Results 4,041-4,060 of 5,087 for speaker:Kathleen Funchion

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes (31 Jan 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: 696. To ask the Minister for Health the position of nursing homes charging additional money to clients who are in the fair deal scheme (details supplied).; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4350/23]

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I welcome members of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home Alliance in the Public Gallery who have been active not only on this aspect of the scheme but on everything connected with the mother and baby institutions over the years. I speak in support of amendment No. 2 and my amendment No. 62, which is similar. I agree with Deputy Cairns that it was Deputy Sherlock who first gave us the idea that...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I mentioned the Tuam group earlier, but we also have with us James Sugrue and Peter Mulryan, two of the boarded-out children. They want the point to be made that they were given a commitment by the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, about their own cases and that they should not be forgotten. The difficulty we have had with the Government is that members say one thing when they meet survivors but...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I do not support this group of amendments and I have a number of questions about it. The Minister stated that he outlined his intention on Committee Stage. I am open to correction but I do not remember that there was talk of a dissolution day and the scheme being dissolved. It is not a scheme that will last forever. As flawed as the scheme is, I am not comfortable that we are talking...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: We are saying the scheme will wrap up within five years or, potentially, earlier. Is that correct? Can I get clarity on that?

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: It does not make sense that we would set a date in the legislation as to when it will wrap up, yet we are supposed to do a review. If we do a review two years in, it will nearly be at the five-year stage by the time the review is done, the way things operate in this place. I find it difficult to support any of these amendments going forward given the nature of the debate on the previous...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I move amendment No. 9: In page 9, to delete lines 19 to 21 and substitute the following: “(5) The Chief Operating Officer may appoint suitably qualified staff as he or she may determine to the staff of the Office of the Chief Deciding Officer to assist in the performance of his or her duties.”. The office of the chief deciding officer must be independent and, as...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: Can I come back in?

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: The chief deciding officer should be able to appoint his or her staff independently. The idea is that the chances of having to appeal decision with a genuinely independent staff in place will be reduced. I am not talking about setting up a whole new State agency, which is different from what we proposed on the birth information legislation. If I was appointed in the morning as an...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I move amendment No. 11: In page 9, line 35, after “campaign,” to insert “in Ireland and abroad,”. We had a discussion on this in committee. If I am reading it correctly, the Minister's amendment No. 12 deals with the issue. If that is the case, I will be happy to withdraw amendment No. 11. I ask for clarity on that.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: This relates to the earlier discussion on the dissolution, which we do not support. I am just following that train of thought.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: This again gives us the opportunity to speak about the six-month timeframe. One of the things that we did in the pre-legislative process in the committee was to bring in specialists in childhood trauma. It is probably one of the best sessions that we have ever had because it was so insightful and very interesting in terms of how it works. None of us can know or say what damage is done if...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: Amendments Nos. 28 and 50 are very similar. They seek to have "as soon as practicable" deleted and substituted with "within 28 days". I say this on foot of the situation with the Birth Information and Tracing Act, where people are waiting far past the recommended time. Unfortunately, just today I spoke to somebody who is still having difficulty getting their information, particularly their...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: My whole difficulty with this relates to "assigned staff". Where are those staff going to come from? It is somewhat similar to what Deputy Sherlock spoke about earlier. I mean no disrespect to them but there may be existing staff in another role in the Civil Service who will be moved over to this. If we want them to be fully independent the chief deciding officer should be able to...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I will press the amendment.

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (1 Feb 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: 299. To ask the Minister for Health if there are plans to extend prescribing authority to GPs for the nausea drug, cariban, which presently is planned to only be prescribed by consultants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5126/23]

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Disability Services: Discussion (31 Jan 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank the Deputy. There were a few questions, particularly for West Cork Down Syndrome Support Group, so we will start with Ms O'Donovan and Mr. O'Donovan and then go to Ms Steinmetz and then there was a lot there that is relevant to Down Syndrome Carlow.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Disability Services: Discussion (31 Jan 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: Does Mr. O'Donovan want to come in?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Disability Services: Discussion (31 Jan 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I am conscious that Ms Flanagan and Ms Moran did not come in on any of that. Do they wish to add anything?