Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Taoiseach and the NHS.
Taoiseach
Asked what transpired at the meeting with the Taoiseach and whether the subject of Robert McCartney was raised the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that yes the issue was discussed and both the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach believed that the McCartney family themselves are the most eloquent in terms of putting what they want from Sinn Fein which is that those responsible for their brothers murder should make themselves accountable. In terms of other matters the two remained agreed that what we needed to see was a complete end to IRA activity of all kinds.
Asked if the Prime Minister thought when he said that Sinn Fein and IRA were inextricably linked did he think it was time for Sinn Fein to de-link from the IRA the PMOS that what was important was that the choice was made. That republicans recognised that there could not be a deal with republicans unless there was an end to activity. You could not be a political and a private army at the same time.
NHS
Asked if it was appropriate for the Government to be seen squabbling with the opposition party over the health of a 69 year old woman, for instance through today’s visit to Warrington, the PMOS said that he was not going to get involved in party political matters. He would however point out some factual matters. Firstly as he had said yesterday the Government did not want to get involved in talking about an individual case, but it was a fact that the proportion of cancelled operations had not changed much over the years. It remained at 1.2%. Secondly there had been 450,000 more operations per year during this administration. Inevitably given that there were more operations, the number of cancelled operations would increase slightly. Secondly the characterisation of the Health Secretary’s movements as being motivated by this particular case, did not take into account that the visit to Tim Parry Reconciliation Centre had been scheduled for some time. The fact that it happened to be in Warrington today was entirely coincidental. Thirdly it was not the Government who raised this particular case. Put to him that the Government had been getting into the individual case, the PMOS repeated that it had not been the Government who had first raised this case. He pointed out that this case was being used to make a generalization about the Health Service. The Health Secretary had been trying to put the argument that you should not and could not use an individual case to make generalizations about the Health Service. That was the reverse of what the question had suggested.
Asked if the Prime Minister had read Mrs Dixon’s daughter’s letter, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had been fully engaged throughout the day, but he would read it and reply in due course.
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