Health

Michael Conaghan, Lord Mayor of Dublin, started it. Taking his role as first citizen of Dublin seriously, and anxious that Dubliners would have a more enjoyable St Patrick's Day this year than over the last two years, he suggested that off-licences in the capital stay closed until 6pm on the big day. It was a modest request and would have effectively met its objective of giving us a more pleasant atmosphere in the city centre for the festivities. He was supported by a wide variety of groups and, if his request was put to the people, I believe a large majority would have agreed.

On Monday 18 November 2002 Ivor Callely, the Minister for State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for old people's issues, spoke at the launch of a report on what was called "Elder Abuse". He said it was a "momentous" day for the older people of the country. They were being given a blueprint to deal with "the scourge" of elder abuse. He said abuse could come in many ways, physical, psychological and financial.

Protection for mentally ill patients who are admitted to psychiatric hospitals against their will is still unavailable because of a dispute with consultant psychiatrists about resources.

Dublin's Pearse House council flats, on Pearse St, have finally had sinks installed in the bathrooms, 60-odd years after they were built.

In his previous employment as a pathologist in Northern Ireland, the Republic's new Assistant State Pathologist was cleared of serious professional misconduct after he gave x-rays only a "cursory glance". His behaviour was described as"unprofessional", Emma Browne reports

Repeatedly, the Inspector of Mental Hospitals has described conditions in some hospitals as "intolerable", "deplorable" and a "blot on the Health Services" By Vincent Browne

Brendan Corish, a revered leader of the Labour Party, was the first to allow older people to be deprived of their medical cards, writes Vincent Browne

Remand centres are being used to deal with children who have behavioural problems because there is nowhere else to put them

The AIDS virus is now being passed around among Irish people and the disease is following a pattern similar to that followed in other countries. MARK BRENNOCK reports.

In the last issue of Magill, we highlighted the case of Marie Flannery, a young woman in her early thirties who was on the waiting list for an urgent heart operation for sixteen months. We said that cutbacks were making the health service dangerous. Five days later Marie Flannery died of a heart attack. Mary Jane O'Brien reports.