Update 2.41pm: Minister for Health Simon Harris says he hopes John Halligan will remain part of the Government.

The Minister was responding to Mr Halligan’s threats to quit over a report which found there was no need for a second cath lab at University Hospital Waterford.

Speaking in Dublin this afternoon, Minister Harris said he will provide significant investment for the hospital.

“I outlined in my statement the other day, when I published the Herity Report, exactly what I could do for Waterford, which included significant investment, longer opening hours, more equipment, additional staff, and then an opportunity to review the impact of those additional resources on the volume of people using those services next year,” he said.

“I think this is a prudent and appropriate approach to take, based on the clinical report that I have, and I would hope that John Halligan would remain in the Government.

“But that’s entirely a matter for John.”

Earlier:

A review that has found a high-tech cardiac unit could be transferred from Waterford University Hospital to Cork is a closed matter according to the Minister for Health.

Simon Harris who says he will not be over ruling the independent review – despite calls from Junior Minister John Halligan for the findings of the review to be scrapped.

Minister Halligan had threatened to resign over the report earlier this week – Minister Harris says the issue is closed.

“The Programme for Government gave a very clear commitment to carry out an independent clinical review, and only if that independent clinical review gave a favourable outcome would you install a second cath lab,” he said.

“We brought in a very eminent cardiologist by the name of Dr Niall Herity, works for the NHS … to look at all of these matters.

“He reported to me, and he was very clear in the view that a second cath lab was not currently required.

“I, as Minister, have no intention of overruling that expert view of a clinician.

“So as far as I can see, the matter is closed.”