(883,'Special Report: ’He started to beat me hard. He told me I will break your face’','<p>\r\n	Hoping for a new life away from Poland, Anna Bubula&rsquo;s dream was quickly shattered writes Michael Clifford.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The episode with the knife chilled Anna Bubula, but worse was to come. She was alone in the apartment with him, this man who had brought her to a distant and strange town under false pretences. The weekend had started out suspicious but steadily grew into something approaching terror. Then, at the height of it, he produced a knife.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He tells me he wants to kill me and he took a knife from the kitchen and plays with it. He offers me the knife and asks me to kill him. The episode with the knife passed. I do not know what happened to the knife.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Having dispensed with the weapon, the man resorted to his fists. &ldquo;He started to beat me very hard. He punched me very hard in the face. Every time he hits me he says, &lsquo;I will break your face. I will change you&rsquo;. He tells me nobody can have you. &lsquo;I kill you&rsquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He hit me several times and tells me this. His phone rang and I picked it up and I say, &lsquo;please, please help me&rsquo;. The next thing I remember was seeing a garda and an ambulance.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna may have thought her nightmare was over, once she set eyes on representatives of the law and medical services. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An investigation has recently been launched by the garda&iacute;, and the HSE are following up a complaint to determine what exactly happened to Anna Bubula on that weekend and all that flowed from it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	STARTING OVER</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna Babula (her maiden name) is a Polish national and mother of two adult children. By 2005, her marriage had broken down, and she emigrated to Ireland looking for a fresh start while her divorce was going through.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She arrived here in February that year, just 15 months before the incident at issue here. A family friend from home lived in Galway so she decided to settle in the city.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her attempt to start out anew, at 38, did not go according to plan. Back in Poland, she had worked as an agricultural technician, but her very weak grasp of English meant opportunities were limited.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She worked at a few different casual jobs, and managed to make a number of good friends. However, she keenly felt the fallout from the divorce. Her mental state was fragile at times, a disposition noticed by her landlord.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He recommended that she attend Sister Consillo&rsquo;s rehab centre in the city to get treatment for depression. She was admitted in mid-March 2006.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her landlord, who was spoken to for this article but who wishes to remain anonymous, got involved in Anna&rsquo;s case for the entirely altruistic motive of helping out somebody he regarded as highly vulnerable.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the rehab centre, she encountered a man whom we will refer to as Canice, which is not his name. Canice is from the west of Ireland and was being treated for alcohol addiction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The two are roughly the same age and became friendly. Canice told Anna he worked in a small business in his home town and there was plenty of work there. Anna is adamant that there was nothing romantic or sexual in their friendship. This would later become an issue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After a three-week stay in the centre, Anna went home. By then Canice had also returned to his home town. Before he left the centre, Canice gave Anna his mother&rsquo;s phone number, and conveyed the impression the business where he worked was owned by his family.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She rang Canice&rsquo;s mother who told her to get the bus up and she would collect her at the nearest big town. As a stranger in a strange land, Anna hadn&rsquo;t abandoned all caution. She left details of where she was going, and the contact numbers with both her landlord and her friends.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She travelled on Friday, April 21, 2006, and was met off the bus by Canice and his mother. They travelled to Canice&rsquo;s apartment in the town. He told Anna he had work arranged for her and she would start on Monday. Soon after that, his mother left, and Canice brought Anna out for a few drinks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	ASSAULT</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After returning from the pub, Anna slept on a mattress on the floor of the second bedroom in the apartment that night. The next morning, she walked into the living room, and there was Canice, drinking cans of beer with another man, and the day barely under way.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I say to Canice, &lsquo;Why start your day drinking?&rsquo;&rdquo; she later told garda&iacute;. &ldquo;I went back to my room and started to pack my clothes. I was deciding to leave as I had a bad feeling about things. Canice told me he was sorry and would change.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Soon after, they ate a meal, but Canice appeared to be quite drunk. &ldquo;He became very angry, shouting and was crazy, pegging the food everywhere.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I became terrified and told him I was going back to Galway and I started to collect my bag and phone. He took my belongings from me and started shouting and cursing.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His friend told Anna that his own girlfriend was Polish and lived in the town. By now, Anna was nervous about where things were going. Canice&rsquo;s friend told her she could go to stay with his girlfriend.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She spent Saturday night in this other woman&rsquo;s house, but because Canice had taken her phone, she was unable to contact her friends.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The next morning when I awoke, I was terrified to see Canice standing in the living room where I slept. He was saying sorry and I jumped out of the bed and left the house running in the direction of the hotel and I asked where was the bus stop.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He followed her, and told her that everything was fine now and she could have her phone and belongings back. They returned to his apartment, where, some time later, he locked the door and refused to let her leave.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I kept talking and shouting to him to open the door and he was like a crazy man and kept ignoring me,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He started following me everywhere I went in the house including following me into the bathroom. He then caught and dragged me into a bedroom and started to assault me, striking me on the face with his fists and sexually assaulting me.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna later gave a detailed account of the sexual assault, for which she has received extensive counselling in a rape crisis centre. Her ordeal persisted through the night into the next day, Monday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	During the course of the assault, Canice allegedly attempted to force her to drink alcohol.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He got a bottle of vodka and forced the bottle into my mouth, which was hurting my mouth, jaws, and face. I kept trying to keep my mouth closed and he kept pushing the bottle and the vodka down my neck and I began getting sick and vomiting.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The television was on at all times and early on Monday morning he allowed me to sit on the couch. I was terrified and shaking and felt numb. He started touching and kissing me again.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I kept pushing him away, crying, and asking him to let me go home. He said he was going to the shop outside to get bread for breakfast.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Once he left, Anna saw her opportunity. She grabbed her bag and flung open the door. Canice was standing there and he pushed her back in, threw her on the floor, and assaulted her again. It was following this incident that the knife was produced. The knife was put to her throat.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;When I tried to push the knife from my neck, I cut my hand. I kept pushing him back. I was completely numb and believed this was the end of my life and thinking of my children and family.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She ended up on the floor again, her assailant flailing away at her, when she heard his mobile phone ring nearby. She grabbed the phone. &ldquo;I hit the buttons and shouted help, and said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m going to be killed&rsquo;. I don&rsquo;t know what happened after that.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	RESCUE</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	What is known is that she was brought to a local medical centre. A note on her attendance states: &ldquo;Brought to my surgery by garda.&rdquo; The note records: &ldquo;Patient appears intoxicated and refuses to give me information.&rdquo; Anna, it should be noted, had &mdash; and to a certain extent still has &mdash; relatively poor English. Any reference to how she might have presented must take into account what she had just been through.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Either way, the doctor felt her injuries were so severe that she should be transported by ambulance to Sligo General Hospital. The notes for the ambulance dispatch record that the ambulance arrived at 4.08pm and left with her seven minutes later.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The record states: &ldquo;Patient involved in domestic dispute; severe swelling to left side of face, eye, nose, mouth. Unstable on feet. Patient very aggressive. Garda&iacute; present. Unable to carry out any OBS (observation) due to patient&rsquo;s condition.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The records at Sligo General Hospital are of a similar nature. It&rsquo;s recorded that Anna was suffering &ldquo;facial injuries sustained from boyfriend&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The note also includes: &ldquo;Pt (patient) BIBA (brought in by ambulance) following a call from gardai. Pt and friend presented to GP following domestic assault.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her injuries are laid out. &ldquo;Facial injuries large hartoma to L (left) eye, nasal swelling, upper and lower lips swollen, abdo (abdominal) pain, teeth and gum pain, multiple bruising to upper limbs. States boyfriend was &lsquo;forced to drink vodka&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The last sentence was perhaps meant to convey that Anna stated she was &ldquo;forced to drink vodka&rdquo;, an allegation she has been completely consistent about since she first uttered it in a highly traumatised state.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A more detailed note taken at 5.30pm stated: &ldquo;Assaulted by boyfriend&hellip; today pt was forced to drink alcohol, assaulted &mdash; hit in the face, head, then also raped.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Later that evening, at 7.20pm, a medical note taken stated. &ldquo;Pt reported to Dr has been sexually assaulted.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There is no record of Anna having ever been examined for sexual assault, or the possibility that she had been subjected to such an assault being further investigated or recorded in the hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna is perplexed that the man who assaulted her was repeatedly referred to as her &ldquo;boyfriend&rdquo;. While she remembers little, she is adamant that under no circumstances would she have ever referenced him as such. Also, it is entirely unclear who the &ldquo;friend&rdquo; recorded as being present was.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna was treated for her injuries in the hospital. By then, her friends and landlord back in Galway had become anxious about her welfare.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They hadn&rsquo;t heard from her since the previous Thursday. The landlord phoned the Garda station in the town and was told of a &ldquo;domestic incident&rdquo; following which a Polish woman had been brought to Sligo.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The landlord and one of Anna&rsquo;s friends drove to the hospital, where they encountered a shocking sight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She was in an awful state,&rdquo; the landlord told the Irish Examiner. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d never seen any boxer coming out of a ring worse than her. She was as bad as I ever saw any face. I brought her back to Galway.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Following her treatment for facial injuries in Sligo, Anna had to receive further treatment in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, and St James&rsquo;s in Dublin. She has also received extensive and ongoing treatment in the Galway Rape Crisis centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	INVESTIGATION</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; did not source an interpreter for Anna. Only on the eve of the final court date did her counsellor ensure one would be present.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report published last November by the Garda Inspectorate into criminal investigations had particular mention for how sexual violence offences and domestic violence were treated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inspectorate found that some sexual assault cases were recatagorised as assaults and domestic violence incidents were recorded as &ldquo;non crimes&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This case was not examined by the inspectorate, but there are disturbing elements that reinforces the inspectorate&rsquo;s view.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The medical records confirm a garda had attended the scene of the crime. It is unclear whether this officer was responsible for conveying the impression that what had occurred was a &ldquo;domestic&rdquo; incident.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One way or the other, it was obvious that Anna had been subjected to &mdash; at the very least &mdash; a very serious assault. There is no record of Canice having been arrested as a result or questioned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	No interpreter was sourced by the garda&iacute; in the immediate aftermath of the incident, despite Anna quite obviously having limited English. No effort appears to have been made on behalf of the force to investigate a very serious assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There is no record of the recording of an alleged sexual assault, or &ldquo;rape&rdquo; in the hospital being conveyed to the garda&iacute; for further investigation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The whole incident may well have blown over if Anna &mdash; assisted by friends &mdash; hadn&rsquo;t pursued it. A few days after the incident, one of her friends took photographs of her injuries, which are reproduced here. Her landlord phoned the Garda station in Canice&rsquo;s home town, asking what was happening with regard to the assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was told Anna would have to make a statement. Without that intervention by the landlord, it&rsquo;s unlikely anything would have occurred in pursuit of justice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The landlord then drove Anna to the town to report the incident and give a statement. The statement was taken by a uniformed garda with no assistance from either an interpreter or a detective.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The statement is written in broken English, and does not contain details like the sexual assault or any efforts to pour vodka into her mouth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The landlord could not understand why an interpreter hadn&rsquo;t been resourced. &ldquo;Her English wasn&rsquo;t great, you&rsquo;d need to sit with her a while to have any idea what she was really saying,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After that, the criminal justice system took its course. On the day she gave the Garda statement, Anna also provided a note giving garda&iacute; permission to seek her medical records in relation to the assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was no attempt in the course of the investigation to obtain the records. Ten months later, in March 2007, a letter was dispatched from the investigating garda to the medical records department of University College Hospital in Galway seeking the records.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The garda wrote that &ldquo;the director of public prosecutions has directed me to obtain the medical report&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In other words, it was only after the file had been submitted to the DPP and reviewed in that office that there was any attempt to investigate the extent of the injuries suffered by the victim.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Eventually, Canice was charged with assault causing harm. He pleaded guilty. As a result, the district court judge accepted jurisdiction. If the plea had been &ldquo;not guilty&rdquo;, the case would most likely have been forwarded to the circuit court for hearing before a jury.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The case came up three times in the district court. On each occasion, Anna was contacted by phone the previous evening and told about the pending hearing. Each time, she had to make her own hasty arrangements to travel over 95km the following morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On the evening prior to the final court appearance in 2009, she was attending the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. When she explained what was happening, the counsellor ensured she would be accompanied by an interpreter the following day. This was the first time she was properly aware of what was going on in the courtroom.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court was told that the victim had been compensated. In fact, just prior to that day&rsquo;s proceedings, a man approached and placed an envelope in her lap. It contained &euro;5,000 in cash. Canice gave evidence briefly in his own defence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One issue that arose was evidence of a bite to Anna&rsquo;s arm. When asked why he had bitten Anna, he allegedly replied that she had hit him with a saucepan. The judge imposed a non-custodial sentence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Since then, Anna Bubula has been dogged by post-traumatic symptoms that are common among the victims of sexual or extreme violence. She has been admitted to psychiatric facilities on a number of occasions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her overriding wish is that she receives some form of justice for what she sees as a vicious physical and sexual assault that ruined her life, and largely went unanswered in the criminal justice system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among those working on her behalf is PJ McEvoy, the former general secretary and president of the Prison Officers Association.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The extent of the brutal rape and assault on this lady is one of the worst cases I can recall in my period associated with the criminal justice system,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;All women who suffer such horrific crimes must have the full support of the State and the criminal justice system.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the course of investigating this case, a number of allegations surfaced purporting to offer reasons why there appeared to be a complete disregard for the investigation of an assault on a vulnerable, displaced woman by a native of the town where it occurred.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	None of these allegations could be substantiated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/columnists/michael-clifford/special-report-he-started-to-beat-me-hard-he-told-me-i-will-break-your-face-308890.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/columnists/michael-clifford/special-report-he-started-to-beat-me-hard-he-told-me-i-will-break-your-face-308890.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-01-26 11:00:50',NULL,'special-report-’he-started-to-beat-me-hard-he-told-me-i-will-break-your-face’'),(884,'Inquiry hears witness left suicidal after alleged care home abuse','<p>\r\n	Inquiry hears witness left suicidal after alleged care home abuse</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nuns, described as &lsquo;sadistic&rsquo;, deny claims of physical abuse at Nazareth Lodge in Belfast</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A man who was put into a Belfast care home when he was six has alleged at the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry that he suffered physical abuse from &ldquo;sadistic nuns&rdquo; which ultimately left him in a suicidal and enraged state.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man was taken from his parents who were both alcoholics and put into the care of the Sisters of Nazareth in 1982 with his older brother at Nazareth Lodge in Belfast in 1982, the inquiry in Banbridge, Co Down was told on Monday. A younger brother and sister who were also taken into care were fostered, the inquiry heard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man claimed that he suffered various forms of cruelty at the home. The nuns have apologised to all who suffered abuse in their care but have denied specific allegations that the witness made to the inquiry.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inquiry, which was set up in 2013 to investigate alleged child abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period up to 1995, is currently examining abuse claims at Narareth House and Nazareth Lodge in Belfast. In all 13 institutions are being investigated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The witness said he was at Nazareth Lodge from the age of six up to when he was nearly 10. He said he was &ldquo;force fed&rdquo; by the nuns and that once when he got sick he was forced to clean up the mess.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said on one occasion a nun told him, &ldquo;You will never see your mother and father again&rdquo;, which caused him extreme distress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that in Nazareth Lodge children were instructed to sleep on their backs with their arms folded in order to &ldquo;get us ready for God&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the nuns were &ldquo;sadistic people&rdquo;, adding that on one occasion he saw a boy being &ldquo;slapped in the face, punched in the head and kicked in the ribs&rdquo; by a particular nun.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The witness said that on one occasion he said &ldquo;f... you&rdquo; to one of the nuns which resulted in his being put into a &ldquo;dark room&rdquo;. He ended up in this room &ldquo;ten to 12 times&rdquo; where he would be held on each occasion for &ldquo;4 to 5 hours&rdquo;. These experiences left him hysterical, he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also said that on bath nights boys and sometimes girls were lined up naked before being bathed. He recounted a nun saying, &ldquo;Stay still little children, we are here to wash the sins out of you.&rdquo; He said children were washed in cold water and Jeyes fluid, and that carbolic soap was also used.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said that since that time he has never had a bath, preferring to shower. He also said that one time he jumped out of the window of the bathroom and injured his ankle in the fall.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Sisters of Nazareth in statements said they had no recollection of the dark room and that he could not have jumped out of the bathroom window without being much more seriously injured, as it was four storeys high. They also denied the allegations of general physical abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The witness said he was telling the truth. He said his experiences left him a very enraged and aggressive person. He described one time when a black Labrador growled at him that he beat the dog to death.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also told the inquiry that he tried to take his own life seven times. He said he took medication to keep him calm.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I was let down by society and I still feel let down,&rdquo; added the witness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/inquiry-hears-witness-left-suicidal-after-alleged-care-home-abuse-1.2079877\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/inquiry-hears-witness-left-suicidal-after-alleged-care-home-abuse-1.2079877</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-01-27 05:00:00',NULL,'inquiry-hears-witness-left-suicidal-after-alleged-care-home-abuse'),(885,'Fiona Doyle: ‘I’m not a victim any more, I’m a survivor’','<p>\r\n	Abusive father gets 9 years in jail, after appeal on lenient sentence</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a victim any more, I&rsquo;m now a survivor and that makes all the difference.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	That was how Fiona Doyle reacted after her father, Patrick O&rsquo;Brien, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with the final three suspended, following a finding by the Court of Appeal that his original sentence was too lenient.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Asked if she felt justice had finally been served, Ms Doyle said: &ldquo;Yes, big time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long road, it&rsquo;s been hard, it&rsquo;s had its ups and downs, but we got through it.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She told reporters after yesterday&rsquo;s hearing: &ldquo;Can you see my face? Isn&rsquo;t it so different to two years ago? This is two years of counselling, two years of sorting my head out and getting on the right path. I am delighted.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	O&rsquo;Brien, 74, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, with the final three suspended, for raping his daughter. The Court of Appeal that his original sentence had been too lenient. He had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 16 sample counts of rape and indecent assault of his daughter at Mackintosh Park, Pottery Rd, Dun Laoghaire in the 1970s and 80s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On January 21, 2013, sentencing judge Mr Justice Paul Carney described O&rsquo;Brien&rsquo;s abuse of his daughter as one of the worst cases one could find.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Taking account of his health problems, Mr Justice Carney sentenced O&rsquo;Brien to 12 years in prison, suspended the final nine years, and granted him continuing bail pending an appeal. However, bail was taken from him a few days later following a media outcry.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Following a review of his sentence, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Se&aacute;n Ryan, , who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, yesterday said the appropriate sentence for O&rsquo;Brien was &ldquo;indeed 12 years but the period of suspension ought to be three years&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court stated last week that, despite serious illness and advanced age, O&rsquo;Brien cannot be considered a person for whom prison would be &ldquo;impossible to tolerate&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Counsel for O&rsquo;Brien, Mary Rose Gearty SC, submitted during a short sentencing hearing yesterday that the single most important factor for the court to consider was the plea of guilty entered by O&rsquo;Brien.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said a plea of guilty in a very hard case without corroboration must attract significant mitigation in terms of the sentence imposed. Otherwise, there was no incentive for a person accused of such a crime to enter a plea of guilty.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That would be a disaster, not just for the victims of abuse but also for the system,&rdquo; Ms Gearty said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Why bother&rdquo; pleading guilty, Ms Gearty said, &ldquo;if there&rsquo;s no reduction in the sentence&rdquo;, adding that a few years made little difference if one was looking at a sentence of 12 years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Gearty further submitted that the vindication given to abuse victims in such cases was different to convictions by jury and in cases where perpetrators protested their innocence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Where there have been pleas of guilty, she said, abusers accept responsibility and publicly state their victims are telling the truth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Gearty asked the court to &ldquo;seriously consider&rdquo; the kind of incentive on offer to somebody in that position.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Ryan said the three relevant matters were O&rsquo;Brien&rsquo;s age, his health conditions, and what Ms Gearty said were the stand-out features of his guilty plea.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the court accepted Ms Gearty&rsquo;s points about pleas of guilty in cases such as this, that it was the most important feature of the case and, on its own, was of particular value.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Ryan said guilty pleas arose where an accused accepted responsibility of their crimes and they were particularly important in cases of historic sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sometimes the experience of victims was that, &ldquo;abused as children&rdquo;, they were &ldquo;disbelieved as adults&rdquo;, Mr Justice Ryan said, and a plea of guilty removed one of those potential wrongs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was right to acknowledge the plea of guilty in this case and it was indeed acknowledged by Ms Doyle in her powerful victim impact statement to the sentencing judge, Mr Justice Ryan said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Before making its decision, Mr Justice Ryan said the court wished to observe that if O&rsquo;Brien&rsquo;s health deteriorated there was a power held by the executive to take account of that and make necessary arrangements, including the power of remission.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new sentence was imposed &ldquo;on the same conditions&rdquo; to commence from the same date.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	O&rsquo;Brien, who appeared in court with the assistance of a mobility aid, remained seated while he entered into his own bond of &euro;100 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour from the date of his release.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/fiona-doyle-im-not-a-victim-any-more-im-a-survivor-309125.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/fiona-doyle-im-not-a-victim-any-more-im-a-survivor-309125.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-01-27 09:43:38',NULL,'fiona-doyle-‘i’m-not-a-victim-any-more-i’m-a-survivor’'),(886,'Asylum applications increase by 53% in 2014','<p>\r\n	Immigration officials dealt with 179,000 cases last year</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 2,300 people were deported from Ireland in 2014 and there was a 53 per cent increase in asylum applications to the State during the year, according to new figures. The Department of Justice annual report shows 2,147 migrants were refused access to the Republic before being returned to their states of origin. A further 111 &ldquo;failed asylum seekers&rdquo; and illegal immigrants were deported, a figure which closely aligns with the 110 fewer direct provision cases dealt with by the State in 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At the start of 2015, about 4,280 people were accommodated in the direct provision system, down from a peak of 6,100 in 2010. The statistics do not detail how many of these cases are being dealt with on a long-term basis, a figure which stood at 2,200, according to research conducted by The Irish Times last August.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of asylum applications last year was 1,444, compared with 946 in 2013. The highest volume were from people from Pakistan, Nigeria and Albania. Overall, there were about 172,000 new applications for entry received by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS), including attempts to secure visas, protection, residence and citizenship.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	About 12 per cent of applicants were Brazilian, 11 per cent Indian, while 7 per cent came from the US. The immigration service processed about 179,000 applications in 2014, including a backlog of cases from previous years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was also a busy first year for Dublin Airport&rsquo;s new e-gates which dealt with 260,000 passengers. Yesterday marked the beginning of a process to end Garda involvement in immigration duties at the airport, as 42 new civilian recruits began training with the INIS.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the department, this will ultimately free up 125 garda&iacute;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://Asylum applications increase by 53% in 2014\">http://Asylum applications increase by 53% in 2014</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-01-27 09:45:36',NULL,'asylum-applications-increase-by-53%-in-2014'),(887,'Demand for emergency beds among Dublin homeless growing','<p>\r\n	Dramatic rent inflation in capital ensuring people remain homeless for longer periods</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The need for emergency beds among people sleeping rough in the capital continues to grow, despite the provision of almost 300 additional beds before Christmas, according to a report to be published on Thursday finds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The end-of-year survey on homeless services in Dublin, from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), notes almost all the additinal emergency beds are full every night.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Demand for access to emergency accommodation is continuing to grow while capacity is fully occupied,&rdquo; it states.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report also outlines how a &ldquo;dramatic decline in access to private rented accommodation&rdquo; for the poorest households forced a Government task force to lower its 2014 target for moving people out of homelessness, from 1,100 to 700.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some 271 additional emergency beds were provided in Dublin before Christmas following the death of Jonathan Corrie (43) in a doorway near Leinster House at the start of December. Not all were for night-to-night allocation, with some intended for longer-term occupation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the extra capacity has resulted in a significant increase in the number of beds allocated each night, from an average of 130 in third quarter of 2014, to an average of 241 a night in the three weeks following December 18th.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the first week of 2015 an average of 262 beds were allocated each night, while the average number of empty beds has fallen from 31 a night in the week before Christmas to three a night now. On January 7th there was no empty bed in Dublin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We have once again reached near full capacity,&rdquo; notes the report</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Rising tide</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of adults in all types of emergency accommodation in Dublin grew steadily through 2014, from 1,394 in the first quarter, to 1,414 in the second and 1,491 in the third. On the last day of the year there were 1,692 adults in emergency accommodation in Dublin. The numbers &ldquo;stuck&rdquo; in emergency accommodation for six months or more has also increased steadily, from 763 in the first quarter to 921 at the end of the year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The major contributing factor to this pattern was the low level of move to tenancies, particularly to private rented accommodation,&rdquo; states the report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In all, 555 homeless households in Dublin accessed social housing last year, compared with 367 last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	So significant has been the impact of rent inflation that the Dublin Joint Homeless Consultative Forum, at the end of 2013, reduced its aim of getting 1,100 homeless households into homes this year to 700.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Separately, the report finds that a new tenancy protection service operated by Threshold, where families at risk of homelessness can apply, via the service, to have their rent supplement increased, has saved the taxpayer more than &euro;3.5 million since it started in June. It has intervened and achieved rent supplement increases for 277 families, with 67 other tenancies protected following advocacy work, at a cost of &euro;201,882. Had these families become homeless and had to be accommodated in hotels the estimated cost would have been &euro;3.7 million.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/demand-for-emergency-beds-among-dublin-homeless-growing-1.2091234\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/demand-for-emergency-beds-among-dublin-homeless-growing-1.2091234</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-05 10:04:55',NULL,'demand-for-emergency-beds-among-dublin-homeless-growing'),(888,'Court approves forced sterilisation of mum-of-six with learning difficulties','<p>\r\n	A judge has decided that a mother-of-six who has learning disabilities can be sterilised in a UK case which he says raises &ldquo;ethical, legal and medical issues&rdquo; of the &ldquo;utmost gravity&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Cobb also ruled that social services staff and medics could force their way into the 36-year-old woman&rsquo;s home and restrain her if necessary.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And he said officials did not need to tell the woman &ndash; or her long-term partner - when she would be sterilised</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Detail of his decision emerged today in a written ruling following a hearing in the Court of Protection &ndash; where issues relating to sick and vulnerable people are analysed &ndash; in London.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Health authority and social services bosses had asked Mr Justice Cobb to authorise forced entry, &rdquo;necessary restraint&rdquo; and sterilisation at a hearing in the Court of Protection &ndash; where issues relating to sick and vulnerable people are examined &ndash; in London.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They said such moves were in the best interests of the woman.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge did not identify anyone involved.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Specialists had told how the woman had physical health problems which could put her life in danger if she became pregnant again.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Officials acknowledged that the rulings they wanted were &rdquo;extraordinary&rdquo; but said the woman&rsquo;s health &ndash; and life &ndash; could be at &rdquo;grave&rdquo; risk if action was not taken.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Cobb today granted their applications.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge described the case as &ldquo;exceptional&rdquo; and said the circumstances were &ldquo;extreme&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the case was not about eugenics &ndash; and said a further pregnancy could threaten the woman&rsquo;s life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge was told that the woman&rsquo;s children had been taken from her care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lawyers appointed by the court to represent her interests had backed the plan put forward by health and social services officials and agreed that the woman &rdquo;lacks capacity&rdquo; because her mind is &rdquo;impaired&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Barrister John McKendrick, who represented health authority and council officials involved in the case, had told the judge that the nature of the rulings sought was &rdquo;extraordinary&rdquo; and involved significant interference with the woman&rsquo;s basic human rights. But he said the moves were necessary.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And barrister Michael Horne, who represented the interests of the woman, said sterilisation was &rdquo;therapeutic&rdquo; and the most effective way of mitigating &rdquo;grave risks&rdquo; to the woman&rsquo;s health and life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Cobb was told that the woman &ndash; and her partner &ndash; had repeatedly refused to co-operate or engage with medical and social services staff and a legal representative.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She had said she wanted to be &rdquo;left alone&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge had seen evidence from psychiatrists, an obstetrician and gynaecologist as well as social workers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Reports contained detail of a number of gynaecological problems which specialists said would pose a grave risk to the woman&#39;s health if she became pregnant again.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And he was told of difficulties professionals had faced in persuading the woman to use contraception and in administering contraception.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Cobb said last year he had authorised the administration of a contraceptive injection and medics had entered her home by force. The judge said the woman had been &ldquo;so distressed&rdquo; that he said it was no longer &ldquo;feasible&rdquo; to continue with injections.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The ethical, legal and medical issues arising here are self-evidently of the utmost gravity, engaging, and profoundly impacting upon (the woman&rsquo;s) personal autonomy, privacy, bodily integrity, and reproductive rights,&rdquo; said Mr Justice Cobb in a written ruling published today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This is, in my judgment, an exceptional case on its facts; the applicants seek a range of relief which is likely to arise only in the most extreme circumstances.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge said the woman had a history of concealing or attempting to conceal pregnancies from health professionals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And he added: &ldquo;This case is not about eugenics. This outcome has been driven by the bleak yet undisputed evidence that a further pregnancy would be a significantly life-threatening event for (the woman).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The applicants&rsquo; obstetric, gynaecological and contraceptive experts strongly recommend this treatment for (the woman), jointly expressing themselves in these stark terms: &rsquo;The risk to (the woman) of a future pregnancy, especially if concealed, is highly likely to lead to her death&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Cobb declared that the woman lacked the mental capacity to make decisions regarding contraception.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge concluded that &ldquo;therapeutic sterilisation&rdquo; would be lawful and in the woman&rsquo;s best interests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He authorised medics and social services staff to: &ldquo;Remove (the woman) from her home and take steps to convey her to hospital for the purposes of the sterilisation procedure.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And he said &ldquo;necessary and proportionate steps&rdquo; could include &ldquo;forced entry and necessary restraint&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/court-approves-forced-sterilisation-of-mum-of-six-with-learning-difficulties-660912.html\">http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/court-approves-forced-sterilisation-of-mum-of-six-with-learning-difficulties-660912.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-05 10:13:01',NULL,'court-approves-forced-sterilisation-of-mum-of-six-with-learning-difficulties'),(889,'Second survey on children’s ethnicity after ‘White Irish’ error','<p>\r\n	Parents are getting a second chance to have their children&rsquo;s ethnicity recorded in the controversial Primary Online Database (Pod).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The move follows an admission by the Department of Education that it erred in only having one category of &ldquo;Irish&rdquo; on the original questionnaire, namely &ldquo;White Irish&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The department said a supplementary form would be available for downloading by parents within the next week from its website education.ie, covering those questions for Pod relating to ethnicity and religion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents have to give their consent to having information on these issues recorded, and completing the new form is optional.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The department said schools, where necessary, would be given added time to collect these additional forms, although the March deadline for the inputting of general Pod data remained in place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The error had been brought to the department&rsquo;s attention by Brendan Hennessy, a father of two adopted children from Ethiopia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a letter to the department last Friday, he said he believed it was &ldquo;a genuine error, but it&rsquo;s a terrible mistake&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He wrote: &ldquo;Over 500,000 primary school children and their parents are receiving a form from the department which erroneously suggests that the only category of Irish is &lsquo;white&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Cultural background</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The department acknowledged its choice of categories &ldquo;may fall short of what could be expected in today&rsquo;s multi-racial Ireland&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the Census, conducted by the Central Statistics Office, there are four main headings for ethnic or cultural background: &ldquo;White&rdquo;, &ldquo;Black or Black Irish&rdquo;, &ldquo;Asian or Asian Irish&rdquo; and &ldquo;other, including mixed background&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In contrast, the department questionnaire offered one &ldquo;Irish&rdquo; category which was &ldquo;White Irish&rdquo;. It did, however, offer &ldquo;Black African&rdquo; or &ldquo;Any other Black background&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The department said it would now change the categories in the database to include such identifiers as &ldquo;Black Irish African&rdquo; or &ldquo;Asian Irish background&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The department is paying primary schools more than &euro;800,000 to gather the information from parents at a rate of &euro;1.50 per completed form.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Immigrant Council of Ireland said the episode highlighted the need for further training to minimise the risk of discrimination in the delivery of education, health and other basic services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Hennessy, a policy worker with the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Co Cork said he welcomed the department&rsquo;s response and credited it with coming up with a solution &ldquo;very quickly&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He stressed that he supported Pod as a mechanism for gathering important educational data, and encouraged parents to complete the survey so the information properly reflected modern Irish society.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also suggested the department might share the information at local level &ldquo;on how the form is used&rdquo; to build trust in the system and the policymaking surrounding it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/second-survey-on-children-s-ethnicity-after-white-irish-error-1.2091128\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/second-survey-on-children-s-ethnicity-after-white-irish-error-1.2091128</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-05 10:16:51',NULL,'second-survey-on-children’s-ethnicity-after-‘white-irish’-error');
INSERT INTO `news` VALUES (890,'\'Porn in playground\' fuels rise in \'child-on-child\' sex assaults','<p>\r\n	Shocking rise in number of child rape and sexual attack cases reported to helpline</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 600 children were the victims or perpetrators of rape and sexual assault last year - with some &quot;increasingly violent teen-on-teen&quot; incidents linked to pornography, the Sunday Independent has learned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Disturbing new figures reveal 618 parents, professionals and schools contacted the Children at Risk in Ireland (CARI) helpline in 2014 to report the rape and sexual assault of children - an increase of almost 500 calls since 2011, when 132 calls were placed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The cases include &#39;adult-on-child&#39; assaults and &#39;child-on-child&#39; assaults - both with and without a history of sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In an interview with the Sunday Independent, CARI CEO and former Fine Gael TD for Dublin North West Mary Flaherty said a growing number of child-on-child assaults are occurring on the playground.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Schools can be very good at watching for signs of change, but it&#39;s very important for supervision and for management to be aware that this is a real issue,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking about a primary school referral, she said: &quot;There was a big age difference and it&#39;s by no means the first we have come across in the school setting,&quot; she said, adding that sexualised bullying may be &quot;necessarily secret&quot; as it&#39;s &quot;particularly shameful&quot; and hard to admit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Children have fallen off the search light because all the focus has been on historic and adult abuse,&quot; said Ms Flaherty, adding that a broad and open societal debate is seriously needed as &quot;we&#39;re not just going to close down pornography&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She admits the increasingly sexualised nature of society makes it an extremely difficult problem for parents and teachers today to monitor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Frankly it&#39;s not easy to protect from,&quot; Ms Flaherty added. Quoting the parent of a young victim of child-on-child sex abuse, she added: &quot;We teach our kids about stranger dangers but never think about warning them about other kids.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The charity boss said the modern &quot;obsession&quot; with porn is having a huge impact on our children. &quot;Particularly with boys we would certainly think that porn is linked, it is a completely changed world, in terms of exposure, so it&#39;s a very big challenge,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Flaherty also argued the country&#39;s child sex abuse victims - now up to 3,000 new allegations every year - are being &quot;failed on many fronts&quot; due to service cuts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She told the Sunday Independent: &quot;It&#39;s in the communities, it&#39;s in the schools and it&#39;s sometimes in families themselves where victims aren&#39;t heard. They are not being believed step one and there is a level of proof required that&#39;s almost impossible to achieve,&quot; she said, adding CARI has experienced huge service cuts in recent years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We have alerted the HSE to this growth in a problem that needs a solution and at the minute we have waiting lists,&quot; she said. At least 50 children - from all over the country - are awaiting access to CARI services in Dublin and Limerick.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new CARI data also reveals that 129 people - mostly mothers - contacted the therapy and counselling service about their young child&#39;s inappropriate or harmful &quot;sexualised behaviour&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These include: pornographic interest; sexually explicit conversations; pulling another child&#39;s skirt up or pants down; petting and French kissing; preoccupation with masturbation; simulating foreplay with dolls or peers with clothes on. More serious examples include sexually explicit conversations with significant age difference; touching genitals of others; forcing exposure; simulating intercourse; and genital injury not explained by accidental cause.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response to the worrying growth in young cases with no history of sexual abuse, CARI developed a policy to work with children up to the age of 12 who are exhibiting sexually harmful behaviour. Children aged 13-17 are referred to other specialised units for adolescents. But this does not go far enough, according to the foundation, which is calling on schools, parents and the Government to &quot;seriously increase&quot; efforts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Flaherty said: &quot;If you look at all the pop videos, they are practically simulating intercourse, children are learning to gyrate in a very sexual way from very young. Clothing and everything is so hyper-sexed, film in general is very open and then you get to accessing porn and that is extensive, there is no doubt.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although 97pc of primary schools and 98pc of post-primary schools in Ireland have Relationships and Sexuality Education programmes in place - dealing with a range of issues including pornography - exposure is &quot;just a step away&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the Department of Education, 96pc of primary schools and 100pc of post-primary schools have centrally provided content filtering - through which access to pornography is blocked. &quot;All schools that accept a broadband service from the Department are required to confirm that they have an acceptable use policy in place,&quot; a spokesperson said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, it is up to each school to determine how and when students access the internet and how they are supervised. Last May, an advisory group on Internet Content Governance made a series of recommendations on internet governance issues, including encouraging internet service providers to provide parental control products as part of their service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the Department of Communications admits it &quot;has never actively considered&quot; introducing a requirement for providers to block legal content, &quot;due to legal and operational reasons&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/porn-in-playground-fuels-rise-in-childonchild-sex-assaults-30973327.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/porn-in-playground-fuels-rise-in-childonchild-sex-assaults-30973327.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-09 10:41:43',NULL,'porn-in-playground-fuels-rise-in-child-on-child-sex-assaults'),(891,'Children’s digital skills don’t match their confidence levels, report finds','<p>\r\n	43 per cent of nine to 16-year-olds don&rsquo;t know how to report abuse online, survey reveals</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The vast majority of Irish children believe they know more about the internet than their parents, yet 43 per cent still don&rsquo;t know how to use the &ldquo;report abuse&rdquo; safety button on social networking sites.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	That&rsquo;s one of the main findings of a new report on internet usage among nine to 16-year-olds published ahead of Safer Internet Day tomorrow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nearly two-thirds of the 500 children surveyed for the report by Dublin Institute of Technology researchers Dr Brian O&rsquo;Neill and Thuy Dinh claimed greater digital literacy than their parents, and girls claimed to have more skills than boys.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Confidence</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Yet their experience online didn&rsquo;t always match this level of confidence, with 20 per cent of respondents saying they had encountered things online they wish they hadn&rsquo;t seen.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr O&rsquo;Neill expressed particular concern at the high numbers of young people who were unable to report abuse when they came across disturbing or negative content.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There has been a lot of pressure on companies like Facebook and YouTube, that the cornerstone of their safety approach is the ability to flag abuse. If those kinds of buttons are not understood by children using them, there&rsquo;s definitely a clear message there for industry and for teaching safety skills,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Net Children Go Mobile report is being published in conjunction with new materials for primary schools designed by Webwise, an internet safety initiative funded by the Department of Education and the European Union.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Instagram was found to be the most popular media-sharing platform: some 42 per cent of nine to 16-year-olds said it was the service used most often to share photos.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bullying</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The survey also confirmed a shift away from &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; playground bullying towards online forms of abuse. The report said the incidence of bullying among children in Ireland, at 22 per cent, had not increased since a 2011 EU Kids Online survey and remained close to the European average.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, cyberbullying was now more prevalent than face-to-face bullying (13 per cent now compared with 4 per cent in 2011), and this occurred most commonly on social networks. Seeing sexual images &ndash; online or offline &ndash; had also increased since 2011 from 17 per cent to 21 per cent but was still below the European average. It also said social networks were now the primary source of viewed pornography.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/children-s-digital-skills-don-t-match-their-confidence-levels-report-finds-1.2096136\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/children-s-digital-skills-don-t-match-their-confidence-levels-report-finds-1.2096136</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-09 10:44:14',NULL,'children’s-digital-skills-don’t-match-their-confidence-levels-report-finds'),(892,'McAleese critical of Pope over comments on smacking children','<p>\r\n	Former President Mary McAleese has criticised Pope Francis&rsquo; comments on smacking children, warning it could signal a turning back of the clock in the church&rsquo;s attitude to corporal punishment and children&rsquo;s rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a letter to the Irish Independent, the former professor of law at Trinity, who is currently completing a doctorate in canon law, highlights the Vatican is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Convention advocates the abolition of corporal punishment of children in all circumstances.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The mother-of-three refers to an exchange last year between the Holy See and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child which claimed corporal punishment &ldquo;remains widespread in some Catholic institutions&rdquo; and &ldquo;reached endemic levels&rdquo; in Ireland as revealed by the Ryan Report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Is the Holy See now doing what it claimed not to be doing a year ago, namely actively and internationally promoting the corporal punishment of children,&rdquo; the former President writes. &ldquo;If it is, then Pope Francis has surely turned the clock back considerably.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN Committee highlighted that the Vatican has not enacted guidelines banning corporal punishment of children in Catholic schools, as well as in the home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This week, the Pope controversially reaclled a conversation he had with a father who told him he sometimes hit his children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;One time, I heard a father say, &#39;At times I have to hit my children a bit, but never in the face so as not to humiliate them&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;That&#39;s great. He had a sense of dignity. He should punish, do the right thing, and then move on,&quot; Pope Francis told an audience of thousands in St Peter&#39;s Square.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response, Dr McAleese asks: &quot;What faith are we to have now in the Holy See&#39;s Commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child?&quot; She asks whether the Vatican has decided to &quot;oppose the stated view of the Committee that the corporal punishment of children should be banned&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to Dr McAleese, the Vatican said it would submit a thorough study in respect of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In her letter, she questions whether the Pontiff&#39;s &quot;recent advocacy of parental corporal punishment of children (provided it does not involve face-slapping apparently)&quot; is an indication that the Vatican has &quot;conducted the thorough study and investigation it promised the Committee on the Rights of the Child&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is the second time in recent weeks that Pope Francis has caused controversy with comments about violent acts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the wake of the &#39;Charlie Hebdo&#39; killings in France he suggested that those who insult another person&#39;s religion should expect a violent reaction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;One cannot react violently, but if [someone] says something bad about my mother, he can expect a punch,&quot; the Pontiff said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr McAleese, who served as President from 1997 to 2011, is known for her Catholic faith but is also not afraid to challenge the Vatican.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last September in Sydney, she argued for an increased role for women in the church, saying: &quot;The old boys&#39; club are going to have to go.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said it is &quot;bonkers&quot; for a celibate male clergy to be making decisions on the family.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/mcaleese-critical-of-pope-over-comments-on-smacking-children-30971771.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/mcaleese-critical-of-pope-over-comments-on-smacking-children-30971771.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-09 10:48:56',NULL,'mcaleese-critical-of-pope-over-comments-on-smacking-children'),(893,'African with Irish child takes direct provision case','<p>\r\n	A woman who has spent nine years in the direct provision system has taken, along with her child, who is an Irish citizen, a High Court challenge to the constitutionality of social welfare laws under which child benefit is being refused to them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is being put on notice of the proceedings, which have potential implications for others in similar positions to the woman.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The child&rsquo;s father is Irish but has had no involvement with either mother or child and the woman contends the child benefit should be payable to her, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan was told.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The woman, from an African country, has applied for subsidiary protection and for a right of residence here on the basis that she is the mother of an Irish citizen child, now aged two.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Aoife Gillespie, for the mother and child, said, because the mother has no express right as of now to reside in the State, she has been informed she is not entitled to child benefit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The mother is habitually resident here having lived here for nine years but disputed provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 mean she cannot be regarded as habitually resident for the purposes of child benefit payments, counsel outlined.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The mother and child are living in direct provision accommodation and the woman is prohibited by law from working in the State or from receiving social welfare payments, counsel said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This child was entitled to child benefit as she is &ldquo;part of the Irish nation&rdquo; with the right to be afforded the same benefits as other Irish children, counsel has argued.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Noonan said he considered this was an appropriate case for judicial review and he granted leave to bring proceedings challenging those provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 under which the Department of Social Protection has refused to pay child benefit on grounds the mother does not as of now have a right of residency.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Gillespie also secured leave to challenge the constitutionality of provisions stipulating that back payment of benefit will not be made where an application for residency is successful.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among various grounds of challenge, it is alleged the refusal of child benefit amounts to discrimination and breaches the personal and family rights of both mother and daughter under the Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The proceedings are against the Minister for Social Protection and the State and will come back before the court in April.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/african-with-irish-child-takes-direct-provision-case-311676.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/african-with-irish-child-takes-direct-provision-case-311676.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-10 11:08:54',NULL,'african-with-irish-child-takes-direct-provision-case'),(894,'\'Sometimes child victims think the abuser is actually their friend\'','<p>\r\n	On the first day of school term, 11-year-old &#39;Billy&#39; is asked to look after the new baby infants at break-time in the playground.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For some reason Billy, who has no history of sexual abuse, has become preoccupied with sexual issues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When the bell rings he leads the new class out into the yard to play games.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Alone with the class Billy sees an opportunity to take a child away and engage in &quot;touching or exploring and doing things&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This type of worrying scenario is - according to Mary Flaherty, the CEO of Children at Risk Ireland - one the group has begun to encounter in its work supporting the families and groups affected by child sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And she warns parents, guardians and teachers have to &quot;think the unthinkable&quot; to protect their children and pupils.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She told the Sunday Independent: &quot;That would be a very simple and easy scenario. You have a child who is in the throes of some sexual fixation or obsession and they take this opportunity to act on it and it&#39;s as simple as that.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although expressing some sexual behaviour is normal for under-12s - including &quot;playing doctor&quot;, kissing, flirting, occasional masturbation and reproduction conversation with peers and siblings - if there is any element of force, obsession, or degradation it is considered an early flag by experts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Over the past few years, CARI has noticed some worrying Helpline trends.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These include a horrific rise in rape and sexual assault cases, particularly &quot;teen on teen,&quot; and a &quot;huge jump&quot; in sexualised behaviour calls where the child has no history of sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And, over the last number of year, the Helpline has noted that teenage activity has moved beyond the level of sexualised behaviour and would be described as sexual assault and rape.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For Ms Flaherty, the findings highlight the direct dangers of exposing children to a &quot;hyper sexualised society&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We&#39;ve gone too far with sexualisation as human subjects who require our individual dignity and the full range of a person,&quot; she said, adding that victims are often told to &quot;keep it our little secret,&quot; just like in an adult situation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other times, the victim might actually think the offender is their friend and is being supportive.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It can even occur between brother and sister where an older child with a sexual behaviour problem can seek out a younger one, impose their will and take advantage,&quot; she said, adding that the loss of religion is another &quot;major inhibitor&quot; in how children view sex and human senses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The power of church has waned certainly for the majority of young children and young people almost to the point where it would be a negative, it would be advice that you wouldn&#39;t take.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although there is no doubt that sexual abuse leaves &quot;deep psychological marks&quot; on the victims - and sometimes the perpetrators - if not responded to with skilled therapy, parents and teachers can also be hugely affected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There is upset, guilt, failure, how do you manage the family and school community, how do you respond and regrettably many communities, even families, don&#39;t accept it or think, &#39;she&#39;s making it up&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Society is still not good for today&#39;s victims, and it&#39;s not in institutions, it&#39;s in the communities, schools and sometimes in families themselves where victims aren&#39;t heard.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	CARI will host a training event for families of children who display sexually harmful behaviour in Dublin on February 26 and 27.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/sometimes-child-victims-think-the-abuser-is-actually-their-friend-30973448.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/sometimes-child-victims-think-the-abuser-is-actually-their-friend-30973448.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-10 11:10:29',NULL,'sometimes-child-victims-think-the-abuser-is-actually-their-friend'),(895,'Safer Internet Day: Top tips to warn your children about the dangers of online photo sharing','<p>\r\n	February 10 sees the launch of Safer Internet Week, an EU initiative which aims to provide children and teenagers with the skills to fight dangers posed by the internet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Children and teenagers often don&rsquo;t entirely understand the boundaries of the photographs they share online and so it is vital that the risks and dangers are communicated with them clearly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Below are ten expert tips to communicate with your child about the risks posed by sharing photographs online or even within their social circle.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Once you share a photo you lose control of it</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Kids and teens often aren&rsquo;t aware of how public things can be online. They may not understand that once they share a photo online they lose control of who sees the image and how it is used or altered. It is very easy to share a photo online but it is not so easy to take it down. Within minutes a photo can be shared with thousands of people. Even if your children use private messages or apps to share photos it&rsquo;s still very easy for people to take a screenshot or photo of what they&rsquo;ve shared. These people can then share your child&rsquo;s picture wherever they like.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Granny Rule</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When young people first go online it can be difficult for them to figure out the boundary between what should go online and what should stay offline. It&rsquo;s a good idea to talk with your kids about what photos they share online and with their friends. Highlight to them that it&rsquo;s important that they never take photos where people expect privacy or share photos of a more personal nature. One way of helping your children decide if a photo is okay to share online is The Granny Rule. If they wouldn&rsquo;t show a particular photo to their granny then it probably shouldn&rsquo;t be online.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Read more: Signs that a child is being bullied</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Respect others</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As well as thinking about how sharing a photo might affect your kids themselves,you should also chat about how sharing images might affect the other people in the pictures. If the photo might embarrass or get someone in trouble, encourage your child to be responsible and delete the photo. He or she might think it&rsquo;s okay to share a picture with a private group of friends. However, sharing a digital image is like telling a secret to someone. Once it&rsquo;s shared once, the photo could end up anywhere.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Watch your space</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If your children have social networking profiles where people can post comments on their photos, highlight the importance of checking these comments regularly. If they receive comments that annoy or anger them they should avoid replying. Instead they should delete the comment, block the person, and report the incident to the website owner or service provider.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Who and where</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&rsquo;s not a good idea to give away where you are online. By sharing and tagging photos in real time and publicising what s/he is doing, your child might leave him/herself vulnerable. Indeed we&rsquo;ve all heard about burglaries that took place when someone&rsquo;s holiday photos inadvertently advertised the fact that their house was empty for the week. Remind your child to be careful about sharing too many personal details online through their photos.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Know who can see you</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Before your children join social networking services talk with them about the privacy settings and options available. Many sites allow you to decide which parts of your profile can be accessed by others. Assume that everything is public unless you are sure that it isn&#39;t. Opting for private doesn&rsquo;t always mean that only friends can see your child&rsquo;s profile. In some cases, everything your child puts on his/her profile can be seen by everyone but only friends can post comments or IM him/her. You should also stress the point that profile photos are nearly always available for everyone to see.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Check your tags</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&rsquo;s all well and good for your child to be educated about the privacy settings on social networking sites. However they will still be vulnerable if their friends aren&rsquo;t as vigilant about their own privacy settings. One way of protecting online reputation is to be in control of what photos you&rsquo;re tagged in. Encourage your children to be required to approve any photos they&rsquo;re tagged in. Otherwise your child&rsquo;s photo might end up public, depending on the privacy settings of their friends.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Friends&rdquo; and friends</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Talk with your children about being selective about who they become friends with; you can tell a lot about someone by the company they keep. Even though they are called friends, people you &lsquo;add&rsquo; are really little more than acquaintances, nobody has 500 friends. Add people you know. Be as popular as you are or aren&#39;t. As soon as your child adds a friend online he/she usually gives that person access to all of his/her photos and online content.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Know who has permission to use your photos</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Remind your children to be very careful when playing games, taking quizzes and using different apps through their social networking accounts. Often times these apps require you to give access to your email, location or profile picture before they allow you to sign up. Once you&rsquo;ve given permission (which takes only a few seconds) the apps can use your photo and information however they like. Sometimes these photos can end up in ads for dating services and other adult websites, the last place any parent would want their young teenager&rsquo;s photo.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Representing yourself online</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As children become tweens and become teenagers they will experiment with different forms of self-expression. This is all part of growing up but it is important to have a talk with your children about how they present themselves online. You might think that your teenagers take far too many selfies. It mightn&rsquo;t be as bad as it seems. Often times they are just taking control of how they want to present themselves to the world. However, if you think your children might be revealing too much of themselves online and attracting the wrong kind of attention, it&rsquo;s something you need to address with them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Talk about apps</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Get to know the apps and services your children are using by having them show you how they work. You might also find the Explainers (http://www.webwise.ie/category/parents/explainers/) on Webwise useful for getting the facts on some the most popular services used by young people, such as Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Don&rsquo;t be intimidated by technology</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lots of parents are a little nervous around technology and assume that their kids are the experts in that domain. While your child might be a whizzkid when it comes to instagramming and vlogging that doesn&rsquo;t make you redundant as a parent. You may not know all there is to know about blogs and walls but you do know about parenting and all the same principles apply regarding setting rules and boundaries that are relevant in other aspects of your child&rsquo;s life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Go easy on the baby photos</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This one is for all you new parents out there. Social networking services and messaging apps are a great way to keep in touch with friends. However you should really think about how much of your child&rsquo;s life you put up online. We all know those people who share every step of their babies&rsquo; lives, from the first sonograms to bath time to their first days at school. Be conscious of the fact that it&rsquo;s very easy for these pictures to get into the wrong hands and end up being used in upsetting contexts. Even if it is just friends who are viewing your child&rsquo;s progress, said child mightn&rsquo;t be too happy when embarrassing baby photos come back to haunt him/her in years to come.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	What to do when something goes wrong</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If someone makes contact with your child in an inappropriate or hurtful way, advise your child to block them, keep the message or comment as evidence, and report them to the owner of the website. Don&rsquo;t respond to bullying or harassing contacts: this just creates more trouble. In the case of bullying photos encourage your child to tell an adult, who he or she trusts. Your child might talk to you or a teacher or guidance councillor about it. Your child&rsquo;s school should be able to take some action as they all have bullying policies that cover this kind of thing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Help is out there</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More serious cases that could be illegal, such as if someone makes inappropriate sexual suggestions or is &lsquo;grooming&rsquo; an under 16 years old, can be reported anonymously to www.hotline.ie. All reports are taken very seriously and passed on to the Garda&iacute; when appropriate. If your child needs someone to talk to they can call Childline at 1800 666 666. The National Parents&rsquo; Council operate a helpline for parents in need of advice. You can reach them at 01-8874477.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/safer-internet-day-top-tips-to-warn-your-children-about-the-dangers-of-online-photo-sharing-30976329.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/safer-internet-day-top-tips-to-warn-your-children-about-the-dangers-of-online-photo-sharing-30976329.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-10 11:13:33',NULL,'safer-internet-day-top-tips-to-warn-your-children-about-the-dangers-of-online-photo-sharing'),(896,'\'Infants and turtles just don’t mix\' - mum of Ireland\'s first reported case of terrapin-related botulism','<p>\r\n	The mother of an 11-week-old baby who fought for his life after contracting terrapin-related botulism said nobody knew what was happening at the time because &#39;no one had seen anything like it&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Kris Edlund Gibson, the parent of the first child in Ireland to be diagnosed with the disease, said her newborn son Oliver was hospitalised in December 2010 when he started struggling to breathe.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;No one knew what was happening because no one had seen anything like it,&rdquo; Kris Edlund Gibson told Independent.ie.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Unknown at the time, the boy was the first case in Ireland to be diagnosed with Type E Botulism originating from the two pet terrapins his parents kept.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Oliver is one of two Irish babies who has contracted the disease, which is linked to pet turtles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Both babies were just 11 days old when they were rushed to hospital with the disease.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The cases are the first of their kind in Ireland, it was reported yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The first case, which involved Baby Oliver, was recorded here in December 2010, and the second in March of 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Oliver&#39;s mother described the experience as &#39;torturous&#39; as her child was placed on life support two separate times.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Mentally and emotionally, the experience was tortuous to us. It is impossible to put into words how painful it is to see one&rsquo;s newborn in that state. It was equally as painful to have to walk away and leave him there night after night,&rdquo; Kris said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I wanted to get rid of the turtles before Oliver was born because I thought they smelled awful and I was worried about salmonella.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The only reason we ended up keeping them was because we couldn&rsquo;t find anyone to take them. I didn&rsquo;t want to just take them to a pond and dump them so we kept them.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Kris said she was she was shocked when the pets turned out to be the root cause of her son&rsquo;s condition, and expressed her concern that people still think its acceptable to keep infants and turtles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It isn&rsquo;t a safety matter; infants and turtles just don&rsquo;t mix. They can&rsquo;t be around each other and people need to realise that. It isn&rsquo;t enough to just &lsquo;wash your hands&rsquo; or keep them apart, the spores of the botulinum toxin are airborne and spread everywhere.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Our baby was never in the same room with the terrapins.&nbsp; This is the warning parents need to take from this.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Three years after Oliver&#39;s diagnosis, a second Irish baby contracted terrapin-related botulism, despite there being no turtles in the baby&rsquo;s home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, this infant visited its grandmother and, while there, was held for a couple of hours by an uncle who turtles. The spores are believed to have travelled on the uncle&#39;s clothing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Attaching itself to the nerve endings from the neck down, Type E Botulism slowly shuts down the human body. Children under five lack the natural immunities to fight off the condition.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Kris first realised there was something wrong when Baby Oliver woke from a nap on Christmas Day in 2010 struggling to breath and turning blue in the face. He was rushed into Rotunda Hospital&#39;s emergency department and the decision was made to put him on life support.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tests for meningitis were carried out and Oliver was put on a range of antibiotics. He remained floppy with no flexes and very little pupil dilation for days. He wasn&#39;t showing any muscle tone and, after being seen by a neurologist, was told that the problem was most likely neurological, muscular or metabolic.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, an ECG test showed normal brain activity. Baby Oliver was transferred to Temple Street Children&#39;s Hospital where an MRI scan showed no abnormal activity. His parents believed the eleven-month-old child probably had a neuromuscular disorder.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Honestly, we thought we were going home with a quadriplegic because that&rsquo;s what the doctors told us. They called him &#39;a floppy baby&#39; because he couldn&rsquo;t breathe on his own anymore and a neurologist was called in as they said his problem was most likely neurological or muscular,&rdquo; Kris said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Preparing for the worst, Oliver&rsquo;s parents were shocked when doctors announced he was recovering. &ldquo;The whole situation felt completely desperate until a few days after he was bought in he started to do much better.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He was trying to open his eyes and seemed to respond physically to our touch. The doctors were amazed and couldn&rsquo;t explain what had happened.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It turned out it was the oxygen he was being given on life-support,&rdquo; Kris said. &ldquo;The botulism toxic couldn&rsquo;t survive in an oxygen rich environment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On New Year&rsquo;s Eve, Oliver was moved from the intensive care unit and a few days afterwards, on January 5, he was allowed to go home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The evening we bought him home, the doctors called to tell us that they had finally obtained a positive result from all the testing they had done on Oliver. To everyone&#39;s surprise, his stool tested positive for type E Botulinum toxin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It was only when a bright spark, a student I think, suggested that Oliver be tested for it that they figured out what was wrong with him,&rdquo; said his mum.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;As this was the first such case in Ireland, nobody really knew what to do right away.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Public health officials visited the family&#39;s home and took a range of samples in a bid to find the source of the infection. It was discovered the source of the toxin was in the water of the turtles&#39; tank. The turtles were put down, the room was stripped of carpet and disinfected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Clinically, Oliver seemed fine.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was breathing well and did not seem to be in any distress. However, two days later he showed all of the same terrifying symptoms all over again and was rushed to Temple Street hospital&rsquo;s emergency department, where he was put on life support for a second time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Now that Oliver was off the hospital&#39;s oxygen, the toxic spores he had inhaled were attacking his nerve endings again.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was only when treatment was flown in from American at a cost of &euro;35,000 that doctors were finally able to cure his condition.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Having made a complete recovery, Kris said she was &ldquo;forever feel grateful to the doctor who was astute enough to suggest testing&rdquo; for such a rare disease.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The botulism-causing toxin involved in both Irish cases was found in the tanks of both turtles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As a result the HSE also solved one case in the UK, initially believed to have been caused by honey, and told the public health authorities the source of infection was likely to be the turtles in the UK family&#39;s home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Symptoms of the infection begin with constipation, followed by lethargy, poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing and weakness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the most severe cases breathing problems can develop, as well as paralysis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Honey is considered the main botulism threat to infants, however turtles are also known to be a cause.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE has advised owners to ensure they wash their hands thoroughly after handling and feeding turtles, as well as ensuring they remain in their tank and can&rsquo;t roam freely around the house.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For more information on Infant Botulism, visit www.infantbotulism.org</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/infants-and-turtles-just-dont-mix-mum-of-irelands-first-reported-case-of-terrapinrelated-botulism-30981951.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/infants-and-turtles-just-dont-mix-mum-of-irelands-first-reported-case-of-terrapinrelated-botulism-30981951.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-11 12:34:04',NULL,'infants-and-turtles-just-don’t-mix-mum-of-irelands-first-reported-case-of-terrapin-related-botulism'),(897,'Expert warns on cutbacks to crisis supports for women','<p>\r\n	Economic effect trails in wake of social impact, says leading NUI Galway authority</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Governments that cut back on supports such as rape crisis counselling during times of economic crisis are &ldquo;shooting themselves in the foot&rdquo;, a global expert on women&rsquo;s studies has said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Violence against women and girls has a social and economic impact, according to NUI Galway global women&rsquo;s studies centre director Dr Nata Duvvury, who is leading a new international research project charged with calculating the cost.<br />\r\n	Dr Duvvury, a feminist economist, led a previous international study on the cost of domestic violence against women in Vietnam, where the estimated loss of productivity, out-of-pocket expenditures and forgone income for households represented about 3.19 per cent of gross domestic product.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Studies in Chile, Nicaragua and Vietnam had also showed that the earnings of women who experienced violence were lower than those who didn&rsquo;t, by about 35 per cent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although focusing on three developing countries &ndash; Ghana, Pakistan and South Sudan &ndash; the findings will have implications for all countries, including Ireland, where cuts associated with austerity hit support services for victims of violence, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Participants<br />\r\n	London-based Ipsos and the International Centre for Research on Women in Washington DC are participants with NUIG on the &euro;2 million, three-year research, which will involve interviewing more than 4,500 women in three developing countries.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The immediate impacts of those who experience violence are missing work &ndash; paid and unpaid &ndash; along with poor physical and mental health, poor reproductive outcomes, out-of-pocket expenditures for accessing services, and replacement costs for lost property, the project team said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	It also has long-term impacts on education, expanding skills, experience and upward mobility within the workforce, chronic disability and morbidity, and stability of family life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	It results in &ldquo;low community cohesion, loss of economic output for businesses and expenditures incurred by national and local non-governmental organisations&rdquo;, the team said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Lower economic output<br />\r\n	Governments incur costs in both providing services to survivors &ndash; and, to varying degrees, perpetrators &ndash; of violence, investing in programmes to prevent violence, and loss of taxes due to lower income for households and lower economic output for businesses, Dr Duvurry said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&ldquo;Violence in society further pulls down an economy&rsquo;s capacity to recover from crisis, or affects the impact on promoting economic development,&rdquo;she said.<br />\r\n	&ldquo;We want to demonstrate that the cost is not just to the individual, but that it has a ripple effect on men, the family and community also.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The social accounting matrix used could analyse similar data across both developed and developing countries, she said, and would &ldquo;break new ground&rdquo;, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The project is part of the British government&rsquo;s department for international development&rsquo;s investment of &pound;25 million over five years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/expert-warns-on-cutbacks-to-crisis-supports-for-women-1.2098934\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/expert-warns-on-cutbacks-to-crisis-supports-for-women-1.2098934</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-11 14:16:09',NULL,'expert-warns-on-cutbacks-to-crisis-supports-for-women'),(898,'Planned new system for special needs resources is shelved','<p>\r\n	Reforms were aimed at combating &lsquo;inequitable&rsquo; allocation of resources</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Plans to reform the allocation of resources for special education needs have been shelved for this year despite concerns about unfairness with the current system.<br />\r\n	Since late last year the Department of Education has working to implement a new system of allocating resources that would allow pupils with special educational needs gain access to extra teaching resources without having to get a diagnosis of disability.<br />\r\n	However, Minister for Education Jan O&rsquo;Sullivan said she was not planning to change the system in September 2015, as had been originally proposed.<br />\r\n	Instead, she has asked department officials to design a pilot of the new model which schools could opt into on a voluntary basis.<br />\r\n	In making this decision, the Minister said she was guided by the advice of a working group of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) that &ldquo; sufficient time&rdquo; should be allowed for further consultation with the education stakeholders before the new model was implemented in schools.<br />\r\n	The new system was aimed at combatting what the NCSE described as the &amp;#8220;inequitable&amp;#8221; situation where wealthier parents could gain access to resources through a private diagnosis of learning difficulty. The department also has long believed that some learning and support and resources teaching hours were being misdirected to other tasks in better-off schools.<br />\r\n	Under the new system, almost 11,000 support posts &ndash; which cost &euro;600 million a year &ndash; would be allocated under new criteria, including the school&rsquo;s &ldquo;educational profile&rdquo;.<br />\r\n	The department has encountered some difficulty in getting completed forms containing data for this profile returned from schools.<br />\r\n	Ms O&rsquo;Sullivan welcomed the fact that there had been &ldquo;a broad welcome for the proposed new model from parents, disability groups, schools and stakeholders,&rdquo; the department said, in a statement.<br />\r\n	&ldquo;However, she also said that, while there has been significant consultation in relation to the proposed new model, there had not been sufficient time to address fully the concerns which have been raised for the September 2015 school year.<br />\r\n	&ldquo;In particular, the Minister noted that a robust mechanism for identifying children with complex special educational needs had yet to be finalised.&rdquo;<br />\r\n	While consultations continue, the Minister has announced the development of a new Inclusion Support Service within the NCSE to assist schools in supporting children with special educational needs.<br />\r\n	This service will include the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children who are deaf/hard of hearing and for children who are blind/visually impaired (VTSVHI) which until now had been managed by the department.<br />\r\n	The department said the change would mean that schools would receive a better and more integrated service in managing special educational needs.<br />\r\n	The department is also reviewing the roles, structures and optimal working arrangements for the NCSE, the Inclusion Support Service and National Educational Psychological Service. Submissions are sought from any interested stakeholders in relation to the issues by March 13th.<br />\r\n	The NCSE said it was very pleased that the Minister was expanding its role. Its ceo Teresa Griffin said: &ldquo;Bringing these support services together will, over time, help to improve outcomes for students with special needs.&rdquo;<br />\r\n	The agency also welcomed the Minister&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;to continue to develop the proposal for a better and more equitable way&rdquo; of allocating additional special education teachers to schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/planned-new-system-for-special-needs-resources-is-shelved-1.2098312\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/planned-new-system-for-special-needs-resources-is-shelved-1.2098312</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-11 14:22:21',NULL,'planned-new-system-for-special-needs-resources-is-shelved'),(899,'Homelessness crisis: ‘Families on streets like time of Famine’','<p>\r\n	A leading homelessness campaigner has claimed, despite a national outcry over the death of a man outside the D&aacute;il at Christmas, entire families are facing life on the streets for the first time &ldquo;since the Famine&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fr Peter McVerry issued the stark assessment of the crisis during a public war of wards with Environment Minister Alan Kelly over the fact 271 emergency beds introduced in December have been removed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RT&Eacute; Radio after Mr Kelly said he has not heard the campaigner &ldquo;say one positive thing yet in relation to anything&rdquo;, Fr McVerry said the Government&rsquo;s high-profile plans to effectively end homelessness by the end of 2016 have failed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the country was &ldquo;back to square one&rdquo; of the crisis, with homeless people telling his charity the 271 emergency beds put in place at Christmas were removed five weeks later and they were being given sleeping bags when turning up for help.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fr McVerry accepted there has been an increased attempt to tackle the problem, which is becoming increasingly apparent across Ireland, and which according to the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive means 359 families are in emergency accommodation in the capital, including 780 children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, he said the key reasons for what was were continuing to be left unaddressed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We have a homeless crisis that is unprecedented in my 40 years [working in the sector]. For the first time since the Famine, families are being told they have to live on the streets because there is no housing for them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Nothing is being done to stem the flow of homelessness. In the private rented sector people are being evicted because they can&rsquo;t afford their rents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There is more money, but nevertheless he [Mr Kelly] opened 271 more emergency beds before Christmas, but five weeks later we&rsquo;re back to square one.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kelly had earlier responded to Fr McVerry&rsquo;s labelling of his plans to end homelessness as &ldquo;Alice in Wonderland&rdquo; politics by saying he has yet to hear the campaigner &ldquo;say one positive thing yet in relation to anything&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I&rsquo;m used to those comments from him,&rdquo; Labour&rsquo;s deputy leader said during a visit to Fr Scully House, a new senior citizens&rsquo; complex in north inner city Dublin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t heard him say one thing positive yet in relation to anything, which is unfortunate because many members of his staff work with us and would have contrary views, or express contrary views. I&rsquo;d rather if people were more constructive.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;To be frank, you&rsquo;re talking to the person who has put more money into housing than anyone on this island in the history of this State.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/homelessness-crisis-families-on-streets-like-time-of-famine-312103.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/homelessness-crisis-families-on-streets-like-time-of-famine-312103.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-12 12:07:59',NULL,'homelessness-crisis-‘families-on-streets-like-time-of-famine’'),(900,'Threat of fresh legal action over lack of resources for pupils with ‘mild’ Down syndrome','<p>\r\n	Decision to postpone introduction of more equitable system criticised by Down Syndrome Ireland</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Education is facing fresh legal action over its exclusion of children with &ldquo;mild&rdquo; Down Syndrome from teaching resources that are granted to pupils with learning difficulties.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A decision this week to postpone the introduction of a more equitable system of allocating resources has not only increased the prospect of further litigation over alleged discrimination but has also drawn strong criticism from Down Syndrome Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Solicitor Gareth Noble, who is representing two families in a test case before the High Court over resource allocations, said a further three families involving children with Down Syndrome were taking legal action, and others may follow suit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The need for such cases would largely have been removed had the Department gone ahead with the proposed new system of resource allocation, Mr Noble said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It might not have 100 per cent resolved the matter&rdquo; but it would have removed the condition for parents to get a diagnosis above a certain threshold of severity before they could access extra resources, he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Resources</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The test case is scheduled for hearing in May after the Department consented before the High Court last summer to grant four hours and 14 minutes of additional resources weekly to the two children affected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department said it was a &ldquo;pragmatic&rdquo; and &ldquo;humane&rdquo; solution, offered on a temporary basis, and it was not conceding any of the claims made on the ground that it wished to avoid &ldquo;an avalanche&rdquo; of similar cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The two families had argued that department policy tied the hands of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), the officials charged with allocating additional hours. Under Department rules, only children with moderate or severe learning disabilities can gain access to the extra resources.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Crumbs of the table</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department has argued that children with a mild diagnosis of Down Syndrome can gain access to additional resources through a &ldquo;general allocation&rdquo; to each school but Mr Noble said there was no guarantee in practice. &ldquo;In the words of one principal I spoke to, the kids are left with the crumbs off the table.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Pat Clarke, chief executive of Down Syndrome Ireland, said the group had been led to believe at a meeting with department officials last month that the new system of resource allocation would go ahead in September.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are very disappointed,&rdquo; he said. The group would be calling on Minister for Education Jan O&rsquo;Sullivan at a meeting scheduled for next week &ldquo;to put in place interim measures so children with mild Down Syndrome are granted resources hours, and are not relying on the general allocation model.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As well as removing the necessity for a diagnosis, the reforms would have redirected learning supports which cost the Department about &euro;600 million a year from wealthier schools to those in more disadvantaged areas. Fears of a political backlash are thought to have informed the decision to postpone the plan and instead introduce it on a voluntary, pilot basis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/threat-of-fresh-legal-action-over-lack-of-resources-for-pupils-with-mild-down-syndrome-1.2100414\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/threat-of-fresh-legal-action-over-lack-of-resources-for-pupils-with-mild-down-syndrome-1.2100414</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-12 12:10:59',NULL,'threat-of-fresh-legal-action-over-lack-of-resources-for-pupils-with-‘mild’-down-syndrome'),(901,'Women’s Aid says young women abused while dating should have access to barring orders','<p>\r\n	Law must also address online harassment</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Legislation is urgently needed to allow younger women who have never lived with their partners to access safety or barring orders, Women&rsquo;s Aid has warned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Younger women in dating relationships are legally unprotected from domestic abuse, says the domestic violence charity. It also says domestic violence legislation must be extended to include cyber-stalking and online harassment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The agency, which yesterday relaunched its 2in2u awareness campaign aimed at informing younger women of the danger signs of intimate abuse, says the current legislative framework leaves women who are not married to, living with, or, have a child with their partner, unprotected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;While the law deals with the lived, real world, we have not conceptualised legislation to deal with the virtual world,&rdquo; says Women&rsquo;s Aid director Margaret Martin. &ldquo;That is the world where younger people are engaging and it&rsquo;s moving at a fairly frantic pace.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are increasingly seeing technology used to abuse women, especially among younger women.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Many younger women think of domestic abuse as something that happens to older, married women. But dating abuse is a significant issue for our frontline support services.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Warning signs</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Research has shown that while young women can be at even higher risk of abuse than their older counterparts, there is low recognition of controlling and coercive relationship behaviour by young men, among young women.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Women&rsquo;s Aid wants younger women to think about their own safety when they engage with an intimate partner online or by text, and to know the warning signs of abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among the abuses being reported is one where intimate, private photographs are uploaded and shared, perhaps with messages inviting other men to rape or otherwise abuse the woman. &ldquo;Women are also disclosing how they are bombarded with texts and calls often telling them, in explicit detail, how they will be attacked or even killed,&rdquo; said Ms Martin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There were also instances where men harassed and stalked partners on social media or on their phones. We also hear from women whose boyfriends and ex-boyfriends had placed lies and false rumours about them on internet sites.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Martin said she hoped women would talk about the issues with friends and that mothers would talk to teenage and older daughters.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The agency is also calling for better legal protection for women being stalked and abused online in dating relationships.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Stalking</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We recommend that a specific stalking offence be introduced, with a comprehensive but not exhaustive definition, including new forms of cyber-stalking, and that stalking be recognised as grounds for a safety order,&rdquo; said Ms Martin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Women&rsquo;s Aid urges the Government to make safety orders available to women who have never lived with their boyfriends. Until these changes are made, young women in dating relationships remain at risk.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 2in2u campaign is supported by the Irish Girl Guides which has 12,000 members.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/women-s-aid-says-young-women-abused-while-dating-should-have-access-to-barring-orders-1.2100481\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/women-s-aid-says-young-women-abused-while-dating-should-have-access-to-barring-orders-1.2100481</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-12 12:18:09',NULL,'women’s-aid-says-young-women-abused-while-dating-should-have-access-to-barring-orders'),(902,'New \'Sneaky Naggin\' drinking fad pressures students to drink spirit bottle down in one','<p>\r\n	A new drinking craze among third-levels students requiring them to down a naggin of spirits has been condemned by the Union of Students in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The &lsquo;Sneaky Naggin&rsquo; game involves surprising a fellow student with a 200-millilitre&nbsp; bottle of cheap spirits, usually vodka or gin, during class and forcing them to drink it whole when they are next out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	USI Welfare officer Greg O&rsquo; Donoghue branded the game as &ldquo;irresponsible&rdquo;, saying that &ldquo;no friend should encourage someone to drink that amount alone.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Consuming that level of alcohol is dangerous and it isn&rsquo;t something that people should be encouraging their friends to do.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Our message on this is simple, don&rsquo;t give into peer pressure. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to be your own person,&rdquo; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hitting out at student sites posting &ldquo;how to&quot; guides on sneaking naggins into pubs and clubs, Mr O&rsquo; Donoghue said such articles &ldquo;weren&rsquo;t helpful in encouraging people to develop healthy drinking habits.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Quite frankly, we don&rsquo;t support this kind of advice,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The &lsquo;Sneaky Naggin&rsquo; game comes on the back of a report last month which showed that two-thirds of third level students were drinking &ldquo;hazardous amounts&rdquo; of alcohol every week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Researchers at University College Cork questioned students on their drinking habits &ndash; with 66pc admitting they engaged in unsafe drinking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Binge drinking does real damage to the body and people need to realise that,&rdquo; said Mr O&rsquo; Donoghue in response to the report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In December we rolled out our &lsquo;Mental Drinking&rsquo; campaign to highlight the dangers of drinking too much. We&rsquo;ve been really pleased by how well it&rsquo;s gone down and next month we&rsquo;ll be visiting over 30 campuses to drive home the message.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/new-sneaky-naggin-drinking-fad-pressures-students-to-drink-spirit-bottle-down-in-one-30987555.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/new-sneaky-naggin-drinking-fad-pressures-students-to-drink-spirit-bottle-down-in-one-30987555.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-13 10:28:39',NULL,'new-sneaky-naggin-drinking-fad-pressures-students-to-drink-spirit-bottle-down-in-one'),(903,'New research shows gay pupils end up happier if they come out at school','<p>\r\n	Gay teenagers who come out at school emerge with higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression than if they had not &ndash; and are no more likely to be bullied.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	New research, said to be the first to document the benefits of coming out during adolescence, suggests that teenagers should not be advised to keep their sexuality quiet in the hope of minimising the risk of classroom abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Stephen Russell, the director of the University of Arizona&rsquo;s Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth and Families, and the lead author of the study, said: &ldquo;Being out is good for you. Being able to be who we are is crucial to&nbsp; mental health.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After examining data on 245 gay and lesbian people in their early 20s, the researchers found that teenagers experienced victimisation and bullying in school over their gender identity or sexuality regardless of whether they came out or not. Those who had come out in school, however, reported higher self-esteem and life satisfaction as young adults than those who had tried to hide their sexuality or gender identity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Coming out in school also led to lower levels of depression in early adulthood.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Professor Russell, who started his study after being asked to act as an expert witness in a legal case, and realising that he could not say with absolute certainty that coming out in school was the best option, said: &ldquo;Until now, a key question about balancing the need to protect LGBT youth from harm while promoting their well-being has not been addressed: do the benefits of coming out at school outweigh the increased risk of victimisation? Our study points to the positive role of coming out for youth and young adult&nbsp; well-being.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that the study, published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, would be important for educating parents and teachers about the best guidance.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/new-research-shows-gay-pupils-end-up-happier-if-they-come-out-at-school-30986984.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/new-research-shows-gay-pupils-end-up-happier-if-they-come-out-at-school-30986984.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-13 10:29:44',NULL,'new-research-shows-gay-pupils-end-up-happier-if-they-come-out-at-school'),(904,'Direct provision top priority for Children\'s Ombudsman','<p>\r\n	The incoming Children&#39;s Ombudsman has said every child in Ireland deserves the same protection, regardless of their status.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RT&Eacute;&#39;s Morning Ireland, Dr Niall Muldoon said protecting children in the direct provision system will be one of his top priorities when he assumes office.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Oireachtas approved the appointment of the Dr Muldoon yesterday and he will receive his seal of office from the President next week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Muldoon, who will succeed Emily Logan as Ombudsman, said there are more than 1,200 children in the Direct Provision system who have been clearly discriminated against.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said there is an opportunity now to deal with it because there is a working group looking at the overall protection issue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Muldoon said he was also concerned about the continued detention of young people in inappropriate detention facilities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On the issue of the Children and Family Relationships Bill, he said it was unfortunate that the bill wasn&#39;t completed and put through the Oireachtas earlier.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Muldoon said had that happened the bill would not have gotten confused with the upcoming referendum on same sex marriage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0213/679874-ombudsman/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0213/679874-ombudsman/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-13 10:31:41',NULL,'direct-provision-top-priority-for-childrens-ombudsman'),(905,'Unmarried fathers to be given more rights under new laws','<p>\r\n	Unmarried fathers who have lived with the mother of their child for more than a year will have automatic guardianship rights under sweeping changes to family law.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The landmark legislation will, for the first time, give unmarried fathers legal rights to access to their children despite being separated from their children&#39;s mother.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Only mothers currently have guaranteed guardianship of a child born outside marriage and fathers can be forced to engage in lengthy legal battles to get access to their child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new rules, which are contained in the Government&#39;s Children and Family Relationships Bill, have been welcomed by children&#39;s charity Barnardos, which described the legislation as a &quot;hugely significant development&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If the bill proposed by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald is passed, unmarried fathers who lived with a partner for 12 consecutive months - including at least three months after their child is born - will automatically become a guardian.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Currently, fathers can only secure rights to their child if they obtain a statutory declaration signed by the mother allowing access.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They can also apply for guardianship through the district court, but neither route guarantees becoming a guardian to their child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Barnardos said the new provision &quot;recognises and values the commitment of fathers to their children, and by applying a cohabitation clause, ensures that fathers who do not wish or intend to be involved in their child&#39;s life are not automatic guardians&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It also ensures that fathers of children conceived as a result of rape or incest are not automatic guardians.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Step-parents and a parent&#39;s cohabiting partner will be able to apply for guardianship if they have shared caring responsibilities for a child for more than two years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In these cases, guardianship will be limited to &#39;day-to-day&#39; decisions while major issues regarding residence, religion and education will be the sole responsibility of a biological parent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/unmarried-fathers-to-be-given-more-rights-under-new-laws-30994819.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/unmarried-fathers-to-be-given-more-rights-under-new-laws-30994819.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-16 10:14:35',NULL,'unmarried-fathers-to-be-given-more-rights-under-new-laws'),(906,'Call to end direct provision shelter for victims of trafficking','<p>\r\n	Report urges shelving &lsquo;unsuitable&rsquo; accommodation for vulnerable refugee group</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The practice of placing victims of trafficking in &ldquo;unsuitable&rdquo; direct provision accommodation should be discontinued, a project examining legal interventions for victims of trafficking has found.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The research, carried out by the Dublin-based Immigrant Council of Ireland and agencies in five other European countries, found that while the enactment of dedicated trafficking legislation has resulted in major advancements in addressing trafficking &ldquo;critical flaws&rdquo; still exist.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The report, entitled Upholding Rights! Early Legal Intervention for Victims of Trafficking, co-funded by the European Union&rsquo;s Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme, drew together researchers and projects from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Finland and Croatia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	One of its recommendations is that minimum standards should be implemented for victims of trafficking to ensure the accommodation they are placed in is safe and poses no risks to further exploitation, particularly in the case of women who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	In this context the report says the use of &ldquo;unsuitable direct provision accommodation&rdquo; should be discontinued.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Chief executive of the Immigrant Council of Ireland Denise Charlton said direct provision was not an appreciated place for trafficking victims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&ldquo;There is common agreement that direct provision it is totally inappropriate place for trafficking victims as the necessary supports simply aren&rsquo;t in place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&ldquo;The needs of victims of trafficking are very complex: they are very vulnerable to further abuse and their traffickers can find them quite easily . . . there isn&rsquo;t the level of protection in direct provision that, for example, a refuge could provide.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Ms Charlton called on the the Government to provide appropriate alternative accommodation to affected individuals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The research also found that more needs to be done to ensure that all suspected and detected victims of trafficking are afforded adequate protection and assistance.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The report concluded that, while state legal aid is available in all six countries, &ldquo;numerous gaps&rdquo; remained for trafficking victims in their access to early legal advice and legal representation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&ldquo;There are no formal routes, protocols or procedures in place to ensure that access to early legal intervention is always provided,&rdquo; the authors concluded.<br />\r\n	The research also recommended increased resources for the policing of the sex trade to help in the early identification of trafficking victims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/call-to-end-direct-provision-shelter-for-victims-of-trafficking-1.2105031\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/call-to-end-direct-provision-shelter-for-victims-of-trafficking-1.2105031</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-16 10:18:57',NULL,'call-to-end-direct-provision-shelter-for-victims-of-trafficking'),(907,'CUH’s €15m mental health unit on hold','<p>\r\n	The HSE had to shelve plans to open a state-of-the-art &euro;15m psychiatric unit at Cork University Hospital last month after unions objected on foot of major concerns over staffing and health and safety.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among the issues raised by the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) and Siptu in relation to the 50-bed standalone unit were:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	nInadequate staffing. The HSE proposed 66 staff to run the unit last September but later revised the figure downwards to 56. The HSE argued that the reduction was justified because plans to designate six beds as &ldquo;high observation&rdquo; beds were temporarily ditched. However, the unions argue that they will still be catering for the same number of beds;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	nLack of clarity around evacuation plans in the event of an outbreak of fire on the first floor, which was to cater for elderly patients with dementia;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	nConcerns about access to security staff and the ability to respond to panic alarms. The unions claim security had to respond to 649 incidents between September 2012 and May 2014. The new unit &mdash; which will replace the old integrated unit known as &lsquo;GF&rsquo; &mdash; is at a remove from the main hospital which will affect response times.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The unions also claim there has been failure by the HSE to clarify how the unit will have access to a &ldquo;Crash Team&rdquo; in the event of a patient being in danger of respiratory or cardiac arrest.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The standalone nature of the new unit has been severely criticised by Ted Dinan, professor of psychiatry at University College Cork, who described it as a &ldquo;recipe for stigmatisation&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prof Dinan said its free-standing location on a corner of the campus meant it will be marked out as &ldquo;the loony bin at the side of the main campus&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be obvious to everyone that if you walk in there, you have mental health issues,&rdquo; he said, adding that the decision to move the unit out of the main hospital was &ldquo;political&rdquo; &mdash; that the cancer department wanted more space.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prof Dinan also supports the unions&rsquo; concerns over staffing, saying that &ldquo;all its nooks and crannies and space&rdquo; would make the new unit very difficult to nurse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Both the PNA and Siptu claim to have raised concerns as far back as August 2013 but say there was little engagement until the HSE announced its intention to open it in January. At that point, the unions refused to co-operate, and on the day the HSE organised a media tour of the new building, a conciliation conference was taking place. Those talks broke down but further talks under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission are scheduled for tomorrow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE said in a statement that Cork Mental Health Services management are in &ldquo;ongoing discussions with staff representatives to ensure that an early resolution is brought about&rdquo; that would allow the new unit to open as soon as possible.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cuhs-euro15m-mental-health-unit-on-hold-312789.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cuhs-euro15m-mental-health-unit-on-hold-312789.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-16 10:20:23',NULL,'cuh’s-€15m-mental-health-unit-on-hold'),(908,'New observation unit will cut children’s hospital admissions','<p>\r\n	Hospital seeks fundraisers for observation unit which will see children monitored and discharged more quickly</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The National Children&rsquo;s Hospital in Tallaght is asking the public to host pancake parties with the aim of raising funds for Ireland&rsquo;s first Short Stay Observation Unit (SSOU) attached to the hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The unit is due to open in April with capital funding coming from the HSE. But money is needed to equip and develop the unit which will see children being monitored for six hours and, in most cases, being discharged without the distress of admission to a ward. At the moment, there is a 16 per cent admission rate through the emergency department to a ward. When the SSOU opens, the rate is expected to drop to 12 per cent, freeing up much-needed inpatient beds and saving children and their parents unnecessary stress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The unit will see 7,000-8,000 young patients per year and aims to save more than 6,000 children from being admitted to hospital. Sick children will be cared for in a child-friendly environment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Turlough Bolger, paediatric consultant in emergency medicine, says the planned SSOU is known as the POD (Paediatric Observation Department).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s part of the new children&rsquo;s hospital model of care and is kind of a trial run for it when it opens in 2019,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all going to be learning new skills and developing this type of medicine, which hasn&rsquo;t been practised here before.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;When you look at children coming into hospital, they tend to be admitted for fairly short periods. The current length of stay in hospital would be less than two days. By putting children into the observation unit, we&rsquo;ll be reducing admissions on to the ward. We will give children some treatment in the unit and then send them home. It will mean less of the cross-infection that you get on the ward. A lot of paediatric admissions are infectious diseases such as chest infections and gastroenteritis.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The less time spent in hospital, the better, says Bolger. &ldquo;Obviously, for the parents, there&rsquo;ll be less work disruption. Lots of research has shown that parents are really happy with this kind of care. It&rsquo;s shorter and more focused. There are benefits to the hospital as well, with increased bed capacity for the inpatient beds and for true emergencies.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bolger points out that up to now, the Tallaght hospital has &ldquo;limited space and limited cubicles to assess patients. We want to separate the patients and say that some children have a certain condition that would be [suitable for treatment] in the POD. We can then see the next patient from the waiting room and keep the flow going, resulting in less waiting time.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Quick diagnosis</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Observation medicine involves making a diagnosis and highlighting cases that would be suitable for the SSOU.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The patient would need a period of observation or a period of intensive treatment. When the patient improves, they can be discharged safely.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The conditions we&rsquo;d be looking at would be head injuries, where a child comes in from a rugby match and needs four to six hours of observation. Other conditions would be asthma attacks, for example. Babies who ingest medicines need observation to make sure there are no effects. Children with first seizures, kidney infections or skin infections can either be observed or can be given treatment and observed to see what the response is. A decision can be made after six hours to see whether they can go home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We&rsquo;re hoping there will be very few admitted to the observation unit who will end up staying in hospital. If that were to happen, we&rsquo;d see it almost as a kind of failure of the system. We&rsquo;d be confident that more than 90 per cent would end up being discharged.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When it comes to staff for the unit, Bolger says with reduced admission rates to the ward, &ldquo;there&rsquo;ll be some potential for the reallocation of inpatient staff or inhouse staff to work in the unit. I don&rsquo;t think it will be a problem. Nursing staff and doctors would be very keen to get experience in this kind of care.&rdquo; Bolger says he has looked at models of SSOU care in the UK including the units at the Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester and at the Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Success in Mullingar</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A paediatric doctor based in the emergency department of the Midlands General Hospital in Mullingar has set up a structure whereby children who don&rsquo;t need to be admitted to the paediatric ward are brought back for review.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Frances McCartan says the structure, called the paediatric review clinic, hasn&rsquo;t been formalised but functions well. &ldquo;Children treated for conditions such as asthma or abdominal pain are brought back within a month to see how they&rsquo;re getting on. They would have attended the emergency department. We would see if they need more specialist care.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This system has &ldquo;made a difference in the number of children being admitted. It has taken the pressure off outpatients and inpatients. About 5,000 children attend the emergency department in Mullingar every year. Since the clinic was set up, we found that from March 2012 to the end of 2013, the figure was down by about 20 per cent. We have presented our experience at a couple of meetings of the Irish Paediatric Association. Our experience shows that people like me can provide a good service that is less stressful for children.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Any funds raised from pancake parties and pancake-flipping competitions in aid of the SSOU can be sent via Freepost to the National Children&rsquo;s Hospital&rsquo;s Fundraising Department at Tallaght hospital, Dublin 24. For details, see iti.ms/1zcsbtn</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/new-observation-unit-will-cut-children-s-hospital-admissions-1.2099665\">http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/new-observation-unit-will-cut-children-s-hospital-admissions-1.2099665</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-17 11:05:51',NULL,'new-observation-unit-will-cut-children’s-hospital-admissions'),(909,'Unsafe streets: 32 used drug needles lifted from city streets every day','<p>\r\n	More than 30 needles mainly used for injecting heroin are being found on Dublin city streets every day.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Herald can today reveal that almost 12,000 needles are taken off the streets annually.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Three separate groups - Dublin City Council (DCC), the Ana Liffey Project and Dublin Town, the body that represents city businesses - are collecting the needles and syringes on both sides of the Liffey.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last year, two council workers were pricked by the needles while cleaning the city&#39;s alleyways and streets.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A total of 4,600 used needles were collected in the north inner city and a further 7,000 were picked up from Parnell Street across to St Stephen&#39;s Green in 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Ana Liffey Drug Project picked up 2,000 used needles, DCC gathered 2,600 and Dublin Town collected 7,000. On average, more than 220 needles a week, or 32 a day, are being recovered.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tony Duffin, who is the director of the Ana Liffey Drug Project, said the issue of disposing of needles used for drugs in the city has to be tackled.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;At this point, all stakeholders are agreed that public injecting is a serious issue in Dublin&#39;s city centre, both north and south. Unfortunately, unsafe disposal of injecting paraphernalia is one consequence of this,&quot; Mr Duffin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	discarded</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Richard Guiney, the CEO of Dublin Town, whose organisation picks up needles right across the capital, said that discarded syringes used to be a sight predominantly seen in areas north of the Liffey, but that is no longer the case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There&#39;s no doubt that drugs are an issue in the city, everybody knows that but what we need is a constructive solution that works for everyone,&quot; Mr Guiney told the Herald.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the Dublin Town CEO believes that a new approach is needed to tackle the issue which addresses the needs of drug users as well as tourists and workers who travel into the city everyday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Vulnerable people need to be looked after. We&#39;ve looked at solutions all over the world and looked at where various strategies have worked.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Guiney recently travelled to New York to meet with the Time Square Alliance and the commander of the New York Police Department to see how they addressed the drug problem in their city.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They didn&#39;t attribute improvements to a zero-tolerance approach but instead to assertive outreach and a large emphasis on housing-first and this worked very successfully,&quot; Mr Guiney said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As part of the 20-Point Homeless Action Plan, presented by Environment Minister Alan Kelly last December, a number of proposals were set out to deal with the issue of addiction within the homeless community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One plan was to establish a multi-service centre in the capital, a draft proposal for this is currently being worked on.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Furthermore, following the homeless summit, a high-ranking member of An Garda Siochana and a senior executive in DCC went out on to the streets of Dublin late at night asking rough-sleepers if they needed specific help with an addiction problem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Today&#39;s figures come after Taoiseach Enda Kenny himself came across a pile of used needles, while out with the homeless last December.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We stopped the Taoiseach from walking on syringes in the Harcourt Street area, and he was taken aback by that, to see syringes, sleeping bags, bottles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;When we explained they were needle spikes, he was taken aback,&quot; said Lord Mayor Christy Burke.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	DCC was contacted about needle pricks two of their public domain staff received while collecting used syringes, but they did not respond to the query by the time of going to print.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/unsafe-streets-32-used-drug-needles-lifted-from-city-streets-every-day-30996245.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/unsafe-streets-32-used-drug-needles-lifted-from-city-streets-every-day-30996245.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-17 11:07:25',NULL,'unsafe-streets-32-used-drug-needles-lifted-from-city-streets-every-day'),(910,'Bill proposes to tighten rules on parent role','<p>\r\n	Parents who do not comply with court orders on custody and access to their children will face new compliance measures under a new Bill to be agreed by the Cabinet next week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald is to bring the Children and Family Relationships Bill to Cabinet next Tuesday and it is expected to be published immediately afterwards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Bill was initially drafted by former minister Alan Shatter and it has been carried on by Ms Fitzgerald, who has made some of her own proposals, such as in the area of assisted human reproduction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a briefing note given to Opposition spokespeople and Government TDs earlier this week, Ms Fitzgerald outlined a number of other aspects to the Bill, including a &ldquo;series of provisions on making parenting work&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Relationship breakdown</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;These provisions are intended to ensure that both parents can have meaningful relationships with their child even in a context of relationship breakdown,&rdquo; the briefing note says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Measures are proposed to promote compliance with court orders on custody and access,&rdquo; it adds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;These include requiring a parent who is persistently flouting a court order to attend a parenting programme to compensate the other parent for time lost with the child.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood that, in practice, this would mean one parent could get double the amount of time with a child if the other fails to keep an appointment and is aimed at incentivising parents to deal with each other amicably in the case of a breakdown.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another aspect of the Bill is allowing a parent to appoint a temporary guardian for his or her child, through a court-based process, &ldquo;where the parent is suffering from serious illness or injury which prevent him or her from exercising his or her guardianship responsibilities in respect of the child&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court will also be able to specify limitations on the type of decisions to be taken by the temporary guardian and must also have regard for any limitations requested by the parent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Bill, which allows for adoption by same-sex couples, was initially intended to be enacted well before the same-sex marriage referendum in order to clarify family issues which may arise in the campaign.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government hopes to have it signed into law within one month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/bill-proposes-to-tighten-rules-on-parent-role-1.2102064\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/bill-proposes-to-tighten-rules-on-parent-role-1.2102064</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-17 11:42:04',NULL,'bill-proposes-to-tighten-rules-on-parent-role'),(911,'€300m plan ‘will take too long to help the homeless’','<p>\r\n	A &euro;300m investment package for social housing projects will take too long to help homeless people, the Government has been warned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While Focus Ireland welcomed the scheme, which sees &euro;150m of funding from the European Investment Bank matched by Government resources in a bid to develop and upgrade 2,000 social housing units over the next three years, the group said more urgent action was needed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	With the first homes under the initiative not becoming available for two years, Mike Allen of Focus Ireland urged faster relief for homeless people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The announcement is very positive, in the medium term, for people experiencing homelessness,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The current crisis in family homelessness needs immediate action to stop the flood of families becoming homeless. Focus Ireland said its work has shown that the large majority of single people and families are currently becoming homeless because their rent supplement payments have not kept pace with a sharp rise in rents in recent years and they can&rsquo;t afford to keep a roof over their heads.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Focus Ireland has previously welcomed the expansion of Government measures which have helped prevent over 300 families from becoming homeless but stressed that this scheme will not &mdash; and clearly has not &mdash; reached all the families at risk of losing their home as an average of 40 families became homeless every month last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This had doubled from the 20 families losing their home every month in Dublin in 2013. Focus Ireland once again called for the Government to raise rent supplement rates and bring in greater rent regulation. This would stem the flow of families and individuals becoming homeless.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Environment Minister Alan Kelly hailed the funding initiative as evidence that the Government was committed to focus resources on providing social housing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/euro300m-plan-will-take-too-long-to-help-the-homeless-313405.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/euro300m-plan-will-take-too-long-to-help-the-homeless-313405.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-19 11:27:33',NULL,'€300m-plan-‘will-take-too-long-to-help-the-homeless’'),(912,'College lecturers accused of not doing enough to include students with disabilities','<p>\r\n	A new report also found that less deaf students are now attending college in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Around 60% OF disability staff believe that academics are not doing enough to include students with disabilities in their courses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	That&rsquo;s according to a new report by the Association for Higher Education Access &amp; Disability (AHEAD).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The disability staff made comments about lecturers in the report with one respondent saying that some lecturers didn&rsquo;t want to know the basic information about students in their class with a disability:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	We have been recently asked not to provide academics with so much information, though we only provide them with the student&rsquo;s type of disability &amp; the exam supports they are receiving. Lecturers felt it was an invasion of privacy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is difficult to get some academic staff to take on board changes to the traditional way of teaching. New technology devices such as LiveScribe pens seems to cause the most concern as lecturers often do not like to be recorded in class.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another stated, &ldquo;We still have difficulties with academics making their lecture notes available before class; some still do not provide them online even after the lecture.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Decrease in deaf students</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report also found a decrease in the number of deaf or hearing impaired students starting college. There was a 6% drop to 271 students last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Students who are deaf or have hearing impairments now make up just 2.8% of the total population of students with disabilities (down from 3.2% last year).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However the report outlined that the overall numbers of students with disabilities has increased 7% year on year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There are now nearly 10,000 students with disabilities studying in higher education in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Part Time vs Full Time</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, while students with disabilities make up 5.4% of the full time student population - the rate studying part time is only 1.1%.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report recommends allowing part-time students to access the same funding for supports granted to full-time students with disabilities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ann Heelan, Executive Director of AHEAD said, &ldquo;For students with certain types of disabilities, for instance chronic fatigue syndrome, part time study is a much more preferable and manageable study path, but the current funding situation is preventing many students from taking up these options. Those that do go the part-time route may not get the support they need to perform.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report, Numbers of Students with Disabilities Studying in Higher Education in Ireland 2013/14, can be <a href=\"http://www.ahead.ie/userfiles/files/Participation/PARTICIPATION%202014.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">read in full here</a>.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.thejournal.ie/less-deaf-people-college-1943320-Feb2015/?utm_source=shortlink\">http://www.thejournal.ie/less-deaf-people-college-1943320-Feb2015/?utm_source=shortlink</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-19 11:39:08',NULL,'college-lecturers-accused-of-not-doing-enough-to-include-students-with-disabilities'),(913,'Single parent allowance discussed by Oireachtas Committee','<p>\r\n	The Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection has heard that lone parents transitioning from the One Parent Family Payment to JobSeeker&#39;s or other alternatives will be considerably less well off than they were four years ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The committee heard that parents working a 20-hour week stand to lose &euro;50 a week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The committee is hearing testimony from One Family and Spark, groups representing lone parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They say the new measures will increase the already high levels of deprivation among lone-parent families.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One Family estimated the deprivation level at 63%.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The One Parent Family Payment is to end for families whose youngest child has turned seven.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The committee heard this will affect up to to 39,000 families this July.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	John McKeon, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Social Protection, said a transitional arrangement for lone parents those with children aged 7-13 meant than no one with a child under 13 would be forced to seek employment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the department was providing information sessions to families affected by the transition and that 11,000 families had already made the transition.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Labour Party TD Brendan Ryan said it seemed that the change was acting as a disincentive to employment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Independent TD Richard Boyd Barrett said there should be an acknowledgement that this has not been handled correctly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	From 2 July, lone parents with a child aged seven will transfer from the One Parent Family Allowance to Jobseeker&#39;s Allowance Transition or the Back to Work Family Dividend.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The reform was introduced by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton nearly three years ago to encourage lone parents into education and employment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It will not affect a lone parent who is not working as they will transfer to the Jobseeker&#39;s Transition payment, but for a lone parent working 20 hours a week on the minimum wage, that person will lose &euro;50 a week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fianna F&aacute;il&#39;s spokesperson for Social Protection Willie O&#39;Dea described the move as &quot;perverse, at at time when the Labour Party is part of Government, to be cutting the poorest section of our society&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RT&Eacute;&#39;s Morning Ireland, chair of the Committee on Education and Social Protection Joanna Tuffy said these changes had been long announced and have been phased in over time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said the aim was to move lone parents into the workplace and that the childcare needs of seven-year-olds are very different to those of pre-school children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said lone parents who are on the minimum wage are entitled to the family income supplement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She also said the back to work dividend is in place this year and parents can keep &euro;29 a week per child of their social welfare payment if they go back to work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0218/681052-politics/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0218/681052-politics/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-19 11:41:14',NULL,'single-parent-allowance-discussed-by-oireachtas-committee'),(914,'New guidelines on child abuse will include care for accused priests','<p>\r\n	The decision has been welcomed by an organisation representing priests in Ireland, which said support is needed for those wrongly accused.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	New Child Protection guidelines for the Catholic Church in Ireland will include a section on priests who have been accused of abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCCI) confirmed to TheJournal.ie that guidelines about the duty of care to an accused priest will be included, with a draft due to be submitted for a period of consultation next month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sean McDonagh of the Association of Catholic Priests said this was a welcome move in the case of wrongly accused priests in the Church.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said there is a difficult balancing act when it comes to abuse allegations, between duty of care to the child and fairness to the priest involved.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Of course, absolutely anything that can protect children in the church we&rsquo;d be in favour of and we have done that over the years.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Though he said priests are supportive of measures to protect children, there have been cases where people have been falsely accused, citing one example where a priest was was of the ministry for a number of years until court proceedings were finished.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Priests are in a unique position in terms of these issues. If it&rsquo;s a garda or a teacher, they can just go home to their house. Priests are living in houses owned by the diocese so where do they go?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also referred to a study conducted by Amarach in 2012, which found that almost half of Irish people thought 20% of priests are paedophiles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That&rsquo;s absolutely crazy and we like to point out that&rsquo;s not so. Priests got a lot of attention for this, rather than teachers or doctors or garda&iacute; in the same position.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.thejournal.ie/priest-child-abuse-1948599-Feb2015/\">http://www.thejournal.ie/priest-child-abuse-1948599-Feb2015/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-20 09:38:58',NULL,'new-guidelines-on-child-abuse-will-include-care-for-accused-priests'),(915,'Reilly: foster parents can be rejected if overweight','<p>\r\n	People who want to foster a child can be turned down if they are too overweight, Children&#39;s Minister James Reilly has admitted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Reilly revealed that the health of an applicant is one of the criteria looked at when assessing a potential foster carer, as is the overall physical ability of a person to care for a child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Obesity cannot be ignored as part of the overall health of the applicant and the impact this may have on the experience of a child being placed in their care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Significant health issues which may impact on an applicant&#39;s ability to care for a child can preclude them from being recommended for approval.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, this is only one factor of a number that are considered.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It must be emphasised that what is being examined in the assessment process is the prospective carer&#39;s ability to care for a child placed with them and the carer&#39;s values, attitudes, life experiences, commitment and flexibility in responding to the need of the individual child,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Reilly was before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, answering Labour TD Ciara Conway, who said she knew of prospective foster parents who were turned down on the basis of their Body Mass Index (BMI).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Regulations</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She asked if he was aware of variations in the regulations and standards governing fostering assessment from region to region.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Reilly admitted the Child and Family Agency is only now finalising a national assessment framework for foster care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This document should be issued later this month and will mean fostering assessment nationally will be standardised.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prior to a negative decision being made, an applicant is afforded an opportunity to make a final submission and also has the right of appeal based on a full review of the relevant file and evidence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There are currently around 6,500 children in state care and the majority of these are fostered.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There is always a shortage of suitable foster carers, particularly in areas of Dublin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, the committee was told that recruitment of inspectors for pre-schools is ongoing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Over recent years a number of areas have had no inspector, or an inadequate number.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The aim was to have 49 inspectors in place by early this year. The committee also heard that at the end of November, there were 24,439 files on children recorded as being still open.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of these, 8,451 were not at the time allocated to a social worker. Among these children, 2,844 were classed as a &quot;high priority&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Emergency cases are dealt with immediately where the child is in danger, it was noted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/reilly-foster-parents-can-be-rejected-if-overweight-31007161.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/reilly-foster-parents-can-be-rejected-if-overweight-31007161.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-20 09:40:56',NULL,'reilly-foster-parents-can-be-rejected-if-overweight'),(916,'One in eight dads suffers depression after baby is born','<p>\r\n	Around one in eight new fathers may suffer symptoms of postnatal depression in the first year of their baby&#39;s life, a new study has shown.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The findings, which emerged from a study of 100 fathers in Cork, found men who suffer from the condition are underdiagnosed and undertreated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It shows the need for more awareness of the mental health of fathers in the postnatal period,&quot; researcher Lloyd Philpott of University College, Cork, told the annual Nursing and Midwifery Conference in the Royal College of Surgeons yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said a mother&#39;s postnatal depression can manifest itself in low mood, sleep disturbance, anxiety and loss of self esteem.However, for men the symptoms tend to be conflict, anger, alcohol and drug abuse, risky behaviour and escapism by excessive working.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He told the conference, opened by Health Minister Leo Varadkar, that the majority of the men in the study were Irish but there were 20 different nationalities in all.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The factors found to increase the risk included a lower level of education, having an infant with sleep problems, having a pre-term or overdue infant, a history of depression, lack of support from a partner, living in rented accommodation, poor economic circumstances, not having paternity leave and not being married.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There were a number of chefs in the study and they had high rates of postnatal depression, which could be linked to split-shift work and long hours.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Factors which protected fathers from the condition included having a full-term baby, being financially comfortable, being married and being able to rely on their partner for support.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Leave</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There were low levels of paternity leave and this study showed the need for more recognition to be given to this kind of support, he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study, which involved a questionnaire, also found there were no recognised referral guidelines in place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One quarter of the pregnancies were unplanned but this had no bearing on whether a father became depressed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking at the conference Mr Varadkar said: &quot;Nurses and midwives are at the heart of patient safety and patient care; Ireland&#39;s nurses are well educated, highly-skilled and motivated. They are a great asset for the health service. We must ensure that this pool of talent is utilised properly.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/one-in-eight-dads-suffers-depression-after-baby-is-born-31007173.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/one-in-eight-dads-suffers-depression-after-baby-is-born-31007173.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-20 09:44:14',NULL,'one-in-eight-dads-suffers-depression-after-baby-is-born'),(917,'State risks another ECHR challenge over sex abuse, warns academic','<p>\r\n	Conor O&rsquo;Mahony warns of narrow interpretation of Louise O&rsquo;Keeffe judgement</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The State risks another challenge by a school sex abuse victim in the European Court of Human Rights because of the narrow way in which it is interpreting the judgment in the Louise O&rsquo;Keeffe case, a leading law lecturer has warned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Conor O&rsquo;Mahony of the faculty of law in UCC told The Irish Times that Ireland had chosen to interpret the judgment in Ms O&rsquo;Keeffe&rsquo;s case in a very narrow way. It had focused on the ECHR&rsquo;s comments in relation to a prior complaint being made but not acted in relation to the teacher who had abused Ms O&rsquo;Keeffe.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms O&rsquo;Keeffe successfully sued the State in the ECHR in January 2014 for failing to protect her from sexual abuse by principal Leo Hickey while a pupil at Dunderrow national school in west Cork.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Basically there are two aspects to the ECHR judgment: on the one hand, the judgment refers to the fact that in Louise O&rsquo;Keeffe&rsquo;s case there had been a prior complaint &ndash; another victim had made a complaint before Louise was abused in Dunderrow national school in the 1970s,&rdquo; Dr O&rsquo;Mahony said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Liable</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;So the judgment makes a comment that had this complaint been acted upon, it would have been reasonable to expect that Louise would not have been abused &ndash; the judgment says that, but of course the judgment says that because that&rsquo;s what actually happened in the case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That&rsquo;s one side of it but the judgment also refers &ndash; and the ECHR has referred in other judgments &ndash; to the idea that the State is also liable for abuse which it fails to prevent where it either did know it was occurring or &ndash; and this is the key point &ndash; where it ought to have known it was occurring.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If the whole system revolves around waiting until a complaint has been made and only kicks in at that point, then you are effectively waiting for abuse to happen, and a child has to be abused and a complaint made before the State is deemed liable.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The State is effectively saying that, in a case like Dunderrow where lots of children were abused, it is telling the first victim, &lsquo;Tough luck, there is no liability in your case because no complaint was made until you made your complaint although we are liable for later victims&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to Dr O&rsquo;Mahony, the interpretation of the ruling taken by the State focuses solely on reporting and detecting abuse but fails to acknowledge that the ECHR judgment also stresses the State&rsquo;s role in protecting children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr O&rsquo;Mahony, who with colleague Prof Ursula Kilkelly and the Child Law Clinic at UCC, supported Ms O&rsquo;Keeffe in her case, said she had highlighted the State&rsquo;s awareness of systemic abuse in the primary school system in the Carrigan and Ryan reports.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This was acknowledged by the ECHR in paragraph 125 of its judgment when it said the State should have put in place measures to protect children and other vulnerable persons from &ldquo;ill treatment of which the authorities had or ought to have had knowledge&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The whole interpretation of the ECHR by the State is extremely narrow and minimalist and ignores the broader systemic problem and the issue of prevention and instead focuses solely on the issue of reporting; in my view, it is potentially open to challenge in a future case.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/state-risks-another-echr-challenge-over-sex-abuse-warns-academic-1.2113262\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/state-risks-another-echr-challenge-over-sex-abuse-warns-academic-1.2113262</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-23 10:35:03',NULL,'state-risks-another-echr-challenge-over-sex-abuse-warns-academic'),(918,'Ãras Attracta row between Hiqa and Ombudsman','<p>\r\n	Hiqa chief calls Ombudsman&rsquo;s remarks about handling of complaints &lsquo;inaccurate&rsquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The head of one State watchdog has accused the head of another of undermining the reputation and credibility of his organisation in a heated row sparked by the &Aacute;ras Attracta scandal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Phelim Quinn, chief executive of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), sharply attacked Ombudsman Peter Tyndall over what he claimed were &ldquo;entirely inaccurate&rdquo; remarks in a radio interview.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The unprecedented spat between the two regulators is apparent in documents obtained by The Irish Times under Freedom of Information legislation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Quinn wrote to Mr Tyndall in December, a day after the Ombudsman appeared to criticise Hiqa over the handling of individual complaints about care centres in a radio interview. An RT&Eacute; undercover investigation of the &Aacute;ras Attracta home in Co Mayo, broadcast some days earlier, had revealed serious abuse by staff of residents with intellectual disabilities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Complaints</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Asked about 430 complaints received by Hiqa in relation to care centres, Mr Tyndall said Hiqa should be bringing them to the attention of his office as a draft memorandum of understanding was in place between the two organisations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If people &ldquo;then complain to Hiqa rather than the HSE, Hiqa should be passing them on to us and I don&rsquo;t understand why that hasn&rsquo;t happened&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In his letter, Mr Quinn said key elements of Mr Tyndall&rsquo;s letter were untrue. &ldquo;We do not have a draft memorandum of understanding with your office&rdquo;, although there had been talks about drawing up such a document.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Disputed</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The early draft was sent to your office on October 21st, 2014 and as yet no response on the initial draft has been received. I would point out that in no way could this initial draft be regarded as a draft memorandum of understanding as inferred by you in the above interview. I would also point out that the document in no way contains any agreements on the sharing of complaints as outlined by you in that interview.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Quinn also disputed Mr Tyndall&rsquo;s assertion that his office had been in touch with Hiqa &ldquo;and we&rsquo;re waiting on a response&rdquo;. He said the Ombudsman&rsquo;s comments &ldquo;served to undermine the reputation and credibility of Hiqa and significantly misrepresented our established procedures&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Tyndall, in a replying letter, apologised for his &ldquo;inaccuracies&rdquo; and &ldquo;the difficulties they have caused&rdquo;. &ldquo;I now realise the amended draft memorandum had not been sent to your office, and for this I must again apologise. I had wrongly believed that we were awaiting a response from you, rather than the actual position which was contrary to this.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The two men and their officials met in January and a revised draft of the memorandum of understanding was discussed and drawn up. This says Hiqa&rsquo;s primary role is regulation, rather than individual complaint-handling, and provides for the transfer of these to the Ombudsman&rsquo;s office.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/%C3%A1ras-attracta-row-between-hiqa-and-ombudsman-1.2113201\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/%C3%A1ras-attracta-row-between-hiqa-and-ombudsman-1.2113201</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-23 10:41:00',NULL,'ãras-attracta-row-between-hiqa-and-ombudsman'),(919,'One in six Irish prison deaths is by suicide','<p>\r\n	There have been calls for specialised suicide prevention programmes in prisons.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The latest figures from Irish prisons show almost one in six deaths over the last nine years has been by suicide.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Since 2005, some 86 people have died in one of Ireland&rsquo;s prisons. The highest number was in 2006 and last year there were eight deaths.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response to a question recently from TD Brian Walsh, Justice Minister France Fitzgerald confirmed 15 deaths in prison since 2005 have been by suicide. The issue was raised in an Oireachtas committee last summer, when a representative from the Irish Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, called on the government to support the introduction of specialised prevention programmes in prisons.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Maureen Mulligan has worked on a similar programme in the UK for 14 years and told TDs that there was a significant reduction in attempted suicide in people who had undertaken the programme. Participants were supported through counselling, natural medicine, anger management, and nutritional and fitness advice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fitzgerald said since January 2012, the death of any prison in custody or on temporary release is the subject of an independent investigation by the Inspector of Prisons as well as garda investigations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that the circumstances of each death in custody and incident of self-harm are also examined by a local prevention group in each institution. These groups are required to meet quarterly or more often if necessary and their objective is to identify measure which might contribute to a reduction in the risk of deaths in the future.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If you need someone to talk to, contact:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Samaritans: 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Console: 1800 247 247 (Suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Aware: 1890 303 302 (Depression, anxiety)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Pieta House: 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie (Suicide, self-harm)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Teen-Line Ireland: 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.thejournal.ie/prison-suicides-1950480-Feb2015/\">http://www.thejournal.ie/prison-suicides-1950480-Feb2015/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-23 10:43:47',NULL,'one-in-six-irish-prison-deaths-is-by-suicide'),(920,'Supreme Court rejects challenge to school’s admission policy','<p>\r\n	Traveller claimed rule giving preference to children of past pupils was discriminatory</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed an appeal by a boy from the Traveller community who challenged the refusal of his admission to the Christian Brothers High School in Clonmel, Co Tipperary in 2009.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The decision by the five-judge court effectively upholds earlier rulings by the Circuit and High courts in relation to the case taken by Mary Stokes, the mother of John Stokes, who is now 16 and attending another school in Fethard, 14 km away.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Stokes had argued school policy which gave preference to the children of past pupils discriminated indirectly against children from the Traveller community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After John was refused a place his mother lodged a complaint under the Equal Status Act over a policy of the school to give priority to those whose fathers were past pupils.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	John&rsquo;s father, a Traveller, was not a past pupil of the school. Ms Stokes argued that because most Travellers of her son&rsquo;s father&rsquo;s generation had not attended secondary school at all, such &lsquo;old boys&rsquo; or &lsquo;parent rule&rsquo; policies discriminated against Travellers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His appeal was upheld by the Equality Tribunal but appealed to the Circuit Court by the school. The school won there and Ms Stokes appealed to the High Court, which upheld the lower court&rsquo;s decision. She appealed this to the Supreme Court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In their judgements today the court dismissed the appeal, though for different reasons.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Two of the five said that under Section 28 of the Equal Status Act there could be no appeal beyond the High Court and so the case did not &ldquo;lie&rdquo; in their court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Three accepted that an appeal could be heard but argued insufficient statistical evidence or information had been put before the lower courts to properly analyse whether the admission policy discriminated against Travellers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They too dismissed the appeal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Stokes was not in court today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However Brigid Qulligan, director of the Irish Traveller Movement, thanked her for taking the case and spoke on her behalf.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said Travellers were &ldquo;very dismayed&rdquo; by the judgement and said &ldquo;discrimination [WAS]very alive and well&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said Ms Stokes had stood up &ldquo;against all odds, all barriers and against the system which currently does not provide a level playing field for all children, particularly marginalised and disadvantaged children&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Stokes had taken the case, not only for her son but for other children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She took this landmark case on behalf of her son knowing that in the lifetime of this case it might not directly affect his life but that it might affect, hopefully positively, the lives other children around the country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Traveller children and also other children, migrant children and children from working class backgrounds who also do not have a history of secondary education within their families.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Asked what she would say to schools which vigorously campaigned to be allowed retain the &lsquo;parent rule&rsquo;, she said: &ldquo;You are excluding students and for whatever reason, are trying to hold onto a past in Ireland that is unfair. Why is it only in particular schools that this applies to?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Discrimination is very alive and will in Ireland. It is particularly evident in the amount of calls from parents contacting Irish Traveller Movement on a weekly basis to say their children are not receiving an adequate education. We see children of my sons&rsquo; age, 15, going to school and not attaining, not succeeding because there are no supports in place.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She referred to the judgement of three of the court&rsquo;s judges that there was insufficient statistical evidence to support the claim that Travellers were disadvantaged by the parent rule.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The lack of this type of evidence was due to the fact the data was not available, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This was due to cuts by the Department of Education in 2010 which meant data on Traveller participation in schools was no longer gathered.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A spokesman for the school said it was &ldquo;happy&rdquo; its admission policy had been upheld by the court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-school-s-admission-policy-1.2115378\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-school-s-admission-policy-1.2115378</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-25 10:24:42',NULL,'supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-school’s-admission-policy'),(921,'New child abuse allegations at small school','<p>\r\n	Taoiseach Enda Kenny has promised a D&aacute;il report about new allegations of physical and sexual abuse at a small country school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fianna F&aacute;il leader Miche&aacute;l Martin said the abuse was documented in a report by the Children&#39;s Ombudsman and happened as recently as 2005/2006. He said he knew that a child who made allegations about the school had written to Mr Kenny.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the D&aacute;il, Mr Martin called for an independent expert panel to investigate the case at the unnamed school as he said the Ombudsman&#39;s report was particularly damning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said he was concerned that three separate authorities - the Department of Education, the Health Service Executive and the school board of management - had not responded appropriately to the situation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The Ombudsman for Children&#39;s report is saying that this was not handled properly by any of the three bodies involved,&quot; Mr Martin said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the garda&iacute; now accepted its original investigation was not up to standard and it was being renewed, as fresh allegations were received.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;That was all in 2005/2006, not 50 years ago, 30 years ago, not 20 years ago,&#39;&#39; Mr Martin said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Taoiseach said he was aware of the case and added that the issue was being examined by the garda&iacute;, the Departments of Health, Justice and Education, as well as the child protection authority, Tusla, and the parents of the children at the school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I&#39;m quite prepared to come back to you when I have more clarity,&quot; Mr Kenny said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that the report awaited from Tusla was required before he could make any comment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There is no place for this kind of activity in any school or in any home in the country,&quot; the Taoiseach said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kenny said it was a sensitive case which must be properly investigated and he was aware of the implications of the Ombudsman&#39;s report.</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-25 10:25:44',NULL,'new-child-abuse-allegations-at-small-school'),(922,'Man (89) bruised and shaken by fall was ignored in street','<p>\r\n	A 89-year-old man who tripped and fell in a city centre at lunchtime was ignored by pedestrians, shoppers and motorists.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Con Coughlan (89) was eventually able to pick himself up off the road on Washington Street in Cork, and limp over to a wall.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bruised, cut and shaken, Con managed to make his own way home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Con appealed for people to be more considerate of the elderly, the disabled and the vulnerable.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I was very surprised that no-one came over to help.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Con&#39;s family were so shocked that they contacted local radio station RedFM.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His granddaughter Orla said she was appalled and urged people to be more considerate. &quot;I just wanted to make everyone aware that Cork people have gone to the extreme of being too wrapped up in their own lives to help others.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Widower Con (inset) regularly walks into the city for lunch. But he misjudged the height of a kerb and fell.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It was 3pm on a Friday and not one car stopped, not one person passing on the path stopped to ask was granddad OK,&quot; Orla added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;My granddad is so proud to be a Corkman. We cannot believe that someone wouldn&#39;t help an elderly person up off the ground after falling. It is really upsetting.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-89-bruised-and-shaken-by-fall-was-ignored-in-street-31020430.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-89-bruised-and-shaken-by-fall-was-ignored-in-street-31020430.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-25 10:30:45',NULL,'man-89-bruised-and-shaken-by-fall-was-ignored-in-street'),(923,'EU report on online child sex abuse ‘a wake up call’','<p>\r\n	In January 2014, a man was arrested as part of a major investigation into online child sexual exploitation. The individual had more than 80 social networking profiles, email addresses, and video chat accounts to sexually abuse children via webcams on computers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Once victims had sent him an indecent image or video of themselves, he started threatening them and involving them in far more serious abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The youngest child was an eight-year-old girl &mdash; she was forced to involve other children in the abuse. The suspect pretended to be a 13-year-old boy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His case was one of a number highlighted in a report on sexual exploitation of children online, published by Europol, the EU police agency.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The suspect also coerced adult men into performing a sexual act via webcam which was recorded and used against them unless they paid money.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said it was not known if the indecent materials provided by the children were commercially distributed online, but added: &ldquo;Bearing in mind the profile of the suspect, this possibility cannot be excluded&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a second case, a 17-year-old girl was a victim of extortion which started when her boyfriend took a photo of her breasts with his mobile phone, and shared it with his 17-year-old friend.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The latter sent the photo via a social media platform to the victim to inform her he had it, demanding money and threatening her with publishing her photo elsewhere if she refused to pay.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Verbal blackmailing also took place at school. The girl gradually began to give him &euro;10 or &euro;20 over the course of a few months, totalling about &euro;600.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a third case, a 17-year-old boy in Edinburgh took his own life in July 2013. He had been targeted online by an offender who posed as a teenage girl and with whom he had shared indecent images of himself. The victim was then blackmailed by the offender, demanding money. He was told that if he failed to pay he would post the victim&rsquo;s naked images on social networking sites.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report was conducted by the European Financial Coalition against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Online, a coalition of experts from law enforcement, the private sector, and civil society.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said it was concerned at the emergence of an online market selling sexualised images either extorted from children or taken from photographs and videos voluntarily uploaded by minors on social network sites.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said the development of a profit motive, in addition to a sexual motive, was a new development in what was increasingly a sophisticated and hard-to-detect online crime. Both individuals and large-scale enterprises were involved.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It warned parents that images they post online of their own children can and are being used by people for sexual purposes &mdash; including on social network profiles such as &ldquo;the most sexy 4, 5, 6 years old&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It also said there was large-scale sexual extortion, which combined blackmail with webcam scamming, which usually took place on dating sites, in chat rooms or social networks. It said there was some evidence pointing to a ring of African and Southeast Asian networks targeting victims throughout Europe, often operating on &ldquo;an almost industrial scale from call-centre type offices&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Elsewhere, the report documented the threat posed by the live streaming of abuse for payment. The people involved offer homeless children and even their own children for sexual abuse for payment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Senator Jillian van Turnhout, who has campaigned on tackling child abuse imagery, said the report was &ldquo;a wake-up call&rdquo; to legislators, parents, and schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The fact that this area is mutating is very scary and very worrying. You have both large-scale organisations and individuals &mdash; down to one classmate to another &mdash; engaged in sexual exploitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said her experience with young people was that they act responsibly when real dangers are explained honestly and openly. And she called on parents to be careful about what images of children they post online.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	To report child abuse images log onto www.hotline.ie (part of Inhope.org). For details on safe online use see www. spunout.ie/onlinesafety. CARI, therapy and support for children affected by abuse, can be contacted on 1890 92 4567</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/eu-report-on-online-child-sex-abuse-a-wake-up-call-314638.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/eu-report-on-online-child-sex-abuse-a-wake-up-call-314638.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-26 10:10:07',NULL,'eu-report-on-online-child-sex-abuse-‘a-wake-up-call’'),(924,'“The pictures don’t depict the sheer horror of what happened… Gerry had no dignity in hospital\'','<p>\r\n	The family of Gerry Feeney (81) criticise his care at an overcrowded Beaumont Hospital</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The family of an elderly man who died weeks after being discharged from hospital despite suffering from respiratory problems have criticised the care he received after he was left in a &#39;soiled state&#39; in public view.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The family of Gerry Feeney, 81, who passed away on January 31, said the former Aer Lingus foreman was left in a soiled state &ldquo;with his nappy down around him&rdquo; after being admitted to Beaumont Hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Feeney, from Donnycarney in Dublin, was referred to the hospital&rsquo;s emergency department by Raheny House Nursing Home on December 8, for blood tests, and concerns were subsequently raised about his breathing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was discharged 24 hours later - by another doctor -&nbsp; but staff at the nursing home were not satisfied with his treatment and referred him back to the emergency department two days later.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was kept in an overflow ward in Accident and Emergency for five days, with his niece Ann Marie Feeney saying this morning that he was treated &quot;very well&quot; within the St Patrick&#39;s Unitl.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, he was then moved to a geriatrics ward when his family feel he should have been admitted to an acute respiratory ward.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And they say he was treated without dignity during his stay in this ward - at one stage they found him in a chair in a soiled state, in full public view.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He was actually left sitting out in public... The pictures don&rsquo;t depict the sheer horror of what happened&hellip; he had no dignity,&quot; Ms Feeney told RTE&#39;s Morning Ireland this morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her uncle, she added, was previously &quot;always well groomed... you could smell the aftershave off him before you would see him&quot; and said he would have been very distressed to be left unwashed and changed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;He begged my aunty Shiela to get him out of there,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He was treated as if he was invisible&hellip; his whole bottom half wasn&rsquo;t covered&hellip; everyone could see the state he was in.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said the family were told by staff that they were too busy to change Mr Feeney.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The former soldier was discharged from Beaumont on January 9, but died at the nursing home from respiratory problems three weeks later.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a statement, Beaumont Hospital said the matters raised by the family were of &ldquo;deep concern&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is not Beaumont&rsquo;s practice to discuss individual cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We can confirm that the Feeney family has been in touch with the hospital to express serious concern about the care provided by Beaumont and to make a number of specific requests of the hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We regret the serious issues and concerns raised by the family. These are of deep concern to the hospital and are being investigated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are liaising with the Feeney family and will inform them on the outcome of this investigation.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/the-pictures-dont-depict-the-sheer-horror-of-what-happened-gerry-had-no-dignity-in-hospital-31023798.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/the-pictures-dont-depict-the-sheer-horror-of-what-happened-gerry-had-no-dignity-in-hospital-31023798.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-26 10:11:23',NULL,'“the-pictures-don’t-depict-the-sheer-horror-of-what-happened…-gerry-had-no-dignity-in-hospital'),(925,'Mothers using children as pawns - Alan Shatter TD','<p>\r\n	Some mothers involved in custody battles use their &quot;children as pawns&quot; and cause fathers to have &quot;nervous breakdowns&quot;, former Justice Minister Alan Shatter has claimed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	During an extraordinary D&aacute;il performance, Mr Shatter launched an attack on elements of the Government&#39;s Children and Family Relationships Bill.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the bill did not go far enough in terms of enhancing the rights of fathers, adding that the legislation in its current form favours the mother engaged in a custody battle.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to Mr Shatter, some mothers go out of their way to &quot;destroy relationships&quot; between the child at the centre of the dispute and &quot;go to war&quot; with the father involved.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There is an enormous problem where people are estranged of the primary custodial parent, who most often is the mother, deliberately obstructing fathers from accessing children,&quot; Mr Shatter said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking during yesterday&#39;s debate on the bill, the Dublin South TD furiously attacked some mothers involved in custodial cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Using children as pawns. Going to war with fathers, causing some fathers to have nervous breakdowns. Destroying relationships deliberately between children and fathers,&quot; he said of some mothers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Shatter, a lawyer who specialised in family law, warned of cases where courts were unable to act.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;And, yes, it&#39;s right, and the provisions about this bill about counselling and sending people off to mediation which were all in the draft bill are all absolutely right,&quot; he told the D&aacute;il.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;But the courts have nothing of practical use they can do where you have the obstinate, obstructive, venomous, hate-filled parent who is determined to destroy the other parent and to destroy the other parent&#39;s relationship,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The comments by Mr Shatter are significant given that he compiled the draft heads of the landmark bill before he resigned as justice minister last year in light of the findings of the Guerin report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/mothers-using-children-as-pawns-shatter-31023468.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/mothers-using-children-as-pawns-shatter-31023468.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-26 10:41:11',NULL,'mothers-using-children-as-pawns-alan-shatter-td'),(926,'\'That interview saved my life\' - listener credits Ryan Tubridy\'s 2FM interview with John Connell with preventing his suicide','<p>\r\n	A listener to Ryan Tubridy&#39;s 2FM radio show has credited the broadcaster&#39;s interview with John Connell about depression with saving his life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tubridy interviewed the author on Tuesday morning about his battles with depression as a young man.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The listener today emailed the show to thank Tubridy for the interview which prevented him from taking his own life as he had intended that morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tubridy read out the email on air.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said, &quot;The other morning I packed myself into my car and to the whole world it would have seemed like I was heading out to work, although on this occasion my pockets were loaded iwth painkillers and antidepressants.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;You see, on this occasion I was on a mission of self-destruction borne out of the pain of living and yet quite by chance the radio was tuned to Tubridy and on comes John Connell, on a radio station renowned for pop music and, dare I say it, nonsense at times, but that interview saved my life.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The listener went on to reveal that he had been a victim of abuse at the age of nine, which led to more issues later in life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;As a young boy of nine I suffered abuse, something I hide from the world, something I couldn&rsquo;t face, something that gave me so much guilt, something that changed my world forever,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Later in life my guilt manifested itself in addiction &ndash; alcoholism and compulsive gambling.&nbsp; Addiction always needs that pat on the back to say, &lsquo;Well done son, you&rsquo;re great&rsquo; but always that deep, dark self-loathing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Nine years ago I entered a treatment centre for the gambling and alcohol addictions and one day at a time I&rsquo;m still clean and sober but that&rsquo;s only half the battle.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;That dreadful black dog creeps and crawls its way into my world.&nbsp; The blackness it brings is so horrendous, a scratch you can&rsquo;t itch, a pain invisible to all but me, a living hell.&nbsp; The desire to self-destruct far outweighs the need to keep going.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man described himself as &quot;fifty-something year old&quot; who sometimes &quot;feels like that nine year old boy, afraid and alone at sea, running as fast as he can and not moving an inch&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, he said he gained some insight from the interview with John Connell.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;And yet the other morning I got hope, hope to face that fear, to realise that help is out there just like the help I got to face addiction,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I just need to find the courage to ask for it, to not hide behind a smile, the one that blocks out people, the ones that truly care.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said he had attempted suicide by various means four times in the past four years but &quot;something has always saved me&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said, &quot;Today I&rsquo;m looking at the world with just a tad of hope.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said he was going re-engage with a counselllor and added, &quot;As John said, there is a future.&nbsp; The most dangerous place I can go to is into my own head alone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I need to use the services available and count the blessings I have and in no uncertain terms ask the good Lord to help me.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tubridy responded to the email by simply saying, &#39;Well I don&#39;t need to say anything about that&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anyone affected by depression or issues in this article can contact the Samaritans for free in the Republic of Ireland on 116 123 or Northern Ireland on 08457 90 90 90. www.samartians.org</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/radio/that-interview-saved-my-life-listener-credits-ryan-tubridys-2fm-interview-with-john-connell-with-preventing-his-suicide-31024441.html\">http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/radio/that-interview-saved-my-life-listener-credits-ryan-tubridys-2fm-interview-with-john-connell-with-preventing-his-suicide-31024441.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-27 11:13:26',NULL,'that-interview-saved-my-life-listener-credits-ryan-tubridys-2fm-interview-with-john-connell-with-preventing-his-suicide'),(927,'Psychiatrist available to assess suicidal autistic girl, says HSE','<p>\r\n	Girl was left in a distressed state for five hours in hospital, mother says</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Health Service Executive has confirmed it had made a psychiatrist available to assess a 16-year-old suicidal autistic girl after she left an emergency department in a highly distressed state when she was not seen for over five hours by medical staff on Wednesday night.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE issued a statement confirming a senior psychiatrist had contacted the girl&rsquo;s mother on Thursday to discuss a number of assessment options. It said there would be a psychiatrist available at Cork University Hospital throughout the day to assess the girl.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE statement came in the wake of the woman contacting the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork&rsquo;s Red FM to highlight her predicament after the girl tried to take her own life on Wednesday night.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This is my daughter . . . in the waiting room in A&amp;E. She is autistic, suicidal and obviously distressed. She was left for five hours, bawling crying on the floor,&rdquo; said the girl&rsquo;s mother in an email to the radio show.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The staff had no bed to give her, no comfort, not even as much as a glass of water. When other patients started to make a fuss, they gave her a trolley. By this time, my daughter was so distressed she was hysterical.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She told the consulting doctor several times if we left she will kill herself. Their advice - take her home. I&rsquo;m now en route home with my daughter, crying inconsolably in the back seat of the car. We left A&amp;E with her bawling crying and everyone staring at us with concern.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The woman, who asked for her details not to be released, said there was no help available for her daughter who has been self-harming.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE said it will provide all necessary medical interventions and support required following the assessment by the senior psychiatrist from the HSE&rsquo;s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It also said an inpatient child and adolescent facility in Cork can be accessed if deemed clinically necessary.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/psychiatrist-available-to-assess-suicidal-autistic-girl-says-hse-1.2119240\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/psychiatrist-available-to-assess-suicidal-autistic-girl-says-hse-1.2119240</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-27 11:15:07',NULL,'psychiatrist-available-to-assess-suicidal-autistic-girl-says-hse'),(928,'Smoking \'doesn\'t relieve your stress - it increases it\'','<p>\r\n	Ever felt like a cigarette was giving you much-needed relief from stress? Well, a new study shows that far from relieving stress, smoking can increase it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smokers have a 70% increased risk of anxiety and depression compared with non-smokers, debunking the belief that smoking helps with stress, the researchers said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report, which surveyed nearly 6,500 people over the age of 40, found that 18.3% of smokers reported suffering depression and anxiety compared with 10% of non-smokers and 11.3% of ex-smokers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Mike Knapton, British Heart Foundation&rsquo;s associate medical director, said: &ldquo;There is a belief from many smokers that smoking reduces anxiety and stress, which is in turn causing many smokers to put off quitting.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Yet, instead of aiding people to relax, smoking increases anxiety and tension. When smokers light up, the feeling of reduced stress or relaxation is temporary and is soon replaced by withdrawal symptoms and cravings. While smoking temporarily reduces these cravings and feelings of withdrawal &ndash; which are similar to feeling anxious or stressed &ndash; it does not reduce or treat the underlying causes of stress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Dispelling the myth that smoking is a stress reliever should be another motivating reason to finally kick the habit this No Smoking Day. We&rsquo;re asking smokers to mark Wednesday 11 March on their calendars and join the nearly one million people who are expected to use the day to quit.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nearly one in five UK adults smoke, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and a variety of cancers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/science-world/smoking-doesnt-relieve-your-stress--it-increases-it-314838.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/science-world/smoking-doesnt-relieve-your-stress--it-increases-it-314838.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-02-27 11:16:51',NULL,'smoking-doesnt-relieve-your-stress-it-increases-it'),(929,'Sky Sports presenter Charlie Webster opens up about being sexually abused as a teen','<p>\r\n	Sky Sports presenter Charlie Webster has opened up about her own experiences with sexual abuse at a sports conference.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 32-year-old broadcaster, who has been dating Irish actor Allen Leech for nearly a year, was a guest speaker at the Sports Respects Your Rights conference in Vienna.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And she said that the only way to truly convey her message is to speak her about being abused as a teenager by an athletics coach.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I hate statistics; I&#39;m really not a numbers person but I&#39;m kind of getting annoyed with the phrase &#39;one in five&#39;. One in five women in the UK have experienced sexual abuse,&quot; she said in a special Glamour magazine news feature ahead of her talk onThursday. &quot;One in five women in Europe have experience sexual abuse. One in five women in the world has experienced sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;If you look around you now, or the next time you head out, and realise how many people &#39;one in five&#39; actually is, it really hits you - that is a hell of a lot of women who have been sexually abused, or will be.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Webster explained that in order to deviate from statistics, it&#39;s important to remember the people being affected by abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I realised I had to tell my story,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#39;ve spoken before about the sexual abuse I experienced as a teenager by my running coach. My experience shows how easily sexual abuse can happen; how people in a position of trust can use their authority to manipulate.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It shows how hard it is to utter a single word to anyone. When something bad happens, your instinct is to protect yourself, and sometimes you surround yourself in denial.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She has previously spoken out about the abuse, which happened when she was 15. Her coach was sentenced to a 10-year prison sentence and has been put on the sex offender&#39;s register for the rest of his life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/sky-sports-presenter-charlie-webster-opens-up-about-being-sexually-abused-as-a-teen-31032982.html\">http://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/sky-sports-presenter-charlie-webster-opens-up-about-being-sexually-abused-as-a-teen-31032982.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-02 09:24:04',NULL,'sky-sports-presenter-charlie-webster-opens-up-about-being-sexually-abused-as-a-teen'),(930,'‘Robust steps’ to protect children online','<p>\r\n	Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has insisted her department and agencies are taking &ldquo;robust measures&rdquo; to protect children using the internet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She cited proposed offences, including using online technology to sexually exploit a child and causing a child to participate in abuse imagery.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Fitzgerald has repeatedly indicated she plans to publish full legislation &mdash; which covers sexual offences generally &mdash; &ldquo;later this year&rdquo;. It is not yet clear when the new crimes will actually be enacted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It follows the publication of a report by European child exploitation experts which documented trends online, including the emergence of a profit-driven retail market in the sale and purchase of explicit imagery involving children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said the imagery &mdash; both photographs and videos &mdash; were either extorted from children online or taken from material voluntarily uploaded by minors onto social network sites.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Experts from across Europe, including Ireland, said the emergence of a profit motive to child exploitation, in addition to a sexual motive, was a new development in an increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect crime.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report was conducted by the European Financial Coalition against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Online and published by Europol, the EU police agency.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Children&rsquo;s rights activist Senator Jillian van Turnhout said the report was &ldquo;a wake-up call&rdquo; for legislators, parents, and schools. Mary Flaherty of CARI, a therapy service for children affected by sexual abuse, said the emergence of the profit motive &mdash; both through extortion and the online market &mdash; marked a &ldquo;very grave&rdquo; escalation of the risks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Responding to the report, the Department of Justice said: &ldquo;The department and its agencies are pursuing a broad response to protecting the safety of children on the internet. A number of robust measures, including legislative, are in place to protect and enhance the safety of children online. The minister is bringing forward new legislation in this area to further protect children from online sexual exploitation.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill will include simulated sexual activity in the definition of child pornography.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A spokeswoman said existing child pornography/grooming offences will be strengthened with new offences relating to organising child pornography and causing a child to participate in a pornographic performance.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There will also be two new offences of using information and communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/robust-steps-to-protect-children-online-315415.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/robust-steps-to-protect-children-online-315415.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-02 10:00:55',NULL,'‘robust-steps’-to-protect-children-online'),(931,'Central Mental Health hospital ‘unsuitable’ as mental health facility - report','<p>\r\n	MHC&rsquo;s inspection finds cell-like bedrooms, antiquated bathrooms, and inadequate signal for CCTV</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Central Mental Hospital building in Dublin is &ldquo; outdated and unsuitable as a mental health facility for the 21st century,&rdquo; according to a report by the Mental Health Commission.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An announced inspection was carried out on the 19th, 20th and 21st of August 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE&rsquo;s planning application for a 170 bed National Forensic Mental Health Hospital to replace the CMH is under consideration by An Bord Plean&aacute;la, who are scheduled to make a decision in April 7th 2015.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE plans to build the new facility on the grounds of St Ita&rsquo;s Hospital in Portrane, north County Dublin, near the village of Donabate.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said the Central Mental Hospital was constructed in the 19th century and was not well maintained over the years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Report Findings</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The building was totally unsuitable as a modern healthcare facility with small cell-like bedrooms, long corridors and antiquated bathrooms in some areas.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Bedroom accommodation was extremely unsuitable and was predominantly in small cell-like rooms which had inadequate storage space. Some of the bathrooms were antiquated, one with an open drain,&rdquo; the report said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Paint was peeling from the walls in many parts of the building and the nurses&rsquo; office in Unit 3 had large chunks of plaster missing from the walls.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite the efforts of the cleaning staff, much of the unit was grubby and dusty. The toilet and bathroom in Units B, 2 and 4 were malodorous with, in some cases, damaged or dirty tiles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The washroom in Unit 4 had an open drain under the sinks and the floor was stained.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The kitchen in Unit 2 had cupboards that were in poor condition and the outside of the bin was very dirty.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In Unit 1, the women&rsquo;s unit, storage rooms were untidy with resident&rsquo;s clothes strewn across floors in heaps.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The bedrooms were tiny and cell-like. In one room, the resident would have to climb over her bed to access her wardrobe.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The corridor, where the storage rooms and seclusion rooms were located, was narrow, prison-like and could be frightening for any resident brought to the seclusion rooms.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Inspectors noted staff &ldquo;had managed to make the dayroom a cheery place and the garden area was very nice.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Several of the residents and staff members complained of the heating in the building.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Due to its age, it was reported that the heating could not be regulated and was either &lsquo;on&rsquo; or &lsquo;off&rsquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was notably over-heated on the days of inspection and the radiators were too hot to touch and staff were unable to turn a radiator down or off.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said the physical environment at the CMH was not at all in keeping with a modern healthcare facility.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	No dentist for residents</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	All residents, whose clinical files were inspected, showed evidence that a physical examination had been carried out within the previous six months.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report found there was no longer a dentist attached to the CMH.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Unless a resident had a medical card, they had to pay for any dental care they received. In cases of hardship, it was reported by the General Manager that the hospital paid for the treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is hard to imagine how long term residents would have the funds to pay for regular and emergency dental care,&rdquo; inspectors said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The situation where patients without a medical card, in a designated centre under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006, have to pay for their own dental care is most unsatisfactory,&rdquo; they added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	CCTV</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said the service had recently installed CCTV cameras in the seclusion rooms and two bedrooms in Unit 1 and Unit B.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The monitors for these cameras were mounted in the corridors outside these rooms did not provide adequate privacy for residents in the seclusion rooms or bedrooms.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In addition, there was no signage in or outside the bedrooms to indicate that CCTV cameras were in operation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/central-mental-health-hospital-unsuitable-as-mental-health-facility-report-1.2121953\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/central-mental-health-hospital-unsuitable-as-mental-health-facility-report-1.2121953</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-02 10:04:00',NULL,'central-mental-health-hospital-‘unsuitable’-as-mental-health-facility-report'),(932,'Irish asylum system making integration difficult, says report','<p>\r\n	A report being launched today has found the current asylum system is making it difficult for refugees to integrate in Irish society.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The EU-funded study calls for measures to address the barriers facing refugees in the workplace and education.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Towards a New Beginning study was conducted by the UN High Commission for Refugees and calls for a reduction in the time spent by asylum seekers in direct provision and a speeding up of the application process.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It finds that direct provision can lead to disempowerment and dependency, and is one of a number of factors making integration into Irish society more challenging.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It also wants measures to address other barriers to integration, asying that recognition of international qualifications and access to documentation would help refugees to get work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report also says measures to ease access to sporting, faith-based groups and schools will ease the transition to a new life for refugees.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/irish-asylum-system-making-integration-difficult-says-report-664477.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/irish-asylum-system-making-integration-difficult-says-report-664477.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-03 10:12:26',NULL,'irish-asylum-system-making-integration-difficult-says-report'),(933,'Two Dublin children caught in crossfire in separate shootings','<p>\r\n	&lsquo;Every time there is gun crime it undermines the community&rsquo; says SF councillor</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Councillors in Dublin have reacted angrily after two children were caught up in unrelated shooting incidents over the weekend.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An 11-year-old boy was taken to hospital with a shotgun wound to the arm after his family&rsquo;s home in Tallaght was attacked by a gang in the early hours of Saturday morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In an unrelated incident in Ballyfermot, a seven-year-old girl witnessed her father being shot once in the stomach and once in the leg. The girl was not injured when a bullet struck the motorcycle helmet she was wearing while sitting on her father&rsquo;s moped.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Local Labour Party councillor Mick Duff said the shooting in Tallaght was an &ldquo;appalling episode&rdquo; and said parents involved in criminality needed to think about their children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Family targeted</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the boy, who is from the Traveller community, could have been killed. &ldquo;No child should be exposed to that type of danger.&rdquo; Saturday&rsquo;s incident was not the first time the family had been targeted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A number of caravans and a car parked in the yard of their home on Belgard Road were damaged in a previous attack. Mr Duff said there &ldquo;doesn&rsquo;t seem to be any sense of proportionality&rdquo; in the apparent feud.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The bungalow that was attacked is in a relatively isolated area on the Belgard Road. Shots were fired and many windows were broken. The family have left the home and it was vacant yesterday morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Duff said the Tallaght local community was shocked. &ldquo;If that had happened in a built-up area in any of our estates, God only knows what could have happened.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the incident should be a &ldquo;wake-up call&rdquo; for adults whose actions and behaviour put their children&rsquo;s lives at risk.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They know the risks of what they are involved with. These feuds don&rsquo;t seem to have any boundaries to them. It&rsquo;s nothing to do with culture . . . it&rsquo;s pure criminality.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Living in fear</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After Friday&rsquo;s shooting in Ballyfermot, meanwhile, local Sinn F&eacute;in councillor Daith&iacute; Doolan said the community was living in fear.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The girl caught up in that incident also reportedly witnessed the shooting in June that left six-year-old Se&aacute;n Scully paralysed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The fear is real,&rdquo; Mr Doolan added. &ldquo;The locals have seen gun crime and they&rsquo;ve seen the consequences of it in the area.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the question of whether the shooting was a case of mistaken identity was irrelevant to the community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That&rsquo;s only an issue when the incident is being investigated. The wider community suffers regardless of whether it was mistaken or not . . . every time there is gun crime like that it undermines the community.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/two-dublin-children-caught-in-crossfire-in-separate-shootings-1.2123612\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/two-dublin-children-caught-in-crossfire-in-separate-shootings-1.2123612</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-03 10:13:51',NULL,'two-dublin-children-caught-in-crossfire-in-separate-shootings'),(934,'Pressure in social media always to be camera-ready','<p>\r\n	There has been a huge increase in the number of referrals of children with eating disorders</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Social media puts huge pressure on young people to be thin and camera ready at all times and they don&rsquo;t have the emotional maturity to deal with that, says Aveen Bannon of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She works a lot in the area of eating disorders and has seen a huge increase in the number of referrals of children, usually girls. Their dissatisfaction with their bodies often stems from comparing themselves to friends in photographs and &ldquo;selfies&rdquo; on social media, and they start restricting what they eat as a result.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Typically it used to occur in the 16-18 age group &ndash; now it is occurring much, much younger. And I think that is the big challenge.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Sixth class/first year would be a key time when you see problems arising. You hear girls are measuring their thighs in class.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Research shows that one in four girls is dissatisfied with her body, but we also know a similar percentage are overweight or obese, so it could be argued that many are right not to be happy. It&rsquo;s a fine line,&rdquo; Bannon says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re overweight you shouldn&rsquo;t be saying: &lsquo;Yeah yeah, I&rsquo;m great&rsquo; because you should lose weight,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Likewise, being underweight is not a good thing either.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In terms of nutrition and body image, it is about trying to find the middle ground and to make sure young people are seeing their body in a realistic way.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t get to a point where we are afraid to tell a child they are overweight,&rdquo; she says. But the focus should be on health, not weight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sometimes overweight children are completely unaware and it is a parent&rsquo;s responsibility to make them more aware, she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;But that doesn&rsquo;t mean you turn on them and say: &lsquo;You&rsquo;re really fat&rsquo; . . . but &lsquo;maybe it is a time we all started eating a bit healthier&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&rsquo;s not just about food</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Too often it is all about food and there isn&rsquo;t enough emphasis on exercise, which boosts self-esteem and motivation and has a knock-on effect, she points out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Often when kids are overweight they don&rsquo;t like to get into the gear, so parents should think of going out and exercising with them,&rdquo; she suggests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s breaking my heart that there are 13- and 14-year-olds coming into me and they adore ballet and dance and they&rsquo;re giving it up because they don&rsquo;t want to wear a leotard. That is because they are all comparing themselves and with other images.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/parenting/pressure-in-social-media-always-to-be-camera-ready-1.2114310\">http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/parenting/pressure-in-social-media-always-to-be-camera-ready-1.2114310</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-03 10:17:05',NULL,'pressure-in-social-media-always-to-be-camera-ready'),(935,'New Hiqa standards increase support of children in State care','<p>\r\n	The Health and Information Quality Authority (Hiqa) has published new standards designed to ensure children in State care are safe and get adequate support.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The document sets out best-practice guidelines for State-run bodies or institutions charged with the care of children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the health watchdog, the aim of the new National Standards for Special Care Units is to promote a child-centred approach in service provision, to protect children&rsquo;s rights and to make sure their voices are heard where care is being provided.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Specifically, it seeks to guarantee that children are helped to access social workers, that a culture of transparency is encouraged when dealing with child-care complaints, and that children would ideally be present when their rooms are searched and informed about why it is happening.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The overall aim of these care units is to provide focused care in a highly supportive environment, stabilising behaviour so that children are enabled to return to non-secure care within a short period of time,&rdquo; said Marie Kehoe-O&rsquo;Sullivan, Director of Safety and Quality Improvement at Hiqa.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Children are only placed in special care units when such a placement is considered necessary for their care and welfare.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;These are vulnerable children and these units have an important role to play in promoting and safeguarding the rights of the children in their care,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The standards were developed following public consultation and approved by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs James Reilly. They will replace the previous standards instituted in 2001.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new standards follow a series of reports which were highly critical of the care of children in State-run institutions over recent years. There are over 6,000 children in State care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Findings released by the National Review Panel in 2013 revealed that almost 40 children and young people died while in State care in 2011 and 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last July, review panel chairperson Dr Helen Buckley warned that more children could die needlessly if assurances of reform weren&rsquo;t carried through, while The Irish Times last September reported a backlog of 9,000 cases of abuse, neglect or welfare concerns over children at risk without a social worker.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/new-hiqa-standards-increase-support-of-children-in-state-care-1.2124624\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/new-hiqa-standards-increase-support-of-children-in-state-care-1.2124624</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-04 05:00:00',NULL,'new-hiqa-standards-increase-support-of-children-in-state-care'),(936,'75 years: Abuse files to be secret','<p>\r\n	A child abuse survivor has criticised the Government&rsquo;s decision to lock the personal witness statements victims gave to state investigations away for 75 years as &ldquo;very extreme&rdquo; and &ldquo;odd&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Andrew Madden made the remarks after the Cabinet confirmed it is to withhold the evidence for privacy and legal advice reasons.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The decision not to make the files publicly available is based on recommendations in the Ryan report. It was put forward yesterday by Jan O&rsquo; Sullivan, the education minister, and will see the files withheld for almost twice as long as State papers are normally kept.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Labour TD is now due to draft legislation based on the decision to keep the records private for 75 years, although she has stressed she is open to making some of the information more readily available if reasons are given.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Madden told the Irish Examiner last night that he does not understand why the information would not be released until 2090 as the facilities involved are indemnified from legal action.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also questioned why the Government believes that those who spoke to the Ryan report about their personal experiences would be against making the information public, as they have previously criticised arguments that if they accepted a settlement they could not speak about what happened.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is really a personal decision, but 75 years is a lot of time to not publish this. I find it quite odd that the records would be withheld for this long,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a statement last night, a spokesperson for Ms O&rsquo;Sullivan said the move is based on the Ryan report recommendations. &ldquo;Certain records of archival value will be sealed for 75 years from this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The legislation will relate to records held by Commission to Inquiry into Child Abuse, Residential Institutions Redress Board and the Residential Institutions Review Committee,&rdquo; said the spokesperson.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/75-years-abuse-files-to-be-secret-315901.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/75-years-abuse-files-to-be-secret-315901.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-04 12:34:51',NULL,'75-years-abuse-files-to-be-secret'),(937,'School apologises for forcing late child to eat lunch behind a screen','<p>\r\n	A school in the US was forced to apologise after a photo showing their method of punishing late children went viral.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Laura Hoover caused outrage online when she posted two photos showing what had happened to her six-year-old grandson when he was late to his elementary school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hunter was made to eat his lunch behind a screen, separated from the rest of his peers - with what appears to be a paper cup with the letter &#39;D&#39; written on it nearby.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the Facebook post - which has been shared over 130,000 times - Laura writes that Hunter was &quot;one minute late&quot; due to his mother&#39;s car troubles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She writes that it&#39;s not the first time the school have punished him in this way for what the school describes as &#39;chronic tardiness&#39;:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;His momma&#39;s car sometimes doesn&#39;t like to start right up. Sometimes he&#39;s a couple of minutes late to school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They have done this to him 6 times for something that is out of this baby&#39;s control! They make a mockery of him in front of the other students! His mom found him there, crying, and took him home for the day.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After being inundated with complaints by phone and on social media, Lincoln Elementary School issued a statement saying they had revised their policy and that late children would now be made to do &#39;catch-up work&#39; in a separate, supervised classroom.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hunter&#39;s parents have received an apology from the school principal and have been reassured that it will not happen again.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/school-apologises-for-forcing-late-child-to-eat-lunch-behind-a-screen-315741.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/school-apologises-for-forcing-late-child-to-eat-lunch-behind-a-screen-315741.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-04 12:50:09',NULL,'school-apologises-for-forcing-late-child-to-eat-lunch-behind-a-screen'),(938,'Fast track for laws to ban shock therapy','<p>\r\n	The Government is to fast-track legislation ending the practice of administering electric shock therapy to mental health patients even if that patient has capacity and refuses the treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A call to end the practice is just one of 165 recommendations in an expert group review of the Mental Health Act 2001 which the Department of Health published last night.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The expert group also recommends that it should no longer be possible to detain someone purely because he or she has a significant intellectual disability and that children aged 16-17 years should be presumed to have capacity to consent to or refuse admission and treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The group says section 59 of the 2001 act should be amended to make it no longer be possible for electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) to be administered to a patient who has capacity and does not consent to it. At present consent is not required even if the patient has capacity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	ECT is a procedure in which electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. It has been argued that it seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The expert group also &ldquo;the first possible opportunity should be taken to effect this change in the context of any future miscellaneous health bill&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Where the patient is unable to give consent but a decision-making representative appointed legally under capacity legislation for the person gives that consent on the patient&rsquo;s behalf, then ECT may proceed,&rdquo; it says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Where a patient does not have capacity and a decision-making representative does not give consent to ECT, such treatment may only take place where it is required as a lifesaving treatment, for a patient where there is a threat to the lives of others or where the condition is otherwise treatment resistant, and such ECT may then only be administered subject to approval by a Mental Health Review Board which must convene within three days of the decision being taken.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response to that recommendation, Mental Health Minister Kathleen Lynch said that while she had instructed her officials to draw up a roadmap for legislating for a number of the recommendations from the expert group, she intended to deal separately &ldquo;and within a shorter timeframe&rdquo; with a change in legislation regarding the use of ECT.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I believe that a refusal of ECT treatment where a person has capacity must be respected, and I will bring forward early proposals in this regard,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Health said the bulk of the expert group&rsquo;s recommendations related to changes to mental health legislation</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In particular, the changes seek to move away from the often paternalistic interpretation of the existing legislation, to one where insofar as is possible, the individual has the final say in what he/she deems to be in his/her best interests and receives the best possible quality of service required to attain the highest standard of mental health,&rdquo; it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/fast-track-for-laws-to-ban-shock-therapy-316085.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/fast-track-for-laws-to-ban-shock-therapy-316085.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-05 09:32:48',NULL,'fast-track-for-laws-to-ban-shock-therapy'),(939,'Plain packaging for cigarettes passed by Oireachtas','<p>\r\n	Laws on the plain packaging of cigarettes have been passed by the Oireachtas.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The bill will now be sent to the President Michael D Higgins to be signed into law.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Children&#39;s minister Dr James Reilly has said the new laws will strip tobacco companies of their last chance to advertise their products.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also believes the new packets - featuring graphic images of damage - will also encourage current smokers to quit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/plain-packaging-for-cigarettes-passed-by-oireachtas-664608.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/plain-packaging-for-cigarettes-passed-by-oireachtas-664608.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-05 09:34:55',NULL,'plain-packaging-for-cigarettes-passed-by-oireachtas'),(940,'Thousands of lone parents to get reprieve from cuts','<p>\r\n	Thousands of lone parents are set to get a reprieve from cuts to their support payments after a decision by T&aacute;naiste Joan Burton to exempt carers from the budget-saving measures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her spokesman last night confirmed 800 parents will be allowed keep the half-rate carer&rsquo;s allowance until their youngest child reaches 16.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The parents will also be allowed to keep their lone- parent allowance. An extra 400 parents who are carers but had changes made before to payments will also get the reprieve, it was confirmed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the planned changes in July, over 30,000 parents will lose their one parent family payments. They will be moved onto jobseekers&rsquo; payments if their child is seven. Some parents&rsquo; groups claim adults could be up to &euro;80 a week worse off under changes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, campaign group Spark welcomed the changes for parents who are carers. &ldquo;The fact that they had to reverse bad decisions going back to Budget 2012, shows how little impact assessment had been done before these draconian measures were introduced. We have exposed one crack in the policy and it is now important that we stand united and protect all our families,&rdquo; said Louise Bayliss.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Burton announced the change during the passage of social welfare legislation through the D&aacute;il this week. She said:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The measure that I am proposing acknowledges the special situation of lone parents who are caring and, in particular, acknowledges the commitment of lone parents who are caring for people other than their own child, such as a parent or sibling who requires full-time care and attention.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/thousands-of-lone-parents-to-get-reprieve-from-cuts-316137.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/thousands-of-lone-parents-to-get-reprieve-from-cuts-316137.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-05 09:35:51',NULL,'thousands-of-lone-parents-to-get-reprieve-from-cuts'),(941,'Clare Senator calls for Domestic Violence Legislation','<p>\r\n	Clare Senator Tony Mulcahy has called on the Government to bring forward domestic violence legislation this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking in the Seanad, the Shannon Senator said he was speaking on&nbsp; behalf of &ldquo;the many thousands of victims and victims-to-be who are out there and looking for a permanent solution in this area.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response to Senator Mulcahy&rsquo;s call, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said the Government is &ldquo;committed to the introduction of consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation to address all aspects of domestic violence, threatened violence and intimidation in a way that provides protection to victims.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister Fitzgerald added: &ldquo;The draft general scheme of the legislation is being finalised in my Department. It is intended to introduce approximately eight new sections to strengthen the legislation. We are consolidating the legislation to date. It is important that we would have one consolidated piece of legislation rather than the various Acts introduced in the past. My intention is that the draft general scheme will be considered by Government shortly after Easter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Following approval by the Government of the general scheme of the Bill, I will forward it to the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality for pre-legislative scrutiny. That will give an opportunity for further consultation with stakeholders on the Bill, following on from their inputs into the joint committee&rsquo;s hearings on domestic and sexual violence in February 2014. My aim is that the Bill will be enacted this year,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response Senator Mulcahy said: &ldquo;We have to do this this year. The Minister knows it is an issue that is close to my heart. It is not a criticism of the Garda but an observation of its recording system. It is only 70 miles to Newry where the PSNI do it differently. I sent a template of that to the Garda Commissioner and to the Minister&rsquo;s office last week. I made the point at the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence that the scene of the crime is the first place we must record the right information, and that is not happening. In terms of the women, children and men in this situation, we need to record the information properly, and the DASH system used by the PSNI is from where we need to start. The legislation on punishments and so on can come in at the back end but I would hope the template I sent would be put in place in a pilot programme. I have no doubt the Garda Commissioner takes this matter seriously, and I welcome last week&rsquo;s changes also.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Deputy Frances Fitzgerald: &ldquo;The Commissioner has now reorganised the structure of the force&rsquo;s approach to domestic violence with the appointment of the chief superintendent to oversee the new child protection, domestic violence and human exploitation unit under the auspices of the national support service. The operational points the Senator makes are critical and I have no doubt that given the findings on crime investigation in the Garda Inspectorate report, that matter will be followed up by An Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na not just with regard to domestic violence but equally with regard to the investigation of other serious crimes. That is a very real issue for the force to examine.&nbsp; I will examine the material the Senator sent me on initiatives being taken in other forces and I will ask An Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na for a response to that.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://clareherald.com/2015/03/05/video-clare-senator-calls-for-domestic-violence-legislation-4563/\">http://clareherald.com/2015/03/05/video-clare-senator-calls-for-domestic-violence-legislation-4563/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-06 11:03:40',NULL,'clare-senator-calls-for-domestic-violence-legislation'),(942,'Boy (10) hailed as hero after saving sister from convicted sex offender','<p>\r\n	A ten-year-old boy has been hailed as a hero after clinging onto a moving SUV to rescue his sister from a convicted sex offender.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The criminal, who was on bail for robbery, attempted to abduct the girl (12) on the side of a country road near the village of Cullahill in Laois.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was playing with her two brothers near their home when the man stopped and asked for directions to the local priest&#39;s house.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He then jumped from the stolen vehicle and grabbed the girl.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But her younger brother lunged through the driver&#39;s window at the would-be kidnapper punching him as the jeep began to drive away.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The brave boy distracted the driver long enough so that his sister could jump from the moving vehicle.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The father of the children said the family were too shocked to talk about the incident last night but told the Irish Independent that he was &quot;extremely proud&quot; of his 10-year-old son.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; from three counties were involved in a manhunt that was launched after the incident on Wednesday morning and concluded just over 24 hours later with an arrest.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 34-year-old suspect is a convicted child sex offender but is not on the sex offenders list as the offence dates back to the 1990s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He is well-known to garda&iacute;, particularly for robbing priests&#39; houses and church poor boxes and is described as &quot;very volatile and dangerous&quot;. He has a string of convictions and is currently before the courts charged with a number of robbery offences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was jailed for four years in 2004 after pleading guilty to the abduction of a 14-year-old girl with whom he was said to have been having a relationship at the time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is believed that on Tuesday evening he stole the Nissan 4x4 SUV he was travelling in from a farmer in the village of Kilmacow in Co Kilkenny.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The next morning he turned up in Durrow, Co Laois, where he begged for money at the parochial house.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He then travelled on to the village of Cullahill, where he bought diesel at a filling station.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; are also investigating a report that the same man then broke into the local church and stole a collection box.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A short time later, around 11am he encountered the three children, who had a day off school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; launched a major operation which was co-ordinated from Portlaoise by Chief Superintendent John Scanlan of the Laois/Offaly Division.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Around 3pm garda&iacute; sent out an alert by the community text system warning parents of the danger.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood that officers staked out a church near Castlecomer in Co Kilkenny and they arrested the man shortly before lunchtime yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was still being held last night in Portlaoise garda station and is expected to appear in court today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; hope that the three children will be able to help identify the suspect during an identity parade.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/boy-10-hailed-as-hero-after-saving-sister-from-convicted-sex-offender-31045133.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/boy-10-hailed-as-hero-after-saving-sister-from-convicted-sex-offender-31045133.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-06 11:05:41',NULL,'boy-10-hailed-as-hero-after-saving-sister-from-convicted-sex-offender'),(943,'Childcare burden three times higher in Ireland','<p>\r\n	Minister for Children James Reilly has said he is a &ldquo;really strong supporter&rdquo; of paid paternity leave and looked forward to a time when mothers and fathers could get equal entitlements.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, he added that the State&rsquo;s &ldquo;constrained&rdquo; financial position meant such a situation could not be brought about in the short term.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I think absolutely that there should be paternity leave, and I&rsquo;d be a really strong supporter of that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And I really believe that many more men . . . If it were paid and the options were there for people, they would exercise it.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	T&aacute;naiste Joan Burton told her party conference at the weekend that steps enabling the Government to introduce two weeks&rsquo; paid paternity leave would be set out by the end of the year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Asked if he thought fathers should be entitled to more than two weeks&rsquo; paid leave, Dr Reilly said: &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s not pretend that we can solve all the problems at one fell swoop. I mean, we have to look, ideally, that you would have equal entitlement over an equal period of time for both fathers and mothers. But in a constrained financial situation we may have to walk a bit more slowly before we can run at the pace we&rsquo;d like to be running at.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was speaking after taking part in a conference on childcare organised by the European Commission Representation in Ireland to mark International Women&rsquo;s Day.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In his address to the conference, Dr Reilly said the Government was committed to introducing a second free pre-school year &ldquo;as resources allow&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said he had asked an inter-departmental group to examine how the Coalition could promote &ldquo;a more balanced sharing of parenting&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Dads should have as much opportunity to be active, involved parents as women do,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Mums should have as much opportunity to combine raising a family with activities outside the home as men do.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/childcare-burden-three-times-higher-in-ireland-31045123.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/childcare-burden-three-times-higher-in-ireland-31045123.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-06 11:08:09',NULL,'childcare-burden-three-times-higher-in-ireland'),(944,'More than 600 granted asylum have no homes','<p>\r\n	Successful asylum seekers caught in direct provision due to housing crisis</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 600 successful asylum seekers are unable to leave direct provision accommodation across the State due to the current housing crisis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Justice, which provided the figures to The Irish Times, says it is allowing affected individuals and families to remain on in direct provision centres on &ldquo;humanitarian grounds&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;No immigrant cohort would normally ever be supported by the State in this manner&rdquo;, the department said, stating that it acknowledged the difficulties people were experiencing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish Refugee Council has been working with many people in this situation. Several cases involve people who were in direct provision for years and were granted asylum between three and six months ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Rent allowance limits</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Their main problem is the level of rent allowance available to source rented accommodation in the private sector and reluctance by landlords to accept tenants on rent allowance.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among those affected is Galway-based Nigerian Bisola Akanni, a sole parent with four children aged from five to 15.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She is still staying in the Eglinton Hostel in Salthill, over six weeks after receiving her residency. She had been in direct provision for seven years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Valentine Funwie Asafor from Cameroon, who has been in direct provision in Tralee, Co Kerry, for over six years, is in a similar predicament. He was granted leave to remain in the State on January 3rd, but cannot find a home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister of State for Equality Aodh&aacute;n &Oacute; R&iacute;ord&aacute;in said last month that the Government was moving to prohibit discrimination against tenants in receipt of rent supplement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Irish Property Owners&rsquo; Association spokeswoman Margaret McCormick said the proposed change could make the situation worse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Landlords are not discriminating &ndash; it is the rent allowance system, which is not managed well with delayed payments to tenants who are then obliged to pay landlords,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tenants in financial difficulties could legally build up rent arrears and remain on in properties for over a year, she said. Rent allowance should be paid directly to the owner, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Justice said &ldquo;continued use of direct provision accommodation facilities while seeking alternative accommodation is being dealt with on a case-by-case basis&rdquo;, and it could not give a breakdown by location.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Immigrants whose status was regularised in other EU member states lost all direct supports, it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/more-than-600-granted-asylum-have-no-homes-1.2131274\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/more-than-600-granted-asylum-have-no-homes-1.2131274</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-09 11:04:16',NULL,'more-than-600-granted-asylum-have-no-homes'),(945,'Irish educated surgeon under fire for advising young female doctors to stay silent on sexual abuse','<p>\r\n	A Trinity educated surgeon​​ has hit back at criticism of her advice to female doctors not to report sexual abuse from fellow colleagues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Gabrielle McMullin, a Sydney-based vascular surgeon, stands by her recommendation that young surgical trainees should stay silent and accept unwanted sexual advances.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking in a radio interview with ABC on Friday, Dr McMullin said that sexism in the field is so rife in Australia that coming forward could ruin the careers of these young women.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her opinions have prompted strong reaction from several sex abuse and domestic violence advocacy groups, who have deemed her comments &quot;appalling and irresponsible&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I would have thought highly trained professionals would be able to operate a better system than that,&quot; said a spokeswoman for Victoria&#39;s Centre Against Sexual Assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I actually don&#39;t think that&#39;s acceptable advice in this day and age.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chief executive of Domestic Violence Victoria Fiona McCormack also spoke out against the views of the Irish educated surgeon.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s a sad indictment on us and the community when this is what women are being advised to do to benefit their career,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Dr McMullin, who moved to Australia in 1990, met the criticism with surprise saying the advise came from her &quot;frustration with what is going on&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s been hidden and suppressed for so long and it&#39;s only when it comes out in the open that you can do something about it. So, I guess this is my attempt to air it,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the ABC interview, Dr McMullin referred to the 2008 case of Dr Caroline Tan who won a sexual harassment case while training as a surgeon in a Melbourne hospital but has never been able to find work at a public hospital in Australasia since.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Her career was ruined by this one guy asking for sex on this night. And, realistically, she would have been much better to have given him a blow job on that night,&quot; Dr McMullin said in the radio interview.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons released a brief statement saying there were strict measures in place to deal with harassment and abuse of any kind.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The College actively encourages Trainees and Fellows to come forward in confidence with any such allegations, which will be thoroughly investigated,&quot; a spokesman said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/irish-educated-surgeon-under-fire-for-advising-young-female-doctors-to-stay-silent-on-sexual-abuse-31051214.html\">http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/irish-educated-surgeon-under-fire-for-advising-young-female-doctors-to-stay-silent-on-sexual-abuse-31051214.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-09 11:06:34',NULL,'irish-educated-surgeon-under-fire-for-advising-young-female-doctors-to-stay-silent-on-sexual-abuse'),(946,'Abused by the justice system','<p>\r\n	The brutal assault Anna Ilnicka suffered has had a shattering effect on her life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Now, information has come to light which shows how she was treated by the criminal justice system in the wake of that nightmarish experience.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As first reported in the Irish Examiner on January 26, Anna Ilnicka is a Polish national who came to this country in 2005. She settled in Galway in an attempt to start afresh after a divorce in her homeland. In April 2006, she travelled to another west of Ireland town after being invited to take up a job in a garden centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	What followed was a weekend in which she was assaulted physically and sexually in such a brutal manner that, at one point, she thought she was going to die. Later, she recalled the darkest moments.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He tells me he wants to kill me and he took a knife from the kitchen and plays with it. He offers me the knife and asks me to kill him. The episode with the knife passed. I do not know what happened to the knife.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He started to beat me very hard. He punched me very hard in the face. Every time he hits me he says: &lsquo;I will break your face. I will change you&rsquo;. He tells me: &lsquo;Nobody can have you. I kill you.&rsquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He hit me several times and tells me this. His phone rang and I picked it up and I say: &lsquo;Please, please help me.&rsquo; The next thing I remember was seeing a garda and an ambulance.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna was rescued and brought first to a medical centre, where her injuries were deemed so severe, she was dispatched by ambulance to Sligo Regional Hospital. Medical records show she had alleged she was sexually assaulted, yet no examination was ever conducted on her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Subsequent to that, she had to be treated in three separate hospitals for her injuries, and for years thereafter received assistance from the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, and psychiatric services in University College Hospital Galway.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her treatment at the hands of the criminal justice system was another matter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There is no record of her assailant being arrested at the scene of the crime. Afterwards, Anna&rsquo;s landlord, who acted in an admirable manner, contacted the Garda station in the town to inquire what was being done about the assault. He was told Anna would have to travel there in order to make a statement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Without the landlord&rsquo;s proactive intervention, it is quite possible that no criminal charge whatsoever would have been pressed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite Anna&rsquo;s poor grasp of English, no interpreter was present when she made her Garda statement. As a result, she says, the statement which formed the basis for a prosecution did not properly reflect the extent of the assault, and particularly the sexual element of the assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The wheels of justice ground slowly. The case was returned to the Circuit Criminal Court on a charge of assault causing harm.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Progress was slow. For example, a request to University College Hospital Galway for Anna&rsquo;s medical records did not occur until 10 months after she gave her statement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Eventually, a trial date was set for February 2008. On the preceding day, the State solicitor was told that the defendant was a client in an alcohol treatment centre and would not be available to the court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The next trial date was April 15. On that occasion, Anna was told of the proceedings the night before. She was not supplied with an interpreter. In court, the defendant pleaded guilty and the judge ordered a probation report ahead of sentencing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	That was scheduled for July 1. The preceding day, the State solicitor was told that the defendant had, that very day, been admitted to a hospital&rsquo;s mental health facility on the basis that he was threatening suicide. The case was put back again. Over the summer, Anna was advised to retain a solicitor to represent her interests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was put in touch with an Athlone firm, Anthony Barry Solicitors.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In September, the firm wrote to the State solicitor expressing extreme concern about the lack of information being supplied to a victim of a serious assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;My client and her social worker have contacted me about the lack of communication in the case and how same has progressed and the reasons why there have been adjournments in the matter over a number of Circuit Courts,&rdquo; Anna&rsquo;s representatives wrote. &ldquo;You will appreciate as a victim in such a serious assault Ms Ilnicka is seriously anxious about any forthcoming court proceedings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I would be obliged if you could please let me hear as to who my client should contact in the Garda station for any further information, and that she might be kept updated on the matter. Secondly I would request that a Polish interpreter be available at any forthcoming proceedings.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Assurances were given on both accounts in a letter of reply. The State solicitor&rsquo;s office went on to say: &ldquo;I am now going to inquire of the garda&iacute; as to the whereabouts of [the convicted man], i.e., is he in hospital, or an institution or is he back in the community and either the garda&iacute; or myself will let you know the position in that regard.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Anna says that any communication from the garda&iacute;, or any State agency thereafter, consisted of a telephone call on the day before subsequent proceedings, leaving her little time to make necessary arrangements about work, and organising travel from Galway to the town. Neither was she informed between appearances about the status of the process.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The next hearing was set for November 18. Anna says that, despite written assurances, no interpreter was made available to her that day.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Finally, sentencing was set for April 12, 2009. Anna was told about it the day before and, with the help of a counsellor she was seeing, she managed to acquire the services of an interpreter herself. The assailant ultimately received a community service order.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A postscript to how this woman was treated by our justice system after being brutally assaulted occurred when she applied for compensation for loss of earnings for the three court appearances she attended, all of which required her to travel from Galway.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A response from An Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na set out a few parameters to her application.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Ms Ilnicka will only be paid on dates she attended court,&rdquo; the letter stated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She will have to submit the exact kilometres travelled on each visit to court and will be paid accordingly, which is 23c per kilometre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Ms Ilnicka will have to state the duration of time spent in court on each date.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Regarding loss of earnings, Ms Ilnicka will have to submit a stamped certificate from her employers, clarifying the exact loss of wages incurred.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In relation to two visits to the Garda station I regret to inform you that Ms Ilnicka is not entitled to a reimbursement in that particular respect.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She will subsequently be entitled to &euro;11 for five hours for each date.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The rules in these mattes have to be observed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The scandal is that rules, obligations, and any sense of compassion were all sorely missing in officialdom&rsquo;s attitudes towards Anna Ilnicka for much of the case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Rules, obligations, compassion were all sorely missing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/abused-by-the-justice-system-317099.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/abused-by-the-justice-system-317099.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-09 04:00:00',NULL,'abused-by-the-justice-system'),(947,'Half of young Irish may have mental disorder','<p>\r\n	More than half young people may have a form of mental health disorder before the age of 25, according to a new study.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The conditions are mostly mood disorders, anxiety, abnormal eating habits and alcohol abuse, said the research published in the &#39;Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study involved a representative sample of 212 young people from schools in north Dublin, interviewing them at aged 12-15 and following them up when they were 19-24 years old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The research found 28.4pc had mood disorders, 27.1pc suffered anxiety and 22.7pc had substance abuse disorders. One in four had more than one problem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Personality disorders were found in 2.3pc while lifetime prevalence of binge-drinking was 75pc and cannabis use 65pc.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The results underline the importance of early intervention in order try to give young people the best chance to get on with having full, productive and normal lives, said the College of Psychiatrists in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Family</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other research shows that the family is central to the young person&#39;s mental health.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The recession may have played an important role as unemployment and debt have been linked to poor mental health, they added. The majority of mental illness begins in childhood and adolescence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Psychiatrist Prof Mary Cannon of Beaumont Hospital said: &quot;It is time to start focussing on providing specialised services catering for the need of young people particularly during the transition from adolescence into young adulthood.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/half-of-young-irish-may-have-mental-disorder-31053848.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/half-of-young-irish-may-have-mental-disorder-31053848.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-10 10:03:08',NULL,'half-of-young-irish-may-have-mental-disorder'),(948,'That’s Men: Violence towards parents is too big a problem to solve alone','<p>\r\n	At 14 she hits her parents and siblings, drinks, uses drugs and goes missing. She is one of an unknown number of young teenagers who are violent towards their parents and sometimes towards other family members.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The phenomenon is largely hidden but at a conference two years ago, Declan Coogan, a lecturer at NUI Galway, who gave the example of the 14-year-old, said some research has suggested that violence by adolescents towards parents could occur in as many as 18 per cent of two-parent households and 29 per cent of one-parent households.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Statistics based on calls to the Parentline helpline show that of the aggressive teens complained of in 2013, 41 per cent were girls and 59 per cent were boys.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&rsquo;s a desperately distressing situation for all. Parents are upset, bewildered and sometimes frightened. The aggressive child is also, it seems safe to say, unhappy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	What&rsquo;s going on is a power struggle. The teenager is attempting to control the rest of the family. Violence is part of that.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is completely different to the more usual conflict situation in which teenagers try to see how much they can get away with. That can lead to some pretty tense confrontations &ndash; but essentially they are trying to push the boundaries and will return within the boundaries (sometimes with ill grace) when they are hauled back.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Teenage violence against parents, on the other hand, has that bid for power added to it. The dynamics of what is going on are not all that easy to untangle. Some families are so used to conflict that the escalation into violence is not that big a step.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other families, and this often includes middle-class families, have what Coogan described as &ldquo;overentitled&rdquo; children who use violence to get their way.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sometimes there is probably no satisfactory explanation at all. For example, with the girl described above, nobody noticed any difficulties out of the ordinary in her younger years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&rsquo;s a dreadful problem for parents. As often happens with other forms of domestic violence, they blame themselves for what their children are doing and they may try to discount the aggression as not terribly serious. They may fear that an approach to social workers will bring blame on themselves.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One possible way of dealing with this distressing situation is called &ldquo;nonviolent resistance&rdquo;. In this approach, parents stand up for themselves, but they do so in a nonviolent way. They still fight with their teenager but they do it without violence and without seeking to humiliate the teenager in any way. And they stand their ground with regard to their expectations and rules.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The research that has been done so far suggests that the teenager becomes less aggressive in response and engages in more positive behaviours. Parents themselves grow in confidence. They learn ways to stop confrontations from escalating into violence when standing their ground. They learn many practical techniques too. It all helps them to deal with a problem that is, frankly, a nightmare for the family: and not only for the parents but for other children (including teenagers) in the family.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The victims of teenage violence towards parents are usually mothers, although fathers also are attacked. Sons are more likely than daughters to be violent to mothers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is, I think it is fair to say, a problem that is too big to solve alone, even though parents are often reluctant to share information with anyone else. A first step towards getting help could be to call Parentline, a voluntary organisation that has been around and helping parents since 1980 and that organised the conference at which Coogan spoke. They get more than 3,000 calls a year from &ldquo;parents, grandparents, guardians, minders, concerned friends and siblings, health workers and doctors&rdquo;, according to its website. The callers are from all income groups and family types. Fathers comprise about 14 per cent of callers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If this is your problem, do yourself a favour and call 1890-927277 or 01-8733500, or see parentline.ie.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	pomorain@yahoo.com Padraig O&rsquo;Morain is a counsellor accredited by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. His latest book is Mindfulness on the Go. His mindfulness newsletter is free by email.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/that-s-men-violence-towards-parents-is-too-big-a-problem-to-solve-alone-1.2126133\">http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/that-s-men-violence-towards-parents-is-too-big-a-problem-to-solve-alone-1.2126133</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-10 10:07:39',NULL,'that’s-men-violence-towards-parents-is-too-big-a-problem-to-solve-alone'),(949,'Confessions of a food addict','<p>\r\n	Laura has battled with her weight throughout her life, but the 33-year-old was in her mid-20s before she discovered that she was actually addicted to food. Now a member of Overeaters Anonymous (OA), Laura shares her story ...</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Any sort of addiction that occupies your mind can make you pretty miserable. It doesn&#39;t really matter what the substance is and how you are abusing it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	To be honest I always thought &#39;I&#39;m a bit fat and lazy, so I need to get myself together and take some action.&#39; I had no idea that it was really an addiction at first, even though I had tried and failed to give it up many times.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I always had issues with food. From very early childhood, maybe age four or five, food was everything to me. I know all kids like their treats, but food was the one thing that would make life alright for me. If anything happened it would be like &#39;sure we&#39;ll sit down and we&#39;ll have a few biscuits and a chat about what is happening,&#39; but really I just wanted the biscuits. I would visit neighbours and all of that kind of stuff as the friendly neighbour, but really just wanting a bar of chocolate.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I tried lots of diets and all sorts of different things as I got older. Then I started to struggle hugely with depression. So I went for counselling and happened to get a counsellor who was a member of AA herself and she spotted the personality of an addict in me. She said it to me and I went to an OA meeting at that stage, about 12 years ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I completely identified with what they were talking about, not just with food &shy;- yes how they ate and their obsession around it - but more so the misery they experienced while in addiction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I identified with that loneliness and that sort of emptiness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I went into a treatment centre to get some help at that stage and attended OA for four years. I remained abstinent, which is the same as an alcoholic when they might use the term sober. I would stay away from foods that would cause me to binge. An alcoholic doesn&#39;t have one drink and I don&#39;t have one bar of chocolate, because once I have one, I can&#39;t stop. And when I say I can&#39;t stop, I mean for years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After four years of abstinence unfortunately I relapsed. I went into a shop after four years of not eating any of this food, bought two donuts and within the next nine months I put on seven stone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	About a year-and-a-half ago then I started to struggle massively with mental health issues; depression, I was suicidal, I was really on the edge of life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	So again I found myself going into OA and now my mental health issues are gone. I don&#39;t seem to have that depression any more. I follow the food plan and I have been abstinent for a little over a year-and-a-half now and my life is fine again.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was the addiction that was killing me, but I would have sworn blind that yes I had a problem with food, but that wasn&#39;t actually what was causing the depression and everything else. I would have been sure that I had just lost my mind.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I was spending &euro;50 in Tesco on food. So you can imagine that is a lot of chocolate and cakes and junk food, because I&#39;m not talking about meat and veg, I&#39;m talking about pure junk food.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I would put a certain amount on a plate to go into the sitting room where my housemates were, but while getting that food I might have put four donuts in my mouth. Once you start you can&#39;t stop, so it&#39;s not about enjoyment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&#39;s not just in my body, it&#39;s in my mind. So I might have eaten a large amount until I felt incredibly ill last night, but this morning I will tell myself it will be different and that bar of chocolate just looks lovely and maybe I&#39;ll just have the one, but once I start I can&#39;t stop, so the same thing happens every time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There obviously was comfort in eating this food at some stage, but the comfort was long gone and I didn&#39;t want to continue, but I couldn&#39;t get through the cravings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Food is like any substance, it&#39;s used to comfort you and numb emotions and then it kind of turns against you. It can be a difficult concept to even grasp because food is not alcohol. You are not out of your mind, but when you eat that amount of food you are numbed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For me it was a huge time-passer as well. It wasn&#39;t just your regular boredom either, I couldn&#39;t sit with myself. I would be too restless just sitting in, so I would binge.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The counsellor who first said it to me, she was a little on the plump side, so at first I kind of thought &#39;Well F you! Why don&#39;t you go?&#39; I was a bit insulted. I was similar to someone who maybe drinks quite heavily and claim not to be an alcoholic and that whenever they like they can stop.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Not every overweight person is a food addict, but if you had told me that the next bar of chocolate would kill me, I would still have eaten it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I became very overweight, but there are many people who come into OA who are maybe an average size and some can even be underweight. Weight is not the issue. The issue is this obsession with food. Some of the symptoms could be obsession with weight or body size, overeating, eating to comfort yourself, all of these. Some people might binge and then not eat anything for days. I just ate all the time. I didn&#39;t restrict myself at all.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I have plenty of friends who were overweight and they went to a diet club and now they go to the gym and all is fine, but for me it is not about the weight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	By the time I arrived back into OA a little over a year-and-a-half ago I was 21 stone. I don&#39;t blame anything or anyone for my addiction. I ate because I was addicted to food.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Life is good now. It has resumed to normal, there has obviously been some weight loss, but that is not at all for me the most relevant part of my recovery. When you are obsessed by anything, be it food or whatever, you don&#39;t see the rest of life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	OA is fashioned after the 12 step programme of AA. Those steps are about finding a new way of living that will help you not to turn to food. You don&#39;t feel alone anymore. At the meetings I saw other people who have the same behaviours as I had and they no longer had them so that gave me hope.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When you have an actual programme of action then it is very manageable and very possible to deal with.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I have not eaten a bar of chocolate or a biscuit in the last year-and-a-half. Other foods like potatoes don&#39;t trigger it for me. So I can very much eat the normal foods. In a way you learn that it is not about the food.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I don&#39;t struggle every day. I don&#39;t go into a shop and lose my life because of all the sweet things at the counter, the same as an alcoholic who is in recovery for a while won&#39;t start to shake every time they pass the pub. I don&#39;t have that obsession around food anymore.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	* Not her real name. As told to Joanna Kiernan</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For more information on Overeaters Anonymous see oa.org.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/confessions-of-a-food-addict-31046839.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/confessions-of-a-food-addict-31046839.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-10 10:10:10',NULL,'confessions-of-a-food-addict'),(950,'Paedophile sites stealing children\'s \'sexting\' images','<p>\r\n	Explicit &#39;sexting&#39; photos taken by Irish children are ending up on websites viewed by paedophiles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&#39;Sexting&#39; or &#39;sex texting&#39; is sending personal sexually explicit images or videos via technology.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ellen O&#39;Malley-Dunlop, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said photos of this nature have been stolen and published on websites used by paedophiles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We know that some of the images have been stolen online - that is a reality,&quot; she told the Irish Independent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was speaking after a new report by the UK watchdog Internet Watch Foundation and the technology giant Microsoft said they identified nearly 4,000 such images and videos in a snapshot covering three months last autumn.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of those, 667 featured children who were 15 or younger, and of those 286 were thought to be under 10.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The explicit pictures are often taken by girls at the request of boys within their social group, and are forwarded on by mobile phone. But unknown to these young teens, these photographs may end up being passed around in school - as well as being shared and broadcast on social networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr and Imgur.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Images posted on the internet have later re-appeared on so-called &#39;parasite&#39; websites after being hacked or copied.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms O&#39;Malley-Dunlop said that pictures of Irish children have been taken from Facebook and have appeared on pornographic sites.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said a majority of teenagers were aware that explicit images were being circulated on the web, but were being lulled into a false sense of security.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She warned the Department of Education had a &quot;huge role&quot; to play in ensuring children were adequately educated on the risks of this craze.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She also said the belief held by young people that Snapchat images &quot;disappear forever&quot; is no longer true, because users have discovered ways to save these messages.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A screengrab can be taken, copying the image, or the phone&#39;s screen photographed while it is displayed - and it can then be uploaded to the internet and widely shared.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Kids in school are tomorrow&#39;s potential perpetrators - and victims - of this type of behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They need to be appropriately informed about consent, because we don&#39;t have a definition of consent in Irish law.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We&#39;re calling for it to be included in the new Sexual Offences bill,&quot; Ms O&#39;Malley- Dunlop said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/paedophile-sites-stealing-childrens-sexting-images-31057609.html\">http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/paedophile-sites-stealing-childrens-sexting-images-31057609.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-11 14:28:20',NULL,'paedophile-sites-stealing-childrens-sexting-images'),(951,'Medical card means testing may be scrapped','<p>\r\n	Financial means tests carried out on the families of seriously ill children seeking medical cards could be scrapped under plans being discussed by Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Health Minister Leo Varadkar is examining the move after it was put to him by the independent expert group of patients and doctors set up to resolve card access problems in recent days.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the proposed measures, access to the State support could soon be linked to the domiciliary care allowance &ndash; a State support which does not require means testing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is because the expert group is struggling to find a plausible way to refocus the existing system to take into account the 10 recommendations from last November&rsquo;s Keane report, which said &ldquo;burden of disease&rdquo; issues must be paramount in any future decisions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Unlike the medical card system &ndash; which includes a financial means test that has been repeatedly blamed for blocking people from accessing the help &ndash; the DCA is based entirely on a child&rsquo;s specific disability rather than their family&rsquo;s income.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Approximately 26,000 seriously ill children under the age of 16 are currently in receipt of the DCA, 9,000 of whom do not currently hold a medical card.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the move has yet to be agreed, a spokesperson for Mr Varadkar told the Irish Examiner the issue is under &ldquo;active consideration&rdquo;. He said while the minister &ldquo;would like to take this step&rdquo; as it will &ldquo;provide a degree of security to a lot of families&rdquo;, it still requires legal advice and Government approval.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Our Children&rsquo;s Health member Peter Fitzpatrick, who is on the expert panel, said last night the move &ldquo;would remove many of the difficulties parents have with the medical card application process&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Linking the medical card to the DCA will for the first time remove the parent&rsquo;s means from the application process and appropriately shift the focus to the child&rsquo;s medical need. Crucially it will significantly reduce if not eliminate the likelihood any child with a very serious medical condition is refused in the future,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Jack and Jill Foundation also backed the plan as it will be welcomed &ldquo;with open arms&rdquo; by families.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/medical-card-means-testing-may-go-317606.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/medical-card-means-testing-may-go-317606.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-11 14:43:57',NULL,'medical-card-means-testing-may-be-scrapped'),(952,'Antidote to save heroin addicts to be distributed around Ireland','<p>\r\n	A heroin antidote is set to be handed out free to high-risk addicts and their families around Ireland to help prevent overdoses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There were 350 drug overdose deaths in 2012 in Ireland or five deaths every week, with heroin or methadone killing victims in four out of 10 cases, while over 5,289 drug poisoning deaths were recorded in the nine years from 2004, when records began, to 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A new drug called Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opium overdose if administered in time, will be rolled out for the first time in Ireland in the coming weeks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Pre-filled syringes of Naloxone will be given to high-risk addicts and their families in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Waterford as the injection can immediately combat the fatal effects of heroin or methadone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It will save lives. It will reverse the effects of overdose,&rdquo; said David Lane from the Cork Local Drugs Task Force</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the antidote for heroin. It&rsquo;s what is administered by first responders when they are called to a scene of a potential overdose. &nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;For high-risk drugs users they will be prescribed Naloxone and be administered before the ambulance arrives on scenes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It will be hugely important in saving lives. It&rsquo;s injectable.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Scotland &ndash; which recently started giving out the emergency drug &ndash; has shown a big reduction in high-risk addicts dying from overdoses. The life-saving drug has also been given out to addicts in Australia and the U.S.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The drug with the brand name&nbsp;Narcan can revive addicts during an overdose, but only if it&rsquo;s quickly administered, which is why agencies want the antidote to be carried by addicts, their families or&nbsp;homeless shelters.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They will have it on their person or if they are staying in a hostel the staff will be trained how to inject it. It is the first time in Ireland. We are expecting people will be prescribed it within the next month or so&rdquo;, said Mr Lane.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/antidote-to-save-heroin-addicts\">http://www.sundayworld.com/news/crimedesk/antidote-to-save-heroin-addicts</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-11 14:52:26',NULL,'antidote-to-save-heroin-addicts-to-be-distributed-around-ireland'),(953,'Young girls abused for online audience rescued in Manila','<p>\r\n	The Philippines has rescued two children who were sexually abused on camera for an overseas online audience and arrested four people in a crackdown on the country&#39;s booming cyber-sex trade, authorities said this morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Law enforcers acting on a tip-off from the US Department of Homeland Security raided several suburban Manila homes last weekend, the National Bureau of Investigation said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We were able to rescue two girls who were not quite eight years old,&quot; Eric Nuqui, head of the bureau&#39;s anti-human trafficking division said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Internet clients, based in the United States and unspecified European countries, would pay anywhere between $50 to watch naked children waving at the web camera to $200 to watch them engaging in sex acts, he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Data from computer storage devices seized from the alleged Filipino operators, two men and two women, indicate at least six other children were victims of abuse, Mr Nuqui said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The bureau is trying to find these children as well as possible accomplices of the suspects, now held without bail for qualified human trafficking and rape, he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;These children are all from extremely poor families or broken families,&quot; Mr Nuqui said, adding that parents will also be investigated to check if they were complicit in the crimes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Authorities have warned the Philippines is a major hub of a billion-dollar global child cybersex industry, with perpetrators aided by widespread poverty and legal loopholes that allow them to remain anonymous.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last year, online child abuse was the leading cyber-related crime in the Philippines, making up 46% of the more than 200 cases being handled by law-enforcement agencies, according to the justice department.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Filipino police last month arrested an Australian man, Gerard Peter Scully, 51, after he allegedly sexually abused at least eight girls, including an infant in front of a video camera, for clients overseas.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He is also accused of murdering one of the victims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Nuqui said he was unaware if the latest raids were related to a police operation in Denmark linked to children being sexually abused in the Philippines for overseas internet clients.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Danish police arrested 10 male suspects in Wednesday&#39;s raids, they said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0312/686499-child-abuse-manila/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0312/686499-child-abuse-manila/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-12 10:01:07',NULL,'young-girls-abused-for-online-audience-rescued-in-manila'),(954,'Delay in adopting EU rules on abuse','<p>\r\n	Ireland is one of just eight countries yet to fully adopt EU rules on combatting child sex abuse and pornography, more than a year after the passing of a deadline.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The European Parliament urged countries to work together to combat the growing &lsquo;darknet&rsquo; and help protect children, warning the latest horrific reports should serve as a wake-up call.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Justice Minister Francis Fitzgerald held a round-table meeting with the ICT industry, social media and the garda&iacute; last month on tackling online child sexual exploitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She recently published heads of a new Criminal Law Sexual Offences Bill that would introduce wide-ranging reforms, including measures to protect children from sexual exploitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It will aim to protect young people against grooming in person and online. &ldquo;The new offences also reflect the reality that predatory sexual activity to target children can now take place online, for example via social media,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Nathalie Griesbeck, one of the MEPs who worked on the report that came before the European Parliament, said it was a scandal so many member states had not fully brought the legislation into law.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Online sexual abuse and child pornography are a monstrous, growing phenomenon and constitute serious violations of fundamental rights&rdquo;, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her report said more than 80% of the victims are under ten, and 10% of victims of child sex abuse on the internet are under the age of two.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said a comprehensive approach was needed with all concerned working together to combat the sexual exploitation of children, and child abuse images.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/delay-in-adopting-eu-rules-on-abuse-317953.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/delay-in-adopting-eu-rules-on-abuse-317953.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-12 10:02:15',NULL,'delay-in-adopting-eu-rules-on-abuse'),(955,'Number of homeless families in Dublin up 40% since June','<p>\r\n	More than 370 families in emergency accommodation in the capital last month</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of families with children becoming homeless in Dublin continues to rise, data from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) shows.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There were 371 families, with 803 children, in emergency accommodation in Dublin last month &ndash; an increase of more than 40 per cent since June last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In that month, which is when the data was first gathered in a comparable way, there were 264 families with 567 children in emergency accommodation in the capital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of children in such accommodation has increased in almost every month since June. Between December and January, there was a sharp increase, from 331 homeless families and 726 children to</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	359 families and 780 children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The vast majority of these children have come from the private rental sector &ndash; their parents were unable to afford increased rents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hotel bill</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the DRHE estimated it would spend &euro;4.5 million on emergency accommodation for families last year, compared with &euro;1.3 million in 2013 and &euro;455,000 in 2012, it is now expected the bill for hotels for families last year will well exceed &euro;5 million.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is money the executive has had to divert from other homelessness services in the city. The bill shows no sign of being reduced this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Outside Dublin the numbers of children in emergency accommodation have fluctuated, from a high of 164 last July, to 156 in August, 160 in September, 118 in October, 146 in November and 154 in December, according to figures from the Department of the Environment. No figures for this year have yet been published.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Priority</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In November last year, when questioned in the D&aacute;il by Fianna F&aacute;il leader Miche&aacute;l Martin about the figures, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said no one could condone homelessness among children. He said the issue was a priority for Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly and the Government. Since then the number of families has increased by 46 and the number of homeless children by 123.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Until you get to the point where you actually provide sufficient social housing, you cannot lessen the scale of demand here,&rsquo;&rsquo; said Mr Kenny.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Charities working with homeless families say, however, they cannot wait the 18 months to two years for a social housing construction programme to deliver. Focus Ireland has described the impact on children of living in hotel accommodation as a &ldquo;child welfare crisis&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mike Allen, director of advocacy with the charity, welcomed the indication from Minister Kelly that he was considering rent regulation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He must move on this urgently,&rdquo; said Mr Allen.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said that once this was in place the Department of Social Protection should increase the caps on the rents that rent supplement recipients may pay &ldquo;to realistic levels that will meet market rents&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the majority of families coming into homelessness were from the private rented sector, he said there was a growing concern that escalating repossessions would see an increase in numbers coming from the owner-occupier sector.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/number-of-homeless-families-in-dublin-up-40-since-june-1.2135724\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/number-of-homeless-families-in-dublin-up-40-since-june-1.2135724</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-12 10:41:50',NULL,'number-of-homeless-families-in-dublin-up-40%-since-june'),(956,'Child sexually abused by father, mother and neighbour, court told','<p>\r\n	Man to be sentenced next week for assault of young daughter</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Roscommon child was the victim of sexual abuse by her father, mother and neighbour from the age of five years old, a court has heard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the child was molested by her father between the ages of five and seven. He will be sentenced next Monday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The girl&rsquo;s mother is serving a 14-year sentence, with 4&frac12; years suspended, for sexual assault, sexual exploitation and child cruelty. The neighbour received a 14-year sentence for a variety of sexual offences against the child including rape.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court heard the mother was in a relationship with the neighbour and would make the child available to him for sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The child&rsquo;s father (59) has pleaded guilty to sexual assault of the girl at the family home in Roscommon between July 2004 and July 2006. Judge Martin Nolan remanded the man, who cannot be named to protect the victim&rsquo;s identity, on continuing bail until Monday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A local garda told prosecuting counsel Philipp Rahn that social workers were involved in the care of the family and there were concerns about the victim showing &ldquo;oversexualised&rdquo; behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The child was taken out of the family home and a &ldquo;wide ranging investigation&rdquo; took place. During interview by specialist Garda interviewers the girl said her father would sit her on his knee and kiss and molest her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said this happened two or three times when she was aged five or six.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	During Garda interview the man denied molesting her and said he may have touched her genitals &ldquo;by accident&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a victim impact report read to the court the girl said her father &ldquo;has left permanent scars that will never go away&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He had no right to hurt me,&rdquo; she wrote. &ldquo;No one ever said I love you. Every child needs to be told they are loved and he never did.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Defence counsel Paul Greene SC said his client had nothing to do with the more serious abuse orchestrated by the girl&rsquo;s mother.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Counsel said his client was in fear of the mother and &ldquo;was in a family environment that had become chaotic and dysfunctional&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Greene added that a medical report showed the man would find custody very difficult due to medical problems.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/child-sexually-abused-by-father-mother-and-neighbour-court-told-1.2137367\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/child-sexually-abused-by-father-mother-and-neighbour-court-told-1.2137367</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-13 09:30:28',NULL,'child-sexually-abused-by-father-mother-and-neighbour-court-told'),(957,'New church guidelines for schools \'disappointing\'','<p>\r\n	Catholic Church guidelines on how its schools should include children of other faiths and none have been described as &quot;disappointing&quot; by a leading academic on the subject.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Professor John Coolahan, who chaired a Government forum on religious diversity and inclusion in schools, said while he welcomed the report he was also disappointed by its lack of detail and focus.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Coolahan told RT&Eacute; News it was disappointing that concrete examples of good practice in action were not included.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said there was an element of complacency that Catholic Primary schools were already inclusive, but he said sections of the public did not share that view.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The church earlier published guidelines aimed at governing the inclusion of non-Catholic children in schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The document suggests four options schools may pursue for children whose parents do not want them to participate in religious instruction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They include providing other activities for children to do in the classroom during religious instruction time and supervised project work elsewhere.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The document says parents may absent children during religious instruction, or schools may reorganise religious education timetables to facilitate such children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The document has been drawn up in response to the report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism published three years ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The forum was established to address the lack of diversity of provision in the Irish primary school system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An organisation representing atheists has said the guidelines do not respect the human rights of atheist or secular families.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Atheist Ireland says the document shows no understanding or appreciation of the human rights issues that it and others, including the UN and the Council of Europe, have been raising for years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	89% of primary schools in Ireland are run by the Catholic Church.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This paper - &#39;Catholic Primary Schools in a Changing Ireland&#39; - acknowledges some parents have little or no choice but to send their child to a Catholic school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It says while the church recognises the right of parents to opt out of religious instruction for their children, the manner in which schools do this is subject to available resources.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The document says schools should not exceed the 2.5 hours allowed weekly for religious education.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It says schools should make clear to parents upon enrolment what being a Catholic school means.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This should include information on the school&#39;s religious education programme as well as procedures in dealing with parents who do not want their children to participate in religious education.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the document does not advise schools as to what procedures should be put in place, apart from outlining options they &quot;may&quot; wish to implement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism made a number of recommendations when it reported three years ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said school enrolment policies should not discriminate against children based on their religion or lack of religion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Currently many Catholic schools give priority to children who are baptised Catholics.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The forum report also called for a protocol to be drawn up by the Department of Education outlining the responsibility of schools to protect the constitutional right of parents and children not to participate in religious education.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said school boards of management should develop policies for the practical application of the protocol.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0312/686510-church-school-guidelines/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0312/686510-church-school-guidelines/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-13 09:46:49',NULL,'new-church-guidelines-for-schools-disappointing'),(958,'Thieves attack elderly victim with hurleys','<p>\r\n	An elderly man was assaulted by a gang armed with hurleys while his wife was held hostage during a robbery at their home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The retired couple, both in their 70s, were subjected to the terrifying ordeal after three men broke into their Wicklow home in the early hours.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The shocking incident occurred shortly after 3.45am on Thursday in Killoughther, near Ashford village.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&#39;s understood that the 75-year-old male homeowner was brutally attacked with a hurley by one of the robbers, after they pulled the couple out of bed and caused extensive damage to the home in their hunt for valuables.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was left shaken after the incident and suffered minor injuries.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The men, two of who wore balaclavas, made their getaway a short time later with a small amount of cash and a diamond engagement ring.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gardai believe that two men arrested after a high-speed chase in Tallaght at 8am yesterday are responsible for the crime.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood that hurleys were found in the stolen Audi A6, which was taken from the Irishtown area earlier that afternoon. The men, both in their 20s, are believed to be well-known to gardai for aggravated burglary and other serious offences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Both men were taken to Tallaght garda station for questioning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/thieves-attack-elderly-victim-with-hurleys-31063003.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/thieves-attack-elderly-victim-with-hurleys-31063003.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-13 09:54:39',NULL,'thieves-attack-elderly-victim-with-hurleys'),(959,'‘Assess supports’ for those who are trafficked','<p>\r\n	Frontline agencies representing victims of sex trafficking have called for an independent rapporteur to assess how effectively victims are being supported.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It comes at a time when sex exploitation is behind seven in 10 cases of human trafficking to Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The rapporteur would be modelled on the lines of the National Rapporteur for Child Protection and have the power to request information, the competence to assess trends, and would be directly accountable to parliament.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Justice currently acts as national rapporteur or equivalent mechanism (NREM).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The call for a rapporteur is contained in a submission to the European Commission by migrant rights organisation Doras Luimni, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and Ruhama, a support group for women affected by sexual exploitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The organisations are asking that the measures be included in a new national action plan on human trafficking promised 13 months ago, to replace the plan that expired in 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They are critical of Department of Justice NREM delays in publishing data on trends in human trafficking and say there &ldquo;is scant information&rdquo; on traffickers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The NREM reports do not include sufficient analysis of current and emerging trends, modus operandi of traffickers, organised crime groups, involvement of legal persons, estimates of profit and money flows, or information on higher risk sectors,&rdquo; the document states.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Denise Charlton of the Immigrant Council said the &ldquo;long-awaited&rdquo; new action plan represents &ldquo;an opportunity to ensure we have robust laws and regulations which protect and support victims while at the same time targeting those whose actions fuel these crimes&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We encourage the Government to act swiftly,&rdquo; she added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Patricia Stapleton from Doras Luimni said appropriate accommodation options, improved victim identification procedures, and immunity from prosecution were &ldquo;crucial if victims are to recover and move on with their lives&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ruhama chief executive Sarah Benson said the action plan needs to improve protection for victims of trafficking. &ldquo;The current system of protection is conditional on the victim&rsquo;s co-operation with the criminal investigation and excludes those who are already within the asylum process. The national action plan needs to amend this system.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The three groups also criticised the lack of transparency in operations or outcomes of human trafficking detections and prosecutions, claiming that victims of trafficking &ldquo;are rarely updated on their cases&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They also want an end to the practice of excluding victims in the asylum process from the possibility of being identified, acknowledged, and supported as victims of the crime of trafficking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Figures for 2009-13 show 202 cases of human trafficking and 64 cases of being trafficked for forced labour. The overwhelming majority were females (230) compared to 63 males. Eighty-eight of the cases related to children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A department spokesperson last night said Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald will soon publish a national action plan. &ldquo;This new national action plan will be informed by the findings of international evaluations of Ireland&rsquo;s efforts in this regard and will be the subject of consultation with relevant civil society organisations active in this field,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/assess-supports-for-those-who-are-trafficked-318647.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/assess-supports-for-those-who-are-trafficked-318647.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-16 11:04:10',NULL,'‘assess-supports’-for-those-who-are-trafficked'),(960,'3,300 heroin addicts on HSE methadone for more than 10 years at a cost of €20M-a-year','<p>\r\n	More than 3,300 heroin addicts have been on a HSE sponsored methadone programme for 10 years or more.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Herald can today reveal that over the last three years, it has cost the state nearly &euro;55m to administer methadone medication to around 10,000 addicts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sources estimate that running the methadone programme for the last 20 years could cost up to &euro;200m. Currently it is running at almost &euro;20m a year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The stark figures released to the Herald by the HSE under the Freedom of Information Act also show that 178 people have been on the methadone programme for more than two decades.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	With the average current cost of maintaining an addict on the programme running at more than &euro;1,700 a year, questions have been asked about the success of the plan which is designed to replace heroin with a less dangerous medication - ultimately with the aim of weaning them off drugs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At current expenditure levels, the cost of keeping one addict on methadone for 20 years is &euro;34,000.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Opposition spokesman on health Billy Kelleher (FF) has said a full independent assessment of the methadone programme is needed to see if it is the right one for all of those that are on it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The methadone itself is relatively cheap and there is a risk that it just gets dispensed to keep addicts quiet and reduce the risk of them committing crime when actually many who are on it might benefit from a different treatment,&quot; Mr Kelleher said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Some addicts have been on methadone for many years, and a review of the system is now needed by government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	READ MORE:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We need to be braver in how we treat long term opiate addicts. There is a lot of human misery out there and we can&#39;t stick our heads in the sand over it,&quot; he explained.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The whole drugs issue has fallen off the political agenda, and it needs to be brought back up,&quot; Mr Kelleher said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also said that not having a minister with responsibility for drugs was an issue he would like to see addressed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also said that not having a minister with responsibility for drugs was an issue he would like to see addressed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Yesterday, heroin addicts continued to use St Audeon&#39;s Park in the city centre to inject themselves as tourists walked by.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The problem of drug users in the park, which is located near a busy primary school, was first highlighted by the Herald last month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Photographs taken by Herald photographer Colin O&#39;Riordan yesterday show that heroin addicts are continuing to shoot up unchallenged by gardai in broad daylight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dublin City Council workers collected almost 6,000 used needles and drug related paraphernalia from the south side park last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, the chief executive of the Merchants Quay project Tony Geoghegan which offers drug treatment in the city centre has said it can be debated if the current methadone treatment system is suitable for all those on it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Methadone is intended to take people out of the vicious cycle of criminality, but it can be argued that the current system does not provide a follow-through with a personal treatment plan to help people move forward,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There are thousands of people who have been on methadone for 10 years or more, and scores who have been on it for more that 20 years,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I would only see the current system as a partial success. It maintains people rather than moves them on,&quot; Mr Geoghegan explained.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Latest figures show that 7,425 (70pc of total registered addicts) being treated with methadone in Ireland are in Dublin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More people are seeking treatment for heroin addiction in Dublin&#39;s north inner city than anywhere else in the country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The numbers also reveal that Tallaght has roughly the same number of heroin addicts seeking treatment as in the south inner city.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	From January to December 2013, 1,057 people were in treatment in the HSE&#39;s north inner city local drug task force area, while 806 sought help in Tallaght in the same period, close in numbers to the 798 that sought help in the south inner city.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE Bray local district task force area had the smallest number seeking help in 2013 at 158.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	TREATMENT</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The numbers of people in methadone treatment programmes at the end of a particular year is only between 12 and 14pc lower than those that were receiving treatment during that year, leading to questions about the effectiveness of the programme.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of people who are in treatment at the end of a year is also growing, with 9,251 in treatment at the end of 2011; 9,419 at the end of 2012, and 9,655 at the end of 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There are now 663 pharmacies around the country dispensing opioid substitutes to drug addicts, a rise of 126 (23pc) in just four years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But despite the massive government spend the number of addicts is rising instead of falling.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.herald.ie/news/3300-heroin-addicts-on-hse-methadone-for-more-than-10-years-at-a-cost-of-20mayear-31068636.html\">http://www.herald.ie/news/3300-heroin-addicts-on-hse-methadone-for-more-than-10-years-at-a-cost-of-20mayear-31068636.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-16 11:06:58',NULL,'3300-heroin-addicts-on-hse-methadone-for-more-than-10-years-at-a-cost-of-€20m-a-year'),(961,'HSE\'s mental health \'Vision\' under the spotlight','<p>\r\n	Figures obtained by RT&Eacute; show that just 24% of the mental health posts allocated for last year have been filled or accepted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mental Health Reform has highlighted rising waiting lists and a lack of 24-hour community care for people with mental health issues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	That is despite a Government promise to put a greater focus on this type of care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government&#39;s mental health policy &#39;A Vision for Change&#39; promised more resources for community based services, in order to minimise hospital stays and help reduce stigma.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anne Ellis&#39;s son Shane suffers with depression along with psychotic episodes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One Sunday night in April last year, Shane tried to take his own life for the fifth time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anne took him to a nearby emergency unit but was told there was no psychiatric bed available for her son.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I remember the fear in my heart and the panic; just a broken heart because I knew looking at my child he didn&#39;t want to be here any more. He was very unwell, complete low mood and he had taken a lot of his medication so he was very unwell,&quot; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;He had just been out of James Connolly Psychiatric High Dependency Unit where he had spent three months.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I took him to A&amp;E and I was told, after sitting in A&amp;E for up to eight or nine hours, that unfortunately there was no beds in James Connolly hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I asked them to source a bed in Dublin or anywhere throughout the country and I was told that I had to take him home,&quot; Anne adds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Shane avails of community based mental health services in Finglas in Dublin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, these services are limited and are only available from 9-5 Monday to Friday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;What is needed is 24-hour psychiatric intervention services, that at 5.30 on Friday if Shane becomes unwell, which can be a reality for anyone living with a mental illness, it can come on very quickly, to be able to bring him to a centre that could assess him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;With someone when their mind becomes unwell the A&amp;E service is just not working for people presenting with self harm and who are suicidal,&quot; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a statement, the HSE said it is HSE policy and best clinical practice, to admit patients on a voluntary basis where clinically indicated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said a patient may refuse to be admitted and in some cases the clinician will use the Mental Health Legislation to involuntary admit a patient if clinically indicated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said there is nothing to suggest that a shortage of beds on the date in question in April 2014 was the reason a person was not admitted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mental Health Reform, Shari McDaid says a lack of funding is having a major impact on multi-disciplinary community based services:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We don&#39;t have the staff on the ground to be able to provide the community based follow up.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;So what that means is that someone who has been in acute distress, who may have been in hospital for a little while, or may have shown up in A&amp;E with a significant issue, but maybe didn&#39;t need to be hospitalised they may not get that follow up support in the community as quickly as they should get,&quot; Ms McDaid says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There may not be a community health nurse available, they may not be able to access the psychological therapy that they might want in order to work through their mental health issue,&quot; she adds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Figures show that at the end of last year there were over 3,000 children and teenagers waiting to access mental health services in the community and over 400 of these were waiting for over a year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, figures obtained by RT&Eacute;&#39;s Morning Ireland show that just 61 out of 251 mental health posts that were approved for last year have been filled or have been accepted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Specifically in relation to psychology and nursing posts just 49 of the 101 posts allocated for 2014 have been filled.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a statement, the HSE said the mental health division is acutely aware of the the need to focus on recruitment of front-line staff.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sinn F&eacute;in&#39;s Caoimhgh&iacute;n &Oacute; Caol&aacute;in says it is taking years to fill posts in the community mental health area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The extra monies that were committed to by Government in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and again this year, were specifically about providing additional resources in order to facilitate the role out of the promise in the Vision for Change, he says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Now the Government committed &euro;35m in 2012 with the promise of 416 additional posts, but when you explore the facts behind these figures you will find that the 416 posts are still not filled.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;At the turn of this year they are nearing completion of the 2012 recruitment process with 397 or 95% of the promised 416 post at the end of November 2014, Deputy &Oacute; Caol&aacute;in adds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s like living in a black hole. There are times when you don&#39;t want to get out of bed...&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anne Ferris, from Co Wexford, suffered with severe depression for a number of years, and after hitting rock bottom in 1999, she was admitted to psychiatric hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s like living in a black hole.There are times when you don&#39;t want to get out of bed. There are times when you don&#39;t want to wash yourself, there are times when you don&#39;t want to eat, there are times when all you want to do is cry, you want to be on your own but yet you don&#39;t want to be on your own,&quot; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;When I was going through the worst of it I just used to say &#39;please God get me through this&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;If I was after taking an overdose and sometimes I&#39;d do it without even thinking and I&#39; turn around and say please God help me to make this call for help,&quot; Anne says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They looked at me as a whole person in that they looked at my whole situation...&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The light at the end of the tunnel came for Anne a number of years ago when she began availing of community based services in her local area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;My life saver - was my day hospital - which is called Maryville in New Ross.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The psychiatrist who was there decided that all the medication I was on I didn&#39;t need to be on it, he started weaning me off it,&quot; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They looked at me as a whole person in that they looked at my whole situation - not just my psychiatric illness, they looked at my family situation and how I felt about getting sick and losing my kids.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;As my weight was going down and as my medication was being decreased my mood started to go up,&quot; she says.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anne, who is now involved in community based mental health services in New Ross, believes that having these services available saved her life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Look beyond the text books, look beyond the labels and see the person as whole person,&quot; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Yes they have an issue, but if we can see that they have an issue, and we can help them deal with it, and let them see that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the light at the end of the tunnel is the community based services,&quot; Anne says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/special-reports/2015/0312/686626-community-mental/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/special-reports/2015/0312/686626-community-mental/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-16 11:10:10',NULL,'hses-mental-health-vision-under-the-spotlight'),(962,'Guardians are vitally important to protect the interests of children in care','<p>\r\n	We urgently need a proper regulatory structure and an independent state Guardian agency with its own funding</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Recent media coverage regarding Garda vetting of guardians Ad Litem (court-appointed guardians) again highlights the lack of a proper regulatory structure for one of the most important professions dealing with vulnerable children in state care. In care proceedings, the guardian Ad Litem advises the court of the child&rsquo;s views and provides an objective professional opinion as to what course of action is in the child&rsquo;s best interests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Whilst it is of concern that the exact number of guardians operating in the state is unknown, it is important in any evaluation of the service to maintain a sense of balance and perspective.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is not true as some commentators have suggested that anyone can become a guardian, and court applications for the appointment of a guardian are often accompanied by intense scrutiny of the guardian&rsquo;s credentials and suitability (including Garda vetting) by the judge and the parties to the proceedings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another headline grabbing aspect of the guardian&rsquo;s work is that of fees. The general view being that costs are out of control and do not represent value for money. However, quoting global figures of costs tells us little about the quantity or quality of the work undertaken by the guardian. A significant aspect of guardian fees refers to legal representation. It is not uncommon for proceedings to be extended due to difficulties in developing adequate care plans for children and the securing of necessary professional assessment and therapeutic services. Frequently the court of its own volition may adjourn or set review dates to ensure care plans are fully implemented. Naturally, this will add to costs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Independence</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of greater concern however is that the fees of the &ldquo;independent&rdquo; guardian are discharged by the Child and Family Agency, the instigators of all court care applications. This may give rise to a mistaken but understandable perception on the part of parents involved in proceedings that the guardian is not really independent at all. The fact that guardian fees come from limited existing child care budgets highlights the urgent need for an independent state guardian agency with its own funding. This would also provide a structure of accountability and support for guardians.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The introduction of the guardian into Irish law provided a degree of &ldquo;window dressing&rdquo;, allowing Ireland to be seen as progressive and responsive to European expectations regarding the rights of children. However, the 1991 Child Care Act is silent as to the qualification, role and duties of the guardian. Frequently, guardians have tended to be social workers who have developed extensive expertise in child protection over many years either in Ireland or the UK.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The advent of the guardian has significantly changed the landscape of child care proceedings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Previously there was little independent analysis of child care best practice in court, the conventional wisdom being that the Health Boards of the time were the experts and knew best. The guardian brought a new level of professional evaluation to critically assess care plans and reports and identify deficiencies in service provision.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Valuable service</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Whilst the service developed in an ad hoc fashion, the guardian Ad Litem has consistently provided a valuable service to the Irish courts and contributed significantly to the development of improved and more consistent planning for children in care. The guardian&rsquo;s independence is also an advantage, being free of agency restrictions and day to day case management responsibility.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Moving from case to case, the guardian gains important knowledge regarding uniformity of service provision nationally and useful insight into how similar problems are tackled in different locations. Unfortunately, over recent years court proceedings have become more adversarial, and as serious shortcomings in services are highlighted, an element of ambivalence and defensiveness towards guardians can sometimes be detected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A common criticism is that guardians operate from an unrealistic &ldquo;ideal world&rdquo; perspective. This may be the understandable reaction of a social work profession, seriously under resourced and unsupported, unfairly blamed for service deficiencies not of their making and outside of their control. (Recent revelations in the UK about the &ldquo;Baby P&rdquo; enquiry suggest they may have reason to feel aggrieved).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Conversely, however, many social workers welcome the appointment of the guardian, recognising such intervention as a valuable aid in securing necessary services for the children they work with.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The establishment of a properly funded guardian Ad Litem agency in Ireland is long overdue. Fortunately, a valuable blueprint already exists in the 2009 CAAB report Giving a voice to Children&rsquo;s Wishes, Feelings &amp; Interests. However, rather than simply seeking to regulate or &ldquo;control&rdquo; the guardian service in the negative sense some commentators suggest, what is required is a truly independent, properly resourced service which actively supports the profession in advancing the government&rsquo;s stated priority of ensuring the welfare needs of the country&rsquo;s most vulnerable children. Eugene McCarthy is a barrister working in child and family law. Previously he was a social worker and guardian.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/guardians-are-vitally-important-to-protect-the-interests-of-children-in-care-1.2138969\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/guardians-are-vitally-important-to-protect-the-interests-of-children-in-care-1.2138969</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-16 11:12:13',NULL,'guardians-are-vitally-important-to-protect-the-interests-of-children-in-care'),(963,'Half a million babies die worldwide each year in unhygienic hospitals','<p>\r\n	Almost 40% of hospitals and clinics in developing countries have no source of water</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Over a third of hospitals and clinics in developing countries have nowhere for staff or patients to wash with soap, and almost 40 per cent have no source of water, according to a WHO-backed international review published on Tuesday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report, by sanitation charity WaterAid and the World Health Organization (WHO) said that every year, half a million babies die before they reach a month old due to a lack of clean water and safe sanitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For one in five of those babies, just being washed in clean water and cared for in a clean and safe environment by people who had washed their hands with soap could have prevented their untimely deaths, the report found.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The ability to keep a hospital or clinic clean is such a fundamental basic requirement of health care that you have to question whether a facility without clean running water or basic sanitation can adequately serve its patients,&rdquo; said Barbara Frost, chief executive of WaterAid.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Being born into unhygienic conditions condemns too many babies ... to a tragically early and avoidable death.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Maria Neira, a WHO expert on public, social and environmental health, said the findings of the review - the first assessment of its kind covering 54 developing countries - were all the more shocking as even where health clinics are defined as having access to water, the water supply may be up to half a kilometre away rather than piped onto the site.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Pregnant mothers rely on a birthing environment that, at a minimum, does not place them or their baby at risk, saying nothing of the need for drinking-water or having to leave the facility to search for a toilet,&rdquo; she said in a statement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As well as killing young babies, the same unhygienic conditions also fuel major disease outbreaks such as cholera epidemics in Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Malawi, Tanzania and South Sudan, the report found.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/half-a-million-babies-die-worldwide-each-year-in-unhygienic-hospitals-1.2142707\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/half-a-million-babies-die-worldwide-each-year-in-unhygienic-hospitals-1.2142707</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-18 11:06:32',NULL,'half-a-million-babies-die-worldwide-each-year-in-unhygienic-hospitals'),(964,'School issues warning to parents after two schoolgirls allegedly \'approached\' by men','<p>\r\n	A second school in Dublin 15 has issued a warning to parents after two schoolgirls were allegedly approached by two men in a black car last week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hartstown Community College, a secondary school, has asked parents to speak with their children about safety after the suspicious incident.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The approach happened at approximately 8.30pm last Wednesday as the teens walked on the Hartstown Road.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The group message is the second to be sent to parents in the area within just a week though it is not known if the two are connected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last Wednesday, a man allegedly approached a young pupil at Scoil Mhuire Senior School in Clonsilla at around 4pm prompting school authorities to caution parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dublin West Cllr David McGuinness told the Herald that people in the area are concerned about the number of incidents in the Blanchardstown area - with some reports that school goers have been approached with knives in separate incidents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s hard to say what is going on but there are concerns we all have locally,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It is well known that teenagers now have phones, tablets or jewellery on them as they go to and from school.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said that the school was likely being &quot;ultra-cautious&quot; on foot of last week&#39;s incident.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents should speak with their children about being approached by strangers, the importance of staying in groups and when to raise the alarm, he pointed out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This is the second time in Dublin 15 in one week that this type of messaging system has been used to warn parents about safety,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It highlights the fact that there are some people in our community who have no intention of contributing positively to it. It has raised alarm bells as this certainly seems to be an issue here as to whether this is a trend that gardai need to be investigating.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A garda spokesperson confirmed that Blanchardstown gardai are investigating a &quot;suspicious approach&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/school-issues-warning-to-parents-after-two-schoolgirls-allegedly-approached-by-men-31075980.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/school-issues-warning-to-parents-after-two-schoolgirls-allegedly-approached-by-men-31075980.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-18 11:07:48',NULL,'school-issues-warning-to-parents-after-two-schoolgirls-allegedly-approached-by-men'),(965,'Male nurse struck off for sexual contact with patient','<p>\r\n	Two nurses had relationships with psychiatric clients and third stole &euro;24,000</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A male nurse has been struck off for having inappropriate and intimate sexual contact with a patient at an unidentified child and adolescent psychiatric service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Graham Stuart Brown went on to have a second inappropriate relationship with a traumatised young patient at a second centre two years after the first, before coming to the attention of the authorities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He is one of two male nurses who have been struck off by the High Court after the fitness to practise committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland found them guilty of professional misconduct for inappropriate relationships with female patients.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The board, which is the regulatory body for the nursing profession, does not give the nurses&rsquo; addresses, identifying them only by their names and registration numbers. Mr Brown&rsquo;s registration PIN number is 82278.*</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A third nurse was censured after stealing nearly &euro;24,000 from residents&rsquo; accounts and the housekeeping float at the community house where she worked.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Stole money, food</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Margaret Dolores (Margo) Quinn, whose registration number is 2268, stole the money by altering receipts and adding false entries to the accounts over a six-year period from 2005 to 2011. She also stole groceries and cleaning agents from the house and, it was found, failed to act in the best interests of those in her care at the community house.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In Mr Brown&rsquo;s case, it was found he engaged in inappropriate and intimate sexual contact and an inappropriate relationship with &ldquo;Ms A&rdquo; in 2008 and 2009, at a time when Ms A and members of her family were patients of a child and adolescent service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Brown then lied about the relationship when asked about it by a consultant child psychiatrist and clinical nurse specialist. He was also found to have divulged confidential patient information to a third party without authority or justification.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 2010 and 2011, Mr Brown engaged in a second inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable resident in his care while he was working at a different facility for young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs stemming from traumatic events in their lives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In February 2011, Mr Brown was advised by a senior member of staff of the inappropriate nature of the relationship and was told to cease contact with &ldquo;Ms D&rdquo;. He agreed to do so, but resumed the relationship.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In April that year, the operations manager at the centre told Mr Brown to cease the relationship and he again agreed to do so. The reasons for this direction, necessary in the interest of Ms D, were explained to Mr Brown.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite his agreement, Mr Brown resumed the relationship, according to the finding.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In total, the board found eight nurses guilty of professional misconduct in its latest batch of findings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	*This article was edited on 02/04/2015</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/male-nurse-struck-off-for-sexual-contact-with-patient-1.2143257\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/male-nurse-struck-off-for-sexual-contact-with-patient-1.2143257</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-02 04:00:00',NULL,'male-nurse-struck-off-for-sexual-contact-with-patient'),(966,'13 Ãras Attracta staff members remain off duty','<p>\r\n	The Health Service Executive says a total of 13 staff members are still &quot;off duty&quot;, as a result of an ongoing internal investigation into care practices at &Aacute;ras Attracta in Co Mayo.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE says the staff members have been placed off duty on full pay, as a protective measure.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The investigation was launched last December, following the RT&Eacute; Investigations Unit report Inside Bungalow 3.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It featured footage of staff interaction with residents at the facility in Swinford, which was gathered by an undercover reporter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE inquiry was stalled as a result of a corresponding garda investigation but the executive says it recommenced work in March and has continued since then.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A number of workers were suspended in the early stages of the process but four more were placed off duty in August.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The investigation is being overseen by Christy Lynch, who has extensive experience in the voluntary disability sector.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As part of the probe, almost 300 hours of video footage have been reviewed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A number of staff members have been interviewed and others have been scheduled for interviews with members of the investigation team.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE says it hopes to complete the process as soon as possible, subject to the usual guidelines around fair procedure and legal entitlements.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The investigation will report findings in respect of all staff members who are subject to the inquiry.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It has also emerged that one of the six people who have been charged with assault following the extensive garda inquiry is no longer employed by the HSE.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Yesterday, Swinford District Court was told Joan Gill was entering guilty pleas to a number of assault charges on dates in November last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Responding to questions from RT&Eacute; News, the HSE said Ms Gill was no longer an employee.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Five other care workers, four of whom are employees of the HSE, are each charged with one count of assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They will stand trial next year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Pat McLoughlin, of Lalibela, Mayfield, Claremorris, is charged with assault on 14 November 2014 at Bungalow 3, &Aacute;ras Attracta.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna Ywunong Botsimbo, of Low Park Avenue, Charlestown, is charged with assault on the same date at the same location.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Kathleen King from Straide, Foxford, Co Mayo, Christina Delaney, from Lissatava, Hollymount, Co Mayo and Joan Walsh from Carrowilkeen, Curry, Co Sligo are each charged with one count of assault at Bungalow 3 on 15 November last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/1112/741413-aras-attracta/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/1112/741413-aras-attracta/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-11-13 10:32:19',NULL,'13-ãras-attracta-staff-members-remain-off-duty'),(967,'Care home staff member sexually abused woman with severe disabilities','<p>\r\n	A care facility for people with severe disabilities cleared a staff member of any wrong doing and allowed him return to work before his conviction for sexually abusing a woman with the mental age of three, a court heard today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 68-year-old staff member, who was a bus driver for the facility, was caught molesting the victim and making her touch him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He later denied the charge and claimed he was merely &ldquo;gesticulating&rdquo; during conversation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Today he was sentenced to four years in prison with the final two and a half years suspended on strict conditions including that he have no further contact with the victim.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man and the Dublin-based care facility cannot be identified to protect the anonymity of the victim.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	During the sentence hearing the man&rsquo;s defence counsel said that after the incident an internal investigation by the care home absolved him of any wrong-doing and cleared him to come back to work, transporting developmentally impaired clients.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	John Aylmer SC, defending, said his client, who was on paid leave at the time, declined the offer to return and retired when he reached 65 years old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The investigating garda told the court she had no knowledge of this.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man stood trial last January at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was convicted by a jury after pleading not guilty to sexual assault in the care facility on January 10, 2011.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda Ciara Doyle told prosecuting counsel Fiona Murphy BL that the 39-year-old victim has the intellectual capabilities of a three-year-old and is completely dependent on others for her care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On the day of the incident, the bus driver was in the kitchen of the facility with the victim and several members of staff. The staff members left the room for various reasons, leaving the driver alone with the woman.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When one of the care staff returned to the kitchen she saw the man with his hands on the victim&rsquo;s breasts. She also saw that her hand was in the man&rsquo;s trousers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The driver said &ldquo;what am I doing&rdquo; and the care worker said: &ldquo;Do you think I&rsquo;m a f**king eejit? Standing there with your fly open and a hard-on?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man pleaded with the staff member to think of his wife and family and said she will &ldquo;ruin him&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She called him a &ldquo;f**king pig&rdquo; and said she had nothing more to say to him. He later left the facility, saying he was &ldquo;retiring&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; were alerted and the bus driver and arrested and interviewed. He denied any wrongdoing and said he was &ldquo;gesticulating&rdquo; during conversation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In mitigation Mr Aylmer said his client continues to deny the charge but does not intend to appeal his conviction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Counsel said it is clear that the &ldquo;victim is pretty well oblivious to all this thankfully&rdquo; and that the real victims are her family.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He submitted that the absence of violence in the offence and the fact that it lasted only a short period of time are mitigating factors in the case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Counsel added that his client has an excellent work record and the support of a large family who rely on him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Catherine Murphy took this into account but said she had no choice but to impose a jail term given the abuse of an &ldquo;incredibly vulnerable victim&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/care-home-staff-member-sexually-abused-woman-with-severe-disabilities-668088.html\">http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/care-home-staff-member-sexually-abused-woman-with-severe-disabilities-668088.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-19 11:06:55',NULL,'care-home-staff-member-sexually-abused-woman-with-severe-disabilities'),(968,'More than half of Irish parents slapped their children, poll shows','<p>\r\n	Mothers more likely than fathers to strike children but parents under 35 slap least</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than half of Irish parents have slapped their children, according to the results of a &ldquo;Family Values&rdquo; poll carried out by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of The Irish Times.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the survey, 8 per cent of Irish parents said they had slapped their children &ldquo;often&rdquo; for &ldquo;being naughty&rdquo;, and 44 per cent had slapped their children &ldquo;seldom&rdquo;. When figures are rounded off, the total who have slapped is 51 per cent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents under the age of 35 are significantly less likely to slap their children than their older counterparts. The survey found that 81 per cent of under-35s &ldquo;never&rdquo; slapped their children compared with 37 per cent of the 55-plus age category.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The results show the changing attitudes to slapping over time: 11 per cent of parents aged 55 and over, the oldest generation covered by the survey, said they had slapped their children &ldquo;often&rdquo;. This fell to 6 per cent in the 35-54 age category, while just 4 per cent of under-35s said they slapped their children &ldquo;often&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The generational shift in parents&rsquo; attitudes to slapping could also be seen in respondents&rsquo; working status, with just 31 per cent of retirees saying they had never slapped their children, compared with 54 per cent of working people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other than students, &ldquo;homemakers&rdquo; were the least likely to slap their children with 58 per cent saying they had never done so compared with 54 per cent of working people and 43 per cent of unemployed respondents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mothers were more likely to slap their children than fathers were (9 per cent versus 7 per cent).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A total of 580 parents participated in the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI survey, carried out between February 5th and 19th, 2015, from a wider poll of 1,000 adults aged 15 and over.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The overall figures on slapping should be seen in the context of the sample, as there was a higher number of respondents in the older age categories: 255 parents answered questions on slapping in the 35 to 54 category, and 226 did so in the 55-plus category, while just 73 respondents were aged 35 or under.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Respondents who did not answer the question on slapping or said it was not applicable to them were excluded from the above analysis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Elsewhere the survey showed that younger parents were also most likely to tell their children they loved them with 100 per cent of parents in the 15 to 34 age category &ldquo;often&rdquo; telling their children they love them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This figure falls to 95 per cent in the 35-54 age category; the remainder of parents in this age bracket said they &ldquo;seldom&rdquo; expressed their love.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Indeed the only age category which admitted to never telling their children they loved them were the 55-pluses, 3 per cent of whom admitted they had never told their children they loved them, compared to 17 per cent who said they seldom said it and 79 per cent said they did so &ldquo;often&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mothers from across the age categories were most likely to tell their children they loved them often: 94 per cent compared to 82 per cent of fathers, while just 1 per cent of mothers and 2 per cent of fathers said they &ldquo;never&rdquo; told their children they loved them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mothers were also more likely than men to change their babies nappies. When parents who said the question was not applicable to them were excluded 99 per cent of Irish mothers said they &ldquo;often&rdquo; changed nappies with just 1 per cent saying they never did so. This compared with 74 per cent of men who changed nappies often, and 9 per cent who never did so.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other questions which were asked of all parents indicate that mothers were more likely than fathers to &ldquo;often&rdquo; prepare their children&rsquo;s school lunch, make Sunday dinner, help children with their homework and do the grocery shopping.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Further findings from the poll will be published in The Irish Times on Saturday March 21st.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/more-than-half-of-irish-parents-slapped-their-children-poll-shows-1.2144404\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/more-than-half-of-irish-parents-slapped-their-children-poll-shows-1.2144404</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-19 11:11:40',NULL,'more-than-half-of-irish-parents-slapped-their-children-poll-shows'),(969,'SPECIAL REPORT: A state of high anxiety over antidepressant prescription','<p>\r\n	Today&#39;s Irish Examiner investigation should be the beginning of a wider-ranging look at the manifold variations of antidepressant prescription around the country, says Siobh&aacute;n Barry.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	With the move from the fragmented Health Board system of care to a streamlined HSE in 2005 it was expected that &#39;post code&#39; differences of practice might be ironed out and that should disparities become apparent, these would be examined to account for discrepancy and appropriate remedial action to follow. Today&#39;s piece by Catherine Shanahan reveals wide national variations in prescribing psychotropic medication that might reasonably have been expected to have been recognised and analysed internally by the HSE in their routine audits of their financial outlay and explanations sought.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Data presented here referred only to those who either sought some form of reimbursement of the cost of their medication from the state, comprising over 71% of the population in the year studied. Therefore the findings are indicative and a more indepth analysis of this material should be carried out by health economists.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other than a scholarly paper on differences in prescribing practices in Ireland by Martin Kenneally and Brenda Lynch of the Centre for Policy Studies in UCC there appears to be little research interest in prescribing variations in Ireland. The information available shows inconsistency in the prescription of antidepressants and antianxiety medications from local health office to local health office. Not alone are there differences in the rates of prescription per head of population but also there are many-fold variations in the quantities of individual medication prescribed from area to area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil with accompanying unpleasant feelings of dread over anticipated events. It is often accompanied by muscular tension, restlessness, fatigue and problems in concentration. Anxiety treatment recommendations include making lifestyle changes, anxiety management therapy to enable better symptom management, and medications. Medications are typically recommended only if other measures are not effective and it is universally recommended that such medication is prescribed for a short period of time due to the risk of dependency. Typically, an anxious air traveller might take an antianxiety pill such a diazepam or alprazolam [xanax] to help them get on a plane, stopping such medication once they land. Such anti anxiety medication work quickly but they can lead to dependency when they continue to be prescribed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Depression tends to comprise a complex set of mental and physical symptoms and the response to medication tends to take some time to come to effect. In addition such medication needs to be reviewed at regular intervals and medication often tapered down slowly after 6 months of recovery. Large scale comparisons show that licenced antidepressants are similarly effective in treating major depressive disorder in adults and any differences in efficacy are small and unlikely to be clinically relevant. Why then are medications that span a range of cost but without a corresponding range of efficacy, prescribed without much attention to their cost? Of course, in a number of cases, there can be individual differences in how well medications are tolerated accounting for some variation in prescribing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Distress tolerance skills help us survive short term or longer term physical or emotional pain arising in situations that we cannot change. These skills can be taught and are extremely practical. As the name suggests, the acquisition of such skills which include acceptance of the suffering, distraction, physical activity, self-soothing and social pursuits help better manage worry in place of or complementary to the taking of medication. Mastering and applying such skills are treatment options that should be central to treating anxiety and depression.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 2006, the Irish College of General Practitioners set out Guidelines for Management of Depression and Anxiety in Primary Care. Those Guidelines provided &#39;recommendations based on current evidence for best practice in the management of depression and anxiety disorders including screening, assessment, diagnosis and management, providing step by step algorithms for the management of depression and anxiety disorders&#39;. In addition those treatment guidelines specify that psychological treatments need to be available to supplement or replace pharmacological treatment. Such processes and procedures should lead to greater uniformity of practice - so why the inconsistencies of prescribing?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In late 2002, Good Practice Guidelines for the prescribing of Benzodiazepines were published by the Department of Health &amp; Children highlighting that benzodiazepines may be prescribed safely in the short-term treatment of anxiety and are only indicated when the disorder is severe, disabling or subjecting the individual to extreme distress. Emphasis was put on the danger of dependence, then recognised as a significant risk in those receiving treatment for longer than one month and prescribers were advised to be conscious of this when evaluating the relative benefits and risks of continued prescription.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In addition to the dependency risk, such medications may be sedating especially in the elderly and increase the risk of falls. Forming new memories and learning new material, such as would be expected in engaging in a psychological programme can be adversely affected by these medications. So, why is it that some areas appear to prescribe diazepam [valium&reg;; Roche] and alprazolam [xanax&reg;] by a factor that is a multiple of other areas? Are those areas more prone to depression and anxiety or the treatment available in those areas limited to pharmacological intervention only?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Today&#39;s article opens up a topic that must interest those prescribed such medications and their families. It must also raise the curiosity of the taxpayer and the prescriber. Could it now also become a matter of enquiry for the health and pharmacoeconomists among us?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/special-report-a-state-of-high-anxiety-overnbspantidepressant-prescription-319129.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/special-report-a-state-of-high-anxiety-overnbspantidepressant-prescription-319129.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-19 11:13:14',NULL,'special-report-a-state-of-high-anxiety-over-antidepressant-prescription'),(970,'Industry ‘spent millions’ to scupper cigarette-pack plan','<p>\r\n	A single tobacco company employed 161 lobbyists and spent millions of euro in an &ldquo;unprecedented&rdquo; attempt to shoot down a key EU directive behind Ireland&rsquo;s groundbreaking plain-packaging cigarette laws.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Children&rsquo;s Minister James Reilly revealed the extent of the pressure to scrap the plan during a speech to the World Health Organisation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At the group&rsquo;s three-yearly international meeting on tobacco issues in Abu Dhabi, the minister confirmed the industry has repeatedly tried to prevent the introduction of plain packaging. This included one unnamed firm that hired 161 lobbyists and spent &ldquo;millions&rdquo; to stop a 2013 EU directive allowing the measure, a move Dr Reilly said shows the &ldquo;full influence of the tobacco industry at work&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Thankfully, the tobacco industry&rsquo;s lobbying was not successful in diluting picture warnings... Despite their billions or euro and hidden connections, the tobacco industry can be defeated,&rdquo; Dr Reilly said as he urged other nations to mirror Ireland&rsquo;s new public health rules.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Reilly said cigarette manufacturers tried to tell the Irish government how to behave when it moved forward on plain packaging.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Their response was unprecedented and global &mdash;from members of the European Parliament to US congressmen, from Indonesian farmers to Irish retailers. We were lobbied on a scale that Irish politics had never seen before, but we had built a strong coalition that proved impenetrable to tobacco industry lobbying.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Not only did they attempt to tell a sovereign government that we did not have the authority to enact plain- packaging legislation, they attempted to tell us how far we could progress it through our parliament and insisted that we provide them with a written undertaking &mdash; within a matter of days &mdash;not to progress it any further,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/industry-spent-millions-to-scupper-cigarette-pack-plan-319511.html</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-20 12:10:14',NULL,'industry-‘spent-millions’-to-scupper-cigarette-pack-plan'),(971,'Ireland in breach of law over doctors\' hours - European Court of Justice','<p>\r\n	Europe&#39;s highest court has held that Ireland is in breach of EU law because it does not consider the training of junior doctors as part of their normal &quot;working time.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In an opinion published this morning, the European Court of Justice held that the Government was wrong to assume that the training of junior doctors did not fall within the remit of the EU Working Time Directive, which governs the maximum hours that EU citizens work and minimum rest periods.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The opinion noted that junior doctors are required to both provide a medical service and to carry out training to a high level, and that according to HSE rules themselves there was no &quot;artificial barrier&quot; between both requirements.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the rule book also held that in practice the hours devoted to training were not considered part of the non-consultant hospital doctors&#39; working time, even though it was part of &quot;paid employment.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court&#39;s Advocate General, however, regarded the two aspects of the activity performed by NCHDs, their provision of medical care and their training, as &quot;intrinsically linked.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also concluded that the training periods for junior doctors should be regarded as &quot;working time&quot; even if they were not on call.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Irrespective of whether training takes place at a hospital or on the premises of the training body, what is important is that NCHDs are required to remain during those training hours in a place that they are not free to choose, but which depends on the training programme that they are required to follow,&quot; the Advocate General held.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;That obligation for NCHDs to be physically present in a particular place for their training hours constitutes a constraint which prevents them from freely engaging in their personal activities.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Commenting on the ECJ&#39;s opinion, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: &quot;This is something that has gone on for very many years, and in the meantime Ireland has measured up greatly as one of the leading countries in terms of implementing directives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There has been a deal of improvement here [on the junior doctors&rsquo; issue].&nbsp; It&#39;s not concluded yet. But there is quite a deal of discussion between the [European] Commission and the Department of Health and the HSE.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The [ECJ] opinion will be studied carefully by the Minister and the department and the HSE. In the meantime discussions will continue with the Commission&quot;, he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the court&#39;s opinion, junior doctors were also under &quot;managerial authority&quot; which suggested this was the normal part of working time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At the same time, medical directors would be in a position to &quot;penalise&quot; junior doctors if they did not fulfill the terms of the training requirements.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Advocate General also opined that junior doctors&#39; training was &quot;professional in nature&quot; and that it could only be treated as personal time if it fell &quot;outside the employment relationship&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Furthermore, by placing the training element of junior doctors&#39; responsibilities outside the framework of normal &quot;working time&quot; Ireland was encroaching on a minimum rest period, which the Working Time Directive was supposed to protect.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Rest periods serve... to compensate for fatigue arising from periods of work. It would undermine that essential function of rest periods if they were deemed to encompass the time that NCHDs spend in training,&quot; the Advocate General concluded.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The opinion was published ahead of a full judgment later this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 80% of cases the Advocate General&#39;s opinion is confirmed in a full judgment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The assistant director of industrial relations at the Irish Medical Organisation, said he welcomes the opinion by the European Court of Justice, and urged the Government to act immediately.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Eric Young told RT&Eacute;&#39;s News At One there are significant costs involved in not implementing the EU Working Time Directive.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that it has been difficult to get agreement from Government to implement its responsibilities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said that what is needed is a focused strategic effort from the HSE, given that a third of doctors are still working more than the legal limit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Young said that while some progress has been made, the current situation is worse than previously thought.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0319/688176-ireland-in-breach-of-law-over-doctors-hours-ecj/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0319/688176-ireland-in-breach-of-law-over-doctors-hours-ecj/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-20 12:11:41',NULL,'ireland-in-breach-of-law-over-doctors-hours-european-court-of-justice'),(972,'Trial date set for Dublin creche in RTÉ documentary','<p>\r\n	Links Creche and Montessori Ltd faces 20 charges of breaking childcare laws</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Dublin creche owner will go on trial in September charged with breaking childcare laws in connection with allegations made in an RT&Eacute; television documentary.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Links Creche and Montessori Ltd, at Abington Wood, Swords Road, Malahide, Co Dublin, and its director Deirdre Kelly, from St Olaves, Kinsealy, Co Dublin are accused of breaking the Child Care Act and pre-school services regulations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The prosecution has been brought by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency (CFA) as a result of the expos&eacute; Breach of Trust, by RT&Eacute;&rsquo;s investigations unit, which aired in 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	RT&Eacute; provided the CFA with 40 hours of secretly filmed footage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lawyers for Ms Kelly and the creche had demanded a concession from the CFA that most of the video evidence obtained does &ldquo;not show anything untoward&rdquo;. Otherwise, they argued, 40 hours of footage would have to be shown in the trial.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Footage concessions</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	David McCoy, solicitor for the CFA, told Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court that the prosecution was able to give concessions regarding the video footage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr McCoy said that in these circumstances the hearing, which will include the CFA, RT&Eacute; and defence witnesses, will last about three days.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	About an hour and a half of footage will be used but it will take longer than that to show it in court, Mr McCoy said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Kelly had been excused from attending today&rsquo;s proceedings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge ordered that the three-day trial would commence on September 15th next. Defence barrister Cara Jane Walsh consented.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At an earlier stage Ms Walsh had said the prosecution alleges &ldquo;that there was a practice in operation . . . We say it would go to our defence, that it was not a practice, it was not habitual and not ongoing&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The CFA alleges the creche breached regulations by not preventing practices that were &ldquo;disrespectful, degrading or exploitative&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On conviction, the court can impose fines of up to &euro;1,300 as well as an order suspending a person from running a childcare facility.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Kelly and the company face four charges for not having staff, students and volunteers with access to children vetted by garda&iacute;. It is also alleged she and the creche breached record-keeping regulations from October 7th to 14th, 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The company faces 20 charges overall, including claims that on eight dates between February and May 2013 it failed to &ldquo;ensure that no practices that are disrespectful, degrading, exploitative, intimidating, emotionally or physically harmful or neglectful were carried out in respect of any child&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/trial-date-set-for-dublin-creche-in-rt%C3%A9-documentary-1.2146005\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/trial-date-set-for-dublin-creche-in-rt%C3%A9-documentary-1.2146005</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-20 12:15:18',NULL,'trial-date-set-for-dublin-creche-in-rtã‰-documentary'),(973,'IRELAND’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD: ESC rights not incorporated into domestic law','<p>\r\n	The UN has repeatedly criticised Ireland&rsquo;s human rights record on a range of fronts. Some of those failures and what the State is doing to address them are listed here.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Treaty:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Recommendations:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights last reviewed a national report on Ireland&rsquo;s implementation of ESC rights in 2002, where it made several recommendations to Ireland on how ESC rights could be strengthened including that ESC rights should be incorporated into domestic law.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On February 23, 2014, the Government-established Constitutional Convention voted by an 85% majority that ESC rights, as protected in the ICESCR, should be given greater protection in the Constitution.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights conducted a mission to Ireland in January 2011. She expressed her concern about the impact of the economic crisis and resultant budgetary cuts on ESC rights such as health, social protection and education. In particular, she highlighted the situation of vulnerable groups including children, older persons, persons with disabilities, single parents, Travellers, migrants, the homeless and those in substandard housing, and asylum seekers and refugees.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Several recommendations were made to maintain and strengthen ESC rights such as education and health, despite budget cuts and to ensure non-discrimination and equality in the right to health. It was also recommended Ireland sign and ratify the OP ICESCR (to allow for complaints to be made to the UN).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Current status:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	ESC rights have not been incorporated into domestic law and therefore remain largely unenforceable in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The State was asked to submit its third report in 2007 but failed to do so until 2012. The information in that report dated only as far as 2010, thus failing to capture many of the significant changes that have occurred in the past years, in particular the impact of the economic crisis on ESC rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN committee will review the report in June and make recommendations to the Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government was to respond to the recommendation by July 2014. To date, there has been no response.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Following her mission, the special rapporteur sent a detailed questionnaire to the State requesting information on progress made and challenges encountered in implementing her recommendation. The Government submitted a late response and the information could therefore not be reflected in the special rapporteur&rsquo;s report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ireland accepted a number of recommendations on ESC rights but only partially accepted others. This included the recommendation to sign and ratify the OP ICESCR. Ireland accepted that it would sign the OP ICESCR but not that it would ratify. (Ireland signed the OP ICESCR in 2012 but has not ratified it &mdash; see above).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ireland&rsquo;s human rights record will again be examined under the universal periodic review next year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Ireland only EU country to legally forbid gender change</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Treaty:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Recommendation:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 2007, the High Court found that the failure of the State to recognise Lydia Foy in her female gender was incompatible with the State&rsquo;s obligations under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 2008, the UN Human Rights Committee recommended that Ireland should recognise the right of transgender persons such as Dr Foy to a change of gender by permitting the issuance of new birth certificates.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Current status:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ireland is the only country in the European Union that does not permit a person to legally change their gender.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Legislation to allow for a legal recognition of a change of gender was published in December 2014 and is working its way through the Seanad before it begins its passage through the D&aacute;il towards enactment, expected in 2015.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Aspects of the legislation have been criticised by transgender representative groups, including the requirement for married transgender persons to divorce before they can apply for legal recognition of their gender.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, it is expected that passage of the forthcoming referendum on Marriage Equality may go some way to abrogating this provision.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Travellers moving to ethnic status</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Treaty:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Recommendation:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In July 2014, the UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, reiterated its recommendation made during Ireland&rsquo;s previous examination under the covenant in 2008 that the state takes steps to recognise Travellers as an ethnic group.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 2014, the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality recommended that the State should recognise Travellers as an ethnic minority.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Current status:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	To date, Travellers have not been recognised as an ethnic group despite having recognition as a distinct ethnic group in the UK and the North. Last November, minister of state for equality, new communities, and culture Aodh&aacute;n &Oacute; Riord&aacute;in is reported to have said that Traveller ethnicity will be a reality in six months (by May 2015) and that the Department of Justice was almost at a position where it could make a statement that there were no adverse implications to granting ethnic status to the community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Concern at lack of progress regarding prison reforms</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Treaties:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Recommendations:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last year, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern at the lack of progress by Ireland in eliminating a number of adverse and continuing conditions in some prisons such as:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		Overcrowding;</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		Lack of in-cell sanitation facilities (requiring inmates to &lsquo;slop out&rsquo; each morning);</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		Lack of segregation of remand and convicted prisoners, and between detained immigrants and sentenced prisoners;</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		The high level of inter-prisoner violence.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	The concerns mirror those raised in 2011 by the UN Committee against Torture in its report on Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	OPCAT establishes an international inspection system for places of detention. It has been in force since 2006. It also requires states to create independent national monitoring mechanisms for places of detention.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>Current status:</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish Penal Reform Trust reported that as, of July 2014, 330 prisoners in Cork, Limerick, and Portlaoise prison were without in-cell sanitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Noting the slow progress in reforming prison conditions despite previous recommendations, the Human Rights Committee requested that Ireland supply follow up information by July 2015 on progress to implement recommendations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ireland signed OPCAT in 2007 but has not yet ratified it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This means that OPCAT is not yet legally binding on the State.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Also, no steps have been taken to create an independent national monitoring mechanism for all places of detention.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/irelands-human-rights-record-esc-rights-not-incorporated-into-domestic-law-319889.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/irelands-human-rights-record-esc-rights-not-incorporated-into-domestic-law-319889.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-23 10:46:57',NULL,'ireland’s-human-rights-record-esc-rights-not-incorporated-into-domestic-law'),(974,'Conference in Cork to focus on regional homelessness crisis','<p>\r\n	The rising problem of regional homelessness will be the focus of a major one-day conference in Cork today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Details of two new projects which are helping to prevent homelessness in Cork and Limerick will also be outlined at the event, organised by University College Cork&rsquo;s School of Applied Social Studies.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Academics and experts from England and Denmark, as well as key figures working in homelessness agencies here, are among those due to address the policy conference on homelessness and housing exclusion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Conference organiser Joe Finnerty, a lecturer in UCC&rsquo;s School of Applied Social Studies, said a notable feature of the event will be its focus on homelessness trends in the south-west.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;These do not necessarily mirror experiences and trends in Dublin which has been the focus of most popular and academic commentary to date,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The conference will focus on what causes homelessness and housing exclusion, and will examine the State&rsquo;s policy on prevention, on emergency response, and on provision of accommodation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It will be addressed by Lars Benjaminsen from the Danish National Centre for Social Research in Copenhagen and by Beth Watts of the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who will discuss how the issues have been addressed at a national level in Denmark and England, and how Ireland can learn from their experiences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The conference will also hear from Irish agency, Threshold, which has rolled out a new tenancy protection service in Cork in recent months. The agency now mediates between tenants, landlords, and the Department of Social Protection to secure temporary increases in rent supplement to keep families at risk of homelessness in their rented homes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Focus Ireland is also expected to outline details of a project in Limerick which provides short-term accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The event, which takes place in the Cork Arts Theatre on Carroll&rsquo;s Quay, is being funded by Cork City Council, Cork Simon Community, and the School of Applied Social Studies, with support from Adult Continuing Education UCC, and the Cork Education and Training Board.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/conference-in-cork-to-focus-on-regional-homelessness-crisis-319892.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/conference-in-cork-to-focus-on-regional-homelessness-crisis-319892.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-23 10:53:23',NULL,'conference-in-cork-to-focus-on-regional-homelessness-crisis'),(975,'Modelling good eating habits: Setting healthy examples for our children’s eating habits','<p>\r\n	Modelling good eating habits: Setting healthy examples for our children&rsquo;s eating habits</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Peer pressure on teenagers to look like models, actresses, even porn stars is everywhere. &Aacute;il&iacute;n Quinlan talks to eating disorder experts about what parents can do to offset this pervasive influence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A chip off the old block;&rsquo; &lsquo;The apple doesn&rsquo;t fall far from the tree&rsquo; - these old sayings have lasted through the generations, probably because they make a strong point.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Their implication is clear &ndash; from their earliest years, children imitate their parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Royal Canadian Mounted Police certainly pull no punches on the issue: &ldquo;Parents are their children&rsquo;s strongest role model and greatest influence,&rdquo; says the Force&rsquo;s website. Your children will eventually adopt many of your values and types of behaviour&hellip;Your children will see your example - positive or negative - as a pattern for the way life is to be lived.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A study published in the Oxford Journal in 2003 underlines this &ndash; it showed that parental example has a strong influence even on a child&rsquo;s attitude to food and eating.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Researchers found that a positive parental role model may be a better method for improving a child&rsquo;s diet than actually trying to control what the child eats. &ldquo;Parents have a huge role to play in terms of developing a child&rsquo;s interest, focus awareness and attitude to food,&rdquo; says Dr Sarah Prasad Consultant Psychiatrist who specialises in adult eating disorders and is attached to St Patrick&rsquo;s Mental Health Services. Parents set the culture around food and food habits in the home,&rdquo; explains Prasad.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She believes parents can instil a healthy mindset towards food and eating in their children by &lsquo;living&rsquo; a healthy lifestyle in general and avoiding any over-emphasis on children&rsquo;s appearance, especially that of girls.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Healthy family eating however, should not be simply about eating fruit and vegetables but about eating a range of different foods, and enjoying treats as well, she says. &ldquo;Young children should see food as everything in moderation. Food should not be a big issue,&rdquo; she says, adding that parents should demonstrate that they too can enjoy ice cream.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another issue is an over-emphasis by parents on their own weight, shape and image &ndash; this can send the wrong message to children already bombarded on all sides by print and internet images of apparent physical perfection, she points out. If a young girl believes her mum is buying into that mindset, warns Prasad, the child&rsquo;s self-image and her attitude to food can be affected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents should be particularly mindful of the often unthinking focus of society on how a girl looks, she says &ndash; with boys, she points out, parents often emphasise sporting or academic achievements, but there&rsquo;s often huge focus placed on a little daughter&rsquo;s appearance. &ldquo;We must expand beyond looks and it must start very early on,&rdquo; she warns.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	By adolescence the peer group is hugely influential as regards eating habits &ndash; but mum can still be of help here, Prasad believes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I have young girls coming in with very low weight who are incredibly stressed and preoccupied about how they look and what their weight and shape is. They all want to look a certain way and all want to be accepted and that involves looking a certain way or having a certain shape.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, she says, if mothers can model healthy attitudes and a healthy lifestyle day to day, it will send a message to children, particularly daughters and help to moderate the other messages girls get from their peer group and popular culture.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	[media=youtube=https://youtube.com/v/CPl8CV4LWyQ[/media]</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really important that within a house there&rsquo;s a value on a person which is not based on how they look,&rdquo; says Harriet Parsons, a psychotherapist and Service Coordinator with Bodywhys, the national organisation which supports people affected by eating disorders.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parsons believes parents should know that although their personal preoccupation with food or shape or diet may not be explicitly stated in the home - a diet-conscious mother, for example, may behave very normally around food and what her children eat - children may still pick up &ldquo;implicit&rdquo; messages about it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents can also play a significant role in counteracting the negative messages about appearance that children and adolescents get from the slew of images in popular culture, she says. It&rsquo;s important, she explains, that parents provide children with a &lsquo;reality check&rsquo; by explaining that everyone is different, and that our sense of self should not hinge on the way we look.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Open communication within the home around what affects young people can provide support to a conflicted young person, she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to say &lsquo;I am here and I&rsquo;d like to know what is going on in your world&rsquo;&rdquo; she explains.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Set the groundwork for an ongoing dialogue, suggests Parsons, and if you&rsquo;re a dieter yourself, consider your own attitude to food and try to not get into distorted thinking in terms of yo-yo dieting, for example.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Be mindful of how you feel about yourself and look at how you feel yourself.&rdquo; If you feel your attitudes may be affecting children it would be helpful to consider why you&rsquo;re doing what you&rsquo;re doing, she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And never take any element of food or diet to extremes, Prasad warns:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I have mothers who have spent much of their lives focused on diet, weight, and shape or on eating &lsquo;very healthily,&rdquo; she says, adding that taken to extremes, this can impact on the daughter&rsquo;s self-image.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mothers and fathers need to express their opinions on food in a low-key way, she explains.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents should also realise that their perception of what healthy eating is may not be quite as good for children as they imagine, observes Prasad - sometimes a so-called healthy diet can be taken to extremes in a family, she warns, adding that this can then become very unhealthy eating.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Some mothers come in saying they avoid dairy, or are vegan or don&rsquo;t eat gluten, and the kids are brought up in a culture where the perception of what is healthy eating is distorted,&rdquo; she says, adding that her role often involves educating families about what healthy eating really is.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parsons emphasises however, that while parental attitudes to food can have an impact on a child, it is important to understand that eating disorders usually stem from a very complex mix of factors.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very important that parents don&rsquo;t feel that anything they have done has caused an eating disorder.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Parents can feel really guilty but they should know that there may be other influences on eating disorders and it is not down to one factor,&rdquo; she says, pointing out that often an eating disorder is not really about food or weight, but about the person and about how they are feeling.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In this context focusing solely on food or weight can mean you&rsquo;re missing the point, she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Visit www.bodywhys.ie to download Eating Disorders &ndash; A Resource for Parents</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/modelling-good-eating-habits-setting-healthy-examples-for-our-childrens-eating-habits-319831.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/modelling-good-eating-habits-setting-healthy-examples-for-our-childrens-eating-habits-319831.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-23 10:54:51',NULL,'modelling-good-eating-habits-setting-healthy-examples-for-our-children’s-eating-habits'),(976,'Varadkar signs up for his first organ donor card','<p>\r\n	Health Minister Leo Varadkar admitted he signed up for an organ donor card only yesterday - despite his medical background.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His next step is to speak to his family about his wishes should he die in unexpected circumstances, he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Varadkar, who was launching Donor Organ Awareness Week, urged people to have a conversation with their families about their wishes on whether they wanted to become an organ donor after death.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was surrounded in the Mansion House in Dublin by many people who have been given the gift of life, and others who are enduring the anxiety of waiting for a call to tell them a suitable donor is available.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mark Murphy, chief executive of the Irish Kidney Association, said there needs to be more links with Northern Ireland to improve transplantation rates. It would be a &quot;win-win&quot; for people on both sides of the Border.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said: &quot;Last year, we transplanted 3.35 organs per deceased donor but only 1.56 organs, less than half our figure, were transplanted into Northern Ireland patients, despite their excellent retrieval levels of four organs per donor.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I believe the all-Ireland rates of organ transplantation could be greatly enhanced, especially for hearts, lungs and liver,&quot; said Mr Murphy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;All the North&#39;s heart, lungs and liver patients are required to travel to the UK for their transplant operations. The shorter the time an organ is outside a body, the greater the potential there is for its transplant success and longevity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Our access to the UK for complex kidney transplants and the paired kidney exchange programme could be conducted in Belfast instead of Coventry. An all-Ireland partnership would offer scientific, geographical and financial advantages while increasing the number of transplants carried out,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was a sharp decline in the number of deceased donors in 2014 from the previous year, 63 as compared with 86 in 2013. In total, 251 people received organ transplants in 2014, as compared with 294 in 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Varadkar said there should be improvements this year to increase donation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A dedicated quality manager has been appointed in each of the three transplant hospitals - the Mater, Beaumont and St Vincent&#39;s - he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There will also be a number of organ procurement coordinators who will be on-call on a 24/7 basis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Their responsibilities will include travelling to any hospital where a potential organ donor is identified, obtaining consent from bereaved families and getting comprehensive donor medical and social history.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They will support the donor family throughout the process, organising retrieval teams and co-ordinating theatre time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/varadkar-signs-up-for-his-first-organ-donor-card-31089709.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/varadkar-signs-up-for-his-first-organ-donor-card-31089709.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-24 09:36:53',NULL,'varadkar-signs-up-for-his-first-organ-donor-card'),(977,'4D ultrasound study shows shocking effects of smoking on unborn babies','<p>\r\n	A new study appears to shed more light on the harmful effects of smoking while pregnant using 4D ultrasound scans to detect the tiny movements made by foetus in the womb.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	By monitoring the growing babies, scientists believe that they can flag potential problems by examining the minute movements foetuses make in the womb.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is hoped that the research can be used to encourage more mothers to give up the habit while pregnant.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Nadja Reissland studied the moving 4D ultrasound scans of 20 expectant mothers, four of whom were smokers, recording thousands of tiny movements as the foetuses developed at 24, 28, 32 and 36 weeks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her study, conducted at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, found that the unborn babies of the four smoking mothers touched their faces more frequently.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Foetuses usually move their mouths and touch themselves as they develop and gain control over their limbs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Reissland&rsquo;s results &ndash; which she hopes to replicate across a far larger sample size &ndash; indicates that mothers who smoke may delay the development of their babies&rsquo; central nervous systems.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;A larger study is needed to confirm these results and to investigate specific effects, including the interaction of maternal stress and smoking,&rdquo; Dr Reissland said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although the number of women smoking during pregnancy has fallen to an all-time low, according to figures gathered last year, 12 per cent of expectant mothers continue smoking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, figures vary across the country. In 2013-2014, 28 per cent of pregnant women who attended the NHS Blackpool smoked, while in central London only two per cent of expectant mothers smoked.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Research has found that pregnant mothers who smoke risk damaging their unborn children&rsquo;s hearts and can also increase the risk of miscarriage and premature births.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The pilot study, conducted by Durham and Lancaster Universities, was published in the medical journal Acta Paediatrica.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Reissland, who specialises in foetal development, called for women to be offered more help in giving up, rather than demonising those mothers who smoke.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I&#39;m really grateful, they did a good thing,&quot; she said. &quot;These are special people and they overcame the stigma to help others.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	All of the babies studied were born healthy and of normal weight and size.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/family/mothers-babies/4d-ultrasound-study-shows-shocking-effects-of-smoking-on-unborn-babies-31090019.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/family/mothers-babies/4d-ultrasound-study-shows-shocking-effects-of-smoking-on-unborn-babies-31090019.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-24 09:38:01',NULL,'4d-ultrasound-study-shows-shocking-effects-of-smoking-on-unborn-babies'),(978,'Teenage girl (17) missing from home for over a week','<p>\r\n	A 17-year-old girl has been reported missing from her home in Co Wicklow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Megan Larkin, from Bray, was last seen on the afternoon of Sunday, March 15.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At approximately 430pm, the teenager was spotted on New Court Road in Bray carrying a white schoolbag and a black handbag.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When last seen, Megan was wearing a blue jacket, black leggings, and white high top runners.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Megan has been described of being approximately 162cm in height with a slim build.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She has blue eyes and long brown hair. She also has an eyebrow piercing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Megan is known to frequent the Tallaght area and Dublin city centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; are asking anyone with any information to contact Bray Garda station on 01 - 6665300, The Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111, or any Garda station.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/teenage-girl-17-missing-from-home-for-over-a-week-31089202.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/teenage-girl-17-missing-from-home-for-over-a-week-31089202.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-24 09:39:10',NULL,'teenage-girl-17-missing-from-home-for-over-a-week'),(979,'Vulnerable children risk harm due to lack of staff, says Hiqa','<p>\r\n	Children safer once they have social worker but process in Cork takes too long, report finds</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Many vulnerable children at risk of harm in the Cork area did not have access to social workers or vital supports, an investigation into social services has found.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) says inspectors found there was not enough staff to cope with the demand for services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The findings are based on a full inspection of services in the county conducted by the authority last October.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Child and Family Agency &ndash; also known as Tusla &ndash; has statutory responsibility to promote the welfare of children and protect those deemed to be at risk of harm.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa found staff at the child-protection service were skilled and they valued the safety of children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was also evidence that children were safer once they were allocated a social worker and received a social work service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But the service was compromised because of the time it took for a social worker to be allocated to assess the needs of children and families. This meant children could remain at risk while waiting to be assessed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the year before the inspection, almost 5,000 referrals were received by the service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Over 1,000 of these cases had not been allocated a social worker. Of these, more than 230 were deemed to be high-risk cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some offices were in poor condition and deemed not to be a suitable place for children and families to meet their social worker in.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some offices in the area did not have electronic information systems which meant that data was processed manually, making the system unsafe.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In addition, a comprehensive needs analysis for the service had not been done and it was not possible for managers to deploy what resources they had in the most effective way.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa expressed concern that the service had not established risks to all children in contact with adults against whom retrospective allegations of abuse had been made.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Due to the seriousness of this issue, along with the number of cases with no social workers for children at risk, the authority requested an immediate action plan.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response to the report, the Child and Family Agency said all children with the greatest need were effectively identified by the service. But it accepted there were areas which required improvement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Brian Lee, the agency&rsquo;s director of quality assurance, said all high-risk cases have since been allocated a social worker.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In addition, a principal social worker has been assigned to address and oversee the management and review of retrospective disclosures .</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The recruitment of 193 social workers was underway and the time taken to process them was being addressed. &ldquo;We remain committed to constantly improving our services to ensure the best outcomes for the children in our care,&rdquo; Mr Lee said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/vulnerable-children-risk-harm-due-to-lack-of-staff-says-hiqa-1.2151737\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/vulnerable-children-risk-harm-due-to-lack-of-staff-says-hiqa-1.2151737</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-25 09:59:13',NULL,'vulnerable-children-risk-harm-due-to-lack-of-staff-says-hiqa'),(980,'Taoiseach criticises HSE plans to sue HIQA over damning baby deaths\' report','<p>\r\n	Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said it is &quot;not appropriate&quot; for the Health Service Executive (HSE) to try and legally challenge a damning report into the deaths of babies at Portlaoise Hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking during Leaders&#39; Questions in the Dail today, he said HSE has contested elements of the draft report and had indicated its intention to go to the courts to prevent its publication.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kenny said Health Minister Leo Varadkar had said such a move whereby one arm of the state would be suing another was not acceptable and that he was in full agreement with him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The minister has already said this is not appropriate and I agree with him fully,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kenny said the draft report, which emerged yesterday, told Fianna F&aacute;il leader Micheal Martin, has not yet been accepted by the HIQA board.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This is a draft report, the HIQA board have not yet accepted it yet,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	HSE Director General Tony O&#39;Brien told HIQA that its findings in relation to Portlaoise Hospital implied a reckless endangerment of patients.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After receipt of a draft report, in a reply on 13 February to HIQA, Mr O&#39;Brien said the draft findings would shatter confidence in the HSE to deliver services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said that HIQA had to afford affected parties fair procedures to deal with the findings in the draft report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kenny was also asked by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams does he support Environment Minister Alan Kelly&#39;s claim that those who refuse to pay water charges could see their salaries deducted.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kenny said he does support the Minister and said he would await his final proposal on making people pay which will go before the Cabinet, but insisted they will be fair.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/taoiseach-criticises-hse-plans-to-sue-hiqa-over-damning-baby-deaths-report-31091615.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/taoiseach-criticises-hse-plans-to-sue-hiqa-over-damning-baby-deaths-report-31091615.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-25 10:02:12',NULL,'taoiseach-criticises-hse-plans-to-sue-hiqa-over-damning-baby-deaths-report'),(981,'Reform of asylum system approved by Government','<p>\r\n	Cabinet backs Bill designed to streamline lengthy and expensive procedure</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sweeping reform of the system for dealing with asylum applications has been approved by the Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald got the backing of Cabinet colleagues for a Bill designed to streamline the current lengthy and expensive procedure for asylum applications.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the new system there will be one opportunity to have an asylum case heard and one right of appeal. At present asylum seekers can go through four stages before a decision on their application is finalised and the decision can then be appealed to the High Court, where there are further delays.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the current system an application for asylum is made to the Office of the Refugee Appeals Commissioner (ORAC). An individual has the right to appeal a decision to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. If that appeal is rejected, they can go back to ORAC with an application for &ldquo;subsidiary protection&rdquo; and, if that is rejected, a further appeal can be made.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After these avenues have been exhausted, an applicant can appeal to the minister and, if that fails, an application for a review can be made to the High Court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	High Court</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last autumn there were 1,300 asylum-related cases on the High Court list, and it was estimated that it would take four-and-a-half years to hear them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The State has paid at least &euro;30 million to barristers specialising in asylum cases arising from judicial reviews over the past decade. Several barristers employed by the Attorney General who specialise in asylum have earned, in some instances, between &euro;250,000 and nearly &euro;500,000 a year since 2002.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the plan being proposed, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal will be abolished and replaced by a new appeals system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/reform-of-asylum-system-approved-by-government-1.2151832\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/reform-of-asylum-system-approved-by-government-1.2151832</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-25 10:14:36',NULL,'reform-of-asylum-system-approved-by-government'),(982,'Teenage girl (13) has bag pulled over head by man in latest abduction bid in Dublin','<p>\r\n	A teenage girl had a plastic bag pulled over her head in a terrifying attack where she was targeted by a man as she was jogging in a west-Dublin neighbourhood.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The girl, believed to be 13, was out running in Clonsilla, training for her school athletics team, when the unknown assailant struck in broad daylight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was approached from behind by the man who pulled the bag over her head. A struggle ensued and the girl managed to escape unharmed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The sinister incident occurred at Manorfields Drive Road beside the Ravenwood estate on Monday at about 3pm.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is the third &quot;suspicious approach&quot; of a child in the Clonsilla area in the last two weeks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Local councillor David McGuinness said the community is &quot;on alert&quot; over the incidents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The community want to see anybody who is involved in something of this nature to be brought in for questioning,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Anyone who would attack a young girl like that is just a scumbag,&quot; Mr McGuinness added, referring to Monday&#39;s incident.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After the attack the victim made her way back to the Colaiste Pobail Setanta and alerted school staff.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gardai were called and five units immediately rushed to the scene, but there was no sign of the attacker.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The school sent out a message warning parents to be extra vigilant.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Please do not allow students to walk alone in the area. There was a potential incident in the area after school today,&quot; the message read.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A garda spokesperson confirmed that there was a &quot;suspicious approach&quot; made on a child and that the incident is being investigated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Previously, on Thursday, March 12, a girl from the Scoil Mhuire Senior School was allegedly approached at Mount Sycamore Green by a man in a red car at approximately 4pm.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Unlike this week&#39;s incident the perpetrator in that case did not come into physical contact with the child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An alert message was also sent out to parents on that occasion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Following an incident in the Clonsilla area last night where a male stranger in a red car approached a pupil of our school, we are asking parents to be vigilant with regard to child safety at all times,&quot; it read.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The gardai in Blanchardstown are dealing with the incident and taking the necessary precautions,&quot; it added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	WARNING</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Then on Wednesday, March 18, two schoolgirls were approached at night time by two men in a black car.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The incident happened at approximately 8.30pm as the teens walked on the Hartstown Road.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The local school, Hartstown Community College - where the girls are students - also issued a warning advising parents to speak with their children about safety.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	No direct link has as of yet been established between the incidents and no arrests have yet been made in relation to any of the three suspicious approaches.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/teenage-girl-13-has-bag-pulled-over-head-by-man-in-latest-abduction-bid-31095720.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/teenage-girl-13-has-bag-pulled-over-head-by-man-in-latest-abduction-bid-31095720.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-26 09:27:29',NULL,'teenage-girl-13-has-bag-pulled-over-head-by-man-in-latest-abduction-bid-in-dublin'),(983,'Parents warned of risks when giving children medicine','<p>\r\n	Pharmacists are warning of the health risks when giving medicines to children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An incorrect dose can be harmful to a child and combining medicines can lead to an accidental overdose.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents should always ask their pharmacist first before giving a child any medicine and pay particular attention to the dosage. The correct dose can vary depending on a child&rsquo;s age, weight and symptoms and medicines meant for an adult should never be given to a child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In particular, cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under the age of six, as there is no strong evidence that they are effective and can result in side effects such as allergic reactions or drowsiness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Children, aged 6 to 12, can be given cough and cold medicines with care, but the maximum dose must not be exceeded. No other cough or cold medicine should be taken at the same time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Pharmacist and Irish Pharmacy Union official Bernard Duggan said parents can unintentionally give young children too much medicine, especially liquid antibiotics, pain reliefs or cough syrup.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The best approach is to ask your pharmacist for advice &mdash; that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re here for,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some of the top tips for giving medicine to children:-</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Read the leaflet. Always follow the recommendations on the information leaflet with the medication.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Never guess the dose. Always use a 5ml spoon or dosage syringe provided with the medication.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ensure the child takes all of the medicine each time it is given.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Do not chill or crush medicine without checking it is okay to do so, as this could alter the effectiveness of some medicines.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Never mix medicines without checking with a pharmacist that it&rsquo;s safe to do so.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Do not give aspirin to children under 16, unless it is prescribed by a doctor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/parents-warned-of-risks-when-giving-children-medicine-320512.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/parents-warned-of-risks-when-giving-children-medicine-320512.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-26 09:50:16',NULL,'parents-warned-of-risks-when-giving-children-medicine'),(984,'Diageo steps down from board of \'Stop Out-of-Control Drinking\' campaign','<p>\r\n	DIAGEO - the parent company of Guinness &ndash; have withdrawn from an alcohol awareness campaign just a month after it was established.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ireland Country Director for the drinks company, David Smith confirmed today that he is stepping down from the board of the Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is the fourth resignation that has blighted the group - which is led by Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay - since it was established in February.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Up to 12,000 have signed up to the campaign which is funded by Diageo to the tune of &euro;1m over the first year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Since the launch of the campaign many of our board members have been subjected to unwarranted pressure because of a perceived lack of independence given the involvement of Diageo on the board,&rdquo; Mr Smith told RTE.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;To ensure that the board members can work to the best of their abilities and carry out the objectives of the campaign without further pressure and distraction I will no longer sit on the board of the campaign,&rdquo; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Responding Health Minister Leo Varadkar said it was welcomed that Diageo were stepping back from the board.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it is appropriate that the drinks industry should be actively involved in campaigns around public health for the obvious reasons,&rdquo; Mr Varadkar said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, social campaigner and founder of Spunout.ie, Ruairi McKiernan, says Diageo is still behind the campaign - as it is involved in funding - and he is not satisfied.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RTE Radio One, Mr Smith said it never came up prior to the establishment of the campaign that Diageo should not have a seat at the board.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The board were very happy with my involvement. I&rsquo;m not sure I would do any differently if I had the time again but what I am doing today is acting to make sure that a lack of independence is removed,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad we got involved in the campaign. I may not have sat on the board if I had known it was going to cause some controversy.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is the latest public relations setback for Diageo after they ceased organising their annual Arthur&rsquo;s Day last year following much criticism.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Arthur&rsquo;s Day at the time was a great idea to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Arthur Guinness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;All of these things run their course. It was a getting a lot of controversy at the time so we decided to move in a different direction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The irony is we were called upon to do more to tackle alcohol misuse and here we are over the last few months having done that,&rdquo; Mr Smith said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that he wished the board of the Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign good luck.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Smith said he believed when people looked back in 15 years time, the drinking culture will have changed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;With the benefit of hindsight, the debate was pretty ferocious but it did start to chip away at some attitudes and connect with some people.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	St Patrick&rsquo;s Mental Health Services withdrew from the campaign in recent days following the earlier resignations of Dr Ciara Kelly and Krystian Fikert of mental health care organisation MyMind from the board.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/diageo-steps-down-from-board-of-stop-outofcontrol-drinking-campaign-31094042.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/diageo-steps-down-from-board-of-stop-outofcontrol-drinking-campaign-31094042.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-26 04:00:00',NULL,'diageo-steps-down-from-board-of-stop-out-of-control-drinking-campaign'),(985,'26 young people known to social services died last year, says study','<p>\r\n	An independent review into the deaths of 26 young people known to social services last year has raised concern over long waiting lists for mental health services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Figures just released show most deaths last year were the result of suicide (eight) or natural causes (eight). Others were from road traffic incidents, homicide or drug overdoses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Most of the young people were living with families who were known to child protection services. A smaller number were either in the State&rsquo;s care system or in aftercare.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The independent National Review Panel &ndash; tasked with investigating serious incidents in the care system &ndash; also published detailed reports into the circumstances surrounding 12 deaths.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Four of these cases concerned young women between the ages of 14 and 19 with emotional difficulties who had taken their own lives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Waiting lists</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Helen Buckley, chair of the National Review Panel, said three of these teenagers had been on lengthy waiting lists for psychology services. One of them was unable to access a mental health service in the days leading up to her death.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Buckley said the panel found delays in accessing psychology services of up to two years in some cases. She said a more integrated mental health service is going to be required if children and young people are to receive the kind of urgent care they require.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The panel also found that a gap in services concerned young people who were at risk of suicide &ndash; but had not been diagnosed with a mental illness &ndash; who found it very difficult to get appropriate services on time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Services required</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is clear that many of the services required by these children and young people were outside the control of the Child and Family Agency,&rdquo; Dr Buckley said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Until there is a fully integrated, whole-of-government approach to child protection, children will not be comprehensively protected.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The agency took over responsibility from the HSE for child and family services last year. However, child and adolescent services remained with the executive, partly on foot of resistance from health professionals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Buckley said there needed to be a review of the channels of communication between the agency and adult mental health services. She also said the panel was aware of the pressure under which social work departments were operating, particularly the high referral rates and staff shortages. A high turnover of social workers was another theme in cases that were subject to reviews.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In one case, a child had 18 social workers over a 10-year period; another had five in just five months. The allocation of cases to social workers was cited as another issue. Some risky cases were left unallocated for long periods due to local pressures or staff shortages.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/26-young-people-known-to-social-services-died-last-year-says-study-1.2154959\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/26-young-people-known-to-social-services-died-last-year-says-study-1.2154959</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-27 10:25:57',NULL,'26-young-people-known-to-social-services-died-last-year-says-study'),(986,'IRC chief resigns from asylum working group','<p>\r\n	The Chief Executive of the Irish Refugee Council has resigned from a Government-appointed group examining the direct provision system for asylum seekers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sue Conlan&#39;s decision comes directly in response to the publication this week by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald of the heads of the International Protection Bill aimed at simplifying the asylum process.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In her resignation letter, she said it was regrettable that the Working Group was not allowed &quot;have sight of and indeed comment upon&quot; the heads of the bill.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Conlan said her sense of the bill is that it is too much of an &quot;enforcement measure&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She also said that any attempt by the Working Group to &quot;propose change which involves legislation, such as putting accommodation and support in a bill or changing legislation to extend the role of the Ombudsman or Children&#39;s Ombudsman has been resisted by the Department of Justice&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0327/690138-direct-provision-working-group/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0327/690138-direct-provision-working-group/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-27 10:27:10',NULL,'irc-chief-resigns-from-asylum-working-group'),(987,'Parliamentary body set up to examine human rights','<p>\r\n	A parliamentary body has been set up to help promote and protect human rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It comes just days after the Irish Examiner revealed that Ireland is eight years late in submitting a major report to the UN on tackling discrimination against women.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This newspaper also published a detailed overview of the gaps in Ireland&rsquo;s respect for international human rights standards by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN has repeatedly criticised Ireland&rsquo;s record on human rights and government inaction on several fronts, including the treatment of women and children, the rights of disabled people, victims of symphysiotomy; the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group, and the rights of transgender people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Oireachtas joint sub-committee on human rights relative to justice and equality matters met for the first time yesterday, and agreed to progress discussion in a range of areas.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These include a review of the 2009 Charities Act with regard to its omission of human rights organisations to apply for charitable status. It will investigate the introduction of a regularisation scheme for undocumented migrants, examine the ratification by Ireland of international human rights treaties, and the support for public bodies to prepare for their &ldquo;positive duty&rdquo; obligation to ensure a regard for promoting equality and human rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The group is chaired by Fine Gael TD David Stanton and its rapporteur is independent senator Katherine Zappone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	ICCL director Mark Kelly said the new mechanism &ldquo;augers well for the closing of some of the human rights and equality compliance gaps highlighted by the ICCL earlier this week, especially the failure by Ireland to ratify human rights treaties&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Stanton said the committee will try to ensure any new legislation is human rights &ldquo;proofed&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/parliamentary-body-set-up-to-examine-human-rights-320698.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/parliamentary-body-set-up-to-examine-human-rights-320698.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-27 10:53:53',NULL,'parliamentary-body-set-up-to-examine-human-rights'),(988,'Gardaí save boy (6) sold for sex by his parents','<p>\r\n	A six-year-old boy who was being prostituted by his parents has been rescued after an EU-wide investigation into paedophilia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Detectives raided a house in Tipperary and placed the child into the care of the State.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; were acting on information received by European police agency Europol last December, after communication was made with the Garda Paedophile Investigations Unit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Video footage of the abuse was discovered online.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Officers tracked down the internet provider address which was traced to a house in the south region of the county.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Horrific</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is believed the parents were prostituting their son online to be sexually abused, according to an informed source.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This is the worst case we&#39;ve ever dealt with,&quot; the source said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It involves the absolutely horrific treatment of a child.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The rescue came as a result of an emergency care order being granted at a district court hearing in Tipperary last week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This order allowed garda&iacute; and social workers to take the boy away from the adults he was living with and allowed an urgent medical examination.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; contacted the offices of a Child and Family Agency social worker last week, informing them that a house would be searched due to concerns that a child living there may have suffered sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Detectives who had examined the online images and were involved throughout the investigation identified the rescued boy as the child who appeared in a number of disturbing pictures and videos online.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Investigating officers also discovered a number of items, including &quot;implements and blankets&quot;, which were visible on the sick footage. Garda&iacute; believed there was an immediate risk to the child&#39;s safety and put him into foster care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A month before contact was made between the two agencies, Europol hosted a Victim Identification Task Force to harness international co-operation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Over 12 days, experts in victim identification from 11 police agencies in nine countries worked together at Europol in an attempt to identify victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This Europol-coordinated effort led to 240 new collections of material being uploaded to Interpol&#39;s computer database and additions were made to more than 100 collections already present there.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was hoped that the combined initiative would result in a better chance of child victims being identified.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/garda-save-boy-6-sold-for-sex-by-his-parents-31112769.html</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-02 09:23:44',NULL,'gardaã­-save-boy-6-sold-for-sex-by-his-parents'),(989,'No senior manager among the 16 staff suspended at Ãras Attracta','<p>\r\n	No senior manager is among the 16 staff suspended in the wake of mounting concern over the care of vulnerable residents in the &Aacute;ras Attracta centre for people with an intellectual disability, it was confirmed yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One of the senior staff in the bungalow where RT&Eacute; cameras captured residents being force-fed, kicked and slapped, has since been promoted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The revelations emerged as a new set of damning reports by inspectors, who made an unannounced visit to the facility in mid-January, heavily criticise standards of care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) spent two days at the home in Co Mayo, which was at the centre of a distressing expose by RT&Eacute;&#39;s &#39;Prime Time&#39; in early December.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite HSE pledges to introduce a massive overhaul of how the service was run, the inspectors found:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Procedures were in place to protect residents from being harmed or suffering abuse but they had not been consistently implemented in all areas of the centre. This included the risk of unauthorised access by members of the public to the living area at night.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Staffing arrangements were not adequate at times. There were limited opportunities for some residents to participate in social activities. Many residents were sitting in the communal areas for long periods with nothing to do.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Unsafe medication practices;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Significant improvements were needed to fire safety, risk management and infection control measures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some areas of the physical environment had not been maintained in a clean and hygienic condition.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In centre 2, some residents were smoking unsupervised and inspectors saw one resident falling on a wet floor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One staff member continually approached a resident, despite being asked by another staff member to allow the resident space.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Noel Giblin, national secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, who previously worked in &Aacute;ras Attracta, said: &quot;There is still very poor compliance. Clients are supposed to be going swimming but the pool is out of order.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Staff numbers are poor on night duty with staff leaving one bungalow to go to another. We highlighted this way back in 2007.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sheila Ryan, whose sister Mary is a resident in the home, said there &quot;is an urgency to deal with this today. There are vulnerable people in there who have nobody to speak for them.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response, the HSE said in the past three months 27 additional staff are in place, which has increased social activities both on site and in the community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Medication issues have been responded to with additional training, supervision, new storage ordered, pharmacy oversight and where appropriate psychiatry review of prescriptions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A dedicated care planning co-ordinator is now in place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE is finalising an overall plan of improvement work. Key supervisory staff, who had also been rostered for full-time work, are now dedicated to supervisor roles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/no-senior-manager-among-the-16-staff-suspended-at-ras-attracta-31112789.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/no-senior-manager-among-the-16-staff-suspended-at-ras-attracta-31112789.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-02 09:25:37',NULL,'no-senior-manager-among-the-16-staff-suspended-at-ãras-attracta'),(990,'Practice of jailing minors in adult prisons to end from this week','<p>\r\n	Under-18s remanded in custody to be placed in Oberstown child detention school</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The practice of admitting minors to adult prisons is to cease from this week onwards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Until now, 17 year olds remanded in custody were typically placed in St Patrick&rsquo;s Institution for young offenders, which forms part of the Mountjoy Prison complex.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government has been repeatedly criticised over the practice by children&rsquo;s rights advocates and international human rights groups.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	From Monday onwards, Oberstown child detention school near Lusk, Co Dublin, will take all young men under the age of 18 who are newly remanded in custody by the courts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	All females under this age have been detained at the Oberstown campus since 2007.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government moved in recent times to expand the complex and recruit additional care staff at the Co Dublin facility.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If these additional residential places are full, legislation allows for under-18s to be remanded in St Patrick&rsquo;s Institution. These provisions are due to be repealed soon, however.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On most occasions in the past two years, there have been fewer than eight under-18s remanded in custody in St Patrick&rsquo;s Institution.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The first five units of new residential accommodation have now been finished on the Oberstown campus and will be gradually brought into use.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Children James Reilly said he was committed to achieving the ending of the practice of detaining children in adult prisons at the earliest possible date.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government pledged to do this within the lifetime of the Coalition under its programme for government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His colleague Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said she is in talks with various agencies to ensure 17-year-old males currently serving sentences are moved into more appropriate settings as soon as possible.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government allocated &euro;50 million three years ago for the redevelopment of the Oberstown campus.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It involves increasing the capacity of the facility and replacing some detention facilities which lack toilets.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/practice-of-jailing-minors-in-adult-prisons-to-end-from-this-week-1.2157632\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/practice-of-jailing-minors-in-adult-prisons-to-end-from-this-week-1.2157632</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-30 08:45:23',NULL,'practice-of-jailing-minors-in-adult-prisons-to-end-from-this-week'),(991,'Woman must be released from custody to give birth, court rules','<p>\r\n	Northern Ireland High Court grants bail to heavily pregnant accused in theft case</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A heavily pregnant woman accused of targeting a pensioner in a distraction theft can be released from custody because she is about to give birth, a Northern Ireland High Court judge ruled.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lamita Mihai (20) was granted bail on a charge of stealing &pound;140 (about &euro;193) from the 86-year-old woman in Derry. The Romanian national is to live at an address in Co Donegal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Donnell Deeny said: &ldquo;The fact she will reside outside the jurisdiction would normally be a significant difficulty about granting bail.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;However, it&rsquo;s outweighed, in my view, in this instance by the fact she is about to give birth.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Mihai, of Mill Road in Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal and another woman are alleged to have approached the victim in a car park at Lisnagelvin Shopping Centre on March 20th.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The two women are alleged to have asked the woman for change of a coin and then distracted her by walking her over to a trolley bay, the court heard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Kate McKay, prosecuting, claimed Ms Mihai then took the pensioner&rsquo;s purse, supposedly to look for change. The pensioner later realised that at least &pound;140 was missing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	PSNI contacted</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Two days later the pensioner contacted the PSNI to say she had spotted the same two women approaching her 94-year-old friend near St Columb&rsquo;s Cathedral in the city, the prosecution claimed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was alleged that the two had asked this woman for change to make a phone call. Police then arrived on the scene and detained the pair.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Opposing bail, Ms McKay acknowledged Ms Mihai&rsquo;s pregnant condition.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;While one has sympathy for her dilemma, there are major concerns about her re-offending,&rdquo; the barrister said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;These are mean offences where vulnerable, elderly people were targeted.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms McKay argued that the prison in which the accused was held has the facilities to give birth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Defence counsel Stephen Mooney said his client is nine months pregnant and poses no risk of fleeing. &ldquo;Police believed she may have gone into labour while in the police station at one point,&rdquo; Mr Mooney said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Granting bail, Mr Justice Deeny noted the accused&rsquo;s father is willing to put up a &pound;500 cash surety to secure her release.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge ordered Ms Mihai to surrender her identity card before being released from custody.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/woman-must-be-released-from-custody-to-give-birth-court-rules-1.2161397\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/woman-must-be-released-from-custody-to-give-birth-court-rules-1.2161397</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-02 10:03:33',NULL,'woman-must-be-released-from-custody-to-give-birth-court-rules'),(992,'7 myths about autism debunked','<p>\r\n	It was World Autism Awareness Day yesterday but do we really understand about it?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	87% of people living with autism think the general public don&rsquo;t have a good understanding of the condition. Some people with autism may have accompanying learning difficulties, but autism itself has nothing to do with intellectual capability.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	1. Autism is not a mental health problem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&rsquo;s a lifelong developmental condition but according to new NAS figures, 28% of people believe, incorrectly, that autism is a mental health condition.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	2. Autism doesn&rsquo;t affect men more than women.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Various studies have come up with male/female ratios ranging from 2:1 to 16:1. But recent research has suggested that the number of girls to boys with autism is actually far more equal than diagnoses would suggest. The problem is in the way autism manifests itself in women that makes it harder to diagnose. Actually, 42% of females have been misdiagnosed, as compared to 30% of males.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	3. Autism is not as uncommon as most people think.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There are around 700,000 people in the UK with autism, including Aspergers &ndash; that&rsquo;s more than 1 in 100. New figures released by the NAS show that only 25% of people know that more than 1 in 100 people in the UK have autism.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	4. Most people don&rsquo;t know that people with autism can often be over or under sensitive to sounds, sights and smells.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It turns out just 42% of people think that people with autism&nbsp; have difficulty processing everyday sensory information and can be over- or under-sensitive to stimuli like light and sound.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	5. Not everyone is diagnosed as children, many are diagnosed later in life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	6. Most people with autism want to be around others and have friends and relationships.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to an NAS survey, 65% of people with autism said they would like to have more friends, but while social skills are something many of us take for granted they can be difficult for someone with autism, and this can come across as a mistaken disinterest for forming friendships.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	7. Of course people with autism can work, but unfortunately only 15% are in full time employment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In fact employers could be missing out on abilities that people on the autism spectrum have more than anyone else, like pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and attention to detail.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the NAS, said that awareness has increased dramatically in the last 50 years, a time when people with autism were often written off and hidden from society.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said: &ldquo;But there is still a long way to go before autism is fully understood and people with the condition are able to participate fully in their community. All too often we still hear stories of families experiencing judgemental attitudes or individuals facing isolation or unemployment due to misunderstandings or myths around autism.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If we&rsquo;re really going to improve the world for people with autism, we need to move away from focusing on simply raising awareness and ensure we are building understanding of autism and the different ways it can affect people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This has to happen in every sector of society, from health and social care, to culture and the media. Better understanding of autism would improve every part of the life of a person with autism, increasing the chances of an early diagnosis and support, lowering incidents of bullying at school and improving employment prospects.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The right understanding and support can make all the difference and ensure that they live full lives as part of their local communities.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/7-myths-about-autism-debunked-321874.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/7-myths-about-autism-debunked-321874.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-03 09:24:15',NULL,'7-myths-about-autism-debunked'),(993,'Social Care Ireland 2015 annual conference','<p>\r\n	Social Care Ireland&rsquo;s 2015 annual conference took place in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sligo last week, with the theme of this year&rsquo;s conference being &ldquo;Building Relationships and Breaking Barriers&rdquo;. The conference took place on the 24<sup>th</sup>, 25<sup>th</sup> and 26<sup>th</sup> March 2015 and organisers have called it a huge success, with 180 delegate packs being handed out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The conference was formally opened on Tuesday evening by Minister Kathleen Lynch, followed by addresses from keynote speakers Father Peter McVerry of the Peter McVerry Trust and Gordon Jeyes of Tusla. No doubt relationships were built and barriers were broken during the evening&rsquo;s entertainment when delegates and organisers alike relaxed, networked and got to know each other.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The President of Social Care Ireland Carlos Kelly addressed the enthusiastic delegates on the Wednesday morning, followed by Social Care Ireland&rsquo;s CPD officer Catherine Byrne and Dr Pamela Trevithick of Buckinghamshire New University in the UK. Delegates were then free to attend one of the numerous workshops scheduled.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Vivian Geurin of the Probation Service, Meitheal Coordinator Marie Crawley, Dr. Sinead Reynolds, of the Assessment Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS), spoke to a large crowd of eager social care workers and students on Wednesday and Thursday and delegates were once again choosing which workshop they would attend throughout the day. The conference closed and delegates left, presumably looking forward to next year&rsquo;s event. A wine reception and a gala dinner accompanied the launch of the organisation&rsquo;s CPD portfolio.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Over the course of the three days, there were twelve workshops covering a variety of issues scheduled with an impressive forty one speakers, not including the seven keynote speakers. With the launch of the CPD portfolio and the three organisations within SCI endorsing the decision to amalgamate, the future of SCI is very bright indeed. Watch this space.</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-30 04:00:00',NULL,'social-care-ireland-2015-annual-conference'),(994,'Interview with SCI President Carlos Kelly','<p>\r\n	Social Care Ireland&rsquo;s 2015 annual conference took place in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sligo this week, with the theme of this year&rsquo;s conference being &ldquo;Building Relationships and Breaking Barriers&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking to Social Care Training Ireland after the very successful conference, President of Social Care Ireland Carlos Kelly had very positive feedback from the event:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	<strong><u>On the conference:</u></strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Without a doubt, the conference was a great success. From an attendance perspective, we had 180 attendees from every corner of the country. From an educational point of view, we had 47 academics and professionals either speaking or presenting workshops over the course of the three days. As an organisation, there was a definite drive underway and we know what we need to achieve going forward. There is certainly an appetite for meaningful change and the conference provided an opportunity for the entire social care sector to have their say.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;<br />\r\n	<strong><u>Amalgamation:</u></strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I think one of the most positive developments that came from the event was the decision of all three member bodies within SCI to endorse the decision to form a limited company. This will give SCI a very strong footing in terms of professionally representing the social care sector. Social Care Managers, Social Care Workers and Social Care Educators will become members of Social Care Ireland but they will also become a member of a SCI special interest group, thus keeping their professional identity. We hope to be in a position to offer our members Professional Indemnity insurance inclusive of Fitness to Practice. All professionals registered with the Regulator, CORU, are subject to fitness to practice.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong><u>On Father Peter McVerry:</u></strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;As Social Care in Ireland is moving towards professionalism, Father Peter McVerry warned of the dangers of becoming too professional. His address was very moving and thought-provoking. He spoke of the importance of caring, and given that we are all working in the care profession, it&rsquo;s hugely important to retain a focus on the relationships with young people. &nbsp;Father McVerry spoke of how he opened his first hostel 35 years ago and how he referred to that period of helping people as the best time of his life. By his own admission, the hostel would have been shut down after an hour by today&rsquo;s standards. He has suggested that the more attention we give to paperwork, offices and writing reports, the less attention we give to the young people in our care and that a healthy balance should be found. He also warned of the risks of inadequate aftercare and warned not to compartmentalise aftercare. As a keynote speaker, he was very informative, very factual and very human.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong><u>CPD Portfolio </u></strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We launched the CPD Portfolio at the conference and it was very well received by members. It is aimed at preparing social care workers for the CPD requirements of the Social Care Registration Board. We have spent a lot of time beating the drum about Continuous Professional Development but life often gets in the way preventing us actually undertaking CPD. This portfolio provides a useful template for SCWs to follow in attaining the sixty CPD points over a two years period. The entire policy and portfolio is available on the website, www.socialcareireland.ie. Social Care Ireland are also planning to provide an online recording facility of CPD activity for its members.&rdquo;</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-03-30 04:00:00',NULL,'interview-with-sci-president-carlos-kelly'),(995,'Mental health services: One in three in-need children admitted to adult facilities','<p>\r\n	One in three children in need of mental health in-patient services were admitted into adult facilities last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The figures were uncovered through a parliamentary question asked by Deputy Colm Keaveney, the Fianna F&aacute;il spokesperson for mental health and special needs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Out-of-hours incidents and having a child in need of immediate attention in parts of the country not near a suitable facility are some of the reasons given for admitting young people to adult units.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Clinical director of Cluain Mhuire in Dublin Siobhan Barry said better funding for community health could help to avoid crisis situations leading to in-patient care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Overall investment in child and adolescent mental health needs to be at a secondary care level, in other words in community-based mental health teams so you can avoid situation reaching that crisis where in-patient care is needed,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/mental-health-services-one-in-three-in-need-children-admitted-to-adult-facilities-670227.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/mental-health-services-one-in-three-in-need-children-admitted-to-adult-facilities-670227.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-03 09:27:06',NULL,'mental-health-services-one-in-three-in-need-children-admitted-to-adult-facilities'),(996,'Boy, 14, with special needs ‘forced to eat twigs’','<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; in Co Cork say they are aware of an alleged incident in which a group of teenagers force-fed twigs to a boy with special needs and forced him to expose himself.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was claimed yesterday the victim of the attack was a 14-year-old boy with autism and the incident occurred in Carrigaline.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It has been alleged disturbing footage of the encounter was then posted to Facebook.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Karen O&rsquo;Mahony of the Masquerade Ball, a fundraising and awareness group for families living with autism, yesterday told the Opinion Line on 96fm she had been contacted by distressed parents, including one mother of a child with special needs who learned of the incident on social media.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She was very distressed. She had come across this post from a teenage group that had stuffed some twigs down [the throat of] a boy with special needs, and he exposed himself, and they videoed it and they posted it up on Facebook,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It was shocking to hear that a group of teenagers could be capable of this. It&rsquo;s very distressing.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Local shopkeeper John A Collins said he knew the victim very well as he often came into his shop to buy Match Attack football cards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He is a very inoffensive young man. It&rsquo;s a horrendous thing to happen. It&rsquo;s bad enough that you could do that to anybody, but particularly bad to do it to a child not capable of defending himself,&rdquo; said the Fine Gael councillor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Facebook said it could not comment on individual cases but it will remove graphic images when they are shared for sadistic pleasure or to celebrate or glorify violence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/boy-14-with-special-needsforced-to-eat-twigs-321513.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/boy-14-with-special-needsforced-to-eat-twigs-321513.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-03 09:28:51',NULL,'boy-14-with-special-needs-‘forced-to-eat-twigs’'),(997,'School ‘old boy network’ privilege to be wiped out','<p>\r\n	Schools will only be allowed to reserve one in 10 places for the children of past pupils under plans to be announced today by Education Minister Jan O&rsquo;Sullivan.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The move is set to spark a massive backlash from the country&rsquo;s most influential &lsquo;old boys&rsquo; networks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the plan, schools will also be required to make an explicit statement in their admission policy that they will not discriminate on grounds such as sexual orientation, disability or race, special educational needs, or against Travellers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms O&rsquo;Sullivan&rsquo;s clampdown on the &lsquo;parent rule&rsquo; goes much further than proposals by her predecessor Ruairi Quinn, who wanted to set a 25pc limit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Writing in today&rsquo;s Irish Independent, Mr Quinn&rsquo;s former special adviser John Walshe predicts that Ms O&rsquo;Sullivan is &ldquo;about to set off the most almighty row between Labour and Fine Gael, whose ministers will be lobbied intensely by the fee-paying schools sector&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms O&rsquo;Sullivan will explain her thinking on the &lsquo;parent rule&rsquo; when she addresses the conference of the Irish National Teachers Organisation today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She will say that her view is that a &ldquo;cap of perhaps 10pc of all school places is as high as such a threshold should be set&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Admissions to School bill aims to bring more fairness and structure into the enrolment process at both primary and post-primary level, including a ban on schools charging parents to apply for places.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other significant changes include awarding new powers to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the Child and Family Agency, Tulsa, to designate a school for a child who has no place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But the minister&#39;s desire to slash to 10pc the places a school may guarantee for children of past pupils will provoke an outcry from certain schools, including those in the fee-paying sector that place a high value on social networks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Such a limit would only come into play if a school has more applications than the number of places it is offering.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms O&#39;Sullivan is not planning to impose any restrictions on a school&#39;s right to enrol brother or sisters of pupils, or past pupils.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Past pupils of two of the most elite schools in the country, Blackrock College and Belvedere College, many of them in the legal profession, have already started high-profile campaigns against any move to limit the school&#39;s freedom to enrol their children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Around one in five schools cannot meet the demand for places and are currently allowed to use their own range of selection criteria, such as family links and designated feeder schools, to prioritise applications. There are no legal restrictions on the number of children of past pupils that a school may admit and many see strong inter-generational family links as key to building a sense of community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In February, a Traveller boy lost a Supreme Court case taken after he missed out on a place at a Tipperary school due to the &#39;parent rule&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms O&#39;Sullivan hopes that the bill will pass through the Oireachtas before the summer break. Detailed regulations will then be published to give effect to the changes. Ms O&#39;Sullivan will tell teachers today that she is happy to listen to all views on the admission rules.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prohibit</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new law will prohibit the charging of payments or contributions as part of the admission process or for continued enrolment, other than for fee-charging and boarding schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another provision could require schools in an area to co-operate with each other in relation to their admissions processes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among the other criteria that schools will be prohibited from applying in the selection process are occupation or final status of parents; a student&#39;s academic ability; the date on which an application for admission was received.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Catholic and other denominational schools will also be allowed to continue to give preference to children of their faith.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Schools will also be permitted to give priority to children on the basis of their date of birth, catchment area, designated feeder schools and being a son or daughter of a staff member.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/school-old-boy-network-privilege-to-be-wiped-out-31122712.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/school-old-boy-network-privilege-to-be-wiped-out-31122712.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-07 10:19:17',NULL,'school-‘old-boy-network’-privilege-to-be-wiped-out'),(998,'Gay teachers suffering \'real anxiety\' over religious law','<p>\r\n	Gay and lesbian teachers suffer &quot;real anxiety&quot; because of a law that allows a school to protect its religious ethos when it comes to who they employ.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Equality Minister Aodhan O Riordain has promised to amend the legislation - but the Irish National Teachers Organisation insists that it must be abolished completely.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Amending a bad law does not change it,&quot; INTO president Sean McMahon said in his opening address to the union&#39;s annual conference.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The issue of rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teachers is taking on a new significance in light of the forthcoming referendum on same-sex marriage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr McMahon said Section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Acts caused real anxiety to teachers whose family status, sexual orientation or gender identity may be perceived as being in conflict with the ethos of a school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Guilty</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under existing law, religious-run schools are not considered guilty of discrimination if they take action to stop an employee from &quot;undermining the religious ethos of the institution&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While job applicants may not be asked about their sexual orientation at an interview, it has allowed schools to not hire certain teachers or to stop people from advancing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to Mr O Riordain, scrapping Section 37.1 would be a constitutional issue and the most the Government could do was to amend it. The minister had hoped to have announced his plans for changes to the legislation by Easter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dion O&#39;Caoimh, secretary of the INTO LGBT group, told the Irish Independent that the proposed change in the legislation would only say that schools could not discriminate against LGBT teachers, but it would not protect them against getting into trouble in school for expressing their views.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Cara O&#39;Mahony, another member of the INTO LGBT group, and also of the Kildare north branch, said in terms of a teacher&#39;s mental health, it was very important that &quot;everyone feels equal in the workplace&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/gay-teachers-suffering-real-anxiety-over-religious-law-31122706.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/gay-teachers-suffering-real-anxiety-over-religious-law-31122706.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-07 10:20:59',NULL,'gay-teachers-suffering-real-anxiety-over-religious-law'),(999,'Name and shame risk at facilities for children','<p>\r\n	Cr&egrave;ches, schools and other child-focused facilities which fail to put in place detailed anti-abuse safeguards will be &ldquo;named and shamed&rdquo; under new Government plans.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, despite the move, officials are already facing claims they have &ldquo;diluted&rdquo; the measures after removing the possibility of financial or legal sanctions for the bodies as originally promised.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Details agreed by the Fine Gael-Labour coalition in recent days show that under the long-awaited Children&rsquo;s First legislation any group offering services to children must prove they have specific safety measures in place to protect young people from abuse and sub-standard care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The draft new law will state that cr&egrave;ches, schools, sports clubs, swimming pools and a raft of other bodies must provide proof they have taken steps to ensure child safety in a detailed document available to families.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While this child safety statement will vary in what it contains from group to group, it will focus on matters like Garda vetting for all staff working with children, what protocols are in place to prevent the risk of abuse, physical infrastructure and other matters after a raft of recent scandals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If a group fails to provide the statement or falls short of reasonable safety levels, it will be &ldquo;named and shamed&rdquo; on a publicly available register of bodies where children could be at risk, run by the State&rsquo;s child and family agency Tusla.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The draft legislation, which was a key electoral promise when the coalition came to Government but has been bogged down in delays for four years, is expected to go before the Oireachtas by late April.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood officials from the Department of Children believe the &ldquo;court of public opinion&rdquo; will be enough to force the groups named on the register to close the safety gaps.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, despite the view, the planned legislation is already facing a backlash, with Fianna F&aacute;il children&rsquo;s spokesman Robert Troy accusing Government of &ldquo;diluting&rdquo; the protection measures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said under a draft 2012 version of the safeguards fines and potential prison sentences could have been imposed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said these sanctions are no longer being considered, claiming this will severely curtail the effectiveness of the new rules.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;What is being proposed is an extremely watered down version of what was promised. Naming and shaming is not good enough, there needs to be consequences and sanctions because we&rsquo;re talking about preventing the abuse for vulnerable children here. There were sanctions in the original heads of bill published in 2012, but that legislation was never moved forward. If your company doesn&rsquo;t have a health and safety statement they are subject to sanctions up to and including fines and imprisonment. If it&rsquo;s good enough for health and safety. Then it should be good enough to protect vulnerable children,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the Children&rsquo;s Rights Alliance stressed that after years of delays what is most important is to see any version of the legislation introduced, it and other advocacy groups are also believed to have concerns.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/name-and-shame-risk-at-facilities-for-children-322536.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/name-and-shame-risk-at-facilities-for-children-322536.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-07 10:35:46',NULL,'name-and-shame-risk-at-facilities-for-children'),(1000,'Pharmacists warn Irish parents about the dangers of codeine based cold and flu medicine','<p>\r\n	Irish pharmacists have issued a warning to parents about the possible dangerous side-effects of codeine-containing medicines used to treat coughs and colds in children under 12.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Treating children with codeine-containing medication could cause serious side-effects including respiratory difficulty and its use is prohibited in children below 12-years-old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Use of medication containing codeine is also not recommended in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18, particularly if they already have problems with their breathing, particularly asthma.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking of the dangerous misuse of codeine-based treatments in children Pharmacist and Honorary Treasurer of the IPU said: &ldquo;The use of codeine for coughs and colds is prohibited in children below 12 years of age and is not recommended in children and adolescents between 12 and 18 who have problems with breathing due to the risk of serious side-effects.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Coughs and colds are generally self-limiting conditions and the evidence that codeine is effective at treating cough is limited in children.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The latest warning comes following new restrictions from the European Medicines Agency Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee, which is responsible for assessing and monitoring safety issues for human medicines.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/pharmacists-warn-irish-parents-about-the-dangers-of-codeine-based-cold-and-flu-medicine-31126783.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/pharmacists-warn-irish-parents-about-the-dangers-of-codeine-based-cold-and-flu-medicine-31126783.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-09 09:13:06',NULL,'pharmacists-warn-irish-parents-about-the-dangers-of-codeine-based-cold-and-flu-medicine'),(1001,'Obama calls for end to gay \'conversion\' therapy','<p>\r\n	US President Barack Obama has called for an end to psychiatric therapies that seek to change the sexual orientation of gay, lesbian and transgender youth, the White House said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The White House statement, written by senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, is in response to a petition calling for Mr Obama to back a law to ban conversion therapy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The therapy is supported by some socially conservative organisations and religious doctors.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The petition was started following the death by suicide in December of transgender teenager Leelah Alcorn.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Leelah, 17, died after her parents forced her to attend conversion therapy, pulled her out of school and isolated her in an attempt to change her gender identity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates that conversion therapy, especially when it is practiced on young people, is neither medically nor ethically appropriate and can cause substantial harm,&quot; Ms Jarrett said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;As part of our dedication to protecting America&#39;s youth, this Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0409/692959-barack-obama-conversion-therapy/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0409/692959-barack-obama-conversion-therapy/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-09 09:13:56',NULL,'obama-calls-for-end-to-gay-conversion-therapy'),(1002,'Over 1,500 asylum seekers may get residency under reforms','<p>\r\n	Asylum-seeking students in system for five years to be granted equal third-level access</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 1,500 asylum seekers whose refugee applications have been rejected are likely to benefit from the right to reside here under proposals being drawn up by a Government working group.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the existing system, thousands of asylum seekers have spent anything up to 10 years waiting for their status to be resolved.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A working group which has been reviewing the system is understood to have proposed that asylum seekers in the system for more than five years should be able to avail of a fast-track decision within six months.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sources familiar with the proposals say in practice this will involve officials casting a &ldquo;sympathetic eye&rdquo; on applications by asylum seekers for leave to remain in the State.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Government members are cautious to avoid any use of the term amnesty, but one senior source said internal estimates are that upwards of 1,500 people would be entitled to benefit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Many of those seeking refugee status have had their applications rejected, but are challenging these decisions in the courts or seeking leave to remain in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These individuals will be required to drop their legal actions to avail of the fast-track decision-making process.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The proposal is one of a number of recommendations expected to be published over the coming weeks. Other proposals include:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Giving young asylum seekers, who have been resident here for five years, the same access to third-level education as Irish students. At present asylum-seeking students are treated as international students and face prohibitive fees</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Maintaining the ban on paid employment for asylum seekers, partly due to concerns it could entitle asylum seekers to unemployment benefit</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Increases in weekly allowances paid to asylum seekers, set at &euro;19.10 for adults and &euro;9.60 for children. They have not been increased since they were introduced 15 years ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government working group was established last year by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald and Minister of State Aodh&aacute;n &Oacute; R&iacute;ord&aacute;in following criticism of the direct provision system, which provides accommodation for asylum seekers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 10-member group, chaired by Mr Justice Bryan MacMahon, includes representatives from non-governmental organisations and the Department of Justice, is due to finalise its report to Government shortly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish Refugee Council resigned from the group earlier this month on the basis that it was not consulted about key legislative proposals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Education Jan O&rsquo;Sullivan voiced support on Wednesday for improving access to third-level for asylum-seeking students. She said the high fees they faced effectively excluded them for a &ldquo;future they have worked hard to achieve&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I am determined this will change from September 2015 for students who have spent five years or more in the Irish education system. I believe such students should no longer have to pay any more to access third-level than their Irish friends do, and that they should be have appropriate access to student supports.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Irish Refugee Council chief executive Sue Conlan said moves to improve access to third level for asylum-seeking students were a step in the right direction</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But she said the right to work for asylum seekers existed in all other EU countries except Ireland and Lithuania.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/over-1-500-asylum-seekers-may-get-residency-under-reforms-1.2169150\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/over-1-500-asylum-seekers-may-get-residency-under-reforms-1.2169150</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-09 09:16:20',NULL,'over-1500-asylum-seekers-may-get-residency-under-reforms'),(1003,'Direct provision contractors receive €5m each in state fees','<p>\r\n	Last August, the operation of Mount Trenchard at Foynes was the source of controversy with a number of asylum seekers protesting at living conditions at the centre and calling for its closure.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The protest sparked wider criticism that resulted in the Government establishing a working group to examine the system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Figures provided by the Department of Justice show Alan Hyde, who heads up the Barlow Properties group that operates Mount Trenchard, last year received &euro;5.15m in fees to operate five centres for 480 asylum seekers at Cork, Waterford and the one at Mount Trenchard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The figures show the cost of providing direct provision to more than 4,300 asylum seekers continues to be a bonanza for a small group of businesses with eight contractors receiving payments of over &euro;36m (all figures incl Vat) last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The payments were part of a wider payout of &euro;51.49m to private firms providing direct provision accommodation to asylum seekers between December 11, 2013, to the end of December last.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last year, the direct provision system cost &euro;53m with 4,364 asylum seekers in direct provision accommodation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The figures show Bridgestock received the highest payments totalling &euro;5.9m &mdash; bringing to &euro;76m the amount the firm has received from the State between 2000 and 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The figures also show that East Coast Catering last year received the second highest amount of &euro;5.78m.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The department&rsquo;s record of purchase orders over &euro;20,000 also shows that Mosney last year received &euro;4.6m to accommodate 600 asylum seekers &mdash; this adds to the &euro;105m the firm received from the State between 2002 and 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The figures show that Arramark/Campbell Catering Ltd received &euro;4.4m in addition to the &euro;4.57m it received in 2013. Arramark provides services for 800 asylum seekers at three State-owned direct provision centres in Cork, south-east Clare and Athlone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The records show Millstreet Equestrian Services, which provides accommodation for 380 in Cork, Waterford and Tipperary areas, received payment of &euro;3.5m.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/direct-provision-contractors-receive-euro5m-each-in-state-fees-323185.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/direct-provision-contractors-receive-euro5m-each-in-state-fees-323185.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-10 09:56:13',NULL,'direct-provision-contractors-receive-€5m-each-in-state-fees'),(1004,'Free GP care scheme for children under age 6 to come into effect in July','<p>\r\n	&lsquo;Major step&rsquo; in improving access, quality and affordability of care, says Varadkar</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government&rsquo;s long- planned scheme for free GP care for children aged under six is to come into effect in July after a deal was agreed with doctors&rsquo; representatives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	About 270,000 children stand to benefit from the agreement between the Government and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The scheme will provide for a new &ldquo;cycle of care&rdquo; for children with asthma. This will involve structured visits, education of children and parents, medicine and inhaler technique reviews and an individualised asthma plan for parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	All children will receive two &ldquo;wellness&rdquo; checks, at ages two and five, to monitor height and weight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For existing medical card and GP-visit card patients who have type 2 diabetes, the new scheme provides for the introduction of a &ldquo;cycle of care&rdquo; involving two annual consultations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Annual cost of &euro;90m</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The introduction of the new arrangements will cost close to &euro;90 million annually.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The IMO has backed the new deal, but it will be up to each individual GP to decide on whether to participate in it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister of State at the Department of Health Kathleen Lynch said the Government would be looking for 80 per cent of family doctors to participate but would be hopeful 100 per cent would do so.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In cases where a GP did not sign up to providing free care for children under six, parents would have to find a doctor who was in the system in order to get the free services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The introduction of free GP care was a key element of the Government&rsquo;s overall health reforms. Originally it had planned to introduce GP care without fees for the whole population in the lifetime of the Government but this has been delayed. Talks on the plan have been under way for a number of years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	GPs will be paid a capitation fee of &euro;125 a year for each child under the new scheme. The IMO said this was 82 per cent more than the existing rate.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, it told members in an internal message the fee per patient amounted to &euro;216 when additional payments such as practice supports, medical indemnity, special items of service, pension and special type consultations were taken into account.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Major step forward</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said the agreement represented &ldquo;a major step forward in improving access, quality and affordability of healthcare in Ireland. It also marks the most tangible step forward so far along the road to universal healthcare.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;From this summer, up to 300,000 children and senior citizens who currently have to pay to see their GP will no longer have to. This will mean real savings for pensioners and families.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;But it is about much more than that. The new enhanced service covers all children under six, including those who have medical cards already. They will benefit from management of asthma in general practice and preventative wellness checks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Adults of all ages will benefit from the new diabetes programme, meaning they will have their condition managed by the GP who knows them, rather than in the hospital clinic.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	IMO GP committee chairman Dr Ray Walley said: &ldquo;We have stopped the cycle of cutbacks and begun the process of bringing new investment into general practice. We have more to achieve but we believe this is significant first step.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/free-gp-care-scheme-for-children-under-age-6-to-come-into-effect-in-july-1.2170765\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/free-gp-care-scheme-for-children-under-age-6-to-come-into-effect-in-july-1.2170765</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-10 09:59:26',NULL,'free-gp-care-scheme-for-children-under-age-6-to-come-into-effect-in-july'),(1005,'Standards in some care homes are still chilling: HIQA chief','<p>\r\n	The standards of care in some residential centres for people with a disability inspected in recent months are &quot;disturbing and chilling&quot;, the head of the health watchdog has warned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Phelim Quinn, chief executive of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) said some of the inspections uncovered poor care standards that should have been long been consigned to the past.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among the examples of poor practice found by inspectors were dangerous physical restraints, inattention to hydration and nutrition, extended periods without fresh air and restricted movement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The problems did not just exist in one or two centres but in a significant cluster of centres, mainly due to long-established congregated settings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said: &quot;In a number of these instances, it appears that senior managers within provider organisations - 18 months after the commencement of regulation - appear not to be aware of the circumstances and cultures existing within their organisations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;In a significant number of the circumstances that I have outlined, staff have practised and interacted with residents in these ways even in the presence of inspectors.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This is indicative of a culture so engrained that some staff appear not to be able to distinguish between what is an acceptable and unacceptable standard of care.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking at the National Disability Summit in Dublin he told the gathering all of these issues have been seen in inspections carried out by HIQA since awareness arose of the circumstances in &Aacute;ras Attracta, the HSE-run home in Mayo at the centre of a television expose and now subject to investigation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;How often as senior managers and accountable officers of your organisations do you look at reports on complaints, incidents and the outcomes of investigations and inspections to see how the findings and learning has been applied to improve your services at local level and in the instances of larger providers at national level?&quot; he asked.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In some of the instances, he said it was evident senior managers of some of the services inspected had not &quot;had a presence in some of the centres&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;How often have you as service providers undertaken a leadership walk-around in your services - how aware are you of the leadership, culture and practices that exist,&quot; he asked those in the audience.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/standards-in-some-care-homes-are-still-chilling-hiqa-chief-31130999.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/standards-in-some-care-homes-are-still-chilling-hiqa-chief-31130999.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-10 10:07:13',NULL,'standards-in-some-care-homes-are-still-chilling-hiqa-chief'),(1006,'Gardai interview parents who used controversial bleach treatment on autistic children','<p>\r\n	Gardai have interviewed a number of people who gave their autistic children a controversial bleach treatment, believing it could &lsquo;cure&rsquo; them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The interviews were carried out after a joint investigation by the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the gardai into the controversial treatment, being promoted in Ireland by an international cult.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The substance is known as Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) &ndash; however it is really just an industrial strength bleach.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It claims that it cures a number of medical conditions, including autism and AIDS.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Genesis II Church of Health and Healing is led by former Scientologist Jim Humble.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood a dentist and a nurse are among those questioned about the controversial treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However there is currently no legislation in place here to ban parents treating their children with MMS.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The product makers are able to circumvent current legislation by describing MMS as a water purifier.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HPRA is continuing its investigations into MMS.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This has been hampered by recent adverse publicity, which has forced distributors underground &ndash; however there have been several searches and seizures over the last 12 months.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/gardai-interview-parents-who-used-controversial-bleach-treatment-on-autistic-children-31137515.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/gardai-interview-parents-who-used-controversial-bleach-treatment-on-autistic-children-31137515.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-13 09:34:20',NULL,'gardai-interview-parents-who-used-controversial-bleach-treatment-on-autistic-children'),(1007,'Challenging the stigma for people who hear voices in their heads','<p>\r\n	Traditionally associated with serious mental illness, perceptions are changing for people who hear voices, writes James Fogarty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Next week, on Friday, April 17, the support group, Hearing Voices Network Ireland (HVNI), will hold its national launch at Trinity College Dublin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Affiliated with the international group Intervoice, the HVNI is part of a growing movement, challenging the stigma around voice hearing. While traditionally associated with schizophrenia and psychosis, many voice hearers are now refusing to live under the label of mental ill health. They are finding wisdom and comfort in the voices they hear, and are encouraging others to do the same.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There are very many people who hear voices, and many of them do not fulfil the criteria for schizophrenia or any mental illness,&rdquo; says Prof Brendan Kelly, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCD and author of numerous books on mental health. He explains that approximately 2.5 per cent of the population routinely hears voices, not the voice of their conscience or their thoughts, but a separate voice &ldquo;as clear as mine or yours&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While this percentage may be higher due to underreporting, he repeats that &ldquo;hearing voices is not indicative of major mental illness&rdquo;. However for those experiencing psychosis early intervention is key, and the HSE&rsquo;s Detect Programme is already working in this area, Prof Kelly adds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	William Lynam is a mental health service user, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. &ldquo;Paranoia is my major problem,&rdquo; he explains, adding that this symptom has been stabilised by medication. It is his belief that the network helps both patients and healthcare professionals. &ldquo;It gets people talking about the illness. We are realising a lot of gifted people hear voices... I would recommend people who may be experiencing voice hearing to go to the support groups,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Talking about your experiences and becoming part of a group teaches people to respond rather than simply react. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s so important for recovery.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nicola Hynds, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, is an ambassador for Seechange, the National Mental Health Stigma Reduction Programme. For her the road to recovery meant challenging stigma head on.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Stigma has delayed my recovery many times. I am okay with having a psychotic illness, but sometimes other people&rsquo;s ignorance can change that,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;When I hear someone describe schizophrenia as a multiple personality disorder or use the word &lsquo;schizo&rsquo;, it takes away a little bit of the resilience and self-acceptance I have worked so hard to build up.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nicola believes that while this prejudice is being eroded, much remains to be done.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;While I do not think the stigma is disappearing, I feel that it is lessening with each brave person&rsquo;s decision to speak out or look for help.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Inspirational TED talk doctor of psychology, Eleanor Longden, who is from the UK, has become in many ways a figure head for the Hearing Voices Movement. In 2013 she gave a deeply honest and inspirational TED talk, where she discussed her own challenges with voice hearing and mental distress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	During the talk she revealed that while at university, as she was leaving an empty room, a voice spoke to her. Initially, in a neutral calm manner, it began to recount her everyday actions, &lsquo;she is leaving the building&rsquo;, &lsquo;she is opening a door&rsquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was only after visiting a GP and receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia from a psychiatrist, though, that the experiences became profoundly negative. Hospitalised and medicated, Dr Longden has described this struggle as a psychic civil war where 12 hostile voices assailed her. However, thanks to the support of her family and healthcare professionals, this war is over. The voices have not disappeared, they now work in harmony with her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That level of conflict and misunderstanding is long in the past,&rdquo; says Dr Longden. &ldquo;I would certainly miss the voices if they went. They are a very important, intrinsic part of my life and my identity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I feel very proud to be a voice hearer.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Traditional thinking in psychiatry is at odds with this assessment and she is often asked if the &lsquo;medicalisation&rsquo; of the voice became another trauma?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The answer to that question is complicated, Dr Longden explains. &ldquo;Because as a child and a young adult I had already experienced considerable trauma, which had consequences that needed to be healed and understood, it is probably likely that I would have experienced suffering regardless. But the medicalisation, and consequent isolation I experienced, made it much more complicated than it needed to be.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Like others, she has come to consider her voices as a psychological mirror, reflecting her concerns and stresses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I do still hear voices and they can be troubling. But if that happens it would definitely be an indication that there are things going on in my life that the voices are responding to. And if the voices were more invasive or distressed or more active than usual, then I have to try and make sense of that.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;So it feels like a process of communication and collaboration between myself and the voices. A partnership really.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This idea of working in partnership with the voices is central to the Hearing Voices Movement, a development she believes is positive.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s very positive but I have always been resistant to &lsquo;romanticising&rsquo; voice hearing. I think it&rsquo;s important to acknowledge how incredibly distressing and demoralising it can be for people. But what I would say is it is an experience that can be interpreted, deciphered and made sense of.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;When the voices are very distressing, it&rsquo;s usually a sign that something overwhelming has happened to the person, and we need to find out what has happened to make the voices manifest in this way. The voices can provide opportunities for insight into life and its conflicts, but also for learning and growth, which may be a very difficult process.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;But to just treat it as an aberrant symptom of schizophrenia and mental illness, in the same way that you would approach something like a headache or a stomach ache, is very unhelpful for very many people,&rdquo; she believes, adding that for a significant number medication, solely, is not going to promote genuine long term recovery.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	To achieve this, tackling the underlying causes is essential, and this is something she stresses to healthcare professionals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In Ireland Brian Hartnett has done much to challenge the stigma around voice hearing, setting up Hearing Voices Ireland in 2006.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s so common, anyone can hear them and it doesn&rsquo;t have to be seen in terms of a mental illness,&rdquo; Brian says. &ldquo;Children from a young age will have imaginary friends and conversations, but as we get older we are conditioned not to behave like that. But some people never stop hearing voices.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to note for some people this is not a problem; it can be a positive thing. For me my voice hearing is a positive, supportive experience, I wouldn&rsquo;t want it to stop. But it wasn&rsquo;t always like that; I did go through a period where it was negative.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While for Brian the voices were always with him, &ldquo;the volume was turned up&rdquo; following experimentation with drugs in the 1980s and early 1990s while in London. He received a diagnosis of drug induced schizophrenia shortly after returning to Ireland in 1996.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I do take a small bit of medication now which I feel helps keep me grounded, but I also feel there&rsquo;s a psychological aspect to the voices. When I was in a less healthy psychological state, the voices became negative. When relaxed and stress free, I find them comforting and helpful.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For mental healthcare professionals, growing patient confidence is helping to set the agenda for treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Pat Bracken, Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director of the West Cork Mental Health Service, has been working in the field of psychiatry for 30 years. When asked whether talk therapy and medications should be used in concert, Dr Bracken is emphatic. &ldquo;Absolutely. Medication is undoubtedly important, even life-saving, for very many patients. But, it has its limitations and there are often serious side effects. We need to be careful not to see medication as the only answer for any sort of mental health problem, including very serious problems such as schizophrenia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In saying this, I think I am in the mainstream and at one with most psychiatrists and mental health stakeholders. It&rsquo;s also important to remember that what will work for one person won&rsquo;t necessarily work for everyone. In mental health work, it&rsquo;s very rarely as simple as saying &lsquo;we&rsquo;re dealing with illness X and so the treatment is A and B&rsquo;, as it might be in other parts of medicine.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In fact taking a narrow medical approach can shut down treatment options, he believes. This shift is part of a general change in psychiatry and mental health more widely, he explains, called the Recovery Movement. This approach to care seeks to emphasise the expectation for recovery from mental ill health, and calls for the patient to be offered the chance to take a greater role in decisions about their treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;What&rsquo;s happened in recent years is that patients of mental health services have become more organised, and many of them are very critical of the way things have been carried out so far,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;They have argued that we need to think very differently about mental health problems. They tell us that we need to think &lsquo;beyond the medical model&rsquo; and to see mental health problems as more than just problems of the brain. That&rsquo;s not at all to belittle or question the seriousness of mental health problems but to make the point that the mind is not simply another organ of the body and mental illnesses are more complex than bodily diseases.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When asked about new pharmacological advances in the treatment of schizophrenia, Dr Bracken believes progress has been minimal. &ldquo;In addition there&rsquo;s increasing concern about the long term effects of anti-psychotics, and we as doctors have to have a more nuanced approach to prescribing these medications,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;Some people don&rsquo;t respond to anti-psychotics at all. And in these cases, one has to work in different ways to bring support and help to such people. Other times they may have a partial response; the drugs dampen down the psychotic experience, whether that be hearing voices or experiencing delusions, but they don&rsquo;t make these experiences go away entirely.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;These drugs are often helpful but they are far from curative.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For Dr Longden her message to people experiencing voice hearing is simple &mdash; you are not alone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to remember that hearing voices is a very common human experience. It&rsquo;s been documented for as long as there has been human history, in ancient civilisations, in religious texts &mdash; notable historical figures have heard voices. And we should not immediately think of it as a sign of insanity or something to be ashamed of.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;And also to bear in mind, while voices can be very distressing, with support it is perfectly possible to learn to live happily and peacefully with them.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/challenging-the-stigma-for-people-who-hear-voices-in-their-heads-323140.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/challenging-the-stigma-for-people-who-hear-voices-in-their-heads-323140.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-13 09:57:09',NULL,'challenging-the-stigma-for-people-who-hear-voices-in-their-heads'),(1008,'Dr. Jacky Jones: Strategies for domestic violence should focus on perpetrators','<p>\r\n	Launching a new report on domestic violence, Sharon O&rsquo;Halloran, the chief executive officer of SafeIreland, said &ldquo;the legal system at every level is failing women and children who are living with violence and abuse&rdquo;.&nbsp;<em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>Lawlessness of the Home</em>&nbsp;report highlights huge inconsistencies in dealing with perpetrators and victims, the fragmentation of services, and the impact of stereotyping &ndash; must &ldquo;be white, compliant, not too angry&rdquo; &ndash; on the lives of women and children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Most domestic violence perpetrators are not convicted and, when they are convicted, jail time is rare. Existing law is often applied badly or not at all.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Why is this still happening in 2015? Despite our&nbsp;<em>National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence&nbsp;2010-2014</em>, an estimated one in four women continues to experience violence at the hands of a spouse or partner. The legal system seems to be unable to stop it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the report, &ldquo;the actual number of women who continue to live with domestic violence is unknown: the majority of women never report the violence or seek assistance&rdquo;. Reasons for not contacting the Garda include shame, embarrassment, fear of reprisal, wanting to keep it private, discouraged or stopped from reporting by friends and family, or that the women thought it was their own fault and did not want to get the offender into trouble. No other crime is thought about in this way. Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that nearly 27,000 houses were burgled last year. People whose homes are burgled do not think the crime is their fault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Orla O&rsquo;Connor, director of the National Women&rsquo;s Council of Ireland, recently stated, &ldquo;We are light years away from recognising and understanding the serious impact domestic violence has on the lives of women and, in many instances, their children.&rdquo; Despite its impact on mental and physical health, domestic violence is not taken seriously. The Central Statistics Office records crime figures but does not collect separate figures for domestic violence, which are included with all other assaults. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is now responsible for providing &ldquo;a national oversight of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services&rdquo;. The agency&rsquo;s new&nbsp;<em>Corporate Plan 2015-2017</em>&nbsp;refers to these services only in the context of children and families. Women are not mentioned in their own right.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The&nbsp;<em>2014 Crime Investigation Report&nbsp;</em>from the Garda Inspectorate showed that domestic violence cases were not always recorded correctly, and there was limited evidence that domestic violence policy was audited or monitored to ensure its implementation. Domestic violence services provided by An Garda S&igrave;och&aacute;na have now been subsumed into a new unit that includes human trafficking and exploitation. Will the takeover of domestic violence services by Tusla or the new Garda unit eliminate the problems highlighted in<em>&nbsp;The</em>&nbsp;<em>Lawlessness of the Home</em>&nbsp;report? It seems unlikely as Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, retains the strategic brief and remains within the remit of the Department of Justice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A review of the first Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) national strategy was carried out by Cosc in 2014 to identify issues that must be addressed in any new strategy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A report by the school of law at the University of Limerick found inconsistencies in the way domestic violence was dealt with by the courts (some requiring medical evidence, others not), by local authorities (housing), and by statutory and voluntary services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Courts respond differently to breaches of domestic violence orders, attrition rates are high, and there are few court- mandated, domestic violence perpetrator programmes. The review found that &ldquo;the profile of DSGBV needs to move from advertising frontline services [for victims] to increasing societal awareness about the prevalence and realities of DSGBV&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is a key point. When it comes to domestic violence, the conversation is almost exclusively about the women on the receiving end. SafeIreland, which has 40 member organisations, produces annual statistics about the women who use domestic-violence services. There are no annual statistics about the men who commit this crime. Who are they? &ldquo;Violent thug&rdquo; is not stamped on their forehead. They are ordinary people &ndash; husbands, grandfathers, fathers, sons, nephews, uncles, brothers, male friends and acquaintances &ndash; who think they have a right to control women.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In December 2014, Minister for Justice and Equality&nbsp;Frances Fitzgerald&nbsp;made a statement to the D&aacute;il about domestic violence. She wants 2015 &ldquo;to be the year when we put the rights of the victim at the heart of the criminal justice system&rdquo;. What about the perpetrators? Why not make catching and punishing the perpetrators the priority? Until the focus shifts from the victims to the perpetrators, nothing will change.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	drjackyjones@gmail.com Dr Jacky Jones is a former HSE regional manager of health promotion and a member of the Healthy Ireland Council.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/second-opinion-strategies-for-domestic-violence-should-focus-on-perpetrators-1.2168913\">http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/second-opinion-strategies-for-domestic-violence-should-focus-on-perpetrators-1.2168913</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-13 10:01:44',NULL,'dr-jacky-jones-strategies-for-domestic-violence-should-focus-on-perpetrators'),(1009,'Children\'s jabs will continue to be voluntary - HSE','<p>\r\n	Irish parents will continue to be able to make up their own minds on whether they vaccinate their children against disease.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Health Service Executive will not be following the &quot;no jab, no pay&quot; policy of Australia - which means parents lose benefit payments if they fail to consent to their children getting jabs to protect them from diseases like measles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A HSE spokeswoman said that Irish parents can continue to consent to vaccinations for children up to the age of 16.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last year, 93pc of children here had the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at 24 months. This is the highest national uptake rate recorded and compares with 2001, when uptake was 69pc at 24 months.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The figure relates to national take-up but there remain pockets, including socially disadvantaged areas, in which vaccination rates are below target.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The MMR vaccination rate dropped after it was wrongly linked to autism.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Australian prime minister Tony Abbott said that their rules would soon be substantially tightened. He said there would only be a small number of religious and medical exceptions to the new rules - supported by the Labour opposition and due to come into effect in early 2016.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s a very important public health announcement, it&#39;s a very important measure to keep our children and our families as safe as possible,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The prime minister said that his government was &quot;extremely concerned&quot; about the risks posed to the rest of the population by families who choose not to immunise their children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anti-vaccination campaigns have been gaining ground in some Western countries in recent years - coinciding with a resurgence in preventable childhood diseases like measles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/childrens-jabs-will-continue-to-be-voluntary-hse-31139968.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/childrens-jabs-will-continue-to-be-voluntary-hse-31139968.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-14 10:10:32',NULL,'childrens-jabs-will-continue-to-be-voluntary-hse'),(1010,'\'Huge variations\' on how care orders for children are dealt with','<p>\r\n	Family law experts are calling for more consistency between courts and social workers when it comes to dealing with care orders.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Child Care Law Reporting Project says there are &quot;striking&quot; and &quot;huge variations&quot; in how the matters are dealt with between the services - with some children removed from their families for minor parental drug use - while some orders are rejected in spite of &quot;powerful&quot; evidence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Children James Reilly said that taking children into State care is a &quot;last resort&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, he said that a more consistent and uniform approach should be introduced.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;[The project is] shining a light on this whole area, giving us much more information about the problems that children face, that their families face, giving us indications too of how perhaps earlier intervention might have avoided these situations escalating, without compromising the anonymity of the children concerned,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;And I think it&#39;s going to be useful from the courts&#39; point of view too. They will understand that there is more need for a uniform approach.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/huge-variations-on-how-care-orders-for-children-are-dealt-with-671527.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/huge-variations-on-how-care-orders-for-children-are-dealt-with-671527.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-14 10:27:34',NULL,'huge-variations-on-how-care-orders-for-children-are-dealt-with'),(1011,'Police searching for missing student seek man on CCTV','<p>\r\n	A massive search is under way for an Irish student who has gone missing while on a night out in Glasgow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Karen Buckley (24), from Mourneabbey near Mallow in Co Cork, has not been since the early hours of Sunday morning, when she was at a nightclub in Dumbarton Road in the Scottish city, where she is a student.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Karen&#39;s family have now travelled to Glasgow and are leading the search efforts for their only daughter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Karen is studying occupational therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University having previously studied nursing in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a statement, Scottish Police said the student had been drinking in an apartment with friends before leaving to go to the nightclub. The group arrived at Sanctuary nightclub around 11.45pm.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At around 1am she told friends she was going to the toilet but did not return and did not take her jacket.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was then picked up by CCTV in the area speaking to a man outside the club and investigating police are now trying to track down this man.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Inspector Gavin Smith said: &quot;We&#39;re particularly keen to get in touch with the gentleman who Karen was seen talking to around 1am on Sunday morning outside the Sanctuary nightclub as he may be able to help us.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When last seen, Karen was wearing a sleeveless, plain black jumpsuit which was low at the back and front and red stiletto heels.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She is described as being 5ft 2in tall, weighing eight and a half stone with black hair, styled curly and long on the night she went missing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Karen&#39;s father, John, last night said he was unable to comment on the ongoing efforts to find his daughter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A neighbour described Karen as a &quot;lovely, quiet girl&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;She comes from a very well- respected farming family who would be very well-known in the area,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The missing girl&#39;s friends have also issued appeals and have set up a Facebook account to help trace her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/police-searching-for-missing-student-seek-man-on-cctv-31140060.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/police-searching-for-missing-student-seek-man-on-cctv-31140060.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-14 10:29:02',NULL,'police-searching-for-missing-student-seek-man-on-cctv'),(1012,'Supreme Court alters evidence rule which had applied since 1990','<p>\r\n	The Supreme Court has relaxed a 25-year-old rule which effectively excluded from a criminal trial evidence which was obtained through a breach of an accused&#39;s rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a case that could have major implications for the investigation and prosecution of crimes, the court granted an appeal by the DPP to relax a 1990 rule concerning exclusion of evidence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The application of the rule led to a man, known as JC, being lawfully acquitted of burglary charges. The issue of whether the man will be retried will be decided later. By a four to three majority, the Supreme Court granted an appeal by the DPP to alter a rule which had applied since 1990 in a Supreme Court case entitled &quot;DPP v Kenny&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	That rule has, since 1990, effectively excluded all evidence obtained where there was a breach of a constitutional right, whether or not that breach was deliberate or due to a mistake.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The majority court said the Kenny decision was a determination, in relation to admissibility of evidence, of the &quot;proper balance&quot; to be struck in vindicating the constitutional rights and principles at stake. The majority court said it was replacing the Kenny test with a new &quot;clear&quot; test designed to effect an &quot;appropriate&quot; balance between competing factors.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Donal O&#39;Donnell, who formed the majority view with the Chief Justice Susan Denham, Mr Justice Frank Clarke and Mr Justice John MacMenamin, said the Kenny decision was &quot;plainly wrong&quot; and it was &quot;long past time it was addressed&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice MacMenamin, agreeing, said the reputation and integrity of the system of justice should not be adversely affected by a &quot;good faith exception&quot; that was &quot;properly and faithfully applied to the exclusionary rule properly and constitutionally applied&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a dissenting judgment, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman said the Kenny decision was essential to the maintenance of the liberties of a citizen.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Consequences</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new rule would permit &quot;inadvertence&quot; by public officials with coercive powers to sufficiently excuse a breach of a citizen&#39;s constitutional rights to allow material obtained by such breach to be proved in evidence against them, he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Also dissenting, Mr Justice John Murray said the consequences of the majority court ruling was &quot;to change the goalposts, not during the game but after the game is over, except is it not about a game or sport, it is about a criminal trial and justice which the Constitution requires shall be considered in due course of law&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Liam McKechnie also dissented and said it could not be said that the Kenny decision was &quot;plainly wrong&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the appeal, the DPP asked the Supreme Court to review the exclusionary rule of evidence under which the courts refuse to allow evidence be admitted if obtained in circumstances involving a breach of a defendant&#39;s constitutional right, irrespective of whether that right was breached by mistake.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The DPP asked the Supreme Court to find the rule was misapplied in the man&#39;s case and to make a &quot;conclusive&quot; decision on the applicability of the rule to future cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	What was the ruling about?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The case involved a man who was acquitted on burglary charges. The case against the man, known as JC, collapsed after evidence was excluded under a 25-year-old exclusionary rule laid down by the Supreme Court decision in the 1990 Kenny case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man was acquitted by direction of the trial judge on the grounds that garda&iacute; had effected an unlawful entry into his home under a warrant issued pursuant to S29 of the Offences against the State Act 1939.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Because the section of the 1939 law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2012, the evidence was excluded in the JC case, leading to his acquittal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The DPP appealed the trial judge&rsquo;s decision, arguing that the judge erroneously excluded the evidence even though the judge had relied on the Supreme Court&rsquo;s own rule in the Kenny case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Yesterday, the Supreme Court overruled its own decision on the so-called exclusionary rule and rewrote the test for admitting unconstitutionally obtained evidence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A decision on whether JC will be subject to a retrial or his acquittal will stand will be taken at a later date</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The old rule</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Evidence obtained in breach of an accused&rsquo;s constitutional rights excluded at trial, unless there are special or exceptional circumstances, even if the actions of the garda&iacute; are accidental or intentional.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new rule</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Evidence obtained in breach of an accused&rsquo;s constitutional rights excluded at trial unless prosecution establishes that the breach was not conscious and deliberate.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Unconstitutionally obtained evidence will also be admitted where the prosecution establishes that the breach of rights was due to inadvertence or derives from subsequent legal rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/supreme-court-alters-evidence-rule-which-had-applied-since-1990-31147073.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/supreme-court-alters-evidence-rule-which-had-applied-since-1990-31147073.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-16 08:44:11',NULL,'supreme-court-alters-evidence-rule-which-had-applied-since-1990'),(1013,'‘Unnecessary’ for staff to examine texts of teen in care','<p>\r\n	Judge says that teenage girl in residential care unit entitled to &lsquo;a degree of privacy&rsquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A teenager in a residential care unit was entitled to &ldquo;a degree of privacy&rdquo; and it was not necessary for staff to examine her text messages without discussion, a judge at the Dublin District Family Court has said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Brendan Toale said while in one sense reading the girl&rsquo;s text messages might seem &ldquo;a minor issue&rdquo;, it was the sort of thing that had the potential to undermine her placement in the unit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a review of the girl&rsquo;s case, the court heard she had been in a relationship with another resident at the care home and the boy was then moved elsewhere. She had continued seeing him, going missing occasionally from the unit, and was refusing to go to school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her social worker said the girl&rsquo;s disengagement was very unfortunate. They had made all reasonable efforts to convince her to return to education. Though she had complained about her residential unit, the Child and Family Agency believed it was the best place for her, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The girl&rsquo;s court-appointed guardian recommended mediation. He said the girl believed her concerns were not being listened to and she felt disrespected and not in control of her life. Accessing her text messages without her consent was unacceptable, he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Trust</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if she meaningfully trusts any member of staff there,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court was told one of her brothers, in care separately, also had issues with absconding and with school. Another brother was in secure care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Toale described the case as difficult and complex and said the problems raised had been identified with the three children on an ongoing basis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the girl&rsquo;s opinions and views had to be respected and the agency should discuss the possibility of mediation for her at a case meeting next week. He adjourned the matter for review in six weeks time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a separate case, an application for weekly access and access in the family home, made by the parents of two primary-aged siblings in care, was refused.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The boy and girl were taken into care in 2013 after allegations of physical punishment and domestic violence at home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Access visits</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Concerns had been raised about the behaviour of the boy around the time of access visits and the judge had ordered a trial period of fortnightly access for six weeks followed by six weeks of no access at all.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A report was then produced by a psychologist on the effects on the boy. It found his &ldquo;score&rdquo;, in terms of negative behaviour, was greater when the boy saw his parents than when he did not.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Toale said the psychologist acknowledged the conclusions in her report were &ldquo;weak&rdquo; and that &ldquo;competing hypotheses&rdquo; could not be isolated. He said he could give little weight to it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He took into account the views of the children, their court-appointed guardian, and the social worker, who said access should be once a fortnight and not in the family home. He said given the allegations of what happened in the home, concerning traumatisation had been raised as an issue if access visits were held there and it would not be in the children&rsquo;s best interests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He ordered that access should be on a fortnightly basis until after the hearing of a full care order for the children, later this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/unnecessary-for-staff-to-examine-texts-of-teen-in-care-1.2177218\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/unnecessary-for-staff-to-examine-texts-of-teen-in-care-1.2177218</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-16 08:45:41',NULL,'‘unnecessary’-for-staff-to-examine-texts-of-teen-in-care'),