Ministers shrug off reports of cabinet rift
Minister Martin said he was not afraid of being politically damaged by his colleague’s criticisms of his management of the health service.
While defending the health expenditure, Mr Martin had strongly criticised the finance minister for losing sight of the bigger picture, and claimed the rift was undermining the Government’s achievements.
Admitting he had been hurt by Mr McCreevy’s sharp criticisms at budget time, Mr Martin said it was the public interest and not self-interest that motivated him.
Politics was a bruising game and ups and downs could be expected from time to time, he said.
“I get on very well with Charlie McCreevy, and I am also confident he had Cabinet support for the development of the health services,” the Minister said.
But he also accepted that the implementation of the health strategy would be even more challenging over the next decade, because of pressures on public finances.
In the coming weeks, an examination of value for money in the health system, commissioned by Minister McCreevy, will be published. The report by Professor Niamh Brennan is expected to be deeply critical of health expenditure, calling for sweeping structural changes.
But Department of Health sources said there was nothing significant in the timing of the Minister’s criticism of Mr McCreevy.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Mr McCreevy said he had no comment to make about the reported of the rift.
Asked if he felt he had been handed a poisoned chalice, Mr Martin said he was glad to take the position as Minister for Health and was anxious to move ahead in tackling the way health services were organised.
He insisted he was neither sorry he had taken on the role of Minister for Health nor worried about the impact it would have on his political profile.
“I am not worried, good, bad or indifferent about my political career. I have been in politics since 1985. I have got very good endorsements from the electorate, election after election and I will take my chances with everybody else in the next election.
“I took the decision to go into the Department of Health and Children when the Taoiseach first asked me three years ago. I was delighted to take the challenge because I think the position of Minister for Health is one that people should not run away from.”
The Minister said he was now in charge of a huge spending department, and was one that played a significant role in the lives of many people.
“If I can make a difference and make advances in terms of health care, I’ll be happy with my contribution in politics,” he said.
Also yesterday, Mr Martin addressed the 78th meeting of the Standing Committee of Nurses of the European Union, where he referred to the proposed EU directive on the recognition of professional qualifications.
The Minister said his department was particularly concerned about a proposal to allow a professional registered in one member state to work in another member state for up to 16 weeks per year, without having to register with the regulatory authority in the host member state.
Both his department and the Department of Education and Science had made Ireland’s position quite clear on this and other issues of concern to the European Commission, he said.