Results 2,041-2,060 of 2,283 for speaker:Matt Shanahan

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the Acting Chairman. May I just add one final point on testing? I agree with the unions' postilions but there needs to be some random, mandatory testing at point of care implemented in schools and we should be looking at that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank those who are here representing the National Parents Council, Inclusion Ireland and others. We have had some of them here before, and some of the issues we discussed previously are obviously still very pertinent. Communications appears to be a significant issue. I note from both surveys that were done there was dissatisfaction in most cases with communications, which were...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I appreciate Ms Lynch's remarks. I also acknowledge that the schools, particularly the school management boards, have done excellent work trying to rise to all the challenges they have. Some of these challenges have come up before. I note that Inclusion Ireland's submission refers to the issue of children with disabilities who are in groupings or bubbles. It says that in the event of a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I wish to raise an issue I have brought up previously, which concerns private psychological reports that were not being taken on board by the HSE. Has Ms Dempsey spoken to the Department again about this issue? If schools are only allowed, in essence, to do a couple of evaluations a year, the conundrum is that some of those doing the evaluations for the schools are also in a position to do...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: In response to Ms Lynch, I have met a number of parents who have gone down the road of private assessment and I can tell her most assuredly that they could not afford it. They had to scrimp and save to put it together because essentially, they are trying to fast-track some resourcing for their children who are being left behind. It is not about people who can afford it. As Ms Lynch...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I will outline one issue, although I will not ask a question about it. The Inclusion Ireland representatives said they are due to meet the Department again shortly. I have engaged widely with people on school transport. I ask the representatives to highlight to the Department that a number of people hold private contracts for school transport that have not been renewed. They are operating...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I congratulate the Minister on her appointment. I have not had an opportunity to congratulate her. I commend the work she and her Department are doing. I wish to highlight that I wrote to her a couple of weeks ago with respect to concessionary tickets for Blackwater Community School in Lismore, County Waterford. The Department gave a commitment to come back to me and I would appreciate...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I said it needs to be reviewed-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Matt Shanahan: That is fine. I thank the Chairman.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the witnesses. My first questions are for Mr. Reid. I have previously raised with the committee the issue of serial testing in healthcare. Are there plans to consider random testing or temperature testing of hospital care workers? As I have said previously, these protocols are in place in factories. I am not sure why they cannot be implemented randomly in the HSE. My next...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I ask Mr. Reid to come back to me as my first question was on community hospitals and not residential care settings. I know it was covered previously but perhaps the thinking has changed. Can the random testing of healthcare workers in community hospitals be considered? With regard to diagnostic tests, a number of weeks ago, representatives of the DAA and the Department with...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I have three questions I would like answered in writing.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: Is the use of plasma and ultraviolet systems for infection control being encouraged in hospitals? On the proposed service agreements that might be reached with private hospitals, I am aware of patients who have been waiting for diagnostic tests in public hospitals. They have been sent to private hospitals without having been tested for Covid and have been sent back to await a Covid test....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the Chairman. I thank Dr. Glynn and Professor Nolan for their attendance here today. My first question is for Professor Nolan and relates to the testing that was done in the meat factories, which was akin to screening and which turned up a high level of asymptomatic cases. Were these, in fact, false positives that were recorded as asymptomatic cases?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: We spoke previously at this committee about the idea of regionalisation and the potential for certain areas to be considered differently in the context of a possible opening up. I am specifically referencing the rural wet pubs, some of which are in areas where there is absolutely no evidence of Covid around and yet they are locked down. Is there anything on the horizon or can Dr. Glynn offer...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: Dr. Glynn has made his thoughts known in terms of the aviation sector and where travel might happen in the future. On the travel cases he referenced a few minutes ago, are any of them related to the 30,000 movements across the Border that are happening per day?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: The media is reporting that up to nine potential vaccines are currently at the front of a race to be approved. Has NPHET engaged in any way with the pharmaceutical companies involved or some of the promoters to see that if these vaccines get past phase 3 trials and achieve early approval, we will be able to get some of them for the Irish population?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I do not think I have had an opportunity to congratulate the Minister on his elevation. The grass may be greener but I imagine it is just as difficult to cut on the other side. I want to bring up a matter that is within the remit of the Covid committee as it relates to hospital inpatient stays, elective days and hospital capacity. I refer to the issue of having a second catheterisation...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: To the patients as well, most importantly. I thank the Minister for that. He and I discussed the type A contracts that were to be offered at the time of the private hospitals deal and I heard the Minister refer earlier to funding being put aside for additional capacity. If contracts have been written with the private hospitals, will the Minister again seek for private fee-charging...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: Correct.