Latest news with #JohnMcGuinness
BreakingNews.ie
20-07-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Woman waiting years for CDNT describes what her child has been put through
A woman whose child was on a Child Disability Network Team (CDNT) waiting list for years has criticised the process she and her child have been put through. Joan O'Shea, from Co Kilkenny, is the parent of a 12-year-old child, who, despite receiving letters from a CDNT, has never met anyone from a disability team. Advertisement This has led to her child being put through the CAMHS process due to the backlogs experienced in CDNT. Speaking to , Ms O'Shea described the struggles her daughter has gone through from an early age. "The minute I brought her home I knew there was something different, but of course, you have to wait. "My process would have started in 2017, I payed myself for an educational assessment to be done on her, and the woman spotted ADHD, everything lit up. Advertisement "That child is now 12, and she has not seen anyone, only Camhs. The only reason we got in with CAMHS was because I got on to John McGuinness in Kilkenny. "I had to fight tooth and nail for everything she is after getting, and we still have not seen anyone in CDNT. All we are getting are letters, we are being moved to another list, to another list, to another list. "They have now moved us from Waterford to Clonmel, she is so long waiting now she is on the adolescence list now and no longer the child's list." Having been through this process before with her oldest child, Ms O'Shea was determined to fight for everything her child could possibly need. Advertisement What her oldest child was put through in the education system showed that change was needed. "My older daughter is 20 and has many of the same issues. If you don't intervene and help, the depression becomes worse, the anger issues becomes worse, the anxiety becomes worse. "My eldest daughter got nothing. I know I have to get my daughter the help she needs or she will end up similar to my eldest daughter, who dropped out of education before she could even do her Junior cert. "My eldest child, even though she had dyslexia and ADHD and other things, was actually called thick by the teacher in her school, who is supposed to be her support network. Advertisement "My eldest child, I put her into counselling, paid for it all myself. While she has not got the best career in the world, turns out she is a brilliant barista, and has got herself a full-time job, and you know what, I can't ask for more than that." Having been on CDNT lists since 2022, and receiving letter after letter of delays. After attending a CDNT meeting in Waterford last year, it became clear the issues the HSE have when it comes to recruitment. "They had some representation from the HSE there. There is no psychologist in place for CDNT, and there hasn't been for a number of years, so I said can we not have the money you're saving paying a psychologist's wages, so we could outsource it privately? Told no, we can't do that. Advertisement "I asked what is taking so long to get a child psychology. She said nobody wants the job. She said we don't understand why nobody wants the job. "I said I know why nobody wants the job, because there is far too many kids. There is too many kids on a waiting list now for one child psychologist. The workload is too much, they are not supported." Now receiving support through CAMHS, having seen her daughter transferred to the Clonmel branch, Ms O'Shea does not hold hope she will ever see the CDNT. "I will probably never see them. My daughter will probably never receive any help from them. "I do have to say, camhs have been excellent. They have a child psychologist that sees my child every three to four months. "The problem with CDNT is they seem to push us towards workshops and self-help. When I brought my child to see the child psychologist in camhs, I couldn't beleive what they could tell me. "For instance, my daughter can hear the electricity going to the socket in the wall. She can hear that. Ireland Over 11,500 children waiting for first contact fro... Read More "We could be sitting in our house, and my daughter can tell me when a car is coming up the start of the lane, which is a good mile and a half away, and you can't see it from the house." "The minute she gets in the car, she turns off the radio. The psychologist explained to me, she is listened to the noise of the tyre of the tarmacadam. The noise of the engine, whatever other noises are going on in the car, and then whatever other noises are going on in the car. "That is something you can't learn in a workshop."
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
TT stars to return for rebranded classic races
A host of road racing stars are set to take to the Mountain Course once again next month for the return of the Classic TT TT race win record holder Michael Dunlop will be competing alongside fellow 2025 TT winners Dean Harrison and Davey Todd, who was also crowned Southern 100 solo champion this will see classic and vintage machinery compete in the Lightweight, Formula 1, Senior and Historic Junior and Senior classes on the 37.7-mile (61km) Isle of Man TT racing in August on the Isle of Man was last run in 2019, but the brand was withdrawn when road racing returned in 2022 following the coronavirus pandemic. At that point, classic racing was brought into the fold of the Manx Grand Prix races, which it had run alongside each year since previously said the change was part of a bid to boost visitor numbers to the island for the late summer notable names due to compete include 23-time TT winner John McGuinness, Southern 100 winners Mike Browne and Rob Hodson, and Manxmen Conor Cummins and Nathan for the MGP begins on 17 August, with Classic TT competitors due to get time on the course three days Classic TT races themselves will be held on 27 and 29 August. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook, external and X, external.
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
`Quango Cull' - almost as many State agencies now as in aftermath of financial crash
The total number of State agencies has almost returned to the peak it reached before a so-called 'quango cull' was announced following the 2008 financial crash, information released by Government departments shows. A 'quango' is typically defined as an organisation to which Government departments have devolved some degree of responsibility, and which are funded by the State. When in opposition in the run-up to the 2011 general election, Fine Gael promised a 'quango cull' and a 'burning of the quangos', believing there to be far too many in the State. There were almost 300 such agencies by the time tough austerity measures were announced in 2010. READ MORE A subsequent 2016 review by Dr Richard Boyle for the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) found a net total of 37 agencies had been abolished in the interim. Although 62 had been shut down in total, 25 new agencies were established over the five-year period. [ Vow to scrap quangos unashamedly populist Opens in new window ] Of the 62 abolished, just 10 ceased to exist entirely. The other 52 were either merged with another organisation or combined to create new bodies. However, newly released information shows at least 33 new quangos will have been created between the end of 2015 and the end of 2025. At least four more – including AirNav Ireland, which provides air traffic management – have directly replaced another agency. In replies to parliamentary questions submitted by Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness , 14 of the 15 Government departments disclosed new quangos established since 2015 (the Department of Health was not in a position to provide the information requested). The information supplied showed a total of 33 have been created, or planned, across the 15 departments, in addition to four that have been renamed or had their role expanded (including Coimisiún na Meán , the broadcasting and online media regulator, and AirNav Ireland). The Department of Justice has established the largest number of new agencies with 10 quangos introduced since 2015. They include Cuan (set up in 2024), the agency that deals with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Other new agencies established under the Justice umbrella include the Independent Examiner of Security Legislation, which reviews the effectiveness of related laws; the Office for Community Safety; the Judicial Council; the Legal Services Regulatory Authority; and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. While the department could not provide information, several large agencies have been established in the health sector. They include Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and the Decision Support Service. Two more – a pandemic and emerging threats agency, and the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority – are proposed by the end of 2025. Other significant agencies created in the past decade include An Coimisiún Toghcháin, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority and Home Building Finance Ireland. Despite its early objection to 'quangos', Fine Gael's post-2011 coalition with Labour saw a more modest reduction, with an estimated 13 per cent of agencies abolished during that government's term in office. Details of more recent agencies were furnished in replies to a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Mr McGuinness who noted that during his time chairing the Public Accounts Committee, it had been difficult to establish how many there were. 'Many of these quangos are getting enormous amounts of money and because they are one step removed from the department, there is not a direct route to audit their finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG),' he said. 'The so-called burning of the quangos never happened. It's hard to see how many of them are adhering to good practices in terms of governance, as they are not subject to the same scrutiny as Government departments. 'We need legislative change to make the C&AG responsible for all those agencies,' he said.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Isle of Man TT fans from Florida marshal after being 'recruited' on ferry
A couple on a "bucket list" trip to the Isle of Man TT from their home in the United States said they ended up marshalling at the event after being "recruited" while on the ferry and Cindy Wilkerson, from Florida, said they could not pass up the opportunity after speaking other volunteers on the crossing from as the orange army, a minimum of 563 volunteers are needed around the 37.7mile (61km) course before any practice or race session can go Wilkerson said: "They were recruiting for marshals and they signed us up, and now we've done five sessions and we're really enjoying it." "You do get a front row to the action but it's also being helpful."Mr Wilkerson said he first heard about the TT about a decade ago watching videos of 23-time TT winner John McGuinness on YouTube and had been keen to see it in person."We've just been watching and watching and watching, so this year here we are," he pair marshalled on the Sulby Straight for their second session, where riders can reach speeds of up to 200mph (321km/h)."It was insane speed. They go by so fast I couldn't even see the numbers on the bikes."The pair, who have been married for more than 30 years, also planned to renew their wedding vows during their Wilkerson said they bought a new ring in Peel and planned to exchange vows at Castle Rushen in Castletown before the end of their stay. But the American couple are not the only motorcycle enthusiasts who have travelled a significant distance to be part of the event. Craig Johnston from Sydney first came to the TT in 2007 for the event's centenary year as a witnessing the action first hand he said he knew he had "to come back and be a marshal".He said he had since made "some great friends" who he had "only met through marshalling". A former motorbike competitor in his homeland himself, he said the Isle of Man TT was "so unique"."The community welcomes you and appreciates you, the racing itself is spectacular," he added. Wolfgang Dohnalek, from Herford in Germany, is on the island marshalling for the third time. He said: "It's so amazing, you meet a lot of friends and we have a good time over here, so I must come back every year."The TT fan said he felt compelled to marshal at the event that gave him "so much", so that he could "give a little bit back"."To be a part of this great family, they call it the orange army, I do it with heart," he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Telegraph
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
‘We're not just nutters on a death wish': The riders taking on the Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT lap record holder Peter Hickman always puts his left leg into his racing leathers first, followed by his right leg. Then he slides on his left boot followed by the right. John McGuinness MBE, 23 times a TT winner, makes a point of mowing his lawn prior to the event and puts a penny in his leathers before every race. 'We're not just nutters on a death wish,' says McGuinness. 'There's a lot of development that has come out of the Isle of Man TT that goes into road bikes, tyres and technology and fuels.' But that is not to say riders aren't aware that the TT is dangerous. Even non-superstitious riders, ordinarily rational men in other areas of their lives, have rituals before a TT race. And especially for accomplished riders such as McGuinness and Hickman, there is a stark awareness that the 37 and three quarter-mile TT course can bite back. This is, after all, a race that takes place on normal public roads, with the necessary accompanying bus shelters, kerb stones, gable ends, telephone boxes, stone walls, primary schools, mature trees, crowded pubs and pre-war semis. Then there is the Manx weather – a micro-climate that can bring, simultaneously, blazing sunshine to one section of the course and torrential rain to another. And that's without the livestock and wildlife getting involved. Cows, horses, sheep, poultry and gulls have all been known to grace the course during races. And it gets stranger: in 2022 a stray football rolled down the ultra-fast St Ninian's section as McGuinness (aka the Morecambe Missile) howled towards the daunting descent of Bray Hill; in 2019 a practice session was delayed because a man at a bend called the Black Dub was wielding an axe at the marshals; and in the mid-1990s, during a race, a truck was backed onto the circuit from a driveway. The driver happened to be the island's Minister of Transport at the time. All part of the appeal And this – yes, even the axeman – is all part of the TT's charm; and it's been this way since the inaugural race in 1907, when Charlie Collier won the single-cylinder class on a Matchless in a time of 4.08.08 hours, at an average lap speed of 38.21mph. Hickman's lap record of 136.358mph is staggering considering a lap involves a number of 20mph hairpins, stretches of road 2,000 feet above sea level and speeds on the longer straights of more than 200mph, as well as around 167 gearchanges. Setting up a machine for the TT is complicated. The Honda team has been preparing Dean Harrison's TT bikes since the start of the year, with two dedicated mechanics on the job. 'You've got to make compromises on the set-up,' says Harrison, from Bradford. 'You can't stop it bottoming out at the bottom of Bray Hill [a dramatic dip after a 190mph plunge] because the suspension would then be too hard everywhere else.' Leading contenders And the pressure is on to go faster still, certainly for the top contenders at this year's TT. All eyes are on 14-times TT winner Hickman and fellow factory BMW rider Davey Todd (who won his first TT last year), three-times TT winner Dean Harrison (factory Honda) and Ulsterman Michael Dunlop (BMW), the most successful TT racer of all time with 29 wins and current torch-bearer of the Dunlop road racing dynasty. There is fresh talent, too. Kiwi newcomer Mitch Rees is tipped to do well and, backed by the Padgett's Milenco team, has the technical know-how behind him to make the grade, Padgett's having put riders on the TT rostrum for six decades. The pressure is uncomfortably intense for Hickman, not least from his team-mate Todd, from North Yorkshire. Hickman, from Lincolnshire, won the Superbike race last year but the Senior – the prestige event of the week – went to Todd after Hickman crashed at the Ginger Hall pub, which was packed with boozing spectators. Risk factors 'Everyone thinks I pushed too hard but I had actually eased off after gaining six seconds on Davey in one sector, which was a massive chunk and I took a lot of risk,' says Hickman. 'There's only so much risk you'll ever get away with so I rolled off a bit earlier into Ginger Hall; I didn't load the front tyre to give it the grip it needed and I slid away.' Hickman walked away from the crash with no more than dusty leathers. Of his team-mate, Todd, being his chief rival, Hickman says: 'Of course I want to beat Davey but at the end of the day if he wins it's still good for the team, so it's all good.' Todd and Hickman are very different riders. Todd is frantic; Hickman is relaxed and smooth. Indeed, Hickman's heart rate at the end of the first Superbike practice session at this year's TT was 90 beats per minute (bpm) – a pulse rate on a par with, or even slightly below, that of anyone else washing the car or running a bath. Even an experienced campaigner like McGuinness is hesitant to place a bet on this year's winner. 'They're all strong, with very different riding styles,' he says. 'I've been watching the onboard videos of Davey [Todd] and Dean [Harrison] and they are impressive. I'm now learning off them and it's interesting to see the different riding styles. There are some corners Dean takes at least a gear higher than I would; Michael is smooth, like a typical road racer, and Todd rides like a short circuit racer.' McGuinness means Todd's riding style is uncommonly aggressive for the bumpy, off-camber public-roads TT course. 200mph – and more 'The racing is changing all the time. Even in my TT career, since the 1990s, speeds through Sulby Straight – where the speed trap is – have increased from 180mph to 185mph, now the top boys are going through there at 200mph. People say 'The bikes are too fast' but they said that when Bob McIntyre broke the 100mph [average speed] record in 1957 on his Gilera.' In fact, the first complaint that the bikes at the TT were too fast for the circuit were made in the press in 1911. Speeds at the TT are still rising but nothing like at the rate of the dramatic increases that took place in the 1920s and 1930s, partly due to improved road surfaces. In 1920 the lap record was 55.62mph (Tommy de la Hay, riding a Sunbeam); by 1938 this had soared to 91mph, set by Harold Daniell on his factory Norton. And Daniell, famously, in bottle-end glasses, was rejected for military service in the Second World War because his eyesight was so poor. Top riders still learning As for the course itself, McGuinness says: 'You can never fully 'know' this place; I'm still learning. We make hundreds of thousands of decisions on each lap in order to line up each corner. The variety of conditions across the course is insane and then there's the strobing – where the sun comes through the trees and blinds you for a split second. 'There is nothing like this place. Nothing can prepare you for staring down Glencrutchery Road [the A2, a main road through Douglas that is also the start/finish straight, brushing the walls of the island's main cemetery] when you're waiting to set off. Nothing compares to the start of the TT and the sense of apprehension. When I watch the newcomers on the grid I can see the fear in their eyes.' Riders at the TT set off one at a time at 10-second intervals, a necessary feature of a race on narrow roads. It is therefore not so much a race between competitors together on the road but against the clock. When a rider reaches the starting grid the chief start line marshal places his hand on the rider's shoulder and releases it when it's time to go. McGuinness says: 'When they get hold of you that's the worst, but as soon as his hand is lifted the pressure is off. That's why I love it when people talk nonsense in my ear on the grid to distract me up until that point.' Absolute concentration is critical during a TT race: a split-second lapse can result in a fatal crash. Harrison thinks of 'nothing else', other than what is in front of him, as does Hickman. But McGuinness, perhaps due to his long experience, sometimes allows his mind to wander. 'When you get to Kirk Michael village there's normally someone having a barbecue so you can smell sausages and burgers and you think, bloody hell, I wish I was having that.'
