Results 64,281-64,300 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: My first question is if we can we deliver this. That will be the most telling point in the next 12 months. Can we deliver to restore public confidence in the hospital system, to ensure the public have confidence in that system to the extent that they will support it? The question remains, can we deliver. I know the Minister has stated that he hopes to deliver and hopes to exceed our...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: How does the Minister of State propose to get the staff?

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: How quickly can we fill the posts with the particular types of people nowadays who can fill those positions?

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: This committee and the health service received much criticism on a number of issues in general throughout the country, and in counties Kerry and Donegal in particular, in respect of children with special needs and accommodation. Complaints against the system were not followed up on in what people viewed was an appropriate manner. We discussed this yesterday in the committee with the...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I am watching my speaking time allocation which is now coming to an end. The only problem there is that we do not seem to gain any headway on a couple of issues. First, there are the CHOs in the various areas, including in my area, where people were being referred to prison because there is no space for them. These were people with special needs, an addiction, or an addiction plus...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Some 2.9 million extra hours have been created. How many hours in total have then been created?

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I support the points made by my colleague in regard to the drugs issue. It is a health issue and a justice issue. It has to be approached on two levels and to have all resources made available to deal with it. That needs to be done as a matter of urgency. What we are doing at present is perpetuating it. The drug issue is growing. We are a drug-ridden society, and people will tell you it...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Revised) (24 Feb 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I do not take issue with the Minister. However, we are telling ourselves this to reassure ourselves. We can solve it without the two. We have to put the drug suppliers out of business. We can choose. We can continue, as it were, a programme of appeasement. I was on a drugs programme previously many years ago and we came to the conclusion that methadone treatment was excellent as long as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (3 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: 157. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way that the cost of housing can be brought down given the inflationary nature of the business and the likelihood of further inflation in the housing sector; if there are specific steps that need to be taken to address house price inflation or rent inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11491/22]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (3 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: 204. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the action that can be taken to enable housing to become affordable given that persons can no longer live in Ireland due to the high cost of mortgages and rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11490/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: I also welcome the witnesses. The important point for me is to establish evidence to show that, first, e-cigarettes are not a step away from smoking in the ordinary way and, second, that they are safe products which do not cause harm. It has been stated that no product is guaranteed to be harmless, but insofar as we can establish, we need to be able to find out whether we are moving in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Are there incidences where in other jurisdictions other measures, criteria or standards are used in determining whether e-cigarettes are safe?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Do the same standards apply here as in the UK?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Essentially, what Mr. Dunne is saying is that vaping is not advisable for very young people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: The next point that is important to emphasise is that vaping is not a gateway product. I would like a response to that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Is vaping habit forming?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Given that vaping is habit forming, is there a danger that people who are currently vapers might want to move to cigarette smoking?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Does the evidence indicate that the use of fruit flavours is an introduction to smoking? Some evidence suggests that people move from tobacco to different fruit flavours, but is there evidence to suggest that they move back to tobacco?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: Is it accepted that there has been an increase in tobacco smoking in recent years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2022)

Bernard Durkan: There is a very distinctive smell from smoking in an area in general. Would people who were concerned about their health not have been equally concerned about nicotine being a conveyer of the virus?