MINISTER FOR Health James Reilly and his officials met the National Asset Management Agency last April to discuss locations for primary care centres in Balbriggan, it has emerged.
Dr Reilly said a number of locations for the centres was discussed at the meeting, including Balbriggan, but no specific address in the north Dublin town was mentioned.
Sinn Féin, which elicited the information through a parliamentary question to the minister, accused Dr Reilly of having a “hands-on” involvement in the selection of a primary care centre in Balbriggan.
In August, The Irish Times revealed the Minister had added 15 towns, including Swords and Balbriggan in his constituency, to a list of priority locations for centres prepared by his then minister of State, Róisín Shortall. It subsequently emerged that the site chosen for the centre in Balbriggan was owned a Fine Gael supporter, Seamus Murphy, whose debts are in Nama.
Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said yesterday that Dr Reilly had repeatedly said he had nothing to do with the choice of the site for the centre.
“During an Oireachtas debate in September he said: ‘I had no hand, act nor part in this.’”, Mr Doherty said. “It is now clear that this is not the case. Minister Reilly has been involved in discussions with his department officials and Nama on the Balbriggan site in April of this year. It is also clear that his party colleague, developer Seamus Murphy, could stand to benefit from the choice of the Balbriggan site.”
Mr Doherty said he asked Minister for Finance Michael Noonan earlier this month whether there had been contact between Dr Reilly and Nama on the issue, but Mr Noonan had refused to answer the question on the basis of confidentiality.
He said both Ministers clearly had questions to answer.
He asked: “Why did Minister Noonan refuse to provide information that Minister Reilly met with Nama when asked? Why did Minister Reilly not divulge this information before now?
“What were the details of the discussions between Minister Reilly and Nama?”
He called on Dr Reilly to provide a “full and frank” account of his direct involvement in the choice of the Balbriggan centre and to detail his discussions with Nama on the matter.
