Martin claims 'fundamental lack of trust' between Labour and FG

The Fianna Fáil leader says reports that Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore is carrying out his own research into the location of the children's hospital is evidence of a fundamental lack of trust between the coalition parties.

Micheál Martin was responding to claims made in today's Irish Independent that Mr Gilmore is bypassing the health minister James Reilly by compiling his own file on where the hospital should be built.

Speaking at the launch of his party's campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the children's referendum Martin said Labour is distancing itself from Reilly in the wake of the controversy over the location of primary care centres.

He said there is a clear breakdown in trust between the government parties: “It indicates a fundamental lack of trust between the Labour party and the Fine Gael part and particularly the Labour party and James Reilly as Minister for Health and Children.”

“One could also see it as an attempt by the Labour party to belatedly distance themselves from James Reilly having been caught up in the debacle around the selection of primary care centres.”