(1014,'Digital addiction: the social cost of constant mobile connection','<p>\r\n	Many of us check digital devices regularly, but is it interfering with our lives?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Many people find themselves spending more time on their smartphone than they wish they did.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, most other afflicted people actually seem to be engaging with apps, services and various forms of communications.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This reporter is connected to the digital grid; of that, there can be no doubt. But with an email account, a Facebook page and one Twitter feed, this is still fairly old school by modern standards. For all three the notifications facility is switched on. So if new messages arrive, my phone notifies me.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Still there is that temptation to check it, even when there has been no notification. Why? The mini-excitement generated from knowing &ldquo;you&rsquo;ve got mail&rdquo; is reminiscent of how people used to feel when they got real letters in the post. There was always that fantasy that one letter in the bundle might just be a cheque for millions of punts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A similar feeling &ndash; albeit more watered down &ndash; takes over when a new email arrives. Slowly peel it open (virtually speaking), like a Willy Wonka chocolate wrapper, only to find that it&rsquo;s just another Groupon mail.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We have some very strong habits around a lot of our technology, particularly the cellphone,&rdquo; says psychologist Prof Art Markman, author of Smart Change.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Back when I was in college studying introductory psychology, we had to train a rat to press a bar. We rewarded the rat by giving it water. Whenever it went near the side of the cage where the bar was or when it brushed against the bar, you would reward it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Reinforcement</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Once it finally figured out pressing the bar, the idea was to give it a reward 40-50 per cent of the time in a random way. That would keep the rat busy for a long time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There are two other situations in the modern world where we encounter that exact schedule of reinforcement: in casinos and in our cellphone behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We look for notifications to see if we have email. In doing so we create a pattern to be rewarded with a new message about half the time we take our phones out. We have trained ourselves to press a bar over and over again. Once we&rsquo;ve done it enough times, we&rsquo;re basically no different than a rat in a box. We&rsquo;ll keep doing it for an awfully long time.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Social networks such as Facebook play off a basic reward structure.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s in the design of the thing to offer intermittent rewards &ndash; whether &lsquo;Likes&rsquo;, new posts or friend requests &ndash; and that variable schedule is rather powerful in driving behaviour,&rdquo; says Prof Brad Love of the University of Texas in Austin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Irregular rewards, according to research, can create behavioural patterns that are tough to counter. This is why, for example, slot machines in casinos are so popular. The brain loves small rewards.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Overdependence on digital media is being taken seriously by psychologists, in part because of the ways our devices have become so interconnected with necessary activities, such as work and socialising. Even if we wanted to, it would be extremely difficult to cut off all access.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But &ldquo;addiction&rdquo; is a weighted term and it would be too simplistic to lump the number of times you check your phone in with alcoholism, substance abuse or gambling.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, there are some similarities. According to a study by the Council for Research Excellence, people stare at TVs, cellphones and even GPS devices for about eight hours a day. Time magazine did a poll which found that one in four people surveyed checks their phone every 30 minutes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Habit-forming</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield &amp; Byers did research which suggested that people checked their phones 150 times a day. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have the physiological elements you might have with nicotine or alcohol,&rdquo; says Markman. &ldquo;But it is habit-forming, and the cravings associated with it are the same as people might have with any desired activity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This desire is situational but also temporal &ndash; it takes place in time. We schedule in times where if we haven&rsquo;t checked our phones we might get an &lsquo;email Jones&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Many people are happy with their phone use and don&rsquo;t see it as negative. &ldquo;We are able to stay in contact with so many more people so easily,&rdquo; says Prof Alan Smeaton of DCU&rsquo;s Insight Centre for Data Analytics. &ldquo;Look at how much more productive I am at work, look at how many friends I now have and am in regular contact with because of Facebook and Snapchat, look at all the people whom I would not normally interact with because they are far away, like my cousins in Australia. We are contacting people outside of our geographical circles. So what&rsquo;s wrong with that?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Markman believes there are some deleterious effects.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If your brain is telling you to check your cellphone and email every 10 minutes, you are disrupting your ability to perform tasks and it becomes increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything for longer periods.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The other problem is social. &ldquo;We are a social species, where the ideal form of communication is face to face with a small number of people in real time. We are rapidly replacing this with asynchronous communications with people who are very far from us.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ironically, technology itself can alleviate addiction to technology. There are apps that can show you how much you&rsquo;re using your device. IOS app Moment measures how much you use your iPhone or iPad every day. If you feel usage is too high, daily limits can be set.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Time-saving apps</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other apps perform tasks automatically. Unroll.me consolidates promotional emails into a single digest, saving on email checking time. TripIt syncs your calendar with flight itineraries, avoiding the need to do it manually. Dropbox&rsquo;s Carousel automatically backs up pictures and deletes them from your phone to save space and time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These kinds of time-saving apps, however, may not solve the underlying problem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Phone usage is not based on the number of tasks we have to complete because if we complete them &lsquo;early&rsquo; we just find other tasks,&rdquo; says Smeaton.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;So if you finish reading and replying to your emails, you&rsquo;ll go on to Facebook, or send a WhatsApp to somebody or keep doing things until you are called for dinner or the bus arrives. When we get in the zone, we use the devices until the time to stop arrives, not when the tasks are done. Apps or organisers that improve productivity don&rsquo;t do so in order to give you more non-device time.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If you want to examine your smartphone behaviour, take this simple Smartphone Abuse test from the Centre for Internet and Technology Addiction: http://virtual-addiction.com/smartphone -abuse-test/</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/digital-addiction-the-social-cost-of-constant-mobile-connection-1.2176986\">http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/digital-addiction-the-social-cost-of-constant-mobile-connection-1.2176986</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-16 09:08:59',NULL,'digital-addiction-the-social-cost-of-constant-mobile-connection'),(1015,'Charity holds training session for teachers to spot depression','<p>\r\n	Concern is being expressed about the pressures on teachers to spot signs of depression amongst their students.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bereavement charity Console is holding a training session today aimed at giving teachers tools to spot signs of pupils who may be in distress and who may be considering taking their own lives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The organisation said the reduction in the number of guidance counsellors across the country means teachers now have added responsibilities in student welfare, but may not have the confidence or training to deal with these issues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;From what we hear, we know that this puts added pressure on teachers &hellip; while this training doesn&#39;t claim to teach anyone to be a counsellor, it does give them a little more confidence,&quot; said Kieran Austin, Director of Services with Console.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Situations can be handled with a little bit more understanding, compassion, and empathy - and hopefully with a little bit more positive result.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/charity-holds-training-session-for-teachers-to-spot-depression-672189.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/charity-holds-training-session-for-teachers-to-spot-depression-672189.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-17 09:41:39',NULL,'charity-holds-training-session-for-teachers-to-spot-depression'),(1016,'Call for more monitoring of psychiatric patients','<p>\r\n	Seriously mentally ill patients should be re-admitted into care if they do not attend for treatment or take their medication, the annual conference of psychiatric nurses has been told.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Families and communities are entitled to assurances that unnecessary risks are not being taken with their safety because of the actions of a very small number of mentally ill people, Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses&rsquo; Association told the conference.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kavanagh said violence was not synonymous with mental illness and the vast majority of patients were &ldquo;lovely, sensitive people who pose no threat to the community&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;However, we must honestly acknowledge that a very small number do present a threat and sometimes a very serious threat to family, staff and indeed to complete strangers.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In recent years, he said, these have included: &ldquo;deaths by murder&rdquo; of patients in psychiatric units; deaths of family members murdered by people known to the services who often then take their own lives; assaults by people who have stopped taking their medication; and murders by people who were declare not to be mentally ill but subsequently become involved in crime.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kavanagh said no-one wanted to return to the days of preventative incarceration but the right of a person to liberty was not unfettered. &ldquo;The question is: How do we balance the rights of the seriously mentally ill person against the rights of the family and the community?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The association has recommended the use of community supervision order to ensure discharged patients were compliant with their treatment regime. However, the use of supervision orders was rejected and no alternative put in place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Threat to family</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is not acceptable that a person who because of their illness poses a threat to their family or community can maintain the right to liberty, the right to choose not to take their medication irrespective of the implications.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kavanagh said mental hospitals which provided asylum for people with enduring mental illness have been closed down as unsuitable, only to be replaced with prisons. &ldquo;This is a scandal not just for the seriously mentally ill. The impact on families is a far greater scandal as we regularly come across cases of parents, partners and children being killed by their seriously mentally ill family member.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He challenged Minister of State for Mental Health Kathleen Lynch to &ldquo;get out of the comfort zone&rdquo; of talking about &ldquo;soft&rdquo; issues by making a real difference to the world of the seriously mentally ill.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He claimed there was no focussed strategy for investigating all adverse events, and no sharing of or learning from the learning acquired.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An independent review of the Government&rsquo;s &ldquo;Vision for Change&rdquo; mental health strategy was needed to assess how much has been implemented since 2006, he told the conference in Athlone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Kavanagh also called for an independent investigation into the acute unit at University Hospital Galway, which he said has suffered 34 assaults on staff in the first three months of this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/call-for-more-monitoring-of-psychiatric-patients-1.2178286\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/call-for-more-monitoring-of-psychiatric-patients-1.2178286</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-17 04:00:00',NULL,'call-for-more-monitoring-of-psychiatric-patients'),(1017,'New bill proposes to jail cyber bullies','<p>\r\n	Cyberbullies would face up to 12 months in jail under a crackdown proposed by a senator who has been subjected to a spate of social media abuses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Labour&rsquo;s Lorraine Higgins has published a bill intended to target trolls who attack people online. Sharing a message that incites someone to take their own life or self harm would be an offence under the proposed legislation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Higgins has made garda&iacute; aware of two death threats she has received online, and other messages threatening family members. Penalties would also include a fine of up to &euro;5,000. Ms Higgins said service providers needed to do more, and expressed concern that Facebook never replied to her regarding a complaint she made.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve no difficulty in communicating with Oireachtas members or agencies of this state when they&rsquo;re seeking to avail of our corporation tax rate but yet when it comes to responsibility or their users they totally shirk that,&rdquo; Ms Higgins said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Galway senator said it was time to take the issue more seriously. &ldquo;It is necessary in order to keep our online social media platforms a safe and decent place for everyone to discuss ideas and debate. &ldquo;I am absolutely intent on bringing forward a piece of legislation that will protect people, not just politicians but to protect vulnerable people and children,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Higgins, who has a legal background, said the nature of offences would mean abuse would be considered case by case. The senator said new media must be held as accountable as traditional outlets when used as a platform for abuse and bullying.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said party colleague and Communications Minister Alex White was broadly supportive of her Bill as she hopes to win cross-party support.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ex-minister Pat Rabbitte is also introducing a separate Bill. The former Labour leader&rsquo;s legislation would make it an offence &ldquo;to send, or cause to be sent, by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or menacing in character&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/new-bill-proposes-to-jail-cyber-bullies-324455.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/new-bill-proposes-to-jail-cyber-bullies-324455.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-17 09:44:38',NULL,'new-bill-proposes-to-jail-cyber-bullies'),(1018,'Cyberstalking \'linked to addiction\'','<p>\r\n	Cyberstalking behaviour can be linked to people suffering an online addiction, who increasingly lose touch with the real world because they are tapped into social networks and websites, experts warned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	People spending a lot of time on their computers or smartphones can find their ability to form normal healthy relationships away from the screen &ldquo;shrivels&rdquo;, according to Dr Emma Short, director of the UK&#39;s National Centre for Cyberstalking Research (NCCR).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This can lead to them becoming fixated on people with whom they have a solely virtual relationship and engaging in stalking behaviour like bombarding a person with messages or other attention over a sustained period of time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The NCCR, based at the University of Bedfordshire, has produced a new ebook, A Practical Guide To Coping With Cyberstalking, released to coincide with National Stalking Awareness Week, which starts today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Psychologist Dr Short, one of the co-authors of the book, said: &ldquo;It (stalking) can be a consequence of internet addiction, so your cyberstalker&rsquo;s ability to form normal healthy relationships is compromised.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If you are spending all your time online, your relationships largely become online. That bit of your life starts breaking down and you become more invested in online relationships and more likely to become fixated on those.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book seeks to provide help and advice for potential and past victims, saying that many suffer lasting psychological harm.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It claims more than a third (35%) suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a problem more associated with soldiers returning from war zones.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Writers who contributed include psychologists, computer science experts and police officers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It includes a chapter written by Dr Short and Professor Jim Barnes on &ldquo;problem internet behaviours&rdquo; that can lead to online stalker activities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It talks about how relationships, work and daily life can be adversely affected by &ldquo;compulsive internet usage&rdquo; that means they don&rsquo;t strike the right balance between being online and the other parts of their lives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Short added that many people often go online to escape real-world problems, like anxiety, depression and stress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said: &ldquo;You have this lack of social support and again, we know with stalkers generally the more wounded they become in terms of loss of social connection, social support, job &ndash; because if you keep breaching injunctions you lose your job, you lose everything &ndash; and the more you lose the more dangerous you become.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is the same with social support, the more your offline social world shrivels the more likely you are to become fixated with online relationships.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In half of online-only stalking cases the perpetrator is a stranger or their identity is never known, Dr Short said, far higher than in cases where there is real-world stalking as well, which is more often carried out by people known to the victims. This makes it hard for victims to assess how much of a threat a cyberstalker may be.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book also addresses the difficulties victims face, with many thinking they will not be taken seriously or are too embarrassed because of material sent to them or posted online about them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last week new laws targeting so-called &ldquo;revenge porn&rdquo; came into force in the UK, with those who share sexually explicit images without consent facing a jail term of up to two years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prosecutors previously had to find evidence of harassment or copyright infringement when seeking to take someone to court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Short added: &ldquo;Where there is sadism, where people actually are trawling sites to look at people who are frightened or hurt, or have been involved in non-consensual pornography, which is really what revenge porn is, it is likely those sites will attract people who are potentially more dangerous but who may only be enacting one aspect of their personality. Those are the places where a greater understanding of how to assess risk is necessary.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book includes a chapter written by Detective Superintendent Jon Gilbert, Bedfordshire Police&rsquo;s cybercrime lead and Sergeant Phil Cobley, manager of its High Tech Crime Unit, on how police react to complaints of cyberstalking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	:: A Practical Guide To Coping With Cyberstalking is available on Amazon from tomorrow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/cyberstalking-linked-to-addiction-672522.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/cyberstalking-linked-to-addiction-672522.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-20 09:34:49',NULL,'cyberstalking-linked-to-addiction'),(1019,'Plan for emergency social workers','<p>\r\n	Plans are being put in place for the first nationwide out-of-hours social work service &mdash;10 years after the outcry sparked by the deaths of Sharon Grace and her young daughters.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The service will be co- ordinated through a national night-time and weekend call centre which will link Garda&iacute; and hospital staff to on-call social workers in every county.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute;, hospital staff, and GPs will also have access to a Child Protection Notification System holding the names of children who are already the subject of Child Protection Plans.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, progress in setting up the service is contingent on a number of factors, including adequate staffing at a time when social workers complain that they are struggling with impossible workloads.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Children and Youth Affairs said the service would be called the Emergency Out of Hours Service (EHOS).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This initiative has been the subject of extensive discussions with the relevant trade union and these discussions are ongoing,&rdquo; said a department source.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which will oversee the EHOS, advertised an unspecified number of whole-time, part-time, and contract positions for social workers in the past week. It said: &ldquo;Detailed negotiations with the relevant union are close to being concluded.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The lack of out-of-hours social work services outside of the greater Dublin area was highlighted tragically ten years ago this month in Co Wexford when a distressed Sharon Grace, 28, went to her local hospital on a Saturday evening with her daughters, Mikahla, four, and Abby, three, and asked to see a social worker.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was told they only worked 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, so she left and went to nearby Katts Strand on the Slaney River where she walked into the water, drowning all three of them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After their deaths, a working group was set up to examine the case for a 24-hour social work service and it concluded in 2007 that it should be provided but the then Department of Health and Children ruled it out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Eventually, two pilot projects were set up in 2011 in Cork and Donegal and the EHOS is based on those.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, already the service is likely to fall short of what was hoped for following the Katts Strand tragedy. Its focus will be on children in danger and Tusla was unable to say how the provision of supports would change, if at all, in a case where a parent or other vulnerable adult needed help.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the last few weeks, the chairman of an inquest jury in Co Wexford was moved to speak out about the community&rsquo;s dismay at the lack of out-of-hours services after a local woman who took her life left a letter detailing how she &ldquo;reached out&rdquo; for help at night but was &ldquo;dismissed and ignored&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Impact trade union which represents most social workers complained recently that more than 200 social work positions were unfilled, backlogs were growing and social workers were under increasing pressure.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Impact assistant general secretary Christina Carney said she was hopeful of reaching agreement on the EHOS.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are in discussion with Tusla and we are talking about the provision of the new service,&rdquo; said Ms Carney. &ldquo;We have always been committed to an out-of-hours service and we hope that we can conclude an agreement.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/plan-for-emergency-social-workers-324874.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/plan-for-emergency-social-workers-324874.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-20 09:36:20',NULL,'plan-for-emergency-social-workers'),(1020,'Win two free Ed Sheeran tickets!','<p>\r\n	Who wants to win to tickets to see Ed Sheeran in concert in July 2015?!</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In what is our biggest competition to date, Social Care Training Ireland are giving away two free tickets to see Ed Sheeran perform live in Dublin on Saturday 25th July 2015 to one lucky winner!</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Check out our Facebook page for instructions on how to enter. There are no hidden charges or sign-ups: the competition is absolutely free!<br />\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	We will announce the winner on Facebook on Friday 1st May 2015 at 3pm. Best of luck to everybody who enters!</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	https://www.facebook.com/socialcaretrainingireland1</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-20 09:46:35',NULL,'win-two-free-ed-sheeran-tickets'),(1021,'Homeless services deal with almost 1,000 children','<p>\r\n	Figures show 55% increase in number of homeless families in Dublin since last June</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Almost 1,000 children in Dublin are homeless and living in emergency accommodation, the latest official figures show.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The figures, from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), show that during the week of March 23rd to March 29th there were 411 families in emergency accommodation in the capital with 911 children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some 251 of these were headed by single parents, and 160 by couples. The total number of adults and children in family units in emergency accommodation last month was 1,482.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These figures compare with 371 families with 803 children in emergency accommodation in Dublin the previous month and represent the biggest monthly increase since the family homelessness crisis in the capital began to escalate last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The latest figures also represent a 55 per cent increase in the number of homeless families in the capital since June last year, and a 60 per cent increase in the number of children. In that month, which is when comparable data was first gathered, there were 264 families with 567 children in emergency accommodation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sharp increase</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of children who have lost their homes in Dublin has increased almost every month since then. Between December and January there was a sharp increase from 331 families with 726 children to 359 families with 780 children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The vast majority of these families are coming from the private rented sector, where in Dublin rents increased by an average of 7 per cent from &euro;1,216 to &euro;1,301 for houses last year and by 10.9 per cent, from &euro;1,051 to &euro;1,166, for apartments.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A spokeswoman for the DRHE, which co-ordinates homeless services across the four local authorities in the capital, said services were &ldquo;managing an unprecedented demand for [emergency accommodation] in the Dublin region&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Local authority staff are working on a daily basis to ensure that families who are at risk of imminent homelessness can be accommodated and can avoid the experience of sleeping rough,&rdquo; said the spokeswoman.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Priority</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The numbers continue to increase despite commitments from the Taoiseach and the Department of the Environment that tackling family homelessness was a 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, Enda Kenny said no one could condone homelessness among children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the issue was a priority for Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly and the Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Since then the number of homeless families has increased by 104 and the number of homeless children by 231.</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,&rdquo; said Mr Kenny.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mike Allen, head of advocacy with Focus Ireland, said the key factor triggering homelessness was the decision last month, by the Department of Social Protection, not to increase rent supplement rates.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The highest rent a couple with two children, in receipt of rent supplement, may pay in Dublin is &euro;975 per month and &euro;900 in Fingal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This has left families unable to afford the rents which landlords now demand. The mass eviction and homelessness of large numbers of workless families is the direct and inevitable consequence of the Department of Social Protection&rsquo;s policy,&rdquo; said Mr Allen.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/homeless-services-deal-with-almost-1-000-children-1.2182796\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/homeless-services-deal-with-almost-1-000-children-1.2182796</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-21 11:46:15',NULL,'homeless-services-deal-with-almost-1000-children'),(1022,'A fair deal for end-of-life care','<p>\r\n	The problem with the Fair Deal scheme is that it is underfunded and a waiting list has built up</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some of us will need a great deal of care support in our final years, others will remain largely healthy and active until virtually the end. Because of the uncertainty about who will need nursing home care and who will need none, risk sharing, or some form of insurance, looks like a good solution for all.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These issues were explored in two major reports, the Study to Examine the Future Financing of Long-Term Care in Ireland (2002) from Mercer, and the inter-departmental Report of the Long-term Care Working Group (2006). The Mercer report recommended that social insurance contributions be raised with a view to bridging the funding gap for long-term care, while the working group favoured a co-payment scheme by nursing home residents based on ability to pay, and taking both income and assets into account.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 2006, the minister for health Mary Harney announced the Fair Deal scheme which aimed to provide access to nursing home care for all those who needed it. It sought to close this major gap in State support for older people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Up to the introduction of the scheme, the degree of subvention depended on whether someone was in a private or a public nursing home bed, and about one in five nursing home residents received no subvention at all. The elderly and their families could be under huge financial strain in meeting the cost of care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fair Deal introduced a common regime of support, irrespective of whether someone was in a private or a public nursing home bed. The setting up of Hiqa and the introduction of regulation and inspection of all nursing home facilities, public and private, is providing an increasing level of assurance that the quality of care will be good in the future.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The problem with the Fair Deal scheme is that it is underfunded and a waiting list has built up. And it is likely to worsen as, thankfully, most of us are living longer. The problem of funding the care needs of an ageing population is only beginning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the case of nursing home care, it is predominantly an issue for those aged 85 and over. Table 1 shows that more than 20 per cent of those aged 85 and over were in long-term care in 2011, with a much lower rate for those under 85. This year, the cost of such care will be around &euro;900 million (0.5 per cent of GNP).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, as shown in Figure 1, with rising life expectancy, the share of the population aged over 85 is likely to double in the next 15 years and to treble in the next 25 years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Capped contributions</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 2006 working group report forecast the cost of residential care for over 65s rising from 0.6 per cent of GNP in 2005 to between 1.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent of GNP in 2051, depending on the proportion of the population requiring nursing home care at end of life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The current version of the Fair Deal scheme is part-funded by contributions from individuals benefitting from it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, their contribution is capped at 80 per cent of their income and, more importantly, at 22.5 per cent of their financial assets. In the case of the family home, the liability can be met from the sale of the house at a person&rsquo;s death so that it does not have to be sold up-front (there are special provisions for married couples to provide for a surviving spouse).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the income contribution is not unreasonable, and has not met major resistance, the cap on financial assets seems extremely low. The effect of the cap is that, while the Fair Deal scheme remains underfunded, the value of the inheritance passed on to children remains substantially intact.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As most nursing home residents are in their mid-80s or over, the principal beneficiaries of the cap are adult children who are likely to be in their 50s or 60s when they inherit. Raising the contribution from assets would not so much disadvantage the individual receiving end-of-life care, rather the effect would be to reduce the value of inheritances to those in middle-age.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It would be important to exempt provision for adult children with a disability from any changes contemplated to the financial model.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the working group on long-term care did not recommended any particular figure for the contribution from assets, the language of their report did not suggest that the greater share of asset value should remain exempt: &ldquo;Further issues requiring decision are whether depletion of the full value of the primary residence should be required or if the assessment of financial means should exempt a certain amount of the value of the primary residence.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ironically, the losers from the current situation are the people who cannot get a place when they need it but who could help fund a proper level of service if the cap on contributions was raised.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The backlog of people requiring nursing home places, and the long-term financial challenge as the population ages, requires an urgent rethink of the financial model. If this service is to be provided as it is needed, the cost will rise very rapidly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the initial impact of a change in the cap on individual contributions would be small, it would build up over time and help fund a better service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Now is the time to make that change in the interest of the elderly who need long-term care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/a-fair-deal-for-end-of-life-care-1.2182501\">http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/a-fair-deal-for-end-of-life-care-1.2182501</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-21 11:49:57',NULL,'a-fair-deal-for-end-of-life-care'),(1023,'Victims’ group calls for minimum tariffs for life-sentence murderers','<p>\r\n	Family of Elaine O&rsquo;Hara offered condolences by Garda Commissioner N&oacute;ir&iacute;n O&rsquo;Sullivan</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Victim advocacy group AdVic has called for minimum tariffs for those imprisoned for life following the sentencing of murderer Graham Dwyer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A decision on how long his sentence will be and whether or not to release him will be made by the Minister for Justice, on the advice of the Parole Board.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	John O&rsquo;Keeffe, chief executive of AdVic, offered condolences to Ms O&rsquo;Hara&rsquo;s family and friends and said while the sentence imposed on Dwyer was welcome, the term &ldquo;life sentence&rdquo; was misleading.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Traumatic experience</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Dwyer will technically be eligible for parole in seven years, so the phrase a minimum sentence of seven years is more apt,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;While this may seem like a subtle point, from a victim&rsquo;s family&rsquo;s perspective, the fact that their loved one&rsquo;s killer will have their case referred to the parole board after such a short period of time is a traumatic experience.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said this was one of the reasons why the group believes that tariffs, or minimum sentences, should be introduced for homicide offences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Changing our system to adopt minimum tariffs would go some way to offering clarity to victims&rsquo; families, the general public and offenders as to exactly how long killers will serve,&rdquo; Mr O&rsquo;Keeffe said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said research showed 63 per cent of victims&rsquo; families would like to see Ireland adopt a similar model to the British Criminal Justice Act 2003, which imposes minimum tariffs for murder.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Separately, Garda Commissioner N&oacute;ir&iacute;n O&rsquo;Sullivan said yesterday was a very traumatic day for the O&rsquo;Hara family.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;My thoughts are very much with them, indeed with all of the families involved,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/victims-group-calls-for-minimum-tariffs-for-life-sentence-murderers-1.2182802\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/victims-group-calls-for-minimum-tariffs-for-life-sentence-murderers-1.2182802</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-21 11:51:22',NULL,'victims’-group-calls-for-minimum-tariffs-for-life-sentence-murderers'),(1024,'21-year-old ‘burned up from within’ and died after taking diet pills bought online','<p>\r\n	Eloise Aimee Parry died after taking &lsquo;diet pills&rsquo; bought over the internet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 21-year-old student from Shrewsbury went to hospital when she started to feel unwell after taking eight of the pills and died within hours on Sunday April 12.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The tablets are currently being tested and are believed to contain a substance called dinitrophenol or DNP, which is highly toxic and very dangerous.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Eloise&rsquo;s mum, Fiona Parry, said the doctors &lsquo;never stood a chance of saving her&rsquo; as &ldquo;she was literally burning up from within&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is such a great sadness that her life ended so soon, and, in many ways, ended before it had really had a chance to begin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She never intended to take her own life. She just never really understood how dangerous the tablets that she took were. Most of us don&rsquo;t believe that a slimming tablet could possibly kill us.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	West Mercia Police are conducting a full investigation into the circumstances of Eloise&rsquo;s death and are sending a stark reminder to the public of the dangers of buying substances online. Chief Inspector Jennifer Mattinson said:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are undoubtedly concerned over the origin and sale of these pills and are working with partner agencies to establish where they were bought from and how they were advertised.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The coroner&rsquo;s report will establish the exact cause of Eloise&rsquo;s death but we urge the public to be incredibly careful when purchasing medicine or supplements over the internet. Substances from unregistered websites could put your health at risk as they could be extremely harmful, out-of-date or fake.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.thejournal.ie/eloise-aimee-perry-died-pills-2060874-Apr2015/\">http://www.thejournal.ie/eloise-aimee-perry-died-pills-2060874-Apr2015/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-22 09:41:40',NULL,'21-year-old-‘burned-up-from-within’-and-died-after-taking-diet-pills-bought-online'),(1025,'Pupils’ booklet on mental health reaches three finals','<p>\r\n	A booklet designed to help young people take care of their mental health has seen its six transition-year creators advance to the finals of three national competitions in the next month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bishopstown Community School students Aleksandra Jedrzejczyk, Niye Aihie, Liam Harrington, Maeve McGovern, Fiona Murphy, and Saulius Zurnia wanted readers of their booklet to really think about their mental health.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Therefore Changes asks people to take a new challenge every day for 30 days. Every day&rsquo;s challenge builds on those before it and seeks to equip the reader with the skills necessary to keep managing their mental welfare, from analysing the way they talk and view themselves to nurturing the relationships they have with others.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The booklet, which had funding from the Young Social Innovators and Vodafone Ireland, has qualified the students for the Local Enterprise Office/Mini-Company national finals in Croke Park today. It is also up for the Young Social Innovators national finals on May 6 and the Junior Achievement Ireland Mini-Company finals in Dublin City University a week later.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The school&rsquo;s transition-year co-ordinator, Alan White, worked on the book with the students and said he had been studying mental health for a number of years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This project has helped the class not only learn about running a business but has also taught them a great deal about mental health,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We took the challenge ourselves over 30 days, we met each morning before class to read through each challenge together.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/pupils-booklet-on-mental-health-reaches-three-finals-325285.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/pupils-booklet-on-mental-health-reaches-three-finals-325285.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-22 09:46:56',NULL,'pupils’-booklet-on-mental-health-reaches-three-finals'),(1026,'Child bride faces death penalty over accusation she poisoned her husband','<p>\r\n	The key witness in the case is a 7-year-old girl who is the sister of the man&rsquo;s other wife.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Nigerian court has rejected a motion to have murder charges against a child bride accused of killing her husband dismissed, saying there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Wasila Tasi&rsquo;u was 14 when she married Umar Sani, 35, in Nigeria&rsquo;s deeply conservative, mainly Muslim north last year, and could face the death penalty if convicted of using rat poison to kill him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I am of the opinion that there is a case against the accused,&rdquo; High Court Judge Mohammed Yahaya said. &ldquo;As such, I overrule the submission of no-case from the defence counsel.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tasi&rsquo;u&#39;s lawyers had argued that the state failed to establish her intent to kill Sani and questioned the reliability of a key prosecution witness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The witness, a seven-year-old girl named Hamziyya who was identified as the sister of Sani&rsquo;s other wife, testified that Tasi&rsquo;u gave her money to buy the poison on April 5 last year, the day Sani died.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The defence said that relying on testimony from a minor contravened Nigeria&rsquo;s Evidence Act and that the state&rsquo;s case should therefore be thrown out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The murder trial has highlighted the range of attitudes towards child marriage in Nigeria, especially in the impoverished north.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Appropriate age to marry?</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The families of both the deceased and the accused have rejected claims that she was forced to marry a man more than twice her age, noting that 14 was an appropriate age to marry and that Tasi&rsquo;u chose Sani from a range of suitors.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some locals have called for Tasi&rsquo;u to face stiff punishment to discourage other girls from taking similar action if they become unhappy in their marriage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But rights activists have demanded that Tasi&rsquo;u be rehabilitated as a victim of a forced marriage, which likely included incidents of rape.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Laws regarding both sexual and marital consent are complex in northern Nigeria, given the coexistence of both secular and Islamic law, creating contradictions in the justice system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tasi&rsquo;u has remained largely stoic through her appearances in court so far, crying when charges were first read against her, but otherwise sitting silently, often with her head bowed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Yesterday she stood quietly in the dock, with her head fully covered in a sky-blue hijab.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sani died after eating food that Tasi&rsquo;u allegedly prepared for a meal to celebrate their marriage. Three others who reportedly ate the food also died, but prosecutors have combined the three deaths into a single murder charge.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The state has concluded its case and following Tuesday&rsquo;s ruling the defence was instructed to move forward with its own evidence when the trial resumes on April 29.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.thejournal.ie/child-bride-murder-nigeria-2061040-Apr2015/\">http://www.thejournal.ie/child-bride-murder-nigeria-2061040-Apr2015/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-22 09:51:37',NULL,'child-bride-faces-death-penalty-over-accusation-she-poisoned-her-husband'),(1027,'New weapon for parents in the war on cyber-bullying','<p>\r\n	Parents may soon be able to spot whether their child is being bullied on social media sites thanks to a new programme being devised by an Irish cyber expert.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mary Aiken, a cyber-psychologist - who is the inspiration behind &#39;CSI: Cyber&#39;, the latest spin-off of the hugely popular American crime drama franchise - revealed that she is currently working with a tech company in Silicon Valley to write an algorithm aimed at spotting warning words such as &quot;hate&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She believes it would be an &quot;elegant solution&quot; which would allow parents to get an alert about a potential problem with cyber-bullying without them actually having to breach their child&#39;s privacy by reading their communications. She was speaking at a Law Reform Commission seminar on cyber-bullying.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Former Justice Minister Michael McDowell warned we should be &quot;very circumspect&quot; in bringing in new criminal offences related to the internet because of limited resources. The focus should be on rights sustained by duties, he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/new-weapon-for-parents-in-the-war-on-cyberbullying-31164720.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/new-weapon-for-parents-in-the-war-on-cyberbullying-31164720.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-23 09:44:23',NULL,'new-weapon-for-parents-in-the-war-on-cyber-bullying'),(1028,'Hospital complaints to HIQA rose 21pc last year','<p>\r\n	The country&#39;s patient safety watchdog received 337 reports about care in hospitals last year - a rise of 21pc compared with 2013, it emerged yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The majority of complaints received were used to inform ongoing monitoring and investigation programmes, such as the probe into standards of care at Portlaoise Hospital, the annual report of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) revealed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report on Portlaoise is due to be published next month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The biggest number of complaints, 609, related to nursing homes. HIQA inspects nursing homes run by the Health Service Executive and private providers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another 203 complaints were made about disability services and 85 related to centres looking after children in State care as well as social services in the community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Our inspectors assessed and responded to 80 pieces of information as well as notification about high-risk incidents in designated centres for children with disabilities,&quot; it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said it carried out 762 inspections of nursing homes and one was closed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another 678 inspections of centres for adults and children with a disability took place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They made 52 unannounced visits to hospitals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Challenges</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In five inspections of social services charged with child protection, the inspectors found that social workers and other staff worked hard but faced significant challenges. There were long waiting lists for basic social work interventions such as assessment and many foster carers did not have link workers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inspectors also found some children, deemed to be at serious and ongoing risk, did not have social workers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There were no specific policies or procedures in place for managing allegations of institutional or organised abuse and retrospective disclosures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The watchdog is to publish a report this year on foot of its inspection of child protection and welfare services in direct provision accommodation - residential institutions where asylum seekers live while they wait a decision on their asylum application.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Referring to hygiene inspection of hospitals, the report said that while most were generally clean, there were varying levels of compliance with standards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Poor levels of compliance were seen in the cleanliness of patient equipment and in sanitary facilities. The report warned a culture of good handwashing had still not been embedded fully across all hospitals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/hospital-complaints-to-hiqa-rose-21pc-last-year-31164711.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/hospital-complaints-to-hiqa-rose-21pc-last-year-31164711.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-23 09:45:44',NULL,'hospital-complaints-to-hiqa-rose-21pc-last-year'),(1029,'Bogus callers in rural Ireland: how to prevent being scammed','<p>\r\n	One of the main issues in rural crime in Ireland at the moment is bogus callers, people calling to a house trying to scam the owner, to elderly people, according to Garda Deirdre Scanlon of Ennistymon Garda station.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on Newstalk&rsquo;s Pat Kenny Show about rural Garda station closures and districts merging, she said that as a community Garda she tries to go out to the people especially the people in isolated areas, people that are vulnerable, living alone that can&rsquo;t get in to the station, so she visits them and gives them crime prevention advice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to call to these people because times have changed so much they could go from one end of the day to the next not seeing anybody,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda.ie has the following advice to prevent bogus callers taking advantage of you or someone you know:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tell the caller that you never employ trades people &lsquo;cold calling&rsquo; to your door. Ask for a sales brochure or other documentation that you can subsequently investigate and verify as credible.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This should have a contact telephone number, known address and a VAT registered number.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Be particularly careful where sales documentation only displays mobile contact numbers or incomplete addresses. Telephone directory enquiries can assist in establishing the credibility and bona fides of the company or individual concerned.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If you are satisfied that the company or individual is credible and you still think their employment is necessary, ask for an itemised written quotation for the services being offered and the names of persons and locations where they have previously worked successfully.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Never solely rely on the accuracy of the information being proffered. Verify the information yourself.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Always seek comparable estimates for any services offered from other established reputable companies.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Never engage a person who insists on cash payment for services offered. Even when employing a reputable company always use a method of payment that is traceable.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Never leave strangers, even bona fide workers, unsupervised in your home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda Scanlon said that if you are living alone, do not let a bogus caller know you are living alone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Some of the ladies I often visit in North Clare say that &lsquo;himself is out the back now at the moment&rsquo; and there might be no &lsquo;himself&rsquo; out the back.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I met a lady recently and she&rsquo;s widowed for the last 25 years, she left her husband&rsquo;s wellingtons at the front door, she never moved them,&rdquo; Garda Scanlon said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bogus caller cards are available and Garda Scanlon said to get a bogus caller to write their name and number on the card and to tell them that if you need them you will call them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;You&rsquo;re not entertaining them you&rsquo;re just asking their details and letting them go on their way,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that she is trying to make people more safe in their own houses and also more aware of these callers that are coming to people through meetings with communities in the area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;These people grew up in a time when they took everybody at face value, everybody was a nice person they&rsquo;d invitie people in, they&rsquo;d have no bother putting on the kettle. Unfortunately we&rsquo;re dealing with a different client&egrave;le nowadays,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda Scanlon said not everyone is calling for the right ageda and same reason. She is making people more aware that if they need jobs done to get somebody local.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;A lot of the time when these people offer services that are too good to be true and we&rsquo;re trying to get that across; we&rsquo;re trying to make people more assertive and ask questions,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda.ie says the &ldquo;if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/bogus-callers-in-rural-ireland-how-to-prevent-being-scammed/\">https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/bogus-callers-in-rural-ireland-how-to-prevent-being-scammed/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-23 09:48:00',NULL,'bogus-callers-in-rural-ireland-how-to-prevent-being-scammed'),(1030,'Manhunt for teen accused of raping young girl (13)','<p>\r\n	A Blackpool teen accused of raping a young girl is believed to be on the run in Ireland after he fled the UK in March.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gardai are seeking to trace Ryan Humpage (18) after he was spotted in Co Kildare last week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Members of the public have been advised not to approach the teenager, who is understood to have travelled to Ireland in recent weeks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is believed that he was previously in Co Sligo, and a Garda spokesperson said it was likely he was using various aliases, which include Dylan Dunne, Ryan Willington, Ryan Williams and Karl Ward.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He is known to have friends in Belfast, Scotland, Blackpool, Northumbria and Northamptonshire.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 18-year-old is wanted by UK police in connection with rape of 13-year-old girl in Blackpool in December 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He is the focus a Crimewatch UK appeal by police in Lancashire, who want to quiz Humpage in connection with said rape, as well allegations involving theft and assault.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He is described as white, 5ft 7ins with short mousey brown and of medium build.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The teenager is known to have links to South Shore and Bispham in Blackpool.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gardai wish to establish the current whereabouts of Ryan Humpage and are appealing for anyone with information to immediately contact Naas Garda station on 045 884300.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/manhunt-for-teen-accused-of-raping-young-girl-13-31182735.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/manhunt-for-teen-accused-of-raping-young-girl-13-31182735.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-30 09:25:44',NULL,'manhunt-for-teen-accused-of-raping-young-girl-13'),(1031,'New claim that former British PM Ted Heath raped 12-year-old boy, as police appeal to victims','<p>\r\n	A man has claimed he was raped aged 12 by former British Prime Minster Ted Heath, as police urge potential victims of the former prime minister to come forward.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An inquiry has been launched into an alleged cover-up of child sex allegations, amid claims that a prosecution against an individual was shelved after a threat was made to &quot;expose&quot; the Conservative politician.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Heath, who was prime minister for four years in the 1970s, is the highest-profile figure to be embroiled in historic abuse allegations against prominent figures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is looking into whether Wiltshire Police followed up a claim against Heath, which was made in the 1990s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A woman who was in charge of a brothel had been due to stand trial but said she would expose the top politician, according to reports.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile an alleged victim, now aged in his 60s, has claimed he reported being sexually assaulted by the Conservative MP in 1961 but was branded &quot;a liar and a fantasist&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The boy, who claimed to have been abused throughout his childhood by his father and his paedophile friends, said Heath picked him up along the A2 road in north Kent as he hitched a lift.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He claimed to have gone back to an apartment in Park Lane, London where he was raped, the Daily Mirror reported.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was not until 1965 that he realised who his abuser was, recognising him from a picture in a newspaper in which Heath was standing beside Margaret Thatcher.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In statements to his legal team reported in the newspaper he said: &quot;I learned that he was MP for Bexley. This answered a lot of questions as to why no-one believed me about the London saga. I got called a liar and a fantasist.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the claims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Wiltshire Police have appealed for potential victims of Heath to come forward, after launching an inquiry on the back of allegations made by a retired senior officer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Superintendent Sean Memory of Wiltshire Police said: &quot;The allegation is that a trial was due to take place in the 1990s and information was received in that trial that Sir Ted Heath was involved in the abuse of children and the allegation is from the result of that information that the trial never took place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;A retired senior police officer has come forward towards the end of 2014 indicating that they were aware of this information.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This is an appeal for victims in particular. If you have been the victim of any crime from Sir Ted Heath or any historical sexual offence, or you are a witness or you have any information about this, then please come forward.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Wiltshire Police said Heath &quot;lived in Salisbury for many years&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said: &quot;We would like to hear from anyone who has any relevant information that may assist us in our inquiries or anyone who believes they may have been a victim.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An IPCC spokesman said it will investigate allegations concerning the force&#39;s handling of an &quot;alleged claim of child sexual abuse made in the 1990s&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added: &quot;It is alleged that a criminal prosecution was not pursued when a person threatened to expose that Sir Edward Heath may have been involved in offences concerning children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;In addition to this allegation, the IPCC will examine whether Wiltshire Police subsequently took any steps to investigate these claims.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Labour MP Tom Watson claimed he received information relating to allegations of child abuse involving Sir Edward in 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added: &quot;A separate claim concerning Heath was made to me subsequently.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I passed them both to the police, who have confirmed to me that at least one of those allegations is being investigated and taken seriously.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said: &quot;We welcome the investigation by Wiltshire Police, which we wholeheartedly believe will clear Sir Edward&#39;s name and we will co-operate fully with the police in their inquiries.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Heath, who led the Conservative government between 1970 and 1974, never married and was famously reticent about his private life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One biographer concluded that he may have been a latent or repressed homosexual while another thought he was &quot;pretty well sexless&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Away from politics he was noted for his enthusiasm for sailing and classical music.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Heath died at home in Salisbury aged 89 in July 2005.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/new-claim-that-former-british-pm-ted-heath-raped-12yearold-boy-as-police-appeal-to-victims-31425278.html\">http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/new-claim-that-former-british-pm-ted-heath-raped-12yearold-boy-as-police-appeal-to-victims-31425278.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-08-04 10:51:26',NULL,'new-claim-that-former-british-pm-ted-heath-raped-12-year-old-boy-as-police-appeal-to-victims'),(1032,'HIQA clampdown on nursing homes could close beds','<p>\r\n	Thousands of State-run nursing home beds face closure because of poor accommodation standards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to a report carried by The Irish Times, the health watchdog HIQA is growing &quot;frustrated&quot; with years of inaction within the HSE on refurbishment - and is introducing a &quot;get tough&quot; policy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	HIQA has proposed refusing registration to two centres, while a further 10 may be barred from accepting new residents. Meanwhile a further 36 homes will soon be faced with decisions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	HIQA&#39;s deadline for nursing homes to meet acceptable standards of accommodation passed at the start of last month, and the watchdog is already taking action against centres it believes are falling short.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the rules, homes have to provide a minimum level of space per resident, and should not house more than two people in the same bedroom.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The centres can prevent closures by setting out a clear timeline for improvement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/hiqa-clampdown-on-nursing-homes-could-close-beds-689475.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/hiqa-clampdown-on-nursing-homes-could-close-beds-689475.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-08-04 10:52:43',NULL,'hiqa-clampdown-on-nursing-homes-could-close-beds'),(1033,'Euthanasia for children a step too far - Curran','<p>\r\n	Ireland should not legalise euthanasia for terminally-ill children, right-to-die campaigner Tom Curran has said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Curran&#39;s partner, Marie Fleming, died in December 2013, following a high-profile appeal against Ireland&#39;s assisted suicide laws.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She had suffered from severe MS and had been unable to end her own life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Curran has relentlessly petitioned policymakers to decriminalise assisted suicide in Ireland. However, he said legalising euthanasia for terminally-ill children with a desire to end their lives would be a step too far.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Children have not developed enough to make such a difficult decision, he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;My personal feeling on it is that it should be for rational, competent adults,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I know there are people who would say that&#39;s not being compassionate... that it discriminatory and excluding. But I think it&#39;s a situation where you have to draw the line somewhere.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last year, Belgium became the first country in the world to remove any age restrictions on euthanasia, after an emotional debate which split the medical profession over the best way to treat a terminally ill child with a desire to end his or her life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite last-minute pleas for a rethink from within Belgium, and as far away as Canada, parliament agreed with the doctors who argued that in rare cases of unbearable and irreversible suffering, children should have the same right as an adult to ask to die with dignity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The decision must be agreed by the child&#39;s physician, and supported by a second, independent doctor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the Netherlands, euthanasia is legal for children over 12 if there is parental consent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mr Curran said while he would &quot;love to think&quot; new legislation allowing assisted suicide will be introduced in Ireland, the Government &quot;don&#39;t have the bottle&quot; to face up to such a contentious issue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Independent TD John Halligan is set to introduce a Bill to remove criminal sanctions against a family member or doctor who assists a suicide.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Waterford TD said there needed to be a &quot;dignified, compassionate and thoughtful debate&quot; on the issue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But Mr Curran said: &quot;They (the Government) say they&#39;re compassionate, and said they accepted Marie&#39;s individual case, but we&#39;re not prepared to look at the overall picture.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Everybody gave their sympathy to Marie, but that isn&#39;t going to help other people in the future.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s such a strong moral issue. But polls have come out overwhelmingly in favour of having assisted dying for the terminally ill.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Public opinion is behind it, so I can&#39;t understand what they&#39;re afraid of.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added: &quot;Being asked by a loved one to help them to die is probably the most difficult question anybody could ever be asked to answer.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/euthanasia-for-children-a-step-too-far-curran-31184110.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/euthanasia-for-children-a-step-too-far-curran-31184110.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-04-30 09:32:54',NULL,'euthanasia-for-children-a-step-too-far-curran'),(1034,'700 files of at-risk children date back five years','<p>\r\n	Some of the 700 children&#39;s files discovered during an audit of protection and welfare social services in the Midlands date back five years, it has emerged.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A review is under way to discover if all the vulnerable children referred to in the files held by social services in Laois and Offaly have been properly dealt with and responded to.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The discovery of the previously unidentified files was made by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency which took over responsibility for protection and welfare from the HSE last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla chief executive Gordon Jeyes said a new principal social worker appointed to the area informed the agency of the files last week. They involve 700 &quot;previously unidentified files&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They also include 822 unacknowledged referrals of child cases to the HSE from garda&iacute;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Child cases who are notified to social services are prioritised - and in some cases are referred on to other agencies which are regarded as more suitable. It is unclear if these files fall into this category.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Child advocacy groups feared last night that the discovery is not unique to Laois and Offaly, and may also have happened in other areas.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Jeyes said: &quot;As an immediate action to address this issue a comprehensive review of all 700 files will be completed by May 8 to ascertain which require further work by a social worker.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Harm</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I have sought and have been assured by Tusla that all necessary measures to deal comprehensively with the situation have been, or are being, put in place. My immediate priority is to ensure that no child is at risk of harm. I consider it appropriate that this matter is brought into the public domain at the earliest opportunity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I have been provided last evening with details of Tusla&#39;s action plan to deal with the issues that have been identified and will be meeting again tomorrow with Tusla to review progress in ensuring that all necessary actions are taken without delay.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla is being assisted in this process by two external, independent child care experts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added: &quot;Tusla is committed to working closely with An Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na and other partners in this area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I will consider, in due course, if an independent investigation is warranted into this matter, including the circumstances that gave rise to the unassessed backlog of referrals and to include the lessons to be learned to ensure that such a situation is not repeated.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/700-files-of-atrisk-children-date-back-five-years-31186692.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/700-files-of-atrisk-children-date-back-five-years-31186692.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-01 10:49:19',NULL,'700-files-of-at-risk-children-date-back-five-years'),(1035,'More Boko Haram captives rescued by Nigerian army','<p>\r\n	More women and children have been rescued from Islamic extremists in the remote Sambisa Forest by Nigerian troops amid reports that some of the women have fought their rescuers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A community leader from the area of north-east Nigeria said today that a senior army officer who was at the scene described the women opening fire on shocked troops in the village of Nbita a week ago, with Boko Haram Islamic insurgents using the women to shield their main fighting force.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said he was told that 12 women fighters and seven soldiers died in that firefight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Nigerian military first reported rescuing almost 300 women and children in the Sambisa Forest on Tuesday after deploying ground troops into the forest more than a week ago. Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman told the Associated Press today that more than 100 girls and more than 50 women were rescued, apart from the first reported group.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also said in a statement that several lives were lost, including that of a soldier and a woman, during shootouts in nine separate extremist camps in the forest.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said eight women suffered gunshot wounds and four soldiers were seriously injured. Who shot the women was not clear. The rescued women and children were evacuated to a safety zone for further processing, Col Usman said in the statement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also said several Boko Haram field commanders and foot soldiers were killed and combat tanks and munitions of high calibre used by Boko Haram were recovered while others were destroyed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The military was flying in medical and intelligence teams to evaluate the former captives, many of whom were severely traumatised, Col Usman said earlier.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It remained unclear if any of the schoolgirls kidnapped from the north-eastern town of Chibok a year ago were among those rescued.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The plight of the schoolgirls, who have become known as &quot;the Chibok girls&quot;, aroused international outrage and a campaign for their release under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Their kidnapping brought Boko Haram, whose nickname means &quot;Western education is forbidden&quot; in the local Hausa language, to the world&#39;s attention. Of the Chibok girls, 219 remain missing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nigerian military and counter-insurgency spokesmen have said they have information indicating that at least some of the Chibok girls still are being held in the Sambisa Forest.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some captives have reportedly become indoctrinated into believing the group&#39;s Islamic extremist ideology, while others established strong emotional attachments to militants they had been forced to marry.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Amnesty International said earlier this month that at least 2,000 women and girls have been taken by Boko Haram since the start of 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/world-news/africa/more-boko-haram-captives-rescued-by-nigerian-army-31186487.html\">http://www.independent.ie/world-news/africa/more-boko-haram-captives-rescued-by-nigerian-army-31186487.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-01 11:27:44',NULL,'more-boko-haram-captives-rescued-by-nigerian-army'),(1036,'All that autistic Darragh (5) wants is a dog to help him in life','<p>\r\n	If man&#39;s best friend is a dog then little Darragh Courtney may become one very happy little boy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The five-year-old Kimmage boy has a spectrum of autism that places barriers between him and the world.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A specially trained canine companion would help calm his frustrations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But such specially trained dogs don&#39;t come cheap, and Darragh&#39;s family are trying to raise the money needed to help him and other children like him around the country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Darragh was just 18-months-old when he gradually stopped using words.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His parents Mary and Darren weren&#39;t sure what was wrong and fearing he might be going deaf, they visited their GP.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;He said he thought Darragh might have Asperger&#39;s Syndrome, and that I should not Google it until we got further tests done, but when I got home I had to check it out and my heart broke there and then,&quot; Mary explained.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Heartbreak</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Further tests ruled out Asperger&#39;s, but the diagnosis didn&#39;t do anything to cure their heartbreak.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Darragh, their youngest of four boys, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two-and-a-half.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We were devastated. It is a cold diagnosis and we felt very alone,&quot; Mary told the Herald.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Darragh has around 100 words but rarely uses them, opting instead to grab, push or pull his parents to show them what he needs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;No two children with autism are the same. Each has their own behaviour and quirkiness,&quot; Mary explained.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;He is affectionate and has good days, but if you want to go somewhere and he doesn&#39;t, there&#39;ll be a meltdown,&quot; she added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is where a trained dog comes into the picture.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A charity called My Canine Companion trains dogs to assist children and young adults living with autism and other conditions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Niall Ruddy from the charity described how a dog can help.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Kids like Darragh are high-functioning with a high sensory range which means places like shopping centres can be overwhelming for them,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;A trained dog gives them focus because they encourage positive attention.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Special</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Not only do our dogs assist children physically, but these special dogs also become the child&#39;s best and in some cases, only, friend.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The cost of training a pup to two-years-old can be in the region of &euro;10,000.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mary and Darren are holding a table quiz in Terenure College at 8pm on Friday, May 15.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Donations can also be made securely online to idonate.ie under &#39;Darragh&#39;s Puppy Fund&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.herald.ie/news/all-that-autistic-darragh-5-wants-is-a-dog-to-help-him-in-life-31186016.html\">http://www.herald.ie/news/all-that-autistic-darragh-5-wants-is-a-dog-to-help-him-in-life-31186016.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-01 11:32:40',NULL,'all-that-autistic-darragh-5-wants-is-a-dog-to-help-him-in-life'),(1037,'Whistleblowers speak out on care homes','<p>\r\n	Since revelations about the shocking mistreatment of intellectually disabled women at Aras Attracta last December, several whistleblowers have come forward with allegations of abuse at other care homes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The complaints were made to the Health Information and Quality Authority. The names of the homes and individuals involved have been withheld.</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		A care home staff member suffered intimidation and had their hours cut after reporting safety concerns. Colleagues were administering medication without any training. Staff did not know how to use hoists and a resident was twice hit on the head as a result.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	Residents who needed supervision were allowed to walk unaccompanied and suffered falls as a result.</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		A care home worker submitted an eight-page list of concerns about the lack of dignity, care and respect afforded to residents.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	Staff continually shouted at a resident who would fall asleep at breakfast time. A resident was roughly shaven, like wallpaper being stripped off a wall. Clients were dropped into wheelchairs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Challenging residents were locked in a unit. Service users had their toilet roll taken away by staff after one resident put rolls down a toilet.</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		A former care worker found their employment in a centre &quot;disturbing&quot;. Staff gave pain relief injections to cancer sufferers without being qualified to do so. Medication management was &quot;appalling&quot;, with drugs not securely stored.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	Residents reported being hungry. Staff were vulgar to residents. Care plans were quickly filled in ahead of HIQA inspections.</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		A care home staff member said a student on placement had to be removed after becoming upset after witnessing bad practices and abuse.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	This included force-feeding, shouting, making clients stay in their chairs, forcing them back into their seat if they moved, not changing incontinence pads, and not showering them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Restraints were used when giving clients medication.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A carer told a client they were &quot;disgusting&quot; and stank. One client was put in their room for being &quot;too loud&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The quality of meals was &quot;very poor&quot; with &quot;no nutritional value&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was little interaction with two clients who were kept in the house all day with no activities. One of these really wanted to go out for a walk or a drive. Nobody paid attention.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Clients were shown no dignity while being changed, with doors left open when they were naked or on commodes.</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		A worker resigned due to &quot;mismanagement&quot; of a residential centre and understaffing. She suffered injuries after being left on her own to deal with high-dependency service users.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/whistleblowers-speak-out-on-care-homes-31195141.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/whistleblowers-speak-out-on-care-homes-31195141.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-05 10:09:02',NULL,'whistleblowers-speak-out-on-care-homes'),(1038,'State accused of covering up cost of nursing home care','<p>\r\n	Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) have accused the State of covering up the cost of public nursing home care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The organisation, which represents nursing homes across the country, say that data on fees paid to HSE nursing homes have not been released since 2011.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	CEO of NHI, Tadhg Daly, said the most recent figures published in March 2011 showed the average costs for a resident in a HSE nursing home was &euro;1,245 per week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that this cost was 40% above that applied for private and voluntary counterparts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Previous Minister for Health James Reilly publicly questioned why a 50% cost differential existed between the sectors. The reality is public nursing home costs are far beyond the average presented four years ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;A HSE Midlands Information Document published May 2012 provided an insight into the reality of public nursing home costs. It cited average costs per bed well beyond &euro;1,245 and up to &euro;2,500.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Publication of the true cost of public nursing home care is imperative to provide a more realistic picture as to what the cost of long-term residential care entails,&rdquo; said Mr Daly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response, the HSE said the costs of public home care are a matter of public record.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Public nursing home costs are acknowledged to be higher, and there are good reasons for this. Public facilities have to provide care for higher numbers of complex dependency cases which require higher levels of staffing, particularly nursing staff.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The HSE is actively working to reduce the costs of public nursing home facilities to the maximum extent possible,&quot; they said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://utv.ie/News/2015/05/04/State-accused-of-covering-up-cost-of-nursing-home-care-36628\">http://utv.ie/News/2015/05/04/State-accused-of-covering-up-cost-of-nursing-home-care-36628</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-05 10:10:17',NULL,'state-accused-of-covering-up-cost-of-nursing-home-care'),(1039,'Early CF diagnosis at three weeks will make a huge difference to children\'s lives','<p>\r\n	Babies in Ireland are now being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at just three weeks old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&#39;s a diagnosis that can be &quot;overwhelming&quot; for new parents, said Gerardine Leen, a clinical nurse specialist in cystic fibrosis in the National Children&#39;s Hospital in Tallaght.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, experts like Gerardine are on hand to help and guide parents as they begin to come to terms with their child having a chronic lifelong disease.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Difference</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I think there&#39;s a lot of exciting developments that are going to make a huge difference to patients lives in the next few decades,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Leen said that Ireland introduced newborn screening four years ago for cystic fibrosis as part of the heelprick test - this is where blood is taken from the baby&#39;s heel and tested for a number of conditions, including (CF).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prior to that, the average age of diagnosis was two years of age.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;You are diagnosing them earlier, but does it really make a difference to their long-term prognosis? I think it does,&quot; Ms Leen said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Certainly it enables families to accept the diagnosis and it enables the child to start treatment much earlier. So it has to improve their survival and improve their prognosis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;For the most part, I would have to say I have never met one family since July 2011 who said I would prefer if my child hadn&#39;t been picked up.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They are very grateful it is available now because you can start treatment early.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;You don&#39;t have the reverse malnutrition problem that occurred years ago when they were two and three and four years of age before they were diagnosed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Essentially you are hoping that because the lungs are completely normal at birth, they starting treatment early and therefore you are limiting the amount of damage that can be done to those lungs,&quot; Ms Leen said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under current procedures, if the heelprick test has been abnormal, the clinical nurse specialist in CF will make a call to the family and advise them that one of the tests has been abnormal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;That&#39;s an extremely hard call to make and an extremely hard call to receive,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A test, known as a &quot;sweat test&quot; is organised for the baby - babies with CF have a large amount of salt in their sweat.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Where the diagnosis is confirmed, parents are supported in learning about the condition and treatments for it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/health-features/early-cf-diagnosis-at-three-weeks-will-make-a-huge-difference-to-childrens-lives-31195560.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/health-features/early-cf-diagnosis-at-three-weeks-will-make-a-huge-difference-to-childrens-lives-31195560.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-05 10:12:04',NULL,'early-cf-diagnosis-at-three-weeks-will-make-a-huge-difference-to-childrens-lives'),(1040,'Care worker convicted of assault','<p>\r\n	A former care worker has been convicted and fined &euro;500 for kicking an autistic man in the back as he tried to separate him and another resident involved in a fight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Aeneas McCarthy imposed the fine on David Atkinson, aged 41, of 19 Thornton Park, Whitegate, Co Cork, who was convicted of assaulting Joseph Duane at the Cope Foundation in Montenotte, Cork, on October 22, 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge McCarthy said: &ldquo;These residents in this unit were extremely vulnerable. [The defendant&rsquo;s] job was to look after them. They were in his care. There is no doubt there was a physical confrontation between two of the individuals in this unit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Mr Atkinson was on his own when the confrontation took place. He intervened. In the course of his intervention, it was the view of the court that he used greater force than was necessary to end this confrontation. He had an extremely high duty of care. Those are the aggravating factors.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge said mitigating factors included that Atkinson was on his own in a high- dependency unit, and that he had a 13-year unblemished record to that point.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In the view of the court it would be disproportionate to impose a custodial sentence,&rdquo; said the judge.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Defence solicitor Anne-Marie Sheridan said that Atkinson used his foot in an attempt to protect one resident from the other.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He had no training from his employer as to what was the correct procedure,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It was an emergency that required immediate intervention or one or other of the residents would have suffered serious injury.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He admits he made an error of judgement. He did prod Mr Duane to get up from the ground.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Sheridan said the incident had a cataclysmic effect on Atkinson for what was a one-second error of judgement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Referencing evidence from another member of staff who was in the area at the time, Judge McCarthy said: &ldquo;It was not just a prod. The evidence was that he kicked him in the back.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Joe is a son, a brother, and an uncle who is deeply loved,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I am his sister. Joe is autistic, non-verbal and a valued member of our family. Unfortunately, Joseph has endured a lonely, sad, and difficult time because those who were trusted to look after him failed him. Joseph was in the care of the Cope Foundation and the State when he was assaulted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Today brings to an end the criminal proceedings and we would like to thank those who brought it to its conclusion. In particular, we want to thank the two ladies who spoke up and were Joe&rsquo;s voice. Unfortunately, Joe does not have a voice and were it not for the courage of these two ladies this incident would have gone uninvestigated and the truth would not have been known.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We can only earnestly urge all those who work in care facilities and who witness ill-treatment to report it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are saddened that nobody has yet apologised to Joe or to us for the pain and suffering he endured. Today brings to an end an ongoing and lengthy nightmare and we just hope that others, like the two ladies in Joe&rsquo;s case, may be encouraged to speak up for those who have no voice, the most vulnerable members of society.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Cope Foundation said: &ldquo;Cope Foundation is deeply concerned at this incident. Immediately following this incident coming to our attention, Cope Foundation, in accordance with its required policies and procedures, informed all of the relevant authorities.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/care-worker-convicted-of-assault-328915.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/care-worker-convicted-of-assault-328915.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-06 09:27:25',NULL,'care-worker-convicted-of-assault'),(1041,'How safety in the workplace has evolved','<p>\r\n	Ged Nash, the business and employment minister, served for many years as a trade-union official and it is perhaps no coincidence that he was on hand recently to launch The Safety Representative Resource Book, which deals in some detail with aspects of health and safety. It is to some extent modelled on a recent publication issued by the Trade Union Congress in Britain.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book covers the evolution of the law, detailing the Safety, Health, and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, which replaced a 1989 Act, the first piece of legislation to deal comprehensively with the topic. There are sections devoted to enforcement, consultation, and varying occupational safety roles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book deals with hazards in the workplace, which range from asbestos to chemicals and hazardous substances, electricity, &lsquo;explosive atmospheres&rsquo;. It also discusses &lsquo;falls from heights, work at heights, and falling objects&rsquo;, and &lsquo;slips, trips, falls on the same level&rsquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lone working is a recognised health and safety hazard. Last year, 30 people died on farms, many of whom were working alone. However, many others could also be at risk.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book alludes to the work carried out by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust which was established in memory of a young auctioneer who went missing in the late 1980s while showing a prospective purchaser , a mysterious &lsquo;Mr Kipper&rsquo;, the presumed murderer, around a house. The Lamplugh tragedy re-emerged during the course of the Graham Dwyer trial.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another section is devoted to vulnerable workers, with separate chapters on construction, education, healthcare, wholesale/retail, industrial manufacturing, mines and quarries, agriculture, hospitality, and offices.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The short chapter on agriculture is arguably the most poignant. More than 100,000 work in the area and, between 2010 and 2014, 104 people died in farm accidents, a number of whom were children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Victims included Dermot Hogan, manager of the Offaly U21 team. A couple of years back, an Ulster player, Nevin Spence, died in a tragic accident at a slurry pit, along with his father and brother, after the men, one by one, sought to rescue the family dog before becoming overcome by fumes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Health and Safety Authority has identified three areas of concern in relation to farm safety:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Farmers working with unguarded equipment;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Working on machinery carrying children aged aged under 7;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	and unprotected slurry pits.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of the 198 who died between 2005 and 2014, 30% died in accidents involving tractors and other farm vehicles; 19% died in other machinery; and 13% died in accidents involving livestock. Some 11% perished as a result of contact with slurry pits, 9% succumbed to falls, and 7% were killed by falling objects, with timber-related accidents accounting for a similar number.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book also deals with non-physical damage to workers due to stress, while aggression and violence in the workplace is also covered.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Health and Safety Authority was established in 1989, bringing a much broader yet more focused approach to such issues. Previously, safety matters received attention in manufacturing, though rates of inspection were pretty low. Ireland only got its first Factories Act in 1955, though in the UK a Factory Act was first passed into law in 1833. One of Ireland&rsquo;s great 19th century leaders, Michael Davitt, the land agitator, lost an arm in an accident in a mill as a young man.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Since 1989, the fatal workplace accident rate has fallen from around 6 per 100,000 to about 2.5, a testament to the efforts of the Health and Safety Authority, and to a greater sense of awareness and education within workplaces.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the recent surge in farm accidents, related to the growing number of one-person farms, an ageing farmer population, and the greater prevalence of machinery, is a source of great concern. Farmer bodies are active in prevention, but clearly more needs to be done at all levels to reduce the death toll.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 2005 Act now applies to all workplaces from Apple and Bausch &amp; Lomb to tradespeople such as plumbers and even the person working from home. The likelihood of an inspection is once every 15 years or so, on average, but it should occur more frequently in the case of naturally hazardous occupations The core of our heath and safety legislation follows similar laws put in place in Britain.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 1989 Act here drew on the recommendations of a commission under Mr Justice Donal Barrington which in turn drew on the UK commission under Lord Robens, former head of the National Coal Board. The concept of health and safety has become much more broad, with areas such as stress and asthma now seen as of interest. A recent case at the Employment Appeals Tribunal revealed that up to 300 An Post employees have been out on stress-related leave.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The book deals with standout prosecutions such as a circuit court case involving Zoe Developments, a large scale builder of apartments in Dublin. This resulted in a big increase in the level of fines for breaches of the law.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bus &Eacute;ireann was fined &euro;2m after proceedings in the wake of the death of five schoolgirls in an accident 10 years ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A fireman, a Mr Shanley, received a payout of over &euro;80,000 from Sligo Corporation after a ruling that he was systematically abused and belittled at work over an eight-year period.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This serves as a reminder that health and safety is about more than securing physical objects and ensuring that employees avoid accidents or long-term damage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The law continues to evolve. Apart from the 2005 Act, a 2003 Act established the Personal Injuries Assessment Board. There is also the Civil Liability and Courts Act, 2004. These should be read together as the procedures set out are intermingled. The Acts are designed to reduce the costs associated with legal actions in personal injury cases. It is worth noting that just one third of accidents result in claims, even fewer in the case of employees affected by work related illnesses. It is also worth noting that the High Court has the power to close down operations deemed unsafe, as has happened at a number of building sites.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For more on The Safety Representative Resource Book go to www.niso.ie.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/how-safety-in-the-workplace-has-evolved-328895.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/how-safety-in-the-workplace-has-evolved-328895.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-06 09:30:55',NULL,'how-safety-in-the-workplace-has-evolved'),(1042,'Ex-HSE director ‘not surprised’ at discovery of files','<p>\r\n	The former assistant national director of child and family services in the HSE said he was &ldquo;not surprised&rdquo; when approximately 700 unidentified files relating to children, about whom concerns had been raised, were recently unearthed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Phil Garland said there was &ldquo;poor management, poor accounting, and little responsibility&rdquo; within the State&rsquo;s child- protection services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The discovery of the files in the Laois/Offaly area included 822 unacknowledged Garda referrals. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has commenced a review of see if any of these referrals were acted upon.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Garland said that those tasked with child protection have legislation they must follow in order to avoid charges of reckless endangerment and withholding of information.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, he said he was not aware of any prosecutions of those working in child and family services for either of the above offences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, an individual with authority or control over a child who &ldquo;intentionally or recklessly endangers&rdquo; the child by placing or leaving them in a situation which creates a substantial risk of serious harm or sexual abuse is guilty of an offence. So too is the person who fails to take reasonable steps to protect a child from such a risk while knowing that the child is in such a situation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the Criminal Justice Act 2011, a person is guilty of an offence if they fail to disclose information that could be of material assistance in securing a conviction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Garland, who was not immune to controversy during his time with the HSE &mdash; occasionally criticising government policy on child protection &mdash; has set up his own agency, the Essential Organisation, to advise victims of abuse on how to navigate hurdles that could potentially prevent the abuser being brought to justice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Because he also previously worked as director of the Archdiocese of Dublin Child Protection Service, he said he is well-positioned to help victims navigate their way through the processes of Church and State to obtain information relevant to their case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	During his time with the HSE (2009-13) he acted as an internal reviewer of Freedom of Information requests. He said this experience is useful when advising victims on how to obtain personal files.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Garland said his new agency also advises charities on how to ensure they are compliant with governance requirements and charities legislation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In addition, individuals who have been harmed &mdash; be it bullying, harassment, or abuse &mdash; can come to me. I talk through their experience with them and advise them on what needs to be done, who to report the abuse to, whether they are inside the statute of limitations. It&rsquo;s about pulling the different strands together and taking a collaborative approach,&rdquo; Mr Garland said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/ex-hse-director-not-surprised-at-discovery-of-files-328938.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/ex-hse-director-not-surprised-at-discovery-of-files-328938.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-06 10:56:38',NULL,'ex-hse-director-‘not-surprised’-at-discovery-of-files'),(1043,'Top food writer claims HSE food advice is \'out of date\'','<p>\r\n	A leading food writer has criticised the HSE&#39;s advice on food, warning that out-of-date advice against natural fats was causing untold damage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	John McKenna, who pens a highly-regarded guide to Irish food and hospitality, warned that many diseases affecting the Western world were down to diet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The health orthodoxy in the HSE is geared to this ridiculous idea of the food pyramid, which has been completely disproved as being wrong. When you look at the advice on the HSE website it will tell you to have things like dairy spreads, rather than butter,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He called for a complete rethink of official health advice coming from the HSE and warned that until that happened people would continue getting dietary-related diseases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We&#39;ve had a 50-year war against fat - and it is dead wrong. The war on fat is like the war on drugs, it&#39;s futile. And in this case it&#39;s hugely detrimental to the Western world,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr McKenna said he wanted vegetables, organic and unprocessed fruits and seaweeds to form the basis of the food pyramid, in place of the HSE advice of bread, cereals and potatoes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He also questioned why natural fats were placed at the top of the HSE pyramid and he hit out at advice telling people who are watching their weight to choose low-fat options. &quot;We&#39;ve got to realise that the fats that occur naturally in things like butter and beef are actually things that our body needs,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A HSE spokesperson said the Healthy Ireland Framework was its current advice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/top-food-writer-claims-hse-food-advice-is-out-of-date-31211365.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/top-food-writer-claims-hse-food-advice-is-out-of-date-31211365.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-11 09:55:32',NULL,'top-food-writer-claims-hse-food-advice-is-out-of-date'),(1044,' \'You\'re not in any trouble\' - appeal to mother of \'Maria\' to come forward','<p>\r\n	Garda have displayed a green Marks and Spencer bag, a black bag and a fleece in the hope of tracing the mother who abandoned her newborn baby in Rathcoole on Friday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At a press conference at Clondalkin garda station, Superintendent Brendan Connolly said the items were similar to those found with the baby girl.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Somebody out there must recognise these items and we are appealing for anyone who can assist us to contact us here in Clondalkin Garda Station,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Sergeant Maeve O&rsquo;Sullivan of the Child Protection Unit here in Clondalkin and her staff are available at any time. Anyone, or indeed any family member or friends, wishing to speak with Sergeant O&rsquo;Sullivan will be dealt with with the utmost discretion.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Superintendent Brendan Connolly said gardai were &#39;very&#39; concerned for the welfare of the baby&#39;s mother, and expressed his hope that by putting the items on display it would help gardai reunite the baby with her mother.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Staff at the Coombe hospital in Dublin, where the baby is said to be doing well, have named her &#39;Maria&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The newborn was between 24-36 hours old when she was found by a couple last Friday afternoon on Steelstown Road in Rathcoole.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood that the driver pulled into a side road off the Dublin to Naas road at the back of the Blackchurch Inn and heard the baby crying.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was found in a shopping bag along with a black bag and a cream fleece from Penneys shortly after 3:30 pm said Superintendent Brendan Connolly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that investigators did not believe the baby had been left in the area &quot;for any extended period of time&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gardai confirmed that the child is Caucasian.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The child and family agency Tusla said that the baby would only remain in hospital until she is well enough to leave.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She will then be placed with a foster family, probably in the coming days,&rdquo; a Tusla spokeswoman said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;From our perspective, we would appeal for the girl&rsquo;s mother to come forward because she needs help and also to have a say in the future of her child.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The mother will not be forced into taking her back, and she will not be judged or pressurised, but she can have a say in the child&rsquo;s future with regard to fostering or adoption,&rdquo; she added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Superintendent Connolly said gardai will deal with the case with the &quot;utmost sensitivity and care for the mother and child&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He refused to speculate when asked if &#39;Maria&#39; had been born in a hospital or through a home birth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/youre-not-in-any-trouble-appeal-to-mother-of-maria-to-come-forward-31212440.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/youre-not-in-any-trouble-appeal-to-mother-of-maria-to-come-forward-31212440.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-11 11:42:09',NULL,'youre-not-in-any-trouble-appeal-to-mother-of-maria-to-come-forward'),(1045,'HSE owes social care staff €10m in unpaid payments - IMPACT','<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-family: \'Open Sans\', open-sans, Helvetica, \'Helvetica Neue\', Arial; line-height: 1.5; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\">\r\n	The IMPACT trade union has said that 800 social care workers are owed at least &euro;10m by the Health Service Executive in unpaid premium payments.</p>\r\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-family: \'Open Sans\', open-sans, Helvetica, \'Helvetica Neue\', Arial; line-height: 1.5; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\">\r\n	National Secretary Louise O&#39;Donnell said that from 2004 to 2013, the employees were entitled to &quot;twilight&quot; payments of time and a sixth for work between 6pm and midnight.</p>\r\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-family: \'Open Sans\', open-sans, Helvetica, \'Helvetica Neue\', Arial; line-height: 1.5; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\">\r\n	The entitlement was subsequently reduced to the period between 8pm and midnight, but staff were never paid the money, according to Ms O&#39;Donnell.<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0507/699412-hse/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0507/699412-hse/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-11 12:11:17',NULL,'hse-owes-social-care-staff-€10m-in-unpaid-payments-impact'),(1046,'Failing to have first-aid kit in car could become penalty-point offence','<p>\r\n	Failing to have a first-aid kit, torch, high-vis vest and a warning triangle could become a penalty-point offence under a new proposal from the Road Safety Authority (RSA).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The RSA hopes an emergency pack containing such items will be compulsory for new cars by January 1, 2016, and for all existing cars by July 1, 2016.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is estimated that a pack could cost motorists around &euro;40.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When it comes to enforcement, the RSA suggests that failing to have a pack could become a penalty-point offence, or become a requirement to pass the NCT.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Brian Farrell of the RSA said they are looking for the views of the public before anything is decided.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Nothing is decided yet. We want to hear from the public on what they think should be done and that includes all stakeholders.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Small public-service vehicles, such as taxis and hackneys, have had to have such packs since 2009, while buses are currently required to have a fire extinguisher and first-aid kit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The emergency services say that a number of injuries and fatalities happen each year when a person or vehicle involved in a breakdown is hit by an oncoming vehicle.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The cost of installing the packs in every new private car works out at &euro;2.5m, but the RSA estimates that if its implementation can prevent one fatal collision, it will save the State some &euro;2.7m.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It calculates this by explaining that each fatality costs the State directly and indirectly, with costs for both emergency services that respond to crashes and the loss of potential tax contributions from the victim.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is expected car dealers or manufacturers will foot the cost of the packs for new vehicles, while drivers of existing vehicles will have to buy one themselves.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The public can provide feedback to the RSA on the proposal until June 12, after which it will make a formal proposal to Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-news/failing-to-have-firstaid-kit-in-car-could-become-penaltypoint-offence-31220915.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-news/failing-to-have-firstaid-kit-in-car-could-become-penaltypoint-offence-31220915.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-14 09:11:46',NULL,'failing-to-have-first-aid-kit-in-car-could-become-penalty-point-offence'),(1047,'Disability agency to cease family supports in wake of Tusla cutback','<p>\r\n	Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency must halve workforce after announcement</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A group which promotes social inclusion for people with disabilities has said it will have to cease certain operations from July after Tusla officials decided to axe its funding.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency, which provides courses and support services to families of disabled people, will lose its &euro;81,000 annual allocation from Tusla Child and Family Agency due to cost-cutting measures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The agency also receives &euro;91,000 each year as part of a support scheme organised by the Department of Environment, but the group&rsquo;s manager Alice Griffin told The Irish Times that the imminent reduction will have a critical impact on the its frontline activities aimed at 400 families nationwide.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite pathetic that they could not show due process and a bit of integrity and see this out until the end of the year,&rdquo; said Ms Griffin</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The withdrawal of funding from us, in our eyes, is further evidence that they are not the child and family agency for all children. They have no regard or interest in supporting children or young people with disabilities,&rdquo; she added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although the group will continue to receive Tusla funding up until June 30th, Ms Griffin believes it is unlikely that the agency will be able to source alternative funding to keep the affected services going beyond that date.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Environment grant means it will still give technical assistance and training to community and charitable organisations that seek to include disabled people in their activities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She also confirmed that two staff will be let go at the end of May, leading to a 50 per cent reduction in the agency&rsquo;s workforce from four to two. Management say they will attempt to secure funding from other State bodies, but no guarantees have been forthcoming as yet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Griffin said she received the news from a Tusla official during what she thought would be a routine planning meeting last week; a situation described by agency chairwoman Jacqui Browne as &ldquo;covert, underhand . . . and completely disgraceful&rdquo; on Tusla&rsquo;s part.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A letter sent to the agency by Tusla&rsquo;s chief operating officer, Fred McBride, last Friday confirmed the move.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was added that the decision will not force the closure of more than 100 Family Resource Centres through which the agency provides its services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Representatives from Tusla and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs have not yet responded to queries from The Irish Times.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/disability-agency-to-cease-family-supports-in-wake-of-tusla-cutback-1.2211361\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/disability-agency-to-cease-family-supports-in-wake-of-tusla-cutback-1.2211361</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-14 10:06:06',NULL,'disability-agency-to-cease-family-supports-in-wake-of-tusla-cutback'),(1048,'Garda booklet aims to keep Cork teens on right side of the law','<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; are set to send out a potent message to 10,000 teenagers in West Cork warning them of the repercussions of breaking the law, but also how to keep out of trouble.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In what has been described as an unprecedented move, the booklet which is aimed at 13-18 year-olds, will be sent to all secondary schools, youth clubs and community organisations in the region.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Titled &lsquo;Garda&iacute;, Youth and the Law&rsquo; the publication covers a number of topics including bullying, cyber-bullying, underage drinking, drug-use, theft, knife-crime, public order law and road safety.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The booklet which was launched at a reception in the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery, was sponsored by Kinsale Youth Support Services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among those present were Judge James McNulty, the presiding district court judge in the region; chief superintendent Tom Hayes and mayor of Co Cork Alan Coleman.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chief supt Hayes said the primary reason for the publication of the booklet was to create a better understanding of the law among young persons.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He outlined how underage drinking can pose a particular problem, whereby young people may make poor decisions that could lead to situations such as assaults or public order. Such incidents, he said, could create long-term consequences for themselves.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Retired district court judge Michael Pattwell, also present, advised if any person received a conviction, it would have a major impact on their ability to travel. He praised the work being done in West Cork in keeping young people out of trouble.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/garda-booklet-aims-to-keep-cork-teens-on-right-side-of-the-law-330464.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/garda-booklet-aims-to-keep-cork-teens-on-right-side-of-the-law-330464.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-14 10:08:04',NULL,'garda-booklet-aims-to-keep-cork-teens-on-right-side-of-the-law'),(1049,'Surge in online child sex abuse material','<p>\r\n	There has been an alarming rise in the volume of child sexual abuse content online, with reports of illegal material by members of the public at an all-time high.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has called on internet service providers to sign up to a Garda initiative to combat online child abuse after a report revealed a 148% jump in such cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Just one of the country&rsquo;s 55 internet providers &mdash; UPC &mdash; has joined the scheme, which was launched last November.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It comes as an industry watchdog, financed by ISPs, reported a massive rise in child abuse material, increasing from 135 cases in 2013 to 335 in 2014, the highest figure ever.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The garda&iacute; are involved in discussions with other companies and I hope they will bear fruit in the way discussions with UPC did,&rdquo; Ms Fitzgerald said at the launch of the Hotline.ie 2014 annual report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to see them involved,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Obviously they have been approached by An Garda Sioch&aacute;na. There are issues of balance between their approach to the issue, in terms of managing privacy issues, the interface between the law and their, if you like, duties to their customers as they see it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Really the basic issue is, if children are being abused in any way and that&rsquo;s reported, that needs action from the garda&iacute;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under the Garda memorandum of understanding, UPC prevents its customers from access to a list of websites identified by garda&iacute; as containing child abuse imagery.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Hotline.ie report found the number of reports from the public of suspected illegal content online jumped by 97%, from 2,568 in 2013 to 4,863 in 2014, by far the highest ever reported.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These were assessed by Hotline.ie analysts, who found that 358 were determined as illegal, 335 of which were child sexual abuse material. This compared to 135 cases in 2013 and 97 in 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking at the launch, Paul Durrant, chief executive of Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI) and manager of Hotline.ie, said they were taken aback by the increase in the number of reports.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;To be quite honest we were surprised by it; so much above what the previous average was,&rdquo; said Mr Durrant. &ldquo;You could view it as a good thing; maybe people are more prepared to report. That yields more incidents that we find are illegal and taken down and passed on to law enforcement, so hopefully they can track down perpetrators.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the report, 55 ISPAI members finance Hotline.ie. Besides UPC, they include Google, Yahoo, BT, Vodafone, O2, Eircom, and Meteor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Durrant said the question of companies signing up to the Garda memorandum &ldquo;was not an issue for Hotline.ie&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, he added: &ldquo;You can only block something when you know, so you need a hotline so people can report it, so it can be added to a list.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the internet was &ldquo;incredibly dynamic&rdquo; and that, by the time they are alerted to a suspect site, it could be gone after downloading a huge amount of material.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Patrick McKenna of Child Watch called on Ms Fitzgerald to compel ISPs to block child abuse sites if they did not follow the lead of UPC.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hotline.ie referred 222 cases to their international sister body In Hope.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/surge-in-online-child-sex-abuse-material-330802.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/surge-in-online-child-sex-abuse-material-330802.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-15 08:55:13',NULL,'surge-in-online-child-sex-abuse-material'),(1050,'Extra 74,000 take out health insurance','<p>\r\n	Health insurers are set to come under huge pressure to avoid premium hikes after the numbers taking out cover to avoid new penalties surpassed expectations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An extra 74,000 people took out health insurance in April ahead of the introduction of late-entry penalties as part of lifetime community rating.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	State-owned VHI Healthcare and rival Laya are understood to have been the main beneficiaries of the rush to take out health insurance. However, the age profile of the new entrants is not known.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The introduction of the lifetime community rating from May 1 will see anyone aged over 34, who takes out insurance for the first time, penalised at a rate of 2pc on top of the cost of their premium for every year they stay out of the market after the deadline.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Health brought in the measure in an attempt to curb rising premiums, and encourage younger people to join up.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Health Minister Leo Varadkar said since the start of the year an extra 80,000 people had taken out health insurance, a move that would stem the rise in premiums.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This increase in the number of people holding health insurance is extremely welcome as it helps to control premium inflation and helps to keep health insurance affordable for all,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Premiums have been spiralling up for seven years in a row, but the rises were muted this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The membership of VHI, Laya, Aviva or Glo have now risen for three quarters in a row. The number of people who currently hold health insurance now stands at 2.105 million. This is the level the market was at in December 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Health insurance expert Dermot Goode of TotalHealthCover.ie said a surge in numbers with cover was greater than expected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s a complete reversal of the trend from previous years, which saw between 20,000 to 24,000 members leave the market in the first quarter of each year,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This should lead to further stabilisation of pricing and hopefully no further increases from any insurer during 2015.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/extra-74000-take-out-health-insurance-31224268.html\">http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/extra-74000-take-out-health-insurance-31224268.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-15 08:58:04',NULL,'extra-74000-take-out-health-insurance'),(1051,'Nearly 800 migrants reach land in Indonesia','<p>\r\n	Nearly 800 people have been brought ashore in Indonesia but other vessels crammed with migrants were sent back to sea despite a UN call to quickly rescue thousands set adrift in Southeast Asian waters.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smugglers have abandoned ships full of migrants, many of them hungry and sick, in the Andaman Sea following a Thai crackdown on human trafficking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Thailand is the first stop on the most common trafficking route used by criminals preying on Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Burma, also known as Myanmar, and Bangladeshis seeking to escape poverty.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The latest information we have is about 794 people were found in the middle of the sea and brought ashore by fishermen at 5am,&quot; a search and rescue official in a town in the Indonesian province of Aceh said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They are now in a warehouse by the port as a temporary arrangement,&quot; Khairul Nova added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nearly 1,400 migrants have landed in Aceh on Indonesia&#39;s western tip, and over 1,000 have landed in Malaysia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Aceh is just across the Malacca Strait from Thailand and Malaysia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, migrants on two other boats were turned away.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Indonesia&#39;s navy prevented a boat with hundreds of migrants on board from entering its waters, an Indonesian military spokesman said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A vessel carrying around 400 migrants that the Thai navy towed out to sea was heading towards Indonesia, a Thai government radio station reported.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Malaysia, too, has said it would push boats full of migrants back to sea as Malaysian people did not want to see large numbers arriving in the country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Inter-governmental agencies called on the region&#39;s governments to rescue the migrants first and worry about long-term solutions later.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The situation is very grave,&quot; said Joe Lowry, regional spokesman for the International Organization for Migration in Bangkok.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said: &quot;They have no food, no water and are drinking their own urine.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This is a game of maritime ping pong with human life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We expect governments in the region to find a solution rapidly ... or we will be finding boatloads of desiccated corpses floating around in the Andaman Sea in coming days.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The United Nations yesterday urged governments to fulfil their obligation to rescue those at sea and &quot;keep their borders and ports open in order to help the vulnerable people who are in need&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Both Malaysia and Thailand have called for the support of international organisations in meeting the cost of dealing with the migrant crisis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0515/701245-migrants-thailand/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0515/701245-migrants-thailand/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-15 09:21:40',NULL,'nearly-800-migrants-reach-land-in-indonesia'),(1052,'Original plan for HSE patient safety body abandoned','<p>\r\n	Original plan for HSE patient safety body abandoned</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister Leo Varadkar says it will now be independent body, not &lsquo;sub-agency&rsquo; of HSE</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Health last year halted preparations for the establishment of a new patient safety/advocacy body &ndash; one of the key recommendations of the Hiqa report into the Portlaoise hospital controversy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Official health service files maintain that senior HSE managers were urged by the Department of Health to exclude any reference to the proposed agency in the executive&rsquo;s service plan for 2015.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar, who following the publication of the Hiqa report on Portlaoise said a patient advocacy body would be set up, said yesterday that he had disagreed with the original model proposed for the organisation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under original plans the Patient Safety Agency was to have been established initially on an administrative basis within the structures of the HSE. At a later date it was to be set up as a standalone organisation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Varadkar said last night that he preferred to have a fully independent body from the start. He feared people might not have trusted a patient advocacy organisation that was closely linked to the HSE.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The establishment of such a patient safety/advocacy agency had been a key priority of the former minister for health, James Reilly. It was to be one of a number of organisations established as part of health reforms leading to universal health insurance.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Advance planning</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Official HSE files, seen by The Irish Times, show considerable advance planning had been carried out by the middle of 2014 on the Reilly initiative for a Patient Safety Agency.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A corporate structure had been suggested for the body, including an overseeing board, an annual budget of about &euro;1.45 million proposed and a recruitment competition for a chief executive launched.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In February 2014 the HSE director general Tony O&rsquo;Brien had proposed that the agency, as then envisaged, would have three functions: informing patients, advocating for patients and managing and learning from patient complaints.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However the files show that from last autumn, following the departure of Dr Reilly, the steam appeared to run out of the project as originally proposed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a letter to Jim Breslin, the secretary general of the Department of Health, on December 12th, Mr O&rsquo;Brien said during the autumn &ldquo;we have been requested not to specifically reference progression of the Patient Safety Agency (or as per my more recent correspondence Patient Advocacy Agency) in the service plan&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Recruitment paused</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the recruitment process for a chief executive had been paused.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I am conscious that at this time we must either complete or cancel the recruitment campaign and I am concerned to ensure that the HSE and the Department of Health are fully aligned in any approach we take to this matter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The cancellation of the recruitment campaign requires communication from us to each of the shortlisted candidates telling them that the establishment of the Patient Safety Agency is not proceeding at this time.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Varadkar said last night: &ldquo;I decided that the patient advocacy service should be set up independent of the HSE from day one. Before I was appointed Minister for Health, the plan was to create some sort of sub-agency within the HSE. But in my view it should not be part of the HSE at all.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think that people would trust a patient advocacy service to advocate on their behalf to the HSE, if the people working in it were employees of the HSE. That is why the HSE was told to take it out of the service plan. The Hiqa recommendation actually supports my view.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Plans now in place will see the creation of a fully independent advocacy service, the department&rsquo;s own patient safety functions will be strengthened, and the role of the Ombudsman in dealing with additional complaints is being extended.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr O&rsquo;Brien, as an alternative, suggested in correspondence to the Department of Health that an enhanced information and advocacy support system for health service clients could be developed by means of an arrangement with the Citizen&rsquo;s Information Board.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/original-plan-for-hse-patient-safety-body-abandoned-1.2215944\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/original-plan-for-hse-patient-safety-body-abandoned-1.2215944</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-18 09:19:55',NULL,'original-plan-for-hse-patient-safety-body-abandoned'),(1053,'Investigation into how violent inmate got knife used in fatal prison stabbing','<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; and Prison Service officials are investigating how an inmate with a history of violent behaviour obtained a knife before fatally stabbing another prisoner.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Graham Johnson (41) suffered a fatal stab wound to his chest, and a minor slash wound to his throat, before prison staff were able to separate the two men at 5pm on Saturday in Cork Prison.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Johnson was subjected to the assault after a minor disagreement earlier about a TV remote control.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last night, prison sources told the Irish Independent that both men had been working in the kitchen when the row broke out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There is a television in the kitchen area - we understand a fight broke out over what channel the lads wanted to watch while working.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Both of these guys would have been considered trusted inmates and would have been given a job in the kitchen as a result. It is a very sought after position. A kitchen knife was the weapon used.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tragically, the victim - who was serving a four-year sentence for theft - was scheduled to be released in just four weeks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Johnson, who was from Bandon in west Cork, had told prison officials he planned to rebuild his life having received help for a serious gambling problem while in custody.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was described by prison sources as &quot;a model prisoner&quot; and someone who &quot;wouldn&#39;t hurt a fly&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The incident, which occurred near the prison kitchens, was stopped by prison staff, but not before the man had sustained critical injuries. No prison officers were injured.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The entire incident lasted only a matter of seconds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Emergency medical treatment was provided for the injured inmate at the scene. However, he died before he could be transferred by ambulance to Cork University Hospital (CUH).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Johnson suffered a significant chest injury as well as major blood loss. A full post-mortem examination was scheduled to be carried out last night at CUH by the State Pathologist.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The other inmate suspected of being involved in the attack, a man in his early 30s, has been moved to a secure holding cell. He has a history of violence and is serving a sentence for a serious assault. One of his previous offences included an assault with a weapon.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man, who is from the south-east, is described as being extremely volatile.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A number of other inmates witnessed the fatal attack and were said to be deeply shocked.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Johnson received a prison sentence in November 2011 from Cork Circuit Criminal Court for a series of thefts related to personal gambling problems.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was a chronic gambler whose addiction issues began when he was aged just 14 years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was sentenced to five years, with the final 12 months suspended, after he pleaded guilty to stealing more than &euro;19,000. Johnson stole &euro;1,620 in cash, &euro;1,500 in gold jewellery and &euro;1,500 in cheques from a Mallow goldsmiths in April 2011. He also pleaded guilty to stealing &euro;3,000 in cash and &euro;12,000 from a development firm in west Cork where he was working. The latter incidents occurred in 2007.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/investigation-into-how-violent-inmate-got-knife-used-in-fatal-prison-stabbing-31230326.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/investigation-into-how-violent-inmate-got-knife-used-in-fatal-prison-stabbing-31230326.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-18 09:25:10',NULL,'investigation-into-how-violent-inmate-got-knife-used-in-fatal-prison-stabbing'),(1054,'Figures show 4,700 disabled adults sexually abused in England in two years','<p>\r\n	Almost 5,000 disabled adults have been sexually abused in England in the past two years, figures show.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The NSPCC said information from 106 councils showing 4,748 reports of sex abuse against disabled adults is the &ldquo;visible peak&rdquo; of what could be a bigger problem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	People with learning difficulties were the victims of almost two thirds of reported incidents, the BBC found through Freedom of Information requests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Jon Brown, the NSPCC&rsquo;s lead on tackling sexual abuse, said while these figures focus on adults, disabled young people can also be victims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We know with sexual abuse that many victims find it difficult to speak out,&rdquo; he told the BBC.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We know from research that disabled children and young people are three or four times more likely to be abused and neglected than children and young people who are not disabled.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Abusers are often very adept at identifying vulnerabilities. And, importantly, we know that it&rsquo;s less likely for children and young people to be believed as well.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The BBC&rsquo;s Victoria Derbyshire programme submitted requests for information to 152 councils with adult social services responsibilities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Local Government Association told the BBC that &ldquo;keeping people safe, including people with learning disabilities, is one of the most important things councils do&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said &ldquo;councils work hard to ensure support is available when cases of abuse are referred&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/figures-show-4700-disabled-adults-sexually-abused-in-england-in-two-years-677572.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/figures-show-4700-disabled-adults-sexually-abused-in-england-in-two-years-677572.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-18 09:26:50',NULL,'figures-show-4700-disabled-adults-sexually-abused-in-england-in-two-years'),(1055,'Not only is bullying horrible, \'it can shorten your life\'','<p>\r\n	Being bullied at school has effects on the body that last for decades and can even shorten a person&rsquo;s life, new research suggests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Scientists found a significantly increased risk of stress-induced chronic inflammation in middle-aged men and women who had been bullied as children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This, in turn, is known to increase the chances of having blocked arteries, leading to potentially fatal heart attacks and strokes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In women, falling victim to childhood bullying was also found to raise the risk of being clinically obese in later life by about 40%.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The findings come from a major study of more than 7,000 Britons born in 1958 whose parents provided information about their children&rsquo;s exposure to bullying at age seven and 11.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Data on blood inflammation markers and obesity were collected when the participants were aged 45.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Professor Louise Arseneault, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King&rsquo;s College, London, who co-led the study, said: &ldquo;Our findings show that being bullied in childhood does get under your skin. We should move away from this idea that bullying is part of growing up and acceptable.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Bullying is a part of growing up for many children from all social groups. While many important school programmes focus on preventing bullying behaviours, we tend to neglect the victims and their suffering.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Our study implies that early interventions in support of the bullied children could not only limit psychological distress but also reduce physical health problems in adulthood.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Previous research has linked bullying to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, poorer education and deficient social life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, points to serious physical as well as psychological effects that can have a major impact on long-term health.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among the study participants, 28% were bullied occasionally in childhood and 15% frequently.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/science-world/not-only-is-bullying-horrible-it-can-shorten-your-life-331803.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/science-world/not-only-is-bullying-horrible-it-can-shorten-your-life-331803.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-20 11:36:32',NULL,'not-only-is-bullying-horrible-it-can-shorten-your-life'),(1056,'Black people suffer most racism, much of it below radar','<p>\r\n	Black children had bananas thrown at them as they walked with their father, and a black woman was singled out by garda&iacute; to produce her ID on a cross-border bus, a conference has been told.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These were among examples of the &ldquo;everyday racism&rdquo; black Africans experience,said Dr Lucy Michael of the University of Ulster. She said black Africans suffered the most sustained racism here and the impact on children was the most worrying aspect because, perhaps unlike their parents, they would be less able to rationalise the abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The conference, hosted by European Network Against Racism (ENAR) Ireland, was held to mark Africa Day on Tuesday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Michael said such acts of &ldquo;everyday racism&rdquo; may not warrant criminal investigation, but could &ldquo;be just as damaging to the individual as a violent attack&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Everyday racism is the racism other than that which &lsquo;bad&rsquo; people do, the everyday things we see and tolerate and start to normalise and start to ignore. But when we start t look for it, it is everywhere.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Michael has analysed the reports of Afrophobic racism made to ENAR and included in its most recent quarterly reports, which found black and black African people experience the most racism.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In other incidents a black woman was threatened in a pub and had a drink thrown over her, while in another a black man was assaulted by six people while walking alone in Dublin city centre on mid-week evening.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We need to understand that many of these incidents pass under the radar but the drip-drip-drip in a person&rsquo;s life accumulates and damages their ability to participate, to contribute and damages their mental health.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said there was a tendency to see only the &ldquo;black body&rdquo; and not the person, as could be seen in references to dirt, disease, pollution, laziness , and making animalistic sounds or gestures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Salome Mbuga, founder of migrant women&rsquo;s network Akidwa, said as a black woman living in Ireland for 21 years, she had &ldquo;on many occasions had to challenge racism and discrimination&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Many people of African descent have very bad experiences fighting to be respected, fighting for services for their children.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She called for a new National Action Plan Against Racism, the last one having expired in 2008, and for a body to replace the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, which also closed in 2008 as a result of cutbacks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/black-people-suffer-most-racism-much-of-it-below-radar-1.2218540\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/black-people-suffer-most-racism-much-of-it-below-radar-1.2218540</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-20 11:39:29',NULL,'black-people-suffer-most-racism-much-of-it-below-radar'),(1057,'Calls for better Government-funded resources for carers','<p>\r\n	Cuts to housing grants and respite care have been highlighted as particular challenges for people caring for a loved one at home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking at the launch of the National Carers&#39; Strategy today in Dublin spokesperson for the group, Catherine Cox, said funding cuts had been hard for their members and said that respite care support is very poor.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The group reported on the slow progress of the Government&#39;s National Carers&#39; Strategy, highlighting a 19% cut to the Respite Care Grant in 2012 and the halving of funding for Housing Grant Schemes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Health has said it was always clear that the National Carers&#39; Strategy would be &quot;subject to constraints, particularly as it was framed in a time of great economic difficulty for the State.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although the State&#39;s financial position has improved, a spokesperson for the department said, &quot;significant challenges remain and resources generally are still under significant pressure.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Adding, &ldquo;the strategy&#39;s mechanisms are still only properly bedding in, and it is important to allow time for that to bear fruit before any review would take place.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, the Department of Social Protection, which administers the Respite Care Grant said while a decision was taken to reduce the amount of the grant in Budget 2013, &quot;it is worth making the point that the rate of the Respite Care Grant at &euro;1,375 is still more than twice what it was in 2002 when it was &euro;635, and higher than it was in 2006 at the height of the economic boom, when it was &euro;1,200.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the Department of the Environment, which funds Housing Adaption Grants, said the overall spend last year was &euro;46.3 and the 2015 amount will increase by some 10% representing a spend of &euro;50.5 million.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0519/702338-the-national-carers-strategy/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0519/702338-the-national-carers-strategy/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-20 12:30:31',NULL,'calls-for-better-government-funded-resources-for-carers'),(1058,'Child abuser has sentence halved as judges rule six-year-old victim \'was gay\'','<p>\r\n	Two Argentine judges are under fire after cutting the sentence of a paedophile in half on the grounds that his six-year-old victim was gay.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Describing the now 11-year-old as having a &ldquo;homosexual orientation&rdquo;, appeal court judges Horacio Piombo and Benjam&iacute;n Sal Llargu&eacute;s decided to cut the prison sentence for Mario Tolosa from six years to three, as they felt his victim was &ldquo;accustomed to sexual behaviour&rdquo; following years of abuse by his father.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It cannot be considered abuse when a boy is used to being abused in his home and is accustomed to sexual behaviour and has a homosexual orientation,&rdquo; they said in their ruling.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Calls to impeachment the judges have spread across the country after the verdict came to light last week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Justice Piombo defended the decision on Monday, saying that before Mr Tolosa molested the boy, the child had already suffered &ldquo;the initiation by his father into the worst of worlds, leading him to depravation.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge said that as a result of that experience, the boy had showed &ldquo;signs of a transvestite conduct, of conduct we had to take into account.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Adding that Mr Tolosa&rsquo;s actions could not be considered &ldquo;gravely outrageous&rdquo; in legal terms because his victim was already &ldquo;making a precocious choice&rdquo; about his sexuality.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The ruling dates from last year but become public last week as prosecutors at Buenos Aires&rsquo; Supreme Court decided to appeal the verdict.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans have demanded the judges be removed from the bench, saying the ruling placed the victim &quot;in the position of a suspect&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo said the ruling was &quot;an embarrassment&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s repugnant to say that the presumed sexual orientation of an abused six-year-old boy is a reason to reduce the sentence of the abuser,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/world-news/child-abuser-has-sentence-halved-as-judges-rule-sixyearold-victim-was-gay-31241346.html\">http://www.independent.ie/world-news/child-abuser-has-sentence-halved-as-judges-rule-sixyearold-victim-was-gay-31241346.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-22 08:39:14',NULL,'child-abuser-has-sentence-halved-as-judges-rule-six-year-old-victim-was-gay'),(1059,'Safety of children in direct provision flagged by report','<p>\r\n	Significant number of children exposed to violence, physical abuse and risk of injury</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fears for the safety of many children of asylum-seekers living in direct provision have been flagged in an official report to be published shortly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Child protection and welfare concerns were raised about approximately one in seven of 1,600 children living in direct provision in the year up to last August, according to a report by the standards body Hiqa, the Health Information and Quality Authority.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This represents 14 per cent of the children living in the asylum-seeker system. The comparable figure for welfare referrals in the child population generally is 1.6 per cent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Concerns about children may be raised with the authorities by anyone, but professional staff have a duty to report them under the Children First guidelines.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood the report will say that in the case of a small number of children, &ldquo;action was not taken to protect them&rdquo;. It praises the work of many practitioners striving to meet the welfare and protection needs of children in direct provision, but says this is not consistent across all areas.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There was no strategic plan in place to identify and meet the needs of this particularly vulnerable group of children and families.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Suicide threat</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In one case in the Louth-Meath area, it took three years for social workers to respond to concerns about a child threatening suicide.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A significant number of children living under direct provision were exposed to domestic violence, physical abuse, inappropriate contact with adults, violence between residents and risk of injury, according to the report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Physical or mental illness of parents impacting on their capacity to care for their children, children&rsquo;s mental health issues, and gaps in the provision of practical support were common welfare concerns.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood Hiqa inspectors found living in direct provision accommodation &ldquo;was a cause of some of the welfare concerns&rdquo; , including injuries sustained by children due to cramped living conditions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa last year decided to monitor the quality of services provided by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) against specific national standards for the protection and welfare of children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Four service areas</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It selected four service areas for its field work last November and December, where 650 children were living in seven centres. These areas were the midlands; Sligo-Leitrim-West Cavan; Louth-Meath; and Dublin north city. Referrals were received by Tusla in relation to 124 children in these centres and Hiqa&rsquo;s inspectors reviewed 100 of them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nationally, Tusla received 41,599 referrals about children in 2013, of which half reached the threshold for an initial assessment by social workers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But of 209 referrals made to the agency about 229 children in direct provision, 178 (85 per cent) reached the threshold for an initial assessment &ndash; significantly higher than the national figure. The Hiqa report says further analysis is required to determine the reasons for this disparity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some social workers interviewed by Hiqa expressed concerns about the isolation of families, due to the location of their accommodation away from towns and transport routes and their location within direct provision centres.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Teams in some cases also felt families were not coming forward for support, as they were worried they might be perceived as being poor parents and this might have an impact on their application for asylum.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 4,300 asylum seekers, including 1,600 children, have spent an average of four years in direct provision.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/safety-of-children-in-direct-provision-flagged-by-report-1.2221587\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/safety-of-children-in-direct-provision-flagged-by-report-1.2221587</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-22 09:21:13',NULL,'safety-of-children-in-direct-provision-flagged-by-report'),(1060,'HSE spent over €8m rehiring retired staff','<p>\r\n	The HSE spent over &euro;8m rehiring retired staff in a single year, according to figures released by health officials.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The controversial practice, which breaches the HSE&#39;s own recruitment policies, resulted in 514 former staff being rehired in 2013 at a cost of &euro;8.4m to the taxpayer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite breaching its own rules, the HSE defended the filling of the positions with former staff, saying this was only done in &quot;exceptional circumstances&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The rehired staff included 266 retired nurses who were pressed back into service at a cost of &euro;3m.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a briefing note for TDs on the D&aacute;il Public Accounts Committee, health officials said it had been necessary to rehire certain categories of staff on a short-term basis due to difficulties finding suitable replacements.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said urgent service needs or recruitment processing requirements meant the staff were required in the short term to support on-going services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These included medical consultants who were asked to stay on after retirement to cover their previous posts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Retired psychiatric nurses and other skilled nursing staff were also rehired &quot;where particular sourcing challenges exist&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Officials said pension abatement rules kicked in for all of the rehired staff, meaning they could not be earning on the double.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among those rehired were 80 medical staff at a cost of &euro;3.2m, 87 support staff at a cost of &euro;878,000 and 23 health and social care workers at a cost of &euro;577,000.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some 30 former managers or administrators were also rehired at a cost of &euro;352,000, while three dental staff were rehired at a cost of &euro;74,000.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The rehiring of former staff has been a persistent issue in the HSE for several years and had continued despite instructions being issued to managers in 2010 to cease doing so.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/hse-spent-over-8m-rehiring-retired-staff-31243247.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/hse-spent-over-8m-rehiring-retired-staff-31243247.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-22 09:22:56',NULL,'hse-spent-over-€8m-rehiring-retired-staff'),(1061,'Recognising and dealing with growing issue of cyberabuse','<p>\r\n	US organisation has linked up with Safe Ireland on a project that will train service providers, garda&iacute; and judges to deal with cyber-abuse</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Technology is &ndash; usually &ndash; our friend. It lets us hail a taxi and turn on the heat before we get home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But it has a dark side too. It facilitates new forms of cyber-harassment, stalking and other types of abuse, while those perpetrating it remain under the cover of anonymity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Domestic violence (DV) support workers have noticed that more abuse is taking place online, and the methods range from using spyware to monitor and track victims to posting revenge porn.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;When we think of stalking, we think of someone hiding behind a bush or in a car, but in Ireland technology is the way forward. We see abuse on social media, mobile phones, constant texting,&rdquo; says Deirdre Lawlor of the Dublin 12 Domestic Violence Service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking into teen dating abuse, which is getting huge. A lot of young girls are giving their boyfriends their [social media and email] passwords.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The US-based National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) carried out a survey of victim services in the US last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of the 346 respondents, 97 per cent said domestic and sexual assault victims who seek services are being harassed, monitored and threatened by offenders misusing technology.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Safety Net</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	NNEDV has partnered with Safe Ireland, an organisation that represents frontline DV services here, to launch a project called Safety Net, which is already up and running in the US and Australia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The programme will train advocates, service providers, government agencies, garda&iacute; and judges to recognise and deal with cyber-abuse. It will educate people to use technology safely while maintaining privacy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;When we did our survey, we found that the majority of technology monitoring by offenders is happening via social media and text messaging. That&rsquo;s what was bubbling up in conversation with Irish advocates,&rdquo; says NNEDV&rsquo;s vice-president Cindy Southworth, who was in Ireland earlier this year to train victim advocates.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They&rsquo;re really struggling with how victims can maintain a presence on social media after basically leaving an abusive partner.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;And the whole point is they&rsquo;ve been isolated and cut off from family and friends, so we want them on social media,&rdquo; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Southworth also advises some of Ireland&rsquo;s leading tech companies about how to keep devices and platforms safe for victims and consumers in general.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Caitr&iacute;ona Gleeson, programme manager at Safe Ireland, says she is looking forward to adapting the Safety Net model to an Irish context and linking it to Irish laws.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She says Safety Net&rsquo;s launch is tentatively planned for September, provided they can secure enough funding and government commitment by then.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Educating victims, garda&iacute;, judges</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The programme will teach support workers to show victims how to do things such as retain evidence using screen shots and teach them when not to use a device that has been compromised.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;To tell someone not to use technology is to further disempower and isolate the person.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that the technology is bad. The mobile phone isn&rsquo;t going to hurt you, but how someone uses it can control you,&rdquo; Gleeson says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We have a lot of work to do in Ireland . . . within our legal system particularly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We want to bring increased awareness to garda&iacute; and judges so that when a woman is going into a Garda station, garda&iacute; are equipped to ask the key questions,&rdquo; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If a former partner always knows where you are, a key question might be, &ldquo;Were you driving your car on the days your ex showed up?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If so, your car could have a GPS device used for tracking. If not, your ex might be accessing location data from your phone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Those patterns help identify what technology is being misused. The last thing we want is a victim going to the garda&iacute; and saying, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m being tracked, but I don&rsquo;t know how.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s not likely to get a strong response.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;But if they can go in and say, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m pretty sure my phone has been compromised. Over the past three months my ex has shown up at 16 places where I&rsquo;ve been. It&rsquo;s always been when I&rsquo;ve had my phone, and I have a stalking log.&rsquo; There&rsquo;s a much higher likelihood the officers will sit down and take that report and climb into the case,&rdquo; says Southworth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She says the next step is training judges. In the US, more judges are including text, phone and social media contact bans in protection orders.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not something we&rsquo;ve heard the judges are doing yet in Ireland, but the advocates were very excited about the possibility.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Assessing Irish law</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Safety Net also plans to assess which Irish laws are available for victims of cyber-abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We have stalking laws at the moment, but there&rsquo;s a debate whether the law is up to date with cyberbullying and technology, so this is a question that the Law Reform Commission are looking to have answered at the moment,&rdquo; Gleeson says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We have lots of laws that aren&rsquo;t being implemented consistently. So do we have to go through legislative change? Or can we just upskill to understand that if somebody is listening to me via a new form of technology, it&rsquo;s still tapping?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Southworth would rather use current laws to address cyber-abuse than rely on legislative change. &ldquo;If every time a new device comes out we update the law, eventually we&rsquo;re going to say, &lsquo;You can&rsquo;t stalk by using a computer that&rsquo;s part of your watch.&rsquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;What happens when it&rsquo;s no longer a part of your watch, and the computer&rsquo;s a part of your earring? Let&rsquo;s not go there. The behaviour is what&rsquo;s relevant, not the technology medium.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/recognising-and-dealing-with-growing-issue-of-cyberabuse-1.2222216\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/recognising-and-dealing-with-growing-issue-of-cyberabuse-1.2222216</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-25 10:36:28',NULL,'recognising-and-dealing-with-growing-issue-of-cyberabuse'),(1062,'Web porn blamed for child-on-child sex attacks','<p>\r\n	The country&rsquo;s specialist charity for child sex abuse victims has seen a 43% rise in the number of assaults on children perpetrated by children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Children at Risk in Ireland (CARI) believe access to hardcore pornography online, in addition to general &ldquo;hyper sexualisation&rdquo; in the media, is contributing to the rise.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said teenage victims were being &ldquo;further traumatised&rdquo; with their assaults being viewed and discussed by peers on social media.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And it said that abused children can wait up to 12 months for therapy because of ongoing funding cuts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	CARI said it noticed a marked increase in calls to its national helpline in relation to rape and sexual assault in 2012. It also found that, in many of the cases, the victim and alleged perpetrator were teenagers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said the number rose in 2013 and that by the end of 2014, the figures &ldquo;worryingly show an overall 43% increase over the three years&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said that while some of the increase was due to how CARI now recorded such reports, the &ldquo;underlying trend is undeniable&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking ahead of the publication of CARI&rsquo;s 2013/2014 annual report today, CEO Mary Flaherty said: &ldquo;The increase is very significant and is a marked shift and we believe that access to pornography and the unrealistic expectations involved with that are contributing, along with general hyper-sexualisation in the media and video games.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;What is particularly disturbing is that the teenagers report being further traumatised by the fact that these assaults were viewed and discussed by their peers on social media sites, which often led to the isolation and bullying of the victims.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Flaherty said this was a &ldquo;frightening situation, for young women in particular&rdquo;. She said CARI recommended an intervention and prevention approach, which should include the implementation of a national education programme for teachers and parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She added: &ldquo;A treatment programme for sexualised behaviour in young children is urgently needed. A significant proportion of referrals to CARI in recent years are for such behaviours is the under-12 age group.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The CARI report said that, due to funding cuts and staff and structural changes, there had been a 29% reduction in therapy hours in the last three years. It said this had resulted in waiting lists in Dublin and Limerick, where CARI operate full-time centres.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said it was &ldquo;unacceptable&rdquo; that children who have been abused can be forced to wait up to 12 months for therapy due to cutbacks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Helpline: 1890 92 45 67; www.cari.ie</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/web-porn-blamed-for-child-on-child-sex-attacks-332665.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/web-porn-blamed-for-child-on-child-sex-attacks-332665.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-25 10:40:36',NULL,'web-porn-blamed-for-child-on-child-sex-attacks'),(1063,'Correcting vision in children with dyslexia ‘unlikely to help’','<p>\r\n	Correcting vision problems in children with dyslexia is unlikely to have any effect on the condition, research has shown.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the first study of its kind, scientists found no evidence that visual deficiencies are linked to severe cases of &ldquo;word blindness&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The results call into question the value of common private treatments that can cost thousands of euro. Many experts had already cast doubt on the effectiveness of the therapies, which typically involve the use of coloured lenses and overlays and eye exercises.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The research, published in the journal Pediatrics, tested whether the supposed connection between dyslexia and eyesight problems was based on fact or just a myth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lead author Dr Cathy Williams, from the University of Bristol, said:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Some practitioners feel that vision impairments may be associated with dyslexia and should be treated...</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Families now might want to ask: What visual impairment is actually being treated, how is it measured, and what is the evidence that treating it will help a child with dyslexia?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which affects the acquisition of fluent and accurate reading and spelling skills and, according to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland website, about 10% of the population, or 400,000 people are affected. It can have lifelong impacts on education, relationships, and employment prospects.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The scientists analysed the results of eye tests conducted on 5,822 English seven and eight-year-olds. Each was given a reading assessment at age nine, which revealed that 3% had severe and 8% moderate dyslexia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The results were compared with those from 5,650 other children of the same age whose reading ability was normal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 80% of the dyslexic children showed no evidence of a vision problem, the researchers found. Tests were carried out for squint, 3D imaging, long and short sightedness, contrast recognition, and &ldquo;fusion&rdquo; &mdash; the ability to compose a single picture from two slightly different images from each eye.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/correcting-vision-in-children-with-dyslexia-unlikely-to-help-332658.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/correcting-vision-in-children-with-dyslexia-unlikely-to-help-332658.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-25 10:42:23',NULL,'correcting-vision-in-children-with-dyslexia-‘unlikely-to-help’'),(1064,'Employment strategy for people with disabilities in weeks','<p>\r\n	Cabinet subcommittee to discuss measures that include target to reach full employment</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government is to publish a comprehensive employment strategy for people with a disability within weeks. The Cabinet subcommittee on social policy met on Monday and discussed a range of new measures in the sector.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Children James Reilly gave a presentation on the possibility of extending the support of special-needs assistants to preschool children in mainstream schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This could mean assistants could be hired to work in preschools in an effort to intervene at the earliest stage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Government source said: &ldquo;It is accepted that the supports that are there at present are not satisfactory and people are assigned supports on an ad-hoc basis. Minister Reilly worked with the Departments of Education and Health and the aim is to have a system that can operate throughout the country.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Working group</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The plans were not signed off but the Minister was given approval to set up a working group to examine this area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister of State for Equality Aodh&aacute;n &Oacute; R&iacute;ord&aacute;in also gave a presentation on the new employment strategy for disabled people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The proposals are due to be released in a number of weeks but are said to include a number of targets to reach full employment. They will be sent to the various interest groups for consideration and then will come before Cabinet within weeks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new strategy has included input from the Departments of Social Protection and Health.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Empowering employers</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A senior source said it will be about empowering employers to hire those with disabilities and to assist those who acquire a disability in their employment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government source said: &ldquo;There will be individual measures with clear targets. The targets are reasonably ambitious. This is an issue of justice, not charity.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Cabinet subcommittee, attended by the Taoiseach and T&aacute;naiste, also agreed to ensure the Assisted Decision Making Bill will be passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas by the summer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has vowed to have the law passed before the summer recess.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Up to 600,000 people in Ireland are affected by some level of disability.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/employment-strategy-for-people-with-disabilities-in-weeks-1.2225817\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/employment-strategy-for-people-with-disabilities-in-weeks-1.2225817</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-26 09:22:53',NULL,'employment-strategy-for-people-with-disabilities-in-weeks'),(1065,'Hiqa highlights fears for safety of children in asylum centres','<p>\r\n	A damning report by the health watchdog has revealed how one child in every seven living in a direct provision centre had to be referred to social services in a single year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some 229 children were subject to referrals over child protection and welfare concerns between August 2013 and August 2014, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It found children living in centres for asylum seekers had been exposed to physical abuse and domestic violence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 18 cases, abuse fears were so serious they were notified to garda&iacute; by child protection workers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Hiqa report raised concerns about inappropriate contact by adults towards some children. It also identified significant failings in some cases, including one in Laois/Offaly, where it took three years for a social work team to respond to a referral about a child threatening suicide.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa&#39;s findings come as the Government faces mounting pressure to radically alter the direct provision system or do away with it altogether.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Earlier this month, the Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions published a report recommending the direct provision system be scrapped.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Government working group, tasked with bringing forward recommendations for the future of the system, is due to issue a report to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in the coming days.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The system, initially put in place as a temporary measure in 2000, has become largely discredited.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under direct provision, asylum seekers are housed in centres and not allowed to work while their applications are processed. There are also barriers to them entering third-level education.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Delays in processing applications and dealing with appeals can often mean an asylum seeker spends several years waiting to learn if they will get refugee status.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While these failings have been apparent for several years, Hiqa&#39;s report has turned the spotlight on the impact of the system on children and on the mental health of them and their parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Its director of regulation, Mary Dunnion, said: &quot;The authority has grave concerns about the high number of children living in direct provision centres who have been referred to the child and family agency.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of these referrals, 51pc referred to child welfare issues while the remaining 49pc related to child protection concerns.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said the nature of the welfare referrals varied but there were some common themes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These included the physical or mental illness of a parent impacting on capacity to provide quality care for children, lack of clothes and toys, and parents isolating themselves and their children from support services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report made a number of recommendations, including one calling for Tusla, the child and family agency, to conduct an audit to ensure there are no outstanding or incomplete assessments.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla chief executive Gordon Jeyes said it accepted the findings and was working to deal with a backlog in referrals.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/hiqa-highlights-fears-for-safety-of-children-in-asylum-centres-31253403.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/hiqa-highlights-fears-for-safety-of-children-in-asylum-centres-31253403.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-26 09:28:26',NULL,'hiqa-highlights-fears-for-safety-of-children-in-asylum-centres'),(1066,'It’s better for men to open up than ‘man up’ and stay silent','<p>\r\n	Man Up is the romantic comedy of the moment, But the phrase &lsquo;man up&rsquo; really annoys, Caroline Allen who thinks it sends out the wrong message to men about mental health</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Being a man has changed, to quote a TV advert for a well-known fast food chain. However, the perception of traditional roles still runs deeply throughout society.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One of Intel&rsquo;s newest vice-presidents, Cork native Margaret Burgraff, was recently quoted as saying that her American husband &mdash; a stay at home dad &mdash; encountered far more discrimination as a father in the homeplace than she did as a woman at work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Former GAA president Liam O&rsquo;Neill also raised the need to redefine masculinity at a recent awards ceremony at Mountrath Community School, Co Laois. Boys are not taught or don&rsquo;t know how to express &mdash; to the same extent as girls &mdash; the language of emotions, he contended.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Having collaborated with the Gaelic Players&rsquo; Association on suicide prevention, O&rsquo;Neill said there was a real need to prevent mental health difficulties before they arose rather than dealing with problems when they surfaced.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t just about GAA or sport, but if a six-year-old girl is injured on the playing field, she is reaffirmed and reassured whereas a boy of the same age will be told &lsquo;Big boys don&rsquo;t cry&rsquo;. Boys very quickly learn to hide their feelings,&rdquo; says O&rsquo;Neill.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;From a playing point of view, it&rsquo;s also about not shouting at boys, but encouraging them. If a child is shouted at, it will take up to 20 positive remarks to bring them back to the level they were at previously &mdash; with an adult it will take four or five,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If we dealt differently with boys from day one and taught them the language of emotion and that it is okay for big boys to cry and to express their feelings, it would eliminate a lot of difficulties later on,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Neill said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It would also be in line with the message from mental health professionals that men need to open up about depression rather than trying to &lsquo;man up&rsquo; and keep things to themselves.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The masculine identity is still aligned with a sense of &lsquo;manning up&rsquo; which involves dominance, aggressiveness and not showing weakness, concurred Colman Noctor, a child and adolescent psychotherapist at St Patrick&rsquo;s Hospital, and the author of a new parenting book Cop On (Gill &amp; Macmillan.)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There is still an emphasis on raising boys to be tough so as they won&rsquo;t be pushed around and this is a concern of many parents, but perhaps in doing this, we stunt their ability to express unhappiness, pain or worry,&rdquo; says Noctor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There is a need for children to establish resilience and this is achieved by giving them surmountable stress so that they can learn to overcome, and not by over protecting or overwhelming them with unmanageable stress. Yet this balance is hard to achieve.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On a wider scale, Noctor said, we have become a society that encourages people to talk about their emotions while still not being being comfortable with people &mdash; especially boys &mdash; showing emotion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This is problematic. We have never been more encouraging of people talking but we have become overly concerned with brevity and conciseness. &lsquo;Tell me how you feel but do it in less than 147 characters&rsquo;.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While strides have been made in advancing equality in the workplace, many feel there is still a long way to go to ensure men and employers are happy to promote a culture of acceptance when it comes to males availing of parental leave and paternity leave.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The earning potential of women can still intimidate some men and affect relationships, said Noctor. This combined with the loss of traditional male-dominated jobs such as construction, finance and manufacturing, during the downturn, has seen more stay-at-home fathers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While this is a sensible solution for many households, some women admit to a prejudice &mdash; despite their feminist beliefs &mdash; that a man who doesn&rsquo;t work is a lesser being.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There have been tales of stay at home dads being ignored on the social circuit because they are &lsquo;only&rsquo; househusbands and of feelings of isolation and boredom.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While professional services are generally still very traditional work environments, the technology and social media sectors are among those with supportive cultures when it comes to flexible working for all, according to Fredericka Sheppard of Voltage Human Resources.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She says there is a shift in thinking, with more dads doing school drop-offs and collections. Just as companies can benefit by allowing valued employees time off to travel, so too can they retain experienced male employees by recognising their role as involved dads.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Positive role models include David Beckham who is proud of his role as a hands-on dad, supporting wife Victoria as she builds her burgeoning fashion empire.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Rugby star Brian O&rsquo;Driscoll has said that he would be happy to move abroad so that his wife Amy can progress her acting career.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While Noctor agrees that &lsquo;manning up&rsquo; is still an issue, he is hopeful that we are moving towards a more rounded idea of what that concept means.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Often we demonise fathers for lacking empathy when they encourage their child to &lsquo;man up&rsquo; but this can often come from a place that is hoping for the child to be able to be robust and not vulnerable to bullies as opposed to just being cruel.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As parents we can get this wrong and over-burden and over-protect our children. We need to encourage emotional expression akin to the child&rsquo;s age. What is appropriate for a three-year-old is different to that for a 16-year-old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;All emotional expression needs to happen in moderation and we have a responsibility to mediate that with children and adolescents so they can express &mdash; and contain &mdash; emotion as appropriate and proportionately to events in their lives,&rdquo; says Noctor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Good role models, he suggested, include Bressie and Alan Quinlan.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They are two guys who have championed the idea that it&rsquo;s okay to talk and it&rsquo;s okay not to be okay. Although they are closely aligned with mental health promotion, they are good advocates for being able to &lsquo;man up&rsquo; and struggle simultaneously.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/its-better-for-men-to-open-up-than-man-up-and-stay-silent-332799.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/its-better-for-men-to-open-up-than-man-up-and-stay-silent-332799.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-26 09:37:13',NULL,'it’s-better-for-men-to-open-up-than-‘man-up’-and-stay-silent'),(1067,'Corporal punishment: Irish smacking law violates European charter','<p>\r\n	A rights watchdog has found the Republic of Ireland violated a European charter by not banning all corporal punishment, including smacking at home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Corporal punishment was banned in Irish schools in 1982 and, by 1996, it was a criminal offence to hit schoolchildren.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the Republic of Ireland is one of the few European countries that does not ban physical punishment at home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The&nbsp;European Committee of Social Rights&nbsp;made its ruling after a formal complaint from a UK-based charity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Association for the Protection of All Children (Approach) lodged its complaint in February 2013 to the committee, which is part of the 47-nation Council of Europe.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&#39;Reasonable chastisement&#39;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The charity alleged that the Republic of Ireland has taken &quot;no effective action&quot; to remedy violation of Article 17 (the right of mothers and children to social and economic protection) of the European Social Charter by prohibiting all corporal punishment and other &quot;cruel or degrading forms of punishment of children&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://coe-ngo.org/ingo/association-protection-all-children-ltd\">Approach</a>&nbsp;said the existence, under Irish Common Law, of the defence of reasonable chastisement &quot;allows parents and some other adults to assault children with impunity&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In its<a href=\"http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/NewsCOEPortal/CC93Merits_en.asp\">&nbsp;decision, published on Wednesday morning</a>, the European Committee of Social Rights said none of the Irish legislation referred to it expressly banned &quot;all forms of corporal punishment of children that is likely to affect their physical integrity, dignity, development or psychological well-being&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The committee concluded unanimously that Irish domestic law violates Article 17 of the European Social Charter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Corporal punishment is banned in Irish schools and some care settings under the Children Act of 2001, but it is still not explicitly banned in the home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The United Nations and other organisations that protect children, including the Children&#39;s Rights Alliance, Barnardos and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) have been campaigning for some years to change the law on smacking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Legal experts</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The ISPCC said on its website that it believed &quot;comprehensive, quality support and education of parents is essential in actively discouraging slapping and promoting positive, non-violent forms of discipline&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;A legal ban would serve the purpose of removing slapping as an option for parents and would steer and support parents to find alternative disciplinary methods,&quot; it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The European Social Charter is a legally-binding social and economic counterpart to the European Convention on Human Rights. The Republic of Ireland is a signatory to the charter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The European Committee of Social Rights is made up of independent legal experts who assess whether countries are in compliance with their commitments under the charter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32887584\">http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32887584</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-27 09:15:16',NULL,'corporal-punishment-irish-smacking-law-violates-european-charter'),(1068,'Parents could be oversharing photos of their children because they don\'t check social media privacy settings','<p>\r\n	More than 900 images of children are being shared online by parents before their fifth birthday, despite many not checking their social network privacy settings, new research claims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the research, which was carried out by online safety site The Parent Zone on behalf of safety campaign knowthenet, on average 973 photos are posted online by parents before their children turn five, despite 17% of parents admitting they had never checked their Facebook privacy settings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The social network enables users to limit who can see what they post to the site by tweaking privacy settings between public and private.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The research also claimed that almost half (46%) had only checked their settings once or twice, despite Facebook being the most common platform for photo-sharing. The campaign claims parents are running the risk of over-sharing and creating a digital footprint their child then has no control over.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The knowthenet campaign is being run by internet registry site Nominet, whose chief executive Russell Haworth said: &ldquo;We all love to share those precious moments in our children&rsquo;s lives with friends and family and sites like Facebook have made it easier than ever. While the web helps relatives to keep in touch and participate in our everyday lives, it also has the potential to lead to accidental over-sharing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to ensure that the correct privacy settings are in place to safeguard our personal information and content. Parents are creating a large digital footprint for their child from a young age, and the right settings are important if you want to stay in control.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Parent Zone&rsquo;s founder Vicki Shotbolt added: &ldquo;Today&rsquo;s youth is the first generation to grow up with social networks as an integral part of everyday life so it&rsquo;s important we stop and think about how they might feel about content that&rsquo;s shared now when they&rsquo;re older.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;No-one would want a potential employer browsing through their baby photos, so making sure privacy settings are applied properly is always a good idea. Of course parents should feel comfortable uploading photos to social networks, but thinking about whether it&rsquo;s an appropriate image first will go a long way to avoiding any unwanted repercussions in the future.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The knowthenet campaign also issued a list of tips to parents for sharing photos online:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Check your privacy settings: Take a look at your social network&rsquo;s privacy settings and ensure that they have been changed from the default. Make sure you&rsquo;re only sharing images with the right people and avoid oversharing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Think before you upload: If it&rsquo;s an image of a child, do you think they will thank you for sharing it once they&rsquo;ve grown up? Consider the feelings of others before posting images &ndash; if the child isn&rsquo;t your own try to ask the permission of their parent first. Most importantly, remember that once a picture is uploaded to a social media site it&rsquo;s very difficult to remove all traces of it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Stay in control: Don&rsquo;t use social networks as a replacement for your own photo albums or hard drive storage, as they could be at risk in the event of any technical glitches. And remember that some social networks will obtain rights to your images once you&rsquo;ve uploaded them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Keep up to date: Social networks regularly add new features and update their own settings so it&rsquo;s important to keep track.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/technology-and-gaming/parents-could-be-oversharing-photos-of-their-children-because-they-dont-check-social-media-privacy-settings-332982.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/technology-and-gaming/parents-could-be-oversharing-photos-of-their-children-because-they-dont-check-social-media-privacy-settings-332982.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-27 09:17:11',NULL,'parents-could-be-oversharing-photos-of-their-children-because-they-dont-check-social-media-privacy-settings'),(1069,'Children at risk of abuse in asylum centres \'unacceptable\' say Tusla','<p>\r\n	The Chief Executive of Tusla has said that it is unacceptable that children in asylum centres are at risk of abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It comes after a Hiqa report published yesterday highlighted fears for safety of children in direct provision.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some 229 children were subject to referrals over child protection and welfare concerns between August 2013 and August 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 18 cases, abuse fears were so serious they were notified to garda&iacute; by child protection workers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chief Executive of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, Gordon Jeyes said they will ensure that agreed reforms will be implemented.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It is not acceptable. It is not good enough. We should have got it right the first time,&quot; said Mr Jeyes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I am telling you and I will be accountable to the public that we are directly intervening in those areas that if the agreed reforms are not implemented as consistently and effectively as we want.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/children-at-risk-of-abuse-in-asylum-centres-unacceptable-say-tusla-678858.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/children-at-risk-of-abuse-in-asylum-centres-unacceptable-say-tusla-678858.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-27 09:18:11',NULL,'children-at-risk-of-abuse-in-asylum-centres-unacceptable-say-tusla'),(1070,'Nebraska votes to abolish death penalty','<p>\r\n	Legislature vote replaces death penalty with life sentence that has no possibility of parole</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nebraska has become the first conservative US state in more than 40 years to abolish the death penalty, with policymakers defying their Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, a supporter of capital punishment who had lobbied against banning it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After more than two hours of emotional speeches at the Capitol on Wednesday, the legislature, by a 30-19 vote that cut across party lines, overrode the governor&rsquo;s veto of a bill repealing the state&rsquo;s death penalty law. After the repeal measure passed - by just enough votes to overcome the veto - dozens of spectators in the balcony burst into celebration.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The vote capped a months-long battle that pitted most representatives in the unicameral legislature against the governor, many law enforcement officials and some family members of murder victims whose killers are on death row.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The legislature approved the repeal bill three times this year, each time by a veto-proof majority, before sending it to Mr Ricketts&rsquo; desk. Adding to the drama, two senators who had previously voted for repeal switched to support the governor at the last minute.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Ricketts, who fought against the repeal bill by appearing repeatedly in television interviews and urging Nebraskans to pressure their senators to oppose it, immediately denounced the vote. &ldquo;My words cannot express how appalled I am that we have lost a critical tool to protect law enforcement and Nebraska families,&rdquo; he said in a statement. &ldquo;While the legislature has lost touch with the citizens of Nebraska, I will continue to stand with Nebraskans and law enforcement on this important issue.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a debate that was by turns somber, fiery and soul-searching, with sprinklings of quotes from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens and the Book of Genesis, senators stood to make last-minute pitches to try to persuade the undecided. Some said capital punishment should be retained as a tool to punish the most heinous crimes. Others said the death penalty, which has not been used in Nebraska since 1997, was irretrievably broken.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Today we are doing something that transcends me, that transcends this Legislature, that transcends this state,&rdquo; said Senator Ernie Chambers, the independent from Omaha who sponsored the bill. &ldquo;We are talking about human dignity.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A few senators argued Nebraskans were still broadly in favour of capital punishment, even if many Republicans in the legislature had turned away from it. Others said they were deeply conflicted about their vote to retain the death penalty. &ldquo;Today I will sustain the governor&rsquo;s veto because I campaigned on it,&rdquo; said Senator Tyson Larson, two hours into the debate. &ldquo;This might be the last time I give the state the right to take a life because I don&rsquo;t think that they necessarily should.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Opponents of the death penalty were able to build a coalition that spanned the ideological spectrum by winning the support of Republican legislators who said they believed the death penalty was inefficient, expensive and out of place with their party&rsquo;s values, as well as from politicians who cited religious or moral reasons for their supporting the repeal. Nebraska now joins 18 other states and Washington, DC, in banning the death penalty.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The result was welcomed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska. Danielle Conrad, executive director, welcomed the result as &ldquo;a remarkable and historic victory&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This is a meaningful victory for all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Legislature, with the world watching, made their voice a part of the national conversation. We are a nation that is turning away from the death penalty. This victory stands as a testament to what can happen in our sister states,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The vote comes as liberals and conservatives have been finding common ground on criminal justice issues in Washington and around the country. In other states, Democrats and Republicans driven by different motivations have formed alliances to limit revenues that towns can collect from traffic fines; cracked down on civil asset forfeiture, a practice that disproportionately affects the poor; and eased mandatory prison sentences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On the presidential trail, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul have all called for easing mandatory minimum sentences, and some Republican candidates have embraced Democratic ideas on issues including bail and drug treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Though it formally considers itself nonpartisan, the Nebraska legislature is dominated by Republicans. The vote Wednesday came a day after Mr Ricketts signed a veto of the death penalty repeal bill in front of reporters assembled at the Capitol and talked about a gruesome bank robbery in the city of Norfolk in 2002, in which five people were shot to death, as a compelling reason that Nebraska should hold on to capital punishment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Two family members of a woman who was shot during the robbery stood at the governor&rsquo;s side.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some Nebraskans said in interviews this week they agreed with the governor. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure small-town, rural Nebraska communities are furious about the repeal,&rdquo; said Chris Spargen, a project specialist in his mid-20s, as he rode his bike down a main thoroughfare in Ashland, 30 miles outside Omaha. &ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;m technically falling under that as well.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In downtown Ceresco, about 18 miles north of Lincoln, Wayne Ambrosias, owner of the Sweet Pea Market, said he did not want his tax dollars used to pay for murderers to stay in prison for their entire lives. And he echoed the governor&rsquo;s statement that the politicians who supported the death penalty repeal were out of touch with a widely conservative public.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think the politicians are in line with the everyday people,&rdquo; Ambrosias said Wednesday just before the vote. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s more of a political move. I don&rsquo;t think the people are telling them that&rsquo;s what they want.&rdquo; But others said they saw the issue differently, rejecting the argument that the death penalty was necessary to deter crime. &ldquo;A lot of times murder is a crime of passion,&rdquo; said Don Johnson, a retired commercial fisherman from Alaska now living in Ceresco. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they think they think about the death penalty when they kill somebody or somebody gets killed. I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s a preventative measure at all.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Johnson, who considers himself an evangelical Protestant, said he sees the issue less as a religious belief than a strictly personal one. Other members of his church are in favour of the death penalty, he said, though he admits he cannot quite reconcile the punishment with Christianity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If you really follow Jesus&rsquo; teachings,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;thou shall not kill, you know.&rdquo; Catholic bishops in Nebraska issued a statement Tuesday criticising Mr Ricketts&rsquo; veto. &ldquo;We remain convinced that the death penalty does not deter crime, nor does it make Nebraska safer or promote the common good in our state,&rdquo; they said. The bill replaces capital punishment with life imprisonment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Since 2007, six states have abolished the death penalty: Maryland, Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico and New Jersey. No conservative state had done so since North Dakota in 1973.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Across the country, efforts to execute criminals on death row have stalled in the face of growing backlash against the death penalty and logistical difficulties with lethal injections. Many states have had difficulty obtaining lethal injection drugs, as European manufacturers, citing moral and ethical objections, have refused to sell them to prisons in the United States.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Texas, which executes more inmates than any other state, has only enough drugs to carry out one more lethal injection.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Searching for alternatives in the face of drug shortages, some states have taken other measures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In March, Utah&rsquo;s governor signed a law allowing firing squads to be used for executions, and Arkansas, Wyoming and Idaho have considered replacing lethal injection with firing squads. In Tennessee, which has been unable to obtain lethal injection drugs, lawmakers last year reinstated the use of the electric chair. Inmates quickly challenged the constitutionality of the electric chair, and a trial in the Tennessee Supreme Court over its use will begin in July.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/nebraska-votes-to-abolish-death-penalty-1.2229129\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/nebraska-votes-to-abolish-death-penalty-1.2229129</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-28 09:26:14',NULL,'nebraska-votes-to-abolish-death-penalty'),(1071,'Garda arrest over alleged Roma case leaks','<p>\r\n	A garda is expected to be arrested as early as today in connection with an internal investigation into the alleged leaking of information to the media in the high-profile Roma case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The dramatic move follows a probe by senior garda&iacute; on foot of complaints in the Roma report, written by then Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan and published last July.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The arrest will raise issues in relation to the work of both garda&iacute; and the media, the right to privacy of people and the strong powers brought in under the Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na Act 2005.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This act makes it a criminal offence for a garda to disclose information in certain circumstances, although it does provide some defences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Garda investigation was immediately ordered by then interim commissioner N&oacute;ir&iacute;n O&rsquo;Sullivan on foot of the report&rsquo;s publication. The investigation team was headed by a chief superintendent and a detective superintendent, who interviewed garda&iacute; and examined mobile phones.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Logan was tasked by then justice minister Alan Shatter to investigate the Garda handling of the two blonde Roma children who were removed by garda&iacute; from their families, one in Tallaght and the other in Athlone, on suspicion they had been abducted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In her inquiry report, Ms Logan strongly criticised the release of information about &lsquo;Child T&rsquo; &mdash; the seven-year-old Roma girl removed from her Tallaght home on October 21, 2013. She said &ldquo;sensitive information&rdquo; entered the public domain &ldquo;inappropriately&rdquo; in a newspaper article the following morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said this was &ldquo;a very serious infringement of Child T&rsquo;s privacy and also that of her family&rdquo;. It said the level of information in the article was available only to the garda&iacute; and the HSE.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Logan said written reports prepared internally within An Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na and the HSE &ldquo;may have acted as source material for an article published on the morning of 22 October&rdquo;. She said there were no written HSE reports on October 21.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said: &ldquo;The inquiry notes further that there were striking similarities between the text, form and content of the information found in the article published on the morning of 22 October and the only written report prepared within An Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na on 21 October.&rdquo; It said the level of detail in the article and, in particular, the article&rsquo;s &ldquo;resemblance to the only written Garda report that existed on the evening of 21 October, 2013, leads the inquiry to believe on the balance of probabilities that the information in question came from someone within An Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The inquiry believes that the release of details regarding Child T into the public domain may have been the result of a breach of discipline and/or an offence.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/garda-arrest-over-alleged-roma-case-leaks-333279.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/garda-arrest-over-alleged-roma-case-leaks-333279.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-28 09:37:03',NULL,'garda-arrest-over-alleged-roma-case-leaks'),(1072,'Fears over violence at juvenile prison','<p>\r\n	A prison watchdog has raised concerns at the ability of Oberstown children&rsquo;s detention school to handle violent 17-year-old offenders.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The warning from the St Patrick&rsquo;s Institution prison visiting committee follows a number of serious incidents at the jail, including one involving the biting of two prison officers, who subsequently had to undergo HIV tests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The extended children&rsquo;s facility at Oberstown, north Dublin, is to take all offenders aged under 18 &mdash; as detention of young offenders at St Patrick&rsquo;s ceases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 2014 annual report of St Patrick&rsquo;s visiting committees was one of 11 such reports published yesterday by the Department of Justice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At least three other jails &mdash;Limerick, Mountjoy and Cloverhill &mdash; are experiencing problems caused by high numbers of prisoners on protection.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Cloverhill visiting committee expressed serious concerns about a &ldquo;potentially dangerous situation&rdquo; at the remand prison, which it said seemed to be linked to overcrowding.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Drugs was highlighted as a continuing serious problem in Mountjoy and Cloverhill.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	With the final closure of the jail this year, the St Patrick&rsquo;s visiting committee raised a number of issues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are concerned as to how Oberstown will be able to handle unruly 17 year olds,&rdquo; the report said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This cohort is quite different from the current inmates in Oberstown. In St Patrick&rsquo;s, some of them have been responsible for serious incidents, hospitalising of prison officers and actions leading to large numbers of vulnerable inmates being placed on protection. Can Oberstown cope with this?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In one of the incidents, last June, one inmate attacked another and injured two prison officers, by biting, after they attempted to intervene. The report said both officers required hospital treatment and had to undergo HIV tests.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report shows that throughout the year they flagged the issue of how Oberstown would be able to handle this group.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After its August visit, the report said: &ldquo;The committee again raised concerns about young violent inmates going to Oberstown and the resources that would be available to manage and care for them there.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The committee also called for those turning 18 to be kept in Oberstown: &ldquo;Another concern is the transition of sentenced inmates from Oberstown to adult prisons on reaching their 18th birthday. This is also a concern of many of their parents. We feel that there should be some type of facility to house young adult inmates, say from 18 to 23. &rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Cloverhill report raised concerns about overcrowding, which often meant inmates sleeping on floors. New committals can be put into cells at night with mattresses causing &ldquo;tension and disruption&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We urge the Irish Prison Service to be more proactive in dealing with this potentially dangerous situation,&rdquo; it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The committee was also concerned about a &ldquo;substantial increase&rdquo; in protection prisoners.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report expressed disappointment at the lack of drug dogs, noting they had &ldquo;never encountered&rdquo; them on visits. It said the amount of drugs coming over prison walls was a &ldquo;huge concern&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Mountjoy report said that &ldquo;considerable amounts of drugs&rdquo; were still getting into the prison.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Limerick visiting committee said overcrowding continued to be a concern and the high numbers on protection was &ldquo;something that must be addressed&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Cork Prison report reiterated its concern at the conditions, but said the new prison was due to open this December.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dochas visiting committee said they encountered &ldquo;serious overcrowding&rdquo; during the first 11 months of 2014, which had &ldquo;a serious impact&rdquo; on all aspects of prison life. It said there was a significant drop thereafter and that this had created an environment &ldquo;much more conducive to the well-being&rdquo; of inmates and staff.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/fears-over-violence-at-juvenile-prison-333266.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/fears-over-violence-at-juvenile-prison-333266.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-28 09:42:20',NULL,'fears-over-violence-at-juvenile-prison'),(1073,'HSE sets up intervention team over rise in HIV cases','<p>\r\n	The HSE has set up a special intervention team in response to a rise in new HIV cases among homeless drug users in Dublin City.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish Examiner has learned there has been nine new cases among injecting addicts in the city so far this year, compared to almost no cases in the same period last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE said they are still investigating the scale of the increase, but had identified 13 new cases since June 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the cause of the rise is not clear, it may be linked to the injection of the former head shop drug mephedrone, and abuse of tranquillisers called benzodiazepines.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	GPs and drugs workers believe this may be contributing to a chaotic lifestyle, resulting in the sharing of injecting equipment and unsafe sex, the primary routes for transmission.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A HSE alert, seen by the Irish Examiner, states: &ldquo;The Department of Public Health HSE East is investigating an increase in the number of new cases of recently acquired HIV in Persons who inject drugs (PWID) in Dublin in 2015.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said a multidisciplinary incident team had been set up, to &ldquo;investigate and respond to this increase&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Austin O&rsquo;Carroll, a city GP and HSE team member, said: &ldquo;There has definitely been an increase in the detection of HIV cases in homeless people using drugs.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said there were indications the problem may be confined to a group of linked people. He said it was well known the causes were the sharing of injecting equipment and unsafe sex.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr O&rsquo;Carroll said possible reasons could be the intravenous use of mephedrone, also known as snow blow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said this made users &ldquo;agitated&rdquo; which could lead to unsafe practices. The trend of users taking &ldquo;high doses of benzos&rdquo; could also be a factor , as well as the homeless crisis, with more people on the streets.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tony Duffin of the Ana Liffey Drug Project said that the figures were &ldquo;really worrying&rdquo;. He suspected the rise was among a group of chaotic users who were injecting mephedrone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If you have a particularly bad mephedrone habit you can inject up to every two hours,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That means more injecting, more blood and more opportunity for sharing equipment. There also appears to be heightened sexual activity.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A HSE spokeswoman said the team was identifying risk factors and control measures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Drugs/HIV Helpline 1800 459 459</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/hse-sets-up-intervention-team-over-rise-in-hiv-cases-333521.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/hse-sets-up-intervention-team-over-rise-in-hiv-cases-333521.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-29 09:12:31',NULL,'hse-sets-up-intervention-team-over-rise-in-hiv-cases'),(1074,'Garda arrested in media disclosure case released','<p>\r\n	File being prepared for Director of Public Prosecutions after senior officer held</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The senior Garda officer arrested over his alleged dealings with the media when members of the force took two Roma children from their families has been released from custody.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Garda spokesman said the officer had released without charge and a file is bring prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The former Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan in a report published last July concluded information about one of two children taken from their homes in October 2013 in Westmeath and Dublin had &ldquo;on the balance of probability&rdquo; been disclosed by a member of the Garda to the journalist who wrote the initial reports on the first child being taken.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It went on to say that all parties involved in the case &ldquo;regarded this development as deeply troubling and highly regrettable&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The information reported did not lead to the children being taken. Instead, it confirmed the Garda had taken them, with the event becoming a major embarrassment to the force.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While she did not recommend a criminal investigation, Garda Commissioner Noirin O&rsquo;Sullivan was quick to establish an inquiry.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	That inquiry identified a senior officer based in Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, as a suspect and it is he who was arrested at 7.30am on Thursday. He went to a Garda station in Dublin by arrangement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The two Roma children were taken from their families by the Garda in October 2013 and briefly held in the care of the HSE before being returned when DNA evidence established the familial link.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda-arrested-in-media-disclosure-case-released-1.2230619\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda-arrested-in-media-disclosure-case-released-1.2230619</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-29 09:32:58',NULL,'garda-arrested-in-media-disclosure-case-released'),(1075,'Judge allows children in care to take holiday abroad','<p>\r\n	Parents tell court they fear influence of &lsquo;filthy rich&rsquo; foster carers over young children</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Two young children in interim care are to be allowed to travel abroad on holiday with their foster carers after a judge at the Dublin District Family Court dispensed with the need for their parents&rsquo; permission.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The children&rsquo;s parents had refused permission, fearing the &ldquo;filthy rich&rdquo; foster carers were influencing the children, particularly their daughter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;She has things: a horse, lambs named after her . . . they are showing her a life that no one could provide,&rdquo; the mother said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The young children were taken into care in early 2014 on an interim basis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The reasons were not outlined in court, but they include &ldquo;serious allegations of abuse&rdquo; which the parents have vigorously denied.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court was told the foster carers, who were sourced through a private foster agency, booked a holiday for themselves, the foster children and other family members. The parents were not informed until early this month, and they refused permission.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Access visits</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The foster carers told the children of the holiday and told them their parents were not consenting.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court also heard the younger of the two children had been refusing to attend access visits with her parents since earlier this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She had said she did not want to &ldquo;go back to Ma and Da because they are poor&rdquo; and her foster carers &ldquo;are rich and have loads of things&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The children&rsquo;s mother said she felt in her heart if her daughter had a break from the carers while they took the holiday, she would resume attending access visits.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said her son had run into an access visit and asked whether he and his sister could go on holiday. He described a house facing a beach with two jacuzzis and big swimming pools, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not normal . . . I&rsquo;ve asked for them to have a normal life,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She and her husband had come under pressure to change their minds about permission over the holiday, the mother said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She thought highly of the foster mother, but the family was &ldquo;filthy rich&rdquo; and she believed her daughter was being pulled away from her. She was also angry she and her husband had been &ldquo;made to look like the bad guys&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Excited</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Child and Family Agency solicitor apologised to the parents and acknowledged the matter had not been handled correctly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The social worker and the court-appointed guardian said the children should be allowed to take the holiday. They were looking forward to it and were very excited.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The social worker said the foster carers were doing everything in their power to encourage the girl to attend access visits with her parents. She also said the girl &ldquo;wouldn&rsquo;t be riding ponies&rdquo; on access visit days, and she did not believe lifestyle was an issue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Brendan Toale said he accepted the parents&rsquo; views were genuinely held and not motivated by &ldquo;spite or other unworthy motivations&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the interests of the children had not been well served by their unnecessary involvement in the holiday proposal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the court was being asked to &ldquo;pick up the pieces of the debacle&rdquo;, and it was &ldquo;reprehensible&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There had been a systemic failure and a failure of professional standards, and he believed what happened had exacerbated the concerns and suspicions of the parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said it was in the best interests of the children the holiday go ahead and ordered that the children were to be informed about it appropriately, and it was not to be presented as &ldquo;a victory or a defeat for anyone&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/judge-allows-children-in-care-to-take-holiday-abroad-1.2229939\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/judge-allows-children-in-care-to-take-holiday-abroad-1.2229939</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-05-29 09:41:16',NULL,'judge-allows-children-in-care-to-take-holiday-abroad'),(1076,'Chemical restraint of intellectually disabled common in residential centres, study finds','<p>\r\n	Maeve Kennedy was worried. Her brother Eamonn, who is mildly intellectually disabled, had just been admitted to hospital from the care centre where he was a resident.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hospital records show his body was marked with bruising and lacerations to the head.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was already concerned about the medication he was on; he seemed increasingly unsteady on his feet and listless when she saw him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While Eamonn had a quiet and gentle side, he also was prone to impulsive and occasionally violent behaviour when under stress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It seemed to me that he was being chemically restrained to make it easier to control his behaviour,&rdquo; says Ms Kennedy. &ldquo;I raised these concerns but I wasn&rsquo;t getting satisfactory answers.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Clinical notes show the drugs he was being prescribed included olanzapine, an antipsychotic used to treat major mental illness. Because of its tranquillising properties, it is sometimes used as a way of managing the behaviour of people with challenging behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An independent report Ms Kennedy commissioned from Dr S&eacute;amus O&rsquo;Reilly, a consultant in emergency medicine, suggests the falls may have been linked to the combination of drugs Mr Kennedy was being administered.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr O&rsquo;Reilly also concluded that some of the bruising on his body was &ldquo;suspicious of non- accidental injury&rdquo; and was likely to have been sustained in attempts to restrain him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some time later, a highly critical inspection report into the care home where he was resident &ndash; Redwood Extended Care Facility in Stamullen, Co Meath &ndash; revealed incidents of chemical restraint that had not been notified to authorities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In addition, there was concern over the use of physical restraint at the centre along with a failure to routinely assess or review lengthy episodes of challenging behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a statement to The Irish Times, the operators of the centre &ndash; the privately-owned Talbot group &ndash; said Redwood declined to comment on the case. It said it was committed to using only &ldquo;evidence-based, non-aversive support strategies that respect the dignity, privacy and rights of all residents&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In line with best practice, it said Redwood actively strives to minimise the use of all restrictive practices and aims to &ldquo;provide an individualised, person-centred ethical service&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Psychotropic drugs</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Just over half of people with learning disabilities living in residential centres are being prescribed powerful psychotropic drugs, new research indicates.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Much of this drug use is appropriate in cases where it is being used to reduce symptoms in the treatment of conditions such as anxiety, depression or psychosis .</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But, against a backdrop of spending cuts and staff shortages, psychologists and other care workers who work in the disability system describe a culture in which the drugs are often used to control the disruptive behaviour of the people with conditions such as autism.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A growing body of research shows behavioural therapy and person-centred support is the most effective way of changing such behaviour and improving residents&rsquo; quality of life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But the scale of drug use indicates many health professionals are opting first for psychotropic drugs, which do not address their underlying problems and can be harmful in the long run.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We regularly get family members who tell us they see their sons or daughters overmedicated and unresponsive,&rdquo; says Paddy Connolly of Inclusion Ireland, the umbrella group for people with intellectual disabilities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They&rsquo;re driven by the needs or staff or timetables, but not in the best interests of people. This is a serious issue, it&rsquo;s a human rights issue, but it&rsquo;s not being taken seriously enough by authorities.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Psychiatrists and psychologists say symptoms such as disruptive behaviour are best treated through behavioural therapy and one-on-one support.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Ian Grey, an adjunct associate professor of psychology at Trinity College Dublin, says there is scant research to support use of these drugs in the treatment of challenging behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Recent studies, for example, indicate that the use of some psychotropic drugs is less effective than placebos when treating behavioural problems.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Behaviourally-based interventions are the most evidence- based approach we have to dealing with challenging behaviour,&rdquo; Dr Grey says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It reduces this kind of behaviour and improves quality of life.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But what does this involve? He gives an example of a young man with challenging behaviour he encountered recently.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Every morning at school the boy was given wooden blocks to sort out. After a time, he began biting the skin between his thumb and index finger so hard it would bleed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In some cases, he might have been prescribed medication. But when they looked at his behaviour, the team realised he absolutely hated sorting out the wooden blocks, day after day.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It was his one way of saying: &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t want to do this.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A key problem, however, is that behavioural interventions involve more time and resources.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not seeing resources put into training staff,&rdquo; says Dr Grey.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The easy option is to take a pill and you don&rsquo;t have the workload. To implement behavioural intervention properly, it means placing more demands on staff.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chemical restraint</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Under care regulations, any use of drugs for &ldquo;chemical restraint&rdquo; must be notified to the health watchdog, the Health Information and Quality Authority. But some professionals feel the scale of the practice is greater. Hiqa found multiple cases last year, for example, in which</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	care homes had failed to pass on this information.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For campaign groups such as Inclusion Ireland, concerns around medication raise much wider issues over consent and bodily integrity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Thousands of people in residential centres and other settings end up having decisions about their lives and care made for them, not by them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Decisions such as what to eat or what they may spend their money on, as well as very serious decisions such as what invasive health procedures they should have.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The fact that many people with intellectual disabilities are labelled &ldquo;lunatics&rdquo; under 150- year-old legislation says everything, says Paddy Connolly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This facilitates a system that takes away a person&rsquo;s right to make their own decisions about their lives. This system condemns people to a status of non-citizen,&rdquo; he says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We need to move away from the paternalistic stance of looking after what we decide are people&rsquo;s &lsquo;best interests&rsquo; and move towards recognising a person&rsquo;s right to make decisions about their own lives, and to enable them to be supported to make decisions.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government has pledged to introduce a new capacity Bill, which introduced supported decision-making mechanisms for people with intellectual disabilities. It was published almost two years ago but has yet to reach committee stage in the Oireachtas.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Successive governments have failed to replace this law with modern human rights- compliant mental capacity legislation,&rdquo; says Connolly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Now is the time to repeal the Lunacy Act and introduce the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill without further delay.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	CASE STUDY</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Linda Kletzander says her son Anthony (26) was always a people person.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He&rsquo;d be involved in the church, the library, the gym. He&rsquo;d go and dine in the local universities and public places. He loved visits from us, the whole family,&rdquo; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anthony was living in the community in a form of supported living, with personal assistants to help him with aspects of daily life.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It was exactly the kind of life he wanted to live, with the kind of independence that any young man in his 20s would treasure,&rdquo; Linda says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When funding for his placement was cut, she says the family was left with little option but to put him in residential care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She says she told management at the centre that he was highly sensitive to medication. But within a short period of time in residential care, she adds, he ended up being hospitalised after having an adverse reaction to drugs he was administered. It happened on at least three occasions, she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He was a different person on them. I would hardly recognise him sometimes. He&rsquo;d be spaced out and dribbling,&rdquo; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;He&rsquo;d be telling them he didn&rsquo;t want any drugs. He was constantly asking us to get him out so he could have his own life back and be with the people he loved.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The longer Anthony spent in residential care, the more frustrated he became, particularly given that many staff weren&rsquo;t trained to communicate properly with him.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The more he reacted or vented his frustration, his mother says, the more she worried that he might be chemically restrained to control his behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Now, after a long-running campaign, Linda says Anthony is finally due to return to supported living in the community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a bungalow for him close to the family, and he&rsquo;ll have personal assistants. All of them will be given full training to communicate with him, a vital ingredient for Anthony to direct his own life with the support he requires.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/chemical-restraint-of-intellectually-disabled-common-in-residential-centres-study-finds-1.2233882\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/chemical-restraint-of-intellectually-disabled-common-in-residential-centres-study-finds-1.2233882</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-02 10:35:59',NULL,'chemical-restraint-of-intellectually-disabled-common-in-residential-centres-study-finds'),(1077,'State pays firms €890m for running centres that hold asylum seekers','<p>\r\n	The State has paid private businesses almost &euro;890m to run centres used in the discredited direct provision system for asylum seekers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Data obtained by the Irish Independent details how some firms have earned huge sums from the system, under which people applying for refugee status must live in State-sponsored accommodation and are not allowed work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Plans to introduce a new tendering system have been put on hold while a report by an independent review group, set up to examine the direct provision system, is examined by the Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Initially brought in as a short term measure, direct provision has become a huge money spinner for firms awarded contracts by the Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Data shows 134 firms or individuals were contracted to provide direct provision services since its introduction in 2000.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The companies are paid &euro;30 each day per person in the case of privately owned centres and &euro;15.50 per person in centres owned by the State.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An analysis of the figures shows a core set of companies have consistently had their contracts renewed - with 20 companies having been paid at least &euro;10m or more by the state in the last 15 years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The biggest beneficiary has been Mosney Irish Holidays, the firm which runs a direct provision centre in Co Meath.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It has received payments totalling &euro;113.2m since 2000.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	East Coast Catering Ltd, the company which runs the Balseskin reception centre in Co Dublin, has been paid &euro;107m since 2001.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bridgestock Ltd, which has run reception centres throughout the west of Ireland, has been paid &euro;91.7m to date, while the company run by businessman Noel C Duggan, Millstreet Equestrian Services Ltd, has received contracts worth &euro;65.3m.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Several of the firms have moved from being limited companies to being unlimited ones in recent years, meaning they do not have to disclose accounts or reveal profits.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ownership</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The ultimate ownership of a number of firms is also held by other companies offshore.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There are currently over 4,400 residents living in 34 centres around the country. More than half have had to live in a centre for at least four years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Direct provision providers contacted by the Irish Independent said they were not permitted to comment and that queries should be directed to the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A value-for-money study conducted in 2010 recommended a more open tendering system amid concern not enough companies were applying to provide services. However, the RIA said the implementation of a new system had been stalled by a legal challenge to the direct provision model.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A recent analysis of the direct provision system in by a Government-appointed working group has also delayed moves to change the tendering system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Quite clearly there would be no point in designing a complex tendering process and find that during its operation the whole basis for it had fundamentally changed as a result of external factors such as a court finding or the working group process,&quot; the agency said in a statement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The RIA said each firm tendering to provide direct provision services needed to have a valid tax clearance certificate.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said there was no contractual requirement for companies providing services to be registered in Ireland, but it understood all were currently registered here. A rigorous inspection system is in place to ensure quality and standards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/state-pays-firms-890m-for-running-centres-that-hold-asylum-seekers-31271290.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/state-pays-firms-890m-for-running-centres-that-hold-asylum-seekers-31271290.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-02 10:40:51',NULL,'state-pays-firms-€890m-for-running-centres-that-hold-asylum-seekers'),(1078,'Bessborough death record concerns were raised in 2012','<p>\r\n	HSE report questioned if children&rsquo;s death certs were falsified to enable &lsquo;brokering&rsquo; of adoptions</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Concerns that death records were falsified in Bessborough Mother and Baby Home so children could &ldquo;be brokered in clandestine adoption arrangements&rdquo; at home and abroad were raised in an internal HSE report in 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The unpublished report highlighted the &ldquo;wholly epidemic&rdquo; infant deaths rates at the Cork home and said: &ldquo;The question whether indeed all of these children actually died while in Bessboro or whether they were brokered into clandestine adoption arrangements, both foreign and domestic, has dire implications for the Church and State and not least for the children and families themselves.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report, compiled as part of the HSE&rsquo;s examination of the State&rsquo;s role in the Magdalene Laundries as part of the McAleese inquiry, lifts the lid on the culture of cruelty at the home and found the State effectively washed its hands of the women and children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It reveals the institution, run by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, as a place where:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		Women and babies were considered &ldquo;little more than a commodity for trade amongst religious orders&rdquo;;</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		&ldquo;Institutionalisation and human trafficking&rdquo; took place among various religious orders and State-funded institutions;</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		Women were provided with &ldquo;little more than the basic care and provision afforded to that of any individual convicted of crimes against the State&rdquo;;</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		Infant death rates were &ldquo;wholly epidemic&rdquo; and a &ldquo;cause for serious consternation&rdquo;;</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		The order had a &ldquo;preoccupation with materialism, wealth and social status&rdquo;;</li>\r\n	<li>\r\n		A &ldquo;cold and lonely environment&rdquo; prevailed, &ldquo;characterised by harrowing social, emotional and physical isolation and institutionalisation&rdquo;.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study, previously released under freedom of information, revealed that from 1934 until 1953 (the only years for which deaths were recorded at Bessborough) 478 children died &mdash; a death rate of almost one infant a fortnight for nearly two decades.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said it was &ldquo;curious&rdquo; that there were no death records for any year following 1953 and, as a result, &ldquo;one cannot be certain as to the full scope of infant deaths&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, in a disturbing revelation, the study raises concerns that the deaths of children may have been falsified so they could be &ldquo;brokered&rdquo; for adoption both at home and abroad.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Simply put, the State had a social problem that it desperately needed to make go away, while the Church had the power and control to turn the &lsquo;problem&rsquo; of illegitimacy into a lucrative money-making enterprise,&rdquo; notes the report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It notes that, even though detailed financial records and accounts were not given to the HSE by the order, the archives reveal the order earned money from the women for the care of their children and also from the adoptive parents who took them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One record noted that, in the period from 1929 to 1940, &ldquo;adoptive parents were charged a sum ranging between &pound;50-60, payable on a monthly payment scheme in exchange for their adopted child&rdquo;. The report said &ldquo;further investigation into these practices is warranted&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government did not launch an inquiry into mother and baby homes for almost another two years after the report was compiled in 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a statement, the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary said it had &ldquo;no knowledge of any such report&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We are in contact with the commission in regard to the Mother and Baby Homes Inquiry, which will be having our full co-operation. For the present, as is appropriate, we will be dealing directly with the commission on all related matters,&rdquo; said the order.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Children and Youth Affairs said none of the concerns raised were brought to the attention of the then minister Frances Fitzgerald at the time, but were discussed in the context of McAleese Inquiry under the auspices of the Department of Justice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said the minister became involved in the issue of mother-and-baby homes once material around infant deaths in Tuam became public in mid-2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The minister was subsequently tasked by Government with leading its response to these important matters and the Inter Departmental ReviewGroup was set up to assist deliberations on the terms of reference of a Commission of Investigation,&rdquo; said a statement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A request for comment from Tusla was not responded to at the time of going to print.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/bessborough-death-record-concerns-were-raised-in-2012-334106.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/bessborough-death-record-concerns-were-raised-in-2012-334106.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-02 10:43:25',NULL,'bessborough-death-record-concerns-were-raised-in-2012'),(1079,'Exams advice for parents: How to support your son or daughter','<p>\r\n	Remember, these papers are not designed to catch students out, writes Brian Mooney</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For many parents having a son or daughter take the Junior or Leaving Cert this week brings back waves of fear and anxiety which they last experienced when taking the exam themselves.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For many parents this sense of dread leaves them feeling overwhelmed and powerless in assisting their child to successfully negotiate their way through the next two weeks of exams. You can do a huge amount now to support your son or daughter, to make the experience for the whole family a rigorous but not necessarily stressful one.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There is a variety of course options open to all students, whether they secure high points or not, which will ultimately leave them in a position to enter their chosen career area. Very high points simply speed up the process.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents need to reassure their children the State Exams Commission (SEC), in drafting the papers in each subject, has not set out to catch them out. Rather the exams are designed to enable students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of each topic they have explored over the past two to three years of their programme.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Certain sections within individual questions are designed to test the brightest and the best students to the absolute limit of their potential. So parents should reassure their child that success is always relative to your ability in any paper, and not to get upset if the child fines the paper impossible to complete, perhaps a section or part of a particular topic.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Principals and deputy principals, who have guided students through this process over many years, will also be close at hand every day to resolve problems which may arise.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Junior Cert students face the biggest challenge this week with two papers daily in English (Wednesday), Irish (Thursday), and Geography/Maths (Friday).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Leaving Cert students on the other hand have an easier week ahead of them, with almost all students sitting English Paper 1 on Wednesday, English Paper 2 Thursday afternoon, and Maths Paper 1 on Friday afternoon.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smaller numbers of Leaving Cert students will sit papers in home economics S&amp;S on Wednesday afternoon, Engineering on Thursday morning, and Geography on Friday morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ten tips for supporting your son or daughter</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(1) Know the exam schedule. Pin the exam timetable up prominently at home, with each exam to be taken highlighted. Diary the date and time of each paper your student has to take. In the stress of the whole exam period you need to be always aware when they have to be in the examination centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(2) Ensure that your son or daughter is present for each exam. For parents who are working, and leaving home early, avoid the ultimate disaster of your child missing an exam. Ensure they are up and dressed before you leave home for work each morning. A small number of students regularly fail to turn up for morning papers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(3) Draw up a check list of daily requirements, based on the day&rsquo;s exams. Make a final check each morning before you leave home, so your son or daughter is fully prepared for the day&rsquo;s exams. Writing instruments along with the other requirements such as rulers, erasers, calculators, should be checked, along with reading glasses, water, and any non-intrusive nourishment such as glucose sweets, or fruit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(4) Listen to the story of the day and move on. After each day&rsquo;s exams allow your son or daughter to recount to you their daily story. Do not be tempted to review in detail with them any errors or omissions in the paper. Such a process achieves absolutely nothing, other than to increase the student&rsquo;s stress levels. Simply allow them the time and space to tell their story and move on to the next challenge, the next paper.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(5) Help them to focus on the next challenge. It can be helpful to your son or daughter to review the paper or papers immediately ahead. Simple questions such as, what is up next? Are there any compulsory sections? Are there any predictable questions? These questions can be useful in helping your student devise a study schedule for the time available before the next exam.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(6) Help them maintain a well-balanced daily routine. You should ensure your son/daughter has a proper balance between study and rest. After an exam they need time to rest and recharge before they can do any beneficial study for the next paper. Remember that on average this is a two-week process and they need top be as sharp on the morning of their final paper as they are today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Late-night study sessions are not advised.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(7) A good night&rsquo;s sleep improves exam performance. All study should end at least an hour before bedtime to allow the student to unwind before sleep. To help relaxation at this time, simple treats such as a hot bath, or some simple breathing exercises to slow down the body and mind can result in a refreshing night&rsquo;s sleep. It is not advisable to fall straight into bed from the study desk as your mind will be buzzing for hours as you attempt to get to sleep.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(8) You are what you eat. What you eat and drink affects your performance in any activity, especially one involving mental sharpness. As a parent you should try to ensure your son or daughter has nutritious food during the coming weeks, starting with breakfast each morning, the lunch they bring with them if they are facing two exams, their evening meal, as well as snacks during the day. Grazing on junk food is very tempting at times of increased stress. Avoid this at all costs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(9) Success is always a team effort. Drawing on the support of everything that is potentially positive in a student&rsquo;s life helps to maximise exam performance. Such supports include a heightened awareness on the part of all family members in their interactions with the person doing exams, appropriate interactions with their friends, and participation in any sporting or social activity that is not injurious to ongoing success in the exams. All these factors help to maintain a student&rsquo;s spirits during such an extended exam period.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	(10) Do not over hype the importance of any examination. It is very easy in the middle of a stress-inducing experience such as a major exam to get the whole event totally out of perspective. Parents need to be aware that sons or daughters taking terminal examinations can sometimes mistakenly believe their standing in their parents&rsquo; eyes is dependent on their success in the exam.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parents should ensure their student facing into the State exams over the coming weeks is absolutely clear that your unconditional love and regard for them is in no way dependent on how they perform in the Junior or Leaving Cert.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This affirmation is the greatest gift you can give them at the start of their examinations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/exams-advice-for-parents-how-to-support-your-son-or-daughter-1.2234797\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/exams-advice-for-parents-how-to-support-your-son-or-daughter-1.2234797</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-03 09:33:48',NULL,'exams-advice-for-parents-how-to-support-your-son-or-daughter'),(1080,'SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Fears over ‘trafficking’ of children to the US','<p>\r\n	Concerns that up to 1,000 children may have been &ldquo;trafficked&rdquo; to the US from the Tuam mother and baby home in &ldquo;a scandal that dwarfs other, more recent issues with the Church and State&rdquo; were raised by the HSE in 2012.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The warning is contained in an internal note of a teleconference in October 2012 with then assistant director of Children and Family Service Phil Garland and then head of the Medical Intelligence Unit Davida De La Harpe.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It ends with a recommendation that the then health minister be informed with a view to a state inquiry being launched. This was almost two years before revelations of a mass grave at the home forced the Government into launching a state inquiry into all mother and baby homes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The note relays the concerns raised by the principal social worker for adoption in HSE West who had found &ldquo;a large archive of photographs, documentation and correspondence relating to children sent for adoption to the USA&rdquo; and &ldquo;documentation in relation to discharges and admissions to psychiatric institutions in the Western area&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It notes there were letters from the Tuam mother and baby home to parents asking for money for the upkeep of their children and notes that the duration of stay for children may have been prolonged by the order for financial reasons.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It also uncovered letters to parents asking for money for the upkeep of some children that had already been discharged or had died. The social worker, &ldquo;working in her own time and on her own dollar&rdquo;, had compiled a list of &ldquo;up to 1,000 names&rdquo;, but said it was &ldquo;not clear yet whether all of these relate to the ongoing examination of the Magdalene system, or whether they relate to the adoption of children by parents, possibly in the USA&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At that point, the social worker was assembling a filing system &ldquo;to enable her to link names to letters and to payments&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This may prove to be a scandal that dwarfs other, more recent issues with the Church and State, because of the very emotive sensitivities around adoption of babies, with or without the will of the mother.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;A concern is that, if there is evidence of trafficking babies, that it must have been facilitated by doctors, social workers etc, and a number of these health professionals may still be working in the system.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report ends with a recommendation that, due to the gravity of what was being found in relation to the Tuam home, an &ldquo;early warning&rdquo; letter be written for the attention of the national director of the HSE&rsquo;s Quality and Patient Safety Division, Philip Crowley, suggesting &ldquo;that this goes all the way up to the minister&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is more important to send this up to the minister as soon as possible: with a view to an inter-departmental committee and a fully fledged, fully resourced forensic investigation and State inquiry,&rdquo; concludes the note.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Sisters of Bon Secours said it ceased operating the Tuam mother and baby home in 1961 and, at the instructions of the local authority, handed the files on the running of the facility back to them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;As the Commission of Investigation has now been established the Sisters of Bon Secours do not believe it would be appropriate to comment further except to say that they will co-operate fully with that commission,&rdquo; said the order.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Children and Youth Affairs said none of the concerns raised were brought to the attention of the minister at the time, but were discussed in the context of the McAleese inquiry under the auspices of the Department of Justice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It stated that the minister became involved in the issue once material around infant deaths in Tuam became public in mid-2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The minister was subsequently tasked by government with leading its response to these important matters and the Inter Departmental ReviewGroup was set up to assist deliberations on the terms of reference of a Commission of Investigation,&rdquo; said the statement.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A request for comment from the Child and Family Agency Tusla was not responded to at the time of going to print.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/special-investigation-fears-over-trafficking-of-children-to-the-us-334315.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/special-investigation-fears-over-trafficking-of-children-to-the-us-334315.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-03 09:48:41',NULL,'special-investigation-fears-over-‘trafficking’-of-children-to-the-us'),(1081,'Mental health services have been \'bleeding\' vital staff, report warns','<p>\r\n	Services for patients suffering mental illness have been &quot;bleeding&quot; staff at a time when demands for care and treatment have risen, according to a new report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report by Mental Health Reform examined progress since the publication of A Vision for Change, the 2006 blueprint for future development of psychiatric services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said that 1,000 nurses&#39; jobs were lost as part of the embargo on recruitment without planning for the older age profile of many of these staff.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;These staff losses have yet to be made up and despite the allocation of additional funding in recent years, as of January 2015 staffing levels were 11pc below those of 2008,&quot; it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The analysis said that while there have been pockets of innovation over the years, the implementation has been &quot;incomplete and uneven&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Director of Mental Health Reform, Dr Shari McDaid said: &quot;This report acknowledges the progress that has been made and the staff whose commitment has helped to bring about change so far.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Despite this, there is no doubt that the mental health system envisaged in A Vision for Change has yet to be realised across the country, with negative consequences for the mental health and well-being of the population.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said the shortage of staff is leading to rising waiting lists for young people with mental health difficulties who need to be seen by child and adolescent mental health teams.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report highlighted how the waiting list in the child and adolescent mental health services had increased to 2,866 in January, a rise of 8pc over the same month in 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A total of 429 children were waiting more than a year to be seen in the services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other areas which are still suffering from a lack of service include that of psychiatry for older people. There are 27 &#39;psychiatry of old age&#39; community mental health teams nationally but Vision for Change recommended there should be 46.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Around one in 10 people over the age of 50 has &quot;clinically significant depressive symptoms&quot;. Yet there is a high level of under-diagnosis in this age group.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr McDaid said that &quot;of particular concern is the lack of progress in long-neglected services such as mental health care for people with intellectual disability and for children and adolescents involved in the criminal justice system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;These are particularly high risk groups which should be prioritised for mental health service development.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She pointed out that A Vision for Change highlighted that people who use mental health services and their families wanted to be listened to, to be treated with respect, to have a say in their own treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;These qualities do not cost money and yet are not universally experienced across the country&quot;. She added: &quot;Grinding poverty and the lack of secure housing and employment are not good for anyone&#39;s mental health, let alone those already in distress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Key to the future people&#39;s recovery is how well government departments work together and promote social inclusion and well-being.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/mental-health-services-have-been-bleeding-vital-staff-report-warns-31274641.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/mental-health-services-have-been-bleeding-vital-staff-report-warns-31274641.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-03 10:08:18',NULL,'mental-health-services-have-been-bleeding-vital-staff-report-warns'),(1082,'Plight of mothers with intellectual disabilities raised’','<p>\r\n	In one case a District Court issued a care order for a child whose mother had a mental age of eight</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Concerns over supports available to mothers with intellectual disabilities who are struggling to care for their children have been highlighted in a new report on childcare cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The reports appear in the latest volume of the Child Care Law Reporting Project, established in 2012 to examine and report on cases before the family courts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In one case, a District Court judge issued a care order for a young child whose mother had a mental age of eight. A social worker told the court the young woman lacked basic skills to provide a stable environment for the baby.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was unable to tell the name of the baby, the court heard, and said it was written on a piece of paper.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Child and Family Agency was opposed to the return of the child to her mother and father, on the basis that neither they nor their families were suitable carers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge ordered that the child &ndash; who had been placed in care shortly after her birth &ndash; be placed in the care system until the age of 18.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Vulnerable mothers</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other cases documented raise questions as to what support was offered to vulnerable mothers prior to care proceedings being brought, and whether this support was tailored to the needs of individuals with cognitive disabilities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some of these cases involved people with both intellectual impairments and mental health problems. These posed particular challenges and highlighted the strain which mental health services were under, the report noted.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It also emerged in evidence that sometimes no cognitive assessment was carried out prior to a parenting assessment being conducted, even in cases where there were suspicions that a parent had an intellectual disability.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Violent father</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The project also highlights the case of a girl from a Muslim family who asked to be placed in care to protect her from her father. Her father had beaten her, claiming she had &ldquo;brought shame to the family&rdquo;, and that her mother was unable to protect her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Garda sergeant gave evidence that the girl alleged she had been punched and kicked and suffered injuries to her head and hand.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court heard the girl was &ldquo;brave and resilient&rdquo; and had a good relationship with her foster parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The social worker told the court the girl could only see her friends at school and was isolated and open to someone taking advantage of her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We fear the father may use the passport to bring her to [her home country] against her will. Both parents shunned her and made her feel ashamed and wouldn&rsquo;t have any relationship with her,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/plight-of-mothers-with-intellectual-disabilities-raised-1.2236478\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/plight-of-mothers-with-intellectual-disabilities-raised-1.2236478</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-04 09:51:08',NULL,'plight-of-mothers-with-intellectual-disabilities-raised’'),(1083,'More than 10pc of women students sexually assaulted \'when drunk or drugged\'','<p>\r\n	More than 60pc of female students experience unwanted sexual advances because of someone else&rsquo;s drinking on a yearly basis, according to a new report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A survey of over 1,200 students in NUI Galway and University College of Cork, found that 60.3pc of females were groped, grabbed, kissed or touched against their will because of the person&rsquo;s alcohol consumption.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This illustrated a stark difference compared to men, with 36pc of males experiencing unwanted advances, while 7.7pc of both genders felt pressurised into having sex with someone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The findings also found that a staggering 21pc of female students have had sexual contact with another person because they were threatened with physical force.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr P&aacute;draig McNeela from NUIG&rsquo;s School of Psychology said that consent is a grey area for students.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We wish to promote the idea of consent being active, ongoing and clearly expressed, as our research suggests that it is currently a grey area for many students.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is important to consider how this lack of clarity might contribute to the problem of sexual assault and a culture that might perpetuate gender-based harassment and violence,&rdquo; said Dr McNeela.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than one in 10 female students believe they were sexually assaulted in the past year when they were drunk or drugged.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/more-than-10pc-of-women-students-sexually-assaulted-when-drunk-or-drugged-31277437.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/more-than-10pc-of-women-students-sexually-assaulted-when-drunk-or-drugged-31277437.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-04 09:52:55',NULL,'more-than-10pc-of-women-students-sexually-assaulted-when-drunk-or-drugged'),(1084,'Ban in Wales on smoking in cars with children','<p>\r\n	Smoking in a car where children are present will be made illegal in Wales after Assembly Members passed landmark legislation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new law will come into effect in less than four months&rsquo; time and could see those breaking it hit with a &pound;50 fine or even a court appearance.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Critics say the move is too heavy-handed and fear it could pave the way for banning smokers from lighting up in their own home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/ban-in-wales-on-smoking-in-cars-with-children-334312.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/ban-in-wales-on-smoking-in-cars-with-children-334312.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-04 09:53:55',NULL,'ban-in-wales-on-smoking-in-cars-with-children'),(1085,'1,000 GPs have now signed up for under-sixes scheme - HSE','<p>\r\n	More than 1,000 GPs have signed up to join the scheme providing free visits to all children under six, the HSE said yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Today is the deadline for signing the contracts for around 2,700 GPs - but many are holding out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite the majority of GPs resisting signing the contract with just weeks to go before the launch of the scheme, the HSE insisted it now has &quot;critical mass&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said it will continue to accept GPs who sign up after today&#39;s date.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The number of signed contracts is rising daily and the HSE expects to continue receiving signed contracts over the coming days,&quot; said a spokeswoman.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said it was &quot;on track&quot; to start parents registering their children later this month with the full roll-out from July.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Health Minister Leo Varadkar and Social Care Minister Kathleen Lynch have now written to individual GPs asking them to join. They likened those who criticise the plan as akin to opponents of the Mother and Child Scheme of the 1950s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Registration for parents will be a &quot;simple online process and will be easier than booking an airline ticket&quot;, they said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	GPs who have existing six-year-olds patients with a medical card or GP card on their books and do not sign up to the new contract will be allowed hold on to them for the summer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But this would just be a transition period and the children would be reassigned after that to a GP who was participating in the scheme, they added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The free GP visits for the over-70s will also come into effect in July.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Many GPs are expected to hold out until the week after next when a High Court case taken by a GP opposing the scheme is heard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The National Association of General Practitioners, which has criticised the scheme, yesterday called for the HSE and Department of Health to hold round-the-table talks with all GP bodies.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It warned the scheme would lead to waiting lists in GP surgeries.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/1000-gps-have-now-signed-up-for-undersixes-scheme-hse-31279521.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/1000-gps-have-now-signed-up-for-undersixes-scheme-hse-31279521.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-05 10:46:01',NULL,'1000-gps-have-now-signed-up-for-under-sixes-scheme-hse'),(1086,'Drug consumption centres reduce risk of overdose','<p>\r\n	Drug consumption rooms can play a role in reducing overdoses and encouraging hard-core addicts into treatment, according to the EU drugs agency.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The finding comes as drugs minister Aodh&aacute;n &Oacute; R&iacute;ord&aacute;in considers legal proposals to set up Ireland&rsquo;s first medically supervised injecting centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The proposals were drawn up by the Bar Council on behalf of the Ana Liffey Drug Project to combat the open injecting of drugs in Dublin city centre and the dangers posed to addicts and other people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A special paper published yesterday by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, together with their annual report, shows that six of the centre&rsquo;s member countries operate such centres.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said there are 70 drug-consumption rooms in Denmark, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Norway and that France had recently approved a six-year trial project. In its analysis, the drug monitoring centre said drug consumption rooms provide a &ldquo;local response to local problems&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said: &ldquo;Drug consumption rooms can play a role in reducing drug-related harms (including overdose deaths) and serve as useful spaces to connect hard-to-reach drug users with health services.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The monitoring centre&rsquo;s scientific director Paul Griffiths said that such facilities were &ldquo;quite controversial&rdquo; some years ago, but were now less so.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There is some evidence they can be useful as a measure of overdose prevention and as a useful conduit to care.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The paper said the centres have been operating in Europe for three decades. It said concerns have sometimes been expressed that they might encourage drug use, delay treatment or aggravate local drug markets.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said immediate benefits for the users include &ldquo;hygiene and safer use for clients as well as wider health and public order benefits&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said research had shown reductions in injecting risk behaviour such as syringe sharing, but said the impact on reducing HIV or hepatitis C was unclear. The paper noted that such centres may contribute to reducing drug-related deaths at city level and increase uptake of drug treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Studies found &ldquo;an overall positive impact on communities&rdquo;, but said &ldquo;consultation with local key actors is essential&rdquo;. The facilities can result in a decrease in public injecting and a reduction in discarded needles.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In summary, the report read: &ldquo;The benefits of providing supervised drug consumption facilities may include improvements in safe, hygienic drug use, especially among regular clients; increased access to health and social services; and reduced public drug use and associated nuisance.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There is no evidence to suggest the availability of safer facilities increases drug use or frequency of injecting. These services facilitate rather than delay treatment entry and do not result in higher rates of local drug-related crime.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report said that new forms of stimulant injection, including psychoactive substances, has resulted in &ldquo;potentially increased risks for drug users&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last week the Irish Examiner reported an apparent rise in HIV cases among injecting drug users in Dublin, with some indications it may be linked to the injection of mephedrone, the former legal high.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The annual report highlights that the highest level of use in the last year of so-called legal highs was reported by young people from Ireland at 9%. This is despite laws in 2010 and 2011 placing a general ban on the sale of such drugs in headshops. The Health Research Board, which provides the Irish data to the drug monitoring centre, said the &ldquo;use of new psychoactive substances appears to have decreased since the introduction of legislation in 2010 and 2011&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said this was &ldquo;evidenced by a reduction in the number of adverse events reported&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Welcoming the report, Mr &Oacute; R&iacute;ord&aacute;in said: &ldquo;Like other European countries, Ireland faces major challenges ahead due to the rapid emergence and spread of new psychoactive substances; the changing nature of the heroin market; the ageing population of heroin users and the increased demand for treatment by those with cannabis- related problems.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/drug-consumption-centres-reduce-risk-of-overdose-334692.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/drug-consumption-centres-reduce-risk-of-overdose-334692.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-05 10:46:53',NULL,'drug-consumption-centres-reduce-risk-of-overdose'),(1087,'Man who stood by during alleged rape \'as much a perpetrator as if he had physically penetrated her himself\' - trial told','<p>\r\n	A man who stood by as a woman was allegedly raped was &#39;as much a perpetrator as if he had physically penetrated her himself&#39;, it was claimed today in court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Opening the state&#39;s case, Pauline Walley SC, prosecuting, said the victim was allegedly physically raped by one of the men in their hotel room while the other one watched and refused to help her, telling her &quot;shut up, just let him do it&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The two men are on trial over the alleged rape of the woman in a Dublin city centre hotel.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The woman said she had accompanied the men to the hotel to help them get a room because they are members of the travelling community and may have been refused, said Ms Walley.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that the woman met her female friend, who knew both the accused, earlier that day. They encountered the accused when they visited a&nbsp; bar on Parnell Street and began socialising with them. The alleged victim was drinking heavily and taking cocaine.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The alleged victim&#39;s friend went home. Counsel said the victim was asked by her friend to help the two men, so she went with them to Jurys Hotel at Christchurch, where they were refused entry.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They then went to Kinlay House Hostel on Dame Street, where they were referred to George Frederic Handel Hotel on Fishamble Street, Dublin 2.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The victim went up to the hotel room with the men so as not to arouse suspicion, said Ms Walley, but when she then tried to leave she was grabbed by one of the men, pushed on to the bed and raped.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Walley said that the woman had kissed and cuddled the man earlier in the night, but that did not amount to consenting to sexual intercourse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When the woman tried to leave again, the other accused grabbed her and told her &ldquo;if you ever tell anyone I&rsquo;ll throw you out the window&rdquo; and that they knew where she lived, said Ms Walley. The woman left the hotel at 2.30 am.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Counsel said the accused told garda&iacute; the alleged victim consented to sexual intercourse, and they also accused her of stealing a jacket.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; found bedclothes and towels from the hotel room and a jacket belonging to one of the men on the balcony of the hotel room directly below where the rape allegedly took place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Walley said that forensic evidence would show that the DNA of the accused alleged to have physically raped the woman was found on the towel.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The trial continues before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan and a jury of four women and eight men at the Central Criminal Court.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-who-stood-by-during-alleged-rape-as-much-a-perpetrator-as-if-he-had-physically-penetrated-her-himself-trial-told-31278970.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-who-stood-by-during-alleged-rape-as-much-a-perpetrator-as-if-he-had-physically-penetrated-her-himself-trial-told-31278970.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-05 11:09:50',NULL,'man-who-stood-by-during-alleged-rape-as-much-a-perpetrator-as-if-he-had-physically-penetrated-her-himself-trial-told'),(1088,'Children with disabilities missing out on pre-school','<p>\r\n	Access to the free pre-school year for children with special needs has been described as &quot;inconsistent&quot; and &quot;not satisfactory&quot; by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Up to 65,000 children are eligible for the current pre-school year but parents and childcare providers say many are losing out because they do not have vital pre-school assistants.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But without a pre-school assistant, some parents say their children would be unable to avail of the scheme.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has acknowledged that the current co-ordination and provision of supports for children with special needs is &quot;not satisfactory&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It confirmed that improving the situation is a &quot;priority&quot; and is working with other departments to find a solution.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Early Childhood Ireland chief executive Teresa Heeney said the move is welcome, but warned: &quot;A solution cannot wait until a medical model is available where there are enough speech therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, etc, in place to ensure that all assessments are completed before a child enters a free pre-school year.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bernie Coghlan&#39;s son James (4) has autism and is nearing the end of his first year in pre-school. She says he &quot;could not possibly go into pre-school without an assistant because he is non-verbal&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The mother from Carlanstown in Co Meath said: &quot;While he is saying some words, he does not have the level of communication and he doesn&#39;t have the level of awareness, or social interaction that a lot of his peers would have. His assistant provides him with the opportunity to integrate himself into that environment.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tanya Malone from Caulstown, Co Meath, said her daughter Beth (4), who has cerebral palsy, has also thrived as result of having a pre-school assistant.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Beth only receives six hours a week so (although) she is in school Monday to Friday, she only has an SNA Thursday and Friday, which is really hard for a child with cerebral palsy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Her fine motor skills are not there and only for her SNA for those six hours a week she wouldn&#39;t be half the child she is now. &quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bernie and Tanya are supporting the Meath Fight for the Future campaign to get access to pre-school for children with special needs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Children and Youth Affairs (CYA) confirmed it has agreed with counterparts in the Departments of Health,and Education and Skills, to seek a solution.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/children-with-disabilities-missing-out-on-preschool-31284824.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/children-with-disabilities-missing-out-on-preschool-31284824.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-08 10:49:17',NULL,'children-with-disabilities-missing-out-on-pre-school'),(1089,'Abuse victims may be quizzed by abuser','<p>\r\n	A document from Tusla, outlining how social workers should respond to allegations of child abuse and neglect, opens the way for an alleged abuser to cross-examine his or her victim.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The draft document, seen by the Irish Examiner and posted on our website today, has caused uproar among social workers who fear it will compromise them ethically and deter victims from coming forward, such is the emphasis on protecting the rights of the alleged abuser.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Social workers who spoke to the Irish Examiner on condition of anonymity said that while they recognised the right to fair procedure, &ldquo;the balance of rights seems far too weighted on the side of the alleged perpetrator in this policy&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They said they did not see how they could comply with the new Tusla procedures and still put the welfare of children first, which they are legally bound to do.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Social workers said they had highlighted their concerns in written submissions to Tusla, but they were &ldquo;neither acknowledged nor listened to&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	D&oacute;nal O&rsquo;Malley, chair of the Irish Association of Social Workers, said the new protocol seemed to put &ldquo;a much stronger emphasis on keeping the alleged perpetrator included at all times and the social worker feels this is disempowering the victim&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Social workers are afraid people won&rsquo;t come forward,&rdquo; Mr O&rsquo;Malley said, adding that the new procedures were &ldquo;almost turning social workers into members of an Garda S&iacute;och&aacute;na&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On cross-examination by the alleged abuser, Mr O&rsquo;Malley said that social workers had a &ldquo;real problem&rdquo; with implementing a procedure they felt could &ldquo;potentially do harm to a child&rdquo; and &ldquo;retraumatise the victim&rdquo;. &ldquo;Potentially they would feel they [the victim] could easily be bullied into withdrawing the complaint,&rdquo; said Mr O&rsquo;Malley</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Maeve Lewis, executive director of victim support group One in Four, said that social workers had to be resourced and trained to implement the procedures, and given clarity around implementation because, &ldquo;at the moment, it&rsquo;s completely hit and miss&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said the potential for cross-examination of a victim was &ldquo;unthinkable&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;&ldquo;It should never be the case that the alleged abuser be allowed interrogate the victim, where the dynamics of the original abuse would be replicated,&rdquo; said Ms Lewis. &ldquo;If a child was to be subjected to such interrogation, it would be unthinkable in a civilised society.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We would strongly urge our clients to withdraw from any process where this could occur &mdash; it would cause more harm.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ellen O&rsquo;Malley-Dunlop of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald had committed to progressing the new sexual offences Bill before the summer &ldquo;and it addresses the current unacceptable possibility of the alleged complainant cross- examining the victim&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla, which has set up a working group to examine policy and procedures for responding to allegations of child abuse and neglect, said if any areas for adjustment were identified, they would be considered.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However in a subsequent statement to the Irish Examiner, Tusla said it was &ldquo;aware of the onerous nature of these obligations but, as they are required by legislation, Tusla is not in a position to modify requirements nor can the agency negotiate an alternative approach to investigations without jeopardising future court proceedings&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The child and family agency said the procedures &ldquo;arose from a number of court judgements, as in some cases where correct procedures had not been followed cases had fallen&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Impact, which represents Tusla social workers, said they had sought for the provision for cross-examination to be removed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Impact assistant general secretary Christine Carney said: &ldquo;We would be concerned that implementing this policy would divert social workers from their primary duty of supporting and protecting children.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/abuse-victims-may-be-quizzed-by-abuser-335210.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/abuse-victims-may-be-quizzed-by-abuser-335210.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-08 11:30:48',NULL,'abuse-victims-may-be-quizzed-by-abuser'),(1090,'13-year-old kills herself days after her father posted a ‘public shaming’ video of her online','<p>\r\n	It&rsquo;s understood he was trying to stop her doing things he disapproved of.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A teenage girl in Tacoma, Washington killed herself just days after her father posted a video online that publicly shamed her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the video, which has since been removed from YouTube, Izabel Lazamana&rsquo;s hair can be seen on the floor of a room and her father is heard saying:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The consequences of getting messed up, man, you lost all that beautiful hair&hellip;was it worth it?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She says &ldquo;No&rdquo; and he continues, &ldquo;How many times did I warn you?&rdquo;, to which Lazamana replies, &ldquo;A lot&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 13-year-old jumped from a bridge on 30 May.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A police spokesperson told The Independent that Laxamana&rsquo;s father cut off his daughter&rsquo;s hair &lsquo;to try and stop her certain things he disapproved of&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The spokesperson added that there was no evidence her father had committed a crime.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&lsquo;Unaware&rsquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There have also been reports that the teenager was bullied at school. Giaudrone Middle School posted a statement on its website saying:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Giaudrone and district staff are unaware of any current student- to-student harassment, intimidation or bullying of Izabel at school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Addressing the video her father posted online, it said:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;When Giaudrone Principal Billy Harris became aware of and viewed a concerning social media video that week involving Izabel, a video not related to any other students, it was responsibly and professionally addressed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;A Child Protective Services report was made and Izabel received counseling support at school.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 20 crisis counsellors are providing help to staff and students at the school.</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&nbsp; 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	Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.thejournal.ie/13-year-old-kills-herself-shaming-video-father-hair-2147898-Jun2015/\">http://www.thejournal.ie/13-year-old-kills-herself-shaming-video-father-hair-2147898-Jun2015/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-08 11:48:58',NULL,'13-year-old-kills-herself-days-after-her-father-posted-a-‘public-shaming’-video-of-her-online'),(1091,'Police investigate \'tragic\' case where \'schoolboy took his own life after social media trick\'','<p>\r\n	Young people advised to stay safe online</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An Irish schoolboy has taken his own life after being tricked into posting images on the internet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ronan Hughes, who was 17 and from the Coalisland area, passed away on Friday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ronan, a keen GAA player, was a pupil at St Joseph&#39;s in Donaghmore, Co Tyrone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His funeral will take place at St Patrick&#39;s Church in Clonoe tomorrow morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Police described the case as &quot;tragic&quot; and have issued advice to young people in the Mid-Ulster area and beyond about the need for care when online.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mid-Ulster District police commander Superintendent Mike Baird said: &quot;Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of a 17-year-old schoolboy in the Coole Road area of Coalisland on Friday June 5.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Our enquiries into this tragedy are continuing, however, it is understood the schoolboy took his own life after he had been tricked into posting images on a social networking site.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Police are continuing to liaise with a number of statutory bodies and community representatives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Officers have spoken to pupils at a school in the area and offered advice regarding safe internet use and any type of virtual interaction including social media sites, chatrooms and through interactive games.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If anyone has experienced anything of a similar nature or has received any inappropriate images or links, it is important that they contact Police or tell a trusted adult.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	By doing this you will be helping prevent further such incidents. You will not get into trouble.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We all deserve to be able to use the internet to learn, explore and connect with each other. But all of us need to be aware of the risks involved in doing so, especially on social media.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Parish priest Fr Benny Fee said the close-knit rural community had been left stunned and blamed &quot;faceless individuals&quot; for intimidating the teenager.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fr Fee said: &quot;He did not take his own life. His life was taken by these faceless people who put the child into a burning building that he felt he could not escape.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is understood Ronan had told his parents about the cyber-bullying and made a complaint to police.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fr Fee added: &quot;It is a total and absolute tragedy but it is a different kind of tragedy because there is an element of cyber-crime involved.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It would frighten any of us how children can be the victim of these faceless individuals. These people had something that they were using as a lever to frighten the child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;But he had told his parents and they went to the police. It is just so tragic that these faceless people have robbed a family and community of a much loved child.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Scores of tributes have been left on Clonoe community Facebook pages.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	His gaelic football team, Clonoe O&#39;Rahilly&#39;s said the tragedy had cast a dark shadow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A statement said: &quot;Ronan was a youth player, having played goalkeeper throughout his short youth career. He was a quiet and modest young lad who was popular among all players and coaches. His death has left a dark shadow hanging over our club.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Samaritans provides a support service for those who need to talk to someone. It can be contacted through Samaritans.org or on 08457 90 90 90, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	How to stay safe online</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&bull; Don&rsquo;t share personal information or images with people you don&rsquo;t know;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&bull; Don&rsquo;t accept friend requests with someone you don&rsquo;t know;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&bull; Set your privacy settings on all devices;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&bull; Don&rsquo;t post anything online that you are not happy to be shared;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&bull; If someone has made you feel uncomfortable or you have had disturbing interaction online, tell someone you trust.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/police-investigate-tragic-case-where-schoolboy-took-his-own-life-after-social-media-trick-31287985.html</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-09 11:45:48',NULL,'police-investigate-tragic-case-where-schoolboy-took-his-own-life-after-social-media-trick'),(1092,'Rape Crisis Centre \'shut down\' by funding cuts from Tusla','<p>\r\n	One of the country&rsquo;s key rape support services has warned massive funding cuts could leave abandoned four out of five survivors of abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In an alarming assessment of its work, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said all its core funding has been cut since the Government established Tusla: the Child and Family Agency last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The group warned this could be the last time it releases powerful evidence-based reports on the level of abuse and support sought by survivors, which for last year showed almost two-thirds of people seeking help at its centres did not report an attack to gardai.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In today&#39;s Irish Examiner, acting director Cliona Saidlear said: &ldquo;We are running on empty. They have effectively shut us down,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There has been a lot of talk of rationalisation, centralisation, of regional hubs,&rdquo; Ms Saidlear said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t been able to get anything in writing about what changes are planned but neither have the centres been able to get any reassurance about their future.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Elaine Mears, RCNI data and services information manager, said victims will effectively be invisible if the group is not able to record information on those seeking help.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We now have a highly developed and internationally recognised data collection system, which continues to give a powerful voice to survivor stories. We call on government to fund the system as a matter of urgency as this system, which cannot be replicated by the state, is currently at risk,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The RCNI report on work at its 14 rape crisis centres revealed:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		93% of attackers knew their victim and 15% were under 18.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		Just over half of survivors aged 13 to 17 had been raped.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		One-third of survivors reported abuse to police and two-thirds of those who came forward thought they were treated sensitively.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>\r\n		1,913 people took up counselling and support, and almost 19,300 calls were made to helplines.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla, which oversees the grants, dismissed the criticism and said the cuts were forced to make the best use of limited resources and fund front-line services for victims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;RCNI does not provide direct services to victims. The change in funding arrangements to RCNI will have no impact on the provision of services to victims of sexual violence,&rdquo; it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla said it will maintain the &euro;4 million paid out last year for counselling and support services for survivors of abuse and make an additional &euro;500,000 investment in resources for victims and to prevent sexual violence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The RCNI praised the establishment of Tusla for addressing critical gaps and past failings but RCNI director Dr Cliona Saidlear warned the new agency cannot fully address sexual violence when 80% of survivors will not contact a state body.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;If the totality of this state&rsquo;s response to survivors is to provide services to only 20%, then the state&rsquo;s response is manifestly insufficient,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is vital this Government move beyond an understanding that its duty has been fulfilled in the handing over of its responsibility to the statutory agency, Tusla.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	RCNI claim it is the only agency able to reveal evidence of the level of sexual abuse as so many victims do not report to gardai.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Through the independent RCNI data, knowledge and information system and our programme of analysis and research, survivors can inform legislation, policies and practices nationally regarding sexual violence,&rdquo; Ms Mears added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/rape-crisis-centre-issues-warning-over-funding-cuts-680767.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/rape-crisis-centre-issues-warning-over-funding-cuts-680767.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-09 11:49:51',NULL,'rape-crisis-centre-shut-down-by-funding-cuts-from-tusla'),(1093,'Government reps face further grilling by UN on human rights','<p>\r\n	Government representatives are facing a second day of questioning by a UN committee examining Ireland&#39;s human rights mechanisms today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A delegation is in Geneva to explain how the Government has complied with the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A number of civil society organisations including Threshold, Atheist Ireland and Justice for Magdalenes Research, are also attending.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Yesterday, the Department of Justice was asked about reparations to survivors of Magdalene laundries, the system of direct provision for asylum seekers and abortion laws.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Katherine O&#39;Donnell, of the Justice for Magdalenes Research group, wants the Government to be reprimanded by the UN committee.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They have very serious concerns about around how austerity has impacted human rights in Ireland, and they&#39;re suggesting ways that the Government ought to have pushed the Troika further on defending human rights issues,&quot; she said</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;They&#39;re certainly interested in the issues of abortion, Magdalene issues, and direct provision as key issues that the Government really needs to tackle properly if it&#39;s going to move forward an keep a good record on human rights.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/government-reps-face-further-grilling-by-un-on-human-rights-680785.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/government-reps-face-further-grilling-by-un-on-human-rights-680785.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-09 11:53:25',NULL,'government-reps-face-further-grilling-by-un-on-human-rights'),(1094,'Irish teenager appeals for permission to return to State','<p>\r\n	A young Irish woman with a history of self-harm and who has spent 19 months in a specialist adolescent facility in England has appealed to be permitted return to the State, in line with a High Court order made March last.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE has asked Mr Justice Seamus Noonan to vary aspects of the March order of Ms Justice Bronagh O&rsquo;Hanlon directing the return of the 18-year-old woman.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It argues that the teenager&rsquo;s health condition has deteriorated, that she is a suicide risk and that there is no suitable facility here to treat adolescents with psychiatric difficulties.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The woman disputes that her condition has deteriorated, arguing that self-harming episodes in recent months were &ldquo;superficial&rdquo; and due to frustration at not being permitted return home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that any suicide risk would be reduced by her being allowed to come home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE has appealed the March order to the Court of Appeal, which has placed a stay on the order pending the outcome of the application to vary it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Issues raised in the case include the woman&rsquo;s capacity to make decisions about her treatment and whether her condition allows for detention under the Mental Health Act.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In documents read to the court, the young woman said she feels &ldquo;so isolated and very alone&rdquo; in England without her family and friends, and she does not want to stay there.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her preferred option was to return to the State to live with her father, who is separated from her mother, and she is prepared to voluntarily cooperate with treatment, the judge was told.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Difficulties at school</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the documents, the woman said she had had a normal childhood in the Republic and had been happy until she began experiencing difficulties at the age of eleven with other children in school.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that she began seeing life &ldquo;as a punishment&rdquo; and regarded others as representing a danger to herself, without realising she was a danger to herself.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that she was not crazy, but just an average teenager with interests in bands, makeup and shopping, the only difference being in relation to her circumstances and outlook.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that, after a particular bullying incident, she began cutting herself and became &ldquo;the HSE&rsquo;s problem&rdquo;. At 14, she was treated in hospital and put on high doses of medication.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Over the following years, there were several episodes of self-harm and hospitalisations. She was also subject to court orders permitting the administration of medication and blood tests to her against her will, after being found to lack capacity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was flown by military aircraft to the English hospital unit in late 2013 due to factors including regular self-harming incidents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said she had &ldquo;begged and pleaded&rdquo; not to go, but was told that she would be handcuffed if she did not.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that she had been permitted home for a visit in late 2014, which had confirmed that she did not want to go back to the UK.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When she turned 18 early this year, she again sought to return home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was assessed by a psychiatrist, who said that she had fluctuating capacity, and that a plan would be put in place for her return.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The High Court found March last that she lacked capacity but should be returned to and treated in the Republic.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that, on that decision: &ldquo;Words could not describe how happy I was.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said that she had become frustrated by the delay in effecting that return and by the HSE&rsquo;s application to vary the March order.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said she had felt &ldquo;hopeless&rdquo; and self-harmed superficially on two occasions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The hearing continues on Wednesday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/irish-teenager-appeals-for-permission-to-return-to-state-1.2243279\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/irish-teenager-appeals-for-permission-to-return-to-state-1.2243279</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-10 09:47:14',NULL,'irish-teenager-appeals-for-permission-to-return-to-state'),(1095,'‘Very serious mistakes’ in State’s sexual violence strategy','<p>\r\n	Rape Crisis Network Ireland director labels approach to prevention services &lsquo;regressive&rsquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government is making &ldquo;very serious mistakes&rdquo; in its &ldquo;regressive&rdquo; approach towards sexual violence prevention services according to the director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking at the launch of the National Rape Crisis Statistics report for 2014, Dr Cl&iacute;ona Saidl&eacute;ar said a drastic reduction to her organisation&rsquo;s core funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency effective from last March constitutes a &ldquo;massive failing&rdquo; for the State&rsquo;s sexual violence prevention policies.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t anyone or anything that will fill that void going forward. We&rsquo;re talking about a silencing for advocating for the voice of survivors, and to raise the voice of survivors in a collective way to national policy level,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Tusla will only ever pick up 20 per cent of secondary prevention. They have no capacity, skill set or even remit around doing anything more than that.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I think the Government needs to reactivate on this question, I think the Government has taken the view that Tusla is taking care of it. We&rsquo;re very clear that Tusla can never, even at full capacity, take care of the issue of sexual violence for this Government,&rdquo; she added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Saidl&eacute;ar appealed for the Government to step in and fill the void caused by the withdrawal of financial support from Tusla, who she says has adopted a &ldquo;dismissive&rdquo; approach towards the RCNI.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In total, over 18,000 calls, texts and emails were received by 14 Rape Crisis Centres nationwide last year, and some 1,900 people chose to avail of support and counselling.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report revealed that 80 per cent of survivors choose not to engage with garda&iacute; or State agencies, a situation partly caused by a reluctance to reveal aspects of their identity or the identity of their abuser or abusers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Addressing the audience at Tuesday&rsquo;s event, abuse survivor Rosie &ndash; whose full name was not disclosed in order to protect her anonymity &ndash; said there is a &ldquo;worrying&rdquo; and &ldquo;frightening&rdquo; atmosphere in Rape Crisis Centres across the country following a series of budget cuts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Currently, the atmosphere in the centres is very, very frightening. It&rsquo;s extremely worrying. Survivors are scared that their services are going to close. There&rsquo;s no clear vision for the future in terms of Tusla or any of the Government agencies.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She continued: &ldquo;People are much more informed, they&rsquo;re much more aware, but the reality is you&rsquo;re still asked to shop your dad, you&rsquo;re still asked to shop your brother; you&rsquo;re still the person who has to give the details and you&rsquo;re still the person who has to report it somewhere. That is still horrendously difficult.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;As an adult survivor of sexual violence, it&rsquo;s still difficult in my own local community, it&rsquo;s still difficult in my family&hellip; I think it really is hurtful not to listen to survivors, and particularly adult survivors because they do have all those nuances, and nobody is listening to that.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of 53 pregnancies caused by rape which the RCNI knew of last year, 26 per cent were aborted. Referring to this finding, Dr Saidl&eacute;ar indicated that Ireland does not take a humane approach towards such cases, and called for &ldquo;safe and legal&rdquo; abortion services to be introduced in this jurisdiction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The limitation of choices for those women in crisis make what is already an incredibly difficult situation unnecessarily more difficult,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Responding to Dr Saidl&eacute;ar&rsquo;s comments, a spokeswoman for Tusla stated that data collection techniques employed by RCNI were not of the requisite standard, and funding has instead been diverted to &ldquo;front-line&rdquo; services offering direct counselling.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The decision to cease the funding to RCNI is dictated by the need to achieve the best use of limited available resources. RCNI does not provide direct services to victims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;RCNI did not produce a comprehensive dataset from all sexual violence support services. Data from the two largest services, Dublin and Cork, was not included in the dataset. In addition, Tusla did not always have timely access to the data collected...&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/very-serious-mistakes-in-state-s-sexual-violence-strategy-1.2242896\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/very-serious-mistakes-in-state-s-sexual-violence-strategy-1.2242896</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-10 10:27:16',NULL,'‘very-serious-mistakes’-in-state’s-sexual-violence-strategy'),(1096,'Amnesty says Irish abortion laws put women and girls at risk','<p>\r\n	Amnesty International has said that Ireland&#39;s abortion laws are putting the lives of women and girls at risk every day and has called for the legislation to be changed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The international human rights organisation said those in need of abortions in Ireland are treated like criminals and stigmatised.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It described Ireland&#39;s abortion laws as among the most restrictive in the world.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Amnesty said the human rights of women and girls are violated on a daily basis because of a Constitution that treats them like child-bearing vessels.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It says 4,000 women a year are forced to travel outside Ireland to terminate their pregnancy and that this has a considerable mental, financial and physical cost.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In its 112-page report - She&#39;s not a Criminal: The Impact of Ireland&#39;s abortion law - Amnesty documents dozens of what it describes as &quot;shocking&quot; accounts of Irish women and girls who were denied abortions by Irish authorities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report also details the cases of a number of women who claim they were denied access to healthcare because of concerns for the well-being of their foetus.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Amnesty says that under international human rights law women have the right to an abortion in cases of rape, severe or fatal foetal impairment or a risk to their health.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It says Ireland, Andorra, San Marino and Malta are the only European countries not to allow this.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It says Irish law should be changed to allow abortion in those cases at the very least.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Amnesty also called for the law, which makes it a crime for doctors and counsellors to give women information about how to get a safe abortion, to be repealed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The organisation today launched its &#39;My Body My Rights&#39; campaign in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It says it will see a global movement of seven million people campaign on a human rights issue in the Republic of Ireland for the first time, with petitions, demonstrations and letters targeting Irish leaders.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Life Institute has criticised Amnesty for what it described as an &quot;obsession&quot; with Ireland&#39;s abortion laws, and said that Amnesty&#39;s decision to become &quot;abortion campaigners&quot; has damaged the founding mission of the organisation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Spokeswoman Niamh U&iacute; Bhriain said that most of Amnesty&#39;s high profile campaigns and public statements now seemed to be part of a push for abortion, and that this had led to members of the public withdrawing their support from Amnesty.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Amnesty was founded to highlight human rights abuses, especially in regard to political prisoners and those suffering under unjust regimes. But now it seems to spend most of its time attacking the rights of the most vulnerable person of all - the unborn child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I&#39;ve lost count of the number of people who have contacted us to tell us they will never support Amnesty again because of their stance on abortion,&quot; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Thousands of Irish women have abortions in UK</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, more than 3,700 women from the Republic of Ireland travelled to Britain for abortions last year, according to figures published by the Department of Health in the UK.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It found that 3,735 women who gave Irish addresses had an abortion in Britain last year, an increase on 2013, when 3,679 women travelled to the UK.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish Family Planning Association said this number is an underestimation, as not all women provide their Irish addresses for reasons of confidentiality.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said that in other cases Irish women travel to other European countries to access abortion services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The total number of abortions carried out in the UK last year was 184,571, a marginal decrease on 2013, when 185,311 took place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Irish Family Association Chief Executive Niall Behan said today that the figures highlight the State&#39;s continued failure to uphold women&#39;s right to health.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Behan said the State has turned its back on these women by obliging them to rely on the health care system of the UK.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Commenting on today&#39;s figures, Helen Deely, Head of the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme, said: &quot;This slight increase in the number of women giving Irish addresses at abortion clinics in UK breaks a steady, downward trend over 12 years since the establishment of the Crisis Pregnancy Programme in 2001.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It is important to note however that the abortion rate has remained stable at 3.8 per 1,000 women between 2013 and 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We need to continue to ensure that women experiencing crisis pregnancy are aware of the free crisis pregnancy counselling services that are available in over 50 locations nationwide.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We also need to ensure that women who travel abroad for an abortion are aware that free post-abortion medical check-ups and post-abortion counselling is available to them on their return to Ireland.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The General Secretary of Amnesty International has said Ireland has one of the world&#39;s most most restrictive laws regarding the criminalisation of women and girls who seek abortion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RT&Eacute;&#39;s News At One, Salil Shetty said Irish law and practice is out of step with international practice and a clear violation of the legal obligations of this country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He added that the time has come for the law to be changed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Shetty said Amnesty stands for international human rights standards and is not a political organisation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The purpose of our report is to open up this conversation; I think, it is the Irish people and the leadership have to make a call on this.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The law and the practice is out of date; it&#39;s out of step with international practice. It is a clear violation of the legal obligation of this country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;So, we&#39;ve had the marriage equality referendum and, of course, it is not the same thing, but we believe that the time has come,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0609/706889-amnesty-abortion-laws/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0609/706889-amnesty-abortion-laws/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-10 10:30:48',NULL,'amnesty-says-irish-abortion-laws-put-women-and-girls-at-risk'),(1097,'UN report on Haiti reveals ’sexual exploitation’ by peacekeepers','<p>\r\n	Members of a UN peacekeeping mission engaged in &ldquo;transactional sex&rdquo; with more than 225 Haitian women who said they needed to do so to obtain things like food and medication, a sign that sexual exploitation remains significantly underreported in such missions, according to a new report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The draft by the Office of Internal Oversight Services looks (OIOS) at the way UN peacekeeping, which has about 125,000 people in some of the world&rsquo;s most troubled areas, deals with the persistent problem of sexual abuse and exploitation. The report, expected to be released this month, says major challenges remain a decade after a groundbreaking UN report first tackled the issue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among its findings: About a third of alleged sexual abuse involves minors under 18. Assistance to victims is &ldquo;severely deficient.&rdquo; The average investigation by OIOS, which prioritises cases involving minors or rape, takes more than a year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Widespread confusion remains on the ground about consensual sex and exploitation. To help demonstrate that, investigators headed to the poorest country in the western hemisphere. A year ago, the report says, investigators interviewed 231 people in Haiti who said they&rsquo;d had transactional sexual relationships with UN peacekeepers. &ldquo;For rural women, hunger, lack of shelter, baby care items, medication and household items were frequently cited as the &lsquo;triggering need,&rsquo;&rdquo; the report says. Urban and suburban women received &ldquo;church shoes,&rsquo; mobile phones, laptops and perfume, as well as money.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In cases of non-payment, some women withheld the badges of peacekeepers and threatened to reveal their infidelity via social media,&rdquo; the report says. &ldquo;Only seven interviewees knew about the UN policy prohibiting sexual exploitation and abuse.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For all of last year, the total number of allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation against UN peacekeepers was 51, down from 66 the year before, according to the latest annual report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The draft report doesn&rsquo;t say over what time frame the &ldquo;transactional sex&rdquo; in Haiti occurred. The peacekeeping mission there was first authorised in 2004 and, as of the end of March, had more than 7,000 uniformed troops. It is one of four missions that have accounted for most allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation in recent years, along with those in Congo, Liberia and South Sudan.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/un-report-onhaitireveals-sexualexploitation-by-peacekeepers-336352.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/un-report-onhaitireveals-sexualexploitation-by-peacekeepers-336352.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-11 10:22:25',NULL,'un-report-on-haiti-reveals-’sexual-exploitation’-by-peacekeepers'),(1098,'Pope sets up child abuse tribunal','<p>\r\n	Pope Francis has approved an unprecedented Vatican department to judge bishops accused of covering up or not preventing sexual abuse of minors, in an attempt to meet a key demand by victims&rsquo; groups.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A statement said the department would come under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican&rsquo;s doctrinal arm, &ldquo;to judge bishops with regard to crimes of the abuse of office when connected to the abuse of minors&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Victims&rsquo; groups have for years been urging the Vatican to establish clear procedures to make bishops more accountable for abuse in their dioceses, even if they were not directly responsible for it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said the bishops could also be judged if they had failed to take measures to prevent sexual abuse of minors.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The complaints against the bishops would be initially investigated by one of three Vatican departments, depending on under whose jurisdiction the bishops fall, before being judged by the doctrinal department.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This development is potentially quite significant. For the first time there may be a clear road map for disciplining bishops who conceal or enable child sexual abuse,&rdquo; said Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org, an independent group that helps tackle the issue in the Catholic Church.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;But the path already promises to be bumpy. How can the Vatican discipline enablers when its own top ranks are occupied by them?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She mentioned Australian Cardinal George Pell, who has been accused of covering up sexual abuse by a priest in the 1970s when Pell was a priest.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Pell, now head of the Vatican&rsquo;s economic secretariat, has denied the accusations, saying he has always taken a strong stand against child abuse. He denies moving priests accused of abuse between parishes or offering one victim inducements to drop a complaint.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Vatican said the pope had approved proposals made to him by a commission advising him on how to root out the sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Part of the task of the commission, which is made up of 17 clerics and lay people from around the world, is to help dioceses put in place &ldquo;best practices&rdquo; to prevent abuse and work with victims in a process of healing. Eight members are women.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The scandal has seen known abusers shunted from parish to parish instead of being defrocked and handed over to authorities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last February, Francis ordered bishops to cooperate as a matter of priority with the commission to root out &ldquo;the scourge&rdquo; of the sexual abuse even if it unearths new scandals. Canon law already does provide sanctions for bishops who are negligent in their duties, but the Vatican was never known to have meted out punishment for a bishop who covered up for an abuser. Now, with these proposals, &ldquo;the process is defined,&rdquo; said Fr Lombardi.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/pope-sets-up-child-abuse-tribunal-336342.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/pope-sets-up-child-abuse-tribunal-336342.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-11 10:24:58',NULL,'pope-sets-up-child-abuse-tribunal'),(1099,'IMO to launch proposals to combat substance and alcohol abuse','<p>\r\n	The Irish Medical Organisation is calling for &quot;sensible and workable&quot; measures to deal with drug abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Recent figures show that since the 1960&#39;s the consumption of psychoactive substances and alcohol has increased to a point where almost over one quarter of all Irish adults say they have used them recreationally.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, more than half of Irish adults are classified by the World Health Organisation as &quot;harmful drinkers&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The IMO will launch its position paper on addiction and dependency services later today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/imo-to-launch-proposals-to-combat-substance-and-alcohol-abuse-681513.html</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-11 10:26:13',NULL,'imo-to-launch-proposals-to-combat-substance-and-alcohol-abuse'),(1100,'As more teenagers go to extreme measures to get thin, parents should be extra vigilant','<p>\r\n	Eating disorders are rising at an alarming rate in young people, with both girls and increasing numbers of boys going to extreme measures to become thin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of teenagers who have been admitted to hospital has doubled in the last three years in the UK.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In Ireland, there was a 30pc increase in calls to the Eating Disorder Association of Ireland helpline - called Bodywhys - last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A large portion of blame falls on the shoulders of the Internet and social media.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	You only have to Google &#39;pro-ana&#39; - the term for pro-anorexia sites - to see the scale of the problem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When I searched for it on Google, 30,900,000 results came up.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One of the first websites I opened, chillingly told me to: &quot;Make a list of &#39;bad&#39; foods. Periodically, cross one off the list and pledge to never, ever eat it again. Eventually, there will be none left!&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If one click of a mouse can come up with over 30 million websites telling you how to lose masses of weight, with some urging you to become anorexic, it&#39;s no wonder young people are getting into trouble and starving themselves.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) in the UK believes that the images and apps available online are placing huge pressure on young people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The RCP said it had seen an &quot;unprecedented&quot; rise in the number of eating disorder sufferers recently.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Spokeswoman Dr Carolyn Nahman said: &quot;We&#39;re getting increasingly concerned about the pressure of social media.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She&#39;s right. With one click of a button, vulnerable and impressionable young people are able to access millions of images of &#39;perfect-looking&#39; people, which places them under a lot of pressure.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Looking at images of airbrushed models and celebrities frolicking on a beach in teeny tiny bikinis with thighs the size of tooth-picks, can cause teenagers to develop low self-esteem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And it&#39;s not just teenagers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Most women staring at photos of slim, toned stunners will begin to feel bad about their own body shape.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It&#39;s the same for boys and men looking at pumped-up, six-pack wielding movie stars.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It certainly doesn&#39;t enhance their sense of self-worth either.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is important, therefore, to urge young people to stop comparing themselves with these perfect images - most of which have been doctored and Photoshopped to look perfect.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Childline has said that it is now receiving increasing numbers of calls relating to children with eating disorders too.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The factors it cited as contributing to the increase it had experienced, included the growth of celebrity culture and the rise of anorexia websites.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But it also noted the increasing pressure around body image placed on children and teenagers through social media.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sue Minto, head of Childline UK, said: &quot;The 24/7 nature of social media places huge pressures on our children and young people which in turn can lead to significant emotional issues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;And society is increasingly bombarded with celebrities and airbrushed images which give an impossible view of what &#39;beautiful&#39; is.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is certainly true that being &#39;thin&#39; is one of the most desired traits in the western world. Being fat, chubby or overweight is now seen as &#39;ugly&#39; and &#39;undesirable&#39;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This yearning to be skinny is driving young people to incredible and life-threatening lengths to lose weight. Apart from just not eating, increasing numbers of people are undergoing gastric band surgery, popping slimming pills, and having liposuction.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But even more worrying are the crazy new weight-loss fads. They include urine injections which trick your body into believing you&#39;re pregnant, thereby boosting your metabolism and helping you burn calories faster.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Or the cotton ball diet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Videos on YouTube have young girls showing you just how to do the diet, which involves dipping cotton balls into orange juice, lemonade or a smoothie before swallowing them whole.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The idea is that the cotton balls will make you feel full and satisfied, so that you eat less and consequently lose weight.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Terence Larkin, Consultant Psychiatrist at St John of God Hospital, says that he and colleagues across the sector have never seen so many people present with such an extreme severity of the illness, particularly in relation to anorexia nervosa.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said: &quot;People are presenting when they have become extremely emaciated, to the point that they don&#39;t need psychological treatment, what they need is actually medical intervention.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bodywhys and all those organisations involved in helping and treating people with eating disorders say the earlier people seek help, the better the prognosis for a full recovery.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Recovery is possible,&quot; stresses Harriet Parsons, services co-ordinator of Bodywhys.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;It is possible to get out of an eating disorder . . . it is not something a person has to live with forever . . . it is possible to reach a point where food and eating has a place in your life in the same way that it has for everybody else.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Health and Children estimates that 200,000 Irish people are currently affected by eating disorders.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An estimated 400 new cases emerge each year, representing 80 deaths annually.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	We can only hope, as parents, that we will recognise the symptoms early enough to help our children and save them before they need to be hospitalised - and by then it may be too late.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/as-more-teenagers-go-to-extreme-measures-to-get-thin-parents-should-be-extra-vigilant-31296442.html\">http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/as-more-teenagers-go-to-extreme-measures-to-get-thin-parents-should-be-extra-vigilant-31296442.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-12 10:11:43',NULL,'as-more-teenagers-go-to-extreme-measures-to-get-thin-parents-should-be-extra-vigilant'),(1101,'Probe into claims of abuse in foster family','<p>\r\n	Eating disorders are rising at an alarming rate in young people, with both girls and increasing numbers of boys going to extreme measures to become thin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A senior counsel-led State inquiry into allegations up to 40 severely disabled children and young adults were physically and sexually abused by a foster family for at least two decades is set to be launched by the Department of Health.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Health Minister Leo Varadkar and minister of state with responsibility for disability services Kathleen Lynch are to open the inquiry due to fears that what happened was covered up by health service managers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inquiry relates to claims up to 40 children and young adults with severe intellectual disabilities were abused at a Waterford foster home from at least 1992 until 2008, and whether health service managers adequately addressed the scandal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Whistle-blowers have said that when officials were first made aware of the claims &mdash; which include repeated rapes and claims some victims were forced to live in cubby holes beneath the stairs and in out-houses &mdash; in 1992, vulnerable children had already been placed with the family for a decade.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 1995, officials were ordered by senior social workers to stop placing people with the family.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, one woman was left with the family for 13 more years, allegedly being subjected to repeated rapes which have resulted in life-long internal injuries.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Unknown to health service officials, other placements also came through the Brothers of Charity and independently of organisations. The family include a couple and a younger relative, two of whom have died. The case was examined in the mid-90s by former senior health service officials without a tender process.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	After concerns were raised again in 2009, the HSE launched a fresh &euro;100,000 report. However, despite concluding in 2012, it has not been published due to a garda investigation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At an April 23 D&aacute;il public accounts committee meeting with the HSE, Fine Gael TD John Deasy, who has pushed for an investigation, said the case is the &ldquo;worst I have heard in 16 years as a public representative&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fianna F&aacute;il TD John McGuinness claimed what happened bears all the hallmarks of a cover-up, as some in charge of the sector have since been promoted, an allegation the HSE rejected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Department of Health confirmed last night that after PAC calls for a &ldquo;statutory commission of investigation&rdquo;, Mr Varadkar and Ms Lynch have appointed &ldquo;a senior counsel to outline and examine the procurement process in commissioning the two [HSE] reviews and the approach taken in conducting the exercises&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/probe-into-claims-of-abuse-in-foster-family-336551.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/probe-into-claims-of-abuse-in-foster-family-336551.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-12 10:13:22',NULL,'probe-into-claims-of-abuse-in-foster-family'),(1102,'Care home run by HSE was fire trap - damning report','<p>\r\n	Several residents with an intellectual disability were confined for months to a facility which was found to be a fire risk, a damning report has revealed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	HSE-run Cregg House near Ballincar in Sligo is home to 108 residents, including some children with an intellectual disability.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was found to be very understaffed, leaving residents with little social involvement with the outside community and little stimulation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Inspectors who visited two units, which were part of the congregated facility, in January issued two immediate actions - one relating to staffing levels and another involving fire risks.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Doors separating two units were not adequate to prevent the spread of fire, while four water hoses needed replacement or decommissioning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These were among a litany of serious concerns found by inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) during a series of visits between last December and April.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inspectors also visited the area where children were cared for, and found that they sometimes had to stay in bed until lunchtime because of a lack of staff.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They were also regularly late for school for the same reason.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inspectors also found there was overuse of strong medications to curb the behaviour of the residents .</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One resident was given this medication as a form of restraint on 13 occasions in the months before the inspection.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One nurse told the inspectors it was better to give the resident the drugs at the beginning of an outburst because otherwise &quot;it could go on for two hours.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Some staff did not have any training in mandatory areas such as fire safety, manual handling, infection control or managing challenging behaviour,&quot; the report stated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Cregg House was taken over from an order of nuns by the HSE three years ago following a dispute over funding.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In response to the report, the HSE, which has been given an action plan, said it was working to address all the issues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Paddy Connolly of Inclusion Ireland, the disability advocacy group, said the report highlighted the ongoing living conditions of people in congregated settings. He said 3,000 live in similar settings and just 150 will move to modern residential care this year. A small number also moved last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/care-home-run-by-hse-was-fire-trap-damning-report-31296510.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/care-home-run-by-hse-was-fire-trap-damning-report-31296510.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-12 10:16:21',NULL,'care-home-run-by-hse-was-fire-trap-damning-report'),(1103,'Doctor\'s orders: Preparing for the long goodbye','<p>\r\n	You eventually adjust to dementia but it still has the power to gut you</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Today&#39;s the first day my Mum didn&#39;t know who I am. She&#39;s had dementia for a while. It started with forgetting words. Misplacing things. Getting confused about time. She often can&#39;t remember who people are now. My husband and my kids or other relatives, are often a mystery to her. Though she smiles and chats away happily to them. But she has always known me.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	And despite all that, I&#39;ve never really even seen her as demented. Or even old. Which is partly a testimony to her big personality. I&#39;ve never really seen her, as one of the pale, shrunken, white-haired ladies, I glimpse through half-open doors of quiet rooms, when I go to visit her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She loves to laugh at the &quot;Aul wans&quot; as she calls those she&#39;s surrounded by. She doesn&#39;t see herself as old, either. And she&#39;s quick to point out that she&#39;s only in the nursing home because she works there. She&#39;d be vague and slightly confused, if you pressed her on what exactly she does there. So you don&#39;t. She apologised once to my cousin for &quot;Having to meet me, in a place like this.&quot; But she doesn&#39;t actually know what kind of a place it is.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I never thought she&#39;d end up in a nursing home. We&#39;d a downstairs room in our house that we turned into a bedroom for her. But she didn&#39;t like it. Staying only one night and leaving without a word at 6am to return home, back when she could still drive. But then, it became obvious over time that she needed more care than we or even a full home-care package, could give her anyway.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A fall that left her on the floor overnight, freezing and with her head only inches from a slate hearth, followed by a prolonged stay in hospital and she never went home again.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She liked the nursing home at first. It&#39;s a very nice place. She thought it was a hotel. It looks like one. She liked the attention and the company. She liked the food. But then the institutional nature of it began to grate on her ever- rebellious personality. She shouted at other residents and staff. She became a bit down.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But she rallied. She forgot that she didn&#39;t like the authority and imagined instead that she was part of it. She became friends with the nurses. She led the sing songs. She can be very charismatic and engaging still. She caused two old men to stand and salute, during her rousing rendition of &#39;The men behind the wire&#39;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	I&#39;m sure when visitors came, she may have raised a few eyebrows with the occasional expletive or muttered insult. I&#39;m sure when they looked at her, they didn&#39;t see the young woman, who was the star of The Andrian Players dramatic group, in Pearse St. in the 1940s. Who broke hearts all around her and was engaged more than once. Who broke with convention and married a younger man. Who raised a family and pulled a child through leukaemia, almost by sheer force of will alone.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Who gave up a 60 a day smoking habit, without a backward glance, after a prayer to Pope John. Who told me, to marry someone kind, with a good sense of humour because nothing else matters. Who sang Annie get your gun, waving a sweeping brush - like no one else. They never saw that but I always did. And she always saw me. Even when she didn&#39;t see anyone else. Until today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dementia is a kind of slipping away of the person you love, even while they&#39;re still with you. You see it happening. You can&#39;t stop it. You just adjust to it. But when she told me today she didn&#39;t know who I was - it still stopped me in my tracks. Enjoy the precious moments while you can.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/family/doctors-orders-preparing-for-the-long-goodbye-31298367.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/family/doctors-orders-preparing-for-the-long-goodbye-31298367.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-15 10:29:59',NULL,'doctors-orders-preparing-for-the-long-goodbye'),(1104,'Elder financial abuse: Demands from family members for money among issues - survey','<p>\r\n	Demands from family members for money are among the issues that arose in new research on elder financial abuse in a survey from Age Action and Ulster Bank.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In addition, almost 50pc of bank officials have dealt with elder financial abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The survey asked 493 Ulster bank customer service staff about their experience of elder financial abuse. 45pc of respondents had dealt with suspected elder financial abuse cases, almost all of whom had dealt with at least one case in the previous 12 months.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	68pc of the Bank&rsquo;s respondents were familiar with elder financial abuse, rising to 75pc among those with 10 years or more experience.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There were more than 13,000 cases of elder abuse referred to the HSE up to the end of 2013. Financial abuse is the second most common form of elder abuse, accounting for more than one in five cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Justin Moran, Head of Advocacy and Communications at Age Action, said: &ldquo;Every year, hundreds of older people are facing demands for money from family members, having their income withheld from them or finding their possessions taken.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;To make it worse, in the overwhelming majority of cases of elder abuse, the perpetrators are immediate family members.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Among the case studies detailed was the story of Sine&aacute;d, who has been diagnosed with dementia. During a period when she was experiencing reduced mental capacity, her son persuaded her to set up a joint bank account.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her son then used this account to obtain a credit card and made a number of purchases on the card for which Sine&aacute;d was charged.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Afterwards, during a more lucid period, Sine&aacute;d realised what had happened. With the help of her daughter, she approached her bank which recognised it as fraud and reimbursed her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE operates an information line for reporting cases of suspected elder abuse from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm, at 1850 24 1850.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Age Action also runs an information line for anyone who might be concerned about elder abuse. It operates from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, at 01 475 6989.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/elder-financial-abuse-demands-from-family-members-for-money-among-issues-survey-31302442.html\">http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/elder-financial-abuse-demands-from-family-members-for-money-among-issues-survey-31302442.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-15 10:31:04',NULL,'elder-financial-abuse-demands-from-family-members-for-money-among-issues-survey'),(1105,'New HIV Infections At Highest In Five Years','<p>\r\n	New HIV cases have reached their highest point in five years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show that last year 377 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in Ireland - an increase of 11% on 2013.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This was largely down to a rise in the number of infections among gay men and injecting drug users.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the Irish Examiner&#39;s Cormac O&#39;Keefe, so far this year there have been a further 168 cases of new HIV diagnoses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last year&#39;s cases include 183 new cases among men who have sex with men, 125 new cases among heterosexuals - the lowest on record - and 27 cases among injecting drug users.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Advocacy group HIV Ireland said the rise in new infections was a &ldquo;great cause of concern&rdquo; and said public debate on HIV and Aids was &ldquo;being deafened by silence&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/2015/06/15/new-hiv-infections-at-highest-in-five-years/\">http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/2015/06/15/new-hiv-infections-at-highest-in-five-years/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-15 10:32:42',NULL,'new-hiv-infections-at-highest-in-five-years'),(1106,'Barnardos has a plan to make education free for primary school children','<p>\r\n	Barnardos children&rsquo;s charity has estimated that it would cost &euro;103 million to give every child in Ireland a totally free primary education.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While there is currently no direct charge for children to attend primary school in Ireland, there are a number of additional costs for school books, transportation, stationary and voluntary contributions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The charity has highlighted the fact that there are no national guidelines for how much these additional costs should be and they vary depending on the school a child attends.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These additional costs are said to most impact on the children of lower-income parents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>How much is needed?</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Every year we hear from parents forced to make impossible choices in order to fund their child&rsquo;s education,&rdquo; said June Tinsley, head of advocacy with Barnardos.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The charity is calling for around &euro;103.2 million in this year&rsquo;s Budget and around &euro;126.9 million to be committed within three years to fund secondary education.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking about the projection by the charity, its CEO, Fergus Finlay, said, &ldquo;The impact of an inclusive, supportive education system reaches far beyond school gates.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It means all children, regardless of their background, are given the same opportunity to learn and thrive.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<strong>How does the sum break down?</strong></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The charity has costed their proposals by looking at the different areas that parents are currently required to make payments to. They estimate that the sum of &euro;103.2 million would be coming out of Budget 2016 of around &euro;1.2 billion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The biggest hit to the Exchequer would be the elimination of voluntary contributions, at a cost of &euro;42 million.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The cost of school books would be around &euro;20 million, free classroom resources would be around &euro;19.5 million, and restoring the capitation grant level would cost around &euro;16.7 million.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.thejournal.ie/primary-education-million-free-money-improvement-national-schools-2162201-Jun2015/\">http://www.thejournal.ie/primary-education-million-free-money-improvement-national-schools-2162201-Jun2015/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-16 10:36:29',NULL,'barnardos-has-a-plan-to-make-education-free-for-primary-school-children'),(1107,'Child rapist allowed to go to UK after gardai saw sex attack video','<p>\r\n	A child rapist was able to travel to the UK and commit further offences after being interviewed by gardai here who had seen a video of him raping an 11-year-old girl.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Michael Smith (53) from Tipperary groomed, raped and sexually assaulted the girl, who he considered to be his daughter, for 10 years before going to the UK where he was jailed for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl he meet through a social media site.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Central Criminal Court heard that the Irish victim went to gardai about the abuse in 2004 and a follow-up search uncovered a recording of him raping the child when she was 11. Smith was interviewed voluntarily and went to England shortly afterwards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smith, previously of Maplewood Way, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to nine counts of rape, two counts of oral rape, one count of possession of child pornography and assault causing harm of Michelle Smith at addresses in Rathmines, Tallaght and Cabra on dates between 1994 and 2004.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sergeant Paul Maher revealed that Smith, who has no previous convictions here, was jailed in England for engaging in sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sex and possessing indecent material.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish victim, who has waived her right to anonymity, believed that Smith was her father at the time of the abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sgt Maher told Caroline Cummings BL, prosecuting, that the victim reported her father&#39;s abuse in March 2004, when she was 17 years old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said she had been continuously sexually abused by him from the age of eight. Smith moved between various Dublin residences over the years and would have regular sex with his victim at these addresses.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The victim told gardai she thought the sex was normal and that Smith had, on several occasions, recorded the abuse on a camcorder.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sgt Maher said the victim also told him that Smith punched her in the face, slammed her head into a wall and slapped her till she wet herself out of fright on one occasion at the Maplewood Way address.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Following the victim&#39;s complaint to gardai in 2004, a search warrant for Smith&#39;s home and workplace was obtained and cassettes were recovered with recordings of the victim. Sgt Maher told Ms Cummings that one recording depicted Smith having sex with the victim when she was 11 years old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The victim revealed in a statement, read out in court, that nobody knew about the abuse and a lot of people had liked Smith.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Anyone can be a predator and you&#39;d never know unless the victim speaks up,&quot; she said. &quot;I find it hard to sleep at night with all the thoughts, questions and memories in my head&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Describing a lonely and terrified childhood, she said: &quot;This was not a one-off thing that left after-affects. I don&#39;t have a life. He raised me to be when he needed me to be. This is all I know.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sgt Maher said Smith left Ireland shortly after he had been interviewed voluntarily by gardai. English authorities stopped Smith in 2008 with a 15-year-old girl, whom he had groomed online for sex by posing as an older teenage boy about three years previously.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was also caught with over 19,000 images of child pornography.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Justice Moran remanded Smith in custody until sentence finalisation on Friday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/child-rapist-allowed-to-go-to-uk-after-gardai-saw-sex-attack-video-31305349.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/child-rapist-allowed-to-go-to-uk-after-gardai-saw-sex-attack-video-31305349.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-16 10:40:21',NULL,'child-rapist-allowed-to-go-to-uk-after-gardai-saw-sex-attack-video'),(1108,'Rising rents \'forcing families into homelessness\'','<p>\r\n	Families living in rented accommodation are under severe pressure from rising rents, Housing lobby group Threshold said today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is calling on the Government to tackle rising rents by linking them to the consumer price index.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Shortage of supply and poor accommodation are other major issues facing renters.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Threshold chairperson, Senator Aideen Hayden, said that many families are at risk of homelessness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We&#39;re seeing a lot of issues around rent, rent arrears and particularly issues around family homelessness, families who find that they just cannot keep paying exorbitant rent increases.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/rising-rents-forcing-families-into-homelessness-682182.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/rising-rents-forcing-families-into-homelessness-682182.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-16 10:41:15',NULL,'rising-rents-forcing-families-into-homelessness'),(1109,'Quarter of all calls to rape helpline from men','<p>\r\n	The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) has reported a 30pc increase in first-time callers to its 24 hour helpline, with men accounting for almost a quarter of those seeking help.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 12,000 contacts were made to the charity last year, with some 9,207 deemed genuine. Some 3,341 individual client appointments were completed in 2014, according to its annual report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Four out of 10 people who needed a crisis appointment received emergency counselling for rape or a sexual assault within six months of the alleged offence. There was a 71pc increase in such &quot;recent&quot; appointments compared to 2013, DRCC said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Half of its new clients who received face-to-face counselling also reported other forms of violence including physical and psychological abuse, harassment and intimidation as well stalking and threats and attempts to kill, DRCC said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Elsewhere, more than 200 victims of rape and sexual assault were accompanied by trained volunteers to the Sexual Assault and Treatment Unit (SATU) in Dublin&#39;s Rotunda Hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, who launched the report, has received broad support for proposed reform of sexual offences legislation published last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She is widely expected to shortly announce a new Government commitment to undertake research into the prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Any new research would follow on from the landmark 2002 &#39;Sexual Assault and Violence Report in Ireland&#39; (SAVI).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anne Marie Gill, DRCC Chairperson, said that a second SAVI could provide comparative, rigorous research to identify whether there has been change for &quot;better or worse&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government is set to transpose into Irish law a new EU Directive on Victim&#39;s Rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/quarter-of-all-calls-to-rape-helpline-from-men-31308566.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/quarter-of-all-calls-to-rape-helpline-from-men-31308566.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-17 10:38:45',NULL,'quarter-of-all-calls-to-rape-helpline-from-men'),(1110,'How consumers can get an illegal loan written off','<p>\r\n	Thousands of people who got moneylender loans topped up may be entitled to get it written off and receive compensation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is illegal to be given a new moneylender loan before an existing one is paid off.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A ruling by the financial services ombudsman has set a precedent for compensation, experts said. This only applies to moneylending borrowings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anyone affected should first challenge the moneylender about their loan. If they are unsuccessful, they can take a case to the ombudsman, a free service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	To take an ombudsman case you need a letter from the moneylender refusing to offer you redress.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, many people will face a dilemma if they make a claim to their moneylender.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A loan from the moneylender may be their only source of credit, even if interest rates are as high as 188pc.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Moneylenders may refuse to deal with people who are seeking a loan write off and refunds from them, prompting some soul searching for affected consumers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The best bet is make a claim, and open a credit union account.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/how-consumers-can-get-an-illegal-loan-written-off-31308598.html\">http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/how-consumers-can-get-an-illegal-loan-written-off-31308598.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-17 10:43:20',NULL,'how-consumers-can-get-an-illegal-loan-written-off'),(1111,'It took two years before Anna Flood was diagnosed with bowel cancer','<p>\r\n	University graduate Anna Flood was 22 when she first went to her GP suffering from extreme fatigue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite multiple trips to the doctor complaining of weight loss and bowel problems, they repeatedly missed her cancer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Two years later, in May 2010, Anna was admitted to hospital where she received the &ldquo;shock&rdquo; news that she had bowel cancer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She suffers from Lynch syndrome, the same genetic condition which caused teenage campaigner Stephen Sutton&rsquo;s bowel cancer and death last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna, now 28, who lives in Putney in south-west London, said: &ldquo;It was a shock definitely. At this point I did not know there was a family history of it on my dad&rsquo;s side.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;My dad hadn&rsquo;t really thought it was a risk that would affect his children so we didn&rsquo;t really know anything about it. And obviously I was very young and healthy and fit.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna, who studied history at Exeter University and is beginning a nursing degree in the autumn, said she did not feel her GP took her seriously.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was not until she was admitted to hospital with stomach pains that she got the life-saving treatment she needed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said: &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t until I was taken to A&amp;E by my mum that things really started moving really quickly. The way I was treated in hospital was brilliant &ndash; you couldn&rsquo;t fault it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They did lots of tests, did it all really quickly, operated quickly. Whereas when I went to the GP feeling really, really ill, I felt, not fobbed off, but as though they weren&rsquo;t really taking me seriously.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Anna underwent successful treatment and will have her five year scan next month which she hopes will show she is all clear of the cancer.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She called for more to be done to diagnose and treat young people earlier.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Adding: &ldquo;There needs to be more work done to make it less of a stigma, less embarrassing for young people to talk about these things.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/it-took-two-years-before-anna-flood-was-diagnosed-with-bowel-cancer-337230.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/it-took-two-years-before-anna-flood-was-diagnosed-with-bowel-cancer-337230.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-17 10:46:43',NULL,'it-took-two-years-before-anna-flood-was-diagnosed-with-bowel-cancer'),(1112,'Assisted Decision-Making Bill reaches committee stage','<p>\r\n	New legislation will replace Lunacy Regulation Act and end wards of court</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Bill to allow people with limited decision-making capacity to better manage their personal, property and financial affairs has progressed to committee stage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The D&aacute;il select committee on justice worked through more than 400 amendments to the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013 on Wednesday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The legislation will replace the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871 and will mean adults with diminished mental capacity will no longer be wards of court; instead a decision-making assistant, a co-decision-maker or an attorney will be appointed based on the capacity of the person.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The proposed legislation has been welcomed by campaign groups and academics. Piers Gooding, research associate at the NUI Galway Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP), said the Bill will be relevant to virtually all Irish people.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But he added that the centre, which worked with the Department of Justice in formulating the legislation, also has concerns the Bill does not fully meet human rights standards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the focus on &ldquo;decision-making capacity&rdquo; could place onerous demands on certain people and result in them being forced to see clinical professionals to prove they have mental capacity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A coalition of campaign groups have also expressed concerns over powers granted to &ldquo;informal decision-makers&rdquo; who the CDLP said &ldquo;can make a wide range of decisions about people who they believe to lack mental capacity without any oversight or scrutiny from the courts or other State bodies&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But he added that overall the centre was &ldquo;really pleased&rdquo; and said the fact that Minister of State with responsibility for mental health Kathleen Lynch moved more than 400 amendments to the Bill at the committee meeting showed the Government was serious about the legislation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/assisted-decision-making-bill-reaches-committee-stage-1.2253229\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/assisted-decision-making-bill-reaches-committee-stage-1.2253229</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-18 09:43:08',NULL,'assisted-decision-making-bill-reaches-committee-stage'),(1113,'Asylum seeker payments should be more than doubled – report','<p>\r\n	Working group review of allowance paid to adults currently at &euro;19.10 and &euro;9.60 per child</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Weekly welfare payments to asylum seekers should be more than doubled, a report on reform of the asylum system will recommend.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report, by a working group established last year by the Department of Justice, is expected to be published at the end of the month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Four options on increasing the weekly allowance paid to asylum seekers have been considered by the working group. They currently receive &euro;19.10 per week per adult and &euro;9.60 per child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report will recommend these be increased to &euro;38.74 per week for adults and &euro;29.80 for children. This would bring the rates into line with supplementary welfare allowance rates when the fact asylum seekers in direct provision are provided with food and accommodation is taken into account.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There are, according to the latest figures from the Department of Social Protection, 4,310 people on direct provision in receipt of welfare payments. These payments cost &euro;2.98 million last year, up to the end of October. This compares with &euro;7.34 million spent on allowance payments to 6,400 asylum seekers in 2009.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While concrete recommendations are made on speeding up the legal process for asylum seekers, the recommendations on improving living conditions in centres are understood to be &ldquo;vague and imprecise&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Private rooms</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Changes such as private family quarters and the provision of private rooms to single people will be conditional on contractual obligations the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) may have with direct provision centre operators.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The RIA runs the direct provision system under the auspices of the Department of Justice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to sources, there is scant reference to children&rsquo;s rights in these centres around such issues as their mental health or social participation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the report does recommend that the Ombudsman for Children be allowed investigate cases in direct provision centres.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report will also makes specific recommendations on how female asylum seekers experiencing crisis pregnancies should be treated. The report says processes around women&rsquo;s access to information, travel documents and finances, must be reviewed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Y, an apparently suicidal asylum seeker, experienced a crisis pregnancy last year. Though she sought an abortion she was unable to access one here or travel for one. Her case highlighted the difficulties female asylum seekers face accessing information, travel documents and finances when seeking an abortion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/asylum-seeker-payments-should-be-more-than-doubled-report-1.2253414\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/asylum-seeker-payments-should-be-more-than-doubled-report-1.2253414</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-18 09:45:18',NULL,'asylum-seeker-payments-should-be-more-than-doubled-–-report'),(1114,'Over 100 rape victims wait on therapy','<p>\r\n	The biggest rape crisis centre in the country had more than 100 victims of past rape and childhood sexual abuse on a waiting list to receive therapy at the end of 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The biggest rape crisis centre in the country had more than 100 victims of past rape and childhood sexual abuse on a waiting list to receive therapy at the end of 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dublin Rape Crisis Centre chief executive Ellen O&rsquo;Malley-Dunlop said this was a &ldquo;wholly unacceptable situation&rdquo; and was due to both funding cutbacks and increased demand for help.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It comes as Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI), an umbrella body for 11 of the country&rsquo;s 16 rape crisis centres, again criticised Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for cutting its &euro;250,000 funding completely.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Commenting on the RCNI cuts at the launch of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre&rsquo;s report for 2014, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said it was a decision that Tusla had made and what was important was that there were &ldquo;no cuts to funding frontline rape crisis service&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the annual report, Ms O&rsquo;Malley-Dunlop said 2014 was a &ldquo;very difficult year&rdquo; for the agency following seven years of cuts.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;While victims of recent rape are responded to appropriately, other victims of sexual violence &mdash; including victims of childhood sexual abuse &mdash; have had to wait for longer periods before being seen by a therapist.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Angela McCarthy, head of clinical service, said they lost two therapists due to cutbacks in 2013. She said the therapy team &ldquo;struggled to handle&rdquo; the increase in the number of new clients in 2014 &mdash; with a 71% increase in recent rape and sexual assaults.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said the assessment waiting list was closed twice in 2014: In February, when there were 65 people on the list, and in September, when there were 60 people. It stayed open over Christmas and New Year and the waiting list grew to 80 in mid-December and 100 shortly after.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms O&rsquo;Malley-Dunlop said: &ldquo;By the end of 2014 the waiting list had grown to over 100 victims waiting for services, which is a wholly unacceptable situation.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said 2015 was the first time in seven years the funding had not been cut. She welcomed the commitment of Tusla to invest in the rape crisis sector, but pointed out that its funding from Tusla only covered 60% of costs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, the RCNI rejected claims from Tusla that funding that was going to it was bound for frontline counselling services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There is no evidence that any money has been diverted from RCNI to rape crisis centres,&rdquo; said RCNI acting director Cliona Saidlear.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Tusla are putting extra resources into employing their own administrative layer with four new posts relating to sexual violence. This can hardly be called diverting money to the front line.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said it was &ldquo;untrue&rdquo; to say the RCNI did not provide frontline services, which, she said, they did.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Saidlear said it was crucial for survivors that they had an independent and safe advocacy group, one that had the country&rsquo;s main database on sexual violence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Fitzgerald defended Tusla&rsquo;s decision: &ldquo;What&rsquo;s very clear is that Tusla is completely committed to collecting data in the most efficient and most nationwide way it needs to be collected, and that is the decision they have taken. What&rsquo;s important is that there&rsquo;s no cuts to funding of frontline rape crisis services.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said funding for frontline services had been maintained this year and, with a recovery under way and increased demand for services, there will be more investment in the future.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dublin Rape Crisis Centre helpline: 1800 778888</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/over-100-rape-victims-wait-on-therapy-337565.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/over-100-rape-victims-wait-on-therapy-337565.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-18 09:46:33',NULL,'over-100-rape-victims-wait-on-therapy'),(1115,'Students in direct provision working hard for college place','<p>\r\n	For asylum seekers in direct provision exam stress is simply another layer of pressure</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Leaving Certificate exams are almost finished. It&rsquo;s a difficult time for any student, but for asylum seekers living in direct provision there is another layer of stress. For two Galway students, the exams have been a particularly arduous time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Victoria Chihumura (17) arrived in Ireland from Zimbabwe five years ago. Since then she has been living in the Eglinton House direct provision centre in Salthill, sharing a room with her mother, her step father and two younger brothers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Studying for the exams was difficult. &ldquo;I would sometimes wait until everyone had gone to bed and go until it was nearly the morning.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Her three strongest subjects were biology, business studies and home economics social and scientific, but overall everything went well. She thinks now the build-up to the exams was the worst part.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I was so nervous the first day, then I started reading English paper 1 and I realised this just isn&rsquo;t so bad.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chihumura says she is the only girl in her year who lives in a direct provision centre but hasn&rsquo;t discussed it much in school, where she is head girl.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	People talking</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Nobody else really knows. They all just think I live in Salthill. It&rsquo;s fine. I didn&rsquo;t want people to be talking about it.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Little has been said to her either in the centre. Most people, she says &ldquo;stay in their rooms&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Money is a very weighted issue for her family. Adult asylum seekers in the State are given &euro;19.10 per week with an extra &euro;9.60 per child. They are not allowed to work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chihumura is &ldquo;sure&rdquo; she can get enough points to study arts in NUI Galway but is aware she is unlikely to be able to do so.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At present most direct provision residents are unable to avail of third-level education as they are charged the same fees as international students.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It costs roughly &euro;12,750 a year for international students in NUI Galway, in addition to registration fees.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald established a working group last year to oversee reforms of the direct provision system, which has been heavily criticised at home and abroad. The conclusions of the working group are due soon, according to Government sources.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was controversy last year after The Irish Times reported that a number of direct provision students had been awarded scholarships for third level study but had been moved to locations too far away to attend college.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Five years</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In April, Minister for Education Jan O&rsquo;Sullivan said she was &ldquo;determined&rdquo; asylum seeking students who have been in the system for five years or more should be given the same opportunities as Irish students.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However Chihumura&rsquo;s mother Blessing does not believe these changes will come in time for her daughter. &ldquo;They keep saying things but nothing happens,&rdquo; she says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chihumura says the majority of her classmates will be heading for NUIG. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t say anything when they talk about it.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Issues of money and work also drove another Eglinton House resident Primrose Dube (29) to study for the Leaving Certificate. She has been living in the Salthill centre for nine years with her two daughters. She arrived after her husband was arrested in Zimbabwe for his opposition to the Mugabe regime.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The intervening years have been very difficult. Initially she shared a room with another single mother and her child. It took five years to get a room of her own. She too struggles to live on &euro;19.10 a week and can&rsquo;t see how to improve her circumstances because of the ban on work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She has found other residents in the direct provision centre and her teachers to be supportive. Studying was tough with her children and she often had to wait for them to fall asleep before starting.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dube is eager to keep studying. &ldquo;I would like to keep learning and I&rsquo;d like my children to see me learning.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/students-in-direct-provision-working-hard-for-college-place-1.2253248\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/students-in-direct-provision-working-hard-for-college-place-1.2253248</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-18 09:48:24',NULL,'students-in-direct-provision-working-hard-for-college-place'),(1116,'Calls to Women’s Aid about abuse rises to more than 16,000','<p>\r\n	Tusla funding reduction of 20% feels like &lsquo;new recession&rsquo;, warns agency&rsquo;s director</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Women&rsquo;s Aid received more than 16,000 reports of domestic violence against women and nearly 6,000 of abuse of children last year, according to its annual report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The agency&rsquo;s director Margaret Martin also said Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is to cut its statutory funding by 20 per cent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said this would affect the organisation&rsquo;s plans to extend its national freephone helpline for those experiencing domestic abuse. A 24-hour service is due to start in January 2016.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This recent severe cut by Tusla feels like a new recession for our organisation and we are still trying to come to terms with the impact on our work,&rdquo; Ms Martin said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A Tusla spokeswoman said the agency had prioritised access to services by vulnerable adults, children and families who experienced domestic violence and sexual violence in its 2015 budget.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Tusla is committed to maintaining funding for the frontline services provided by Women&rsquo;s Aid and has asked them to make savings of 20 per cent across the indirect services it provides, such as training,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Tusla is committed to working with the sector to develop sustainable and effective provision of training.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Martin also outlined some of the abuse detailed by callers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They were kept prisoner in their own homes, cut with knives, stabbed, spat on, punched, slapped, kicked, held down and choked and beaten with household items, with many women disclosing that they were beaten during pregnancy,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sexual demands</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Women were also &ldquo;verbally abused, belittled, criticised, blamed and stalked and harassed, including online, both during the relationship and after leaving&rdquo;. Others reported they had been raped, sexually assaulted and given &ldquo;no option but to comply with their abuser&rsquo;s sexual demands&rdquo;, she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Martin said the public response to domestic violence, including questions such as &ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t you just leave?&rdquo;, was often damaging.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This victim-blaming response feeds into the isolation that women feel. Very often the men who abuse women are absent or excused when we talk about addressing domestic violence,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The challenge for society is to treat the crime of domestic abuse as seriously as it deserves.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In 2014, 97 per cent of callers to the helpline were female and 3 per cent male. Some 65 per cent who contacted the organisation last year were doing so for the first time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Of the 16,464 reports of domestic violence, there were 10,653 of emotional abuse, 3,470 of physical abuse, 595 of sexual abuse (including 176 of rape) and 1,746 of financial abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Abusers</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Women contacting Women&rsquo;s Aid said 80 per cent of abusers were male intimate partners: 42 per cent were husbands, 6 per cent ex-husbands, 15 per cent partner and 17 per cent ex-partners. There were 5,786 specific reports of child abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some 35 per cent of calls to the helpline came from the greater Dublin area while 26 per cent came from outside Dublin. The remaining 39 per cent did not disclose a location.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Migrant women made up 323 callers, while 32 per cent of women using the Women&rsquo;s Aid One to One Support Service for the first time in 2014 were migrant women. Women&rsquo;s Aid: 1800-341900 (10am to 10pm, seven days a week) womensaid.ie</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/calls-to-women-s-aid-about-abuse-rises-to-more-than-16-000-1.2253226\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/calls-to-women-s-aid-about-abuse-rises-to-more-than-16-000-1.2253226</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-18 09:50:05',NULL,'calls-to-women’s-aid-about-abuse-rises-to-more-than-16000'),(1117,'Judge allows child in care to attend sexual assault unit','<p>\r\n	Child ran away from home and disclosed she was sexually abused by friend of her mother</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A judge at the Dublin District Family Court has dispensed with the need for parental approval to have a child in care assessed at a sexual assault unit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The primary-schoolgoing child was taken into care earlier this year having run away from home after allegedly being beaten by her mother. She later disclosed to a social worker she had been sexually abused by a friend of her mother&rsquo;s at one of her mother&rsquo;s parties, the court was told.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Child and Family Agency sought to extend an interim care order for the girl and orders dispensing with the need for parental approval for a passport and for the medical assessment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Foster placement</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The social worker told Judge Brendan Toale the girl was now in a foster placement and was very happy there. She was also settled in school and her principal had described her as &ldquo;a wonderful child&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said she wrote to the mother for permission to bring the child to the sexual assault unit, but the mother did not respond or answer phone calls. When she was asked for her daughter&rsquo;s passport, so the child could go on summer holiday with her foster carer, the mother asked for &euro;75, the social worker said. When the money was refused, she would not give the passport and later said she had lost it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The child&rsquo;s court-appointed guardian described the girl as &ldquo;content and robust&rdquo; and said she was &ldquo;unlike other children of her age&rdquo; who had been through similar experiences. The child was clear on what she wanted the guardian to tell the judge: that she didn&rsquo;t want to go home or see her mother.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Backlash</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The guardian said she believed that was based on her fear of a backlash from her mother for running away.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Her fears are grounded and right,&rdquo; the guardian said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Mum is extremely compulsive and has an inability to regulate her emotions. It is highly likely she would explode and blame [the child].&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said the girl had expressed a wish to see her younger brother whom she had &ldquo;effectively cared for&rdquo; while she was at home. She was worried he might now be exposed to the violence she allegedly experienced. The mother was not present in court or legally represented.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Toale said he was satisfied the mother was aware of the hearing and the father had been served with court documents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He extended the interim care order for the girl for 28 days and made an order allowing the agency apply for a passport for the child. He also said it was appropriate the child be seen at the sexual assault unit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Separately, Judge Toale refused to hear an application for a supervision order because the Legal Aid Board had not provided a solicitor for the child&rsquo;s father. He said this was &ldquo;a constant feature&rdquo;. When parents have a case to make, it was not just in the interests of fair procedures, but in the interests of the children, that they make their case, the judge said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He adjourned the case to allow the board to provide a solicitor on the next occasion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/judge-allows-child-in-care-to-attend-sexual-assault-unit-1.2255099\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/district-court/judge-allows-child-in-care-to-attend-sexual-assault-unit-1.2255099</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-19 09:28:08',NULL,'judge-allows-child-in-care-to-attend-sexual-assault-unit'),(1118,'Hiqa to be given powers to investigate private hospitals','<p>\r\n	Varadkar says measure designed to alleviate concerns about service safety and quality</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The State&rsquo;s health watchdog is to be given the power to investigate incidents in private heathcare, under new legislation to be drafted shortly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Private hospitals, along with other private operators such as cosmetic surgery clinics, will come under the remit of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) for the first time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Government has approved the drafting of the heads of a Bill that will allow Hiqa to set standards, monitor healthcare and investigate incidents in the sector, in addition to its current role in monitoring parts of the public healthcare sector.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa is also being given oversight of research ethics committees for clinical trials involving medicines or medical devices.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Currently, Hiqa has powers to investigate issues in public hospitals, though it cannot impose sanctions or investigate individual complaints by patients. It has greater powers to maintain standards at residential care homes</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In recent years, there has been considerable controversy about specific private healthcare services, for example in relation to the fitting by clinics of faulty breast implants.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said the measure was designed to alleviate public concerns about the safety and quality of some services provided in the private sector or independently of it, such as cosmetic surgery procedures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He described the proposed Bill as a logical step on the way to a full licensing system for public and private hospitals. An internal Civil Service working group has been formed to further this objective.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There is a very strong case to be made to extend Hiqa&rsquo;s powers into the private sector, allowing it to set and monitor standards, and to undertake investigations where necessary. My Department will now draft the Heads of a Bill for Cabinet approval to amend the Health Act 2007 and extend Hiqa&rsquo;s powers,&rdquo; Mr Varadkar said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The move towards greater regulation of clinical trials is seen as essential to making Ireland more attractive as a centre for carrying out this work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Private hospitals account for about one in six beds in the State and care for 400,000 patients a year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/hiqa-to-be-given-powers-to-investigate-private-hospitals-1.2255665\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/hiqa-to-be-given-powers-to-investigate-private-hospitals-1.2255665</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-19 09:33:49',NULL,'hiqa-to-be-given-powers-to-investigate-private-hospitals'),(1119,'GP group shelves legal challenge to under-6s scheme','<p>\r\n	GP group says withdrawal of court case a &ldquo;dark day&rdquo; but vows to continue opposition</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The National Association of GPs has been forced to withdraw a legal challenge to the Government&rsquo;s scheme to provide free care for under-6s after a majority of family doctors signed up.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The NAGP has told members it had no choice but to end court proceedings after receiving legal advice it was likely to fail and the association would be liable for all legal costs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The volte face, described by the association as a &ldquo;dark day&rdquo;, is likely to lead to a further rise in the number of GPs registering to provide free care for under-6s. Over 20,000 parents have registered their children for the scheme, due to begin on July 1st, and two-thirds of GPs have agreed to provide the service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The case was taken by Co Clare GP Yvonne Williams, who wanted the introduction of the scheme postponed until the NAGP was given an opportunity to negotiate with the HSE. Dr Williams claimed the scheme would result in changes to her existing general medical services (GMS) contract with the HSE.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a letter to members, the association says Dr Williams has been forced to make a &ldquo;tactical withdrawal&rdquo; in relation to the injunction. It says the number of GPs signing up continued to rise &ldquo;until it became undeniable that over 50 per cent had signed&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We were advised Yvonne was now highly unlikely to be successful in her injunction application and if she proceeded and lost, we would have been forced to bear the costs of both sides.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;To do this would have placed both the NAGP and Yvonne Williams herself in an impossible position. It was the unanimous decision of Yvonne and the council that we had no option but to face the facts, and the decision was taken to withdraw the proceedings.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This comes as a bitter disappointment to Yvonne and the NAGP.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The association says it is preparing a letter of protest for GPs to attach to their contract should they decide, reluctantly, to sign up.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last month, the association wrote to doctors seeking a &euro;1,000 donation towards a fighting fund to oppose the scheme.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/gp-group-shelves-legal-challenge-to-under-6s-scheme-1.2254527\" style=\"font-size: 12px;\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/gp-group-shelves-legal-challenge-to-under-6s-scheme-1.2254527</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-19 09:31:58',NULL,'gp-group-shelves-legal-challenge-to-under-6s-scheme'),(1120,'Female Sexual Offenders','<p>\r\n	Author: Dolores Martin</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The following essay will attempt to devise an academically supported Social Care practice policy and procedure that addresses the underlying issues associated with sexual offending. The essay will focus on female sexual offenders and look at the current literature related to the topic in order to gain an insight into the issue of female sexual offending and how it is being managed in society.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That she might seduce a helpless child into sexplay is unthinkable, and even if she &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;did so, what harm can be done without a penis?&rdquo; Mathis (1972:p12)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the past, as outlined by Duncan 2010, there has been little attention and even less acknowledgement given to females who commit sexual offences, even though there is documentary evidence of women committing sexual crimes as far back as the 1930s. There have been many high profile cases involving the sexual abuse of children by women these include Myra Hindley and Rosemary West. Both of these women carried out the abuse along with a male co-offender which is a common characteristic of women who sexually offend. Although, it has been argued that in the case of Rosemary West she was an equal participant in the sexual crimes that she and her husband Fred committed. As pointed out by Ramsland and Mc Grain (2010), at her trial survivors testified about the couple&rsquo;s sadistic teamwork. The survivors included their daughter who stated that her mother, Rosemary West, helped numerous men to assault her when she was very young.&nbsp; A psychiatric testimony on behalf of Rosemary revealed that her mother had went through electric shock therapy to treat depression whilst she was pregnant on Rosemary and also stated that her father suffered from schizophrenia. Rosemary sexually abused her younger brother when she was thirteen years old and after his arrest, her husband Fred, who she married at the age of sixteen, told the police that he had witnessed her having sex with her father.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite all of this, a huge lack of attention still surrounded female sexual abuse and this has hindered the process of gathering the information that is needed to help put measures in place to prevent their criminal behaviour. The result of this is victims, who include children, teens and adults, being afforded the recognition, support and understanding that they need. Even though there is less coverage given to the issue of female sexual offenders, the information that is out there suggests that women commit the same types of sexual crimes as men do. Elliott (1994) points out that there are general similarities between male and female offenders. These include chaotic and abusive backgrounds, non-nurturing homes, which seem to be the norm, and emotional, verbal and physical abuse is also part of the experiences of both sexes. They are usually low status members of their peer group and tend to feel that they do not belong anywhere. Individuals who sexually offend are very often friendless and will do almost anything to feel accepted within their social group. A lot of the abusive acts that they commit are similar and both men and women often use some of the same arguments or tricks in order to gain the trust and co-operation of their victims. Despite a number of similarities, there are differences in the types of abuse that females commit and also in their response to therapy.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Generally women do not tend to coerce others into being accomplices and use less physical force. Women are far more likely than men to admit the abuse and are usually more willing to take responsibility for their behaviour. On average, most men begin sexually offending at a much younger age than women and women generally use fewer threats to keep their victims quiet. A major difference between women and men who offend is that before women start to offend against others, they usually act out against themselves using self-punishment behaviours such as self-harm, starving themselves and prostitution. When it comes to responding to therapy, men tend to forgive their behaviour a lot quicker than women and move through the stage of feeling shame and into the feeling of guilt more quickly and thus allow themselves permission to heal a lot sooner. Women&rsquo;s anger towards themselves tends to be more deeply entrenched. Men tend to only develop empathy for their victims when they are well into their therapy. The sexual abuse dynamic which is common to both male and female offenders is that as adults, they both have sexual contact with teenagers.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ford (2006) contends that despite the fact that there is at least half a century of knowledge pointing to the fact that women also engage in sexually abusive behaviours towards children, it still remains a phenomenon that has not been sufficiently accepted. It seems that the only way that abuse my females is accepted is by looking at the woman as a victim herself, usually in the context of being coerced into performing these acts by a male for his sexual gratification. Thus in this scenario, the woman herself becomes the victim. The idea that a woman may have been an equal partner in the abusive act or indeed have coerced a male into offending is rarely if ever explored. One of the most unique aspects of female sexual offenders is the high likelihood of offending in the company of a co-offender. Boer et al (2010) pointed to the fact that early abusive experiences at the hands of males can play a huge part in the development of passive and dependent personality traits that can result in such women becoming vulnerable to potential coercion and grooming from male sexual offenders.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Beech, Craig and Browne (2009) contend that although acceptance and belief about female sexual offending has increased widely, research continues to indicate that discrepancies in how male and female offenders are viewed. This was highlighted in the Roscommon case, where a mother of six was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of incest, sexual abuse and neglect of her children. The sentence was handed down in the Circuit Court in Roscommon in January 2009 by Judge Miriam Reynolds, who stated on the day that there was huge room for improvement in legislation to deal with the actions of women who sexually offend.&nbsp; The Judge went on to say that she would be sentencing the woman using legislation that dates back to 1908 and that the maximum sentence she could hand out under that legislation was seven years. She further pointed out that had this been a male sexual offender, a much longer sentence could have been imposed under recently amended legislation.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In designing a framework to address the underlying issues associated with females who sexually offend, it is important to try and identify the variables most strongly associated with this type of offender. One of the major identifiable factors that need to be addressed with women who sexually offend is whether or not they committed the offence alone. If a woman was coerced into offending by others, it would be important in an assessment of risk to consider their ability to resist coercion in the future, especially if the woman is going back into an environment where this would be possible. Another factor important to this type of offender is if the victim was in fact the abuser&rsquo;s child. In this case, the framework would have to include counselling and therapy for the child. When and if the mother was able to see the child again, there would need to be high supervision and access would have to be limited and on the victim&rsquo;s terms in order for any relationship building to take place. As is the case with most female sexual offenders, there is normally a history of abuse which has not been addressed, this would need to be explored and worked through before beginning treatment. Another factor that usually relates to females who sexually offend is their abuse of alcohol or drugs, the addiction would need to be treated before any specific sexual offending treatment can begin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Any framework put in place to prevent a female offender from offending would need to be tailored to meet the individual needs of the offender. As outlined above, females who sexually offend are often the victims of abuse themselves and their experiences are very likely to remain secret until such time that they offend against a child and enter into a treatment programme where they then feel comfortable to talk about their past. In the past, women did not have the information about abuse that we have today and this may have resulted in many women not realising that what was happening to them was in fact abuse. They did not have the opportunity to talk to someone about what was happening to them as children. Their experiences of sexual abuse would have occurred before there were any effective laws to protect them from abuse. A possible result of this is that these women remain silent about their experiences and therefore continue a pattern of victimisation into adulthood.&nbsp; A framework for working with female sexual offenders would need to address this issue before ever working to prevent the abuse from happening again.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As outlined by laws and Donohue (2008), risk management for women who have sexually offended has three important components, these are treatment, supervision and monitoring. Over the last ten years or so, a small number of treatment programmes specifically for women that sexually offend have been developed. One such programme is The Genesis ıı Programme for female sex offenders which originated in Minnesota. This programme involves group therapy goals that are relapse prevention orientated and are similar to those used in the treatment of male offenders. The aim of the programme is to encourage the abuser to take responsibility for their behaviour, increase their understanding of the impact on their victims, increase awareness of their offence cycle and to create strategies that meet the needs of the abusers without victimising others. The programme also emphasises the importance of evaluating the perpetrator&rsquo;s own abusive history and particular emphasis is put on building self-esteem, developing an understanding of their own sexuality, reducing any dependency on male partners and also reducing hate and self-blame.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Supervision of female sexual offenders, as pointed out by Laws and Donohue (2008), consists of tracing the movement of the abuser and restricting the possibility of the perpetrator getting in contact with their victims. During the supervision stage, a female sex abuser may be on temporary release or on a programme of integration back into the community. There would need to be restrictions on the abuser&rsquo;s movement, communication and possible access with a previous victim. If an offender had accessed her victims through her place of work, then she would be instructed to refrain from seeking employment that involved any contact with children. A third important part of risk management is monitoring; this involves the identification of any early warning signs of relapse by the abuser. It is important that any signs of relapse are acted on straight away and it is helpful if an agreement of a plan of action in the event of a relapse is agreed during the treatment process between the offender and the worker. This involvement can be beneficial for the offender and the victim, as well as helping to improve the relationship between the offender and the worker. Safety planning is a possible fourth component of risk management and involves looking after the safety of victims. This may involve informing communities or actual relocation of offenders who have been released. As a result of these measures, the overall safety of the victim can be greatly enhanced and likelihood of the victim being reoffended against reduced.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The good-lives model is an excellent overall framework for risk management. This model, as outlined by Ward, Polaschek and Beech (2006), is an example of a treatment model that has a positive psychological approach with a strengths-based perspective. The goal of this model of treatment is to instil offenders with the knowledge, skills and also the competencies to put in place a realistic good lives plan that they can use in the environment that they are released into. Agency, psychological well-being and the opportunities that they have to live an alternative lifestyle to the criminal lifestyle that they had been living is the main focus of this treatment.&nbsp; In order to change offender&rsquo;s ideas about themselves and to help them to gain the life they want to live, they need to possess the skills and capabilities and be offered opportunities and supports within their communities. This is a huge task for offenders and can through up a lot of issues relating to what the offender wants and what is realistic. The offender would need to be able to change their whole opinion of themselves and create a totally new identity in order to meet the aims of this model.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Finkelhor precondition model, as pointed out by Ward et al (2006), was perhaps the first model of treatment to note that child abuse is a complicated phenomenon and is the result of a number of different factors. Finkehor noted that any theory used to work with sexual offenders needs to be individual to the offender and should be able to be tailored to meet their individual needs. This is true of any client within social care practice and agrees with the idea of person centred planning and the notion that a one size fits all theory will not meet the needs of all clients. Finkelhor&rsquo;s theory outlines four underlying factors that have been involved in accounting for sexually abusive behaviour. These four factors are emotional congruence, sexual arousal, blockage and disinhibition. In relation to women who sexually abuse children the fourth factor of Finkelhor&rsquo;s model which looks at disinhibiting factors is very relevant due to the fact that women who sexually abuse are often abusers of alcohol and or drugs. They use their addiction to try and weaken or remove any emotional or cognitive restraints that would ordinarily prevent them from becoming sexually involved with children.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The essential force behind Finkelhor&rsquo;s argument for his theory is that these factors can be grouped together into four preconditions that need to be satisfied before the sexual abuse of a child can take place. These preconditions are motivation to sexually abuse, overcoming internal inhibitors, overcoming external inhibitors and overcoming the resistance of the child. This model has been widely used in the treatment of sexual abusers and one of the main advantages of the theory is its simplicity, which makes it easy to use with offenders. A major disadvantage is the fact that although Finkelhor states that all four preconditions need to be gone through before abuse will take place, it could be argued that abuse is already taking place during the first three stages and it is possible that a victim is already suffering abuse before getting to the final precondition stage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Work that has been carried out with female sex offenders, as outlined by Beech et al (2009), has clearly identified a number of treatment needs that relate to both male and female sexual offenders: these include denial, distorted cognitions, minimisation, limited understanding of the impact of their offending on victims, interpersonal problems and, in some cases, more specific factors such as deviant sexual arousal.&nbsp; Sexual deviance in females, as stated by Gannon and Cortoni (2010), has remained absent in research on female sexual offending and the continued ignoring and overlooking of these deviant sexual arousal patterns has contributed to the continuation of child abuse by females. The development of specific treatments for women who sexually offend is also lagging far behind treatment that which exists for men.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gannon and Cortoni (2010) state that when a child has experienced sexual abuse by a female in a society that still has not accepted that this type of abuse really does happen, the child has an increased sense of powerlessness which is made even worse if the perpetrator is the victim&rsquo;s mother. Where this is the case, the entire life of the child is controlled by the abuser. This sense of powerlessness created by the abuse can result in the child having an overriding desire to be in control. The possible results of this are an increased possibility of aggression and exploitation towards others. This goes along with the research on female sexual offending, which concurs that women who have been abused have the potential to abuse.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The prevention of child abuse by women will only come about as society is made aware that women do actually commit sexual crimes. Child protection services, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, researchers and the mental health system all need to replace the myths about women sex offenders and begin to educate society about the reality of female sex offenders. The traditional view of women, as outlined by Laws and Donohue (2008), which was as non-violent, nurturing, and protectors of the vulnerable, children in particular, are being increasingly acknowledged as flawed. There is a lot more clarity now on the types of abuse perpetrated by females. There is also an increased awareness in society of the differences between male and female abusers and the need for female specific treatments. As a result of this increased awareness, there is more guidance available to practitioners in relation to the treatment and assessment of females who sexually abuse and also about the management and assessment of their risks to others.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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	&nbsp;Bibliography&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Beech, A., Craig, L., Browne, D. (2009) <em>Assessment and treatment of sex offenders: a handbook </em>UK: John Wiley and Sons</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Boer, D, Eher, R, Pfafflin, Craig, L, Friedmann, M. (2010) International Perspectives on the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders: Theory, Practice and <em>Research </em>UK: John Wiley and Sons</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Duncan, K. (2004) <em>Healing from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse: the journey for women</em> USA: Greenwood Publishing Group</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Duncan, K. (2010) <em>Female Sexual Predators: Understanding them to protect our children and youth</em> USA: ABC- CLIO</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Elliott, M. (1994) <em>Female sexual abuse of children</em> USA: Guildford Press</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ford, H. (2006) <em>Women who sexually abuse children</em> England: John Wiley and Sons</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gannon, T., Cortoni, F. (2010) <em>Female sexual offenders: Theory assessment and Treatment</em> UK: John Wiley and Sons</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0122/roscommon.htm%20l%20(online\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0122/roscommon.htm l (online</a>) 22th January 2009 Accessed 12<sup>th</sup> April 2011</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Laws,R., O&rsquo;Donohue, T. (2008) <em>Sexual Deviance: Theory Assessment and Treatment </em>New York: The Guildford Press</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mathis, J. (1972) <em>Clear Thinking about Sexual Deviation</em> USA: Nelson- Hall Company</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ramsland, K., Mc Grain, P. (2010) <em>Inside the minds of sexual predators </em>USA: ABC-CLIO</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ward, T., Polaschek, D., Beech, A. (2006) <em>Theories of sexual offending</em> England: John Wiley and Sons</p>\r\n','public','',0,'2015-06-19 11:32:05',NULL,'female-sexual-offenders'),(1121,'Smyth was ordained despite suspicions over sex abuse','<p>\r\n	The activities of Ireland&#39;s most infamous paedophile priest sparked concerns years before he was ordained, an inquiry has heard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was suspicion that Fr Brendan Smyth, who admitted sexually assaulting hundreds of children, had abused a boy while training in Rome during the late 1940s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The revelations were made to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry, which is examining whether systemic failings allowed Smyth - a member of the Norbertine order - to abuse for another 40-plus years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Jospeh Aiken, counsel for the inquiry, said the Norbertine order believes that knowledge of Smyth&#39;s activities existed prior to his ordination, yet he was still ordained as a priest.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;A complaint had been made about Smyth when he was a student in Rome in the 1940s. He was accused of abusing a child in the vicinity of the college,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ignored</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Retired judge Sir Anthony Hart, who is leading the UK probe, was told advice from a senior cleric in Rome not to ordain Smyth had been ignored.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smyth&#39;s direct superiors at Kilnacrott Abbey in Co Cavan and the Belgian-based Abbey which sponsored his study at the Vatican felt it would be a &quot;shame&quot; if the first student they sent to Rome failed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A letter shown to the inquiry also revealed they did not want the Abbott General - the Norbertine&#39;s most senior figure in Rome - &quot;interfering&quot; in their business. Smyth&#39;s ordination went ahead in 1951.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Shortly afterwards, a senior priest from Tongerlo in Belgium sent a letter in which he said the Abbott General&#39;s opinion may have been right.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;My letter is hard,&quot; he wrote. &quot;I hope my fear is exaggerated.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smyth, who was at the centre of one of the first clerical child sex abuse scandals to rock the Catholic Church, was later convicted of 117 indecent assaults on children across the island of Ireland from the 1960s to the 1990s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There were also reports he abused children in Scotland, Wales and the USA. The inquiry heard he told a doctor in 1994 the true number of victims could run into the hundreds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smyth had a preference for children aged between 10 and 14 years old because he felt they would not inadvertently speak about the abuse, it emerged.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He frequented Catholic residential homes, where he groomed victims with sweets and trips away. His deviant behaviour was known among several of his superiors, who recommended psychiatric treatment and he recieved electric shock therapy as far back as the 1960s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was not arrested until the 1990s, was jailed in 1994, and died in prison in 1997, age 70.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Former Primate of Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady, who was part of criticised church investigation in 1975, will give evidence later this week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Secrecy</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In one written statement the Cardinal said: &quot;Sadly at that time there was a culture within the church of secrecy and silence and it was felt that matters could be dealt with within the church structures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There was not a proper understanding of the devastating consequences of child abuse. Many of the bishops believed that psychiatric treatment of the individual perpetrator was an adequate response. The full horror and long-lasting impact of such criminal behaviour has now been grasped.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For counselling call Connect on 1800 477 477, or 00800 477 477 77 from Northern Ireland and the UK.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/smyth-was-ordained-despite-suspicions-over-sex-abuse-31322398.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/smyth-was-ordained-despite-suspicions-over-sex-abuse-31322398.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-23 09:05:48',NULL,'smyth-was-ordained-despite-suspicions-over-sex-abuse'),(1122,'Hiqa to review Tusla over concern for at-risk children','<p>\r\n	Health watchdog finds inconsistencies in safety and quality of services for children</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Serious concern over the safety of children at risk has prompted the State&rsquo;s health watchdog to review national governance at Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) said an overview of its inspections last year revealed inconsistencies over the safety and quality of children&rsquo;s services were a cause of major concern.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The authority found significant delays in assessing the needs of children and families where there were reports of suspected abuse or neglect.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This issue was escalated as a serious concern to the national senior management team in the agency. In addition, there was evidence vulnerable children at risk of harm did not have timely access to social workers or vital supports.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As a result of these inconsistencies, the authority said it was concerned national and local management systems may not be adequate in order to provide consistently safe services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa says it will shortly begin a national review of governance of the agency, which took over responsibility for child and family services from the HSE in January 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The agency was established to provide a greater focus on improving children&rsquo;s services following a series of high-profile scandals, including the deaths of young people in care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Significant variation</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa&rsquo;s head of regulation Mary Dunnion said its inspections showed significant variation in the performance of the agency in different service areas. While there were long waiting lits for initial assessments by social workers in four out of the five service areas inspected, there was no waiting list in the Kerry area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Hiqa is concerned about the inconsistencies in the safety and quality of children&rsquo;s services nationally,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Records obtained by The Irish Times earlier this year showed thousands of reports of abuse, neglect and welfare concerns over children at risk were waiting to be allocated a social worker.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An internal report presented to the board of Tusla said backlogs were so acute in some areas that hundreds of extra staff are needed to bring numbers back to &ldquo;manageable&rdquo; levels.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Child-centred practice</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But Hiqa also found examples of good practice and progress in improving some services. Many children in both residential and foster care were well cared for and inspectors found examples of excellent child-centred practice, including seeking children&rsquo;s views and ensuring they were involved in decision-making. Children also told inspectors they felt listened to and made informed decisions with the support of their social workers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some services, however, weren&rsquo;t able to meet the needs of young people with challenging behaviour. The authority said it remained concerned about the use of restraint or seclusion involving children detained in special care units and detention schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Dunnion said while there was evidence of improving services and good practice, it will continue to work with providers to promote improvement in the safety and quality of services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some centres for children with disabilities also faced challenges meeting the needs of young residents. Of the 65 inspections carried out in disability centres during 2014, escalation and enforcement issues were taken in 15 services, while a further eight had immediate action plans issued to them by the authority relating to health and safety concerns.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was also evidence of poor medication management, inappropriate placements of children and poor management of some centres. Two notices of proposal to cancel registration were issued due to concerns about the fitness of the provider to provide safe care to children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/hiqa-to-review-tusla-over-concern-for-at-risk-children-1.2259121#.VYkcL2OYqu5.twitter\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/hiqa-to-review-tusla-over-concern-for-at-risk-children-1.2259121#.VYkcL2OYqu5.twitter</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-23 09:27:46',NULL,'hiqa-to-review-tusla-over-concern-for-at-risk-children'),(1123,'UN body calls on Ireland to revise its abortion laws','<p>\r\n	A UN committee has called on Ireland to take &ldquo;all necessary steps&rdquo; to revise its abortion laws to bring them into line with international human rights standards.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) said this should include holding a referendum on the issue.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In its concluding observations on the third periodic report of Ireland to the Committee, the CESCR said it was concerned at Ireland&rsquo;s &ldquo;highly restrictive&rdquo; legislation and its &ldquo;strict interpretation&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;It is particularly concerned at the criminalisation of abortion, including in the cases of rape and incest and of risk to the health of a pregnant woman; the lack of legal and procedural clarity on what constitutes a real substantive risk to the life, as opposed to the health, of the pregnant woman; and the discriminatory impact on women who cannot afford to get an abortion abroad or access to the necessary information. It is further concerned at the limited access to information on sexual and reproductive health,&rdquo; said the report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The finding comes after two days of hearings on Ireland&rsquo;s human rights regime at the committee in Geneva earlier this month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Executive director of the Irish Council on Civil Liberties (ICCL) Mark Kelly, labelled the report a &ldquo;biting criticism of Ireland&rdquo; and said it was the second time in a year that a UN body has called on Ireland to change its laws on abortion.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The Government simply cannot continue to ignore what has become plain and obvious to those charged with monitoring Ireland&rsquo;s adherence to its human rights obligations, Ireland&rsquo;s abortion laws do not work, cannot protect vulnerable women and girls and will not stem the need for access to safe and legal abortions now or in the future,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the Pro Life Campaign hit out at the CESCR report and said it was &ldquo;stretching credibility for the UN to claim to represent genuine human rights in any real way&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The CESCR report also called on the State to phase out austerity measures and restore pre-crisis levels of public services, a call welcomed by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Its chief commissioner Emily Logan said the CESCR agreed with IHREC view that austerity measures were brought in without an assessment of their impact on economic, social and cultural rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In our report, the Commission said that the burden of the crisis had disproportionately fallen on those least able to bear its impact. The UN Committee&rsquo;s assessment confirms our view. It has concluded that the State&rsquo;s response to the crisis has been disproportionately focused on cuts to public expenditure, in the areas of housing, social security, health care and education,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Director general of the Free Legal Advice Centres, Noeline Blackwell, welcomed the UN findings and noted its &ldquo;grave concerns at the consequences of austerity measures in Ireland, with a focus on groups most impacted, some of whom had already been severely disadvantaged before the recession and some who were made poor during it&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The National Women&#39;s Council of Ireland said it came as no surprise that yet another international body had shamed Ireland&#39;s record on women&#39;s rights.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/un-body-calls-on-ireland-to-revise-its-abortion-laws-338449.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/un-body-calls-on-ireland-to-revise-its-abortion-laws-338449.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-23 09:29:54',NULL,'un-body-calls-on-ireland-to-revise-its-abortion-laws'),(1124,'New strategy aims to reduce suicide by 10%','<p>\r\n	The new national strategy to lower suicide is aiming to reduce deaths by suicide by 10%.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The strategy was launched this morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Latest figures for suicide in Ireland show 507 people took their own lives in 2012 and the statistics have remained high in recent years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Connecting for Life outlines a new set of seven main goals comprised of 69 actions to be implemented over the next five years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A reduction in deaths by suicide of 10% is targeted along with commitments to &quot;provide a co-ordinated, 24/7 service&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The strategy also outlines plans to a statutory consultation process to consider the feasibility of regulating counsellors and psychotherapists.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister of State for Mental Health Kathleen Lynch said the new suicide prevention plan is not about spending more money but will focus on connecting existing services and resources.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RT&Eacute;&#39;s Morning Ireland, Ms Lynch said &euro;10m will be spent on the plan, a similar amount spent on the previous strategy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;There comes a point when it&#39;s not about money, it&#39;s about awareness, it&#39;s about being able to speak about it out loud, it&#39;s about knowing where to turn when a crisis occurs, it&#39;s about recognising the signs that bring people to the point that they are thinking of suicide as a way of ending their own lives and really it is about continuing to do what we have been doing in the last number of years but doing it with the knowledge we have gathered over the last number of years.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Lynch spoke about connecting individuals to their communities and communities to mental health services.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said there will be an implementation group that will ensure these commitments are carried out.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Minister said 20 specially trained nurses are currently in place in emergency departments but there will be 35 in total.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fianna F&aacute;il Senator Marc MacSharry said that while any attempt to address &quot;our nation&#39;s silent crisis&quot; are welcomed, he expressed concern at the lack of additional resources.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr MacSharry, who wrote his party&#39;s policy paper on suicide reduction, said the document &quot;is high on aspiration and rhetoric but fails in strategy, resources and ambition.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Samaritans, the national suicide reduction charity, welcomed the plan, saying it &quot;recognises the need for a coordinated response.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Catherine Brogan, Executive Director of Samaritans Ireland, said &quot;a coordinated policy response has the potential to address the social and economic factors which impact on suicidal behaviour.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Helpline Numbers:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Samaritans telehone: 116 123 (ROI) and 08457 909090 (NI)</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Pieta House telephone: 01-601000</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Aware telephone: 1890-303302</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0624/710241-suicide-prevention/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0624/710241-suicide-prevention/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-24 11:32:30',NULL,'new-strategy-aims-to-reduce-suicide-by-10%'),(1125,'Hiqa: Non-compliance at Ãras Attracta','<p>\r\n	An unannounced Hiqa inspection of &Aacute;ras Attracta, a Co Mayo facility for people with learning difficulties, has found major non-compliance with regard to the statutory rights of residents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report indicated the facility failed to uphold patients&rsquo; rights and dignity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The facility hit headlines last year when a probe found evidence of staff slapping, kicking, force-feeding, and verbally abusing elderly residents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In January, a Hiqa inquiry highlighted unsafe medication practices and said the premises was unclean.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The latest report, carried out in April and released last night, said while there was a significant improvement at the facility, certain issues have yet to be addressed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Inspectors criticised centralised preparation of meals, use of hospital beds, and the non-personalisation of bedrooms.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/hiqa-non-compliance-at-aras-attracta-338702.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/hiqa-non-compliance-at-aras-attracta-338702.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-24 11:33:48',NULL,'hiqa-non-compliance-at-ãras-attracta'),(1126,'Children\'s groups call on all parties to agree new intervention plan','<p>\r\n	Political parties are being called on the make the care of children, and early intervention programmes, a priority for the next government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	An event is taking place in Dublin this afternoon around the issue, with representatives from all political parties taking part.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The &quot;Hands up for Children&quot; campaign, consisting of 42 groups working in the children&#39;s and social sectors, wants state funding for the ABC early intervention programme to be doubled.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It provides speech and language therapy, literacy, parenting skills and social supports to communities most in need.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We have come to understand &hellip; that the earlier you intervene when there&#39;s a diffiulcty, the better the outcome,&quot; said Marian Quinn, Chair of the Prevention and Early Intervention Network.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;We are in the run-up to a general election, and we wantt to ensure that outcomes for children are centre-stage in the next programme for government.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said services were far too often dictated by a crisis rather then prevention at an early stage, and that is a key area the group wants to address.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/childrens-groups-call-on-all-parties-to-agree-new-intervention-plan-683456.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/childrens-groups-call-on-all-parties-to-agree-new-intervention-plan-683456.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-24 11:36:02',NULL,'childrens-groups-call-on-all-parties-to-agree-new-intervention-plan'),(1127,'IASCM Seminar – Mindfulness','<p>\r\n	Mindful Leadership is increasingly being recognised as a key resource for Managers and Team Leaders within the challenging, and often stressful environment of the Social Care setting.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dee Hennessy, Mindful Facilitator, will facilitate a Presentation for the IASCM on Friday, 10th July 2015, at Louis Fitzgerald Hotel from 9.30am-1pm (Registration takes place at 9am).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This introductory session on Mindful Leadership for Social Care Managers will provide participants with:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ndash; An understanding of Mindful Leadership as a resource</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ndash; A framework for the practical application of Mindful Leadership within the Social Care context.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This presentation is free for IASCM Members and &euro;25 for Non-members (inclusive of IASCM Membership Fee).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Please book your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/iascm-mindfulness-leadership-seminar-tickets-17149287982</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Regards</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	IASCM Executive</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	http://iascm.ie/2015/05/iascm-seminar-mindfulness/</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-24 14:10:19',NULL,'iascm-seminar-–-mindfulness'),(1128,'DPP rules out charges over foster care abuse allegations','<p>\r\n	No one is to face charges following a Garda inquiry into allegations of abuse in a foster home in the south east.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Director of Public Prosecutions made the decision following a Garda investigation into the claims, which relate to up to 40 children and span two decades.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Officers informed the head of the D&aacute;il Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the DPP&#39;s direction in recent days.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	PAC chairman John McGuinness had made a statement to garda&iacute; after coming into possession of information related to the case.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The completion of the investigation should pave the way for two HSE-commissioned reports related to the allegations to be published.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Mr McGuinness expressed concerns about the scope of the Garda investigation, saying he was not satisfied that it dealt with allegations the abuse had been covered up by health service staff.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr McGuinness said he had been informed that it focused on the alleged perpetrators of the abuse, rather than on failings by health service staff to intervene when they were made aware of abuse allegations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	PAC vice chairman John Deasy has previously alleged, under privilege, that &quot;there was a clique in the HSE for a number of years which shoved all of this under the rug&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The former health board was alerted to allegations of sexual abuse at the foster home in the mid-1990s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	But a vulnerable girl was allowed to remain there for a further 13 years. &quot;The HSE knew about it and have known about it for years and nobody is going to be penalised for that. This situation is unreal,&quot; said Mr McGuinness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;No one has been fired or sanctioned. No one has even been told off.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking at the launch of a PAC report on HSE procurement, Mr McGuinness said garda&iacute; only interviewed the parents and guardians of a number of children who had been in foster care placements.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Specialist expertise was not sought to interview the children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Garda and HSE-commissioned investigations were sparked after two staff at a voluntary organisation made protected disclosures in 2009 and 2010.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	PAC has raised concerns about the use of former health service staff to conduct investigations and the lack of tendering involved.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One of the key recommendations of its procurement report is that the HSE no longer hires former staff to carry out sensitive investigations into failings in the health service.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The publication of the report comes just days after Health Minister Leo Varadkar announced he would be appointing a senior counsel to examine the procurement process and the approach taken in conducting the two reviews.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/dpp-rules-out-charges-over-foster-care-abuse-allegations-31328631.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/dpp-rules-out-charges-over-foster-care-abuse-allegations-31328631.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-25 08:52:23',NULL,'dpp-rules-out-charges-over-foster-care-abuse-allegations'),(1129,'Gardaí \'knew Brendan Smyth was abusing children in 1973\'','<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; were aware of the activities of notorious paedophile priest Father Brendan Smyth as far back as the early 1970s, an inquiry has heard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Documents shown at the Historical Abuse Inquiry in Northern Ireland also revealed that a doctor at St Patrick&#39;s Hospital confirmed a diagnosis of paedophila in 1974.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Smyth, who was at the centre of one of the first clerical child sex abuse scandals to rock the Catholic Church in Ireland, was eventually convicted of more than 100 child abuse charges on both sides of the Irish border in 1994. He died three years later in hospital.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Confidential documents from St Patrick&#39;s psychiatric hospital in Dublin revealed that Smyth had asked to be admitted after coming to the attention of garda&iacute; in 1973.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a letter to an officer at Finglas Garda station dated November 1 1973, Smyth&#39;s psychiatrist wrote: &quot;I have been asked to write to you by Fr Brendan Smyth of Holy Trinity Abbey, Kilnacrott.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;He has been a patient under my care for some months and I am familiar with the nature of his problems.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I am writing to his superiors suggesting that he should have a period of in-patient care in St Patrick&#39;s Hospital or in St Edmonds Bury.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I hope this arrangement will be satisfactory to you and your superiors.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Joseph Aiken, counsel for the inquiry, said Smyth had been conducting a retreat in Finglas in July 1973.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Aiken said: &quot;For some reason Brendan Smyth has asked the doctor looking after him to write a letter to Finglas garda station to say that he is going to be taken in for some in-patient treatment.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The documents, which were only released to the inquiry yesterday despite repeated requests by the Norbertine order over decades, also revealed how Smyth was officially diagnosed as a paedophile in 1974.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A case summary dated February 1974, read: &quot;Psychosexual difficulties for many years. First developed in the Novitiate. A recurring problem, no matter where he has been stationed. His paedophilia has brought him into contact with the police.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inquiry has set aside a week to examine whether systemic failings allowed Smyth, from west Belfast, to continue offending for more than four decades.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Retired Cardinal Sean Brady - who was a note-taker during a much criticised church investigation into Smyth&#39;s deviant behaviour in 1975 - is expected to give evidence today.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The inquiry was also told that Smyth threatened to punch another cleric who warned him to stay away from altar boys.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Fr William Fitzgerald, who served with Smyth at Kilnacrott Abbey in Co Cavan during the late 1980s, described the serial child molester as a scary individual whose notoriety extended across the world.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Giving evidence to the Historical Abuse Inquiry, the 61-year-old Australian also said he had to bar Smyth from church rehearsals with nine altar boys.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;I told him, &#39;in view of the rumours about you and your sexual activities with children, you will not be anywhere near these kids under my watch&#39;,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;He said &#39;I&#39;ll knock your head off.&#39; I said &#39;oh make my day you b*****d. I&#39;ll knock your head clean off&#39;.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Apologising to the victims, Fr Fitzgerald slammed efforts to stop the prolific paedophile as &quot;pathetic&quot;, claiming Smyth&#39;s poisonous legacy had forced the closure of Kilnacrott Abbey and destroyed the Norbertine order.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;In Ireland, the word Norbertine means paedophile,&quot; said Fr Fitzgerald. &quot;Anyone who knows what the word Norbertine means, they just mark them with the brush of Brendan Smyth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;The whole order, from the top of Denmark to the bottom of Brazil, has been slashed with the paedophile brush.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/garda-knew-brendan-smyth-was-abusing-children-in-1973-31328582.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/garda-knew-brendan-smyth-was-abusing-children-in-1973-31328582.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-25 09:06:13',NULL,'gardaã­-knew-brendan-smyth-was-abusing-children-in-1973'),(1130,'Is Ireland ready for a 240% rise in dementia diagnoses?','<p>\r\n	We are barely at the races when it comes to tackling dementia, says Catherine Shanahan</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If ever there was a vehicle to drive home the devastating personal and downstream effects of dementia, it&rsquo;s the movie Still Alice.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lisa Genova, the neuroscientist who wrote the book that inspired it, captures with heartbreaking accuracy its progressive impact.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	As memory loss sets in, the central character Alice, who is diagnosed with Alzheimer&rsquo;s, tells us she has &ldquo;no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;This disease will not be bargained with. I can&rsquo;t offer it the names of the US presidents in exchange for the names of my children.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In a book awash with poignancy, perhaps most touching is Alice&rsquo;s hope that, as a mother, &ldquo;the love she had for her daughter was safe from the mayhem of her mind, because it lived in her heart&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This mayhem of the mind, brought on by dementia, of which Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease is the most common form, will become substantially more widespread over the coming decades according to our best estimates, which forecast that the population of people with dementia will increase from an estimated 41,447 in 2006 to 67,493 in 2021 (a 63% increase) and to 140,580 in 2041 (a 240% increase from 2006).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;A dementia tsunami&rdquo; is how stroke expert and consultant geriatrician, Dr Ronan Collins, describes it.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This &ldquo;tsunami&rdquo; poses a significant challenge to our health service, carers, and the public purse. The average cost per person with dementia in Ireland is estimated at &euro;40,500.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite the inevitable rise in dementia cases that a growing ageing population and greater life expectancy will bring, Ireland has barely been at the races when it comes to investing in and developing appropriate care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A report published last January highlighted an alarming deficit of specialist care units for people with dementia in long-term care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study, carried out by researchers from the School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin and the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, found that of 602 nursing homes surveyed, just 54 (11%) provided dementia specific segregated care in small scale domestic units, even though estimates suggest 63% of long-stay residents have dementia. While the private sector is providing the majority of high-dependency care, it receives the least funding.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report, An Irish National Survey of Dementia in Long-Term Residential Care, also found there were only 66 respite beds available to cater for the needs of an estimated 30,000 living with dementia in the community. In public nursing homes (HSE-operated), only one third of nursing staff and healthcare attendants had been specially trained in dementia care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	What this research &mdash; the first of its kind &mdash; and a separate study by Trinity and NUI Galway researchers, entitled Excellence in Dementia Care: A research review for Ireland&rsquo;s National Dementia Strategy, highlight is that we are entirely reliant on estimates for dementia prevalence rates both in nursing homes and in the community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Excellence in Dementia Care report said reliable information on the numbers of people with dementia in long-stay settings, including data on the severity of their condition &ldquo;is largely absent in Ireland&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It said community support services for people with dementia and their carers &ldquo;are under-developed and fragmented&rdquo; and that &ldquo;only a small proportion of people with dementia are known to service providers&rdquo;, coming into contact with health and social services only when a crisis occurs &ldquo;involving the person with dementia, their carer, or both parties&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The authors said their calculations suggests there are 26,104 people with dementia currently living at home in the community, most of whom do not have a formal diagnosis and &ldquo;many of whom are not aware that they have the disease&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The National Dementia Strategy tells us there is no epidemiological study in Ireland which can be relied on for providing accurate numbers on the prevalence of dementia.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It recommends the HSE take measures &ldquo;to ensure appropriate recording of dementia in primary care, and the development of practice-based dementia registers&rdquo;, a no-brainer if we are to develop adequate supports for those with dementia going forward.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	We&rsquo;ve a long way to go to catch up with the likes of Sweden, says Suzanne Cahill, research associate professor at Trinity&rsquo;s School of Social Work and Social Policy and national director of the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prof Cahill, who led the research in the two reports mentioned above, believes our lack of clarity around prevalence rates goes back to the &ldquo;whole invisibility of dementia in our society and people not getting a diagnosis and the stigma of dementia&rdquo;. This explains, at least partially, why dementia &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t really appear on files and in registers&rdquo; when Dr Cahill&rsquo;s team was carrying out its research.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	When Prof Cahill spoke to the Irish Examiner after the launch of the national survey report last January, she said the reason countries such as Sweden had a better track record in caring for people with dementia was partly because they had &ldquo;a longer history of having an ageing population&rdquo; as well as larger numbers of elderly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They have close to 20% of their population over the age of 65, whereas we are only at about 11%-12%.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said Ireland also seemed to be stuck in the &ldquo;medical model of care&rdquo; even though a person with dementia doesn&rsquo;t always need a lot of medical care; &ldquo;they need normalisation and occupation,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In Sweden, the need to keep it normal is recognised in many care homes where people have personalised bedrooms, &ldquo;surrounded by their own mementos to reinforce their identity and to make them feel comfortable and homely and to improve their quality of life&rdquo;, Prof Cahill said. Families can often furnish the rooms themselves. &ldquo;You visit these places and the staff are going around in cheery T-shirts with big name badges.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;There was one place I visited and the resident was allowed take her cat with her. The staff later said that she was very angry about having to go in [to the home] and she became very withdrawn and didn&rsquo;t want to go outside her room. But the cat would go off wandering down the corridors and this brought her out and made her engage with other people and it was very effective.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Prof Cahill&rsquo;s experience in Sweden was that those in specialist dementia care were encouraged to go in and out of the community, &ldquo;as opposed to being socially marooned&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gerry Martin, chief executive of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, who also spoke at the January launch, said the new dementia strategy was a cause for hope. &ldquo;I suppose the publication of the strategy doesn&rsquo;t change anything of itself, but it is an important milestone, and is absolutely welcome in terms of how we plan for dementia care,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The problem now, as Mental Health Minister Kathleen Lynch pointed out in the D&aacute;il last month, is that while &ldquo;we as a country are very good at strategy, our weakness is implementation&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Developing implementation alongside strategy is key to how we do things in future,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/is-ireland-ready-for-a-240-rise-in-dementia-diagnoses-338857.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/is-ireland-ready-for-a-240-rise-in-dementia-diagnoses-338857.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-25 09:08:28',NULL,'is-ireland-ready-for-a-240%-rise-in-dementia-diagnoses'),(1131,'Over 30,000 parents receive last one-parent payment','<p>\r\n	Thursday marks the final payment of the one-parent family allowance to over 30,000 families.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The government announced the changes to the payment in the 2012 budget, saying it will incentivise more people to enter into paid work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	From 2 July the government allowance will only be available until the family&rsquo;s youngest child turns seven-years-old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The limit had previously been 18 years of age in 2012 before it was later reduced to 16 last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In its current guise, recipients of the payment must be the main carer of a child and have earnings of less than &euro;425 per week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is estimated that over 30,000 single parents will miss out on the payment when the changes are made.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Instead lone parents will be expected to enter into the jobseekers&rsquo; allowance programme, where they must be available for and seeking work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A number of organisations, including One Family and the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP), have highlighted the lack of supports put in place to minimise the impact on the families affected.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Calls to our askonefamily helpline have increased by 50%. We hear from very anxious and worried parents.&nbsp; They want to work and want to learn. They are determined to create brighter futures for their children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They are doing their best to overcome systemic barriers but this is not something that can happen within a reform process that penalises so many already in part-time employment,&rdquo; said One Family Director of Policy &amp; Programmes Stuart Duffin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	John-Mark McCafferty from SVP added that this reform will lead to even more families experiencing poverty.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;At any time, half to two thirds of homeless families living in emergency accommodation are one-parent families. Many more of the one-parent families we work with are on the verge of homelessness.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Years of cuts have led to one-parent families being those families in Ireland with the highest levels of consistent poverty with 69% of individuals from these households experiencing one or more forms of deprivation,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On Tuesday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny defended the cuts, saying the changes to the one-parent family payment will break &ldquo;a cycle of poverty.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We cannot allow a situation in an economy that is recovering like ours to bypass thousands of families who are locked into jobless households,&rdquo; he said in the D&aacute;il.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;That&rsquo;s been one of the real difficulties for so many families, and those jobless households with children are at a particular risk of perpetuating a cycle of poverty that goes on from generation to generation,&quot; he added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://utv.ie/News/2015/06/25/Over-30000-parents-receive-last-one-parent-payment-39828\">http://utv.ie/News/2015/06/25/Over-30000-parents-receive-last-one-parent-payment-39828</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-26 14:58:14',NULL,'over-30000-parents-receive-last-one-parent-payment'),(1132,'Eating disorders linked to increased exposure to images of \'celebrity bodies\', says leading paediatrician','<p>\r\n	Increased exposure to images of celebrity bodies is behind the large rise in the number of young girls admitted to hospital with an eating disorder, a leading paediatrician has said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dr Colin Michie, chairman of the nutrition committee at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, blamed the increase on children&#39;s use of mobile phones and exposure to advertising, citing their ability to constantly look at images of celebrity bodies as a factor in eating disorder cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	New figures show that the number of girls admitted to hospital with an eating disorder has doubled in the past three years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Dr Michie said: &quot;Adverts for children are a very powerful force. I think we have released a behemoth we cannot control.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&quot;It&#39;s not just peer pressure. Children do have a problem with food that is different to problems they had before.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	In 2013-14, hospitals in England had 1,656 admissions for 0 to 19-year-old females who were diagnosed with an eating disorder.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Yet in 2010-11 there were 840 admissions for the same age group, according to data released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).<br />\r\n	Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and overeating associated with other psychological disturbances were among the disorders recorded by Hospital Episode Statistics - a data warehouse which processes over 125 million patient records each year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Statisticians at HSCIC said the general rise in hospital admissions and changes in data quality and coverage may have contributed to the increase, but were only a small factor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	HSCIC also released data showing that 15 to 19-year-old girls were more than twice as likely to be referred to psychological therapists than boys. Around 34,000 young women were referred in 2013-14, compared to 16,000 young men.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Sarah Brennan, chief executive at YoungMinds, said: &quot;Much more needs to be done to support boys and young men to access mental health support. It is clear from today&#39;s figures that many boys who might be struggling with mental health issues are being missed. This can have severe consequences including addictions, conflict and young men ending up in the criminal justice system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&quot;While we have made real progress as a society in tackling the stigma that surrounds mental health, there remains a long way to go among boys and young men for them to feel comfortable talking about their mental health and seeking help.<br />\r\n	&quot;We also need to move away from the image of teenage mental health issues being predominantly ones that girls face with boys being simply dismissed as &#39;acting up&#39;.&quot;<br />\r\n	The national report, which brought together statistics on health, care and well-being of young people in England from birth to young adulthood, also contained data on childhood obesity.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	It released statistics showing a decrease in the number of children getting the recommended amount of exercise.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The percentage of boys aged 13 to 15-years-old who got the recommended amount of exercise halved from 28% in 2008 to 14% in 2012. In girls, the figure fell from 14 to 8% over the same period.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The NHS recommend that children spend at least 60 minutes doing physical activity every day, with a mixture of moderate intensity activity (cycling and playground activities) and vigorous intensity activity (fast running and tennis).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/eating-disorders-linked-to-increased-exposure-to-images-of-celebrity-bodies-says-leading-paediatrician-31330424.html\">http://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/eating-disorders-linked-to-increased-exposure-to-images-of-celebrity-bodies-says-leading-paediatrician-31330424.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-26 14:59:26',NULL,'eating-disorders-linked-to-increased-exposure-to-images-of-celebrity-bodies-says-leading-paediatrician'),(1133,'New folic acid campaign to reduce birth defects needed','<p>\r\n	All women who could potentially become pregnant within the next year should be taking folic acid supplements every day to reduce the risk of birth defects in babies, Prof Michael Turner of the Coombe maternity hospital warned yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This should not just apply to women planning to become pregnant, he said.<br />\r\n	Ideally, women should start folic acid supplements at least three months before they conceive and continue for three months into pregnancy, he told the Oireachtas health committee.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	Taking 400mcg of folic acid daily during the recommended time can dramatically reduce the risk of neural tube defects including spina bifida.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	The warning comes against a doubling of the rate of these defects in recent years.<br />\r\n	&quot;We need a renewed public health campaign to increase awareness about the potential of folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. Women of childbearing age use smart phones extensively to access pregnancy-related information.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&quot;Thus, future campaigns should use social media as well as traditional communication channels.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<br />\r\n	&quot;The issue of mandatory food fortification with folic acid needs to be reviewed urgently by the Government and this has implications for different departments.<br />\r\n	&quot;As food and food ingredients are now sourced globally, this issue would benefit, in my view, from a pan-European approach to the regulation .&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/new-folic-acid-campaign-to-reduce-birth-defects-needed-31331345.html\">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/new-folic-acid-campaign-to-reduce-birth-defects-needed-31331345.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-26 15:01:02',NULL,'new-folic-acid-campaign-to-reduce-birth-defects-needed'),(1134,'My experience of psychiatric care','<p>\r\n	Georgina shares her story to help bring down some of the stigma around psychiatric care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It can be a very scary thing going in to a psychiatric hospital when you don&#39;t know what to expect.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It is likely your mind will think up the worst possible scenarios and bring up memories of all the horror stories you have ever heard and movies you have ever seen, the majority of which have it all wrong and completely warped. Not to mention the added pressure of stigma. While all hospitals vary and have their own way of doing things, having been in two, one private, the other public, I can say that they work very much the same.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	On first arrival to the private hospital, I was met by the admissions office where I had to fill out a few forms (just a formality; stating my address, contact details of next of kin, signing insurance forms etc.) and from there, after a little wait, although considering how emotional and scared I was it felt like hours, I was met by a registrar nurse &shy; - a registrar is a psychiatrist in training who works alongside your assigned doctor.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There was quite a long interview with this registrar detailing all my past medical history and giving me the opportunity to ask any questions regarding my stay and planned course of treatment. This interview process is not one you have to do alone. I was so glad to have my mom there as the tears made it quite difficult to talk and the anxiety hindered my ability to think straight. Having someone who knew me almost as well as I knew myself meant she could answer when I couldn&#39;t.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Plus, it was nice to have a hand to hold. After a brief physical exam (nothing invasive) the registrar escorted my parents and I to the ward. Psychiatric hospitals tend to be busy and high&shy;in&shy;demand meaning beds are not always available on the particular ward you have been assigned to for the duration of your stay and so sometimes you will have no choice but to bunk in another ward until one comes free. In my case, the ward I was supposed to be on had no bed available. I spent my first night in another before being transferred the next morning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	All patients are given a bed in a bay area for the first few nights. This is basically a room with a number of beds located right across from the nurses&rsquo; station. It gives the ward nurses a chance to get to know you and see that you settle in alright. After a few nights there, you get assigned your own room or perhaps a twin room.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Also, all wards are segregated meaning males and females do not get assigned the same room. There is generally a common area with chairs and a telly where you can hang out and chat with other patients (unless your ward is female only, this area will not be segregated).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The nurses on duty will carry out a ward round every hour where they will check on every patient. In my experience, until you have met with your doctor you would be requested to stay on the ward. However, if you are not confined to the ward and have freedom to move around the hospital, there will probably be a book at the nurses&rsquo; station where you will be required to check in and out as you go. There can be a wide range of activities throughout the day like art, mindfulness and yoga. Some hospitals even have a music room where you can play the piano or bang on the drums.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If you are on medications, you will need to hand them up on arrival and the nurses will store them in the meds room. Generally meds are dispensed from this same room at meal times and then again right before people start heading for bed. Unlike the public hospital I stayed in where all patients ate meals in the one hall, in the private hospital each ward had its own canteen and meal times. A set menu would be pinned up in the morning and if nothing grabbed your fancy, you could go to the main hospital canteen and buy something from the buffet.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If you are a picky eater, like me, and only eat chicken for example, be sure to inform the nurses. They can have a member of the catering team talk to you about your options. Depending on your history, your doctor may also assign you a nutritionist. At meal times, the nurses tend to sit in a corner and take attendance. Don&#39;t fret like I did and think that they are only watching you and you alone. They&#39;re really not.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Then of course the treatment side of things comes into the picture. Every patient is assigned a doctor and once a week you get to meet this doctor on his/her rounds. It can be a long day, as many other patients will also be waiting to see him/her. You will always have the option to bring a family member to this meeting. If you have a problem any of the other days you can go to the ward nurses, your key nurse if you have been assigned one or ask to see one of the registrars.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	There are many different treatment programmes available to patients at psychiatric hospitals, none of which I am educated enough on to recommend or advise. But on meeting with your doctor you will both agree on what the best course of action is. If you are a voluntary patient, as most are, meaning you admitted yourself to the hospital, you can essentially choose to discharge yourself whenever you want providing your doctor does not see it as a danger for yourself or others.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Everyone&rsquo;s experience in a psychiatric hospital is different and although it can be difficult, do try and remember that no two patients are the same. Just because another person has been in hospital 12 weeks, does not mean you will and while one person may have a dislike to one particular nurse/doctor, don&#39;t be swayed. Decide for yourself based on your own experience. I am certainly not going to lie, going to a psychiatric hospital is very daunting but hopefully having read this, you might feel a little more at ease.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some useful terms to know:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	PRN: medication as needed. For example, if I was feeling more anxious than normal, I could ask the nurse for an extra dose of anxiety meds.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	MDT: Multidisciplinary Team. This team, headed by your doctor can be made up of registrars, social workers, nutritionists, psychologists, occupational therapists etc. They all work with you to ensure the best possible treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	OT: Occupational Therapist. They help you to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills while also trying to identify and eliminate environmental barriers in the way of you having independence and the ability to participate in daily activities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Registrar: A doctor in training to be a specialist. They work alongside your assigned psychiatrist.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Special: A term used to describe someone who is under 24/7 supervision. Typically someone is a current danger to themselves and/or those around them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Rounds: 1) ward nurses checking in with patients on a regular basis, generally hourly. 2) Psychiatrist meeting with his/her patients once/twice weekly along with MDT to check on progress, note any concerns and mark out the next step forward.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Bay area: a semi-private room close to the nurses station.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"https://spunout.ie/opinion/article/my-experience-of-psychiatric-care\">https://spunout.ie/opinion/article/my-experience-of-psychiatric-care</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-29 13:45:11',NULL,'my-experience-of-psychiatric-care'),(1135,'Direct provision: children share their hopes and dreams','<p>\r\n	&lsquo;I want my mum to cook for me always, and I want a puppy&rsquo; writes one child in working group report</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	To have a home, to have friends over and to have their mother cook for them are among the changes children living in direct provision would like to see.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They also said they wanted their own bedrooms, to go on school trips, and that their parents be allowed to work.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The views of children in direct provision were sought by the working group on the asylum process whose report is being published tomorrow. The consulations were conducted in 10 regional sessions between December 2014 and February this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	With the help of the Irish Refugee Council, 31 children made submissions &ndash; some of them drawings. Of the 7,937 people in the system on February 16th, 21 per cent are children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Dream homes</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Many of the children described their dream homes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;My ideal home would be a big home with every food for you. My parent&rsquo;s room would have a big bed and side tables. My brother&rsquo;s room would be a Power Rangers room and my room would be very big, and pink and purple. It would be glittery and sparkly,&rdquo; wrote one. Several said they would have space to do homework.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They mentioned space to cook. &ldquo;I want my mum to cook for me always and I want a puppy&rdquo; wrote one.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In their free time, they wanted to &ldquo;just be normal&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;I would study, hang out with friends reading and writing . . . I would play at the park, go to the cinema, like normal kids.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They couldn&rsquo;t engage in some activities because their parents couldn&rsquo;t afford them. &ldquo;The children outside make fun of us. I don&rsquo;t want to be made fun of any more.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In most centres children are not allowed to have friends to visit. &ldquo;I want . . . my friends to be able to stay with me,&rdquo; said one.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some described tensions in the centres, and of having been assaulted by other residents. &ldquo;My sister and I have been victims of hard slaps on our faces,&rdquo; said one child.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	One described the stress she felt: &ldquo;We cry. We are not happy like this. In school I keep thinking about this .&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The adults&rsquo; concerns echoed many of their children&rsquo;s. One mother said her children were bullied at school. Another said her child asked: &ldquo;Does this mean we are poor?&rdquo; while another&rsquo;s asked if being in direct provision meant they were &ldquo;bad people&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/direct-provision-children-share-their-hopes-and-dreams-1.2265900\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/direct-provision-children-share-their-hopes-and-dreams-1.2265900</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-29 13:48:05',NULL,'direct-provision-children-share-their-hopes-and-dreams'),(1136,'Kilkenny residential unit de-registered by HIQA','<p>\r\n	Court cancels registration of unit at St Patrick&rsquo;s Centre after Hiqa queries</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A residential unit for people with intellectual disabilities in Kilkenny has had its registration cancelled after concerns were raised by inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Kilkenny District Court has made an interim order cancelling the registration of Our Lady&rsquo;s Unit at St Patrick&rsquo;s Centre with effect from last Friday evening.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The order was granted following an emergency application by Hiqa, whose inspectors raised concerns over the unit relating to fire safety and other issues.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This is the first time a centre has been re-registered since Hiqa began inspecting centres of people with intellectual disabilities over 18 months ago. Many of the residents have lived in the unit most of their lives.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Colin Daly directed the HSE to take charge of the unit for the period of de-registration, which lasts 28 days.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE, which funds the unit, will now have to make aleternative accommodation arrangements for the 28 residents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa inspectors who visited the unit for the first time last Monday and Tuesday raised a number of concerns about fire safety, including the presence of locked exit doors, uneven surfaces and the lack of fire alarms. A number of other serious issues were raised relating to the handling of personal belonging of resident, the management of challenging behaviour, unexplained injuries and under-staffing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Daly made the interim order with the consent of the operators of the unit on Friday, pursuant to Part 8 of the Health Act 2007. The HSE was directed to take charge of the unit from 7pm on that day in accordance with Section 64 of the Act. The matter is returnable to the court for a final determination with 28 days.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The unit is one of five on the campus in Kilkenny. Other units are unaffected by the court order.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE said its priorities were to ensure the immediate safety of the residents and assess their needs. It promised to work towards providing safe care for the residents in cooperation with their families.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Immediate steps, at a cost of &euro;100,000, have already been taken to address fire safety risks and other measures and works have commenced today to ensure all identified actions will be implemented immediately.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister of State at the Department of Health Kathleen Lynch said she was extremely concerned about the issues highlighted by Hiqa. She said it is of paramount importance that vulnerable residents were safe and protected in what is their own home.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Lynch said the HSE was in close contact with Hiqa to discuss how best to ensure the welfare and safety of the residents.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0629/711348-hiqa-st-patricks-centre-kilkenny/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0629/711348-hiqa-st-patricks-centre-kilkenny/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-29 13:49:27',NULL,'kilkenny-residential-unit-de-registered-by-hiqa'),(1137,'Headshop drugs ban curbs problem usage','<p>\r\n	A law criminalising the possession or sale of headshop drugs appears to have had the desired effect of reducing usage among young people who had been using in a problematic way, according to a study by researchers at Trinity College Dublin.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study, So Prohibition Can Work?, looked specifically at the use of &ldquo;new psychoactive substances&rdquo; (NPS)/headshop drugs by adolescents attending the Youth Drug and Alcohol outpatient service in Dublin, comparing the six months immediately prior to the ban in May 2010 to the same six-month period the following year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The average age of the groups studied was 17 and predominantly male.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Researchers found that the percentage of problematic NPS users dropped from 34% in the first group to 0% in the second group. The percentage who had occasionally used any headshop drug in the previous three months also dropped dramatically from 82% in the pre-ban group to 28% in the post-ban group.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study&rsquo;s authors concluded that criminalising the sale of once-legal highs, and the closure of 93% of headshops, had &ldquo;substantially reduced&rdquo; the use of NPS&rsquo;s among these people in the year after the legislative changes were introduced.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, also showed that those who continued to use headshop drugs in the post-ban era did so in a lower-risk manner and that the legislative ban did not result in increased use of other substances such as cocaine and amphetamines by those attending treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Lead researcher Dr Bobby Smyth, clinical senior lecturer in public health and primary care at Trinity, said the findings had confounded concerns raised by some academics prior to the legislative changes that banning headshop drugs and closing headshops would drive users into other criminal supply networks, and that use would continue unabated.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Their study instead found that the ban &ldquo;did indeed coincide with a fall in NPS use among this high-risk group of teenagers&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Other factors which may have contributed to the fall in use of headshop drugs, according to Dr Smyth, included substantial negative publicity regarding adverse effects of NPS&rsquo;s.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At the time of the introduction of the ban in Ireland in May 2010, there were 102 headshops, equating to one shop per 45,000 people. By September 2010, there were only 10-12 headshops.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	NPS&rsquo;s include powdered stimulant drugs which typically are snorted, smoked synthetic canabinoids, and pills with amphetamine-type effect.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/headshop-drugs-ban-curbs-problem-usage-339789.html</p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-30 10:43:54',NULL,'headshop-drugs-ban-curbs-problem-usage'),(1138,'New asylum seekers may receive right to work','<p>\r\n	Proposals come as latest figures show 250 people sought asylum in the State last month</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Official figures to be published today will show 250 people sought asylum in Ireland last month.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The numbers so far this year &ndash; an average of 230 a month &ndash; are up significantly on the same period last year but remain relatively low in European terms.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The new figures come as the Government prepares to publish the report of a working group today which has been examining ways of improving the asylum system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report is expected to propose that new asylum seekers should have the right to work after nine months of seeking refugee status.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At present, Ireland is one of just two EU member states with a blanket working ban on all asylum seekers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Another key proposal may lead to residency for more than 3,000 asylum seekers who have spent five years waiting for their claims to be dealt with by Irish authorities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Many of the proposals hinge on the introduction of a new streamlined asylum process, aimed at processing claims within a six- to nine-month period.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The publication of the report comes at a time when there is an increased focus on the issue of immigration.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	EU leaders agreed last week to take 40,000 migrants who are expected to land in Italy and Greece over the next two years .</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The agreement, however, is on a voluntary basis and a number of EU member states have already signalled they will not participate.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	While the Government has not yet made a formal decision on whether it will participate, T&aacute;naiste Joan Burton said earlier this week that Ireland should be ready to take its &ldquo;fair share&rdquo; of migrants.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We will get the finer details of the procedures and examine them in detail,&rdquo; she told The Irish Times.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Broadly, we&rsquo;re agreeable to taking part in the arrangements and to take numbers that are appropriate to our size, population and resources.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Applications</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Figures to be published by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner later today are expected to show 250 people sought asylum during May, down slightly from 265 in April.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Officials expect in the region of 3,000 applications by the end of this year, up from 1,448 last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In European Union terms, Ireland has had a lower than average number of applications on a per capita basis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Figures compiled by the UNHCR, the UN&rsquo;s refugee agency, show that between 2010 and 2014 Ireland received 1.4 asylum seekers per 1,000 population. This compares to an EU average of 3.5 per 1,000.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sweden recorded the higher number (24 per 1,000 population), followed by Malta (17.5 per 1,000) and Luxembourg (12.6 per 1,000).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The recommendations of the working group report, meanwhile, could have a far-reaching impact on the lives of more than 4,000 people in the direct provision system and a further 4,000 asylum seekers living in the wider community.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 10-member working group, chaired by Mr Justice Bryan MacMahon, included representatives from Government departments and non- governmental organisations.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/new-asylum-seekers-may-receive-right-to-work-1.2267308\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/new-asylum-seekers-may-receive-right-to-work-1.2267308</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-30 10:45:12',NULL,'new-asylum-seekers-may-receive-right-to-work'),(1139,'Nursing homes close despite ageing population','<p>\r\n	A report being published today will highlight a fall in the number of nursing homes across the country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The number of homes has dropped 4% in the last five years, meaning there is now one private nursing home bed for every 20.23 people over the age of 65.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Industry group Nursing Homes Ireland is voicing concern at the trend, considering Ireland&#39;s aging population, and CEO Tadhg Daly said something needs to be done.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;What you have at the moment through the Fair Deal scheme is a monopoly of purchasing through the state, and that&#39;s driving down the rate it&#39;s paying to nursing home providers,&quot; he said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;On the one hand, you have the demographics pointing to a growing demand, and a fairly strong fundamentals, on the other hand you have the state failing to recognised the true cost of care.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;This is acting as a strong disincentive to the investment required.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/nursing-homes-close-despite-ageing-population-684375.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/nursing-homes-close-despite-ageing-population-684375.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-06-30 10:46:18',NULL,'nursing-homes-close-despite-ageing-population'),(1140,'Children with cancer to be issued with medical cards from tomorrow','<p>\r\n	Children under 18 who have been diagnosed with cancer are to be issued with medical cards for five years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Minister for Primary Care, Kathleen Lynch, says it&#39;s a key recommendation of the Clinical Advisory Group which was set up to look at medical card eligibility.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Any child under the age of 18 who has had a diagnosis in the past 5 years will also be awarded a medical card for five years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The change will come into effect from tomorrow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/children-with-cancer-to-be-issued-with-medical-cards-from-tomorrow-684521.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/children-with-cancer-to-be-issued-with-medical-cards-from-tomorrow-684521.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-01 09:43:12',NULL,'children-with-cancer-to-be-issued-with-medical-cards-from-tomorrow'),(1141,'Asylum seekers should get decision within 12 months','<p>\r\n	Report says asylum seekers should be allowed work after nine months in system</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	New asylum seekers should have decision on their application within 12 months and the right to work after nine months, a new Government report on the asylum system says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Young people in the asylum process, who have been here for five years or more, should be allowed go to third level in the same way EU and Irish nationals can, while over 3,000 people who have been in the system five years or more should now be &ldquo;fast-tracked&rdquo; to residency.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Recommendations on improving living conditions in the 34 direct provision centres around the State, however, are less forthright.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The final report from the &lsquo;Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers&rsquo; was published this afternoon.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It was brought to Cabinet this morning by Minister for Equality, Aodh&aacute;n &Oacute; R&iacute;ord&aacute;in but has yet to be approved by Government.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	If fully implemented, it envisages savings to the exchequer of about &euro;60 million over five years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It makes recommendations on speeding up the asylum application process and improving living conditions and ancillary supports to people in the system.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The working group, which was chaired by Justice Bryan McMahon, included representatives from across Government departments as well as NGOs working with asylum seekers and refugees and a core group of asylum applicants and refugees. It met between November 10th last year and May 12th.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The most pressing issue for the almost 8,000 people in the system is the length of time they are in it, with 55 per cent of them there over five years. It says &ldquo;as a matter of principle&rdquo; no one should be in the system more than five years.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some 3,607 people are in direct provision centres, with no access to cooking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Whole families share bedrooms with no other private space, while single adults share rooms with other adults</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The key recommendation is to replace the current system where applications for asylum, subsidiary protection and leave to remain are processed consecutively, with a single procedure where all potential applications are processed in a single step.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	People should get a &ldquo;final quality decision&rdquo; within 12 months, says the report. The enactment of the International Protection Bill, which will underpin most of the other recommendations, should happen &ldquo;as a matter of urgency&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report envisages this by January.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Once up and running it is thought about 40 per cent of applicants will gain right to remain in Ireland with the remaining having to leave.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For those already in the system more than five years &ndash; about 3,350 &ndash; the report recommends they have their cases fast-tracked and either be granted residency or have their deportation order revoked.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report calls for improvements to living conditions, including that:</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ndash; the weekly allowance be increased from &euro;19.10 to &euro;38.74 for adults, and from &euro;9.60 &euro;29.80 for children</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ndash; all families should have access to cooking facilities, with ingredients provided by the accommodation manager, and their own private living space &ldquo;in so far as practicable&rdquo;, and,</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ndash; single adults should be able to apply for a single room after nine months and be offered one after 15 months, and should have the option of cooking for themselves.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The right to work for people who have been in the system for nine months or more should be provided &ldquo;when the single procedure is operating efficiently&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report also says the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children should be able to investigate complaints from residents of direct provision centres.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The cost of implementing the recommendations will be &euro;135.4 million over five years, it says.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However savings of over &euro;195 million will accrue if its recommendations on speeding up the legal process are implemented.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	These anticipated savings are dependent on adequate resources for the legal bodies that process protection applications.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;In the absence of adequate resources, it will not matter how speedily applications will be processed under the single procedure because, with new applicants far outstripping current processing capacity at first instance, the result will be the development of a substantial backlog of applications,&rdquo; says the report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	About 3,000 asylum applications are expected this year, compared with 1,448 last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The cost of accommodating one person for a year in direct provision is &euro;10,950. The cost of decision-making is a &ldquo;fraction of this&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The &euro;135.4 million cost over five years is made up of &euro;14 million on improvements to the protection process; &euro;69 million on improving living conditions in direct provision centres and &euro;52.4 million on improving ancillary supports, such as health care, and counselling, to applicants.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/asylum-seekers-should-get-decision-within-12-months-1.2268265\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/asylum-seekers-should-get-decision-within-12-months-1.2268265</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-01 09:44:48',NULL,'asylum-seekers-should-get-decision-within-12-months'),(1142,'Five abuse victims to take legal action against State','<p>\r\n	A Belfast solicitor has said he is finalising preparations to begin civil actions on behalf of five clerical abuse victims who allege they were let down by Irish authorities.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Last week, Northern Ireland&#39;s Historical Abuse Inquiry heard claims of contacts between a Dublin hospital and garda&iacute; in Finglas about the paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The substance of the claims being prepared by Belfast-based solicitor Kevin Winters is that elements of the Irish healthcare system and garda&iacute; knew about the activities of Smyth in 1973.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	This was more than 20 years before he was brought before the courts for his crimes.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	For two decades afterwards, the Co Cavan-based priest abused children in Ireland, north and south and elsewhere.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	So far five people have asked Mr Winters to commence legal actions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to the solicitor they include Brendan Boland, who was interviewed by three priests from the Kilmore diocese in 1975 about his claims of sexual abuse and sworn to secrecy by them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	They included Fr Se&aacute;n Brady, then a teaching priest in Saint Patrick&#39;s College, Cavan, and later Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He gave evidence to the Historical Abuse Inquiry last week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	According to Mr Winters, the abuse of his clients could have, and should have, been prevented given what was known about Smyth.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0701/711833-abuse/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0701/711833-abuse/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-01 09:45:43',NULL,'five-abuse-victims-to-take-legal-action-against-state'),(1143,'South Sudan army \'raped then burned girls alive\'','<p>\r\n	The United Nations claims abuses by South Sudan&#39;s military of civilians in the country&#39;s war-torn Unity state have reached a &quot;new brutality and intensity&quot;, with soldiers raping women then locking them in their homes and torching them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN mission in the world&#39;s newest country said the campaign of violence against the local population by the Sudan People&#39;s Liberation Army (SPLA) and its associated militias has seen villages destroyed and looted and human rights abuses on a massive scale.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	More than 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since the civil war between those allied to the president, Salva Kiir, and those to his former deputy, Riek Machar, started 18 months ago.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report, based on interviews with 115 victims and witnesses, follows another by the UN children&#39;s agency which claimed children caught up in the conflict were being castrated and tied together for their throats to then be slit.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Two-thirds of the country&#39;s population is now said to need aid but many aid agencies have been forced to leave because of the poor security.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The UN Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, said the worst abuses came when the government launched an offensive against rebels in late April, and that the &quot;level of cruelty&quot; involved reflected more than political differences.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&quot;Some of the most disturbing allegations compiled by UNMISS human rights officers focused on the abduction and sexual abuse of women and girls, some of whom were reportedly burnt alive in their dwellings,&quot; it said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Investigators said they were told of at least nine separate incidents where &quot;women and girls were burnt in tukuls (huts) after being gang-raped&quot; as well as scores of cases of sexual violence, which included numerous cases of mothers raped in front of their children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some were forced to squeeze hot coals while interrogated about the whereabouts of rebels or cattle, while others were &quot;shot and killed&quot; after being gang-raped, it added.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Rebel forces have also been accused of carrying out atrocities, including rape, killings and, like the government, the recruitment of armies of child soldiers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	UNMISS said it had sought to visit sites of the alleged atrocities to verify the allegations but it was routinely denied access by the SPLA, which has refused to comment on the latest report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.independent.ie/world-news/africa/south-sudan-army-raped-then-burned-girls-alive-31345940.html\">http://www.independent.ie/world-news/africa/south-sudan-army-raped-then-burned-girls-alive-31345940.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-02 10:39:49',NULL,'south-sudan-army-raped-then-burned-girls-alive'),(1144,'Aerosol addiction teen in custody for his own safety','<p>\r\n	A 16-year-old boy, who has possible suicidal ideation and who is addicted to aerosols, has been remanded in custody &ldquo;for his own protection&rdquo; even though the law does not allow for incarceration for the sole reason of self-protection, a children&rsquo;s court in Kerry has heard.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, there was no bed available at an adolescent treatment centre yesterday.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Judge James O&rsquo;Connor said the &ldquo;right thing to do&rdquo; was to make sure the boy did not have access to aerosols, so as to protect the boy from himself.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The judge remanded the boy in custody until a bed was available next week at an adolescent addiction treatment centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He was to remain at the detention centre for a week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He had initially been arrested more than two weeks ago for allegedly stealing aerosols after breaching bail conditions.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The boy faces seven charges between May 21 and June 17, including three charges in relation to stealing several cans of deodorant, a breach of the peace, a single assault charge, intoxication, and criminal damage.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The case was heard in the judge&rsquo;s chambers after the boy was brought to court from the Dublin centre.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Insp Donal Ashe applied for further custody for a week. The boy&rsquo;s mother consented to the application for the boy&rsquo;s own protection. She said her soon &ldquo;looked far better this week than last week&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She told Judge O&rsquo;Connor: &ldquo;I think if you leave him out, his addiction is too big, too deep, and if he could get another week he would be clean.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The HSE, interim guardians of the boy, said the Aislinn Centre in Kilkenny did not have a bed available.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	A HSE solicitor said a medical report pointed to risks of suicidal ideation.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The boy&rsquo;s solicitor, Pa Daly, meanwhile, said the boy did not want to be remanded to Trinity House and preferred the Aislinn Centre, to seek addiction treatment.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Two weeks ago before this court, this was presented as a life-and-death situation,&rdquo; said Mr Daly. &ldquo;We were told he had to be put into detention because of fear he would kill himself.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Judge O&rsquo;Connor said what had been canvassed was self-harm, not suicide.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Mr Daly said if people with drug addictions were in custody for their own protection, prisons would be bursting at the seams.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, the judge said the primary concern was for the boy. The law did made no provision for a remand in custody, he said, but it was incarceration was required for the boy&rsquo;s sake.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The right thing to do, he said, was to make sure the boy did not access aerosols.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Following requests form the judge, the HSE returned to the children&rsquo;s court to advise a place would be available for the boy in Kilkenny from July 8.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/aerosol-addiction-teen-in-custody-for-his-own-safety-340164.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/aerosol-addiction-teen-in-custody-for-his-own-safety-340164.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-02 10:41:22',NULL,'aerosol-addiction-teen-in-custody-for-his-own-safety'),(1145,'Ireland tops EU list for granting citizenship','<p>\r\n	Ireland has the highest rate of granting citizenship to foreign nationals of any country in the EU.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Data has highlighted how Ireland granted 5.3 citizenships per 1,000 resident population in 2013 &mdash; the latest year for which comparative data is available.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It represents a rate almost three times the EU average of 1.9 citizenships per 1,000 inhabitants. Other countries with high rates of granting citizenship were Sweden, Spain, and Luxembourg.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The naturalisation rate is calculated on the number of people who acquire citizenship out of all foreign residents in a country. In 2013, 4.5% of all foreigners living in Ireland were granted Irish citizenship.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The vast majority of the 24,263 people granted citizenship that year came from outside the EU, with 7% coming from another EU state. The highest naturalisation rates are found in Sweden, Hungary, Portugal, Finland, and Malta. The lowest rates are in Slovakia (0.3%), the Czech Republic, and Denmark (both 0.5%).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The 28 EU member states granted citizenship to almost 1m people in 2013, with Spain and the UK accounting for almost half of the total.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Spain naturalised 225,800 new citizens, while the UK granted citizenship to 207,500 individuals. The largest group to acquire citizenship of any EU country were Moroccans (86,500), Indians (48,300), Turks (46,500), and Colombians (42,000).</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ireland has one of the highest rates among EU countries of awarding citizenship to Nigerians, Indians, Filipinos, and Pakistanis.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Nigerians are the single biggest group to be awarded Irish citizenship, accounting for almost 24% of the total.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/ireland-tops-eu-list-for-granting-citizenship-340233.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/ireland-tops-eu-list-for-granting-citizenship-340233.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-02 10:42:58',NULL,'ireland-tops-eu-list-for-granting-citizenship'),(1146,'Daffodil Group meets with Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin','<p>\r\n	Pictured below are a delegation from the Daffodil Group meeting with Minister of State Aodh&aacute;n &Oacute; R&iacute;ord&aacute;in in advance of the launch of The Daffodil Foundation, a new charitable trust whose philosophy is &lsquo;supporting and promoting the wellbeing of young people in Ireland.&rsquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The charity will be launched tomorrow in Kilkenny City at 5pm. The Daffodil Foundation will be focusing on young people leaving care, young people in Direct Provision and establishing a national outreach service for young people with mental health difficulties.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Managing Director Pat Hayes said that &lsquo;the meeting itself was very productive and the Minister engaged with us on a number of keys issues. We were very pleased not only to have the meeting but to have a meaningful discussion on aftercare in Ireland and Direct Provision. We will continue to engage in discussions with all stakeholders going forward in order to meet the needs of young people in Ireland&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Daffodil Foundation also urged the Minister to implement the recommendations contained within the Final Report of the government working group on Direct Provision and stressed the need for aftercare services for care-leavers to be placed on a statutory footing.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<img alt=\"\" src=\"/user_files/images/Daffodil delegation and Minister.jpg\" style=\"width: 1302px; height: 937px; float: left;\" /></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-02 15:00:04',NULL,'daffodil-group-meets-with-minister-aodhã¡n-ã“-rã­ordã¡in'),(1147,'The Daffodil Foundation radio interview','<p>\r\n	Managing Director of Daffodil Care Services Pat Hayes speaking with KCLR 96FM ahead of the launch of The Daffodil Foundation, a new charity whose mission is the &quot;supporting and promoting of young people in Ireland.<br />\r\n	<br />\r\n	To listen to the interview, click the link below and skip forward to 6.45.<br />\r\n	<br />\r\n	<a href=\"http://kclr96fm.com/kclr-live-friday-3rd-july-2015-part-two/\">http://kclr96fm.com/kclr-live-friday-3rd-july-2015-part-two/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-06 11:17:34',NULL,'the-daffodil-foundation-radio-interview'),(1148,'Aspects of direct provision centres ‘must be addressed’','<p>\r\n	The Government should demand that private companies provide &ldquo;humane&rdquo; accommodation to asylum seekers given it is paying them &euro;43m to operate direct provision centres.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission also said the Department of Justice must address &ldquo;unlawful&rdquo; aspects of direct provision centres, including intrusive &ldquo;house rules&rdquo;, and the absence of independent complaint procedures.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Chief Commissioner Emily Logan said reform of the entire system &mdash; highlighted by last week&rsquo;s report of the Working Group on Direct Provision &mdash; was entirely dependent on the enactment of the International Protection Bill.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RT&Eacute; radio, she said Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald had indicated that legislation enacting the bill would be introduced this year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Logan said the bill would set up a single application procedure. This would set a time limit of 12 months for a decision on asylum, compared to the average of five years or more that people were languishing in direct provision.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In the meantime, she said the Department of Justice needed to address other issues highlighted in the working group report.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said the High Court had determined in November that house rules in centres were unlawful in that they interfered with the right to private and family life. Another unlawful issue was the lack of an independent complaints procedure. Ms Logan called on the Government to extend the remit of both the Ombudsman and the Children&rsquo;s Ombudsman to cover this area.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She also called on the department to examine the contracts it has with private companies operating the centres.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;They are not demanding. For that kind of expenditure, of &euro;43m, it is absolutely reasonable to expect a greater service&rdquo; than the current &ldquo;very, very basic accommodation&rdquo;,&rdquo; Ms Logan said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said they should be required to deliver &ldquo;a much more respectful, humane, and dignified existence for people in direct provision&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Fitzgerald, meanwhile, said she had introduced a draft bill which would cut the current five layers to the asylum application system to just two, which would reduce the possibilities of judicial review accordingly.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/aspects-of-direct-provision-centres-must-be-addressed-340918.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/aspects-of-direct-provision-centres-must-be-addressed-340918.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-06 11:18:50',NULL,'aspects-of-direct-provision-centres-‘must-be-addressed’'),(1149,'24-hour social work service set to be rolled out nationwide','<p>\r\n	A 24-hour social work service is to be rolled out across the country over the summer, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has confirmed.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Preparations have been made to provide the 24-hour on-call service but Tusla had to wait for the green light from the trade unions. Management and the unions are to meet next week to put the final arrangements in place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	ISPCC chief executive Grainia Long described the absence of a 24-hour social work service as a national scandal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;We have a severely under-resourced child protection system and it has been that way for some time,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Meanwhile, Garda investigations into allegations of child physical abuse in north Dublin were &ldquo;impeded&rdquo; because of a significant delay in social workers reporting them, it has emerged.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa inspectors found serious shortcomings in the way Tusla dealt with suspected or confirmed abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some cases were not reported to garda&iacute; until after an initial assessment was carried out, despite the fact physical abuse was reported at the time of referral.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa&rsquo;s inspection last February found 828 notifications were made to garda&iacute; about suspected or confirmed abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Considering the delay in carrying out a number of initial assessments, this was not in line with Children First [national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children] and was not adequate,&rdquo; the health watchdog said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The report points out that the issue had been addressed through liaison meetings between the garda&iacute; and Tusla management. &ldquo;The issue was resolved by outlining the relevant steps of the Garda investigation process and the impact of untimely notifications from the social work service,&rdquo; the report states.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Garda&iacute; told inspectors that Tusla&rsquo;s response had been impressive in the last 12 months.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla area manager for north Dublin, Lorna Kavanagh, said there had been a strengthening of communication and information sharing between Tusla and the garda&iacute; in relation to the management of cases.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Hiqa inspectors also found that newly qualified but inexperienced social workers were dealing with complex cases involving long-term harm and neglect.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Staff levels were another concern raised by Hiqa. There were 12 vacant social work posts at the time of the inspection.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tusla said six additional social worker posts would be recruited and cultural diversity training was being rolled out across the country.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/24-hour-social-work-service-set-to-be-rolled-out-nationwide-340644.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/24-hour-social-work-service-set-to-be-rolled-out-nationwide-340644.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-06 11:20:17',NULL,'24-hour-social-work-service-set-to-be-rolled-out-nationwide'),(1150,'Drugs supply ‘stops inmates kicking the habit’','<p>\r\n	The supply of drugs into prisons &ldquo;seriously undermines&rdquo; the ability of inmates to kick the habit, the country&rsquo;s largest voluntary drug and homeless organisation has said.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Tony Geoghegan, director of Merchants Quay Ireland, backed the Irish Prison Service&rsquo;s creation of a confidential helpline to combat the smuggling of drugs.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking at the launch of the service, Mr Geoghegan said many inmates had drug problems and that prison provided treatment opportunities for them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Ambivalence is at the core of addiction,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They want to be drug free, but old habits die hard. The lure of drugs is very strong. There is no doubt that the availability of drugs within prisons seriously undermines people&rsquo;s efforts to lead a better life and leave drugs behind.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said MQI provided 11,000 drug counselling sessions to 2,888 individuals in 2014 &mdash; an increase of 13%.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;The Irish Prison Service has a well-developed suite of drug services. This helpline is a very important initiative and my hope is it will limit availability.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	IPS director general Michael Donnellan said: &ldquo;Drugs kill in prison, they cause devastation within the prison environment. We have at least two to three drug overdoses a year.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said it had a &ldquo;devastating&rdquo; effect on parents, partners, and children. He said 70% of the people admitted to prison had a drug addiction problem.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Drugs in prison cannot be tolerated. There&rsquo;s a myth out there that drugs keep things calm. It is the driver of mental ill health, it drives crime and criminality and drives violence.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	IPS figures show there were 677 recorded assaults in 2013, compared to 708 in 2014.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Some of the weapons were put on display at yesterday&rsquo;s launch, including a &ldquo;shiv&rdquo; blade used to slash inmates. &ldquo;The most barbaric weapon is a double razor blade,&rdquo; said chief officer Ben Buckley. He explained that a cut with this leaves a permanent scar.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said much of the violence was linked to the drugs trade and the intimidation placed on prisoners and their families to smuggle drugs in.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&ldquo;Desperate people are taking desperate measures to get drugs into prison.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Gangs target vulnerable inmates, such as those going to prison for the first time, and order them to bring in drugs: &ldquo;If they don&rsquo;t do it there will pay a price, a physical price unfortunately.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Confidential Helpline 1800 855 717</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/drugs-supply-stops-inmates-kicking-the-habit-341073.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/drugs-supply-stops-inmates-kicking-the-habit-341073.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-07 09:58:52',NULL,'drugs-supply-‘stops-inmates-kicking-the-habit’'),(1151,'Judge’s shock at mother’s masturbation talk with daughter, 4','<p>\r\n	A father of two has not seen his children since February after their mother denied him access, alleging that he had sexually abused their five-year-old daughter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	At the family court in Ennis, he described the allegation as &ldquo;ridiculous&rdquo; and is seeking sole custody for the two children over his own concerns for them.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Patrick Durcan expressed his surprise in court after the mother said she had told her then four-year-old daughter that if she can touch herself in a nice way, she can have a nice time.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	In court, the mother&rsquo;s disclosure of her conversation with her daughter on masturbation startled Judge Durcan, who asked the witness: &ldquo;We are talking here about a five-year-old girl? She seems a most advanced child.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The father interjected to point out that the girl was four when this conversation allegedly took place.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The mother said her daughter tried touching herself &ldquo;because she knows that it can be nice for her if she does it right&rdquo;. She clarified she was not teaching her daughter how to do this.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The mother and father are not married, are non-Irish nationals and the father has also applied for guardianship of their two children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Sh&iacute;ofra Hassett, solicitor for the father, said that two independent reports by professionals following the mother&rsquo;s initial allegation contain no concerns for the girl and find no evidence of sexual abuse.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She said: &ldquo;The reports found no evidence of any abuse and the girl was found to be a very happy, playful and settled child. They found that the girl made no negative reference to her father and that she enjoys spending time with her father.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The mother has also said a relative sexually abused her daughter last year.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The father told the court that, on February 20, the mother told him by phone he could no longer see the children after claiming that he had sexually abused their daughter.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said that he had enjoyed &ldquo;a very good relationship&rdquo; with his children and often when his daughter would be leaving him she would be crying. He said: &ldquo;They really liked staying at my place.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ms Hassett confirmed that there is a Garda investigation into the two claims of sex abuse against the girl.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The father said he has not yet been interviewed by garda&iacute;. He said: &ldquo;As soon as I heard about this, I wanted to take a polygraph test because I found the allegation ridiculous.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Judge Durcan said that he is very clear in his mind what he will do in the case, and will deliver his ruling tomorrow.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/judges-shock-at-mothers-masturbation-talk-with-daughter-4-341114.html\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/judges-shock-at-mothers-masturbation-talk-with-daughter-4-341114.html</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-07 10:03:17',NULL,'judge’s-shock-at-mother’s-masturbation-talk-with-daughter-4'),(1152,'Study shows alcohol use during pregnancy \'prevalent\' in Ireland','<p>\r\n	Alcohol use before and during pregnancy is &#39;prevalent and socially pervasive&#39; in Ireland, according to an international study.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The research was based on three existing population-based studies in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand and found higher levels of alcohol consumption in Ireland before and during pregnancy than in the other three countries.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Ireland has the highest prevalence of any alcohol consumption pre-pregnancy at 90% and during pregnancy at 82%.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The research, published in the BMJ Open, also found Ireland has the highest reported binge alcohol consumption before - 59% - and during - 45% - pregnancy.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Irish element of the research, assessed by experts in University College Cork, found expectant mothers in Ireland were significantly more likely to be drinkers if they were also smokers.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Researchers described the widespread consumption of even low levels of alcohol during pregnancy as a &quot;significant public health concern&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The study had a large sample size of almost 18,000 women and looked at the drinking patterns of Irish women as assessed in two previous Irish studies and one international study.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	It found drinking during pregnancy was commonplace in all four countries, ranging from 20% to 80% in Ireland and from 40% upwards in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The amount of alcohol consumed dropped substantially for all countries in the second trimester, along with the level of binge drinking.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The research found that non-white women were less likely to drink, along with younger women, those who were more highly educated, obese or already had children.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Researchers said the findings show there is low adherence to alcohol guidelines advising complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy in Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines in the UK, which advises consumption of no more than one to two units once or twice a week.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Although most women who drink during pregnancy do so at low levels, those who drink heavily are putting their unborn baby at risk of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which affects their physical and mental development.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the National Maternity Hospital Dr Peter Boylan said he agreed with the findings and said any excessive amount of alcohol use, or binge drinking, is a concern.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking on RT&Eacute;&#39;s Morning Ireland, he said Ireland has a well-known dysfunctional relationship with alcohol so &quot;it&rsquo;s no surprise the same thing extends into pregnancy&quot;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	However, Dr Boylan said there is no evidence that a small amount of alcohol during pregnancy is harmful, but it is important to get the balance right and reiterated that binge drinking while pregnant is very concerning.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said: &quot;The evidence from international studies is that a small amount of alcohol, maybe one or two units a week, does not seem to do any harm at all.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	He said the Government has a role to play in the restriction of the easy availability of alcohol and the association with sporting events and the glamorisation of alcohol consumption, and said education and the restriction of cheap alcohol sales is the way to go.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0707/713112-alcohol-pregnancy/\">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0707/713112-alcohol-pregnancy/</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-07 10:04:45',NULL,'study-shows-alcohol-use-during-pregnancy-prevalent-in-ireland'),(1153,'Gay Teachers Group welcome greater employment protection in schools','<p>\r\n	The Government today passed through Report Stage a Bill which amends Employment Equality legislation to protect gay teachers in schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The Bill will give legal protection to LGBT teachers, so that teachers can be open about their sexual orientation in their school communities without fear of reprisal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The INTO LBGT Teachers&#39; Group campaigns for the rights of gay teachers, the group argued that there was a chilling effect for many teachers around the country who are afraid to come out in schools.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Speaking outside the Seanad today Chairperson of the INTO LGBT Teachers&#39; Group Anne Marie Lillis said: &quot;LGB teachers can be secure in the knowledge that speaking about our families and our relationships, in the same way as our colleagues and that being gay or lesbian will have no bearing on job security or on prospects for promotion. When signed into law this legislation will end the threat of discrimination in primary schools based on sexual orientation.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Deputy Chair of the Group Eileen Gamble said: &quot;The uncertainty and fear that once prevented gay teachers from being themselves in staff rooms has been lifted and altered immeasurably. Gay and lesbian teachers can now live their lives openly in their communities and in the classrooms in which they teach. This is historic for many current teachers and those future teachers who will never have to second guess themselves for fear of being identified as gay.&quot;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<span style=\"font-size: 12px;\">Sheila Nunan General Secretary of the INTO stated: &quot;The INTO has always advocated for the equal treatment of our members and to remove the weight of discrimination being felt on the grounds of sexual orientation. These amendments will further that aim and ensure that the lives of our teaching colleagues significantly improve. It is a victory for all teachers in our classrooms throughout the country. This is the culmination of the hard work our members of the LGBT Teachers&#39; Group have done over many years&quot;.</span></p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/gay-teachers-group-welcome-greater-employment-protection-in-schools-685817.html\"><span style=\"font-size: 12px;\">http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/gay-teachers-group-welcome-greater-employment-protection-in-schools-685817.html</span></a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-10 10:31:44',NULL,'gay-teachers-group-welcome-greater-employment-protection-in-schools'),(1154,'Father in ‘house of horrors’ case to appeal abuse conviction','<p>\r\n	Roscommon man (57) received 14-year sentence for sexual assault of son in 2010</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The father from the Roscommon &ldquo;house of horrors&rdquo; case will on Friday begin an appeal against his conviction and 14-year sentence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The appeal by the 57-year-old, who was convicted in 2010 for the systematic sexual abuse of his eldest son over a three-year period, is listed for hearing before the Court of Criminal Appeal.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The court will hear a full appeal against conviction and severity of sentence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The father had pleaded not guilty to 47 counts of the rape and sexual assault of his son, when the boy was aged between 12 and 15 years old.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Despite being found guilty by a jury, he has continued to claim that he is innocent.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	Passing sentence on March 8th, 2010, Mr Justice Barry White jailed him for 14 years, but suspended the final 18 months of the sentence.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The man&rsquo;s wife was jailed in January 2009 for the maximum term of seven years for incest, other sexual abuse, neglect and wilful ill-treatment of her six children at the family home in Co Roscommon, dubbed the &ldquo;house of horrors&rdquo;.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She had pleaded guilty to 10 charges including forcing her 13-year-old son to have sex with her.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	She was freed in April of last year after serving five years at the D&oacute;chas women&rsquo;s prison in Dublin. She had a quarter of her sentence reduced for good behaviour.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	The couple cannot be identified to protect the identity of their victims.</p>\r\n<p>\r\n	<a href=\"http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/father-in-house-of-horrors-case-to-appeal-abuse-conviction-1.2279348\">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/father-in-house-of-horrors-case-to-appeal-abuse-conviction-1.2279348</a></p>\r\n','public','',1,'2015-07-10 10:37:56',NULL,'father-in-‘house-of-horrors’-case-to-appeal-abuse-conviction'),