Category Archives: Misc

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Dartmouth Square near Ranelagh, Dublin 6

Anon writes:

“I witnessed a scene straight from Hot Fuzz this morning. Five Gardaí going door-to-door in Dartmouth Square, Dublin 6 investigating the cutting down of a protected tree in the park in recent weeks. They did seem highly embarrassed to be fair. It’s lucky we’re so blessed with an abundance of police resources!”

FIVE?

Anyone?

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In advance of the census on Sunday evening, I would like to raise awareness regarding the CSO guidelines on how to answer accurately one question.

Question 12 asks, “What is your religion?” The CSO guidelines state: “This question is not about frequency of attendance at church or other place of worship. People should answer the question based on how they feel now about their religious beliefs, if any. The question is asking about the person’s current religion or beliefs and not about the religion the person may have been brought up with.”

The census results are used by the government (if we ever have one!) to inform policy and planning. Thus, an accurate portrayal of the country’s religious beliefs is essential, in particular to support change in the area of religious patronage of schools.

Selena Daly,
Dublin 6.

Counting on the Census (Irish Times letters)

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Health Minister Leo Varadkar

€12million of the €36million mental health budget is being transferred to other areas in the Department of Health, after the money – which was set aside to recruit staff – was not spent…

Health Minister Leo Varadker has said the mental health budget will be fully restored next year.

Further to this, a teenager has written a piece for Fiona Kennedy‘s mental health blog, Sunny Spells And Scattered Showers.

They write:

I am seventeen years old and attend the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). My mother works in the in-patients building, so I’ve heard bits about that. I was referred to this service by Jigsaw, and only had a couple week’s wait for either service.

For this I am extremely grateful, you know the difference time like that can make.

I know more than several young people attending CAMHS, Jigsaw, and other service like myself. Schools of late have been running workshops and events based around mental health and wellbeing. I am so fortunate to have all these services and things to help myself and others my age.

However, in five months time I will be turning 18. I’m in the thick of my treatment, and myself, my parents, and my psychiatrist all seem to have this time of me becoming an adult looming over our heads.

It seems that when we become legal adults, there’s almost nothing for us. I don’t understand how this could be. With so many young people going from child to adult areas, what will become of us with constant cuts?

What of those who will need long term treatment after their adolescent years? How much will we have to fight for?

Let me once again reiterate just how thankful I am for my current situation, and yet there is a constant fear of the unknown over all I am fortunate enough to receive as a “child and adolescent”.

Guest post – transition from child to adult mental health services (Sunny spells and scattered showers)

Concern over transfer of €12m from mental health funds (RTE)

Yesterday: ‘HSE Keeps Me From Dying But Does Little To Help Me Live’

Mark Stedman/Rollingnews