Danny Healy-Rae blasts HSE over treatment waits, urges housing funding
Danny Healy-Rae addressed housing, health services and employment, arguing housing is the most predominant daily problem and urging increased funding for social housing. He criticised long waits for medical procedures, including cataract removals that force some patients to travel to the north of Ireland, and warned that regulation and insurance costs are constraining job creation.
Housing priority
He said housing for people is a predominant problem and insisted it is right that people be housed in proper homes to raise their families. He called for continued efforts in Parliament to secure more funding for social housing.
Kerry local authority performance
He praised the housing department in Kerry, saying they do their level best to look after people presenting for social housing despite limited funding and difficult times. He emphasised that local officials are continuing to work hard and that securing more resources remains essential.
Health services and waiting lists
He criticised the HSE for denying services around the country, citing long waits for seemingly simple procedures such as cataract removal and operations for hips and knees. He said some patients are forced to travel to the north of Ireland to avoid blindness or prolonged pain and described it as an indictment of the health system that people wait years for basic procedures despite HSE funding.
Work and employers
He applauded employers, both small and large, for creating jobs while noting the challenges they face. He warned that heavy regulation, the cost of insurance and excessive red tape are making it very hard for employers to create new jobs.
Unfinished remarks on food
He began to raise concerns about food and other instances affecting constituents but his remarks trailed off before he completed that point.
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Last call, I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk on this topic and I thank Thomas Pringle and the Independent Group for allowing us to do that or give us the chance to do that I suppose since becoming an elected member many years ago I suppose the most predominant problem that presents on a daily basis is housing housing for people and I have to say that in Kerry we have a great housing department in the local authority and they do their level best to see after people that present for social housing and they're continuing to do that and have done so in tough times when they're little funding or whatever but we seem to be doing very well and just it's a matter of funding of course all the time and we up here continue to fight for their case to get more funding so housing for people is very very important it is right that they be housed and ensure that they have proper homes to live in and to bring up their families. The other thing that is very important and is causing an awful lot of problems at the present time is medical and health as we know people are being denied services in our county and indeed right around the country and simply things like simple things like cataracts to the removal of cataracts so that people don't go blind and it's an indictment of our HSE and our health that we have to take people to the north of Ireland so that they wouldn't go blind and that they wouldn't continue to suffer pain in an agony in an agony in the garden when they have pain with hips and knees and all the other things it's wrong that people have to wait for years to get simple procedures done and it's in spite of all the money that the HSE get they still aren't able to provide a proper service. Work is very important and people that I believe should be given the chance to do that and I applaud employers in spite of all that they have to face small employers and indeed large employers that employ people they're going through an awful lot to be allowed just do that. There's so many regulations and so many things that they have to adhere to and the cost of insurance and red tape is making it very hard for them to create jobs for people. Food, there are many instances and we seem to be... Thank you Deputy. Sorry. Sorry. Okay. Thank you. Thank youJust. Sorry. Thank you. Thank you SARAH. Welcome. !
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