Results 5,501-5,520 of 5,583 for speaker:Paul McAuliffe

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I thank the witnesses. I want to focus on the access to mental health services. As we know, even long before the Covid pandemic, it was problematic to access those services, particularly after hours. How are child and adolescent mental health services expected to resume? What challenges will Covid present in delivering those services? Can we expect to see further waiting times or a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: Can Dr. Doody express in percentage terms the current level of service compared with pre-Covid service levels? Have service levels in the community setting returned to 80% or 90% of their previous levels?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: Dr. Doody alluded to the pent-up need, especially as we head in to the new school term. Will he outline how the HSE will respond to that need at a community level? In my experience, many people who have not experienced mental health issues in the past have been profoundly impacted by the lockdown period and changes in society. Has any work been done in planning for that expected need?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I want to go back to a question from my first round of questions to Dr. Doody, which has also been touched on by other Deputies. Other Deputies have raised the inevitable impact on mental health perhaps by people who have not previously accessed mental health services. There is also the matter of altering treatment plans for those already engaged with the service being altered. I return to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: When Dr. Doody says "scale up" is he saying the committee should be confident that is being done and will be done?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: Dual diagnosis was raised earlier. My question is for Dr. Niazi. I appreciate his assurance that he will bring forward reports. The programme for Government does talk about the protocols and the legislation. I had the great pleasure of attending the launch of the Finglas Addiction Support Team report on dual diagnosis which was researched with Dublin City University. No doubt Dr. Niazi...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I thank Dr. Niazi. I will forward to him a copy of the report, which, I am sure, will be useful in his work.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I thank the Secretary General and his officials for coming before the committee. They have answered a wide range of questions. I refer to the very sobering comments by the acting Chief Medical Officer that we are in the middle of a changing environment and I accept that the Department is planning within this. I also accept there are many parts within the school community, which can make it...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I accept there are challenges but if everybody knows that is where we are heading, it will allow parents, the school community, teachers, special needs assistants and caretakers to aim towards it with the greatest of support. There was some criticism of the interim advice that was issued. Was consideration given to not issuing that advice at that time? In many ways, it seems to have...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I accept the difficult position the Department is in but as we go forward communication will be key. On the question of space, which, to be fair, Mr. Ó Foghlú has answered quite comprehensively, there are two schools in my constituency which come to my mind and which will have difficulties, namely, St. Brigid's girls' national school, which has no assembly hall at all, which in...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I accept that, but can the Secretary General confirm that schools do not have a legal liability for somebody who comes into contact with an infectious disease in his or her school?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I fully agree with the Secretary General that this is about us all working together, but I believe that if we do not put to bed the idea that schools could be liable, we will have difficulties because people will have concerns. We have to provide that reassurance because I do not think it exists. If people act responsibility and carry out their work within the common-sense guidelines issued...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I will move on to the issue of additional staffing, which was mentioned. There are three categories of workers in the school community who I think often feel very undervalued. They are caretakers, particularly those who are on a caretaker's grant, school secretaries and special needs assistants, SNAs. If there is any call for additional employment in schools, we have to make sure we do not...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I appreciate that. However, I have been contacted by caretakers who are on the caretaker's grant and are now on a reduced Covid payment or unable to access a Covid payment. We must consider the precarious nature of the employment of some of those caretakers because they often have additional employment which is no longer available to them. I will move to the issue of technology. While...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I wish Mr. Ó Foghlú the very best of luck in the challenge ahead. I have no doubt it is a difficult challenge, both for the Department and the entire school community. However, I think we can get children back to school by working together and I support the work Mr. Ó Foghlú is doing.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: 437. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for additional school places in Dublin 9 to meet increased demand. [14237/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Enterprise Support Services (7 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: 523. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if taxi drivers are eligible for the enterprise support grant for small businesses. [14367/20]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: 576. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if ECCE, early childhood care and education, funding will be reinstated in July and August 2020 to allow childcare providers to make up for lost time. [13791/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (7 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: 742. To ask the Minister for Health if the possibility of allowing pharmacists to administer the 'flu vaccine in the homes of persons will be examined. [14113/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: I thank the witnesses for being with us today. This discussion is an opportunity for the House to acknowledge the huge stress many parents have been under during the Covid period. We have thanked many front-line workers, retail workers and all of those who have supported us through the Covid crisis. Many parents have been looking after their own children and trying to balance childcare...