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According to Finance Minister Michael McGrath, Fianna Fáil are now “looking forward” to voting for Simon Harris to become Taoiseach – even despite their previous claims in 2019 that the Fine Gael leader is “consistently” incompetent.
The comments were made at a press briefing on Thursday, after Gript’s Ben Scallan asked McGrath if he found it “embarrassing” to vote for Harris given the harsh criticism his party had directed at him in the not-too-distant past.
McGrath replied that he believed Harris was “well-capable” of leading the country.
“We’ve worked very closely with Minister Harris in government for the first time of the last four years,” the Fianna Fáil Minister said.
“And so I think he’s well capable of fulfilling the enormous responsibility that comes with the role of An Taoiseach. And we look forward to voting for him in the Dáil next week.”
He went on to say that Harris had met with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, adding: “I do believe that there will be a smooth transition…I look forward to working with him.”
On Tuesday next week, the 9th of April, a Dáil vote will be held to install Harris as Taoiseach, which Fianna Fáil have said they will back as part of the ruling government coalition.
Before the current government coalition formed in 2020, when Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were not yet in government together, Harris served as Fine Gael Health Minister. During this time, he was the target of intense criticism from his then-Fianna Fáil opponents over what they described as his mishandling of the health service.
Asked in September 2019 if he thought Harris was “incompetent”, Fianna Fáil party leader Micheál Martin replied at the time: “I don’t think he’s an effective Minister, and I think he’s been a very poor Minister.”
The same year, Fianna Fáil TD and now-Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that his party did not have “confidence” in Harris, and accused Harris of misleading the Dáil.
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher – then a TD – said that Harris mishandled health issues “consistently”, adding: “Your management skills, and those of your government…are sadly lacking.”
In addition to this, now-Fianna Fáil Minister of State in the Department of Health, Mary Butler, said that Harris’ “failings” in health are “many” and “well documented.”
"I don't think [Simon Harris is] an effective Minister. I think he's been a very poor Minister."
"[His] management skills…are sadly lacking."
"[His] failings in health are many and well-documented."
What did Simon Harris' FF/Green Party allies say about him in years prior? pic.twitter.com/PzdI2J7WSf
— gript (@griptmedia) March 22, 2024
Moreover, Fianna Fáil TD and now-Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien previously slammed Harris for his lack of experience, saying he was “clearly overwhelmed” by his portfolio and that he displayed “ineptitude” in his role.
“The ineptitude, be it just sheer bad oversight and poor management, is because there is just no authority there, and you would have to ask, do the department just not see the minister as an authoritative figure?” O’Brien told the Sunday Independent at the time.
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