Ireland's Eye: What's going on in the old sod

"We recently received a letter from the Health Service Executive (HSE) informing us that the occupational therapist (OT) was currently out sick and would then be commencing maternity leave. The letter said that Daniel would be seen in due course," Louise explained.

"We thought this meant we would be waiting about six months but we've recently found out that the waiting list is three years. I rang the OT manager in Tullamore and he told me that he usually has six OTs for the Laois/Offaly area, but now due to the HSE recruitment embargo he now only has four.

"Daniel will be 9 1/2-years-old, by the time he will be seen. By then he will have serious problems with his muscles, his learning ability and his temper, as he gets very frustrated."

"Daniel has ambitions to be a teacher, but without OT and social skills won't be able to stand up in front of a class. He has the potential to be a teacher, but needs help to get there."

When Daniel suffered a concussion after throwing himself off the couch at 11 months old, Anthony and Louise knew something wasn't right. At two years old, Daniel climbed up a free standing wardrobe which fell on top of him, but he wasn't seriously injured in the fall.

Louise explains, "We started bringing him to our GP, but he just said it was the terrible twos and that he needed more socialization now that his older brother, Dylan was in school."

But Anthony and Louise instinctively knew that there was something wrong with Daniel.

Louise sought a second opinion. "Without even seeing Daniel, the doctor said it sounded like dyspraxia,” she said.
- Leinster Express

Unemployment drop

The numbers of people signing on in Sligo have fallen for the second month in a row, but the level of unemployment locally remains at a record level.

There were 5,149 people in the county on the live register at the end of October. That is down by 119 on the September figure.

The level of reduction in Sligo of people claiming various types of unemployment assistance is roughly in line with the national situation. There has been a drop of 12,864 on the September total, bringing the national live register figure to 429,553.

Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív said the fall "is a very welcome development,” and pointed out that the October figure is the lowest monthly total since December 2009.

He pointed out that the live register includes those who have employment albeit on a part time basis, and receive a payment from his department for part of the week.

However, while the Sligo figure is now down by 796 since August and is roughly what it was this time last year, the number of people unemployed locally is still at an historically high level.

While in more recent times larger numbers of women than men have been signing on, males still make up the biggest numbers of those unemployed at 3,365 to 1,784 females.
- Sligo Weekender

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Nster.com