POLITICAL BRIEFING:EXPRESSING CONFIDENCE that he could continue to carry out his official duties despite being diagnosed with cancer, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan said that if for medical reasons this ceased to be the case, he would be the first to recognise the fact.
In a lengthy briefing for political correspondents at Leinster House yesterday afternoon, he said the coming months would be “a quiet enough period” in his department, with no budget due until the end of the year.
When it was put to him that he ought to be provided with an additional minister of state to carry out speaking engagements around the country, he said that was a matter for the Taoiseach, “but I’m satisfied I can perform my essential functions as Minister for Finance”.
On the controversy over TV3’s disclosure of his illness, he said he was sure journalists and media organisations would reflect on it, but he added: “It is a bit like politics, the journalism, you know, the only rule appears to be that there are no rules.”
Asked if Mr Cowen had requested regular medical updates, he replied: “I have given the Taoiseach an update of what the position is. It’s an acute position, it’s not a chronic position, so the call for updates in my view is almost unnecessary. But, that said, knowing the Taoiseach as I know him, he will be anxiously asking me for updates, yes.”
Asked if there were any issues in relation to the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) where he would need to have “hands-on contact” over the coming months, Mr Lenihan said: “I’ll be in the department supervising the work of my officials and meeting relevant delegations and that means, in an appropriate context, there will be submissions on all these matters which I’ll have to critically evaluate and come to a conclusion on.”
When it was put to him that the banking crisis of late 2008 erupted suddenly and that he might not be available if a similar crisis were to erupt and he was having treatment, he replied: “I’m undergoing treatment as an outpatient, not as an inpatient, so I will be available to deal with matters as they arise and that’s the position. I wouldn’t accept, by the way, the premise in your question, that the banking crisis was entirely unforeseen in the autumn of 2008.”
Asked to comment further on the controversy over the initial report of his illness by TV3, Mr Lenihan said: “I’m satisfied that I didn’t disclose my medical information and I’m also satisfied my medical advisers didn’t disclose it. It was confidential doctor-patient information.
“Now it is in the public interest, of course, that people know the state of health of the Minister for Finance and I quite accept that.
“On the other hand, I suppose I would question whether there was any real public interest served in disclosing it on St Stephen’s Day, as distinct from January 4th.”
He said “it’s an issue which the Press Ombudsman – I am not calling on him to examine the issue – I am sure it’s an issue which journalists and media organisations will reflect upon themselves”.
Asked if he felt the stress of the job might in any way might have contributed to his illness, Mr Lenihan said: “Well of course I asked the doctors that. It’s difficult to know because it’s one of those disorders or cancerous developments for which the doctors haven’t assigned a very definite cause.
“I noticed [Prof] John Crown gave a very interesting interview on TV3 and made the point that often smoking can be a contributory factor, but I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, so that has to be ruled out,” he said.
Emphasising he was not an authority on cancer, he continued: “I have to say I’ve enjoyed my time in the Department of Finance and haven’t felt under particular stress, but my doctors have advised me not to be working 14- hour days, so I won’t be doing that.”
The marathon Nama debate in the Oireachtas was not a problem as such lengthy discussions were unusual, “but even apart from that, I would have been working long hours.
“There would have been few days I wouldn’t have been getting up at half-seven and going to bed at one; that would have been a typical day for a while.”
Asked if he would be limiting his working day from now on, he said: “Well, obviously, I’ll prioritise and focus on the essential work of the department itself.”
Asked if he would be giving up anything or changing his lifestyle, he replied: “Is there a lifestyle habit they [the doctors] think I shouldn’t be engaging in, in terms of food? No.
“I don’t think, though, that if you’re undertaking chemotherapy it’s very wise to drink alcohol because you already have one poison going into your system, without imbibing a second one! But there’s absolutely no medical reason why I can’t consume alcohol, if that’s your question.”
In a lighter moment, the Minister said he had been assured that he was not going to lose his hair as a result of chemotherapy. “I don’t quite believe that, I have to say,” he quipped.
Asked how his illness might affect his long-term political future, he answered: “Was it Harold Wilson who said ‘A week is a long time in politics’? I haven’t really thought long-term. You don’t think long-term in that sense, I mean, I’m very focused on the long term in the department and the economy and I’m thinking that way, but ambitions somewhat fade when you’re in a position like this and you focus on survival yourself and doing your job right.
“And really, in politics, it’s always been my practice in any event that you do the job you’re in and you don’t think too much about what job you might next be in. And it’s my general experience that politicians who focus too much on the next job they might be in make a bit of a balls of the job they’re in. But I’m not going to give you any examples of that!”
Asked if his plan to refrain from any further comment on his health was sustainable, the Minister replied: “First of all, I’ve made the position very clear today about what my current condition is and, then, secondly, I’ve made it very clear in the statement that, were there to be a deterioration in that condition which would make me incapable of performing my functions, then I would be the first to recognise that, in the interests of the country.”
In a further response to the suggestion of an additional minister of state, Mr Lenihan said: “There isn’t much point having a Minister for Finance and having a substitute minister for finance.
“Clearly, many Ministers have offered to assist and I’ll consider their offers but the key issue is that there are some important matters that have to be attended to in the department in the next few months.
“We have the Finance Bill to finalise: clearly I’ll be making the decisions on that in the next few weeks and introducing the Bill in the Houses and ensuring the enactment of the legislation.
“Equally there will be statements on banking . . . as Nama progresses . . . so all of that will require some degree of ministerial presence and intervention.
“Other than those two issues, it is a quiet enough period in the department because, of course, the budget has been finalised for the year. The exchequer returns tomorrow will show that we contained expenditure as promised and indicated,and that tax receipts, if anything, have improved on the prediction . . . in early December.”
