THE single issue arising for the Government from the nurses’ strike and the rolling debacle of the National Children’s Hospital is competence, writes Gerard Howlin. Simon Harris and Leo Varadkar: Conflicting messages from both about who will bear responsibility for the over-run at the children’s hospital. Compensating taxi drivers and Eircom shareholders, made Fianna Fáil’s promise of medical cards for over-70s look like fiscal prudence. In the four years between, an open goal had become the broad side of a barn; an unmissable object. It is true that unpopular or incompetent governments can buy their way back into office at an election.

Source: Irish Examiner February 06, 2019 00:00 UTC