Press Release – Green Party calls on HSE to fund autism services for Castleknock Educate Together National School

06/03/08

Green Party Dublin 15 representative, Roderic O’Gorman has called on the Health Services Executive to make funding available to supply autism outreach services in Castleknock Educate Together National School.

“After having discussed the problems being encountered in opening the special autism unit with the school management, I’ve written to the HSE to urge it to make resources available to Beechpark Services, which supplies outreach multi-disciplinary services dealing with autism, to Castleknock Educate Together. At my request, Minister Eamon Ryan has joined me in making these representations”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

“It’s deeply frustrating that this newly opened school, which has a purpose built unit for autistic children, has been unable to operate this unit because the various health support services that these children require have not yet been made available through Beechpark. The school Board of Management has been faced with a difficult choice, but I understand the position that they have taken as these children have more than purely educational needs. As such, it is vital that specialist services are supplied at the same time as the educational services”.

“I would hope that in light of the obvious need for these services by children in the Dublin 15 area, the HSE will swiftly make the necessary funding available to Beechpark Services, which will in turn enable Castleknock ETNS to finally open its autism unit”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

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Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

Press Release – O’Gorman welcomes independent body to end pharmacy dispute

22/02/08

Dublin 15 Green Party representative, Roderic O’Gorman has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Health that an independent body has been established to help end the dispute between community pharmacies and the HSE

“Since the dispute between the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) and the HSE began I have been contacted by medical card holders who are concerned that the conflict may see their pharmacy services being withdrawn. I am delighted to see that the Minister for Health has created an independent body, chaired by the former head of the IDA, Sean Dorgan, to work out a fair scheme whereby community pharmacies are paid a fair fee for dispencing medicines to medical card holders”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

The independent committee is made up of the former head of the IDA Sean Dorgan, Mary O’Dea, the Consumer Director at the Financial Regulation and Mark Moran who is the chair of the ESB. It is due to report back to the Minister by the end of May.

“I would hope that the intervention of this new independent group will quickly bring an end to this dispute and ensure there is no threat to the availability of prescription medicines to medical card holders”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

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Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777
rodericogorman@gmail.com