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Updated 7.53pm
TWO CABINET MINISTERS have said they believe the HSE boss Tony O’Brien should step aside.
Minister for Children Katherine Zappone and Minister of State for Disabilities Finian McGrath told their Cabinet colleagues today they want the director general to stand aside. However, both will go along with government decision and will not back any motion to remove him.
A government spokesperson said the ministers understand they are “very much in the minority”. The two ministers will toe the government line if a motion of no confidence in O’Brien is put forward, with the spokesperson adding that Zappone and McGrath were expressing their “personal views” on the matter.
While reportedly Communications Minister Denis Naughten also wanted the HSE chief executive to step aside, a spokesperson denied this was the case and clarified that he is “supportive with the approach Minister Harris has taken” which leaves O’Brien in his role until the summer.
The position of Transport Minister Shane Ross could not be established as of yet, said a government spokesperson.
A number of other ministers including Simon Coveney and Simon Harris have avoided stating if they have confidence in O’Brien. A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said Leo Varadkar “has confidence in him [O'Brien] to finish up the job he started”.
Pressure has been mounting on the HSE boss to step aside in light of the CervicalCheck scandal.
Speaking in the Dáil today, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald said for there to be accountability over the CervicalCheck scandal, the HSE Chief Executive must be removed from office.
Last week, Sinn Féin announced that it would be submitting a motion of no confidence in Tony O’Brien.
However, its motion of no confidence, which had been intended as an amendment to a separate HSE/Slaintecare motion from the Rural Independents tonight, has not been allowed to go ahead, and will instead be heard next Tuesday.
McDonald said the victims of the scandal have also called for O’Brien to go.
The CervicalCheck scandal came into the public eye earlier this month when Vicky Phelan, whose cervical cancer is now terminal, settled a High Court action against a US laboratory for €2.5 million over incorrect smear test results from 2011.
Calls for Tony O’Brien to go
Phelan has since called for O’Brien to step aside.
Over the past 14 days, more information has continued to emerge about the controversy whereby women were told that they had normal smear test results in error. While not a test for cancer, a smear test that results in an abnormal reading can warrant further investigations to test for the presence of cancer.
It has since emerged that more than 1,500 women who developed cervical cancer did not have their cases reviewed by CervicalCheck.
McDonald also raised the case of Stephen Teap in the Dáil today.
Teap’s wife Irene was diagnosed with stage two cancer in 2015 and died in July last year, leaving behind two young sons. She had two false negative tests in 2010 and 2013. She died never having been told this.
Stephen Teap has also called for O’Brien to step aside from his role.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he saw the “beautiful” Teap family photo in the newspapers over the weekend, adding that he fully understood the public’s anger over the “drip drip” of information in the last week.
He said the focus now should be about getting answers about what happened at CervicalCheck and not on calling for heads to roll.
Varadkar said a number of people have already been removed from their roles, and he refused to rule out that further heads would not roll over the matter in the future.
“Of course people want accountability and the government wants it too… we have had resignations already. The clinical director of CervicalCheck has resigned. The manager of CervicalCheck has stepped aside from her role and has been replaced by Damien McCallion.
“It may be the case that more heads may roll in the period ahead, but it is important that they are the right heads and that we proceed with this inquiry as the Government has indicated. I do not think that our focus should be on looking for heads. This should not be about any one man,” said the Taoiseach.
He said O’Brien, who is due to retire in a matter of months, is best placed to feed into the scoping inquiry and said his remaining time in the job should be spent focusing on getting answers to the many questions the inquiry is seeking answer.
‘Disservice’ to the victims
McDonald told the Taoiseach that his refusal to sack O’Brien does a disservice to the victims of this scandal.
She said it isn’t about “looking for heads” but about accountability.
The Sinn Féin leader said to members of the public it looks like O’Brien is “untouchable”.
She pointed out that this is not the first HSE scandal he has presided over.
Pressure has been mounting on O’Brien since Sinn Féin voiced no confidence in O’Brien last week. This was followed by calls from Fianna Fáil’s health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly for the director general to go.
Over the weekend, it was revealed O’Brien will leave his role at the beginning of July, four weeks earlier than expected.
O’Brien’s leaving early is not down to the scandal but was instead attributed to him using up his annual leave entitlements.
Motion of no confidence
Following Leaders’ Questions today, the Ceann Comhairle informed McDonald that her amendment of a motion of no confidence in Tony O’Brien has been ruled out of order.
The Ceann Comhairle told McDonald the amendment is a breach of Oireachtas Standing Order 470, but Sinn Féin disagrees.
Speaking to reporters today, McDonald said the refusal to accept her party’s motion will not be the end of the matter. Sinn Féin said it plans to move the motion during its private mamber’s time in the Seanad next week, if necessary.
McDonald said if the government is fully committed to ensuring there is accountability in the health service, the HSE boss must go. She accused the government of being “all talk” and no action.
New HSE boss
The Taoiseach said an advertisement for the new head of the HSE will be published either this week or next. There will be a period of time where the position will be vacant, but the health minister said an interim boss will be in place by July.
The Taoiseach told the Dáil today that some “head-hunting” for the next HSE chief executive has already begun.
He also updated TDs about the numbers of calls to the CervicalCheck helpline.
A total of 11,000 calls were made to the helpline, with 7,678 women requesting call backs.
Separately today, the health minister outlined the terms of reference for the scoping inquiry into the smear test scandal. Cabinet was also told of the minister’s intention to appoint a new HSE board.
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Some people suggesting that sacking Tony O’Brien is not an option as he would have a valuable insight into this shocking affair of incompetency.
Wrong.
When this scandal broke Tony O’Brien stated in public interviews that he was ignorant of the whole matter and only became aware of it when the story broke.
Fine Gael need to step up to the plate here, put the victims first and stop protecting HSE mismanagement.
@Scott Peterson: if Ireland’s votes Yes to abortion people like Tony OBrien will be in change of the care and compassion we are asked to vote for.
Tony OBrien is the former chief executive of the Irish Family Planning Association and the UK family planning association. He is in charge of the HSE that treats women so cruelly.
The Irish family planning association are one of the main groups in together4Yes.
Voting for abortion will bring further pain and distress to women in crisis pregnancy based on the attitudes of the people campaigning and associated with abortion services.
@eric nelligan: If only Jean Mc Conville were alive to see SF now
@Scott Peterson: the – public – need to hold a public review – ask that poor lady and the others to give there evidence and get a panel of doctors that are disgusted with what went on to answer the questions THEN after that it is the peoplr of this country that go after the People that covered it up – it’s time now we took matters into our own hands instead of state bodied inquiries
@Robert Harris: if only hitler hadn’t existed…grow up for God’s sake..the world has moved on
@eric nelligan: As an adult woman, I’ll decide if I need an abortion. Neither you, the HSE nor Tony O’Brien will decide for me.
Now off you go and start supporting mothers who need a home, childcare or anything else they might need.
@Scott Peterson: Sure yer man is fg thru and thru….they protect their own. heck his new boss sponsored a party for fg…
@Ciara Ni Mhurchu: you are right, only you can decide on ending the life of your child but if ireland votes for abortion you’ll have inconsiderate, uncaring and cruel abortion advocates like Tony OBrien steering the ship.
‘A senior medic has claimed his concerns about the cervical smears were dismissed by the now outgoing head of the HSE Tony O’Brien, when Mr O’Brien was CEO of the national cancer screening service.
Dr David Gibbons said he expressed fears about the consequences of outsourcing smear tests to the USA 10 years ago in a meeting with Mr O’Brien.
“I was worried that there was going to be a problem,” he said.
However, Dr Gibbons alleges his concerns were dismissed and he subsequently resigned his position on the quality assurance committee of the national cervical screening programme, he said. He was chairman of the committee’s cytology/histology group.’
Sacking is the least that should happen.
@The Risen: Will this be part of the “scoping” ie “Contract to carry out screening awarded for ‘lowest price’ “Indo article re tender documents?
@The Risen: Shocking. Truly shocking. He should be arrested.
They’ve all got to go, the HSE boss and the gov, their all unfit for their jobs.
@Adrian: not a chance…..from one crisis to another they worm their way out of it through lies and deceit…..these guys are all interconnected and watch each others shoulders but someone will be throwin under the bus but it wont be any individual minister or government.
@BananaRepublic1922: this is an issue about life and death. There will be information from this that will be hidden from the public. And the reason will be to save their own pathetic political careers in this joke of a political system they have created.
@Adrian…but havent you not read the great deflector !?!??..that there is No alternative to this shambles and shenanigans!?!!?
@Adrian: I wouldn’t believe one of the high and mighty that they didn’t know this was coming down the line, they are the dogs on the street nothing happens in Leicester house or in the golden circle or at the top table that wouldn’t know this was after happening. These women could be our mother’s, sisters, daughters, aunts, cousins and the women of Ireland, we should be on the streets and if one of those in government knock at my door for a vote they’ll get what for from me.
Leo was minister for health while this was going on – why is there no calls for him to resign!
@Oliver Francis: It’s a political term called ‘circling the wagons’
Nobody is held accountable as long as they all protect and cover for each other. This is why FG are not calling for Harris to resign.
@Oliver Francis: Michael Martin was at one stage too. Mary Harney, James Reilly. They should all be in front of an Oireachtas committee. Harney especially Should have her pension stopped.
I rarely agree with Mary Lou, but he should be sacked – for one reason, for the record to show he was sacked! – not allowed to resign, and not with the pension & entitlements he thinks he earned – they are earned for work done, work he clearly did not do.
Once he is sacked all the rest of the HSE staff and others who were also incompetent and negligent should also be sacked.
Of course the “Elephant on the table” is; if he so badly failed here, where else did he drop the ball, how many more of these scandals are there in the HSE? (Rhetorical question, given the time it would take to determine the answer and correct)
The Ceann Comhairle told McDonald the amendment is a breach of Oireachtas Standing Order 470, but Sinn Féin disagrees.
This seems to be the most relevant paragraph. What is standing order 470?
Good journalism would explain.
Are the CC and the government using standing order 470, what ever it is, to protect those at the top as usual!
@Willy Malone: Good journal.ie ism? Let’s stick to the good news abortions stories, please.
FG have been running the health service for the last seven years. If the health service is the shambles it is (and no one doubts that), the buck stops with the various Ministers for Health who have had responsibility for it over the last seven years including Varadkar. It’s very convenient for McDonald and the politicos to seek the head of the HSE as the fall guy – this is a bigger malaise affecting the political direction of health in this country.
@Brian Deane: This chief ignored advice proved to be correct. He clearly made poor decisions based on cost while cosying up to fg ministers. He should have been sacked 2 weeks ago. But sure they’re all part of the same club…
#leokaradkar, if you don’t sack that man now, you might as well resign yourself
This type of crisis is just going to continue in ireland unless people know there are consequences for their actions. People have died and nobody has been held accountable. Jesus wept
What’s”out of order” is no accountability demanded from the top!
Nothing will change in this country unless there is accountability for National scandals from the top management,public welfare must be top priority ALWAYS!We need SF&SDs,I4C in Government otherwise these scandals will continue.Our women&their families deserve better!
Who took over from James Reilly and was in charge of Hse??????????????? Perhaps the story doing the rounds needs to be spoken about
FF leader Michael Martin, Mary Harney. Senator James Reilly – our Taoiseach & Harris all culpable in this scandal & must be involved in the inquiry.
@Cllr Malachy Quinn: To my knowledge, Mary Harney, as Minister for Health, gave the contract relating to Cervical Smears for Irish women, to a US company that had just been fined $100m for malpractice. This fine was handed down two months before contracts were signed. This was the company that were at the forefront of the scandal of Mary Harney using the Government jet to fly to Florida, bringing a private hairdresser on the trip to do her hair and receiving SuperBowl tickets from the company that was awarded the contract.
Roll Harris’s head and then your own Vrads .
This country is a health hazard under your rule
@Eugene Walsh: leo was in charge of health, was he asleep at the wheel
The Golden Circle, the look after each other, doesn’t matter what scandal is involved none are ever held accountable, or ever will be.
We have seen Calinan,O Sullivan, Fitzgerald, Denis the menace, Fitzpatrick, Fingleton, bankers regulator, bankers themselves, developers, the boys of NAMA etc all being defended to the last. O Brien will be no different. Using Dail standing orders as a means to deny people seeing democracy in action is making a mockery of that democracy.
If they won’t get rid of O Brien then its time to get rid of the whole corrupt cartel of FFG.
Just the head of HSE? Surely Leo, Simon and James Reilly should also get the chop for their incompetence?
I really don’t think that there is really much will to get to the bottom of this fiasco as our recent Ministers for Health Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin, Senator James O’Reilley and Mary Harney would all need to be brought in to any serious inquiry and perhaps what they would say or rather, would not say would not be any good for themselves or their parties.
Unfortunately, this like every other scandal will blow over and be dealt with by yet another toothless inquiry.
Scalps, Mary Lou bring me scalps and the head of Simon the Harris when you’re at it.
I won’t sleep tonight if Veronica does not give her opinion on this
How he’s still there is a mystery.
Why is no one looking for the man holding and getting €100,000 + expenses as minister for health,he is responsible for all.
Looks like we are going to have another useless toothless tribunal on the way where the only winners will be the legal profession who will be frothing at the mouth in excitement with the expectation of vast sums of cash coming their way. The sad thing is that nothing will change & those at the top will still get their big fat pensions & golden handshakes. The real victims will still be left to suffer & probably die leaving their loved one’s behind. Shame on this country
It’s easy to just say it, they’ll say whatever makes them popular and keeps them on the gravy train in this toxic political system. Their conviction is in their actions.
Why does Varadkar say “heads have rolled because of this” when the article says one has resigned and one has stepped aside.
Neither have actually been sacked/fired/terminated – but I guess it shows he’s a no-nonsense leader. All spin Varadkar, all spin. Shame on you and your ego at this sad time.
The important people in this are the women affected. Getting a clear and transparent view of what when wrong and finding solution that prevent it ever happening again. Also compensating the women and their families where appropriate.
Keeping O’Brien in place should be an imperative to getting a full explanation and to understand his part in the scandal.
It is typical of SF/IRA to shoot first and then explain why.
@Bull Spite: SF are only repeating what Vikki Phelan herself and Irene Teap’s husband called for….that is listening to those affected by scandal!
@Nuala Mc Namara: Unfortunately there are many women affected by this scandal. It is important that they get a clear and transparent explanation and that this does not happen again. Tony O’Brien should remain in place until there is clarity on what happened AND that he is then dealt with.
@Bull Spite: The public,in particular women would never have known about this scandal only for the bravery and determination of Vikki Phelan,it wasn’t any of the Government/HSE agences!.Its not just the scandal of abnormalities been missed on smears,not just once in some cases but unbelievably the decision not to inform women affected.Then the scandal of trying to get information and justice through the court and how she was treated.After she revealed her tragic story,we find out about other women affected and that some had died leaving heartbroken families.
Then the Indo article above is shocking!
Yes we need to find out all he facts including re tendering, comparisons of labs,etc,etc.I think PAC should be involved also re the tendering processes,etc.
The real tragic stories we heard about involve young women,mothers,wives,sisters,etc,the very least they deserve is 100% transparency and accountability &confidence that in future cervical screening will be only undertaken by labs with the highest detection of abnormalities in smears!
@Nuala Mc Namara: Great isn’t it this new way of doing politics.
@Bull Spite: But it will happen again, we’ve had one scandal after another in this country, from abuse by the churches, Magdalene women, tribunal after tribunal, and the list goes on and all the same people are running our country, they are in our banks on the boards of high profile companies and organisations many are even hidden in plain sight they are every part of this that and the other, with their hands in every cookie jar and honey pot. We never learn from anything and the people that are at the helm are protected by whom ever they owe their political or high up career too!
Two little tails trying to wag the dog. I wouldn’t have either misfits walk my dog.
It’s a total disgrace that they were all squabbling over who was at fault while Vickey Phelan’s cervical cancer was getting progressively worse.
Simon Harris gave his blessing for Tony o brien to have another job while he hangs on to the job he has making a mess of the hse how Simon Harris stands by this clown is unbelievable and Leo has a lot to answer for only in Ireland would this happen
Did they wait until their pension increases were secure before voicing dissent?
I think the lesson to learn is don’t outsource our medical needs to cheap ass sh!t hole countries.
Im all against the chairman of the local GAA club…but no way am I voting him out at the AGM this week….gasp
First of all the Government needs to properly finance Health & then do a global search for a new Head. HSE bungling and patients in trollies have gone on for long enough and
it is time to take decisive action to deliver a decent 21c service.
Every budy who involved in this should be arrested and bring murder charges against them
Another HSE scandal bubbling away….
https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2018/0508/961123-medical-council-judge/
Every budy who involved in this should be arrested and bring murder charges against them
It’s a disgrace that they were all squabbling over who was at fault while Vickey Phelan’s cervical cancer was getting progressively worse. Shame on them.
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