The Minister for Health is still refusing to directly answer parliamentary questions on the issue of the appointment of the Chair of the Three Year Review of the abortion law. But thanks to pro-life TDs like Michael Collins, the Minister is not being let off the hook.
In a parliamentary question submitted last week to Stephen Donnelly, Deputy Collins asked why the tender for the chair of the three-year review of the abortion legislation was not published on eTenders as the Minister and a Departmental official at an Oireachtas committee meeting claimed it would be on 8 December 2021. In a further question, Deputy Collins asked the Minister how interested applicants for the position of Chair could have applied for the position given that the tender was not publicly issued.
In reply to Deputy Collins, Stephen Donnelly completely dodged answering both questions. The Minister has adopted the same evasive approach on multiple occasions now when responding to questions on the same subject.
The Minister can keep running but he can’t hide from the truth. Eventually, he’s going to have to furnish a precise and detailed explanation for breaking with procedure and appointing the Chair of the review behind closed doors in such an obviously partisan and undemocratic way.
