A minister resigns - First blow to coalition’s solidarity

Junior health minster Róisín Shortall’s resignation is the first major crack in Enda Kenny’s coalition Government’s solidarity.

Even though it has taken 20 months of trying to cope with the challenges of office to get to this point it would be very foolish to imagine it will be the last significant but less-than-lethal resignation from the cabinet or its immediate environs.

The resignation adds an unwelcome dimension to the work of Government and to the timeline set for various projects. From this morning on each and every hard decision will have to be viewed through the what-if prism — what if it provokes another senior figure to walk out? Another seed of uncertainty has been sown at a moment when doubt and prevarication have already caused more than enough difficulties. Apart at all from the rights and wrongs of the situation that led to Ms Shortall’s resignation the tension it creates may discourage the kind of bold decision making this country needs. For that alone it is unwelcome.