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No Fixed Abode

My new blog post may well have been about two new hats one in felt and the other in hide, or it may have been about a new camera, perhaps even Mrs H’s new shoes however, I think that you will agree they are rather mundane sort of kitchen sink type posts. Which I know a lot of you are fond reading and I am fond of writing them from time to time; but
I found this though and it is to my mind much more important for it is has a human angle.

Charley

A woman whose 6-year-old son is in the final stages of liver disease has issued a plea to Offaly County Council to find them a permanent home to ensure he qualifies for a waiting list for life-saving surgery.
Helen Lynch (25), who has been homeless in Tullamore for much of the last year, says she needs a permanent address in order for her son to go on the transplant list at King’s College Hospital in London.
Her son, Charlie, was diagnosed with liver disease when he was only a month old and is now in urgent need of proof of permanent accomodation before the pair travel to England for an appointment at the hospital next week.
“The liver transplant must be carried out at King’s College Hospital and the doctors have informed me that I need to be in a house where I can control Charlie’s health,” she said.
Currently staying with family in Tullamore, Ms Lynch is moving between her mother and brothers’ houses but she needs accommodation where she can ensure a sterile environment after the transplant takes place
“It’s very hard. Dragging the kids from one house to the next. They don’t know where their home is for the last year. My mother has an awful lot of medical illnesses herself. She has a wheelchair and walkers and the house she’s in is very small,” she said.
“Charlie’s going to need constant care after his transplant.”.
Ms Lynch said that without proof of permanent accommodation, Charlie could miss out on an opportunity to expedite his treatment at next week’s assessment.
“We’re due to go over for his initial assessment to be placed on the liver transplant list. Now, the problem is we could go for the assessment but if they think Charlie should go on the active list there and then - which they probably will because he’s in the final stages of liver disease - he won’t be placed on that list without (having) permanent accommodation.”
Having survived with the disease since an early age, she says a transplant is now the only treatment option open to Charlie.
“We’re on a timeline here and I feel as if my child’s life is on a countdown timer,” Ms Lynch said.
“It’s a nightmare for any parent to have to go through. It’s hard enough dealing with the transplant on its own but to be told that he might not have the chance to get the transplant because of a house is worse. To think that four walls is all that it would take to save my child’s life and that I can’t get it.”
Ms Lynch says she has exhausted every avenue in her attempts to get a house and social worker Sandra McDonagh, of Offaly Traveller Movement, has been advocating on her behalf.
“I’ve met with a few politicians and they’ve been on to the council for me. But, it’s basically the council that needs to buck up and do something. I’ve tried private landlords, I’ve tried talking to landlords. It’s no good - there’s nothing available in Tullamore. The housing crisis in Tullamore is ridiculous.”
“To be honest with you, I’ve lost hope. I don’t know what else I can do. I’ve done everything I can possibly think of. I’ve begged them, I’ve gone up there crying my eyes out to them, begging them to help me.”
She was told of houses due to come on-stream next year but Ms Lynch says she doesn’t have the time to spare.
“They said they got 29 houses off Nama to be given out next year but I don’t have until next year. I haven’t got until next year to wait. I have a matter of days and if you leave out the weekend I have just two working days before I’m due to fly out”
“If I haven’t got an address to hand them if they want to put him on the list, he won’t be put on the list.”
She said it was now up to the council.
“I’m not calling on them, I am begging the council to hurry up and do not let my child to die over a house. He’s worth a lot more than that to me and surely their kids are worth a lot more than that to them.”

© Irish Times Fri, Nov 28, 2014, 

Poverty & Children

©Irish Examiner 2014

This is what the Irish government coalition of Fine Gael & Labour have produced during their years of office, through the bad management of resources and are still causing in throughout the twenty-six counties, where many children go to school hungry!

A new report shows that children in families which have experienced poverty in the recession have suffered greater behavioural problems. 

The six-year ESRI "Growing Up In Ireland" study of 20,000 children found a risk of "strongly negative" consequences for children's emotional development if families were vulnerable for "longer periods of time".

The report will be launched by the Children's Minister James Reilly this morning, and it suggests a broader range of supports are needed to help vulnerable families.

Dr Dorothy Watson said that while parents may try to protect their children from the financial reality, it still has an impact.

"We found this for the three-year-olds … as well as for the older children," she said.

"Even though children might not have a very good understanding of what's happening in the family, at some level they pick up on these differences, and it affects their socio-emotional wellbeing."

Speaking ahead of the launch, Minister Reilly said the government has committed to tackling economic hardship through its Better Outcomes - Brighter Futures policy framework.

 Irish Examiner

Attempt to cling to power

       Mary Lou McDonald TD & Gerry Adams TD

Gerry Adams: Government's water charge u-turn 'a desperate attempt of Fine Gael and Labour to cling to power'

Saturday, November 22, 2014 - 01:18 PM

Sinn Féin is calling for a mass mobilisation of people to protest against water charges in Dublin next month.

The Right2Water campaign, which is organising the demonstration, says it expects an historic turn-out for its rally at the Dáil on December 10.

Around 100,000 people took part in their last protest.

Organisers of next months demonstration say the protest to abolish water charges will go ahead despite the Government’s new package plan announced earlier this week.

The Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams is calling on people to send a strong message to the government.

“As with every other issue, Fine Gael and Labour have failed to listen to citizens on the water charges,” he said.

“The Government's latest policy is all about giving themselves a lifeline to run their full term. It's not about easing the pressure on those who cannot pay water charges.

“What we got on Wednesday was a PR offensive - a desperate attempt by Fine Gael and Labour to cling to power for the next year.

“Water charges have not been scrapped, the water metering programme will continue, metered charges are coming in, they will only go up, and there is still no constitutional right to water.

“This cynical Government manoeuvre will not work. The people are not stupid. It fails to address the demands of the hundreds of thousands of citizens who have taken to the streets on this issue.

“Sinn Féin is a central part of the Right2Water campaign and I am calling for the maximum possible turnout in protest against Water Charges on December 10 to deliver a strong message that Water Charges must be scrapped.

©IRISH EXAMINER 22-11-2014

Campaigner for the homeless, Fr Peter McVerry, said rent controls are necessary to ensure that the market retains an element of affordability.

New figures show the number of people sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin has trebled in the last five years. 

Fr McVerry challenged the Government to outline just what it is going to do to tackle rising homelessness as we approach the coldest months of the year.

"A lot of people who are becoming homeless today and there are six new people becoming homeless every day, a lot of them are getting kicked out of their private rental accommodation because their rents are going up and they can't afford the increase," he said.

"if the Government are not going to introduce rent controls and if they're not going to increase the rent allowance to allow people to pay the increased rents, then what on Earth are they going to do?"

©IRISH EXAMINER

Catch a WHALE

Brian Stanley TD

"Sinn Féin's environment spokesperson Brian Stanley has described today's package of measures on water charges as "an introductory offer, and a con job designed to lure people into agreeing to pay a charge that will inevitably be increased to much higher levels in years to come".

Deputy Stanley said: "The fact that the initial bills for water will now be substantially lower than those announced by the Energy Regulator at the beginning of October is a victory for opponents of the water charges. 

"The Government now needs to go one step further and abolish the water charges altogether."

He said that otherwise, households would face much higher bills when the concessions were due to end after 2018."

quote taken from Irish Examine © 2016

The Irish government of scallywags are now offering people on Social Welfare a One Hundred Euro  bribe to sign up for Irish Water - which is nothing more 

"Than a sprat to catch a WHALE !"

I have news the Irish people have woken up and they have the bit between their teeth and within those people are those others who have the taste of blood within. 

To the TD's and Ministers of Fine Gael &Labour it yours that they are after! So might it not be better to 'fall on your sword now ? ' so resign and call a general election now before  the people get really angry and remember that the commemoration of the 1916 Uprising is not too far away. . . .

Anti-water charge !

The people are angry with the ineptitude of the government because there has been too many financial burdens placed upon the citizens of Ireland and enough is enough.



The water charges have become the straw which has broken the camels back.



Click on the line below for full story

Anti-water charge protest held in Sligo where Taoiseach attended event

Donations Needed please ?

Parents of disabled boys face eviction from Co Laois home

Water !

It is hard to believe that we are employing this person to be in government  as Fine Gael TD .......

Water - protests

Joan Burton the Tánaiste

Two arrested in west Dublin as Tánaiste blocked by protesters

This would not have happened if she stuck to her labour principles instead of being two faced! 

If anybody needs to be arrested it is herself because she caused the trouble in the first place!

An opposition TD Paul Murphy , who participated in the demonstration, said the protest, which began shortly before Ms Burton attended the ceremony at noon, had been peaceful. 

“The protest has been peaceful. Yes she has been delayed here for a number of hours but I think this protest has sent a very clear message to her, a message which the Tánaiste has ignored to date, that that people don’t want to pay these water charges. 

“There is national anger over the changes but particularly in Tallaght and Jobstown in west Dublin...there are a lot of people who simply can’t afford to pay,” he said, adding the protesters were also sending a message to Irish Water that the people of Tallaght would not accept water charges.

The Sensational !

The Sensational Melissa Etheridge who I could listen to forever, though I do feel that she is unfortunately underrated for she is a very talented singer and musician.

PUBLIC OPINION

The photo is of Squeak our feisty tailless small cat.

There are two distinct aromas that I truly appreciate every morning
the smell of strong fresh coffee and organic honey, A small teaspoonful of the latter in the first cup awakens me sufficiently to face the day. 


This morning, we (Mrs H & I) learnt about the power of public opinion on Facebook: three days ago persons unknown to me ripped off one of 
Mrs H’s images and defaced it with words of their own and posted it up on their page without even having the decency to give credit to her original work.


Mrs H complained about breach of copyright on the page and received abusive and ignorant comments from the people who are the pages’ owners. Her replies to them were just and exact, as one would expect for in her younger days she was once engaged in a legal office.


The consequence is that the particular FB page has been inundated with fans of her paintings writing in to complain about what they had done. This morning Mrs H received a private message from the page owner complaining about the number of protest mails that had been sent, however the power of public opinion has worked for the defaced and stolen image has now been removed.


On behalf of Mrs H. - If you were one of those who mailed a complaint to FB - Thank You for your support.

Finally wouldn’t it be great if we could put a stop to all of the wars by the same method ?