Rolling debate on health
Senator Ó Domhnaill called for a dedicated rolling debate on health and argued that spending as a share of GDP is falling, citing agency costs at Letterkenny General Hospital. The Leader interrupted to dispute the figures, but the Senator continued pressing for a full-day health debate.
I call on the Leader to have some form of rolling debate on the issue of health. Perhaps we could dedicate a day or two days to discussing health and allowing Members to make submissions beforehand that could be discussed. It could even allow us the opportunity to make suggestions to the Minister that would allow him to respond to those suggestions.
Numerous issues have to be addressed in health and they should be discussed in the House. My proposed debate would give us an opportunity for that. For example, the cross-border scheme under the EU directive, which was mentioned by my colleague, Senator Wilson, is an excellent scheme. I have assisted many people in obtaining funding from that scheme. I commend the staff who work in the unit in Kilkenny. They are highly efficient. However, there are questions around the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme. For instance, let us consider the cost of a hip operation in the public unit at Letterkenny General Hospital. The cost to the taxpayer is approximately €5,500. However, if someone goes across the Border to obtain the same procedure in a private hospital in the North, the cost is between €9,000 and €15,000. In other words, it can be between two and three times the cost.
Major issues around cost efficiency arise within our health sector. Some, including those in the Department of Health, have argued that we are spending more than any other OECD country. That is not actually true because we are on the lower scale of OECD health expenditure. That is factually the position.
Comment on this
This year we will spend less on health than in 2013 as a percentage of gross domestic product.
Comment on this
We are reducing our health expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product. The facts and the figures show it.
Comment on this
They do. We may be spending more in euro but actually as a percentage of GDP we are spending less.
We need to have a debate about how we are spending that money. Let us take Letterkenny General Hospital as an example which was allocated €122 million in expenditure last year. Almost €10 million of that expenditure went on agency staff. That is far more expensive than employing local staff. It is more complicated than that, but I am keen for the opportunity to discuss it because we all have suggestions. Will the Leader arrange a full day dedicated to health to allow us to have a rolling debate in which we could come in and out of the debate along with the Minister?