It is remarkable that the Seanad is talking itself into a situation where it never debates anything relevant. Time is not allocated to topical items, and we seem to debate subjects that are at times utterly irrelevant. It is not that we do not have major issues to discuss which demand time – the Broadband Bill; legislation to regulate the scoundrels in the auctioneering industry; the issue of autism. This is what I told the House during the Order of Business:
Continue reading ‘Seanad Should Debate Relevant Issues Like Auctioneering, Autism, and Broadband’
Published February 8th, 2007 in Economy, Health, Social Partnership
I cannot understand the reluctance in both Houses of the Oireachtas to discuss the very delicate and sensitive nurses’ pay claim. The nurses should be conceded this claim, 10% or not, because they deserve it for good and humane reasons and because the market will demand the claim be conceded sooner or later.
Continue reading ‘Nurses Claim Exposes a Major Flaw in Social Partnership’
Published February 5th, 2007 in Health, VHI and BUPA
State monopolies are on the run.
It is here, in the new Ireland, that we have bred fresh business heroes such as Sean Quinn.
Last week, Sean Quinn bought Bupa in a lightning deal. He thus dealt the would-be state monopoly VHI a series of blows:
Continue reading ‘Sean Quinn: We Salute You!’
Published November 28th, 2006 in Health, Save the Tallaght Hospital!
I congratulate the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, on his decision to review the location of the planned children’s hospital especially since the location proposed is the Mater Hospital, which is in the Taoiseach’s constituency
Some reports suggested that it was predestined to do so, which is quite alarming for others involved in the controversy.
Continue reading ‘For a Hospital to be Located in Accordance with Political Convenience is Unacceptable’
While the Tallaght may be losing its children’s hospital, for some time there has been a certain amount of disillusionment in the hospital at the Government’s commitment to the agreements made in 1996.The main issue is that of tertiary paediatric care in the hospital and its removal.
There is a deep feeling in Tallaght that this will dismember the hospital. The Minister of State will not need any introduction to the fact that Tallaght has the largest growing child population in the country. It also has the highest number of women of child-bearing age. The threats to the child and maternity care in Tallaght are not just serious for the hospital and its prevalent ethos but also to the are. Continue reading ‘Threats to Standards and Ethos at Tallaght Hospital’
The Tallaght hospital is in danger of being run down as plans for a new National Children’s hospital are finalised. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children should come to the Seanad to discuss a variety of issues. I particularly seek a debate on the Adelaide Hospital. The leaders of the Adelaide Hospital are meeting the Taoiseach today about what they regard as a highly critical situation for the hospital. Continue reading ‘Tallaght Hospital: A Critical Situation’
Published March 9th, 2006 in Health
Following reports of an outbreak of TB in Dublin, the time has come to pose this difficult question. As a child, I had TB and was in hospital for quite a long time. It was a depressing time and a lot of people died in beds around me. I would hate to see that sort of situation arise again, particularly concerning children. It was a real epidemic. [TB] is an extraordinarily infectious disease. I would like the Tánaiste and Minister for Health to attend the House to state how she intends to prevent an outbreak of TB, which could be very serious and totally unnecessary.
Published July 1st, 2005 in VHI and BUPA
1.7.05 - Reacting to the news that Mary Harney had refused to require health insurer BUPA to subsidise its competitor VHI, I said that the Seanad should debate the subject:
“I cannot understand how an issue of such controversy [as risk equalisation between the VHI and other health insurers] could be put on the back-burner and discussion stifled. It is an issue of great importance to anybody who has health insurance. It is also an issue that is incredibly confusing and which most people do not understand.
I do not understand what seems to be horror of an ideological debate on the part of some. Why can we not have an ideological debate on this issue? This is a great opportunity for such a debate. Everybody knows VHI and BUPA are at each other’s throats, not only for commercial reasons but because there is a clash of ideology between the semi-State and private sector. This topical issue presents an ideal opportunity for us to thrash it out in this House.
