Updated 7.35pm

THE OFFICIAL OPENING of a new HSE mental health facility in Grangegorman didn’t go to plan for the Minister of Health today, when he ended up stuck in a lift with Junior Minister Kathleen Lynch and a number of press photographers.

A photograph of Minister James Reilly stuck in the lift appeared on Instagram, while another of staff trying to open the lift soon appeared on Twitter.

The Minister’s press spokesman confirmed to TheJournal.ie that Reilly and the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Kathleen Lynch, arrived at the facility and were in the lift to begin a tour when the incident occurred.

The Minister was there to perform the official opening of the HSE’s new mental health facility, the Phoenix Care Centre, in Grangegorman, Dublin 7.

“[It happened] right at the beginning. There were about eight people in the lift, including at least two photographers,” said the spokesperson. There were also some Phoenix Care Centre staff present.

“I think it was 1o minutes or so,” he said of the length of time the lift was stuck, adding:

It was all very good-natured and very quickly we would have been in contact using the [alarm] button in the elevator. The engineer spoke to us and said they would have an engineer come and take care of us.”

The lift eventually went up to second floor, and the stranded lift occupants were able to continue with their tour.