Motor Neuron Disease Research will be one of the benefitting charities from an event that will see political household names like Pearse Doherty, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Colm Keaveney, Averil Power, Marie Louise O’Donnell and many others hitting the catwalk as ‘models’ next Tuesday night, 27th November, at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin. The other benefitting charities, from the fashion show will be, Action Prostate Cancer Research and Br. Kevin Crowley’s Capuchin Day Centre for the homeless in Dublin city centre.
Longford/Westmeath Fine Gael TD, Nicky McFadden was diagnosed with motor neuron disease earlier this summer, and is organising the fashion show with Minister Jimmy Deenihan and stylist, Marietta Doran. Many of Ireland’s fashion designers including Philip Treacy and John Rocha will be showcasing their collections on the night. Joining the politicians and models on the catwalk will be RTE’s rugby analyst, Brent Pope, Dublin footballer, Alan Brogan, GAA All Star and Paul Galvin.
Tickets for this Oireachtas Christmas Charity Fundraiser are currently available from the Shelbourne Hotel, and from Bernadette in Minister Deenihan’s office, at Dail Eireann, at a cost of €60 per ticket.

United Left Alliance TD, Clare Daly told irishsmokefill that she intends to re-enter plans to legislate on the ‘x case’, this week.

She is moving the plan following the tragic death of a pregnant woman early in November.

Deputy Daly previously put forward a private members bill in April 2012, alongside colleagues, Joan Collins and Mick Wallace, and it was rejected then by 109 votes to 20.  Twenty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that a woman should be allowed an abortion in Ireland in the event of a mother’s life being in danger. However this was never followed up by government legislation.

“If the government don’t act in the next week or two, we’ll push the button ourselves,” said the ULA politician.  “Opinion is shifting now, and the last time we brought up the private members bill, Labour said they would support it, but were waiting for the expert group to come back.  Some Fine Gaelers spoke against it, and some are now reconsidering it.  I think it’s necessary to have this.”

Fianna Fail abstained in the April vote and Sinn Fein voted with it.

The Dublin North TD said that there is too much uncertainty, and that there has to be legal protection.

“I hope the government will act, but I’m not hopeful that they will, so the onus will be on ordinary citizens, who have been outraged on this, to keep up the pressure,” said Deputy Daly.

Also, Sinn Fein is putting forward a Private Members bill, calling for legislation on the x case.  Voting is expected on Wednesday night, 21/11/2012. 

“Some of the €64 billion that is going into the banks is private debt, and some is sovereign, and some of that could be used to help community services that need support, including the homeless,” said Athlone’s Cllr. Paul Hogan, who took part in a Simon Community sleep-in on a damp November night.

“Homelessness is a big problem in the midlands, and the Simon housing unit is packed to capacity, and a soup kitchen opened in Athlone last week, and there is a demand for it,” said the Sinn Fein councillor, who took part in the Kilmartin roundabout sleep-in.  “I volunteer in the local youth cafe, and there were some young men under 21 years of age there, who found themselves homeless.”

Cllr. Hogan who at age 24, in 2007, was Ireland’s youngest mayor, said that politicians should take lead roles in working to resource and fund Simon.  He said politicians should be out on the street, helping people in distress.

“It’s great to see Mayor Jim Henson here tonight, but the problem is there are not enough of us working to help people with all of our might,” said the Sinn Fein councillor.  “Politicians pay should be cut, and high earners should have their wages capped at €100,000.  Those are the type of people who need to take the hit.”

Athlone town’s mayor, Jim Henson became homeless and spent approx 12 hours of a November night at the Kilmartin’s roundabout shopping complex.  He was supporting the local Simon Community, and mingled with the many volunteers who also showed solidarity with the homeless community, on the damp and soaking night.

“It’s a very sad reflection on society that we came from such a boom, and still there are homeless people, and more and more people are susceptible to homelessness,” said Mayor Henson, who is a member of the Labour party.

The Mayor agreed that the government could do more to help the homeless and said that the problem is not necessarily on the surface, and that homeless people are not always out sleeping in a cardboard box.

“Everyone has a basic right to shelter and a standard of living, and this is still a country with a wealth, although not huge wealth,” said the Athlone Mayor.  “But there should be a bottom line, where we don’t go beyond that line, and before we pay anybody back we should look after our own first,” said the Athlone Mayor.