Simon Coveney: I never said second lab was guaranteed at University Hospital Waterford

Housing Minister Simon Coveney has denied claims from John Halligan that he promised to bring a second cath lab to University Hospital Waterford in return for the Independent Alliance’s minister’s government support.

The senior Fine Gael TD insisted there has been no “trickery” from his party on the issue, as he rejected suggestions that the latest coalition crisis shows the Government is now “stumbling from one problem to another”.

Speaking at a regeneration launch of the St Theresa Garden’s flat complex in Dublin, Mr Coveney said he never told Mr Halligan a second cath lab was guaranteed for the hospital.