Health's bad joke

Even for a stroke specialist of Dr James Reilly’s standing, the chaos he is presiding over in the health service budget is looking distinctly dodgy.

His repeated inability to get a grip on the HSE’s €13.4bn spending has enraged the troika and forced the Taoiseach to finally take action and send a financial hit squad into the health department to try and clean up the mess.

Just as he is in denial about the misery and anxiety caused by the sudden withdrawal of medical cards from people in dire need of them, Reilly is also unable to face reality about the concern his lack of control is causing in the Cabinet. He insists that he “invited” the team in from the Taoiseach’s department and that of public expenditure and reform to check his books in order to prove to them just how good he is.