James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A number of initiatives are on the way. One of my real complaints about the HSE when I was in Opposition was its inability, in spite of being a national organisation, to bring any uniformity of approach to matters. One found excellence in one hospital but this was not transferred across to other hospitals. It is not always appropriate that the same measures should work in every hospital but one that has worked very well in Tallaght Hospital was fobbing in and fobbing out, a measure that cut the overtime bill considerably. The Deputy can draw his own conclusions from that. That must be done. We must transfer work undertaken by NCHDs to other grades and allied professionals. We need the organisation of hospital services to be done in such a way that we can support the European working time directive.

I want to see a situation where doctors can have a career, a life and a hobby. Currently, that is not the case for some - that is wrong and must be addressed. I do not wish to turn this into a political punch and judy show but I must tell Deputy Kelleher that the last Government simply threw money at the problem rather than face it down and reform the system. That is what we are going to do now.

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