Penrose: Shortall resignation 'a warning to Government'

Longford Westmeath TD Willie Penrose has said Roisín Shortall's resignation as Junior Health Minister was a warning to the Coalition.

Ms Shortall said her decision followed a lack of support for reforms promised in the Programme for Government.

Difficulties between Ms Shortall and the Minister for Health James Reilly emerged in recent weeks. They came to a head last week, after James Reilly added two locations in his own constituency to a list of primary care centres.

Deputy Penrose resigned the party whip and left his Super Junior position last November in protest at the decision to shut Columb Barracks in Mullingar.

Today, he told Midlands 103 that Roisín Shortall's actions should not be ignored.

"This is a warning shot across the bows of the Government, and especially the Fine Gael element therein," he said, "that we are not there to be walked on or to roll over.

"We're sent there with a particular ethos, negotiated in good faith in a programme that we want to see implemented."