Hysterical, Terry-Prone-trained James Reilly back in the day.
Reeling in the broken promises
“…the day that we don’t keep that promise, the day that we let you down, the day when we let your local services go when there’s nothing to replace it, that’s the day I’ll walk away, I’ll retire.”
Lol.
Missing Minister: €130m Cuts But No Answers From Reilly ( Fiach Kelly, Irish Independent)
Thanks Mr Worf
His spokesman said last night that Dr [James] Reilly had originally booked flights with a commercial airline to travel to an EU health ministers meeting, and had been scheduled to return to Ireland towards the end of last week.
However, on the Friday before he travelled Fianna Fáil tabled a Private Member’s motion in the Dáil condemning the €280 million over-run in the HSE budget this week.
Uh-oh…
“The Minister had already booked the flight, and it would have been impossible for him to arrive back on time to participate in the debate,” said the spokesman.
Aw.
Dr Reilly then requested the use of the Government jet to allow him to return to Dublin in time to participate in the closing hour of the debate on Wednesday evening.
Hurray!
Reilly Used Government Jet To Return For Debate (Harry McGee, Irish Times)
(James Horan/Photocall Ireland)
An overfed doctor named Reilly,
Who was creepy and beardy and smiley,
Thought that his mansion,
Deserved an expansion,
And we paid for it, ’cause he’s so wily.
John Moynes
(James Horan/Photocall Ireland)
Enda Kenny said Dr Reilly’s business affairs were entirely in order and that the minister had no difficulty in making a Dáil statement on the affair, possibly tomorrow. Mr Kenny said he spoke to James Reilly this morning, who had briefed him on the judgment registered against the minister and his consortium.
Taoiseach Defends Health Minister (RTE)
(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)
That’s a little too much self-interested demagoguery in one place, even for us.
A great study of James Reilly and Daniel O’Connell in the Stephen’s Green Hibernia Club, Dublin, earlier at the launch of Melanoma Awareness Month.
(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)
Reilly Hires Another €164k Expert (Fiachra Ó Cionnaith and Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner)
(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)
Health Minister James Reilly opening the new office of pharmaceutical giant Alkermes in Dublin this afternoon with Richard Pops (left) and Shane Cooke, Alkermes CEO and President respectively.
(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)
Minister for Health James Reilly (top) has confirmed he is paying a public relations company for advice from a personal ministerial allowance that is outside of his department’s budget.
Dr Reilly said he had paid €15,000 last year to the Communications Clinic, whose directors are public relations consultant Terry Prone (above) and Tom Savage, the chairman of the RTÉ board.
The money was paid from a €41,000 secretarial allowance which Ministers receive from the Oireachtas.
Because, you see, a personal adviser and a press office staffed by civil servants doesn’t count for much these days.
A spokesman for Dr Reilly said last night that the rules governing the ministerial allowance specifically allowed for the money to be used for public relations advice.
He said under the arrangement with the Communications Clinic, the company provided advice on the wider health reform programme. He said there was also an element of script-writing involved in the contract with the company.
Well that’s handy…
Reilly paid PR firm with part of his secretarial allowance (Irish Times)
Previously: Let Kate Have The Final Word
(Photocall Ireland)
Yikes.
Health Minister Dr James Reilly at Mount Carmel Hospital, Churchtown, Dublin, as he opened the newly-refurbished Operating Suite, Women’s Health Unit and Patient Services Centre this afternoon.
