Roisin Shortall is a TD for Dublin North-West. A former member of the Labour Party, Shortall resigned her party membership - and her position as Minister of State at the Department of Health - in a dispute with senior minister James Reilly over the allocation of primary care centres.
The Minister of State also spoke about Minister Hogan’s Traveller letter controversy, why gender quotas are a positive thing, and why she’s not in politics for a career.
Unlike 2011 this was not a year of any seismic shifts in Irish politics but there were plenty of stand-out moments which will have repercussions going into next year and most of them involved one man…
Sinn Féin said documents suggested James Reilly discussed the specific site earmarked for a Primary Care centre in Balbriggan during a meeting with NAMA.
Amid fresh calls for the Health Minister’s resignation, Dáil rules mean that it will be next year before TDs can debate another motion of no confidence in James Reilly who has dismissed the move.
Micheál Martin has said he believes the Health Minister’s position is now untenable in the wake of further revelations about primary care centre locations.
FRANCE HAS BECOME the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law today following months of bitter political debate.
In Ireland last month, 79 per cent of delegates at the Constitutional Convention voted in favour of same-sex marriage but the Government will hold off on a referendum until next year despite the overwhelming support.
It comes two years after the legalisation of Civil Partnership.
Is another year too long for a referendum on gay marriage? Or, are you opposed to the idea entirely?
So today, we want to know what do you think. Would you welcome the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ireland today, similar to France?
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