FIANNA FÁIL LAUNCHES NATIONAL POLICY ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

Posted on 31/10/12 by Averil Power

Fianna Fáil has launched targeted proposals to promote positive youth mental health within the education system and reduce the alarmingly high rate of suicide among young people.  

The author of the document, Fianna Fáil Seanad Spokesperson on Education Averil Power, has said that mental health is the most critical health issue facing young people in Ireland.

“Up to one in four students at any given time experience psychological problems. For some the cause may be a psychiatric illness, while for others it is bullying, problems at home or difficulties coming to terms with their body image or sexual orientation. The fact that Ireland’s youth suicide rate is now the fourth highest in Europe clearly shows that we are not doing nearly enough to help our young people to cope with such problems,” said Senator Power.

 “The proposals launched today are designed to greatly enhance the role that our education system plays in promoting positive mental health and equipping young people with coping skills. They also aim to ensure the availability of community-based youth mental health support services in all counties so that young people requiring specialist help can access this directly or through their schools.”

The proposals include:

• A focus on positive mental health promotion at all levels of the education system, from pre-school to third level;
• The implementation of effective strategies to tackle bullying in all its forms, including cyber bullying, with a major emphasis on peer support and students being encouraged to stand up for classmates who are being bullied;
• All schools and colleges to have their own mental health promotion plans, with students, staff and parents being involved in the development and implementation of these plans;
• Each school to put in place a care team to oversee the implementation of its mental health initiatives, to be made up of staff, students, parents and appropriate external bodies such as professional mental health workers and local youth services;
• A national ‘Positive Schools’ initiative, similar to the ‘Green Schools’ programme with schools being awarded ‘Positive Schools Flags’ for promoting mental health and having effective strategies to tackle bullying and support students experiencing mental health difficulties;
• A reversal of the Government’s decision to abolish dedicated guidance counsellor allocations for schools, which has dramatically reduced access for young people to counselling supports;
• Headstrong to be funded to establish a Jigsaw centre in every county so that young people can get access to appropriate professional support in a welcoming environment;
• A greater emphasis in schools on the importance of physical exercise and diet to students’ mental well-being and a focus on ensuring that all students, particularly those in exam years, get the recommended number of hours of PE classes;

The proposals have been developed following an extensive consultation process, including a Fianna Fáil national conference on youth mental health last June, subsequent meetings with mental health organisations, teachers and students and a public meeting in Sutton, Dublin last month.

Huge Delays with Student Grants!

 Posted 31st October 2012 by Cllr Frankie Keena

This week Cllr. Frankie Keena said that he has deep concerns about the alarming rate of third level grant applications that have been refused so far this year and the massive backlog in unprocessed applications.

This was confirmed last week by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn by answering a parliamentary question in the Dail when he stated that 72% of the grant applications processed so far this year have been refused. In addition to this, 78% of applicants are still waiting to hear back from the Department of Education. It is nearly November and there are still approximately 52,000 students waiting to hear if they will receive a grant, he said.

It seems unbelievable to me that the Department are turning away nearly 3 out of every 4 applicants that are processed so far and it is becoming clear that the new SUSI system is riddled with problems. This system was designed to speed up the administering of third-level grants, but it is not delivering, he stated.

 I am receiving a lot of representations from parents who are anxious to know if they will get a grant for their sons or daughters , it is wrong that they are being left in limbo two months into the college year, declared Cllr. Keena.

 I am now calling on the Education Minister to urgently explain these massive delays and alarming rate of rejections. When the SUSI system was launched, Minister Quinn said the process would be ‘quick and easy’ and that it would end the possibility of students facing ‘undue hardship as a result of delays’. Instead we have a situation where tens of thousands of students across the country are still in the dark about their grant applications, he concluded.

FF pledges strong support to family of murdered Longford woman Sharon Coughlan

‎26th October 2012

FF pledges strong support to family of murdered Longford woman Sharon Coughlan

Fianna Fáil has pledged its full support to the family of murdered Longford woman Sharon Coughlan in their campaign against the Government’s plans to send her killer home to his native country, the Czech Republic.

David Brozovsky, a Czech national with 27 previous convictions, was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of the 37 year old mother-of-two near her home in Longford in 2007. The Minister for Justice Alan Shatter now plans to allow him serve out the remainder of his sentence in his home country.

A delegation from Fianna Fáil, including Longford-Westmeath TD Robert Troy, Spokesperson on Justice Niall Collins TD and Spokesperson on Social Protection Willie O’Dea TD met the family and friends of Sharon Coughlan at Leinster House in Dublin this week. They were among 5,500 people to sign a petition submitted to the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.

Speaking at Leinster House, Deputy Troy pledged his full support to the Coughlan family.

“This is an absolutely heartbreaking story and the Coughlan family’s pain and grief is only worsened by the Justice Minister’s plans to allow her killer to be sent home to the Czech Republic,” said Deputy Troy.

“The Coughlan family want to know how a brutal murderer deserves this special treatment. Minister Shatter says he has been given ‘assurances’ by the Czech authorities that they will ensure Mr Brozovsky serves at least 20 years in prison. But for the Coughlan family, this is not enough. Mr Brozovsky pleaded guilty to raping and strangling a young Irish mother and her family want to ensure that justice is done. Sharon’s two young children are struggling to understand why the Minister has decided to listen to their mother’s killer rather than to the victim’s loved ones,” said Deputy Troy.

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Justice Niall Collins said, “I’ve attempted to raise this in the Dáil with Minister Shatter but so far have been refused a special debate on the matter. I will continue to seek a full explanation from the Minister until the Coughlan family get the treatment they deserve.”