Supporting no confidence motion would be tantamount to 'national sabotage' - Fianna Fail

Supporting a vote of no-confidence in the Health Minister would amount to "national sabotage" as it would spark a snap general election, Fianna Fáil finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, has suggested.

Supporting no confidence motion would be  tantamount to 'national sabotage' - Fianna Fail

Supporting a vote of no-confidence in the Health Minister would amount to "national sabotage" as it would spark a snap general election, Fianna Fáil finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, has suggested.

Simon Harris is expected to survive tomorrow's Dáil motion of no confidence in him but may have as few as two votes to spare after Independent TD Michael Harty said he would not back the minister.

As the Government continues to face criticism over its handling of the massive €450m overspend on the National Children's Hospital, Mr Harris came under fire yesterday after insisting that the overspend is not a scandal - claiming the only scandal would be to fail to build the facility.

The Labour party, Green party and a number of Independent TDs are backing the Sinn Féin motion of no-confidence in Mr Harris today, but the main opposition party will abstain.

Speaking ahead of the vote, Fianna Fáil finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, said:

"I think it would be national sabotage of us...if we were to thrust our people into a General Election in the middle of March, which is what the outcome would be."

He added: "It is a critical time, we have to hold our nerve. We have to ensure that we have a stable political background in this country, and that is why, as a party, we gave the commitment last December that we would see this process through. That is why we are determined to to ensure that that stability remains in pace through the Brexit process."

But Sinn Féin president, Mary-Lou McDonald, dismissed any notion that the departure of the Health Minister would force an election.

"We have spoken to members right across the opposition benches and there is widespread support for our motion, but things rest still with the issue of Fianna Fáil because it is on Fianna Fáil's watch and with their support that this minister failed so spectacularly.

"I think the trolley count figures day on day speak for themselves, I think the mismanagement, the botching of the children's hospital project speaks for itself and will have real consequences on the ground, I know the people of Limerick and the mid-West generally will feel the consequences of it when 60 beds that were promised in the modular unit are now not going to be delivered on time."

As well as the Fianna Fáil abstention, the Government will be relying on a number of Independent TDs including Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish. Last night it was unclear how former Minister Denis Naughten would be voting.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin said it is "amazing" that there are new revelations every day in relation to the spiralling costs of the hospital. He hit out at Fianna Fáil which, he claimed, is now pretending to be an opposition party but is unable to hold the Government to account.

"It's a very worrying situation for all of us who depend on parliament to be the watchdog of the people. We can't keep going on like this. We can see a degree of dysfunction in parliament across the water but that dysfunction is migrating here."

Mr Howlin said BAM should come before the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions on the cost of the hospital and this call was echoed by Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty.

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