Results 781-800 of 2,920 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (13 Jan 2016)

Séamus Healy: The decision to close Borrisoleigh makes me angry because it is quite obvious to everybody that C&C acquired Gleeson's with the sole intention of closing it down. It had a number of goes at that, including 40 redundancies not too long ago. The Minister referred to commercial realities. The commercial realities are that this company is very profitable, making in the region of...

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (13 Jan 2016)

Séamus Healy: The decision by C&C to close the plant in Borrisoleigh and the manner in which that became public are absolutely deplorable. I can only describe as shameful the fact that workers and their families learned of the closure from the pages of The Irish Timesand local radio. It is a disgraceful way to treat workers who have given loyal service at Gleesons for many years - some for as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Acute Hospital Services: Discussion (17 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the witnesses and thank Mr. O’Flynn for his presentation. They have done huge work, to a large extent successfully. The proposal for an elective modular hospital in Cork city provides a key for the future. Although the reconfiguration is for services in Cork and Kerry it seems to be more Cork and city-based. What has the effect of this reconfiguration been on the Kerry...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Acute Hospital Services: Discussion (17 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: Perhaps Mr. O'Dwyer will clarify something. Can I take it from what he said that strategic planning for the region either has started or is about to start? He said he would have to report to the Minister in the first or second quarter. He also said there would be consultation in that regard. The HSE and the Department of Health have not had a good track record on consultation. Are there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Acute Hospital Services: Discussion (17 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: When might that start?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Task Force on Overcrowding in Accident and Emergency Departments: Discussion (17 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the HSE officials and thank Mr. O'Brien for his presentation. There are chronic circumstances in emergency departments that date back a long time, certainly to when the former Minister for Health and Children, Ms Mary Harney, announced an emergency in the early 2000s. While there have been peaks and valleys since, the situation has effectively been chronic since that period and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Task Force on Overcrowding in Accident and Emergency Departments: Discussion (17 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: It was announced by the local Minister last year.

Establishment of Independent Anti-Corruption Agency: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I compliment Deputies Paul Murphy, Donnelly and Shortall on bringing forward the motion, which I support. Public and commercial life must be transparent and accountable. The purpose of the motion is not to accuse any individual or party but to put in place effective structures to ensure corruption in public and commercial life is dealt with effectively. The motion recognises that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the HSE representatives and thank Ms Hoey for her presentation. As the public representative with the highest number of contacts with the medical card unit, I wish to compliment the staff there. They are always courteous and helpful and that applies across the board. As a former public servant and as a trade unionist who represented public servants for more than 30 years, both...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I was asking about contact between applicants and the individuals processing their applications.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I understand all that and we have been through it. I was told recently that the HSE has stopped refunding patients who claim.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I do not believe it is the appropriate way to deal with this in the longer term.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I will follow it up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I am delighted that the form 11 issue has been sorted out, but it must have happened very recently as I dealt with a relevant matter last Friday. At some stage the committee might be notified of the outcome. There is a dedicated line for public representatives, but there seems to be a glitch between that section and the main section. For example, if an applicant sends additional...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: The call taker on the public representative line can now do that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: He or she could do so for the past few weeks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Medical Cards: Health Service Executive (9 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: Well done.

Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Second Stage (8 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this legislation. It is a short but significant and progressive Bill and I am happy to support it. As the Minister of State mentioned, its inception was in 2008 as a Private Members' Bill in the Seanad. I suppose it was given fresh impetus by the report of the expert group published this year. The Bill provides that ECT cannot be administered...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Gardasil Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Discussion (3 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the witnesses, both from REGRET and officials, and thank them for their various submissions, particularly the powerful submissions from Ms. Smyth and Ms Cannon on this subject. It is something that is deeply traumatic for their daughters, families and extended families. This is an optional vaccine that requires permission from parents. On that basis, parents should surely be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Gardasil Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Discussion (3 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: Parents should be made aware in as full a way as possible of both the positives and the negatives that we are aware of in its regard. On that basis, I would be concerned that the patient information leaflet is not available to parents. I hear what has been said about the reason for that but I do not see it as being acceptable. If the leaflet is available it should be made available to...