Purpose of Meeting: Update re Bed Closures and the impact of reduction in services to our population in Dungloe Hospital, and ways for the people to continue to help to maintain the status of our local Community Hospital.
A further public meeting shall be held on Thursday 7th July 2011 at 7.30pm in Ionad Teampall Chróine, Chapel Road, Dungloe, Co. Donegal.
All politicians and public representatives have been invited to this meeting. Please inform all your neighbours, friends, and especially relatives of our population who may need the services of our community hospital in the future of this important meeting.
If we do not act, our people will have no alternative as to where they shall be put, so where will our people go? Where will our Islander’s go? This is our last chance to make an impact for our people, and it may be our last chance to keep our local hospital in Dungloe for our people.
We welcome people from all the catchment areas of our Dungloe Community Hospital to this very important meeting. This meeting is important for our older people who have “ no voice, no choice, and no fair deal “ at the present time.
Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images
A NEW BILL that will be put forward by the government will see Gaeltacht areas in Ireland identified by how much the Irish language is used instead of geographical location.
The Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs Dinny McGinley also said yesterday that Údarás na Gaeltachta is to retain its statutory functions but with more ministerial input into its functions.
He was outlining the government’s plans to implement the 20-year strategy for the Irish language in a new bill to be prepared later this year.
The Irish Examiner reports that the new plans to change the identification of Gaeltacht areas will be determined by the use of the language.
At least two-thirds of the district’s population must now be shown by census data to be daily speakers of Irish.
Other determining factors will include the use of the language in the area’s social and institutional domains such as sports clubs and schools.
McGinley said the future of Údarás is secure but that the board will be reconstituted and reduced with elected members replaced by State and local authority appointees to save an estimated half-a-million euro, according to the Irish Times.
Details of how a mechanism to facilitate the co-operation between Údarás and non-Gaeltacht enterprise agencies with regard to “significant projects with high potential” will also be revealed when the legislation is introduced later this year.
The Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht will retain primary responsibility for the Irish language in and outside Gaeltacht areas. Meanwhile Foras na Gaeilge will contune its role as the agency of the North South Language Implementation Body, the Irish Times adds.