Results 3,301-3,320 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: We are a long way from where we were. While expenditure of €12 billion on health services in a country with a population of 4 million is significant, I do not believe the money is wasted. The facilities are improving all the time. New units are being opened and new staff are being employed, which is good. There will always be new inventions to improve the service. Planning is under way for...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: BreastCheck was launched in 1999.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: It is six years ago but, unfortunately, one cannot introduce the service today and implement it tomorrow.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte referred to Dr. O'Reilly. I do not know the man and I am not saying he is a liar. I am sure he is working very hard. My information is that the resources in that area have been sanctioned and approved. I will check it out but my information is that the resources have been made available for the €47 million unit.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that I was not at the meeting.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I agree with the Deputy, someone should tell him.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: He is working with the management of the hospital, therefore, someone should tell him. The main point is that Dr. O'Reilly said he needs better facilities. I am saying the new unit, including the ten-bed oncology ward, is approved. It is going ahead and will be put in to Cork University Hospital.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I understand Dr. O'Reilly is a consultant medical oncologist, of whom there were two.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Two were approved by Comhairle na nOspidéal but one left to take up a post in Dublin.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: A locum consultant oncologist is working with Dr. O'Reilly.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: When there is a full-time post, the locum will become a full-time oncologist, but there are still two people employed. The Deputy asked me not to generalise when responding but to stick to Cork, which means I must repeat myself. I said that approval has been secured to proceed to the next phase of the €47 million oncology-cardiac-renal centre which will have a dedicated 30-bed oncology...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: The BreastCheck programme covers east to west and is being extended to Galway. The Tánaiste and I met some consultants earlier in the year. The service covers approximately half the population. It will be rolled out in the rest of the country between now and the beginning of 2007, which is in 14 or 15 months' time. This progress has been made from a time when there was no BreastCheck...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Under the cancer strategy, €80 million in cumulative additional funding has been made available to the southern region alone, with an additional 11 consultants and support staff being appointed throughout the region. It is a considerable investment and while it will not solve every case, it will go a long way towards improving the service.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Dr. O'Reilly is working in Cork. He worked in Waterford until three or four years ago. His colleague in Cork moved to Dublin. I do not know why Dr. O'Reilly moved to Cork.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am not going to ask him. I am not going to go around asking 104,000 people in the health service why they moved from one area to another.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I presume he left Waterford because there were better facilities in Cork and the other man moved to Dublin because he thought there were better facilities there.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Whatever the reason, Dr. O'Reilly is working with a locum in Cork and that post will be filled in due time. Planning is underway for the development of the remaining half of the country on the infrastructure for the national roll out of BreastCheck. BreastCheck has advertised for the key lead consultant radiologists and radiotherapists for the programme and to recruit other key clinical posts...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: If Dr. O'Reilly wants to meet me, he could have arranged it easily enough. I am easy enough to meet.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: I am sure he is too busy, I accept that. There is a locum working in Cork so two consultants are there. They are not the only people, there are 11 consultants in place. We have already improved the new unit and BreastCheck is being rolled out.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Bertie Ahern: Maybe there is——