The Campaign is chaired by Former Supreme Court Justice Catherine McGuinness. Its board also contains some influential people, including Fergus Finlay of Barnardos and Olivia O’Leary.

The Campaign raises very important issues and more importantly has suggestions to how they should be solved.

This organisation will most likely play a leading role in any referendum campaign on Children’s Rights.

So head along and find out more about the campaign.

More info

• Website: http://www.campaignforchildren.ie
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CampaignforChildren
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/YesForChildren

Wave Change Participants

Over the 12th and 13th of November I spent time in the Cork School Music on the Wave Change  programme from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland which I blogged about here. Over the two days there were speakers, such as Bill Liao and Myles McCorry of Bike Pure.

We also had workshops on online and offline communication as well as some activities to get us thinking and learning about our skills.

There was also a great opportunity to brain storm our ideas and help each other with our projects. A lot was learned during these sessions!

The weekend was extremely enjoyable and the fact that everyone there was there to take part and learn meant that we all took something from the weekend.

This weekend sees the Dublin weekend happens and in Galway on the 21st and 22nd of January.

Check out Wave Change. Wave Change is a new programme being launched by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland for 18-25 year-olds who believe that they have a role to play in building the Ireland we all want to live in and who want to have a stronger voice in society.  The programme provides training, development, seed funding and networking opportunities to help make this a reality.

They are kicking off the programme in November 2011 with Wave Change Weekends in Cork (November 12&13), Dublin (November 26&27) and Galway in mid-January 2012.

If you like what happens at the weekend you can apply to join a group of 30 for a 10 month programme beginning in February 2012. Which will include:

Image via Wikipedia

I got this via email, and for those interested in the UN Human Right Council or Human Rights in Ireland should definitely attend these  meetings. I am going to try and attend the Cork meeting and will try and tweet from it.

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter T.D. and the Minister of State for Disability, Equality and Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch T.D. are inviting members of the public and organisations to take part in public consultation meetings to discuss Ireland’s human rights record as part of the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.

A series of public meetings will be held around the country as follows:

DUBLIN, Monday 16/05/2011, 7-10 pm.
St. Andrew’s Resource Centre, 114 Pearse St., Dublin 2

ATHLONE, Wednesday 18/05/2011, 7-10 pm.
Douglas Hyde theatre, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone

KILKENNY, Friday 20/05/2011, 7-10 pm
The Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle

LIMERICK, Monday 23/05/2011, 7-10 pm
Room 310, Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick

SLIGO, Wednesday 25/05/2011, 7-10 pm
Room A0006, Institute of Technology Sligo, Ash Lane, Sligo

CORK, Friday 27/05/2011, 7-10 pm
Boole 1, University College Cork, College Road, Cork

DUBLIN, Monday 30/05/2011, 7-10 pm
Axis Ballymun Theatre, Main Street, Ballymun, Dublin 9

An interdepartmental working group chaired by the Department of Justice and Equality is preparing Ireland’s National Report on our domestic human rights situation for the United Nations Human Rights Council UPR process. The National Report, which must be submitted to the UN by Monday, 4 July 2011, will be informed by consultation with and submissions from individuals and organisations, and the Department is keen to give the widest possible range of organisations and members of the public the opportunity to make submissions on issues of importance in the area of human rights in Ireland.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is one of the major innovations of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (established in 2006), whereby the domestic human rights records of all 192 UN Member States are reviewed every four years. 48 countries are reviewed each year, starting in 2008, with 16 reviews taking place in each of the thrice yearly UPR Working Group sessions. Ireland’s first review under the UPR process will take place on 6 October 2011.

For more information about the UPR process, guidance on how to prepare a submission and to make a submission, please visit our website, www.upr.ie

They plan to hold a National Citizens Assembly in June following events in n Kilkenny, Cork, Galway, Athlone, Letterkenny and Dublin. I shall be attending the event in Cork.

We The Citizens plans on keeping the pressure on politicians to reform our country for the better and ensure that they keep their promises. It will be an interesting experiment.

Those involved make for quite an impressive list. It will be interesting if they can get ordinary people involved or will it just be political hacks like myself.

Lets see where it goes from here.

Related articles

• Ireland the European Citizen’s Initiative (stephenspillane.com)

Know of more funny posters? Leave a link in comments!

The 2nd constituency in Cork to polled this week after Cork North Central’s poll on Monday for the Irish Times.

The Irish Examiner commissioned a phone survey of 500 voters in Cork South Central. The results are as follows:

• Simon Coveney (FG) 19%;
• Micheál Martin (FF) 18%;
• Ciarán Lynch (Lab) 14%;
• Michael McGrath (FF) 9%;
• Jerry Buttimer (FG) 9%;
• Deirdre Clune (FG) 8%;
• Chris O’Leary (SF) 8%;
• Paula Desmond (Lab) 5%;
• Michael Finn (Ind) 5%;
• Dan Boyle (GP) 3%;
• David McCarthy (Ind) on 2%

A transfer analysis was also done and it shows that the following would be elected:

• Simon Coveny (FG)
• Micheal Martin (FF)
• Ciaran Lynch (Lab)
• Deridre Clune (FG)
• Jerry Buttimer (FG)

Its an interesting result, but I wonder will it pan out that way on friday week?

If Fine Gael are to have a hope of one party government they will need three seats here in Cork South Central. But the last seat will go down to fight, it will be neck and neck between Buttimer or Clune and McGrath, perhaps with the last two candidates being elected without reaching the quota? I have a feeling we will be in for a long count in Cork South Central.

UPDATE: The full report is here

Related articles

• Irish Independent\Milward Brown Poll 16th February (stephenspillane.com)
• Diary of a Canvasser: 3 Nights, 3 Candidates (stephenspillane.com)
• Cork North Central Poll Shows FF in Danger (irishelection.com)

Image via Wikipedia

A crash happened this morning before 10am at Cork Airport. Manx2 Flight NM7100 from Belfast to Cork crashed in fog on its third attempt to land.

6 people have been confirmed dead. 12 people were on board the plane.

The Airport is currently closed. All arriving  flights have been diverted to Shannon, all departing flights have been cancelled. Ryanair’s flights will be operating to and from Shannon.

All travellers are advised to check with their airline before making alternative arrangements.

All road traffic is being diverted away from the Airport causing significant delays on the South Link and other roads.

Air Traffic investigators are on their way to Cork Airport.

*UPDATE 12:30*

The emergency plan has been stood down and bodies are being currently removed from the scene.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

*Update 13:25*

6 survivors of the crash have been taken to Cork University Hospital. 4 are described as being in a serious condition, while 2 others are described as comfortable.

Simon Coveney has confirmed that Fine Gael has cancelled all campaigns today in Cork as a mark of respect. I assume other parties will also suspend campaigns.

*Update 14:20*

Manx2 have issued a statement on their blog.

The aircraft was carrying ten passengers and two crew members – a captain and a co-pilot.  The aircraft involved was a Metro Liner leased from Flightline BCN in Spain.

The aircraft left Belfast City Airport at 07:50am this morning and was due to land in Cork at 09:00am.

Due to weather conditions at Cork Airport the aircraft tried to land twice, and the incident took place on its third approach.

We are working with all relevant authorities to establish what happened.

We would like to express our sincere sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.

The air investigation will be across three jurisdictions involving teams from Ireland, the UK and Spain. The Spanish authorities have been informed as the plane was registered in Spain.

Manx2′s website is currently down. Manx2′s helpline 0044 289 042 7004

A number for Airport information has also been set up 021 4428820

More information as this develops.

*Update 16:10*

The Taoiseach will this afternoon travel to Cork Airport and Cork University Hospital to meet with those involved in the response to this morning’s air tragedy. He will be briefed by the relevant authorities at Cork Airport and Cork University Hospital and will be available to brief the media between 4.30pm and 5.00pm at Cork Airport.

Links:

RTE

Cork Airport

Manx2

Statement from Bishop Paul Colton, Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

More Reaction

• Six killed in plane crash at Cork airport (guardian.co.uk)
• Breaking news: Belfast plane crashes at Cork airport (sluggerotoole.com)
• 6 killed, 6 wounded as plane crashes in Cork fog (sfgate.com)
• Six killed as plane crash lands (mirror.co.uk)
• Six Dead And Six Injured In Cork Plane Crash (news.sky.com)

Today the European Court of Human Rights (not an EU body!) handed down its judgement on the case of ABC v Ireland on the issue of provision of Abortion in Ireland.

As kind of expected the court declared A and B inadmissible as

the existing prohibition on abortion in Ireland struck a fair balance between the right of the first and second applicants to respect of their private lives and the rights invoked on behalf of the unborn.

They also stated that

prohibition in Ireland on abortion for health or well-being reasons was based on the profound moral values of the Irish people in respect of the right to life of the unborn

So the court did take this into account.

The difference in the case of C was that the life of the mother was under threat due to the cancer she was suffering from. As the Irish Constitution allows an abortion in this case, the court ruled

that neither the medical consultation nor litigation options, relied on by the Irish Government, constituted effective and accessible procedures which allowed the third applicant to establish her right to a lawful abortion in Ireland. Moreover, there was no explanation why the existing constitutional right had not been implemented to date.

This is an issue that has been dodged by successive governments since the eight amendment was passed. This will now force the Goverment to amend the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which has had the “chilling” effect on any sort of abortion service in Ireland.

It is interesting as well to see the groups who intervened in this case.

• the Lithuanian Government (one of the applicants being Lithuanian);
• the European Centre for Law and Justice in association with Kathy Sinnott (Member of the European Parliament);
• the Family Research Council (Washington D.C.)
• Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (London); the
• Pro-Life Campaign;
• Doctors for Choice (Ireland)
• British Pregnancy Advisory Service;
• Center for Reproductive Rights
• International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme.

This case has been welcomed by Pro-Choice activist and condemned by Pro-Life activists, which is strange considering all the judgement is doing is telling us to enact our own constitution!

So will we finally get our abortion act?

Full Judgement and ECHR Press Release (PDF’s)

Related articles

• Ireland abortion case condemned (bbc.co.uk)
• European Court Rules Woman’s Human Rights Were Violated in Being Denied Abortion in Ireland (jonathanturley.org)
• “Ireland must enact an abortion law” orders the European Court of Human Rights (sluggerotoole.com)

The Irish Left Review picked up on an EU survey by GlobalIrish.ie on emigrant voting rights. Ireland is the only country in the 20 surveyed to have to voting rights for Diaspora or plans to bring it in. Greece is being forced to bring it in after a ruling by the ECHR. Will an Irish emigrant bring a case to try and force Ireland to change? Shouldn’t we change anyway?

European Country – Vote at national elections?
AUSTRIA – YES
BELGIUM – YES
DENMARK – (YES) but with many restrictions
ESTONIA – YES
FINLAND – YES
FRANCE – YES
GERMANY – YES – but only within countries of Council of Europe
GREECE – NO (subject to change following recent European Court of Human Rights decision)
IRELAND – NO
ITALY – YES
LUXEMBOURG – YES
SPAIN – YES
NETHERLANDS – YES
POLAND – YES
PORTUGAL – YES
ROMANIA – YES
SLOVAKIA – YES
SWEDEN – YES
SWISS – YES
UNITED KINGDOM – YES (Voting right is lost after 15 years abroad – this time limit is being challenged by a Spanish-based UK citizen.)

Being one of the only countries in the EU not to offer this right to its citizens, means we are not treating our emigrants with the respect they deserve.

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• Irish influence in the EU (stephenspillane.com)
• Over 100,000 Irish workers expected to leave country before 2012 (guardian.co.uk)