Results 161-180 of 309 for speaker:Keith Swanick

Seanad: Health and Safety (Carbon Monoxide) Bill 2017: First Stage (9 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Housing and Rental Market: Statements (14 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: The House will now have statements on the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government entitled, The Impact of Short-term lettings on Ireland's Housing and Rental Market. I call the Minister.

Seanad: Housing and Rental Market: Statements (14 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: The growth of short-term lettings such as Airbnb across the globe has presented a set of serious challenges for regulators who are catching up. The State has an important role to play in ensuring proper planning is fully adhered to and the housing market protected. Fianna Fáil is in favour of the 90 night limit put forward by the report. This will not discourage homesharing but will...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: Once again we are facing into a winter where the only things accident and emergency doctors have are flu jabs and prayers to help them with the inevitable onslaught. We have fewer hospital beds now than we had in 1980 and nearly 200 beds are out of action. These are statements we have all heard before and we can say them until we are blue in the face. An article some weeks back entitled,...

Seanad: Health Services: Statements (Resumed) (15 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, to the House. There are so many issues in respect of our health service at the moment that it is very hard to know where to start. However, I will start on a positive note and mention that yesterday was World Diabetes Day. I thought of Senator Butler and how he successfully managed to take his health care into his own hands in order to...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: I would like to follow on from the comments made by Senator Colm Burke in regard to the important issue of minimum unit pricing of alcohol. Many Senators very eloquently on this topic last week. I welcome the court ruling in the United Kingdom with regard to minimum unit pricing of alcohol. Essentially, it paves the way for the implementation of legislation passed in the Scottish...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (21 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: Fianna Fáil supports the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill. These types of Bills, which amend health legislation, are somewhat akin to the Finance Bill or the Social Welfare Bill in that they seem to arrive at this time every year. The measures set out in the Bill before us are designed to support risk equalisation and sustain community rating in our health insurance market so that...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (21 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: Fianna Fáil will be supporting this Bill which makes minor technical amendments to the relevant Act and will facilitate the implementation of the decision to protect the title of physical therapist. These decisions were taken following a consultation process and were welcomed by the professional bodies involved. The Bill originally introduced in the Dáil proposed to protect both...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga (29 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá mé sásta cúpla focal a rá faoi scéim na gcúntóirí teanga agus tá cúpla ceisteanna simplí agam faoin scéim. As the Minister of State will know from recent parliamentary questions submitted by my colleague, Deputy Dara Calleary, this is an issue which is affecting primary schools in Gaeltacht...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga (29 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: I share the Minister of State's concerns with regards to nurturing our language. I also understand that not all Gaeltacht schools can be facilitated due to the Department's capacity. However, with regards to scoil náisiúnta Dubh Thuama, it is important to realise that it has opted to participate in the scheme in the past but for some reason it has now been excluded. I know that...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: As my party's health spokesperson, I am very aware of the harrowing cases of patients not getting access to life-changing medication, whether because of the HSE refusing to reimburse them or because of serious delays in the reimbursement process. The reimbursement process is broken and Ireland is now one of the worst countries in Europe for speed of access to new medications. Orphan drugs,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Expansion: Discussion (29 Nov 2017)

Keith Swanick: I apologise for coming and going in order to attend a Commencement debate and the Order of Business in the Seanad. I welcome all the witnesses. Considering all the negatives and pressures on the sector, let me say that, as a GP, I believe that general practice works, and that is solely down to the professionalism of doctors. It is important to acknowledge that. We still have access within...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2017)

Keith Swanick: Ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá faoi uaigneas. I mo thuairim, tá an fhadhb seo níos measa anois ná riamh. Is fadhb é do dochtúirí agus an tseirbhís sláinte ar fad mar tá uaigneas olc ar shláinte daoine. Is brónach é seo, ach tá sé fíor. Tá an teicneolaíocht tábhachtach ach tá...

Seanad: Courts Service (Amendment) Bill 2017: First Stage (12 Dec 2017)

Keith Swanick: I move:That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Courts Service Act 1998 to prohibit investments by the Courts Service in tobacco related companies and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Courts Service (Amendment) Bill 2017: First Stage (12 Dec 2017)

Keith Swanick: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (17 Jan 2018)

Keith Swanick: I dtús báire cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Jim Daly, as bheith anseo inniu. Ba mhaith liom labhairt faoin seirbhís sláinte. Tá cúpla ceisteanna simplí agam. Dhá seachtain ó shin bhí scéal dochreidte sa Sunday Business Post. People were rightly shocked to see the headline "Life or Death: Top doctors say life...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (17 Jan 2018)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Minister of State. It is worth noting that the HSE commissioned the Prospectus report in 2009, which recommended that the number of ICU beds be increased by 45% immediately and be doubled by 2020. These recommendations have not been acted upon and no additional ICU beds have been provided. An additional 1,500 acute hospital beds have also been closed. Dr. Fergal Hickey, who...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jan 2018)

Keith Swanick: Tharla ócáid stairiúil in Éirinn 99 mbliana ó shin Dé Domhnaigh seo chugainn. Tháinig an Chéad Dáil le chéile i dTeach an Ardmhéara tar éis an olltoghchán agus d’athraigh na heachtraí seo ár dtír agus ár stair. The 1918 general election and meeting of the First Dáil on 21 January 1919...

Seanad: Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (17 Jan 2018)

Keith Swanick: Ag tús an díospóireacht seo ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le gach ball den choiste, na Teachtaí agus na Seanadóirí, go háirithe Seanadóir Buttimer, Seanadóir Gavan, Seanadóir Mullen, Seanadóir Noone, Seanadóir O’Sullivan agus Seanadóir Ruane. I rith na Nollag bhí seans agam staidéar a...

Seanad: Life Saving Equipment Bill 2017: Second Stage (23 Jan 2018)

Keith Swanick: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Stanton as bheith anseo inniu. Is mór an onóir dom ar son Fhianna Fáil, agus Seanadóir Diarmuid Wilson, Seanadóir Paul Daly agus Seanadóir Robbie Gallagher, an bille tábhachtach seo a chur chun tosaigh sa Seanad anocht. Ar an gcéad dul...