Because that would make sense!

To qoute Sir Humphrey from Yes Minister, “That would just be common sense, but there is no room for common sense in the civil service”.

Minister Reilly is responsable for the Dept of Health, so I would guess he will just do what Enda does & not come on air to discuss it.

Government Department fails to deliver. Again. Shock.

Nah it’s the incompetent overpaid multitude of management. That and sickness and maternity benefit scams etc that really costs us. No point being racist.

Well said. My wife and I pay €122 most months for medicines. No handouts for us.

Maternity benefit scam? We need children. Why shouldnt women get paid while theyre off work minding their kids?

Aww now come off it Tommy. In my department women were popping out kids like there was no tomorrow while receiving full wages. Many returned only to pop off a few months later again with a belly. They used to laugh at us poor blokes tied to their extra workload. Try get these ‘benefits’ in the private sector ;)

In the club too Eamon, 75.50 a month.

And 20,000 people over 70 years are going to lose their medical card. A disgrace. Will the government put them up in hotels if they can’t afford to survive? So many over 70′s have their paltry pensions taxed more, have got to pay the property tax, have homes in need of repair and go to bed early to save on heating bills. They are vulnerable and too proud to seek help.
Willie Bermingham’s work and legacy should never be forgotten .

Congrats Leslie. You expecting a boy or girl? ;)

Because raising the next generation with some money in your pocket is much less stressful than a day in the office? Seriously?
Who is gonna pay your pension if women arent having kids??

Sure we might aswell give the same financial entitlements to unemployed lone parents Tommy. Its only fair ;) I’m guessing your Mrs is in a handy public service admin role like yourself Tommy ;)

Proof and figures please to back up your first point and agree with you on the second point re Medical Card charges.

Im a lab scientist Keith and the missus is a stay at home mum at the moment.

This the most pathetically sexist, self congratulatory, insulting and rude post I have ever encountered. Did you go to school? If you want to emigrate I recommend Egypt or India. Actually probably better go for Pakistan, it appears a bit lower on the scale.

Eh sorry but been there and done that, except I did it in my youth with a young family.

Have you heard of Gender Bias? Whoever you are talking with is expecting a baby human. Why does the sex matter? Will it define their school ability, their trade union rights, their wages, their pensions or their just their hair colour choice?

Perhaps you are an intelligent troll, if not you need to educate yourself, best wishes.

These comments are for Mr. Wuzzy

Most unemployed are that way simply because there are no jobs. Sure one of them would be very happy to have your job. What’s really stopping you from swapping with them if unemployment is actually as good as you say??

Jeez Keith so all expectant mothers are benefit scammers and all the unemployed are unfortunate victims of the maternity brigade benefit scammers? Feck off!

It’s not because that there’s no job but the problem is they don’t have patient on that job. I’m just setting an example in our hotel that they just worked for 3 or more days then they just simply go meaning they don’t have patience.

FYI – with current low-cost flights, 6 packs of generic Ibuprofen in your carryon luggage would justify the cost of a flight to the UK to purchase them – Just saying

Agency staff are not paid from the salary and wages budget. Their pay comes out of other budgets which is why every other section of the HSE suffers cuts. I could get €50 an hour if I went through an agency. Instead, my net is €11 per hour.

Oh Tommy you seem to be challenging all my posts. Look the reality is these wages are paid out of our taxes. Departmentalise it all you want. They work for the HSE and there is a budget for the HSE to fund that.

Im not having a go at all! I used to think that agency staff were paid from the salaries budget but theyre not! Im saying the fact that theyre paid from other budgets is a disgrace Keith. The budgets theyre being taken from are budgets needed elsewhere but because of the embargo, we cant hire non agency staff who would be paid from the correctly allocated budget.

Agency staff are paid the same as regular staff since the introduction of the agency workers directive. Prior to this agency nurses wages were significantly less than employees for some time. In addition the agency’s fee must be paid. Most agency workers would love to be employed directly but this is not possible due to the embargo on recruitment. There is no benefit to the agency staff. In fact they lose out on job security, pensions, sick leave etc.

Tommy these Agency Staff often have no other entitlements such as sick pay, holiday pay, pension etc… They have to pay themselves these things, not the Agency who hired them, but the worker themselves. You claim you work for €11 (several family members and friends of mine, are porters, nurses, radiographers and doctors, none of which are paid as low as you are) yet you would be surprised to see that the cost of “keeping” you is more than what the agency staff are getting.

I think in your heart of hearts you know this otherwise you would have dropped your current role and gone down the “Agency” route yourself. Well if they’re paid almost FIVE TIMES what you’re being paid per hour why wouldn’t you???? Why not just leave your job and become an Agency worker? You know your benefits outweigh anything they are getting.

Dara, Im medical staff. My net is €1800 per month which is €450 per week. Im paid €12.16 per hour for a 37 hour week. Sorry, a bit more than €11!

I went for the job in the hospital nearest where I live so I could spend time with my kids. I choice public over private because I wanted some sort of stability rather than money but if I didnt have kids, Id go through an agency no problem!

At least you have the ability to get the work Dara and your not relying on the governments measly benefits to get by.

Sure Eileen there are those that have told me even on here that there are supernatural beings controlling us from the sky’s. Gods in laymans terms. What your alleging is just hearsay. If you got the evidence then report them. There’s enough Caucasian Irish nationals involved in various schemes and scams. Unfortunately some of them are responsible for administering these medical cards. Next time these customers you disprove of come into your pharmacy you should have the freedom to send them on their way whatever their physical ailment. The pharmacy profession has always been kind to its customers in this country. I remember seeing a cream for £1 a pound shop in England and the same one in my local chemist in Dublin for €7.45. I can see why your customers moan.

These and payments in overtime are pure madness. Just hire more staff and reduce unemployment and costs. The monkeys really are running the Zoo :p

True Keith

Hugs…..You have on your Twitter account that your a Pharmacy Assistant :)

Old job … Well spotted! must edit …. Thanks :)

:)

Public sector pay the taxes used to pay agency workers, or are they not allowed have an opinion

The usual PS refusal to accept responsibility.

My local hospital called me for an appointment on Friday.
Letter typed on Monday, posted on Thursday, arrived on Friday AFTER the appointment time. This was not an isolated incident, all down to the idleness/incompetence of the “ordinary” HSE worker.

Just because there are those at the top who should be booted out does not mean that there are those lower down who should be given their cards too.