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KDYS host Child care laws seminar

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Berni Smyth, CEO of KDYS hosted a panel discussion on Child Care Laws and how they impact on children’s lives in KDYS Killarney centre last week.

This event was arranged to celebrate her first year in the CEO role with the organisation. The subject was very topical due to a number of proposed changes to Irish Child Care Laws currently under discussion and debate nationally.

The expert panel included Dr Maria Corbett, CEO of the Child Law Project, JP O’Sullivan, Networking and Communications Manager with MECPATHS and South Kerry man, Thomas O’Driscoll who is a qualified social worker with care experience and strong advocate for the rights of children in care and their parents.

The panellists encouraged an audience from a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies across Munster to become familiar with the current proposals to revise the 1991 Child Care Act, enact the Child and Family Courts Bill and plans to implement ‘Fagin’s Law’ for child victims of criminal exploitation later this year.
While all of these measures were welcomed by the panel, there was a general consensus that legislation must be supported by strong implementation plans that are adequately resourced and every effort made to ensure that the application of these laws leads to child-centred decisions that will improve the quality of children and families’ lives.

Dr Maria Corbett advised the audience to take opportunities to provide feedback ‘by engaging in consultations and making representations to local politicians in order to address any areas for improvement or gaps now.”

JP O’Sullivan commented that “there is greater awareness and understanding of the challenges vulnerable children face including inter-generational patterns of abuse and the complex dynamics of child trafficking including grooming children into crime.”

Berni Smyth, CEO of KDYS, concluded the discussion by saying that “despite growing pressures on services caused by issues such as poverty, homelessness and the Ukrainian crisis, there is much to be hopeful about. More child-centred legislation will also support frontline workers on the ground who are usually best placed to identify concerns and who have long called for an effective, integrated response across child welfare and criminal justice laws.”

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10-minute plays will linger in the memory

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The West End House School of Arts is delighted to take part in this year’s St Patrick’s Day Festival with a special evening of entertaining readings on Friday, March 13 at 7.30pm.

It promises to be a vibrant showcase of five original 10-minute plays written by emerging local playwrights, each of whom has recently completed a playwriting course with Fiona Doyle (pictured).


Diverse in style and subject matter, these beautifully crafted pieces promise an evening of laughter, tears, and powerful storytelling and each reading will be performed by West End House actors from Kerry.


Together, they highlight the remarkable talent of these up-and-coming writers and actors, who are the future of theatre in our community.

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Get your scrap together

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Following the success of the first ever Killarney Lions Club scrap metal collection in 2025, the Club will again run the event this year in partnership with KWD Recycling on March 28, at Killarney Racecourse.

Similar to 2025, money raised through recycling the metal will go towards improving facilities for families attending the children’s cancer unit in Cork University Hospital, as part of an overall fundraising drive being coordinated by Lions Clubs all over Munster.

The Club is asking people to bring non-ferrous scrap metals such as aluminium, copper, brass, zinc and stainless steel (no white goods such as fridges/cookers washing machines). Volunteers will be on hand from 9am until 4pm to take donations of scrap and work with KWD Recycling to remove it for processing.

“Although Lions Clubs in Munster have already raised some funds for CUH, more is still needed, so we’re delighted that KWD Recycling is working with us again to support this very worthwhile cause”, said Jason Higgins, President of Killarney Lions Club. “We’re asking anyone who has scrap metal at home, at work or on the farm now or in the next few weeks to please bring it to the Racecourse on the day because everything we collect will make a difference.”

Tadhg Healy, Sales Manager at KWD Recycling added that “We will recycle any high quality scrap metal that we collect – it can be quite valuable and of course it’s better for the environment if it’s recycled instead of being dumped. On top of that, the main thing with this collection is to help families of children with cancer, so hopefully we’ll get a good response from everyone and raise as much money as possible through this event”.

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