Results 28,741-28,760 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: It is a not-for-profit charitable company, and that is what matters.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: It is not. It is a voluntary hospital.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: If I can interrupt, for the purposes of people who are listening, it is important that we are very clear that we have HSE public hospitals, we have voluntary public hospitals, like Holles Street today, and then we have the private hospitals.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I cannot speak for my predecessors but I can tell the Deputy that I did seek the Attorney General's advice on a CPO for the reason Deputy Cullinane and I were just discussing. I asked exactly the very reasonable and correct questions that Deputy Smith is asking.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I would be very surprised if I was.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I will check with the Department. I can certainly confirm that I did seek such advice.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: What is not a good starting point?

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: It is certainly relevant. For example, there is very close co-operation between the Rotunda Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and between the Coombe Women and Infant University Hospital and St. James's Hospital and, potentially, Tallaght University Hospital as well. It is quite regular for there to be co-operation between major adult teaching hospitals and maternity...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: No, I think cases could be made. For example, the Rotunda Hospital has a very close working relationship with the Mater Hospital and, in the same way that critically ill women are moved from Holles Street to Elm Park, critically ill women are moved under blue light from the Rotunda Hospital to the Mater Hospital, yet the proposal that has been in place for many years for the Rotunda Hospital...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: No, I would not. It is a very sensible extra layer of protection.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: The constitution explicitly obliges the new hospital to provide all services and to do so without any religious ethos. In the context of our country's history regarding women's reproductive health, having an extra layer where the State, via the Minister for Health, has this very broad power to intervene and compel the hospital to do what it is meant to do is a good thing. In fact, I would...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy has made a lot of accusations. She and I have worked together on the Joint Committee on Health for many years and I hold her in high esteem. Just for clarity, can I ask if her comments about being "gaslit by men in suits" pertain to me?

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Not only do I acknowledge it, but I acknowledged it clearly in my opening statement, in many interviews I have given and at the health committee yesterday. I ask the Deputy to accept that in good faith.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I apologise, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: That is a very fair question, and one that is being asked repeatedly. The advice I have from the legal team, to which I posed exactly the same question, is that for lawyers and clinicians, the phrase “clinically appropriate” is a normal phrase used all the time. It is used in every hospital, on every ward and by every clinician. The legal team told me that in the same way...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I just want to clarify this point. The Deputy said I am not prepared to provide a definition. I am, through debate and also very clearly in writing to the health committee.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I accept that point and Deputy Shortall asked a reasonable question. I want to listen carefully to the contributions of the Deputy and all colleagues. I will then reflect on those. I agree with the Deputy and other colleagues. Deputy Cullinane and others have said it and Deputy Duncan Smith may have said it as well. For people watching this debate who are coming from a baseline of...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I am not a lawyer but I would not regard that as a substantial change.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (12 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not believe adding a definition would be a substantial change at all. On the Deputy’s first question as to why I could commit now and yesterday to write to the health committee, it is because that is immediately within my gift. However, any changes to legal documents that have multiple parties involved would require consultation and other conversation. I am not in a position...