theirishtimes--2020-02-24--Unnecessary admissions are part of hospital overcrowding problem

The conventional wisdom has it that the Irish health system needs thousands of extra beds in order to rid itself of chronic problems such as the trolley crisis and long waiting lists .
This thinking is at the core of Sláintecare , the policy document that enjoys near unanimous support among the political parties but gets a more mixed reception from doctors .
The nagging doubts that persist about Sláintecare relate in part to the massive cost of creating new hospital beds in a system that is , by international standards , already reasonably well funded .
So is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not involve substantial extra expenditure and yet relieves the overcrowding that causes so much suffering for patients ?
Well-run hospitals have good throughput .
We already know there are major blockages in the system because patients who are well enough to leave hospital are unable to do so because of a lack of options , whether this is care at home or in a nursing home or other form of stepdown care .
On any one day , upwards of 600 patients are stuck in hospital because of this issue .
Hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hospital , at great expense to the taxpayer and inconvenience to the hospitals .
So much for the exit problem .
Now we learn , from the data provided by the Health Service Executive to The Irish Times , that there may also be an entry problem .
Emergency departments are for emergencies , and hospital beds are for seriously ill patients , but from these figures we learn that three out of 10 patients are judged well enough to be discharged within 24 hours of being admitted .
No doubt many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervention of medical staff , but the suspicion is that many should not have been in hospital in the first place , and would not be there if services were properly organised .
Key to the effective running of a hospital is speedy and informed clinical decision-making , yet too many Irish hospitals are staffed by junior , often locum staff who lack the ability , and/or the confidence , to make decisions about the care of patients .
“ All too often , the person is admitted overnight and then the consultant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ what is this patient doing here ?
’ , ” says Galway-based vascular surgeon Prof Sherif Sultan .
Another common scenario is that the patient requires tests , or a scan , but these services are not available overnight .
So the patient is admitted to a bed , tested the following day , and released if the test is clear .
Overworked junior hospital staff manning the night shift have few options .
The patient ’ s GP may not be contactable and out of hours services are stretched and scant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only place where drugs can be dispensed .
The HSE figures on discharges come with some caveats .
The patients involved will have already spent time being treated in the emergency department , and the data is silent on where patients are being discharged to .
Yet if the accounts of senior doctors are to be believed , there clearly is a problem with unnecessary admissions that , if tackled , could make a dint in the overcrowding problem in hospitals .

Hundreds of patients wait months to get out of hospital, at great expense to the taxpayer and inconvenience to the hospital. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
The conventional wisdom has it that the Irish health system needs thousands of extra beds in order to rid itself of chronic problems such as the trolley crisis and long waiting lists.
This thinking is at the core of Sláintecare, the policy document that enjoys near unanimous support among the political parties but gets a more mixed reception from doctors.
The nagging doubts that persist about Sláintecare relate in part to the massive cost of creating new hospital beds in a system that is, by international standards, already reasonably well funded.
So is there another way of reforming the system that does not involve substantial extra expenditure and yet relieves the overcrowding that causes so much suffering for patients?
READ MORE
Well-run hospitals have good throughput. We already know there are major blockages in the system because patients who are well enough to leave hospital are unable to do so because of a lack of options, whether this is care at home or in a nursing home or other form of stepdown care.
On any one day, upwards of 600 patients are stuck in hospital because of this issue. Hundreds of patients wait months to get out of hospital, at great expense to the taxpayer and inconvenience to the hospitals.
So much for the exit problem. Now we learn, from the data provided by the Health Service Executive to The Irish Times, that there may also be an entry problem. Emergency departments are for emergencies, and hospital beds are for seriously ill patients, but from these figures we learn that three out of 10 patients are judged well enough to be discharged within 24 hours of being admitted.
No doubt many make a rapid recovery thanks to the intervention of medical staff, but the suspicion is that many should not have been in hospital in the first place, and would not be there if services were properly organised.
Informed decision-making
Key to the effective running of a hospital is speedy and informed clinical decision-making, yet too many Irish hospitals are staffed by junior, often locum staff who lack the ability, and/or the confidence, to make decisions about the care of patients. "All too often, the person is admitted overnight and then the consultant comes in the next morning and says 'what is this patient doing here?'," says Galway-based vascular surgeon Prof Sherif Sultan.
Another common scenario is that the patient requires tests, or a scan, but these services are not available overnight. So the patient is admitted to a bed, tested the following day, and released if the test is clear.
Overworked junior hospital staff manning the night shift have few options. The patient’s GP may not be contactable and out of hours services are stretched and scant. The hospital pharmacy may be the only place where drugs can be dispensed.
The HSE figures on discharges come with some caveats. The patients involved will have already spent time being treated in the emergency department, and the data is silent on where patients are being discharged to. Yet if the accounts of senior doctors are to be believed, there clearly is a problem with unnecessary admissions that, if tackled, could make a dint in the overcrowding problem in hospitals.


theirishtimes--2020-02-24--30% of admitted patients discharged within 24 hours ‘crazy’

Three out of every 10 patients admitted to hospital are discharged within 24 hours or under , according to new figures that senior doctors say point to a substantial level of unnecessary admission of patients .
Five out of every 10 children admitted to hospital similarly spent one night or fewer in a bed before being discharged , the figures from the Health Service Executive show .
In 2018 , the HSE recorded 293,976 hospital discharges , of which 33,929 ( 11.5 per cent ) were logged as same-day discharges and 55,510 ( 18.9 per cent ) as having a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rest had a length of stay of greater than one night .
The highest level of short-stay patients was recorded in the Children ’ s Hospital Group , where 22.5 per cent of patients were discharged on the same day as they were admitted and 27.1 per cent spent just one night in hospital .
Many patients end up being admitted unnecessarily to hospital because the services they require are not available in the community , Ken Mealy , president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admit have respiratory problems such as asthma or COPD ( chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ) and who can not get the chronic care they need in the community.
” Hospitals also struggle to get senior staff to work in emergency departments , especially at night , he added .
“ We have too many inexperienced doctors at the front doors of our hospitals admitting patients who could be treated in the community.
” However , he pointed out that some of the same-day discharges may have been appropriately made to acute medical assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have spent varying amounts of time in an emergency department prior to admission to the hospital .
Another senior doctor described the figures as “ absolutely crazy ” .
He said : “ They show that far too many patients are being admitted unnecessarily .
If we didn ’ t admit them , we wouldn ’ t have any trolleys.
” Much inappropriate admission of patients takes place at night-time , he said , when hospitals are staffed by junior employees .
“ It ’ s as much about how we work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s a complete lack of decision-making capacity and diagnostics when we need it.
” Prof Sherif Sultan , a Galway-based vascular surgeon , said he regularly comes across patients on his wards who should not have been admitted .
“ The system is broken but the issues are clear .
Out of hours GP services are very poor and medicines can ’ t be prescribed 24/7 except in hospitals .
“ When patients arrive at the emergency department they are seen and triaged by totally inexperienced physicians who can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of availability of a consultant on the front line , so patients with flu , renal colic , chest infection , food poisoning and mild infections are admitted – this only happens in Ireland.
” Acute hospital and community services need to be better harmonised , he said , while 24/7 pharmacy services could be provided by using automated dispensing machines .
Lab testing and ultrasound services also needed to be provided on a round-the-clock basis .

The new HSE figures also showed five out of every 10 children admitted to hospital similarly spent one night or fewer in a bed before being discharged. Photograph: Alan Betson
Three out of every 10 patients admitted to hospital are discharged within 24 hours or under, according to new figures that senior doctors say point to a substantial level of unnecessary admission of patients.
Five out of every 10 children admitted to hospital similarly spent one night or fewer in a bed before being discharged, the figures from the Health Service Executive show.
In 2018, the HSE recorded 293,976 hospital discharges, of which 33,929 (11.5 per cent) were logged as same-day discharges and 55,510 (18.9 per cent) as having a length of stay of one night. The rest had a length of stay of greater than one night.
The highest level of short-stay patients was recorded in the Children’s Hospital Group, where 22.5 per cent of patients were discharged on the same day as they were admitted and 27.1 per cent spent just one night in hospital.
READ MORE
Many patients end up being admitted unnecessarily to hospital because the services they require are not available in the community, Ken Mealy, president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said.
“A huge proportion of the patients we admit have respiratory problems such as asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and who cannot get the chronic care they need in the community.”
Hospitals also struggle to get senior staff to work in emergency departments, especially at night, he added. “We have too many inexperienced doctors at the front doors of our hospitals admitting patients who could be treated in the community.”
Broken system
However, he pointed out that some of the same-day discharges may have been appropriately made to acute medical assessment units. In addition, patients would also have spent varying amounts of time in an emergency department prior to admission to the hospital.
Another senior doctor described the figures as “absolutely crazy”. He said: “They show that far too many patients are being admitted unnecessarily. If we didn’t admit them, we wouldn’t have any trolleys.”
Much inappropriate admission of patients takes place at night-time, he said, when hospitals are staffed by junior employees. “It’s as much about how we work as whether we have the resources. There’s a complete lack of decision-making capacity and diagnostics when we need it.”
Prof Sherif Sultan, a Galway-based vascular surgeon, said he regularly comes across patients on his wards who should not have been admitted. "The system is broken but the issues are clear. Out of hours GP services are very poor and medicines can't be prescribed 24/7 except in hospitals.
“When patients arrive at the emergency department they are seen and triaged by totally inexperienced physicians who can’t make any sound clinical judgment due to lack of availability of a consultant on the front line, so patients with flu, renal colic, chest infection, food poisoning and mild infections are admitted – this only happens in Ireland.”
Acute hospital and community services need to be better harmonised, he said, while 24/7 pharmacy services could be provided by using automated dispensing machines. Lab testing and ultrasound services also needed to be provided on a round-the-clock basis.


theirishtimes--2020-02-24--‘We didn’t know L’Arche founder had a darker side’

Shock within the Irish branch of L ’ Arche , the international charity for people with intellectual disabilities , turned to concern on Sunday that a sex abuse scandal surrounding its founder could impact financially on its work .
Mairead Boland-Brabazon , chief executive of L ’ Arche Ireland , described the actions of the late Jean Vanier as “ shocking and saddening ” after an internal inquiry reported that he sexually abused six women .
Ms Boland-Brabazon , who oversees the organisation ’ s four centres in Ireland , said the inquiry ’ s findings had caused dismay for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities across Dublin , Belfast , Cork and Kilkenny , where up to 60 people reside .
Day services are provided to more than 100 others .
“ People are very shocked and really disappointed , ” she said .
“ It ’ s completely not what we thought of Jean .
“ He believed everyone had a unique value and it was always what we thought he espoused .
And until now that ’ s what we all thought – we didn ’ t know he had a darker side.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in doubt , she stressed .
Its safeguarding processes were reviewed annually and its services have been found to be compliant by the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) .
However , she was concerned that the money it receives from fundraising drives will drop off in the wake of the revelations .
“ Money received through statutory funds is not in danger , but we ’ ll have to see if it affects our fundraising , ” she continued .
She added there was “ still so much goodness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It is and will continue to be a vibrant , essential organisation for people with disabilities .
Everything will continue as normal here and we ’ ll carry on with our work as it was nothing to do with what Jean was doing .
Our work will continue and we still have plenty of work to do.
” L ’ Arche International , which cares for people with intellectual disabilities , will release a report on Tuesday implicating Jean Vanier in the abuse , after it “ received credible and consistent testimonies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place over a period between 1970 and 2005 .
None of the abused women have intellectual disabilities , L ’ Arche International stressed .
Ms Boland-Brabazon paid tribute to the “ bravery ” of the six women who came forward about their abuse by Mr Vanier , who died last May aged 90 .
“ Our international leaders also deserve credit for setting up an inquiry to find out what happened and shine a light on it , ” she added .
L ’ Arche International said “ the women each reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , usually in the context of spiritual accompaniment .
“ Although they had no prior knowledge of each other ’ s experiences , these women reported similar facts associated with highly unusual spiritual or mystical explanations used to justify these behaviours .
“ The relationships were found to be manipulative and emotionally abusive , and had a significant negative impact on their personal lives and subsequent relationships .
“ These actions are indicative of a deep psychological and spiritual hold Jean Vanier had on these women and confirm his own adoption of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deviant theories and practices.
” Philippe , a Dominican priest who died in 1993 , was Vanier ’ s mentor and spiritual director .
In 2015 Philippe was found by a Catholic Church investigation to have sexually abused 14 women , many of them associated with the L ’ Arche community , with some incidents dating back to the 1970s .
It is understood that no people with disabilities were abused .
The inquiry into Vanier was undertaken by UK-based GCPS Consulting , which “ specialises in helping organisations ensure the safety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin described Vanier ’ s actions as “ particularly reprehensible ” .
Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy said : “ Abuse of power has been at the centre of cases of abuse within the Catholic church ; we have seen it in other spheres of society and we see it now in this situation .
”

Mairead Boland-Brabazon, CEO of L’Arche Ireland: ‘People are very shocked and really disappointed.’ Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Shock within the Irish branch of L’Arche, the international charity for people with intellectual disabilities, turned to concern on Sunday that a sex abuse scandal surrounding its founder could impact financially on its work.
Mairead Boland-Brabazon, chief executive of L'Arche Ireland, described the actions of the late Jean Vanier as "shocking and saddening" after an internal inquiry reported that he sexually abused six women.
Ms Boland-Brabazon, who oversees the organisation’s four centres in Ireland, said the inquiry’s findings had caused dismay for many involved here. It has four communities across Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Kilkenny, where up to 60 people reside. Day services are provided to more than 100 others.
“People are very shocked and really disappointed,” she said. “It’s completely not what we thought of Jean.
READ MORE
“He believed everyone had a unique value and it was always what we thought he espoused. And until now that’s what we all thought – we didn’t know he had a darker side.”
Money received through statutory funds is not in danger, but we'll have to see if it affects our fundraising
The organisation’s future in Ireland was not in doubt, she stressed. Its safeguarding processes were reviewed annually and its services have been found to be compliant by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa). However, she was concerned that the money it receives from fundraising drives will drop off in the wake of the revelations.
“Money received through statutory funds is not in danger, but we’ll have to see if it affects our fundraising,” she continued.
‘Vibrant’
She added there was “still so much goodness” in L’Arche Ireland. “It is and will continue to be a vibrant, essential organisation for people with disabilities. Everything will continue as normal here and we’ll carry on with our work as it was nothing to do with what Jean was doing. Our work will continue and we still have plenty of work to do.”
L’Arche International, which cares for people with intellectual disabilities, will release a report on Tuesday implicating Jean Vanier in the abuse, after it “received credible and consistent testimonies” from the women.
The abuse took place over a period between 1970 and 2005. None of the abused women have intellectual disabilities, L’Arche International stressed.
Ms Boland-Brabazon paid tribute to the “bravery” of the six women who came forward about their abuse by Mr Vanier, who died last May aged 90. “Our international leaders also deserve credit for setting up an inquiry to find out what happened and shine a light on it,” she added.
These actions are indicative of a deep psychological and spiritual hold Jean Vanier had on these women
L’Arche International said “the women each reported that Jean Vanier initiated sexual relations with them, usually in the context of spiritual accompaniment.
“Although they had no prior knowledge of each other’s experiences, these women reported similar facts associated with highly unusual spiritual or mystical explanations used to justify these behaviours.
“The relationships were found to be manipulative and emotionally abusive, and had a significant negative impact on their personal lives and subsequent relationships.
“These actions are indicative of a deep psychological and spiritual hold Jean Vanier had on these women and confirm his own adoption of some of Fr Thomas Philippe’s deviant theories and practices.”
Mentor
Philippe, a Dominican priest who died in 1993, was Vanier’s mentor and spiritual director.
Abuse of power has been at the centre of cases of abuse within the Catholic church
In 2015 Philippe was found by a Catholic Church investigation to have sexually abused 14 women, many of them associated with the L’Arche community, with some incidents dating back to the 1970s. It is understood that no people with disabilities were abused.
The inquiry into Vanier was undertaken by UK-based GCPS Consulting, which “specialises in helping organisations ensure the safety of children and other vulnerable groups”.
Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin described Vanier’s actions as “particularly reprehensible”.
Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy said: “Abuse of power has been at the centre of cases of abuse within the Catholic church; we have seen it in other spheres of society and we see it now in this situation.”


theirishtimes--2020-02-25--The Secret Teacher: Lots of homework is left undone because parents aren’t strict enough

The reality is that the carrot features too rarely and the stick too often .
Some individuals have become so used to the stick that its appearance is water off a duck ’ s back , and so it serves little purpose ( if any at all ) in terms of reforming them .
There is so little evidence of the carrot that those who need it most stall in their efforts .
Stuart knows that .
He never does his homework .
Not quite true – he did it once for Home Economics and his teacher didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is concerned there isn ’ t any point .
Now he will always be the boy who doesn ’ t do his homework , even when he does .
Evan struggles to get to school on time .
Given what is going on at home he does well to come to school at all .
He would love not to be the boy who has to walk in when all the others have settled .
When the teacher goes back over what she has already explained she can ’ t hide her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
Evan knows she doesn ’ t mean it badly and he wishes he could tell her how much he hates that it is necessary .
This is true in many other walks of life too , not just schools .
When I see headlines about how many hospital patients are currently on trolleys and how long they have been there , I yearn for the complete picture .
On that same day in that same hospital lives will have been saved .
Patients will have recuperated as a direct result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who continue to deliver despite the headlines drawing attention to negative stories and shocking statistics .
Isn ’ t the parallel story of the hospital ’ s regular achievements just as important as highlighting the challenges it faces ?
According to Brené Brown , “ joy comes to us in ordinary moments .
We risk missing out when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary ” .
I have 29 students in my first year class .
They never all have everything : copies , books , pens , homework .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have forgotten something or celebrating the majority who have brought everything ?
Can ’ t we more easily embrace gratefully what we already have and work with that ?
Heaping praise on those who have got the work and are getting on with the task is a more effective way of proceeding than spending time – our own and everyone else ’ s – on the problem .
In their different ways Stuart and Evan are just striving to be ordinary students .
The same ordinariness that other kids sabotage for foolish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to school on time loiter en route or linger at their lockers .
Lots of homework gets left behind or left undone just because the parents aren ’ t strict enough or the punishments severe enough .
What would be wrong with both parents and teachers making the rewards greater ?
A form of reward training might incentivise them – its success in a wide variety of fields suggests this is the way forward : supermarkets which reward shoppers in points on a store card achieve high volumes of return customers ; reputable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good behaviours .
Common to them all is the individual ’ s behaviour generating a positive reward directly aimed back at the individual .
A huge factor in our difficulties in relating to young people is that we aren ’ t celebrating the ordinary enough .
Many teachers feel their ordinary contribution goes unnoticed and undervalued .
Principals and deputy principals in schools often divide their time and attention disproportionately in favour of trickier members of staff .
These are the ones who need to be tamed , or at least kept on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make demands and would never dream of making a fuss are too easily forgotten as they quietly and efficiently get on with what they are supposed to be doing .
Relationships between management and staff , teachers and students , parents and teachers , all depend on a willingness to openly appreciate each other ’ s efforts .
What principal has taken the time recently to thank the diligent core members of staff who are rarely absent and never late , and who do not feature in the complaining letters and phone calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pen to paper as readily when things are going well , albeit “ ordinarily ” well ?
They don ’ t have to , naturally , such letters are not necessary , but teachers would massively appreciate parents taking the time to consciously acknowledge the successful ordinary .
And as teachers , do we commend the deserving as readily as we admonish the wayward ?
Though they are taken so much for granted in the daily round , all these ordinary aspects of school life , these regular efforts must not go unrecognised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … well , see above .

The reality is that the carrot features too rarely and the stick too often. Some individuals have become so used to the stick that its appearance is water off a duck’s back, and so it serves little purpose (if any at all) in terms of reforming them. There is so little evidence of the carrot that those who need it most stall in their efforts.
Stuart knows that. He never does his homework. Not quite true – he did it once for Home Economics and his teacher didn’t even notice, so as far as he is concerned there isn’t any point. Now he will always be the boy who doesn’t do his homework, even when he does.
Evan struggles to get to school on time. Given what is going on at home he does well to come to school at all. He would love not to be the boy who has to walk in when all the others have settled. When the teacher goes back over what she has already explained she can’t hide her frustration at having to say it all again. Evan knows she doesn’t mean it badly and he wishes he could tell her how much he hates that it is necessary.
We risk missing out when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary"
This is true in many other walks of life too, not just schools. When I see headlines about how many hospital patients are currently on trolleys and how long they have been there, I yearn for the complete picture. On that same day in that same hospital lives will have been saved. Patients will have recuperated as a direct result of the care and expertise of the staff, who continue to deliver despite the headlines drawing attention to negative stories and shocking statistics. Isn’t the parallel story of the hospital’s regular achievements just as important as highlighting the challenges it faces?
READ MORE
According to Brené Brown, “joy comes to us in ordinary moments. We risk missing out when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary”. I have 29 students in my first year class. They never all have everything: copies, books, pens, homework. Should I spend time reprimanding the minority who have forgotten something or celebrating the majority who have brought everything? Can’t we more easily embrace gratefully what we already have and work with that?
Heaping praise on those who have got the work and are getting on with the task is a more effective way of proceeding than spending time – our own and everyone else’s – on the problem.
In their different ways Stuart and Evan are just striving to be ordinary students. The same ordinariness that other kids sabotage for foolish reasons. Plenty who can make it to school on time loiter en route or linger at their lockers. Lots of homework gets left behind or left undone just because the parents aren’t strict enough or the punishments severe enough.
What would be wrong with both parents and teachers making the rewards greater? A form of reward training might incentivise them – its success in a wide variety of fields suggests this is the way forward: supermarkets which reward shoppers in points on a store card achieve high volumes of return customers; reputable dog trainers advocate for positive reinforcement of good behaviours. Common to them all is the individual’s behaviour generating a positive reward directly aimed back at the individual. A huge factor in our difficulties in relating to young people is that we aren’t celebrating the ordinary enough.
The colleagues who do not make demands and would never dream of making a fuss are too easily forgotten as they quietly and efficiently get on with what they are supposed to be doing.
Many teachers feel their ordinary contribution goes unnoticed and undervalued. Principals and deputy principals in schools often divide their time and attention disproportionately in favour of trickier members of staff. These are the ones who need to be tamed, or at least kept on side.
The colleagues who do not make demands and would never dream of making a fuss are too easily forgotten as they quietly and efficiently get on with what they are supposed to be doing.
Relationships between management and staff, teachers and students, parents and teachers, all depend on a willingness to openly appreciate each other’s efforts. What principal has taken the time recently to thank the diligent core members of staff who are rarely absent and never late, and who do not feature in the complaining letters and phone calls from parents? And do parents put pen to paper as readily when things are going well, albeit “ordinarily” well?
They don’t have to, naturally, such letters are not necessary, but teachers would massively appreciate parents taking the time to consciously acknowledge the successful ordinary. And as teachers, do we commend the deserving as readily as we admonish the wayward?
Though they are taken so much for granted in the daily round, all these ordinary aspects of school life, these regular efforts must not go unrecognised or unrewarded. Because if they do … well, see above.


theirishtimes--2020-02-25--The Batman effect: How roleplay boosts children’s academic achievement

If you open the door to Lisa Hanley ’ s classroom you could be greeted by anyone from a doctor to an astronaut , a farmer or , if you ’ re lucky , Batman himself .
The sand tray might be filled with compost while , in another corner of the room , a child is helping The Three Little Pigs build their dream home , complete with indoor swimming pool .
To the untrained eye it might look like chaos , but child ’ s play is far more sophisticated than that .
“ Yes , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also a hive of industry , ” says Hanley who has been teaching infants since 2010 in St. Mary ’ s national school , Ballinagare , Co Roscommon .
The impact role-play can have on developing a child ’ s capacity for perseverance was reported in a study called The Batman Effect .
The study showed that children who took on the role of a character , such as Batman , were able to apply themselves to a task for longer than those who did not .
Perseverance is important as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Engaging in role-play helps develop children ’ s perseverance , partly because it creates a safe space for them to fail .
“ Unfortunately , if a child gets a sum wrong , they can be devastated , ” says Joan Kiely , Dean of Education , Curriculum and the Early Years , at Marino Institute of Education , “ but in play it ’ s “ oops ” – there is permission to fail , permission to try out , to explore and there is no fixed agenda.
” Role-play in classrooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the donning of a superhero ’ s cape and its benefits don ’ t stop at perseverance .
Whether they are playing Batman or the baker , the outcome is still valiant .
“ Playing roles can have a therapeutic effect because they are playing out roles vicariously that they haven ’ t yet experienced in real life .
Things like death for example , or being very ill or upset about something , ” says Kiely , “ in a way they find solutions to life through socio-dramatic play.
” She explains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , experiences or emotions that they may be curious about because it is a risk-free platform .
“ Socio-dramatic play is a playground for roles they may have seen or experienced in real life or roles that they haven ’ t experienced at all and might feel nervous about , ” says Kiely .
“ For example , the child who is timid might get an opportunity to see what it is like to be the hero , it ’ s a testing ground for life.
” Kiely says that it can often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage .
“ You may come across children , who are quite shy , but may shine in socio dramatic play , it ’ s not always the extrovert child that does very well.
” The benefits of play in an educational setting can been seen beyond the controlled curtain of a study , such as The Batman Effect , and are reflected in the introduction of Aistear to schools and early childhood education 2009 .
Aistear , a curriculum framework for children aged under-six , advocates a playful approach to supporting children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school curriculum in the infant classes .
A decade on , teachers are seeing the impact putting play front and centre in the infant classroom is having on children ’ s academic and emotional outcomes .
It develops their fine-motor and problem-solving skills while also helping develop their capacity for self- regulation .
Kiely explains that children may have an argument over who is playing the doctor or the patient .
“ Nobody wants to be the patient , you often have to supress your own desire in play in order to further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ So , in that way play certainly supports things like self-regulation and persistence.
” Play also promotes language development and many teachers have seen oral language thrive in the infant classroom through play .
“ Lots of teachers are keenly interested in doing socio-dramatic play in schools because they know that it really facilitates language development , ” says Kiely .
She explains , however , that this language development is not accidental and will only occur if the teacher has planned work around the desired language prior to the play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped develop sophisticated language during play in her classroom .
“ My principal was coming in to my room and hearing the children talking about the gavel in the auctioneers and was so impressed by the level of oral language in the classroom.
” Hanley , who trained as an Aistear tutor when it was in its infancy , has observed how play , within the curriculum , has evolved and grown over the past decade .
“ It was this standalone hour of play in the day , ” says Hanley , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of playfulness throughout the day as a methodology for teaching and learning.
” She would also advocate the use of play throughout the primary school years and not just in the infant classroom .
“ We ’ d let second , third and fourth class come back to the infant room and they would play as infants , it was fabulous , ” says Hanley .
The Aistear framework is aimed at children aged 0-6 years , but playfulness can complement the primary school curriculum in all classes , regardless of age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play should permeate right the way up to sixth class , says Kiley .
“ You don ’ t play competitive board games and competitive card games in the infant classes , it ’ s just not appropriate but , as they get older , they become more interested in games with rules.
” Children also become more interested in drama and performing plays .
Niamh Brennan taught infants for thirteen years but is currently teaching sixth class in Rathpeacon National School , Cork .
She continues to use play as a methodology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today we spent the day making models and they absolutely loved it , ” says Brennan , “ it was like Aistear but in a senior setting.
” She believes using play in the senior classes helps promote social skills that are difficult to teach didactically .
“ Aistear teaches children those skills but , by stopping it in first class , you have to rely in them picking it up somewhere else.
” “ There is absolutely no rule that says in first class you take up the biro and the book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Kiely , “ If you take a playful approach to any subject , the children are delighted to be doing it.
” Batman Begins : How teachers and parents can facilitate children ’ s role play Dr Lisha O ’ Sullivan and Dr Kathleen Horgan lecture in early childhood studies , Mary Immaculate College in Limerick .
They outline the importance of teacher attitude towards play , the challenges they face and the role of the parent in supporting play .
“ Our own levels of playfulness are important , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teaching through play is very challenging , ” says O ’ Sullivan .
“ Once teachers start teaching through play , they very quickly see the benefits of it , but it can be challenging , particularly with large class sizes , to facilitate learning through play.
” “ Certainly , there are some classrooms where there is less space due to smaller rooms or larger class sizes , but despite that they find ways to play , ” says Horgan .
“ While the infrastructure is important and can certainly support play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality of the interactions that really matter.
” The digital draw has also had an impact on traditional play .
“ The popularity of ICT and computer games have also influenced children ’ s opportunities to engage in more traditional forms of play , ” says O ’ Sullivan , “ It is important that , in the school context , children have opportunities to play in mixed aged groups and to engage in many different types of play , promoting high quality learning through play.
” Parents , too , are becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says O ’ Sullivan .
“ Not just in school but also the home learning environment and of how they can complement the play experiences children are having in school , in the home , ” says O ’ Sullivan .
A link can be made in school with play in the home by using materials from the home .
“ Using materials from home can be a lovely way to get parents involved , ” says O ’ Sullivan .

If you open the door to Lisa Hanley’s classroom you could be greeted by anyone from a doctor to an astronaut, a farmer or, if you’re lucky, Batman himself. The sand tray might be filled with compost while, in another corner of the room, a child is helping The Three Little Pigs build their dream home, complete with indoor swimming pool.
To the untrained eye it might look like chaos, but child’s play is far more sophisticated than that.
"Yes, it is a melee of noise, but it's also a hive of industry," says Hanley who has been teaching infants since 2010 in St. Mary's national school, Ballinagare, Co Roscommon.
The impact role-play can have on developing a child’s capacity for perseverance was reported in a study called The Batman Effect. The study showed that children who took on the role of a character, such as Batman, were able to apply themselves to a task for longer than those who did not.
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Perseverance is important as it can facilitate better academic achievement. Engaging in role-play helps develop children’s perseverance, partly because it creates a safe space for them to fail.
"Unfortunately, if a child gets a sum wrong, they can be devastated," says Joan Kiely, Dean of Education, Curriculum and the Early Years, at Marino Institute of Education, "but in play it's "oops"– there is permission to fail, permission to try out, to explore and there is no fixed agenda."
Role-pay can allow children explore situations, experiences or emotions that they may be curious about because it is a risk-free platform
Role-play in classrooms around Ireland isn't limited to the donning of a superhero's cape and its benefits don't stop at perseverance. Whether they are playing Batman or the baker, the outcome is still valiant.
“Playing roles can have a therapeutic effect because they are playing out roles vicariously that they haven’t yet experienced in real life. Things like death for example, or being very ill or upset about something,” says Kiely, “in a way they find solutions to life through socio-dramatic play.”
She explains that role-pay can allow children explore situations, experiences or emotions that they may be curious about because it is a risk-free platform.
“Socio-dramatic play is a playground for roles they may have seen or experienced in real life or roles that they haven’t experienced at all and might feel nervous about,” says Kiely.
“For example, the child who is timid might get an opportunity to see what it is like to be the hero, it’s a testing ground for life.”
Kiely says that it can often be the shy child who takes centre stage.
“You may come across children, who are quite shy, but may shine in socio dramatic play, it’s not always the extrovert child that does very well.”
It develops their fine-motor and problem-solving skills while also helping develop their capacity for self- regulation
The benefits of play in an educational setting can been seen beyond the controlled curtain of a study, such as The Batman Effect, and are reflected in the introduction of Aistear to schools and early childhood education 2009.
Aistear, a curriculum framework for children aged under-six, advocates a playful approach to supporting children’s development and complements the primary school curriculum in the infant classes.
A decade on, teachers are seeing the impact putting play front and centre in the infant classroom is having on children’s academic and emotional outcomes.
It develops their fine-motor and problem-solving skills while also helping develop their capacity for self- regulation.
Kiely explains that children may have an argument over who is playing the doctor or the patient.
“Nobody wants to be the patient, you often have to supress your own desire in play in order to further your play agenda,” says Kiely, “So, in that way play certainly supports things like self-regulation and persistence.”
Play also promotes language development and many teachers have seen oral language thrive in the infant classroom through play. “Lots of teachers are keenly interested in doing socio-dramatic play in schools because they know that it really facilitates language development,” says Kiely.
She explains, however, that this language development is not accidental and will only occur if the teacher has planned work around the desired language prior to the play.
Hanley has noticed how play has helped develop sophisticated language during play in her classroom.
“My principal was coming in to my room and hearing the children talking about the gavel in the auctioneers and was so impressed by the level of oral language in the classroom.”
Hanley, who trained as an Aistear tutor when it was in its infancy, has observed how play, within the curriculum, has evolved and grown over the past decade.
“It was this standalone hour of play in the day,” says Hanley, “but what has changed is the idea of playfulness throughout the day as a methodology for teaching and learning.”
Playfulness can complement the primary school curriculum in all classes, regardless of age
She would also advocate the use of play throughout the primary school years and not just in the infant classroom.
“We’d let second, third and fourth class come back to the infant room and they would play as infants, it was fabulous,” says Hanley.
The Aistear framework is aimed at children aged 0-6 years, but playfulness can complement the primary school curriculum in all classes, regardless of age.
“Play might change, but play should permeate right the way up to sixth class, says Kiley. “You don’t play competitive board games and competitive card games in the infant classes, it’s just not appropriate but, as they get older, they become more interested in games with rules.” Children also become more interested in drama and performing plays.
Niamh Brennan taught infants for thirteen years but is currently teaching sixth class in Rathpeacon National School, Cork.
She continues to use play as a methodology even in the senior years. “Today we spent the day making models and they absolutely loved it,” says Brennan, “it was like Aistear but in a senior setting.”
She believes using play in the senior classes helps promote social skills that are difficult to teach didactically.
“Aistear teaches children those skills but, by stopping it in first class, you have to rely in them picking it up somewhere else.”
“There is absolutely no rule that says in first class you take up the biro and the book and you don’t have fun,” says Kiely, “If you take a playful approach to any subject, the children are delighted to be doing it.”
Batman Begins: How teachers and parents can facilitate children's role play
Dr Lisha O'Sullivan and Dr Kathleen Horgan lecture in early childhood studies, Mary Immaculate College in Limerick.
They outline the importance of teacher attitude towards play, the challenges they face and the role of the parent in supporting play.
“Our own levels of playfulness are important, and it is important to acknowledge that teaching through play is very challenging,” says O’Sullivan.
“Once teachers start teaching through play, they very quickly see the benefits of it, but it can be challenging, particularly with large class sizes, to facilitate learning through play.”
“Certainly, there are some classrooms where there is less space due to smaller rooms or larger class sizes, but despite that they find ways to play,” says Horgan.
“While the infrastructure is important and can certainly support play, research highlights that it is the quality of the interactions that really matter.”
The digital draw has also had an impact on traditional play.
“The popularity of ICT and computer games have also influenced children’s opportunities to engage in more traditional forms of play,” says O’Sullivan, “It is important that, in the school context, children have opportunities to play in mixed aged groups and to engage in many different types of play, promoting high quality learning through play.”
Parents, too, are becoming more aware of the importance of play, says O’Sullivan.
“Not just in school but also the home learning environment and of how they can complement the play experiences children are having in school, in the home,” says O’Sullivan. A link can be made in school with play in the home by using materials from the home. “Using materials from home can be a lovely way to get parents involved,” says O’Sullivan.


theirishtimes--2020-02-25--I want to go back to college. Do I qualify for any grants or financial supports?

I went into the workforce after leaving school at 18 .
Now in my early 30s , I have applied for a degree as a mature student but am not sure if I can afford it .
Are there grants , scholarships or other financial supports available ?
You aren ’ t alone .
As of January 2018 , there were 4,163 mature students enrolled in higher education institutions , almost 10 per cent of total students .
These figures are set to grow over the coming years under Government targets .
There are a range of funding schemes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered by non-governmental organisations .
The student finance section on the Higher Education Authority ’ s website provides a good overview of the various options that might be open to you .
Depending on your circumstances , you may be eligible for free fees which covers the tuition costs in certain third level institutions .
If you are planning to enrol full-time in a publicly funded institution , you may also be eligible for a student grant from Student Universal Support Ireland ( Susi ) .
If you are eligible , this grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fees ( currently €3,000 ) and may provide you with a maintenance grant .
If you are getting an unemployment , one-parent family or disability payment , you may be eligible for the Back to Education Allowance ( BTEA ) .
If you are studying part-time , you may be able to keep your benefits under the Back to Education Programme .
You should note , however , that you can only receive a Susi maintenance grant , or a BTEA , not both .
I ’ d encourage you to check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applying to and contact the mature student or access officers for details of the various programmes , funds or scholarships that might be available .
Furthermore , there are additional supports available in certain colleges for specific groups of students .
For instance , if you have a disability you may be entitled to some financial support from the Fund for Students with Disabilities .
Mature students are eligible to apply for the 1916 Bursary Fund .
Once you are enrolled , some colleges offer a Student Assistance Fund if you encounter unexpected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government schemes , some credit unions offer scholarships and St Vincent de Paul offers a third level bursary scheme .
It would be worthwhile to contact those organisations locally to see what is on offer and the deadlines for applications .
Finally , since 2018 , the registered charity Uversity has been awarding higher education scholarships for adult learners for first time entrants to enrol on bachelor ’ s programme in any discipline in participating third level institutions .
If you are successful , the scholarships provide funding ( uversity.org ) that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the duration of your studies .
They are currently accepting applications until Sunday , March 1st 2020 and further information can be found on their website .

I went into the workforce after leaving school at 18. Now in my early 30s, I have applied for a degree as a mature student but am not sure if I can afford it. Are there grants, scholarships or other financial supports available?
You aren’t alone. As of January 2018, there were 4,163 mature students enrolled in higher education institutions, almost 10 per cent of total students. These figures are set to grow over the coming years under Government targets.
There are a range of funding schemes that you should consider along with some programmes offered by non-governmental organisations. The student finance section on the Higher Education Authority’s website provides a good overview of the various options that might be open to you.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for free fees which covers the tuition costs in certain third level institutions. If you are planning to enrol full-time in a publicly funded institution, you may also be eligible for a student grant from Student Universal Support Ireland (Susi). If you are eligible, this grant will cover the student contribution portion of the fees (currently €3,000) and may provide you with a maintenance grant.
READ MORE
If you are getting an unemployment, one-parent family or disability payment, you may be eligible for the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA). If you are studying part-time, you may be able to keep your benefits under the Back to Education Programme. You should note, however, that you can only receive a Susi maintenance grant, or a BTEA, not both.
I’d encourage you to check the websites of the institutions you are applying to and contact the mature student or access officers for details of the various programmes, funds or scholarships that might be available. Furthermore, there are additional supports available in certain colleges for specific groups of students. For instance, if you have a disability you may be entitled to some financial support from the Fund for Students with Disabilities. Mature students are eligible to apply for the 1916 Bursary Fund. Once you are enrolled, some colleges offer a Student Assistance Fund if you encounter unexpected financial challenges.
In addition to these Government schemes, some credit unions offer scholarships and St Vincent de Paul offers a third level bursary scheme. It would be worthwhile to contact those organisations locally to see what is on offer and the deadlines for applications.
Finally, since 2018, the registered charity Uversity has been awarding higher education scholarships for adult learners for first time entrants to enrol on bachelor's programme in any discipline in participating third level institutions.
If you are successful, the scholarships provide funding (uversity.org) that is tailored to your circumstances and programming for the duration of your studies. They are currently accepting applications until Sunday, March 1st 2020 and further information can be found on their website.


theirishtimes--2020-02-24--Messages deleted from phone of girlfriend of man accused of garda’s murder, court hears

About 10 messages were deleted from Aaron Brady ’ s girlfriend ’ s phone in the hours before and after the fatal shooting of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe , the Central Criminal Court has heard .
One of the deleted messages , which was sent on the afternoon following the shooting , read : “ Please Jess , I just want to get away til this blows over.
” Mr Brady also told his girlfriend Jessica King : “ I will probably just go into them tomorrow .
Everything will probably be okay.
” He added : “ Tell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to go away from here and get something to eat or go to the cinema.
” Mr Brady ( 29 ) , from New Road , Crossmaglen , Co Armagh , has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Donohoe ( 41 ) , who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty , shortly before 9.30pm on January 25th , 2013 , at Lordship Credit Union , Bellurgan , Co Louth .
He has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same date and at the same location .
Sgt Karen Coughlan told prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC on Monday that she selected 156 relevant pieces of information out of about 10,000 that were lifted from Jessica King ’ s phone using a programme called Cellebrite .
She said there were a number of messages between Ms King and a phone that was saved as AaronX in her phone ’ s contacts list .
On the night of the robbery there were also exchanges between Ms King and a phone number saved as Brades2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coughlan said , concerned an argument between Mr Brady and Ms King on the night before the shooting .
In one text Ms King told Mr Brady to “ shut the f**k up about a stupid hat ” and that they were “ finished ” .
In a series of messages he told her he loved her and didn ’ t want to break up .
On the night of the robbery and shooting , Sgt Coughlan said , there was a series of deleted messages between Ms King and the two phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first deleted message Mr Brady told Ms King he had to load a lorry that night and he would text her when he got home .
At 10.47pm , more than one hour and 15 minutes after the shooting , there was a Facebook instant message from Mr Brady asking if Ms King was awake and telling her he was sorry that he hadn ’ t texted her but his other phone went dead .
The exact same message was sent to her phone via SMS from the phone named Brades2 and three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms King had missed a call from an associate of Mr Brady who has been named as a suspect in the robbery .
One minute after that there was a missed call message from Brades2 .
One of the deleted messages was from Ms King saying that she was awake , and there was an exchange regarding whether Mr Brady had been calling Ms King on his friend ’ s phone .
At 11.04pm Brades2 texted Ms King to say : “ I don ’ t mind , I would like to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no further phone contact between the phones until 3.37am , when Mr Brady texted Ms King to say he was back in his friend ’ s house .
He added : “ Thanks for letting me call over even though I know you didn ’ t want to see me.
” Ms King told him he had left his phone behind and he said he would pick it up the next day .
Sgt Coughlan also described seven contacts in Ms King ’ s phone that were created on January 13th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early hours of the morning .
These included Aaron Brady and his associate who has been named as a suspect for the robbery at Lordship .
The trial continues in front of Judge Michael White and a jury of eight men and seven women .

About 10 messages were deleted from Aaron Brady's girlfriend's phone in the hours before and after the fatal shooting of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
One of the deleted messages, which was sent on the afternoon following the shooting, read: "Please Jess, I just want to get away til this blows over." Mr Brady also told his girlfriend Jessica King: "I will probably just go into them tomorrow. Everything will probably be okay." He added: "Tell them it's fine. I just want to go away from here and get something to eat or go to the cinema."
Mr Brady (29), from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Donohoe (41), who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty, shortly before 9.30pm on January 25th, 2013, at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth.
He has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location.
READ MORE
Sgt Karen Coughlan told prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC on Monday that she selected 156 relevant pieces of information out of about 10,000 that were lifted from Jessica King's phone using a programme called Cellebrite. She said there were a number of messages between Ms King and a phone that was saved as AaronX in her phone's contacts list.
On the night of the robbery there were also exchanges between Ms King and a phone number saved as Brades2.
Many of the messages, Sgt Coughlan said, concerned an argument between Mr Brady and Ms King on the night before the shooting. In one text Ms King told Mr Brady to “shut the f**k up about a stupid hat” and that they were “finished”. In a series of messages he told her he loved her and didn’t want to break up.
On the night of the robbery and shooting, Sgt Coughlan said, there was a series of deleted messages between Ms King and the two phones attributed to Mr Brady. In the first deleted message Mr Brady told Ms King he had to load a lorry that night and he would text her when he got home. At 10.47pm, more than one hour and 15 minutes after the shooting, there was a Facebook instant message from Mr Brady asking if Ms King was awake and telling her he was sorry that he hadn't texted her but his other phone went dead.
Same message
The exact same message was sent to her phone via SMS from the phone named Brades2 and three minutes later there was a message saying Ms King had missed a call from an associate of Mr Brady who has been named as a suspect in the robbery. One minute after that there was a missed call message from Brades2.
One of the deleted messages was from Ms King saying that she was awake, and there was an exchange regarding whether Mr Brady had been calling Ms King on his friend’s phone.
At 11.04pm Brades2 texted Ms King to say: “I don’t mind, I would like to see you if you want like.” There was no further phone contact between the phones until 3.37am, when Mr Brady texted Ms King to say he was back in his friend’s house. He added: “Thanks for letting me call over even though I know you didn’t want to see me.”
Ms King told him he had left his phone behind and he said he would pick it up the next day.
Sgt Coughlan also described seven contacts in Ms King's phone that were created on January 13th, 2013, and modified on January 26th in the early hours of the morning. These included Aaron Brady and his associate who has been named as a suspect for the robbery at Lordship.
The trial continues in front of Judge Michael White and a jury of eight men and seven women.


theirishtimes--2020-02-24--GP censured over failure to refer suspected meningitis cases to hospital

A Dublin-based family doctor has admitted to a series of allegations of poor professional performance over her failure to refer two children with suspected meningitis to hospital .
Dr Albina Maksimiuk acknowledged before a hearing of the Medical Council ’ s fitness to practise committee on Monday that she had failed to refer a boy aged 3 and girl aged 14 to hospital in 2016 in circumstances where she believed they might have contracted the infectious disease .
Dr Maksimiuk , who operates a clinic for children on the North Circular Road , also admitted she had failed to adequately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they might be suffering from meningitis and that a referral to hospital was of extreme importance .
However , the GP denied that her failure to notify the HSE as soon as she became aware of suspected cases of meningitis as required by medical regulations and her poor command of the English language represented professional misconduct but accepted they constituted poor professional performance .
The hearing was told that Dr Maksimiuk , who has been working as a GP in Ireland since 2015 , had no difficulty communicating with her patients as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The committee heard a complaint about the doctor was referred to the Medical Council by Dr Noelle O ’ Loughlin of the HSE ’ s Department of Public Health .
Dr O ’ Loughlin had been contacted in June 2016 by the owner of a creche who was seeking information about the appropriate action to take after a parent had handed in a medical certificate signed by Dr Maksimiuk stating her child had been diagnosed with meningitis .
Dr O ’ Loughlin said the HSE was concerned that the child had not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that it had not been notified about the patient as it always treated such cases “ with the highest priority ” .
When contacted by the HSE , the fitness to practise committee was told that Dr Maksimiuk got someone to translate the call for her .
Dr O ’ Loughlin established that the GP had made a similar diagnosis of meningitis in several other cases in the preceding months and had written prescriptions for antibiotics without referring the patients to hospital .
She said there was “ a danger to public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maksimiuk was treating cases of the disease .
The mother of the 14-year-old girl , known as Patient A , said she had gone to Dr Maksimiuk on June 18 , 2016 as she could not get an appointment with her regular GP .
The woman said her daughter , who was complaining of severe headaches , had been given a full examination by Dr Maksimiuk including a blood test which showed she had an elevated white blood cell count .
Patient A ’ s mother said the doctor diagnosed it as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The witness said she was advised by Dr Maksimiuk in Russian to take her daughter to hospital if she wanted to be sure it was not meningitis .
“ It was completely my decision not to go to hospital as I was sure it was not meningitis , ” the woman said .
She said Dr Maksimiuk had phoned a few days later to check on her daughter and had done another blood test when they went back to her surgery a week later which showed normal results .
Under cross-examination by Séamus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his client was a “ very good doctor and very good with kids.
” The mother of the three-year-old boy , known as Patient B , said Dr Maksimiuk told her that her son could be suffering from meningitis when he attended her surgery with headaches on April 15 , 2016 .
She told the committee that Dr Maksimiuk said they had come to her clinic on time and her son should be OK in a few days after being prescribed antibiotics but to go to hospital if his condition worsened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ better when the doctor rang her the following day to check on her son ’ s condition .
Patient B ’ s mother described Dr Maksimiuk as a very good doctor who was “ easy to understand ” and she attended her because they could communicate in Lithuanian .
The fitness to practice committee ruled that the case was an appropriate one for censuring Dr Maksimiuk and accepting undertakings on the doctor ’ s behalf to bring it to a conclusion , despite an objection by Eoghan O ’ Sullivan BL for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maksimiuk now understood the importance of referring suspected cases of meningitis to a hospital immediately and had developed a standard form for such cases .
He said she had completed several English language courses since 2016 and promised to enrol in a diploma course in English at TU Dublin until she reached an advanced level .
The committee also required her to report annually for the next five years on meeting her obligations with regard to continuous professional development .

A Medical Council fitness to practise hearing was told the GP now understood the importance of referring suspected cases of meningitis to a hospital immediately and had developed a standard form for such cases. She will also enrol in a diploma course in English.
A Dublin-based family doctor has admitted to a series of allegations of poor professional performance over her failure to refer two children with suspected meningitis to hospital.
Dr Albina Maksimiuk acknowledged before a hearing of the Medical Council's fitness to practise committee on Monday that she had failed to refer a boy aged 3 and girl aged 14 to hospital in 2016 in circumstances where she believed they might have contracted the infectious disease.
Dr Maksimiuk, who operates a clinic for children on the North Circular Road, also admitted she had failed to adequately communicate to the children's parents that they might be suffering from meningitis and that a referral to hospital was of extreme importance.
However, the GP denied that her failure to notify the HSE as soon as she became aware of suspected cases of meningitis as required by medical regulations and her poor command of the English language represented professional misconduct but accepted they constituted poor professional performance.
READ MORE
The hearing was told that Dr Maksimiuk, who has been working as a GP in Ireland since 2015, had no difficulty communicating with her patients as they were either Lithuanian or Russian.
The committee heard a complaint about the doctor was referred to the Medical Council by Dr Noelle O'Loughlin of the HSE's Department of Public Health.
Dr O’Loughlin had been contacted in June 2016 by the owner of a creche who was seeking information about the appropriate action to take after a parent had handed in a medical certificate signed by Dr Maksimiuk stating her child had been diagnosed with meningitis.
Translate the call
Dr O’Loughlin said the HSE was concerned that the child had not been referred to the hospital as an emergency and that it had not been notified about the patient as it always treated such cases “with the highest priority”.
When contacted by the HSE, the fitness to practise committee was told that Dr Maksimiuk got someone to translate the call for her.
Dr O’Loughlin established that the GP had made a similar diagnosis of meningitis in several other cases in the preceding months and had written prescriptions for antibiotics without referring the patients to hospital.
She said there was “a danger to public health” if that was how Dr Maksimiuk was treating cases of the disease.
The mother of the 14-year-old girl, known as Patient A, said she had gone to Dr Maksimiuk on June 18, 2016 as she could not get an appointment with her regular GP. The woman said her daughter, who was complaining of severe headaches, had been given a full examination by Dr Maksimiuk including a blood test which showed she had an elevated white blood cell count.
Patient A’s mother said the doctor diagnosed it as a case of either flu or meningitis.
The witness said she was advised by Dr Maksimiuk in Russian to take her daughter to hospital if she wanted to be sure it was not meningitis.
“It was completely my decision not to go to hospital as I was sure it was not meningitis,” the woman said.
She said Dr Maksimiuk had phoned a few days later to check on her daughter and had done another blood test when they went back to her surgery a week later which showed normal results.
Under cross-examination by Séamus Clarke SC for Dr Maksimiuk, she said his client was a “very good doctor and very good with kids.”
Very good doctor
The mother of the three-year-old boy, known as Patient B, said Dr Maksimiuk told her that her son could be suffering from meningitis when he attended her surgery with headaches on April 15, 2016.
She told the committee that Dr Maksimiuk said they had come to her clinic on time and her son should be OK in a few days after being prescribed antibiotics but to go to hospital if his condition worsened.
The witness said her son was much better when the doctor rang her the following day to check on her son’s condition.
Patient B’s mother described Dr Maksimiuk as a very good doctor who was “easy to understand” and she attended her because they could communicate in Lithuanian.
The fitness to practice committee ruled that the case was an appropriate one for censuring Dr Maksimiuk and accepting undertakings on the doctor’s behalf to bring it to a conclusion, despite an objection by Eoghan O’Sullivan BL for the Medical Council.
Mr Clarke said Dr Maksimiuk now understood the importance of referring suspected cases of meningitis to a hospital immediately and had developed a standard form for such cases.
He said she had completed several English language courses since 2016 and promised to enrol in a diploma course in English at TU Dublin until she reached an advanced level.
The committee also required her to report annually for the next five years on meeting her obligations with regard to continuous professional development.


theirishtimes--2020-02-24--Shannon floods: ‘The only way they will get me out of my home is in a box’

“ I have my wellies in the boot , ” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar remarked helpfully as he gazed into the flood waters lapping close to the doors of Carrick-on-Shannon cineplex , as a few photographers waited to see how he was going to negotiate the obstacle ahead .
A short time later he asked two Leitrim women who wanted to talk about the floods threatening their homes whether the media should switch their tapes off .
“ It can become a bit of a circus , ” he declared , and how glad everyone was that he hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across in order to get to Grainne Caldbeck ’ s Enhance Health & Beauty centre for a report on day-to-day life in a flood .
In fact , a newly-constructed gravel walkway in the retail park on the Sligo side of Carrick had rendered the wellies unnecessary and kept businesses open , much to the relief of people like Grainne and Shamzuri ( Sham ) Hanifa , owner of Synergy restaurant .
Both gave Mr Varadkar a good insight on how difficult it is to run a business in a town that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I am wearing yellow because I am trying to be positive , ” Ms Caldbeck told him .
The water outside her door was “ not the feng shui we want ” , she joked , before explaining that she had endured nine weeks of floods in 2016 , but had remained open with the support of loyal customers .
In Synergy , Sham outlined how he had lost all his staff when he was forced to close for seven weeks the last time the floods hit .
“ It took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular businessman recalled , stressing that all people want is a solution sooner rather than later .
A solution sooner or later , and whether it should be expensive or relatively inexpensive , was the subject of some passionate debate in Carrick-on-Shannon , much to the bemusement of the Taoiseach , who said more than once that he wasn ’ t an engineer and so had to rely on the opinion of the experts .
But experts , like doctors , differ , as the Taoiseach saw in Carrick , where Leitrim County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Maurice Buckley , chairman of the OPW , were definitely in favour of a €9 million plan based on the CFRAM ( the National Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management ) report .
The report is proposing a 1.5km wall or similar barrier to beat the floods .
Liam Farrell , owner of the cineplex , who reckons he lost a six-figure sum in the 2015/16 floods , is chairman of the local flood action committee .
He passionately believes the €9 million plan is not the solution and that remedial works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have an estimated price tag of €100,000 to €150,000 , would be much more effective .
The €9 million plan would be like “ having a cut artery and deciding to cut your toenails to deal with it ” , he says .
The county council boss does not agree .
“ The river Shannon is a very complex system now and there is a lot of infrastructure on it .
You have to be very careful when you find one piece of the solution , that you don ’ t cause a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters .
But the flood action committee includes a retired county council engineer , Brian Kenny , who assured Mr Varadkar that you can fix the problem at Jamestown without causing any negative effect elsewhere on the Shannon .
The Taoiseach may have been confused , but local TD Frank Feighan who accompanied him said the local committee has come up with solutions before and their insights have always been “ helpful ” .
Liam Farrell told Mr Varadkar that the Jamestown weir must be fixed “ so we can get on with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with horror that he had Star Wars screenings during the last flooding crisis .
“ Fans would go to Mars to see Star Wars but they wouldn ’ t come to Carrick , ” he said .
Meanwhile , Pat Mason , battle-weary but standing firm , said the only way he will be leaving his flood-hit Co Clare home is in a coffin .
“ The only way they ’ ll get me out of here is in a box , ” he announced , as he watched the river Shannon slowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Springfield , Clonlara , where he and his wife Margaret and 12 other families reside , is submerged .
Ten homes , protected by 7,000 sandbags , are under threat of being flooded .
Despite the best efforts of Clare County Council workers building up the bagged flood defences , residents began pumping water out of their gardens and driveways as the deluge crept in around them .
The ESB , which operates the Parteen weir located upriver from Clonlara , increased the flow of water to maintain safe levels within the dam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large-scale flooding along the lower Shannon basin , including Clonlara .
Two families have been evacuated to a local hotel , but Pat Mason has stayed .
Despite previous floods surrounding his home , Mason , with the aid of pumps , his two children , and neighbours , always dug in and managed to keep the water literally inches from his door .
“ I ’ m ready for the battle again , ” he said .
Local roads were impassable by car , so farmers ferried water bottles to homeowners cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council also delivered Portaloos to residents whose septic tanks and water wells were compromised and backed up by the floodwater .
Life-buoys were also secured to posts along roads overwhelmed by the flood , which served to remind how dangerous conditions have become .
“ Were in the same situation we have been [ in ] for years , no improvement whatsoever , ” Mr Mason said .
Past promises by politicians have been “ a waste of time ” .
Seán Lenihan , a senior engineer with Clare County Council , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the next “ two to three weeks ” , a planning application to construct a 2km mud embankment and pumping station to try to alleviate flooding .
A previous application to build the proposed local flood defence was withdrawn after an objector raised concerns about the environmental impact of the development .
“ We went back to the drawing board to make sure we had addressed all those issues and we are happy that we have , ” Mr Lenihan said .

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has visited parts of Athlone and Carrick On Shannon that have been hit by recent flooding. Video: Bryan O'Brien
"I have my wellies in the boot," Taoiseach Leo Varadkar remarked helpfully as he gazed into the flood waters lapping close to the doors of Carrick-on-Shannon cineplex, as a few photographers waited to see how he was going to negotiate the obstacle ahead.
A short time later he asked two Leitrim women who wanted to talk about the floods threatening their homes whether the media should switch their tapes off.
“It can become a bit of a circus,” he declared, and how glad everyone was that he hadn’t needed to don the wellies and wade across in order to get to Grainne Caldbeck’s Enhance Health & Beauty centre for a report on day-to-day life in a flood.
In fact, a newly-constructed gravel walkway in the retail park on the Sligo side of Carrick had rendered the wellies unnecessary and kept businesses open, much to the relief of people like Grainne and Shamzuri (Sham) Hanifa, owner of Synergy restaurant. Both gave Mr Varadkar a good insight on how difficult it is to run a business in a town that has had three major flooding episodes since 2009.
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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar shakes hands with members of the public as he visits flood prevention measures in Athlone, Co Westmeath. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
“I am wearing yellow because I am trying to be positive,” Ms Caldbeck told him. The water outside her door was “not the feng shui we want”, she joked, before explaining that she had endured nine weeks of floods in 2016, but had remained open with the support of loyal customers.
In Synergy, Sham outlined how he had lost all his staff when he was forced to close for seven weeks the last time the floods hit. “It took six months to recover,” the popular businessman recalled, stressing that all people want is a solution sooner rather than later.
A solution sooner or later, and whether it should be expensive or relatively inexpensive, was the subject of some passionate debate in Carrick-on-Shannon, much to the bemusement of the Taoiseach, who said more than once that he wasn’t an engineer and so had to rely on the opinion of the experts.
Question of expertise
But experts, like doctors, differ, as the Taoiseach saw in Carrick, where Leitrim County Council's chief executive Lar Power and Maurice Buckley, chairman of the OPW, were definitely in favour of a €9 million plan based on the CFRAM (the National Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management) report. The report is proposing a 1.5km wall or similar barrier to beat the floods.
Liam Farrell, owner of the cineplex, who reckons he lost a six-figure sum in the 2015/16 floods, is chairman of the local flood action committee. He passionately believes the €9 million plan is not the solution and that remedial works at the weir in Jamestown, which have an estimated price tag of €100,000 to €150,000, would be much more effective.
The €9 million plan would be like “having a cut artery and deciding to cut your toenails to deal with it”, he says .
The county council boss does not agree. “The river Shannon is a very complex system now and there is a lot of infrastructure on it. You have to be very careful when you find one piece of the solution, that you don’t cause a problem elsewhere,” Mr Power told reporters.
But the flood action committee includes a retired county council engineer, Brian Kenny, who assured Mr Varadkar that you can fix the problem at Jamestown without causing any negative effect elsewhere on the Shannon.
A park bench in flood water in Athlone, Co Westmeath. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
The Taoiseach may have been confused, but local TD Frank Feighan who accompanied him said the local committee has come up with solutions before and their insights have always been "helpful".
Liam Farrell told Mr Varadkar that the Jamestown weir must be fixed “so we can get on with our lives”.
He still recalls with horror that he had Star Wars screenings during the last flooding crisis. “Fans would go to Mars to see Star Wars but they wouldn’t come to Carrick,” he said.
Submerged
Meanwhile, Pat Mason, battle-weary but standing firm, said the only way he will be leaving his flood-hit Co Clare home is in a coffin.
“The only way they’ll get me out of here is in a box,” he announced, as he watched the river Shannon slowly swallowing up his garden and driveway.
Springfield, Clonlara, where he and his wife Margaret and 12 other families reside, is submerged.
Ten homes, protected by 7,000 sandbags, are under threat of being flooded.
Despite the best efforts of Clare County Council workers building up the bagged flood defences, residents began pumping water out of their gardens and driveways as the deluge crept in around them.
The ESB, which operates the Parteen weir located upriver from Clonlara, increased the flow of water to maintain safe levels within the dam. However, the knock-on effect is large-scale flooding along the lower Shannon basin, including Clonlara.
Two families have been evacuated to a local hotel, but Pat Mason has stayed.
Despite previous floods surrounding his home, Mason, with the aid of pumps, his two children, and neighbours, always dug in and managed to keep the water literally inches from his door.
“I’m ready for the battle again,” he said.
Local roads were impassable by car, so farmers ferried water bottles to homeowners cut off from dry land.
Clare County Council also delivered Portaloos to residents whose septic tanks and water wells were compromised and backed up by the floodwater.
Life-buoys were also secured to posts along roads overwhelmed by the flood, which served to remind how dangerous conditions have become.
“Were in the same situation we have been [in] for years, no improvement whatsoever,” Mr Mason said.
Past promises by politicians have been “a waste of time”.
Seán Lenihan, a senior engineer with Clare County Council, said the local authority was hopeful of resubmitting, in the next “two to three weeks”, a planning application to construct a 2km mud embankment and pumping station to try to alleviate flooding.
A previous application to build the proposed local flood defence was withdrawn after an objector raised concerns about the environmental impact of the development.
“We went back to the drawing board to make sure we had addressed all those issues and we are happy that we have,” Mr Lenihan said.


theirishtimes--2020-02-24--Ireland ‘lagging well behind’ in newborn screening programme for rare diseases

The State ’ s newborn screening programme for rare diseases must be expanded to include at least 20 conditions to ensure early diagnosis and avoid delayed treatment later in life , a coalition of patient groups has said .
Speaking at the launch of the group ’ s “ easy guide to rare diseases in Ireland ” on Monday , Philip Watt , chair of the rare disease taskforce , warned that Ireland was falling far behind on the international stage when it comes to screening newborn babies for lesser known diseases .
While an average of 20 diseases are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe , Irish hospitals only screen for eight conditions , said Mr Watt , adding that in some US states , babies are screened for 50 .
“ When newborn screening was introduced in Ireland in 1966 we were at the forefront of such screening worldwide , ” he said .
“ Now we lag well behind.
” The group ’ s 10 priorities for action in the forthcoming programme for government also underlined the severe lack of genetic diagnostic and counselling professionals in Ireland , with numbers “ among the worst in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four consultant geneticists working in Ireland , far below the 15 professionals required under international standards , said the action plan .
An additional 33 full-time genetic counsellors are also needed , it said .
Strategies are needed to target the needs of members of the Traveller community and migrant groups who suffer from other forms of rare diseases , said Mr Watt , adding that sickle cell diseases should be added to the newborn screening programme .
While 72 per cent of rare diseases are connected to genetics , it is important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as lyme disease and rare cancers , he added .
A total of 3,021 people were awaiting a clinical medical genetics consultation in December 2019 , up 14.5 per cent on the same time in previous years , with over a third of those on the list waiting more than a year .
Given the State ’ s low levels of genetic counselling services , some patients are receiving genetic diagnoses over the phone with no follow-up counselling , a practice described by Vicky McGrath , chief executive of Rare Diseases Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A failure to provide adequate genetic services means a delay in diagnosis , a lack of appropriate treatment , and probable disease progression , ” she said .
Commenting on the report ’ s findings , Minister for Health Simon Harris said he was committed to improving the newborn screening programme to make it “ the very best in the world ” .
He said recent improvements for people with cystic fibrosis should provide a model on how to improve services for rare diseases .

A coalition of patient groups warned Ireland was falling behind other countries when screening newborn babies for lesser known diseases. File photograph: iStock
The State’s newborn screening programme for rare diseases must be expanded to include at least 20 conditions to ensure early diagnosis and avoid delayed treatment later in life, a coalition of patient groups has said.
Speaking at the launch of the group's "easy guide to rare diseases in Ireland" on Monday, Philip Watt, chair of the rare disease taskforce, warned that Ireland was falling far behind on the international stage when it comes to screening newborn babies for lesser known diseases.
While an average of 20 diseases are screened for at birth among babies in Europe, Irish hospitals only screen for eight conditions, said Mr Watt, adding that in some US states, babies are screened for 50.
“When newborn screening was introduced in Ireland in 1966 we were at the forefront of such screening worldwide,” he said. “Now we lag well behind.”
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The group’s 10 priorities for action in the forthcoming programme for government also underlined the severe lack of genetic diagnostic and counselling professionals in Ireland, with numbers “among the worst in Europe”.
Ireland currently only has four consultant geneticists working in Ireland, far below the 15 professionals required under international standards, said the action plan. An additional 33 full-time genetic counsellors are also needed, it said.
Strategies are needed to target the needs of members of the Traveller community and migrant groups who suffer from other forms of rare diseases, said Mr Watt, adding that sickle cell diseases should be added to the newborn screening programme.
Genetics
While 72 per cent of rare diseases are connected to genetics, it is important not to lose sight of other conditions such as lyme disease and rare cancers, he added.
A total of 3,021 people were awaiting a clinical medical genetics consultation in December 2019, up 14.5 per cent on the same time in previous years, with over a third of those on the list waiting more than a year.
Given the State’s low levels of genetic counselling services, some patients are receiving genetic diagnoses over the phone with no follow-up counselling, a practice described by Vicky McGrath, chief executive of Rare Diseases Ireland, as “inhumane”.
“A failure to provide adequate genetic services means a delay in diagnosis, a lack of appropriate treatment, and probable disease progression,” she said.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Minister for Health Simon Harris said he was committed to improving the newborn screening programme to make it “the very best in the world”. He said recent improvements for people with cystic fibrosis should provide a model on how to improve services for rare diseases.


theirishtimes--2020-02-24--Fianna Fáil's Tom Brabazon elected Lord Mayor of Dublin

Fianna Fáil councillor Tom Brabazon has been elected Lord Mayor of Dublin to replace his party colleague Paul McAuliffe who won a Dáil seat two weeks ago .
Mr Brabazon was elected with 34 votes against the 26 votes secured by Independent councillor and homeless campaigner Anthony Flynn , the only other councillor to contest the role .
Mr Flynn got an early and unexpected boost to his campaign on Monday afternoon when the council released a statement announcing his election as Lord Mayor .
Some six minutes afterwards a correction was issued by the press office , dashing Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ councillor Christy Burke , in nominating Mr Flynn , said while he imagined this was a genuine mistake , Mr Flynn was “ on his way to the Mansion House to pick up the keys ” .
But it was not to be .
While Mr Flynn ’ s nomination was supported by Sinn Féin , Fine Gael , and most Independents , Mr Brabazon , who was deputy Lord Mayor , had the support of the ruling alliance on the council .
Fianna Fáil , the Green party , Labour and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the council following the local elections last year .
As part of this agreement the groups rotate the role of Lord Mayor between them for the five year term of the council .
Mr Brabazon will hold the the office until June 29th , when a councillor from one of the other ruling parties is expected to be elected .
Speaking in the council chamber before his election , Mr Brabazon said he wanted to address newspaper reports published on Monday in relation to an article he had written in 2015 on gender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics .
In the article in his local paper the Northside People he criticised the legislation bringing in gender quotas and said in politics : “ we should want real women with real life experience of the education system , the workplace , childbirth , childcare , managing money in tight situations and general life.
” Mr Brabazon said he had apologised for this comments at the time and wanted to do so again .
Newspaper reports on Monday “ could be taken to indicate that it is my belief that people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excluded from politics ” .
He said this was not his view .
He said his view on gender quotas had changed and he now saw them as “ very useful ” in bringing women into politics .
In addition to the election of mayor , five new councillors , four women and one man , were co-opted to replace four men and one woman who had been elected to the Dáil .
Briege Mac Oscar replaced Paul McAuliffe for Fianna Fáil ; Daniel Ceitinn replaced Sinn Féin ’ s Chris Andrews ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lonergan replaced Patrick Costello and Nessa Hourigan , and Cat O ’ Driscoll replaced Garry Gannon for the Social Democrats .

Cllr Tom Brabazon (left) has been elected Lord Mayor of Dublin. He replaces his Fianna Fáil colleague Paul McAuliffe who was elected to Dáil Éireann earlier this month. File photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times.
Fianna Fáil councillor Tom Brabazon has been elected Lord Mayor of Dublin to replace his party colleague Paul McAuliffe who won a Dáil seat two weeks ago.
Mr Brabazon was elected with 34 votes against the 26 votes secured by Independent councillor and homeless campaigner Anthony Flynn, the only other councillor to contest the role.
Mr Flynn got an early and unexpected boost to his campaign on Monday afternoon when the council released a statement announcing his election as Lord Mayor.
Some six minutes afterwards a correction was issued by the press office, dashing Mr Flynn's hopes. Fellow Independent councillor Christy Burke, in nominating Mr Flynn, said while he imagined this was a genuine mistake, Mr Flynn was "on his way to the Mansion House to pick up the keys".
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But it was not to be. While Mr Flynn’s nomination was supported by Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, and most Independents, Mr Brabazon, who was deputy Lord Mayor, had the support of the ruling alliance on the council.
Fianna Fáil, the Green party, Labour and the Social Democrats formed a ruling group on the council following the local elections last year. As part of this agreement the groups rotate the role of Lord Mayor between them for the five year term of the council.
Mr Brabazon will hold the the office until June 29th, when a councillor from one of the other ruling parties is expected to be elected.
Speaking in the council chamber before his election, Mr Brabazon said he wanted to address newspaper reports published on Monday in relation to an article he had written in 2015 on gender quotas and the role of women in politics.
In the article in his local paper the Northside People he criticised the legislation bringing in gender quotas and said in politics: “we should want real women with real life experience of the education system, the workplace, childbirth, childcare, managing money in tight situations and general life.”
Mr Brabazon said he had apologised for this comments at the time and wanted to do so again.
Newspaper reports on Monday “could be taken to indicate that it is my belief that people who didn’t have children should be excluded from politics”. He said this was not his view.
He said his view on gender quotas had changed and he now saw them as “very useful” in bringing women into politics.
In addition to the election of mayor, five new councillors, four women and one man, were co-opted to replace four men and one woman who had been elected to the Dáil.
Briege Mac Oscar replaced Paul McAuliffe for Fianna Fáil; Daniel Ceitinn replaced Sinn Féin's Chris Andrews; for the Greens Carolyn Moore and Darcy Lonergan replaced Patrick Costello and Nessa Hourigan, and Cat O'Driscoll replaced Gary Gannon for the Social Democrats.