Harney’s hopes - Uphill battle to realise aspirations

TÁNAISTE Mary Harney may have been prematurely optimistic when she said in an RTÉ radio interview yesterday that it was possible that the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil could secure a third term in government.

This, she said, could only be done if the Government made progress in the areas of health and education.

On that basis, they have a considerable uphill struggle ahead of them over the course of the next two-and-a-half years, and her contribution to health through the announcements in the recent Estimates was hardly auspicious.