Results 441-460 of 1,061 for speaker:Séamus McGrath

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Does that amount to approximately 100 out of a staff of 450?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Out of a staff of 450, approximately 120 are actively involved in inspections. This is a small number of the overall staff count, given the role HIQA has and the importance of inspections in fulfilling this role. Do the witnesses agree?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Some of these are in administration support, as opposed to inspections.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: What percentage of HIQA's overall budget is involved in the inspection role?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank Mr. Hynes. I believe it was said earlier that more than 80% of HIQA's visits are unannounced. Is this correct? Will the witnesses briefly walk us through what happens when HIQA makes an unannounced visit to a nursing home? The inspectors walk into a reception and state they are from HIQA. What happens then?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: This is what I am getting at. Do the inspectors wait at reception for five minutes while somebody comes to meet them or do they get straight into it? Word will spread faster than the speed of light, I would say, that there are inspectors from HIQA. How the process is carried out is very important.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: This brings me to my next point. "RTÉ Investigates" uncovered what it did through undercover tactics. Is this something HIQA has ever deployed?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Is Ms Cliffe saying that HIQA is legally not allowed to carry out undercover work?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: This is the crux of the issue. RTÉ uncovered what it did because the reporters were undercover. Nobody knew who they were and they witnessed first-hand the behaviour towards residents in these nursing homes. For HIQA to really fulfil its role, it has to carry out the same type of tactics as RTÉ. What needs to happen for HIQA to be able to go in undercover and witness first-hand...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Sorry for interrupting but it was not only about documents. It was the absolutely inhumane treatment from human to human. HIQA will never see this unless people do not know it is there. This is the reality. HIQA can make unannounced visits and, as Ms Cliffe said, the phones are pinging as the inspectors are walking down the corridor. Nobody will treat a resident in that manner in front...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I respectfully suggest it is something that needs to happen. It is the only way that people will have full trust in the inspection system for nursing homes. It was mentioned earlier that HIQA has a duty or requirement to visit nursing homes once a year. Is HIQA fulfilling this duty? Has every nursing home been visited in the past 12 months?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I ask Ms Cliffe to repeat this.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: All will be visited once and a majority will have more than one visit.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank Ms Cliffe. Do further inspections follow from issues that HIQA may have seen in a previous inspection? Do they follow complaints? What are the criteria for HIQA to decide?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I couch this with my earlier comment that HIQA can have many successes but its failings is what it is judged on. What accountability has there been in HIQA for what we saw in "RTÉ Investigates" in terms of the utter failure of regulation and inspection? Has there been any accountability in the organisation?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: As the head of the organisation does Ms Fitzgerald feel the public has confidence in HIQA?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Does HIQA measure public confidence? Does it engage or do surveys?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: In terms of the "RTÉ Investigates" programme and the shock to the nation it caused, can HIQA assure people that there will be or that there has been a step change in approach from HIQA in trying to address issues like that?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: By the end of the year HIQA hopes to have visited them all.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 227. To ask the Minister for Finance to review and remove VAT on sunscreen protection products, as they are an essential health product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40441/25]