MINISTER FOR HEALTH James Reilly is to face a motion of no confidence from Opposition parties as the Dáil resumes this week.

Both Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil are set to table the motions when the Dáil returns from its summer recess today.

The government majority means that the motions are unlikely to pass; however the move puts pressure on Labour backbenchers who are believed to be unhappy with Reilly’s swingeing cuts to the health service.

Micheál Martin said at the Fianna Fáil think-in yesterday that the no confidence motion was “the only credible response” to Reilly’s tenure as Minister for Health.

Martin criticised Reilly’s lack of action of cutting waiting lists and introducing free GP care. The Fianna Fáil leader also hit out at Reilly’s attempts to bring in “mean-spirited” cuts to the health service.

“There is no precedent for a situation where the Taoiseach praises a minister for being brave in reversing cuts while the Minister is still claiming that the cuts never existed,” said Martin.

He [Reilly] will no doubt turn up during the debate to announce that his failures are everyone else’s fault. His colleagues will engage in their usual game of attacking the opposition. But they’ll fool no one and the cold, hard facts of their promises set against the reality will be even clearer than before.

It is likely that the government will table its own motion expressing confidence in the Minister this week.