Roisin Shortall has resigned as junior minister for Health

**Baron von Biffo** · 04-10-2012, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by fluffybiscuits

Which also could translate as loose canon!

**C. Flower** · 04-10-2012, 10:01 PM

Not sure if this is posted here - a shortened transcript of Shorthall's interview with Marion Finucane.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...u-3244317.html

"He said he supported James Reilly and he backed James Reilly over me."
In Shorthall's view Reilly is catastrophically mismanaging he health service - failing to deliver cuts in the drugs bill, or to charge insurance companies for beds, reducing consultants pay, and going down the "American, private, route."

**Baron von Biffo** · 04-10-2012, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by C. Flower

Not sure if this is posted here - a shortened transcript of Shorthall's interview with Marion Finucane.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...u-3244317.html

"He said he supported James Reilly and he backed James Reilly over me."
In Shorthall's view Reilly is catastrophically mismanaging he health service - failing to deliver cuts in the drugs bill, or to charge insurance companies for beds, reducing consultants pay, and going down the "American, private, route."

He was doing all those things when she voted confidence in him.

**DCon** · 05-10-2012, 09:04 AM

Keaveney has sent an internal email implying that Gilmore knows more than he has said

The Party Leader and I discussed the quality of our engagement with members and we are in agreement that there is room for improvement. This may require investment in infrastructure and time and the Party Leader and I are committed to both. The quality of engagement with Councillors has also not been as it should be and the Party Leader and I will be working through the Executive Board to improve on that.

He also shared with me his view on recent events and I am satisfied that there is another context to the story that he has not been able to publicly articulate, given the media atmosphere at this time. This context needs to be discussed with the party's members and he is considering how to do that at some point in the future.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1005/col...espondence.pdf

**Baron von Biffo** · 05-10-2012, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by DCon

Keaveney has sent an internal email implying that Gilmore knows more than he has said

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1005/col...espondence.pdf

Keavney on Plank now talking about this.

**musashi** · 05-10-2012, 10:12 AM

I reckon Shortall's resignation will probably save her political a$$ come election time.
As to her timing (quitting while the party leader is flipside) well that's entirely up to her Machiavellian self.

**fluffybiscuits** · 05-10-2012, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by DCon

Keaveney has sent an internal email implying that Gilmore knows more than he has said

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1005/col...espondence.pdf

http://www.thejournal.ie/james-reill...23215-Oct2012/

Quinn angry over being mislead in the Dail apparently. Oh discord in the government and plot thickens...

EDUCATION MINISTER RUAIRÍ Quinn has said that he was angry that he was misled over who made the decision regarding the site for a location of a primary healthcare centre in Health Minister James Reilly’s constituency.

During Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil on Tuesday, Quinn told the chamber that the decision to locate the primary care centre on the site owned by a developer linked to Fine Gael was made during the previous health minister Mary Harney’s tenure.

**DCon** · 07-10-2012, 03:09 PM

Elaine Byrne on the conjob that Shortall was given

It was not until the following September that the Taoiseach published the details of her job description. Known as a "Delegation of Ministerial Functions", this one-page document outlined her delegated powers.

Shortall was given responsibility for legislation such as the 1961 Poisons Act, the Control of Clinical Trials Act 1987 and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Fees) Rules 2008 and 2010.

Revolutionary stuff.

According to the Department of Health's website, primary care is regulated under three key pieces of legislation -- the Health Acts, Health Professionals Regulations and Financial Emergency Measures. Shortall was not delegated any responsibility for these.

She was a minister of state for primary care in name only. This first dawned on her early last summer. Shortall made discreet queries to those with experience within the politics of health administration. The Labour TD finally understood the significance of her diluted Delegation Order.

Her subsequent meeting with the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste that July centred on why her work was being "blocked" and "overruled". Shortall had finally realised that information relevant to position was being withheld from her.

Shortall was never actually delegated any powers or duties on primary care in the first place. She occupied an imaginary, Alice in Wonderland existence within the Department of Health.

Reilly indulged her in the same manner as a sleeping dog who's causally taunted by a domesticated cat that has notions of grandeur because it has bigger feline cousins.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...y-3251467.html

**Baron von Biffo** · 07-10-2012, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by DCon

Elaine Byrne on the conjob that Shortall was given

It was not until the following September that the Taoiseach published the details of her job description. Known as a "Delegation of Ministerial Functions", this one-page document outlined her delegated powers.

Shortall was given responsibility for legislation such as the 1961 Poisons Act, the Control of Clinical Trials Act 1987 and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Fees) Rules 2008 and 2010.

Revolutionary stuff.

According to the Department of Health's website, primary care is regulated under three key pieces of legislation -- the Health Acts, Health Professionals Regulations and Financial Emergency Measures. Shortall was not delegated any responsibility for these.

She was a minister of state for primary care in name only. This first dawned on her early last summer. Shortall made discreet queries to those with experience within the politics of health administration. The Labour TD finally understood the significance of her diluted Delegation Order.

Her subsequent meeting with the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste that July centred on why her work was being "blocked" and "overruled". Shortall had finally realised that information relevant to position was being withheld from her.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...y-3251467.html

Paints a picture of someone out of her depth.

What was she doing for a year in the Dept. if she didn't know what her responsibilities were? Why did it take her until this July (she was appointed 17 months earlier) to realise that she wasn't achieving her goals?

We need people at the top of government to be able to stand on their own feet.

**Greengoddess** · 07-10-2012, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Baron von Biffo

Paints a picture of someone out of her depth.

What was she doing for a year in the Dept. if she didn't know what her responsibilities were? Why did it take her until this July (she was appointed 17 months earlier) to realise that she wasn't achieving her goals?

We need people at the top of government to be able to stand on their own feet.

As opposed to people standing on their's?

**Baron von Biffo** · 07-10-2012, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by Greengoddess

As opposed to people standing on their's?

Ministers, even junior ministers, ought to be people with solutions rather than problems. Shortall wasn't able to overcome obstacles and reach her goals so we're well shut of her.

**Baron von Biffo** · 07-10-2012, 05:47 PM

Does anyone know what's happening with Maeve-Ann Wren in all of this? She was Shortall's adviser so will she be staying on to serve White or did she get the chop?

**ang** · 07-10-2012, 05:57 PM

Hypocrisy standing as principle after the event leaves a rather bad taste in the mouth.

I will not however be forgiving of the others involved just because I don't like the Shortall approach regarding the very serious issues.

**Baron von Biffo** · 07-10-2012, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by ang

Hypocrisy standing as principle after the event leaves a rather bad taste in the mouth.

I will not however be forgiving of the others involved just because I don't like the Shortall approach regarding the very serious issues.

Absolutely. No-one is coming out of this with an enhanced reputation.

Reilly is an arrogant yob who wants to drive rather than lead. Gilmore isn't paying appropriate attention to keeping the programme for government (such as it is) on the rails. And Kenny is... Well Kenny is just Kenny.

**DCon** · 14-10-2012, 11:15 AM

John Drennan hits the nail on the head

Labour's motives for saving Private Reilly are, in fairness, somewhat colder for the turning of a Fine Gael minister into a broken reed has come at the very small price of the loss of a Roisin Shortall.

The smart old boys in Labour know that Reilly is political credit in the Banco del Coalition where, if FG ever dares to come after one of Labour's own then all they have to do is cite the Reilly precedent and everyone will turn very quiet.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...l-3258444.html