Results 3,341-3,360 of 11,507 for speaker:Mary Butler

Priority Questions: Budget 2020 (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for keeping me on my toes today. First, I acknowledge the difficult year older people in our society have experienced as a result of Covid-19. They have shown tremendous resilience in helping to fight the spread of Covid-19. The issue the Deputy raises is one that is very close to me as Minister of State with responsibility for older people and mental health. ...

Priority Questions: Budget 2020 (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: As the Deputy will be aware, I am here representing the Minister for Health. I am glad the Deputy accepts my bona fides on this matter because I have spoken to the Minister about it and we are very anxious to make progress on the medical cards. Currently, 75% of persons aged over 70 have a medical card and if the potential beneficiaries, which could be up to 56,000 people, materialise then...

Priority Questions: Budget 2020 (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: I can certainly say that I was not one of the people who said this was a done deal because it was always contingent on there being a surplus in the budget in 2020 to deliver it. That was the small print that was written into it but who bothers with small print?

Priority Questions: Budget 2020 (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: I was very clear on that. This was always dependent on a surplus. We are in unprecedented times. There is a pandemic. The Minister for Health has gone home because he is sick and he has to have a Covid test. We need to be very careful where we are. Some 357 people died today and our focus has to be on Covid. I want to see the threshold extended and I will be pushing hard for that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 47 together. Like many other sectors of the economy, the construction sector was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This resulted in construction-related work on the site of the new children's hospital stopping on 31 March due to Covid-19 restrictions. On 18 May, the restrictions in respect of the construction sector were eased. From this date,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: The question that Deputy Daly initially asked related to the timeframe for the construction of the new children's hospital. I answered that by saying it would be completed at the end of 2022 and opened in 2023. Those are the dates I have been given. The Deputy also asked about the legal fees. In respect of legal costs, the NPHDB has statutory responsibility for planning, designing,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Children's Hospital (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: I thank both Deputies for their constructive replies. 9 o’clock Deputy Daly has issues in regard to County Kerry. I regret I am unable to answer them. There is probably not a Deputy in the country who does not have issues in regard to their constituency. I agree with Deputy Alan Kelly that the pilot programme rolled out in Tipperary is fantastic. There is a similar programme...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: I would like to correct the record. Speaking earlier, I may have inadvertently put the figures the wrong way around when I should have said there were 357 cases of Covid-19 and three deaths arising from the virus today. I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her question, which refers to Belmullet.  The Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, has developed an extensive body of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: Covid-19 is a reality and we are living with it on a daily basis. As I stated, we had 357 cases today, with three people losing their lives. I do not believe that for any reason a medical person would ask somebody to travel that distance unless absolutely necessary. I have said that no community hospital around the country is taking direct admissions currently. This is best practice...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: I will bring the Deputy's concerns to the Minister but I have an update for her. A meeting was scheduled to take place this afternoon in Belmullet district hospital between personnel from HSE estates, the chief officer of community healthcare west and the head of services for older people services in order to review the infrastructural deficits within the district hospital and to assess and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Policy Functions (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: The refreshed national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision – A National Mental Health Policy for Everyone, published in June 2020, recommends that a National Implementation and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) be established to oversee implementation of the policy. This committee will be mandated to drive reconfiguration, monitor progress against outcomes and deliver on the commitments...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Home Accommodation (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: This is a matter for the Independent Board. Cork Kerry Community Healthcare appreciates the important role which Mount Cara House plays in its community. Mount Cara House is run by an independent board of directors. Alongside some limited funding from HSE Social Inclusion, it is also funded by Cork City Council and by residents themselves. The independent board recently informed the HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Policy (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: COVID-19 testing demand is influenced by a range of factors including prevalence of the virus, the case definition and overall testing strategy, and testing activity levels will fluctuate as these factors change as we have already seen over the last four months. The HSE's overall testing approach continues to evolve in accordance with the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Ireland. I have been...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care of the Elderly (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: We all know that community services such as day care play an important role in enabling older people to continue living in their communities and maintain their social connections. These services contribute to positive ageing and better overall health. However, the introduction of physical distancing, isolation and restricted contact with family and loved ones has changed the usual dynamic of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: Opinions on the validity of parental alienation are divided in the international community. It is not recognised as a clinical entity by the American Psychiatric Association in its 2013 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders. Nor is it currently recognised by the WHO in its International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. The Department is awaiting a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service (15 Sep 2020)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.