Kenny in U-turn on A&E closure pledge

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny was forced into a humiliating climb-down last night as he denied deliberately misleading voters over hospital closures.

After categorically insisting he had never made specific election pledges on the future of Roscommon Hospital’s emergency department (ED)& services, a tape recording of him doing just that left Mr Kenny embroiled in fresh controversy and scrambling to regain the political initiative.

Opposition parties seized on the gaffe as they tried to make the Taoiseach’s honesty an issue, with Sinn Féin accusing him of spouting “falsehoods” and Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin saying Mr Kenny had not told the full truth to the Dáil.