Category: Health

Health Budget Fictions

Patrick Kinsella 22/05/2019

The new chief of the HSE has made cost-containment his top priority. Taking office in mid-May, Paul Reid’s first act was to order senior health service managers to live within their assigned resources: spending beyond budget is ‘no longer an option’. He gave department heads ten days to report to him with plans to stay on target. Reid told …

Facing difficult choices: precarious workers' access to healthcare in Ireland

Sinead Pembroke 21/03/2018

Imagine you have an excruciating backache that won’t go away. What if you have a virus that you need a prescription of anti-biotics to cure? Or …

There is no “value for money” in giving away public assets for nothing

Paul Sweeney 23/04/2017

The Minister for Health Simon Harris insists that “his ‘golden share’ in the new €300 million State-funded national maternity hospital means …

The Interesting Story on Irish People’s Health and Habits.

Paul Sweeney 02/11/2016

Paul Sweeney: Did you know that 23% of Irish people still smoke, in spite of the ultra clear evidence that it is deadly? More men (26%) than women …

Lifetime Community Rating and Inequality

Nat O'Connor 13/03/2016

Nat O'Connor: We are coming up to the first anniversary of Lifetime Community Rating (LCR) in private health insurance and it is timely to consider …

The Alcohol Industry - A case study of health versus wealth

Nat O'Connor 16/03/2012

Nat O'Connor: The recently completed (Feb 2012) Steering Group Report On a National Substance Misuse Strategy has taken a public health approach to …

Guest post by Dale Tussing: Chinese Health Care - Its Rise and Fall and Current Struggles

07/02/2011

With healthcare one of the items on the General Election agenda, Professor Dale Tussing takes a look at the Chinese experience. It is quite a jump, …