www.limerickpost.ie 24 | Saturday 29 November 2014 News Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @limerickpost FUNDRAISING IN BRIEF Cliona’s legacy helps 200 families with sick children Postcode roll-out by Brian McLaughlin [email protected] WHEN people talk about sick children, they usually refer to their illness and rarely concentrate on who the child actually is. That’s the view of Allison McNamara, newly-appointed marketing and fundraising manager of Cliona’s Foundation, the national charity that supports families with critically ill children with their non- medical expenses. Founded in 2007 by Limerick couple Brendan and Terry Ring in honour of their daughter Cliona, who died of an inoperable brain tumour, the foundation has raised €500,000, supporting more than 200 families with critically ill children. Referring to Allison appointment as a major milestone for Cliona’s Foundation, Brendan Ring said it would help deliver on their ambitious business development plans and ensure it is a strong, dynamic and high-performing charity. The young Limerick woman brings more than 14 years’ experience in the non-profit sector to her new role, having worked with as marketing manager with Bothar for ten years. Allison told the Limerick Post that the scope of work carried out by Cliona’s Foundation is one of a kind. “While many charities focus on children’s illnesses and their welfare, Cliona’s Foundation uniquely provides financial help with non- medical costs. These can amount to significant sums as Brendan and Terry know very well. “Over the years as their daughter Cliona underwent numerous hospital Farmers meet ^ THE Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) will hold its AGM at the South Court Hotel on Friday November 28, when the line-up of speakers will include ICMSA president John Comer, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and Bruce Ross, global marketing director of the Irish Dairy Board. A large attendance of delegates is expected from around the country to hear what experts estimate will be the short- and medium-term prospects for milk price after quotas are abolished next April. For more details call 061-314677 or email info@ icmsa.ie. Cliona Ring, who died from a brain tumour and whose memory is perpetuated by the Cliona Foundation treatments for her brain tumour, they were struck by the number of families facing enormous financial hardship. “Blind-sided by all the non-medical expenses associated with a sick child, they saw at first hand the additional stress it took on families already struggling with the nightmare of having a seriously ill child. Following Cliona’s death, they turned their tragedy into positive action and started fundraising to help those less fortunate families,” she explained. Cliona’s Foundation currently has 16 families waiting for funding and “” While many charities focus on children’s illnesses and their welfare, Cliona’s Foundation uniquely provides financial help with non-medical costs. ALLISON MCNAMARA CLIONA’S FOUNDATION is dealing with at least two new applications for funding a week. To support these families, €50,000 is needed between now and Christmas. The foundation is asking its supporters to donate €2 by texting CLIONA to 50300 and is encouraging parents to post pictures of their children to Facebook and Twitter in celebration of “how amazing they are”. Donations to Cliona’s Foundation can be made at www. clionasfoundation.ie or by calling 1800 90 10 90. LIMERICK PRISON Minister orders report into prison visit leak by Kathy Masterson [email protected] JUSTICE Minister Frances Fitzgerald is seeking a full report from the Irish Prison Service into how a journalist was made aware of a Fianna Fáil TD’s private visit to an inmate at Limerick Prison. Galway TD Éamon Ó Cuív said that the day after he visited Limerick Prison on October 30, he was contacted by a journalist “who had very detailed information about the visit that could only have come from within the Irish Prison Service”. “I understand that such leaking is not an uncommon occurrence. What will the Minister do to stop this activity, which is totally in breach of regulations?” demanded Deputy Ó Cuív. Minister Fitzgerald said she regarded the divulging of information regarding prisoners’ private affairs “as a very ^ THE roll-out of the National Postcodes System (Eircode) will bring significant benefits to consumers, businesses and rural communities while improving the delivery of public services, including emergency services, according to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications last week, Department officials said they were confident that the Eircode system would bring benefits including more accurate delivery to addresses which are ‘non-unique’, make it easier for people to shop online and allow companies to better identify customers awaiting deliveries. It will also make it quicker and easier for emergency services to locate addresses, particularly in rural area “” We do not in any way condone the leaking of this kind of private information about somebody who is a prisoner. FRANCES FITZGERALD MINISTER FOR JUSTICE serious matter and one that will not be tolerated”. She added that any member of the Prison Service who divulges information to a third party “is not only contravening policy, but is also contravening the law”. The Minister added that she had discussed the matter with the director general of the Irish Prison Service and has sought a full report from him “on the circumstances surrounding this specific matter”. “There is an official way to give information from the Irish Prison Service and this is the way it should be done if information needs to be made public. The Deputy is saying that it was not done in this instance. It would be appropriate for me in the first instance to get a report from the director and see what further action is necessary at that point. “The Deputy is entitled to privacy if he is making a visit to a prison. We do not in any way, and never would, condone the leaking of this kind of private information about somebody who is a prisoner,” she said. She also told Deputy Ó Cuív that it was “open to him” to make an official complaint to An Garda Síochána. “That option is open to him if he believes there has been a breach of the Act. Obviously it should be reported to An Garda Síochána, and I would assume the Deputy would do that, given that he was affected by it. “Depending on the content of the report, and taking account of what the Deputy said in his letter to me, clearly legal advice will also be sought by the Irish Prison Service in respect of further action,” Ms Fitzgerald concluded. Goal mile ^ LIMERICK people are being urged to organise a GOAL Mile in their area this Christmas as part of the aid agency’s bid to draw attention to some of the many humanitarian crises that they are currently responding to across the developing world. GOAL is currently responding to the ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, where it will soon be managing a treatment centre for ebola patients in the west of the country. GOAL is currently situated in 14 countries worldwide. People who are interested in organising a GOAL Mile in their area should email Alan at [email protected]. Social inclusion ^ LABOUR councillor for City East Elena Secas insists that social inclusion clauses in work contracts for the various projects underway in the regeneration areas must be respected. Cllr Secas said it is vital that social clauses are fully respected and implemented and she is urging the Council to make greater efforts in ensuring that this is done. “If done correctly, there are social dividends to the wider community at all stages of regeneration projects. Social clauses are a proven way of addressing social issues – and they can also work here to help tackle our long- term unemployment,” she added. Emergency landing ^ A BRITISH Airways passenger jet this week made two emergency landings at Shannon Airport in the space of three days. The Boeing 777 plane was en route from Seattle to Heathrow Airport on Sunday when it diverted to Shannon after experiencing technical problems over the Atlantic Ocean. There were 220 passengers and crew on board the flight and emergency services were standing by when it touched down safely at Shannon Airport. On Friday night, the same jet, operating as flight BAW-215 from London Heathrow to Boston, turned around over the Atlantic and also diverted to Shannon due to a generator fault.