Disabled drivers want text alert scheme to stop abuse

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Disabled drivers want text alert scheme to stop abuse

A survey carried out by the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland (DDAI) in April found that fear of physical and verbal abuse and fears for their own safety were the top reasons for not approaching somebody parked illegally in accessible parking bays.

Over 2,600 people from across the country responded to the survey, which was carried out to highlight the DDAI’s campaign to call on city and county councils nationwide to introduce a text alert scheme to combat the misuse of accessible parking bays in public places. A total of 94% of respondents said they would welcome a mobile phone text alert scheme to notify the local warden when someone was parked illegally.

It is an offence to park a vehicle in an accessible parking bay in a public place without a valid parking permit. Offenders receive a parking fine of €150 which increases to €225 if not paid within 28 days.

A text alert scheme is already in use in Lucan and Rathfarnham Villages in Dublin and Gorey in Wexford. Every publicly accessible parking bay has a sign displaying the bay number and a mobile phone number. If someone is parked in one of those bays without a permit or is misusing the permit, people can text the bay number to alert the traffic warden.

New Loneliness Taskforce launched

Loneliness is a growing worldwide problem, but in Ireland, levels of loneliness are higher than the EU average.

With support from Ireland’s Loneliness Taskforce and ALONE, at the end of 2023 a group of researchers met to establish a community of researchers and research users to focus on the issue of loneliness. This network intends to act as a place to bring together the latest knowledge on loneliness, to share best practice, and to create evidence-based policy recommendations for government.

Dr Joanna McHugh Power, chairperson on the network said, “We are delighted to take the next step and launch the network at a time when Ireland needs to know more to solve what is the problem of loneliness.”

Seán Moynihan, ALONE, CEO said “ALONE as an organisation has been dealing with loneliness for over 40 years now, we have many successful interventions with our Support & Befriending volunteers across the country.

"Unfortunately, though, we are seeing the issue continue to grow and welcome this first step and ask for government to work with us to develop a national plan aimed at addressing loneliness across the life course, taking into consideration the need for a whole-of-government approach.”

Your opinion wanted

Do you have any views on what threats or challenges may lie ahead for this country? If so, you can share those concerns with the government through the public consultation running until May 17 on the National Risk Assessment 2024 – Overview of Strategic Risks.

Building on last year’s National Risk Assessment 2023 – Overview of Strategic Risks exercise, the public’s views are sought on what strategic risks are facing Ireland over the short, medium and long term. The finalised list will span five categories: geopolitical, economic, societal, environmental, and technological risks.

“I encourage all members of the public to have their say to ensure we are considering the right issues, and have the clearest view possible of the potential risks that could impact on our people and our country,” Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

Further information on the public consultation be found via the gov.ie website by searching for consultations. Consultation inputs can be submitted to nra@taoiseach.gov.ie.

Festival at Maynooth University

Maynooth University is to stage its third Arts and Minds Festival – which celebrates Irish and international culture – on May 9-11.

The packed programme includes events for all ages and tastes, starting with a concert version of Antonio Vivaldi’s opera, L’Olimpiade, on Thursday, May 9 in MU’s Aula Maxima.

Irish language and culture feature prominently in the main weekend festival programme and the full programme of events and Eventbrite tickets are available on the MU website.

Neeson tops earnings list

A new ranking has revealed the highest-grossing Irish actors of all time, with Taken star Liam Neeson appearing top, grossing £9.78 billion at the box office for his movies.

The ranking, created by CSGO gambling site CSGOLuck, compiled a list of 79 of the greatest Irish actors of all time, according to multiple sources. Using IMDb Pro, they gathered the global gross box office figures for each movie the actors appeared in. Each movie’s gross box office figures were then summed to provide the total gross figures per actor.

Liam Neeson, originally from Ballymena, who has appeared in 109 movies across his impressive 48-year career, topped the list, grossing £9,781,194,773.85 for movies including Taken, Love Actually and Schindler’s List.

Appearing second is beloved actor Michael Gambon, who was born in the Dublin neighbourhood of Cabra in 1940.

The actor, who sadly passed away in September of last year, grossed a massive £7,217,680,896.75 from the 81 movies he appeared in, which included Layer Cake, The Omen, as well as several of the Harry Potter films.

Dublin-born Domhnall Gleeson ranks as the third highest-grossing Irish actor at £7,065,392,903.90. The Golden Globe nominee has starred alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Rachel McAdams, in the rom-com, About Time.

‘It’s not your dog’s fault, it’s yours’

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has launched a major national awareness campaign to remind dog owners of their responsibilities.

The campaign entitled – ‘It’s not your dog’s fault, it’s yours’ – is aimed at increasing awareness of the harm that out-of-control dogs can do to people and to livestock.

The goal is to change behaviour and to remind owners that they must always have their dog under control.

Said Minister Humphreys: “Being a dog owner is a privilege, but it comes with a lot of responsibilities. We have seen far too many devastating attacks by dogs on people, especially young children, in recent times.”

She said while the majority of dog owners are responsible and do the right thing, “we can all be guilty of thinking our dog wouldn’t hurt a fly”.

“I want this campaign to make people think twice about letting their dog loose and uncontrolled.”

Hair loss grant

Did you know that if you suffer hair loss due to illness, you can get a grant of up to €500 towards the cost of a hairpiece, wig or hair replacement?

The scheme, launched in May 2022 was expected to benefit 2,000 women or men during the first year, but it exceeded expectations with 2,700 grants awarded in the first 12 months.

In just under two years since its launch, more than 6,000 grants have been awarded, with total payments of more than €3 million.

The grant is delivered under the Department of Social Protection’s Treatment Benefit Scheme and covers hair loss resulting from cancer and forms of alopecia.

The amount paid by the department is the full cost of one hair replacement item per calendar year, up to a maximum cost of €500.

It is not, however, available to people who avail of surgical or topical treatments.

Full details on how to qualify are available at gov.ie/treatmentbenefit.