No Money At Present For Unit - Teare

[manshimajin]

This isn't a capital project, this is ongoing Departmental funding of almost £500 000 a year, which is a substantial amount to find.

 

EDIT: The facility is built, the department just can't afford to run an in-patient facility at this time.

 

I was just going on what Eddie Teare was quoted as saying. I assumed a unit included bricks and mortar. Still the spending prioities are what count.

The Isle of Man needs a special drug and alcohol unit, but will have to wait until the funds are found. That was the straightforward assessment of the situation from Health Minister Eddie Teare, who told Tynwald a treatment unit for those fighting addiction remained a high priority for his department.

Whilst I know most people don't like the idea of legalising drugs other than alcohol and tobacco I think it is worth considering, to cut out pushers, to keep a better eye on users and to get taxes from their sale to pay for treatment - after all is it any more immoral than allowing sales of alcohol and tobacco which we know can be addictive and do physical damage both to the users and often to third parties...?

[triskelion]

From Tuesday's Tynwald:

 

16. The Hon. Member for Douglas South (Mr Malarkey) to ask the Minister for Health and Social

Security:

 

What progress is being made with regard to opening fully the Drug and Alcohol Unit?

 

The President: Question 16. Mr Malarkey.

 

Mr Malarkey: Mr President, I stand to ask the Question standing in my name, sir.

 

The President: I call on the Minister for Health and Social Security, Mr Teare, to reply.

 

The Minister for Health and Social Security (Mr Teare): Thank you, Mr President. The drug and alcohol unit currently houses the community drug and alcohol am who provide an excellent service. However, the inpatient beds are not yet operational.

[Lee54]

Tynwald had no problems voting yes this week to another DOT project, The Laxey phase of the Iris scheme, at a total cost of £4.1 million. £1.4 million of these costs are the cost appointing a Project Manager for the contract. Once again the professionals get a good slice of a Government contract. Which firm has bid for the Project mangers side of the contract or was it just handed out again. It was also admitted by Mr Quayle Home Affairs minister that the delay in opening the new prison was down to very poor workmanship or serious defects, something that the Project Managers are paid to ensure does not happen. Why have the Government been advertising for tradesmen to carry out remedial works at the new prison, to start with immediate effect. Something is seriously wrong when the Government keep on spending to put these projects right, the new Court House is a prime example it needs major works carried out and the original contractor that built the place no longer exists, Government have also had to pay for legal action just to find this situation out, at what costs.

[Blixo]

The Government always has money to spend on 'consultants' and the DHS are worst of the lot.

 

Personally I'd like to know how many ex IOM Government employee's who funded and trained at the IOM taxpayer’s expense, have left the IOM Gov only to return as a consultant. I think we would all be shocked at the number.

 

Apparently it’s the done thing

[Grianane]

lock them up, throw away the key, no need to waste the money [waits for explosion............................]

[Celt]

Whilst i'm not happy with some of the things Eddie Teare is doing, i think he is only picking up the peices of the totally shoite job the previous Minister made of it and is being made out to be the bad guy and scapegoat.

 

When it comes to stabilising the Government Spending, i'd prefer it in his hands than some tool with no experiance whatsoever in finance.

[Gladys]

Do you really think that Mr Teare is looking at the finances from bottom up? I think he is more likely just receiving his civil servants' high level financial reporting, identifying areas to be looked at, then again receiving his staff's report. I doubt that he really does look at the nuts and bolts of the system, which is why there have been the numerous voltes face recently.

 

The decision to stop elderly long term residential admissions was reversed very quickly because some factors had come to light which meant that the DHSS could not fund the additional costs of the caring at home policy. Barring a tsumnami, terrorist attack etc. there really are very few unexpected costs which come home to roost in such short order that you change your policy within weeks. These may have been unquantified obligations, but the obligations, surely, would have been known before the decision on residential care was made? In which case you wouldn't make the decision until you had evaluated the cost of the other contingency?

 

It all strikes me that Mr T is not in charge of finances at DHSS so his previous bank manager experience is worth diddly squat.

 

This lack of real financial control would also explain his unwillingness, for example, to look into the St Christopher payment to its UK associate which, in my mind, deserved some degree of scrutiny which it never received. In terms of the overall, it was negligible, but it was significant in terms of the cost implications for our childrens' care arrangements.

[manshimajin]

It all strikes me that Mr T is not in charge of finances at DHSS so his previous bank manager experience is worth diddly squat.

Recent events have proved that bank manager experience is not a good qualification for understanding and managing financial matters. Could it be that his public service staff understand that?

[Celt]

It all strikes me that Mr T is not in charge of finances at DHSS

 

Well if he isn't he should be as he's accountable for them

 

so his previous bank manager experience is worth diddly squat.

 

Maybe so but i'd rather it in the hands of someone who has at least had experience in Finance than a shopkeeper, joiner or whatever other trades we have in there.

[bluemonday]

THE Isle of Man must remain vigilant to the threat posed by the importation and supply of illegal substances, Chief Minister Tony Brown has warned.

He stressed that people of all ages had a part to play in safeguarding the Island's quality of life from the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

 

And he added that government would continue to work in partnership with other organisations to tackle such important community issues. ( http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Isle-of-Man...ain.4304472.jp)

 

Unless it involves something other than rhetoric. Viz spending money.

[Stu Peters]

Viz spending money?

 

I'll admit that the Top Tips come in handy, but I never voted for an adult comic to spend any of MY taxes.

 

I'll get my MHK to ask questions. Fnargh.

[Amadeus]

[hboy]

It all strikes me that Mr T is not in charge of finances at DHSS so his previous bank manager experience is worth diddly squat.

 

I would hope that Mr T is not in charge of finances at the DHSS.

 

I just have this vision in my mind of him standing up in Keys and announcing "I ain't getting on no plane, fool!" and then handing out Snickers.