Results 10,401-10,420 of 15,268 for speaker:Kathleen Lynch

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: I thank the Senator and acknowledge this is not the first time he has shown an interest in this issue. I thank him for raising this matter, which gives me an opportunity to outline the current position in respect of Wisdom Services. To correct one point, when I stated that there had been difficulties, it was never to indicate there was mismanagement or something untoward with the service....

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: As to the value for money review, I have not seen it and although there have been discussions around it there has been no detail. I do not know where the figures come from in terms of the HSE providing the service along with voluntary organisations. I do not know where that argument comes from because I have seen nothing to support it.

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: I cannot demand that people who are free to make these decisions should make a different decision. I was disappointed that this happened. I believed there could have been a solution but that did not happen. The service will continue for the people who need it. The pay costs will be the same and the increments will have to be paid. There will be a new management structure rather than a...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: No. There will be no downscaling of the service. The service, as it exists, will continue.

Seanad: Primary Care Facilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The programme for Government sets out this Government's commitment to ensuring a better and more efficient health system; a single-tier health service that will deliver equal access to health care based on need, not income. In a developed primary care system, up to 95% of people's day-to-day health and social care needs can be met in the primary...

Seanad: Primary Care Facilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: It is interesting to extract information from the health statistics. The statistics make it clear that the areas of highest deprivation have the lowest availability of any service. That is why the prioritisation exercise is vitally important. We are not just talking about urban areas - we are also talking about areas outside the bigger population bases.

School Enrolments (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: I will skip much of the reply provided as it deals primarily with disability issues at national level. I thank Deputy Jack Wall for raising this matter. As he will know, the disability budget nationally was cut by 3.7% in 2012. The Health Service Executive's national service plan states that at least 2% of this reduction should not impact on services and needs to be generated from other...

School Enrolments (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: Although we live in a time of tight resources, we spend a substantial amount on disability. We need to ensure the system adopts a person - in this case a family - centred approach. The system must show a degree of flexibility. While I am not certain if boundary issues arise in terms of health board areas and so forth, such issues should not act as a barrier and should be overcome. We will...

Bus Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. The Minister is speaking at the Road Safety Authority's workshop on the road safety strategy this afternoon and is unable therefore to attend this Topical Issue Debate. He apologises for that. For reasons which will be explained, the Minister has no direct responsibility in this matter. I think both Deputies have...

Bus Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: I will convey the request for the meeting and I am sure it will be granted. The sub-committee to which Deputy Flanagan referred has been set up and it is very much about alternative modes of transport and rural transport. I am not saying the towns of Durrow and Abbeyleix are strictly rural, but they are not enormous areas of population either. We have to take a look at things like this,...

Mental Health Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: The mental health unit on the site of Beaumont Hospital will provide acute inpatient mental health services for north Dublin to replace outdated facilities at St. Ita's Hospital, Portrane. The construction phase of the project has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2013. The equipping and commissioning phase should take approximately three months following...

Mental Health Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: Yes.

Mental Health Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: The Mental Health Commission is the mental health equivalent of the Health Information and Quality Authority. On foot of serious concerns the commission had expressed about St. Ita's Hospital, a number of residents of the facility were transferred to St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, as part of a temporary arrangement. As the new mental health unit at Beaumont Hospital is an acute facility...

Mental Health Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: The use of St. Vincent's Hospital in Fairview is a temporary arrangement and those currently residing in the hospital will be moved into the new unit in accordance with the wishes expressed during consultation with them and their families. A particular issue arises with regard to staffing in the Dublin and mid-Leinster region. Having met its targets in terms of reducing bed numbers and in...

Mental Health Services (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: -----the difficulty is that we may have to convert some posts to nursing. Consultations are ongoing in this regard and agreement on the issue has not yet been reached. The matter is not being ignored and regular meetings are taking place on the issue. Having ring-fenced a significant pot of money for community mental health teams, it is important that this goes well in the first year.

Services for People with Disabilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: The demand for day services, including rehabilitative training, for school leavers continues to grow. The HSE expects approximately 654 school leavers will require services in 2012. This year disability services are required to cater for demographic pressures such as new services for school leavers from within their existing budgets. In previous years demographic funding was provided to...

Services for People with Disabilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: There is no way I can make such a commitment, as I think the Deputy is aware. Nobody will receive a definite refusal or placement until 10 July. We continue to work on the matter. This is an issue that arises every year. I acknowledge what the previous Government did in this regard, but the difficulty is that a long-term sustainable plan was never put in place. This is not something that...

Services for People with Disabilities (19 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: This is no surprise to anyone when it happens. In fairness to the HSE, it has worked exceptionally hard since April to resolve this issue and we can see from the decrease in numbers that there has been significant success. I have just left the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, where a forum is taking place to bring together those with disabilities, their carers and their advocates to engage in a...

Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (14 Jun 2012)

Kathleen Lynch: The development of a National Carers Strategy to support carers and to address issues of concern is a key commitment in the current Programme for Government. The Strategy will address the needs of informal and family carers. It will be conceptual and visionary and will establish a number of high-level principles, goals and objectives and a road map to implementation. The State already faces...