Warring ministers Reilly and Shortall hold peace talks
After months of public back-biting, the pair met for 30 minutes to try and end what opposition parties have termed a “dysfunctional” situation at the Department of Health.
The two openly clashed for the first time in July after it emerged Dr Reilly had failed to inform his junior minister — or Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore — that the head of the HSE was resigning early.
The relationship exploded in acrimony last week when Ms Shortall strongly criticised slow progress in health service reforms during a terse intervention in an opposition-tabled Dáil debate intended to oust Dr Reilly.
However, despite her criticisms, Ms Shortall joined Coalition colleagues in voting confidence in him — despite never mentioning Dr Reilly by name in her speech.
She made a point of referring to a “lack of transparency” regarding the department’s choice of where to site a primary care centre — and 36 hours later it emerged Dr Reilly had added five sites to the list, two of which were in his constituency.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin seized on the rift insisting Dr Reilly had failed to release any evidence-based material to justify his decision to add to the list.
The primary care issue was discussed at the ministerial meeting, according to Dr Reilly’s spokes-person, who was unable to say if any changes to the list were likely.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald accused Dr Reilly of having a “clear conflict of interest” in being an investor in the private care home sector.
The Taoiseach hit back, insisting it was “contemptible’’ to allege that Dr Reilly had personally benefited from his remit as health minister. Enda Kenny said Dr Reilly’s decision to add extra primary care sites was intended to put pressure on the medical profession to co-operate.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the chairman of the property company chosen to develop one of the primary care centres in Dr Reilly’s constituency has donated to Fine Gael.
AJ Noonan’s firm, Rhonellen Developments, is listed as having donated €1,000 in 2007 to Lucinda Creighton, now European affairs minister. It is also the preferred bidder to build a health centre in Balbriggan in Dublin.
