Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

"The first I heard of the cuts was the HSE announcement," said the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock. "Everyone else has managed to live with Croke Park and keep within budget. What is so special about James Reilly?" asked one senior figure. I ask the Taoiseach to read any newspaper in the past three weeks. The benches here deserted that man in droves in recent weeks and left him isolated because of his mismanagement of the emergency services. It is unprecedented that when Ministers are asked the simple question as to whether they have confidence in a fellow colleague, a senior Minister, Deputy Burton, and Ministers of State, Deputies Jan O'Sullivan and Shortall, could not articulate confidence in a senior colleague. That is the bottom line.

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