News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

During the school year, Isabelle stays in an Enable Ireland house on Wednesday nights to try and reduce the impact on her condition of traveling from Carrigaholt to St Clare’s in Ennis. The same taxi collects a second pupil with ASD from Moyasta, while it is understood yet another pupil is picked up along the way to Ennis.Isabelle’s father, Pat Gavin has hit out at the cost of transporting students from West Clare to Ennis and feels this money would be far better spent in providing a fully resourced special needs unit in Kilkee, which would mean teenagers with special needs would have the option of attending a local secondary school.

A Department of Education spokesman said in the context of post-primary provision in County Clare, the National Council for Special Education has had further discussions with a post-primary school with a view to establishing a special class and the local special needs organizer in the area will continue to progress the issue. However, he said, “A special class will not be established before September 2011”.St Joseph’s Community College, Kilkee principal, Theresa O’Donnellan said the Department of Education has not been in touch with her regarding the provision of a special needs unit in Kilkee.

“The SENO has engaged with us in Kilkee regarding the possibility of setting up a special needs unit in Kilkee,” she said.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

County Cork is the fastest growing county in Ireland, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which reported a 10.3 per cent population growth in the preliminary Census 2011 figures released last week.

With an increase of 37,339 people, compared to 2006, there was a total of 399,216 people in Cork County on the evening of the Census in April.

Meanwhile, there was an overall population increase of 7.7 per cent in Cork, with the city and county combined.

There was a combined population of 481,295 in 2006, which increased to 518,128 this year. This represents 256,970 males and 261,158 females in the entire county.

The figures revealed a 0.4 per cent drop in population in Cork city, however, from 119,418 in 2006 to 118,912. This represents a population of 58,653 males and 60,259 females in the city.

According to the CSO, County Cork experienced negative net migration and a relatively low natural increase in population, with the factors responsible for these trends including the relatively low level of new housing and an ageing population.

The Blackrock-based statistics authority compared the year’s high figures of 518,128 with those of previous years in Cork, such as 365,747 people in 1926, 330,443 people in 1961 and 420,510 people in 1996.

The most populated constituency is Cork South Central with 134,992 people, up from 129,379 in 2006.
There are 113,954 people in Cork East, 104,846 in Cork North Central, 81,521 in Cork North West and 82,815 in Cork South West.
Source: (Cork Independent)

Derry

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Nster.com