Dáil debates

Thursday, 13 April 2017

12:05 pm

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Government has been and is taking action. The Minister for Health has a series of initiatives to improve our health service. The first point I would make is that it is the highest health budget ever at €14.6 billion, demonstrating the Government's commitment to investing the gains from the recovering economy I spoke about to improving the health services. There is increased demand, as the Deputy rightly points out, from a growing and ageing population. We have a series of new developments in drugs, for example, and the Deputy will be aware of the very welcome decision taken this week on Orkambi to respond to the needs of people who have cystic fibrosis.

As the Deputy knows, the Minister met with the INMO this morning, and it is worth putting on the record that over 80% of nurses voted recently to accept the Workplace Relations Commission recommendation.

In terms of improving our health service, the key issue is the recruitment of more nurses. Part of the proposals was that 1,208 fully funded new posts for nurses will be in place by the end of this year. Both the INMO and the Minister are working to ensure that we have that recruitment and retention. That is absolutely critical. There is a new Bring them Home initiative, increased supports for nurses who return here and further pre-retirement initiatives to ensure that we can retain the nurses we currently have. The Minister and the INMO are agreed on that. Over 80% of the nurses are agreed on it also.

I would point to other initiatives that have happened. We have seen the increased funding that has gone into home care for the very people the Deputy spoke about. Increased numbers of home care packages have been made available and there was additional funding of €18.5 million in budget 2017 to support the development of primary care services. This week, given the funding we now have for the National Treatment Purchase Fund, more than 2,000 people will get their appointments. That is now possible because that funding is available under the National Treatment Purchase Fund. Those are real people who need services.

I would point out to the Deputy also that the trolley numbers are down approximately 5% in the year to date. There are huge challenges but progress is being made. With the exception of one day, there was a decrease in the numbers on every day in April compared to the same time last year. The numbers range from a 3.6% decrease in waiting time on one day to a 27.7% decrease on another day. Progress is being made but there are huge challenges in terms of extra demands on our health services.

I totally acknowledge the distress that can and is being caused to patients and their families, and to front-line staff who have been working in extremely difficult circumstances, but a range of both budgetary supports and other supports are being made available. For example, with regard to an issue that was raised here frequently, in January and February of this year we had the lowest level of delayed discharges in recent years. Progress is being made but huge challenges remain.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.