Hollowness of Gilmore’s ambition exposed by sorry debacle

TÁNAISTE Eamon Gilmore is the biggest loser in the fallout from the debacle over Róisín Shortall’s resignation as primary care minister.

Her departure is not only a blow to the Government, it is a stinging rebuke of his leadership of Labour. The battle between the ministers in the Department of Health has brewed for months. Indeed, it had its origin in the formation of the Government.

When Mr Gilmore led the Labour team of new ministers into the Dáil on Mar 9, 2011, Ms Shortall clearly nursed unfulfilled expectations. Mr Gilmore had managed to lead Labour to its best ever electoral result and simultaneously failed to match unachievable expectations. He compounded the overreach of “Gilmore for Taoiseach” with a cack-handed management of ministerial appointments. Joan Burton was shunted and Ms Shortall was shafted.