Results 1-20 of 1,147,224 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Josepha Madigan OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív67 OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Cathal Berry OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív11 OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív00 OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Niamh Smyth OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Colm Burke) in 'Committee meetings'

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

David Cullinane: I would prefer the Minister to answer that.

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

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister, the Ministers of State and the officials who are here. I wish to make one point or observation, which is important for me to make. The Minister might recall that when we had discussions about Supplementary Estimates last year, which was also after budget 2024, this committee clearly set out our concern that the health service was not properly funded for existing...

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

David Cullinane: In fairness, I have given the Minister a lot of my time to respond to that question. I want to get on to a second point as quickly as I can as well. I just want a figure for my first question. How much has been achieved by way of productivity and savings since the task force was established? The breakdown, if there is one, can be provided to us in writing. Second, what scientific...

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

David Cullinane: A total of €100 million in the context of the health budget is not a success story.

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

David Cullinane: Of course, there is more to do. Some €100 million is nowhere near what can and should be saved. Even in respect of the issues the Minister raised regarding how money can be saved, €100 million does not stack up. We have not even got to agency spend, where I argue a lot more can be saved. If a note can be given on exactly that, it would be important. I am sure we will debate...

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

David Cullinane: Is the Minister saying that no roles have been abolished? Is he saying that zero roles have been abolished or is he just disputing the 2,000 figure?

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

David Cullinane: Let us park that for one second. That is a figure. Is the Minister contending that no posts have been abolished that were vacant on 31 December 2023? Is it his contention that no posts have been abolished or is he simply saying that the figure of 2,000 is something he wants verification on? That is an important distinction.

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

David Cullinane: We know that. It is my last question, and the Minister did not answer it, with respect. I accept what he said. That is not in dispute. What is in dispute is that there were vacant posts on 31 December 2023 that were abolished. If the Minister is disputing the figure from the INMO, has he the HSE's figure? I am asking him a very straight question. He is the Minister. Have posts been...

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

David Cullinane: You do not know the number.

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

David Cullinane: You do not know the number.

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

David Cullinane: What we need is a workforce plan that is aligned with recruitment, if we are training healthcare professionals. That is why we have training targets. We are training them to come to work in the public system. Every graduate should be offered a job in the public system. That is not runaway recruitment. It is common sense. If the Minister is able to furnish figures for vacancies that were...

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

Colm Burke: The additional funding in budget 2025 is €4.2 million. An additional 34 whole-time-equivalents will be employed. Some €2 million will be allocated to expand community-based drug services. Some €1 million will be allocated for the national roll-out of the community alcohol service, and that includes the employment of 24 whole-time equivalents. There is €500,000...

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

Colm Burke: There is a substantial increase in the overall budget for 2025. It is going to be the biggest budget ever in real terms. I will get the correct figure for the Deputy but the increase in total is the biggest figure. For instance, the total increase in funding is €40.5 million for the coming year. There is a €10.1 million increase for pay awards agreements. Some €5...

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

Colm Burke: As the Deputy knows, we hope to have the supervised injection facility in Merchants Quay opened by the end of the year. I have been there and I have seen the progress being made in the building work. The target is to have it opened by early to mid-December. That is a really important facility that needs to be open. As the Deputy knows, the initial proposal on that was going back to 2019....

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

Colm Burke: The Deputy should remember that 422 different centres around the country provide support for people with alcohol or drug addiction. Last year, 13,000 people received treatment for drug addiction and 8,000 people received treatment for alcohol addiction. Those figures are likely to go up. I have visited many of those centres over the last three to four months and each one of them is doing a...

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

Colm Burke: The target date is for early to mid-December and the construction work has really progressed. I was down there recently - in the last three weeks - and I have seen the work that has been done. The people involved in it are doing everything possible to make sure we can reach that target date of somewhere in the first two weeks of December.

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

Colm Burke: My understanding is that wastewater can be analysed to see the issue regarding the use of drugs. I am not into the detail of it but it is a mechanism that can be used to identify and to evaluate. Regarding the figures we have, we rely on centres such as all the HSE treatment centres around the country but we do not have a full picture in real terms of the people who are using substances. It...

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

Colm Burke: On that point, many of the drug treatment centres are helping people to get access to medical services. I visited a number of centres. In one centre, for instance, a GP and nurses are going into the street and getting people into the centre for medical treatment. Many people who have had an adverse event in an accident and emergency department are now afraid of going to an accident and...

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

Colm Burke: The total budget is €40.5 million. The social inclusion budget has increased by €40.5 million in two years.

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

Colm Burke: I gave the figures earlier. The drugs budget is €4.2 million and this is for new initiatives in the whole drugs area. The budget for 2025 will be €4.2 million in addition to what is in 2024. The total social inclusion budget is €40.5 million of an increase. It has increased from €220 million to €260 million.