A free seminar will be held in Dublin to mark, for the first time in Ireland, International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation and to provide a forum for discussion on work in Ireland and overseas to combat FGM.

The Seminar is being organised by Ireland’s National Plan of Action to Address Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Steering Committee, which Cairde is a part of. 

Agenda:

• 10am Registration, tea and coffee
• 10.15 Welcome and opening address – Her Excellency Mrs Mannete Ramaili, Ambassador of Lesotho 
• 10.30 “FGM in Ireland: work to date” Sioban O’Brien Green, Co-ordinator Migrant Women’s Health Project, AkiDwA
• 10.45 “Ireland and International Obligations” Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director, Amnesty Ireland 
• 11am “FGM/C Abandonment Approaches – what can work and what doesn’t”
• Eileen Morrow, Programmes Coordinator East Africa, World Vision Ireland
• 11.30 “Community Responses to FGM in Ireland” Ifrah Ahmed & Ahmed Gadaf – Somali Community in Ireland 
• 12pm “FGM – an Islamic Response” Asiya Altawash, Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland 
• 12.15 “FGM Legislation” Senator Ivana Bacik, Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin 
• 12.30 “Ending Female Genital Mutilation: A Strategy for the European Union Institutions” Salome Mbugua, National Director, AkiDwA 
• 12.45 Panel Discussion with speakers
• 1.20 Summary and close of seminar – Her Excellency Mrs Mannete Ramaili, Ambassador of Lesotho 
• 1.30 Close

Over 20 people from ethnic minorities in Dublin and various organisations took part in Ethnic Minority Health Forum on Wednesday, the 27^th January 2010.

Summary of EMHF work to date was presented, followed by the group discussion on the focus of EMHF’s work for 2010, cultural appropriateness of the Bereavement Policy in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital and improving Cairde’s website: www.healthfacts.ie.

Community Health Workers positions (Community Employment Scheme)  application is now closed.

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 On Sunday the 10^th of January 2009 Polish community organized an event to collect donations for the prevention and early detection of cancer of young children.

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation for the 18^th time in Poland and the 4^th in Ireland collected money to help the youngest patients in Polish hospitals.

During the Dublin’s event the best musicians performed. In the evening celebrity presenters invited bids on the Great Orchestra’s items:  passes to cinemas and theatres, artwork, the Polish ambassador’s tie and many more! 

Participants could also get advice at information stoles.  Cairde supports initiative and provided information about our services.  www.wospdublin.org

Changes introduced in the new budget:

Health

• Medical card – From April, 2010 medical card holders will pay €0,50 for each item prescribed, but no more then by €10 per month per family.
• Drug payment scheme – From January the monthly threshold has been increased from €100 to €120.
• There are no increases in the statutory charges for Accident & Emergency, day, inpatient and long stay services.

 Social welfare

New social welfare rates can be found here.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the launch of Ireland’s National Action Plan on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). One year on the NationalAction Plan is yet to be formally adopted by any government agency and specific legislation outlawing this form of torture in Ireland is still not  in place. 

 The goals of the National Action Plan are to; firstly, prevent the practice  of FGM in Ireland. Secondly, to provide high quality, appropriate health care and support for women and girls who have undergone FGM. Finally, to contribute to the worldwide campaign to end FGM.  

We estimate that over 2,500 women living in Ireland have undergone the procedure and thousands of children are at risk of this potentially fatal practice, which is a gross violation of their human rights.  

The Irish government must follow through on the recommendations proposed to Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children, and adopt a bill to specifically outlaw the practice in Ireland. Only once this is achieved will these women and children be protected and we can continue our work to promote the abandonment of the practice internationally.  

The Steering Committee is particularly concerned about the gaps between the current United Kingdom legislation, covering Northern Ireland, and our own.  The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 in the UK introduced extraterritoriality, making it an offence, for the first time, for UK nationals or permanent UK residents to carry out FGM abroad, or to aid, abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of FGM abroad, even in countries where the practice is legal. 

Salome Mbugua, Director of AkiDwA says “There is currently no explicit legal protection against FGM in Ireland; neither is there specific legislation to protect a child from being removed from Ireland to have the procedure carried out overseas. These two scenarios need to be catered for together within legislation. We hope that the Minister for Health and Children will get the appropriate support from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Attorney General in urgently progressing this matter.”