Stroke services and Syria
Senator Devine thanked Senator Ó Clochartaigh for the stroke presentation and then condemned the humanitarian catastrophe in eastern Ghouta, praising medical and aid workers. The Chair intervened to prevent identification of a named company and person while she also commended an emotional education software company.
I thank Senator Ó Clochartaigh for organising this morning's presentation by Martin Quinn about stroke victims in Ireland. His story has been inspiring to us and he highlighted the lack of services.
In Syria, eastern Ghouta has become a hell on earth with 300 people killed in the past four days. Seven hospitals have been bombed and there is deliberate targeting of civilians. It is a hell on earth. I pay tribute to the true modern-day heroes, the doctors and nurses who are overwhelmed and cannot save everybody. I also commend the Red Cross and Médecins sans Frontières. We need a humanitarian truce and a lasting peace settlement.
Stephanie O'Malley is the CEO of Education Desty. She worked in educational and child psychology services for 15 years.
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-----app that helps to develop children's emotional education. It supports children with additional challenges. She has said that children live happier and better lives when they are offered a chance to develop social and emotional competencies, and they can do this online with this software. As shown in the Joint Committee on Future of Mental Health Care, we realise academia is, of course, important, but the most important is the building of resilience and self-confidence in our children. It is specifically targeted at that. I commend the company and its CEO.
The mother of a friend of mine was seriously brain injured following a fall. She had speech therapy once every two weeks, but it needed much more than that. Her daughter, driven by the need to protect and help her mother with the speech therapy, videotaped the speech therapist who said the same thing week in and week out. She watched that video on a daily basis. I am not suggesting replacing speech therapists with online stuff, but it has been helpful. The HSE needs to make greater use of technology, positively promoting and improving people's lives.