Results 8,021-8,040 of 14,554 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: It is not reasonable to leave 2,500 people waiting for an rheumatology appointment.

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: I want to discuss the situation in our hospitals, particularly our acute hospitals. Nobody could deny that there is a state of chaos in some of our major hospitals this morning. In Beaumont, outpatient waiting lists have increased in the last few months by a thousand percent. A 33-bed surgical ward was closed last week, which will drag more patients onto waiting lists-----

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: -----and the situation there has been described by consultants as a war zone. At University College Hospital Galway and in Merlin Park University Hospital this week, more than 850 people were informed that all outpatient rheumatology clinics for July and August had been cancelled and that emergency outpatient appointments would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. There are already 1,500...

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: When a person is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, there is a 12-week window within which there is a chance of dealing with the condition if he or she gets treatment. If it goes longer, perhaps to two and a half years, which is the length of time people are spending on the waiting list at the moment, the patient's chance of beating that condition are severely restricted. In UCHG, all...

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: Deputies Naughten and Fitzmaurice highlighted that yesterday. We are led to believe that further cancellations of elective surgery will take place at UCHG. Is it acceptable that 850 people will be told this week that their outpatient rheumatology appointments will be in December? Is it acceptable that in the case of rheumatology, a consultant has gone on maternity leave this week and will...

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: The consultants that are currently in Galway are not full-time rheumatology consultants. Two of them are in general medicine as well. That means we have one and a half consultants. Second, the vacancy that has arisen and that has driven the total closure of the clinic at Merlin Park - it is not just that appointments have been cancelled; outpatient appointments at Merlin Park have been...

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: -----who are waiting for a rheumatology appointment at Merlin Park. Ireland is a no-go zone for consultants. We are having serious difficulties filling consultant vacancies.

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: No matter how many budgets the Government is putting forward, people are not planning this properly. The Minister said the HSE had informed him, but I contacted the HSE about this on Tuesday evening and was told it was not a matter for the HSE but for the Saolta hospital group. When I contacted the Saolta hospital group yesterday morning, its so-called communications department said it was...

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: The Minister of Health must comment on what is going on at Beaumont.

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: He cannot allow one of the main hospitals in the country to be as it is at the moment.

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: We need serious action on consultant recruitment. We need great urgency. It is clear that these hospital groups, which were created by the Minister and the former Minister, Deputy Reilly, are not fit for purpose.

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: There has been a 1,500% increase in the waiting list. That is a fact.

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: The 1,500% increase is a fact.

Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: What about the waiting lists?

Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report Stage (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 6:In page 6, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following:“Amendment of Industrial Relations Act 1990 5. Section 23 of the industrial Relations Act 1990 is amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (1):“(1A) For the avoidance of doubt the definition of “workers” shall also include “retired...

Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report Stage (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 7:In page 10, line 2, after “proper.” to insert the following:“When making an order varying the agreement, the Court shall attempt to get the consent of both parties.”.We spoke briefly about this on Committee Stage. The Labour Court has been given the power to make an order to vary an agreement. I assume that is only as a last-minute or...

Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report Stage (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Minister of State for his response. The difficulty is that the trustees' responsibility is to the scheme. There are a lot of responsibilities dictated to them in legislation that deal with the running of the scheme, not with the workers, pensioners, or others who depend on the scheme to feed, heat, and clothe themselves. Placing further responsibilities on the trustees to...

Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report Stage (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: The Government loves to say it consults the Opposition, listens to it and takes on board its concerns, yet it rarely does so. The same thing will happen here. Trustees will consult pensioners and take views on board, but they will proceed as planned unless there is robust legal protection for pensioners. Although I acknowledge the Minister of State's record on this, pension funds can spend...

Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report Stage (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: The Minister of State has a number of amendments linked to our amendments that may deal with many of our concerns.

Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report Stage (25 Jun 2015)

Dara Calleary: The Minister of State mentioned future changes to the definition of "worker". Could he clarify what it means? Would it impact on our attempts to expand this and any future legislation to include retired workers?