Kenny: I make no apology for Roscommon promises

The Taoiseach has rejected calls on him to apologise to the people of Roscommon for promising not to downgrade the emergency department at Roscommon County Hospital.

Enda Kenny made the promise during the election campaign - but said today that he makes no apology for stating what was Fine Gael policy at the time.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin last night issued a fresh call on Mr Kenny to apologise for what he described as his "shambolic" handling of the issue.

Today he is expected to urge the Taoiseach to correct the record of the Dáil after Mr Kenny said last week that he had made no such promise.

The Taoiseach this morning said the Government had to change its position based on evidence of the independent health regulator HIQA.

And he rejected calls on him to apologise for what he said was not a personal guarantee - but an articulation of party policy at the time.

"I make no apology at all for enunciating what Fine Gael policy given in good faith at that time was," he said.

"And I remind Deputy Martin that before the 2002 election he himself made a number of very strong commitments - and when he was asked about waiting lists and so on, these things were laughed at into the microphone when he was asked to stand over them."