Women’s voices were heard in Budget 2022

The measures taken are a significant step in the right direction for women’s health

Fine Gael Women's Network says some of the themes they have campaigned for in the Budget, such as improving the quality of childcare provision and addressing high fees, were supported by the Government. 

While as a country, we still have a long way to go to achieve gender equality, it does feel as though there is something in the air these days when it comes to the voices of the women of Ireland.

I’m glad to see some of the themes we have campaigned for being supported not just in words but with resources in Budget 2022.

• The implementation of the national maternity strategy and a gynaecology model of care;
• Improving the quality of childcare provision and addressing high fees;
• Major reform of the carer’s allowance (given that six out of 10 carers are women);
• An increase in parents’ benefit to seven weeks;
• Increase in back to school allowance;
• Funding for sexual assault treatment units;
• Free contraception for women aged 17-25;
• Funding to progress the period poverty implementation group;
• Providing specialist menopause clinics.

These measures go a long way to representing the full life cycle of women’s health — topics that were grouped together into an awkward basket labeled “women’s problems” for much too long.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

These are not so much problems as simple physics and biology and health. Sure how would the governments of the past have handled them when they were all men?

This budget is a significant step in the right direction for women’s health and I doubt it would have been possible without the voices of the women in government.

Monica Murphy

Co-chair, Fine Gael Women’s Network

Negative emotions are OK too, kids

I want to thank Colman Noctor for his wonderful and informative article —
‘ I fear that mental health has become the new gluten’ (irishexaminer.com, October 12, and p15 of today’s edition).

I too work with children. What they are lacking more than anything at the moment, is resilience, and it’s small wonder why.

They say, “but it’s hard”, or “it makes me sad and that’s not right” because they have not been taught nor introduced to the concept of life not always going swimmingly, and that they will at times be sad, or worried, and things will not be, nor are meant to be, always easy.

The narrative in this country used to be “put up and shut up” with regard to mental health, which was terribly wrong, and little attention was paid to the need for vital mental health supports, as Colman points out in his
article. This has thankfully changed in the last decade — though we still have a long way to go. Unfortunately, what we have seen come from this is a huge, albeit well-intentioned, overcorrection, with the current narrative of “I need help with any non-positive emotion experienced” just as damaging.

We need to show children that non-positive emotions are part of life and are OK, and in fact teach and inform us in terms of our growth into adulthood — and that with that will come resilience. This is so important because without resilience, they will not only not flourish in adulthood, they simply won’t be able to cope with it.

Jacky Grainger

Child psychotherapist and psychologist

Midleton health facility closure

I am writing this in support of and on behalf of the residents, staff, and friends of the Owenacurra Centre in Midleton, Co Cork.

This unit is under threat of closure by the HSE, for myriad reasons. There will be a public protest in the town on Saturday at 1.30pm to highlight the uncertain future facing the long term residents of this mental health facility. The protest has been given an apt name: “Improve us ... don’t move us.”

Although 19 residents remain in the unit, back in the day, more than 35 inpatients were relocated there from Our Lady’s Hospital in Cork. This was part of a phased process to integrate these residents into community life. Such was the order of the day for the Southern Health Board; their aim was to promote integration and prevent institutionalisation.

The Owenacurra Centre in Midleton.

For those residents who made the transition from a “long-stay” facility to become the fabric of a successful community relocation must have been the jewel in the crown of the Southern Health Board. Many of those first patients in Midleton are now deceased and buried in the Holy Rosary Cemetery in Midleton. Many other residents went onto discover the joys of independent living and were ably assisted in their endeavors by the community mental health team and Cork Mental Health Association.

I was fortunate to have been a clinical nurse manager there for 10 years and and I can attest to the high esteem these residents are held in by the townspeople of Midleton. Many of the residents undertook Fás schemes, National Learning Network programmes and community college courses all from the comfort of a facility which had its base in the centre of a respectful community. Not to mention the Christmas carol services in a local shopping centre and the minibus trips we enjoyed all over east Cork.

These residents need stability, not
uncertainty. These residents need to be able to walk out the front door of their unit and get a coffee, just like you or I. What would be their fate if they were moved to a facility that did not provide such freedom? These residents do not have cars to bring them places; but what they do have in Midleton are family members, friends, staff, and townsfolk who have their best interests at heart.

Hopefully the protest on Saturday will highlight their current plight.

Monica Doyle

Palermo

Sicily

Dumping dogs as lockdowns end

Regarding the article — Shelters ‘at breaking point’ with rise in surrendered animals as country opens back up’ ( Irish Examiner, online, October 7) — it is absolutely disgusting to think that people who purchased these dogs over the last 18 months or so — for their own vanity, I can only surmise — so they could be seen walking a dog, or owning a certain breed. I cannot fathom the reason why people, not only in Ireland but other countries, felt they needed a dog during lockdown only to dump it in a pound or on the side of the road because they went back to work.

What does this show their children? Nothing but disrespect for life. Puppy mills selling breeds like cockapoos, maltipoos, shihons, and labradoodles should to be closed down. They charge up to €3,000 for many of these dogs and most mothers have a horrendous life.

Any reputable breeders will stand over their dog, health test it and not breed for money. Bichons and giant schnauzers are pure bred dogs, not designed/ hybrid.

Those dogs are taken out of their home, put in a rescue centre, left on the roadside or killed because it didn’t suit anymore.

No words can describe how strongly I feel about these poor dogs and deplorable people.

Ann Collins

Blackrock

Cork

Putting ‘dogs to sleep’ unnecessarily

I get very annoyed when I hear people take a dog to be ‘put to sleep’. Like when you get a dog it’s for life not for a few months to occupy your time because your not at the office.

It doesn’t work like that. You are meant to treat animals like members of your family because that’s what they are I have a jack russell and the thoughts of her not being here leaves me sick.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

I am convinced some people should never be allowed an animal, and the law in this country regarding dogs isn’t good enough. If someone is looking to have an animal unnecessarily destroyed they should get a hefty fine.

I’m just lost for words, it’s disgusting.

Doreen Flynn

Tullyallen

Co Louth

Free contraception for all girls and boys

While the introduction of free contraception for women aged 17-25 is to be welcomed, one wonders why Government found it necessary to put a lower age limit on such provision. I have heard it suggested that this may be to do with the age of consent. Are we really still pretending that adolescents don’t have sex before the age of 17? Have we learned nothing from the teenaged tragedies of our past?

It seems to me that, in the absence of a comprehensive, factual sex education programme in all our schools, freely available contraception — for both sexes — is absolutely vital.

Perhaps we could go a step further and actually teach our children how, and why, to use it.

Bernie Linnane

Dromahair

Co Leitrim

A reader argues that Budget 2020 has failed to tackle the high cost of rents, as a result there are cases of students sleeping in vans and tents or commuting huge distances into college each day.

Budget 2022 fails college students

This Government has failed the students of this country in the budget. They have failed to tackle the high cost of rents, as a result there are cases of students sleeping in vans and tents or commuting huge distances into college each day.

The biggest failing in the budget is the lack of action in the supply and affordability crisis in the rental sector. While the measures of 50% discount on public transport is to be welcomed we need affordable hostel-type accommodation for our students to be safe in our big cities and not crippling rents.

Noel Harrington

Kinsale

Co Cork