Results 1-20 of 1,127,089 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh16 OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Chris Andrews6 OR speaker:Dessie Ellis)

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

Seán Crowe: The meeting has been convened to consider the 2024 Supplementary Estimate for Vote 38 for the Department of Health, amounting to €1.749 billion for current expenditure and €5 million for capital expenditure. I welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Colm Burke, who is a former member of the...

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

Seán Crowe: Okay.

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

Seán Crowe: The Minister spoke of subhead J1. Maybe it is the language he is using but it is not very clear. I am conscious people are probably listening at home as well. Maybe other members understand it. The Minister stated: While there are deficits across a range of core services, most of the supplementary ask, €1.544 billion, relates to acute hospitals. These deficits in core services...

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

Seán Crowe: It is a bit unclear but I will the discussion open up to members. I think Deputy Durkan is leading us off.

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

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister, the Ministers of State and the officials for attending. There are just a couple of things that come to mind. It would appear that a better picture is emerging in the context of funding for health service that will lead to improvements for consumers right across the country. That is to be welcomed. How did the underspends to which the Minister referred come about?...

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

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister. The underspends in question, in terms of their description, are misnamed.

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

Bernard Durkan: There should be an alteration in the description. The Minister has explained that. It should be done in order prevent people being misled and to enable those who may expect the moneys to be sent in their direction to know that this is or is not a possibility. They have to plan as well. In relation to the State Claims Agency and negligence claims, the total allocation of €485...

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

Bernard Durkan: Have these been quantified? Have the areas where positive changes can be made with obvious beneficial results from the point of view of patients and in the context of the risk and cost to the health service been flagged? To what extent has a breakdown of the €485 million referred to, including legal fees, been obtained and what were the extent of the legal fees involved, if known?

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

Bernard Durkan: As a result of action taken.

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

Bernard Durkan: In terms of a reduction in the number of incidents, how will be able to monitor the extent to which potential catastrophic incidents can arise? What evidence exists which shows that the prevention of incidents is well in hand, as needs to be the case? The follow-on from that is the financial liability. How quickly will we see the effect of and be able to judge the preventative measures...

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

Bernard Durkan: All I will say is that this Department specialises in health. Insofar as possible, we need to prevent as many accidents or errors in procedures as possible in every way possible to ensure the money in the health budget is spent on health as opposed to legal fees. I saw something about the OPW. I have had some interaction with the OPW recently. While I cannot find it at the moment, the...

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

Bernard Durkan: Okay. Is the expenditure normal? Has it been tested? The OPW has had a propensity to slightly exaggerate costs.

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

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Cathaoirleach.

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

John Lahart: I thank the Minister, the Ministers of State and their teams. I will take up the same theme. The Minister is talking about 6,500 appointments, essentially. These are new positions between this year and what is projected for next year, yet the INMO and Fórsa are protesting today. What does the Minister say to them?

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

John Lahart: I will move on to a few quick questions. I will briefly note the comparison of health spending in Ireland with other European countries. We are about halfway up or down the league table, depending what way you look at it. Are there any statistics available on international comparisons in regard to getting bang for the buck, outcomes and so on? I do not need the Minister to answer this now...

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

John Lahart: Where is that available? Is it on the HSE website?

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

John Lahart: I want to raise an issue that is good news and a matter of continuing interest. It is relevant to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who is here. One of the most interesting points the Minister mentioned in his opening statement concerns the demographic challenge, which is alarming. The statistics are really interesting. Our population is at its largest since 1850, with an increase of...

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

John Lahart: We have one of the highest age expectancies in the European Union.

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

John Lahart: A note on that would be worth getting. My final question is one concerning what may be the smallest sum in the Supplementary Estimate, namely, the dormant account funding of €2 million. I am interested in why the Dormant Accounts Fund was raided and for what purpose. I am being dramatic in using the word "raided". Does the Minister have a note on the specific uses of that funding?

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

John Lahart: I am happy to wait and get a note. The Cathaoirleach might wish to move on to the next speaker.