Results 16,981-17,000 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: ---

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Briefly, do our witnesses have a means of comparing the standard and quality of our mental health services here with those in adjoining jurisdictions and, in particular, throughout Europe? Where do the best services apply? How do they do this comparison? How do we compare? What are their staffing levels like? Presumably, our eyewitnesses attend professional conferences at European and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Ms Smith for her reply. Is it not necessary on an ongoing basis to keep in touch with the standards and the quality of services available elsewhere in order that we do not slip too far one way or the other, but more particularly, in order to be able to address the areas of particular deficiency and thereby provide a better quality of service? How often would such references be made...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Notwithstanding the absence of a statutory remit, surely it is indigenous to what the Mental Health Commission is doing, particularly with regard to identifying the need for community-based services? Is it not necessary for the commission to expand beyond its remit in an inquisitorial role to identify the best and worst of the most serious issues?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Mental Healthcare Sector: Discussion (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I note what has been said but I emphasise and underline what I have been saying with a view to increased attention in this area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the witnesses for coming before us and for their presentations and the information they made available. I have been around the health services for a long time and the system does not seem to change because the issues that have been raised were raised 20 years and they have not changed since then. That is the case in particular with part-time staff, agency staff, short term, part...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: That is true.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Yes, but they are on the front line.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I understand what Mr. Bell is saying but to go back to the various drags on the system, they are different. One is capital expenditure and there is a different means of funding that, as those of us who are involved in the health service know, which does not affect the current expenditure at all. I accept that it affects overall borrowing but not current expenditure. I have strong views on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: We will not agree on the children's hospital. I believe it is an absolute necessity. It should have been built 20 years ago-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: -----or 40 years ago. It was not, however, and therein lies the kernel of the problem. The Waterford mortuary should have been dealt with 12 or 14 years ago, when there was no children's hospital competing with it. That is my point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: Everybody else got a lot of value out of the reverse side of the coin. I am entitled to my side of it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: No. Mr. Figgis wishes to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: The Vice Chairman will be glad to know that I am nearing a conclusion. To what extent has overall staffing throughout the health services increased in the past year or two years, given that during an bord snip nua's regime it went down dramatically? There have been many staff increases. This goes back to my question as to which area the staff increases have gone to. It is fine to say...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I thank Mr. Bell.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation Provision (19 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister for his reply. I do not want to upset anyone, but I have a little experience with what happens in communities when children do not gain access to the school of their choice and may have to move to a different school than their siblings. It is the perfect storm and the one thing I would ask the Minister to try to avoid. In particular, will he send an emissary...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation Provision (19 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the issue of the need for a forensic assessment of the educational needs of Scoil Dara in Kilcock, County Kildare and its implications for other schools in north Kildare affected by a dramatically expanding population, thereby highlighting the demand for preschool, primary, post-primary and special needs requirements in the general area....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: The criminal justice (money laundering and terrorist financing) Bill 2019 is promised legislation. Given some of the issues that have been raised in recent times, is it intended to bring the Bill before the House without delay?

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (19 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: 46. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timescale for the completion of remedial works in primary and second level schools nationwide in respect of which construction defects have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47498/19]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Nov 2019)

Bernard Durkan: 71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which accommodation provision for students with autism is being made in respect of primary and second level schools and in accordance with the identified needs in respective geographic areas nationwide and in particular County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47499/19]