Results 8,661-8,680 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I fully agree, which is why we put such a focus in women's health services on the gynaecological waiting lists and rolling out this new national network of the see-and-treat gynaecology clinics. The clinics that are fully up and running are having it really important effect on the long waiting lists, as the Deputy mentioned, in hospitals such as the Rotunda, Letterkenny and many others...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The RCSI Hospital Group contains model 2, model 3 and model 4 hospitals with one specialist hospital, the Rotunda Maternity Hospital. The hospitals in the main serve populations in five counties – Dublin, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. The budget for the hospitals in the group increased by 11% between 2019 and last year. There has also been very significant capital support. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I agree that in recent years the hospital in Dundalk has done well in dealing with discharged patients. The hospital team outlined to me that, exactly as the Deputy said, it has good relations and good connections in place. It is a clinically appropriate setting for patients to be discharged to. Broadly, we know we need to increase community beds. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: That level of operational detail is being worked through by the HSE at the moment on a hospital-by-hospital basis. We will have a full account of that when we have the national service plan. What I can say is that I will open two new primary centres tomorrow, in Monaghan town and Clones. This entails an investment of nearly €30 million. These are state-of-the-art facilities....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. I am aware that he is asking this question on behalf of Deputy Troy. I might use this opportunity to congratulate Deputy Troy and his wife on the birth of their baby last night. It is a joyous occasion indeed. With regard to the beds, it is well recognised that there is a need to improve patient flow and ensure sufficient capacity for both scheduled and unscheduled...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank both Deputies. Deputy McAuliffe should note that we had 18 responses from Ireland and abroad to the expression of interest in 2023, all with a view to rapid build. All concerned bring different versions of the technology. In parallel, we have also commenced the detailed design work. The HSE has recently published a standardised questionnaire with a view to procuring the design...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Facilities (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The Mater hospital is a good example of how this can be done. The Deputy is absolutely correct that it is a congested site but we opened the Rock wing there recently. It is a state-of-the-art facility. Some rapid-build technology was used and the process was very efficient. Those responsible probably got the wing built several years quicker than a similar project might have been built in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for the question and her support of the national maternity strategy. It is making a big difference. As she will be aware, I have set the progression of women’s healthcare services as a top priority of the Government. We have seen unprecedented investment in women’s healthcare and know this funding is making a big difference in gynaecology, endometriosis,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Deputy McAuliffe for the question. I acknowledge his ongoing advocacy for Cappagh hospital, which is our national orthopaedic hospital. I have had the opportunity to visit Cappagh on several occasions and I am very strongly supportive of the hospital staff and the work they do. They needed more money. There has been a significant increase in investment but I would like to talk as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I have some good news for Deputy McAuliffe this morning. I am delighted to be able to tell him that just two weeks ago the HSE board approved this project. That was one really important milestone. The strategic assessment report or preliminary business case is done. It has been approved by the HSE board and has now been sent to my Department for a review. There is an external review that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: We are in full agreement. One of the priority areas for our waiting list action plan is orthopaedics. We know that when people are waiting for operations, be it a hip operation, a knee operation or whatever it might be, they can be waiting in agony and they can be waiting for a long time. When we were in opposition, I was out in Cappagh and I got a very sobering account from the clinicians...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 15 together. My note says that I am taking this question together with No. 15 tabled by Deputy Niamh Smyth. I thank Deputy Carthy for the question on Monaghan Hospital. As Minister for Health, I am fully committed to the development of the regional hospitals, including Monaghan. As the Deputy will be aware, there has been a welcome and significant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I have it that it is with No. 15

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: We can do that one separately.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Hospital Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Deputy Carthy for acknowledging that there has been important investment. I know he is asking about the future and I respect that, but when there has been such an increase in funding to Monaghan Hospital, it is important too that we acknowledge it and that we acknowledge the work the healthcare workers have done with that funding on behalf of the local communities. In terms of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vaccination Programme (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I fully agree. The shining example in Ireland is the late Laura Brennan and her advocacy on the human papillomavirus, HPV, vaccine. We know Ireland was doing well on the HPV vaccine and then, as the Deputy referenced, a lot of misinformation came into Ireland from abroad through social media. That scared young women and we saw the level of vaccine drop very considerably. Laura Brennan's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vaccination Programme (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. We must always be open to being able to do more. I agree with the Deputy. The misinformation and disinformation, largely coming from abroad and through social media, can be very damaging and highly persuasive. I imagine, with the advent of AI-enabled communications we might see more and more of it. While the HSE and Department of Health do a lot, we must always be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for the important question. As he will be aware, this year is the first time funding has been provided to support the implementation of the national stroke strategy. We launched it last year and last year's budget provided nearly €5 million for this year to roll out the new stroke strategy. The Deputy and various of our party colleagues have been advocating for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Second.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (9 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. A few important things are happening. In terms of prevention, we have a successful chronic disease management programme with GPs across the country. We have added hypertension to that, which will make a big difference in terms of community support. GPs have mental and physical health capabilities; they are not specified mental health professionals but we know they...