Category Archives: News

news as it is happening-ish

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Fr Peter McVerry,- who has worked with the homeless and drug users for most of his life said he would like to see drugs “across the board” legalised. The difference between legalisation and decriminalisation is that in the case of the latter a person found in possession of drugs for personal use would not be given a criminal conviction. Legalisation however would mean the buying, importing and selling of drugs would be legal and regulated by the State.

Peter McVerry in favour of legalising all drugs (Colin Gleeson, Irish Times)

Meanwhile…



Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

medicalcardHow difficult is it to obtain a medical card?

According to a report in today’s Trinity News a woman suffering from Motor Neurone Disease has been asked to send the HSE a letter requesting the return of documents from the HSE, so she can submit the same documents back to to the HSE, otherwise she loses her medical card.

Yes.

The woman was granted a temporary medical card in May on foot of an application by her GP seeking immediate access to services and equipment.

She submitted the relevant information detailing her personal finances in July and received a letter from the HSE a month later requesting the submission of the same financial information, and the same form filled out again.

“Unfortunately if you don’t fill it out again, your card will be suspended, so that is your own decision,” she was told helpfully.

Anyone?

HSE tells woman with incurable neurological condition that losing her medical card would be her decision (Tommy Gavin, Trinity News)

BZhGOFjIgAAHUVJ.jpg large BZhHu3wIMAAhjuv.jpg largeBZhQHYVIQAAktx-.jpg largeUS diplomat Meghan O’Sullivan pictured earlier at Camp Twaddell (yes) with Winston ‘Winkie’ Irvine.

Irvine was recently named by BBC’s Spotlight programme as a UVF commander.

Camp Twaddell was set up as a ‘civil rights camp’ to support loyalists who have been prevented from marching past Ardoyne shops.

Meanwhile, the Parades Commission has given the go-ahead for a loyalist parade in Belfast city centre on Saturday week.

G’wan the flegs.

Parades Commission gives go ahead to Belfast flags parade (BBC News NI)

Previously: Branded A Loyalist

You Can’t Handle The Ruth

Pics: Claire Marie Graham

11/12/2008 Irish Pig Meats Scandals

 

IFA President John Bryan said further findings from the DNA-testing Programme on pigmeat carried out by the IFA show that consumers continue to be misled and there is a very disappointing level of support for Irish pig producers. From almost 300 samples that have been collated and sent to IdentiGen for cross-checking with the Irish boar DNA database, 52% of products are not Irish.

Brands such as J. Crowe & Sons, Thurles Bacon, Glensallagh (Lidl), Bradleys and Templetuohy Farm Fresh Foods are confusing consumers by using labels that suggest they are using Irish pigmeat when our results show non-Irish product has been used in some cases. In one case – Thurles Bacon – a product didn’t display a plant number, which is illegal.

 

DNA Results Confirm Half Of Pigmeat Tested Is Not Irish (Irish Farmers Association)

Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

31/5/2007. Weather picturesGo to sleep, sheeple.

Curing insomnia in people with depression could double their chance of a full recovery, scientists are reporting. The findings, based on an insomnia treatment that uses talk therapy rather than drugs, are the first to emerge from a series of closely watched studies of sleep and depression to be released in the coming year.

The new report affirms the results of a smaller pilot study, giving scientists confidence that the effects of the insomnia treatment are real. If the figures continue to hold up, the advance will be the most significant in the treatment of depression since the introduction of Prozac in 1987.


Sleep Therapy Seen as an Aid for Depression (Benedict Carey, New York Times)

Albert Gonzalez/Photocall Ireland