Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support Dr. Falvey's appeal to the media covering the business of the Houses of the Oireachtas to report on these hearings. We need continuous and ever increasing attention to the issues we are discussing, and I hope they will help us in that regard. We are meeting the witnesses in our role as legislators. Do they believe there is any legislation that we should consider or are there specific steps that the Houses of the Oireachtas could take to enhance standards, adherence and other matters? I do not know if they have given consideration to that issue but it would be helpful if there were particular actions they asked us to consider. In regard to safety improvements or measures, do they believe further improvements could be made in terms of the standards of safety equipment and other instructions that could be introduced to participants across a wide discipline of sporting activities? A question that immediately comes to mind in is whether they believe satisfactory standards apply to headgear across the various sporting activities, such as hurling, cycling, football, boxing and horse racing. What is the situation regarding compulsion in these sporting activities? Is compulsion the order of the day for the sporting bodies overseeing these activities and is this something in which we might have a role to play as legislators? Are there particular areas of resistance to the commonsense advice that the witnesses in their collective professional experience would give? Is there resistance from the sporting bodies and, even, individual players? One can understand why there may be resistance in the heat of a game or a contest.

I beg the witnesses' pardon if I missed their comments on the issue of repeat concussion, the consequences of which can be serious. Do we have statistics on the incidence of concussions across the various sporting disciplines? It can and, all to sadly, does happen, with serious consequences. In regard to special awareness and care for children and adolescents, Professor Molloy highlighted the benefits of rest for brain development and concentration. If one is lying back on the couch, one may still be exercising one's brain with a video game or other technology. This is a message that should go out. Lying back does not mean one's brain functions are resting. Dr. Ryan recommended a return to school first for children and adolescents, with sporting activity to follow later. Are there rules of thumb in regard to the period of time that should govern the programmed return to full and normal activity? Can we demonstrate that not only for the medical profession but also for parents who are keen to know more about how they can support their children? I am not familiar with SCAT3 and welcome that Dr. Ryan referred to it. Is this hospital based equipment and are comparable sideline tools available to confirm concussion while play continues? Where are we in terms of technological advances across that area? I thank the witnesses for their contributions and assure them this committee is anxious to play its part in imparting the critical information they have shared with us.