Results 1,781-1,800 of 3,871 for speaker:Catherine Byrne

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes (21 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 666 together. As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Addiction Treatment Services (21 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The HSE has appointed a National Addiction Clinical Lead to strengthen the development and implementation of clinical governance structures in the HSE addiction services and in respect of services that receive funding from the HSE. The Clinical Lead also supports and advises on the delivery of national policy objectives and the actions of the HSE National Service Plan, which include...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Traveller Community (21 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 669 together. As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes (19 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Traveller Community (19 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: My Department does not currently have plans to update the All Ireland Traveller Health Study. The Department of Justice and Equality is leading on the development of a new National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy aims to provide a set of specific actions that need to be taken to bring about a real improvement in quality of life for Travellers and Roma. It is intended...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy Implementation (19 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: The Government is committed to supporting a health-led rather than criminal justice approach to drugs use including legislating for supervised injecting facilities. Drafting of a Bill to provide enabling measures for the licensing of such facilities is at an advanced stage. The Bill and the subsequent Ministerial regulations made thereunder, will allow for the licensing, provision and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (19 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Select Committee on Health: Business of Committee (14 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the members of the select committee for allowing me to be here to proceed with Committee Stage of the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill, which has gone through the Seanad and the Dáil. For those who have not followed the proceedings in both Houses, the purpose of the Bill is to control certain substances that are legal but which will be put on the controlled substance list in the...

Select Committee on Health: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I thank the committee for its support for the Bill. I hope that once the Bill is passed it will be enacted in the autumn.

Select Committee on Health: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Deputy Chambers referred to the pilot scheme that is in place. A total of 80 people are on suboxone. It is intended to examine all avenues under the national drugs strategy in terms of education, recovery and the various issues involved. In the course of that process many of the issues raised in the committee, and in the Dáil and Seanad, will be examined. I intend to do that as part...

Select Committee on Health: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I have had conversations about it with officials of the various Departments involved. Although the drug is available on a pilot basis, it is not one that can be freely administered because there are some people for whom it may not be suitable. I have been advised that it is a substance that may not suit everybody on methadone. That issue has to be developed further before any decision can...

Select Committee on Health: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I agree with Deputy Louise O'Reilly that more needs to be done. We all live in communities, whether urban or rural, where drug addiction is a problem. The Deputy is correct that more needs to be done about the scourge of drugs and the unfortunate people who use them, as well as the drug trade and gangland criminals. I intend to do more as part of the ongoing process and, as I stated in both...

Select Committee on Health: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I will respond to Deputy Murphy O'Mahony first. She is right and so is Deputy Chambers. I have my own views on SPHE and how it is taught in schools. I totally agree with the Deputy and I have spoken to this committee before, when I was on the opposite side of the room, about how teachers who are teaching mathematics and English one minute are in another room teaching SPHE the next minute....

Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Referral to Select Committee (12 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Health pursuant to Standing Order 149.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Health Services (12 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: As stated, this is being examined by the HSE. I understand the Deputy's frustration because I read some of the other notes on the case. Deputy O'Sullivan is right in that the person in question was receiving services in different centres throughout the city. Unfortunately, my reading of it is that she fell off the radar. There are certain circumstances surrounding this case that need to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Health Services (12 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: While it is the policy of the Health Service Executive not to comment on individual cases, I can confirm that the circumstances surrounding the case referred to by the Deputy are being examined by the HSE. On the specific issues raised by the Deputy, I am advised by the HSE that quality and patient safety are the responsibility of all staff and core to service provision across primary care...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Misuse of Drugs (12 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Benzodiazepines, as a group of medicines, are commonly used to treat anxiety, sleep disturbance and insomnia. Benzodiazepines are known to be associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms and consequently are primarily recommended for short-term treatment only. The 'Z drugs' are a group of medicines (zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon) which are used to treat insomnia. They have a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes (12 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Suboxone is authorised as a substitution treatment for opioid drug dependence, within a framework of medical, social and psychological treatment. It is currently being provided to a cohort of patients involved in the pilot and feasibility study for Suboxone. If the provision of Suboxone is to be given the same statutory basis as methadone, in order to ensure its safe, appropriate and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Funding (12 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2016)

Catherine Byrne: Many people have spoken about the drugs task forces and I am very familiar with the drugs task forces in my area and the work they do and do not do. I have concerns, like everyone else who has spoken, about the loss of funding to drugs task forces down through the years. I am not going to stand here and repeat what I have said before, that is, that money was not there. When there is no...