Results 25,321-25,340 of 26,887 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: WHO Treaty on Pandemic Preparedness: Department of Health (8 May 2024)

David Cullinane: We had very helpful commentary by the World Health Organization during Covid on public health generally and how we see it and how we see public health services. There was the notion of solidarity among member states first and foremost. As was said, nobody is well until everybody is well, or whatever the phrase was. Public health is very important and globally equity is important in terms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: WHO Treaty on Pandemic Preparedness: Department of Health (8 May 2024)

David Cullinane: I have several questions. One is on public health measures and that they would still be the competency of the member state, for example, lockdowns and other public health responses. My other questions is on vaccines. At present they are not mandatory and nobody is asking for them to be mandatory. There is some online commentary that this is what the treaty is about and the purpose of my...

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill 2024: Second Stage (14 May 2024)

David Cullinane: We support reform of HIQA’s enforcement powers. HIQA’s current enforcement powers are blunt and we have been saying that for some time. We will support the Bill but the Government has been far too limited in its approach. I met HIQA officials on a number of occasions in recent years on many of these matters. The Bill provides for compliance notices for the Chief Inspector of...

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill 2024: Second Stage (14 May 2024)

David Cullinane: Covid should actually have been the battle cry or the rallying cry to this Government to actually deal with these issues. The Minister of State is actually making the argument for me. Covid was the big disrupter that said to the State that we need to do more about adult safeguarding legislation, homecare and a statutory homecare but the Minister of State did not deliver and she has to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: Looking at all of the figures in the opening statement, I reminded myself that there are real people behind them who need access to services. Whether that is the neurological teams in the community or the specialist beds, or the neurological nurses across the counties mentioned, there are people depending on these services. The first issue I raise is the specialist nurse positions. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: There is a shortage of at least 100 specialist nursing posts. There was funding for 21, which is only a fifth of what is needed. Even at that, 13 of those posts have not been delivered and have been held up behind because of the embargo. That is the situation as of today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: That is not acceptable. We need to follow that up with the HSE. Bernard Gloster came before the committee to discuss this issue, as well that relating to neurorehabilitation teams. Commitments were given. I pulled out the briefing note we received from the HSE last April in April 2023. On community neurorehabilitation teams, has there been progress in CHO 2 and CHO 4? Have those teams...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: I have the note here. Regarding the commitment, it states that in relation to the teams in CHO 2 and CHO 4 in the 2023 budget, funding has been provided for two larger community neurorehabilitation teams. The note refers to 12 to 13 team members and that it was planned to have the teams operational in quarter 4 of 2023. That was the commitment given to us in good faith when we dealt with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: I fail to see how, even with administrative issues, that could be the case. That is a matter for the HSE to sort out. Tens of thousands of people work in the HSE. I do not see how it cannot sort out whatever issues exist. If a commitment has been given that something will be operational by the end of 2023 and we are now told it might be as late as the end of 2024, that makes no sense to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: How many do we have?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: I want to ask about the source of the figure of 300. Is that a HSE figure from its analysis or is it the alliance's analysis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: The HSE model.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: It has identified the need for 300 beds, but only about one third of those are in place. That is a common pattern. It is the same with specialist nurses, where we have one third, or perhaps even less, of what is needed. It is the same for the teams. The whole area is under-resourced. I go back to what I said at the start of the meeting, namely that there are real people behind that who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Healthcare Strategies: Discussion (15 May 2024)

David Cullinane: I thank the witnesses.

Housing for All: Statements (21 May 2024)

David Cullinane: Hear, hear.

Housing for All: Statements (21 May 2024)

David Cullinane: Hear, hear.

Housing for All: Statements (21 May 2024)

David Cullinane: There are a number of areas in housing where the Minister has delivered, which should be recognised on the floor of the Dáil. First is rising rents - well done. Every year, month on month, year on year, rents have increased. In my own constituency of Waterford, rents have increased 6.5% on last year. That was up on the year before and the year before that. Well done. You delivered...

Dentistry Services: Motion (22 May 2024)

David Cullinane: I thank Deputy Shortall and the Social Democrats for moving the motion in the first instance. I do not know if the authors of the motion received any prior notice that the senior Minister would not be here but it is not acceptable that the Minister is not. There may be a reason for it but I heard the Chair himself raise this issue this morning-----

Dentistry Services: Motion (22 May 2024)

David Cullinane: -----with regard to senior Ministers not coming in. Particularly when people are putting forward very substantial motions, the senior Minister should be here. That is what Opposition time is for. Time and again we are seeing it where a junior Minister is sent in and senior Ministers seem to think it is not their role, but it is. It is their job to be here and to answer the questions that...