Results 421-440 of 10,103 for speaker:Mary Butler

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.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care Services (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As Minister for Mental Health and Older People, I welcome the recent ESRI report: Long-term Residential Care in Ireland: Developments since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report brings into focus some the challenges facing the long-term residential care sector in Ireland which the Government continues to address to provide short-term stability and long-term growth to this sector. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: Fair Deal was designed to protect and support vulnerable older people, to ensure equal access to nursing home care based on what they could afford. This gives certainty to people and families. Government funding for Fair Deal is to support vulnerable older people at a time in their lives where full-time care is essential. Funding to support people to access services in the sector...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Eating Disorders (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: West Kerry Community Hospital provides important and valued services for people in the West Kerry area. The hospital has 46 beds registered, of which 35 are long-stay beds and 11 are short-stay beds, including 2 respite and 1 palliative care bed. The maximum number of people that can be safely accommodated in the hospital are currently being accommodated. The intention of the HSE is to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Self-Harm Prevention (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care Services (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As Minister for Mental Health and Older People, I welcome the recent ESRI report: Long-term Residential Care in Ireland: Developments since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report brings into focus some the challenges facing the long-term residential care sector in Ireland which the Government continues to address to provide short-term stability and long-term growth to this sector. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Legislative Programme (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The Programme for Government commits to "Introduce a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, which will provide equitable access to high quality, regulated home care". In 2024, the Department of Health is focused on developing the regulatory framework for providers of home support services. It aims to ensure that all service users are provided with high quality,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The NHSS covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care which are:Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the personBed and boardBasic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily livingLaundry serviceIt excludes other costs such as therapies, more specialised aids and appliances, social activities,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The Government is conscious of the financial challenges faced by the nursing home sector, especially smaller and voluntary nursing homes that may not have access to the same economies of scale as larger homes or groups. To that end the Government has provided substantial support to the private and voluntary nursing home sector over the pandemic. Over €151m of financial support has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Policies (18 Jan 2024)

Mary Butler: The Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) regularly publish public health advice for older people and other service users on how to stay well and be protected, including publications on keeping well in winter and on vaccination, which are available online on HSE’s and HPSC's websites at the following web...

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...