Results 2,281-2,300 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I wish people the very best for the upcoming St. Patrick's season as well. I rise today because I was taken aback and disappointed with the statement the Future of Media Commission released a couple of days ago concerning Alan Rusbridger and his continuation as a member of that body. I do not believe it is appropriate for that man to continue in that position and-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: That is fine. I understand that but I am speaking about-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: That is perfectly fine. I will make my point about the Future of Media Commission. We have to have confidence-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: One hundred percent, but I believe that this House and the Members of this House need to have confidence in the Future of Media Commission. The role of the media and the work it does in the State is extremely important. We as a Chamber and as a body need to have full confidence in the work the commission does. At this moment in time I do not have confidence in that. It is incumbent on the...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (12 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish him well in his work, which will get busier from next month on. I would like to take this opportunity to support the proposal made by my colleague, Senator John McGahon, that a plaque in memory of the assassinated Senator Billy Fox would be erected in the precincts of Leinster House. I believe that is appropriate.Billy Fox was murdered...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Public Health Measures: Update from Health Service Executive (9 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I, too, commend the HSE and the team - Mr. Reid, Dr. Henry and others - on their clear communication. They are readily available and that is important in terms of retaining public confidence. In terms of the vaccine programme, we all know that there are issues. There were always going to be challenges and difficulties. However, I would like to focus on the healthcare portal. I would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Public Health Measures: Update from Health Service Executive (9 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Regarding the Irish Blood Transfusion Service nationally, these are people who are out taking donations of blood to keep the structure going. Are many of them still waiting to be vaccinated?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Public Health Measures: Update from Health Service Executive (9 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Returning to Mr. Reid, at the very start of the vaccination programme, there was a lot of need in the mid-west. University of Limerick, UL, Hospitals Group was only issued with something like 3,400 doses of the vaccine whereas the south west group, for example, received 19,000. Is there any explanation for such a difference? It was definitely perceived as unfair. This was at the very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Public Health Measures: Update from Health Service Executive (9 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: My concern is when this is ramped up, fairness and equity of access is going to be a big issue. Has the HSE processes in place to make sure there is a fair distribution of vaccines to the 40 centres? Has it advanced plans in that regard so we do not hear that certain parts of the country are getting inoculated far quicker and to a far greater extent than others?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Public Health Measures: Update from Health Service Executive (9 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: One sees stories like that of Sneem last week and while it is great for the people of that town, it gets everyone else's back up. I am very much supportive of the work of the HSE. It is doing as good a job as it can under the circumstances but we must ensure those type of situations do not happen. I presume there are not too many Sneems around the country.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Public Health Measures: Update from Health Service Executive (9 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: My final question is on group 4. I get the debate about carers looking to be vaccinated and understand why that cannot happen but we need much clearer timelines and information for the people in group 4. People also need to know how they are going to be contacted because at the moment they do not know whether it is going to be by their GP or the healthcare setting or the service they are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Public Health Measures: Update from Health Service Executive (9 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I thank Dr. Henry.

Seanad: Seachtain na Gaeilge: Ráitis (8 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Tá fáilte roimh an Aire sa Teach. Sadly, I am one of those people who does not have a fluency in the Irish language but that does not in any way mean I do not have the respect, love and ambition to some day be fluent or at least have a couple of words as Gaeilge. I always had an admiration and love for the language but that was compounded by a former colleague of ours in this...

Seanad: Local Government (Use of CCTV in Prosecution of Offences) Bill 2021: Second Stage (5 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome him to the House. I salute his commitment to local government and to reforming this particular area. I also thank the Labour Party and Senator Wall for bringing this very important Bill before the House. For a long time I have said that GDPR is extremely important. The GDPR legislation was brought in for very good reasons but there...

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

Martin Conway: The Minister is most welcome to committee. I want to follow up on two questions. First, I want follow up on Deputy Shortall's question regarding information on the vaccines. The Minister worked in the private sector before going into politics. To be quite frank, the flow of information on vaccines from the Department is not acceptable. In the private sector it would not be tolerated. I...

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

Martin Conway: The important point is that while we are getting the figures of the numbers who have been vaccinated, we also need information on the number of doses that have been delivered to the country in the previous week, and the number of doses that are in stock that have not been issued to GPs or other facilities for administration. That is the transparency that we need. It is easy to get the...

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

Martin Conway: As for my second question, we are holding this meeting online and it is working out pretty well. It never ceases to amaze me that the Minister's officials and NPHET must hold in-person briefings twice a week, while other countries are holding such briefings online. Does the Minister believe it is appropriate that NPHET would continue to hold face-to-face briefings with journalists in the...

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

Martin Conway: I appreciate that because this is about leadership and setting a standard. I have no doubt whatsoever that there are strict protocols in place but when we expect the rest of the country to use every mechanism possible to work from home, stay out of buildings and not to congregate, the inability of the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, the deputy CMO and other senior officials to embrace modern...

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

Martin Conway: Finally, overall, does the Minister believe his Department has succeeded in terms of communication? In a pandemic when we are dealing with people's fears and concerns, concise, real-time communication is very important. Does he believe his Department has been up to standard when it comes to that type of communication?

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

Martin Conway: I thank the Minister.