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Deaf groups say their members haven't been able to get the Ophelia news they need

The Irish Deaf Society and the Council of Irish Sign Language Interpreters have expressed their disappointment at the lack of sign language interpreters present during briefings regarding Storm Ophelia.

Screenshot 2017-10-16 at 16.28.43 A sign language interpreter working at the briefing of the National Emergency Coordination Group this afternoon - this was the first time such an interpreter had been present at these briefings

TWO PROMINENT BODIES representing the deaf have expressed their “deep disappointment and annoyance” at the failure of the emergency coordination group to alert those they represent to the “imminent dangers of Hurricane Ophelia”.

The Irish Deaf Society and the Council of Irish Sign Language Interpreters directed their ire earlier this afternoon at the National Emergency Coordination Group (NEC) and Met Éireann, saying that “neither organisation has followed the growing international trend of using sign language interpreters when holding a public briefing session”.

This omission puts the lives and property of deaf Irish citizens in danger. The incident has left us wondering if the State has any concern for the lives and safety of deaf Irish citizens at all.
We have seen a number of live streaming videos from various media sources, with visual and verbal announcements which can be seen and heard, but for the vast majority of deaf Irish sign language users, these announcements are inaccessible. Hence we miss out on vital emergency information, which could end up being harmful to us and our dependants.
Were it not for interpreters who have volunteered to translate some of these safety announcements via social media, the situation may have been even worse.

“We stress how serious and unsatisfactory this situation is,” the groups’ joint statement concluded.

The move may have had the desired effect – at the 4.15pm briefing from the NEC in Dublin a sign language interpreter was present to translate the various speakers.

Live: Country in lockdown as Storm Ophelia kills three people

Read: Storm Ophelia: Thousands of households will be without power for 10 days

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    Mute Michael Creagh
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    Jan 25th 2021, 1:04 PM

    Sorry seems to be the hardest word goes the song,not in this kip though.

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    Mute Oliver Walker
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    Jan 25th 2021, 1:57 PM

    I find it hard to believe that there are still people in Galway Council that were active in the 70s-late 90s. Anybody in an institution that was involved with the deaths and unlawful dumping of babies can apologise away. If they were not involved with this institution then the apologies are empty. Where are those guilty of these atrocities? Those that were there and turned a blind eye? Hiding away, letting others apologise…

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    Mute Maurice O Neill
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    Jan 25th 2021, 2:25 PM

    @Oliver Walker: I recently discovered that Politicians that are around since 1981 in Galway are still active today and include Mayors and Former TDS .

    54
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    Mute Oliver Walker
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    Jan 25th 2021, 7:18 PM

    @Aine Healy: What do you mean ‘do your research’?… Have you seen the report? Have you read the article? Babies remains were dumped in septic tanks…

    Big leap from that to abortion.

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    Mute Aine Healy
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    Jan 25th 2021, 8:57 PM

    @Oliver Walker: please see my above reply in answer to your questions.
    So, did you vote yes to legalising abortion that is responsible for the deaths of 7000 “invisible and voiceless” pre born human beings it it’s first year alone? Yes?

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    Mute Helen Downey
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    Jan 26th 2021, 9:51 AM

    @Aine Healy: hold up, if they weren’t ‘dumped’ in there how do you think they got there? Crawled in themselves and died?

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    Mute Aine Healy
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    Jan 26th 2021, 11:14 AM

    @Helen Downey: you should also do your research Helen. No babies were “dumped” in a “septic tank” by “the nuns” or anyone else. Notwithstanding the official report ( which I suggest that you actually read), where in the article above, does it state that babies were “dumped” in a “septic tank”?
    It would appear that you are letting your ideological narrative get on the way of facts.
    How about you Helen? Did your vote yes to the legalization of abortion which is responsible for the deaths of over 7000 Irish babies in its first year alone, most of whom actually did end up in the sewage system unlike the “Tuam babies” who did not?

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    Mute Helen Downey
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    Jan 26th 2021, 12:54 PM

    @Aine Healy: I consider babies in a sewage system dumped. How else did they get there? You haven’t answered that I see.

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    Mute Aine Healy
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    Jan 26th 2021, 2:31 PM

    @Helen Downey: you really should do your own homework rather than expecting others to do it for you. Why so lazy?
    Again, your “consideration” does not facts make, although I acknowledge your considered opinion that aborted babies (those who are not incinerated) who end up in the sewage system as being “dumped”.
    There is no written or oral documentation that evidences that babies or children who died in Tuam were “dumped” in a “septic tank” by “the nuns” or indeed that they were “killed” by “the nuns”.
    Overwhelming evidence, with detailed references, shows that coffins and shrouds were used for babies who died in the Tuam mother and baby home. The babies were placed in a crypt. Crypts are very common in Ireland. Catherine Corless herself, interviewed two carpenters families who spoke to her about how their relatives built coffins for the babies. Nor were there any pipes going to or out the structure making the claim that the remains were in a septic tank utterly ridiculous. Old maps show a cess poll ( which is different to a septic tank) within the area and Corless put two and two together, made five, of which pro abortion advocates and Catholic bigots were only to delighted to fly the flag for.
    All of the babies and children’s names, ages, places of birth and causes of death (tb, measles, flu, whooping cough amongst other illnesses) were recorded.
    It was in fact county council who reduced the size of the original graveyard in order to build an access road to houses that had been built on the site and also to provide a playground. They reinterred the remains of babies and children that they had dug up in the structure (known as an ossuary). “The nuns” were well gone according to the evidence that shows the structure and re interment to have occurred after 1960’s.
    Again, research on your part would have led you to the facts, but again it appears that you have little interest in the truth of the matter. How tragic is that?

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    Mute Helen Downey
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    Jan 27th 2021, 10:49 PM

    @Aine Healy: the remains were found in a septic tank. Disused or not it is a septic tank. Not a grave.

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    Mute Joecantdance
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    Jan 25th 2021, 1:28 PM

    Ah well, that’s ok then. No worries!

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    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
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    Jan 25th 2021, 3:13 PM

    @Joecantdance: considering that the majority of the members of the council weren’t even born during the majority of the time this abuse was going on, what do you really expect them to do?

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    Mute Willie Bill Bryan
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    Jan 25th 2021, 2:29 PM

    Not good enough, want to hear from the county manager at the time and to hear what his reasoning behind his lack of knowledge empathy of the women , not from the present council offering a hollow apology

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    Mute Gene Johnston
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    Jan 25th 2021, 3:27 PM

    They will be even more sorry when sued

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    Mute Jim Lingk
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    Jan 25th 2021, 3:44 PM

    No good. Not accepted. No point in this. Most of not all of this on the county council has nothing to do with it.

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    Mute Trevor Matthews
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    Jan 25th 2021, 7:10 PM

    Are their politicians and senior civil servants getting a state funded pension for the work they did years ago. Health Boards, social workers among others.

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