I was in Moscow for the St Patrick’s Day Parade, held at Sokolniki Park in central Moscow on Saturday, 15 March. I was also a guest of the Irish Business Club at the charity Emerald Ball on Saturday evening.
As a country we have so much to be proud of; whether it’s our history, culture, diaspora or our recovering economy - we have an incredibly powerful story to tell. With all we’ve been through, we can sometimes lose our connection with what we believe is great about Ireland. Over this weekend I look forward to playing my role in the Government’s continuing efforts to rebuild Ireland’s reputation worldwide.
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People in Dublin South have a few days left to share their views with the Government on cyberbullying. A public consultation process on cyberbullying is currently underway and the deadline is Tuesday, March 18th. Views gathered from members of the public will feed into the work of an expert panel set up by Minister Pat Rabbitte to advise him on the issue of cyberbullying. You can submit your views on the Department of Communications website here.
Alex White TD, Cllr. Lettie McCarthy, Martina Queally, Dr. Colm Smyth, Teresa OMahony and Deirdre Ryan at the Leopardstown Primary Care Centre
I was pleased to meet with the Leopardstown Primary Care Team on Monday while visiting the Leopardstown Primary Care Centre.
I’m delighted with the news that the Department of Education has purchased Loreto Abbey on the Grange Road, which will operate as a permanent home for the Gael-Choláiste from September 2014 onwards.
I’d like to thank the many groups and individuals who participated in the public consultation process relating to the content and scope of a new GP contract to underpin the provision of GP care, free at the point of use, for all children aged under six years of age.
Belkacem Belfedhal, Alex White and Ammar Ouamar cutting the ribbon at the Human Appeal Ireland Charity Shop in Dundrum.
I was humbled to open the Human Appeal Ireland Charity Shop in the old Apollo building on the Dundrum Road. Proceeds from the new charity shop will go to alleviate poverty in Syria, the Philippines, Palestine and Burma. Human Appeal Ireland is one of the few charities that have managed to gain access inside Syria. It was a great honour to meet all of the local volunteers who have worked so hard to make this impressive initiative happen.
Since the closure of Mount Carmel Hospital, there has been considerable speculation about the use of the facilities in the future.
The Programme for Government pledged to introduce radical and fundamental reform of our health service. A central part of this reform agenda is the introduction of free GP care for all.
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I spoke in the Seanad yesterday regarding amendments to the Health Identifiers Bill 2013. The Health Identifiers Bill 2013 is a crucial step in modernising and transforming our health services. In fact, it’s a key component of the Government’s eHealth Strategy. With this legislation, every single patient and health service provider will be given their own unique health identifier/number that will work across the health service, both public and private.
