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, 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 and medical doctor. He was a member of Fine Gael, a political party in Ireland. He served as a Senator from 2016 to 2020. Before that, he was a Teachta Dála (TD), which is like a member of parliament, for the Dublin North area from 2007 to 2016.
James Reilly also held important government jobs. He was the Minister for Health from 2011 to 2014. Later, he became the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs from 2014 to 2016. He was also the deputy leader of the Fine Gael party from 2010 to 2017. He announced his retirement from politics in 2020.
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About James Reilly
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 doctor's offices in Lusk and Donabate.
Before he became a politician, James Reilly was the president of the Irish Medical Organisation. This group represents doctors in Ireland. In 2007, he became the Fine Gael party's spokesperson on health. He was then made deputy leader of the party in 2010.
His Time in Politics
Minister for Health: 2011–2014
When James Reilly became the Minister for Health in 2011, he worked on several important issues. One of his first trips was to China. He also attended a meeting in New York City about diseases that are not spread from person to person.
He worked to improve the health service in Ireland. He tried to reduce the number of patients waiting on trolleys in hospitals. He also started keeping track of how many patients were waiting for outpatient appointments. This helped to reduce long waiting lists for hospital visits.
During his time as Health Minister, he faced some challenges. There was a financial disagreement related to a nursing home, which was later resolved. Some politicians also questioned his leadership, but he continued in his role. He also made changes to how doctors were paid, which caused some discussion about hiring new doctors.
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: 2014–2016
In 2014, James Reilly became the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. He also kept his role in public health and anti-smoking policies.
In this new role, he dealt with an important issue about how children get into schools. In Ireland, most state-funded primary schools are controlled by churches. The law allowed these schools to give preference to children who were baptized in their religion. This caused problems for families who were not Catholic, especially in Dublin.
The United Nations asked James Reilly about this issue. He said that the laws might need to change, but it could be complicated because the Irish constitution protects religious groups. Many people signed a petition to change these rules, and a group called Education Equality planned to challenge the law.
James Reilly lost his seat as a TD in the 2016 election. However, he continued as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs until a new government was formed.
Fighting Against Smoking
James Reilly was very strong in his views against the tobacco industry. He called them "evil" and said they "target our children." He declared "war" on them because both his father and brother had died from illnesses related to smoking.
He got approval from the government to make Ireland a tobacco-free country by 2025. This means having a smoking rate below 5%. Ireland was one of the first countries to decide to introduce plain tobacco packaging. This means cigarette packs would have no branding, just health warnings. He was not afraid of legal threats from tobacco companies.
During Ireland's time leading the European Union, James Reilly made the Tobacco Products Directive a top priority. This directive sets rules for tobacco products across Europe. He worked hard to get an agreement on this directive quickly. Other European leaders praised his efforts. He even encouraged other health ministers and the World Health Organisation to send letters supporting the directive to members of the European Parliament. He also supported a new law to ban smoking in cars when children are present.
Retirement from Politics
After losing his seat in 2016, James Reilly tried to get elected again in a special election in 2019, but he was not successful. He ran again in the 2020 general election but was defeated. Soon after this third defeat, James Reilly announced that he was retiring from politics.
Images for kids
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Minister Reilly with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in March 2013
