A few years ago I was free. I had no house. No wife. No baby. I had all the freedom in the world. In the last few years my life has been colonised. Taken over. My freedom is gone. I have responsibilities and commitments. Decisions I make are no longer taken with my own interests…
I hope Dr Hilary Cass wins in the battle for children’s bodies, writes Dualta Roughneen The response to the Cass Report in the UK must be strikingly familiar to people in Ireland. The Cass Report, a lengthy and in-depth review, led by Dr Hilary Cass, aimed to “ensure that children and young people who are…
In a document that covers an enormous amount of ground, the Church risks upsetting and assuaging critics on both sides of the societal divide as it addresses the fundamental issue of human dignity in the latest Declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Dignitas Infinita. What is the meaning of human dignity?…
Ireland has regressed when it comes to disability rights, writes Dualta Roughneen The right to health is a fundamental part of human rights and of an understanding of a life with dignity. It is not new. Internationally, it was first articulated in the 1946 Constitution of the World Health Organisation (WHO), whose preamble defines health…
No progress has been made on substantive areas of disability rights, writes Dualta Roughneen On Wednesday January 24 this year, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters launched its report, ‘Towards harmonisation of national legislation with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’. The findings are stark. It is as if…
Euthanasia laws make people with disabilities feel like a burden, writes Dualta Roughneen I was listening to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Suicide today, Tuesday, February 16. Peter Kearns, representing the Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) was speaking about the negative implications for people with disabilities if the Government is to legislate for euthanasia,…
Learning for lasting peace is a pipe-dream for many who don’t get to school, writes Dualta Roughneen The sixth International Day of Education will be celebrated on January 24, under the theme “learning for lasting peace”, with the assumption that education contributes to more peaceful societies. The idea is that the more educated a society…
It’s easy to use the right words in development while people with disabilities remain overlooked, writes Dualta Roughneen This coming December 3 marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It was instituted in 1992 by the United Nations, to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of…
Attending Mass in an Italian church shows how European Christianity has collapsed, writes Dualta Roughneen I have a travelled a lot over the last 20 years. My work has taken me to many different and varied countries, for weeks, months and years at a time. The work travel has allowed me to add holidays on…
My wife recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I love her so much already, and I find it unbelievable