Fionnán Sheahan: Dear Taoiseach, what eejit signed off on the children’s hospital contract? Oh yeah...

Taoiseach Simon Harris was health minister in 2019 when the national children’s hospital contract was signed. Photo: PA Taoiseach Simon Harris repeatedly made clear last week that he was not a clinician. After the National Children’s Hospital saga, presumably we can also add contract lawyer to the list of skills that the Taoiseach does not boast.

On the first day of the Dáil coming back, he was questioned on the case of an eight-year-old boy, Harvey Sherratt, whose spine is now at 110 degrees due to scoliosis, making it almost impossible to breathe. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald pointed to the oft-repeated promise Harris made that “no child waits in this country longer for a scoliosis procedure than four months”. Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news.