Leo Varadkar: ‘Keep politics out of health decisions’

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has welcomed indications from his junior ministerial colleague John Halligan that the Waterford TD is staying in Government for now, but stressed that there should be no “political considerations” in healthcare decisions.

Speaking in Carrigaline, Co Cork, at the opening of a new Department of Social Protection Intreo office, Mr Varadkar said key decisions were being left to doctors and clinical planners and that “it would be a major step backwards now if politicians started to adjudicate on clinical evidence”.

It came after Mr Halligan, the minister of state for training and skills, had initially said he may have no choice but to resign from Government after a consultant review found University Hospital Waterford did not require a second cath lab in its cardiac unit.