Speaking today on Seanad Reform.

Anti-trafficking Day is marked today.

I was delighted to join with members of the Immigrant Council of Ireland in releasing 48 red balloons outside Leinster House to mark Anti Trafficking Day.

The Global Slavery Index published yesterday, shows that up to 340 people are living in slavery in Ireland.
The index finds that the most prevalent form of trafficking in Ireland is for sexual exploitation, with the victims mostly being women and girls.
The ICI said this has highlighted the need for urgent political action including laws aimed at ending demand for sex-trafficking.
More than 800 women are for sale online every day and 43 trafficking victims were found in 2012, of which 23 were children. Pimps and traffickers take up to €250 million a year from our communities.
The Justice Commission recommendations published in June favour laws against sex buyers. Hopefully we will soon see legislation on this matter.

Speaking in the Seanad in the debate on Budget 2014

Budget 2014 is Pro-Student and Pro-Education

Budget 2014 has 10 positive proposals  for the education sector which will lift a major burden off families and students.  

I would first like to welcome the recruitment of up to 2,800 additional teachers in 2013 and 2014.  This announcement is two-fold, it not only benefits our young schoolchildren but also those teachers who have recently graduated or will be graduating in the coming year. This announcement is designed to specifically protect the pupil-teacher ratio which Minister Howlin announced would not increase for ANY school next year.  

It was announced that there would be €15m allocated over 3 years for a book rental scheme available to every primary school in the country. This programme will see a massive back to school burden being lifted off hard-pressed families.  I and the Labour Party have fully supported a book rental scheme for some time and I am delighted to see money being allocated to it today.  

In the area of special education, the €1.3bn allocated to special education has been protected again and there has been a further allocation of €33m to this area.  The special education sector received a further boost in this budget in the area of recruitment.  It has been announced that one-third of those teachers recruited will be resource teachers.

The education budget also allocates €9m to continue rolling out the literacy and numeracy strategy, as well as continuing the commitment of €47m to replacing prefabs.  The roll-out of broadband in our schools will continue to push on across the country and DEIS schools have been unequivocally protected.  Finally, in the area of Higher Education maintenance grants for students have been left untouched.

Pre-budget submissions from Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin were lacking in this area.  As I noted previously, there has been an additional investment of €33m to support children with special educational needs. The Fianna Fáil pre-budget submission indicated that they would increase the investment in this area to €23.5m while Sinn Féin made NO allowance for an increase in resource teachers. Minister Quinn and Minister Howlin managed to allocate an additional €33m to this extremely important area while the opposition seems to have given it very little thought.

“The above measures prove that this Budget is pro-student and pro-education.  The Labour Party and Minister Quinn will continue to provide viable options to difficult problems and work within the present financial constraints.  No decision in Budget 2014 was easy but I am delighted to see that input from myself and my colleagues has been included in these education decisions.  I do believe this is a good day for education and educators in the country but as with so much as else - there is more work to do.

Minister Quinn announces increased funding for Anti-Bullying Training Programme for parents

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., is making an additional 20,000euro available for the Anti-Bullying Parent Training Programme for parents. This is on top of the 40,000euro announced for the programme last month.
The 60,000euro is being allocated to the National Parents’ Councils (Primary and Post-Primary) to provide training sessions for parents in how to deal with this serious issue. The two and a half hour sessions are designed to support parents and their children with issues of bullying and to inform them about new Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary schools published by the Department of Education and Skills in September.

The National Parents’ Council (Primary and Post-Primary) initially planned to provide 70 training sessions between now and the end of the year. But in light of the strong demand from parents to this initiative the Minister is making further funds available for 115 of these training sessions to allow greater numbers of parents to attend.

Making the announcement, Minister Quinn said: “I am delighted to make this additional funding available, to meet the high demand expressed by parents in this training.

“Whilst we are all aware of how constrained our national resources are at the moment, this is a fantastic example of how we can still reach out and really help students. Parents have a hugely important role to play in tackling bullying and these sessions will give them the tools they may need to do this.”

The National Parents Council (Primary and Post Primary) is also developing an information leaflet for parents who attend the training sessions which will also be available on their websites.

Speaking in the Seanad on Wednesday on the motion regarding Irish Sign Language

 

Oct 10th is World Mental Health Day.

Why not pay a visit to the Art Exhibition in Dundalk's Museum presented by Dundalk Positive Mental Health Forum.
Open daily until Saturday 12th October

Because I am a Girl: Plan Ireland helps children in the world's poorest countries

PLAN is a global children’s charity. They work with children in the world’s poorest countries to help them build a better future. A future you would want for all children, your family and friends. For over 75 years they’ve been taking action and standing up for every child’s right to fulfil their potential.

Friday October 11th is the INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL.

Plan Ireland are launching their new fundraising campaign and they want you to be the first to shout this from the rooftops and help to change the story for girls across the developing world.

What can you do?
 Go to http://changeherstory.becauseiamagirl.ie/ 

·         Find a girl like you

·         Share with friends

·         Set the change in motion

 

By doing this you, along with Laura Whitmore, Cherie Blair, Frieda Pinto, Marcia Cross, Kate Nash and thousands of women and girls worldwide are giving girls in the developing world a voice. And with your voice they are starting to be heard. They want an education, they don’t want to marry as child brides, or walk for miles to fetch water.

 

You are an agent of change. And by getting this message out there you are helping girls in the developing world to become their own agent of change and start the most important cycle in the world today. And when this change starts it will be unstoppable.

 

 

 

  Plan's work is linked to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which spells out the human rights of all children, including their right to:

• survive
• develop to the fullest
• be protected from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation
• participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

Listening to what children have to say about their rights, needs and concerns is key to this approach. They encourage and help children to take an active role in finding solutions to their problems and realising their full potential.

Plan Ireland

126 Lower Baggot Street

Dublin 2

 T:       + 353 (0)1 6599 601

 

M:     + 353 (0)86 1720369

www.plan.ie

www.becauseiamagirl.ie

 

 

PayPal seeks further staff for Dundalk operation

PayPal, which opened for business in the Xerox Business Park in Dundalk eighteen months ago has already employed 250 people. Vice president of the company Louise Phelan confirmed this week that that they are recruiting more employees during the month of October. The good news is that the current recruitment specifies English speakers for their customer support service. Many of the positions previously advertised had specified a foreign language requirement which had proved a stumbling block for many potential job seekers.
Anyone seeking information on the jobs available can check out the PayPal website or email dundalkrecruitment@paypal.com

Launch of Art Exhibition by Dundalk Positive Mental Health Forum

A wonderful evening was had by all who attended the opening of the Art Exhibition in the County Museum on Tuesday evening. Dundalk Positive Mental Health Forum invited exhibitors to submit their art works, paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs with the theme of "Positive Mental Health" and the result is a stunning collection of exhibits which have been displayed in the lovely surroundings of the museum.
I was delighted to welcome representatives from organisations which provide support in the field of Mental Health in the Dundalk area including GROW, SHINE, SOSAD, HSE, Dundalk Outcomers, Dundalk Counselling Services and An Garda Síochána. Cllr Eamon O Boyle represented Dundalk Town Council in his role as Chairperson.
The exhibition was officially opened by Mr Stephen Kenny, manager of Dundalk FC who was clearly impressed by the variety and quality of the exhibits. He commended all those who had put such time and effort into their artistic expression and spoke about the importance of people setting goals and achieving them in all walks of life.
The exhibition runs until this Saturday, Oct 12th and is open to the public.

 

Stephen Kenny to open Art Exhibition for Mental Health Week Tues Oct 8th @5pm in Dundalk Museum