Results 141-160 of 2,211 for speaker:Mary Butler in 'Dáil debates'

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (24 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: It is currently under way. I hope to have it at the end of the first quarter of this year.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (24 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The independent report of the lookback review into child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in south Kerry was published on 26 January 2022. This examined the files of everyone who received care from south Kerry CAMHS between 1 July 2016 and 19 April 2021, which is a five-year span. Almost 1,500 children and young people...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The HSE and I met separately with Families for Reform of CAMHS in September and October last year to discuss HSE youth mental healthcare and specialist CAMHS services, including linkages with autism and intellectual disability services. Along with the Department of Health and the HSE, I will continue to liaise with that organisation as appropriate. As the Deputy knows, access to CAMHS...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am not over the details of it. If he sends them on, I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, about it. As the Deputy is aware, the Government is committed to enhancing services for people with disabilities. The Deputy referred to the fact that the Irish Wheelchair Association stated there were difficulties with...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As I stated, the Government is committed to enhancing services for children with disabilities. In budget 2024, €8.5 million additional investment was allocated to improve children's services, including the recruitment of additional therapy positions, the procurement of assessments from the private sector and increasing third level places. As regards the Deputy's specific question,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. I do understand how important this service is. I have spoken to those using the service and those involved in setting it up. Colleagues of the Deputy had a meeting with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, yesterday as well. I was also in contact with Dermot Monaghan, who is the chief officer in the area. When I spoke yesterday...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for raising this extremely serious issue. The review of the neonatal subgaleal haemorrhages in 2022 was undertaken because the management team in University Hospital Galway maternity services observed through the clinical governance processes that there had been an increase in the incidence of this type of haemorrhage in newborn babies from previous years. While this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Bodies (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As the Deputy will be aware, in furtherance of the commitment in the programme for Government, in October this year the Minister for Health and I sought the establishment of a commission on care and we got approval from the Cabinet. Subsequently, a budget of €1.24 million was allocated to support this important initiative. The commission will examine the provision of health and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Bodies (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The membership of the commission has yet to be determined. We are working on it now and had a meeting on it yesterday. It is envisaged that in line with the commission's approved remit, its members will collectively provide expertise across the areas of geriatrics, gerontology, health economics, health policy and management, health ethics, health technologies and ageing and disability....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Bodies (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The Deputy is quite right. The first two modules of this work will focus on the provision of health and social care services and supports for older people. We know, for example, that we have 323 day centres operational. We also have an additional 52 dementia-specific day centres, which are really important for people who have a dementia diagnosis but still want to be able to live in their...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Nursing Homes (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for her question. This is a conversation we have had across this floor several times in recent years. I welcomed the recent ESRI report on long-term residential care in Ireland and developments since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report articulated an awful lot of what we already knew about the challenges facing the long-term residential care sector. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Nursing Homes (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The majority of people want to age in place. They want to age in their own homes. Working with my colleagues in Government, I have put in place a triangle of supports consisting of home care, day care and meals on wheels. Today, 56,000 people will receive care in the home to support them to age in place. We have 323 day centres open across the length and breadth of the country, plus an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Nursing Homes (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I continue to support the 22,700 people who are in nursing homes under the fair deal scheme. The whole purpose of that scheme is to support older people, regardless of their means, to have access to nursing home care. It is important to also point out that the commission on care has commenced. It is led by Mr. Alan Barrett, the chairman of the ESRI. The commission will look very closely...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Nursing Homes (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: We have short memories here. When I came into post in July 2020 the nursing home sector was under immense pressure due to Covid. We all know that Covid bore down very hard on older people. For almost two years, the emphasis and focus were on supporting older people in nursing homes.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank Deputy Crowe for his question. We have explored that issue previously. It was in the programme for Government to explore the NTPF being used for such therapies. The NPTF works really well for stand-alone operations such as cataract removals or hip replacements. Children have to go for appointments and do not know whether it will be four, six or eight appointments. We did look at...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for the question. I became aware of the impending challenges in Donegal through the Raphoe diocesan pastoral services and of the impact its closure could have. I understand it is an excellent service. It crosses through mental health, primary care, social inclusion and Tusla. I spoke with the assistant national director for services in regard to this issue this morning....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: Hear, hear.

Delivery of a Rights-Based Care Economy in Ireland: Motion (7 Dec 2023)

Mary Butler: I welcome the opportunity to address the Chamber on the important issues raised by the Irish Women’s Parliamentary Caucus in their motion on delivery of a rights-based care economy. I acknowledge the work of the chair, Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, and deputy chair, Deputy Bacik, who put many hours of their time into driving on the caucus, and have done so for many years. I thank them...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (7 Dec 2023)

Mary Butler: Very important issues were raised by Family Carers Ireland. I will answer both the Deputy's questions. In budget 2024, €1.4 million was secured for the commission on care. We are just working through the final details now, but it will be set up in January next year. There will be three different modules. The first module will be six months, there will be a second module of six...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (7 Dec 2023)

Mary Butler: I thank the Deputy for the question. I have engaged with her on this issue. The most recent update I have, and my office may have got back to her, is that she will have to request the information from the HSE in person.