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Molly McNally
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23rd September 2014 • Volume 21, Issue 34 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200
Outrage At Lack Of Special Needs Supports Local Fianna Fáil senator, Darragh O’Brien has described as “utterly disgraceful” the lack of any early intervention team in North Dublin, to provide key assessments and supports for children with special needs and disabilities.
By Patrick Finnegan O’Brien told the County Leader, “Early intervention teams are set Rights, and they cannot even get up for the very reason that a child, the basics right, which are, that if a who may be displaying signs of child needs assistance, the only special needs, gets assistance in way you can find out what assissome way. “Thousands of children tance is needed, is through assessare languishing on waiting lists, ment, under the Early Intervention while many more can’t even get on team. They can look across agena list for an assessment of the cies to see what help is needed. supports they require for disabili- This service is not available in the ties or special educational needs. North County, and I think it’s a This is an issue that must be scandal,” said O’Brien. tackled urgently. It’s a scandal He then turned his ire on local that there are no Early Intervention politicians, who are responsible for teams, not only in North County the welfare of our most vulnerable Dublin, but in the whole of Dublin. citizens. “Funding has not been “A total of 2,558 children were on forthcoming to the HSE, and we waiting lists across North County had a Minister for Health, who is Dublin alone for an initial assess- now the Minister for Children, who ment for Speech and Language is fully aware of the problem, yet Therapy at the nothing has end of last year. The Government been done in the That’s over past three-andshamefully closed these 2,500 families a-half years, to waiting lists for new that are affected rectify this situchildren two years ago - but these ation. “North figures mask County Dublin the true extent of the problem. has senior Cabinet representation. The Government shamefully closed Minister James Reilly failed to take these waiting lists for new children any action to advance the case for two years ago, so many more are in Early Intervention teams, while he need now in the North County, and was in charge of the HSE, and now, across the capital,” fumed O’Brien. as Minister for Children, he has a He continued, “I’m dealing with huge responsibility to deliver real distraught families from all over change for these children,” he the North County, who are trying to fumed. get their children private assess- “We have three Government TD’s, ments, which is very expensive, including the minister in this area, and many cannot afford this. One and we now have a situation, of the charities that I’m involved where we neglect the very group of with, the Laura Brennan Trust is people who need our assistance funding many of these children for the most. These people need a assessment. They are, effectively really good start in life, but we doing the work the State and the have no service for them. It’s an department should be doing.” absolute disgrace.” “We’re all talking about Children’s He is appealing to the Government
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The grandparents of little Molly McNally took the plunge recently, in an effort to raise much needed funds for their granddaughter. The decided to take the Ice Bucket challenge in an effort to raise much needed funds for their granddaughter, who has Stage four Neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. This was a particularly courageous effort as Mary will be 80 next birthday and Seamie is 93, who both live in Lusk. They call themselves Recycled Teenagers, as they bravely took to the challenge like ducks to water.! Well done to them both for carrying out such a challenge in their senior years. They are asking people to support Molly’s Miracle Trust by texting MOLLY to 57802 and they say a big thank you to all who have already done so. The McNally family in Lusk, with the help of friends and members of the Naul Senior Citizens committee, are holding a ‘Table Quiz’ fundraising night for Molly. This much anticipated event will be held in Murray’s Pub, Lusk (Bottom Shop), on Monday, 6th October. A table of 5 costs €25 and there will be a great raffle, with lots of great prizes on the night. Little Molly is in need of all the support she can get, and people from all over the North County andd beyond, have been magnificent in their support for her. We trust that this night will be another memorable one. Pictured are Mary and Seamie McNally, the grandparents of little Molly McNally. as they bravely took the Ice Bucket Challenge, in an effort to raise much needed funds for their granddaughter.
Chamber Fully Supportive Of Minister’s Aviation Directives
Local senator, Darragh O'Brien is pictured outside the HSE Health Centre in Swords
to rectify this problem, in the run up to the budget next month. He pleaded, “As part of the Budget for next year, the Government needs to set out how it intends to clear the waiting lists, allow for new assessments, and then put in place the necessary supports for children. There needs to be a clear decision made to prioritise these children, or the Government runs the risk of their development being seriously and needlessly damaged.” “There is plenty of evidence of the benefits early intervention has for children with special needs and disabilities. This is an essential service that needs to be provided across North County Dublin and I will continue to push the Fine Gael / Labour Government to do the right thing by these children,” he concluded.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, airport, whilst growing the volume and Paschal Donohoe recently issued directives frequencies on existing routes and it is vital to the Acting Commissioner for Aviation that this continues to support the Regulation, John Spicer. In these directives, Government’s economic development he clearly outlined what the strategy to create more jobs for Government deems as necessary our growing population,” he for the future development of said. Dublin Airport. The directives called for Dublin He emphasised elements of the draft Airport to be an international gateway for National Aviation Policy, which aims to faciliIreland, including as a secondary hub for traffic tate the continued growth and development flows between Europe/Asia and the US. It also of the sector over the coming years. The main calls for the ‘desirability that Dublin Airport thrust of the policy is to ‘enhance Ireland’s should have the terminal and runway facilities connectivity, by ensuring safe, to promote direct international secure and competitive access, air links, to key world markets. responsive to the needs of busiThe North runway is critical for ness, tourism and job creation.’ the development of Dublin Fingal Dublin Chamber of Airport, and Lambert pointed out Commerce warmly welcomed that the current planning the Minister’s directive, and permission is outdated and CEO, Tony Lambert told the must be renewed. “This will County Leader that it is dynamic take a number of years, and we in it’s nature. “Dublin Airport is, must get ready for construction and has been for many years, a to begin within the foreseeable Minister for Transport, major provider of a wide range Tourism and Sport, future. We need that runway in of high quality jobs for large Paschal Donohoe the next two to three years. This numbers of people in the North long runway will allow for larger County and the Dublin City Region, this is aircraft, with extra fuel on board, which will why the Chamber believes that the future be required to enable direct flights to the key growth of Dublin Airport is important for the commercial destinations of India, China and continued economic developSingapore. We need to be able to ment of the region, the Greater fly aircraft non-stop to these Dublin Region and the country as destinations,” he said. a whole. The airport provides the Lambert maintains that “the main international access, not only to Dublin, Airport must be allowed to grow in a planned but to the entire country and it works hard to and well-resourced manner, to take account attract more business and leisure visitors to of the needs of the travelling public and the Ireland.” aviation industry. All actions must put the He continued, “DAA has been innovative in customer at the attracting new routes and airlines to the Continued on page 17