FF councillors vote no confidence in Martin

THIRTEEN Fianna Fail councillors have passed a vote of no confidence in Minister for Health Micheál Martin’s plans to abolish the regional health boards.

A row erupted in Clare County Council on Monday when the Fianna Fáil councillors voted against a motion of confidence in the minister. The motion was proposed by independent councillor James Breen.

The Fianna Fáil councillors instead supported a motion calling on the minister to reconsider his plans to abolish the health boards in favour of more centralised agencies.

Mr Breen said he had tabled the motion of confidence in the minister, because he believes the abolition of the health boards will reduce the numbers of administrative staff.

“But, I will reserve my judgment on the rest of the plan until I see how it works out,” he said.

Mr Breen resigned from Fianna Fáil before the last general election, because he did not secure the party nomination. He subsequently won a Dáil seat as an independent candidate.

“It is the first time I have seen a minister let down so badly by his own councillors. I toed the party line when I was a Fianna Fáil councillor for 17 years and did not vote against it until I had resigned the whip,” said Mr Breen.

But Councillor Bill Chambers of Fianna Fáil rejected the claim that he and party members who voted against Mr Breen’s motion were being disloyal to the health minister.

“This is James Breen trying to grab headlines again,” Mr Chambers said.

“The Fianna Fáil councillors did not vote against Minister Martin, we voted against another publicity stunt,” he said.

The Fianna Fáil councillors have called on the minister to reconsider the abolition of the health boards, because they believe it will adversely effect patient care.

“We will have four super health authorities and what will some official down in Cork care about the rural people of north and east Clare,” said Mr Chambers.

The Fianna Fáil councillors are also concerned the proposed reform of the health service will lead to the downgrading of Clare’s main acute hospital, in Ennis.

“I don’t care what politicians represent the people on these new health authorities as long as the ordinary people still have a say,” Mr Chambers said.

The other Fianna Fail councillors who voted against Mr Breen’s confidence motion in the health minister were: Bernard Hanrahan, Pat Keane, Tom Burke, Pat Daly, Tom Prendeville, Pat McMahon, Sean Hillery, Pat O’Gorman, Richard Nagle, Peter Considine and Michael Hillery.

Fine Gael’s Paul Bugler and independent Thomas Brennan also voted against it.