Burton 'sorry and saddened' at Shortall departure

The deputy leader of the Labour Party has said she is sorry and saddened at the resignation of Roisín Shortall.

The issue is dominating Dáil business this morning, with the Opposition saying Deputy Shortall was "abandoned" by the Labour Party.

Fianna Fáil said "the clock is now ticking" on Health Minister James Reilly's time in ministerial office.

Taking leaders questions, social protection minister Joan Burton admitted rows between Roisín Shortall and James Reilly resulted in the resignation.

"I'm very sorry and quite saddened to see her go," she said, but she implied rows were part and parcel of politics.

"Does everybody in Fianna Fáil get along every single, solitary day with everybody else? Does everybody in Sinn Féin rise up in the morning and smile?"

Meanwhile, Labour Party chief whip Emmet Stagg said he was disappointed in Ms Shortall's decision to resign as Junior Health Minister and from the parliamentary party.

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

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

Kildare North TD Mr Stagg told KFM that difficulties between Roisín Shorthall and James Reilly were not insurmountable.

"I regard resignation as an ineffective way of fighting your corner," he said. "There was an evident clash of personalities between herself and Minister Reilly and there was a difference about policy and the implementation rate.

"There were issues there (but) I don't think they were insurmountable difficulties."