Results 2,941-2,960 of 11,491 for speaker:Mary Butler

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Screening Programmes (16 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: 690. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the administering of results of cancer screening services for those who received tests prior to the suspension in services due to the Covid-19 pandemic (details supplied); the figures for results which have been administered; the timeline for the circulation of remaining results which may be outstanding; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Podiatry Services (16 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: 702. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the reopening of podiatry services including face-to-face clinics in University Hospital Waterford; if he will provide a definitive timeline for the reopening of face-to-face services to include potential capacity restrictions for clinics as currently envisaged by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11491/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (16 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: 1000. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding a pension scheme for community employment scheme supervisors following the 2008 Labour Court ruling in respect of same; the position regarding the report on a pension scheme for scheme supervisors due to be published by her Department; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on the Fiscal Position (16 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: I also thank the witnesses for coming and for giving up their time. It is much appreciated. In a recent article in the Irish Examiner, Mr. Barnes acknowledged that spending to support the recovery over the coming years is the right thing to do. He also noted the fiscal challenges that lie ahead of the next government. SMEs, which are indigenous businesses, will obviously be key to the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on the Fiscal Position (16 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: According to the Central Bank, people have saved significant amounts in recent months. Now as the economy reopens and people return to traditional shopping, we hope, do the witnesses believe this relative opening of the spending floodgates could drive inflation as supply struggles to cope? Could the scarcity of stock drive up prices? I refer, for example, to the cycle industry. Cycling has...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (18 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: Mr. Reid stated in his opening statement that the HSE did not have the opportunity of a dress rehearsal to plan and manage the crisis and I believe everyone accepts that it was an unprecedented pandemic that bore down on our country. As we all know it bore down most heavily on our older population. Due to the fact that 64% of the 1,710 deaths - and we offer our condolences and sympathies to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (18 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: Mr. Reid was before the committee a month ago. I asked similar questions and I was not satisfied by the answers. Mr. Reid replied to me that "That is a process we would have done, and that was the right thing to do at the point in time of doing it." Does he still stand over that reply? I am very concerned that if there is a resurgence of the pandemic and we take the same approach of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (18 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: I accept that and understand that there was a learning curve, but we must learn from the past three months. The purpose of this committee is to point out that we accept that everything was done in good faith, but if the HSE is going to take the same approach again, and 1,075 people lost their lives in nursing and residential care settings, I do not want to be part of that where we do not...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (18 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: I thank Mr. Reid very much. Mr. Breslin said in his opening statement: "The deaths in our nursing homes are the most difficult aspect of our national experience, and each person who has died is deeply mourned by his or her family and all of us collectively." We all agree with that. He also complimented the significant effort of staff in nursing homes. It does not matter to me whether...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (18 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: The question relates to the testing of staff in nursing homes from next week for four weeks in a row. I raised it with the Minister last week in the Dáil. My question is why only staff are to be tested not patients. Does it not make sense to test everyone in the facility?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (18 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: I thank Dr. Henry very much.

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

Mary Butler: The terms of reference of this committee are to examine the response to Covid-19. It is obvious after the evidence we have heard today, which I have found shocking and distressing, that the response was not adequate. That is putting it mildly. The infection rate among healthcare workers, as Ms Ní Sheaghdha said, is the highest in the world, with 88% of those workers having acquired...

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

Mary Butler: Were any supports offered to those healthcare workers who cannot work because of Covid-19? They are obviously very ill. Was any support offered to help them to care for their children while they are out sick as a result of being a healthcare worker?

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

Mary Butler: I thank Ms Ní Sheaghdha. I wish to ask one final question. We know from the survey the percentage of healthcare workers who had to take annual leave and parental leave. There is an onus on us, as a committee, to examine that in detail. It seems obvious that we are possibly facing into a winter of discontent in the context of healthcare. We will have Covid and non-Covid healthcare...

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

Mary Butler: I thank all the witnesses for appearing before the committee and for their submissions. The general secretary of the INMO, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, participated in this morning's session. She cited social stigma towards healthcare workers as a major problem with childcare providers being reluctant in accepting children in their care. She quoted one respondent of an internal survey as...

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

Mary Butler: The INMO submission called for a public awareness campaign confirming the post-shift safety measures undertaken by nurses and midwives, and the low risk of contracting Covid-19 if caring for nurses' or midwives’ children. Nurses and midwives are calling for a public awareness campaign to assure childcare providers that their children would not be susceptible to Covid-19. Is that...

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

Mary Butler: I read with interest Ms Daly's submission about the survey that was undertaken. Will the uncertainty of staff availability for reopening be an issue? Are staff nervous that they might contract the disease themselves? Is it because they have childcare issues themselves or they may have issues with being susceptible to the disease themselves? Is that the issue with uncertainty about staff...

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

Mary Butler: Childcare providers will be opening up on Monday next. Is there apprehension among the different providers as to what they are facing? Exactly what they are facing is very uncertain, with the new way of childcare and these suggested pods. Many different supports will have to be put in place to make sure staff and children are kept as safe as possible as we live through Covid.

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

Mary Butler: I thank the witnesses and I wish all the childcare providers the best of luck as they return to work next Monday. Go raibh maith agaibh.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: Before the impact of Covid-19 on our health service became apparent, significant additional capacity was required in all aspects of care to provide access to high-quality services and to meet the needs of our growing population. I have raised for the past four years the issues of late discharges of care and the number of bed days lost because we were slow in discharging people, albeit...