Results 341-360 of 8,590 for speaker:Seán Crowe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: The options for older people were mentioned. South Dublin County Council has a scheme for over-55s which is very popular and heavily subscribed. It has only been rolled out recently and there is huge demand for it. That is the way to go for other local authorities. It gives local authority tenants the option to downsize and there is also a scheme for those in private accommodation. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: Another area we probably have not touched on, on which Ms Loughran made a point, is the tendering process, the pricing model and the challenge that will face. It does not fund travel expenses and only partially funds travel time. When talking to those in the carer sector, that is a big anomaly that is not covered.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: Yes. It is not going to work unless that is resolved. I thank the representatives of ALONE for their engagement with the committee on the important matter of healthcare related needs of older persons and the general scheme of the health (amendment)(licensing of professional home support providers) Bill 2024. As a committee we will have to decide how to proceed with the next piece of the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (25 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: 109. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has had discussions with transport providers to increase the capacity of the bus network in the Crooksling area to allow for the increase in usage by the IPAS residents in the area. [27156/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (25 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: 480. To ask the Minister for Health the total number of vacant medical post vacancies in the CHO7 area, categorised by position, in tabular form; and the total number of assigned medical posts in the CHO7 area, categorised by position. [27157/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: Apologies have been received from Senator Frances Black. I propose we go into private session to consider the business of the committee. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: Before we get to the main item on today's agenda, the minutes of the committee meeting on 11 June have been circulated to members for consideration. Are they agreed? Agreed. The purpose of the meeting today is to commence the pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the health (amendment) (licensing of professional home support providers) Bill 2024, which has been forwarded by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: I will move straight to members and Senator Kyne will lead off.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: I thank the Senator. I think we all agree that if-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: Yes. It happens right across all parties and none.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: That is the important thing. Nobody actually hears about it. The frustrating thing is that you go to all the bother of putting legislation together and it just sits in limbo.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: On that note, there was reference in the opening statements to the number of people who are actually getting home care help and I think that needs to be acknowledged. As elected representatives, we tend to hear about those who are not getting the services, additional hours and so on. Those are probably some of the challenges. In her opening statement, Ms Larthwell stated that 54,000 people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: It just struck me that it is a small sample. That is not a criticism of anyone. It was put out there and people may not have felt a need to respond or maybe they believed that it should have gone ahead. Question No. 4 in the survey referred to areas not covered by the regulation, of which under-18s were one. I would have thought there would be a larger response. Can Professor...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: One of the questions related to registered healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists and so on. One of the concerns some members of the committee would have is that many of those who are engaged in healthcare professions might not necessarily be registered. We had people who were dealing with feet, for instance. There is no regulation there. There is no regulation in respect of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: Okay. The geographical gaps in the system come up quite a bit. Could the witnesses outline some of the gaps? In their experience, what is the big challenge? It was said that regulation is needed. Why is that so? Where are the notable gaps? I presume it is in rural Ireland. We know that from the work of the committee on this. The witnesses might outline their views on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: With some of the providers, particular in the private sector, there was more of a reliance on the likes of technology to keep in touch with those people, particularly in isolated areas and so on. That has been the pattern in other jurisdictions as well. I looked at one provider that was talking about using a smart television, phone or whatever to keep in touch with the individual who is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: Again, I am not talking about having to check the smart TV, but as that technology develops, would the expertise be available within HIQA? If that is the way we are going to develop as a society, something like that would be needed. We mentioned the fact that where someone is going into a person's home, there has to be a level of trust and so on. On the standards of care and the survey on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: As elected representatives, it is common for us to hear stories of someone coming in and it is not the same care assistant every day. It is practically someone new every week. That may be a result of a strain on the service, but it is a big challenge. An individual may not have someone who can communicate with them, and it may be someone with a list of things regarding going for a walk or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024 (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Crowe: No, but I am just saying that is how ridiculous the situation is at the moment. Anyone from a criminal background can come in and you are letting this person into your home and allowing them access to a lot of things. There is a clear need for regulation in this regard. Is there Garda vetting for many of these providers?