Results 56,641-56,660 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Has any action been taken? Has anyone remonstrated with the bullies in these cases?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Bullying in the workplace is quite a serious issue generally and is not necessarily restricted to the health services. Is it not taken that seriously within the health services or as seriously as it is in other walks of life?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: The council regards it as a serious internal issue that requires attention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: With regard to new registrants coming from abroad and those from Ireland, to what extent do they have similar experience of bullying? It should be an interesting statistic.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: On working conditions, is there evidence in respect of modern hospital equipment, procedures and practices? Has a comparison been made or has this been observed in Ms O'Farrell's research? Is that a consideration for new registrants to look elsewhere or to leave after a short time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Would Ms O'Farrell identify working conditions as the biggest single reason - she said at the outset it was not always money - for people leaving?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: This is one of the issues that we have already discussed. Have the investigations come across particular instances of bullying that were above and beyond what would be acceptable and what action, if any, was taken as a result?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: This is my last question. There is a constant call for extra expenditure in the health services. Quite an amount of extra money has been provided to them, even in the current year. When a comparison is made with other OECD countries, we are in the top group as to expenditure. Why are we so close to the top in expenditure and also so close to the top in dissatisfaction levels with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: That is happening in any event at present. To follow up, have the witnesses seen any evidence that new or aspiring registrants are impressed with that or do they see it as a reason for taking a new look at the Irish health service?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Are they taking a new look at the Irish health service with a view to becoming employed within the sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Yes, because of Sláintecare.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Does Dr. Doyle not think that it might be helpful if they did?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: No, it is not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: It is the report of a specific all-party committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas, which is representative of all shades of political opinion in this country-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: -----and maybe none. There is not much sense in producing a report of that nature, which is deemed to be integral to the running of the health service in future and taking into account all of the issues that we have dealt with and having received complaints about and going to all that trouble if, within the system, those directly involved in the front line say they do not know about it, as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I will, I am sure, be allowed to go on for some considerable time. Coming to the end of a discussion it is always different as there are more questions at the end-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I appreciate that. It was said earlier that politics should be taken out of medicine. Where did I hear that before? It has been ever thus, unfortunately. Think back to 2003 and 2004 when the health boards were abolished. The purpose of that exercise, according to the consultants with whom I had regular consultations at the time, was to take politics out of medicine and that it was going...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I would suggest that somewhere along the line, the lines have become blurred. According to some financial experts Ireland has the third or fourth most expensive health service in the OECD countries. That is not speculation or surmise; it is a fact. Previously the question was answered on the basis that presumably we are spending the money in the wrong place. Of course, everybody would say...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Wait a second now. I know the witness is anxious to give replies but tarry a little. We will wait and see. The then Minister for Health, Senator James Reilly, was named as the culprit in 2012. I am not certain as to whether any suggestion was made by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association as to how best that particular situation could be handled. Most of the country was broke,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I cannot compete with Deputy Donnelly who made an offer to alleviate some of the budgetary concerns, but I am sure we will relay to the Minister the association's anxiety to progress matters on an amicable basis and I am sure he will respond in kind. I cannot determine the outcome, but if the two sides are engaged, I am hopeful there would be some outcome. I have a couple of more questions,...