Results 1,121-1,140 of 3,871 for speaker:Catherine Byrne

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Management (31 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Harris, I thank Senator Conway for raising this important matter today. It is unacceptable that patients, especially the elderly and the vulnerable, have to wait on trolleys for long periods of time. The accident and emergency department at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, is one of the busiest in the country with approximately 67,000 attendances...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Management (31 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I cannot answer the personal and direct question about the management. I assure the Senator that the Minister is fully aware of the situation at UHL and is monitoring it closely. In light of the concerns raised by the Senator, I will certainly speak to the Minister again about this issue. Perhaps he will be able to reply directly to the Senator on the specific concerns about hospital...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Promotion (30 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: From 2013-2017 the Department of Health incurred no expenditure in relation to advertising costs for Healthy Ireland. However, during that time interval, both the HSE and Safefood have held a number of public information, awareness, and behaviour change campaigns under the Healthy Ireland banner, for which advertising is a key element. I have therefore referred the Deputy's question to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Addiction Treatment Services (30 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Promotion (30 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: The Healthy Food for Life campaign launched by my Department in 2016 includes a range of resources outlining the revised Healthy Eating Guidelines and the Food Pyramid. The Food Pyramid offers a wide range of food choices from each shelf to allow individuals to plan a healthy, balanced diet according to their own personal food preferences. The variety of foods on each shelf provides the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Obesity Strategy (30 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: Last November, Minister Harris and I launched a new child obesity campaign, called START, which my Department has developed with safefood and the HSE. Reflecting the partners involved in the campaign, the broader ‘START’ campaign is underpinned by ‘A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016 – 2025’ and is designed around four key...

Seanad: British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (Committee D) Report on Childhood Obesity: Statements (25 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I am grateful for the opportunity to talk to the Members of the House on the question of obesity, specifically child obesity. I understand that the interest in us discussing this important issue today was in part prompted by the publication last summer of the report on childhood obesity from the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, BIPA. This report, which my Department had input into,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Funding (24 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 118 together. As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputies.

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Funding (23 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: The Mid Term review of the Capital Plan was published by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 13 September 2017. The Government is preparing a new National Development Plan for the period 2018-2027, which is expected to be published alongside and in support of the forthcoming new National Planning Framework, to sustain national economic and social progress over the long term. ...

Topical Issue Debate: Organ Donation (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I will read my reply and then speak again on the issues raised by the Deputy. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Harris, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, as it gives me the opportunity to update the House. Most of my reply is probably information that the Deputy already has, but I will read it in any event. Organ donation is one of the most selfless acts that one person can...

Topical Issue Debate: Organ Donation (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: The Deputy probably already had most of the information contained in my reply. I have listened to and understood her concerns. All I can do is relay most of them to the Minister. As someone with a person in her family who passed away and donated every organ, I understand the difficulties and stresses people experience during what is a time when no one can really put anything together....

Topical Issue Debate: Organ Donation (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: There were 51 living donors of kidneys last year. I have the statistics with me. Many people are willing to change their lifestyles for two or three months after donating a kidney to a loved one. I will raise the issue with the Minister and ask him to reply directly to the Deputy. I cannot give her a commitment that an alteration will happen, but I understand her concerns.

Topical Issue Debate: Organ Donation (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the Deputy for her thoughtfulness on this issue. Perhaps it has been overlooked and we should re-examine it.

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. I have just been made aware of the letter referred to by Deputy O'Dowd and perhaps I will get a chance to deal with that shortly. I thank Deputy O'Dowd for raising this important issue and for giving me the opportunity to outline the position in regard to the provision of respite services in County Louth....

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: As the House is aware, I came with a prepared speech and I was not aware of the letter to which the Deputy referred. I will certainly raise all of the issues with the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, who apologises for not being here this evening. I fully concur with Deputy O'Dowd.

Topical Issue Debate: Respite Care Services Provision (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: Even in my own constituency, I have had people ring me in regard to respite care, particularly for children, which astonished me. The children are in their teens now and there is a need for the HSE to up its game to make sure respite is available for those families, who are struggling on daily basis in trying to deal in particular with older children and youths. The difficulty is that, at...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Transgender Issues (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: A proposed model of care for transgender children, adolescents and adults was submitted by the HSE Quality Improvement Division to the HSE Divisions of Primary Care, Mental Health and Acute Hospital for consideration in January 2017. The model was developed in consultation with key treating clinicians, planners, policy makers, advocates and service users and outlines key services required to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 to 217, inclusive, together. Since the launch of Healthy Ireland, expenditure on its implementation from within the budget of the Department of Health has been the following: Year Expenditure 2013 €89,315 2014 €586,470 2015 €607,707 2016 €1,156,405 2017 €996,837 In addition to the expenditure noted above, other...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Obesity Strategy (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218, 220 and 221 together. My Department has established an Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group. The national Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group (OPIOG) - under the Chair of my Department - is comprised of representatives from a range of Government Departments and Agencies including the Department of Housing, Planning and Local...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Obesity Strategy (18 Jan 2018)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 222 together. My Department has established an Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group. The national Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group (OPIOG) - under the Chair of my Department - is comprised of representatives from a range of Government Departments and Agencies including the Department of Education & Skills and the...