The former minister for health Micheal Martin this evening refused to resign from Cabinet as he despite a barrage of Opposition demands that he step down following publication of the Travers Report into illegal nursing home charges.
The now Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment told reporters tonight: "An independent, objective person [John Travers] was asked to come in to look at all of this. He did that. He has drawn his conclusions and they're not damaging to Micheal Martin." The Minister said the report found him to be no more culpable than any of his predecessors in the Department of Health.
He said he had no more information about the legal ramifications of the charges than any previous minister for health since they were introduced in 1976 and that the issue did not happen on his watch.
"I have consistently said that I would have acted on the illegal charges had I been aware of them. The report shows that I was in the same position as other Ministers for Health since 1976 in not having been fully informed of the situation," he said.
He then hit out at Opposition parties calling for his resignation on RTE Radio this evening: "I've had to listen to Opposition spokespeople jumping up and down accusing me of this, that and the other. Most, if not all of their protestations have been found to be incorrect," he said.
Fine Gael's health spokesman Liam Twomey said: "A minister who presided over such systemic maladministration should have no option but to resign." He also questioned the competence of former Junior Health Minister Ivor Callely and he called on he and Mr Martin to explain themselves to the Dail tomorrow.
Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said: "If it was any other jurisdiction in the Western World, Mr Martin would have resigned by now."
"Today's Report contains vastly different accounts given by Mr Martin and former Health Department secretary general Michael Kelly, who was today transferred from his position.
"Mr Martin claims he was never aware of the illegal charges but Mr Kelly said he orally briefed Mr Martin at least twice on the issue.
But Mr Martin told Mr Travers: "It was never drawn to my attention either formally or informally at any time."
However, the Minister for Health Mary Harney today admitted there was a "serious conflict of evidence" given by Mr Kelly and Mr Martin. But she added: "I'm not going to adjudicate on that. If I don't have confidence in a Cabinet colleague then I will go and tell the Taoiseach. I wouldn't stay in Government with somebody unless I had confidence in him."
The State is facing a bill of up to €2 billion in repayments to up to 300,000 nursing home patients affected since 1976.