Results 11,661-11,680 of 15,268 for speaker:Kathleen Lynch

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospice Services (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It strikes me that we learn very little from the appalling circumstances in which people find themselves as a result of failures in the health service. The lesson we must learn from recent revelations about maternity services is that services must have continuous throughput and significant volumes if they are to be safe and this is not always the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospice Services (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: To say it is "unlikely" is not to give a clear answer. It is not a "Yes" or "No". What I am saying is that the people running the service in Waterford have indicated that it is a safe service, there is access for patients and they are still pursuing the possibility of extending and enhancing the cardiac service at UHW under the 2016 programme. It is an ongoing process. While I never...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Ambulance Service Provision (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: As the Senator knows, I could not be here.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Ambulance Service Provision (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I do not mean to take up the Senator's time but it might be helpful to him to note that it is possible to defer this matter until such time as the Minister can deal with it.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Ambulance Service Provision (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I apologise to Senator Leyden for not being here last week. My absence was due to unforeseen circumstances. I hope he will agree that I generally make myself very available to Senators.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Ambulance Service Provision (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I am pleased to have an opportunity to inform the House of current developments in pre-hospital services, both nationally and in the Roscommon area. The National Ambulance Service, NAS, is working to ensure the provision of high-quality and timely emergency pre-hospital care services, using all available resources as effectively and efficiently as possible. As with any pre-hospital service,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Ambulance Service Provision (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The Senator raised a matter that was discussed in the House last week. There are several issues to address concerning mental health services in County Roscommon. I am in the process of compiling a list of the more than 50 new posts we have put in place there. I am gathering both names and locations because I am constantly being told these appointments were not made. When that information...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue which will become less of an issue in the future. The things we are doing for the over-70s and the under-sixes will provide reassurance for younger doctors and those in middle age who are prepared to come back from abroad. We can put other things in place such as the shared list. We have more women than men who qualify as GPs and the position is...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The Deputy is right. As we age, we develop more chronic conditions. In the context of the over-70s legislation, people suffering from chronic conditions are living a lot longer. As some of the over-70s already have GP cards, there will only be an additional 36,000 GP cards, whereas there will be 240,000 under-sixes in the system. The total number is not so great, but I agree with the...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: We would all have preferred it to have taken less time than it has and we are still not at the end of the process. GPs have until the end of May to decide and even at that point I would not be inclined to bring down the shutters. Given that it is a significant change to the way GPs deliver the service, it is important that we allow a reasonable, albeit not unlimited, time for them to sign...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (13 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: We deeply appreciate the fact that the committee made itself available at the end of a very long day to conclude Committee Stage of the legislation. This shows our collective commitment to ensuring people in certain categories will have access to GP care, provided they meet the criteria laid down.

National Dementia Strategy Implementation: Statements (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: At the outset, I would like to thank the Ceann Comhairle and his office for giving me the opportunity to address the House on the Irish national dementia strategy and its implementation. Irish people are living longer now than ever before and thankfully the signs are that this trend will continue into the future. Better health care, better nutrition and greater awareness of how we are...

Implementation of National Dementia Strategy: Statements (Resumed) (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: I thank everyone who made a contribution, and this is clearly an issue in which everybody should have an interest. I was looking at the people who came and went from the Visitors Gallery today. Some were very small, aged between three or four years of age while others were in mid-childhood and their mid-teens. This in addition to the young adults and those of us who have gone past all...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Delays (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Autism Support Services (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The Health Service Executive has recognised the need to increase the level of consistency and standardisation in the way both early intervention services and services for school-aged children with disabilities, including autism, are delivered. The Executive is currently engaged in a major reconfiguration of its existing therapy resources for children with disabilities into...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The Health Service Executive provides a range of community-based services aimed at ensuring older people receive safe, timely and appropriate care and treatment at the lowest level of complexity, and as close to home as possible. This means that people are facilitated and supported to stay in their own homes and communities for as long as it is viable, in accordance with the views expressed...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Eligibility (14 May 2015)

Kathleen Lynch: The review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme is almost complete, and it will be finalised and made public as soon as possible. The particular issue referred to by the Deputy has already been brought to the attention of my officials and while it will be referred to in the review, it will require further consideration after the review is completed.