Mental Health Services not geared towards needs of teenagers with mental health problems.

A study by Headstrong, the national centre for youth mental health, indicates that young people who approach mental health services face obstacles such as, among other issues, long waiting list and high costs and are unable to get help outside school hours. Professionals and youth leaders report that the services are focused on children or adults but not adolescents. The young people who do engage with the services feel there is a lack of choice of interventions available and an over-reliance on medication. Click here for Irish Times report of 26th March. Click here to link to the Headstrong Web page which links to the report. The report is entitled "Somewhere to Turn to, Someone to Talk to."

Easter Opening Hours

Mountjoy Square will operate the following hours during the Easter two week period:

The library will close at 1pm on Thursday 9th of April and will reopen at 9.30am on Wednesday 15th of April.

Term time opening hours will apply during the rest of this period:

Monday - Thursday
9:30 - 21:30

Friday 9:30 - 17:15

Saturday 10:00 -17:00

Let Children be Active Citizens

An article by Pat Dolan in the Irish Times Opinion Page of 4th March 2009 argues that it is time to start valuing children for what they can contribute to civic society now and not think or speak of them as having value "into the future". It asserts that childen have a proven capacity to be active in the community by being supportive to others and in doing so they benefit themselves in terms of improved self esteem and coping capacity. Click here to view article.

Gender Stereotyping causes Pay Gap in Ireland

A European Commission Report entitled Equality between Men and W0men - 2009 found that the difference between average hourly pay for women and men in Ireland was 17.1 per cent in 2007. This was slightly below the EU average pay gap at 17.4 per cent. The pay gap means that Irish women are likely, in the longer term, to have inferior pensions. Also almost one third of Irish women (31 per cent) work part-time, four times higher than men. This may reflect a woman's own choice but the report indicates that a substantial number of women in Europe are obliged not to work or work part-time because of their family responsibilities. Click here to see Irish Times article on 4th March 2009.