Results 11,621-11,640 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Insurance Cost (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: It is very difficult not to remind the Deputy that during his party's tenure the price of premia went up and up and up. Since last year we have made serious attempts but they are not enough - more needs to be done and I have made that very clear in my initial response. We are reducing consultant fees, there has been a 15% reduction in the past two years, and the price of procedures has been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Insurance Cost (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I have discussed this with the insurance companies. They require very little modification for all to fall into the lower rating. When the Deputy's party was in power there was a 23% increase in 2008, 11% in 2009.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Insurance Cost (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: Yes, but the Deputy has accused me of presiding over a rapid rise in premia.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Insurance Cost (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: The Deputy's interpretation of events is somewhat at variance with reality.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Insurance Cost (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I will conclude. The figures I referred to are well above the 6% premia increase that is currently planned. The applications I have put into the system should not increase the overall cost of health insurance. It is about community rating and transferring the risk from the older and less well back to the young who are more well. That was always the way. It was the same when I was young...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mental Health Services (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: The 2006 report of the expert group on mental health policy on the implementation of A Vision for Change is a priority for the Government. In this regard, budget 2012 and budget 2013 provided an additional €35 million each year for the continued development of our mental health services. The Health Service Executive, HSE, national service plan 2013 commits to a number of objectives...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mental Health Services (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for her question. Both myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, have discussed this matter at length. We are both committed to ensuring these positions are filled. There were delays last year but we have been assured by the HSE that this will not happen again this year and the positions will be filled. We are concerned about having proper community...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mental Health Services (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: Having worked for 20 years as a visiting general practitioner to St. Ita's, I know psychiatric treatment, intellectual disability and mental health services have been the Cinderella of the health services. We are doing everything in our health policy to address that. For example, primary care centres must have a mental health facility that will destigmatise this issue so that people will...

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: The decision to locate the new children's hospital at the St. James's Hospital campus was announced on 6 November 2012. Co-location, and ultimately tri-location with a maternity hospital, on the St. James's campus will support the provision of excellence in clinical care that our children deserve. Following the announcement of the Government decision, detailed consideration has been given...

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I am pleased that Deputy Kelleher has referred to Dr. Jim Browne. I believe he will make an excellent chair of the new children's hospital group. One problem has been the need to separate some of the functions of the previous board to get the required result. I assure the Deputy and all those concerned with delivering care to children in this country that there is no intention on our part...

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: There will be no such effort on our part to reduce the care available to children. I am acutely aware from my involvement in medicine that the window of opportunity for best outcomes for children is often quite short and that several procedures may be required over a period of time. Nothing of that nature will be allowed to happen. In regard to budgets, had we kept to the normal way of...

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: As an elderly lady once said to me, the truth is not fragile and it will not break. The truth is that there have been significant improvements in the number of people who endure trolley waits or have to wait longer than nine months or wait longer than 12 weeks for endoscopies.

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: All of these areas have seen improvements of between 95% and 99%. That is something Fianna Fáil failed to do over 14 years when it had buckets of money. We have done it in two years. I thank the excellent men and women who work in our health service for the changes they have embraced. This is something they have yearned to do for years.

Other Questions: Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: Consultants play a central role in the delivery of our health services. They are committed to the provision of the best quality care to those who use these services. I welcome the leadership and co-operation shown by consultants in the development and implementation of new models of care through the HSE’s national clinical programmes. Two of these programmes were mentioned by Mr....

Other Questions: Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I will first deal with Deputy Ó Caoláin's question. I have already pointed out that it was a matter to be ruled on by the Labour Court and that we do not believe the practice to be sustainable or justifiable. The majority of consultants are compliant to the best of my knowledge. I am not aware of instances where they are not compliant. I am reluctant to use the word "always"...

Other Questions: Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I will provide Deputy Ó Caoláin with a more complete response when I have had a chance to check the exact status of things. With regard to Deputy Kelleher's point, there are no ongoing negotiations. The negotiations are over. The LRC negotiations have finished.

Other Questions: Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: No, there is no negotiation. The implementation of the arrangements will be done through the clinical directors. It is important to point out that the bulk of consultants had been doing this sort of work pro bono, and I thank them for that. They have done an extraordinary job in terms of embracing the new changes. In 2011, they have, through the clinical programmes and coming in at...

Other Questions: Health Service Executive Savings (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 72 together. The service plan for the HSE includes two amounts of €15 million to be saved during the course of 2013. Further details of these amounts will be included in regional business plans which are close to finalisation. The €15 million related to probity is a savings target related to the purchase and use of goods in local...

Other Questions: Health Service Reform (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 344 together. The Government is embarking on a major reform programme for the health system, the aim of which is to deliver a single tier health service, supported by universal health insurance, UHI, where access is based on need, not on income. The Department, in consultation with the UHI implementation group, has identified the key building...

Other Questions: Health Service Reform (14 Feb 2013)

James Reilly: It is important to point out that we have to fix the immediate problems in the service for those who have to use it on a day-to-day basis. That is something we are doing. I mentioned earlier that I am focused on outcomes for patients, as opposed to inputs. To that end, I would like to point out again that there were 20,352 fewer patients on trolleys in 2012 than in 2011. That represents a...