Results 10,941-10,960 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: Work is being undertaken to prepare the necessary detailed job specifications for the planned director posts. Final decisions have not been made regarding recruitment and appointment issues and the terms and conditions of these positions will be in accordance with Government policy and will be subject to the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. However, on top of...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: Work is being undertaken to prepare the necessary detailed job specifications for the planned director posts. Final decisions have not been made regarding recruitment and appointment issues and the terms and conditions of these positions will be in accordance with Government policy and will be subject to the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. However, on top of...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: As I outlined previously in tandem with the proposed new governance structure, new administrative structures will be put in place within the HSE to reflect the need for a greater operational management focus on the delivery of key services and greater transparency about funding service delivery and accountability. Planned new national director posts include a director of mental health...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: It tends to be temporary.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: Section 16E provides for the appointment of a director general under subsection (4). While the first director general will be appointed by the Minister, subsequent directors general will be appointed by the Minister following a recruitment process under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004. I note that subsection (4) is not unique. There are precedents in...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: I will not accept this amendment because I wish to expedite the health reform process and to do that I must act fast. Mr. Tony O'Brien has my full confidence, both in his current role as deputy chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive and as director general-designate of the new structure.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: They did.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: In regard to amendment No. 7, Senators will know that the provisions in the Bill are based on many precedents in other legislation. While I am aware that Senators are not happy with these precedents, I am conscious of the need for this type of provision. The provisions are not intended as a means to allow a person appearing before an Oireachtas committee to evade questions but, on the...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: This is a drafting amendment to replace the term "codes of practice" with "codes of conduct". Codes of conduct is the expression used in the original section in the Health Act 2004 and I ask Senators to accept this amendment.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: Codes of practice are more appropriate to health professionals and this is covered in other legislation. Codes of conduct better capture the object of the Health Act 2007, as amended, which is a code for employees that sets out the procedures to be used in specific ethical situations.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: This is a technical amendment to clarify that all relevant employees of the service providers for the HSE are included in the HSE service plan. I ask, therefore, that Senators accept it.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: I accept what the Senator said. We are all trying to rationalise services but that is a slightly separate issue from the amendment. Service providers are agencies that provide services on behalf of the HSE under section 8 of the Health Act 2004. Under the Bill, the HSE must include estimates of employees of service providers in the service plan and this technical amendment is to ensure the...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: I can help the Senators. I indicated on Committee Stage that I would give further consideration to these amendments, which relate to how the HSE service plan deals with priorities and performance targets set by the Minister. Amendment No. 11 provides that performance targets should be included with any other information the Minister specifies should be contained in the service plan and...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: This is a minor technical amendment that I ask Senators to accept.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: I appreciate the sentiment behind the amendment. The Senator wishes to be assured that members of the audit committee are suitably qualified to carry out their duties to a high standard. While it makes sense that the HSE audit committee includes people who have an auditing or accountancy background, there is merit in bringing other valuable experience and qualifications to the table such as...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: I do not object to some members being advised by, or coming from, this group. Perhaps rather than accepting the amendment, I can consider it when the Bill is going through the Dáil and come up with a modified wording that will allow the august committee to which the Senator alluded, the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority, IAASA, to have a number of members on the auditing...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: I remind Senators that the amendment concerns HSE employees, not other persons. Insisting that HSE employees are tax resident in the State would more than likely fall foul of EU and discriminatory legislation rules. I will set out the likely tax treatment in regard to income arising from individuals engaged by the HSE who are not resident in the State. Notwithstanding any of the provisions...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: Yes. Senator Gilroy put it as good as I could put it myself but I can add to that. This is a very temporary arrangement to move to an integrated-----

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: Yes. It is a temporary one. It is a transition phase on the way to moving to an integrated care agency ultimately and thus the abolition of the HSE. In regard to the Senator's concern, which is very reasonable, there are two things to be said. This is a directorate of the HSE and it has to be formed from members of the HSE but there is nothing to stop me appointing new national directors...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (24 Oct 2012)

James Reilly: I thank the Senators for supporting the Bill and reform programme. I appreciate the sentiment behind the desire to include a sunset clause, including a specific date. However, it would tie my hands in a way that would not be conducive to accelerating reform. I have consulted advisers in the Department on this matter and the best advice given is that the amendment would cause me more...