A leading private hospital has been accused of having a “parasitic dependence” on a linked public facility after it emerged more than half of its consultants have been wrongly taken from the public wing.

Six months after taking up politics’ poisoned chalice, the honeymoon may finally be over for health minister Leo Varadkar, writes Fiachra Ó Cionnaith.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has come under intense pressure to open a public inquiry into the Áras Attracta abuse scandal, after families said the State cannot be trusted to root out what happened.