Results 1,541-1,560 of 6,055 for speaker:Frank Feighan

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (16 Jun 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and welcome the opportunity to address the Dáil on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, on this important topic. I assure the House that Children's Health Ireland, CHI, is very aware that issues with the complex pain management service have been the cause of anxiety and upset for parents and children. Funding has been...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (16 Jun 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue, for her awareness of it and her understanding that it is a particularly challenging time for the health system, which has experienced severe pressure from the impact of Covid, exacerbated by the ransomware attack. It is important to put on the record the enormous efforts of all staff at this time. The Department of Health does not have...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vaccination Programme (11 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Deputy for providing me with the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, to update the House on the roll-out of the Covid-19 immunisation programme and vaccination centres. The vaccine programme is a key enabler of the reopening of society and the economy. It continues to progress, with more than 1.8 million doses administered overall. The programme...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Vaccination Programme (11 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I understand the HSE has decided that it does not make sense from a logistical perspective to operate a Covid-19 vaccination centre at the Arklow facility for the short period involved. The vaccination roll-out programme continues to demonstrate agility and responsiveness to revisions in the advice on the use of vaccines and changes to vaccine delivery schedules. The public online...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff (11 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Senator for the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, to address the issue of appointing eye care liaison officers, ECLOs. The ECLO service provides practical and emotional support to patients and their families to meet their needs when a diagnosis of sight loss is made. The officer works closely with clinical teams and provides a link between acute...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff (11 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank Senator Conway for his interest in the situation. I will talk to the Minister to organise a meeting between Liam Woods and his team and the NCBI as quickly as possible. I know that the eye care liaison officer provides an important and worthwhile service by providing non-clinical support for patients and their families and allowing clinicians to focus on diagnosis, treatment and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (11 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 762 and 763 together. Improving outcomes for people with co-morbid severe mental illness and substance misuse problems is an action in the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery. Sharing the Vision, the Government’s mental health strategy, recognises that an individual with an addiction has a right to access relevant mental health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Youth Services (11 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: From the information provided, this project would appear to fall under the ambit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Innovation and Youth and in particular the targeted youth scheme 'Your Place Your Space' (UBU). I understand that 'Your Place Your Space' provides out of school supports to young people. These supports offer a wide range of quality activities, which are...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Emergency Departments (10 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I welcome this opportunity to address the House on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, on the issues raised by the Senator. I acknowledge the distress overcrowded emergency departments cause patients, their families and front-line staff working in challenging conditions in hospitals throughout the country. According to HSE TrolleyGAR data, there was a 79.9% reduction...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Emergency Departments (10 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: The Minister acknowledges the distress that overcrowded emergency departments cause patients, their families and front-line staff. He and I commend all the staff in our emergency departments on the tremendous work they have done to ensure emergency departments have remained open and available to provide a service throughout the pandemic. The number of patients receiving care on trolleys...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank Senator Sherlock for the opportunity to discuss this matter. The framework for restrictive measures contained in the Covid-19 plan, Resilience and Recovery: The Path Ahead, sets out information on the staggered start of easing of other areas of restriction, with a focus on outdoor activities, including sport. For guidance purposes, dance has been included under sports under the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: The Senator articulated her views very clearly. She is right. Children face significant challenges but concerns around well-being arising from the pandemic apply to all of society. We face into the summer when there will be many festivals, including arts festivals. Some of that work will be carried on indoors. We have developed this guidance, which recognises the important work of the...

Seanad: Carer's Allowance: Motion (10 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the issues that concern family carers. I thank Senators Mary Seery Kearney and Martin Conway for laying this timely and welcome motion before the House. Family carers are the backbone of care provision in our country. Whether caring for a child, a parent with a disability or illness, or an elderly family member, carers through their...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Culture Policy (7 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Senator for the opportunity to discuss this matter. I share his optimism and hope that, eventually, the country will open up and we will go back to enjoying all these festivals and theatres over the summer. He is absolutely right that the pandemic has taught us a few lessons, one of which is that the simple things in life are free. We are looking forward to opening up. The...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Culture Policy (7 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: As the Senator is aware, the Government announced last week that the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media will work with the Departments of Health and the Taoiseach to progress arrangements to hold a further limited number of pilot live events for sport and live entertainment, both indoor and outdoor. In the meantime, the Department will work with sporting and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff (7 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank Senator Currie for giving me the opportunity to update the House on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on this important matter and to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by psychologists in Irish hospitals, especially in these challenging times in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department engages on an ongoing basis with the HSE with regard to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services Staff (7 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Senator for the information, especially relating to the North. It is an interesting recommendation. Significant health workforce recruitment is under way in the HSE and more is planned. This is a challenging time for the health sector but there are opportunities for reform and new ways of working. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is looking forward to receiving the report...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Abortion Services (7 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: I assure the Senator that ensuring access to termination of pregnancy services remains an ongoing priority for the Minister and the Department of Health. The Senator outlined the proposal to draft the legislation to provide for safe access to termination of pregnancy services. It arose from concerns about demonstrations against abortion that took place during and after the campaign for the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Abortion Services (7 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: Implementing the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 and ensuring safe access to services under the Act remains a priority for the Department of Health. It is important that we remain aware that the majority of people in this country voted in 2018 to change our laws to allow greater access to termination of pregnancy services for those who need them. I take on board...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Anti-Social Behaviour (6 May 2021)

Frank Feighan: The Deputy is justifiably concerned about antisocial behaviour in Dublin and its effects on local communities. Antisocial behaviour can radically change the complexion of where each of us calls home and can make us feel distressed and unhappy. It can pose a serious threat to community safety and weaken collective resilience. Strong community engagement and services are critical in reducing...