A bad week for the Labour party

She walked because she couldn't handle reality and deal with the hard tasks. She's a coward.
 
She walked because she couldn't handle reality and deal with the hard tasks. She's a coward.

That's not fair. Not a labour supporter but look at what has happened her. She tried to deal with Ireland's alcohol problem that every politician claims to be a problem but then gets briefed against by other ministers when she talks about minimum pricing and ending drinks sponsorship in sport because of vested interests.

She was responsible for primary care but when she did her job, she was told she was wrong and that James Reilly knows best so he goes and sticks another 15 locations on a list including two in his own backyard (he is my local TD and I think it was local politics at its worse). He still hasn't explained what criteria he used.

She was kept in the dark about health cuts. She was kept in the dark about numerous other issues.

If she had resigned over cuts to the health budget, I would agree with you as she knew that would be the case when she took the job but I don't see how walking because of the above makes her a coward. I wouldn't stay in a job where I was thought so little of.
 
She walked because she couldn't handle reality and deal with the hard tasks. She's a coward.

I couldn't agree more!
Its been claimed that James Reillys style is not the best,but guess what ,we all have to deal with difficult people in real life and work life and learn how best to deal with that relationship,we cant just run off when things get a bit difficult.

Seems to me that she couldn't handle it and just walked.
As a woman I am disappointed that she didn't have the "balls" to stay and fight the good fight,and wonder if she was a " he", would things have been different,she needs to grow up and get with the programme!
 
If she had resigned over cuts to the health budget, I would agree with you as she knew that would be the case when she took the job
That is why she resigned; the last few days was a fig-leaf.
 
That is why she resigned; the last few days was a fig-leaf.

You know her do you? I have not heard once complain about budget matters or cuts. I have heard her talk about reform and the pace of it and how services had to be delivered with less money. For a labour minister, that was a miracle in itself.

I love this Country. James Reilly does cute hoor politics that everybody gives out about. A politician takes a stand, decides that she can't work with someone who pulled that stunt and basically shows her no respect. And she gets called a coward and accused of having other motives.

Now I know why no honest person with values would go into politics. And now I know why so few women go into politics. They get accused of being cowards and cry babies and accused of not being able to cope with a big horrible man when they decide enough is enough. Like I say, I would have walked as well if my bosses and company paid so little attention to what I was saying.
 
I wouldn't agree with Roisin Shorthall about a lot of things, but it sounds like she was in an impossible position. James Reilly is the problem here in my view.
 
This has nothing to do with her being a woman. I spent years giving out about Joan Burton but she’s the stand-out minister in this government. She knows when to complain, when to challenge and when to work around situations. Whatever Roisin Shorthall disagreed with and whatever changes she thought should be made are now moot; she has removed herself from a position to influence and/or drive change. She chose a hard career and took a hard job in government. If she didn’t have the stomach for the hard decisions and the power-games that go with the job then she shouldn’t have taken it.
I agree with her about James Reilly; he’s a GP with a massive medical card list, an insider, and he’s shown himself to be a parish-pump politician. Unfortunately the Irish electorate love parish-pump politicians.

There have been plenty of honest people in politics in Ireland over the years. Garrett Fitzgerald was honest, he was also useless as a leader but that’s a different issue.
 

The woman comment had to do with the other poster.

She was a junior minister. She couldn't drive or influence anything as she found out. When she tried, she was put back in her box. I wouldn't stay in the job earning a big salary for doing nothing when I knew it was all about optics.

The only problem now is that is the story is about her and not about the incompetence of James Reilly.
 
O'Reilly should have to answer hard question on the primary care list, but she's the second Labour junior minister to quit.
With tough decisions coming down the line, you wonder do Labour have the stomach for it.
 
.. James Reilly knows best so he goes and sticks another 15 locations on a list including two in his own backyard

What I would love to know is what were the next 15 locations on the original list. Any of those who are not now on the new list are the biggest losers here.
 
As a woman I am disappointed that she didn't have the "balls" to stay and fight the good fight,and wonder if she was a " he", would things have been different,she needs to grow up and get with the programme!

Let me clear this up..
(Fight the good Fight):The drink issue was to be tackled and now its in limbo..

(If she was a he would things have been different): She did vote confidence in Dr Reilly, yet I do wonder if she was a he would Dr Reilly have treated the issue differently.

(She needs to grow up and get with the programme); As now, she will have no influence at all.
 
O'Reilly should have to answer questions on the primary care list.

Simple as.

She was 100% right to find out what criteria he used.

If you have criteria for the awarding of Primary Care Units - you abide by them.
 
james reilly is a politican with the stench of corruption hanging all over him,,roisin shorthall is a person who walked because she just couldnt work beside someone like that. i think she was right. politics is no place for a person of hight moral standards, it is and always will be a playground for lowlife back stabbers.
 
What I would love to know is what were the next 15 locations on the original list. Any of those who are not now on the new list are the biggest losers here.

As far as I know they were no where near the next in line to go on the list. Reilly changed the criteria but won't tell us what it was.