Hospital apologies from UHL management have ‘come too late’

Ennis Municipal District invites individuals, groups, clubs and societies from across Clare to participate in the 2023 Ennis St. Patrick’s Day parade. We would love for our regular participants to showcase their talents again this year and would really encourage new groups and individuals to take the plunge, submit an entry and get in on the fun.

The Mayor of Ennis, Cllr. Clare Colleran-Molloy commented “The St. Patrick’s Day parade is a wonderful event where people from all over Clare unite, from the world of sports and the arts in addition to our many community groups to celebrate our Irish culture. I would like to thank all the other agencies, who work alongside Ennis Municipal District to co-ordinate this event”.

The theme this year is ‘Communities in Action’ with prizes to be secured under the following categories;

• best visual spectacle (€250)

• best musical entrant (€250)

• most environmentally aware entrant (€250)

• best interpretation of theme (€250)

• In addition, the overall winner will walk away with €500.

We are appealing to all entrants to get creative this year, make an impact!

The application form is available at https://www.clarecoco.ie/news/notices/st-patrick-sday-in-ennis-2023.html or a hard copy can be requested by contacting ennisparades@ clarecoco.ie

All application forms must be completed and returned on or before Thursday 16th February, 2023 to the St. Patrick’s Day 2023 Organising Committee, Municipal District of Ennis, Clare County Council, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare or by e-mail. Please email the address above if you have any queries.

AMENDMENTS have been sought to a Fine Gael motion which is due to be debated in the Seanad, writes Páraic McMahon

A group of Fine Gael Senators including Clare’s Martin Conway have submitted a motion on University Hospital Limerick to the Seanad that is debated this week. His party colleagues, Maria Byrne, Garret Ahearn , Paddy Burke, Micheal Carrigy, John Cummins, Emer Currie, Regina Doherty, Aisling Dolan, Seán Kune, Tim Lombard, John McGahon, Joe O'Reilly, Mary Seery

Kearney and Barry Ward have also put their names to it.

They welcomed an apology from UL Hospitals Group CEO, Colette Cowan and management for the “stress caused to patients, their families and staff” at UHL while also praising the MAU pathway in place at Ennis Hospital.

Fine Gael’s Senators have requested that the protocols be extended at Ennis, St John’s and Nenagh be extended to “further alleviate the pressure at UHL ED and to fast-track the proposed second and third 96 bed blocks to address capacity issues”.

Their motion also asks for the decision not to provide an elective hospital in the Mid-West to be revisited and for the start date of the proposed surgical clinic for Limerick City to be accelerated plus the relocating of the ShannonDoc at the UHL campus.

Members of the Mid-West Hospital Campaign have requested the Senators to amend the motion, firstly to recognise that the apologies from UHL management came too “late in the day for many families”.

Health activists also wish to see the motion include a request for a model three hospital in the Mid-West and for additional resources “to ensure the changes to the ambulance protocol at Ennis will be capable of delivering a significant impact. Extending this change in protocol to Nenagh and St John’s without adequate resources will not deliver the desired outcome”.