Results 5,641-5,660 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: The bottom line, however, is that there is a major problem in general practitioner practices, particularly in rural areas. There will now be a major problem in areas of socioeconomic deprivation. If the Minister is saying this is not happening, I fear we are facing a greater difficulty than I imagined. The one argument on which we can all agree is that primary care represents the best way...

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: I worry greatly when I listen to the Minister all the time.

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: Perhaps I should listen less. What we are talking about tonight is universal health insurance and the commitments of the Government to introduce it. The difficulty the Minister has is that his colleagues are not committed to it. If they were, he would have produced more than the document entitled The Path to Universal Healthcare. He would have produced detailed proposals and the nuts and...

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: The public should feed into it but one would have thought the Minister would have had an opinion on the matter after three years in government and numerous years in opposition highlighting it.

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: With regard to the effort to reduce costs or not have them escalate, about which the Minister has spoken, and the competition in the multi-pair system and multi-provider system, I cannot understand how the Minister believes that will work. The means by which it will work are very unclear in the strategy document. It is very unclear that those who provide the care - the general...

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: We will follow some of them, but regardless of which ones we follow, the Minister is talking about going down a route whereby we will not be able to afford the model that he is proposing.

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: We only know one thing. The Minister is asking private health insurance companies to provide a standard suite of cover which we do not yet know what it will cost or what they must be obliged to cover, and that they will compete with each other and with hospital groups or trusts and drive down costs. If the Minister asked the people who looked at these various insurance models and health...

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: In this system, the Minister is saying that hospital groups will compete with each other to provide health care, and they will then tender to work with the private health insurance companies. If I live in Moville, Carndonagh or in south-west Cork and the Minister has set up hospital groups from Tralee to Waterford and from Letterkenny to Galway, somehow there will be competition within that...

White Paper on Universal Health Insurance: Statements (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. Obviously, our party will set out its views on this and on how we fund our health service in the years ahead. I listened to the Minister's remarks regarding universal health insurance and read The Path to Universal Healthcare, which is called a White Paper. We are a long way from seeing a White Paper on universal health insurance as this is...

Leaders' Questions (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: Surely a business plan is in place.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: 162. To ask the Minister for Health the total number of medical cards as of 1 April 2014; the total number of general practitioners cards on the same date; and the total number for each type of card issued on a discretionary basis on that date [18211/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultants Recruitment (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: 163. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of consultants employed by Waterford Regional Hospital at end 2010, end 2011, end 2012, end 2013 and end March 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18217/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Transfers (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: 164. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 the number of patients who were discharged-transferred from Waterford Regional Hospital to the Whitfield Clinic in Waterford. [18218/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (16 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: 165. To ask the Minister for Health the reason for the extraordinary hike in day case and in-patient waiting lists at Waterford Regional Hospital in the year to October 2013 when there were 2,603 waiting, an increase of 1,689 on October 2012; the number of those on the day case and inpatient waiting lists in October 2013 that have since had their treatment procured privately; and if he will...

Ambulance Service: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: In the interests of correcting the record, response times were measured prior to this Minister taking office. He might correct the record in that regard tomorrow night or at some stage in the future. They were in the HSE service plans for years-----

Ambulance Service: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: Deputy Reilly should have read them when he was in opposition but obviously he did not.

Ambulance Service: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: That is factually incorrect. There were guidelines of ten minutes, 20 minutes and half an hour. They were there.

Ambulance Service: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: That is factually incorrect and the Minister knows it. He is directly misleading the House. He knows there were target times.

Ambulance Service: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: I move:That Dáil Éireann:acknowledging the:— selfless dedication to their work, of the paramedics in our ambulance service; — high quality of care that they provide; and — uniquely pressurised nature of the work they undertake;recognises that:— there is nationwide concern and disquiet about the provision of ambulance services; — this situation...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (15 Apr 2014)

Billy Kelleher: I intend to move amendments that will be in line with Deputy Ó Caoláin's amendments based on those circulated by the Irish Cancer Society. We all welcome the legislation. It has received universal approval and acceptance, so I hope it will be embraced in terms of the message it sends out. I assume members will have seen the amendments suggested by the Irish Cancer Society. I...