Latest news with #MaryButler
Irish Independent
15-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Record number of special schools sanctioned in Dublin for upcoming school year, cabinet to hear
Earlier this year, Ms McEntee sanctioned 400 additional special classes across the country for the 2025/2026 school year, which will create spaces for 2,700 children with special educational needs (SENs). Last month, Ms McEntee told the Dáil that while 92pc of children identified as in need of school place had been allocated one, Dublin remained a challenge. 'We have an outline of all the counties and where there are larger numbers, there are clear pathways. The challenge we still have - I do not think anybody has denied this - is with Dublin,' the minister said in June. Today, the minister will inform cabinet that 400 new special classes will be provided for the upcoming school year and of these, 98 will be in Dublin and will provide places for an additional 588 students. Ms McEntee will also tell cabinet her plans to sanction school places for September 2026, with the vast majority of new classes to be sanctioned by the end of December this year. This, the minister will tell colleagues, will give parents greater certainty before the academic year and also provide schools with more time to plan and establish those new classes. Cabinet will also be given an update on progress on the Education Therapy Service, which will see therapists working in special schools. The minister will inform cabinet that a recruitment campaign will begin soon to recruit both Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists for the service. These therapists will be recruited by the National Council for Special Education and will be offered the same terms and conditions as therapists working in the HSE. Meanwhile, Minister of State Mary Butler will inform cabinet that the compensation scheme put in place following the Maskey Report into specialist services in South Kerry Camhs. Published in 2022, the Maskey review examined the treatment of children attending Camhs in south Kerry and found the care received by 240 young people did not meet the standards it should have. While significant harm was caused to 46 children and young people, the review found. A state scheme was set up in the aftermath of the report, which has had a very high level of uptake, cabinet will be told. A total of 230 applications have been made to the scheme. Of 83 of these applications which have gone to mediation so far, 74 have concluded in settlement. The remainder of the applications are awaiting a determination or are adjourned and expected to resume. Ms Butler will tell cabinet that the scheme has meant that children and families have experienced a resolution without having to go through an adversarial court process. A separate review by Dr Collette Halpin into the care of children in North Kerry CAMHS is now being finalised and the Department of Health is awaiting the submission of the final report of that review.
Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Advocates call for 'key changes' to Mental Health Bill to protect the 'rights and dignity' of patients
It is not too late to make changes to the Mental Health Bill and offer better dignity to people with mental illnesses, advocates and legal experts have urged. The bill has now concluded final stages in the Dáil and goes before the Seanad in the autumn. Minister of state for mental health Mary Butler described the bill as the 'most comprehensive overhaul of mental health laws in 20 years'. She said it provided for the regulation of community mental health services — including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services — by the Mental Health Commission among other reforms. Human rights lawyer and lecturer in international disability law at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy in Galway, Janos Fiala-Butora, is one of many raising concerns. A key issue is the criteria for involuntary admission to psychiatric units, he said. 'Psychiatric patients differ from other patients in one important way. If other patients reject the treatment offered, doctors cannot enforce it on them against their will. They have to offer alternatives and make an effort to convince them,' he said. They do not have to do that in the field of mental health, because involuntary treatment is readily available. That is a huge power, which must be wielded responsibly. He described the debate on the bill in recent months as 'quite disappointing' in an article for the online journal Mad in Ireland. Having represented dozens of patients and interviewed hundreds, he said abolishing involuntary treatment was preferable, but acknowledged the lack of alternatives for patients in crisis. He argued it was 'unfair to doctors' to expect them to police this approach. 'Pretending that all psychiatric patients who are rejecting treatment are doing so because they lack capacity will not get us closer to discussing what the proper contours of that power should be,' he cautioned. Social Democrat TD and psychologist Liam Quaide raised concerns about how the bill was rushed through the Dáil, with many last-minute amendments. He warned rejection of amendments on a right to an independent advocate or an independent complaints mechanism was worrying for patients. An amendment to bring in a reference to chemical restraints was also rejected. 'This is a deeply troubling omission as the practice of administering powerful, temporarily disabling sedatives is common in psychiatric settings [and] has serious implications for bodily autonomy and personal liberty,' he said. He also highlighted 'significant changes' to provisions around involuntary treatment. Many of these concerns were echoed by Mental Health Reform, which set out recommendations on seven issues. It also noted limited Dáil scrutiny with concern. It warned of 'particularly troubling' consequences from changes, including widened criteria for involuntary treatment and allowing for involuntary treatment to begin without a capacity assessment. A doubling of time allowed for involuntary treatment from 21 to 42 days was introduced, it said, 'at a late stage'. Independent advocacy and complaints are 'essential to uphold the rights and dignity' of people in vulnerable situations and should be included, it said. It welcomed a reduction in time to review the bill from 10 to five years. Overall, however, it urged that "there is still an opportunity to introduce key changes that would significantly strengthen the bill".
Irish Examiner
14-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
South Kerry Camhs: Most children affected by over-prescribing now seek compensation
Almost all of the 240 children and young people found to have suffered as a result of over-prescribing in South Kerry mental health services (Camhs) have sought compensation. Mary Butler, the mental health minister, will tell Cabinet on Tuesday that, as of June this year, 230 applications had been made to the State compensation scheme set up in the wake of the Maskey report. Of 83 applications which have gone to mediation, 74 have concluded in settlement. Ms Butler will bring forward a memo detailing the deficits in care identified in the cases of the 240 young people attending services in South Kerry between July 2016 and April 2021. A separate lookback review into the care of children in North Kerry is being finalised by consultant psychiatrist Colette Halpin. New special classes Helen McEntee, the education minister, will update Cabinet on 400 new special classes to be provided in the coming school year while the vast majority of new special classes for September 2026 is expected to be sanctioned by the end of December 2025. Trade mission plan Peter Burke, the enterprise minister, will seek Cabinet approval to make a Team Ireland trade mission an annual event as part of market diversification plans. This year's mission to Canada will include key political meetings with prime minister Mark Carney. Future trade missions may include locations such as India, China, and the United Arab Emirates. State spending report Jack Chambers, the public expenditure minister, will tell Cabinet that State spending for the first half of 2025 is up on last year by 6.5% and capital expenditure up 22.5%. He will also note an allocation of €1.15bn from the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility, marking 38% of Ireland's overall allocation to date. Legal processes reform Jim O'Callaghan, the justice minister, will seek Cabinet approval for the general scheme of a bill to implement the Kelly report recommendations which would see further reforms in discovery, judicial review, and civil procedure in the courts and jurisdiction in the circuit and district courts. Mr O'Callaghan will also update ministers on draft amendments to personal injuries guidelines submitted by the Judicial Council which propose an across-the-board increase of 16.7% in compensation awards in line with inflation since 2021. Renewables proposal Darragh O'Brien, the transport and climate minister, will bring the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill, which will require suppliers of fossil fuels used for heat to demonstrate a proportion of the energy supplied is from a renewable source.
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New building catering for 1,000 extra students to transform SETU Waterford campus
Contracts have been concluded and signed for the commencement of construction of five new higher education buildings, including 'transformational' buildings for SETU Waterford and Carlow campuses. The new engineering, architecture, computing and general teaching building planned at SETU Waterford Campus will consist of undergraduate and postgraduate labs, general and specialised teaching space, learning resource spaces, administration space and ancillary space. The project is the largest in the Higher Education PPP Programme and the new building will increase capacity of SETU at Waterford by 1,000 students. Overall, the five new buildings are located in the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway and Letterkenny Campuses, South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford and Carlow Campuses and in the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Limerick Campus. Waterford Fianna Fáil Ministers of State, Mary Butler and James Lawless, and Fine Gael TD John Cummins, welcomed the news on Friday. The construction cost of the five buildings is around €380 million ex VAT, and will deliver an additional capacity for some 3,300 students. Deputy Cummins has said the conclusion and signing of the contract for the expansion of SETU marks a 'transformational moment' for higher education in Waterford. 'This is another significant day for Waterford." The expansion of SETU will see a step change in its capacity which will not only result in a growing student population but a wider opportunity for the south east region in terms of investment, jobs and innovation, he said. 'This project has been a top priority of mine and one which I said Government would deliver on. I'm really pleased to have worked extensively with my Government colleagues on this project which ultimately led to Cabinet approval in December. The final completion of the contracts now means that construction on this major project can commence. 'I know how important this PPP project is for students and staff across this region and I look forward to continuing to work with the leadership team at SETU led by Professor Veronica Campbell,' added Deputy Cummins. Government Chief Whip, Waterford TD Mary Butler, said, 'I have engaged repeatedly with Minister Lawless since he took office about the importance of commencement of this long-awaited engineering building. This announcement for SETU, follows Cabinet approval in December.' The Waterford TD said she believed it will encourage more students into the region, upon completion. 'This positive announcement is very welcome, following on from the successful bids for the two new programmes in Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy courses.' 'This significant capital programme demonstrates both Minister Lawless' and the Government's commitment to excellence across all our higher education institutions,' added Deputy Butler.
Irish Independent
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
US tech giant IBM to create 75 engineering jobs in Waterford
The new R&D operation in Waterford is conducting cutting-edge research for the IBM Z Mainframe, working in close collaboration with IBM's research and development teams across the world. The IBM Mainframe is a high-performance computer system designed for large-scale computing tasks, known for its reliability, scalability, and security in enterprise environments in particular financial transactions. Follow Independent Waterford on Facebook Waterford-based Health Minister Mary Butler explained more about IBM's plans. 'This operation is expected to grow to up to 75 new engineers over the next three years,' said Minister Butler. 'The IBM team will be collocated with Red Hat, their subsidiary in Waterford. The investment is supported by the Government through IDA Ireland. IBM assessed multiple locations in Ireland including Dublin and Cork for recent major investment before deciding on Waterford. 'To ensure the success of the site, IBM have advised that they are working in close partnership with the South East Technological University (SETU) on hiring and multiple training programmes with the support of IDA Ireland. 'The company have stated that their site in Waterford will be a significant contributor to the technology ecosystem in the south east region through its cutting edge research and highly skilled workforce. 'While meeting with Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD, IDA executive, Ronan Lenihan and Ross Mauri, general manager, IBM Z Infrastructure, I thanked them for their confidence in Waterford and we spoke about the wonderful work-life balance the local work force enjoys in a county uniquely located between the sea and the mountains, offering wonderful natural amenities on their doorstep. 'It was clear that IBM and the IDA clearly value Waterford as a location for investment and they have declared a huge vote of confidence in our county and its highly skilled workforce with these recent announcements. Hopefully the level of investment we are seeing will prompt further job announcements for Waterford in the near future.' Fine Gael TD and junior minister John Cummins met with IBM Ireland general manager Nathan Cullen along with Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke in recent days to discuss job creation in the south east. In addition to the expansion of research and development functions in Waterford, IBM are collaborating with the South East Technological University to develop a technical skills ecosystem, with a focus on mainframes and Linux, said Deputy Cummins. 'The Waterford software engineers will closely collaborate with IBM's research and development teams around the world, from designing processors and firmware to software development and advancing the Linux operating system. 'In recent days I met with IBM about their plans for job creation here in Waterford and I heard first-hand about the success the company is having in the county. 'This investment is a strong endorsement of the south east region's growing reputation as a hub for innovation and advanced technology and is a hugely positive development which underscores Ireland and Waterford's attractiveness as a location for businesses to invest in and to expand R&D operations. 'More jobs and further collaboration with SETU will have a positive knock-on effect for our communities, local businesses, education and attracts further investment in the south east. 'This is a really exciting opportunity and I want to commend IBM, IDA Ireland and Minister Burke for their work to deliver these new high-quality jobs I am looking forward to further announcements in the time ahead,' added Deputy Cummins.
