Results 761-780 of 6,615 for speaker:Seán Kyne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: Is there an actual strategy? Is there a physical document? The witnesses have used the term "pay and numbers strategy". Can we get a copy of that? Is it available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: On the first page of his submission, Mr. Watt refers to a 40% increase in WTEs, from 91,559 to 122,273. Were some of those moratorium posts from the last time? Was there a carry-over of staff who should have been in place in the period up to 2016?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: Had the moratorium been fully lifted at that stage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: Perfect. An additional 178,000 patients have been treated to date this year. Extra patients obviously mean extra PPE, such as gowns and gloves, and more blood tests, X-rays and all of that. For the coming year, Mr. Watt expects for a 23% increase in expenditure on medical and surgical supplies and an 18% increase in heat and light costs, laboratory costs, X-ray imaging and the costs of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: In terms of food, some catering staff are on the minimum wage. Energy costs and food inflation would be feeding into the increase but a 37% increase still seems significant. Is Mr. Watt happy that it is a realistic amount?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: Is the 27% increase in X-ray imaging predominantly due to energy costs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: Is that capital equipment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: There is often a sort of lazy narrative out there that billions of euro are wasted in the health services and it should be stripped out. That is what we often hear, perhaps from politicians, but also from media commentators. How do the witnesses respond to that? I am playing devil's advocate here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: I appreciate that I am not at the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach but I refer to my earlier point on the breakdown on funding. That is critical in where the expenditure is going. We need the heads and to break those down exactly because that is crucial in explaining healthcare. In positive news, we were in Galway together on Friday for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: -----capital investment project in Galway and the HSE is on record as saying that significant investment is required in University Hospital Galway. That is not just for University Hospital Galway but for the region, including the accident and emergency department, paediatrics and maternity, new laboratories, which are over 50 years old, additional beds, the cancer centre, the surgical hub...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: I have a concern that I raised here the last time and I know the Minister addressed this in his speech the last day. He does not want to see projects like the accident and emergency department and maternity and paediatrics being left behind while we await a larger plan. That has always been my concern because we have seen this project advance. It was ready to go to planning as a shell and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: I will hold Mr. Gloster to that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: I have received positive testimony regarding the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, clinic in the Moycullen primary care centre in Galway, for example. I recently met with the Asthma Society of Ireland regarding its issues and concerns. It was concerned about the impact the recruitment embargo would have on delivery. Maybe the witnesses might be able to reassure them on that, or not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: That is perfect.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: Okay, I thank Mr. Gloster for that. It was mentioned that the HSE has a budget for 500 junior doctors.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: Okay. I am not saying that they are not all absolutely needed-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: -----but there was a plan and budget for 500, and the HSE hired 770. I am thinking deeper here, looking in on these things and questioning them. The question is, when the HSE reached 500, did it contact the Department of Health and say it was going to 770, and that it was going to keep going? How do these things operate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: I am not saying that they are not needed, but it did not happen.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Dental Services (19 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: I welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement debate this morning on the issue of dental services. I am a member of the Joint Committee on Health. The Irish Dental Association came before the Joint Committee on Health on 5 July regarding issues within the dental service. The chief executive of the association, Fintan Hourihan, and others have...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Dental Services (19 Oct 2023)

Seán Kyne: I thank the Minister of State for the response. I am heartened that she believes there is merit in the suggestion and I hope she will be able to bring it back to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. As the Minister of State said in her response, the public dental service provides a programme for second class, sixth class and, subject to capacity, fourth class. There is a capacity issue, and...