Ahern admits cancer reports reveal ‘critical issues’

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has admitted the reports into the cancer misdiagnosis crisis at Portlaoise Hospital revealed “critical issues” that had to be addressed.

However, he defended the Health Service Executive against claims that the failures highlighted in the reports were symptomatic of wider problems throughout the organisation.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny yesterday described the HSE as a “bloated, bureaucratic monster” which had managed to weaken the health system instead of improve its efficiency.