The end of the road…
It has been a long year of highs and lows, and though I am gutted that I did not get elected to the Dún Laoghaire County Council in this local election, and though I am concerned with some of the local and national trends coming out of the elections, I
Thursday evening marked a really big milestone for me, having my first public meeting as an independent candidate.
It hasn’t been an easy week (it’s not every day you find yourself in the middle of a national media storm), and I was very nervous (and a little bit worried) about
I am not a politician, I never really wanted to be one, and I don't particularly want a "future in politics".
What I am, is a mother, an immigrant, a small-business owner, and an avid baker :)
And I am running as an independent candidate in the local elections in Dún Laoghaire,
Very honoured and excited to have been selected by
@SocDemsDL
as a candidate for Dún Laoghaire county council together with
@lesleybyrne
, and run for inclusion, innovation and action!
#LE24
@SocDems
Tomorrow is Jonathan's last Junior Cert exam.
11 years ago, when he was diagnosed with Ocular Albinism, they told us all the things he can't see, all the tings that will never be fixable with his vision, and they told us he won't be able to read or write properly, that he
At most doors I knock on people say the same thing - we need a change, we need more voices, we need more women.
The
@SocDems
have 53% women candidates, which is both great to see and the highest out of all parties, and I’m very proud to be the one chosen by
@ClaireH_Scott
for
It could take Ireland another 40 years to have equal representation in parliament, even with gender quotas.
Less than a quarter of council seats are held by women. Here are some of the new faces trying to change that in June 2024
@NWCI
@women4election
Thank you
@GaryGannonTD
and
@sineadgibney
for joining me last night for my public meeting about inclusive education in Dún Laoghaire.
As a mother of a child with special needs I know how hard it is to find, ask & receive help, so I really wanted to create an open & positive
Starting the new year climbing up some ladders, to promote our
@SocDemsDL
public meeting about Living Streets, but more than that - to promote a move to transparent, open and inclusive public discussions on all key local issues that impact everyone’s quality of life.
Every child matters
Every child is innocent
Every child deserves to be safe
Thank you to my branch
@SocDemsDL
and
@lesleybyrne
for giving us the chance to light a candle to remember and honour all the children who are caught in the middle, and in hope for a better, safer future
Please come along to Dun Laoghaire this Friday Evening at 6pm to stand in solidarity with Children living in Conflict.
This will be a peaceful moment, suitable for families and children ahead.
@lesleybyrne
@SocDems
We spent most of last night in St Michael's Hospital A&E - staff were amazing and we received great care, but it was shocking to see how understaffed and underfunded they are - no CT scan, one doctor for the whole A&E, only open 8to8, in one of the main hospital in Dun Laoghaire!
What a day - I spent all morning talking about running for local elections as an immigrant woman, and then spent my afternoon talking about barriers & solutions for cultural integration & inclusion in the workplace.
My conclusion from both - talk with people, not at / about them
Living Streets is a huge €20M project intending to make Dun Laoghaire Town greener & more people-friendly, but at the same time it will affect the lives of all people in greater DLR, and we can't ignore this
We have until Dec 14 to impact the plan
Join us to discuss all aspects
It was amazing to see all the local people who came out today to show their support and solidarity with refugees and immigrants, and to send a clear message, saying no to fear, hate and lies and yes to humanity, unity and community.
Proud to be part of
@SocDemsDL
&
@DLWelcomes
!
Fabulous to see so many people coming out to support the
@DLWelcomes
Campaign rally in Dun Laoghaire today.
The members of
@SocDemsDL
are proud to support the campaign welcoming Asylum Seekers and Refugee's to our Community.
@SocDems
#SayNoToHate
#DLWelcomes
60 days until the local elections. So far it has been an unbelievable adventure filled with amazing people, some very loud dogs, endless walking, knocking and talking, and of course an enormous amount of chocolate...
I've learned so much during these past few months about
One of the things I enjoy the most about running for the local elections is that I get an opportunity to talk with every person in Dun Laoghaire.
Today I got a chance to talk about the changes we need in landscaping, housing & transportation, and see gorgeous Xmas decorations!
Suicide rate is 7 times higher in the Traveller community than in the non-Traveller community.
Over 2/3 of Traveller families have lost a loved one to suicide.
Something has to change.
Today at the Dáil
@TravellersMH
are calling for this change
I hope the government is listening
Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and as far as I can remember in the 11 years that passed since Jonathan was diagnosed, this is the first post I've written for it.
For me, it's always been a day for highlighting the difficulties rather than the achievements which is not how
Tried a new approach to canvassing this morning - cookies!
Because who doesn’t like a home baked chocolate chip cookie, a
@SocDems
leaflet, and a smile on a Saturday morning 😊
What an amazing event by , thank you so much
@visionsportsirl
,
@ucddublin
and
@OldWesleyRFC
It was the first time we ever managed to get a positive response for anything to do with sports from our (almost)blind young man 🙂
#MayFest23
One of the hardest moments we had after Jonathan was diagnosed was the realisation that we don't know anything.
Up to that point we were sure we knew everything, that we, well... Got this. After all Jonathan is our second, and Ron (our firstborn) is amazing, obviously thanks to
1 in 17 people in Ireland has a rare disease.
Luckily for us, Jonathan's Ocular Albinism is a genetic static condition that doesn't require any medication.
Because on average, those who do need medication wait 789 days between approval from the European Medicines Agency and
It was absolutely heartbreaking listening to
@AsIAmIreland
and
@InclusionIre
talk about the reality for so many school kids with disabilities - 35% of whom endure seclusion at school, while 27% suffer restraint.
These are not just numbers or stats in a report. They are real
Hosted
@AsIAmIreland
@InclusionIre
briefing today on seclusion and restraint of children with intellectual disabilities in schools.
Their findings reflect a gross failure of our educational institutions, the Department and the State.
Children have a right to feel safe at school
Improved service, more trains and more lines. Who would have guessed???
And it’s just a matter of 25 years to implement (luckily a number of recommendations might be implemented before 2030).
There are not enough face palms in the world…. 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
The first All-Island Strategic Rail Review recommends faster speeds, improved frequency, and new rail routes for people and freight, particularly across the west and north of the country
Was at DLR Age Well Expo - Well done
@dlrcc
for an excellent event. Amazing to see the level of care, opportunities & (free) activities aimed at older population in DLR.
It was also a good reminder that it is never a question of whether we can do something, but of do we want to.
I always swore I would never do the oh-so-cliché "honoured and excited" post, no matter what.
But never say never, and here it is -
Thank you
@DLRChamber
,
@hidaidegani
and I are very honoured and excited to be nominated for the Diversity, Inclusion & Volunteering 2023 Award!
🌟 Celebrating Diversity & Inclusion! 🏆 The shortlist for the Diversity, Inclusion & Volunteering Award is out! Stay tuned to honor those driving positive change through their dedication! 🤝🌈
#DIAward
#ShortlistReveal
🎉👏
@hidaidegani
& I are still buzzing from the amazing
@DLRCO_Chamber
Awards
We got a chance to meet so many people we see only on Zoom, and to have won the Diversity, Inclusion & Volunteering Award was the icing on the chocolate cake 😀
Thanks the fab
@urhired
.ie for the video
I had such a great time last night listening to young people speak and debate about current, important issues in
@ucdpolitics
Mock Dáil event.
It is so important to get our young people involved, get them to understand the importance of voting, and their ability to make a
We've been homeless. Twice. And it is not fun, romantic or highly recommend. So yesterday we celebrated
@hidaidegani
birthday by protesting the return of no fault evictions which leave thousands of people, including us, without safety, security and a home.
I have just gone to my third protest, the Eviction Ban Protest. The other two were the Cost of Living Protest and the Ireland for All Protest. After going to these three protests, I can say that the current government in Ireland should be ashamed of their decisions.
#WhereDoWeGo
“The scheme as planned included 288 one-bed units with an estimated average monthly rent of €2,500” which is exactly what our community does NOT need. Well done for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for stopping it.
We need & deserve better!
It really is a great course, mostly because you get to spend so much time with us, but also because we all struggle sometimes with elements of digital networking, and it's nice to share it, learn ways to overcome challenges, and do it all in a fun environment filled with jokes😊
We wanted for a while now to create a really unique, extensive & engaging Digital Networking course, and now we know we have it.
In partnership with
@_SiobhanFitz_
and following great feedback & reviews, another course starts soon - learn more & register:
Yesterday, SocDems Candidate for Dun Laoghaire LEA,
@orlidegani
joined a number our new residents for a Cricket session in Shanganagh Park.
Organised by
@DaveQSocDemsDLR
&
@DLWelcomes
It's great to be able to help them get involved with our Community clubs
Great event by
@dlrcc
, excellent speakers, very powerful women all around! So important to increase diversity in politics, and happy to be part of it.
#togetherinpolitics
The
@SocDemsDL
had an excellent day at
@dlrcc
'TogetHER' in Politics event in
#DunLaoghaire
It was great to hear from and speak to so many amazing Women, sharing their experience and research about politics in Ireland.
Thanks to those who came over to chat to us
@SocDems
Amazingly happy to have a chance to be part of this initiative and help reduce, even a little bit, the digital divide - making sure our local kids have access to computers so they can learn remotely and have one less thing to worry about. Fabulous job everyone at
@SocDemsDL
!
Incredibly proud that our
@SocDems
branch in Dun Laoghaire was able to give 10 refurbished laptops to
@Cabinteely_Cs
for students’ remote learning.
All donated from local residents, fixed up by the team and delivered by
@DaveQSocDemsDLR
and
@orlidblog
today. 🥳💻🎒
@hidaidegani
and I will be there. This will be the kids’ first protest, and it’s such an important one. At this point it’s vital to show we stand together to make sure no one needs to choose between heat and eat.
#CostOfLivingSept24
@susy_butler
@SocDemsDL
@hidaidegani
@RonDegani
@Hurlzzz
We found that most talks were aimed solely at people within the plan, and people living outside it were less aware of it, had less true facts about it and felt they were left voiceless, so we wanted to change that, it was never our intention to exclude anyone- everyone’s welcome!
One lift in the whole circuit- reserved for people who paid extra, horrible stairs for people with mobility issues, screens are too small for people with vision problems, no decent transport so a 40 minutes hike every direction, exits too crowded for people with autism.
After 3 days at the
#SpanishGP
in
@Circuitcat_es
I can say is it’s been a while since I’ve experienced such appalling behavior to people with disabilities & special needs.
We paid so much & waited so long for the
@F1
experience and all we experienced was ableism & disappointment
We tried, but there was no one at
@Circuitcat_es
or
@F1
to talk to, none of the attendants knows anything, and there is no no way to improve the situation. Real shame and not the best way to enjoy what was supposed to be a special 18 birthday celebration.
#F12023
#F1Barcelona
My Swft is an innovative travel startup making booking holidays easier than ever. I've just signed up for information on their crowdfunding launch that will include lots of perks, VIP membership and significant discounts on your holidays
Great to see our LaptopForKids initiative featured in the
@DublinGazette
! Bringing the laptops to
@Cabinteely_Cs
was amazing, the credit though goes to the fab team at
@SocDemsDL
working at all hours to ensure they are wiped & ready.
to donate - laptopsForKids
@socialdemocrats
.ie
Great to see this excellent initiative covered by the
@DublinGazette
Huge credit goes to
@orlidblog
and the Dun Laoghaire
@socdems
for getting this up and running to help tackle digital exclusion and ensure more students have access to a laptop at home.