Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach did not answer my question in respect of the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall. She made the serious charge in respect of the selection of these primary health care centres. She said in this House that the decision making lacked transparency. Clearly, she had a very different understanding with regard to the criteria than the Taoiseach has articulated or than the Minister had. Will the Taoiseach give a straight answer? Did the Minister of State know about the additional criteria? If she did not know, has she subsequently been apprised of them? On foot of this, is she prepared to withdraw her charge of a lack of transparency?

It seems to me this has been stroke politics. However, perhaps the Minister of State has been furnished with the information and perhaps she takes a different view now. Can the Taoiseach tell us whether this is the case?

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