Results 14,981-15,000 of 15,268 for speaker:Kathleen Lynch

Other Questions: Disability Services Funding (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: There is very seldom an issue on which Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and I disagree. However, we cannot have separate accident and emergency departments for people with disabilities, for those who are older or for all the different conditions because that would be unrealistic. The Deputy and I know that it would be unaffordable and foolish to promise it. I completely accept, however, that...

Other Questions: Disability Services Funding (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: For many years when I was on the Opposition benches, every June and July there were protests outside the gate in respect of people with intellectual disabilities who were about to leave second level or rehabilitative training and who had nowhere to go. Deputies Kelleher and Ó Caoláin will remember this too. There was always a crisis. What we have done since I came took up my...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services Provision (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: We will struggle for time now and as we have had this debate before I think it is important that rather than reading the set reply, which I am sure the Deputy will be supplied with, we should look at the services that are available in Wexford. The majority of the €18 million investment programme was spent in County Wexford on Tara House community mental health centre in Gorey, which...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services Provision (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: On suicide prevention, aftercare and the process when people are in crisis, Wexford is now providing 12,000 counselling hours and has received additional funding. In addition, the suicide crisis assessment nurse service, SCAN, in Wexford is a skilled mental health nursing service for primary care. As the Deputy knows, primary care is provided on a 24-hour basis. It provides an accessible...

Topical Issue Debate: Foster Care (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: I know we are very restricted when it comes to the time allocated for the Topical Issue debate but I genuinely thank the two Deputies opposite for raising the issue as it is something that has preoccupied me for quite a considerable time. I welcome the opportunity to address the allegations of abuse in a foster home in the south east which are a matter of grave concern to me and to the...

Topical Issue Debate: Foster Care (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: I will conclude by thanking Deputies Clare Daly and Mick Wallace because they were involved and it is important that they did not use the issue to ingratiate themselves. It should be acknowledged that they pursued the issue in a very professional and dogged way. As it is such a delicate and sensitive area, whistleblowers need to feel as if they have the space and security to bring serious...

Establishment of a Statutory Commission of Investigation into a Foster Home in the South East: Statements (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: That is not what I meant.

Establishment of a Statutory Commission of Investigation into a Foster Home in the South East: Statements (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: I thank everyone who contributed to this debate, as well as those who referred to the matter before this debate. As other colleagues have said, these are particularly harrowing allegations. It is not often that everyone in the House is in agreement on an issue, and it is sad we find ourselves in agreement on how shocking and disturbing are these allegations. Every person who avails of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Licensing (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The cancer drug Nivolumab (trade name Opdivo) was authorised by the European Medicines Agency in June 2015; this means that it is approved for use in all EU Member States. The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The Government is committed to ensuring that patients throughout the country continue to have access to GP Services, especially in remote rural areas and also in certain disadvantaged urban areas, and that general practice is sustainable in such areas into the future. Rural practice is top of the agenda as part of the discussions for the new GP contract currently underway between the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Contracts (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Health Service Executive, the Department of Health and the Irish Medical Organisation in February 2015, the parties commenced talks on a new GP contract. A priority of these discussions is the inclusion of chronic disease management for patients. As a first step in this process, agreement was reached on the introduction of a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The HSE has informed the Department that there are currently 1,047 people under the age of 65 years who are resident in nursing homes under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. A diagnosis is not required under the Nursing Home Support Scheme, so we are not in a position to clarify how many of these have an Acquired Brain Injury. Although most families would prefer to be able to care for their...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The HSE’s report “Time to Move on from Congregated Settings – A Strategy for Community Inclusion”,(2011) proposes a new model of support in the community by moving people from institutional settings to the community, over a seven year time frame. The plan will be rolled out at a regional and local level and will involve full consultation. In terms of housing, the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Prior to reimbursing any medicine, the HSE considers a range of statutory criteria, including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available to the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Provision (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The Government has provided an additional €160m ringfenced funding over 2012-16 to modernise mental health services in line with A Vision for Change(AVFC) and Programme for Government commitments. This provided around 1,150additional posts to enhance mental health and suicide prevention services generally. Of these, approximately 950 posts were filled at the end of November last, and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The Health Service Executive (HSE) is committed to protecting the level of Personal Assistant (PA) services available to people with disabilities. In their 2016 National Service Plan, the HSE's priority is to provide 1.3 million hours of personal assistance to more than 2,000 people with a disability. This is the same activity level that was funded in 2014 and 2015. PA hours are reviewed...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service Provision (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Community Care Provision (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: There are currently 12 Community Intervention Teams (CITs) in operation. The twelve operational CIT areas are Galway, Mid-West, Cork, Carlow/Kilkenny, Waterford, Dublin South East, Wicklow, Dublin South, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Dublin North. There is also a short-term CIT in place in South Tipperary which commenced on 20th January 2016. In 2015, the HSE replaced the former Local Health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Support Services Provision (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: Brain injury health services are provided across a range of settings, by different organisations and by many health professionals and carers. The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides for the health needs of those affected by brain injury through a range of measures. The HSE Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate have a number of clinical programmes working in the area of neurology,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Speech and Language Therapy (2 Feb 2016)

Kathleen Lynch: The Government is committed to the provision and development of services for children with special needs, including those with autism, and to improving access by these children to therapy services insofar as possible within available resources. Health related therapy supports and interventions for children, such as speech and language therapy, can be accessed through both the Health...