Taoiseach not being frank with ‘Paddy’

In the Dáil last week, Enda Kenny insisted the Government had “no intention” of allowing the wave of public service retirements impede on frontline services.

“There are 300,000 persons employed in the public sector. 3% of these are leaving. 97% will remain in situ. Clearly the flexibility that is inherent in the Croke Park Agreement will now be put to the test. The Government have no intention of allowing a situation where frontline services are not able to be fulfilled.”

But on Monday, Health Minister James Reilly said some elective surgeries may have to be postponed until a way is found to manage the 2,263 or so departures from the health system.

“I’ve absolutely no problem in saying that if one of the things we have to do is slow down on elective in-patient procedures for a short period of time to allow us absorb this change, then we’ll do that,” the minister said, adding that health services could “catch up again” later in the year.

While elective procedures are not emergencies, his suggested slow-down gives a truer picture of the effect of the public service exodus on services than the Taoiseach’s comments do.

Mr Kenny promised to be fully honest with the public, because, in his own words, “Paddy likes to know what the story is”. Yet in recent weeks, his ministers are being more candid with the public than he is.

It’s not just Dr Reilly pointing to the real effects of the public service exodus on the health sector.

Michael Noonan and Leo Varadkar willingly confessed that they would prefer to avoid a referendum on the fiscal compact. Mr Noonan even suggested that the Taoiseach was of the same view. But when it came to speaking for himself, Mr Kenny insisted the Government had “no fear” of holding a referendum if one was required.

In both instances, it was easier to take Mr Kenny’s ministers at face value than the Taoiseach himself.

Events of the last few days do nothing to ease the impression that Mr Kenny is prone to sugar-coating.

On Sunday, when pushed by RTÉ about how the Government would handle the public service exodus, he said his administration had “in place transitional teams which will work with the departments, the ministers and the local managers to ensure that smooth transition”.

Yesterday, when quizzed on the issue by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin in the Dáil, he conceded it would be next week before the Cabinet signed off on the composition of the teams. In other words, the teams are not finalised — or “in place” — just yet.

A Government spokesman last night tried to clarify by saying the formal establishment of the teams next week would merely be an “intensification” of ongoing work.

But if anyone is going to clarify confusion caused by the Taoiseach, it should be the Taoiseach himself, and the Dáil is the best place to do it. He had no shortage of opportunities yesterday to explain fully how and when the transition team concept was devised, and what work they had “informally” done, but he failed to do so.

With his odd defence of the new septic tank regime — he talked about people not “spluttering into their pints” over the system — and the recent Davos controversy, it suggests a Taoiseach not in control of his message. Paddy may like to know, but he’s getting a confused picture at present.