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

I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that Cabinet collegiality is important in terms of the smooth running of Government and honesty between colleagues, in particular, is important. When Fianna Fáil tabled a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, in September last we were conscious of anonymous leaks to the media from some of his Cabinet colleagues that they did not have confidence in him. They were complaining on an ongoing basis about him and notwithstanding that, they voted for the Minister in that debate.

However, there is now the extraordinary revelation, reported in the Sunday Independent and other newspapers, that on Wednesday last the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, spoke clearly about his lack of confidence in Deputy Reilly's ability to do the job. It was following a discussion at the parliamentary party at which some Deputies expressed strongly held views. The Sunday Independent reported that Labour Party chairman, Deputy Keaveney, railed against Deputy Reilly's "privatisation agenda" of health and that Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated that the Minister was the "elephant in the room"-----

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