Results 6,201-6,220 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: There is a slight concern with this amendment in that it seems to tip the balance very much back towards the board. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the amendment, but the essential function of the audit committee is to be independent and external auditors. Maybe I am wrong, but if that is the case, does it give the board too much say on a body that might be looking at the activities of the...

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: Will the Minister of State give a quick overview of the core functions of the audit committee?

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: How many members are on the audit committee?

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: In that case, the minimum number is seven. This seems peculiar. One of the core functions of the audit committee is to provide financial advice to the board, including on activities of the board. If three of the seven members of the audit committee are drawn from the board, is there not a conflict of interest or at least a lack of independent oversight given that it would only require one...

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: The concern is that if the role of the audit committee is to provide independent auditing advice and financial feedback on the performance of the board, typically one would not have members auditing themselves.

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not know but it feels unbalanced.

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: No, the chairman would be one of the four external members so it would be three ordinary members and the chairman.

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: My concern is that typically an audit committee does not audit itself. If half the members of the audit committee are on the board of the HSE, the board is advising itself. The Bill provides that the board may at any time remove a member of the audit committee. Perhaps I have got this wrong. Maybe the audit committee is not meant to provide independent advice or feedback to the board, but...

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: Well, it does really.

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: In terms of the role of the audit committee, the first function is to "advise the chief executive officer on financial matters relating to his or her functions". The second is to "advise the Board on financial matters relating to its functions". If the audit committee is essentially a sub-committee of the board where it can also bring on-----

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: No, not board members. The board members are there, but it is a sub-committee of the board which can bring on additional expertise. Let us say it wants to avail of the services of actuaries or corporate lawyers, that is okay. We already have a board and the board is talking to the chief executive all the time. Essentially, the board's job is to hold the chief executive to account and to...

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: We will not split hairs about whether it is financial advice or advice on financial matters. I think we are dancing on the head of a pin if we were to do that. Is the audit committee essentially meant to provide a level of advice on financial matters and governance matters, as laid out here, independently of the board or as a subfunction of the board?

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister of State.

Select Committee on Health: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (20 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: There are a few technical notes to be provided. One was on indictable offences.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (26 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: 360. To ask the Minister for Health the number of cervical smear tests provided by the national screening service in each of the years 2012 to 2018. [9392/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (26 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: 363. To ask the Minister for Health if he or his officials received advice from the national screening service between 25 and 28 April 2018 that recommended against the introduction of out of cycle smear tests prior to his decision to approve out of cycle smear tests. [9410/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank both witnesses for appearing before the committee and for their ongoing work in this area and the submission they made. Are there any concerns about a lack of rights for the surrogate in terms of the parental switch? We have just had a big referendum on bodily autonomy for women. If I understand the proposal correctly, at some point before birth, whether during the pregnancy or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: Would Dr. Bracken like to see any clauses added if the legislation could be amended that would provide some mechanism in those situations? Abroad is it the case that when the court order is in place, that is that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: There could be some sort of emergency or review clause.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2019)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Dr. Bracken. She raised a very interesting point that as the Bill is drafted, there will be continue to be an issue for kids born now. The issue is for children born via donor-assisted reproduction but not through surrogacy.