The Cabinet today expressed its confidence in Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney and "approved" her handling of the cancer crisis.
|
At its weekly meeting the Cabinet agreed the wording of its own motion today, countering the Opposition's No confidence motion.
The Cabinet said it "approves the actions of the Minister in ensuring that the special clinic was put in place immediately last weekend."
It also expressed "confidence in the efficiency and high quality of the work carried out in the review of mammograms and at the special clinic" by the clinic staff.
Ms Harney said she would be robustly defending her record when she faces the debate, which starts tonight. A vote on the motion will be held in the Dáil tomorrow evening. It is expected the Government will win the vote.
"I'm not a quitter. I'm not going off the pitch. If Dáil Éireann decides to fire me, that's a different matter, but I will be laying out my stall," she said yesterday.
"I have nothing to be afraid of. I have nothing to be ashamed about, and there is certainly no action or inaction of mine that caused any unnecessary delays for patients," the Minister said.
Last night, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted Ms Harney she would not be resigning. "She will continue on with her reform programme for many years to come," he said.
Fianna Fáil last night ordered its TDs to vote in support of Ms Harney. "The consequences of not attending and not voting are clear to everyone," Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt said.
Mr Kitt's comments came after Fianna Fáil backbencher Ned O'Keeffe, a former minister of state, demanded Ms Harney's resignation.
"I think Mary Harney should resign," the Cork East TD said. "It's a matter of life and death for many unfortunate female persons across the island of Ireland."
Fine Gael Chief Whip Paul Kehoe said today the threat to expel TDs that vote against the Government shows the party is "terrified" of losing the vote.
"If Fianna Fáil was genuinely confident of winning this crucial vote it would allow its members to exercise their conscience with a free vote," he said in a statement. "Fianna Fáil's threat to expel members of its own party is a clear indication that it would lose a truly democratic vote on this crucial issue."