James Reilly (Irish politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Reilly
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Reilly in 2014
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| Senator | |
| In office 8 June 2016 – 29 June 2020 |
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| Constituency | Nominated by the Taoiseach |
| Deputy leader of the Fine Gael | |
| In office 1 July 2010 – 16 May 2017 |
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| Leader | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Richard Bruton |
| Succeeded by | Simon Coveney |
| Minister for Children and Youth Affairs | |
| In office 11 July 2014 – 6 May 2016 |
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| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Charles Flanagan |
| Succeeded by | Katherine Zappone |
| Minister for Health | |
| In office 9 March 2011 – 11 July 2014 |
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| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Mary Coughlan |
| Succeeded by | Leo Varadkar |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office May 2007 – February 2016 |
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| Constituency | Dublin North |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 August 1955 Lusk, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | Dorothy Reilly |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Royal College of Surgeons |
James Reilly (born 16 August 1955) is an Irish former politician, businessman, and medical doctor. He was a Senator from 2016 to 2020. Before that, he served as Minister for Health from 2011 to 2014. He was also Minister for Children and Youth Affairs from 2014 to 2016. James Reilly was a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish Parliament, for the Dublin North area from 2007 to 2016. He was also the deputy leader of the Fine Gael political party from 2010 to 2017. He stopped being involved in politics after the 2020 general election.
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Life Before Politics
James Reilly studied medicine and became a doctor. He graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1979. He worked as a GP, which is a family doctor, in North County Dublin for many years. He had medical offices in Lusk and Donabate. Before he became a politician, he was the president of the Irish Medical Organisation. This group represents doctors in Ireland.
Political Career Highlights
James Reilly became involved in politics and was elected as a TD in 2007. He quickly took on important roles within his party, Fine Gael.
Minister for Health: 2011–2014
When James Reilly became the Minister for Health in 2011, he faced big challenges. One major issue was the number of patients waiting on trolleys in hospitals. This meant people were waiting for a hospital bed. He promised to reduce these numbers. He also worked to lower the long waiting lists for patients needing to see specialists. By December 2013, he had significantly reduced the number of patients waiting over a year for appointments.
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: 2014–2016
In 2014, James Reilly became the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. In this role, he also kept responsibility for public health and anti-smoking policies. One important issue he dealt with was how children were admitted to schools. In Ireland, most primary schools are run by churches. The law allowed these schools to give preference to children of their own religion. This caused problems for families who were not of that religion. Reilly said that these laws might need to change.
Efforts to Reduce Smoking
James Reilly was very strong in his views against the tobacco industry. He called it "evil" and said it targeted children. Both his father and brother had health problems because of smoking. He worked to make Ireland a "tobacco-free" country by 2025. This means having less than 5% of people smoking. Ireland was one of the first countries to introduce plain tobacco packaging. This means cigarette packs have no fancy designs, only health warnings. He also worked with other European countries to create stronger rules about tobacco products. He even supported a law to ban smoking in cars when children are present.
Retirement from Politics
After losing his seat in the 2016 general election, James Reilly continued to serve as a Senator. He tried to get elected back into the Dáil in a special election in 2019 and again in the 2020 general election, but he was not successful. After his defeat in 2020, he announced that he was retiring from politics.
Images for kids
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Reilly in 2014
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Minister Reilly with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in March 2013
