LAST UPDATE | 14 Oct

TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has said he is “entirely focused” on presidential election campaigning despite a motion of no confidence looming over him. 

Speaking to reporters at Leinster House, Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín said it was bringing the motion against Harris due to a “failed promise” on child spinal surgeries and overall “dysfunction” in Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).

However, Harris suggested that it “could well happen” that a Government counter-motion could be called as early as this week – noting that the original motion had been well flagged for several weeks.

“That’s a matter for the whips but I think that could well happen. Generally, governments move confidence motions quite quickly.”

Asked if that would provide him more time to refocus on the presidential campaign, he replied: “I don’t need any time to refocus, I’m entirely focused.”

The vote will be held next Wednesday, just two days before the presidential election. 

Controversies 

The motion and the debate around the treatment of families and children left on waiting lists for surgery could increase the pressure on former Fine Gael deputy leader Heather Humphreys – now presidential candidate – who was at the Cabinet table during the numerous controversies relating to CHI.

The motion will also put the spotlight on presidential left-wing independent Catherine Connolly and who she might vote in a motion of confidence. 

The motion follows a series of scandals at CHI including the implanting of non-surgical springs into child patients, unnecessary hip surgeries, the security of health records, and issues around in-sourcing.

It also comes after the death of a nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt, who died after waiting years for spinal surgery during which time the curve in his spine went from 75 degrees to 130 degrees.

His parents, Stephen Morrison and Gillian Sherratt, have previously called for Harris’s resignation.

Harris was health minister in 2017 when he pledged that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis treatment.

Peadar Tóibín says Aontu will put down a motion of no confidence in Simon Harris next week. pic.twitter.com/UfqnRBAru7

— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) October 14, 2025

Toíbín said: “And tragically, Harvey Sherratt’s life was lost during the summer and we, as a party, believe in the necessity for accountability – both accountability in terms of the finances of the country but also, most importantly, in terms of human life.

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“Simon Harris, when he was Minister for Health, stated that no child would wait for more than four months for a scoliosis operation.

“He failed significantly in that promise and we have a situation where hundreds of children in that period of time have been forced to wait for far longer than those four months.”

Toíbín said he did not want to speak on behalf of families affected when asked if they supported the motion of no confidence. 

It is not the first time that Harris has faced a motion of no confidence on the matter. 

The government has committed to an inquiry into the controversies involving CHI, with recommendations of what sort of inquiry might be rolled out due to discussed with parents next week. 

The parents of children impacted have called for a public statutory inquiry.