Health minister has no respect for law of the land, says Ombudsman

Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has launched a stinging attack on Health Minister James Reilly, saying he has no respect for the law of the land.

She said his attitude to decisions from her office suggests he thinks the law can be disregarded if it is inconvenient.

“The decision of the minister for health to reject my recommendations amounts to an unequivocal statement that the law is optional,” she said.