Results 1-20 of 43 for carers speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

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...

Seanad: Carer's Allowance: Motion (10 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...terms of dealing with the pandemic and the emphasis that is placed on people caring for vulnerable family members. The findings of the Citizens' Assembly emphasised the importance of recognising carers, including within the Constitution. Rosalynn Carter stated: "There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who...

Seanad: Disability Day Services: Statements (11 Nov 2020)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...about their feelings about not using day services, she used words like loneliness, worry, anxiety and anger. Having a plan for service users is hugely important. Regarding family members and carers, sadly, there was an increase in challenging behaviours. This has been very difficult. The fact that no respite was offered during that period - there are delays in getting back into a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Care Services (7 Oct 2020)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...with dementia but also those who care for them. There are approximately 66,000 people in this country with dementia and for every one of those people there are at least three others impacted as carers. We are talking here about mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, neighbours and friends. There is no community that is not impacted by dementia. Things were...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Care Services (7 Oct 2020)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...are diagnosed with dementia. That means that, since this Government came into being 102 days ago, approximately 1,122 people have been diagnosed. The number is growing all of the time. The words carers used about their own roles in the survey include "devastation", "torturous", "exhausting", "depressing" and "incredibly stressful". We have to bear that in mind, as I know the Minister...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jul 2020)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I want to speak for a moment or two about the disability protests outside the Convention Centre this morning. I joined the carers, parents and families assembled there. It was not just frustration and anger that were palpable, but also huge despair. People really feel they are at the end of their tether. A group called Enough is Enough organised this particular protest. This story is not...