Results 261-280 of 309 for speaker:Keith Swanick

Seanad: Amendments to Councillors' Conditions: Statements (8 Feb 2017)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Minister for taking the time to come to the House to address the concerns of local authority members. While not always a common feature in this House, there is unanimous support to have councillors' pay and conditions comprehensively addressed. Last year I compiled a comprehensive research report on mental health among local authority members that I sent to the Minister's...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Feb 2017)

Keith Swanick: I would also like to echo the sentiments around the House regarding the "Prime Time" report last night.It is shocking to think that 81,000 people are on a waiting list and 34,000 people are awaiting endoscopy procedures which are vital in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancers. I call for an urgent debate on a separate issue, namely, to ascertain the plans the Minister has in place to...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Feb 2017)

Keith Swanick: I wish to discuss my amendments. I am disappointed that they were not ruled out of order. They were designed to address the situation of mandatory retirement for critical health professionals in the public health system.These are senior decision makers in our system, who are forced to retire for no reason other than their age. As Professor Crown stated during the 2015 debate, we are not so...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Departmental Agencies (1 Feb 2017)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, for coming to the House to discuss the investment of taxpayers' money in the tobacco industry by two publicly funded organisations under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality, namely the Charities Regulatory Authority and the Courts Service.In response to a parliamentary question submitted by Deputy Jack Chambers, the Minister...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Departmental Agencies (1 Feb 2017)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I believe that the 1.51% allocation for stocks in tobacco companies is too much. I am aware of the NTMA's willingness to divest of its tobacco stocks but my question relates to the CIF. While I appreciate what the Minister of State has said, I will continue to pursue this issue and will work with others to bring a motion of resolution before...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2017)

Keith Swanick: This morning, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy Stanton, was present for a Commencement debate, which I initiated, regarding bodies under the Department's remit and their investments in the tobacco industry. In response to a parliamentary question submitted by Deputy Jack Chambers, the Tánaiste confirmed that the common investment fund holds a small...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016: Second Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Keith Swanick: Fianna Fáil will support this Bill, which makes necessary changes in several areas. I welcome the amendment of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009, which underpins the fair deal scheme, to exclude ex gratiapayments to patients of the Lourdes Hospital redress scheme, the Lourdes Hospital payment scheme, the symphysiotomy payment scheme and schemes for individuals disabled by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Emergency Department Overcrowding: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Keith Swanick: I welcome all the contributions. I will start with Dr. O'Connor's comments, which I agree totally with. I worked in Blanchardstown hospital as a senior registrar under Mr. Derek Barton a few years ago, and I know first hand the pressure that doctors are under. Indeed, in my time, the recess room was located in a prefabricated building to the side of the emergency department. I also note...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Emergency Department Overcrowding: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Keith Swanick: There is a vote in the Seanad. I must excuse myself.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Community Nursing (25 Jan 2017)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Minister for attending the House today to address my concerns regarding the Institute of Community Health Nursing. One thing we can be sure of is that all of us wish to be healthy, live long and have a family with few medical concerns but at one stage or another everyone here will use our health service, in some cases in an emergency and in others for longer term care....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Community Nursing (25 Jan 2017)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Minister for his response and I welcome the fact there may be a review of funding for the organisation which does invaluable work. It receives a very small amount of money for the work it does. I thank the Minister for coming to the House to explain it.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jan 2017)

Keith Swanick: Last week, I formally submitted proposed legislation, namely, a declaration of independence day Bill. It would formally recognise the crucial and historic events that were the meeting of the First Dáil and the declaration of independence, made on 21 January 1919, and ensure the designation of 21 January as our declaration of independence day. Given that its 98th anniversary has just...

Seanad: Health Service: Statements (25 Jan 2017)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Minister for coming to the House today to facilitate this debate. We all know the pressures the health service is under. The Minister is aware of my belief that the problems we see in secondary care will never be rectified until primary care is adequately resourced. To that end, we need to re-invest our efforts in training more young GPs, practice nurses and community health...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2016)

Keith Swanick: I have received correspondence about the Irish Coast Guard and the lack of legislation which covers it. As a medic working on the west coast I regularly liaise closely with our coast guard service and experience first-hand its members' bravery and commitment to serving the public while putting their own lives in danger. They face peril on every call out. Yesterday, family members of...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (8 Dec 2016)

Keith Swanick: I welcome the opportunity to speak to this Bill and welcome the Minister of State to the House. Fianna Fáil will be supporting this Bill, although it is disappointing that risk equalisation levies are set to increase in 2017. The Health Insurance Authority, which regulates health insurance, states the increases are designed to support risk equalisation and sustain community rating in...

Seanad: Cystic Fibrosis Treatment: Statements (8 Dec 2016)

Keith Swanick: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this important issue. On Tuesday, many of us listened in the AV room as Ms Jillian McNulty gave a heart-wrenching account of what her life is like living with cystic fibrosis. In Jillian's words, without Orkambi, she would not be here. Her lung function has improved by almost 10% and she has spent up to a year less in hospital....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Campaign (6 Dec 2016)

Keith Swanick: I thank the Cathaoirleach and welcome the Minister. In this morning's headlines, there is an unfortunate and heart-breaking story of an elderly man in County Armagh who has passed away as a result of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. This devastation has been made all the more tragic by the fact that this was another utterly preventable death. At the end of September, during carbon...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Campaign (6 Dec 2016)

Keith Swanick: I look forward to working with the Minister, initially on the carbon monoxide situation. The State is the largest landlord in the country. There is a lack of consistency across counties so we need some uniformity. With regard to the radon situation, I implore the Minister to take on board some of the recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which advised that a...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2016)

Keith Swanick: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 29, motion 9, be taken without debate before No. 1. This motion pertains to the investment by the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund in equity holdings in three separate tobacco companies. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in this country. As Professor Luke Clancy...

Seanad: National Treasury Management Agency Operations: Motion (6 Dec 2016)

Keith Swanick: I move:That Seanad Éireann calls on the Minister for Finance to bring to an immediate end the investment of taxpayers' money by the National Treasury Management Agency and Ireland Strategic Investment Fund in the three separate tobacco companies in which they have equity holdings.