A MEETING of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children was adjourned prematurely yesterday after Minister of State Róisín Shortall did not attend to replace Minister for Health James Reilly who had to leave early for a Cabinet meeting.

It is understood that Ms Shortall was concerned that the arrangement was made at such short notice that she would have been insufficiently briefed to deal with the question-and-answer session on all aspects of the health service which had originally featured Dr Reilly and chief executive of the Health Service Executive Cathal Magee.

The committee proceedings started at 10am and members were told that Dr Reilly would have to leave at 11.45am to allow him attend Cabinet and that he would be replaced by Ms Shortall for the remainder of the meeting.

At 11.45 Dr Reilly left and at that stage the committee chairman, Cork TD Jerry Buttimer, adjourned the meeting.