Results 8,141-8,160 of 26,380 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Vaccination Roll-out: Update (20 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I also asked about the weekly versus the biweekly reporting. Dr. Henry might answer that question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Vaccination Roll-out: Update (20 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: So, updates will still be given on a weekly basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Vaccination Roll-out: Update (20 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I thank the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: May I raise an issue, please?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I wish to raise the issue of the decision of the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, yesterday regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine. Obviously, this is a matter for NIAC in terms of the public health measure and putting safety first. I have no problem with that. It is more the implications of the decision. We need to hear from the HSE and NIAC next week that they have a plan to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I welcome Dr. Glynn and commend him and his team on the work they continue to do. I wish them well in the time ahead. It is difficult for everybody and Dr. Glynn acknowledged in his opening statement the difficulties posed for the general population. He also acknowledged, which is significant and important, that we have more reasons to be hopeful now than at any time during the pandemic....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I was asking whether there was the possibility of a further easing of restrictions within that six-week period.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I refer to the broad parameters Dr. Glynn spoke about. I know he does not want to go into specifics but the obvious areas would be outdoor activities and sport, and outdoor dining and hospitality were mentioned as well. Can he give us some indication, in general terms, of what areas we can expect to see some movement on in that six-week period, before I move on to what happens after that?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: That is very helpful. However, if we take outdoor dining and outdoor events, certainly from a business perspective, as one of the options, then there must be a lead-in time. There must be some heads-up given to those businesses so they can prepare. I know Dr. Glynn will accept that, if it can be factored in. If I can I want to expand on the matter of any modelling NPHET may have done on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: My point is that for us to be hopeful, and for people listening - Dr. Glynn acknowledged the frustration - what are the milestones or staging posts that must be reached? Before Professor Nolan comes in I wish to bring up an additional point Dr. Glynn made in his letter to the Minister. He said that: "Vaccination will significantly and quickly reduce risk over a short period of time from May...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: Sorry to interrupt but I need to know if NPHET or Professor Nolan has done modelling for various stages in the vaccination programme and linked that to easing restrictions. Has NPHET, for example, looked at what is possible if we get 50% of the adult population vaccinated, if we get the medically vulnerable and all those over 55 vaccinated and so on? Is such modelling done and is that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I am sorry to interrupt but time is short. I am not specifically talking about percentages of the population vaccinated. I am talking about whether it is by age cohort or by people with underlying conditions. Are there benchmarks, targets or staging posts that NPHET believes will leave us in a better position if we reach them? Dr. Glynn was talking about the possibility of easing more...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I have that and thank Professor Nolan. I have one last question-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on the Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: National Public Health Emergency Team (13 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I have one last question. The witnesses talked earlier about their concerns around new variants. How important is it that we continue with traveller checks and mandatory quarantine? Where does NPHET stand on that in the context of its concerns about new variants?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Irish Dental Association (8 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I welcome Mr. Hourihan and the other representatives of the Irish Dental Association. I will start by quoting a representative of the HSE who was before the committee last week. In the HSE's opening statement, the DTSS was referenced. I refer to one specific paragraph which stated: The HSE is aware that some medical card holders have experienced difficulties in accessing treatment....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Irish Dental Association (8 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: Mr. Hourihan has been involved with the association for some time. In his view, is this an unprecedented crisis? Are we talking about a full-blown resourcing crisis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Irish Dental Association (8 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: I will home in on some questions regarding that decline. Funding declined by 31% between 2015 and 2020 but the number of dentists contracted has also declined substantially from 1,847 to 1,279. How many fewer dentists are signed up to the contract now than when we first started to see the decline a number of years ago? How stark is the number?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Irish Dental Association (8 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: Is it possible there are some inactive contracts? Is that where some of the confusion lies?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Irish Dental Association (8 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: We need to get to the exact figure because we were quoted a much lower figure by the Department and the HSE when they were before us last week. We need an accurate figure from them on the number of dentists signed up to the contract and how many are active. That would be important information to have. We have a shortfall in funding, dentists who are leaving in unprecedented numbers,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of the Operation of the Medical Card Scheme: Irish Dental Association (8 Apr 2021)

David Cullinane: Before Mr. Hourihan brings his colleague in, I want to reinforce some of what I said with data I received in reply to parliamentary questions on orthodontic and dental waiting times in the public system. It is also a significant issue. For example, more than 104 children with special needs have been waiting for more than a year. Some 1,500 children are on the waiting list for dental...