Results 10,521-10,540 of 33,581 for speaker:Catherine Connolly
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: In terms of choice of private nursing homes coming forward for assessment, is that down to the price negotiated as was said previously? Is it open to every single nursing home to come under fair deal?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I am just going to go back for my last ten or 15 minutes.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Going back to the National Treatment Purchase Fund accounts, the rent is extraordinary. It is on page 17 of the financial statement. The rent and the increase are extraordinary. The rent for 2015 was €442,897 and it has gone up to €603,805. Can Mr. Horan explain that, please?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: While he is doing so, the professional expenses have significantly jumped from €61,624 - have I got the witnesses' attention or am I losing them? We are looking at page 17.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: On page 17 we see huge changes in office rent and professional expenses. Advertising and promotion shows a huge increase. I have mentioned the office. Professional services have gone from €61,624 up to €414,941. Advertising and promotion has gone from around €8,000 to around €78,000. Can we take those three and see what explanation we can have?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Could Mr. Flood say that again?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Could we get a list of those?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Mr. Horan's opening statement is a hymn of praise to himself and the service and while I have nothing against self-praise, I take a slightly different view. The National Treatment Purchase Fund was set up as a temporary measure but has become an institution and is still in place. That is not a reflection on the witnesses. It was set up by Government to reduce waiting lists. I note Galway...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Was the NTPF aware of it?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: I will come back to Mr. Flood in a minute. In the opening statement, Mr. Horan said the the National Treatment Purchase Fund was aware of capacity issues. The National Treatment Purchase Fund is now going to open the beds in St. Finbar's ward, which should be open in the first place. Is that right?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: For achieving its targets.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: The HSE west in Galway states that, because of a lack of money, it cannot open St. Finbar's ward but we only discover this when a crisis arises because we are not told otherwise. Rather than providing staff for the ward or giving reasons for closing beds, we learn that the National Treatment Purchase Fund will purchase public beds in a public hospital.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Does the National Treatment Purchase Fund not have an advisory role?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: Has it advised the Government or done an audit of the empty beds and wards in public hospitals in the country? Has it advised the Government that it is ridiculous to build up a long list? The orthopaedic list is the longest list and most of the people on it will have to be sent off to private hospitals at extra cost. Has the NTPF advised the Government on what is happening?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: There is a difficulty with that because I was not aware there were empty beds in St. Finbar's ward, and nor was the public, until the two operating theatres closed down in Merlin Park. We then inadvertently discovered that capacity is available in St. Finbar's ward. In the meantime, the orthopaedic waiting list is the longest of all the waiting lists.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: We have set up a whole new structure that was supposed to be temporary but now seems to be long-term. The rent of for the NTPF's offices costs €603,000. Why did it jump from €442,000?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: That is money that could go directly into paying nurses, doctors and physiotherapists and directly into the system but is being used to rent a building. I am not blaming the witnesses and understand that they are doing their best within the system but I have to highlight this. There were also professional expenses, data collection and new software. What about advertising and promotion?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: What was the NTPF advertising?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: For what purpose?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2016: National Treatment Purchase Fund (14 Jun 2018)
Catherine Connolly: What was being communicated at a cost of €78,062?