Results 27,161-27,180 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Policy (20 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: In May of this year, I established national research ethics committees (NRECs) in the areas of clinical trials of medicines and clinical investigations of medical devices, as part of an ongoing revision of the  framework for ethics review of health research in Ireland. These new committees, supported by the National Office for Research Ethics Committees, represent a major step...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (20 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 273, 274, 275, 276 and 277 together. As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.  

Written Answers — Department of Health: Public Procurement Contracts (20 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together. As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (20 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Department is committed to examining the staffing issues experienced by homecare services together with the involvement of key stakeholders including representatives from the homecare sector and across relevant Government departments and agencies.  It is intended to provide a forum for practical action and collaboration aimed at identifying the issues that are leading to shortages in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (20 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible. 

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (20 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Overcrowding (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank both Deputies. They have raised this issue with me and we are looking at it as a priority. Many resources have been invested in Limerick. For example, up to the end of August, University Hospital Limerick had an increase of over 340 staff compared with December of last year.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Overcrowding (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I appreciate that. I am not trying to brush that aside. I am saying that there has been significant investment in many of the things that are being looked for, including additional staff, additional beds, and as the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, said, additional home care for discharge. I fully accept and appreciate, and the HSE is aware, that more needs to be done. The hospital is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Overcrowding (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for the question. I acknowledge the scale of the challenge facing our emergency departments in what will be a difficult winter. We all appreciate that many of our front-line staff are exhausted from the effects of the last 19 months. I thank our emergency department staff throughout the country for their ongoing commitment and their work. It is accepted that acute...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: If we are going to get this right and we have to get it right, we have to be able to identify exactly the kind of projects the Deputy has referenced. We have to replicate and scale them. All over the HSE, brilliant initiatives are happening. Tallaght hospital has been running advanced nurse practitioner-led community teams in various disciplines such as neurology and urology and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I agree with everything the Deputy just said. Therefore, where do we start? We start as a Parliament and a Government by saying that the waiting lists before Covid-19 arrived were completely unacceptable. They are higher now because of Covid-19 and a cyberattack. The current situation is completely unacceptable. We must, therefore, act. It is my absolute priority as Minister for Health...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Money is not the only answer but it is part of the answer because without money, this is not going to move. Next year, I have allocated a total of €350 million. The Deputy will be aware that I am appointing a ministerial task force to look at this issue. We are taking the learnings from the very successful vaccine task force and bringing them to bear. As the Deputy quite rightly...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I understand that this is a very serious issue for the local communities. My own community was involved in exactly this small hospital framework with regard to the hospital in Loughlinstown. Changes were made. I backed those changes from the Opposition and I will tell the Deputies why I did so. I and the other four elected representatives from the constituency met the senior clinical team...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I again thank the Deputies. I am listening to them and to my Government colleagues very carefully. The debate we are having right now is an important one. I would expect nothing less. I want this debate to happen with the HSE management and the senior clinicians in the room because they need to answer these questions, not just from the Opposition but from the elected representatives of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for his question. Many elected representatives are keenly involved in this issue, including the Ministers of State, Deputies Thomas Byrne and Damien English, and Senators-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I can do.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: ---and Senators.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for the question. The point I am making is that this is a serious issue, which is very real for the local community. It is something that has been discussed with me by Oireachtas Members in opposition and obviously, in government as well. I am aware that the HSE initiated a process of planning for changes to the services at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan. I am also...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It does. We did not get the meeting with the Minister that we were supposed to get. It was promised by the Minister of State sitting behind him the last time we raised this issue. While we welcome the temporary reprieve for the accident and emergency department and ICU in Navan hospital that the Minister announced today, we still need more clarity. I understand what the Minister said...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Emergency Departments (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: In terms of capacity and revenue funding, this year has seen a record deployment in that regard. There is revenue available and there is capital available. I can assure the Deputy of that. However, capital applications are not only about new beds. New diagnostics, new operating theatres and new triage rooms have to be looked at and that is happening. Where capital funding is required, it...