December 2009
The Citizens Information Service and the Disability Advocacy Project in Mayo recently co-hosted a conference 'THE PLACE FOR INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY' in Westport. Despite the inclement weather, over 100 delegates travelled from around the country to hear Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly give the key note address. Ms. O'Reilly challenged advocates working with people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups to "become the change they wished to see in the world".
Other speakers included Dr. Mark Garavan, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Eileen Fitzgerald, Citizens Information Board (CIB) and Michael Corbett, Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) who called for an end to the "infrastructure of segregation" around people with disabilities. Clare O'Neill the Mayo Disability Advocate spoke of the challenges of promoting advocacy among service providers. Other contributors included Pat Coffey, Access and Equality Officer with Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown County Council and Andrew Fagan, Inspector Manager with the Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA) both of whom gave an overview of their statutory responsibilities.
Pictured l-r; Linda Gilroy, CIB, Dr. Michael Reynolds, Mayo CIS, Tomas Lally, DM Mayo CIS, Emily O'Reilly, Ombudsman, Declan Turnbull, Chair Mayo CIS, Eileen Fitzgerald, CIB, Clare O'Neill, Mayo Disability Advocate, Marty Kerrane, CIB.
Pictured front l-r; Donal Toolan, Conference Chair, Clare O'Neill, Mayo Disability Advocate, Michael Corbett, DFI, Emily O'Reilly, Ombudsman, Eileen Fitzgerald, CIB. Back l-r; Myles Staunton, Cathairleach Westport UDC, Linda Gilroy, CIB, Dr. Michael Reynolds, Mayo CIS, Pat Coffey, Access Officer Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Co. Council, Declan Turnbull, Chair Mayo CIS, Tomas Lally, DM Mayo CIS, Dr. Mark Garavan, GMIT, Marty Kerrane, CIB, Andrew Fagan, HIQA.
Pictured; Emily O'Reilly, Ombudsman delivers her key note speech.
