Results 1-20 of 48 for carers speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Jul 2025)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...Garda Síochána. It would be worthwhile getting a briefing on how the matter is policed. Senator Tully spoke about home care hours, particularly for older and disabled people. It is a quagmire and it is complex. In certain areas it is hard to be identify carers and that is why we need to have more courses on social care and we need to show school leavers that social care is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Mar 2025)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...of people presenting with dementia. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland does incredible work supporting people with dementia to live as independently as long as possible and supporting families and carers. Part of what it does is organising dementia advisers, home care services, daycare services and supports for families. Research is important to what it does. It is interesting to read...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Future-proofing to Improve Life and Longevity for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...I would say, no matter who is in place in the next Dáil and Seanad, that this needs to be first on our agenda once again because Professor McCarron has the measurement tools. She mentioned the carers element and respite care, and I completely agree. We need to ensure that carers are valued. A colleague attended the family carers' conference on Tuesday morning. She came back and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Nov 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We started this morning with Senator Ardagh who spoke of attending the Family Carers Ireland conference. She rightly said that carers really form the backbone of our communities. She mentioned some of their asks particularly around getting rid of means testing as well as the need for more respite. I could not agree more. There has been progress in increasing the income disregard but there...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...a barcode on each paper. I was in Montenegro doing election monitoring around this time last year. They used a scanner system which worked very effectively. The last point I would like to make is that this is National Carers Week. We must give a shout-out to all the unsung heroes: the carers in their homes. Last year, the caucus brought forward a cross-party motion to improve the...

Seanad: Family Carers: Motion [Private Members] (31 Jan 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...of many. Before I respond to the motion I wish to make a few points, particularly in relation to the whole area of care. We, in the women's caucus, brought a motion around care and supporting carers that was debated in the Dáil and the Seanad. Senator Clonan makes very valid points, but the Minister for Social Protection is the Minister who is dealing with exactly what he is...

Seanad: Rights-Based Care Economy: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...shift to an ageing and disabled population which is significantly increasing levels of caring responsibilities, while adding significant pressure on informal family and community networks; - as highlighted in Family Carers Ireland report ‘State of Caring 2022’, the lived experience of those providing informal care in Ireland reflects a stark reality where carers are...

Seanad: Rights-Based Care Economy: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for being here. We appreciate it and I thank her for the points she has brought to us. The introduction of the long-term carer's PRSI contribution for a State pension for those who have cared for incapacitated dependants over a period of time is welcome. There are aspects on which the Minister of State has given detailed information that make a difference to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Parking Provision (13 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...key services as well as to leisure and social activities, which are essential in stimulating the mind and slowing down the progression of the disease. It would also help to alleviate the pressure on carers and family members. The UK did research on this to evaluate eligibility for parking concessions for five main groups of people, including people with dementia. It introduced this in...

Seanad: Care Payments: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome the debate and appreciate the Senators’ having put forward the motion. In many ways, as the Minister will be well aware, carers are the backbone of this country given the care and support they provide for their loved ones. As that takes a huge toll, the Government has an important role in supporting carers to give the care they want to give. There are many cases where that...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Services (14 Jun 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...will be 43 new placements. These 43 placements will go nowhere. They would be absolutely taken up in CHO 7. When I went into the recent CSO data, I saw that 299,000 people identify as unpaid carers. This is an increase of 53% on 2016. I was saddened but I was not surprised. Here we are now with 43 new placements for this year. The cases I have raised today are very serious but they...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 May 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...tickets, we need also to have blocks of tickets. Thanks to Sinéad Lucey Brennan, I see that 14% of people in Ireland are neurodivergent and 8% have long-term disabilities. We can see too that 53% of our carers are unpaid. That is significant. We obviously need to have the increase in support to them. The water quality debacle continues in south Kildare, with musty and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 May 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...assure them that Senator Chambers is a beacon of hope and light and I have no doubt but that they are all incredibly proud of her. I wish to raise a few issues today and will first refer to foster carers. I have been dealing with a number of foster parents in Kildare over the past while about the foster carer's allowance. It is quite shocking that the foster carer's allowance has not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Living with a Disability: Discussion (2 Feb 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: .... It could be something that we could do in Ireland. I thank Ms Gallagher for the invitation to the conference on 23 February. I would certainly like to attend. My other question is for Family Carers Ireland. I completely agree with what its representatives said. The women's caucus has undertaken research on a new charter for carers. We hope to have that within the next month or so...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ..., talk about the difference home support services would make. It would add so much quality to their lives and the lives of their families. They also spoke about that really important sense of valuing carers, including carers who come into the home. It is very important we look for support for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's request and send a very strong message to the Minister. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Transport Schemes: Discussion (7 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...to look at the whole transport area. Have the witnesses' groups been included in that group? I hope representatives from the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Association and from Family Carers Ireland have been included because that lived experience is really important. What key changes coming from that group do the witnesses believe need to be introduced to ensure a needs-led...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jun 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...up to 2032. It is basically a ten-year programme which highlights significant levels of unmet need. This is particularly significant for individuals with complex needs and for their family carers. The action plan to address those unmet needs was due to be published by last December. However, there is still no sign of it. We have to be particularly conscious of this as negotiations are...

Seanad: Maternity-Paternity Leave for County and City Councillors: Motion (7 Dec 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...those who have the opportunity to serve and address equality issues within that. Often we see how the culture and organisation of politics can present barriers to women and, indeed, men, who are the primary carers of children, seeking electoral office. A key barrier is caused by the demand of combining responsibilities with the demands of public life, which tend to require long and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (4 Nov 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...on the need for future planning and multi-annual budgeting. I note the section of Mr. Doyle's written submission in respect of the 1,250 people who are supported in the family home by a primary carer over the age of 70, with 400 of them being supported by a primary carer over the age of 80. There is a significant need for that to be considered. Ms Mullan referred to the particular...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015: Decision Support Service (20 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...may have a bona fide interest in the welfare of the relevant person. How do we define such a bona fide interest? I am aware that our witness has said that the applicant can often be a family member, carer or the HSE, but Ms Flynn made reference to perhaps where different members of a family may have different views and there can be conflicting interests there as well. If there is a...