Election Diary 21.05.09
Poor oul’ Richie Smith will be so disappointed when he discovers how little executive authority County Councillors actually have. One thing he hasn’t proposed in his far reaching advert manifesto is manditory sentences for animal cruelty convictions. He’d get my vote if he did, and if I was living in Adare. Anyway, here is a brief summary of what has been going down yesterday. If you are a candidate and are feeling left out, add us to your mailing list. Our address is editors@limerickblogger.org
- It appears that our youth, particularly the ones in the City East election area aren’t even bothering to take the posters down off the poles before burning them. Christy Vereker, an independent candidate in the area has told the Limerick Leader that he witnessed youths setting fire to a pole with election posters on it on the Greenhills Road in Garryowen. He himself will not be using posters during his campaign, chosing instead to make a charitable donation to the value of what he would spend on posters, were he to use them. We are promised he will give more to charity if we vote for him.
- Denis Ryan, representative for the Dell production workers, has accused Fianna Fail of not supporting the workers after they failed to attend any of the public meetings organised since Dell announced it was to cease production in Limerick back in January.
- Independent Councillor Pat Kennedy has described as a “death trap” the pedestrian crossing on the new Crescent Shopping Centre flyover. The crossing is located at the crest of the flyover, which in fairness, is a bit stupid. Kennedy is demanding that it be moved before there is a fatality.
- Keep an eye out today, (Friday( for Sinn Fein European Election candidate Toireasa Ferriswho will be on walkabout in the city in the afternoon. Also visiting the city from the party is Northern Ireland Assembly member Alex Masky.
One press release received today, from Kathy Sinnot in relation to the European Autism Information System, which was launched yesterday in Cork. The full release is below the fold.
Independent (Europe) Received 1403 hrs
The EAIS (European Autism Information System) report on autism which aims to improve the quality of life of children and adults with autism was launched yesterday by Munster MEP Kathy Sinnott in Cork.
The report is spearheaded by Kathy Sinnott and The Hope Project, backed by the European Commission and involving 6 universities including the London school of economics and UCC. The report which is the first of its kind designed to collect data on the epidemic increase in autism across the EU, was warmly welcomed.
Presenting the report, Kathy Sinnott underlined its importance “in improving the quality of life of children and adults living with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. Autism affects more boys than girls and reasearch from the US is indicating that Autism may now be effecting 1 in every 50 boys. In the 1970’s official figures showed that 1 in every 2500 people were affected by autism.”
Kathy went on to thank the dedicated experts such as epidemiologist Dr. Alvaro Ramirez and Professor Ivan Perry in UCC who have carried out rigorous research for the EAIS project. She also thanked the European Commission for their support.
“This project has proven the feasibility and created the tools to recognise autism in a consistent way throughout Europe, to collect the necessary data of Autism and ASD, to understand the financial burden of autism, to evaluate the services and to develop guidelines on both prevention and early intervention, education, training and community support. The US is monitoring autism closely but Europe is not really acknowledging it has a problem, leaving us 20 years behind the US in terms of research. With the EAIS project, we are in effect, doing the work our Government should have done,” stated Mrs. Sinnott.
“The next phase will be the pilot counts. The governments of the other pilot study countries are helping them to carry this out but our government is not helping. There is no dedicated health service or consultant for autism and there won’t be until this project is completed.”
Miram Twomey, who has a son with autism and is also Vice President of the Hope Project, accepted the EAIS report. She said “I am privledged to accept the report on behalf of parents of children with autism. I hope this report will help change the future of our children. The needs of these children are not being seen as paramount, they have to wait while the recession comes first. There is a need to combine lived experience with professionalism which was done in this project.”
However, the launch of the report coincided with the news that funding to extend and renovate an all Ireland autism centre is not available this year. Mrs. Sinnott who is chair of the Hope Project and Vice President of the Intergroup on Disability, has called this news “scandalous”.
Speaking at the launch, she said “I am livid to hear this morning’s announcement that because of difficult economic times, children with autism are once more being targeted. Not to provide the necessary services now is to condemn them to a life time of disability. There are just some categories you don’t cut. Today’s report has proved that providing effective services for both children and parents of people with autism as early as possible will help to drastically reduce the amount of money being spent by the Government in both the immediate and the long term. This is something our Government should bear in mind before cutting funds.”
The Government have said that the shortfall in the development money for the Middletown Centre of Excellence, Co. Armagh will be looked at again in the autumn. Approximately 800 people have been trained there for dealing with vulnerable young people. The money was intended for classrooms and refurbished accomodation and was part of a joint north/south package. The centre carries out research and training for professionals who work in the area of autism.