Results 4,461-4,480 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Yes, without the music.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I welcome our witnesses from Jigsaw and Mental Health Ireland, who are in committee room 1. I advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Deputy Ward and call Deputy Caroll MacNeill.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Rogan and Deputy Kenny. I call Deputy Michael Collins now to speak.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: The next speaker is from Sinn Féin.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: There will probably be some time at the end if Deputy Burke wishes to speak again.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: There have been various concentrations of Covid-19 in the population, one of which was in direct provision and another occurred in meat plants, where there is a very high proportion of non-Irish workers, including third-country nationals who are not from the EU. Where and how can persons in direct provision or migrant workers who are undocumented seek mental health support in Ireland?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: There has been a high proportion of cases among healthcare workers. There were some startling revelations at this committee that were subsequently disputed. The unions that primarily represent healthcare workers will come back before the committee. I note from a World Health Organization report that 47% of healthcare workers in Canada reported a need for psychological support, in the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: The specific question was whether a specific increase in healthcare workers seeking mental health supports had been observed and, if so, whether Mr. Rogan can quantify that as a percentage. I appreciate that I am trying to reduce the question to sums.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I will bring Jigsaw in on this issue and on collaboration with associations such as the FAI, GAA and IRFU.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Do Mr. Rogan and Dr. Duffy have concerns about prescription policies and the reliance on pharma to treat mental health or the prevalence of that approach as a treatment policy?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: My last question relates to whether the witnesses are concerned that the way Covid is being reported on in the media is somehow contributing to mental health difficulties and the need for supports. There have been more than 1,700 deaths from Covid-19. Eight of those who have died were under the age of 65 and did not have an underlying condition. Of course, each of the 1,700 deaths is a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Miss McGregor. I call on Deputy Caroll MacNeill to speak now. As we did not start until nearly five past nine I will then bring in Deputy Colm Burke.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: How did Jigsaw decide where its centres are located? Obviously, it is in the bigger cities but, outside of those, how did centres come to be located in certain areas?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank all of the witnesses who attended this morning. We will suspend until 11.30 a.m., when we will meet representatives from the Mental Health Commission and the HSE.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I welcome our witnesses from the Mental Health Commission and the HSE, who are in committee room 1. I advise them that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I ask Mr. Ryan to introduce his delegation from the HSE and to make a short comment outlining the key points of the HSE's submission, which has been circulated. I ask him to be relatively brief, if possible, to allow as much time as possible for questions and answers.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I remind members that they are speaking for either five or ten minutes. The first speaker is Deputy Carroll MacNeill from Fine Gael.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Does Dr. Niazi wish to come in on that matter or does he wish, as the Deputy suggested, to discuss it before the Joint Committee on Health, at which point it will be possible to go into further detail?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I know that the Deputy will be a member of the new health committee and that the hope is to get it set up as soon as possible. While I completely agree with him on this point, we are dealing specifically with Covid and the response to it. We may be moving away from that slightly.