Reilly under renewed pressure to go as FF tables fresh no-confidence motion

Crisis-hit Health Minister James Reilly came under attack from a Labour Cabinet colleague over his handling of the primary care controversy even as Fianna Fáil launched a fresh bid to oust him.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte expressed concern at the way the primary care scheme had been dealt with — but insisted he still had confidence in Dr Reilly as health minister.

Fianna Fáil has seized on revelations that two suggested primary care sites in Dr Reilly’s own constituency were only added to the shortlist the night before it was announced as reason to table a fresh Dáil no confidence motion in him.

While unhappy at the way primary care was handled, Mr Rabbitte expressed support for Mr Reilly.

“We did manage, as a Government, to convert a good news story — which was the construction of a network of primary care centres — into a controversy, and that’s not an achievement I’m proud of. But it happened,” said Mr Rabbitte.

“But it’s important the primary care centres are put in place as a first step for the community in access to the health services and to take pressure off accident and emergency wards in hospitals. And it’s important that the minister gets on with that work.”

Mr Rabbitte attacked the no confidence move by Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin as “play-acting”.

“He [Dr Reilly] has a very difficult job to do and I think it’s far more serious than the play-acting that Micheál Martin is engaged in,” said Mr Rabbitte.

“If you had put a motion of no confidence in the health ministers in the recent past along the lines suggested by Micheál Martin, we wouldn’t have had a minister for health over 14 years and certainly we wouldn’t have had Micheál Martin.”

Mr Martin insisted the bid to oust Dr Reilly was needed due to his “chaotic and poor” handling of the department.

The FF leader also complained that not enough information had been supplied to the Dáil.

“It took us some months through the Freedom of Information Act to get this very basic information, which I have been asking for in the Dáil for the last number of months,” said Mr Martin.

“I asked the Tánaiste in the Dáil could he produce and would he publish this documentation immediately and of course they refused. The freedom of information request was delayed for a further month, which really illustrates complete contempt for the Dáil, a blatant lack of transparency and we now know why.”

Dr Reilly said there was “no justification” in Fianna Fáil’s Dáil move against him following a similar bid to oust him last September.

Dr Reilly defended his primary care stance, saying: “I have made it very clear that I stand over what I did, and if I had to do it all again I’d do what I did,” Dr Reilly.

“There is very clearly a need for primary care centres in all of the locations mentioned.”

Sinn Féin has also made fresh calls for Dr Reilly’s resignation.