SAFE DRIVING PLEDGE: A new safe driving campaign has been launched which aims to get people to become pledged safe drivers through a charity donation programme.
The safe driving pledge concept is the brain child of Jim Connolly and has the broad support of the Departments of Environment and Transport, the Garda Síochana, the National Safety Council, the AA, Hibernian Insurance and the Ireland Fund.
Drivers are being encouraged to take the safe driving pledge and make a promise not to drink and drive; show due care and attention to all road users; obey speed limits; and ensure all passengers wear seat belts. All drivers who take the safe driving pledge will receive a sticker to display on their car window. People who wish to secure the safe driving pledge should log onto the website www.safedrivingpledge.ie or call 0818-300444.
The pledge costs €20 per person and all of the funds raised will be donated to the work of the Rural Resettlement Ireland, a registered charity which combats rural depopulation by assisting urban families from overcrowded areas to relocate to the countryside, and the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire.
Some well-known personalities who have already taken the safe driving pledge are Bishop Willie Walsh, Eamon Lawlor, Senator Labhras O'Murchu, Eddie Lenihan, Pat Shortt and Dr Jerry Cowley TD.
ESSAY WINNER: Rachel Kelly (12) from Monasteroris National School in Edenderry, Co Offaly, is the winner of the primary schools essay competition for the National Information Day on Disability 2004. She was presented with her prize by Frank Fahey, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, at the Helix Theatre in Dublin recently.
She received €700 in art supplies, book, audio and video vouchers. Her school, Monasteroris National School, which was represented at the event by the principal, Yvonne Beattie, received €12,000 worth of computer/audio-visual equipment.
HEARING ON BAN: The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) and Nutri-Link Ltd have announced that their case in the European Court of Justice seeking to overturn the Food Supplements Directive ban on many natural food-form vitamin and mineral supplements has been listed for hearing on January 25th.
The ANH is seeking to challenge the ban in the EU Food Supplements Directive (FSD) on many advanced, natural high potency food supplements. From August 1st next, the FSD will allow only products containing nutrients which are included on a specific 'positive list' to be sold in EU countries, despite the fact that many products containing off-list ingredients were previously being sold without any problems in the UK and in a number of other member-states prior to the proposed ban.
For many years, many EU states have followed a flexible regime whereby food supplements have been regarded as 'food' and can be put on the market provided they are safe and correctly labelled. It is left up to the consumer to choose which products are bought.
Without these products, consumers will be deprived of access to the most effective supplements of their choice and practitioners will lose many of their most useful sources of key nutrients and many supplier companies will be driven out of business, according to the ANH.
ANH director Dr Robert Verkerk said: "We are delighted that an early hearing date has now been set and are hopeful that the European Court in Luxembourg will invalidate the quite unnecessary ban on the wide range of perfectly safe natural, food-derived ingredients which comprise most of the advanced food supplements."
SPECIAL SUPPORT: The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Seamus Brennan has launched the Special Olympics Ireland Family Support Programme Information Guide so the family members of a person with a learning disability can get more information on support services offered to them by the organisation.
This information guide, supported by Toyota Ireland, official sponsor of the Special Olympics Ireland Family Support Programme and with the backing of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, has been distributed to all GP surgeries, health centres, citizen information centres, public libraries and HSS Trusts across Ireland for display in public areas. The guides are also available in all Toyota Ireland dealerships.
Special Olympics Ireland has a vibrant family support programme, organised at national, regional and local level, which constantly strives to involve families, extended families and care providers of Special Olympics athletes by encouraging them to participate and share in the joys of the Special Olympics programme.
For more information please visit www.specialolympics.ie or email: families@specialolympics.ie