Results 3,741-3,760 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. I commend Senator Alice Mary Higgins on what is very prudent legislation. For too long procurement has been price driven. The rule of thumb is 15% in terms of quality and 85% in terms of price but that is not reflective of a modern world where we want and deserve quality. I refer to one of the well known examples that is in the public...

Seanad: Reports on Department of Health Policy in RTÉ Investigates Programme: Statements (29 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: It is great to have the Minister of State back in the House. Like other speakers, I was disturbed by what was revealed in the "RTÉ Investigates" programme on Thursday night. It is a programme that, by and large, gets things right. That is not always so and the case of Fr. Kevin Reynolds was one where it did not get it right. However, by and large, it gets things right and would not...

Seanad: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (29 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire go dtí an Teach. As always, he is very welcome to the House. This is a very positive day for my family because my sister-in-law, Una Hannify, who has Down's syndrome, is getting her vaccine in St. Raphael's School, Kildare. People are very happy about that. By and large, the vaccine programme has been rolled out as effectively as it can be given the...

Seanad: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (29 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (29 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Is the Minister aware of any other similar cases that we could be reading about in the papers in the next few days? We would be better off having all the information if that is the case.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I agree with my colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, with regard to the amendment. I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. It is fair to say that this legislation provides more clarity and protection for people who are renting than is provided to them in most other countries in the world. The protections provided in this legislation would probably not have even been considered two...

Seanad: Matters Arising from the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU: Statements (29 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: As the Minister knows well and has often said, Brexit is not good for Ireland at all and nor is it good for Europe. The Minister's steady steering of Ireland and the key role he has played with our European colleagues in softening the blow of Brexit is commendable. He has done this country and Europe enormous service in his calm, sure-footed approach to dealing with a tricky, complex and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I thank the Chairman very much. I welcome all our witnesses this morning. In the first instance, I thank them for the work they have done during Covid-19, but also the work they do in general and for their response to our representations, which I find to be very efficient. My team also finds that the staff on the Oireachtas hotline are very helpful. I want to put that on the record. As...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: That is fine; I would appreciate if Mr. Flanagan could make it available. I have had a concern for a long time that a percentage of people have medical cards in their possession simply because they are used as a criterion for accessing other services such as school bus transport. I have been concerned that the number of medical cards is inflated to some degree because of that requirement. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: How many end-of-life-care one-year medical cards have been issued to people in the last 12 months?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I ask Mr. Ryan from the Department if he could give us an indication about where we are with the legislation that will underpin the two-year end of life medical card. What stage of preparation is that at?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Sorry, Ms O'Callaghan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: When does Ms O'Callaghan expect to be in a position to publish heads of Bill?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: My concern is that with the best will in the world, given the present system of administration, will people be denied a medical card because we do not have this legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Is the Department engaging and consulting with any advocacy groups while in the process of preparing that legislation? Is it consulting with them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Moving away from end of life care and addressing advocacy in general, do we have structures to engage with advocates on a constant basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Mr. Flanagan might send a note to that effect. On discretionary medical cards in general, outside end-of-life care, what percentage of the 1.5 million cards that are issued are issued on a discretionary basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: What is the level of rejections of people who apply for a card on a discretionary basis? Does the Department have figures of the numbers that it has rejected?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Discussion (30 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: That is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Irish Dental Association (8 Apr 2021)

Martin Conway: I thank the witnesses for their informative presentations about a worrying situation. Have they had any specific engagements on the vaccine roll-out? We were told at the beginning of the discussions on the vaccine roll-out that dentists would play a part. What discussions or engagements have the dental associations had with the HSE on this?