Results 11,521-11,540 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: Nurses, and other healthcare professionals, are engaged by the HSE on various contracts. These include permanent, temporary, full-time and part-time contracts. Both the needs of the service and the wishes of the employee are considered when determining the type of contract. Some nurses will wish to accept and keep a temporary contract, depending on their current circumstances. The change from...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The issues and risks associated with the use of sodium valproate by women of childbearing age are well recognised by medicines regulators and healthcare professionals in Ireland. I am aware of the recent publication of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review in the UK, and of the French Government’s compensation scheme, and I have agreed to meet relevant patient...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Services (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: A sum of €12m has been allocated as part of Budget 2021 for the restoration of cancer services, with a further €2.3m committed to as part of the Winter Plan. Due to the need for physical distancing and related infection prevention and control measures, capacity across many cancer services has been reduced. The funding provided for the restoration of cancer services will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Cancer Strategy (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: A total of €20m additional funding will be allocated for the National Cancer Strategy in 2021. This brings the total extra funding allocated to the Strategy to €26.3m. The 2021 funding will facilitate significant progression of key priorities of the Cancer Strategy, including prevention measures, improved access to diagnostics, the further development of medical, radiation...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: There has been significant engagement between the Ministers for Health, the Chief Medical Officers in Ireland and Northern Ireland throughout this pandemic. All parties recognise that, in terms of public health measures in both jurisdictions, it is of utmost importance to maintain strong North-South collaborative arrangements. A Memorandum of Understanding was formally agreed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: To ensure the continued and appropriate delivery of Health Services in a COVID Environment, The HSE have developed the ‘Delivering Health Services in a COVID-19 Pandemic’ Plan. This plan includes the normal winter plan that would incorporate enhancement to services to cope with winter pressures, but also takes a more strategic approach by considering actions necessary to resume...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I, my Department and the HSE are committed to the early introduction of a new framework for public healthcare, as recommended in the Crowe Horwath Report on Public Health Apecialists and as provided for in the Programme for Government. The Report recommended the awarding of consultant status to public health specialists who meet defined criteria. Consultant status is also consistent with the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The HSE has adopted RNA PCR as the gold standard test for diagnosing Covid-19 cases, as part of the HSE test and trace strategy, consistent with international best practice, and approved by NPHET. This platform is deployed in acute hospitals, the NVRL and HSE’s commercial partners. Given the volumes required, these operate as batch tests and hence take a number of hours depending on...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Services Provision (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most routine scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: In March, in anticipation of the projected surge in Covid-19 cases and the expected impact on the health care system, a critical part of the response was to urgently ramp up capacity for acute hospital care facilities. An important element of the strategy was to put in place an arrangement with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system, to provide essential...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy will be aware that the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise has been the focus of a number of investigations and reports in recent years. The reports point to the need to reconfigure some services to ensure that patients are treated in the most appropriate setting by specialist staff who can safely meet their needs. Against that backdrop, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 1116 together. As the Deputy will be aware, ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’ outlines Ireland's strategy for dealing with COVID-19 over the next 6-9 months. It sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outlines the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Assisted Human Reproduction (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Deputy is aware, a commitment to introduce the model of care for infertility which was developed by officials in my Department in conjunction with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme is included in the Programme for Government, Our Shared Future. This model of care will ensure that infertility issues will be addressed through the public health system at...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: A COVID-19 Immunisation Strategy Group, chaired by the Department of Health, has been convened. The purpose of the Group is to advise on and assist in the development of national policy relating to COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, a COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Implementation Team has been established in the HSE. All of the issues raised by the Deputy are being examined in this context.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: In March, in anticipation of the projected surge in Covid-19 cases and the expected impact on the health care system, a critical part of the response was to urgently ramp up capacity for acute hospital care facilities. An important element of the strategy was to put in place an arrangement with the private hospitals to use their facilities as part of the public system, to provide essential...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (3 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.