Health Minister Dr James Reilly is to spend another €569,000 on management consultants.

Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has today defended the awarding of a €160,000-a-year salary to an executive at the Special Delivery Unit.

A prominent Government backbencher has criticised the €164,000-a-year contract for Health Minister James Reilly’s latest expert appointment, saying the taxpayer-funded figure is “too high”.

The jury is out on whether the special delivery unit will result in better patient care, says Fiachra Ó Cionnaith

James Reilly, the health minister, has been accused of hypocrisy after appointing yet another expert on a €164,000-a-year contract to tackle the waiting list and trolley count crisis.