Results 14,401-14,420 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (resumed) (28 Jul 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I read an article in The Guardianat 11.45 a.m. which states that the head of the disease control agency in Germany is worried by that countries 550 plus new cases every day. This is up from an average of 350 in early June. The head of the agency is quoted as saying "We must prevent that the virus once again spreads rapidly and uncontrollably." He also stated that "The new developments in...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (resumed) (28 Jul 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I think Mr. Wilson is quite wrong. I disagree with him because what it really shows is that this disease is accelerating in the northern hemisphere. The World Health Organization commented upon that yesterday. More than 650,000 people around the world have died and 16.5 million people have been infected. I think the approach taken by Mr. Wilson and Mr. Doyle is wrong. The Government...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (resumed) (28 Jul 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yesterday or the day before, the UK ceased aviation activity between Spain and itself. That cessation has been now expanded to include the Canary Islands and other islands. The Government in the UK had to act in that way, as does our Government. It is not that we want to do this but that we believe we have no choice. The problem is that travel increases risk. The more one travels, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (30 Jul 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 996. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will investigate the circumstances in regard to the closure of a community based crèche (details supplied) in County Louth; if the relevant officials will be assigned to assess the situation in order to give clarity to the public on the future for childcare in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19808/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jul 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 1304. To ask the Minister for Health if he will set up an independent inquiry into the recent deaths of persons from Covid-19 in a nursing home (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20535/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jul 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 1444. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide medical grade face masks for citizens of 60 years of age and over in addition to persons with significant health conditions that are medical card holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20965/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ministerial Meetings (30 Jul 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 1445. To ask the Minister for Health if details of the meetings and correspondence he has had with a body (details supplied) will be published; if advice he received from the officials in his Department and HIQA in relation to same will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20966/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: Mr. Reid has a fine record of transparency and accountability since taking up his post and I welcome all the work he and his organisation have been doing. However, a serious issue has arisen in my constituency as a result of a significant number of deaths in Dealgan House Nursing Home. The difference between these 23 deaths and all the other deaths in nursing homes around the country is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: They have got no information from the HSE in response to a freedom of information request. Mr. Reid said he is aware of some reasons the RCSI hospitals group went in there. I think Mr. Reid owes it to the families to make sure he contacts them following this meeting. I want him to meet with the families. I believe that he should meet with them and that Mr. Reid has to be accountable....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I do not deny that or disagree with Ms O'Connor. I agree that is what happened. The families, however, have not been told and have not been given the facts around that decision. Their freedom of information request has not given them the facts which the HSE obviously has. The families need to be given these facts because the HSE has to be accountable and they have to get closure. I will...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: What are the figures? I welcome the facts.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: My time is very short. I just did not hear the figures that Ms O'Beirne mentioned. I am not suggesting that she is keeping them from me, I just did not hear them because Ms O'Beirne's voice is just a little bit low for my ears. Could I please get those figures? The last part of my question concerns social stigma, which is a reason that some people are not showing up. Is the HSE going to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: Cúig nóiméad. I welcome the witnesses and commend them on their commitment and dedication to the work. I assure them that the whole country is listening and learning from the way they present the facts. I wish to ask some questions about the number of people not turning up for testing. This morning, the HSE told us: We refer people for day 0 tests and day 7 tests....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: There has been commentary from some doctors in the media about people who presented to them with symptoms but did not go for the test even though they were recommended to do so. What happens in such cases? How are they followed up? Is this group different from those who have been in close contact with a confirmed case? Are there two different figures for these cohorts?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: What analysis is carried out on the cohort who acquire the illness after a negative first result? I understood from earlier comments that the HSE was trying to identify these people. Does it correspond to a particular cohort? I have spoken to someone involved in contact tracing. This person is aware of a small number of people who do not turn up because their presence in the country...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am not sure where I am on the speaking list.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Chairman. I just wanted to check that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome the Minister. I appreciate that he has a particularly good grasp of the questions, the answers to which I have been listening. I wish to concentrate on issues he will have heard me speak about before. Most of the people who have died or have been seriously ill as a result of the coronavirus are older people or people with suppressed or impacted immune systems. What additional...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome the Minister's comments. I hope that we have a full debate on them, perhaps next week or when we come back. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to introduce a statutory home care package as quickly as possible. What progress has been made on that? I have spoken to a number of people, either in nursing homes or who have family members in nursing homes. Many...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is it in a nutshell. My time is short. That is backwards healthcare. I want to work very closely with the Oireachtas and with Government to do something about that as quickly as possible.