Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Five or six issues have been raised publicly across this when you look at it. Mental health is one aspect of it. I am concerned that where some of us have argued for more money for health, the Oireachtas decides on a Vote for this and the Minister allocates the money, if that money goes to the Department of Health and there is an issue that means the money cannot be put to into effect by the HSE for some reason or other or due to whatever blockage is there, and we can speculate as to the reasons for this, that is not acceptable. If there are barriers, that is a different thing. Is it a barrier or is it a blockage?

There are a number of areas in regard to enhanced community care, nursing homes, the reconciliation of pay, budget numbers and recruitment, and serious issues have been raised around that. We have mentioned public nursing homes. At this point we are in the position to ask the secretariat to put these matters to both the HSE and the Department of Health to get their responses to the articles and issues we have raised at the committee. As to how that happens is another day’s work, but we are concerned about the issues.

This cuts right to the middle of what this committee is about, and the Comptroller and Auditor General’s advice and information is useful in that when he is in a position, we can organise a hearing on this. This is something we need to get to the bottom of. The members have heard me giving out on many occasions about the fact we have €22 billion of a health budget and, for whatever reason, we cannot get services. This cuts to the heart of whatever is going on in respect of these issues. Perhaps there are steps that have been taken to address these issues. I hate to report it but we have gone into a number of issues such as dental health, the school dental schemes and audiology services. I can rattle these off, as I am sure can other members. A good budget has been allocated, and if we had more funding, we would put it in because of the importance of health. We allocate the budgets and argue back and forth about that in this House, which is democracy. At the end of the day, however, we all recognise there has been a good budget this year but we have not been able to translate that into services at the other end. We do not know the full extent in respect of the issues raised, which is why we need to get replies from both bodies on this issue.

This cuts to the heart of this issue and I look forward to the Secretary General of the Department of Health addressing this issue directly. In fairness, I believe it has been reported that he may have suggested some of these resources have been diverted into waiting lists. One person I believe suggested that would happen. That is fair enough but this shows we can allocate money but the service does not happen at the other end. Recruitment is a problem. Is there a problem on workforce planning and training? Certainly, some of the issues that have come up at this committee and which came up again when we had Tusla before the committee concern the question whether we are training people for these positions.

What is the problem? Are they emigrating? Are they not being offered proper contracts? Are they being offered short-term contracts, maybe for six months or 12 months, but can go to Australia or Canada and get a permanent post? I do not know the answers to those questions. It would be worthwhile to raise those questions publicly with both Departments to see whether they can reply to the committee.