Results 3,621-3,640 of 3,762 for speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: The representatives of the primary sector have spoken about the supply panels. Could the representatives of the secondary sector give an estimate of the shortfall of teachers, particularly in light of what Mr. Boyle has just said about teachers, or family members of teachers, suffering from serious illnesses? There is also the fact that some women will possibly go out on maternity leave....

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: An estimated 6,000 registered teachers are members of the Teaching Council but are not currently teaching. I realise that I am seeking specifics about numbers and percentages but have our guests even anecdotal evidence as to how many of that panel of 6,000 who have not taught in the past year will return to teaching?

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I welcome all of the delegations. I have a number of questions, the first of which I will direct to Inclusion Ireland. Its submission mentions that 87% of its clients have returned to their school settings or adult services. What proportion or percentage of its membership attends school and what proportion or percentage attends adult day services? Many Deputies will know of people who...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I thank Mr. O'Connor for that comment. I again wish to express the difficulties those people are having. Each child or adult's case is specific to his or her family. I hope they can return to some kind of normality in the weeks ahead. My second question relates to school transport. I am interested in hearing from the parents' groups. There are a number of villages in my constituency...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I will ask a final question about July provision. As our guests are well aware, there was a specific scheme this year and a lot of extra resources went into serving people with special needs and accommodating them during the lockdown period. What were our guests' experiences of July provision this year and where would they like to see improvements or additional funding next year, given that...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I thank the Chair. I was letting Deputy Cahill know that many of my questions overlap his so if he hangs on, he may get some clarification. I welcome the Minister. She has had a tough brief since she was elevated and that needs to be acknowledged. She has done sterling work, despite all the criticism that the Department has received in the media and so on. The main motivation has been...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I thank all the members of the HSE. I have only five minutes and want to run through a number of questions. On the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, will the HSE be encouraging or recommending that patients who are travelling to the North for appointments or operations should continue to do so? What advice is the HSE explicitly giving to those patients?

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: That is fine. Given the unpredictable yet devastating impacts of the Covid pandemic, is the HSE considering a backup plan for the winter months in the event of a second wave so as to allow services to resume as close to normal as possible? Linked to that question and specifically in respect of cancer patients, if there are future outbreaks of Covid-19 that might be worsened at the height of...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: My final question relates to testing in respect of meat processing plants and direct provision centres. The latest update provided by the HSE is that this process has commenced. Can Mr. Reid confirm that the process is under way and, if so, can he provide further details on it?

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I begin by commending the work of NPHET and all its members in recent months, it is much appreciated. First, on meat factories and plants, there is a village in my constituency, Watergrasshill, with a meat factory where there were 120 cases some weeks back. I seek clarity on the HSA inspections. They seem to be mostly pre-announced rather than random inspections. Why is that? Will that...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: It was on the meat plants, the testing therein and the matter of random versus pre-announced inspections.

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: That is fine.

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I will give it to Deputy McAuliffe.

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Five should be sufficient. I welcome the Minister's attendance to answer our questions. I have a number of queries, which I will keep brief, as I am interested in hearing the answers. Recently, we came across the omission of post offices, credit unions and banks from regulations on face coverings. I assume that this relates to security concerns at such facilities. Will the Minister...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: At present, many of those tests seem to be prearranged or preannounced, as opposed to random testing. Will this practice change or will it continue?

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Sorry, I mean to ask about randomised inspections.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Another issue arising with the introduction of these new posts is the timeline for the completion of training. It is welcome that induction training is to be provided to school staff ahead of reopening. Where that training is due to take place and in schools where teachers have just started in new posts, there is likely to be a period where they will have to adjust or acclimatise to their...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: 7. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address the shortage of teachers in post-primary schools. [19324/20]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: The Minister and I were both formerly schoolteachers and we understand the challenges in terms of teacher shortages in education. This is a problem that predates Covid and the plan to reopen schools in September. I welcome the recent announcement the Minister made regarding 1,080 additional teachers for post-primary schools. Will she provide the House with details on how these posts will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: The shortage of teachers has a dramatic knock-on effect on students, teachers and the whole education system. Lack of sufficient qualified teachers and staff instability threaten students' ability to learn and reduce teachers' effectiveness. Teacher shortages at post-primary level need to be tackled in the context of growing student numbers. Every year as principals scramble to fill posts...