Results 161-180 of 1,130,407 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Paul Kehoe OR speaker:Michael Moynihan OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Cathal Berry OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly)

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

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy has asked some new questions that are pertinent to patient safety in UHL. We might ask the Chair for a little indulgence in terms of the clock. The claims being made about staff vacancies and patient safety are disputed by me, the Department, the chief nurse and the HSE. I have written to the unions and asked for a list of these 2,000 alleged vacant posts. We have not got it...

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

Stephen Donnelly: I commit to getting a note on haemodialysis. The following is relevant to all members and goes to the heart of this. The Deputy asked will it be a question of which region shouts the loudest. The region, quite rightly, that has had the biggest per capita increase in investment in healthcare in the time of this Government is the mid-west. The region that has had the biggest increase in...

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

Stephen Donnelly: To the Senator's opening point regarding Ian Carter, I have accepted it. With the greatest respect, if the Senator really wanted Ian Carter here, he should have invited him here.

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

Stephen Donnelly: With respect, the Senator is going over it too. I have already accepted the point.

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

Stephen Donnelly: If the Senator is that keen to talk to Ian Carter, he is more than capable of inviting Ian Carter. That is the only thing I would say. I have accepted the point.

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

Stephen Donnelly: As regards any specific changes and considerations with regard to the terms of reference for the HIQA review, I would need to go back and look at the paperwork involved. I do not believe I could give an answer here that would be satisfactory to the Senator. I cannot point to individual lines or clauses.

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

Stephen Donnelly: As I was saying earlier on, an interim report will be coming to me in February. The Senator is perfectly entitled to challenge me. I fully accept that. The only challenge I would make back is that his party held the office of Minister for Health from 2011 to 2020 and it is only now that a HIQA review is being carried out. While I accept the urgency of this matter, with respect, the...

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

Stephen Donnelly: I will provide a clarification. It is relevant to the question the Senator is asking. Deputy Shortall stated earlier that HIQA recommended another emergency department and model 3 hospital in 2022 or 2023.

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

Stephen Donnelly: That has been checked and the advice I have been given is that HIQA did not make such a recommendation. It did not recommend a second emergency department. I mention that for clarity. If the advice I am getting is incorrect, that is absolutely fine, but that is the advice I have. My view is that there is a strong case for a second emergency department in the mid-west. That is why I...

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

Stephen Donnelly: It was both. They get agreed between the Department and HIQA.

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

Stephen Donnelly: It was definitely me and my Department. I believe HIQA was looking for the same thing.

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

Stephen Donnelly: We will get a note to the Deputy on the matter if that would help.

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...