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Dublin: 10 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

James Reilly faces motion of no confidence today

Vote due this evening on Health Minister after Fianna Fáil proposes that Reilly’s performance has in power has resulted “in more chaos” across the health service.

Image: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

THE DÁIL IS preparing this evening to vote on Fianna Fáil’s motion of no confidence in the Health Minister.

James Reilly has been the focus of public criticism in recent weeks, most noticeably for his handling of the issue of cuts to personal assistance services for people with disabilities. The announcement that cuts would be made to those services caused consternation and protests outside Leinster House in the first week of September. Shortly afterwards, Minister Reilly did a U-turn on those cuts.

Sinn Féin have also tabled a motion of no confidence in the minister and that will be debated on Tuesday of next week, and voted upon the following evening.

Today though it is the turn of Fianna Fáil to express their ire. A debate on the motion was held in the Dáil chamber yesterday evening during Fianna Fáil’s alloted private members’ time. The vote goes ahead at 9pm tonight.

Their motion reads:

That Dáil Éireann has no confidence in the Minister for Health, James Reilly T.D., because of his inability to deliver on his budget commitments which were based on false and misleading targets in many areas that were never achievable or implementable due to his lack of governance, resulting in more chaos across the health service which will directly impact on patients because of more frontline services being cut, extra bed closures, and more cuts to social support services to the disabled and elderly.

On Monday, Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin told his party’s think-in that he claimed that the minister had been untruthful when saying that frontline services were being protected. Martin also criticised Taoiseach Enda Kenny for “a situation where the Taoiseach praises a minister for being brave in reversing cuts while the Minister is still claiming the cuts never existed“.

Last night: Rabbitte rallies to support of Reilly during debate on no confidence motion

Explainer: Why is Health Minister James Reilly under pressure?>

Column: The shoes we walk in – being disabled in Ireland>

Read: Opposition parties to force Dáil vote of no confidence in James Reilly>

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Comments (27 Comments)

  • Thin edge of the wedge.
    Only the start.
    Each and every one of them are self serving,lying bunch of useless spin doctors.

    Reply
  • Like we donate billions to pay bond holders and to pay perks to those in government.
    Christ they get paid to show up for work.
    There is millions up on millions of tax payers money wasted in this country.

    All These charges and taxes are being heaped on to the the very people that bought their own houses thus saving the state millions on an on going bases.
    Pay tax to pay subsidised rent.
    Pay tax to pay social welfare.
    Pay tax to pay public salaries and perks.
    Pay tax to pay the bond holders.
    Pay tax to run the HSE.
    Pay tax to pay for medical cards.
    Pay for waste collection.
    Pay for their doctor.
    Expected now to pay household,water and septic tank charges.
    Struggling to pay their mortgage.
    Struggling to put food on the table.
    About to lose their homes.

    Millions and millions wasted ever single day by the government of hard earned money by theses people struggling to keep above water.
    Let’s start from the top first and cut from the government down and then make every single cent if public money spent accountable.

    Reply
  • David 19/09/12 #

    Brendan Howler should be up for a vote also. ‘I’ve shaved ?3.5 million, oh wait, the real cost was over ?3.5 million to come up with that figure’

    Reply
  • The sooner Kenny and burton go the better

    Reply
  • Micheal 19/09/12 #

    I’d like to see the alternative option.
    If this motion passes (it won’t, but if it were to), who takes the space? And what are they going to do differently? Unless U2 donate their wealth to the Irish state, it’s gonna be more of the same.
    It took the guts of 10 years to create the megalith that is the HSE, did anybody really think that Dr Reilly would be able to sort it out in 18 months?
    It doesn’t matter who is in health or in finance or environment, It’s going to be more of the same – water tax, HSE cuts, education cuts, household charge, you name it – unless this country gets a couple of billion euro donated to it, we are just going to have to suck it up.

    Reply
  • While Dr. James was in opposition he mouth was constantly flapping, telling all who would listen how he would radicalise the HSE if he had the reins. Now the HSE lies in tatters, an Edwardian service compared to the services to be found across Europe. In my own dealings with the HSE over the past 10 years I have found that there are too many managers in the mix, who do not have a clue as to their own roles on a daily basis, and most of them just pass the day trying to look clever in offices across the country. The failure does not lie at the feet of those providing the front-line services, it lies with the imbeciles who were hired in the 80′s and 90′s to mange them. Very few heads have changed in the senior posts within the HSE in the past 15 years – sure Reilly fired the board when he arrived, a media stunt, and stopped at that. Regionally, when a manager retires or falls of their perch, a groomed monkey that was trained to copy their boss over the previous 10 to 15 years climbs the tree and takes charge of minding the bananas.

    Reply
  • phil 19/09/12 #

    I really cant wait till the Blueshirts come knocking on the door looking for votes. I have all the literature from the last election here. Cannot wait to go through it with them.

    Reply
  • the attack dogs in opposition are just wasting time, distracting government with political opportunism.
    Reilly is trying to undo years of absolute squander and stupidity at the hands of FF, Harney and intransigent selfinterest in the medical moneybag fraternity. The HSE is known to be structured to deliver cash for doctors, not the good of the patient.
    The cuts have to happen. I’d love to know what the shrieking opposition have in mind to fix the rotten system; attack anyone who starts fixing it?

    Reply
  • Phil please take out your phone and video it.. I’m gonna do the same and post it on youtube. ..let everyone see the lies and bull shit we are been told.. .the more people who do this the better.. .

    Reply
  • start with gilmore and proceed down through the party to the last councilman and one by one march them through o connell st with placards round their necks stating a) labours way or frankfurts way b) we will not cut education or increase fees C) any cuts will be shared equally, d) we will protect the most vulnerable,,,,,,,,,, see how many votes they would get,,, P.S may i suggest a change of name foe the party,,,, fine gael junior seems very apt

    Reply
  • When the minister for health looks like that then I have a problem! Before we get to his flip flopping ….. Surely a health minister should look….. Eh…… Healthy??

    Reply
  • The opposition needs to tell us who they would put in health instead. If none of the other TDs are better then why get rid of Reilly?

    Reply
  • Phil & Keith should get their finger out and run for election themselves if they have the ideas that will solve the problem and the capability to deliver. Our TDs are just the people we elect to run the place. Not some species of Alien sent by the Illuminati.

    Reply

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