It is also important to say that during the term of the previous Government, under confidence and supply, I brought forward legislation to address this. An amendment to the statutory instrument is what is required. I can speak ad nauseam about this. If we are to be really serious about increasing the number of women taking up roles in politics, we should ensure they do not need to use a sick certificate for maternity leave. We need to be very serious about this. It is important. I have no doubt but that the Ministe…

I apologise for being delayed in getting here. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have no problem taking a representation on behalf of the person in SOS from the Deputy and talking to her about it. I thank her for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to outline the position in regard to the resumption of adult day services and transport in community health organisation, CHO, 5, encompassing south Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford. Adult day services reopened througho…

I have a little more information that I could not impart in my first contribution. Since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for disability, I have, as the Deputy knows, visited that area thanks to my Oireachtas colleagues. I also met with Deputy Kehoe when I was down there. They have been continuously campaigning on the matters the Deputy has raised in the context of transport, the vastness of the area and the need for it. In that context, I have also met with the Minister for Transport, Deputy E…

I thank all Members for their valuable contributions to the debate. It is clear that we all share concerns around domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The impacts this can have on victims cannot be underestimated, whether physical or emotional and often economic. It is important to consider, too, the impact domestic violence has on children who may be witnessing the abuse. They can often be forgotten victims. As UNICEF stated in its recent report, Behind Closed Doors, "Some of the biggest victims of domestic…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: "notes: — the exceptional contribution that nurses and midwives, including students, have made to the Covid-19 pandemic response; — that this was particularly important during the first wave of Covid-19 due to the high number of hospitalisations and workforce pressures; — the associated move to temporarily suspend clinical placements with students becoming healthcare assistants and paid accordingly; — the difference at th…

I thank Deputy Clarke for raising this valuable issue and giving me the opportunity to speak on it. Several weeks ago, I spoke about Offaly with Deputy Nolan. She raised the matter that evening. Deputy Clarke talks about the constituency of Longford-Westmeath. I talk about the community healthcare organisation area that covers Longford, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Louth and Meath. That is the size and magnitude of the area. I am putting it in context. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I understand …

I thank Deputy Clarke again. I am not one for sound bites at all. I am more a person of action in respect of understanding exactly what is going wrong behind the system. The Deputy is right in everything she said. I will not contradict one bit of it. I will talk about the MRC for one moment, however. I went to the MRC with the Ministers of State, Deputies Burke and Troy, in August and September. I met with parents, families and friends of the MRC. I was at the Bridge House and the Millennium House, I think, and I w…

I thank Deputies for their contributions to the debate. I have a script to hand but I always choose, in responding to debates, to address the issues raised by the Deputies who are still in the Chamber. That is how I operate. Lest I forget, there is one point I would like to make before responding to the points raised. As we move to level 3 and open up the economy, if that is what happens, businesses might consider setting aside an hour or two for older people and people who are vulnerable to do their shopping. It m…

I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue. If she had not raised it, I would not have been aware of it. I thank her for bringing my attention to the issue, which means my focus and that of my office are on the matter. She referred to two families that have been directly impacted but it has had a significant impact on many families. For Fran and Mary and their families listening to these proceedings, I am taking on board what has been said about their situation. I acknowledge that it is not acceptable or good eno…

The Ceann Comhairle is right.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his input and observation on that matter. He could see that while I read the response, I had to bring heart and empathy to it, for the simple reason that they are lacking. There is no explanation as to why it has changed, other than it is looking at a report and a strategy from 2012. In fact, we are in the middle of a pandemic and many of these families have had their services withdrawn during it. That is particularly so with regard to Mary, who would have been used to attending, pos…

I thank the Senators for raising this issue in the House today. I am glad to have the opportunity to restate this Government's commitment to supporting people with disabilities and their families. I will begin by acknowledging the significant impact Covid-19 has had, and continues to have, on people's lives. I have visited a number of day services since taking office and have heard at first hand just how difficult the past eight months have been as we have dealt with the consequences of the pandemic and the current…

I thank everyone who contributed to the debate and the conversation this afternoon. Normally when I wrap up a conversation I try to address the people who have waited this long to contribute and give them answers or some form of feedback. I do not stick to a script, which concerns Department officials, but I will do my best. Senator Keogan spoke about the 24 service users who have not returned to their unit. That unit is currently an isolation unit but I am led to believe that those users are getting an outreach mo…

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his kind words and Senator Carrigy for raising this matter. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the important services provided by St. Christopher's Services in Longford and the commitment of its staff to people with disabilities and their families. St. Christopher's is a service with which I am very familiar. Several Oireachtas Members have highlighted the important work of the service and what it means to the people of Longford and the surrounding area. It has a long and well-…

The Senator made his point very clearly and eloquently on behalf of St. Christopher's Services and many more organisations across the country. There was a pilot involving 50 of those organisations in 2018 and 2019. It is working its way through the WRC, as I clearly explained. This has not concluded in its entirety. In his speech, the Senator mentioned approximately 250 organisations that find themselves within that remit, of which 110 are from the disability service delivery sector in section 38 and section 39 org…

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this matter. She has quite rightly referred to John Wall in her speech. It is some 12 months since we were in the audiovisual room in Leinster House when Mr. Wall made a presentation to Members. Brian Lynch from Gort, in my constituency, was also there on the day. At that point the situation with self-employed people was part of one of the issues. When we talk of means testing we also must look at those people who are self-employed, which was part of the campaign. It is an imp…

The Senator is right that it is all about the communication and the messaging. As an elected representative, no different to Members of this House, I pick up the telephone and deal with constituents who get mixed messaging all of the time. It is all about the messaging and that is what I would say clearly to those in the Department or the HSE who are listening in. We need to be clear in our communication. We are dealing with very vulnerable people who will have received shocking news. That is to be dealt with empat…

I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies O'Donovan and Peter Burke, for sharing time with me. I also thank the Rural Independent Group for tabling this motion and giving us the opportunity to discuss it. I am pleased its members are present to hear my contribution. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, for his contribution last night and again this morning when he clearly outlined his Department's position and the progress made, including the increase in the number of schemes from the previous total of 3…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. It is not the first time that community healthcare organisation, CHO, 5 has been mentioned by her or her colleagues. The HSE and its funded disability partners will continue to provide therapeutic supports in line with the public health guidance and direction while also bearing in mind the availability of staffing resources. Some south-east community healthcare staff members, including speech and language therapists, were redeployed to the swabbing centres i…

Deputy Funchion is right about therapists. Budget 2021 included a commitment to recruit an additional 100 therapists. That number will include speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. I want to have fully staffed children network disability teams, of which there will be 91 throughout the country. However, there is no point in having leads if we do not have the therapists in place to make the interventions. Another aspect of this relates to the figures. A total of 382 children ar…