Private Members Bill 26th Sept

We had a debate in the Seanad this evening where some of the independent senators put forward a bill dealing with the provision of home nursing care for children with life-limiting illnesses. Some very moving and heart-warming stories.

Homophobic Bullying. What can we do to stop it?

Today I had the opportunity to speak on this very important issue in the Seanad when Minister Kathleen Lynch (Dept of Health) came to the chamber to speak on the subject, listen to statements and answer questions.
Please click on the link below

Speaking today in the Seanad on the Carlinn Hall issue

I had the opportunity to raise the issue of Carlinn Hall in the Seanad today during the Order of Business. I spoke about the plight of the residents and their attempts to get the issue dealt with. I also called for a debate on the problem of Ghost Estates. You can view my speech by clicking on the link below.

Winter fuel allowance

Winter Fuel Scheme – now is the time to apply: before the weather turns even colder!
The Winter Fuel Scheme is intended to help those who are unable to provide for their own heating needs.
The scheme operates for from October to April 
Details on who can qualify for this payment is at: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW17/Pages/9HowdoIapply.aspx
The basic rate of Fuel Allowance is 20euro per week
You should apply for the Fuel Allowance now as the allowance will not be backdated.
How to apply: Application forms are available online at: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Forms/Documents/nfs1.pdf ·
Applications are also available from your local Post Office
·
You can also Text "Form FUEL" followed by your name and address to 51909

Mary speaking today in the Seanad on the situation in Carlinn Hall Dundalk

Today I had an opportunity to raise the issue of the plight of the residents who are living in Carlinn Hall, Dundalk. This estate which promised to be a state- of -the-art, innovative, stylish and environmentally friendly place to live has turned into a living nightmare for the Humstons and the Sallys, the only residents in Carlinn Hall. Watch the video for a full description of how lives have been ruined and listen to Minister Fergus O Dowds reply.

President Higgins has a great day out in Co Louth

I was delighted to receive an invitation to Scoil Muire gan Smal in Kilsaran where President Michael D Higgins unveiled a Tree of Knowledge mural and visited the school's new special unit which caters for children with special needs. The school choir entertained the visitors with a selection of songs as Gaeilge and President Higgins was delighted to hear the children singing in Irish.

President Higgins travelled from Kilsaran to Dundalk where he visited Dundalk Youth Centre in Roden Place. Formerly The Appletree Foundation, the centre provides a space for young people to meet, and where they can access a wide range of services such as the youth café, creative workshops, leadership training and development. The President has a great affinity with young people and obviously enjoyed his visit. He was entertained by local rock band "Manifesto" and was presented with a painting as a memento of his visit. Congratulations to everyone involved, particularly Kevin Moran, Manager of Dundalk Youth Centre for making it such a wonderful occasion.

Thanks to Tony Kieran from Mary and Blackrock Special Olympics

This weekend a group of athletes from the Blackrock Special Olympics group headed off to Bundoran for an activity break. Tony Kieran very kindly provided

all the sausages and bacon for the breakfasts. Many thanks! We'll give an update on how the group got on soon.

Dundalk’s cycle lanes continue to present problems - Local - Dundalk Democrat

Dundalk’s cycle lanes continue to present problems - Local - Dundalk Democrat

SOSAD Suicide Awareness Week Events in Dundalk

I was privileged to participate in SOSAD's candlight ceremony in St Patrick's Cathedral Dundalk on Monday night. It was a moving and heart-warming gathering. Further events in Dundalk to mark Suicide Awareness week include: Pop-Up Art gallery at the Town Square Thursday 13th September @ 1pm, Fashion Show in Oriel Park Friday 14th September @ 8pm. Tickets €10 and a cocktail bar will be open from 7 pm. Saturday 15th September FREE open air concert 'Beat on d Street' @ 1pm at the Town Square.

Blackrock wins Bronze Medal in Tidy Towns Competition

Blackrock has just won its first bronze medal in the national Tidy Towns competition in the Helix! The village gained 5 points from last year. Congratulations to everyone involved - all the volunteers, The CE scheme, Louth County Council, Louth Leader Partnership, all the sponsors, and everyone in the village who helped in any way. Visit the Blackrock website on www.blackrockvillage.ie

Launch of Think Ahead Project in Co Louth today

 

 

 

Mary and Justice Catherine McGuinness

Mary Deery, Mary and Orla Murphy

 

 

Louth Labour Senator Mary Moran today warmly welcomed the “Think Ahead “Initiative at its launch in Drogheda today.

“I am honoured to have been involved with this initiative from the beginning and am delighted that Louth , the Age Friendly County was chosen as the Pilot County for the initiative before it is rolled out nationwide in 2013.

The idea behind Think Ahead is a simple yet very practical initiative. It is an excellent guide in preparing people for what may happen in the future. It affords people the opportunity to make end of life decisions and plan ahead well in advance. Sometimes difficult decisions are forced upon families following an accident or sudden death and sometimes people are not capable of making end of life decisions due to ill health. This initiative whichwas developed from a consultation process with the Irish Hospice Foundation and people throughout Ireland will allow people the opportunity to speak about their wishes and have them recorded.

Think Ahead will certainly relieve unnecessary stress and doubt when making end of life decisions or helping someone to make their wishes known. The motto for the initiative is Think, Talk and Tell allowing people to decide how they would like their wishes carried out, Inputs they would like into their funeral including Readings, music, Funeral arrangements and organ donation.

There are six sections in the form which will provide details on treatment in case of emergency, Care Preferences, Legal , Financial, private and Personal Wishes, and the Sharing of Information.

I would strongly encourage everyone to avail of this free initiative. Forms are available at my constituency office in williamson’s Mall Dundalk, and from Pharmacies throughout the county. Further details may be found on www.thinkahead.ie

World Suicide Prevention Week

Today, September 10^th is World Suicide Prevention Day. It is being marked around the world to highlight the continuing tragedy that suicide brings to the lives of so many people and sees the start of a week-long programme of events and promotions across the country.

According to the World Health Organisation, on average, almost 3,000 people kill themselves every day throughout the world: that’s about 1 million people every year. In Ireland, 525 people took their own lives last year, up from 486 in 2010 and for every person who takes their own life, 20 or more may attempt to kill themselves.

A newly published survey, conducted by St Patrick's University Hospital in Dublin, shows that lack of understanding of mental health problems is fuelling stigma and preventing people from accessing support. More than a fifth of the 300 people surveyed said they believed that those suffering from mental health problems are of below average intelligence. The survey found that 42% of respondents felt that undergoing treatment for a mental health problem is a sign of personal failure. It also found that 62% would discriminate against hiring someone with a history of mental illness on the grounds that they may be unreliable.

As a society we have to focus on breaking down the stigma associated with mental health issues and ensuring that those affected have access to quality recovery services that are right for the individual.

We are working to build a society where people embrace their mental health wellness and those with difficulties are treated with dignity and respect, and experience a service that offers them hope, a safe place and a positive future. The Labour Party in Government is committed to transforming Ireland’s Mental Health services as set out in A Vision for Change and many positive achievements have taken place already but there is still a long way to go.

I would encourage everyone to engage in Suicide Prevention Day throughout the week in whatever way they can: by supporting events and activities in their local area, or by making a donation, however small, to the many charities and voluntary organisations who are in great need of support.

In the North-East, SOSAD (save our sons and daughters) have a variety of events throughout the week including the launch of their new website at www.sosadireland.ie.

There will be an open air service for all victims of suicide in the Town Square, Dundalk at 8pm tonight with a candlelit vigil.

There will also be Candle vigils in Drogheda, Navan, Cavan, Carrickmacross, Ardee and Bailieborough at 8pm tonight.

New viewing telescope in Blackrock

Blackrock Tidy Towns have recently installed a new public telescope at the southern end of the promemade. The telescope will allow members of the public to observe the large variety of wading birds that feed on the shoreline, especially during the winter months, as well as the landscape of the Cooley peninsula and mountains opposite. The telescope is free to use, and includes a step so that children can use it as well as adults. The project was funded by Action for Biodiversity under project officer Abby McSherry.

 

National Pen Dundalk announces 250 new jobs

Delighted to hear today that National Pen is set to employ 250 extra people as they expand into their new facility.

 

“The European headquarters of National Pen has been located in Dundalk since 1987 and it has expanded from small beginnings to employing 255 permanent staff. Now the company is preparing to move into a fantastic new facility and will be taking on these extra 250 staff, firstly on a seasonal basis, with the expectation that many permanent contracts will be offered in the coming months. National Pen is a great example of a company with an ability to compete on a world-wide market in the traditional manufacturing sector, now servicing 19 countries across the globe. Dundalk has a very long history of excellence in manufacturing and it is very encouraging to see this tradition continuing with National Pen. Most of their business is done through mail order and they have over 1million active customers. I have had occasion to deal with National Pen recently as a customer and I can say that the customer service, quality, competitiveness and quick supply of the product was really excellent.  I wish the company every success in their expansion plans and hope that this sends a message of encouragement to other potential investors in manufacturing in the area”.

www.labour.ie

Senator criticises RTÉ decision not to broadcast Games live on TV

RTÉ’S DECISION not to show the Paralympics live has been described as “bitterly disappointing” by Labour’s disability spokeswoman Senator Mary Moran.

Ms Moran, who has a child with an intellectual disability, said she was “absolutely shocked” that Saturday’s athletics, at which Ireland won two gold medals, was not shown live on RTÉ. She also criticised the scheduling of the highlights programmes which are being shown late at night.

“While RTÉ’s live coverage of the Games in London in August, and in particular the attention surrounding Katie Taylor’s outstanding boxing performances gave the country a very welcome boost, I am disappointed that the same cannot be said of the coverage for the Paralympic Games,” she said.

“Indeed, coverage of our national performances in the Games over the weekend, which saw Ireland secure three gold medals in three hours on Saturday, was limited to half an hour’s highlights and was televised late at night.”

The Senator has written to RTÉ director general Noel Curran complaining about the coverage. She has also appealed to RTÉ to revise its schedule for the rest of the week and show live Paralympic action.

Others have complained too on social media blogs and particularly RTÉ Sport’s Facebook page.

Though RTÉ is a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) which secured the rights to show the Games and would have been able to show them live, it has opted instead to show eight half-hour highlights programmes.

Comprehensive coverage of the Paralympics live is being shown on Setanta, though it is does not have exclusive access to the coverage.

Setanta marketing director Brian Quinn said the rights were secured on a non-exclusive basis and they were showing the Games because they believed they should be shown live.

“We are showing them on a free-to-air basis because we want as many fans as possible to see live Irish coverage. In Beijing there was no live coverage for Irish fans so our 73 live hours plus highlights is a huge step forward.”

A statement from RTÉ defended its coverage. RTÉ said in addition to its television coverage it was screening 450 hours live on RTÉ.ie. The broadcaster pointed out that RTÉ has 15 people in London working across television, radio and news.

It also said much of the action happens late into the evening and the production team needs time to turn the programme around.

RTÉ also said it has been covering the Paralympics since 2000 and its coverage this year is 30 per cent up on Beijing.

Channel 4, which won the exclusive rights to the Paralympics ahead of the BBC, has announced that it is extending its coverage because of strong ratings. Some 4.5 million people watched the T44 (for amputees) 200m men’s final on Sunday night which featured South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius who was controversially beaten by Brazil’s Alan Oliveira.

Channel 4 will now broadcast daily from 7am to 11.15pm with just a half an hour break for the Channel 4 News at 7pm.

Why no Paralympics on RTE?

It is fantastic to see our National Paralympic team perform so well, winning four Gold three silver and a team bronze over the weekend and securing a top 10 place in the overall medal table for the games. Jason Smyth in the T13 100m and Michael Mc Killop in the T37 800m won gold on the athletic field and also set new world records in their respective races while Darragh Mc Donald and Bethany Firth both secured gold in the swimming pool. Cyclists Catherine Walsh and Fran Meehan secured silver on the cycling track and Helen Kearney received silver in individual dressage equestrian event and ensured a bronze medal for the team event. The courage and determination of all the athletes whether or not they are medal winners is inspirational to watch. However I am bitterly disappointed that RTE is not providing live coverage of the games featuring the Irish athletes. While RTE’s live coverage of the games in London in August, and in particular the attention surrounding Katie Taylor’s outstanding boxing performances gave the country a very welcome boost, I am disappointed that the same cannot be said of the coverage for the Paralympic games. Indeed coverage of our national performances in the games over the weekend, which saw Ireland secure three gold medals in three hours on Saturday was limited to half an hour’s highlights and was televised late at night. Similar sporadic coverage is due to be aired during the week with RTE 2 showing only a half an hour’s highlights of the games in the evening and indeed no coverage of the games by RTE is scheduled at all for either Tuesday or Thursday. I would appeal to RTE to revise their intended viewing schedule of the Irish performances at the Paralympic games. This would afford the country the opportunity to witness the determination and bravery of our paralympians who have overcome their disabilities, and trained long and hard to achieve success in securing their place on the National team and are wonderful ambassadors not just for sport and courage but also for their country.

Clontygora Court residents unveil plaque celebrating 10 years

I was delighted to join with the residents of Clontygora Court in Muirhevnamor on Friday unveiled a bronze plaque celebrating the 10th anniversary or the opening of Clontygora Court by the Cluid Housing Association.
The specially designed bronze plaque was commissioned by the residents association from local sculptor Sandra Bell, whose work is well known throughout Ireland and abroad. Sandra's design for the plaque reflects the English meaning of the ancient Irish word "Clontygora"- the meadows of the goats.