Her survival was expected . . . the passion of her speech in defence of her policy wasn't. Stephen Collinson how Mary Harney stood her ground
There was no great surprise when Mary Harney survived last night's Dáil vote of confidence with ease. What was unexpected was the way she defended herself stoutly against the jibes of the Opposition in a speech that was filled with emotion as well as rhetoric.
For more than two decades Harney has been one of the best orators in the Dáil. She is a rare breed for a modern politician in that she does not usually speak from a script, or even notes, but can deliver a coherent speech straight off the cuff.
What made her delivery so effective on Tuesday night was that the sentiments clearly came from the heart.
In recent months many on the Opposition benches and in the media have wondered whether the Minister had the stomach for the fight any more, with suggestions that she was merely going through the motions during her final stint in office. She put paid to that notion during the confidence debate.
"Look, there was never any doubt about the fact that Mary Harney was going to survive the confidence vote. The issue was whether she would come out fighting and give the Government side a bit of inspiration and she certainly did that," said one supporter.
The Opposition view was naturally more jaundiced. "Sure Mary Harney put in a good performance but her oratorical skills were never in question. The real question is what has she done as Minister for Health, and the answer to that is that she has utterly failed to get on top of the job. That is why the motion of no-confidence in her was tabled in the first place," said a senior Fine Gael figure. There was also a scornful reaction by the Opposition to the Minister's call for a bipartisan approach to dealing with cancer services. Harney made the emotional appeal for such a cross-party approach.
"I have been asked to resign, but quitting is a shor- cut to failure and I do not accept failure. One should not run away simply because the going is tough; one must stay the course.
"I invite Deputy Kenny, who has joined us, to take the kind of approach to cancer care that we did to the issue of Northern Ireland. I am not requesting a carte blanche on all areas of the health service but ask only that we apply this approach to cancer care."
The Minister recalled that it was on precisely the same day 22 years ago that she voted in favour of the Anglo-Irish Agreement negotiated by Garret FizGerald's government. That led to her expulsion from Fianna Fáil and ultimately to the establishment of the Progressive Democrats. Her point was that some issues can be above party politics.
However, there did not appear to be any takers on the Opposition benches for a cross-party approach on any aspect of the health service. While Fine Gael Health spokesman Dr James Reilly acknowledged that Harney's contribution to the debate had been the best ministerial performance he had seen since being elected to the Dáil in May, he maintained that it was only when the Minister's job was on the line that "we see this emotion, devotion and talk of patient-centred care"? He pointedly did not respond to the challenge to adopt a bipartisan approach to cancer care.
One of the problems the Opposition would have about adopting a bipartisan approach is that they have no guarantee that Fianna Fáil TDs on the ground would actually back their own Government's policy. In the past week Junior Health Minister Dr Jimmy Devins, from Sligo and Beverley Flynn from Mayo have actually expressed their support for those protesting against the impact of the national cancer strategy on their own constituencies.
This is part of a pattern whereby Fianna Fáil TDs act as the local opposition to their own Government. It is asking a lot of the Opposition to expect them to back Government policy, and suffer political consequences locally, when the Government's own supporters feel free to at least pretend to oppose the official line.
The other obstacle to bipartisanship is that the Opposition scents a Government in difficulty and will do all in its power to inflict as much damage as possible. The level of barracking Harney had to endure during her Dáil speech was intense and while she was able to rise to the challenge it reflected an uncompromising political mood.
Despite his relative political inexperience Dr Reilly has brought a more abrasive style to his Opposition role than his predecessors in the health portfolio for some time. His uncompromising approach is reminiscent of the tactics adopted by Fianna Fáil spokesmen like John O'Donoghue when they were in opposition during John Bruton's rainbow government.
The expanded Fine Gael parliamentary party has adopted a more aggressive approach to Opposition and has started to harry Ministers in a way not seen since Fianna Fáil was in Opposition. It was noticeable that although the motion of no confidence in Harney was tabled by Labour, it was Fine Gael speakers who made the most aggressive speeches. The main Opposition party is clearly determined to give no quarter during the 30th Dáil in the pursuit of power that has eluded it at election after election.
"This health service is the creation of this Government and of this Minister," Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the Dáil last night. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore pointed out that there had not been a bipartisan approach to major issues like the creation of the HSE or the co-location of private hospitals on public land.
The big guns on the Government side then rowed in to defend the Minister. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern defended Harney's record as a reforming Minister for Health. Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley, also showed his solidarity backing Harney's call for a consensus approach to the cancer service.
Independent TD Finian McGrath, announced shortly before the vote last night that he would support the Government but dissident Fianna Fáil TD Ned O'Keeffe issued a statement critical of Harney.
In the event the Minister comfortably survived the challenge but the health issue is clearly going to dog this Government for the rest of its term.