Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Taoiseach's reply. With regard to the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, and the letter issued to him, he clearly believes that was a clear breach of the understanding he had arrived at with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, and others at the time. The Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, is clear that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, told him that this was a done deal, that the catheterization laboratory would be provided on a 24/7 basis and that it would happen.

I can almost hear the words from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, that the review will be just a formality. I can almost hear him saying gently to the Minister of State, Deputy John Halligan, not to worry, it is a formality and it will be all looked after. The Minister of State genuinely believes he was taken to the cleaners on this and misled. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, told the Minister of State, who was at the time just a Deputy, not to worry and that if he did not do it, it was going to do it. Therefore, Fine Gael said it was going to build the second cath lab. That relates to the quality of the understanding the Taoiseach arrived at and the agreement with the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan. The latter has been very clear that he believes the agreement was breached. He feels he was told in good faith that there would be a cath lab in Waterford. He has now been told that will not happen.

The Taoiseach, in fairness, denied there was any understanding with Independent Deputy Michael Lowry. He will recall the announcement of the modular building for South Tipperary General Hospital by Deputy Michael Lowry in July. As the Taoiseach will have noted, there was a big headline at the time: "Bitter words fly between Tipperary TDs over Lowry announcement on South Tipp General Hospital". The Deputy announced there were plans for a 40-patient modular patient hotel to ease overcrowding at the facility, along with 22 new jobs. The Taoiseach said there was no deal, written or otherwise. A newspaper article from 6 July states: "Mr Lowry's support for the minority Government has been the subject of much debate and the matter was the subject of a debate in the Dáil yesterday." That was the last time this was dealt with. In the aftermath, Deputy Lowry clarified his position by saying he never had a deal with the Government but, rather, an understanding with Fine Gael, and that he was very happy with it. The newspaper article states:

I never said there was a deal, but I do have an understanding with the Government. I made representations in relation to the crisis at Clonmel hospital and I was very happy with the responses of the minister and the HSE.

At that stage, it seemed that Deputy Lowry was getting far more out of it than the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan. Deputy Lowry stated that he did not have a deal but he had an understanding with the Government and he was happy with that understanding. He is very clear he has an understanding with Fine Gael. Elsewhere, he is quoted as having said his support for the Government would pay dividends for his constituency. Is he telling the truth? Can the Taoiseach enlighten the Dáil on what the understanding with Deputy Lowry might be, particularly in terms of South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel?

The Taoiseach is correct in saying that, in the confidence and supply arrangement, there was a written commitment that all deals would be published. In fairness, all the commitments made with the Independent Alliance are in the programme. Some are now arguing those commitments have not been fulfilled, as in the case in Waterford. Nonetheless, Deputy Lowry is adamant and sticking to the line that he has an understanding with Fine Gael and expects it to yield benefits in his constituency. Could the Taoiseach give his views on what the Deputy is saying? Even in the aftermath of the Taoiseach's comments to the Dáil, Deputy Lowry has said all this. The Taoiseach has robustly denied it in the Dáil but the Deputy is saying that while it is not a written deal, it is an understanding. That suggests an informal agreement with Deputy Lowry that may be to his advantage electorally and politically in the constituency. Could the Taoiseach comment on that? Is it the case or is the Deputy just fibbing?

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