Results 46,021-46,040 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. With regard to the recruitment embargo, there is definitely a debate to be had about funding of the health service, but the recruitment embargo had nothing to do with this issue. In fact, the HSE was funded to a record level last year for an additional 6,000 staff but hired in excess of 8,000 staff. I do not want the recruitment embargo to be in place but this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I will ask the Department to revert to the Deputy directly on the delays and the date for completion of the review moving from quarter 2 to quarter 3. Let us see whether that delay can be managed down to just a matter of weeks. This is not about the denial of any service. The service is being provided but, as the Deputy reasonably pointed out, it is a long way to Sligo University...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The reality is that although there are ongoing pressures on certain services at Letterkenny University Hospital - I fully accept that and have visited the hospital many times - there has been a very significant increase in capacity in the hospital and in services delivered by the hospital in the lifetime of this Government. The budget has increased by a quarter. The number of staff has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ambulance Service (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I acknowledge the excellent contribution our National Ambulance Service, NAS, teams make in delivering emergency care right across the country. Helicopter emergency medical services, HEMS, are consultant led and paramedic-delivered in Ireland. The NAS provides two dedicated HEMS aircraft, including one aircraft operated in conjunction with the Irish Air Corps. Also, the Irish Coast Guard...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ambulance Service (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It is something we are taking seriously. We are looking at it. Essentially, the question is whether it is consultant-led or consultant-delivered. Is there a consultant in the background or is there a consultant on the helicopter? The argument is that if we have an emergency medicine consultant on the helicopter, there will inevitably be cases where the patient will get a higher level of...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I did not realise I had only ten minutes. I was handed a 40-minute speech, which I got down to about 15 minutes. The Acting Chairperson can cut me off if necessary or, with the indulgence of the Seanad, perhaps I could have more time.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I am delighted to be in a position today to bring the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill before Seanad Éireann. This is ground-breaking legislation. For hundreds, and possibly thousands, of families around Ireland, it will provide the route to full parentage for children, mums and dads all over our country. It will introduce, for the first time in Ireland, a regulatory...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: They are wrong.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: None of that is true.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Second Stage (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank colleagues for the debate, which has been useful. I acknowledge the contribution from Senator Seery Kearney, which made it all very real and human and reminded us why were are here. I also acknowledge Senators Clifford-Lee, Ardagh and O'Loughlin and others who have pushed hard and worked within the Government and the Opposition to advance progress in fertility. Fertility is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Equipment (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: As Minister for Health, I am committed to the ongoing development of regional hospitals, including Cavan & Monaghan Hospital, which operate together. This Government has allocated significant resources in order to meet the needs of patients using the hospital: The budget for Monaghan Hospital has increased from €11m in 2021 to €14m in 2024, an increase of 27%....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I recognise that the provision of podiatry services is very important. Podiatry specialises in the management and treatment of disorders affecting the lower limb and can significantly improve a person’s quality of life by promoting and maintaining mobility. Currently, podiatry services provided by the HSE are offered on a priority basis to medical card holders aged 65 and over,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Thank you, Deputy. The Commission’s aims in revising this legislation are to make medicines more available, accessible, and affordable. It also seeks to support innovation, boost the competitiveness of the EU’s pharmaceutical sector, promote higher environmental standards, and combat antimicrobial resistance . I fully support the Commission’s ambitions in this...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: There are a number of significant capital investment projects proposed for the University Hospital Galway (UHG) campus, which will provide state of the art facilities at UHG. These include a new Emergency Department, Women and Children’s Block, a Regional Cancer Centre, and replacement laboratories. Due to the significant scale and complexity of these projects, a programmatic...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Thanks to continued investment in Health Services, Ireland has seen a decline in the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Since 2012, the mortality rate from heart disease has been reduced by 38%, mortality from stroke has been reduced by 48%. However, CVD remains a significant challenge claiming 9,000 lives annually. The Government acknowledges the vital support,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The HSE has been asked to investigate this matter and has confirmed that recruitment to fill current orthodontist vacancies to the orthodontic service in Louth is ongoing. In addition, the existing national procurement framework which is supporting the transfer of patients to private care, supported by additional funding which I have made available, has been extended which will allow some...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The National Ambulance Service (NAS) Capital & Estates Office is in the process of updating the NAS Estates Strategy in consultation with HSE Capital & Estates. This strategy will re-evaluate the priorities of all NAS ambulance station requirements in the context of available capital investment. Under new Regional Health Structures, the development of Youghal Ambulance...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: As Minister for Health I am committed to the ongoing development of regional hospitals, such as Mayo University Hospital. This Government has allocated significant resources in order to improve services for patients in Mayo.? In 2020, Mayo University Hospital had a budget of €119 million. This year, the budget is €143 million, meaning its Budget has grown by €24...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The 2024 Waiting List Action Plan that I published in March this year set very ambitious activity targets for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) . Within its budget of €179 million it is to arrange 163,500 episodes of care for patients on public hospital waiting lists; 110,000 outpatient appointments, 35,000 IPDC procedures 18,500 GI scopes. In addition, 117,692 patients...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (13 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, additional fillings and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional...