FF's Kelleher accuses Reilly of 'politicising health'

Opposition party Fianna Fáil is accusing Minister James Reilly of politicising health.

They are reacting to the appointment of Tony O'Brien as Director General of the HSE yesterday.

Reilly insists O'Brien won the job because of his progress in reducing trolley numbers and waiting lists and because of his vast experience.

But Deputy Billy Kelleher says he would like to know where coalition partners Labour stand on this and he's called the appointment 'anything but open and transparent'.

Kelleher added that events of recent weeks, including Cathal Magee's standing down, have left a bad taste in the mouth: "First and foremost we have a situation where the Minister is appointing people without having any proper process in place.

"The Minister is continually doing that and I'm just afraid that he is politicising health, putting a kitchen cabinet of his own people in charge of health. It's could put us in a very difficult position, where you have a minister surrounding himself with his own people and having no accountability.