Several members of the Oireachtas finance committee will seek further hearings on the abandoned appointment of Dr Tony Holohan after Wednesday’s fractious session with Robert Watt, the top civil servant in the Department of Health.
Members of the committee confirmed to The Irish Times that they intend to push for further inquiries on the issue, and it is understood that they will meet next Wednesday to decide on the next steps.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín wrote to committee chairman John McGuinness on Thursday to request that Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly be invited to answer questions about the botched appointment of former chief medical officer Dr Holohan to a specially-created post in Trinity College, abandoned last year in midst of controversy.
Mr Tóibín said Mr Donnelly should be invited to give evidence to the committee about the “glaring discrepancies between the external report and the evidence given by Robert Watt”.
It is also likely that the report’s author, former head of the Institute of Directors Maura Quinn, will be invited to the committee. Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan said he would like to hear evidence from Ms Quinn, praising her “excellent, coherent” report. Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty also said he would seek Ms Quinn’s appearance.
Mr McGuinness said members of the committee were “shocked” after the meeting on Wednesday and now want the “central issue addressed”, which he said was “the performance and accountability of secretaries general”.
A combative performance on Wednesday by Mr Watt, during which he said he disagreed with many of the conclusions of an independent report on the affair, angered many committee members. It has also annoyed senior figures in the Government, who believe that instead of shutting down the controversy, Mr Watt has done the opposite.
Their fears were borne out in the Dáil, where Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns questioned Tánaiste Micheál Martin on the issue. She said it was not enough for the Tánaiste to say he accepted the report given that “Mr Watt, its central character, is loudly intimating that he thinks it is a load of rubbish.”
“Is it appropriate for Mr Watt to reject the findings of this report? How can Mr Watt’s position be tenable? Does the Tánaiste or the Government intend to take any action to make Mr Watt accountable?” she asked.
But Mr Martin said it was important Mr Watt continued in the position due to the “bigger issues” facing health.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the controversy surrounding Mr Watt was not something ordinary people were concerned or talking about.
“When I talk to people and I talk to voters, when I talk to my constituents, they’re not talking about this issue,” he told reporters.
“They’re talking about jobs and job security, they’re talking about traffic, they’re talking about housing, they’re talking about healthcare and how we should invest more in healthcare,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said “it was worth noting” the report by independent director Maura Quinn did not make any findings against any individuals in the matter.
“But I have no doubt that this secondment was mishandled, we can’t see this happen again,” he said.
Commenting on Mr Watt’s appearance before the Oireachtas finance committee, Mr Donnelly said sanctions were not taken against civil servants “based on tone”.
“Ultimately, what matters is what Government accepts, not what the Civil Service accepts. Government accepts the report,” he said. “Robert Watt is a civil servant, he implements the direction of Government,” he said.
The Minister said there was “no question” he should have been told about the planned move for Dr Holohan earlier.
The Taoiseach and Mr Donnelly were speaking on Thursday at the opening of a new hospital wing in the Mater hospital.
Last night, the Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said he was not “calling for a head” over the issue. But he said Mr Watt should publicly say that he now accepted the report.
