The failure by Junior Health Minister Roisin Shortall to publicly voice her confidence in the Minister for Health James Reilly is being seen as a further indication of problems between the 2 Ministers.

Minister Shortall backed the Health Minister during a vote of no confidence last night.

Minister Reilly secured the confidence of the Dáil by 99 votes to 50.

However she failed to mention his name once during her Dáil speech.

She used the time to discuss the direction of health policy instead.

She highlighted failings in the health service and the risk of cuts that could follow if reform was not delivered.

The contribution left many speechless but not Billy Kelleher from Fianna Fáil who said “It wasn’t a statement – it was an open letter to you, Minister”.

“She was putting you on notice; she didn’t refer to you once – but she highlighted the failings of you, the Department and the HSE in dealing with the budget over-run” he added.

And the Minister outlined what she thought was the way forward for the system.

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