Results 9,901-9,920 of 27,021 for speaker:David Cullinane

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Equipment (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: 970. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken by University Hospital Waterford to provide insulin pump therapy as a treatment option to all eligible adults with type 1 diabetes; the plans of the hospital to provide type 1 diabetes self-management education to adults attending its clinic; if the hospital has included the specialist nursing staff and dieticians required to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: 971. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding medicinal cannabis; the position regarding the delivery of medicinal cannabis by the HSE nationwide originating from another EU state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27228/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I echo what the two previous speakers said. It is unacceptable that the representatives from NPHET are not here. We asked them and expected them to be here last week. Members of the committee appreciate that NPHET is very busy, as indeed are the witnesses from the HSE who are here today, the Department and the Minister. We are busy as well. I appreciate that NPHET is on the front line in...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: They will not be there either. I want to make another point. There are not even any briefings for Opposition health spokespersons or party leaders on these issues. That makes no sense at a time when we are told that we are all in this together, as we should be. I do not think anybody is being irresponsible. Some people and groups outside this House, including those on the far right, are...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I will take ten minutes. I welcome our witnesses. I will be looking for numbers in the questions I will put to Mr. Reid in order to establish some facts. I know there are a number of different elements to testing, from swabbing centres to laboratories. On the swabbing side, how many staff do we have employed in that area at this point in time?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: There are 380 staff carrying out swabbing. Laboratories might be more difficult because some of that work is done is hospitals as we know. I understand there are two industrial laboratories involved. How many staff are involved in testing, either in hospitals or in industrial laboratories, and how much laboratory space is being used? Approximate figures will suffice.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I am looking for the numbers.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: The living with the virus plan refers to recruiting 500 staff. Mr. Reid indicated 380 staff are currently involved in swabbing and, as such, 500 is a substantial additional number which will be welcome. Where are we with that number? What work are we talking about? Does the figure of 500 refer to swabbing only or is will these staff do other work? Is it for staff in the laboratories?...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I have that information. I am tight on time so can I get the numbers first? If 700 swabbers will be recruited, what will the baseline of swabbing personnel be once the HSE has recruited those 700 staff? How quickly does Mr. Reid anticipate that those 700 will come on stream?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: Basically, Ms O'Beirne is saying that from a swabbing perspective, we will move from a figure of 300 to 1,000. Is that correct?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: The living with the virus plan mentions numbers of 700 new staff for swabbing and 500 contact tracers. However, it does not give any benchmark or targets for turnaround times or how many tests should be carried out per week. Surely even for scrutiny purposes and also just to have a strategy, there should be a target of how many tests or, at least, what capacity we should have. The target...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I do not want to be rude but, with respect, I have ten minutes. The question I asked was not what was happening in other countries. It was why there is no target in the plan for turnaround times. I know there might be an aspirational target of 24 hours. There is no target with regard to how many tests should be carried out per week. I am asking why that is the case. I have a number of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: However, the Minister for Health said that was not enough.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I want to ask a number of questions about turnaround times so I will conclude on this by saying it would be more helpful if we had targets. As I said, the Minister has said he has requested an options paper. I am not sure about the status of it, what work has been done or when it will be presented to him, the Government or Cabinet. It would be very helpful if we had a target turnaround...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: As such the median end-to-end turnaround time for a positive result is 2.9 or three days. Is that fair?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: Does that include contact tracing? If contact tracing was included as well, would that increase the turnaround time?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: What is the median end-to-end turnaround time from referral to contact tracing being complete?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: That falls short of a lot of the targets we set in our document. That is my point: we need to get better and we need to get sharper. I welcome the fact that there will be additional staff but we need much more robust targets and to get much better at this. I want to put one final question to Mr. Reid about staffing. I am looking at the Be On call for Ireland pool. I have been contacted...

Health (Amendment) (Professional Home Care) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I propose that we take five minutes each. I would be happy with that.

Health (Amendment) (Professional Home Care) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: To be helpful, I will take five minutes.