Results 8,241-8,260 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Whenever they are ready.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: The position with Deputy Kenny is that he calls for reforms but when they are being implemented he opposes them.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: A continuing reconfiguration is taking place in the health service. There will be a continuing emphasis on more——

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——day places and day surgery. Sorry, Deputy Brian Hayes is talking about beds.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Beds do not determine the health service. There is more than a hospital service in developing our health service and the HSE is involved in a reform of the service.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: To stick to the point.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Sorry, Deputy Hayes. I will answer it in my own way. If he ever becomes leader, he can ask the questions.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: The whole purpose——

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——for driving these efficiencies is to maintain, not to cut, service.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: They are not being cut every day. In fact, there have been improvements in the health services in a range of areas. Where waiting times were two to five years, they are now two to five months. In 60% of all of those specialties for which there are waiting lists, they were reduced during the course of this year, if the Deputies look at the statistics that have been produced by the relevant...

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: If Deputy McCormack wants to portray the health service being totally dysfunctional in every respect, that is his point of view but it is not fair on those who are working in the health service and it is certainly not the experience of the vast majority who receive health services in this country.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: That is not to contend for a moment that we do not have problems, but those problems are being dealt with on the basis of reforms of health services and we all know, if we were honest enough to admit it, that the status quo plus will not give us a sustainable level of services. We need work practice changes.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: We must see——

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——and we are already seeing in the engagement that is taking place——

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——between the management and staff representatives that we have had efficiencies of €280 million alone this year, which will be repeated next year.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: What we have seen over the past ten years, to respond to Deputy Stagg, has been a continuing improvement——

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: ——and an increase in funding to the health service.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is also clear that resources alone will not provide the solutions to the health service, but continuing and concomitant reforms with it, and that is what the HSE management is engaged in. If people were fair and looked at the changes taking place, they would recognise that in many cases those changes have been for the better.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I reject the assertions that are being made by Deputies Gilmore and Kenny continuously in this House and that provide the soundbites for the daily business here.

Leaders' Questions. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Deputy Gilmore spoke about people being prepared to step up to the plate. I believe people are prepared to step up to the plate and when they do, under the social partnership process, I will be interested to see what the Opposition in this House will do. The Opposition all agree with everything in theory but when it comes to practice, they oppose everything on every day, and they have no...