Results 9,281-9,300 of 26,394 for speaker:David Cullinane

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: The living with the virus plan refers to recruiting 500 staff. Mr. Reid indicated 380 staff are currently involved in swabbing and, as such, 500 is a substantial additional number which will be welcome. Where are we with that number? What work are we talking about? Does the figure of 500 refer to swabbing only or is will these staff do other work? Is it for staff in the laboratories?...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I have that information. I am tight on time so can I get the numbers first? If 700 swabbers will be recruited, what will the baseline of swabbing personnel be once the HSE has recruited those 700 staff? How quickly does Mr. Reid anticipate that those 700 will come on stream?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: Basically, Ms O'Beirne is saying that from a swabbing perspective, we will move from a figure of 300 to 1,000. Is that correct?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: The living with the virus plan mentions numbers of 700 new staff for swabbing and 500 contact tracers. However, it does not give any benchmark or targets for turnaround times or how many tests should be carried out per week. Surely even for scrutiny purposes and also just to have a strategy, there should be a target of how many tests or, at least, what capacity we should have. The target...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I do not want to be rude but, with respect, I have ten minutes. The question I asked was not what was happening in other countries. It was why there is no target in the plan for turnaround times. I know there might be an aspirational target of 24 hours. There is no target with regard to how many tests should be carried out per week. I am asking why that is the case. I have a number of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: However, the Minister for Health said that was not enough.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I want to ask a number of questions about turnaround times so I will conclude on this by saying it would be more helpful if we had targets. As I said, the Minister has said he has requested an options paper. I am not sure about the status of it, what work has been done or when it will be presented to him, the Government or Cabinet. It would be very helpful if we had a target turnaround...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: As such the median end-to-end turnaround time for a positive result is 2.9 or three days. Is that fair?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: Does that include contact tracing? If contact tracing was included as well, would that increase the turnaround time?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: What is the median end-to-end turnaround time from referral to contact tracing being complete?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: That falls short of a lot of the targets we set in our document. That is my point: we need to get better and we need to get sharper. I welcome the fact that there will be additional staff but we need much more robust targets and to get much better at this. I want to put one final question to Mr. Reid about staffing. I am looking at the Be On call for Ireland pool. I have been contacted...

Health (Amendment) (Professional Home Care) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I propose that we take five minutes each. I would be happy with that.

Health (Amendment) (Professional Home Care) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: To be helpful, I will take five minutes.

Health (Amendment) (Professional Home Care) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I commend Deputy Colm Burke on introducing this Bill. Speaking as the author of three Bills that were subjected to the dreadful amendment that they would "be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months", that was not some form of legislative purgatory as most if not all of those Bills withered on the vine. I hope this Bill will not be one of those, but I would not hold my breath....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Healthcare Policy (24 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister of State for her compassionate response and her understanding of this issue. I raised this issue with the acting Chief Medical Officer myself at a meeting earlier this week. I completely understand the infection control measures that are in place in hospitals and the need to maintain social distancing and keep people away from hospitals to protect newborns and pregnant...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Healthcare Policy (24 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: I was contacted by a constituent both of mine and the Minister of State named Natasha and she asked me to read into the record her experience. She states: I want to tell you my story and I hope that the Government will soon reverse the decisions it has made to underestimate the need for women to have some support during their pregnancy. I have two gorgeous little boys. I surprisingly...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (23 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: 176. To ask the Minister for Health if adequate stockpiles of the flu vaccine have been secured; the reason for the delay in securing these and rolling out the flu vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25703/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: 213. To ask the Minister for Health the provisions being made to provide PPE to dental surgeries, general practice, pharmacies and other non-HSE aspects of the healthcare system; if provision will be made to allow them to procure PPE VAT-free; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25874/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: We were due to have four sessions of this committee today. Three sessions would have involved hearing from NPHET, the HSE and the Minister for Health. Despite the fact that we got the clár, the Oireachtas schedule for the week last Friday, we were notified yesterday, 24 hours in advance of this meeting, that neither NPHET, the HSE nor the Minister would be before the committee today....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Sep 2020)

David Cullinane: When the HSE is in next week, that is one of the issues that will be raised. It can give us a comprehensive overview of the situation regarding the flu vaccine. I register my protest at this meeting at the way the committee was treated. We will not sign off on the final report unless we hear from the Minister for Health next week. It has not been confirmed yet that he will be attending,...