Results 4,341-4,360 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand that, but I refer to the initial Vote of funds to the HSE. I am not doing this to get into a finger-pointing exercise or a blame game, this is the responsibility of the Oireachtas – of the Government in the first instance – to vote the moneys. We have fallen well short in 2011 to the tune of €148 million and then in 2012 to the tune of €360 million....

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does the HSE take the same view in respect of the year 2012, in which the Supplementary Estimate was more substantial?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: For example?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Whatever about Mr. O'Brien's judgment call on whether it was insufficiency of funding or underestimation and whichever judgment one makes, there is now an established pattern of a shortfall and the necessity of a Supplementary Estimate. The reason I ask this question of Mr. O'Brien is not so much with an eye on 2011 but more with an eye to the future and the €721 million earmarked for...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Mr. O'Brien should translate what he means.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: My understanding, if I have this right, is that at the end of February, the HSE was running a €22 million deficit on revenue. Mr. O'Brien has now stated, according to the figures he has provided, that the HSE has a revenue deficit of €7 million. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: All right.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Bluntly, is Mr. O'Brien satisfied the €721 million in savings are achievable? Is he satisfied the HSE will not require a Supplementary Estimate again this year?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Has the HSE made contingency arrangements or has it begun to consider where it might find this saving of €150 million that, had the Croke Park II deal gone through, had been anticipated? As Mr. O'Brien is aware, it was roundly rejected.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Obviously, a gap of €150 million in the HSE's calculations is a highly significant figure. Has Mr. O'Brien spoken to the Minister in this regard in the wake of the Croke Park II agreement being defeated? Has Mr. O'Brien sent an alarm bell up the system and what contact has there been?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: As the person who is in charge of the HSE, Mr. O'Brien is the boss and has nurses and all grades of professionals, as well as clerical grades and so on working on his watch. In his discussions with the Minister, has Mr. O'Brien ever suggested that seeking to find the aforementioned €150 million in savings through a cut to pay perhaps was not the most advisable course of action?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does Mr. Tony O'Brien think, for instance, that a staff nurse should be taking a pay cut? He is in charge. He must have a view on where people are at. Should there be a pay cut for a staff nurse on €30,000 who, as he stated, is under pressure and doing more with a whole lot less? Mr. Tony O'Brien is the management guy. The human resource director, Mr. Barry O'Brien, is present....

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand that. I would have thought that the issue of good management practice, staff retention and morale would be clear management concerns for Mr. Tony O'Brien and Mr. Barry O'Brien, and I would have thought that Mr. Tony O'Brien would have a view on it. Given that Mr. Tony O'Brien is in charge, I also would have thought that he would express a view to Government on that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: As the top manager of the HSE, has Mr. Tony O'Brien a duty of care to the staff who work in the health service?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Would that include expressing a view to Government in respect of changes to pay, terms and conditions and the knock-on effect that would have on his staff and on the service for which he is responsible?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am not asking Mr. Tony O'Brien to comment necessarily on Government policy. I am asking him a management question. He is in charge, not only to account for the numbers - the pounds, shillings and pence - but also for the good governance and management structure of the HSE. That is his job. I am asking him in respect of his duty of care to the staff within the service. He acknowledged...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 40 - Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive Financial Statements 2011 (25 Apr 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes.