Results 2,041-2,060 of 3,871 for speaker:Catherine Byrne

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (22 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the Deputy. I understand the Deputy's concerns and I will convey them to the Minister to the best of my ability when I meet him later.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (23 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016 was published on Tuesday 21 June. It brings under the scope of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 a number of substances, including certain prescription medicines which are being sold on the streets by drug dealers, and makes a number of technical amendments to the Act. Yesterday, the Supreme Court up held the constitutionality of Section 2(2) of the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (23 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Suboxone is a medicinal product comprising of the drugs buprenorphine and naloxone. It is authorised as a substitution treatment for opioid drug dependence, within a framework of medical, social and psychological treatment. It is currently being provided to a cohort of patients involved in the piloting and feasibility study for Suboxone. At the request of the Department of Health, the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (23 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: According to a Health Research Board report on drug-related deaths for 2013, the latest year for which data is available, the total number of drug-related poisoning deaths increased from 361 in 2012 to 387 in 2013. Methadone was implicated in 93 poisoning deaths in 2013, compared with 86 in 2012. However, the majority of poisoning deaths where methadone was implicated, involved other...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Addiction Treatment Services (23 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The HSE does not provide specific services for persons with a gambling addiction. Therefore, it is not possible to identify the number of those presenting with gambling problems to State supported addiction services. Those who present for addiction treatment for gambling are offered the same range of interventions as those who present with a drug and alcohol addiction, or a mental...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I am delighted to be present and it is nice to be in the Chamber. I sat here during the health sub-committee hearings on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill for a number of weeks. The atmosphere in the Chamber was sombre because we were dealing with people's lives. Today we are doing the same. The former Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy,...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: A key commitment in the programme for Government in relation to drugs policy is the development of a new national drugs strategy, which will take effect from January 2017 when the current strategy expires. The steering committee that has been established to oversee this process is representative of key stakeholders. It will provide guidance and advice to me on how the new strategy should...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social Enterprise Sector (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The Government currently provides substantial funding to social enterprises through a range of programmes and schemes, many of which are implemented through the nationwide network of Local Development Companies, including the Community Services Programme, Community Employment Schemes, the Wage Subsidy Scheme for the employment of people with disabilities, public sector contracts through the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Initiatives (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The successor programme to the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP), the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) was rolled out across communities, both urban and rural, in April 2015 and will run until 31 December 2017. The aim of the SICAP is to reduce poverty, and promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy Implementation (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The overall objective of the National Drugs Strategy is to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a concerted focus on the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. Periodic reviews of progress of the actions of the current Strategy are carried out through the Oversight Forum on Drugs, which I chair. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 is a cross cutting area of public policy and service delivery, which requires a coordinated multi-sectoral approach to tackling the drugs problem. Periodic reviews of progress of the actions of the current Strategy are carried out through the Oversight Forum on Drugs, which I chair. The 2015 progress report on the implementation of the actions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy Implementation (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The matter raised by the Deputy relates to an action in the 2001-2008 National Drugs Strategy, which has been superseded by the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016.

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I will make a few comments in response to comments from Senators and then I will refer to the amendments. I made it very clear in this House last week that I do not want to criminalise anybody who takes drugs because of addiction, but decriminalisation is a complex issue which has to be worked out properly before we can say that people should not be criminalised for carrying drugs in their...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I wish to address one or two points before I conclude. Does Senator Devine wish me to tell her now, tomorrow, next week or the week after that there will be four new detox beds in St. James’s Hospital? I cannot do that, but I will give a commitment that I will do everything I can within my role as Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy to make sure that...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Okay.

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank Senators for their contributions. We had a long discussion about this yesterday, Several weeks ago I requested to meet Senators Ruane and Black because I know they have long experience of working in drug addiction services and with families. We had a long discussion and analysis. I want to meet people who have a passion to do something for people who get trapped in drug addiction....

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I understand from where Deputy Ruane is coming but I cannot give her a commitment that if something develops in the inner city or elsewhere in Ireland, the Government will not introduce legislation to change it. It would be wrong of me to say that. I will not do it. The aim of the legislation is to protect the health of individuals.

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I am sorry Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin was not present when I spoke on the amendments. I missed the Senator's previous contribution, as I was in the ante room. As a new Minister of State, I need as much advice as I can get, as does anyone in a similar position.I depend on people in the Departments of Health and the Environment, Community and Local Government, as my...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy (5 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430, 433 and 439 together. Government policy in relation to drugs underlines the importance of providing opportunities for people to move on from illicit drug use to a drug-free life, where that is achievable. In line with the National Drugs Strategy, the Health Service Executive has reoriented the addiction services in recent years so that they are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy (5 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 and 435 to 437, inclusive, together. As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.