The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, has implied that his support for the Hanly report on health service reform cannot be taken for granted, in remarks which Government sources said last night would have to be addressed.
Mr Smith, who represents Tipperary North - which includes Nenagh Hospital which the report says should be downgraded - yesterday strongly defended comments he made on Monday night. At a public meeting in the town he refused to endorse the report's recommendations.
The Hanly report recommends, among other things, the downgrading of a number of small local hospitals and the concentration of acute hospital services in regional centres of excellence.
While a Government spokeswoman said last night that Mr Smith had stated clearly in the past that he was in favour of the Hanly report, the Minister made it clear last night that he was not endorsing it now. "This is a report, and there is quite a considerable aspect and time lag in terms of its implementation," he said. "I will be watching every line of it and nobody is going to take me for granted anywhere."
He rejected a suggestion that he was pursuing narrow constituency interests. "I do not regard it as a narrow constituency interest to make sure that the people I represent get the best treatment care. If you do, I don't," he said.
Mr Smith's stance is likely to annoy some of his Cabinet and party colleagues who have publicly supported the report's aim of centralising hospital services.