Results 41-60 of 1,128,299 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Brendan Smith OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan) in 'Committee meetings'

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: In the agreement with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, earlier this year, we got agreement to permanently fund about 4,000 staff for whom there were no wages allocated by Government. They fall into two groups. The first is the extra 2,000 the HSE hired last year. There was no funding for that. The HSE obviously paid their wages, but it was not funded to pay their wages. Therefore, we have...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes.

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: We could add 10,000 staff to the HSE today who would undoubtedly provide better and faster patient care – another 10,000.

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: We have to hire within the funded allocation.

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Chair. I agree with everything he said, particularly when we look at the challenges the Government faced coming into office. As he very fairly stated, many of those challenges still exist. What we have been working on every day is to address them and to do a small number of important things, namely make it quicker for people to access a doctor, a nurse or a therapist, make it...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: In Tallaght University Hospital, just in the lifetime of this Government, the increase in the nursing workforce has been over 50%. There are an extra 620 nurses working in Tallaght University Hospital today who were not there four years ago. That is a vast increase, and they are doing great work. As a result of this increase, the waiting times at the hospital are falling and the surgical...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: We do not have those figures with us.

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: We are going to see changes next year. The budget for next year will have a subheading for each of the six regions. We are moving to regional reporting, which is only one thing, but it is an important change in the system and in how everybody thinks about it. Work is ongoing on healthcare econometrics and what the demand is region by region. There will be adjustments over time on that....

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The regional executive officers have already been given that authority. It marks a substantial shift. I will give one example to illustrate it. The Wicklow town primary care centre urgently needs therapists. During the embargo, one of the major hospitals in the same region hired quite a number of staff. Not only did the hospital have no money and no sanction to hire those staff, it was...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I am taking it very seriously. We have had several debates in the Dáil on exactly this, which I think the Deputy might have been involved in. I wrote to the Chief Medical Officer recently to ask for a full review. There are certain areas, particularly in more disadvantaged communities, where they simply do not have enough staff. There are other areas where they are well resourced....

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The scheme is GP access to diagnostics. I will get the exact figure for the Deputy but I think it is approximately €46 million this year. It is very expensive. It is brand new. We started it in 2021. It is very expensive but has been very popular with GPs. To be honest, it is probably one of the reasons we see such an increase in referrals to the outpatient lists because more...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes.

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: If it is a referral from a GP, private health insurance is not needed. It is free.

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (16 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Certainly, for the ones I have listed. There may be ones, cardiac CT, for example, that are not covered. I imagine there will be some tests that are not covered but the ones I have listed are.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on the matter. I am aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in An Post operations have on communities and individuals, in both rural and urban areas. An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially and, as such, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions relating to the size, distribution, and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (15 Oct 2024)

David Stanton: I thank the Minister for his response and his candidness. I think he is getting the same response I got. "None of your business," is what they say, in so many words. They are getting a lot of money. An Post is a great organisation and I agree it is doing great things. It has done great things with e-cards and so on and was marvellous during Covid. This, however, is the one area I think...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I am frightened that I might intervene in matters which we, as an Oireachtas, have given An Post a statutory responsibility to fulfil. Risking that, I might well approach the chief executive. I, too, would be interested. It is a really good company that is trusted and well managed and deals with a large volume of transactions across the State. The underlying reality, however, is that the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I accept the Deputy's point. The option is there, and it is a matter for the developer and the residents as to whether they want to go down the route of being able to avail of a 40% grant and whichever is the most suitable technology. To be more innovative and consider other measures, my Department is drafting a new heat Bill to establish a regulatory model for district heating,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Oct 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: I am not saying it is not. Rather, we need to examine whether the operation of the grant system suits this. Others who have been involved in the wider idea of district heating systems have said that the support scheme for renewable heat would have to be altered to facilitate real moves. Regardless of whoever is in government when the Bill is enacted, it will be necessary. We all accept...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As I recall, the original plan for the scheme was for wood-fired systems.