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Updated 10.51pm
MINISTER SIMON COVENEY has said there was “no trickery involved” in programme for government negotiations in relation to Waterford General Hospital.
His comments came after Junior Health Minister John Halligan accused Coveney’s party of breaking their promise to him.
The Independent Alliance member has threatened to leave the minority government if a second cath lab is not set up at University Hospital Waterford (a catheterisation lab specialises in examining the heart).
Halligan requested that the unit be added during government formation talks earlier this year, claiming that the hospital was severely under-resourced.
Fine Gael agreed to an independent review of the hospital the finalised report has not favoured Halligan’s campaign for a new unit.
Instead, it has recommended investment in the existing lab to fund additional staff and equipment, which will enable it to provide an additional eight hours per week of procedures.
Health Minister Simon Harris said today that he will have a further independent review carried out in early 2017.
Broken promises
Speaking to WLRFM, Halligan said that Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister Coveney had given him assurances during government talks that the review of services at the hospital was just “a formality”.
The independent TD said:
Simon Coveney told me during government talks, ‘If you don’t sign up, we’ll deliver the second cath lab for Waterford anyway’.
I signed up to the Programme for Government based on what the government told me. They’re now breaking that commitment.
He also told RTÉ’s Seán O’Rourke that Fine Gael had “broken their promise on this”.
Coveney, however, disputes this claim, telling reporters in Dublin this afternoon that the government committed in the programme for government to investing in Waterford General Hospital – and that is what they plan to do now.
The commitment, he said, was to developing a second lab only if it was recommended by an independent review.
We will look at a further review next year to build on that but you cannot and you should not be making investment decisions on healthcare that involve clinical treatment for people on the basis of politics.
He said he knew Halligan was “under some pressure in Waterford” but denied there had been any “trickery” involved in the negotiations.
Coveney also said he hoped the Independent Alliance TD, who he described as a “good person” would remain in government and help them to implement the recommendations in the review.
‘Flawed’
Halligan earlier told WRLFM he had an issue with the terms of reference used for an independent review of the hospital’s cardiac services, stating that he believed they were not the ones agreed upon during talks.
“The terms of reference are flawed,” said the TD.
My personal view is that there’s been interference from other hospitals.
Tonight, RTÉ’s Prime Time revealed details of a briefing note released to Halligan under Freedom of Information in which the HSE told the review’s author that it would be “wasteful” to extend services at the hospital.
The note, prepared by the HSE’s acute hospital policy unit, referred to the “growing public and political pressure in the Waterford region” and was sent shortly after Dr Niall Herity was commissioned to carry out the review.
Halligan has described this note as “a gross interference” with the independent review.
‘Serious trouble’
Halligan said if there was no second review, with a different set of terms of reference, “we’re in serious trouble”.
TheJournal Politics / TwitterJohn Halligan says minister @SimonHarrisTD told him last week that the review of the cath lab in Waterford was "not good"
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) September 8, 2016
Despite soundings that his colleagues in the Independent Alliance are fed up of ongoing crises involving Halligan, he said they had been very supportive.
He described Shane Ross, now the Transport Minister, as a good friend who advised him to “stay in and fight” for better services for Waterford.
TheJournal Politics / TwitterHalligan says hospital is an issue for the south east. "I can't be a lone voice on this."
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) September 8, 2016
Halligan, already well-known for his forthright way of expressing his opinions, previously told TheJournal.ie that he “never thought I’d be part of a government”.
“[I was] not sure I wanted to be part of a government, but as it transpired, that is what happened in the negotiations,” he said.
Additional reporting Christina Finn, Daragh Brophy and Michelle Hennessy.
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Theres a lot of people out there keeping up appearances..they may be working,they may appear to have good jobs..but they work long hours with no job security and bring very little money home….many employers including the state took advantage of the bust to force wages and conditions down.
Spot on
I’m kind of surprised that over 600,000 people were living in poverty before the recession during the supposedly good times. Goes to show that this country never was very good at looking after the vulnerable.
We are all vulnerable.
Relative poverty Callum. The dole here is twice that of the UK.
The relative poverty line is assumed to be a household or individual bringing in less than 60% of the median income. It’s a figure applied across a number of countries, and doesn’t necessarily mean people below it are living deprived lives.
A family on 80K in Dublin could be struggling really badly with high rent and a child with a disability, whereas someone down the country in an inherited house on 20 hours a week might be quite comfortable. But some cases will sway it one way, others another way, the 60% figure is just established best practice internationally.
So it’s more correct to say that before the boom 600,000 people were ‘at risk of poverty’, and the number of people ‘at risk of poverty’ is now higher.
The country wasn’t good at booting them out to work you mean.
what do you expect from a state who’s go to plan for poverty was let thousands emigrate per year
the UK is an awful example, but generally people get a bunch of other supports via welfare in the UK
And look at what’s happening in the UK!
Keep the recovery going…………and other such nonsense.
Not to worry Tommy aka Dane will along soon to tell us what a wonderful caring government we have.
Tell me something I don’t know after paying for rent,travel costs, car insurance, etc,I’m left with about €90 a week to live on!
Yet still, still, the tone of some comments on here is that it’s not ‘real poverty.’
When the cost of living (rent, energy bills, healthy food, clothing, childcare) is so high, then it is poverty.
Sure, we are not a third world country; the days of tenements are long gone; but there are still thousands sleeping on our streets, or families with young children being housed in hotels because they can’t afford a rise in their rent.
Still the unemployed are described as spongers and ‘having it good.’ I won’t deny that there are people who screw the benefits system in this country. Also, those at the top of the financial ladder over the years have also been shown to be screwing the system and the people of this state yet there is no ‘sponger’ or ‘scam-artist’ stereotype attached to them.
Jay …to be fair nobody,or at least very few…see politicians,CEO’s,Charity executives,Councillors as anything other than scam artists to some degree or other…..
Fraud of the social welfare system is reckoned to cost the state €20 million a year.
The cost of white collar crime is reckoned to cost the state €2.5 billion a year.
Considering the above….where would you invest resources to give the best return for the taxpayer?
Keep the recovery going Enda well done hold your head up high.
Throw on a water charge there, maybe a broadcasting charge after that.
Dont forget the hike in electricity on the way.
The true cost of the bailout.
I am a single income earner, I work 39 hours a week and come out with €308. Not by my choice I’ve to stay at home as there is nowhere affordable to live. My money basically goes on my car and food. I’m trying to save but can’t afford to put much away each week
You would make more on the dole, you need to be taxed less.
I was on the dole before and was only getting €40, I did a jobbridge internship which meant I got €90 a week for 35 hours
Anita, seems like a good deal for a young person living at home. And why do you think you should move out until you earn enough to do so? I imagine you’re still very young cos for 39 hours at €9.15 you would come out with more than €310 after tax. When I was your age, earning some cash, going out and enjoying myself were given – rent a flat? Why?
Fiona…surely someone working 39 hours a week should be able to……..not live with their parents.
People who accept that this situation as being fine or OK are helping to create a world where people are exploited and will find it difficult to live life as independent adults. A country with large poverty traps is being created before you very eyes….and you think it’s OK.
I’m just about to turn 24 and I don’t want feel dependant on my parents which I feel at the moment. I think they’ve done enough for me and now I’m just a burden as I don’t see anytime soon I can move out.
Exactly Anita…in the 1970′s most got married and started a family, usually only one worked and they had their own house by their mid 20′s.
Now, we have people not starting a family until their 30′s, both must work and most likely will be renting as they cannot afford to get a house of their own.
I feel really bad for young people trying to get a life of their own…our system is broken and yet we have people on here who think this is normal and berate anyone who disagrees with government policy and labeling many as layabouts or wasters or telling them the key to their problems is to upskill…no matter what their qualifications are….the system is FUBAR and it’s cheerleaders are braindead.
Lifechoices play a very large part in someone’s relative wealth and potential for wealth creation. This is too often overlooked and never considered. Bad advice, lack of advice or guidance and ignorance also plays a vital role. It would be great to ‘give’ everyone what is assumed needed, but the aforementioned traits will bring many back to square one unfortunately. Needs comes a distant second to Wants in this age.
Anyone remember Fianna Fáil and their flippant response ‘well, we all partied’. Some might forgive and forget, but not all of us. We’ll remember what Fianna Fáil did to this country and to the hundreds of thousands still suffering
I remember when FF lowered the minimum wage by a euro an hour. I’ll never forget that extra kick in the teeth while I was down.
Does that figure include the self employed people who would rather scratch a living somehow than go on benefits? That’s if they could actually get any. I know a good few of them and they live on much less than that figure but have their dignity.
Too true.
yes it does, and what’s undignified about being unemployed?
I’m sorry. Yes, that’s not a lot of money. But people in Ireland just don’t understand what actual poverty is.
Absulutely. It’s all relative. The poorest 50 years ago were still in tenaments with communal toilets.
Rosie it’s also twice the dole in the UK. Yet there are people here who think they “deserve” more.
No its not at all..
Yeah according to this, I live in poverty. BS I do. I can pay my rent and feed and clothe myself. It’s not great, I’m looking for better work, but it’s not poverty ffs.
Dont get me wrong here i was on the dole myself but for a single person with no children 218 a week is not bad at all. Obviously with children it is a different story. If you have shelter and can eat everyday you are not in poverty , relative poverty yes.
@ Johnnathan – the report is saying that the poverty line is €215
dole for a single person is €30 below that @ €188 PW
*poverty line is €218
That is wrong the dole is not 218 a week at all for anybody…
And if your under 25 it’s only €100 and if your 25, it’s €144 a week. You only get €188 26 and over.
Who gets 218 a week? Definitely not those you just described… Single, no children. I only get 188 a week of which I have to pay 450 rent a month plus other utility bills and food….just about leaves me enough money to get bus in and out of town twice a week.
I don’t think pensions paid by the govt are sustainable at current taxation rates. Education about the tax benefits of saving for your own pension (through employer or independently) needs to be taught.
Pensions are losing money rapidly got my statement the other day 1k down since last year be better off just setting up a rainy day retirement fund at this stage
If you earn 10% return every year and your pension fund manager loses 10% every year, he will still make more money than you (assuming you have equal amounts) such are the tax benefits. Perhaps the system should be changed to allow people to save for their own pensions and claim back taxes but can you trust most people not to touch it? Unlike in a fund where they have no choice?
57% of the people in poverty are unemployed. Self inflicted really. What’s upsetting is the other 43% who are working but still stuck in the poverty trap. something needs to be done for them.
Peter the other 43% are probably elderly retired living solely off the state pension.
You’re confusing the statistics or ignoring the reason why these 57% do not have jobs. The 57% you mention are not connected to the labour market as: “they are people who are retired, students, people in caring roles or people who are ill or people with a disability.”
Is that all self-inflicted?
18% of those living under the poverty line are employed, leaving 25% who are unemployed (for reasons we do not know).
Apologies. I misread the article.
Keep the recovery going… For the upper tier of society..
‘If the government wants to close the divide, future policy “must prioritise those at the bottom of the income distribution”, said Michelle Murphy.’ The problem is that the government doesn’t seem to want to close the divide.
How many of these poor people drink and smoke?
If we want to nit pick Fred how many shop at tesco instead of lidle? How many working poor drive to and from work instead of spending 2 hours getting two buses plus a half hour walking to and from work? How many bought Christmas and birthday presents for their kids?
Darren…well said.
Well said Darren. The arrogance of some commentators here is unbelievable. Anyone e reading so e of the comments would think there was a workforce shortage, young people in rural Ireland are just sitting around on their butts with loads of posts unfilled…..
Spot on Darren
A shameful indictment of of Capitalist policies endorsed by Government. But the fools – they’re incubating massive Social unrest for the future with eyes wide open…
Peter Higgins are you forgetting taht Capatilism is the only reason so few people exist in poverty, The free market is the gretest lift out of poverty.
Thats jsut reality.
So essentialy what your saying is if you get a job and actually work hard teh chances of being poverty stricken are quite low.
Dont work and you have a 1 in 5 chance of being poor.
i’m WORKING my way out of poverty with my day job and another more profitable evening business
what about the people on 100 euro a week
Single person living at home with parents, on €188 a week. Why?
So just 100,000 more since start of recession, thats rathwr low dispite all the cuts.
This is RELATIVE poverty not actual poverty. Ireland is a rich country with lots of high earners. We can’t expect everyone, including people who refuse to work to get over 60% of the average wage. Why did the EU pick 60% anyway? Why not 40%? Elsewhere in the world poverty is understood as living on less than $2 a day. If you take that understanding then no one in Ireland is living in poverty, not by a long way.
poverty is based on the balance between income and cost of living, in a country like Ireland with a high cost of living 218 would mean you have little or no disposable income, in a third world country with a low cost of living $2 a day is a ok amount of money. It’s basic economics
A Kilo of rice or sugar or maize costs the same in a third world country as it does in Ireland if you know where to shop.
Getting your car NCTed costs more. Paying for services costs more.
750000 and rising we are all doomed the FG plan is working
And what’s the government going to do about it? Nothing.
188 a week living at home with parents is all disposable income. Happy days.working 5 1/2 day week,60 hrs or so and don’t have anything near that in a fortnight
assuming your parents aren’t poor that is
Unemployment is higher than in 2007, but it’s falling fast
There are also probably more retired people as the population lives longer.
There is certainly not a “crisis” as these agencies looking for funding are quick to claim.
Then we have Ted O Sullivan who is more interested in the seagull than the tax payer who pays his wages.
Strange one that with 96 billion in savings in the country great to live in an equal society thanks to FG and their cronies
We need to have a top tax rate of 80% for income over €100k, that won’t bring in enough so we need a rate of 60% for income over €80k that won’t bring in enough either, so we then have to get to Vincent Browne territory with a 50% rate on income over €50k.
Alternatively, or in tandem we can chase down the corporation tax or even increase it. That might be difficult with our neighbours in Brexland thinking of cutting theirs.
We already pay close to 50% on anything over 34k. The state should not take more than half in direct taxes at any income point.
Sure why not take a pint of blood each week while you are at. As if we don’t pay enough tax in this country as it is like. Your suggestion would not only drive Foreign companies out of the country and deter future investment, put 100′s of thousands out of work, bring the economy to its knees it would also increase our overall public spend and put us back in recession. Fancy another bailout do we, so we are forever under the control of the IMF vultures. We need to focus on creating higher paid jobs, not creating endless welfare state schemes that go nowhere to eradicate poverty and just hurt the working people. The constant wealth distribution in this country just seems to take more money out of the hard working people who earn it and give it to Bankers, spongers and quangos and the genuinely poor actually don’t ever seem to benefit. All the extra taxes, USC this and that since the recession and 100,000 more in poverty proves it.The only way to fully eradicate poverty is through full employment and incentive working over benefits with lower taxes, allow people spend the money within the real economy as opposed to being state managed money pits.
Theres already a 51% tax & it starts well below €50k.
You really should know what taxes you’re paying if you are employed. It sounds like you aren’t or never have been.
I don’t see any of the ‘Unions’ fighting for our cause. They only fight for the people earning from €30,000-€100,000 per annum,i.e. €600.00 – €2,000.00 per week. That’s what’s wrong with this country – GRABBERS’ , and the ‘Unions’ head the list. For instance, the Gardai got €100 per week rise, the OAP’s got €5.00 per week rise. That’s 20 times more that the OAP’s. Is that justice?
have your say