Results 13,161-13,180 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for those questions. I will try to deal with them sequentially. Regarding the mortality rate, the first point I would make is that, in a pandemic, one can often see its flattening lagging behind some of the other indicators. We are now beginning to see our ICU and hospital admissions and our growth rate beginning to go in the right way, but our mortality rate is not....

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is kind of cutting across me.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I am not sure I am happy to have important issues raised that I do not respond to on the record of the House. I will be brief, but we cannot raise important questions and then not seek the answers for the public watching.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: That is the purpose of this session. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked an important question about the current R number. I do not want to take Deputy Butler's time. Professor Philip Nolan will provide an update this evening, but I would like to share with the House that we now have four different methods for estimating R. The epidemiological modelling group is suggesting that the R number...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McNamara for bringing this issue to my attention and that of the House. I will raise it with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and his Department and ask that they link back in with the Deputy directly.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Pringle. I note the Deputy has some other questions to ask me later as well, which I will endeavour to answer. On the community health organisations, I do not have details in relation to specific risk assessments that were carried out but I will certainly check, get that detail and revert to Deputy Pringle today in respect of it. What I can tell the Deputy is that HIQA is...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McNamara for the question. First, I take the point the Deputy makes in relation to young people but it is my duty to put on the record of this House that this is a virus which can be particularly severe for older people but to which young people are not immune. Indeed, yesterday in our country we had a 23 year old pass away from this condition. I know we all extend our...

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: The virus will not understand our brevity.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I could try to take those questions.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (16 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: I hope they are health questions.

Health (Covid-19): Statements (2 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: Ordinarily, I welcome any opportunity to update the House but today I cannot do so. We are living in extraordinary times and what we ordinarily do is no longer a choice we can freely make. On this day, World Autism Day, I think in particular of those who most depend on routine in their lives now finding a way to cope with their families in what are very strange and difficult days as they...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: First, I acknowledge the huge cross-party and cross-grouping support, interest and work in respect of this issue. I think there are ten groupings in this House between parties and groupings of Independents. The co-operation, collaboration and support from each and every one of those groupings is at the level that I think the Irish people would expect. The Irish people are not expecting us...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Apr 2020)

Simon Harris: Officials who are working extraordinarily hard seven days a week and who have not seen their families in weeks are working and making themselves available, as they want to and should, to brief Deputies and keep them up to date. They are doing a superb job and they deserve our support. In addition to that, myself and the Taoiseach will again brief leaders of all groupings in this House today...

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Mar 2020)

Simon Harris: Deputy O'Reilly is entirely correct. As part of this amending legislation, we will be producing information booklets and the like for patients, particularly those in mental health services. It is important we protect their rights in this regard. I am happy to provide further briefings and meetings with the commission on this matter. It is now preparing protocols and guidance on the issue...

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Mar 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Bríd Smith, O’Reilly and Shortall for raising this issue. I agree with them and, more importantly, so do many practitioners providing services to women in crisis. We have come a long way in this House working together on these issues. We should be ensuring that we continue to protect the rights of women during this time of a global pandemic. I note that...

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Mar 2020)

Simon Harris: There are a number of issues. I thank Deputies Naughten and Berry for their amendment. I would make the point in response that there is already a sunset clause in this legislation and we have aligned it with the emergency legislation we passed last week in terms of it being 9 November 2020, but of course a resolution of this House can at any time shorten that. That is a safeguard which I...

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Mar 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Stephen Donnelly for raising this with me and indeed for meeting me on it today in terms of trying to achieve what we are all trying to achieve, namely, the maximum number of nurses who want to work in our country being able to work in our country with as little bureaucracy as possible. After talking to Deputy Stephen Donnelly earlier, I made some more inquiries,...

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Mar 2020)

Simon Harris: I will liaise with Deputy Stephen Donnelly and other Opposition spokespersons in this House to arrange for a further discussion on this at our now frequent meetings on Covid-19. I am told by the NMBI that it has registered 500 nurses in recent weeks so it is genuinely doing everything it possibly can to speed up its own processes. They have told me that they are very much adequately staffed...

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Mar 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies for putting down these amendments. I see what they are trying to achieve and I want to try to give Deputies some reassurances and information in that regard. The first point is to remind ourselves what we are trying to do in this emergency legislation. What we are trying to do is remove any barriers to the rapid restoration to the register of qualified and experienced...

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Mar 2020)

Simon Harris: There are regular routes through which people can apply.