Results 13,101-13,120 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I will leave the financial element to my colleague, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Humphreys, but I know she already has plans in that regard and will continue to work with the business community. From a public health point of view, Deputy Fitzpatrick is entirely correct. We need to provide as much support and advice to businesses, sports clubs, schools, etc....

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: Very clear protocols are in place before a patient will be transferred from an acute hospital back to a nursing home. That is for two reasons. One is the well-being of the patient and to ensure he or she is clinically fit to be discharged from the hospital, while the other is the well-being of other patients and to ensure that the coronavirus has definitely left the patient and does not...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: In the 27 seconds available to me, and I will write to the Deputy regarding this matter, I can say that we have now brought in a new passenger form. Anybody, regardless of whether they are a seasonal worker or an Irish person returning to the country, must fill in that form to state where he or she is going to be self-isolating for the 14 days. That form can be checked and followed up, and...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I have about five seconds left.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. I will have to look into this matter some more and respond to him and Deputy Michael Healy-Rae in writing on this matter. I have been informed that all residents who have tested positive have been notified and have been moved to self-isolation facilities. If any further test results are notified by HSE public health as positive, immediate measures to self...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: To be helpful, I will keep my answers snappy in order to try to make up time. I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick for raising this important matter. I agree that there needs to be good co-operation between the North and the South, between the Republic and Northern Ireland. The Tánaiste and I had a regular meeting today with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Deputy First Minister...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government has not yet agreed a plan but I expect that it will do so at its meeting tomorrow. I expect that the Taoiseach will be in a position to share that plan with this House and the country, possibly as soon as tomorrow. The plan will be guided by the recommendations of the National Public Health Emergency Team. We will follow public health advice first, second and third. The...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: The percentage of our population that has been tested is currently the sixth highest in the European Union. I have lost my document about that but we are currently very high up in the context of number of people here who have been tested. We are ramping up and significantly expanding our testing this week, next week and the week after, which I think will see many more people tested. We...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I will ask for the HSE or the Department to respond to the Deputy in writing on this matter in the coming days. I want to be clear that nobody is meant to be profiteering as a result of this. The whole purpose here is to ensure that nobody can make a profit and we pay solely according to the cost-only open-book model. We were in a very lucky position to be able to acquire the use of these...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Paul Murphy. I have done everything I can to be transparent in relation to this. First, payment will be on a cost only open-book model whereby the hospitals will be reimbursed only for the operating costs properly incurred during the period. The costs that will be covered will be limited to normal costs of operating the hospital. Since the rationale for the arrangement...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I must check where the review is because I know it was ready to go to Cabinet.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: It is completed and it was due to go before the Cabinet. The question is whether it is appropriate to bring it now or if it should wait for a new Government. I think it would be appropriate to bring it now. I will check that and come back to Deputy Shortall. I will meet with Mental Health Reform before we next meet. I am scheduled to meet Jigsaw as well. I think it is on next Thursday....

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy knows, HIQA has started its visits to nursing homes, both private and public. It published a new assessment framework, I think last Tuesday, and it has started those visits. HIQA is the regulator. It has a direct line to me and I meet it at least once or twice a week. It is in a position to highlight any issues of concern it may have. I repeat and stand by the comments I...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: The public have put in an extraordinary effort, but those in the HSE have done so as well. I have watched them move mountains to try to robustly put in place a testing process from something that did not exist previously, and they have done a very good job. We all share the frustration and we want to be further on than we are - I agree absolutely. Yet, when we look at the international...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Duncan Smith. I agree with his views about transparency and the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET. Minutes of meetings are kept and published. NPHET makes recommendations, but I remain the decision maker on Government policy and am accountable to this House, to be clear. I have not gone against any of the recommendations from NPHET, nor do I intend to, because I...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I would like to follow up the issue of any questions not being answered with the Deputy directly. I assure him that this is not the case. The Taoiseach and I met his party leader yesterday for two hours, as we generally do once a week. We also have the HSE briefing, two hours of questions and statements in this House, and a daily press conference with the Chief Medical Officer to update...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I am pleased we are in a position in the Dáil where Deputies can ask when we can recommence elective work because if one looks at the modelling, as of today, had we not lowered the reproductive rate for this virus from just over 2.0 to where it is now, we would have seen 2,200 people in our ICUs today and would be in a very dire situation. That is not to take away from the very...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: Staffing is a major issue. I know Deputy Heydon has raised this with me. There are four ways we are trying to assist nursing homes: through the direct redeployment of HSE staff; an agreement reached in recent days with home care providers to allow home care staff to be redeployed; to ensure a faster turnaround time for testing for staff and a priority for that so that the many staff who do...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I am conscious that people at home watch these proceedings and hear the questions that are put but do not have access to written replies I send to Deputies. We must divide the allocated time better. I came here to answer questions. If I do not know the answer to a question, I will revert to the Deputy in writing, but I need some time to answer the questions orally.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I ask that the allocated time be divided properly. Deputy Ward raised the issue of Jigsaw. I am due to meet its representatives on Thursday and I will revert to the Deputy thereafter. Mental health, particularly youth mental health, is a key priority. We wish to support Jigsaw in what it is doing. Deputy Paul Donnelly is correct in the context of ASD. The reality is that many children...