February 2014 Council Meeting
ITEM RAISED UNDER CORRESPONDENCE By Cllr Sinead Guckian: 100th Anniversary of Cumann Na mBan
At the February meeting of Leitrim County Council, under the item of correspondence, I highlighted my surprise that there was no correspondence from any Government Department with regard to any plans to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Cumann na mBan. .
“With less than two months until the Anniversary” I raised my concern over “the lack of engagement by the government on how this anniversary is to be marked by the state”.
“There is a lack of recognition by the state of the role of women in Irish Life and in the struggle for Independence. The fact that currently there is no plan by the government to honour the 100th anniversary of the founding of Cumann Na mBan in the same way as the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Irish Volunteers is a continuation of the lack of recognition.”
“With much of the work and activities of the Cumann na mBan women having been forgotten or overlooked, 2014 provides an opportune moment to highlight the contributions of Irish women to the Independence struggle”, therefore I called on the support of elected members to mark this anniversary in our county.
“There are very few public buildings, bridges, parks or roads named after women and women’s organisations in the state. This is a short coming of Irish society given the vital role of women in our country and in our county”.
I proposed that the Council consider marking the 100th Anniversary in Leitrim by naming, a currently unnamed public building, road, bridge or park after Cumann Na mBan or a member of Cumann Na mBan most relevant to our county.
I welcomed the agreement of members to request our SPC committee to investigate and recommend an appropriate structure within the County for renaming, and I also welcomed the support of all my elected colleagues in marking this important anniversary in Leitrim.
“It is fitting and appropriate that the Council recognise the role of women in Irish life and those women of Cumann Na mBan who played such a vital role in the struggle for independence”.
BRIEF HISTORY OF CUMANN NA MBAN
Cumann Na mBan was founded in Wynn hotel on the 2nd of April 1914. Cumann Na mBan played a key role in the 1916 Rising, the majority of the women worked as Red Cross workers, were couriers, or procured rations for the men. Members of Cumann Na mBan also gathered intelligence on scouting expeditions, carried despatches and transferred arms from dumps across the city to Volunteer strongholds.
Other Cumann Na mBan members like Constance Markievicz for example fought alongside the Irish Volunteers and the citizen’s army during the opening phase of the hostilities. Another member of Cumann Na mBan Helena Moloney was among those who attacked Dublin Castle.
A number of Cumann Na mBan members died in the Rising, including volunteer Margaretta Keogh who was shot dead outside the South Dublin Union.
Revitalised after the Rising and led by Countess Markievicz, Cumann na mBan took a leading role in popularising the memory of the 1916 leaders, organising prisoner relief agencies and later in opposing conscription, and canvassing in the 1918 general election, in which Countess Markievicz was elected TD. Jailed at the time, she became the Minister for Labour of the in the first Dáil Cumann Na mBan members were critical to the success of the War of Independence. They hid arms and provided safe houses for volunteers, helped run the Dáil Courts and indeed were central to the running of local authorities.
In the Irish elections of May 1921, Markievicz was joined by fellow Cumann Na mBan members Mary MacSwiney, Dr. Ada English and Kathleen Clarke as Teachtaí Dála.
Motion for February meeting of Leitrim County Council in the name of Cllr Sinead Guckian
:-At the February meeting of Leitrim County Council, I will ask for the support of the members in calling on the Minister for Primary Care, Alex White TD and the Minister for Health Dr James Reilly TD, to immediately take steps to address the waiting lists in the HSE for Occupational Therapy. Children with development delays, who have been assessed and require the aid of an occupational therapist, can have to wait, up to twelve months, to receive their treatment. It is extremely frustrating for parents to wait for such long periods when they can see how the delay in treatment is having long term effects on their children.
Speaking at the meeting Cllr Guckian advised that it was her understanding that, nationally, thousands of children with behavioural problems and developmental delays are waiting, some, more than a year, to see specialists and receive their required treatment. These children’s conditions, according to the HSE own reports, vary from conditions effecting basic functionality such as walking. to those who have conditions such as autism.
Cllr Guckian advised that it is extremely frustrating for parents to wait for such a long time and to have to watch and live with the effects on their children, because of the delays in treatment and the size of the waiting lists. “A year is a long time in a child’s life, losing twelve months of their development at any age has a huge impact and effect on children, in the short term and in the long term. Their lives and their families’ lives are put ‘on hold’. These delays result in children, particularly those in school, often being ill-equipped or unable to cope in their environment”.
“I’ve been advised by the HSE that waiting lists for Occupational therapists are currently been managed on a priority basis and I understand that they have to manage the resources available to them but surely all Children requiring treatment should be a priority”.
Cllr Guckian welcomed the support of all members of the Council for her motion calling on the Ministers to address this issue and she asked that Government party Councillors would lobby their senior TD’s too, to have this matter addressed urgently.
Question in the name of Cllr Sinead Guckian at the February 2014 meeting of Leitrim County Council.
At the February meeting of Leitrim County Council, I ask the South Leitrim Area Engineer to carry out immediate repairs to the footpath in Belmount, Drumsna, particularly the section in front of Farrell’s to O’Dowd’s houses which is in a terrible state of disrepair. Last year following my question, (No.44 08/04/2013) I was advised that the footpath would be inspected and the necessary repairs, if required, would be carried out in conjunction with other works later in the year. To date no work has been carried out and this footpath is in a dangerous state.
Reply Received: - This matter will be the subject of consideration at the forthcoming Road Works meetings.
Councillor Sinead Guckian welcomed the reply and requested that this matter would be given priority at the roads work meeting – 03/02/2014
Question in the name of Cllr Sinead Guckian at the February 2014 meeting of Leitrim County Council.
At the February meeting of Leitrim County Council, I ask the South Leitrim Area Engineer to carry out immediate repairs to the Effrinagh roads, L7434-0 Ardloughter to Lisdromarea and LT -74351-0 towards Lisduff. Sections of these roads have been severely damaged during the winter months and there are a number of large potholes.
Reply Received: - Routine maintenance will be undertaken as required.
Councillor Sinead Guckian welcomed the reply.
