A round up of the week's otehr health stories, in short
Siptu protests at cuts in childcare fund
SIPTU is holding a day of protest today to highlight what it says is the growing crisis in community childcare, writes Rob Hanly.
Protesters will include the Cork Early Years Network and others.
They are campaigning on what they claim is the impact of cutbacks in the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS). They say there has been a 42 per cent reduction in funding since last year.
Siptu said recent reports showed that the cuts in CCSS are leading to higher fees for working parents (up to €113 per week).
The union said this limited accessibility to childcare.
There will be meetings in Liberty Hall, Dublin at 1pm and in the Metropole Hotel, Cork at 11am, followed by marches in Dublin at 2pm and at noon in Cork.
Leprosy Mission talk remembers Dr Vincent Barry
The Leprosy Mission (TLM) is holding a memorial lecture in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, this evening to remember Dr Vincent Barry who discovered a cure for leprosy. It is claimed that this helped to save 15 million lives.
The head of TLM, Mr Ken Gibson, will present a special drawing of Dr Barry to Prof Hugh Brady, president of University College Dublin (UCD).
Dr Barry is one of the university's best known graduates.