Results 1-20 of 52 for drugs speaker:Martin Conway

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Funding and Implementation of the National Cancer Strategy: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Martin Conway: .... As regards access to data, for example, people who turn up at an emergency department in an area they are not familiar with would present a card to be scanned by the hospital to show which drugs they should or should not take. What is the situation in terms of the availability of updated data for cancer? How does it affect outcomes if data may not be as readily available as it should...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Conway: ..., yet when it comes to rare diseases, orphan medicines and new medicines, we are slower than any other country to introduce them. There was a provision of €20 million in the 2023 budget for orphan drugs but no provision was made in this year's budget.As the lead exporter among all European countries of pharmaceutical products, we should be leading the way in supporting and making...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health Needs of Persons with Dementia and the Services Available: Discussion (7 Feb 2024)

Martin Conway: ...that existed in the past that do not exist any more because of the advancement of medicines. Certainly medicines are important. What kind of a timeline are we looking at? These two key drugs have not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency. Obviously there is a delay on our side for looking at orphan drugs. There is also a question on research. Is there any research...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (5 Dec 2023)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. While the Bill is short, it is extremely important. Vaping is a new scourge among young people. We often say that drugs are the new drink. To a large extent, our society suffered for many decades from people abusing alcohol and now the problem seems to be with drugs. Vapes are the new cigarettes for young people. It is shocking that more...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products (9 Nov 2023)

Martin Conway: ...that is accessible to everybody. I will outline a problem. On one hand, we are making it more affordable and easier to access medicines by providing medical cards to more people and reducing the drugs payment scheme. On the other, because of the shortage of medicines - and internationally at this stage - people cannot get the medicines they require either through the drugs payment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Consideration and Implications of 2024 Health Services Funding: Discussion (24 Oct 2023)

Martin Conway: In his opening statement, Mr. Watt also spoke about the whole issue of orphan drugs, new drugs, and the spiralling cost of drugs. There is a concern, which this committee has articulated before, that we are slow to introduce new drugs in this country compared to other European countries. Could Mr. Watt quickly elaborate on what was contained in his statement in that regard?

Seanad: Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (27 Apr 2023)

Martin Conway: .... They never had an opportunity in life. Society was against them in every scenario from A to Z and they never had an opportunity to contribute meaningfully. Most likely, many of them became drug addicts at a young age. The State has a chance to help these people to rehabilitate while they are in prison and to consider alternative pathways in life. Unfortunately, the State is letting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: The Role of Pharmacy Care in the Healthcare System: Irish Pharmacy Union (8 Mar 2023)

Martin Conway: ...makes complete common sense. Regarding medications, some branded medications are quite expensive but there are alternatives that are far cheaper. If a prescription is written for a specific drug, and if there is a cheaper alternative available, is there any scope for pharmacists to be able to facilitate people getting the cheaper medication?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Martin Conway: ...who have rare diseases. Unfortunately, we are behind the curve yet again this year when it comes to rare diseases. It takes a third longer for people in Ireland with rare diseases to access drugs that have already been sanctioned and approved by the European Medicines Agency. It takes a third longer for people who have unique, different diseases to access orphan and new medicines that...

Seanad: Citizens Assembly on Drugs Use: Motion (23 Feb 2023)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate her on her appointment to what I consider a very important role. We all know that drugs have caused huge problems in every town, village and street in this country. When I was in college it used to be, to a large extent, a problem in urban areas but sadly now it is a problem throughout the entire country. In the last Oireachtas and the one...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2023)

Martin Conway: I think today's announcement of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use to look at the issue of drugs and what our approach should be from the perspectives of legislation, education, health and public policy in general, is very welcome. To me, drug abuse and the hardship and turmoil caused by it to thousands of families the length and breadth of this country is one of our biggest challenges in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (29 Nov 2022)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, to the House on this important issue. We all know that families the length and breadth of the country have been impacted by the drugs crisis. This crisis is impacting on counties, cities, towns, parishes, villages, streets and street corners and young, middle-aged and even older people. It is an epidemic, which Governments throughout the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (29 Nov 2022)

Martin Conway: I thank the Minister of State for giving a specific timeline. I take it the citizens' assembly on drugs will be up and running by the end of quarter 1 2023, which is welcome.I also welcome the suggested potential discussion points that will be in the terms of reference regarding the health implications of drugs on our citizens, and indeed, the implications of drugs on young people and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Thalidomide Victims Compensation (18 Oct 2022)

Martin Conway: ...Lower House, the Taoiseach responded to a question from Deputy Bacik based on the "Scannal" documentary which had been broadcast the night before. It laid bare the facts of the effect that the thalidomide drug has had on people in this country. There are four women who are in their 90s and who have survived. They took the drug through no fault of their own. The drug was removed from...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Thalidomide Victims Compensation (18 Oct 2022)

Martin Conway: ...to meet Ms Finola Cassidy after this Commencement matter. I appreciate that and thank him for doing so. I also thank him for his reply. There is no time here. Six of the women who took this drug are in their 90s. These people, sadly, do not have an enormous amount of time left. I know what is involved in organising a State apology. It needs to happen soon. There needs to be an...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2022)

Martin Conway: ...will eventually be dealt with, but the sad reality is that the community which has been affected is getting smaller and smaller all the time. These are people who were born to women who took the drug during pregnancy. There are two tragedies. The first is the women who took the drug and the guilt they felt and still feel as a result of what happened to their children. The second...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Conway: ...others have said, but I believe the campaign for a zero VAT rate is worthy of our support. I support Senator Seery Kearney's call for a debate on the bureaucracy leading to delays in getting vital drugs recognised and into the system in the country. Before the recess, I raised the issue of Shannon Heritage, which is currently part of the Shannon Group. It has been agreed that Clare...

Joint Committee On Health: Addiction Services: Discussion (14 Jun 2022)

Martin Conway: Does the Tabor Group deal with dual addictions, for example, alcohol and drugs?

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (22 Feb 2022)

Martin Conway: ...being trialled but, unfortunately, they are not being trialled on adults because the resources are not there and the expertise is not in place at the Mater to do so. I am thinking, particularly, of a drug called Kuvan. Perhaps the Minister of State is aware of this drug. It is a new drug and it is believed it can revolutionise the lives of people who have PKU. However, it is no good to...