I thank Deputies for contributing to this debate and for giving their support to this important legislation. It is heartening to see that the strong tradition of Deputies of all parties and Independents working together on matters of mental health endures. This is never more important than when those affected are some of the most vulnerable people in our mental health system. Moving to a premises that is fit for purpose will make a significant difference to the welfare of those who are being treated in the hospital…

I thank the Deputy for raising this serious and important issue. I am addressing the Dáil on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, regarding the unacceptable delays in appointments for children with rheumatism and those with Down's syndrome also. First, the Minister and I sincerely regret that children can experience a long waiting time for rheumatology treatment. The Minister is conscious of the burden this places on them and their families. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the HSE took …

I again thank Deputy Brendan Smith for raising this important issue. He has hit the nail on the head; the key word here is an "active" recruitment campaign, which is most important in order that we can pursue the intensely long waiting list. I restate the gratitude of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to the staff and management of Children's Health Ireland for the delivery of services to patients during a particularly challenging year. As I indicated already, routine activity was deferred in the earlier part of the y…

I thank the Deputies from the Regional Independent Group for tabling this motion. Supporting positive mental health and well-being is a priority for me and the Government and is particularly important during the current pandemic. Covid has presented significant challenges for people’s mental health, including increased stress, anxiety and fear. This has been exacerbated by experiences of isolation, bereavement and loss of income and work among many others. We have responded rapidly by reconfiguring existing service…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. He is correct that it is something I have spoken about and worked on very hard over the past few years. Since I entered office, we have been working hard on this. The nursing homes support scheme, NHSS, commonly referred to as fair deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The scheme aims to ensu…

I hope to move it in the first quarter.

I hope to introduce the legislation in the first quarter of 2021 and I believe it will be well-received across both Houses and by all Members. Our plan is to deliver a statutory home care scheme by 2022. A couple of key enablers have to be put in place first. The first is the single assessment tool, interRAI, which provides an assessment of the person that needs to enter home care or nursing home care. Currently, the assessments vary from county to county. We will roll out a pilot programme early next year across f…

It is clear from the debate that Members right across the House share a gratitude and pay tribute to the student nurses and midwives and all their healthcare colleagues, who have provided and continue to provide care across the health service. All nursing and midwifery students, from first year to fourth year, have returned to full-time student capacity since the end of September. The final year interns will commence their 36-week clinical placements in accordance with the agreed pay and conditions of those placeme…

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The Government is aware of the workforce issues facing general practice in Ireland and that Covid-19 has made accessing GP and GP out-of-hours services more difficult. I acknowledge the continued dedication of GPs towards their patients during this unprecedented time. I can assure the Deputies that efforts continue to develop and maintain GP capacity throughout the country and that…

I thank both Deputies again for raising this really important issue. I know how important this service is in any community, and out-of-hours is especially important. The Government remains committed to ensuring that patients throughout the country continue to have access to GP services. Both Deputies asked why certain GPs were being excluded from the SouthDoc rota. The HSE is aware of that, including the exclusion of more elderly GPs. I think Deputy Buckley also mentioned a pregnant GP. It is understood that this i…

As Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I would never offend any of our older people. If the Deputy gives me a chance to finish, he might not find it necessary to interrupt me. It is understood that this is an attempt to maintain the health of staff who are more at risk of Covid-19. However, as a private organisation, the rostering of GPs is entirely an operational matter for SouthDoc. Neither I nor the HSE has any role in this regard. I reiterate that the HSE has advised that there are no plans …

I would like to thank Deputy Andrews for raising this issue and for giving me the opportunity to provide the House with an update on scoliosis services for children on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I sincerely regret that children can experience a long waiting time for treatment for scoliosis and I am conscious of the burden this places on them and their families. This Government's priority is to improve waiting times for all patients accessing hospital treatment across all specialties…

I am acutely aware of the distress and inconvenience caused to patients and their families when urgent care is delayed and I thank the Deputy for raising the case of Sophie and the fact that she is waiting for her scoliosis operation. Improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures remains a key commitment of the Government. The long-term strategy to develop sustainable scoliosis services remains a priority for the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and his Department. His officials continue to work closel…

I thank Deputy Nolan for raising this issue. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, I acknowledge the Deputy's work in advocating for the people of counties Offaly and Laois. I know she has concerns about the progress of the delivery of a planned primary care centre in Birr. Although the HSE has responsibility for the delivery of such centres, there is, of course, a level of engagement with officials in the Department of Health on those projects. I welcome the opportunity to update the Deputy on this i…

I thank the Deputy for her constructive points. I can hear the frustration and annoyance in her voice regarding the slow pace of this project. The development of primary care centres to accommodate primary care teams and GPs in one location is an essential enabler of the delivery of community and primary care services nationwide. The driving force behind the development of the centres is the desire to support the implementation of new models of care that offer patients access to high-quality healthcare services and…

I begin by thanking Deputy Mark Ward for bringing attention to the topic of mental health. The importance of supporting good mental health and well-being has been recognised for some years now and never more than during the current pandemic. The onset of Covid-19 has presented enormous challenges for people's mental health and the Government has responded rapidly by putting additional services and supports in place. The Government acknowledges the positive intention of this Bill and does not intend to oppose it. Ma…

I commend Members on this wide-ranging debate. These contributions underline our shared goal of a mental health system that reaches the highest possible standards. Going back to some points, Deputy Ó Laoghaire rightly raised the issue of the CAMHS waiting lists. It is something I have also discussed with Deputy Ward. I am concerned about that issue. The waiting lists are currently at about 2,200 people, but it does vary, as my colleague has just said, depending on where people live. The extra €50 million secured fo…

It is lovely to be back again in these beautiful surroundings. Every time I look up at those beautiful Waterford Crystal chandeliers, I think how very lucky we are to be in such an opulent room. I want to thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. Every person who is supported in older person's services is entitled to expect and receive supports of the highest standard. Quality care and patient safety is a priority, and our continued focus is, and will always be, to deliver safe, high-quality services…

I thank the Senator for raising this issue in such a sensitive manner because it is very difficult for the many families that may be listening in, who are very concerned about their loved ones receiving care in nursing homes throughout the country. I am sure the House will understand my reluctance to speak in any great detail about the specifics of one particular nursing home. Since the onset of this pandemic, HIQA has put in place a quality assessment process, whereby all designated residential centres are formall…

I thank the Deputies, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on concerns over the future of the diabetes service at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar. Diabetes, as we all know, is a complex condition that affects people from all walks of life, from the very young to the very old, and is considered an epidemic by the World Health Organization. People with diabetes run a greater risk of developing one or more se…