Blog Archive
Action plan needed to tackle high rate of suicide amongst young men
Posted on April 21, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Nessa Childers MEP has told the EU Commissioner for Health at a sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the Irish government and the European Commission must develop a new EU action plan on mental health to tackle Ireland’s high rate of suicide of young men. Ms Childers demanded an increased emphasis on suicide prevention in Europe from Commissioner John Dalli.
Directly addressing the recently installed Commissioner, Ms Childers referenced her experience as a mental health professional and cited three separate, unrelated cases of suicide which occurred at the end of February this year in County Kildare.
Ms Childers said: "Recently in my own constituency, three men living within 30 kilometres of each other took their own lives. This is an all too familiar picture in the Ireland of 2010. Anyone who contemplates taking their own lives or indeed friends or family members who have concerns about the mental health of a loved-one need to have services available close by which they can access for support during difficult times.
Continuing travelling circus to Strasbourg, plain wrong
Posted on April 19, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Irish Labour MEP Nessa Childers speaking in Brussels before getting a train to Strasbourg has again condemned the waste of taxpayers money in forcing MEPs, parliament staff and journalists to travel to south for this weeks plenary session - "Like many MEPs, I am long on record as being against the practice of having two parliament locations. Of all times, insisting on continuing this circus during a period of unprecedented travel disruption across Europe is plain foolish.
EU set to give dodgy agents the red card
Posted on April 13, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Tough new proposals to regulate dodgy football agents will be brought forward by the European Parliament before this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, Labour MEP Nessa Childers has revealed today.
Over 66s free travel pass should be extended Europe-Wide
Posted on April 07, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
The EU should provide free public transport to all senior citizens, by extending the successful Irish model to all 27 EU member states, Nessa Childers MEP has told the EU Transport Commissioner today.
"I proposed today to the new Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas the extension of free public transport for older people across the EU. Regardless of what country they come from, are living in or are even visiting, older people across Europe should have those same basic set of transport entitlements as their Irish counterparts. What better place to start than an EU-wide bus & train pass?
“This would also have the added benefit of providing older people from Ireland with the opportunity to travel extensively and inexpensively throughout Europe, something they may not have had the option to do when working full-time and rearing their families.
The Labour MEP added, “I believe there is also an argument to be made for the extension of the scheme to those in receipt of the European equivalent of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Carer’s Allowance and Invalidity Pension as is the case in Ireland.
Inclusion of possible 30% climate target in EU work programme welcome
Posted on March 31, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Speaking today in Dublin today on publication on the European Commission's legislative work programme for 2010 Nessa Childers said: "I welcome the new Commission's inclusion of a possible binding proposal for Europe to move unilaterally from a 20% emissions cut target to 30%.
“The programme is intended to fulfill the recently agreed Europe 2020 strategy and this shows the positive influence of new Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard.
"However, EU leaders must push for significant improvements of the Europe 2020 Strategy if it is to really lead towards a truly sustainable and successful economy. It is simply not ambitious enough as regards emissions targets, biodiversity and green jobs.
Poisoning of red kites a worrying setback for Wicklow reintroduction project
Posted on March 29, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Nessa Childers MEP has described the death of two red kites in Wicklow as a result of poisoning as a “worrying setback” to efforts already underway to reintroduce the birds of prey to the Garden County after an absence of over 200 years.
She said, “The red kite was once a familiar native presence in the Irish landscape. As a result of woodland clearances, poisoning and general persecution in the 18th century these beautiful birds became extinct.
“Thanks to the support of the Welsh Kite Trust, a project to reintroduce them to Ireland commenced in Wicklow in 2007. The programme to date has been extremely successful but the death of these two red kites is undoubtedly a setback to the ambitious re-introduction programme.
“The restoration of the red kite to Ireland is important in terms of increasing our biodiversity. The birds represent no threat whatsoever to livestock as they tend to prey only on small mammals such as rabbits.
“The birds are a significant addition in terms of the attraction of tourists to Wicklow. I would hope to see the Wicklow community continue to give their full support to the project and as the population hopefully flourishes, we should look to the example of Gateshead in England’s North-East where their Red Kite Trail has become an important feature of the area’s tourism product.
“Ireland has one of the lowest populations of birds of prey in Europe. While today’s sad news is a setback, I know that the Red Kite Project will grow and that the efforts of all involved in the programme will be rewarded as Ireland once again becomes home to these magnificent birds.”
Come clean on delays in EU funding for SRT workers, Childers tells government
Posted on March 24, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Nessa Childers MEP has told the European Parliament that a “dysfunctional, tired and out-of-step government” is delaying the processing of awarding EU payments to over 1,000 redundant SR Technics workers.
Accusing the government and the outgoing Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan of gross inaction, the Leinster MEP said: “I can confirm that as of today, the Commission has still to receive the outstanding paperwork required for the EU to make a final decision on payments under the European Globalisation Fund which will help secure the collective futures of the 1,100 workers who have lost their jobs at Dublin Airport.
European council must show green ambition
Posted on March 24, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Speaking today in the European Parliament today ahead of tomorrow's European Council meeting Nessa Childers said: "EU leaders must push for significant improvements of the so-called Europe 2020 Strategy if it is to really lead towards a truly sustainable and successful economy. It is simply not ambitious enough as regards emissions targets, biodiversity and green jobs.
"While the Strategy focuses on the EU economy, it must be coherent with other EU policies. To make real progress towards a sustainable economy and sustainable environment the EU needs to set clear targets for reducing energy and resource use, and substantially increase the ambitions for fighting climate change. The strategy for example is very weak on the issue of biodiversity, an area where Europe is already failing badly.
Business as usual as Gormley misses EU river management plan deadline
Posted on March 22, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
The failure by Environment Minister and Green Party Leader John Gormley to submit important river management plans to the European Commission before tomorrow’s deadline has been strongly criticised by Labour MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, Nessa Childers.
“Concerns have been expressed today by an umbrella group of environmental NGOs in relation to the adequacy and standard of the river basin plans drawn up by local Councils. I believe that the assertions made by the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) should be fully examined and addressed by the Minister.
“Notwithstanding these concerns, the point remains that we have yet another case on our hands of the government completely failing to meet an important deadline on a critical environmental issue.
Irish hospitals need new post of transplant coordinator
Posted on March 19, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Ireland East MEP Nessa Childers today voted in the European Parliament, calling for action on organ donation and transplantation across Europe.
Approving an European Commission action plan to strengthen organ cooperation between member states, Ms Childers praised in particular for plans for a new 'transplant coordinator' at hospitals in each member-state.
Ms Childers, Ireland's only full member on the powerful Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee, said "Ireland has a strong record on organ donation and transplantation, with organ donations in 2009 up 21% on the previous year, including a notable rise in much needed kidney donations.
