The Health Minister has accused Roisin Shortall of insulting his constituents in North Dublin by saying they could only get primary care centres through “stroke politics”.

James Reilly has also rejected a call from the Fianna Fáil leader to make a detailed Dáil statement on the criteria used for selecting primary care sites.

This was his first public engagement since a weekend interview by Roisin Shortall in which she said he was difficult to work with and guilty of stroke politics.

He says he cannot answer what was in her head to make the claims and would not be drawn if he had made mistakes in his relationship with the former Junior Health Minister.

This morning on Newstalk Breakfast the Fianna Fáil leader demanded the Health Minister go into the Dáil and make a detailed statement and take questions on the criteria for primary care sites.

James Reilly says he treats that with the same disdain as Micheál Martin not bothering addressing the Dáil on the motion of no confidence he put down in the Health Minister.

He again insisted he stands over the decision to add 2 locations in his constituency to a list for primary care centres.

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