Results 12,361-12,380 of 24,447 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Health Services: Quarterly Update (6 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank all of our witnesses and the officials for attending. I apologise for the delay. I want to thank all of the staff of the HSE for their work and commitment in the delivery of a health care system which is patient-focused. On behalf of the committee, I sincerely appreciate their work and thank them for that.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Expenditure (6 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: 634. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she has taken to support primary education; if she will continue to support and advance primary education through the allocation of additional resources, as part of budget 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34090/15]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roadworthiness Testing (6 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: 756. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there is a customer service charter in place for commercial vehicle testing; if not, his plans to liaise with the Road Safety Authority with a view to developing such a policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34000/15]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Roadworthiness Testing (6 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: 757. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not received a response to queries directed to the Road Safety Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34001/15]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Business of Joint Committee (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: Before the meeting begins, on behalf of the committee, I wish to thank Mr. Paddy Burke who has retired as head of the primary care reimbursement service. In all our dealings with him, he has always been efficient, courteous and good-humoured. He had a great ability to make us all feel we were the only ones he was ever dealing with and he was a pleasure to work with. I wish him and his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Business of Joint Committee (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: We wish Ms Ann Marie Hoey well in her new role.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome from the Health Service Executive, HSE, Mr. Liam Woods, national director, acute hospitals division, Ms Angela Fitzgerald, deputy national director, acute hospitals division, Mr. Patrick Lynch, national director, quality assurance and verification; from the Dublin Midlands Hospitals Group, Dr. Susan O'Reilly, chief executive; from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Mr. Woods. Does anyone wish to add anything to his comments? The witnesses are happy enough. That is very good.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: Are we recruiting?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: This morning, in a different forum, Mr. Woods's chief executive, the Director General, said there was a difficulty in recruiting staff in the HSE. Does this apply to obstetrics?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: There were questions on the hospital groups and on appointments to the boards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: What is the reason for these reviews taking an extended length of time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: If our staffing levels are inadequate, for whatever reason, the issue of adverse incidents could arise again, perhaps more regularly than we would like.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: Senators Crown and Burke spoke about obstetrics. I met a midwife recently in the maternity department of Cork University Hospital. She is a long-term member of staff. She complained to me that she is working harder than she ever did with less staff in a changed environment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: Dr. Chris Fitzpatrick, who will be in attendance at the second part of this meeting, has commented that there was no investment during the boom years. This goes back to the point made by Senator Crown. It is clear from the Senator's hypothesis about the obstetrician ratio that we are talking about nearly having to double the current staffing level. Even though we are playing catch-up, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: Is there a recruitment difficulty?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: Tony O'Reilly was speaking about that at another forum, while both Dr. O'Reilly and Mr. Woods have said it here. Is that down to pay or is it a variety of reasons?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: Okay, thank you. Are we happy enough?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank all the witnesses for their participation. I remind members that the committee has written to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges about marking pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day, which is on 15 October. We will have an event here in the committee room area on that date. We will suspend proceedings for ten minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Maternity Services and Infrastructure: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Jerry Buttimer: We will resume. I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin and Senator Burke. I welcome Dr. Chris Fitzpatrick, consultant at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital and its former master, to our second meeting this morning. We are looking forward to hearing from him. We have already had two interesting meetings on the future national maternity strategy. I remind Dr. Fitzpatrick...