Results 2,341-2,360 of 6,065 for speaker:Martin Conway

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.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: It being local enterprise week, I pay tribute to the Clare local enterprise office, LEO, under the leadership of Mr. Padraic McElwee. It has done great work, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, in supporting businesses who found they needed to change the way they did business. I encourage anybody in County Clare with a good idea to make contact with the LEO because it gives great...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister. His is not a job anyone would envy because it is very difficult in the midst of a pandemic. We all wish him well in doing that job. This is about public health in our country and it is the reason this legislation has been brought before the House. I listened with interest to the clamour about the need for mandatory quarantine and the hysteria about it not being in...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: The fact that travellers must have a negative PCR test result, no matter where they are coming from, probably answers Senator Burke's question. On the amendment, I have great regard for my colleague, Senator Bacik, but with the greatest respect, I think the amendment is completely over the top. It is correct that the UK has mandatory quarantine measures in place. However, we are a member...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Martin Conway: Is the Senator advocating zero----

Seanad: Covid-19 (Aviation): Statements (26 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. She has a difficult and challenging job, as have many in the Government. The aviation industry is critical given the fact that this is an island nation. We are behind the curve of other European countries in terms of putting cash into the airline industry. Many other areas of aviation have been affected aside from just the direct airline...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Vitamin D and Covid-19: Covit-D Consortium (23 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: Senator Black has stolen my thunder as I was going to ask about the over-intake of vitamin D. My first question relates to countries with the same type of profile as Ireland in terms of a lack of fish in the diet and so on. Are there any similar countries doing it better in terms of public health interventions around vitamin D? Is there anywhere we can learn lessons from and possibly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Vitamin D and Covid-19: Covit-D Consortium (23 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: Professor Kenny is saying NPHET's response was to ask HIQA to do a fast-track report on the benefits of vitamin D from a Covid perspective.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Vitamin D and Covid-19: Covit-D Consortium (23 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: I suppose NPHET has now received that report. Has it given any commentary on it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Vitamin D and Covid-19: Covit-D Consortium (23 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: I appreciate that. Perhaps we as a committee might look at writing to NPHET to get a view of where it is on this. Clearly, the Government will take its advice from NPHET so influencing NPHET is extremely important. I have another question. It has been put to me by a couple of pharmacists, including a pharmacist I am friendly with who was a member of this committee in a previous...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Vitamin D and Covid-19: Covit-D Consortium (23 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: The general consensus is that too much exposure is bad for a person, however.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Vitamin D and Covid-19: Covit-D Consortium (23 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: Therefore, while I take on board Dr. McCartney's point that the reason levels of vitamin D have dropped is because of the lack of exposure to sun, avoiding excess exposure has been done for other beneficial health reasons around skin cancer and so on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Vitamin D and Covid-19: Covit-D Consortium (23 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: I thank the consortium.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: I am most disappointed that the issue of special needs education seems to have fallen down the pecking order again in terms of priority. It is great that some classes are coming back in a week's time but no classes should be coming back ahead of those containing special needs students. Every student with special needs should be back at least at the same time as the first classes that...

Seanad: Student Nurses (Pay) Bill 2021: Second Stage (19 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: I thank Senator Hoey for tabling this Bill. Given the Senator's years of dedication to student politics with the Union of Students in Ireland, it is appropriate that it would be a students' pay Bill she would bring to the House as, hopefully, the first of many Bills she will bring to the Houses of the Oireachtas.I also welcome the Minister to the House. He is doing a very difficult job. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: A Regulatory Framework for Adult Safeguarding: Law Reform Commission (16 Feb 2021)

Martin Conway: I apologise for the delay. I was trying new headphones but clearly they did not work. I thank Ms Justice Laffoy and her colleagues on the LRC for attending the meeting. I must commend them on the body of work they have done. The report, of which I received a copy yesterday, is very comprehensive and certainly is a very good starting point for what is a critical issue. Looking through the...