Results 16,461-16,480 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: 799. To ask the Minister for Health the direction given to staff in public hospitals in respect of face coverings and social distancing for staff and patients; and the system in place for ensuring compliance with the advice. [24027/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: 800. To ask the Minister for Health his plans in respect of putting the wearing of face coverings on a statutory basis for staff and customers in retail settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24028/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: 801. To ask the Minister for Health the details of the new agreement with the private hospital sector in respect of the provision of capacity and services to cater for pressures arising from Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24029/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: 802. To ask the Minister for Health if arrangements will be made for Covid-19 case numbers by electoral division on a weekly basis; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24030/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I welcome the members of the expert panel and congratulate them on the panel's report. It is an excellent and comprehensive report which sets out a substantial number of recommendations, identifies the lead agency, which is very important, and suggests a timeframe. There is no doubt that we need to substantially change the policy on elder care and move towards a new model of care....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I thank Professor Kelleher. It is important now that we look like being on the cusp of a second wave, regrettably, that all those recommendations are in place with regard to immediate concerns. Regarding longer-term policy changes that are so badly needed, is she satisfied that a mechanism is in place to implement the recommendations the expert panel is making or does it have further...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I thank Professor Kelleher very much and I will pick up on a couple of points she made. She mentioned a reference group to be set up comprising members of her own group, which is important. Has she a timeline from the Minister for the setting up of that group?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: Does the expert panel receive copies of the minutes?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I thank the witnesses very much.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I thank the officials from the Department and the HSE for their attendance and presentations. I will follow on from an issue raised by Deputy Duncan Smith. Questions of low pay and precarious work are clearly very pertinent to this whole issue. I would like Mr. Walsh to go into a bit more detail about the comments he made about the accommodation many of the staff are living in. It has been...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: Approximately how many people have been involved?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: Does Ms Tuohy have a ballpark figure?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: Okay. On what basis is that provided? Is it that the HSE meets the cost?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I am glad that is happening and that there is a contingency in place but this and so many other issues arising from the recommendations really underline the totally precarious nature of the funding model for nursing home care. It is very delicately calibrated to maximise the return on investment for the owners of the nursing homes while limiting the financial exposure of the State, neither...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: Okay.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I will ask Mr. Walsh a question about the need to change the model of care but, before I do, I will talk about changing the financial model around nursing home care, the dominance of the private sector, the tax-based approach, returns on investments and all of those kinds of things. Those kinds of issues work against quality care. Who is carrying out costings? What is the timescale...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I appreciate that as it relates to the model of care but my question related specifically to the continuation of nursing home care. There will be some element of that, and hopefully a reduced one, but questions arise about the role of the State and private sector, tax breaks and all of that kind of thing. I was curious to know whether any of that work has started. What is the level of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: Could Mr. Walsh get that information for us?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: I have another question for Mr. Walsh. I asked him earlier in the year about the number of people who have been approved for home care and are on waiting lists because the funding provided is totally inadequate. I regularly check how many are on those waiting lists and the last time I checked, there were in or around 6,000 to 7,000 people, predominantly on the north side of Dublin and the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Final Report of Nursing Homes Expert Panel (Resumed) (16 Sep 2020)

Róisín Shortall: That is good news. Has that funding been secured and what is the level of it?