Tag Archives: James Reilly

An MS patient writes:
I am a patient of the pain clinic at University College Hospital Galway (above). After 12 years living with chronic pain caused by my Multiple Sclerosis a treatment was found to treat my chronic pain and enable me to live a near normal life; after years of trying various medications and blocks.

You can only begin to imagine the joy I felt that first morning after having a lidocaine infusion to wake ‘pain free’ it was akin to rebirth. I was in a position to be the mother and wife I had longed to be but was unable to become due to pain and the side effects caused by medication.

The clinic and I had a system where I would call once the pain began to return, as I am sure your aware each infusion is effective only for a certain time span; this can vary wildly depending on the stability of my ms.

I would receive an appointment for the day ward within a few weeks, this was managed in such a way that I never fell into the state of unbearable nerve pain I had had to endure in the past, in fact my pain consultant stated he would bring me in monthly for treatment if his budget would allow.

Since September I have been living with the pain once more, I am a victim of cuts at UCHG, cuts you sanctioned. I am now in a state of living death: sleeping taking Oxynorm then sleeping some more.

In fact I have now become dependent on the drug not just to treat the pain but because my body needs it! you must be experienced from your time as a GP how quickly a persons body becomes dependent on highly addictive medication, especially when used for more than two weeks; I am on week six right now. I have been informed that the earliest appointment I can have at the day ward is on November 21, a further six weeks.

I have now reached the stage where I believe this situation is an infringement of my human rights and most certainly a breech of the Patients Charter. I will be seeking a legal representative to force the HSE to meet the requirements of the patients charter and seek compensation for the physical and mental pain and suffering I am enduring and will continue to endure even after my appointment as I will need weaning off Oxynorm, all of which could have been avoided by a 30-minute visit to the day ward.

I await your response and plan for a solution to my intolerable situation

Jennifer Banks

MINISTER FOR Health James Reilly is on a collision course with medical specialists over the expected selection of Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown as the location for the new national children’s hospital.

Dr Reilly said at the weekend he would bring the long-awaited decision on the hospital to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in the next 10 days and a Cabinet decision was likely to follow shortly after.

Separately, the master of the Rotunda maternity hospital, Dr Sam Coulter-Smith, expressed concern last week that the decision on the project was becoming a political rather than a clinical one.

Blanchardstown is seen as the favourite to win not only because it can offer to build the project on a greenfield site with fewer planning difficulties but also because it is located in the constituency of Ministers Joan Burton and Leo Varadkar.

Another greenfield site, at Belcamp in north Dublin, which is in Dr Reilly’s constituency, has also featured strongly in speculation.

This is becoming somewhat tiresome.

Consultants warn Reilly over children’s hospital site (Paul Cullen, Irish Times)

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

 

James Reilly’s friend Seamus Murphy (top right) is not only interested in primary care centre sites.

He’s also in the waste business.

Thanks to a little help from another of the James’ gang, Cllr Anne Devitt (above)

Three years ago, Seamus  and his partner Patricia Rooney’s company Murphy Environmental Hollywood (MEHL) asked planners directly to fast-track permission to allow them create Ireland’s first hazardous waste landfill site, or ‘toxic ash dump’ at their existing landfill operation in Nag’s Head, Naul, Co Dublin.

MEHL bypassed Fingal County Council by requesting a pre-application consultation with An Bord Pleanala to determine whether the proposal could be considered under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.

MEHL’s application said the new landfill site would take toxic ash, from the Indaver incinerator being built in Duleek, Co Meath and the planned Dublin Waste to Energy plant in Poolbeg, place it in sealed containers and bury it.
News of the ‘toxic ash dump’ was met with opposition from some locals and An Bord Pleanala set a deadline of February 11, 2011 – two weeks before the last general election – for written objections..

Local councillors also voiced their opposition to the plans – including Labour’s Ciaran Byrne and Tom Kelleher, and Clare Daly, then of The Socialist Party.

Councillors who supported the proposals included Fine Gael’s Anne Devitt.

On February 23, 2011, Fingal Independent reported:
‘Cllr Anne Devitt said as long as the company could prove that there was no hazard in the project, she could support it but her contribution angered officials when she suggested that the council was a ‘competitor’ of the company concerned. She questioned the objectivity of the report but head of planning at the council, Gilbert Power strong rejected the suggestion, saying: ‘I take grave exception to Cllr Devitt’s comments.’ He said the comments ‘impugned’ the character of council management and individual officials and there was ‘absolutely no basis whatsoever’ for her statement. Mr Power said that officials had assessed the project in ‘ an open and honest way’ and he was ‘completely disappointed’ with Cllr Devitt’s comments. Cllr Devitt subsequently withdrew the offending comments.’

An Bord Pleanala held an oral hearing into the plans in March, 2011.

On June 20, MEHL posted on their website that it had secured permission from An Bord Pleanala.

Murphy Environmental then set about to try and obtain a waste licence from the Environmental Protection Agency. Some locals and councillors were still adamant about preventing MEHL from building the toxic ash dump.

On August 31, 2011, the Fingal Independent reported that Labour’s Ciaran Byrne planned to put forward a motion to the Balbriggan Area Committee.

The paper reported: ‘He intends to put a motion to that effect, saying: ‘ That the Balbriggan Swords Area Committee calls on the County Manager and County Council in Fingal to formally contact the EPA to oppose the granting of a licence for a hazardous waste facility on the lands at Murphy’s Quarry in Hollywood, County Fingal.’ ‘Fundamentally, I am trying to stop it,’ Cllr Byrne said.’

It continued:
‘The Labour councillor expects widespread support for his motion among his fellow councillors and county management. County management are already on record as having grave reservations about the project and wrote a very negative submission on the proposal to An Bord Pleanála. But the submission did not convince the board who ultimately granted planning permission for the hazardous waste facility.’

Cllr Byrne’s motion was carried. But he didn’t get ‘widespread support’. When it was put to a vote, four councillors voted for the motion, three against and one abstention.

On September 13, 2011, the Fingal Independent reported:
‘Cllr Anne Devitt (FG) was also opposed to the motion, saying that the facility would be run by a ‘ tried and tested operator who lives in our area and is providing employment locally’. She said that the EPA will not grant a licence for the project unless they believe it is ‘ the proper precautions have been put in place and it is safe’. The Fine Gael councillor said the council should not interfere in the process and it would ‘ show Fingal County Council in a bad light not to be trusting the EPA to follow proper procedures in granting this licence’.

Previously: Seamus Murphy, You Say?

Meanwhile, At The Trough

Dr. James Reilly, Cllr Anne Devitt And The Airside Clinic

No, Seriously, Why Did A New Jersey-Based Waste Company Employ Phil Hogan’s Golf Buddy?

MINISTER FOR Health James Reilly remained under pressure last night after a day of further controversy and calls for his resignation by two Labour MEPs.

The Taoiseach last night reaffirmed his support for Dr Reilly but there was growing unease in the Government parties over the unrelenting controversies in health.

Labour Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn was said to be incensed after he misled the Dáil with information provided by Dr Reilly’s department. Sources said he was “not prepared to take the fall” for another Minister’s mistake.

Don’t fancy your chances on that thin ice there, Bottler.

Reilly under pressure after day of controversy in Dáil (Paul Cullen, Mary Minihan, Irish Times)

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWkJxzCq8ls

 


Thanks Lars Biscuits.

James Reilly appeared on RTE R 1’s Today with Pat Kenny earlier.

Kenny: “What about the Swords site? Do you have any connection – good, bad or indifferent with the Swords site?”

Reilly: “No, I don’t. I was kind of reluctant to say this but the only site I have any control over, I made sure that this, I mean I can’t say I made sure. I couldn’t, I didn’t, I couldn’t allow it go ahead. Once I had a prospect of being elected as the Minister for Health, I had to withdraw from that. And that site is not part of this, absolutely not. And anybody can check that. And yes, that has cost me, financially, there’s no question about that. But I…That’s why it is mildly annoying to be accused of being involved in politics for self gain, anything couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Kenny: “So there’s nothing in the Swords site that you need to worry about, that’s gonna come out in the Irish Independent tomorrow or the day after.”

Reilly: “No, not a thing. It has nothing to do with the site being considered by the HSE. I’ve double checked on that. Again, I believe it’s the same developer. And I’m not aware of which doctors are involved because, of course, until such time as the doctors sign up, you don’t know who’s going in and who’s going out.”

Hmm.

Today with Pat Kenny

James Reilly with developer Seamus Murphy at the Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce Christmas ball.

He would also see him on the television.

Troubled developer Seamus Murphy owns the lands on which the primary care centre is set to be built.It is currently in the process of being sold by Mr Murphy to a development company which will build the health centre.

“I put up posters for Fine Gael in Balbriggan,” Mr Murphy told the Irish Independent.

“I am a Fine Gael supporter.”

When asked if he knew Dr Reilly, Mr Murphy said he would see him on the television, but pictures show the pair socialising together at events in Balbriggan.

Balbriggan was included in the list of 35 primary care centres in the Government’s stimulus plan after Dr Reilly bumped it up the list

 

James Reilly Backer Owns Controversial Primary-Care Site (Fiach Kelly, Irish Independent)

Pics by Tony Healy at Balbriggan.net