Results 4,181-4,200 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Has that been checked with the Attorney General? Has a second opinion been sought?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I hate to be difficult but even at the start of this committee we did not have the terms of reference. They are available now. We really did not have time to study the terms of reference in order to have a meaningful engagement on this. The Minister gave an assurance earlier, indicating it was his hope and intention that the chair would be appointed by early January. Going through an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: There has to have been a way around this. There is a departmental budget of €24 billion and surely to God this is something so important to the health of the women of Ireland that a way around this should have been found. Perhaps the problem is the Department is completely knotted up in legality and it is possible this is why it is not achieving what it would like to. I am not going...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Will he come back next week for further engagement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: On that point, I should state that I never once questioned the Minister's commitment or the effort he puts in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: While I appreciate that, I ask the Minister to give us a timeline for each of those steps. He said the legislation has gone for priority drafting. When will that step conclude and the next step start? When can we expect the legislation to be before the committee? The dates are important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: We are talking about an absolute final date of the end of March. Is that fair?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: That is fine. I thank Ms Luddy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I fully accept that once the legislation has been referred to the committee, the timeline will be somewhat out of the Minister's hands. However, a clear commitment has been given this morning that the heads of the Bill will be referred to the committee by the end of March.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I welcome that commitment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: That is fine. This is a crucial point. I welcome the Minister, Ms Luddy and the other officials. When the task force on vaccination was set up and Professor Brian MacCraith was being appointed, was a tendering process gone through?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: On the legislation to provide for safe zones, this matter needs to be dealt with. We have seen what has happened to politicians recently. It is very similar to what is happening around facilities where terminations are being offered. That is not acceptable and needs to be dealt with urgently. Women who are going through a difficult period and the trauma of going for a termination for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I am taking this as a commitment by the Minister that the legislation will be before the committee by the end of March. I thank the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Apart from being absent for a few minutes, I have listened to proceedings since they began. It started with my colleague, Deputy Stanton, when he said this has not been handled well to date. This meeting demonstrates how badly it has been handled and the serious questions that remain. Is Dr. O'Brien aware that the Mental Health Commission is strong on the issue of out-of-area supports?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Can I seek clarification? That does not include a 24-hour residential unit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: That is not the case for everybody. Even if there are people who get timely interventions, sometimes 24-hour residential care is necessary. Would that be correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: With Owenacurra closing there is no 24-hour residential facility in east Cork. The people for whom the timely interventions Dr. O'Brien referred to do not work will have to be located over an hour from their home, which goes against the recommendations of the Mental Health Commission. Would that be correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I am more concerned about the people that does not work for and who require 24-hour, seven-days-per-week supports. Dr. O'Brien is telling the committee that she is withdrawing that support from that community in east Cork. This will only get worse for the HSE. From what I have heard so far in this committee, this will snowball. I suggest the HSE changes its position on this rapidly. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: So there will be no respite facilities for people in east Cork. If they need respite, they will have to go at least an hour away from home. These people may just need respite to give their families a break or so their treatment can be reviewed. A multidisciplinary team, as Dr. O'Brien mentioned, may recommend that they need respite. If that happens, they are in a situation where the HSE...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Closure of Owenacurra Centre: Engagement with HSE (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I am flabbergasted. I think colleagues on the committee are flabbergasted. There does not seem to have been any empathy shown in the decision to close the Owenacurra centre. I agree with colleagues who have spoken. This is not going away. I do not know how the committee will proceed but we may need to talk to the Mental Health Commission again. We need to do something. We cannot allow...