South East Directory

Kilkenny Hurling Manager, Brian Cody

 Lord Mayor of Kilkenny and Olga Estridge, MS Ireland Services Manager

Lord Mayor Speech:

Thursday, 27th May 2010

Chairman of Kilkenny County Council, Michael O Brien, Kilkenny Hurling Manager, Brian Cody, Members of the Oireachtas, fellow councillors, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honour for me as Mayor of Kilkenny to be present here tonight at the launch of this important publication.

The publication of ‘A South East Directory of Services’ is an important resource tool for people with MS, their carers and for the Multiple Sclerosis Society regionally. We are mindful too that this event launch falls on World MS Day which we celebrate here tonight.

I had the great privilege of serving for a short time on Kilkenny Borough Council with the late Joe Cody. Joe, a former Mayor of Kilkenny bore his illness with great dignity, a sense of humour and still managed to continue his work for a very long time after his diagnosis. He and his family showed incredible courage in the face of this debilitating condition and for us his colleagues, it was a humbling experience to work with him, as he put his illness to one side to serve his community. It is this very dignity that the MS Society of Ireland wishes to foster among families affected by MS. Their aim is facilitate people with MS to influence their lives and environment to fully participate in the community.

There are many people in our community whose lives are touched directly or indirectly by MS. MS Ireland provide much needed support for those families and work with the scientific and medical and caring professions to research better treatment and management of the illness and to manage medical and social symptoms. More importantly they act as advocates for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Advocacy is vital now more than ever in a time of dwindling resources, particularly for a sector that has been under resourced historically.

I was reading a very interesting article in MS News, your newsletter. There was a mention in it of the ‘holy grail’ of living with MS, that being the ability to manage the individual and unpredictable symptoms and challenges of the disease. A 2003 publication, entitled; Recommendations on Rehabilitation Services for persons with MS in Europe defined rehabilitation very well.

It stated; MS has physical and psychological consequences, which may have an enormous long-term impact on almost every aspect of the everyday lives of persons with MS and their families. Rehabilitation is commonly thought of in terms of restoration of physical ability. The disease, however, can also affect cognition, memory and emotions’.

Therefore access to information on neurology services, rehabilitation physicians, psychologists, nuro-psychologists, physiotherapists, OT’s, speech and language therapists etc is key to successful management of the condition. This directory is both vital and timely. Based around a core aim of the South East Project, to facilitate people with MS to live life to the full, this directory takes a community development approach to helping sufferers and their families. But it is more about empowering people with MS and their families to play a central role in their own journey with the disease. Within the principle of a community development ethos it is about allowing people who are linked by a common bond, in this case MS, to come together to become a positive force of change, to share information, resources and objectives and to reach out  to partner with other organisations for mutual benefit.

I think this is a visionary approach, not because it is a response of a resource constrained organisation, but because this approach is one of self help, self management of the condition, but it supports, nurtures and encourages people with MS and their families.

I want at this stage to mention just one of the wonderful services available to people with long term chronic illness in terms of pain management and it’s the service run by CEART on a pilot basis to help train those with a debilitating illness to mange pain. The CEART Wise Chronic Pain Management Course, I believe should be rolled out nationwide and fully funded by the HSE. It is an excellent practical programme particularly for people with MS.

On a political level we have a job of work to do. It is simply shameful the lack of neurologists both in this region and nationally. It is my understanding that a developing country such as Algeria, has a greater ratio of Neurologists per head of population than Ireland. This is unacceptable. But it also makes the advocacy work of MS Ireland so vital.

Finally I wish to commend the work of MS Ireland, particularly during what is a very difficult time for NGO’s and the Community and Voluntary sector. Now established on an all Island basis with 10 regional projects, close links with MS Northern Ireland and with voluntary branches in this region, your work is so valued by your members and in the wider medical and social sphere. Ongoing scientific and medical research needs to be funded until treatment improves and hopefully a cure found.

I would like to congratulate everyone involved with the publication of the South east Directory, in particular the Citizen’s Information Board for allocating a grant to help publish the directory.

I am conscious too of the significance of this Launch date, May 27th. World MS Day is being celebrated in over 67 countries worldwide; to highlight the condition which now effects 2 million people globally, the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults in the Northern Hemisphere. We are here tonight in solidarity with other participating nations in highlighting needs but also celebrating the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.

Front row (l to r):

Ian Coulter, Area Executive with the Citizens Information Board, Brain Cody, Manager of Kilkenny Hurling Team, Kathleen Walsh - Person with MS, Nichola Read, Volunteer who researched & compiled the directory

Back Row:

Ann Phelan, Counsellor, Katie Hourigan, MS Ireland Regional coordinator and Olga Estridge, MS Ireland Services Manager 

Download a copy of the new South East Directory of Services (.pdf, 1.1MB)

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