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Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Onlookers’ behaviour in Cork schoolgirls’ fight is worrying

Parents need to resort to golden rule of the 4Ws when it comes to responsible child care

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Friday) said that while the fight between two school girls in Cork is to be condemned, the actions of the onlookers who did nothing to intervene and who posted a video of the antics online is extremely worrying.

Deputy Mitchell O’Connor said the traditional values of the 4Ws should be used by parents in attempting to monitor their children’s activities. The 4Ws are;
• Where is your child?
• Who are they with?
• What are they doing?
• And at what time will they be home?

“This fight raises serious questions, not only in terms of the behaviour of the girls at the centre of the row but also where the onlookers are concerned. Schools have a duty of care to their children both in and outside of school hours and while it is difficult to implement anti-bullying policies outside of the school gate, I am heartened that the school in question is examining disciplinary procedures on foot of this incident.

“Of even more concern is the posting of the video to a social media website. This has resulted in the video going viral, with thousands of people having viewed it online. This is completely unacceptable and represents a new low. It is estimated that as many as 50 people watched the brawl as it happened and encouraged the girls as they fought.

“While there is no physical way of knowing your child’s exact whereabouts at all times, in the interest of responsible parenting, mums and dads across the country simply have to revert to the 4Ws in a bid to keep an eye on what their child is doing and with whom they are doing it.

“I hope that the Gardaí will be successful in investigating the video and I would ask anyone with any information to assist the guards in their efforts.”

Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Mitchell O’Connor encourages women to ‘Get the Girls’ in the fight against breast cancer

Speaking today (Thursday) following a event to raise funds for breast cancer research at Leinster House, Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, called for women right across Ireland to get involved in the Irish Cancer Society’s new breast cancer initiative, entitled ‘Get the Girls’.

The initiative encourages women of all ages to come together and organise fundraising events, such as a cake sale, a ‘Come Dine With Me’ style dinner party or a movie night with the aim of raising much needed funds for breast cancer research.

“Tomorrow is pink ribbon day, where volunteers all across the country will be selling ribbons to aid breast cancer research. Women, and men, are being encouraged to get involved and to play their part in tackling this terrible disease.

“By buying a ribbon or organising a fundraiser, much needed funds can be raised to help the Irish Cancer Society to make the next ground breaking discovery which is not too far away.

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and by getting involved, each individual can ensure that women are educated on how best to protect themselves against this disease and that the services, where detection, treatment and diagnosis are concerned, can be delivered.
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Ireland, with more than 2,500 women diagnosed every year. However, the disease has also been found to impact men, who should not ignore it as solely a woman’s issue. Survival rates for those who are diagnosed have gone up 30% in the last decade and with early detection and lifestyle choice the main keys to survival and avoidance, the power to get to grips with this disease lies, in part, with each one of us.

“I would encourage everyone to get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month by buying a ribbon, organising an event or simply taking the time to find out how best to protect yourself against breast cancer.”

For more information visit www.getthegirls.ie or CallSave 1850 60 60 60.

Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Actions of Jonathan Pugsley and Jeremy Prince will assist families dealing with cyber-bullying

Three tiered approach needed to stamp out internet abuse.

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Tuesday) paid tribute to Jonathan Pugsley and Jeremy Prince, both of whose daughters’ deaths have been linked to cyber-bullying, for the courage they have shown in highlighting the issue.

Deputy Mitchell O’Connor was speaking following RTÉ’s Frontline programme last night which dealt with cyber abuse and the impact it is having on our children’s lives.

“Jonathan Pugsley showed tremendous courage in taking part in the show so soon after his daughter’s death and both he and Jeremy Prince, whose daughter Phoebe died last year, will undoubtedly help many children and their families through similar experiences.

“During the course of the programme a statement was made by the website at the centre of Ciara Pugsley’s death, ask.fm, which stated that Irish and British children are crueller than children from other countries when it comes to cyber-bullying. As a former school principal, I refute these remarks and find any attempt to portray Irish children in this light as a cheap shot.

“It is my firm belief that a three tiered approach is needed to stamp out cyber-bullying, which involves greater regulation by the industry, greater education for our children regarding how to behave online and greater parental supervision.

“Increased regulation by web moderators of websites that are commonly used by children is needed, as are updated guidelines for schools on how to tackle cyber-bullying.

“For their part, parents must ensure that a child’s computer access is monitored and that social media pages are checked regularly. With the ease of access to the internet these days through mobile phones and the 24/7 nature of social media sites, such as Facebook and ask.fm, our children are more at risk than ever.

“We have seen the tragedy that can result from cyber-bullying, with families left devastated. For the sake of our children’s mental health, their confidence and their ability to live full and happy childhoods, we all need to play our part in getting to grips with this issue once and for all.”

Last Updated: July 1, 2019 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Commended County Award For Sandycove Tidy Towns

Sandycove Tidy Towns Committee were celebrating on Wednesday evening last at the Dublin Regional Awards in The Discover Ireland Centre Suffolk Street , Dublin 2 when they received a Commended County Award from the Minister of the Environment, Phil Hogan T.D. The reception and presentation was organised by Failte Ireland in association with the Department of the Environment and SuperValu the sponsors of The National Tidy Towns Competition.

Speaking at the end of the presentations, Minister Phil Hogan T.D paid tribute to all The Tidy Towns Committees,and said that he was delighted that the competition continues to flourish and that interest is still growing and getting stronger with a record of 821 communities participating in 2012.

Congratulations to everyone involved in The Sandycove Tidy Towns and Coastcare Group who made a special effort during the Summer months to keep the area tidy and looking well.

Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Microfinance loan fund will be a lifeline for small, growing businesses

Fine Gael Dún Laoghaire TD, Mary Mitchell O’ Connor, has welcomed this morning’s launch of the Government’s Microfinance loan fund. The fund will provide loans to small, commercially viable businesses that do not meet the risk criteria applied by banks. It will be administered by Microfinance Ireland and will cater to all industry sectors. The Microfinance Scheme will be open for business from next Monday, 1^st October.

“I warmly welcome this new Microfinance loan fund, which will be a lifeline for small, growing businesses. Many small Irish firms are unable to access credit due to the banks’ risk criteria. This €90 million fund will help firms overcome these fundamental obstacles and enable them to develop their businesses. Businesses can qualify for loans of up to €25,000.

“These small businesses are of huge importance to the economy. However they face massive challenges in accessing credit. This scheme will is expected to benefit an estimated 7,700 small businesses over 10 years. This could help create 5,500 jobs.

“Businesses cannot grow without funding and I know of a number of small businesses which could benefit greatly from this initiative. I encourage small businesses which are looking to grow to consider applying for this scheme. Further details, guides and application forms can be found at County and City Enterprise Boards and at www.enterpriseboards.ie.

“We need these businesses to succeed and grow in order for our economy to return to prosperity. I am glad that this Government is championing small businesses and I congratulate Minister Bruton for this excellent initiative.”

Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Additional funding for start-up companies great boost for Dun Laoghaire

Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Tuesday) welcomed the announcement by Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, that 30 companies have received funding from Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund. The Deputy has also welcomed the additional €750,000 in a new round of funding, which will benefit up to 15 additional companies. This could be of great benefit to many start-up businesses, particularly in the Dun Laoghaire area.

“With 18 of the 30 companies which have been awarded this funding being located in the Dublin area, it is a welcome boost for our local economy. The companies which were awarded the funding are start-up businesses which are leading the way in innovation and job creation. With the announcement of an additional €750,000 in funding, a further 15 companies will receive funding allowing them to grow and develop their business. This could be hugely beneficial to companies in Dun Laoghaire.

“The Competitive Start Fund provides new companies in the Industrial and ICT sectors with funding to test the market with their products and services and hopefully progress their business plans to the global marketplace. The additional 15 companies will bring the total companies that have benefited from this fund, up to 60.

“The closing date for applicants is 10^th October, 2012. I would strongly urge any new companies which feel that they could benefit from this fund, to apply.

Last Updated: July 1, 2019 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Fiscal Responsibility

I support the Fiscal Responsibility Bill just as I supported the Fiscal Stability Treaty referendum. The learning of fiscal responsibility should begin at a young age. When I was younger my parents entrusted small, menial jobs around the house to me in return for a small bit of money. This made me appreciative, from a young age, of the cost of a commodity and my financiers. It instilled a belief in me that if one wanted something, one worked for it.

In the Celtic Tiger era these principles became lost on many people. Money was easily accessible due to reckless lending from the banks. Children were presented with copious amounts of money in return for very little effort. We were too busy to be concerned with budgets or to teach our children life skills. We were too busy to be concerned about putting the skills embedded in us into practice. The blame for this lies with the previous Government, banks and the regulator. We were flying high on a property bubble and we were encouraged to live beyond our means. That was the level of thinking about the sustainability of our budgets. It was only a matter of time before it all collapsed.

The collapse has affected us all, including the most innocent among us. In many ways these people suffer the most. Many people, who are in serious negative equity, struggle to put food on the table and send their children to school. Older people have lost their pensions, for which they spent 40 years saving. People who had invested their money in supposedly safe bank shares are now left with nothing.

It will not be easy for this Government to bring spending within sustainable limits and to balance the budget. We will get there through hard decisions which in the long run will leave this country in better shape.

Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Mitchell O’Connor welcomes recognition that the HPAT needs to be reviewed

Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Friday) welcomed the interim report from the five Irish medical schools on the HPAT (Health Professionals Admissions Test), the test which must be completed by Leaving Certificate students hoping to study medicine. The report has recommended that the HPAT system be included in a review on the admissions process being carried out by the Irish Universities Association.

“I am taking today’s report from the deans of the medical schools as a clear recognition that the HPAT system needs to be changed. It has highlighted the problem whereby students who fail to score high in the HPAT are taking up a college course, repeating the HPAT and then dropping out of their original course when they manage to score higher. This is creating a vacant place in second year which can’t be filled, denying other students a chance to get into a course.

“I am also encouraged by the words of Professor Bill Powderly who acknowledges that limiting the sitting of the HPAT to one year only may reduce some of the problem, and he says he believes that rather than tweaking the HPAT, we should consider university entry overall so that tackling one issue doesn’t create problems elsewhere.

“I aired my concerns about the HPAT to the Minister for Education in the Dáil this week. Rather than delivering on its objective to open up medical courses to a wider range of students, it has instead become a revenue generator for expensive coaching courses. Eighty-five per cent of those who repeat the HPAT secured a higher score on their second attempt. So instead of broadening the type of doctors we produce, we are potentially further restricting the profession to the elite.

“I believe an urgent decision needs to be made on the future of HPAT, and I am glad there is now an acceptance from the deans of the medical schools involved that the system needs to be looked at. I would add that it will be important to phase out the system. Scrapping it in just one year would be very unfair to those preparing to sit their Leaving Certificate in 2013. However, there is no doubt that the current system is not achieving its core objective.”

Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Decision on future of HPAT is urgently needed

Exam is restricting rather than opening access to medical courses.

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has called for an urgent decision to be made on the future of the HPAT (Health Professionals Admissions Test), which must be completed by Leaving Certificate students hoping to study medicine at third level. Deputy Mitchell O’Connor raised the issue during Topical Issues Debate today (Thursday) in the DÃ ¡il.

“The core idea of the HPAT was to identify students who had the right aptitude and personality to become doctors. But in reality it has simply become a revenue generator for expensive preparation courses, many of which have sprung up online since it was introduced three years ago.

“Eight-five per cent of those who repeat the HPAT secured a higher score on their second attempt. Do they magically get a personality transplant in the intervening year? Of course not; many complete an expensive coaching course, and learn how to beat the system. In other words, instead of broadening the type of doctors we produce, we are potentially further restricting the profession to the elite.

“I believe it is wrong and extremely unfair that a student who studies hard, makes sacrifices and gets 625 points does not get their course of choice. The minimum requirement for entry to some medical courses is an Honours C3 in Chemistry, Biology and Physics. So a student who gets these results and scores well in the HPAT may get into medicine, while the student who got all A1s and didn’t score well in the HPAT is left disappointed. This cannot be considered fair.

“Furthermore, the impact of the HPAT is skewing the points system. We now have a situation where students accept a college course in a related field, then repeat the HPAT, and go on to vacate their original course when they manage to score higher in the exam. This is pushing up points and means the vacated college places are being wasted, which has financial repercussions for the State.

“An urgent decision on the future of the HPAT needs to be made, both in the interest of those preparing to sit their Leaving Cert and those who are cramming to re-sit the exam. If a decision is taken to scrap the HPAT, it must be phased out. Scrapping it in one fell swoop this year would be entirely unfair. I note from the Minister’s response that an interim report on the HPAT system is due to be published in the websites of the medical schools within the coming days, and that any changes to the test would have to be agreed by the Academic Councils from the five institutions involved. I believe a decision to either get rid of the test or amend it so it is fit for purpose must be made without delay.”

Last Updated: February 4, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Parents and legislators need to be vigilant to ensure children are protected from cyber stalkers

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Wednesday) said that legislators and parents need to be more vigilant against the threat posed to children by cyber stalkers. Deputy Mitchell O’Connor was speaking in the Dáil during the Second Stage debate on the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012.

“This Bill is further evidence that this Government values our young and vulnerable and it is an immense pity that it took the abuse of countless children to get us to this point. The publication of the wording of the Children’s Referendum today underlines the Government’s determined effort to better safeguard our children.

“Two particular aspects of the National Vetting Bureau Bill will make considerable differences to the way people working with children are hired. Firstly, it allows for ‘specified information’ to be taken into account. Furthermore, ‘soft information’ which would include details on a person gathered during a Garda inquiry, but where there was no conviction, can also be taken into account. The second crucial element of the Bill is the fact that it will enforce criminal sanctions on those who do not properly use the new vetting system.

“Concerns have been aired regarding the possible consequences of this new vetting legislation, with the suggestion that internet grooming and cyber stalking may increase as a result. This undoubtedly poses challenges for both legislators and parents; we all need to be more vigilant to ensure children are protected from this terrible threat. As legislators, we need to do our utmost to protect our youth from the harmful effects of not just internet grooming, but also from sites that promote harmful behaviour.

“Step by step, this Government is addressing the gaping holes in our child protection system. The National Vetting Bureau Bill is a crucial part of that process. We must now consider the next steps and ensure we are proactive about emerging threats to our children.”