Leo Varadkar ‘must stop being detached analyst

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has insisted Health Minister Leo Varadkar must stop being “some sort of detached analyst” and take responsibility for health service crises if the problems are to be addressed.

He made the remarks after a week dominated by the trolleys scandal, but angrily rejected claims he is a hypocrite as the same difficulties damaged his own tenure in health a decade ago.

Speaking at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin, Mr Martin said the “appalling” situation in hospital emergency departments is an indictment of Government policies and the “fraudulent” budget last year.