Results 101-120 of 1,095,543 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Ciarán Cannon OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Patricia Ryan OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Pippa Hackett OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Willie O'Dea OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Colm Burke) in 'Committee meetings'

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: He may have landed on the ground but we are here as an Oireachtas health committee to look at very serious problems, and of course the progress, in the mid-west region. Ms Kenna, Ms Conroy, and Ms Broderick are here. He should be here. The Minister also said in his opening statement that there was a new regional clinical director, Dr. Catherine Peters. Is she here?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: With respect to the Minister, we arranged this meeting to discuss the mid-west region. Therefore, I would have expected the managers who are on the ground managing what is happening to be here to hear what we have to say but also to answer questions we might have. The Minister can answer some questions; I am sure others can as well. I am just making that point. I will move on from it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: I will come to Ms Broderick now with my second question. I thank the Minister. When we triage patients in the health services generally, we use what is called the Manchester triage categories. My understanding is that there are five categories, 1 to 5, with 1 being the most urgent and 5 the least urgent. My understanding is that categories 1, 2, 3 are the main ones. Patients in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: So triaging by its nature is to separate those who should be there as opposed to those who may be able to be referred elsewhere. Typically, categories 4 and 5 patients could be and are probably referred elsewhere but categories 1, 2 and 3 patients would be seen in emergency departments. Is that----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: I have that. Rather than getting into a row on which numbers are correct, whether it is the INMO numbers or those of the HSE, the figure at this point does not really matter to me but we know there was a high volume of patients on trolleys in Limerick again this and last week. Are those people who were on trolleys categories 1, 2 and 3 patients?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: That they would be.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: That is my point. Yet, here we are with high numbers again in Limerick compared to other regions. I make that point to come to the issue of how we move forward. I recognise the additional capacity mentioned by the Minister earlier. I recognise all the other outpatient work, the people who are treated or are seen and procedures which are carried out which do not get noticed or talked about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: I will add to that because I did my own calculations on this and, as the Minister knows, I published a plan for the mid-west a number of months ago where I set out what I felt was needed, including a review, in advance of the review being put in place. As I said, I welcome the review. Does the Minister know what the population of the mid-west is?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: What I am hearing from the Minister is a redeployment of certain posts. This is being covered in the media and I have a responsibility to provide factual information when I am asked, which I want to provide. There are families out there who have suffered because of problems in the hospital. I am not apportioning blame but it is difficult for them to read that there was a small group...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: Is he here?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues relating to University Hospital Limerick: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: It depends on how you look at it but it is somewhere between 400,000 and 500,000 people. It is a minimum of 400,000 up to 500,000, depending on the catchment area. If the mid-west region had two emergency departments, it would mean the population per emergency department would be 200,000. If we take, for example, the south west, it has four emergency departments with one emergency...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank the witnesses for being here at short notice and for the opening statement. Part of the reason a number of committee members wanted to do this session is that, while we accepted there was a need for Part 2 to be introduced before the break for Christmas, some of us were surprised at the cost-rental elements coming in. It is not that we are against them in principle but some of these...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I get that. My question is, since most AHBs have not amended their constitution, does it make any material difference that they do not have that wording in their constitution? Obviously, when the folks in the Department drafted the legislation, they had a reason for putting that in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: The wording was too restrictive. It would have excluded non-housing-related activities and therefore not having it in means they can continue doing those non-housing activities.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am asking for the benefit of clarity. What would non-housing activities include?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Anything beyond the bricks and mortar.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Perfect. One of the other changes in Part 2 is the deletion of the alleviation of housing need. It is not that I have a problem with that but I think it is important there is public clarity. From Dr. McManus's point of view, what is the purpose or consequence of removing the alleviation of housing need from those sections of the existing legislation? What does that do or allow the AHBs to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: That makes sense.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I have a number of questions on Part 3. With respect to the change to the definition of household, did the AHB sector ask for this? I know there are different organisations here. What was the rationale for asking for this, from the witnesses' point of view? What from their experience of cost rental so far led them to think this was a good proposition?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024: Discussion (10 Oct 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Is it Ms Cleary's understanding from reading the Bill that these separate households would solely be single-person households or could they be two-person households? Does she have a view as to whether it should only be a single-person household or a two-person household sharing? If there was a two-bedroom unit, for example, could it only be two singles, or could it or should it be possibly...