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Cabinet meeting to defuse coalition rift

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has ordered that a significant portion of today's Cabinet meeting be given over to try and eliminate tensions between the Coalition parties.

Health Minister James Reilly's €130m of cuts and the public and political storm since last Thursday is expected to be discussed at length.

The cuts have angered many in Labour and Fine Gael with claims Minister Reilly had "gone on a solo run".

That is now being denied by sources close to Minister Reilly who say his two juniors, both from Labour, were informed of the cuts well before they were announced.

There is also an insistence that another Labour Minister, Brendan Howlin, would have been aware of the planned cuts during talks that went on for five weeks.

Later today ministers gather for the first Cabinet meeting after the summer break with tensions high.

The Taoiseach is keen to ease those tensions and has ordered that much of the meeting be given over for political discussion to put forward a show of unity.