Results 3,001-3,020 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: To help the committee understand Usher syndrome and about deafblindness will Ms Brill speak about why she mentioned the Luas? I would also like to speak about the cost of dogs and the money she receives in social welfare payments and difficulties in this regard. It needs to be said at this stage in order that members will understand more when they put their questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will have to get advice here. I ask Mr. Lacey to move up to the microphone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Mr. Lacey. Some other questions came up about statistics that are not known, including the numbers of deaf-blind.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Deputy Buttimer, the Chairman, and Deputy Conway were unable to attend today as they both have hospital appointments. Representatives of Fighting Blindness are in attendance. A strategy has been adopted to try to pull together the various organisations involved in this area. Dr. Paul Kenna and Mr. David Keegan are involved. I have a particular interest in this issue as I have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I ask Ms Brill to speak about hearing aids. While she may not have experienced particular problems because she has a good consultant, what is the experience of the deaf community and the deaf-blind community of hearing aids?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Perhaps Dr. Paul Kenna can help me to conclude this meeting with a message of hope for people diagnosed with Usher's syndrome in the future.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Dr. Kenna. Are there any other questions? Or do the expert witnesses have any other comments they would like to make before we conclude?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Thank you Mr. Lacey. I am going to conclude but I want to make clear that we will write that letter seeking recognition of deaf-blindness. We will also send a transcript of today's meeting to the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, and to the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. Together with the group, we will try to work through their issues concerning social welfare,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Yes. We need to look at the numbers on the census and know what kind of numbers we are talking about.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Recognition of Deafblindness as Distinct Disability: Discussion (28 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: They should have access to top-of-the-range devices through the medical card. That would be something significant that could come out of this meeting. We will work on it and will report back to the witnesses. I thank Ms Carol Brill so much for coming in and giving us the true life experiences of someone with deafblindness. I also wish to thank Ms Laura English for her work with the Ann...

Midland Regional Hospital: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (27 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Last week, I had the privilege of hearing in the Joint Committee on Health and Children from the families who lost their precious innocent babies at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise. We have had many different groups present at the health committee but last Tuesday was probably the most harrowing day we ever had. As a mother, my heart went out to them. I can only imagine the...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: VAT Rate Application (27 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 61. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on removing value added tax on defibrillators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20950/15]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs Application (27 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 62. To ask the Minister for Finance if income tax relief is set to be changed or stopped for residential homeowners who rent a room; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20951/15]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Census of Population Data (26 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 157. To ask the Taoiseach when the next collection of data for the census 2016 will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20016/15]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Census of Population Data (26 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 158. To ask the Taoiseach the reason the census does not ask if a person has deaf-blindness as a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20017/15]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Recruitment (26 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 164. To ask the Taoiseach the number of public and civil servants who were recruited under the aegis of his Department in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21114/15]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Redeployment (26 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 165. To ask the Taoiseach the number of public and civil servants under the aegis of his Department that were seconded abroad or to another Department in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21131/15]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Retirements (26 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 166. To ask the Taoiseach the number of public servants under the aegis of his Department that retired in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21150/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (26 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 167. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to re-evaluating the defined benefit pension schemes to increase compliance, when only 49% of defined benefit pension schemes are in compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20123/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (26 May 2015)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 168. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has co-ordinated with actuaries to reconsider the standards of practice and the life tables in relation to retirement, due to the fact that as many as 200,000 persons are expecting to receive retirement income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20124/15]