Results 721-740 of 2,839 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Gardasil Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Discussion (3 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: The company considers it necessary to provide the leaflet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: HIV Incidence in Ireland: Discussion (1 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome our visitors and thank them for their presentations, which were very informative. All three have referred to the worrying increase in numbers in 2015. First, there was an overall increase and, within that, an increase in the number of young people affected. Against that background, perhaps each organisation could let us know what resources and funding they have to deal with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: HIV Incidence in Ireland: Discussion (1 Dec 2015)

Séamus Healy: What is it called?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Independent Advocacy Services for Health Service Users: Discussion (26 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome our visitors and thank them for their presentations. I would like to see a statutorily based national advocacy service which is independent, publicly funded and accountable. That is the big picture but I am not sure where the various organisations see a starting point. Is that what they would see as the overall big picture? My second question arises from that. Mr. Tyndall has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Independent Advocacy Services for Health Service Users: Discussion (26 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: In such circumstances how would the person concerned gain access to an advocate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Independent Advocacy Services for Health Service Users: Discussion (26 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: We all understand that the complaints area for the health service is particularly difficult. Individuals feel it can be a maze and lead to a significant ordeal if they undertake a complaint. In very many cases, either patients or relatives have a fear of raising issues. For example, they may fear a difficulty for themselves or relatives as patients. There is little support, if any, for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Independent Advocacy Services for Health Service Users: Discussion (26 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: We should finish.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pensions Data (26 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: 59. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of persons, other than public service occupational pensioners, receiving annual occupational pensions exceeding €12,000 per annum, €24,000 per annum, €36,000 per annum, €48,000 per annum, €60,000 per annum, €80,000 per annum and €100,000 per annum; this group including private sector occupational...

Credit Union Sector: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (25 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: Like many Members of this House, I come from a credit union family. I have been a credit union member all my life and my dad was a founder member of Clonmel credit union. I know the value of the credit union movement throughout this country. It is a very important, volunteer-led social movement, a bottom-up, community-based, not-for-profit people's bank. It has a huge infrastructure right...

Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. As we all know, it has two main elements. The first is the question of bail and its refusal in the case of repeat or persistent offenders, and the second is the possibility of consecutive sentencing, again for repeat or persistent offenders. I do not have any difficulty with those provisions. We have been told, and figures show, that a...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: No.

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: I thank Deputy Lowry for allowing me to say a few words on this issue. The parents of children with special needs are continually under pressure. They speak constantly of having to fight for everything they get. We attended a meeting in Scoil Aonghusa in Cashel on Monday night. It is a fine school that is offering an exceptional service to its students and support to families. It caters...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport Eligibility (24 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: The difficulty I am trying to raise is set out towards the end of the Minister of State's reply. The nub of the question is the absence of communication or connections between the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Health on transport services for children with disabilities where the resourced school is not in the area where the services have been provided to the...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport Eligibility (24 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, as I know he has an interest in this issue. The school transport system is based solely on providing transport to the nearest resourced school. While it works reasonably well for most students, unfortunately it is detrimental to some students with special needs and disabilities who attend special schools as it does not take...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015. The Bill raises the question of equity of access to health services in this country. We currently have a two-tier health system where ability to pay is key to timely access to services but what we need is a system based on medical need and which is free at the point of delivery. That concept is becoming more...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Disability Issues Update: Minister of State at the Department of Health (19 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the Minister and the officials from the Department and the HSE and I thank the Minister for her presentation. The final paragraph of that presentation is key to the disability area. Part of it is worth quoting: "[P]eople with disabilities have the same goals, aspirations and abilities as every other citizen, and the same right to participate in society, and to make a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Assistance Dogs in Ireland: Discussion (19 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: That is appreciated. I may have to leave as I am due to speak to speak shortly in the Dáil. I welcome our visitors. I thank Dr. Burgoyne and Ms Dowler for their very informative presentations. A representative called to my consistency office some time ago about this matter and made me aware of the difficulties arising in that respect. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are very...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: I have serious concerns with this legislation. I believe it to be unconstitutional on the question of the extension of the financial emergency for a further three years. It has constitutional difficulties with the non-restoration of pensions and the withholding of €95 million of pension entitlements, which are effectively the property of individuals. I am satisfied some of the...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: The Minister says he does not want to see penalties imposed, but this section is concerned with setting out penalties and punishments for unions that are not part of the Lansdowne Road agreement. The unions that have not accepted the agreement but are party to the Haddington Road agreement want to continue to avail of the terms of the latter.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Report Stage (18 Nov 2015)

Séamus Healy: They are not trying to pick and choose anything from the Lansdowne Road agreement. They want to be able to maintain the current situation, where they are a party to the Haddington Road agreement, and not be penalised because they have chosen democratically not to be part of the new agreement. The Haddington Road agreement has not run out and remains in place. The unions in question simply...