Voters believe Harney can’t fix A&E before election

MARY HARNEY is not expected to get a handle on the crisis in hospital A&E rooms before the next general election, according to an Irish Examiner poll.

In a dismal showing for the Minister for Health, just over two-thirds of voters say they have little or no confidence that she will be able to remove the spectre of overcrowding in A&E rooms, and patients on trolleys, before she has to go before the electorate next summer.

Even more astonishingly, those who might have been expected to talk up her chances of success express similarly grim views with just over half her own party faithful saying they have some or much confidence in Ms Harney’s ability to resolve the crisis.

Only 9% of PD supporters give her the full thumbs up, saying they are very confident she will pull off the feat compared to 21% at the other end of the spectrum, who give the minister a full thumbs down, saying they are not at all confident.

The results of the poll, conducted by Lansdowne Market Research, show voters have clear views on the A&E crisis as only 6% of all those polled give a “don’t know” reply — one of the smallest don’t know groups in the entire poll.

That would seem to tie in with the finding that health care and medical costs are placed number one in a list of key issues identified by voters as priority issues for the next election.

The results do not necessarily reflect doubts about Ms Harney’s personal abilities to tackle the problems, but could also suggest voters simply do not consider the A&E crisis can be addressed in a quick-fix fashion, or that they believe the system is in need of reform.

It is likely some combination of all three influenced the replies of those polled.

Ms Harney herself was clearly conscious of the massive task ahead of her when she resigned her position as party leader and Tánaiste two weeks ago in a move that allows her concentrate fully on the health portfolio in the crucial pre-election months ahead.

Equally depressing for the minister, as misgivings from her own party supporters, are the doubts of those who say they will vote for Fianna Fáil in the next election.

Only 6% of Fianna Fáil supporters said they were very confident the crisis can be resolved as against 24% who are not at all confident.

Fine Gael voters are most negative on the issue with 51% saying they have no confidence at all in a solution being found by next summer and only 4% having a high level of confidence. An overwhelming 82% have little or no confidence.

Labour voters have a little more belief that the crisis will ease — 7% say they are very confident, 43% have no confidence and a total of 64% have little or no confidence.