Pressure mounts on Reilly to quit health

Pressure is mounting on Health Minister James Reilly following claims his position has been undermined and that spending cuts and ill thought-out policies will damage the health service next year.

Ministers scrambled to defend Mr Reilly’s record over the weekend with one junior minister insisting the Government had “absolute confidence” in him, despite Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin and Taoiseach Enda Kenny now overseeing health spending.

Mr Kenny’s spokesman also said the opposition comments had “no credibility”.

But ahead of protests this week over budget cuts, and a bailout looming for health, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin called on Mr Reilly to step down: “James Reilly is not in charge of health and should go.”

Mr Martin made the call after his speech at the annual Wolfe Tone ceremony where he also warned of consequences for health services: “Next year the combination of these cuts and the ill thought-out new policies of James Reilly will do immense damage in the health system.”

Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said if Mr Reilly was the person best suited to the role of health minister, then the Government was absolutely bereft and needed to stand down.

The Coalition faces protests from pensioners this week over hikes in prescription charges, the removal of the telephone grant and cuts in health insurance tax relief. Similar protests in 2008 led to a U-turn over medical card changes. In this budget health has been ordered to cut €113m from the medical card bill.

A supplementary health budget is also looming, with suggestions Dr Reilly could have overspent by €200m. HSE director general Tony O’Brien last week told an Oireachtas health committee that savings of €1bn would be needed next year, higher than the €666m agreed by the Coalition.

However, Brian Hayes, the junior finance minister, told RTÉ that Dr Reilly was the “most suitable” person to manage health: “I have absolute confidence in Minister Reilly’s ability to deliver, as the Government has.”

Mr Hayes defended the review of medical cards — which could affect 150,000 holders — saying it was not right that some doctors were getting paid unnecessarily.

“It’s not defendable a doctor is receiving payment for a GSM patient while at the same time the patient isn’t there, doesn’t claim it or is 200% over the [eligibility] limit.”

Kathleen Lynch, the junior minister for mental health, admitted there would be a “battle” to roll out health service plans but said she would ensure mental health services got €20m next year.

Enda Kenny’s spokesman defended Dr Reilly and dismissed Mr Martin’s comments: “They have no credibility. Minister Reilly is in the process of introducing sustainable reforms in the health system, something Fianna Fáil failed to do in their time in government.”

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said Mr Martin inhabited a “fantasy world”, adding: “He has no sense of shame and remains in denial of the impact of his party’s incompetence on the lives of all of our citizens.”