Results 1,141-1,160 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The question cannot simply be dealt with on the basis of adding to the status quo, but by reorganising the service within the acute hospital system. This requires not simply the commitment of more resources, which are envisaged by the Government in the package announced by the Tánaiste to be implemented this year, it requires the full co-operation of everybody in the acute hospital system,...

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: ——which include the requirement in some instances to improve capacity in accident and emergency departments, but also the requirement for co-operation from everyone else in such hospitals to ensure that priority is given to the resolution of the problem, which is how it will be resolved. All of us in this House should encourage management and staff to engage in that exercise in the...

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: It is most unfortunate — it seems this will be the case from here to eternity — that when we have a problem in the health service, people simply point the finger at the Minister for Finance or the Minister for Health and Children. The resources that are being applied to this area——

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: I was the first Minister for Health and Children to obtain a multi-annual capital programme from my predecessor as Minister for Finance, which continues.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The benefit is that in the past five or six years we have been in a position to put in place a capital programme, which was not the case previously when we essentially had a maintenance programme. We came into office with a capital programme which, based on the total assets employed in the health service, represented approximately 2% of the capital employed. That is a maintenance programme...

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: We should have a calm and rational discussion.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Shouting will not resolve the problem.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Our health system, including the acute hospitals, is undergoing unprecedented modernisation. I could name all those ongoing projects. People called for a reorganisation and we have established the Health Service Executive, which should be fully operational by the end of May. This is a remarkable achievement considering the extent of reorganisation involved.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: We now have a central executive responsible for all acute hospital services in the country rather than being dissipated throughout the health board system. That public capital programme continues.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: It is unprecedented in the history of the State. It is ludicrous to suggest this Minister and my predecessor have not provided resources, which far outstrip those allocated by any previous Government.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy should have been listening. When he was Minister and when Deputy Noonan was Minister, the only time——

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: When those Opposition Deputies were in the Department of Health, they did not know what their capital allocation would be from one year to the next, which is why we had such a disjointed approach to capital programmes.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: My predecessor changed the system and unprecedented resources are being given to those hospitals. The problems articulated this morning will be dealt with in the context of the rollout of that programme.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The building control Bill is expected to be enacted later this year and will incorporate the matter mentioned by the Deputy and will implement EU Directive 2002/91/EC on the energy performance of buildings.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Is that the directive referred to by Deputy Sargent?

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Bill will be published later this year. As to the Deputy's earlier question, the ordering of debate in this House is a matter for the Whips in the first instance.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: As things stand, the Bill is being dealt with in the House. The Government has sponsored and is proceeding with the Bill.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The Deputy should take the matter up with the line Minister.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: Not to my knowledge.

Order of Business. (28 Apr 2005)

Brian Cowen: The legislation is due——