Results 7,681-7,700 of 11,572 for speaker:Mary Butler

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mental Health Services (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: I thank Deputy Ward for his question. The Deputy will be aware that the Mental Health Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Mental Health Act 2001. The commission’s principal functions are to promote, encourage and foster the establishment and maintenance of high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to take all...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mental Health Services (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: To be fair, when the initial report from Dr. Seán Maskey was presented to me I acted quickly and promptly. I initiated an independent audit by the HSE of three particular areas, namely, prescribing, standard operation procedures and the interaction of parents and families with CAMHS. The Mental Health Commission also agreed to conduct a full review of all nine CHOs. The standard...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mental Health Services (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: The HSE acts when it is contacted by the Mental Health Commission. Any safeguarding issues or concerns raised are dealt with promptly and appropriately by the HSE and the relevant CAMHS teams. At the same time, we must remember that thousands of children are receiving the support of CAMHS multidisciplinary teams on a daily basis. They receive good supports. I must try to build confidence...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Home Care Packages (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: In 2023, the overall budget for home support will exceed €700 million. Over the last three budgets, I have secured more than €200 million in additional funding for home care support, a 42% increase since 2020. I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, for his support, and that of the whole Government and Cabinet, in ensuring this particular funding has been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Home Care Packages (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: We have been working very hard on the statutory home care scheme over recent years. We lost time during Covid. I would be the first to admit that. The Deputy is right that we need the same standards in respect of home care the length and breadth of the country. The interRAI, which is the single assessment tool, is what will provide that. I secured funding in my very first budget to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Home Care Packages (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: There are a great many home care workers the length and breadth of the country. To be fair, 56,500 people will receive home care today. Many will receive more than one visit during the day. However, we are seeing many more complex cases as a result of Covid and more referrals from GPs and public health nurses for people to avail of this service. The Deputy is right that if there are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Home Care Packages (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I was not aware of it. I know that in my area, for example, there is huge provision of community and step-down beds and transitional beds for up to 11 weeks for people who it is deemed no longer need to be in an acute hospital and whose consultant has said they need only community or step-down care. As the Deputy will know, we are abolishing all...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Homes (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for her question. The Government is conscious of the financial challenges faced by the nursing home sector and has acted accordingly. The cost of residential care to the State was €1.4 billion last year. We received approximately €350 million back from people who avail of the fair deal support mechanism. As of today, there are 22,613 people living in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Homes (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: The Department of Health acknowledges that there are variations in the cost of care across public community hospitals as against private nursing homes. I visited Sacred Heart Hospital, Carlow with the Deputy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Homes (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: It is a fantastic facility. Does the Deputy remember, on the day we were there, the amount of work being done with the integrated care programme for older persons, ICPOP, team, in relation to supporting people to age well at home, nutrition and dietary requirements and the risk of frailty and falls? The HSE will always step in where a resident's needs are sufficiently complex that they...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Homes (8 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for the way in which she addressed this. I am in discussions with Department officials to examine ways in which funding can continue to be used to support, where necessary and appropriate, those nursing homes not scheduled to renegotiate their deeds of agreement this year. We are also looking at an expected extension of the temporary inflation payment scheme. The...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Mary Butler: The Deputy makes a valid point. It is an area on which we are working hard. I asked the HSE to intervene with any nursing homes that inform HIQA they are going to deregister. This year, 17 nursing homes have issued deregistration numbers. To date, 11 have closed and six are currently open but are at the point of closing. Nursing homes close for a myriad of reasons, however....

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Mary Butler: I am sorry; no. I was trying to be helpful when I said that 452 submissions had been received in the last couple of weeks from the various bodies and that to date, 23 nursing homes have been paid. It is very helpful that we have that information in now and we are going to pay out as quickly as possible. We are all frustrated by the number of people who are still waiting. Approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Schemes (6 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: A once-off fund of €100m for 2022 has been allocated from Budget 2023 to support community-based health and social care service providers for cost increases. This funding includes the €10m Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme for private nursing homes and a larger fund for voluntary community-based providers, which is being made available in recognition of the challenges being...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Consultations (6 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: The Government is committed to supporting healthy and positive ageing throughout the life course as well as to ensuring that older persons can continue to live independently in their homes and communities for as long as possible. At present, this objective is supported by the National Positive Ageing Strategy (2013), which provides a blueprint for whole of government policy making and service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Executive (6 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for submitting this question. We require further information to progress this question further.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Admissions (6 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (6 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (6 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (6 Dec 2022)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.