Harris Should Go – With Varadkar

Simon Harris deliberately held back information that the National Children’s Hospital faced a cost over-run of €391 million when he was told this last August.

Budget figures were being drawn up – but Harris kept the information secret. Fine Gael were preparing for a general election and their PR strategy was all important.

If he had any sense of honour, Harris would resign. But despite a motion of no confidence that will be heard in the Dail, he will hold on to his position, thanks to Fianna Fail, the fake opposition.

Harris, however, is only one part of the problem. The person who was Minister for Health when tenders were being drawn up for the National Children’s hospital was none other than Leo Varadkar.

He took no responsibility for not overseeing the drawing up of a proper brief for the hospital– even through €35 million had already been spent on a brief for an alternative site in the Mater hospital. He should have insured that the specifications in this brief were appropriate for the James Hospital site.

However, Varadkar wanted the benefit of a PR stunt to say he ‘delivered’ a hospital.

So, yes, Harris should go- but he should bring his boss with him. And we should get a government that pays the nurses.