Results 13,301-13,320 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: Improving access to hospital services for patients is a priority in the Programme for Government. In July 2011, I established the Special Delivery Unit (SDU) as set out in the Programme for Government, with the aim of unblocking access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system. Since then, the number of adults waiting over nine months has fallen by 25%, the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: In 2013 the health sector continues to face the dual challenge of reducing costs while at the same time improving outcomes for patients. The financial challenges to be addressed this year are significant and a total cost reduction requirement of €721m was identified in the National Service Plan approved in January. Based on a review of financial data to date, the HSE is not flagging...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Provision (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 633 and 638 together. Government policy requires that by the end of 2013 the health service achieves a workforce of 98,955 wholetime equivalents (WTEs), a gross reduction of almost 4,000 WTE in the current year. Given the requirement on the HSE to reduce numbers employed and to achieve savings of over €700m this year, there is very limited scope to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Regulation (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: My Department oversees the maintenance of a competitive and sustainable private health insurance market, under the provisions of the Health Insurance Acts 1994 to 2012, and monitors developments on an ongoing basis, to ensure that the market is regulated appropriately in the transition to a market-based Universal Health Insurance system. I have consistently raised the issue of managing...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Public Procurement Regulations (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: All Government Departments and Agencies funded by the Exchequer must comply with EU Directives and national guidelines on procurement. Procurement of medicine, drugs or services in the health care sector which supports the delivery of health care is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Issues (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced, in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets. As a major employer, the health sector must make a significant contribution to this reduction. This policy requires that, by the end of 2013, the health service achieves a workforce of 98,955 wholetime equivalents (WTEs). The HSE may continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Issues (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced, in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets. As a major employer, the health sector must make a significant contribution to this reduction. This policy requires that by the end of 2013, the health service achieves a workforce of 98,955 wholetime equivalents (WTEs). The HSE may continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: Improving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Collaborating with individual hospitals, the SDU, together with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and the HSE, has developed the outpatient waiting list minimum dataset. This allows data to be submitted to the NTPF from hospitals on a weekly basis and, for the first time, outpatient data is available on...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for raising this issue. I am glad to hear that he wants to be positive about his hospital. He has every reason to be. Particular hospitals and specialties have experienced difficulties in filling medical non-consultant hospital doctor, NCHD, posts over the past number of years. Addressing this issue has been a priority for the health service and, as the...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I can assure Deputy McGrath that I take on board what he is saying. I am aware that the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Tom Hayes, is most concerned about this issue too.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: As Deputy McGrath said, the hospital is a busy one. He mentioned in his earlier contribution that he hoped it was not being closed down by stealth. There is no question of closing down any hospital of this nature. That will not happen. We do not have the capacity in the system to allow for such things. It is not my intention to close any hospital.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: Last year there were more than 30,000 emergency department presentations, 13,490 inpatient discharges, 5,842 day cases, 1,070 births and an excellent average length of stay of 3.96 days. This is a good hospital that performs really good work. It is invaluable to the local community and also to the network. I do not know why there is a noise. I do not think it is my phone.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: It must be Deputy Tom Hayes's phone. He is probably watching in. There are a number of points I want to make, and I will take the opportunity to make them, if I may.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Staff Recruitment (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: First, the way in which we have been treating our NCHDs - giving them six-month contracts - is anathema to me. It is wrong. We should be giving them two- or three-year contracts. This would allow much greater certainty for them and for their families, and we would have greater certainty as well. Second, we are trying to create a much clearer career path for NCHDs. Third, and most...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Funding (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: My Department has no record of having received an application from the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Association for funding of a programme focussed on autisic children in the current year. My Department administers a small National Lottery Discretionary Fund from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations, providing a range of health related services. An...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Alcohol Pricing (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: Proposals are currently being finalised on foot of the recommendations in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy 2012. These proposals cover all of the areas mentioned in the report, including measures on access and availability of alcohol; controls on alcohol advertising and sponsorship; labelling of alcohol products, and legislation on minimum unit pricing. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Organ Donation (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I have been informed by the HSE that in 2012 there were 10 heart transplants performed with 13 patients awaiting transplantation. To date in 2013 there have been 4 heart transplants with 14  patients awaiting transplantation. The National Organ Donation and Transplantation Office is progressing the deployment of specialist donor co-ordinators across the emerging hospital...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Staffing (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The Health and Social Care Professionals Council (the Council) and the 12 registration boards to be established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 are responsible for protecting the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among the registrants of the following 12 health and social care professions...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Properties (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: Management of the health care property estate is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (26 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: As noted in a recent Government Decision, the Changing Cardiovascular Health is the national cardiovascular health policy from 2010 - 2019 and this provides an integrated and quality assured approach for the prevention and detection treatment of cardiovascular disease including stroke. Following a recent legislative debate on the Private Members' Bill in the Seanad, the second stage of the...