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HEALTH MINISTER JAMES Reilly says he stands over the decision-making processes used in relation to the development of primary care centres in Ireland and moved to defend the allocation of centres in his own constituency.
Speaking in the Dáil tonight, the Minister said that he “stands over” the manner in which a list of 35 priority areas were chosen, as well as the criteria that was used throughout the process. Responding to a question from Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher, Reilly said that he was “happy to explain whatever aspect [he] fails to understand.”
Yesterday, junior minister Róisín Shortall resigned over a number of issues, including the prioritisation of certain primary care centres in Balbriggan and Swords.
Reilly insisted that both areas were made high priority “as far back as 2007″, adding that the situations there had worsened in the past five years because of high unemployment and growing populations.
He cited the lack of public transport from Swords to a local hospital and the lack of primary care facilities in Balbriggan.
Explaining the three-part criteria for prioritising locations, Reilly called the process “transparent”. He said the widening of criteria was a good move for the health system.
Under the original priority system used to create Shortall’s shortlist of 20, both areas would have been in the top 35 but a change to the weighting of criteria meant they fell off. His changes, made in consultation with the HSE to lengthen the list, meant they climbed back up the ladder.
The Minister also reiterated his praise of Shortall’s “hard work and commitment” towards Primary Care and welcomed the nomination of Labour’s Alex White. He said he hopes that the new appointment will continue the outgoing Minister of State’s work on alcohol in Irish society, something he described as a “scourge”.
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Yeah right! About as transparent as a black plastic bag on a foggy,moonless night!
Eamon Gilmore lying to the Irish people live on Prime Time as well
Reilly, explain the 2 proposed sites in Ballaghaderreen & Boyle in North Roscommon? how’d they jump over 200 places on the list?
Frank Feighan hardly chatted to ya,telling you about the shit you landed him in when he’s trying to get re-elected?…remember he(and you did too) broke his election promise on Roscommon A&E,when you closed it’s 24 hour service!!
…of course at 1st, yourself and Kenny DENIED you made any promises!
“Stroke politics” at it’s best!!
Transparently corrupt.
Ill bet one opens up in skerries seeing how he is friends with luke moriarty that has bought up a heap of land on church street skerries.they looked very friendly in balbriggan the other day.
A natural alliance that.
He stands by a decision to bump two centres up the list that were WAY down, that just happen to be in his constituency.
And that, boys and girls is everything wrong with politics in this country, and why he’s not fit to hold office.
Reilly is a Bully and a liar He has Closed Roscommon A&E on Lies and
Left the people of Roscommon without services and a Round trip of 4 hours to our nearest A&E. Primary Care is not and never will be a replacement for A+E’ s and the people of Ireland need to stand up and be counted and tell this Ministerr that enough is enough
Yet lack of public transport to hospitals 15 mins away in a taxi is enough to roll out one in swords. Surely there’s 20 such small hospitals that could have had a centre built on site to replace minor a&e services lost in the last 10 years? Or is that land already ear marked for co located private hospitals?
“Explaining the three-part criteria for prioritising locations, Reilly called the process was “transparent” ”
I beg to differ Minister Reilly, it’s quite obvious that it was not transparent to many of your ‘team’ members, not just Ms. Shorthall. If you and many others in your position communicated better with your staff it may have been transparent. It can only be transparent when everyone involved knows about the changes.
I don’t find a problem with the extra two centres been put on a list, as long as the other centres are well spaced and shared around the country. Just because you are the Minister for Health doesn’t mean that you should be allowed to make the decision WITHOUT informing your ‘team mates’. Look up the word ‘communicate’ in the dictionary.
The selection process was totally transparent, the extra centres were in the minister’s constituency, simples.
A TD needs to consider the next election, doncha know
Shiela
I just read the July 12 letter to Roisin Shorthall from Minister Reilly. What part of that letter would you suggest was not communications as you put it.
The bit were Calamity James didn’t explain his selection procedure that ensured 2 primary care centres in his back yard were selected?
Why is Reilly in news again? Wish he disappear into the thin air!
Thin air…. Doubt that ;-)
Why do we allways have a minister for health that looks very un-healthy like Harney and O,Reilly.
It’s very simple. Shorthall got the answer wrong so the minister changed the question.
Looking forward to Ms Shortall’s comments on Calamity James (with thanks to Miriam Lord in the IT) on the transparency of Reilly’s selection process.
Calamity James ….. loving it :-)
It was transparent alright, we can see right through you Minister….
Keep digging that hole o’ Reilly ….
why is there no transport in the Dublin north area??? oh cause Leo varadkar cancelled it.
Bring back Mary Harney quick.
Is that what the punters are saying Richard?!
@ Eimear Smith, No the customers feel the goverment and O,Reilly have told us a pack of lies to get elected.
Richard, I’ve seen some bloody stupid comments from you on various articles today but this tops the list.
Thanks Rob, Its good too talk.
I had high hopes for this government. But this is blatant favouritism. Fair play to Shortall for resigning. Sickening to watch Gilmore refuse to answer simple questions about why the criteria were changed. They could have just taken the next 15 on the list – but that wouldn’t have given Reilly his preferred constituency sites.
What a spoofer…
Bullies never last. Reilly is a deadman walking. Gilmore has also shown himself to be a spineless leader. Stroke politics alive and well. I despair at the “leadership” of our country.
Incredible how unethical politicians can be – FF have left one of their own in FG. How corrupt can they get? If O Reilly gets away with this we deserve everything we get. Where are the Garda? They are meant to investigate corruption. Will they even investigate? Shortall should make a complaint to the Garda.
@Frank2521
There will always be corrupt politicians everywhere, not just in Ireland. There will always be a law for them and one for us. O’Reilly, sadly, is no different to many that came before him. He may look like he’s trying and he may be, but what gauls me is the lack of communication. The bullying in politics is despicable. As long as there’s bullying in politics, adult society, there will be bullying by children.
Ms. Shorthall is the first domino to fall, I can guarantee that there will be more dominoes in the next few weeks!
Ah, so “Transparent” is newspeak for “Just trust me, I know better than you little people”. I must bear that one in mind.
He really is the Gombeen in gombeen politics.
The whole lot of them are Mike…we have the lowest calibre of politician in the world in this country and we keep voting them in. Until we seperate self interests and statesmanship we’re destined to have the likes of this clown in office.
This shows what the people who run this country think about the people of this country.
Rabbit said its difficult when you have Principles and that’s why Roisin resigned. So Pat, that means those who stay have No such problem. We know this now to be an undeniable fact. On your bike.
James Rielly hang your head in shame your party found a minister that believed in post and valued what she did she was pushed out she has my vote of confidence you however should walk before this country!s health shame make you fall so much for the protection preservation and value on life doctor Rielly
James Reilly = master stroker: as in pulling strokes in his own backyard while simultaneously causing the rest of the country to suffer strokes
Ah don’t you love the committed left. They are like a dog chasing a car, you can stop and give it the keys but it can’t drive it. You put Labour in government and it falls apart. Half the party thinks it’s FG and the other half think their still in opposition.
If the public transport to the local hospital in his constituency was inadequate surely the minister should seek to improve that. I would think he would get a wide range of support for such a proposal instead of reverting to
“stroke politics”.
could he explain what changes he made to the weighting of the criteria that brought the two sites back on to the list..can he show this criteria…that would be transpairancy
the most leftist comment board on the internet. wonderful idealists frequenting here! (thumbs down galore)
He got stung badly over the metro decision,having bought land earmarked for a metro station and car park so I guess he has to make sure he gets re-elected next time out. Tough at the top.
Beaumont hospital is jammers. JCM isn’t far behind it. There is a massive population up there I think he’s right to put 2 primary care centres there!
Im not a major fan of O’Reilly but in all fairness what are we hoping for with Labour in a time of required austerity. This is genuinely turkeys voting for Xmas. Good riddance Ms Shortall. Good and all a politician as you might be. Labour are never going to get us moving forward. And as for SIPTU….
I see a casualty coming Along in this Government …. The Lab party
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