Latest news with #Hourihan
Irish Examiner
15-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Dentists warn of 'clear divide' between people accessing private dentistry and those in public care
There is now 'a clear divide' between people who can afford private dentistry and those facing delays in public care, the Irish Dental Association (IDA) has warned. Children and adults with disabilities waiting for care under general anesthesia face delays of two years or more, including in areas across Munster. Dental screening in schools was also missed by almost half the children eligible due to a critical shortage of dentists. Dentists say that scheme for adult medical card holders has 'effectively collapsed": the scheme is down 800 dentists compared to 2012 despite the population of Ireland surging by 15% since then. The two dental schools in Cork and Dublin are also not producing enough graduates to fill staffing gaps. The demand for more dentists is such that over 1,000 applications for 20 places were received by a new dental school opening in Dublin this year, according to IDA chief executive Fintan Hourihan. "There's a clear divide between people who have the option of going privately and people who would otherwise rely on State-funded assistance to see private dentists," Mr Hourihan said. Funding cuts A key issue is the under-funding of services since the recession years, he added. The IDA pointed to a cut in State spending on dental care for PRSI and medical card patients amounting to €800m between 2009 and 2023. 'There's been a downward trend in funding,' he said. 'And with the medical card in particular, it's becoming harder for patients to see a dentist — they have to wait longer, travel further.' Dentistry has 'never gone back to the spending levels that were there in 2009', he added. In 2023, 104,000 school children missed out on school dentistry checks where problems can be picked up early. Earlier this year, the Irish Examiner highlighted a crisis in access to general anaesthesia for children and adults with disabilities. Mr Hourihan said there has been no changes despite efforts by the HSE to boost services. One barrier is a shortage of consultant anaesthetists. 'The west of Ireland is probably one of the best for this, and they have a two-year waiting list,' he said. "In the east and in the south I believe it is considerably in excess of three years, the last time I checked. These are very vulnerable children and adults," he added. IDA president Will Rymer called for the state's new oral health policy — Smile agus Sláinte — to be backed by funding. The three-year oral health implementation plan is included in the Programme for Government. 'We are calling on the Government to fully fund oral health services in order to make up for a lost decade in dental care, representing a running deficit of €800m in investment,' he said. 'The failure of consecutive Governments to fully fund oral healthcare services has only increased the outstanding burden of treatment needed across the country.' Dentists want to see a system which values prevention as much as treatment, he urged, adding this needs to be accessible to everyone. 'Under the current system, there is a widening gap between those who can afford to access dentistry by private means and those who are left at the mercy of a public system which is underfunded and not fit for purpose,' he warned.
RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
State dental schemes see cuts of €800m since 2009
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has said that State dental schemes have seen effective cuts of €800m since 2009. Its annual conference in Kilkenny heard that there is a widening gap between those who can and can not afford dental care. The association is seeking an overhaul of dental care for PRSI and medical card patients. Fintan Hourihan, IDA chief executive, said that a failure to keep spending at 2009 levels has meant a real cut in spending of over €800m between 2009 and 2023 amounting to a lost decade in oral care. He said that the poorest and most vulnerable have suffered the most and that a major investment is needed for the two State dental schemes, if lost ground is to be made up. Mr Hourihan said there has also been a significant hollowing out of public dental services, evidenced by the 104,000 school children denied dental screening appointments in 2023, due mainly to a shortage of public-only dentists. The HSE said that while the HSE's community dental service has been impacted by capacity challenges in recent years, it provided 106,964 targeted assessments to patients last year. It added that this year's National Service Plan provides for 15 additional clinical positions. The HSE said current access to free dental care for children is provided by the HSE Community Dental Service from within available resources, specifically an oral examination and necessary treatment for children at ages approximating to second and sixth class. In some cases, fourth class with emergency care is provided for children of all ages up to 16. A new three year oral health implementation plan for the national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte, is expected to be launched soon, as promised in the Programme for Government. The HSE said this includes reform of services for medical card holders and for children among the priority actions.
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man threatened to set hitchhiker on fire with his pregnant partner and kids in car
Brian Joyce said he was "deeply, deeply ashamed and remorseful" for making threats to John Hourihan, from Cork, Ireland, during a row in Mr Joyce's 171 CE Volkswagen Golf A thug repeatedly threatened to set a hitchhiker on fire after pulling out a plastic bottle full of petrol in his car. Brian Joyce, 31, subjected John Hourihan to the torment after picking up the stranger in his 171 CE Volkswagen Golf when Mr Hourihan had been hitchhiking at a roadside. The row, which happened in front of Joyce's pregnant partner, their children; aged seven and nine, and the family's two puppy dogs, saw Joyce threaten to burn the man if he didn't pay for fuel. Mr Hourihan's claims he had offered to contribute for petrol money were disputed by Joyce's lawyers in court. However, the defendant pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm and was jailed on Tuesday at Ennis Circuit Court in County Clare, Ireland. Judge Francis Comerford imposed a 53-month prison term, suspending the final 12 months. He said Joyce made "rational, repeated and highly credible threats to harm a perfect stranger" in "terrifying circumstances" by pulling out the Powerade bottle, full of petrol, and threatening to harm Mr Hourihan. Amy O'Connor, for the police, told the court Mr Hourihan lunged forward and managed to snatch the bottle from Joyce and demanded the car be stopped. The vehicle came to a halt on the N85 near Ennistymon, County Clare, and Mr Hourihan got out before the silver Golf drove off. But the court heard the car came back down the road, and so Mr Hourihan used his mobile phpone to take photos of Joyce and his partner in the car. The hitchiker alerted police to his encounter and Joyce's DNA was eventually taken from the Powerade bottle, reports the Irish Mirror. Judge Comerford said that there was no explanation for Joyce having the bottle of petrol in the car on August 13, 2024. Joyce has been on remand in custody since then and his barrister, Amy Nix BL, said her client missed the birth of his third child while in jail. His prison sentence has been backdated to include the time he has already served behind bars. The judge, though, had heard the dad, from Ennis, County Clare, has a number of previous convictions including one for causing serious harm, where he attacked a young person with blades causing 200 stitches. In a letter of apology, Mr Joyce said that "I know my apology is a drop in the ocean when compared to how I must have made him feel". He said: "I am deeply, deeply ashamed and remorseful of what I did and I regret it with all my heart. During my time in custody I have huge realisations about how serious words can be. I made the remark with no intention behind it but I can see how it was perceived."
Sunday World
06-05-2025
- Sunday World
Judge jails Co Clare man who threatened to set hitch-hiker on fire
Judge Comerford said that in 'terrifying circumstances', Mr Joyce had made 'rational, repeated and highly credible threats to harm a perfect stranger' A judge has jailed a 31 year old Ennis man for three years and five months for threatening a hitch-hiker that he would set him alight after pulling out a plastic bottle full of petrol. At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed a 53 month prison term on Brian Joyce and suspended the final 12 months. Judge Comerford said that in 'terrifying circumstances', Mr Joyce had made 'rational, repeated and highly credible threats to harm a perfect stranger'. In the case, Brian Joyce of St Enda's Park, Beechpark, Ennis had pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Cork native, John Hourihan between Lahinch Rd, Ennis and Monreel South, Ennistymon on the N85 on August 13th last. The News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, 6th of May Brian Joyce made the alleged 'light you up' threat to Mr Hourihan while Mr Joyce's pregnant partner was driving and their two young children aged 7 and 9 were back seat passengers along with two puppy dogs. Mr Hourihan was hitch-hiking to Lahinch out of Ennis at around 5.30pm on August 13th when he was picked up. Garda Amy O'Connor said that Mr Hourihan got into the back seat and front seat passenger, Brian Joyce said he wanted money for giving him a lift, which was disputed in court by counsel for Mr Joyce, Amy Nix BL. Garda O'Connor said that Mr Joyce pulled out a Powerade bottle containing petrol and threatened Mr Hourihan that he would set him alight if he did not pay them money. Garda O'Connor stated that Mr Hourihan felt his life was in danger and was afraid that Brian Joyce would burn him Garda O'Connor said that Mr Hourihan lunged forward and managed to snatch the bottle from Brian Joyce and demanded that the car be stopped. Garda O'Connor said that the car was stopped and Mr Hourihan got out before the silver Golf drove off. Garda O'Connor said that when the 171 CE Volkswagen Golf car came back down the road, Mr Hourihan had his phone out and took photos of Mr Joyce and his partner in the car. Garda O'Connor said that Mr Joyce's DNA was taken from the Powerade bottle and Judge Comerford said that there was no explanation for Mr Joyce having the bottle of petrol in the car. Garda O'Connor said that Mr Joyce has a number of previous convictions including one for causing serious harm where he attacked a young person with blades causing 200 stitches. On behalf of Mr Joyce, Amy Nix said that the facts of the incident 'are frightening and deplorable and Mr Joyce knows that'. Mr Joyce has been on remand in custody on the offence since August and Ms Nix said that her client missed the birth of his third child while in custody. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce accepts that his reaction in the car as over the top, ridiculous and wrong. In a letter of apology, Mr Joyce said that 'I know my apology is a drop in the ocean when compared to how I must have made him feel'. He said: 'I am deeply, deeply ashamed and remorseful of what I did and I regret it with all my heart. During my time in custody I have huge realisations about how serious words can be". He said: 'I made the remark with no intention behind it but I can see how it was perceived.' Mr Joyce said that the deaths of his father in 2013 and a brother in 2017 had made him emotionally numb. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce has zero ill feeling towards Mr Hourihan. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce has been diagnosed bi-polar, schizophrenia and depression and is being treated for those conditions. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce has made great progress while in custody where he worked as a cleaner in prison and has not picked up any disciplinary notices. Judge Comerford backdated the prison term to August last when Mr Joyce first went into custody.
Irish Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man who threatened to set hitchhiker on fire is jailed
A judge has jailed a 31 year-old Ennis man for three years and five months for threatening a hitch-hiker that he would set him alight after pulling out a plastic bottle full of petrol. At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed a 53 month prison term on Brian Joyce and suspended the final 12 months. Judge Comerford said that in 'terrifying circumstances', Mr Joyce had made 'rational, repeated and highly credible threats to harm a perfect stranger'. In the case, Brian Joyce of St Enda's Park, Beechpark, Ennis had pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Cork man, John Hourihan between Lahinch Road, Ennis and Monreel South, Ennistymon on the N85 on August 13 last. Brian Joyce made the alleged 'light you up' threat to Mr Hourihan while Mr Joyce's pregnant partner was driving and their two young children aged seven and nine were back seat passengers along with two puppy dogs. Mr Hourihan was hitch-hiking to Lahinch out of Ennis at around 5.30pm on August 13 when he was picked up. Garda Amy O'Connor said that Mr Hourihan got into the back seat and front seat passenger, Brian Joyce said he wanted money for giving him a lift, which was disputed in court by counsel for Mr Joyce, Amy Nix BL. Garda O'Connor said that Mr Joyce pulled out a Powerade bottle containing petrol and threatened Mr Hourihan that he would set him alight if he did not pay them money. Garda O'Connor stated that Mr Hourihan felt his life was in danger and was afraid that Brian Joyce would burn him Garda O'Connor said that Mr Hourihan lunged forward and managed to snatch the bottle from Brian Joyce and demanded that the car be stopped. The court heard from Garda O'Connor that the car was stopped and Mr Hourihan got out before the silver Golf drove off. Garda O'Connor said that when the 171 CE Volkswagen Golf car came back down the road, Mr Hourihan had his phone out and took photos of Mr Joyce and his partner in the car. Garda O'Connor said that Mr Joyce's DNA was taken from the Powerade bottle and Judge Comerford said that there was no explanation for Mr Joyce having the bottle of petrol in the car. Garda O'Connor said that Mr Joyce has a number of previous convictions including one for causing serious harm where he attacked a young person with blades causing 200 stitches. On behalf of Mr Joyce, Amy Nix said that the facts of the incident 'are frightening and deplorable and Mr Joyce knows that'. Mr Joyce has been on remand in custody on the offence since August and Ms Nix said that her client missed the birth of his third child while in custody. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce accepts that his reaction in the car as over the top, ridiculous and wrong. In a letter of apology, Mr Joyce said that 'I know my apology is a drop in the ocean when compared to how I must have made him feel'. He said: 'I am deeply, deeply ashamed and remorseful of what I did and I regret it with all my heart. During my time in custody I have huge realisations about how serious words can be". He said: 'I made the remark with no intention behind it but I can see how it was perceived.' Mr Joyce said that the deaths of his father in 2013 and a brother in 2017 had made him emotionally numb. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce has no ill feeling towards Mr Hourihan. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce has been diagnosed bi-polar, schizophrenia and depression and is being treated for those conditions. Ms Nix said that Mr Joyce has made great progress while in custody where he worked as a cleaner in prison and has not picked up any disciplinary notices. Judge Comerford backdated the prison term to August last when Mr Joyce first went into custody. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here
