Results 3,021-3,040 of 6,698 for speaker:John Lahart
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: I welcome the Secretary General and acknowledge his appointment. There is a heavy burden of responsibility on his shoulders. I also acknowledge his willingness to come before the committee from the start. I also acknowledge that he has been in the position of Secretary General at the Department of Health for two months and that what we are discussing did not happen during his tenure. That...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: Was the Department of Health or any State agency offered an opportunity by RTÉ to appear on the documentary, or to rebut or offer-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: RTÉ did not offer the Department of Health, the HSE or any other State agency that might have been named or involved an opportunity on the "RTÉ Investigates" programme to offer either a counterbalance or a view.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: This might clarify things. I will go through some of the points Mr. Watt made earlier. There is no evidence that the Department of Health is prying on families so I will leave that one out. Mr. Watt stated that there is no evidence the Department of Health gathered information that was beyond instructions as part of the normal defence of a litigation case. Is there any evidence that the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: Mr. Watt stated there is no evidence the Department of Health sought updates or reports on plaintiffs directly from schools or the Department of Education. Is there any evidence the State, through any of its agencies, did so?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: In the main, but is there any evidence the State, through any of its agencies, sought updates or reports on plaintiffs directly from schools or the Department of Education?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: Mr. Watt stated that there is no evidence the Department sought clinical reports on plaintiffs directly from clinicians. Is there any evidence that the State or any of its agencies sought clinical reports on plaintiffs directly from clinicians?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: In Mr. Watt's experience as Secretary General, or in the experience of any of the other witnesses, is there a point where, having gathered evidence in respect of an ongoing case, the evidence coming in was so compelling on the plaintiff's side that, as a result of the harvesting of information - I use the term "harvesting" loosely and not in the GDPR sense - the State decided it was time to...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: Will Mr. Watt provide an example? Has this applied to special needs cases?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: Sure.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: On the point made by Mr. Watt to the effect that there is no evidence the Department of Health sought updates or reports from plaintiffs directly, from schools or from the Department of Education, he answered my question in that regard as to whether there is evidence that the State or it agencies did so. The committee should note Mr. Watt's response. There may be other committees that may...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: I know this is outside his remit but is Mr. Watt aware of cases in which parents, as plaintiffs, went to their local school and said they needed all the reports on their child over the previous year, including school reports, exam reports, psychologists reports and speech and language therapist reports, to mount a case against the Department?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: I thank Dr. MacLellan for that. My next question relates to the whistleblower. What protections are in place in the Department for the whistleblower? It must be quite an isolated position for the whistleblower to be in.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: Before Mr. Watt's tenure, which is just two months old at this stage, there was a suggestion on the "RTÉ Investigates" programme that the whistleblower had brought this matter to the attention of the previous Secretary General. Is Mr. Watt satisfied that the steps taken by his predecessor pass muster and met all the standards? Were the relevant queries made and was the summation they...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Whistleblower Allegations: Department of Health (5 May 2021)
John Lahart: What would Mr. Watt say to RTÉ?
- Covid-19, Mental Health and Older People: Statements (29 Apr 2021)
John Lahart: I add my words of congratulation to the congratulations other Members have offered to the Minister without Portfolio, who became a mother today for the first time, and to her husband, Paul. I wish them health above all, safety in these current times and happiness. They have the best wishes of the House.
- Covid-19, Mental Health and Older People: Statements (29 Apr 2021)
John Lahart: The Minister of State will have time at the end.
- Covid-19, Mental Health and Older People: Statements (29 Apr 2021)
John Lahart: I know that but the Minister of State will have time.
- Covid-19, Mental Health and Older People: Statements (29 Apr 2021)
John Lahart: The Acting Chairman can clarify that Deputy Niamh Smyth is the next speaker.
- Covid-19, Mental Health and Older People: Statements (29 Apr 2021)
John Lahart: Absolutely.