Harney should apply to herself the standard her party set for others

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney risks setting a new low in political hypocrisy in Ireland.

She and her party claimed to have broken the mould of Irish politics by standing up for standards and accountability in public office, but now she seeks to rewrite her own rules to suit her current sorry position. Nobody asked Mary Harney to take on the huge task of improving our health services. Be it brave, noble, commendable, it simply hasn’t worked. Her grip on the levers which control our health services has loosened irreparably, the faith put in her by the Irish people is lost forever and the lives of those 97 women in the midlands have been altered immeasurably. Excuses, regrets and half-baked apologies are no longer acceptable. Even if it is the last act of the PDs, Mary Harney should read from her own script and resign honourably.

Likewise, the members of Dáil Eireann should have reflected the anger of the Irish people and shown her the door. The buck must stop at the minister’s desk.