Results 10,721-10,740 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: I thank the members for their contributions. The tone has been reasonable, which is always beneficial when we are trying to discuss serious issues associated with health. The issue of health can be very emotional, as we know. People get very upset when they cannot obtain certain services or get their child into a certain school, but this is nothing by comparison with the emotional trauma...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: Correct.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: It is not so much that they are refusing but that they just cannot afford to go, as the Chairman said. It is also a question of the cost of the care. This is why we want to extend free GP care to the entire population. The value of 2,000 medical cardholders to a GP's practice is approximately €500 million. Many expenses must be paid from that but, none the less, that is the...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: There ought to be a quid pro quo and mutual respect on the part of the system and patient. The patient should be respected by the system delivering the care, but the patient should respect the fact that the system must deliver to others also and that if one abuses it, others suffer. With regard to the average cost of the GP service, €51, one should note that it is €22 in...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: I have asked for and get weekly reports.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: I had better conclude, because I must be out of here by 11 a.m. There are a number of issues to be raised about the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation's survey. While the Department has not seen the full results and has not had an opportunity to examine it, Deputy Healy in particular made some statements with which I do not agree. He stated the cuts are having serious consequences for...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: In my view, there is no single biggest reform as what we are doing is reforming the entire system. This is a valid and important point to make. I keep using John Donne's line, "No man is an island, entire of itself" and no part of the health system is an island entirely unto itself. If one hopes to fix the emergency department problem, one must fix what is happening elsewhere in the...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: If I may, I wish to come back to the whole issue of outcomes for patients. We have pretty good measurements for outcomes in hospitals, which include average length of stay, waiting times, how many people are treated, how many are readmitted within 30 days and so on. However, we have very little by way of measurement of outcomes in primary care. As a general practitioner, I believe it must...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: Deputy Healy asked about a full assessment and he mentioned an issue concerning a three-hour assessment. As regards the full assessment, the focus was to be around those most dependent and who required personal care services. The idea was to maintain those, if necessary by reducing the lesser dependent people who may be just getting household duties, shopping and cleaning. What was meant...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: I accept that but I am just giving an example. I am not quite sure what the Deputy is referring to about three hour assessments. However, if it is a three hour process in assessing a client’s needs, then it is a good development. I do not believe anyone would be happy with a five or ten minute assessment. We need to have comprehensive assessments so as to provide the best and most...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: I have a real concern about the assessment tool, a point raised by Deputy Ó Caoláin. With the fair deal, not alone did we find funding was difficult to follow once it went below the regional director of organisation level, but even though we had a supposedly uniform process for assessing people for long-term care, it was not uniformly applied. There were different professionals in...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: I thank the Chair and the committee for their questions. I am sorry we were not able to discuss the Estimates in the finer detail that some would like as we cannot do so until budget day. The budget has not even been signed off on in my case. I have to go back to deal with that now.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Allocations for Public Expenditure 2013: Discussion with Minister for Health (29 Nov 2012)

James Reilly: It will be in early December.

Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (4 Dec 2012)

James Reilly: I am pleased to have the opportunity to make this statement on the report of the expert group on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in A, B and C v. Ireland. The reason for this debate - more than 20 hours have been set aside for statements to be taken in the Houses of the Oireachtas on this topic - is that the Government is committed to allowing all Members of the Houses...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (4 Dec 2012)

James Reilly: The Health Insurance Act regulates how private health insurance is provided for those who choose to purchase it. Currently, the figure amounts to 46% of the population. This has always been a remarkable feature of our system, given that, in theory, everyone is entitled to free hospital care. Over a period covering several Governments people lost faith in the ability of the public service...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (4 Dec 2012)

James Reilly: I agree with Deputy Billy Kelleher in the sentiments he expressed. Young people are not being discouraged from entering the market. I hope the Deputy joins me in calling on insurers to provide student cover until the age of 23 years, as provided for in legislation. The insurers can do so if they want, but they have chosen not to do so. They are free to offer products and set prices at...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (4 Dec 2012)

James Reilly: I take on board what the Deputy is saying. Insurers are locked in competition for younger customers because that is where they make their greatest profit. For that reason, they will not cut prices too much. We want to encourage them to reduce their costs so that they are in a position to cut their prices. We have already undertaken to discuss lifetime community rating with insurers....

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (4 Dec 2012)

James Reilly: Sadly, Deputy Ó Caoláin has misconstrued the situation, which is a recurring problem. This universal health insurance, as outlined and committed to in the programme for Government, is not based on private insurance. The programme for Government is very clear the VHI will be retained. It is a State-owned insurer and it is to be retained as a public option. Furthermore, the...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (4 Dec 2012)

James Reilly: I will deal with the last point. I would not have been greatly impressed with the role the HIA had in the past. It is intended to beef it up considerably so it can act as a regulator. One is nearly afraid to use the word "regulator" in this country, having seen all the failures of regulation in the past.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (4 Dec 2012)

James Reilly: However, it will be independent and will protect the consumer, define the standard policy to be available and monitor very closely any products created by the insurance companies to ensure there is no attempt at cherry-picking and segmenting in the market. By that I mean trying to encourage younger people into certain products and to discourage older people. I would be the first to accept...