Kilmartin, Dara

Professor Dara Kilmartin was appointed a consultant eye surgeon and retinal specialist in 2000 at the Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital, Dublin, the main national eye unit. He graduated from UCD Medical School in 1991 and obtained a first class honours MSc Physiology (1993) He then trained in Ireland, US, UK and Australia obtaining FRCSI (1995), FRCOphth UK (1995) and FEBO Paris (1996). He obtained a Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship UK(1998-2000) and has published widely in high impact scientific journals. He represents Ireland on the board of many international retinal societies.

Through experience at home and abroad as a senior healthcare provider, overseas medical volunteer, keen runner and environmental naturalist as a beekeeper, I can promote Health and Nature Conservation through the Seanad.

Why should I ask for a vote?

The Seanad needs fresh voices. It was designed as a forum for advisory opinion from leading current active experts but this is no longer the case. I will be a fresh advocate for Health and affordable, available quality heathcare. We need lean efficiencies and productivity avoiding the waste of the Childrens Hospital project.

Healthcare
I have experience of working and training at senior level in multiple different health systems in different countries and have been a non-executive board member of the Eye & Ear Hospital for 15 years. I have helped develop and structure retinal services and clinical standards in Ireland and the UK. Our health service has been subject to multiple incoherent reforms.

1.  Healthcare has become poorly co-ordinated with repeated partial reform with massive increase in spending; not producing better outcomes

2. Need to devolve resourcing to regional level; less middle management

3. Move less complex care from hospitals to community; local care where it’s needed

4. Promote universal health insurance and move away from public vs private but preserve choice; develop base state provided insurance with higher levels of cover for those that can afford it.

5. Develop an activity based level of funding for clinical activities; promote bench marked clinical standards and patient related outcome measures.

6. Develop patient compensation funds; promote universal digital medical record

7. Retain Irish trained doctors and nurses; Dublin weighting and payscale differentials

8. Incentivise areas with skills shortage (childrens’ mental health, rural GPs)


Environment
I am a passionate advocate for preservation of our natural environment for biodiversity and health.


9. Promote nature interaction through outdoor sports like regional trails, Parkruns, triathlons, swimming

10. Promote biodiversity conservation through All Ireland Pollinator Plan, preservation of the native Irish honeybee, develop schools environmental awareness program.

11. Promote green energy without destruction of fragile ecosystems eg inappropriate Sceirde Rocks Wind Farm, Connemara


Social Advocacy
Through my experience as a long standing medical volunteer, Ireland’s contribution to overseas aid and skills transfer can be promoted through the Seanad.

12. Volunteer medical faculty member, ORBIS (flying eye hospital, Bangladesh, India, Cameroon) and Fiat Lux (Kenya 2025)

13. International exchange of medical personnel, running skills camps initiated by Irish missionaries and continued by Irish doctors

 

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