Results 6,201-6,220 of 11,464 for speaker:Mary Butler

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care of the Elderly (15 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: A key principle underpinning Government policy is to support older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible. In recent years there has been a shift in healthcare provision focus towards home care. Home support services are key in facilitating older people to remain at home and, with our ageing population, will become increasingly important in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (15 Sep 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (15 Sep 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) published updated guidance on visiting in long-term residential care:COVID-19: Normalising Visiting in Long Term Residential Care Facilities (LTRCFs). This guidance came into effect on 19 July. The public health advice is to restore visiting to near normal in terms of frequency of visits in those settings with a high level of vaccination of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Executive (15 Sep 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (15 Sep 2021)

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

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I am grateful for the invitation to be here today. I confirm I am in my office on the Leinster House campus. The pandemic has undoubtedly had a serious impact on the delivery of all public services, including mental health services. We have relied on our national solidarity and the dedication and commitment of healthcare workers nationwide to keep going during this difficult time. Now...

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for the question and for her interest in mental health. I am aware that she has a profound interest in this area. It is not the first time the Deputy has asked questions relating to it. The ADHD adult programme has received €1.3 million to date for three demonstration sites that are in the CHO 1 of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim, CHO 3 of Limerick and CHO 6. The...

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: My understanding is that the clinical programmes have been advertised but unfortunately, as we all know, recruitment of staff across the HSE can take up to 50 weeks. When someone applies for a post sometimes that person's current post has to be backfilled before he or she is released. This has created challenges. The leader of the clinical programmes, Dr. Amir Niazi, whom I met only last...

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: Dr. Dodd will be able to give us an update on that. I will then respond on the issue of psychology.

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I will speak briefly about primary care psychology. When I came into this post last year, I was very concerned to hear that more than 2,500 young people aged under 18 had been waiting for an appointment for longer than 12 months. Primary care psychology technically does not fall under my remit but under the remit of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. At the same time, however, there are clear...

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: Absolutely. We are also challenged at the moment with regard to recruiting dieticians. I have spoken to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, to see whether we can get more places at third level. I know it will still take four or five years for them to filter through but at the same time, we have to plan ahead.

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I will let Mr. Hempenstall in there.

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: We are definitely looking at this year. A huge amount of work has been done. We had issues and the legislation was passed just before Christmas last year. I thank everyone who supported it. We are pushing as hard as we can, however. It is so important for capacity issues, especially for the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, to get over to Portrane as quickly as possible. We will also...

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I will let Mr. Kelly in there. He has done a huge amount of work on the mental health Bill and may have any information in that regard.

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I do not think so but I am not 100% sure. I see that Dr. Dodd is nodding his head. We are currently looking at trauma-based counselling and I am meeting with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, later to discuss it, especially for children who have been through traumatic experiences. Does Dr. Dodd wish to come in there? I saw him nodding his head.

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: The majority of people with mental health illnesses would be assigned a key worker. A plan would also be put in place to manage the best results for each person. I do not have a medical background. Decisions concerning the care of people with mental health illnesses would primarily be taken by their medical team and including their psychiatrist or psychologist. I ask Dr. Dodd to conclude...

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: To conclude on this point, the Sharing the Vision policy focuses on an individualised approach. It seeks to ensure that patients are involved in their own care plans, including individualised care plans. We did not see that approach in the previous document. The important aspect of Sharing the Vision is, therefore, putting patients front and centre and ensuring that they can be involved in...

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy.

Joint Committee On Health: Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Sep 2021)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for his question. I also thank him for the constructive approach he always takes when questioning me in the Dáil, as do all his colleagues, regarding issues concerning mental health services. I was also concerned about the waiting lists for CAMHS. As the Deputy said, some of these issues have existed for a while and have been inherited. In addressing this...