Results 11,041-11,060 of 11,367 for speaker:Matt Carthy

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I thank Dr. Henry. Recognising that meat plants have been a particular issue not just in Ireland but internationally, for obvious reasons, what level of focus is Dr. Henry's team keeping on meat factories to ensure that we do not see other spikes in cases within those settings?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: The prevalence of cases seems to have reduced in those settings. Is the work and monitoring by the HSE and the testing and tracing teams ongoing in meat factories?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: If that report could be provided to the committee, it would be useful. Regarding healthcare workers, Phil Ní Sheaghdha of the INMO made a very powerful presentation to the committee the other day. She made the comment, which stands up to scrutiny, that in Ireland the prevalence of Covid-19 infection among healthcare workers is the highest in the world. The Taoiseach has tried to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: That is not up for discussion at this point. On the basic tenet of the point made, does Dr. Henry accept that Ireland's percentage of cases in the healthcare sector is the highest in the world?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I have other questions. Does Dr. Henry accept that 32% is too high and that we really need to strive to improve that figure?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I ask Professor Mallon to give me opinion. As the committee heard on another occasion, a number of people have called for a change in the regulations to categorise instances of Covid-19 that were contracted in the workplace as notifiable occupational illness that would then be notified to the HSE. The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation could change the regulation at the stroke...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I come back to the HSE. I have less than a minute. We know what the capacity is or at least what we hope the capacity is. Does Dr. Henry have a figure for the highest number of daily tests that were performed throughout the pandemic and the equivalent weekly number? What were the highest numbers of tests carried out on any given day and in any given week?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I only have a number of seconds left. Do we have an analysis of the number of people that entered into healthcare settings, presumably without Covid-19, and then subsequently contracted the virus within those settings?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I am asking for the number of people who entered hospitals or other healthcare settings without Covid-19 and who subsequently contracted the virus. I know one can never say for definite that those people did not have it going in but presuming that they did not, what would the numbers be?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: My question relates to patients.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I thank the witnesses and, in particular, their members who have done us all such a great service. While they have got plenty of plaudits in this House I am reminded of the phrase to the effect that a slap on the back is not far from a kick in the arse. That phrase probably was never more appropriate. The litany of disregard and disrespect outlined to the committee this morning is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: Ms Ní Sheaghdha and Mr. Bell have both made the point consistently on annual leave. In previous committee hearings, we have talked about employers in some cases forcing employees to take annual leave during the periods they are not working. Essentially, what we have heard today is that our public service is doing the exact same thing. Everywhere I go, I see the flags saluting our...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: Perhaps I could ask Mr. Bell a final question. He mentioned that one of the private hospitals in receipt of public money has not been adhering to the public service agreements with regard to its workers. Would he care to name that private hospital?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I thank the witness.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I thank the witnesses for attending. Some of my questions may seem repetitive or to be a matter of common sense, but I wish to get them clearly on the record of the committee. Any of the speakers may answer any of the questions, but I ask them to do so as quickly as possible because I have several important points to make. Are our guests satisfied that the information they have received...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: Have those lines become operational again? Are they back online?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I want to contextualise this for myself. There is the infamous mind-at-home scheme or the programme that was announced to address the issues pertaining to front-line workers and the proposition that childcare professionals would simply arrive at somebody's home to mind their children regardless of the implications the measure would have for public health, insurance cover or whatever. The...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: To be quite frank, any ordinary person with an ounce of common sense, and they would not need to be an expert in the field as the witnesses are, would know that it was a crazy idea. The reason I have raised the issue in this context is to question the understanding of the realities of people's lives, and the situation in which the childcare profession operates, and why this would come as a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I ask whoever feels it most relevant to do so to answer my next question. With regard to the children of front-line workers - and I mean this in the broadest sense as being those who were deemed essential throughout the Covid emergency and who, in many cases, have, as we heard this morning, been in very difficult situations - are the witnesses satisfied their member organisations will be in...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Matt Carthy: I ask each of our guests to inform the committee on particular issues relating to front-line workers finding it difficult to access childcare facilities for whatever reason. There is no need to go into specifics. It is important for the committee's work. I have been involved on the committee of a community crèche and I know one of the challenges is always how to cater for very young...