Results 2,021-2,040 of 10,459 for speaker:Bertie Ahern

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: They are not management staff. The case in Cavan that Deputy Kenny mentioned arose because a consultant was on holidays and no locum has been put in. The HSE must manage within its budget and these are some of the effects of that.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Not very many years ago legislation was introduced by Fine Gael, which I supported, so there is no criticism of that, under which health boards could not exceed their allocation and must manage within that.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Deputy McCormack is not the leader of Fine Gael.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The HSE must get itself into line by the end of the year. There is no alternative to that. It accepts it has an obligation to do it. This time last year the HSE had underspent and there was a race to spend the money it had in the last few months of the year. I was criticised because its capital programme was not spent. This year it has its management together——

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It has got its systems and structures together. It has spent its capital programme and it is on target with regard to its capital programme. It is not in the same position as it was last year. Deputy Kenny's allegation that the HSE is not providing a top quality service in most areas of health is untrue. UCD did a very large and comprehensive survey of the health service, taking in more...

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I can only give the factual position. A total of 100,000 inpatient and day care procedures are done in the public hospital system every month, more than 1 million annually. This is not a big country. The figures are, therefore, impressive. At the end of September, which is right up to date, there were 19,083 adults and 2,320 children waiting for more than three months for hospital treatment.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Those figures include both medical and surgical areas. Across the entire public hospital system that is a total of 21,403. The breakdown in regard to adults is 8,026 waiting three to six months, 6,046 waiting six to 12 months, and 5,011 waiting longer than 12 months. In the case of children the breakdown is 1,020 waiting three to six months, 784 waiting six to 12 months and 516 waiting...

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: We have doubled the number of consultants. I presume they are doing their best to administer the services.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In regard to some of the short-term difficulties the HSE is having, it must get itself within its annual budget which is employing 120,000 people and spending €14 billion. It must manage its budget the same as every other agency. It has agreed to do that.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: A number of points have been raised. I am glad Deputy Gilmore acknowledges our health service is good and that he agrees, as I do, that the more efficient that service is in treating patients, the better. Ministers and official members of the health committee have made considerable efforts to improve the service and to ensure an efficient structure. I must acknowledge — it is easy to...

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Government has stated that frontline services should not be affected——-

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: ——and that resources which must be clawed back must be taken from non-emergency areas. The Government has told the HSE that where difficulties arise, they should be addressed in conjunction with the staff under the partnership programme which deals with such issues. The HSE has taken our advice and is seeking to address its problems in an organised manner. The reality is that...

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: He cited an example of funding allocated to his Department for the provision of ambulances in rural areas and suggested this might be of assistance to the HSE. The Minister is directly engaged in the provision of funding, under the aegis of programmes operated by his Department, to assist the HSE and I believe this is the right thing to do.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: In reply to Deputy Gilmore, neither the HSE budget nor its approved staffing level has been cut. There has been no cut in its service agreement——

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There has been no cut in the resources provided for its service agreement or in its staffing level for 2007.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: There has been no cut. The budget allocation, service agreement and staffing levels for 2007 have not been cut. This is a fact.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: Another fact is that the HSE is seeing tens of thousands more patients in a faster time than has ever happened in the Irish health service. It is competently extending and advancing a more sophisticated service to patients in public hospitals and in community care than ever before. More community care packages and services than ever before are being provided throughout the country.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (2 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 to 166, inclusive, together. The main bodies under the remit of my Department are the National Statistics Board, the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, the National Economic and Social Council and the National Economic and Social Forum. Details of their respective memberships and recent appointments are attached at Appendix A. The Law...

Order of Business (2 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: It is proposed to take No. 4, Markets in Financial Instruments and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2007 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage; No. 1, Control of Exports Bill 2007 [Seanad] — Second Stage. Private Members' business shall be No. 16, motion re health services.

Order of Business (2 Oct 2007)

Bertie Ahern: The Deputy has raised a number of points. The Government is anxious to set up the committees and to get them going. Not many changes have been proposed. I understand that two or three changes have been suggested, on which I hope agreement can be reached, and the Government Whip was endeavouring to do so today. Most of the other committees will remain intact. The representation of parties...