Results 23,321-23,340 of 26,857 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: I certainly did not get any sense that this was unfair from the Attorney General's report. In fact, the reverse was the case and it was described as sound.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: He was referring to the legal strategy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: I am not trying to put words in Mr. Watt's mouth. We are in agreement that, at the time, there were those with medical card entitlements who had an option of public nursing home places if they could find any and, if they could not, private nursing home places. However, some people had no choice but to go into private nursing homes and to be supported by the health boards because there were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: The assertion that proceedings should be fully defended is also questionable, given that most of these cases were settled when they reached the point of discovery. Does the statement that they should be "fully defended" stack up in light of how cases were settled before or at a point of discovery? This does not suggest "fully defended" to me. "Fully defended" means going to court and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: There was a good article in last week's Sunday Independenton the Conroy case. The Conroy family went public. It was an important case. The family stated that they had the means to go all the way to the discovery phase when other families did not have that opportunity. In 2017, an email was sent from the Department to the Chief State Solicitor's officer about the case. It reads: ... we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: Why settle cases then if they were so strong? Why settle all of these cases at the point where they got to discovery? I am reading again what it says: "Discovery should be avoided in all cases ... The reality of making discovery or running a hearing in one of these cases continues to be too risky to be seriously contemplated." Mr. Watt is saying there was a really strong and robust legal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: The Department is saying that it had robust legal defence, but there is no robust legal defence. It is saying that these are "too risky" and that at all costs settle before it gets to discovery, and the Department did settle on unpalatable terms. This means that some people would be paid more to ensure that others would be paid nothing. This seems to me to be the logic.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: It is my interpretation. In any event, I believe this is another issue. I am pleased that at least the Secretary General accepted the principle of unfairness for those who had medical cards and who through no fault of their own ended up in private nursing homes. The State is putting up a defence but I gave other examples-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: We will go back over the record and look at it. It will be clear what Mr. Watt did or did not say. That is my view of what was said. If Mr. Watt wants to correct-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Nursing Home Charges: Department of Health (15 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: Okay.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments (21 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: 638. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 339 and 340 of 19 January 2023, the average length of time a patient waited before leaving an emergency department, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8456/23]

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: I welcome the ambassador from Ukraine. We stand with the people of Ukraine. I also welcome the other guests in the Visitors Gallery. I am sure the entire House will join with me in unreservedly condemning the attack on an off-duty police officer in Omagh last night. My thoughts are with the officer injured in the shooting and his family, who will be traumatised by this attack. It is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: The Tánaiste said that the waiting times at Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Limerick are a cause for concern. They are not just a cause for concern, they are completely unacceptable. What is happening is shocking and scandalous. I put it to the Tánaiste that, in his constituency, people over the age of 75 who deserve better and who should be treated with respect...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: Say that to the Minister.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: Yet the Government took them out.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: Many homeowners are experiencing sharp and sudden hikes in interest rates. The vulture fund, Pepper, has warned borrowers it will hike interest rates again, with many now facing mortgage repayments which are as much as €3,500 higher than last year. It is now clear that the assurances made by Ministers that those whose mortgages were sold to vulture funds would be no worse off were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services, Recruitment and Retention of Personnel, and Response Times: Discussion (22 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: I welcome the witnesses. I tabled some parliamentary questions in advance of this session so I have a breakdown of response times by region and so on, which I will reference. Mr. Keeley said a few moments ago that the Dublin Fire Brigade's ambulance services are not hitting the standards that are required. That is quite a stark statement. I do not blame him or his staff, who are obviously...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services, Recruitment and Retention of Personnel, and Response Times: Discussion (22 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: I want to get to the response times. In terms of the Delta calls, which were referenced, the figures for last year are quite stark. Mr. Keeley might be able to explain why this is the case. In December 2022, the percentage of status 1 Delta incidents responded to within the 19 minutes was 19%. Going back to 2019 it was 33%. Only 19% of those Delta incidents were responded to within the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Ambulance Services, Recruitment and Retention of Personnel, and Response Times: Discussion (22 Feb 2023)

David Cullinane: I am going to get to the other figures in a second. Was there a report, the Brady-Flaherty report, done on the Dublin Fire Brigade and the wider ambulance service a number of years ago? Maybe Mr. Morton can answer that question.