Results 241-260 of 1,158 for speaker:Fiona O'Malley

Written Answers — Pregnancy Information Services: Pregnancy Information Services (24 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: Question 402: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she is satisfied that Cura have in place arrangements which fully comply with the service level agreement made with the Crisis Pregnancy Agency on the matter of distribution of the Positive Options leaflet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34294/06]

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (24 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: Question 435: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on restoring responsibility for electricity supply security to Eirgrid and additionally charging them with responsibility for achieving the target of having 30% of electricity produced from renewable sources by 2020 following the separation of Eirgrid from ESB and taking account of the provisions of...

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak about this motion. It is important to be guided by an ideology in politics, but we need to ensure we do not become slaves to our ideologies. The Minister for Health and Children is always criticised, unfortunately, by those who accuse her of being a slave to, or guided by, a particular ideology.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: I suggest that the Opposition is completely enslaved by its ideology. The initiative of the Minister for Health and Children in increasing the number of public beds in this country has been completely misinterpreted. I prefer to call it a "reclamation project" because it involves the reclamation of 1,000 public beds, exclusively for the public health service, and needs to be recognised as...

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: I cannot believe that the Labour Party wants to perpetuate a system that provides for reserved and subsidised private beds in the publicly funded system.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: The Labour Party should think about what it is looking for. I am not sure it has really thought through its position.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: It has given a knee-jerk reaction to a policy initiative that is demonstrably delivering treatment to and shorter waiting times for the public. That is an example of ideology getting in the way of the perception of service delivery. The Minister's National Treatment Purchase Fund initiative has proven that services can be bought privately in certain circumstances. Why not buy them in such...

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: They do not care who is delivering the service as long as they are getting it. That is what is important. The duty of the Minister for Health and Children, the Government and the Parliament is to improve the provision of services to all the citizens of this country and to ensure they get the best value and the best service available. That is what the Minister, Deputy Harney, has proven...

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: If anybody else is in charge of the health care service following the next general election, we will wait and see whether they will halt the progress that is well under way.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: I noticed when I was——

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: ——listening to the radio this afternoon that Deputy Twomey was in conversation with the Minister.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: I thank the Chair. When Deputy Twomey was in conversation with the Minister, he declined to take the opportunity to indicate that he would halt the progress that is under way.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: I suppose part of the reason he declined to take that opportunity is that he has not yet cut a deal with his putative partners in government.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: The difficulty is that the people cannot wait for a health policy to be thrown together——

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: ——by two parties which will not be able to make up the numbers to form a Government.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: Such a Government would possibly be supported by the Green Party, but we do not know what its policies are.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: The people do not have time to wait for such policies be drawn up.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: Progress is well under way under the systems which have been in place for some time.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: Can the Chair advise me of the amount of time that is remaining?

Health Services: Motion (Resumed). (25 Oct 2006)

Fiona O'Malley: I do not want to take too much time.