Hi °C | Lo °C 
HEALTH Minister James Reilly was held against his will in the country’s newest psychiatric hospital today - after he got stuck in a lift.
The Minister was getting a tour of the Phoenix Care Centre in Grangegorman in north Dublin which will replace the grim St Brendan’s Hospital built in the early 19th century.
However, Dr Reilly, who was accompanied by Junior Health Minister Katheleen Lynch, a group of doctors and officials ended up trapped in a lift for around 13 minutes in the new €22m facility.
The lift refused to budge and engineers were quickly summoned to the hallway to try to physically open the doors.
Staff who are still putting the finishing touches to the hospital - before it admits the first patients at the end of March – frantically tried to open the doors and rescue the Minister.
The lift was eventually released and the stranded dignitaries were transported to the second floor.
The Minister later laughed off the incident and quipped that it gave him time to meditate.
