Fine Gael TD for Wicklow, Simon Harris TD, has today (Thursday) described Fianna Fáil’s cheap shots as a desperate bid for attention.

“How Fianna Fáil can equate Minister Reilley picking up the phone as a member of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Union (INMO) about an employee issue, as having been involved in the management of the private Green Hills nursing home is beyond me.

“The facts are quite simple. Ten years ago in 2002, five years before Dr. James Reilly entered politics, he was a senior figure in the IMO. While holding this position, it would not have been unusual to make representations on industrial relations disputes from time to time. This in no way constitutes being actively involved in the management or indeed owning the nursing home, as Minister Reilly stated clearly in his statement to the Dáil yesterday evening.

“This latest move by Fianna Fáil is just another cheap shot at the Minister,”