Results 101-120 of 1,140,358 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Barry Cowen OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Jack Chambers)

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)

Steven Matthews: The witnesses are welcome to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We meet today to discuss the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024. I am delighted to welcome the following witnesses from the Irish Council for Social Housing: Dr. Donal McManus, chief executive officer; Ms Ailbhe McLoughlin, director of policy; and Ms Lyndsey Anderson,...

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

Steven Matthews: Perfect. That is great. There is one hour and a quarter set aside for this meeting. I invite Ms McLoughlin to make the opening statement. We will then turn to members for questions.

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

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms McLoughlin. For the witnesses' information, we waived pre-legislative scrutiny because we are fully aware of the time sensitivity of this legislation, as they outlined. However, we held a briefing with the Department, so we are familiar with aspects of it.

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

Steven Matthews: Like Deputy Gould, I have learned more about AHBs at meetings of this committee in the past four or five years than I ever knew before. Therefore, it is really helpful that the guests come here and share their expertise with us. Could someone explain deemed-to-be-registered status to me. It is from the 2019 Act. Why have we reached a point that involves the possibility of losing...

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

Steven Matthews: The description indicated the sole purpose of AHBs was the delivery or provision of housing, whereas many AHBs have ancillary activities. The ancillary activities were pushing AHBs out of deemed-to-be-registered status because their sole purpose was not purely to provide housing. Is that correct?

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

Steven Matthews: Yes. That verbatim description was set out in the 2019 Act. What change has there been? Has somebody suddenly noticed that some AHBs have activities other than the provision of housing and now fall foul of the Act? Is that generally where we are at?

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

Steven Matthews: It sounds like a sensible amendment to make to overcome the obstacle. I just wanted to be clear that that was Dr. McManus’s take as well. It is what we had in our briefing from the Department. We have been very much behind regarding cost-rental housing for many years. It has been central to Green Party housing policy for many years. We met our Austrian colleagues prior to the...

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

Steven Matthews: I agree with that. I have roughly totted up the figures and noted there are to be around 4,000 cost-rental homes produced in the next three years by the AHB sector. I am aware that the LDA also has set a target. The more we see, the more people will become aware that the option is available to them. The 40-year timeline is in the legislation, the Affordable Housing Act. Is the period...

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

Steven Matthews: Is 40 years a term in lending that cannot be gone beyond, even with mortgages for private property? If the period were extended to 45 years or 50 years, it would reduce the monthly rent, but would an extension of this kind add to the cost overall?