A doctor desperately trying to cure system’s ills

It's been known for years as “Angola” because it has so many land mines. But now Minister James Reilly has said his goal is to turn the Department of Health into East Anglia: “Calm, predictable, and a nice place to be.”

Like his predecessor, Mary Harney, he chose the health portfolio because he wanted the challenge of reforming the dysfunctional system: “What drove me into politics was health. It is my passion and I believe it is absolutely fixable,” he said before taking up the position in Mar 2011.

“I would truly love to be the man that leaves a legacy behind him of a fair and equitable health system.”