Results 1,621-1,640 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: I also welcome our guests. I wish Dr. Holohan every success in his future career. His answers to Deputy Lahart suggested there may be some scope for him to continue in the public sector. That would be very welcome. There is an onus on Trinity College to engage directly with Dr. Holohan on this role because it is clearly needed and funding will be provided for it. Perhaps TCD can do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: I want to ask Mr. Watt about the press release that was issued announcing Dr. Holohan's retirement or, rather, the fact that he was leaving the Department of Health. Did he sign off on the press release before it was released?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Would Mr. Watt agree that in light of what has happened, perhaps there should have been more detail in the press release and it should have been held off for a couple of days and done properly? A huge amount of this would have been avoided had the detail, or at least the detail of the secondment, been put into the public domain by the Department of Health as opposed to the manner in which it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: When top-level civil servants are being seconded there will have to be new protocols in place for all of that. It is not just a middle-ranking civil servant. The CMO is a top-level civil servant and out of courtesy, the Government should have been notified. We are not out of the pandemic. Hopefully we are in its twilight but we are certainly not out of it. The letter Mr. Watt sent to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Yes, but essentially Mr. Watt's letter was underwriting the funding for Trinity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Based on the letter of intent, Trinity got the go-ahead to put together this package and position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Did Mr. Watt run the letter past the Department's legal section?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Does Mr. Watt think that was a mistake?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: In hindsight, was it a mistake to issue such a strong letter of intent and to make such a commitment so early in the process without including a caveat that it was subject to Government approval or to passing the standard Estimates process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: It was not explicit, however.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Should it have been?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: The small print in these issues is important, as is the language. We are talking about €20 million-plus over ten years, clearly expressed in a letter of intent in which it was not explicitly stated that Government approval was required. Mr. Watt just assumed Trinity would presume that. Is that not dangerous?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: To give Mr. Watt another opportunity to respond to some of the issues Deputy Cullinane alleged regarding Mr. Watt overstepping his remit in making the commitment, is he fully confident he did not do so? Clearly, there is a belief he did.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: I second that proposal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: That does not happen very often.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Was it a mistake not to inform the Minister earlier that this process was being actively considered?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: I will not get back into the letter but several members of the committee have a view on it. Mr. Watt has a different view. Perhaps we could get the secretariat to request our parliamentary legal adviser to give us a view on it. It is an important point and we need clarity on it. Has Trinity College Dublin been in touch since this matter unfolded? Has damage been done to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: May I ask a question about the maternity hospital at the St. Vincent's site? If that is okay, will Mr. Watt update the committee on what happened at Cabinet yesterday? It was disappointing that the memo that went to Cabinet clearly had several-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: It is in the public interest. A significant number of people are very concerned about what is happening. The Secretary General is before us and I am giving him the opportunity to comment on this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Proposed Appointment of Chief Medical Officer to a Role at a Higher Education Institution: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Martin Conway: Mr. Watt appreciates how important the matter is and how it is exercising the public. It is important for a maternity hospital to be built that is fit for purpose. There is much concern in particular about whether the Vatican gave consent for the transfer of the lands. The Minister was asked that and he did not answer the question this morning. There are issues and I do not apologise for...