Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has denied there is a lack of trust in the Coalition despite carrying out his own research into a site for the National Children’s Hospital.
The Labour Party leader revealed his team examined possible locations for the long-awaited facility so he had the facts before Health Minister James Reilly took his final decision to Cabinet.
Mr Gilmore, who was again forced to say he had confidence in Dr Reilly, insisted there is trust between Labour and the minister.
“There is no question of any lack of trust,” said Mr Gilmore.
“This is about making sure we make the best decision in the interest of the public.
“I think the public expect us to do that in a serious way, expect us to do that in an informed way, and I’m not approaching this issue any different than any other major issue that has to be decided by Government.”
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin claimed the development was disturbing and revealed a lack of trust after Labour’s former junior health minister, Róisin Shortall, controversially resigned when Dr Reilly added two sites in his constituency to her list of primary care health centres.
He called on the Coalition not to play politics and make a decision on the much needed state-of-the-art facility.
“I’m very disturbed really about what’s going on,” said Mr Martin.
“I think it shows a lack of respect about the project itself, the rationale about the project, and motivation behind the project.
“I think we need very clearly a decision by the Government.
Mr Martin said it was an extraordinary story that indicated the fundamental lack of trust between the coalition parties, and particularly Labour and Dr Reilly.
He also claimed it could also be seen as an attempt by Labour to belatedly distance themselves from the health minister after the debacle around the selection of a primary health centre and which left its junior minister Roisin Shotall “hung out to dry”.
It earlier emerged the Tánaiste’s advisers spoke to bidders for the hospital after an independent expert group gave a list of possible locations to Dr Reilly in March.
The Dolphin Report did not rank the different locations, but left it to Dr Reilly to make a recommendation to Cabinet.
Preferred alternative sites include St James’s Hospital in the south inner city and Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.
Mr Gilmore said he did not have a parallel report, but got his team in the office of An Tánaiste to provide him with the facts and information he would need before making his final decision.
“You can take it that on many major issues – whether it is property tax or whether it is the budget, taxation, social protection, education, any major issue that comes before this Government – I make sure that I am informed, that I am briefed and that I am in the best possible position to approach the issues that come before Government,” he said.
“Frankly I don’t think that people of this country would expect any less.”
The expert group was set up to find a site for the hospital when planning permission was refused next to the Mater Hospital in Dublin’s north inner city.
Dr Reilly is expected to make a decision from the report within weeks.
“I understand the report is imminent and when we get the report will sit down, make a decision on it and take it to Government,” Mr Gilmore added
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