Results 5,661-5,680 of 11,463 for speaker:Mary Butler

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: Hear, hear.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I will repeat what I have said already. First, to include the Deputy's amendment would introduce additional requirements for high-cost claims credits which have not been planned, a matter I have just addressed. Second, forcing cover for all model 2 hospitals would have the unintended impact of driving up the price of entry level plans. The Deputy has not addressed that. It would force up...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I will respond first to Deputy Denis Naughten. The Department of Health officials have surveyed the insurers and confirmed that the majority of plans across all insurers provide cover for model 2 hospitals. The plans that do not are entry level plans, which still provide cover for some model 2 hospitals. The entry level plans are intended for first-time entrants into the market and are...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: Forcing cover for all model 2 hospitals would have unintended consequences. It would drive up the price of entry-level plans. A high-cost claim under this Bill will arise when a customer's health insurance claim or claims exceeds €50,000 in a 12-month period. The fund will then pay 40% of the portion of the claim that exceeds that amount. So, for a claim of €60,000, the fund...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for his contribution to yesterday's debate which highlighted the role model 2 hospitals can play in providing care to the community. However, I must reject the amendment and will outline the reasons for the rejection. The provisions being introduced in this Bill on high-cost claims are the result of significant work carried out by the Health Insurance Authority in the...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputies who indicated their support for the Bill. I also thank the Deputies who spoke in the debate today and yesterday for their contributions. I will only speak and comment on issues related to the Bill. As was discussed in yesterday's debate, a large number of people hold health insurance. For some, this is a choice while others, unfortunately, may view it as a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The continued enhancement and improvement of our mental health and suicide prevention services remains a priority for me. I was pleased, therefore, to secure unprecedented funding of €1.149 billion for HSE mental health next year. This is an increase of €47 million over 2021. Next year's new development funding will...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I met representatives of CARMHA previously in Tipperary when I met many organisations. Addiction is a responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan. With respect to available funding for organisations that provide support to those with mental health difficulties, every organisation that wishes to apply for ongoing funding must make a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I understand the importance of this project. Enniscorthy has a long history of flooding. Following the extreme flood event that occurred in 2000, the Office of Public Works, in conjunction with Wexford County Council, undertook a study of the flooding problems in the town so it is not that it is a unique situation. I come from Waterford and the Deputy is well familiar with the glass wall...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank Deputies Cairns and Christopher O'Sullivan, who are both more aware than I am that Bantry experienced significant flooding at around 6 a.m. yesterday. It appears that the source of the flood water was a mixture of tidal effluvium and pluvium as the main culvert through the town was also running full at the time of flooding. As the Deputies said, the fire brigade was on site and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I hope Enniscorthy did not flood in the last day or two during Storm Barra. We have experienced flooding far too often, especially due to the various climate challenges we face. I thank the Deputy for her question in regard to the much-needed Enniscorthy flood relief scheme. The Enniscorthy, River Slaney, flood defence scheme is being...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I apologise on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. He is not in a position to attend the debate due to family issues. I spoke to him late last night and he has no issue talking to the Deputies. The flood risk management plans launched in May 2018 included a recommendation to progress the project-led development and planning of a flood relief scheme for Bantry. As Deputies...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 176 together. The Government has provided extensive support to the Nursing Home Sector since the start of the pandemic. The Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) was established in April 2020 as a temporary, administrative measure to respond to the challenges being faced by the nursing home sector at the start of the pandemic, and was extended...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Eating Disorders (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Eating Disorders (8 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (7 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: Improving all aspects of mental health service delivery is a priority for me and that is what I try to do when I secure as much funding as possible, particularly for the recruitment and retention of staff. As we all know, the delivery of mental health services depends on the staff we have. Deputy Stanton referred to the fact that east Cork will be left without a facility like Owenacurra....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Home Care Packages (7 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I will go back to the cross-departmental strategic workforce advisory group. I announced a call for submissions last Friday to further identify key issues in recruitment and retention and to inform the establishment of the group in early 2022, which is January as far as I am concerned as it needs to be done as soon as possible. We are all aware that terms and conditions vary from the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (7 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for his question and for the constructive way he has phrased it. As he and I are aware, there are 19 residents living in the Owenacurra Centre and it is their home. I will not go over the history of it but in June 2021, the HSE notified the Department of its decision to close the Owenacurra Centre. The current building is not fit for purpose and cannot be brought to the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Home Care Packages (7 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I notice Deputy Joan Collins is also here and listening; we had a discussion earlier in the back corridor, and many other Deputies have raised the situation with me. The issue is not funding. If the issue was funding, I would be able to go and look for more funding and I feel I would secure it. My budget for home care for this year is...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Dec 2021)

Mary Butler: That would not happen.