Results 1-20 of 1,063,295 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Patrick Nulty OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Bernard Durkan)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: I will pick up on some of the points from earlier in the meeting. This discussion is a great one to have directly after the meeting we had last week, which touched on some of the issues regarding staff ceilings, which is the new phrase used in place of the word "moratoriums". There was some discussion about radiation therapists and radiotherapy more generally. I have some questions on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: I apologise. My question on agency staff was not in respect of radiation therapy. I am asking about the situation across the health service. I totally understand that many agency staff are covering a maternity or sick leave and are not appropriate for the conversion scheme. At the same time, there are services that are being held up by agency staff who really should be HSE staff.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: I totally accept that. From our point of view, it would be useful to understand what percentage that 900 is of the total agency staff.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: Going back to cancer care, we have discussed radiotherapy. There are significant delays at the moment, or at least concerning reports of such delays, in chemotherapy services. What is the witnesses' impression in that regard? Is the situation affected by staff ceilings or the previous moratorium, particularly in terms of capacity in day wards? I presume day wards require significant...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: To be clear, where there were not waiting lists previously, they are now being introduced?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: Is there a figure for the percentage of the rise over the time of the moratorium?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: Is there not a figure available for month-by-month expenditure as a percentage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: There was a 10% increase. I return to chemotherapy delays and the issue with clinical nurse specialists. Regarding the recruitment of oncology nurses and the revision of the use of space, I presume there is specifically a requirement for the recruitment of oncology nurses. Will Ms Ní Sheaghdha outline some of the barriers arising in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: I am almost out of time but, if the Cathaoirleach will allow, I have a final question. Has the HSE provided the INMO with any monitoring or governance structure specifically to monitor any regional disparity that arises as the six authorities start to make decisions on staffing, for example, that might not align with each other?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: The INMO will be asking for that engagement. However, has the HSE not come to it with a mechanism for doing that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome our guests. Recruitment and retention has been an issue in recent years for nursing and all other staff. What are the main features of the difficulties that are being created there? Is it lower pay or lack of accommodation or is there some other reason that we should know about? It is absolutely essential that we have adequate staffing at all levels throughout the health service...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: A question arises. Does Ms Ní Sheaghdha believe that whatever is required should be recruited regardless of budgetary restraints?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: There has to be some level within which you operate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: How do we compare with staffing levels in adjoining jurisdictions, for instance the UK, France or Germany? We are in the European Union. We are always extolled to comply with regulations that prevail in the European Union. How do we compare with our next-door neighbours when it comes to the payment of staff and salaries in general?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: We cannot compete with the sunshine countries in terms of climate but we should be able to compete generally in terms of salaries for staff. It is suggested, for instance, that there are 12.8 practising nurses per 1,000 head of population, which is one of the highest ratios in the European Union. I do not know whether that is true or false. Is it correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: That is debatable because it depends on who you talk to. We get criticism on that, too, and we have to try to answer the criticisms. When staff levels were increased - recruitment of 6,000 was approved and it went to 8,000 – what were the most sensitive areas to which those staff could be detailed? Were there areas that were more sensitive than others? Were there posts that need...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: Why?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: It is immediately obvious to some people within the service. There are some who claim within the service that is the way they see it. I agree with the assessment in respect of HSE staff but they have traditionally been over-employed in the health services. That is going back 20 years. There was always the reliance on agency staff and they became greater than the cause. Then those numbers...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: If I can make one last point, I agree the population has grown but so has the budget. The budget for health has grown way ahead of what the population was in 1957, for example. The population has doubled since then but the health budget has doubled as well, and trebled.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in HSE: Discussion (2 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: That is the argument that is put to us.