Results 6,201-6,220 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Hospital Accommodation (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: There are some 13,000 acute hospital beds, including some 1,800 day beds, in the Irish public acute hospital system. The exact number available for use at any one time varies according to a number of factors, including planned levels of activity, refurbishment and infection control. Beds are also closed to control expenditure because, like all other public agencies, hospitals have to operate...

Hospital Accommodation (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: I will start with the Deputy's last point, lest I forget it. I do not agree that more beds closed means more patients on trolleys and more people waiting. I do agree with something I said myself when in opposition: "Not another bob more into health until the black hole is found and fixed." We are in the process of doing that and of changing how hospitals operate and how and where operations...

Hospital Accommodation (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: The Deputy is pretty good at it himself.

Hospital Accommodation (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: The nature of the Deputy's question has changed somewhat.

Hospital Accommodation (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: I would always be prepared to review the situation in an individual hospital. In the past a blunt instrument was used, with 10% of capacity being taken out across all hospitals with no regard to where they were within their own capacity, so that some hospitals suffered more than others. An analysis of that is taking place at present to see where there is a capacity issue, as opposed to a...

General Medical Services Contracts (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: The programme for Government provides for the introduction of a new GMS contract with general practitioners, with an increased emphasis on the management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. I envisage that the new contract will also focus on prevention and will include a requirement for GPs to provide care as part of integrated multidisciplinary primary...

General Medical Services Contracts (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: The HSE has been clear in respect of its pursuit of consultants who are in breach of their contracts in terms of the 80%-20% split. A number of consultants will be prevented from engaging in private practice, which means, not that they will not be able to see private patients but that they will not be able to charge them. I am given to understand this may be challenged in the courts by the...

General Medical Services Contracts (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: The Deputy, like me, is aware of the law of the land, the ability of legislation to be retrospective and the rights of people under contracts. The law is not the only road open to us in this regard. There can be negotiation and are broader matters that can be brought to the table that might help people see things in a different light. On the Deputy's specific point, a number of consultants...

Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: Reducing patient waiting times is a central part of the Government's commitment to increase equity in the Irish health system. One of my first priorities, therefore, was to establish the special delivery unit in June under the leadership of Dr. Martin Connor. I know that the SDU in Northern Ireland - in respect of which Deputy Kelleher raised issues yesterday, to which I was unable to reply...

Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: There is no obligation on the Government to provide funding for private health care or private hospitals. The National Treatment Purchase Fund was established under Deputy Kelleher's Government to use the private sector as a stream for procedures. I never agreed with the ideology that only 10% of that work could be done in public hospitals. The Government is changing that. We will use the...

Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: This is about bringing accountability to the system. There is little point in having transparency if there is no accountability to go with it.

Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: Earlier this year, I sent a message to hospitals to inform them no patient should be left waiting longer than 12 months for treatment. A patient left for longer than 12 months for an inpatient procedure in a hospital will be treated elsewhere while the hospital in question will be deducted the quantum required to treat the patient. We must wait and see what this yields by 1 January 2012....

Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: The Deputy has made a statement over which I cannot stand. I know there is not sufficient information around outpatients due to double-counting and other problems. These are, however, being addressed.

Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: I am sure there are many things that Deputy Ó Caoláin may want but not all of them are achievable or desirable even. We have acknowledged we are still gathering outpatient figures while we have got more information on inpatients and real-time waiting in accident and emergency departments. I cannot wave a magic wand and get it all done in one go. Six months into our tenure, however, we...

Health Service Staff (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: There is currently no voluntary redundancy or early retirement schemes available in the public service. However, the grace period during which the calculation of public service pensions is unaffected by the pay reductions applied under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act, 2009, will expire on 29 February 2012. In this context, a three-month minimum notice...

Health Service Staff (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: I have similar concerns and have asked the HSE to put in place a plan to examine possible areas of greatest impact caused by many taking early retirement due to the pension reductions that will apply after February 2012. The executive will also need to examine age profiles in certain health services to identify greater areas of entitlement to retire and the number of inquiries about...

Health Service Staff (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: I accept the Deputy's point that it is not always the obvious people leaving who have an impact in terms of real savings, but this is where flexibility comes into the equation. People may be leaving in an area where we can ill afford their loss, yet others from areas where they are not as necessary could replace them. We could still allow people to exercise their right to leave.

Health Service Staff (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: We were always clear as regards the moratorium, in that it would remain in place, be examined more flexibly and undergo changes where a real need existed. Each time there is a crisis in our hospitals, the only suggestion the INMO makes to us is for more nurses and beds, but that sort of thinking is from yesterday and another country. Ireland is in a different place and does not have the...

Health Insurance (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: The Government is embarking on a major programme of reform of the health system. The aim is to deliver a single-tier health service supported by universal health insurance to ensure equal access to care based on need, not income. There are a number of important stepping stones along the way, each of which will play a critical role in improving our health service in advance of the...

Health Insurance (28 Sep 2011)

James Reilly: We made it clear during and since the election campaign that completing this development would take two terms of Government. The idea that we will have a White Paper before Christmas is a non-runner, as that will certainly not be the case. The Deputy's questions were not unreasonable, but these measures will not be delivered within the timeframe to which he alluded. They are a number of...