Results 20,381-20,400 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (31 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I am pleased to update that significant progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of Dr Scally's Scoping Inquiry into the CervicalCheck screening programme. As of the end of March 2022,  just three (3) of the 170 actions arising remained to be completed. All three (3) remaining actions are ‘in progress’, and further updates in completing these...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dental Services (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: There is no doubt that more is needed. We have this short-term measure and we have the review, but more needs to be done. We are also looking at training and retention of dental graduates. We are looking at both the numbers graduating and the mix between EU and non-EU graduates who are coming in and training. That has to be looked at. We are looking at that for medical students as well,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Inspections (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: If we cannot conclude, if we run out of time, I will make sure the Deputy gets a detailed note.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Inspections (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I have been advised by the HSE that the HSA conducted the unannounced inspection in University Hospital Galway, UHG, on 21 October of last year. I understand the issues that were raised during the inspection were immediately addressed by the hospitals and that any obstructions, for example blocking the fire exits, were actioned to ensure continuous on-site safety. Following subsequent...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dental Services (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: The Government and I have been concerned for some time that medical card patients in some parts of the country have been experiencing problems in accessing dental services. The problem became particularly acute over the last couple of years as a significant number of contracted dentists chose to opt out of the DTSS. I secured an additional €10 million in budget 2022 to invest in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dental Services (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: There are dentists employed directly by the State in community health centres across the country. I brought my child to one quite recently. It is an interesting proposal. Should we look at substantially increasing that with more directly employed dentists? It is certainly something I would not rule out and it could be examined. In the meantime, however, the vast majority of care is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sure he would.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 20 and 21 together. I hope the Deputy will accept my bona fides when I say I want to let all sides engage without interference from the Government, Ministers or whatever it may be. What happened yesterday was welcome and I commend the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association, MLSA, on agreeing to suspend the industrial action because it was having a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: To the first claim, about the hands-off approach, our approach is quite the opposite. Officials from my Department were in the Labour Court yesterday, along with officials from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The people involved in these negotiations comprise officials from the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform, the HSE and the MLSA, so I am not for a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: There are five grades at the moment for medical scientists, namely, basic scientist, senior scientist, chief scientist, specialist scientist and laboratory manager, ranging from €34,429 to €95,320. There is an anomaly, as we discussed yesterday, although it applies only in the first year. The grade of medical laboratory aide was moved up at a time when that of medical...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. In 2019, the HSE recognised the need for increased awareness surrounding the correct identification and diagnosis of fatal foetal anomalies. The clinical review of termination services, as provided under section 11 of the Health (Regulation of Termination Pregnancy) Act 2018, was commissioned by the chief clinical officer of the HSE. From...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I will engage this morning with the HSE and the Department to make sure they have full sight of this. The HSE has acknowledged that this has taken a long time to put together. A very eminent chair, Dame Lesley Regan, has been appointed to this work. She is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Imperial College London. She was identified as suitably qualified to lead the review and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I will ask the Department to revert to the Deputy with a note on the current oversight situation. She should feel free to get in contact with me to discuss the matter when she has received that note. Two additional things are happening that are relevant. First, in this year's budget I have allocated €1.5 million specifically to perinatal genetic services. We know more needs to be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health Services Staff (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I agree with everything the Deputy said other than her point about a sense of urgency. If I am not conveying a sense of urgency here, I can assure her that the groups involved, including the Department, are very aware that there is a sense of urgency. We are moving on this as a priority and we are doing two things at the same time. We are looking at the NCHD contract, at the six to ten...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: A number of Deputies have tabled questions on-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Is it dealt with separately?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Thank you. I thank Deputy Duncan Smith for raising this issue. We had a good debate on this yesterday. I want to acknowledge the incredibly valuable role that medical scientists play in our healthcare system but on top of that, the fact that they, along with their healthcare colleagues across the system, have put in even longer hours and tougher shifts during the pandemic. I have met a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: That makes an awful lot of sense, not just for medical scientists but right across the board. Probably the single biggest challenge we have in terms of the ongoing modernisation of the public health service is recruitment. If we are going to have a challenge, it is the right one to have. The funding has been allocated and the posts have been sanctioned but we are trying to recruit a huge...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, hopefully through the WRC and then, if necessary, through the Labour Court, we can find a resolution to this that works for everybody. Deputy Naughten made a very salient point in yesterday's debate when he said that we need to respect, grow and develop this workforce because as science and technology become more advanced and linked into care through genetics and so forth, and as we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 May 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: The inquiry will be established as soon as we get the terms of reference finalised. It is important that the terms of reference, first and foremost, make sense for the patients, families and groups. We must also ensure all the stakeholders can work with those terms of reference. We are reviewing the terms of reference at the moment. I cannot give an exact date but I will revert to the...