Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 5 July 2018

Public Accounts Committee

2017 Financial Statements of the HSE
2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Department of Health

9:00 am

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes. The HSE is facing a class action and the witnesses know full well what I am talking about. The staff covered by this circular were not informed as this letter states:

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached procedure and associated appeal form to be used in the case of those who wish to put forward their case for adjudication by Mr. John Doherty.

I would ask that you ensure those who have made applications prior to the 30th June 2014 and have been refused the provisions of the Circular, or have had no decision given to them, are formally made aware of their option to utilise this process.

All applications under this appeal procedure must be submitted to Susan Keegan, 63-64 Adelaide Road, before 5 pm on the 21st August 2015.

It was very hard for members of staff or their unions to submit these seeing that they bloody well were not told about it. How will this be dealt with and how much will it cost the taxpayer? They will take a case and they will win it. How will the HSE fast forward this? How will it deal with this on behalf of the taxpayer?

There is a serious issue in respect of residential care. The next big scandal in the health service will be in residential care. We do not put enough money into it. Granted, it is expensive. It can cost up to €250,000 per person for people with serious disabilities, such as severe autism and various other conditions. I know of many cases, as do my colleagues, of people who are being left in limbo with their families left in difficult circumstances. The director general of the HSE knows of one case that I have raised with him. People with these issues are residing at home and endangering other family members. The State is allowing this to happen, whether there is potential for sexual or physical violence or whether these people are a danger to others or themselves. The provision of residential care needs to be dealt with from a budgetary and service point of view yesterday. It is the next big scandal. What provisions are being put in place to do that?

I represent Tipperary. There is not a single mental health bed in the county. A lobby group seeking mental health services in Tipperary is upstairs. I will meet with it after talking to the witnesses here. When and how will that be dealt with?

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