Results 8,481-8,500 of 8,659 for speaker:Seán Crowe

Committee on Drugs Use: Family and Community: Discussion (24 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: The witnesses are all very welcome. I have dealt with many of them over the years in the context of some of the work they are doing. They led off this morning by speaking about the scale of the challenge we face. I think it was Mr. Collins who said that he has not seen the situation on the ground as bad as it is now. I think that is a common view. The witnesses sit on drugs task forces....

Committee on Drugs Use: Family and Community: Discussion (24 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: We were talking about the whole area of youth through the justice system and the lens of it. Again, it seems to be that if you are seen as a potential problem, the supports, the funding or group is there in relation to it, as Mr. Perth mentioned in his opening statement. We seem to pigeonhole young people who are a potential problem. All of a sudden, there is funding there in the justice...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: Apologies have been received from Senators Kyne and Conway. Before we get to the main item on today's agenda, the minutes of the committee meetings of 8, 9, 10 and 15 October have been circulated to members for consideration. Are they agreed? Agreed. Today the joint committee will first meet the Irish Cardiac Society to discuss issues and challenges relating to cardiology. Later we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: We do not really have the time to go into it but maybe the witnesses could provide the committee with a note on the difficulties related to the injectables, using the older drugs and the process that is there. It might be something we could follow up on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: I thank the witnesses. I will move to Deputy Hourigan next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: Senator John Cummins is not a member of the committee but he has kindly stepped in for Senator Seán Kyne.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: I will ask a couple of questions. Figures of 9,000 deaths and 25,000 hospital admissions per year were mentioned. Cardiovascular disease is the second-most common cause of death in Ireland and cost €3.4 billion in health and social care in 2021. It seems extraordinary that there is no plan. When we met people concerning sight loss, we were told there was no plan in that regard....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: As part of the health initiative, we met Professor McKeown in Queen’s University Belfast. In the context of our trip to Altnagelvin hospital, there is a link with Donegal. On linkages, I presume our guests would like to see such initiatives rolled out across the island. If patients are living in Cavan they do not want to travel for two hours to get to the nearest hospital. Are there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: We are over time but I want to quickly give a little of my own background. My mother died of a massive heart attack. I was a teenager at the time, so it may have gone over my head but I do not remember the family being told to get tested. This was in the mid-1970s. Things have changed since then. We discovered years later that I am a carrier for haemochromatosis. That might have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: A point was made earlier about women not following up with rehabilitation for various reasons, including, I presume, their caring role. Will our guests to outline the importance of rehabilitation after a cardiac event? Reference was made to peer support. For those in that situation who have not followed up on rehabilitation, I ask our guests to explain its importance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues and Challenges relating to Cardiology: Irish Cardiac Society (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: There are many issues we could discuss if we had the time. Maybe we can do so at some stage in the future. There will be a new committee and there may be a new Cathaoirleach. Who knows? We really appreciate our guests' input today. I thank the Irish Cardiac Society for its engagement with the committee on the important issues and challenges in relation to cardiology.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: The committee will now commence its consideration of staffing levels in the HSE. From Fórsa, I am pleased to welcome Ms Ashley Connolly, Ms Linda Kelly, Ms Clodagh Kavanagh and Mr. Martin Jennings. The witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: There has been growth of 300% and 400% in the number of older people in some of the estates I represent because people are living longer. That view is based on census returns, not made-up figures. Do the witnesses wish to respond to that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: I do not think anyone disagrees. The fact is people are living longer, accessing healthcare and staying longer in the system, not because they are bed blockers or anything else but because they need to stay in it for health reasons.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am conscious that many people are trying to get in to contribute, so I ask that we keep the slots to ten minutes or less if it is possible. I call Deputy Lahart.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: Before the witnesses respond, I ask that we try to avoid mentioning people by name. I am conscious people are not here. They are all big boys and well capable, but we are working to a position where we are conscious people are not here. I do read out at the start of the meeting a note stating people should not be identified. I ask, therefore, that if it is the HSE, the Department of Health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am repeating what I said at the start. Could we try not to identify people? I thank the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: We will try to follow up on that data and information, and it is also important that we try to find out the direction of HR at the HSE in respect of vacant posts being switched off on the SAP payroll system. I know the union submitted a freedom of information request but we can try to follow it up formally as a committee as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: Before that, does Mr. Jennings or Ms Carroll wish to reply?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Staffing Levels in the HSE: Fórsa (23 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: I thank Ms Kelly. We had this discussion when others came in, around the 2,500 extra staff. Bernard Gloster led us off and he talked about deserving posts. When we had the HSE and the Department in, I asked about this. There was an impression out there first of all that we were hiring willy-nilly, that they were not really important posts. Bernard Gloster talked about deserving posts....