Statement by Seamus Healy TD
Despite the excellent dedicated work of staff at St Conlon’s Community Nursing Unit, Nenagh and at Dean Maxwell Community Nursing Unit,Roscrea, these nursing units are among 21 public nursing homes threatened with sanctions up to and including closure.
This is basically due to the failure of government to invest in upgrading the homes and a consequent finding of “major non-compliance” by inspecting body HIQA.
Deputy Seamus Healy raised this issue at last Thursday’s meeting (15/1/2015) of the Oireachtas Health Committee.
Deputy Healy demanded clarification of the position from Minister Varadkar and Tony O’Brien Director of the Health Service Executive.
Mr O’Brien confirmed the seriousness of this issue when he said “The challenge for re-registration of public long-stay beds with HIQA is a significant issue to be dealt with over the coming months as there is insufficient capital funding available to meet all requirements and there are over 30 large units who provide in excess of 2,500 beds and where there is, currently, insufficient funding in the capital plan to bring this infrastructure to the required standard. “
Further detailed information was contained in the Sunday Business Post.
Neither nursing home was identified in the HSE Service Plan for 2015 as projects that will secure capital investment in the coming year. HIQA said in its report “if a centre is not in compliance by July 1, 2015 and if no realistic, time-bound costed/funded plan has been agreed with the Authority, then appropriate conditions will be attached to any renewal of registration”
In addition to closure, HIQA can impose conditions for continued operation which can include forcing nursing homes to reduce the number of residents or high-dependency patients they have.
A HSE document leaked last year said that 300 millionEuro was required to upgrade public nursing units. But only 7.3 million is being allocated for the entire country this year in the HSE service plan. Neither of the two nursing homes was identified in the service plan for capital investment this year.
The neglect of these homes by government is unforgivable. Capital investment must be provided immediately to these homes before July 1, 2015.
There is a particular obligation on Government politicians in Tipperary, including Ministers Kelly and Hayes, to insist that the HSE Service Plan be amended to include the required capital investment.
Additional direct government funding must be allocated to secure the future of these units.
Seamus Healy TD
087-2802199
WUA Alone in Opposing Budget 2015 for Co Tipperary at Estimates Meeting
Almost 33million Euro per year taken from Economy of Co Tipperary by FG/Lab Government since 2011 through reduction in annual General Purpose Grant to Local Authorities From General Taxation
I proposed the rejection of the Budget for 2015 at the estimates meeting of Co Tipperary Co council. No councillor could be found to second the motion and all other councillors agreed the budget.
The budget for 2015 contains the extraction of an additional €12.245 million out of the economy of Co Tipperary in the coming year. This is because Minister Kelly has replaced more than half of government funding for the year by the proceeds of Local Property Tax collected from the citizens of Co Tipperary.
I opposed these estimates because to do otherwise would be to agree to this large additional extraction of money from the people of Co Tipperary
As can be seen from the figures below, Minister Kelly’s government has reduced government funding to Tipperary local authorities by almost €33 million or 75% since it came to power in 2011. This extraction by Alan Kelly’s government out of the economy of County Tipperary is a huge factor in depressing the local economy, keeping unemployment high and reducing demand to small businesses.
North and South Tipp are in the highest regions of unemployment in Ireland according to official figures.
The budget also provided money for JUNKETS (travel and maintenance for councillors at conferences at home and abroad). I proposed that this money be set aside for childrens’ playgrounds. This amendment was defeated by a large majority. The provision for junkets was contained in the final overall budget for which all councillors voted, except myself.
On top of the property tax, water charges are to be imposed from 01 January 2015. This will extract even more money from the local economy causing further depression and crucifying already hard pressed people. According to the Nevin Economic Research Institute, the poorest 10% are paying a higher proportion of income tax than the top 10%!
DOUBLE TAXATION
WE are already paying for water and other local services, through general taxation, direct and indirect. Now we are being forced to pay a second time through these charges for services which have been reduced by government cuts.
This money is being diverted to pay part of the €8 billion per year interest which recent governments have incurred through bailing out billionaire investors in bust banks.
Local property Tax and Water Charges are devices to make the ordinary person pay for bailing out banks.
Minister Noonan has informed the Dail that the top 10,000 income earners have €595,000 Euro per year EACH. Financial assets of households (shares, bank deposits, insurance policies) are now back above peak boom levels at €334 billion Euro gross (CSO Institutional sector accounts). The wealthiest 300 Irish citizens have a total of €62 Billion Euro in Assets(Nick Webb, Sunday Independent)
Minister Kelly and his government should take the money from them and use it to abolish home and water taxes.
Councillor Pat English, Workers and Unemployed Action
Notes:
Total General Purpose Grant (GPG) To ALL Co Tipperary
Local Authorities (Euro)
YEAR 2008 2011 2013 2014 2015
GPG Total 54,684,395 43,644,608 38,271,37 2 22,755,110 11,075,302
Note GPG =20% of 2008 Figure , GPG= 25% of 2011 figure when current government came to power
The figure of 11,075,302 contains a net 1.25 million Euro received from the property tax national equalisation fund
Total Local Property Tax Collected from households in Co Tipperary was 12.245 Million Euro
MONEY EXTRACTED FROM CO Tipperary since 2008 through reduction of GPG, 54.684-11.075= 43.609 Million Euro
MONEY EXTRACTED FROM CO Tipperary since 2011 through reduction of GPG, 43.645-11.075= 32.570 Million Euro
The figure for General Purpose Grant given in the Budget 2015 by Tipperary Co Council is 23,320,100 Euro. But this figure contains the 12.245 million collected in property tax in Co Tipperary and an additional 1.25 million from the national property tax equalisation fund, money collected in property tax from more populous counties.
“The unions and staff associations have been looking for a resource study of the Ambulance Service for a number of years and I believe the HSE has finally agreed to such a study.
In these circumstances, there should be no more service cuts and certainly no more service cuts in south Tipperary. I commend the Tipperary Ambulance Action Group which is opposed to the cuts across south Tipperary and came together to campaign on this issue. It has completed a comprehensive study of the ambulance service in south Tipperary. The study confirms that on the basis of the current ambulance service configuration in the county which is based on three stations – Clonmel, Cashel and Tipperary town – the current staffing levels and equipment in those stations, in excess of 55% of the population of south Tipperary cannot be given an adequate service that meets the minimum response times. What does the HSE want to do? On top of a crisis, it wants to introduce further cuts. This is completely ridiculous and I am calling on the Minister to stop any cuts in the ambulance service, not just in south Tipperary but throughout the country, and to ensure that the service is properly funded and staffed.
Full Dail Record of Speech
Deputy Seamus Healy: I rise to support the motion on the ambulance service requesting adequate funding for the service. Anybody who has an eye to see or an ear to hear knows that the ambulance service is under-funded, under-resourced, understaffed and under-equipped and that it compares unfavourably with our neighbours in Northern Ireland and particularly Scotland. We have about 1,600 staff while Scotland, which has a similar population, has 4,500 staff and double the funding. It is widely accepted that the ambulance service in this country is in crisis. The Minister has looked for a review from HIQA. The unions and staff associations have been looking for a resource study for a number of years and I believe the HSE has finally agreed to such a study.
In these circumstances, there should be no more service cuts and certainly no more service cuts in south Tipperary. I commend the Tipperary Ambulance Action Group which is opposed to the cuts across south Tipperary and came together to campaign on this issue. It has completed a comprehensive study of the ambulance service in south Tipperary. The study confirms that on the basis of the current ambulance service configuration in the county which is based on three stations – Clonmel, Cashel and Tipperary town – the current staffing levels and equipment in those stations, in excess of 55% of the population of south Tipperary cannot be given an adequate service that meets the minimum response times. What does the HSE want to do? On top of a crisis, it wants to introduce further cuts. This is completely ridiculous and I am calling on the Minister to stop any cuts in the ambulance service, not just in south Tipperary but throughout the country, and to ensure that the service is properly funded and staffed.
Deputy Healy Speaking on the Motion re Ambulance Service 16.04.2014
Workers & Unemployed Action 