Results 7,781-7,800 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte asked me when we would go to tender or if there would be tenders. That was the first question.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The second question he asked was whether it would be leased or if some other arrangement would apply.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It will not be a sale. The Minister, Deputy Harney, said today that she wanted to attract investment into the health service and contrary to some view, which is mainly Deputy Rabbitte's view, we will not give away any land. The land would be leased. The private providers will profit share with a public hospital.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That has been the position for a long time. To answer the second question, it will be leased. In reply to Deputy Rabbitte's third question, the Government wishes to build eight private hospitals on these lands as soon as possible——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——which will be far quicker than the public sector doing it, and take 1,000 additional beds for public patients to try to stop the current position. Deputy Rabbitte is right. I do take the socialist view on this matter. It is wrong that private beds in public hospitals are being only part paid — 40%——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——by the private operators. It would be far better if we could build private hospitals that would take the private beds out of the public hospitals and put 1,000 public patients in to reduce waiting lists. In that way we would be able to have a faster and better health system.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: That is done in the Scandinavian countries, in socialist countries——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and in countries throughout the world.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Labour Party would prefer to stand up here every day and moan and groan about waiting lists in public hospitals rather than——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy Howlin had his chance in this Department and he did nothing about it.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It would be far better to have public patients dealt with in public hospitals than the current system where the State and the taxpayer strongly subsidise the private beds rather than have people on long waiting lists.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Is Deputy Burton the third health expert in the Labour Party? Those in the Labour Party should decide if they want to reduce waiting lists——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——or do they want to protect inefficiencies?

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Is that what they want to do? I know their agenda on this issue.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I think the Deputy is confused on the issue. The policy of co-location was enunciated in July 2005. There is no confusion about the policy. The question I was asked on 28 February was about the contracts. I am not involved in the detail of the contracts. I do not involve myself with any of the agencies about the stage of contract and negotiation they are in. I have no knowledge today,...

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I do not really understand the Deputy's argument, but I will give him my answer having listened carefully to him. He asked me on what basis do we judge it. We base it first on international experience where Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, UK, Australia and others operate this system. In the past few years we have successfully brought into our health service, for both public and private,...

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am trying to create the facilities in public hospitals to give more beds for public patients so public patients can get equity, good service and good medical staff. As I said when this came up the last day, I do not object to the same consultants also working in the collocated site in their private capacity. I object to public patients not being able to get into a public hospital because...

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: This is the position that has operated for decades since the Health Act 1948.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I am answering Deputy Ó Caoláin. I know the Labour Party view. It has a different position and I know what it is at in this. It is not about public and private patients.

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It wants to protect another issue and I will deal with that on another day.