Results 8,501-8,520 of 11,470 for speaker:Mary Butler

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

Mary Butler: I welcome the fact the Department will be meeting Down Syndrome Ireland tomorrow because my main concern is around the pupils. It is not only for those with Down's syndrome but it is for those in post-primary school mainstream classes who presented with the following disabilities: Down's syndrome; deaf or most severe hard of hearing; blind or most severe visual impairment; moderate general...

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

Mary Butler: That is very welcome. The children currently in sixth class, who were due to leave sixth class at the end of June this year, and who will go into secondary school, are included.

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

Mary Butler: I thank Mr. Ward for the clarity on that. It is most welcome. I wish to ask about July provision. I think the expectation is that 70% of the provision will take place in the child's home. Is that because not enough schools have come on board or the Department does not have enough staff, or is it the norm?

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

Mary Butler: We had Inclusion Ireland before the committee earlier. It cited transport as a major issue. Does the Department share its concern in this respect and, if so, what needs to be done to address it? We know that public health information is evolving day by day and week by week, and I know there will be very many challenges with children when they return to school in September and October in...

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

Mary Butler: My final question returns to the earlier point I made about parents of Down's syndrome children who were under the impression that, regardless of what stage their child was at in school, they would be able to avail of July provision. How many additional places would be needed to accommodate students with Down's syndrome who are currently excluded? Have the witnesses any idea? Is it possible...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: We now move on to the Rural Independent Group. I call Deputy Mattie McGrath, who is sharing time with Deputy O'Donoghue.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: Go raibh maith agat.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: I hope so.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: I thank Deputy McGrath. I call Deputy O'Donoghue.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: I thank Deputy Cairns. We now move to Deputy Boyd Barrett who is sharing with Deputy Paul Murphy.

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: Before the impact of Covid-19 on our health service became apparent, significant additional capacity was required in all aspects of care to provide access to high-quality services and to meet the needs of our growing population. I have raised for the past four years the issues of late discharges of care and the number of bed days lost because we were slow in discharging people, albeit...

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

Mary Butler: The terms of reference of this committee are to examine the response to Covid-19. It is obvious after the evidence we have heard today, which I have found shocking and distressing, that the response was not adequate. That is putting it mildly. The infection rate among healthcare workers, as Ms Ní Sheaghdha said, is the highest in the world, with 88% of those workers having acquired...

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

Mary Butler: Were any supports offered to those healthcare workers who cannot work because of Covid-19? They are obviously very ill. Was any support offered to help them to care for their children while they are out sick as a result of being a healthcare worker?

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

Mary Butler: I thank Ms Ní Sheaghdha. I wish to ask one final question. We know from the survey the percentage of healthcare workers who had to take annual leave and parental leave. There is an onus on us, as a committee, to examine that in detail. It seems obvious that we are possibly facing into a winter of discontent in the context of healthcare. We will have Covid and non-Covid healthcare...

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

Mary Butler: I thank all the witnesses for appearing before the committee and for their submissions. The general secretary of the INMO, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, participated in this morning's session. She cited social stigma towards healthcare workers as a major problem with childcare providers being reluctant in accepting children in their care. She quoted one respondent of an internal survey as...

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

Mary Butler: The INMO submission called for a public awareness campaign confirming the post-shift safety measures undertaken by nurses and midwives, and the low risk of contracting Covid-19 if caring for nurses' or midwives’ children. Nurses and midwives are calling for a public awareness campaign to assure childcare providers that their children would not be susceptible to Covid-19. Is that...

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

Mary Butler: I read with interest Ms Daly's submission about the survey that was undertaken. Will the uncertainty of staff availability for reopening be an issue? Are staff nervous that they might contract the disease themselves? Is it because they have childcare issues themselves or they may have issues with being susceptible to the disease themselves? Is that the issue with uncertainty about staff...

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

Mary Butler: Childcare providers will be opening up on Monday next. Is there apprehension among the different providers as to what they are facing? Exactly what they are facing is very uncertain, with the new way of childcare and these suggested pods. Many different supports will have to be put in place to make sure staff and children are kept as safe as possible as we live through Covid.

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

Mary Butler: I thank the witnesses and I wish all the childcare providers the best of luck as they return to work next Monday. Go raibh maith agaibh.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (18 Jun 2020)

Mary Butler: Mr. Reid stated in his opening statement that the HSE did not have the opportunity of a dress rehearsal to plan and manage the crisis and I believe everyone accepts that it was an unprecedented pandemic that bore down on our country. As we all know it bore down most heavily on our older population. Due to the fact that 64% of the 1,710 deaths - and we offer our condolences and sympathies to...