Results 8,521-8,540 of 20,758 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: I referred to diagnosis after a previous smear that recommended repeat cytology, 11%, and 123 of the cases in sum. Is there a scientific reason that the witnesses are aware of?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: That is no problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the delegates. As a public representative, I take every opportunity to remind people of how successful and important cancer screening is. I even wrote an article on it for a Sunday newspaper. However, as a public representative, I also have a role in getting to the facts. Unfortunately, this comes under the same tiered structure in the HSE which has let down many women. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: We know about issues at screening level and that everything is not perfect. We know about Ms Melissa Hamilton and Ms Eileen Fennessy. We know from information made available several days ago that the State Claims Agency has stated there are four cases pertaining to BreastCheck. How many letters of apology have been issued by the HSE regarding incorrect readings since the BreastCheck...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: Is there complete two-way sharing of information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: The State Claims Agency has stated there are four cases.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: When was that letter issued?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: Is it normal for a letter like that to be issued?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: There are people with concerns and there are serious individual issues. I agree fully with Professor Hill that we have to get to the bottom of why these cases happened, especially where there were multiple errors for several years. By the way, I have seen that letter and I know the case – it is from the south of Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: From a public health point of view I am 100% supportive. My family uses the screening process and my neighbour has been saved by it. I need to figure out where to go with this. There are four cases with the State Claims Agency. We know of two cases, including the case of Melissa Hamilton and the other case that is now public. They date from June 2015 and June 2016. That is not long ago....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: We do not want to be sitting here with issues again in future. By the way, I think it would help the national breast screening programme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: I wish to follow up with a crucial point. Everyone in the committee has concerns about this for multiple reasons. First, we need to get to the facts. I have outlined some of the cases to the witnesses. We know of four. I know of another one and there were two previous cases. There is a timeline for these cases as well. These are the facts. We cannot judge the four cases with the State...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: The term should be "double errors". It applies where there are multiple errors.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: What if it happened over multiple dates?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: I understand that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: I heard what Professor Hill said 100%. I am with him because we could not sustain it otherwise. However, in the case of the letter, abnormalities were missed twice. I have seen it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: It needs structure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: I have a final short question. The meeting has been very useful and informative for members and I hope that is true the other way around too. That is part of the reason we do this. We have a duty to try to tease things out. I am not saying there are a huge number of issues but where there are issues, the witnesses should make sure that the process by which communications go from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: Perhaps I will talk to Professor Hill after the meeting.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Eligibility (22 May 2018)

Alan Kelly: 550. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if non-taxable subsistence payments while working in rehabilitative employment are exempt from the means test for the purposes of disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21986/18]