Results 1,281-1,300 of 1,997 for speaker:Frances Black

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: I call Deputy Mark Ward.

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: Ms Stack would like to respond to that question as well.

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: We await Deputy Gino Kenny and Deputy John Lahart has arrived. The Samaritans do phenomenal work but I imagine that it is difficult to manage so many volunteers. How does the Samaritans train volunteers? What are the challenges for the organisation?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: I want to discuss the asks with Mr. Mulligan and I totally hear what he said. I am involved with an organisation that works with families who have been impacted by addiction. The underlying trauma, anxiety, stress and worry that happens is completely soul destroying but there are unbelievable and amazing organisations to help. Do the Samaritans have specific asks?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: I thank the witnesses. Would Ms Stack like to comment?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: I thank Ms Stack. I call Deputy John Lahart.

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: Our next speaker is Senator Aisling Dolan who had to run from another meeting, so I thank her for joining us.

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: Would anyone else like to come in?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: I have a couple of questions for Mr. Fitzgerald with regard to the volunteers. Is it three hours a week that they are asked to do, and then six hours over one night? Is that how it works?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: How can people access the impact report? Is it online?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: That is good to know. I thank the witnesses. There is no doubt that a tsunami of mental health issues is coming down the line. It is organisations such as the Samaritans that are picking up the pieces. I agree with Mr. Mulligan that it would be brilliant to see mental health being made a priority. I have no doubt that Covid-19 has created underlying post-traumatic stress for many...

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: Samaritans Ireland (5 Oct 2021)

Frances Black: I thank the witnesses again for the wonderful work they are doing.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: I attended the launch of a pre-budget submission hosted by the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland, MEAI, outside Leinster House. It was a powerful launch. MEAI was formed in June 2020 as a result of the pandemic which decimated the entire industry. Since then it has worked tirelessly, on a voluntary basis, to represent the industry to Government and help find solutions to...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, to the House. I also welcome the Bill. However, I wish to highlight the importance of language in the Bill. For example, when we use words such as "smuggled", "trafficked" or "asylum seeker", we can lose track of the people and the stories beneath these terms. While I welcome many of the provisions within the Bill, some of the issues I...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: I want to highlight the issue of the Owenacurra Centre in Midleton, which is home to 19 people who have severe and enduring mental health difficulties, some of whom have lived there for many years. It is the only long-stay adult mental health facility in east Cork and prior to the Covid-19 emergency, it also provided respite and day care. On 28 June the residents received the shock...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: I am standing in for our leader, Senator Higgins, who could not be with us. On behalf of the Civil Engagement Group, I welcome our colleagues from the European Parliament. It is lovely to see them again. This is about Irish and European parliamentarians. It is both important and timely that we have the opportunity to discuss the role of the EU in addressing challenges such as the Covid-19...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Mental Health Services: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: I thank the witnesses for their fantastic presentations. It is wonderful to hear them speak. I have so many questions and I hope I can get them in on time. The witnesses spoke about cross-departmental engagement. As chair of the Joint Sub-Committee on Mental Health, I see a huge need for that cross-departmental approach to mental health and to address the factors relating to mental health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Mental Health Services: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: The witnesses mentioned that the €10 million announced in February to deal with the mental health impact of Covid-19 has not been spent. This funding must be ring-fenced and proposed initiatives must be in place by the end of the year. Could the witnesses give us an update on this and tell us their thoughts on it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Mental Health Services: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: I am flying through my questions because I want to get through as many of them as I can. The witnesses said effective leadership would be key to driving the rebuilding of mental health services and that for that reason, they strongly believed that a dedicated lead for mental health needed to be created within the HSE. The HSE appeared before the Joint Sub-Committee on Mental Health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Mental Health Services: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

Frances Black: I thank Ms Coyle for that response. I direct my next question to Dr. Keogh. Apart from capital investment, what in her opinion is the biggest obstacle in our public health approach? She mentioned in her opening statement that "... resources for mental health have almost exclusively been directed towards specialist psychiatric services to the neglect of primary care mental health services"....