Results 12,921-12,940 of 21,514 for speaker:Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Gardasil Vaccine (HPV) and Meningococcal Group B Vaccine: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome the groups, especially the Meningitis Research Foundation. I apologise for the wait they have had. It is unfortunate. That is something we must address in the committee. We had a lengthy private session earlier. I have personal experience as a member of a community that was directly affected by meningitis when a tragedy presented some years ago. I cannot remember exactly, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Gardasil Vaccine (HPV) and Meningococcal Group B Vaccine: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I appreciate all the details shared and Dr. Kelleher's extended commentary. Regarding the timeline, is it possible to give us some sense of all the evaluation work? From all he said, I do not get the sense that there is immediacy or that this is imminent. When will a positive decision be reached?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Gardasil Vaccine (HPV) and Meningococcal Group B Vaccine: Discussion (20 Dec 2012)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: As we know very well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (8 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I join others in welcoming Professor Murphy and Ms Spillane from the Irish Medical Council. I note that section 21.1 of the council's guidelines for registered medical practitioners states: Abortion is illegal in Ireland except where there is a real and substantial risk to the life (as distinct from the health) of the mother. Under current legal precedent, this exception includes where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (8 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Accepting that all cases are unique, the formal review process recommendations set out in paragraph 6.7 of the submission this morning include independence, accessibility, transparency, competency and timeliness. I would like to ask Professor Murphy about the issue of timeliness. How long is reasonable for the establishment of a formal review process and the issuance of its decision? Given...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (8 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I join my colleagues in welcoming the witnesses and thank them for their contributions. Dr. Mahony stated that it is important for medical practitioners and women to be afforded the legal protection required to allow appropriate flexibility in making professional clinical decisions based on medical probability of risk to life. I take that to mean that such provisions would include all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (8 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: To follow up on the instances, excepting the statistics on a situation where a woman's life is at risk on medical grounds and the even rarer - we hope - situation where there is not only suicidal ideation but intent, will the witnesses clarify their view as to whether the rarity, particularly in the latter case, is a reason not to legislate and regulate? My view would be that where there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (8 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome each of the panellists. I note that they have all emphasised, as have others who appeared before us this morning, that the risk to the life of the pregnant woman through suicidal intent is noted only in rare instances to their knowledge. I hope it is as rare as the panellists suggest, but I must pose this question to each of them in turn: is this a reason not to legislate and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (8 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I join with other members in welcoming all of the panellists. To address Mr. Behan's contribution on behalf of the Irish Family Planning Association, I note that in his submission Mr. Behan has very correctly pointed out - this is also my opinion, and a number of colleagues have already expressed a concern in this regard - that the first point of contact is often with the local GP, although,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (8 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I had only limited time to question the obstetricians and gynaecologists and would like if I may to put some further questions on that issue to Professor McAuliffe. On the 1861 Act, I expect that it would be the professional experience of Professor McAuliffe and her colleagues that there are no instances in their knowledge where the overhanging threat of that extant legislation would have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (9 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome the delegates and thank them for their considerable contributions. On page 16 of the document that she submitted to the committee in advance of today's meeting, Ms Schweppe talks about adults of sound mind refusing treatment, including a reference to the exception that arose where Ms Justice Laffoy sought a capacity test. Our objective arising out of these deliberations is to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (9 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome Mr. O'Hare and Dr. Brady from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, and commend them on the work not only in this particular instance but across a whole range of issues on which the council campaigns. It is important to note from the council's written submission and Dr. Brady's contribution that we, as legislators, are being asked to consider the need for legislation to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (9 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I join with the Chairman in welcoming Professor Binchy and Mrs. Justice McGuinness. I would like, if possible, to first put some questions to Mrs. Justice McGuinness.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (9 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Mindful of the fact that Mrs. Justice McGuinness is retired from practise, I would nevertheless like if she could advise us if it is her understanding that the existing law provides for interventions in the circumstance, as described by my colleague, where there is a risk to the life of the expectant woman as a result of suicide allied to her pregnancy. It is the view of some who have come...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (9 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I would like to repeat some of the questions I asked Professor Binchy already. I thank Mrs. Justice McGuinness for her replies. Professor Binchy suggested that further extensions have followed when most other countries have changed their abortion laws. I made the point that the Irish people would surely be the bulwark in such circumstances. No constitutional change whatsoever is proposed....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome the witnesses. We have made no proposal to overturn the constitutional protections for the unborn. Our role is not to make a decision but to facilitate the flow of information. Yesterday an eminent witness spoke about what he described as the discredited Supreme Court judgment and asserted that the process was flawed because no psychiatrist had been consulted. However, on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I thank the witnesses for their contributions. When Ms Simons used the phrase "completely demolished" in reference to the Government, I felt like punching the air and shouting "Hurrah". I only wish it were so. I will set that aside, however, bearing in mind that there is very limited opportunity for us as legislators to question delegates in regard to this very important issue. I note...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome the representatives. Many of the questions over the past three days have been repetitious. I have tried to find something different in each of the contributions and I believe I have found one or two matters on which the witnesses might elaborate. In Choice Ireland's recommendations, No. 3.1 refers to qualifications of doctors involved in the process. Choice Ireland recommends...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I thank the groups present and those who gave their testimony earlier and throughout the three days. All contributions, irrespective of the position or outlook from which they came, were significantly informative and helpful. Some contributions were exceptional. I hope the information gathered over the three days of hearings will inform Government in the preparation of the legislation it...

Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (16 Jan 2013)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Ar dtús ba mhaith liom athbhliain faoi mhaise a ghabháil don Chathaoirleach agus do gach Teachta anseo. This Bill gives us the opportunity to focus once again on the enormous damage caused to the health of people and the huge cost to society of tobacco smoking. It also provides us with an opportunity to address the ongoing campaign to reduce and, one hopes, eventually to...