Today I’m addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s annual Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The theme of the Conference is “The role of youth in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation”. I will be speaking on measures that can be taken by Members of Parliament to improve policies in the promotion of …
New research shows over 5% of adults actively living with symptoms of long COVID
HSE figures show long COVID patients wait 15 weeks for a clinical appointment New polling data released today has found that more than one in every twenty adults in Ireland are actively living with self-reported symptoms of long COVID. The data is based on a survey commissioned by Independent TD Denis Naughten and conducted by leading polling company Ireland …
Long COVID has potential to place significant burden on our healthcare services
I asked my colleagues in the Oireachtas Library & Research Service to update a previous research paper that I received on long COVID to get an updated understanding of the definition, incidence, and healthcare issues surrounding long COVID. The sad reality is that the symptoms of long COVID can not only last for months but even years and can include …
Patients now waiting 15 weeks for first long Covid appointment – Naughten
2,740 patients referred for specialist long Covid care Patients are now waiting an average of 15 weeks to access long Covid clinics in hospitals across the country, with the longest wait of 35 weeks for patients trying to access the clinic at Tallaght Hospital. Symptoms of long Covid include fatigue and brain fog, which are experienced at least three …
Taoiseach backs proposal to address vacancies in children’s disability services – Naughten
Proposals from Denis Naughten TD that would see innovative recruitment of therapists to work evenings and weekends in children’s disability services has received the support of the Taoiseach. The Dáil heard this week from Denis Naughten TD that the HSE must introduce flexible working contracts to attract therapists to the almost 800 vacancies that currently exist across children’s disability services. …
90 seconds of additional home help support per day causing crisis – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten told the Dáil this week that the reason nearly 6,500 people are waiting for home help hours is because just an additional 37 minutes have been allocated to each primary care network. “This means that, in reality, there is about 90 seconds of additional home help per day available to meet the needs of older people …
6,432 waiting for home support care: Dáil to debate home care crisis – Naughten
The Dáil will this week debate the urgent need to address the crisis in home care support with almost 6,500 people on a waiting list to access support, including some individuals who are currently stuck in hospital beds claims Denis Naughten TD. On Wednesday morning the Regional Group of TDs will move a Dáil motion highlighting the critical state of …
Artificial Intelligence or AI seldom gets good press
Artificial Intelligence or AI seldom gets good press; take the examples of ChatGPT which has been banned in many Universities across the world due to the potential for student plagiarism or the controversy surrounding the Hollywood writers’ strike calling it a “plagiarism machine”. There has also been concerns about the potential of Deepfakes to misrepresent reality by manipulating media by …
Today is World Environment Day 2023
How does plastic pollution affect us? An estimated 19 to 23 million tonnes of plastic leak into aquatic ecosystems annually. Plastic pollution has devastating effects on a wide array of organisms in our seas, rivers, and on land. Marine litter harms more than 800 species. More than 90 per cent of all birds and fish are believed to have plastic particles in their stomachs. The effects …
Further blow to disabled drivers – Naughten
Disabled drivers and passengers are facing a further setback after it was revealed to Denis Naughten TD that the National Rehabilitation Hospital is to withdraw from its role in the Primary Medical Certificate appeals process. This compounds problems already experienced for those trying to obtain the certificate following the blanket resignation of the appeals board, which effectively meant the vast …