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A MOTION OF no confidence in Health Minister James Reilly has been defeated by the government’s majority in the Dáil this evening.
The Fianna Fáil proposed motion was defeated after the government-proposed amendment expressing confidence in Reilly was won by 99 votes to 49 with not a single government backbencher wavering in their support for the Minister.
Only Patrick Nulty, who lost the Labour whip after voting against the Budget last December, voted with the opposition.
The vote followed two nights of debate which tonight included over 90 minutes of statements from members of the opposition and government ministers, among them the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste who expressed their support for the embattled Reilly.
But there was no ringing endorsement from the junior health minister Róisín Shortall who did not mention Reilly’s name once or express any confidence in him during her statement. However she did vote in support of him.
Earlier, the debate heard from a number of independents, among them Waterford TD John Halligan who said that he was “uncomfortable” with the Fianna Fáil proposed motion but would with “regret” be voting for it.
Luke Ming Flanagan said that “people should tell the truth when they go before the electorate” and accused Reilly of telling “porkies” when he was in opposition and since being found out, calling on him to resign.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that he had “every confidence” in the Minister and said that he has a “passionate commitment to create a health service to put the patient first”.
“Let me assure this house that Minister Reilly did not engage in a deeply cynical campaign before the last election,” he insisted, saying that Reilly committed himself to a programme of reform which he was passionate about and on which he was delivering.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said that the motion was “one of the most blatant and cynical examples of political gamesmanship before this house” and slammed the previous administration.
He hailed the reforms implemented by Reilly and the junior Labour ministers in his department in a speech which was applauded by the government benches as were a number of others by coalition TDs and ministers.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan said that Fianna Fáil had “some cheek” tabling the motion of no confidence given the “shambles” it had left behind in the health service and called on the opposition party to withdraw the notion, “apologise to the Minister” and “we’ll all go home”.
Primary Care Minister Róisín Shortall, whose relationship with Reilly has been the subject of some scrutiny, did not mention the Minister’s name once during her statement or express any support for him, instead focusing on her portfolio and the need for reform in the health service.
“Reform must be made in the best interests of patients,” she told the Dáil saying that decisions made in the coming months would be crucial to the future direction of the health service.
Later fellow junior health minister, Kathleen Lynch was highly critical of Fianna Fáil shouting at one stage, “the cheek of you” and accusing the opposition of having “brass necks” while stating that she had “every confidence” in the Minister, though not mentioning him by name.
Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary noted the contribution of Shortall when he spoke towards the end of the debate, stating: ”She never mentioned you once.”
Later the party’s health spokesperson, Billy Kelleher, who proposed the motion also picked up on Shortall’s statement saying that it was “an open letter” to the Minister, later adding: ”You have failed and you have failed fundamentally.”
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When is the film version of this story coming out?
@Alex Falcone: at the rate this story is getting milked, it will be a trilogy
It’s a sad state of affairs when an ordinary good deed gets such media coverage not once but twice. Talk about flogging a story to death.
@Pablo: “and what about the tiresome cynicism back home by Some?”
Welcome to the comment section of the journal
Tyresome I see what you did there
It’s been a GoodYear for these type of stories
Deadly act of kindness completely overcooked and personified by the self praising “we’re better than England” bollox that came with it.
Fairplay lads
Tbh, id like to think if most ordinary joes had come across elderly people trying to change their flat tyre, wouldnt hesitate to help out.
Now fair play but its not exactly jumping on top of a suicide bomber to muffle the bomb blast to save everyone.
More than a bit cringing to bring english fans into it? Best fans in the world, did you know that?
Sat in key West with an Irish family and to be fair it’s a pleasure to be Irish.. They are manic but fun and friendly plus living life.. Proud to be Irish
This is more self congratulatory than the IFTAs.
The difference between Irish and English fans – nobody scapegoats Irish fans for violence even when they suffer uprovoked attacks.
Hardly unprovoked, English fans have a history of violence at these tournaments, the last time they were in Marseille they attacked the locals so violence was predicted. I’d have more respect for them if they took their beatings on the chin but their still shocked and amazed at how a team like Iceland managed to beat them on the pitch and still crying about been beat at their own game of hooliganism off it.
Then you clearly aren’t familiar with how hooliganism is dealt with here. Our ‘ultras’ are all known to the authorities and typically have their passports confiscated before major tournaments. The fans who were left in comas after being beaten with chairs and iron bars were precisely that – ordinary fans. NOT hooligans. Neither were the fans who were attacked by local French gangs in Marseilles – you might react badly too if some local yobs attacked you purely for wearing Ireland shirts. It’s also pretty clear the French authorites were extremely slapdash in their handling – remind us who allowed Russian ultras to smuggle a FLARE GUN into a packed stadium?
Harry… The fact that hooliganism is dealt with says it all…
Does it though? If the UK spent a load of money and effort into dealing with England’s hooliganism, it says more about other countries’ willingness to attribute blame even when the actual evidence suggests England fans were not acting without provocation.
Provocation? They don’t have to fight you know…. They are generally grown adults….
As I said to Phil, think (realistically, mind) how you might react if some local yobbos start attacking you as you were sat outside having a drink with friends/family. I’m sure it’s mighty comfy preaching from that high horse of yours.
I don’t know about you but I’d do a runner
I thought the country was broke ?
We really need to grow up, in this country, all this need to be liked and thought of as `great craic`, and the `best fans in the world`, borefest at best, smacks of inferiority complex and narcissistic navel gazing. Newsflash; The rest of the world do go about thinking and talking about ` how great the Irish soccer fans are because they changed someone`s tyre`. People have important and interesting things to think about.
‘We all had a drink in our hand’ – how typically Irish and further driving home the stereotype….
The behavior of our fans does more for tourism to this country than money ever could.
have your say