Keith Swanick - Recent appearances (From KildareStreet.com)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: KildareStreet.com, mprss.php script
date: 2020-04-03T17:21:50+00:00
items: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
items: Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
items: Ambulance Service Provision | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
items: Illegal Drugs: Motion | Seanad debates
items: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion | Seanad debates
items: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
items: Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage | Seanad debates
items: HSE Capital Plan 2019: Statements | Seanad debates

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
type: item
description: Today, the faculty of paediatrics of the Royal College of Physicians called on the Government to abolish the system of direct provision for asylum seekers because the welfare of children is at...
encoded: Today, the faculty of paediatrics of the Royal College of Physicians called on the Government to abolish the system of direct provision for asylum seekers because the welfare of children is at stake. The author of the report issued today, Dr. Niamh O'Brien, stated the system is unethical, stigmatising and needs to end. Children in direct provision present with increased mental health issues and over-present to emergency departments with burns. These children are referred more frequently to Tusla than children in other settings. Currently, there are more than 1,800 children in direct provision. The average waiting time in these centres is 14.3 months. While the waiting time has reduced, 14.3 months is still a lifetime for a child. The report's many recommendations include providing increased allowances for school and clothing expenses. I call on the Minister to consider establishing a specialised ring-fenced fund to enable these children to access psychological support. The mental trauma they are experiencing now will be carried forward into their adult lives. I am not sure if such a ring-fenced fund would be provided by the Department of Health or Department of Justice and Equality. Perhaps we could have a debate on this matter in the new year to protect these children and their mental stability and give them easy access to the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. I have often said in the House that general practitioners should have 24-hour emergency access to allow them to pick up the phone to prevent a vulnerable suicidal teenager or adult from going to an accident and emergency department. While the recommendations of increased allowances for clothing and school expenses are welcome, a specialised ring-fenced fund to provide psychological support for these children would be an excellent idea.
date: 2019-12-11T10:30:00+00:00

Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
type: item
description: I understand that and I understand there are manpower problems. I totally understand all of this. I understand they are not second guessing clinical decisions. I am only concerned about the...
encoded: I understand that and I understand there are manpower problems. I totally understand all of this. I understand they are not second guessing clinical decisions. I am only concerned about the patients and I am afraid people are falling through the cracks who should not be and they are not getting the appropriate services. Sometimes the way the child and adolescent mental health service communicates to families can be seen as flippant to the concerned parents of a teenager who might be in trouble. That perhaps requires a review.
date: 2019-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
type: item
description: If an appropriate referral is sent in it should be accepted in good faith. This is the problem. People are falling through the cracks. They are being referred to psychological services when...
encoded: If an appropriate referral is sent in it should be accepted in good faith. This is the problem. People are falling through the cracks. They are being referred to psychological services when they need psychiatric services.
date: 2019-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
type: item
description: Does Dr. Finnerty have a comment on the fact that child and adolescent mental health teams undermine professional referrals from GPs that are sent in good faith after assessing a child? The GP...
encoded: Does Dr. Finnerty have a comment on the fact that child and adolescent mental health teams undermine professional referrals from GPs that are sent in good faith after assessing a child? The GP would not refer the child to the mental health services unless he or she had a serious concern. Often GPs receive a letter stating the referral was inappropriate and asking whether the doctor had seen the patient. That is totally unacceptable. It happens on a regular basis in Mayo. It undermines the entire service being provided. It also undermines the patient's relationship with the GP because the parent is often copied in on the letter. They have had the courage to come in with the child to disclose whatever needs to be disclosed to the doctor. They trust their GP, with whom they have a long-term relationship. The doctor makes a referral in good faith and then a letter is received by the doctor, with the parent copied in, stating the referral was inappropriate. I do not know about this. People are falling through the cracks. Mental illness that is not dealt with in children and teenagers does not go away, it just manifests later. A review of the structures regarding referrals and accepting referrals needs to be undertaken.
date: 2019-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
type: item
description: Even accessing the service can be difficult. I am a GP and if I see a teenager who may be depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and I am sure the Chairman will agree with me, I send the patient...
encoded: Even accessing the service can be difficult. I am a GP and if I see a teenager who may be depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and I am sure the Chairman will agree with me, I send the patient off and refer him or her in good faith. Often the team reviewing the referral states it is inappropriate. One professional doctor refers somebody who genuinely needs help and the referral is undermined. Sometimes doctors are accused of not even having seen the patient and that they discussed the situation with the parents. That is disgraceful. I have said numerous times in the Seanad, and I have spoken to the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, about it, that access for GPs to a 24 hour emergency phone line to the child and adolescent mental health service with regard to very vulnerable teenagers would be a solution-driven pragmatic approach. It would not be abused. I would probably use it only once a year if I had a case involving a suicidal teenager, instead of sending him or her to the emergency department or having to admit him or her to the adult mental health unit in Castlebar. That unit does great work but it is a dreadful place, particularly for a young person. Undermining referrals from GPs is not good because there is a breakdown of communications between the mental health and community teams. A 24 hour emergency phone line would probably be beneficial and prevent admissions to the acute units.
date: 2019-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
type: item
description: I understand the Mental Health Commission's remit covers inpatient acute units and patients detained against their will. Does the commission have information on how we compare with international...
encoded: I understand the Mental Health Commission's remit covers inpatient acute units and patients detained against their will. Does the commission have information on how we compare with international standards with regard to access to child and adolescent mental health teams?
date: 2019-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Ambulance Service Provision | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. While the ambulance is based in Belmullet, if the ambulance is not available locally we have to get an ambulance down from Castlebar...
encoded: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. While the ambulance is based in Belmullet, if the ambulance is not available locally we have to get an ambulance down from Castlebar or Ballina. Returning to north County Louth, I would like the Minister of State to consider expanding the co-operation with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Places such as Omeath are only ten minutes away from Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry and yet ambulances are being dispatched from Drogheda, leading to a response time of an hour and 20 minutes, when it could be a ten- or 20-minute response time from across the Border.
date: 2019-11-20T10:30:00+00:00

Ambulance Service Provision | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He is probably aware of the desperate situation regarding ambulance services in rural areas. Councillor Erin McGreehan from Louth recently raised...
encoded: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He is probably aware of the desperate situation regarding ambulance services in rural areas. Councillor Erin McGreehan from Louth recently raised with me the specific issue of ambulances in the Omeath area of north County Louth. At present no ambulances are operating in this district of the county. It has been revealed that ambulance services in Louth have taken over an hour to respond to emergency call-outs on at least six different occasions in the last year. A freedom of information request has revealed that on one emergency occasion in Louth last year it took an hour and 27 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the scene. Out of the six occasions where ambulances took more than an hour to respond in the county, waiting times were between an hour 18 minutes and an hour 27 minutes. This is not to do with trolleys backing up and the dysfunctional situation in our emergency departments. Insufficient resources are being directed towards rural areas. What does the Minister of State plan to do, in a holistic fashion, to deal with this issue and ensure that we can get the ambulances to bring the patients to the hospitals in a timely fashion? Ambulance turnaround times measure the time interval from ambulance arrival at a hospital to when the crew is ready to accept another call. In a number of hospitals, the emergency departments are completely overcrowded and this will get worse with the winter flu season approaching. This overcrowding contributes significantly to delays in ambulance turnaround. The lack of resources in rural areas is a different problem. We are not dedicating enough resources to rural locations. If we are serious about reducing the turnaround times, it means that we need to reduce the length of time people are spending in our emergency departments. With that in mind the escalating overcrowding in hospitals being reported by the INMO's figures is of particular concern. We have a long way to go in this regar…
date: 2019-11-20T10:30:00+00:00

Illegal Drugs: Motion | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I will be very brief. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Bryne, for her comprehensive response and her support for the motion.I compliment the Minister of State on her efforts. I am fully...
encoded: I will be very brief. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Bryne, for her comprehensive response and her support for the motion. <!--p></p--> <!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#91;</span--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">Senator Keith Swanick:</span--><!--a href="http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1&amp;HouseNum=25&amp;MemberID=2459"></a--><!--a href="../zoomin?readform&amp;chamber=seanad&amp;memberid=2459&amp;pid=KeithSwanick&amp;year=2019&amp;month=11&amp;day=13"></a--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#93;</span-->I compliment the Minister of State on her efforts. I am fully convinced that she is a very solution-driven, pragmatic, motivated and hands-on individual. On a personal level, I would never criticise her efforts and I appreciate what she has done. It is heartwarming to see the cross-party support for this motion on an issue which really is a national scourge. There are many similarities to the loneliness campaign and the loneliness task force insofar as the drug problem does not discriminate between old or young, rich or poor, urban or rural. As Senator Paul Daly mentioned, this is affecting all of us in every geographical location, including my town of Belmullet. At the end of the day, we are all motivated by the same agenda. We want the welfare of our citizens who are afflicted by the scourge of drugs to be improved, either directly, if they are using drugs, or indirectly, if they are, say, a family member or a victim of crime or intimidation. I agree with many of the points raised by Senators. Senator Ruane referred to the health model. I am totally in favour of the health model, rather than solely taking the punitive approach we have adopted for far too long. In the context of the dual-diagnosis approach, we all know that drugs cause mental health issues, but, as Senator Ruane stated, it is a chicken-and-egg scenario. There are many people with mental health issues who resort to drugs as a form of release. Perhaps tho…
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Illegal Drugs: Motion | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I move:“That Seanad Éireann: notes that:- individuals, families and communities throughout the country have been devastated by illegal drugs; - drug-related harm consistently...
encoded: I move: “That Seanad Éireann: notes that:- individuals, families and communities throughout the country have been devastated by illegal drugs; - drug-related harm consistently clusters in communities marked by poverty and social inequality; - drug-related deaths in Ireland are at the highest figure ever, increasing from 431 in 2004 to 736 in 2016; - new drugs appear regularly on the illicit market while familiar drugs such as cannabis are becoming more potent; - too many people are living daily with the nightmare of drug-related intimidation and violence;further notes:- the significant increase in drugs offences recorded by an Garda Síochána; - the increase in the value of drug seizures from €29,706,281 in 2016 to €71,859,695 in 2017; - not all drug users are addicts and there has been a significant rise in casual and occasional drug use; - a changing pattern of drug use during the recent economic recovery; - the latest drug treatment figures from the Health Research Board show a 50% increase in the number of cases presenting for cocaine treatment between 2017 and 2018; - in 2018, a total of 10,274 cases were treated for problem drug use; - the number of new entrants to treatment increased from 3,272 in 2012 to 3,962 in 2018; - Ireland is one of six European countries where crack cocaine abuse has increased in the past five years; - every cent spent on illegal drugs funds organised crime; - the reduction in the number of Gardaí assigned to drug units;agrees:- the importance of a public health approach to drug and alcohol misuse is paramount; - there is widespread concern that the partnership approach, which has been at the heart of drugs strategies since 1996, is now in danger of collapse; - community participation and interagency working is crucial to an effective response to an increasingly complex and challenging drugs problem; - there is apprehension and frustration at the failure of Government to meet commitments on community involvement; - investment in drugs …
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Services for People with Disabilities: Motion | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am delighted to support the motion, on which there is much international research. A 2019 study on the impact of eye clinic liaison officers at...
encoded: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am delighted to support the motion, on which there is much international research. A 2019 study on the impact of eye clinic liaison officers at various ophthalmology clinics in the UK found that eye clinic liaison officers who had a presence at hospital ophthalmology clinics were valuable for streamlining processes within the clinic, not least for providing continuity of care for patients when they are discharged after medical treatment. That is important, given that people are often lost once they are discharged from the clinic and they return home. Eye clinic liaison officers have also saved staff time at the clinic because they are often responsible for providing emotional and practical support for patients living with sight loss. The study further found that the impact of eye clinic liaison officers may depend on efficient communication within the clinical team, being trusted by other staff and having good knowledge of local and national sight loss support services outside the hospital setting. Eye clinic liaison officers work directly with people with low vision, deteriorating vision, sight loss or impending sight loss and, most important, with their carers. The emotional and practical support is extended to carers and family members of all ages. They provide timely one-to-one support, high-quality information and advice, emotional support and access to other statutory and voluntary services. Eye clinic liaison officers connect people with the practical and emotional support they need to understand their diagnosis, deal with their sight loss and maintain their independence, which is of most importance. They have time to dedicate to people following their appointment in order that they can discuss the impact the condition will have on their life. In July of this year, the National Council for the Blind Ireland, NCBI, highlighted the success of the eye clinic liaison officer service by celebrating the 100th patient …
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I echo the sentiments of Senators Gallagher, Feighan and Marie-Louise O'Donnell on the Cuisle facility at Donamon in County Roscommon, which is very close to my heart and is a vital cog in...
encoded: I echo the sentiments of Senators Gallagher, Feighan and Marie-Louise O'Donnell on the Cuisle facility at Donamon in County Roscommon, which is very close to my heart and is a vital cog in providing respite to people with disabilities. I welcome members of the public who are here today to protest and are trying to save the facility. They are from all over Connacht, the midlands and the north west. <!--p></p--> <!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#91;</span--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">Senator Keith Swanick:</span--><!--a href="http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1&amp;HouseNum=25&amp;MemberID=2459"></a--><!--a href="../zoomin?readform&amp;chamber=seanad&amp;memberid=2459&amp;pid=KeithSwanick&amp;year=2019&amp;month=11&amp;day=13"></a--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#93;</span-->It is a really good facility. I also welcome the public representatives who have travelled here. The service users and their families really appreciate this facility. It is not adequate for the Irish Wheelchair Association, IWA, to suggest that this service could be outsourced to hotels and that these people could be accommodated there. This fails to consider the wealth of experience that the staff have accumulated in providing care for these individuals over the years. The facilities in hotels might be comparable to the facilities in Cuisle, but that does not take into account the wealth of experience staff members have in looking after these people. I will also comment on the infrastructure. It is a fantastic facility which has a spa, hydro pools and jacuzzis. Much of this infrastructure was made possible by public fundraising over the years. It is a disgrace that it is being closed with only 30 days' notice. This has been parachuted upon staff members and families. There has been no consultation whatsoever. It is simply not good enough. I want to mention the extensive fundraising for this facility that has taken place over the years. I will also highli…
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: This is every important-----
encoded: This is every important-----
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: Would the Minister not consider operating the appeals system locally, rather than having people travel to Dún Laoghaire from all over the country?
encoded: Would the Minister not consider operating the appeals system locally, rather than having people travel to Dún Laoghaire from all over the country?
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: The appeals process-----
encoded: The appeals process-----
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I thank the Minister of State for his reply but I cannot accept it. I think it is disgraceful. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that this scheme is antiquated. It is antiquated in...
encoded: I thank the Minister of State for his reply but I cannot accept it. I think it is disgraceful. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that this scheme is antiquated. It is antiquated in the qualifying criteria requiring people to be wholly without the use of one or both limbs etc. I deal with this every day of the week in my surgery. Not only are the qualifying criteria antiquated, the appeals process is antiquated as well. If somebody is refused a primary care certificate, where can he or she go for an appeal? Disabled people are expected to go to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire for an appeal. They must travel from all over the country, making a trip of four or five hours duration from north-west Mayo or Cork, to sit in front of somebody and be refused again. That is one antiquated element of the scheme. If we are serious about being an inclusive society we need to include people with cognitive impairments, as highlighted by councillor O'Connor. Small changes would save this country a lot of money and make our society a lot more inclusive. We are not asking for a lot. We are asking for people with serious diagnosed cognitive impairment to be considered for this. I do not accept that the Minister of Finance has no plans to change the scheme. I will work with Councillor O'Connor to introduce legislation in this regard. The appeals scheme needs to change and we need to include people with cognitive impairment.
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have asked him to come to the House today to discuss the need to expand the qualifying criteria for a primary medical certificate for the disabled...
encoded: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have asked him to come to the House today to discuss the need to expand the qualifying criteria for a primary medical certificate for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme to persons with severe cases of autism spectrum disorder and severe sensory disabilities. This issue is close to my heart. As a GP, I come across it frequently in my practice and I believe that this scheme needs to be altered. This issue was brought to my attention by Councillor James O'Connor who I welcome to the House today. A constituent of Councillor O'Connor who would have had to spend a small fortune on a vehicle which would be suitable for a child with autism spectrum disorder, ASD, expressed dismay that due to the lack of a severe physical disability her child, who requires constant care and attention, would not be considered eligible for a primary medical certificate. There is a clear and obvious need for the legislation to be updated to account for those with cognitive as well as physical disabilities. The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) (Amendment) Regulations provide a tax relief to those in receipt of a primary medical certificate when purchasing a new vehicle. This was incredibly important legislation when it was instigated. It provides financial aid to families and individuals who are required to make significant monetary outlays to provide transportation or else be significantly constrained. The regulations were intended to help reduce the financial cost of transporting oneself or another when compelled to attend medical appointments, hospital appointments, etc. A family with a child with severe ASD and sensory issues cannot be expected to use public transport. A child with that condition simply would not cope in those circumstances. The daily emotional stress and anxiety that both child and his or her family are being expected to deal with are unacceptable. In some cases, it is unsafe for the …
date: 2019-11-13T10:30:00+00:00

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I commend Senator Devine on her work on this area and the Bill that she is bringing forward and also commend Senator Freeman on the vast amount of...
encoded: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I commend Senator Devine on her work on this area and the Bill that she is bringing forward and also commend Senator Freeman on the vast amount of work she has done in this area. I welcome Deputy Pat Buckley to the House and commend him on the work he does in the Lower House with my colleague, Deputy James Browne. As a general practitioner, GP, I am delighted to support this Bill. Fianna Fáil will be supporting this Bill which seeks to ensure involuntary patients in hospitals for mental health treatment will have their advance healthcare directives respected. Currently, involuntary mental health patients is the only group which is excluded from having a living will fulfilled. It is important to ensure that involuntary patients have a voice in their treatment and have their will and preference for mental health treatment fulfilled and respected. I welcome the changes that have come about over the past number of years. As a young fellow growing up in Castlerea where there was a large mental institution, St. Patrick's Hospital with 400 inpatients, in which my father worked as a plumber, I often played up in its playing fields. They had a farm. In thinking of that time and the time from when I was a medical student working in Grangegorman to when I was a psychiatric registrar working under the medical director, Dr. Blennerhassett, in Portrane, the developments must be welcomed. On a day to day basis in the surgery, I am delighted to be treating patients in the community, keeping them in the community and not having to rely on these dreadful institutions where people were locked up inappropriately for many years. The situation is improving and it is great that we are having this debate here tonight. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2015 provides laws for advance heathcare directives. The Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015 but it is not yet in effect. A living will may be valid and enforceable. …
date: 2019-10-23T10:30:00+00:00

HSE Capital Plan 2019: Statements | Seanad debates
type: item
description: It is the way she asks.
encoded: It is the way she asks.
date: 2019-10-23T10:30:00+00:00

HSE Capital Plan 2019: Statements | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his recent visit to Mayo. There was a fantastic day last Friday in Castlebar with the opening of the Mayo-Roscommon hospice. It is truly a fantastic...
encoded: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his recent visit to Mayo. There was a fantastic day last Friday in Castlebar with the opening of the Mayo-Roscommon hospice. It is truly a fantastic facility, full of hope, and somebody described it as a sacred place. It is a facility where the size of a bank balance makes no difference and the facility is there for people in the counties of Mayo, Roscommon and Galway. I also welcome the Minister's announcement last week regarding the funding of the facility for 2020. Fianna Fáil welcomes the proposed developments in the HSE capital plan and hopes it can be delivered on time and on budget. However, the children's hospital debacle and delays in nursing home upgrades demonstrate that the Government's record of timely delivery on key projects is simply not good enough. There are many genuinely important projects listed in the plan that are welcome and which will improve public health care services. However, it is impossible to know why these projects have been selected over others. There is no analysis of the value of the various projects, how investment is being allocated or supply and demand of healthcare services. The plan includes using public money to build private facilities at the new maternity and children's hospital. This directly contradicts the way the Government voted in the Dáil and its public utterances on the matter. The Government has stated that this is the first phase of a ten-year capital investment programme. Over the next three years, there is a commitment to 250 projects across the country, including 480 new beds, 30 new primary care centres, 58 community nursing units and significant investment in mental health and disability projects in the community. The capital plan provides for the spending of just over €2 billion on health capital projects from 2019 to 2021, with €335 million pledged for a wide range of capital projects at individual hospitals and community facilities to provide modern health accommod…
date: 2019-10-23T10:30:00+00:00