants over Waterford report

Minister for Health Simon Harris does not intend to meet consultants in Waterford to discuss a report which recommended against a second cardiac catheterisation laboratory in the city's university hospital.

Mr Harris said this week he accepted the findings of the independent report – carried out by Belfast cardiologist Dr Niall Herity – which concluded there was no need for a second laboratory.

Mr Harris, according to sources close to them, is not minded to meet the consultants who have taken issue with the report. The sources said that, as far as Mr Harris is concerned, he has issued an emphatic statement, is not willing to reopen the issue, and the matter is closed.

The strong stance by the Minister is likely to result in a showdown with Waterford Independent Alliance TD and Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation John Halligan, who has made his position in Government contingent on the provision of a laboratory.

On Thursday, he put a stay on any decision surrounding his future in Government until consultants based at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) had a chance to read and critique the report.

“The report is flawed and will be proven to be flawed when it is analysed by the consultants in the hospital,” he said.

Recommendations

He said that those disclosures would persuade Mr Harris to review his decision. But, the indications were last night that the Minister for Health has no intention of doing so.

However, Mr Harris has said he will accept all the recommendations made by Dr Herity to improve existing cardiac services at UHW, including increasing the number of weekly sessions currently provided, in order to address waiting times and to provide improved access for patients.

However, these measures may not be enough to appease Mr Halligan who has insisted on the second laboratory and has argued the report did not take into account the fact that the service catered for the entirety of the southeast of Ireland – including Wexford, south Kilkenny and west Waterford.

‘Coincidental events’

Separately, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has warned of such controversies being a distraction for Government, and has told Ministers to focus on their own departments.

“I’d like for everyone to apply themselves to their jobs and we have a big responsibility in uncertain times.

“Everybody get down to business and apply ourselves to what we have to [do] as a people and as a country,” the Taoiseach said.

“We look forward to preparations for the budget which, as we pointed out, will be prudent without taking any risks with an economy that people have built up through their hard sacrifice over the last number of years.”

The Independent TD Stephen Donnelly yesterday ruled out any immediate move by him to Government, as speculation ramped up that Fine Gael may try to coax other Independent deputies into Government, should Mr Halligan resign.

Mr Donnelly, who resigned from the Social Democrats earlier this week, told The Irish Times that, in the long term, he would like to serve in a ministerial capacity on the simple grounds that it provided the best mechanism to get things done.

However, he said that his departure from the Social Democrats and the controversy surrounding Mr Halligan’s future were coincidental events, with no connection.