In other Wicklow Labour related news Nicky Kelly has denied reports that he was about to join Sinn Féin. This would make a lot of sense really as more people are leaving Sinn Féin these days than joining.

Fine Gael’s Simon Harris must be slightly excited this evening?

In correspondence seen by me, Professor Diane Harper now claims that Jennifer Hough has misrepresented her work and only reported the risks associated with the vaccine in a second article published yesterday which reported on adverse reactions claimed by people and where the opinion of the journalist concluded that the HPV vaccine did not prevent cervical cancer – no research was contained in the article to back up this particular statement.

Professor Harper advocates that young women and their parents are educated about the vaccine, the possible rare risks and also that screening for all forms of cervical cancer will remain essential. She has addressed those who believe there are concerns with the vaccine and says they cannot be ignored.

An interview with Professor Harper (which alludes to frequent misrepresentations of her work) published on the Huffington Post last year is one of the easier to read which discusses issues pertaining to epidemiology, public health campaigns and research into the vaccine. It’s a pity that Jennifer Hough did not provide more information on the benefits of the programme and also report that Professor Harper believes in the efficacy of the vaccine up to the age of 26 and a protector against women having to undergo pre cancerous treatments and having smear tests misreported. Further reading on twisting science in this post by the excellent Ben Goldacre.

The article on the priest’s letter is the usual rubbish seized upon with no statistics or balance or fact checking. Fr. Eamonn McCarthy proceeded to get a lot of radio coverage today on Newstalk and Radio 1. In his letter to the Examiner Fr. McCarthy said that there was no evidence to show that vaccines worked (Psst Father heres only one bit – 60% reduction in genital warts in Australia reported last month.)

“A quick surf on the internet yields enough scary evidence to suggest that parents should think very carefully before allowing their young daughters to receive Gardasil, the HPV vaccine,” he said. “Thousands of adverse side-effects have been reported and, worldwide, up to 80 deaths among otherwise healthy young women have been allegedly linked to it. Two states in India have halted the vaccine.”

Fr McCarthy said HPV also gave a lie to claims that condoms are safe.

He also questioned what was being asked of secondary school boys.

[No i did not understand this either]

Mother nature is speaking to us through the bitter tears of rampant infection, sub-fertility, sterility and death. Like Mother Church, her cries are not being heeded,” he said. “There is a better way. Parents, do not be afraid to challenge your children to cherish the health and freedom of chastity. It has now become a matter of (eternal) life and death.”

Today the Irish Times published an article with one piece from a homeopath/therapeutic radiographer who is against the programme and a piece from two senior medics involved in public health and immunisation in favour of the programme.

I’m not a science reporter but an interested patient and reader of research and the reporting of research. A thought on medical treatments and risks – If I take a new medication there is a leaflet inside which outlines maybe a 1 in a 1000 risk or a 10 in a 10,000 risk or even a 1 in 100,000 risk associated with the medication and possible side effects. I am educated by the doctors prescribing it and the information provided on the disease and the treatment. There are side effects with all medications, there are also sudden deaths in populations, MS, early menopause and other illnesses – among those who have never taken the vaccine or any other medication.

If hundreds of thousands of women are vaccinated there will be reactions and there will be illnesses not related. We have medical review boards and agencies who will review the risks and reports and I think we have to put our trust in them, be informed about the risks of both the vaccine and also the disease being vaccinated against and also the fact that prevention in the form of safer sex and screening is also essential.

There are also issues with the way in which adverse effects are reported and recorded. Reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) which Hough mentioned can be made by anyone, are often not followed up by a full report or evidence and many people could report a headache their daughter had 4 or 5 times over and it’s never checked up.

Facts are twisted to suit positions, religious groups have published all sorts of rubbish on this vaccine saying that it will make girls sexually permissive, there are anti big pharma groups, politicians who don’t want to pay for it, those who don’t believe women’s health is worth protecting. I would hope that all sides of the issue are covered in our national press and reported fairly and by people who actually know something on the issue – whatever I think about homeopathy (clue it’s sugary stuff) at least the Irish Times published both sides of the issue in today’s paper rather that the thoughts of a priest and delving into a list of scare stories and twisting research and data.

Cue loads of comments from anti vaccine types and other attention seekers. Tin hat on.

PS: I got through this post without referring to the incredibly soft and dangerous interview that Fr. McCarthy had on Drivetime this evening with Philip Boucher Hayes – it was this which set me off digging and where I received information on the concerns of Professor Harper regarding the reports in The Irish Examiner.

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Original post from 17.47

News breaking this evening on RTE Radio 1’s DriveTime regarding Ivor Callelly’s intention to travel to the USA to observe the Mid Term Elections as part of an OSCE delegation.

You may remember that Senator Callelly heads the Irish Parliamentary delegation to the OSCE. He has a role on an OSCE committee. The OSCE observes elections for fairness and this autumn will be observinig elections in Bosnia, Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, the United States and Azerbaijan. As Senator Callely is not named as heading any of the delegations one can only assume that he has applied to participate although the Senator says he has been invited.

Members of the Assembly should indicate their interest in participating in one or several missions by contacting the International Secretariat in Copenhagen and completing relevant registrations forms as soon as possible.

Local parliaments have to pay the costs of their delgations – this means that the Oireachtas would have to approve Ivor’s travel costs. Despite losing his party’s whip, being suspended from the Seanad, and indeed leaving Fianna Fáil, Senator Callely remains head of the Irish delegation to the OSCE according to the Oireachtas website.

This evening’s RTE news showed examples of where people who participate in such a scheme may work including cleaning mountain walkways, community childcare, care of the elderly. A pilot scheme of 10,000 places is to be announced next month. No mention of training for participants or support for groups who ‘employ’ participants, who more than likely have had other funding cut over the past few years. Previous employment and training initiatives required Unions and Employers to pass schemes as not displacing or replacing jobs in local economies. This is going to be more difficult to arrange in the current climate due to the professionalisation of community services and the huge job losses there have been in this sector.

It won’t be long now till we see local TD’s clamoring to get places for a community sector which has already been decimated by government cutbacks. Suddenly the Government will say that they want to help communities as well as ensure that people in receipt of benefits ‘truly want to work’.

This scheme as proposed is not much different from the entitlements for Community Employment except that it will be people on jobseekers benefit who will be entitled/forced to apply and not those who are disabled or lone parents. Community Employment has seen cuts in numbers and cuts in the supports/costs towards projects who employ people on CE. Progression on CE is not an immediate occurance either and the lack of supports for full employment in community sector hinders progression further. This new deal sounds like CE on the cheap – there is no mention of accredited training for those involved either?

A lot of emphasis will be placed by Minister O’Cuiv and supporters on the notion that this will stop people claiming unemployment benefits and be cost neutral. It will be followed by a lot of IBEC/ISME/SFA spin about the workshy etc. However there are over 450,000 people unemployed, that’s a lot of ’shy’ people and very few of these will be forced into these schemes or voluntarily take up places. The scheme does not look at the causes of unemployment or propose solutions. It’s a form of labelling a sector of society.

I’m thinking out some of the very glaring problems with this new programme – we’ve been here before with Social Employment Schemes in the 1980’s and Community Employment from 1990’s until the present. I’m sure readers can add to this list.

– The employment of people on some sort of work for benefit programme displaces other jobs despite the ‘approval’ of unions.
– Reduces the numbers on the ‘live register’ thus looking good for the government.
– Tells people in local communities in receipt of services from those on such a scheme that they are not important enough to receive support from properly paid, qualified, motivated and trained staff – eg. services for older people, people with disabilities and children.
- supporting unemployed people back into work requires resources, experienced supervisors, care, counselling, garda clearance, follow up etc. This may be possible if this new plan is part of existing services, but I would expect community organisations who are well experienced (worn out) in employment schemes to point out the current inadequacies and require more support.

This is not an employment creation scheme and should not been seen as such, it’s being introduced by the Minister for Social Protection – actually can anyone point me to the government’s employment strategy? The IDA appears to be in a mess.

So there’s this weeks kite launched sky wards, I expect much debate and little joined up thinking from those proposing it.

Other than the lust for judgement I love the bit about the media’s ‘attention to accuracy, balance and fairness is subservient to the requirements of sensationalism at the expense of truth’. This from the man who submitted invoices from a company that went out of business years ago.

Tonights statement from Senator Ivor Callely’s solicitors

As appointed Legal Advisors to Senator Ivor Callely we wish to correct some inaccuracies in the public arena.

Contrary to recent publicity it is confirmed that Senator Callely’s resignation was prompted solely by the refusal of the committee to allow him the opportunity to vindicate his name by granting him an adjournment and by their decision to substantially rely on the various sensationalist claims made by particular print media who’s attention to accuracy, balance and fairness is subservient to the requirements of sensationalism at the expense of truth.

The entire session dealt with procedural issues only meaning that the occasion for Senator Callely to give evidence did not arise.

The fact that no evidence was given by Senator Callely emphasizes the Committee’s lust for Judgment based substantially on the Mail on Sunday’s allegations rather than detailing any specific complaint. This vindicates Senator Callely’s requirement for the particularization of the unspecified complaints made against him.

The entirety of the session at which Senator Calley was in attendance dealt with procedural matters and the requirements for fair procedure and he played no part in the deliberations of the committee made against him thereafter in his absence.

It’s not the usual political correspondent tweet (no they’re not all devoid of humour but they are generally careful enough), but then the Mail is not your usual newspaper is it? And to think that politicians have seen articles (mountains) made out of tweets (molehills) quite a bit recently – Dermot Looney and Dan Boyle come to mind.

This of course is not Senator Callely leaving the Seanad and he can’t be thrown out no matter what the Seanad members interests committee decide to do with him.

The statement was issued through his solicitors:

“It is with deep regret that Senator Callely has resigned from the Fianna Fail party with immediate effect.

Senator Callely’s resignation arose following a refusal of the Fianna Fail Committee on inquiry to grant an adjournment on his legal Counsel’s application for the purposes of refuting the allegations
made against him and because of the refusal of the Committee to particularize alleged conduct ‘unbecoming a member’ of the Fianna Fail party.

Senator Callely considers the Committee’s findings as constituting a denial of fair procedures to allow him to vindicate his name and refute the allegations made against him.

After Senator Callely’s dedication to the Fianna Fáil party in public life over a period of 25 years, he is ádevastated at the refusal to accord him fair procedures which makes his resignation inevitable because to have acted otherwise would have afforded legitimacy to an enquiry that denied him fair procedures.

Senator Callely will now concentrate on clearing his name before the Seanad Select Committee and will be making no further statement at this time.

Really tiny writing and hard to see if you are looking up the poll. They were spotted in Talbot Street and near Custom Quay in prime backpacker territory – the Irish Labour Party have been helping their sisters and brothers out it seems. (h/t to Alexia for the pics!)

I assume they will be taken down quickly?

The Australian Electoral Commission website is an excellent resource for the psephologists amongst you.

In case you are wondering ballots are still being counted including those cast in Ireland, voting in Australia is compulsory and Broadband is a huge issue in the negotiations to form a minority government.

My weekend spent resting was also spent watching Election coverage on ABC and Sky News Australia (not as good as ABC, no change there then.) The Australian Green Party spent the weekend looking happy with themselves. The nation has their own version of Jackie Healy Rae – no comb-over or flat cap but rural and looking for wonderful things to be done for his area in exchange for his vote. And they have a 20 year old conservative elected who really reminded me of Wicklow’s finest – Simon Harris.

It seems that Fine Gael TD for Tipperary North, Noel Coonan, has decided he needs a party to help launch his new website!

The launch of Deputy Noel Coonan’s website will take place in Long Charlie’s Pub on 27th August, 2010, at 9.30pm. The night will include food, music from the new, up-and-coming band Gin & Juice and a raffle for tickets to Guns N’ Roses and one nights stay in Dublin 4 Hotel. Guaranteed to be a brilliant night.

We can surel assume Deputy Coonan has paid for the prize himself and will be including it in his expenses or if it is a donation it will be listed in his returns to SIPO? Just checking!

I suppose I now know who Deputy Coonan is – he may have appeared in my ‘Know your Backbencher’ series at some stage in the future when I noted he followed me on twitter and realised I had never heard the name before!

I doubt Michael Lowry is invited to the party given Deputy Coonan’s objections to his constituency rival (and independent TD) being invited to Fine Gael functions in the constituency. The poor man has even had to put up with jokes from his party leader hinting that Lowry might rejoin the party.