Ahern and Martin draw line under Hanly report row

The Taoiseach and the Minister for Health have moved today to draw a line under growing opposition to the Hanly report and the controversy sparked by the Minister of Defence, Mr Smith.

Mr Ahern said today the stand-off with Mr Smith was over. The Minister for Defence had expressed concerns about the implications of the report for hospital services in Nenagh on three separate occasions last week. Nenagh is in Mr Smith's constituency.

These criticisms led Mr Ahern to seek and receive an apology from Mr Smith last Friday. But speaking to reporters in Dublin this morning Mr Ahern said both he and Mr Smith were "back at our desks this morning, getting on with our jobs" and that the issue was closed.

However, Mr Ahern refused to answer, when asked, if Mr Smith would be in the Cabinet at the end of the Government.

Commenting on general opposition to the Hanly proposals Mr Ahren said implementing the reforms "would be a ten-year project. But what we have to achieve is that we cannot continue to have people working 75-hours a week. We can't stay either at a consultant led hospital system."

Conflict between national policy and local politics over the issue was in evidence this weekend when two Fianna Fáil TDs supported a march by 15,000 people protesting at the likely removal of some services from Ennis General Hospital to Limerick under the Hanly proposals.

Mr Martin joined the Taoiseach today in playing down internal party opposition to the proposals, and he challenged opponents to propose a viable alternative.

The Minister also denied suggestions that the plan to reduce Accident and Emergency services at some hospitals and concentrate expertise and facilities at regional centres of excellence was unworkable.

This view had been expressed by consultants from hospitals in Dublin, Limerick, and Tipperary attending the Ennis protest. They also claimed the Hanly report was not based around the criteria of the best possible patient care.

Mr Martin countered these claims by stating: "There are many [other] consultants who favour the idea of getting better treatment for people in the regions. For getting more services to the regions. That is what Hanly is about and that hasn't been highlighted."

The Minister said in the context of the 48-hour-working-week directive coming in 2009 and general agreement on the requirement for a consultant-provided service, the current "debate is necessary and is worthwhile".

The State had signed up to the working time directive and had to implement changes to comply with its legally binding terms, Mr Martin added.

A working group to plan how best to organise acute hospital services will be established soon as the first phase of implementing Hanly, the Minister said.