Results 40,361-40,380 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (11 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The collection of taxes and issues relating to the interpretation of tax law are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners. However, I am aware of the concerns raised regarding new guidance to be issued shortly by the Revenue Commissioners regarding the tax treatment of GP's GMS income. Officials from my Department and and the HSE have engaged with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (11 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Court Judgments (11 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I can confirm that the HSE fully respects and understands a Supreme Court judgement in this case which was ruled on in March 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Strategies (11 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The Healthy Ireland Framework has brought a new focus on the importance of health promotion and the need for cross-Government and cross-sectoral co-operation to prevent ill-health. The Healthy Ireland Framework has enshrined the principles of prevention and early intervention within all policies, with a particular emphasis on the early years. Following the publication of healthy eating...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (11 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Strategies (11 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has undertaken a number of communication campaigns on the importance of avoiding alcohol during pregnancy. As this falls within its responsibility I have referred this question to the HSE for attention and direct reply.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Deputy Tully, her colleague Deputy Cullinane, who tabled the amendment, Deputy Shortall and Deputy Lahart. The amendment before us proposes a review of the implementation of the Act, which is a good idea. This is really important legislation. In this Bill we are doing something that is urgent, which is banning the sale of vaping products, e-cigarettes, to children. We are also...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: There are no bans on that.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: One of the things we are already looking at is banning vaping in cars with children in them, as we have for cigarettes. I would like to engage with the Deputy further and we will incorporate that into the thinking on the new Bill as well. I thank the Deputy for that.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank members for sharing their views. I am not going to slow down banning vapes for children. It is a simple reality, however, that if we were to bring in some of the measures today or in this Bill around flavours, disposables and point of sale, which I will be bringing in and it is great to hear there will be support in this regard, we would delay banning vapes for children by at least...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I am fully in favour of banning disposable vapes and we are going to do so. The Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, as the Deputy noted, has completed a public consultation. He has come at it from environmental grounds and I agree with those grounds. These things are a scourge. I am coming at it from a public health perspective. I believe they are targeting children and young people. We...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I appreciate that and I wish that were true, and I asked the same question when we looked at the Deputy's amendment. The clear advice I have is that regulating to give the Government or the Minister the power to do it under regulations would, unfortunately, require the same notification.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Not anything Deputy-----

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: No, we do the notification as part of the legislative process. For example, we had to notify for the measures that are in this Bill, which is why we can now proceed with it.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: No, it is not.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, but that is exactly the point. Let us say we are back here in eight months' time, if we do this now, we have to pause this Bill for eight months. That is exactly the point and I will not pause this Bill for eight months. We have to get this through. I know the Deputy is acting in good faith on this amendment. I accept her bona fides in this regard. I have read the amendment and I...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sorry for cutting across the Deputy but that is not what I said. I said the advice I have is that it needs to be more than 12 months. I am very open to discussing with, and listening to, colleagues as to what they think an appropriate time is. With respect, that is what I said.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The advice I have is that the one thing we can do without notifying the EU is the review. That is why I am recommending that and I will come back with an amendment on Report Stage, whether it is two years, two and a half years, three years or whatever colleagues think. It is the only bit because our doing a review does not impact on the requirements of the Single Market.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I am always very wary of proposing things live but I take Deputy Shortall's point about three years potentially being too long and Deputy Lahart's point about the possibility of dividing it up. The most important part of this legislation to me is protecting children. There are other pieces to this as well. Putting barriers in place to prevent children vaping, for all the reasons we all...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: What I am saying very clearly to colleagues is that were we to accept this amendment, we could not ban the selling of vapes to children for at least another six months. We would be back here with this Bill in eight months' time, having lost eight months of protecting children. I fully agree we are going to do it. Under no circumstances should we wait for eight months to protect children.