Reilly to be quizzed on care centre decisions

James Reilly faces renewed pressure to answer questions about his decision to place two primary health care centres in his Dublin constituency amid continued accusations of engaging in “stroke” politics.

The health minister is expected to be quizzed this week after calls from fellow ministers for “more clarity” and details on how the locations were chosen.

Róisín Shortall, who resigned as junior health minister last week, said over the weekend that Dr Reilly’s decision was “stroke politics” and that the controversy was “not over”.

Ms Shortall said she stepped down after months of conflict with Dr Reilly, Fine Gael’s deputy party leader.

Fianna Fáil will this week demand that Dr Reilly make a statement about choosing Balbriggan and Swords as areas for primary health care centres.

Lucinda Creighton, the European affairs minister, said more detail was needed on how the areas were chosen. “I think we certainly need to see more clarity from the minister — that’s obvious,” she said.

Labour’s Alex White, set to replace Ms Shortall as junior health minister, said he would examine the criteria used to choose locations for the 35 centres when he takes up the role tomorrow.

He refused to preempt any review of the details but said he was aware of Ms Shortall’s disagreements with Dr Reilly in health for some time, which resulted in her resignation last week.

“She on a small number of occasions has let it be known that she had concerns about the pace of activity in the department,” he told RTÉ radio.

Mr White said he hoped to talk with Ms Shortall soon about her reasons for stepping down. He also said he wanted to see the “maximum amount of transparency” in relation to how decisions were made and resources allocated in health.

Earlier, Joan Burton, the social protection minister, said more clarity was needed on how the care centre locations were decided.

She told RTÉ she expected Mr White would get a detailed briefing from Dr Reilly about primary health care centres.

But Ms Burton, the Labour deputy leader, said the national interest needed to take priority over political party issues.

Fianna Fáil said it wanted more details about a claim the two areas chosen by Dr Reilly were prioritised several years ago.

A spokesman for Dr Reilly last night said the two Dublin areas were put to the board of the HSE as priority areas in Sept 2008.

Fianna Fáil said it would demand a statement from Dr Reilly in the Dáil.

Ms Shortall’s resignation and the controversy over the health centre locations are both set to be raised at Labour and Fine Gael’s parliamentary party meetings.

Push factors

Ex-junior health minister Róisín Shortall on her reasons for quitting, from Saturday’s Marian Finucane Show on RTÉ.

* “There was a situation developing over a number of months where I felt Minister for Health Dr James Reilly wasn’t following the Programme for Government.

“I was engaged in a whole lot of work that was blocked in the summer months. Then I question why I would stay in the Department of Health. What is the point of doing that if your boss is not supporting you?”

* “There are all kinds of choices there. James Reilly did sign up to a health budget that could have been balanced this year if he had followed through on the commitments he’d given to tackle those big-ticket items within health — insurance costs, drugs costs, consultants’ pay, all of those kind of things.”