Poll results a ‘wake-up call’, admits Harney

AN opinion poll showing continuing public dissatisfaction with the Government was a wake-up call, Tánaiste Mary Harney admitted yesterday.

The high level of public dissatisfaction with health services, in particular, was of major concern, she said.

Although the health budget had trebled over the last six years, Ms Harney said she noted increasing public concern about the huge gaps in the delivery of services. The Government, despite its poor rating, would continue to engage in its radical reform of the health services, she said.

The poll showed the coalition’s popularity has plummeted to 25%, the worst for any government in over a decade. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s rating was down four points to 37% while Ms Harney’s was down 5% to 41%. “Clearly, it’s a wake-up call for all of us in the Government,” she said.

However, following a series of jobs blows in the past week, Ms Harney said the decision by Pepsi-Cola to invest in a second Co Cork plant showed Ireland was still an attractive location for overseas companies.

“It is our ability to provide the highest quality skilled people at all levels of the operation, from product quality to production standard and efficiency, that enables Ireland to win such investments,” she said.

However, she warned: “Foreign companies are constantly re-evaluating their strategies and we are probably going to have more closures, there’s no doubt about that.”