Harris wins confidence motion amid accusations of ‘cheap cynical trick’

Ireland’s deputy premier has won a motion of confidence on his record in Government.

Tanaiste Simon Harris, the leader of Fine Gael, won the vote with the support of his coalition colleagues by a margin of 94 to 65. There was one abstention.

The vote on Mr Harris came after an opposition party indicated it would call for a motion of no confidence against him over his record in Government, particularly on children’s health matters.

It arose out of a series of scandals at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) including the implanting of non-surgical springs into child patients, unnecessary hip surgeries, the security of health records, and issues around in-sourcing.

It was also held amid renewed focus on child spinal surgery waiting times after the death of a nine-year-old boy.

That no confidence motion was not held, with the Government instead calling and winning a vote expressing confidence in Mr Harris.

While health minister in 2017, Mr Harris pledged that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis treatment.

Earlier this year, nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt died after waiting years for spinal surgery.

His parents, Stephen Morrison and Gillian Sherratt, have also called for Mr Harris’s resignation.

Speaking in the Dail parliament, Mr Harris defended his record and noted that the motion came less than a year after the coalition came in to Government following a vote of the people in the general election.

He said he had met Harvey’s parents and expressed his “deep sorrow” to them.

He said: “In recent times, further significant concerns have been raised and I, the Minister for Health, the Taoiseach and Government have responded by saying we must listen to and work with parents and advocacy groups who are highlighting hugely worrying and important issues.”

Mr Harris added: “Throughout my time in public life as a Minister of State in the Department of Finance, as Minister for Health or Further and Higher Education, Minister for Justice, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, I’ve always tried to do one thing: To work hard in service of the people.

“I’ve never claimed to be infallible, but I do act in good faith, and when I make mistakes and when I err, I acknowledge them. I don’t always get everything right, but let us distinguish scrutiny from cynicism and accountability from opportunism.”

The vote came after Aontu said on Tuesday that it wanted to bringing a no confidence motion against the Tanaiste next week.

The party said it would call that vote due to Mr Harris’s “failed promise” on child spinal surgeries and overall “dysfunction” in CHI.

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said: “Simon Harris is not fit to be a minister in this Government, and we are calling for his resignation.”

He would have called for the vote to be held next Wednesday October 22, two days before the presidential election in which the candidate for Mr Harris’s Fine Gael – former party deputy leader Heather Humphreys – will go up against left-wing independent Catherine Connolly.

However, the Government moved to undercut the Aontu motion by calling its own motion of confidence in Mr Harris on Wednesday.

Mr Toibin described this as a “cheap cynical trick by Government”, claiming that this had not happened since 1976.

He accused the coalition of clearing the decks for the motion to ensure that voters in the presidential election next week are not thinking of the Government’s “abysmal record on children with scoliosis”.

He also said it was “unprecedented” that a Government countermotion of confidence would be undertaken without the original motion of no confidence being published or tabled.

Mr Toibin said his party still intends to use its private members time to “achieve justice for Harvey, accountability, and lasting change”.

It has been suggested that Aontu may call a broader motion of no confidence in the whole Government instead.

Sinn Fein criticised the “unprecedented move by Government” to call a confidence motion without the formal receipt of a no confidence motion.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said: “The motion tabled today by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail fall is a move cynically designed to intercept and shut down a prospective motion of no confidence in Tanaiste Simon Harris, to shield him from being held to account for his litany of failures – but primarily his profound failure on children with scoliosis and spina bifida.”

Labour whip Duncan Smith accused the Government of making a “mockery of the parliament” by proposing to change the order of business, having not devoted time to other issues such as matters affecting the fisheries industry.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the Dail should be debating issues around the Occupied Territories Bill and disability services rather than having a “backslapping exercise”.

Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he understood the anger and frustration around issues at CHI but said he believed Mr Harris had “acted in good faith”.

He told Mr Toibin: “Motions in themselves are not going to improve services.”