HSE members threaten to quit over ‘spin’ by officials

A MEMBER of the Health Services Executive (South) walked out of a meeting yesterday in protest and a number of others threatened to resign after claiming officials weren’t giving them proper answers to their questions and were not allowing time for debate.

A meeting of party whips is to be held on February 8, just hours prior to the next HSE meeting, at which it is expected they will draft a motion calling for more openness.

Cllr Toireasa Ferris (SF) said the way the meetings were structured was totally inadequate and they represented a high cost to the taxpayer and little or no return for her constituents.

“I won’t participate in the rest of this meeting. It would be farcical to stay here,” Ms Ferris said.

Her Kerry-based colleague, Cllr Tom Sheahan (FG) described HSE replies to questions as “choreographed waffle”.

“If we don’t get a satisfactory solution by February 8, I would resign. I’m not happy with the answers we’re getting and there’s no debate,” Mr Sheahan said.

Two HSE members from Wexford said they were very unhappy and were also prepared to quit the forum.

“It’s seven hours for us up the road and back for absolutely nothing,” Cllr Anna Fenlon (FG) said.

She also accused the HSE of “putting spin” on their replies to questions.

Cllr Leo Carty (Ind), a member of the former South-Eastern Health Board, said: “I’ve never attended meetings like these in my life, and I’ve been a councillor for 47 years.”

Cork-based Cllr Jerry Buttimer, the FG whip on the HSE, said he was “deeply unhappy” that no meaningful debate wasbeing allowed.

“We need to have the ability to debate live health issues. I’m sorry, but it has just become a talking shop. The HSE are very good at spinning their replies, we want real answers to real questions. I would be prepared to resign unless we get amendments to how we do our business,” he said.

His counterpart in Labour, Cllr John Gilroy, said a proper opportunity to engage with senior HSE officials wasn’t being allowed.

Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe (FF) said when he was a member of the former Southern Health Board he was able to get answers to questions.

“This is ridiculous and if it doesn’t change, I would be prepared to resign too,” he said.

The chairman of the HSE forum, Cllr Ciarán Lynch (Lab), was critical of Ms Ferris’s attitude and accused her of engaging in a publicity stunt. He said Ms Ferris would have served her constituents better by putting her comments down in the form of a motion.