Results 10,141-10,160 of 26,843 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I accept that. Will the extra money required for the children's hospital impact on the timeline of other capital projects? Will it delay them? For example, Deputy Bríd Smith asked me about the Drimnagh primary care centre which has been due since June 2009. People in Drimnagh are wondering what the position is with it. Will the overspend on the national children's hospital impact on...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: If Mr. Desmond does not mind me saying, that is a politician's answer. His unwillingness to answer the question seems to give away that the children's hospital overrun will impact on the timeline for the delivery of other capital projects.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I gave an example. The Drimnagh primary care centre is a capital project.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It does not cover the whole shortfall and, therefore, the timelines for other capital projects had to be changed.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will not labour the point. I read from what has Mr. Mulvany said that the reason for the delays has been the need to change the timelines for the delivery of other projects because of the children's hospital. I will ask one specific question about the children's hospital. Who made the decision that there should be a private section to the national children's hospital? Given the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is extraordinary that a state-of-the-art hospital which is pointing towards the future of healthcare in this country will have a private section when there is a Government commitment to have universality and eliminate the two-tier system. A brand-new hospital will have two tiers for ever and a day. I do not accept the contract argument. Will Mr. Mulvany clarify whether that means the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: These are new contracts.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I asked how much it will cost. We need to know how much public money it is costing to have a two-tier system. It has budgetary implications.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The contracts of the consultants also have budgetary implications. In the existing hospitals where there are existing contracts, one can make that argument but I do not see how one can make that argument about new contracts. Surely there will be new contracts for the consultants in the national children's hospital.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have one more question. I would like to know if there will be new contracts. If there are to be new contracts, we would have the power to stipulate public-only contracts. We would not have to have it in a two-tier form. I would appreciate if Mr. Mulvany could get back to us on that. The HSE does not want to call them cutbacks because of the impact of the deficit. When talking about...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: If somebody is entitled to something and they are given it but they are not given it-----

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: On reflection, I would like Mr. Mulvany to clarify one point in regard to the private part of the children's hospital. The HSE provides the money for the national children's hospital. Is Mr. Mulvany saying that although the HSE provides the money, it has no idea what is going into the hospital?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They do not say this is what we want. I am trying to get my head around the fact that if the HSE provides the money, surely it says what sort of hospital it wants.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In that context, did it say it wanted a public and private part, or did the people it gave the money to make that decision?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am just trying to understand the connections between the funding and what that funding delivers.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not see how it is outside the area to ask what is the connection between the funding and the thing that it funds. Is that not a reasonable question about funding?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have asked the question. Hopefully, the witnesses will revert with the answer. For the record, I was informed after stepping out following our earlier discussion that consultants could change from one contract to another. It is difficult to understand why we would not have discussed with those consultants the fact that we do not want a two-tier system in the national children's hospital.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We do not have to employ them in the hospital if they do not want to play ball. In the case of home care, which was mentioned, is it fair to say that, because of the need in the Government's view to live even more stringently within the budget - more will be done to live within the budget this year than last year - people who need and have been approved for home care packages will not get...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Budget Management and Control of Health Expenditure in the context of Budget 2020: Discussion (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will refine my question. When the Department gives the HSE its allocation for 2020 or any year, surely the latter knows that its allocation will not be sufficient to provide a home care package to everyone who is approved. Does it not tell the Department this and that, if the Department wants everyone who needs a package to get one, it will have to allocate more?