Dail Report: Minister for Health Mary Harney has dismissed as "laughable" comments by a former general secretary of the department, Michael Kelly, on the illegal nursing home charges controversy.
Mr Kelly told the Oireachtas Committee on Health on Tuesday that Ms Harney had cancelled briefings by senior officials that could have alerted her to the issue earlier.
He also rejected allegations made previously by Ms Harney that he had withheld information on the charges in a briefing document prepared for Cabinet.
Yesterday in the Dáil Ms Harney said Mr Kelly's comments were the equivalent of saying: "Your house is on fire, but I cannot tell you because your secretary has postponed a meeting."
She added: "It is so laughable that it is not worthy of comment.
"We found out about the charges because I asked for the advice of the Attorney General. I spent a half-day being briefed by the department when I went there, and met Mr Kelly every day that I was in Hawkins House. At no stage did anyone seek to tell me about the matter."
Ms Harney said while it was true that meetings were postponed, it was because she had to deal with legislation in the House, as was frequently the case.
"The idea that something that had gone on for 26 years was not dealt with before October 14th, six weeks after I went to the department, because a meeting was cancelled is so laughable that it is not worthy to comment."
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said a "serious conflict of evidence" existed, not just between the Minister's predecessor (Micheál Martin) and Mr Kelly but between Ms Harney and Mr Kelly.
He said if the department had put in place special briefings for Ms Harney which she did not attend, how could she tell the House she was not briefed.
Fine Gael TD for Cork South West Jim O'Keeffe said: "Her predecessor would not even read the brief."
Ms Harney said: "When I asked the man to give me a brief for the Cabinet, he did not even provide the crucial information. That is why Mr Kelly was removed from his job."
Fine Gael TD for Kildare North Bernard Durkan said: "That is why he was fired."
"That is why he was promoted," remarked Fine Gael TD for Wicklow Billy Timmins.
Earlier, Ceann Comhairle Dr Rory O'Hanlon said the House could not debate the committee's deliberations until the committee reported. Mr Rabbitte asked if it was now the case that matters before a committee were considered to be sub judice. "That is a new rule," he added.
Dr O'Hanlon said it was a long-standing rule of the House.
