Results 161-180 of 1,101,175 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Michael Moynihan OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Ciarán Cannon OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Holly Cairns) 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)

Stephen Donnelly: She is not here. If the committee wants another meeting with the clinical director and the new chief executive-----

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)

Stephen Donnelly: Can I respond quickly?

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

Stephen Donnelly: It is a fair challenge. If we want to do another session at an appropriate time, we can do that. I asked the regional executive officer to be here. The invitation was to me. Had the invitation come to the clinical director, of course we could have done that. It is a fair challenge. However, the invite was not just to discuss UHL; it was to discuss the region. The person best suited to...

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)

Stephen Donnelly: There is clearly a case to be made for a second emergency department. It is why I have asked HIQA to conduct a review specifically looking at that question. The straight answer is that there is clearly an argument to be made. However, there is nuance to it which HIQA needs to look at. If we look at the amount of additional bed capacity we are adding that is already in and that is now in...

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)

Stephen Donnelly: I do. If the Deputy gives me a moment I can pull it up for him but it sounds like he has it in front of him.

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

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate he is being careful but we have to be very careful about what we say here. There is a significant disciplinary process under way that is a matter of public record, against the person the Deputy has discussed. These are highly legalistic processes, therefore we have to be very careful not to prejudice anything that would come out of that. It would not be...

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

Stephen Donnelly: I will just finish this sentence, if that is okay. The hospital group managers nationally and the CHO managers nationally are being redeployed to other roles.

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)

Stephen Donnelly: I believe that a redeployment of the senior management within the move to the six regions is a reasonable thing to do. There was public competition, quite rightly, for the six regional executive officer, REO, posts. Regarding the mid-west, I want us to be really careful here. As of this moment, no findings have been made against anyone in UHL in regard to the tragic death of Aoife so I...

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

Stephen Donnelly: Thanks very much. I presume the Deputy meant to say avoidable. He said unavoidable-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: Let me answer this question carefully. If the Cathaoirleach wants to stop the clock for Deputy Crowe, he should feel free to do so because this is a matter for all of us. I will try to make a few points on this. I have met Carol and James. It was heartbreaking. Aoife was 16. My oldest kid got his junior certificate results yesterday. He is 15. I cannot begin to imagine what they have...

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

Stephen Donnelly: I appreciate that but-----