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UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR Zelenskyy is to virtually address all third level students in Ireland on Friday.
Following Zelenskyy’s speech, students will have the opportunity to engage directly with the president in a Q&A session.
Speaking in September, Minister for Further Education Simon Harris said Zelenskyy will virtually address “all our college students on all college campuses”.
“This is really important. It’s so important that the next generation hear directly from a president of a country that is experiencing an illegal invasion, but also a president that is standing up for democracy, freedom and European values,” Harris said.
Zelenskyy addressed the joint Houses of the Oireachtas in April this year.
The president opened his address at the time by describing Russia’s actions against Ukraine, saying had been destroying things that are sustaining people’s livelihoods like storage facilities for food, fuel and agricultural equipment, as well as putting mines in fields.
The voice of a translator boomed over the speakers in the Dáil chamber as the president directly referenced Ireland’s response to the invasion.
“Even though you are a neutral country, you have not remained neutral to the disaster and mishaps Russia has brought to Ukraine,” he said.
“I am grateful to you. To every citizen in Ireland, thank you for supporting sanctions against Russia.”
He also thanked the Irish people for their humanitarian donations and thanked Ireland for “caring for Ukrainian people who found shelter on your land”.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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Need to start education and exposure to breast feeding to a time before women have a child. Eg visits by breastfeeding mothers and babies to secondary schools. Has to be normalised for everyone. Give women and girls the confidence they can do it. Then adequate supports. 59 breastfeeding consultants in the HSE is inadequate I’d say.
@Emma Smith: as in, progressive indoctrination? Seems a tad archaic. The information is there, and so are the supports. If a new mother wanted to breastfeed, she would. Firstly, fewer women are having babies now due to the sheer expense of them. Secondly, fewer women are breastfeeding due to it being impractical in a world where women have to work full-time jobs now because one income in a household isn’t enough. Let women have the choice as to whether they want to breastfeed or not. Let them be the ones to decide if it works for them.
@Donna-Marie Kovačić: They are less likely to have the choice, or to find that it works for them, if they don’t have proper support.
@Donna-Marie Kovačić: Breast feeding impractical? Always the right temperature, always sterile, always available, and the perfect balance if nutrients. Breast feeding mothers should be allowed and encouraged to take their baby into work with them.
@Donna-Marie Kovačić: What has a lower birth rate got to do with the percentages of women that are breast feeding their newborn? If you don’t have a baby in a given year you’re not included in the stat
There’s not enough support and not enough education around breastfeeding. If a mother has any issues breastfeeding the solution offered by everyone around including health professionals is just to give a bottle. While a mother still might want to breastfeed and just need someone to help her looking into why it’s not working out. The only reason why a woman absolutely cannot make breastfeeding work is if they don’t have milk ducts which is a very rare condition. Of course any mother can choose not to breastfeed, but if they want to there should be support and education offered. Education is a big thing as well, some people literally can’t comprehend that a breastfed baby can feed a lot more than every 2-3h and it’s normal
From experience, I think the main problem is that it’s all touted as being so natural etc without telling expectant parents (both of them need to know & understand) about the potential issues that can arise. Some of them are easily solved but some need a bit more help. However I think they’re so scared of people not doing it that they’re not giving the full story.
Additionally not all the midwives are lactation trained. Every single one missed my son’s tongue tie despite me asking them to check as there’s a family history (& it’s one of the biggest issues with breastfeeding). It was only when I paid for a private lactation consultant that she spotted it straight away.
The whole breast vs bottle argument too is very out of date as there’s never a mention of combination feeding where it’s either expressed breast milk in a bottle or formula. This can be a great option for some but it’s never mentioned. You have to pick a side.
We where given very good advice don’t worry about the feeding just check the nappy afterwards using this you can work out if not feeding enough or to much and also looking for the signs of hunger it not just crying it lips and hands.
I also think in this country and others as well the female body is to sexualised and this makes women feel uncomfortable un doing their top in public, which is shameful.
We need more advertising showing breast feeding and more women to fight and be open about it.
I live overseas where you couldn’t turn with out see babies been breastfed and no one even blinked.
If breast feeding is best, then this cant be done from work, or elsewhere – the state could “…endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.”
This is what would help the most.
Expressing milk and freezing it makes it so easy to fill a bottle if required.
Way to round out the weekend Valerie ✌️✌️
Pyre of wheelchairs to follow?
We won’t hit our target so let’s change the target?
No need to worry if the government keep up they’re fabulous housing policies there’ll be no affordable way for young couples to start families let alone even worry about breastfeeding although it may be useful to people entering the country the ones already here can sod off if they want a life go to Australia or US only thing is you need 5000 in you’re account entering and have to work opposite here though
have your say