Results 8,381-8,400 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The Government is committed to providing accessible and affordable health care. The Department of Social Protection administer the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) Scheme and the Fuel Allowance, which may assist individuals in meeting the costs associated with operating medical devices. Further information on these can be found, respectively, at:...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together. As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter. As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Services (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: 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: Primary Care Services (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: GPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community. Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Currently,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (22 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The motion decries the mismanagement of the health budget and then goes on to demand that the same HSE hires staff into a bunch of posts that it is not funded for. The Deputies cannot have it both ways. Which is it going to be?

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Do they want proper financial management or do they want the HSE to just hire into thousands of posts for which it is not funded?

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: When I speak with health ministers around the world, many of them tell me that their biggest challenge is an inability to hire doctors and nurses.

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: In Ireland, by contrast, we are hiring at record levels and we have exceeded the already ambitious targets for this year. Where I agree with the Deputies is that there is absolutely no question but that many of the jobs in our healthcare service are very intense. They are tough, difficult jobs - working in emergency departments, intensive care wards and in complex surgery, to name but a...

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: We are very fortunate in Ireland to have such high-quality healthcare training and education. We are also very fortunate that so many internationally trained healthcare professionals choose to work in Ireland. They have been doing that for many years and they will continue to do that next year while we expand the healthcare workforce again by several thousand. This Government will continue...

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Last Friday, the head of our national screening service, Fiona Murphy, posted the following words: Amazing to be part of this. I never thought when I started in healthcare a long time ago that it would be possible to eliminate a cancer, especially one that was increasing. Now we will see it in our lifetime. Remarkable. Kim, a patient advocate, described how much it meant to her to be...

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: How has that worked out for patients in Northern Ireland under Sinn Féin? Hospital waiting lists in the South used to be longer than they were in Northern Ireland but not anymore. In fact, the lists in the South are now half what they are in Northern Ireland. For people waiting in the South for over a year, the list is ten times shorter than it is in the North. That is what throwing...