Results 22,321-22,340 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: It is the process by which they all-----

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Deputy O'Reilly rightly pointed out that we need to get moving on this. She referred to how she had attended Holles Street, as had her daughter when giving birth to the Deputy's granddaughter, and that the new hospital had been agreed years ago. Much of the debate this evening and the ongoing debate is on this exact point.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: With respect, I am going-----

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: -----through it Deputy by Deputy. I have taken notes on what everyone has said and I am trying to answer every Deputy.

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Deputy Bríd Smith asked about when we might see the legal framework. I would like to have it with colleagues shortly for them to look into it. She also stated that we needed to focus on the speed of delivery, on which I agree. Deputy Alan Farrell made a salient point that went to many of the concerns that are being raised. I agree with his statement that, if we remove religious...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Deputy Bríd Smith asked whether there was anything to read into the question of undue influence. There is not. One could substitute that for "any" influence. Maybe it was just a badly chosen word. It is not to suggest that there is some religious influence that is okay and some that is not. What is meant by that is any influence whatsoever. Deputy Cronin raised various points around...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: The letter I have before me is from the midwives and doctors in the National Maternity Hospital. What they are saying is that they are extremely concerned about a combination of misinformation and misunderstanding. They state: "Concerns being raised that the new [national] maternity hospital will be curtailed by any religious ethos are misleading and ill-informed." They go on to say that...

National Maternity Hospital: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the various Deputies for raising this important issue. I acknowledge the strong political and public interest in the development of the national maternity hospital, NMH. First, as I have said many times, the Government is fully committed to the development of the new NMH. This is clearly laid out in the programme for Government. The fact that concerns are being raised from some...

Women's Health Action Plan: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: A Cheann Comhairle, I wish to apologise to colleagues in advance. I really wanted to stay for the entire debate but a sub-committee meeting on health is scheduled to be held at 3 p.m. This is a very important issue for me and I wanted to be here for the full debate. Deputies will understand that when I leave, it is not that I want to go anywhere else but rather because I have been...

Women's Health Action Plan: Statements (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sharing my time with the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan. I am delighted to discuss this important issue. Improving the outcomes and experiences of women in our healthcare system has been an absolute priority for the Government and will remain so throughout its term. This month we launched of the women's health action plan, the first of its kind in Ireland and showing a new future...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed).: Departmental Funding (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I agree. The way healthcare in this country is funded generally needs a radical overhaul. For example, most of our hospital and community services are funded through a block grant. We give hospital managers a certain amount of money for the year regardless of what happens in their hospital, how many patients they treat or how much innovation they do. Instead, we should be saying to the...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed).: Hospital Services (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for his ongoing advocacy in this area. These are red blood cell disorders that can affect adults and children. The children can access the services of the paediatric haemoglobin and red cell disorder programme in Children's Health Ireland. In 2000, a maximum of 20 patients with such a disorder had been identified. Today, nearly 400 patients have been identified. That...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed).: Hospital Services (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for his suggestions. I will refer his suggestion on the heel prick test. We have a group examining these issues. One of the things we want to do is to expand the number of conditions that are tested for. That is, in part, a result of the phenomenal advocacy work of Mr. Les Martin in terms of newborn screening. I will also refer the Deputy's suggestion around blood...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed).: Departmental Funding (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I considered the Deputy's question at length and I was trying to understand exactly what he was asking. If I do not cover the specifics he wishes me to cover, I will happily revert to him with a note or talk to him about the issue separately. Section 38 and section 39 organisations have service provision arrangements with the HSE across a range of services, including healthcare, social...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed).: Departmental Funding (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. He has covered several of the challenges we have. One of those is around multi-annual funding. To some extent there is multi-annual funding, in that when we put money in the health budget base, it is understood that money will stay there going forward. If we have invested in disability services, drug services, which are led by the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I will answer the Deputy's question specific to Navan in a moment. I must first address the statement he made. It is manifestly and verifiably false to say that we are gutting hospital capacity. If the Deputy was being honest, he would know that is a preposterous and verifiably false statement. The reality-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I did not interrupt the Deputy. With the greatest of respect, the record will show that while there is a huge amount more to be done, over the past two years more beds, more clinicians and more diagnostics have been added to the hospital system than in any year on record. They are verifiable facts. It is unhelpful for the Deputy to make statements that this Government, or indeed any...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: As I said, and as the Deputy will be aware, I personally intervened to stop the process that had been going on. My view is that any consideration like this must involve the local communities, the healthcare professionals and those elected by the local communities to represent their interests. I would like to acknowledge that the Deputy, as well as other elected representatives for the area,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: There is a question that the Deputy and I, as elected representatives, have to answer. If the Deputy and I, and all of us present, are being told not in private conversations where maybe we can or cannot quote directly and name individuals but on the record by the senior doctors that we need to do X, Y and Z-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (31 Mar 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Okay, but if we are being told in open session by named individuals whom we can hold to account that changes need to be made to the healthcare system, be that investment in the National Ambulance Service, in mental health services, in minor injury units or in more care, to protect the lives of the people we represent, then what do we do? This is a really important issue for Navan hospital...