Shortall refuses to express full confidence in Reilly

A personality clash at the heart of a key Government department has intensified after Labour junior health minister Róisín Shortall refused to express full confidence in her Fine Gael boss, James Reilly.

Despite being given several opportunities to do so, Ms Shortall would give not her full backing to the health minister after the two became embroiled in a public spat over the early departure of HSE boss Cathal Magee.

Ms Shortall became evasive after being asked if she had full confidence in Dr Reilly’s abilities as health minister, particularly in respect of his task of bringing forward a strategy in September to clear the department’s current €280m overspend.