Future articles

I am currently interning with The Connacht Tribune Group and will intern with The Irish Times and The New York Observer during the summer. My work will now primarily feature on external websites, as opposed to my blog. Thanks to everyone who has viewed this site over the past few months.

- Órla Ryan

The fight for gender equality must continue - Christine Lagarde

THE FIRST ever female head of the IMF has warned Irish women of the danger of becoming complacent in the fight for equal rights. 

Tricia Purcell, Christine Lagarde & Órla Ryan. Photo: Ruth McCourt

Christine Lagarde said female participation in politics and business is still too low in Ireland and she encouraged women not to “take things for granted”.

“Assume that you can do just as well as everybody else, including boys. If people don’t respect you or accept you, leave them to it, they don’t deserve you,” said Ms Lagarde in Dublin today.

The former French Finance Minister is in favour of quotas, but this was not always the case, saying in the past she found them “offensive”. However, she now feels they should be implemented temporarily to kick-start increased female involvement in politics.

“Once a threshold has been reached… we can do away with quotas and demonstrate on our own merits that we can be trusted, that we can contribute, that we deserve to be elected, hired or promoted,” she stated.

She cited the French Senate and Nordic countries as examples of where gender quotas have been effective in increasing female representation in parliament and on company boards.

“At the end of the day, people will have to be convinced that [women] bring something to the table,” Ms Lagarde added.

As her visit coincides with International Women’s Day, she will meet with a number of eminent Irish women today.

Despite the advancements of women, Ms Lagarde feels like we still have a long way to go to achieve full equality.

“If you look at the payslip of a woman and the payslip of a man doing the same job, I can bet you that there is at least a 15, if not 20 per cent, difference between the two. So yes we must continue to fight and we must enlarge the circle of those who fight with us.”

She recalled how her own mother was unable to open a bank account without her father’s permission, “not that long ago”.

Ms Lagarde’s path to becoming one of the most influential women in the world was not an easy one, saying she often faced “scepticism and cynicism”.

“You would walk into a room… and people sitting there say or think to themselves ‘Hmm, she’s just a woman, she has no idea, but let’s be polite, let’s listen’.”

For women who are starting their careers, she advised: “Never give up, grit your teeth and smile.”



- By Órla Ryan and Tricia Purcell, student journalists with Youth Media and the Irish Presidency - a Youth in Action funded initiative run by European Movement Ireland

This article also features on TheDailyShift.ie and EuropeanMovement.ie

The Ruby Isle

Many onlookers – both in and outside the Emerald Isle – could be forgiven for thinking they had somehow wandered into a time warp. It’s been 21 years since the X Case sparked a fierce debate on abortion in Ireland. Órla Ryan looks at how precious little has changed over the last two decades.

Image c/o WorldAbortionLaws.com

DEFYING its natural and expected tendency to be green, Ireland sits as a lone red spec on this particular map. 

Flanked by the pale blue depths of the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea, our little country provides a shameful global centre piece.

The World Abortion Laws map indicates which nations have legalised abortion and to what extent. Red indicates that abortion is prohibited outrightly or allowed if the mother’s life is deemed at risk.

Irish law on the subject, or rather the lack thereof, is less progressive than similar legislation in many developing countries, including India – birthplace of Savita Halappanavar.

Her tragic death last year re-ignited one of the most schism-inducing debates in Ireland.

Mrs Halappanavar (31) was 17 weeks pregnant and miscarrying when she attended Galway University Hospital on October 21.

Her husband Praveen claims they were told "this is a Catholic country” and refused a termination due to the presence of a foetal heartbeat.

An official investigation has found that an abortion had the potential to save her life.

“When you peel the layer, there are extremely conservative cultural practices that continue [in this country],” notes gender equality expert Dr Nata Duvvury.

“Ireland has exported its problems to the UK,” she adds. Approximately 4,000 women travel from Ireland to the UK for a termination each year.

In January, the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children held three days of hearings on abortion. The Government is due to announce plans for legislation in the near future – however confusion remains supreme as to whether or not a suicide risk clause will be incorporated.

“We also have a rampant epidemic of mental illness which is not recognised [in the abortion debate],” maintains Dr Duvvury.

The women's rights activist lectures in NUI Galway’s School of Political Science & Sociology and approaches the abortion argument from a developmental angle – namely the impact it has on women’s health and maternal mortality, poverty and population control.

At the UN-organised International Conference on Population and Development in Egypt in 1994, 179 governments signed a commitment to prevent unsafe abortions. Since then over 25 of these countries have liberated abortion laws, while a handful have tightened legal restrictions. 

In developing countries, a woman dies as a result of an unsafe abortion every eight minutes – this accounts for 13pc of maternal mortality deaths globally. Approximately 68,000 such procedures are carried out annually.

A woman’s bodily autonomy is something we often take for granted in the western world.

“Abortion is actually code for a much larger discussion on women’s empowerment,” states Dr Duvvury.

Research in India has shown that many impoverished women who have their ‘tubes tied’ as a result of medical advice view the process as one which enables them, possibly secretly, to end the patriarchal control their partners often exercise over their bodies.

Abortion isn’t the only reproduction-related area which exits in a legislative vacuum in Ireland. Yesterday, the genetic parents of twins born to a surrogate won their landmark High Court case to have the biological mother legally recognised as such.

During the case, Mr Justice Abbott rejected submissions by the State that the pro-life Constitutional amendment confirmed the birth mother as the legal mother.

Scientific and medical developments have long since overtaken their legal counterparts here.

This fact was further emphasised by the media coverage garnered by a feature on Today FM’s Ray D’Arcy Show last week.

Mr D’Arcy condemned the State for failing to legislate on issues surrounding IVF treatment – something the UK did in 1990. "I think on this occasion the law is an ass," he said.

The host made the comments following an emotional interview with a listener who told him she had wanted to use her late husband’s sperm to have children, but was informed it would be destroyed.

The sperm was stored in the Human Assisted Reproduction Ireland Clinic in Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital since the man was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and advised he may be unable to conceive following treatment.

Upon making his donation, he had to sign a contract that stated his sperm would be destroyed if he died.

Following a public outcry, managers at the clinic agreed to meet the woman in an attempt to resolve the issue.

Another listener rang in and told a very similar story, but with an ending that did lead to their destruction of her late husband’s sperm and, with it, her dreams of a child.

HARI’s Ray Skelly appeared on a later edition on the programme and admitted the current legal situation is a “dog’s dinner”.

He stated that posthumous sperm use should be possible in certain cases and legislation needs to be put in place in order to “reflect the changes in Irish society”.

Recommendations on the subject from 2005 have never been acted on.

The area of reproductive rights is obviously an extremely sensitive one, but the failure of successive governments to implement any form of legislative framework is shameful and indicative of the reactive, not proactive, stance taken by so many of our public representatives.

Our red light may not turn green any time soon, but it should at least start flashing amber – on a number of lanes.



Global abortion rates are available here.

Homelessness in Galway - more prevalent than ever

EMERGENCY accommodation was required for 330 households in Galway last year. There are currently 4,700 people on the housing waiting list in the county.

In 2012, 230 households approached housing charity Threshold due to a risk of homelessness.

“You could walk the length of Shop Street today and cross paths with people who are homeless and not know . . . it’s only obvious in exceptional cases," states Martin O'Connor, Assistant CEO of COPE Galway. 

Homelessness in Galway - or indeed Ireland - is nothing new, but the recession has led to an increase in the number of those at risk.

"In Galway at any one time there could be 150 to 180 people classed as homeless. This includes people in homeless services. 

"However, the amount of people who are ‘sofa hopping’ while technically homeless is often hard to estimate," says Bill Griffin, CEO of the Galway Simon Community.

"The number of women and young people is rising against the traditional population of the street homeless male,” Mr Griffin states.

Autumn 2010 – spring 2011 saw a “near explosion of young people [under 25 years of age] coming to COPE,” says Mr O’Connor. In the last quarter of 2010, 19 youths – 14 women and 5 men - contacted the organisation looking for help. 

During the same time frame in previous years, this number was as low as three or four. This figure has since stabilised, but Mr O'Connor describes the number of young women contacting COPE in those three months as “phenomenal”. 

“The age profile of people who are homeless is dropping. The number of children contacting us is increasing.”

He maintains that a large percentage of these young people fall through the cracks of the HSE care system due to a "lack of engagement" once they 'become adults' at the age of 18. 

This assertion is shared by Mr Griffin. 

"Some young people who have been in the child care system do not have adequate provision available when they reach 18 years of age. This is symptomatic of the reducing resources available to the HSE and Local Authorities to plan for and provide such provision," he says.

Inadequate services are not the only reasons young people end up homeless. Mr Griffin cites substance abuse and addiction as another mitigating factor, saying the effects of this can cause "a severe reversal of people’s lives; through loss of work, educational placements and exclusion from the family home".

Mr O'Connor feels the reduction in secondary benefits such as rent supplements and the unemployment benefit rate for people under the age of 25 was a “blunt instrument” used by the Government to make savings. 

He insists this method is "not working at a micro level", and has exacerbated the problems that already surround affordability of housing in Galway and other urban areas. 

Family breakdown and physical, sexual or emotional abuse also often play a role in people losing their homes.

Female homelessness is often the end result of abuse, according to Mr Griffin. He says many women are either thrown out of the family home or leave, frequently with children, for safety reasons. 

"However, they often return . . . and the cycle starts again," he laments. On a positive note, he believes that women are "increasingly highlighting their needs, as opposed to suffering in silence".

In 2012, 99 households, including 110 children, were housed in COPE's domestic violence refuge. Mr O'Connor notes that there has been a drop in the capacity to accommodate, not in demand for this service, in recent times. One particular migrant family was housed there for 10 months. 

Mr Griffin feels that many immigrants end up becoming homeless due, at least in part, to their lack of understanding of the red tape that surrounds Irish employment and social welfare.

"They are often at the extreme end of need before they become known to homeless services as they tend to seek support from within their own communities in the first place. 

"A more proactive approach to working with immigrants and their communities might enable earlier and more effective intervention," he advises. 

"Sleeping rough is a more attractive prospect in the west of Ireland than eastern Europe," says Mr O'Connor. 

He recalls the wave of “economic migrants” that arrived in Galway a few years ago and maintains that, despite their struggles here, many have no desire to go home. 

He feels some migrants never fully engaged with Irish society, instead settling for casual employment and living arrangements. As a result of this, they are “hanging on by their fingernails”.

He notes that “a very proactive approach is taken in Galway” to help migrants with housing issues but admits that “it takes an awful lot longer to come to a resolution regarding accommodation” due to status issues. 

Ireland was one of a number of EU states that recorded an increase in homelessness among young people, immigrants and women from 2007 - 2012, according to Feantsa (the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless).

The economic downturn has put many people at risk of homelessness who would never have faced that prospect before.

"The implementation of austerity measures has seen the emergence of a new demand centred on financial hardship. This group has little or no knowledge of how to access help and the possibility of being homeless had never been part of their lives previously. 

"Early identification of the problem is often prevented by people’s reticence to admit they have a problem and seek support," states Mr Griffin.

Many people are “keeping themselves afloat and no more than that . . . they are treading water,” reiterates Mr O'Connor.

COPE Galway's Family Support Service helps approximately 33 families a month, with 26 families currently availing of their emergency accommodation facility. This figure has more than doubled since 2011, when it stood at 11.

Re-integration into society

For those fortunate enough to be given a second chance following homelessness, re-integrating into society is not straightforward.

"The journey out of homelessness is a difficult one in relation to a number of factors," says Mr Griffin. 

In order for this process to work, the elements of a person's life that went missing and led to their homelessness - be it employment, family or financial security - must be restored.

Both Galway Simon and COPE Galway provide transitional services to aid homeless people in the rebuilding of their lives. 

“The shorter somebody is homeless the better,” says Mr O'Connor.

The ever-prevalent stigma associated with being homeless also causes a lot of difficulty for people.

Landlords are often reluctant to take a chance on homeless people - a stance that Mr O'Connor sees as somewhat fair; "You have to see it from their perspective too."

Mr Griffin states that those who end up homeless due to alcohol or drug addiction often have their progress derailed by a relapse. He says the same is true for those suffering from mental health issues - some 65pc of homeless people in Ireland have such a diagnosis.

The Government recently released a Housing Policy Statement which aims to eliminate long-term homelessness in Ireland by 2016. The previous target was 2013. 

"The number of homeless people relative to other groups is small. While agencies such as ours interface at national and regional level in terms of campaigning, it is easy for this group to slip off the priority agenda," states Mr Griffin. 

Both Galway Simon and COPE Galway receive State assistance in terms of funding, but they are also heavily dependent on public donations. The former receives a quarter of its running costs through fundraising and its two charity shops in the city. 

"With statutory funding going down, our reliance on self-generated funds is going up. The State could help by just keeping funding at current levels for a couple of years," maintains Mr Griffin.

“People are supporting but giving less; they have less to give,” says Mr O'Connor.

While people’s monetary donations have decreased, their generosity of time has increased. Volunteers are always welcomed by both charities. 

"The public can contact us and we can match what they can offer to what we need," adds Mr Griffin. 

"The group we know of as homeless are made up of men and women from ordinary families who went to school, college and work with the rest of us. 

"They are not a separate part of society, they are just a fluctuating group who find themselves in need of support to get back to where the rest of us are," he asserts.

For more information on Galway Simon, click here or telephone 091 381828. Further details on COPE Galway are available via their website or 091 778750.

One in Five People Consider Suicide

ASIST facilitator Mark Logan (far left) and course
participants at NUI Galway.  Photo c/o NUIG Students' Union

AT ANY given time, one in five people will have suicidal thoughts. This fact was one of many eye-opening statistics shared with students who took part in a suicide first aid course in NUI Galway last week. 

Participants were also informed that people who have made a previous suicide attempt are 100 times more likely to die by suicide.

The aim of the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training course is to equip partakers with the required skills to identify when somebody might be depressed or suicidal.

Students were taught how to connect with, understand and assist an individual who is experiencing suicidal thoughts or tendencies.

The initiative was originally due to take place in the college in October but was cancelled due to HSE cutbacks.

Following the controversial decision, the Students’ Union lobbied the Government and funding was restored.

The hands-on training programme took place on campus on February 14 and 15 and eighteen students attended.

“ASIST courses are hugely important globally – evaluations have shown that where ASIST is being rolled out extensively amongst communities, the incidence of suicide has dropped,” said Mark Logan, ASIST trainer and Regional Manager at RehabCare West.

“People come in feeling worried and anxious about the course and leave feeling confident about what they can do.

“The evaluations are universally excellent because people leave with a set of skills and confidence to know what to do if somebody is at risk of suicide,” Mr Logan added.

Joanna Brophy, Assistant Manager of NUIG’s Students' Union, stated: “It was great to work with Headsup and we look forward to running the course again, most likely in October 2013.”

The model for the ASIST course was originally developed by the Canadian mental health initiative LivingWorks in 1982. The programme is the most widely used suicide intervention training course in the world – over one million people have been trained globally.

The NUIG Students’ Union has been running the two-day ASIST course on campus once a semester since 2009.

In Ireland the course is facilitated by the HSE and Headsup – a Rehab Group initiative that promotes positive mental health among young people.

Over the past decade, some 25,000 people have participated in the ASIST programme nationally.

In 2011, the last year for which records are available, there were 525 reported cases of death by suicide in this country.

State funding of €35 million has been earmarked for spending in the mental health sector in 2013; the same amount as last year.

In January Kathleen Lynch, Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health, spoke of the Government’s future plans in this area. As part of their bullying action scheme, a programme that promotes positive mental health in secondary schools has been launched.

At a practice-based level, two specialist nurses are to be stationed in each suicide unit in Ireland. A joint initiative with the Irish College of GPs that will increase doctor training on the subject has also been introduced.

For further information on mental health support, text HEADSUP to 50424 or visit www.headsup.ie. Details on ASIST and other mental health courses are available on the National Office for Suicide Prevention website – www.nosp.ie. For additional information on RehabCare West, telephone 091 755 686 or email mark.logan@rehab.ie.

This article was published on Headsup.ie and also featured in today's edition of The Connacht Tribune.

Hat's Off: What’s in a Name?

Image c/o: 3.bp.blogspot.com

THERE was sheer delight etched on his face when he figured it out: Órla is an anagram of oral (the fada is optional, but does add an extra dimension of the exotic).  

At that very moment, my classmate might as well have discovered the Higgs boson. 

Naturally, 16-year-old me was teased for a few days. Luckily, many teenagers have an attention span shorter than a tadpole’s trousers so they promptly forgot and we all moved on with our lives.

The birth of Amy Huberman and Brian O’Driscoll’s daughter received mass media coverage last week. 

Until her name, Sadie, was released, the baby had been dubbed ‘Huberbod’ in a mangled amalgamation of her parents’ names. Rumours that this is actually her middle name have not yet been confirmed.

Sadie can breathe a sigh of relief – she could just have easily been called Aviva. Celebrities have a habit of giving their progeny bizarre monikers. The classics Moon Unit, Dweezil and Diva Thin Muffin (triple props to Frank Zappa) are often name-dropped in this regard.

Other gems include Sage Moonblood (bestowed by Sylvester Stallone, of course), Pilot Inspektor (offspring of Jason Lee of ‘My Name is Earl’ fame), Moxie Crimefighter (seed of Penn Jillette), God’Iss Love Stone (daughter of Lil’ Mo’ – singer and fan of apostrophes) and Tu (which isn’t remotely funny until you find out his dad is actor Rob Morrow).

Good ol’ regular folk are by no means innocent when it comes to dodgy names. In 2007, a couple from New Zealand met official opposition when they attempted to name their son 4Real, for real.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton were told they could not register the name because it included a digit. Mr Wheaton said he came up with the novel name after seeing his son in an ultrasound scan and realising their baby was "for real". Quite.

The parents continue to use their preferred choice at home but had to give their child a different legal name. So what did they choose? Something a bit more normal? Stephen? John? Ben? No, they finally settled on Superman. At least that looks better on his birth cert – 4Real Wheaton sounds like a fibre supplement.

To be fair, an unusual name is not necessarily the baptism of fire it has been labelled. Having a common forename can present an equal number of problems, albeit slightly more boring ‘Which Mary do you mean?’ kind of scenarios. Originality must meet practicality half way.

Even with the best intentions in the world, parents can lumber their child with a terrible burden from day one. A name is not just for Christening, it’s for life. What may seem like a sweet, unique idea in infancy can become prime ammunition for bullies a few years down the line.

Yes, the Toy Story trilogy is a childhood classic but calling your kid Woody borders on child abuse. At least make bullies do some of the work themselves – it’ll improve their vocabulary if nothing else.

Naming your child after the celebrity du jour on a whim is extremely short-sighted. Psy Callaghan is not particularly likely to stand the test of months, let alone years. And as bootylicious as your baby is, Beyoncé O’Regan just doesn’t sit well.

Names are, obviously, quite subjective – one person’s Apple is another’s mouldy peach. A moniker doesn’t even have to be outwardly odd to become a bone of contention.

A 15-year-old Icelandic girl recently made headlines for suing her native State for the right to legally use the name given to her by her mother: Blær (which translates as ‘light breeze’). Authorities deemed the name unsuitable as they didn’t think it was feminine enough.

Iceland, and other countries including Denmark and Germany, has strict laws on names - they must fit official grammar and pronunciation rules. The Icelandic Personal Names Register is a list of 1,712 male names and 1,853 female names that parents can choose from. Officials maintain the list protects children from embarrassment.

Potential teasing isn’t the only aspect of forward thinking one must factor in when legally labelling a human. What if that child grows up and falls in love with someone whose name is difficult to merge with their own? 

Where would we be without Brangelina or Kimye or our very own first couple, Mabina? These abbreviations save us precious seconds and make us sound like pompous assholes – two popular contemporary pursuits.

Of course, an adult can legally change their name if they so wish – just ask Snoop Sheep or whatever he’s calling himself these days. If you can’t be bothered going through this process – why not experiment with a nickname? 

I’ve been trying to convince people to call me KitKat because I’m prone to breaking things and went out of fashion several years ago. It hasn’t caught on yet, but – taking inspiration from the Wheatons – I plan to persevere.


This article was also published on Campus.ie and TheDailyShift.ie.

Fr Ted and the Central Bank: From one Irish institution to another

Image c/o Fr Ted Memes

“THIS DEBT is large, but that debt is far away.”

Flippancy aside, this comment pretty accurately sums up the promissory note situation in Ireland as it stands.

Unfortunately, it’s quite unlikely paraphrasing Fr Ted quotes will aid in simplifying any other aspects of Irish-European politics. Although, after the week we’ve had, little would surprise the electorate.

Following on from last week’s agreement with the European Central Bank (ECB), the Government no longer has to spend the next decade paying €3.06 billion annually in promissory notes. Instead, they – or rather Irish taxpayers – will repay long-term bonds between 2038 and 2053.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny described the deal, which was facilitated by the early morning liquidation of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) last Thursday, as “an historic step on the road to economic recovery”.

Some commentators have agreed, pointing to the fact that it will gift the Government with an extra €1 billion come Budget time and aid our exit from the bailout programme. Today’s announcement that ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has upgraded its outlook on the Irish economy from ‘negative’ to ‘stable’ would certainly appear to attest to the latter.

However, others have denounced the agreement, saying our public representatives have sold us out and placed increased levels of debt, albeit with a lower interest rate, on the next generation. What was originally banking debt is now sovereign debt – it’s ours for keeps.

Economist David McWilliams has warned that the Irish deal will be one of the factors that feed the ever-growing European bond market bubble until it bursts.

“We know that you never make a balance sheet with too much debt better with yet more debt. You make it better with less debt.

“Countries with huge debt/GDP ratios – such as Ireland – which add to their national debt in a cavalier way, will default in huge and dramatic fashion,” he stated.

Mr McWilliams believes an Irish default would not lead to us being cut off by the ECB – citing Greece as proof of this fact.

So where do we go from here? It seems as though many members of the general public believe we have little or no control over how our money is spent.

Tens of thousands of people attended marches protesting the debt burden over the weekend. Large crowds gathered in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford to voice their disapproval of austerity measures.

The protests were organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) long before the debt deal was reached, but the date on which they were held proved to be extremely timely. At the Dublin-based protest, ICTU General Secretary David Begg stated that the fact Irish people are paying 42 per cent of the European banking debt burden was unfair.

People are undoubtedly frustrated and somewhat ‘out of the loop’ regarding the series of events that surrounded the promissory note deal.

Given that it is the European Year of Citizens and Ireland currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, one might have hoped that greater levels of communication with the public would have been evident.

The liquidation of the IBRC (formerly Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide) was all very cloak-and-dagger. However, it is true that the lead up to such events cannot be publicly shared for obvious financial reasons.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said he was forced into passing the necessary legislation overnight on 6 February last due to leaks by Bloomberg.  He admitted the process had almost happened on a number of occasions in recent months, to the shock of some 800 IBRC employees.

On the day the promissory note deal was announced, Minister Noonan was interviewed on Pat Kenny’s RTÉ radio show. The pair had quite a jovial conversation about the legality, or lack thereof, of the deal.The minister described the initial deal that was put in place by the previous government three years ago as “totally” illegal. 

At this point, the men traded chuckles and agreed that there’s an element of truth in the opinion that many things in the EU “are illegal until someone does them and then they become OK”.  Hilarious stuff.

This admission gives credence to Mr McWilliams’ assertion that “The ECB was created by politicians” and “will be brought to heel by politicians”. 

Is our government one of a growing number of institutions that is seeking credit for cleaning up a mess they created in the first place?

As an electorate, are we powerless to stand up to our politicians and have our voices heard? As a nation, are we powerless to do the same to our counterparts in Europe?

Is Mario Draghi our Bishop Brennan? Is long-term debt the legacy we want to leave to the next generation? Perhaps it’s our collective attitude that needs a kick up the arse.


This article was also published in Student Independent News, NUI Galway's student newspaper, and on EuropeanMovement.ie, Campus.ie and TheDailyShift.ie.

Hat's Off: Loneliness or Insanity? That is the (Valentine's) question.

TO PARAPHRASE the great Dylan Moran, when it comes to relationships we are presented with two equally appealing options: loneliness or insanity.
 

Humans are demanding creatures. We need purpose, companionship, love, and regular distractions from the recurring disappointment that is life.
 
As we now find ourselves cast adrift in the vast limbo between major religious holidays, we begin searching for a day with minutely more significance than every other which surrounds it and is, essentially, exactly the same. So where do we look? Jesus? Overkill. 
Some major sporting event? 
Don’t go there. Pancakes? It’s been done.
 
Love? Bingo. Everyone loves love, right? Hence the appeal of Valentine’s Day – twenty four hours specifically designated to loving love. Yay. Don’t get me wrong, love is the best thing in the world – until the shit hits the fan.
 
Upon breaking up with someone, you become acutely aware that every single song, film, poem, book and basically the vast majority of any expression ever expressed boils down to love – or the lack thereof. 
 
When nursing a broken heart, this drove me fucking insane. I listen to the radio – a lot. Due to this fact, I developed a repetitive strain injury in my index finger from frantically switching stations. 
Every time inane chit chat gave way to someone conveying their emotions through the medium of song, I couldn’t take it.
 
This was doubly annoying as I adore music – we’ve been through a lot together but, not unlike my ex, we needed some time apart. To most, Video Killed the Radio Star. To me, they could’ve worked it out through couples’ counselling. Damn you, Buggles.
 
During my recuperation I found solace in Joe Duffy. I knew where I stood with him – the government was incompetent, the weather was crap, the economy was worse and, in general, everyone hated each other. His show highlights the fact we’re doomed and embraces it.
 
Once the initial, almost unbearable ‘Oh God, every song reminds me of you’ pang begins to subside, music can prove extremely helpful in the heart healing process.
 
Breakup songs are cathartic, wonderful things – and, as Taylor Swift will testify, economically viable entities. The songstress, at the tender age of 23, has made a career largely based on lambasting her errant exes through catchy little pop ditties. A lady doesn’t kiss and tell, but by God she will dump your ass and sing.
 
Swifty is a relatively new recruit to the scorned singers’ club. Odes to lovers past are as old as music itself. Roy Orbison’s Heartbreak Radio is essential listening whether or not your lady done gone and left. Janis Joplin’s cover of Piece of My Heart is one of the most gut-wrenching songs every sung. Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone by Bill Withers drips into the ear canal like poisonous, bittersweet honey.
 
The heartbreak genre has taken on various forms throughout its existence, quite notably morphing into a behemoth in the ‘80s. Note to self: excess hairspray can lead to excess heartbreak (or perhaps vice versa). Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again on My Own and Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler are particularly stellar examples of this.
 
Those inclined to line dance their way out of a love rut, had to wait until the ‘90s to find some solace. By God, their patience was rewarded. Billy Ray Cyrus signed, sealed and delivered on that. There are countless heartbreak tunes You Oughta Know from that decade.
 
Modern break-up songs tend to centre around expletives and the repetition of the word ‘ever’ – just not at the same time. Whatever your taste in music, someone’s got your back. And let’s face it; New York City didn’t burn down to the ground when your significant other walked away.
 
All I know is; my ex-box was no Atari and I can once again listen to the radio without ending up sporting a rather fetching finger cast. My rehabilitation is complete.
 
Valentine’s Day is a great idea in theory, but then again so was the mullet – and we all know where that got us.
 
So, if presented with the option again, what would I choose – sanity or company? The jury’s still out.


This article was also published in Student Independent News, NUI Galway's student newspaper, and on Campus.ie and TheDailyShift.ie.

Youth Media & the Irish Presidency: Vulnerable Families – What can Europe do?

Closing Plenary, Vulnerable Families Conference.
Photo: Órla Ryan

A CONFERENCE jointly organised by the Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE) and the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA).

Location: Dublin City Hall

Date: 5 February

Day 2 Summary

"I'm the world's biggest loser: I lost my place in the workforce; my friends; my social life; my pension rights; €12 of my carer's allowance - take any more and I'll lose my mind."

These were the last words the audience heard from the Head of Living Conditions at Eurofound during the Closing Plenary of the conference. By sharing this quote from an Irish carer, Richard Anderson also shared an insight into how difficult a carer's life can be.

"Research in Europe points consistently to carers of dependent children, adults or elderly relatives as particularly at risk of low income, of lack of information, of illness, isolation and basically invisibility for policy and practitioners, and these are the essential problems to which we need to respond and ask what contribution the European agenda can bring.

" . . . Many carers today are exposed to poverty and exclusion because they are not able to reconcile their care responsibilities with employment, and the alternative to employment is social benefits and public assistance which, as we all know across member states, are being challenged by austerity measures," Mr Anderson stated.

He spoke of the need to ensure the dignity of both those who require care and the carers themselves, adding that the EU has a responsibility to recognise carers in terms of legislation and support.

Carers were just one of a number of vulnerable groups discussed at the event.

The initial section of Day 2 was split into four breakout forums:

- Vulnerability due to ill health, mental health issues, disability, care;

- Extreme vulnerability - families outside of the reach of services;

- Vulnerability due to joblessness and lack of skills;

- Parenting support services.

These sessions included speakers from several Irish and European bodies including One Family (Ireland), Väestöliitto (the Family Federation, Finland) and SOS Children's Villages International (Austria).

"Extreme vulnerability stems from non-recognition, lack of visibility and stigma"

- William Lay (former director of COFACE), Chair of Extreme Vulnerability Talk

This session centred on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender families; migrant families and women (both documented and undocumented); Roma families and those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Moninne Griffith, Director of Marriage Equality, gave a presentation on the vulnerability of LGBT families in Ireland.

"The Irish Constitution only recognises families based on marriage, so all the various diverse families that exist - be they of foster families, carers, families with different relatives caring for children - unfortunately don't fit that description and therefore are outside the scope of  protection and are exposed to extra vulnerability, and that includes LGBT families," Ms Griffith asserted.

She said the Civil Partnership legislation that was introduced here in 2011 "ignored the fact that many same sex couples have children" and "created a legal vacuum for these families". Marriage Equality's 'Missing Pieces' report highlights 160 statutory differences between civil partnership and marriage.

"Irish laws and public policy have not kept up with the changing reality of Irish families and largely ignore the children being raised by a parent or parents who are LGBT," Ms Griffith added. 

Discrimination and the failure of health services to recognise the statuses of such families were listed as other areas of particular concern in this regard.

In terms of migrant families and women, Elvira Mendez of Salud y Familia (Health and Family, Spain) stated that "second chances are crucial" when people seek help.

This sentiment was echoed by Ruth Owen of Feantsa (the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless). The group's 2012 Report 'On the Way Home?' analysed the main trends regarding homelessness in 21 countries over the past five years. Ireland was one of a number of member states that noted an increase in homelessness in three key demographics: youth, immigrants and women.

In the post-presentation discussion, Gráinne Healy, Chairperson of Marriage Equality and former Chair of the National Women's Council of Ireland, noted the intersectionality between the vulnerable groups in question and spoke of the moral imperative of protecting adults and children alike.

The current situation in the EU, and indeed beyond, was succinctly summarised by the President of COFACE, Annemie Drieskens, at the close of the conference: "Even with our best intentions and political will, so far we have failed to prevent further impoverishment." She listed growing inequality and youth unemployment as illustrations of this and described the latter as  a "ticking time bomb for societal change never seen before".

Should this bomb detonate, it will no doubt be the most vulnerable that will once again bear the brunt of the catastrophic consequences. As a union, we must act at every level - from grassroots to policy making - to ensure it is our services and support systems for such families, not this explosive device, that remain viable.


This article also appears on the European Movement Ireland website.