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Minsiter for Health Stephen Donnelly has indicated that he will attend the Oireachtas health committee to discuss the botched appointment of Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity College Dublin, but “not more than one” parliamentary committee, Sinn Féin’s health spokesman has said.
The Wicklow TD has also said that he will not appear until an external review into the process is completed - which is expected to take several weeks.
David Cullinane told The Irish Times that Mr Donnelly rang him on Monday morning to indicate he would appear in front of the health committtee – after he and his Secretary General, Robert Watt, refused to go before the finance committee.
The health committee is set to invite Mr Donnelly and Robert Watt, to discuss the appointment – which was projected to cost the taxpayer in the region of €2 million, and collapsed after details of the secondment arrangement underpinning it emerged.
“I spoke to Minister Donnelly this morning,” Mr Cullinane told The Irish Times. “He informed me that he would attend a meeting of an Oireachtas committee but not more than one,” the Waterford TD said.
A spokesman for Mr Donnelly said the external review will be published upon completion. “The minister and his officials will be happy to engage with an Oireachtas committee once this process is completed”.
However, Mr Cullinane said it was his firm view that the two men should appear before the Finance Committee and the health committee, as there were different issues that needed to be probed which fell within their respective remits.
“The health committee has a duty to address issues around process and the authority of the minister for health. This is all a distraction and adds to the lack of transparency already lacking on this issue. It would be in the interests of all concerned if Mr Watt and Minister Donnelly came before both committees.”
Issues
His view is shared by Government backbencher Neasa Hourigan, the Green Party TD who is a member of both committees. “I do think it’s completely relevant for the finance committee to follow up, how was that considerable funding allocation lined up,” she said.
“I got the distinct impression that none of the ministers were aware meaning it was made in the department and i think it’s completely valid for elected reps to hold civil servants to account on that kind of murky decision making.”
The health committee is to meet in private on Tuesday and members expect to sign off on an invitation – with a slot next week under consideration. “It’s in everyone’s interest, including Stephen Donnelly and Robert Watt, that we get clarification on the process, what went wrong and why was the appointment done without the oversight of the Minister,” People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Gino Kenny said.
Cork East TD for Fine Gael, Colm Burke, also indicted he would support and invite being sent. Seán Kyne, the Fine Gael senator, said there were “clearly” issues that need to be addressed “by a range of people from the Secretary General to the Minister”.