Results 81-100 of 1,978 for speaker:Matt Shanahan

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

Matt Shanahan: Ms Ní Sheaghdha highlighted the difference in infection rates in healthcare workers between the public and private sectors. I think much of that can probably be explained by the fact that Covid patients were not being directed to the private care facilities. However, we can expect outbreaks of Covid in the future when I imagine there will be a different streamlining of Covid patients....

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank all the childcare providers for appearing before the committee today. I will return to an issue that was raised on the floor earlier, that is, sustainability. I caught a bit of a radio debate coming up this morning. If my understanding is correct, the ratio of children to childcare staff in the pods is 8:1. The person speaking also highlighted the fact that a second person would...

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

Matt Shanahan: Deputy Sherlock made a point earlier about the potential for many of these groupings to speak with one voice and lobby on that basis in order that Deputies can understand the whole panoply of issues involved. An issue which came up this morning and is coming up here again is that of funding and whether the groups have provided some sort of funding horizon of what they believe their...

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank the departmental officials for attending today. I wish to cover the costs to business, in particular that of insurance which was discussed already. Earlier the witnesses from Crann advised that the average insurance cost per facility was between €6,000 and €9,000 per annum with only one or two injury claims in a year - I do not know the extent of the claims. Those...

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

Matt Shanahan: Will the Department provide any expertise to people trying to renegotiate utility and other costs? The officials might give me a written response on that. The sole traders obviously fell outside the scope of the Covid supports. Have the Department any way of supporting them? Is it undertaking any mitigation exercises to allow them to come back into the marketplace which will be...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I note the very sad passing of Detective Colm Horkan and send condolences, on behalf of the Regional Group, to his family and the families of victims of Covid. As we appear to be exiting this crisis, we may well be heading into another. In this present respite, we have yet to address the expected winter surge and the possible re-emergence of Covid-19, mindful of the reduction in bed...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: There was also the issue of temperature testing.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Professor Mallon, Dr. O'Brien and Dr. O'Connell for their wonderful work very early on in the context of securing PPE supplies from China. Those supplies were badly needed in the teeth of this pandemic. Earlier it was said that the geographical spread will determine further lockdowns. Obviously we need contact tracing and testing. I represent the constituency of Waterford where we...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I might address some of the members of NPHET. Last night, here in the Dáil, I asked the Minister for Health to consider the mandatory temperature testing of healthcare workers. Does anybody in NPHET care to comment on that?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I have been involved in a number of large factory re-openings where mandatory temperature testing is required. If we take the case of a hospital like the University Hospital Waterford, where we have 500 beds and 2,000 care staff transiting through there, I do not think this measure should be delayed any longer. It is a simple zapping of temperature in the morning when healthcare workers are...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Dr. De Gascun. Can I ask about travel in and out of airports? Earlier, Dr. Henry mentioned that newer screening techniques were coming through that would shorten the screening time. I am aware of screening techniques that are coming through which will give a Covid response test in 20 minutes, potentially. I wonder if such a test can be made available would NPHET encourage that all...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I am talking about a Covid response test with probably a 20-minute turnaround. Perhaps I could discuss it further with Dr. Henry after the meeting, if possible.

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank the members of Inclusion Ireland for their participation today. I want to get their opinion on something discussed earlier, the issue of the exclusion of children with Down's syndrome from the July provision programme. I have tabled a motion to allow their representatives to appear before the committee. Do the witnesses have any insight as to why this group of children has been...

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

Matt Shanahan: The witnesses mentioned the small number of schools that operate in the country and the school transport system, which I presume is largely operated by private operators under public service obligations, PSOs. I have already raised some of the PSO issues in this House and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is yet to signal any specific funding to cover the PSOs for school...

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank Ms Dempsey and I am sure everybody in this House will be watching this matter and trying to support Inclusion Ireland and the mainstream schools in it. Speaking of mainstream schools, they also mirror some of the challenges in special schools, such as the lack of sensory rooms, the lack of SNAs, SNAs acting like accountants by allocating hours to students in mainstream schools, the...

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

Matt Shanahan: I thank the officials from the Department of Education and Skills for attending the committee today. We had a presentation earlier from Inclusion Ireland. Down Syndrome Ireland sent in several questions. While I know the issues have been raised before, on its behalf I would like to ask several of its questions which are still pertinent. On the summer provision programme proposed by the...

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

Matt Shanahan: It is difficult to quantify need or the experience of individual parents. I accept it is not an easy job. I can assure Mr. Tattan that it is not an easy job for the parents either, especially where they were getting buoyed up about their children getting some respite care but having their hopes dashed. Parents are experiencing difficulties this year with a shortage of tutors willing to...

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

Matt Shanahan: I understand that. I think Down Syndrome Ireland would much rather participate in a State scheme. On school transport, there is a significant situation with public service obligations and how they are to be funded. What are the Department's visibility and thoughts on that with the school resumption in September?

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

Matt Shanahan: On the future recruitment of SNAs, does the Department have any visibility on that, considering it will be a significant challenge this year with more children having to be home-tutored and the difficulties of social distancing in schools?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Mr. Moran and his colleagues for attending. I often sit in this Chamber and find myself in agreement with Deputy Boyd Barrett. In his most recent intervention, however, he spoke about a country that I do not know. I know quite a bit about the SME sector and I echo Mr. Moran’s comments to the effect that the SMEs are a mile away from what Deputy Boyd Barrett outlined. I wish...