Government split as Labour's Shortall won't back Health Minister boss Dr James Reilly

A SERIOUS SPLIT has opened at the top of the Fine Gael/Labour Party Government after Junior Health Minister Roisín Shortall (Labour) repeatedly refused a direct question on Newstalk radio today if she has confidence in her boss, Health Minister Dr James Reilly (Fine Gael).

Shortall and colleagues are still smarting over last week’s snub when they only learned of the resignation of Health Service Executive chief Cathal Magee on the radio.

Their Fine Gael partners in government didn’t bother telling Labour even though Dr Reilly knew it was coming. Apparently, Dr Reilly didn’t think Labour ministers worthy of being notified of this headline-making news with huge implications for the health service

Shortall, who is often paraded by Labour as ‘plain speaking and straight talking’, was asked several times on Newstalk if she had faith in the Health Minister. She dodged answering so often that Labour wheeled out Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte to bluster that the Coalition is “united”.