Results 3,941-3,960 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Other Questions: Health Insurance Regulation (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: How long do we have left?

Other Questions: Health Insurance Regulation (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: Is Deputy Durkan lurking?

Other Questions: Health Insurance Regulation (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 57 together. The Government agreed in December 2011 to address the European Court of Justice ruling of September 2011 and to work with the VHI in its application process for authorisation by the Central Bank of Ireland, CBI, subject to further Government consideration of any application for authorisation. Despite good progress, it was not possible to...

Other Questions: Health Insurance Regulation (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy opposite and I believe all Members will welcome this development. As for universal health insurance, it obviously broadens the market and offers all insurers opportunity within the market. The VHI, being the dominant player, has seen a reduction in its market share down to 57%. Nonetheless, it remains responsible for 80% of the payout and therefore has a huge role with...

Other Questions: Health Insurance Regulation (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: As his party's spokesperson on finance, I am sure the Deputy would be the very first person to castigate the Government, were it to continue to allow ongoing tax bills to accrue that have risen from €400 million to €450 million and which would have been €500 million this year. Pressure must be brought to bear upon the insurers to reduce the cost of private health care.

Other Questions: Health Insurance Regulation (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: That pressure would not exactly be felt were the Government to turn around and continue to hand tax breaks to the insurers' customers to meet their increasing premium costs because they failed to address their underlying cost base.

Other Questions: Health Insurance Regulation (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: Deputy Kelleher has had his little say.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Maternity Services (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I have no issue with that. I will have to discuss it with the HSE. Certainly, it will be made available to the family, there is no question about that, and then, in conjunction with them, redacted, if it is to be published. I have no issue with that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mental Health Commission Reports (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I take this matter very seriously. I have pointed out what has been recommended and note the word "should" appears a lot. As far as I am concerned, the word "should" will be replaced with the word "will". These are the most vulnerable people and they cannot speak for themselves. Therefore there is a requirement for us to look out for and speak up for them. I and the Minister of State,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Maternity Services (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Deputy for their agreement. I am conscious of the personal tragedy for the family at the centre of this sad incident and am very anxious not to intrude on its privacy. I would like to express my sympathy to the family concerned on the sad loss of their child. I am advised that following an obstetric clinical incident in Cavan General Hospital in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Maternity Services (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I refer the Deputy to my earlier statement that the family's views will be included in the overall report of the review team and that a final report from the external review committee will be submitted to the HSE in the coming weeks. I agree with the Deputy and share his concern that people would be reassured of the safety of the service. To make a general point, we have an excellent...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: HSE Legal Cases (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: In principle, I have no issue whatsoever with what the Deputy is suggesting. I am exploring ways of getting the law out of this in terms of the adversarial element and looking at the New Zealand process where the maximum amount paid out is €100,000. It seeks to remedy the effects of the misadventure from the patient's point of view so that the person is supported in the community....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mental Health Commission Reports (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: It is important that mental health services, as with all parts of the health service, are subject to periodic review or audit where issues of potential concern are identified. Such review processes facilitate services to improve the quality and safety of the care and treatment provided, by identifying any matters of concern and making recommendations as to the steps necessary to address...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mental Health Commission Reports (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I assure the Deputy there are recommendations and they are being put in place. The HSE mental health division, in conjunction with the Mental Health Commission, should review the completeness of the notification circumstances to ensure that sudden unexplained deaths in persons in receipt of services for more recently developed service problems will be captured, that is, home care and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Medical Card Reviews (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: Senator Marc MacSharry is in very good electioneering mode.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: HSE Legal Cases (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which is a cause of grave concern to me. As an underlying principle, compensation moneys should go to those who have suffered harm, not to members of the legal profession. The cost of clinical indemnity scheme claims under management with the State Claims Agency, SCA, in 2013 was €119.3 million in total. This figure relates to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: HSE Legal Cases (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I cannot stand over the last figures referred to by the Deputy. I do not know, for example, whether the legal fees paid out by the HSE include child care cases, on which a great deal of money was paid out in the period in question. I will check out those details. What is of great concern to me - it is something I pointed out repeatedly when I was on the other side of the House - is that up...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: In the short time I have, I wish to address some inaccuracies. The INMO may have its own figures but we have figures which were given to me last week on the ratio of staff to patients at Portlaoise. It is 1:48, which I acknowledge is far too high. We have a task force on nursing and midwifery which will address this issue in terms of getting the skills mix right and determining safe...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: The Deputy raises an important point but the moratorium is being used in a focused fashion here. We employed 750 additional nurses last year. We want to have the nurse ratios and the skills mix done properly. We have a situation where we have some model four hospitals with nine nurses per health care assistant and others with 2.8 nurses per health care assistant. We have doctors doing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (14 May 2014)

James Reilly: I assure Deputy Kelleher that there will be no policy reversal. What is being done is what I have just described. A far more refined approach is being taken by focusing the staff in the places they are needed and getting the skills mix right. I already acknowledged that 1:48 is far too high but we must examine the roles of those working in our hospitals and determine how we can make better...