Health, education and family related news
Pensioners ‘lose out’ in budget
BBC – A third of a pensioners in the Northern Ireland stand to lose financially following the budget, the shadow secretary of state says.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17480714
Quarter of claimants ‘could work’
BBC – Nearly a quarter of people on Incapacity Benefit who have been reassessed are found capable of work. Out of the 76,000 people who claim the benefit in Northern Ireland, 9,328 have completed the reassessment process. Of those, 2,202 have been taken off the benefit and put on Jobseeker’s Allowance. Slightly more than 4,000 have been found capable of some work and just under a third, 2,864, have been found not capable of work.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17504078
Call over ‘opt out’ organ donation system
Belfast Telegraph – A mother whose daughter died after contracting swine flu said countless lives could be saved if Northern Ireland adopted an “opt out” organ donation system. Lorraine Ritchie, 47, called for more education on presumed consent – when people are considered donors unless they state otherwise – as she prepared for her latest charity event to raise awareness about the controversial subject.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/call-over-opt-out-donation-system-16134753.html
Number of children with autism soars by more than 50pc in five years
Independent – The number of schoolchildren in Britain who are classified as being autistic has soared by 56pc in the last five years.
There are now 61,570 schoolchildren in the state-funded sector in Britain that have been recorded as having some kind of autistic spectrum disorder and they make up almost one percent of the entire school population.
Just five years ago, the number of children classified as being autistic was just 39,465 and they accounted for just 0.5pc of the school population.
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/parenting/number-of-children-with-autism-soars-by-more-than-50pc-in-five-years-3059040.html
Priest and TD tear up registration forms at protest rally
Independent.ie – A priest and a Dail deputy were among those who tore up household charge registration forms to the cheers of more than 2,000 supporters at a weekend protest. Fr Brian O Fearraigh and Independent TD Thomas Pringle carried out the ‘symbolic gesture’ at the end of a rally in Letterkenny on Saturday.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/priest-and-td-tear-up-registration-forms-at-protest-rally-3060941.html
Ministers differ over household charge payment
Irish Times – An open breach between two senior Cabinet Ministers over the household charge has emerged following further confusion about how the €100 payment should be made.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0326/breaking3.html
Five times as many nurses retired as manager staff
Irish Times – More than five times as many nurses as management and administration personnel left the health service before controversial changes to pension arrangements came into effect at the beginning of the month.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0326/1224313894166.html