Results 11,201-11,220 of 45,563 for speaker:Simon Harris

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will. I will undertake that my office will make contact today with the HSE and Beaumont Hospital to outline our view. I could say more but in the interests of time I do not think the Deputy would wish me to. The health research regulations do provide for an independent and diverse health research consent declaration committee and an independent appeals panel, which has to have regard to...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will write to the Deputy on the matter.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: Sure.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: My view remains - and has been conveyed to the disability organisations, to the HSE and to the Department - that that saving, or call it what one will, is not achievable in light of Covid. My Department is currently, as we do on a number of matters, engaging with other Departments. I truthfully hope to be able to bring the matter to a successful conclusion very shortly but I do not believe...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The capital plan will fall to the new Government. It will have to make some big key decisions on the capital plan. There is only so much we can do in this interregnum. We have pushed the boat out on A Vision for Change because it was important but at some point the new Government must take over. Of course there will have to be revisions to capital plans. I thank the Deputy for his...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: Whoever is the Opposition and whoever is the Government - it is a fluid situation at the moment - there should be a regular meeting with the HSE. I would not like to see that dropped. I thought it was quite a useful engagement and would support ensuring that it happens again. What I am saying to the Deputy is that we already know there are impacts in terms of secondary morbidity and...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: The HSE is developing what it calls a framework document called Service Continuity in a Covid Environment: A Strategic Framework for Delivery. It exists. It has done that. It is right and proper, though, that it interact with my Department on this from a policy perspective, making sure it is aligned with policy and with the service plan. It may require us to amend the service plan because...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: That is it. I understand the final version is going to the board of the HSE on Wednesday. As the Deputy reminded me from day one, it is the HSE's plan to publish. I make the point that non-Covid care has resumed in many areas. I am not going to read out a long list and eat into the Deputy's time. That can be seen in the fact that there are far fewer vacant beds in our health service this...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: Truthfully, I do not have that information but I get what the Deputy is saying and I have a way of getting the information for him. I submit a report to the Government about phasing every three weeks and I will see what I can share with the Deputy on that matter in writing. I will also share it with the House. We do look at the different categories. So far as secondary mortality and...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his kind words. There are a couple of important issues. With regard to domestic and gender-based violence, I thank the organisations that have been doing incredible work alongside An Garda Síochána. I visited the National Ambulance Service some weeks ago at the height of this pandemic and they were experiencing an increase in calls related to domestic...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: Ironically, it is my Fine Gael colleagues who are throwing the most challenging questions at me today, between barbers and social dancing. I will have to revert to Deputy Feighan and his constituent on that matter. Under phase 2 of the plan, people are able to socialise again, while being asked to keep a distance. It is safe to dance as long as it is possible to stay 2 m away from the...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: Deputy Higgins is entirely right that the flow of information and data is our friend and ally in this pandemic. We have to keep bringing people with us and explain why we are asking them to make such serious changes in their lives and bear with serious restrictions. The Deputy is also right that we are now seeing several counties that have not had a case in several days. I think County...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Burke for his compliments to the officials in my Department, the HSE and our incredible front-line staff. It is very kind of him. People have been working extraordinarily hard. He raised the important issue of the testing strategy for hospitals, that is, who is to be tested, the criteria for being tested and what we do about the testing of staff and patients. Those are key...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy that I will appreciate my barber all the more after this. The Ceann Comhairle was possibly too generous to Members of this House when he described everyone as very well kept. I was certainly not in the Chamber at the time. I know this is a serious issue, especially for the people for whom this sector provides a livelihood. This industry employs many people in towns,...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will start with Deputy Tully's questions. I thank Naomi. In the interests of time, I think the Deputy will have heard my comments in the House earlier but I will revert to Naomi directly too. The Deputy is dead right that services have to be developed in line with policy. This House and the Government set policy. The policy is that there should be more MLUs in Ireland, not fewer. The...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I join the Deputy in expressing my appreciation to all family carers. Family carers have had to do even more caring during the pandemic. Services were closed for public health reasons and to keep their loved ones safe, but a huge burden comes with that. I share the Deputy's view that we must do more for family carers. If this Dáil lasts four or five more years, God willing, one of...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: First, I cannot be so arrogant as to presume that I will be a part of the next Government, but I accept the broader point the Deputy makes on the need to do healthcare differently. The advice I would give to the Oireachtas, whoever is Minister for Health and whoever is in Government is that we must do two things. We will have to put the capacity in place, and that means beds and staff. The...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will be brief on this issue, although it is really important. I agree with the Deputy. I want this unit to remain open. I am meeting tomorrow with midwives from Cavan General Hospital and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO. As the Deputy rightly said, the national maternity strategy is very clear in this regard. Women need more choice with regard to birth and pregnancy....

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I fully agree with the Deputy. We need such a public awareness campaign. I take the implicit and fair criticism that the messaging in this regard has been confused. This is possibly because so many different people and experts have an opinion on the matter. It is the clear view of our public health experts, of NPHET and of Government that one should wear non-medical face coverings when...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (11 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. In the interests of time I will revert to him on the issue of respite in writing but I take the point that carers are exhausted. My colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, is working with the HSE specifically in respect of a summer programme that I hope will see some day respite, in the first instance, for children. I will come back to the...