Reilly not fit to be minister: Shortall

The current health minister is “not a suitable person” for the job and is guilty of both pulling strokes and financial mismanagement, according to former junior health minister Róisín Shortall.

Ms Shortall said James Reilly had “blocked [her] at every turn” in her efforts to implement reforms in primary care, for which she had responsibility. She said “there was no point in pretending I had any power as a minister of state”, so she stepped down.

Her resignation was precipitated by Dr Reilly’s decision to add two sites in his own North Dublin constituency to a list of locations selected for new primary care centres. He did this without consulting Ms Shortall and without apparent regard for the criteria used in selecting the original 35 sites.