Results 15,461-15,480 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The short answer is that we must await the guidance of the European Medicines Agency, EMA. The process is as follows. The vaccine is under consideration at the moment and we all hope that it is approved. When it is approved, the EMA will issue highly technical guidance to our own experts here. They look at that guidance and provide advice on the best way to use it. For example, with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Senator and other members of the committee have asked for daily numbers to be provided previously. The daily numbers of people who have vaccinated, both first dose and second dose, are now available on the Covid data hub and on the Covid tracker app. On top of that, I requested that a daily briefing go out to each Member of the Oireachtas as to what is happening with the vaccination...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: That is an issue that I am very happy to pick up with the task force and the HSE. What I can say is that as of today, we have taken delivery of 520,320 vaccine doses. It is forecast that approximately 500,000 will have been administered by the end of the week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: My understanding is that the meetings of NPHET, which I am told by survivors of NPHET can be marathon sessions that go on for many hours, are by visual communications, VC. The Senator rightly points out, however, that the NPHET briefings with the media are face-to-face. They follow very strict protocols. Very few are allowed in the room. I have been involved in a few of them. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I certainly will take that back. I would agree that we have to be seen to lead by example; there is no question about that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: We must always strive to do better. There has been a good deal of commentary about the communications over the past while. Some would argue that some of it was unfair. Some of it is undoubtedly fair. The public have a right to the very best information quickly and they have a right to clarity also because as the Senator said, people have been through a brutal year. Many people have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not believe anyone can accurately say right now what will happen in September. If things go according to plan, both in terms of the suppression of the virus and the vaccine roll-out, and what is increasingly positive information about the effectiveness of these vaccines, we would certainly be in a very different and much better place next September. There is no question about that....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for his questions. He asked if online and telemedicine is being used and it is. It has been a real silver lining. If necessity is the mother of all invention, telemedicine has come to the fore. Many consultants who would not have used it previously are not only using it now but actively embracing it. It is something that will continue and as distributed technologies,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: They Deputy will be aware that there are two reviews on this. The first is the review by Professor Tom Collins, who has made a series of recommendations to address the period during Covid-19. I have accepted all those recommendations, including the option to backdate the payment to the start of September. There is an ongoing conversation with the representative bodies and unions with the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Rape Crisis Network Funding (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Department of Health does not provide funding to this service. As Tusla has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual or gender based abuse, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is best placed to answer queries of funding for organisations under this remit.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: This is a policy matter for my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Health and Safety Authority as an agency under the aegis of that Department. As Minister for Health I have no role in relation to Safepass training.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (3 Mar 2021)

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: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 709, 716, 717, 743, 788 and 933 together. The HSE are building and deploying its workforce in order to be prepared for the requirements associated with rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine programme. The vaccine roll-out is being conducted on a 7-day week basis and to date, more than 8,600 staff have received training to operate as vaccinators. To support the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Assisted Human Reproduction (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Deputy will be 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this question relates to 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: Health Services Staff (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this question relates to 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: HSE Waiting Lists (3 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this question relates to 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: HSE Waiting Lists (3 Mar 2021)

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