THE HEALTH MINISTER James Reilly is to be called into the Dáil this afternoon to give an explanation to the criteria he used for the selection of venues for primary care centres.
Reilly will be called to the Dáil after the Ceann Comhairle permitted questions from the health spokesmen of Fianna Fáíl and Sinn Féin asking for an explanation on the criteria used by Reilly to rank the towns being considered for the primary care venues.
The Ceann Comhairle had rejected a similar attempt from Fianna Fáil yesterday, but Billy Kelleher’s question was amended and resubmitted along with a similar demand from Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin.
Reilly – who is one of only five senior ministers not to have travelled to Brussels today for a meeting with the European Commission – will now be called to explain his actions at 3:45pm this afternoon.
During this morning’s Dáil order of business, education minister Ruairi Quinn said he had spoken with Reilly this morning, following reports in the Irish Independent that the owner of the site being considered for Balbriggan’s centre is a political supporter of Reilly and Fine Gael.
“I’m quite satisfied on the information that I’ve received from Dr Reilly that the location of the site in Balbriggan is in accordance with criteria,” Quinn said, adding that the site had been identified by the previous Minister for Health, Mary Harney.
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