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VIDEO: Róisín Shortall's not-so-ringing endorsement of James Reilly

The junior health minister voted in favour of James Reilly last night – but only after a four-minute critique of his performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3jBRC12Dc4

THIS IS THE SPEECH given by Róisín Shortall TD, the Minister of State for Primary Care, in the Dáil last night. She was speaking during a debate on a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Health – her boss – James Reilly.

During her four-minute speech, Shortall did not reference Reilly once, nor affirm her support for him. She nonetheless voted in Reilly’s favour in both of the votes taken on the motion.

The government faces a huge challenge to manage and reform the health service when the health budget is being reduced.

As part of that process, a key question arises for us all: Who will bear the burden of the cuts? Do we increase prescription charges for medical card patients, for example, or instead reduce the drugs bill? Do we cut public health nurses, or instead collect money owed by insurance companies? Do we cut home help services, or instead impose a cap on consultants pay?

Our priority must be to protect frontline services. We cannot cut our way out of problems. We must reform, and that reform must happen quickly. Unless there is substantial reform, there will be cuts and the poor will be the hardest hit.

Reform means reducing costs and changing the model of care, to switch the focus from acute hospitals to community and primary care. This will ensure early diagnosis and much better value for money. That is why the Programme for Government prioritises primary care in the term of this government.

To deliver on the programme we need fully-staffed primary care teams, working from modern primary care centres. That is why we must recruit the 300 frontline primary care staff to areas of greatest need. Staff such as public health nurses, speech and language therapists, and occupation therapists. Staff for whom funding was provided this year.

Thousands of people – children and adults – are on waiting lists for these services. It’s time we started the recruitment. Decisions on where staff are allocated, and where primary care centres are located, must be transparent and objective based on health need and no other consideration. Primary care centres, just like schools, are essential public infrastructure and should be provided on the same basis.

The programme for government commits to extending free GP care to all in this government’s term. We know that fees stop people attending their GPs, so they eventually need more expensive hospital care. Private fees for GPs are just 2% of national health spending, but their removal unlocks the potential for major reforms.

The lack of priority afforded to producing the Free GP legislation has been very disappointing. Allocated funding must be restored to start this key initiative this year. We must also have a clear roadmap that charts the road forward and ends the uncertainty about the future.

These are just some of the questions that need to be resolved. Are we going to reform and strengthen our public health services, or privatise large parts of it? How do we assure equity and access in the health service? What model of universal health insurance best suits the situation here in Ireland? Should it be a commercial insurance model or a social insurance model? What will replace the HSE? And how best can we control costs?

Reform of healthcare, I think as we all know, is never straightforward. Decisions taken by the government over the next few months will determine the shape of the future healthcare system. That will determine the shape of the system for years to come. We have to get it right. Reform must be made in the best interests of patients.

Read: Reilly wins confidence vote as Taoiseach and Tánaiste state their support

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    Mute GM
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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:43 AM

    Have the Paddy’s day festival and keep letting sick people come in from Italy – short term economic gain long term pain

    68
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    Mute Dan Mullins
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:00 AM

    @GM: it’s too far gone, I don’t think there’s any chance of holding it back now.

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    Mute Sean O' Donovan
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:06 AM

    WHO receive a huge portion of funding from China. You can be assured they have to downplay it under instructions from China so confidence in their market doesn’t drop enough to send their economy crashing.

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    Mute Sean O' Donovan
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:10 AM
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    Mute Tomàs
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:12 AM

    @Sean O’ Donovan: A terrifying truth

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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Mar 6th 2020, 7:15 AM

    @Sean O’ Donovan: Its why its not been described as a Pandemic too, despite being, well, a pandemic. China getting labelled as the country that spawned the pandemic would be damaging the CCP’s image.

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    Mute Rachel O' Meara
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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:36 AM

    As much as we blame our government (because let’s face it they are pretty inept) I’m surprised that the WHO also handled the situation so badly themselves, there really should have been a coordinated global effort to try and contain this virus, it’s like they gave up from the start.

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    Mute Joe Mc
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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:50 AM

    @Rachel O’ Meara: because it’s about money. The real solution would be to shut down borders by every country. But vested interests and all that

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    Mute lyndon
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    Mar 6th 2020, 6:34 AM

    Pinball Wizard. Very good.

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    Mute Sea Graham
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    Mar 6th 2020, 9:12 AM

    The WHO!? They’re a great little band that will, if sense prevails cancel their gig on the 18th

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    Mute Tracey Russell
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    Mar 6th 2020, 10:55 AM

    What about the persons that present with symptoms after the 14 days isolation…will that practice be reviewed

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    Mute Farreller
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    Mar 6th 2020, 9:13 AM

    Are they not a band

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    Mute Damian Mac An Bháird
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    Mar 6th 2020, 10:09 AM

    @Farreller: great band.

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