Results 2,181-2,200 of 2,283 for speaker:Matt Shanahan

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Hospitality Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: That is fine but we should give it the highest urgency.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank our contributors. This committee has spent a number of weeks analysing the pathway into Covid-19, how we handled the nursing homes issue and all of that, and now we are looking at the devastation that has been wrought economically and how to move out of it. Today is probably one of the most telling days of evidence because we have heard about the overall effect on our SME community...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I am sure it would. I also wonder whether, where people are running into difficulty, the banks are passing that on to the credit bureaus. I know leasing companies are very difficult in that respect. A lot of sole traders will find it difficult now to meet payments, get extensions to payments and all of that. It is very unfair that people who have been forced into this situation suddenly...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: We are aware of those. We have spoken today about the need for everybody who has contributed to the conversation to come together to make a strong statement about certain areas. We spoke about it previously but insurance is a key issue for the SME sector. With respect to festivals and social distancing, have the witnesses any insight into the outdoor festivals this year and how they are...

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank Professor Mallon, Dr. O'Brien and Dr. O'Connell for their wonderful work very early on in the context of securing PPE supplies from China. Those supplies were badly needed in the teeth of this pandemic. Earlier it was said that the geographical spread will determine further lockdowns. Obviously we need contact tracing and testing. I represent the constituency of Waterford where we...

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

Matt Shanahan: I might address some of the members of NPHET. Last night, here in the Dáil, I asked the Minister for Health to consider the mandatory temperature testing of healthcare workers. Does anybody in NPHET care to comment on that?

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

Matt Shanahan: I have been involved in a number of large factory re-openings where mandatory temperature testing is required. If we take the case of a hospital like the University Hospital Waterford, where we have 500 beds and 2,000 care staff transiting through there, I do not think this measure should be delayed any longer. It is a simple zapping of temperature in the morning when healthcare workers are...

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank Dr. De Gascun. Can I ask about travel in and out of airports? Earlier, Dr. Henry mentioned that newer screening techniques were coming through that would shorten the screening time. I am aware of screening techniques that are coming through which will give a Covid response test in 20 minutes, potentially. I wonder if such a test can be made available would NPHET encourage that all...

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

Matt Shanahan: I am talking about a Covid response test with probably a 20-minute turnaround. Perhaps I could discuss it further with Dr. Henry after the meeting, if possible.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the members of Inclusion Ireland for their participation today. I want to get their opinion on something discussed earlier, the issue of the exclusion of children with Down's syndrome from the July provision programme. I have tabled a motion to allow their representatives to appear before the committee. Do the witnesses have any insight as to why this group of children has been...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: The witnesses mentioned the small number of schools that operate in the country and the school transport system, which I presume is largely operated by private operators under public service obligations, PSOs. I have already raised some of the PSO issues in this House and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is yet to signal any specific funding to cover the PSOs for school...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Ms Dempsey and I am sure everybody in this House will be watching this matter and trying to support Inclusion Ireland and the mainstream schools in it. Speaking of mainstream schools, they also mirror some of the challenges in special schools, such as the lack of sensory rooms, the lack of SNAs, SNAs acting like accountants by allocating hours to students in mainstream schools, the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the officials from the Department of Education and Skills for attending the committee today. We had a presentation earlier from Inclusion Ireland. Down Syndrome Ireland sent in several questions. While I know the issues have been raised before, on its behalf I would like to ask several of its questions which are still pertinent. On the summer provision programme proposed by the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: It is difficult to quantify need or the experience of individual parents. I accept it is not an easy job. I can assure Mr. Tattan that it is not an easy job for the parents either, especially where they were getting buoyed up about their children getting some respite care but having their hopes dashed. Parents are experiencing difficulties this year with a shortage of tutors willing to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I understand that. I think Down Syndrome Ireland would much rather participate in a State scheme. On school transport, there is a significant situation with public service obligations and how they are to be funded. What are the Department's visibility and thoughts on that with the school resumption in September?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: On the future recruitment of SNAs, does the Department have any visibility on that, considering it will be a significant challenge this year with more children having to be home-tutored and the difficulties of social distancing in schools?

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: There was also the issue of temperature testing.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I note the very sad passing of Detective Colm Horkan and send condolences, on behalf of the Regional Group, to his family and the families of victims of Covid. As we appear to be exiting this crisis, we may well be heading into another. In this present respite, we have yet to address the expected winter surge and the possible re-emergence of Covid-19, mindful of the reduction in bed...

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank our guests for attending here today. I wish to make a comment with respect to Mr. Bell's statement on the survey. The committee should write to the Department to understand the basis of that survey and whether SIPTU members were excluded from it. If that proves to be the case, we should bring it back to the committee for further review. I would say to Ms Ní Sheaghdha that...

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

Matt Shanahan: I hope Ms Ní Sheaghdha will be able to provide those costings to the committee and we will be able to bring them to Government. Ms Ní Sheaghdha said that some 4,823 healthcare workers remain out sick. Does she have a timeframe on their return to work? For instance, we know that some people suffer extreme fatigue after Covid. Does she have any timeframe on when those people might...