Results 3,141-3,160 of 3,998 for speaker:Michael Harty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: Does somebody have a mobile phone switched on? It is interfering with the recording.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank Ms Randall. I call on the representatives of Safetynet Primary Care to make their opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank Dr. O'Reilly. I will open the meeting to members for their observations and questions. I will call members in groups of three, so the witnesses might make a note of the points they make and they can refer to them as time allows. Our first three contributors are Senator John Dolan, Senator Colm Burke and Deputy Louise O'Reilly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: I invite Dr. O'Carroll and Dr. O'Reilly to comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank Mr. O'Connell. Perhaps Ms Dolan from the Simon Communities of Ireland in Galway might comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: Certainly not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: Before we return to the witnesses for their answers, I have many questions. Some are specific and some are general. Some months ago, when Professor Gerard Bury appeared before the committee to deal with the injecting sites issue, he spoke of people being condemned to remain on methadone for life. It seemed there was no system for trying to get people off methadone and that they would be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Link between Homelessness and Health: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Harty: On behalf of the committee I thank Ms Randall, head of policy and communications for the Simon Communities, along with Mr. O'Connell, Ms.D'Arcy and Ms. Dolan, from the Cork, Dublin and Galway Simon Communities. I also thank Dr. O'Reilly and Dr. O'Carroll from Safetynet. This concludes our business for today and we will now adjourn. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest: Statements (29 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: It is disappointing that this debate is only for statements to be given rather than a debate on which Members can vote. That was explained in the House yesterday by saying that last year there were only statements on this issue rather than a debate and the same formula is now being followed. However, last year statements on this issue were made after 30 June when the legislation had been...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: The provisions in this Judicial Appointments Commission Bill represent key commitments in A Programme for Partnership Government and should come as no surprise to the Judiciary or anybody else. Reform of the judicial appointments process is to ensure it is transparent, fair and credible. A Programme for Partnership Government proposes to address the process of judicial appointments and...

Anti-Malarial Medication: Motion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: I welcome this motion and will be supporting it. There is a well-known Latin tag used in the medical profession which is "primum non nocere" meaning "first do no harm". This applies to all interventions in medical practice, including prescribing when treating diseases as well as actions which are designed to prevent disease. Malaria is a very serious disease which can be debilitating,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: As we now have a quorum, I call the meeting to order. I propose that we deal with housekeeping matters in private session. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: The purpose of this meeting is to allow the Minister and his officials and the director general of the HSE and his staff to update this committee on key health care issues. On behalf of the committee, I welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris. He is accompanied by the Minister of State with special responsibility for older people, Deputy Jim Daly, who I congratulate on his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank the Minister and call on Mr. Tony O'Brien, the CEO of the HSE, to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: I thank Mr. O'Brien. I am going to open the meeting to members for questions and contributions. I remind members that they might limit their contributions to five minutes, without curtailing discussion. They might also be precise in their questions. The same might apply to the answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: All speakers can be concise and direct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: One.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: Would the Minister like to lead off on some of those questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: There were two other questions which were not responded to. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked for an explanation of the decrease in suicide numbers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Michael Harty: On the recruitment of GPs, there are of course difficulties in rural practice and these are well documented. There is now a problem, however, in filling GP lists in urban centres. When a GP retires or when a GP has an assistant who then emigrates or moves on, there is great difficulty in recruiting replacements. GPs can obviously get ill or die when still in practice and this can be an...