THE TANÁISTE EAMON Gilmore has expressed his confidence in the Minister for Health James Reilly today – following Reilly being listed on a list of debt defaulters.
Last night, Minister Reilly spoke to the Dáil about his name being entered in Stubbs Gazette over a debt of €1.9 million connected to the Green Hills nursing home in Tipperary.
In a personal statement, Reilly explained that the current difficulties stemmed from ‘complex’ litigation but said he was confident these issues would be resolved.
Reilly insisted that he and other investors in the nursing home intended to meet their financial obligations, and rejected suggestions there was any conflict of interest in his investment in a nursing home at the same time as holding the position in Cabinet.
A dispute arose between the 13 investors in the nursing home which saw the case being brought before the High Court.
Speaking in the Dáil this morning, Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien asked the Tanáiste if he “still had confidence in a Minister who is in breach in a High Court order” and also whether Gilmore thought the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) should investigate the matter.
Gilmore replied that he accepted the Minister’s statement and said Reilly had followed procedures by contacting SIPO in order to establish whether a conflict of interest existed.
The Tanáiste also noted that Reilly had made attempts to dipose of his interests in the nursing home – which was a matter of public record – and insisted that he had “confidence” in the Minister for Health.
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