Results 181-200 of 3,998 for speaker:Michael Harty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: That is our schedule of meetings until the end of the year as best we can manage it. If there are no other issues that members wish to raise, we will begin the first session of today's meeting. We will suspend for a few moments to allow our witnesses to take their seats.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: During our first session this morning, the committee will consider the report of the Working Group on Access to Contraception. We are joined by Mr. Andrew Conlon, who is the chair of the working group; Ms Kate O'Flaherty, who is the head of health and well-being in the Department of Health; Ms Maeve O'Brien, who is the acting programme head of the HSE sexual health and crisis pregnancy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: I thank Mr. Conlon. I invite Dr. Henchion and Dr. Short to make their opening statements. I believe they are sharing time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: I thank Dr. Short and Dr. Henchion. I call Deputy Stephen Donnelly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: Let us get some responses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: Be very quick.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: I thank Deputy Donnelly and Mr. Conlon.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: I call Deputy Alan Kelly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: I have some comments and questions. At the start of the meeting, Deputy Donnelly said it makes no sense to provide free abortion if one does not provide free contraception. This time last year we were in the middle of a very emotive and intense debate on the legislation that would underpin the repeal of the eighth amendment. At every opportunity the Minister emphasised the fact that not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: Cost appears to be one of the fundamental barriers to rolling out a scheme. There was no cost barrier to rolling out free access to termination of pregnancy, but there seems to be a cost barrier to rolling out free access to contraception. There is no argument in principle about the availability of free contraception. It seems to be about cost.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: To return to the point, the Minister in his enthusiasm to deliver termination of pregnancy emphasised, on delivering it, that free contraception would be made available to the population. However, the Department is not delivering on that purely because of cost.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: I will turn to more practical matters. Deputy O'Reilly raised the issue of practice nurses being involved in the delivery of contraceptive services. Increasingly, practice nurses are playing an expanded role in general practice. It is often the practice nurse who would have a consultation with women about contraception, perhaps more than the general practitioner. If it is a male general...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: With regard to nurses having a nurse prescriber role, is that through the college or through other agencies?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: In my experience with contraception and prescribing the pill to young women, the reasons they do not take it are fear of putting on weight, mood alteration and not remembering to take it, which is a common issue. How does one address that with regard to education? Obviously, they would be offered alternative methods of contraception and long-acting contraception if they cannot manage to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: Are there barriers to access to tubal ligation now? I understand that some gynaecologists no longer do tubal ligations for fear of the failure rate, that they may be open to litigation. There are other ethical considerations on its availability. What is the situation on this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: On education, and education in schools, are there any barriers to ethical objections to sex education in some schools? Is it difficult to introduce programmes to schools which may have an ethical objection?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: On sex education in schools, is it in-house provided by teachers from within the school or is provided by outside groups who come to the school?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: Does Deputy Kelly have any questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Working Group on Access to Contraception: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: On behalf of the committee I thank Ms. O’Flaherty, Ms O'Brien, Mr. Conlon, Dr. Henchion, and Dr. Mary Short, for coming before the committee and for their evidence.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (27 Nov 2019)

Michael Harty: We will now receive an update on the development of the national paediatric hospital at the St. James's campus. I welcome Mr. Fred Barry, chairman; Mr. David Gunning, chief officer; Mr. Phelim Devine, project director; and Dr. Emma Curtis, medical director, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. I draw the attention of the witnesses to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of...