Results 401-420 of 1,020,771 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú)

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I agree. The reconfiguration was not done right at all and the measures that the Government is putting in place should have been put in place before the reconfiguration happened. That is my view. What I can stand over is what the Government is doing. The Government has added a level of capacity into Limerick that has never been done before and there is no hospital in the country that has...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Catherine Connolly: The Minister will get a chance to come back in.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Sorry, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

David Cullinane: I am all for reform in that hospital and every other hospital, but I was one of those members, including Deputy Crowe, who attended the briefing for the Oireachtas health committee. We met with the head of the HSE and clinicians, hospital management and healthcare trade unions. All of them, to a man and a woman, told us that the big problem in Limerick is capacity. We need reforms but...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Let us bear in mind that when I say we have added more staff, we have increased the staff by more than 40%. This is not a few more staff. An additional 433 nurses, for example, are working in the hospital. It has been a vast increase. In terms of a model 3 hospital, we should never rule anything out. The chief executive and I have asked all six of the regional executive officers, now...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Hospital Services

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

David Cullinane: 4. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to achieve a maximum of four months waiting time for paediatric spinal surgeries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19774/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

David Cullinane: This question relates to spinal surgeries for children with scoliosis and spina bifida. The Minister will be aware that over the past number of months there has been a number of high-profile reports of children and their families having to take the media. Some of those children have been waiting since as far back as 2020 for their spinal surgeries to be done. The families are pleading for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for the question. I acknowledge that the waiting lists for these children are simply too long and that while more capacity is being is being added and more surgeries are being done, there are a number of children for whom the wait is simply unacceptable. In 2022, I asked Children's Health Ireland to come up with a comprehensive plan that would mean that of the children...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

David Cullinane: Despite all of the talk that comes from Government and the Minister regarding record investment, record staff, record capacity and all of that, we have children who are waiting. Last week, I raised with the Taoiseach the case of Liam Dennehy, who has been left waiting more than five months for his surgery. Unfortunately, his spinal curvature is going in the wrong direction. I also raised,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I can. We had a useful session yesterday. I might organise a briefing for members of the health committee who are interested as well. There is a lot of important work under way. As to the treatment abroad scheme or whatever it might be, we have been very clear with CHI in saying if it can find what our surgeons say is clinically appropriate care for the children, be that in Boston's...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Cannabis for Medicinal Use

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Gino Kenny: 2. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of the report conducted by the Health Research Board that informed his Department of the current status of the medical cannabis access programme, MCAP; when his Department will consider the findings and make a clinical decision on whether to expand the criteria of the MCAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19872/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Gino Kenny: Earlier this year the Health Research Board, HRB, published a very extensive report on the efficacy and safety of the medical cannabis access programme. The programme has been in place since 2019. Could the Minister give me his thoughts on the report and what the Department of Health intends to do next?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for his question and acknowledge his ongoing work in this area, both in terms of the MCAP initially and the evolution of the programme. As he will be aware, we launched the medical cannabis access programme in 2021 for three conditions initially: refractory epilepsy, spasticity as a result of MS and nausea from chemotherapy. Since the inception of the programme, 55...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Gino Kenny: The concept of the medical cannabis access programme is a good idea, because the licensed system is very bureaucratic and, in some instances, archaic. Since the inception of MCAP, only 55 people have got access. That is a tiny number of people given that the legislation was introduced in 2019 and the access programme in 2021. The HRB report says there is significant evidence of good...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I accept the Deputy's position. It is a smaller number of people. We know from the clinicians that in many cases they are nervous about prescribing, even though the MCAP is in place for the unlicensed products. As I said, we will do a clinical review of the HRB findings. I am very open to expanding the programme. We will be led by the clinical view on this. What is interesting though...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Gino Kenny: I understand the appeal of licensed products, but the MCAP was set up for those who have tried every known medication for their condition and they want to be in a position where they could try a number of these other medications. It think nine medical cannabis products are listed, which is better than it was perhaps 18 months ago, but there is enormous frustration with the restrictions and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (2 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I take the Deputy's point. I think that is all very fair. We have now a pathway to address exactly those issues. I will ask my officials to bear all of that in mind. The unit dealing with this will take note of our interaction this morning. The first question is whether we expand from the three conditions. I am very open to that. Second, what we need to do is engage with the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Hospital Services