Results 24,561-24,580 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It is about the operation. Obviously, recommendations of changes to policy can be put forward but the starting position is a review of the operation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for her questions. In terms of the timeline, to be clear, the requirement in the Act is that the review is commenced within three years. It is not required to be concluded within three years; it is required to be commenced in that timeframe. As to whether it will be April before a chairperson is appointed, it will not. A chairperson will be appointed early in the new...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. As regards the e-tender criteria, I will ask the Department to circulate those criteria. I fully share the frustration in this regard. There is nothing I would like more than to be able to just appoint the chairperson and get on with the work, so I share the frustration. However, I am advised that it is a legal requirement for public procurement and, as such, all our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I hear that. The legal advice I have suggests the legal interpretation is that we must have initiated an review. Nevertheless, I take the points of the committee in regard to the wording.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I am not trying to be unhelpful, but if I understand the question correctly, it is almost asking what the recommendation is going to be in this area the Deputy highlighted. Every operational aspect of the Act can be covered, so anything that is raised by the public, service users or service providers will be examined. The question of what is included and what needs to be done will,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: No, not necessarily. If we can identify inconsistencies now, they should be acted on immediately. I cannot speak to the case the Deputy referenced, but if he wants to provide me with any details, they can be acted on immediately. The level of service provision and the standards provided should be consistent throughout the country. If there are issues we are aware of as legislators, we do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes. Certainly, if there are capacity issues with termination of pregnancy services or any other services, be it in maternity or anything else where there are capacity issues, they absolutely should be addressed. We do not need to wait for a report on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, I do. There is no issue with that at all. What the Deputy is describing is an ongoing process within the HSE, throughout healthcare. It is not unique to maternity services or termination of pregnancy services. There is an ongoing and constant review within the HSE in regard to the exact question the Deputy raised, whether relating to maternity, orthopaedics or anything else.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, the national women and infants health programme is the national body that co-ordinates this work, under Dr. Peter McKenna.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I can get the Deputy a detailed note on that. There is regular communication throughout the system. The national clinical leads, whether in maternity, cancer or orthopaedic services, talk to one another all the time. I can certainly get a more detailed note if that would be useful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Possibly. Once we have the report I will bring it to the Government and the health committee. The Government, the Oireachtas and the health committee will discuss all the issues and then decide what they want to do. We do not yet know what the recommendations will be. The point I was making is that if we take the 12 weeks, for example, which is in the legislation, this review is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I apologise for interrupting but I wish to be clear. The purpose here is not to come back and say that it is no longer 12 weeks and that it is 16 weeks or six weeks. It is specifically regarding operational difficulties that are found.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Senator for those questions. I will ask Ms Luddy to respond on the process to ensure that the public consultation is genuinely inclusive and accessible and I will respond to the Senator's other questions. In terms of the e-tender process, I was informed in the last few weeks that it was going to be required. As I said, it is as frustrating for me as it is for all members of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Senator for her question. I might ask Ms Luddy to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: If the Senator has specific concerns, she might send me a note and we will ensure that those concerns are looked at as part of the ongoing work on the public consultation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It will be.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Senator knows it does.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I have no objection to it. All I am saying is that I want to appoint, meet and talk to the chair about it. It is important that the chair has access to the expertise that he or she needs. In our consultation to get ready for this, a wide variety of views were expressed about the skill set that the chair should have and whether the chair should have departmental advice, ad hocexpert advice...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I cannot because we do not know the nature of what might be proposed. I hope that we will have a final report by the summer or the autumn. I will bring that to the Government but I will also bring it to this committee. The committee will take whatever time it deems appropriate to discuss these issues. It might decide to issue its own report and recommendations based on the original...