Latest news with #NiallShanahan
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- RTÉ News
'Life changing injuries' - Staff fears over safety after Oberstown incidents
A staff member has been left with "life changing injuries" following a number of violent attacks on workers at a children's detention centre in Dublin. A total of ten staff at Oberstown Children Detention Campus have sustained injuries across three violent incidents since 8 June. The most recent took place on Wednesday in which nine staff members were injured, four of whom required hospital treatment, and are now expected to be out of work for a month or more. There was also one "very serious incident" on 11 June where a staff member "had their face slashed", trade union Fórsa said. It said that during an attempt to move a young person, a residential social care worker sustained a deep facial injury. Fórsa said no additional protective measures or staffing supports had been put in place by Oberstown management, despite previous violent incidents. Fórsa Media Relations Director Niall Shanahan said the situation at Oberstown is becoming "more critical" due to staff shortages and staff retention issues. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Shanahan said staff have tried to raise the issue of assaults on workers over the last number of years. "Staff have told me that quite frequently they don't have enough staff to cover the shift so they're operating below capacity," he said. Mr Shanahan also pointed to the "difficulty" of staff retention, saying that of the ten new staff that began work at Oberstown in this year, only two of them are still working on the campus. "We have staff who are trying to raise these issues with management at the Oberstown campus and we have a management group who appear unwilling, I think, to engage with the reality as staff are experiencing it," he said. Mr Shanahan said staff members, rather than management, are required to report incidents to gardaí, which he said suggests an "unwillingness" to take responsibility for what is happening to staff. He said the environment on campus is "becoming more and more unsafe" for both residents and staff. He said that Fórsa has contacted Oberstown management for an engagement, which he expects to take place in the next few days. "The longer this goes on and isn't addressed, the more unsafe everybody on the Oberstown campus is," he added. In a statement, the Department of Education said it offers its full support to any member of staff who has been injured during the course of their work. "As with all circumstances of this nature, these matters will be the subject of internal review. The Department does not comment on operational matters relating to Oberstown Children Detention Campus."
The Journal
10 hours ago
- The Journal
Nine staff members at Oberstown injured in third 'very serious' incident in ten days
NINE STAFF MEMBERS at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus were injured on Wednesday in an incident involving one detainee. Trade union Fórsa said four of the injured staff members required hospital treatment as a result of the incident. It comes after two teenagers who were accused of 'savagely' beating a 60-year-old man during a burglary while armed with a machine gun were released at the weekend due to lack of space at the detention campus. In February, The Journal reported that judges were unable to send a number of alleged child offenders to Oberstown because it is at full capacity. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland this morning, Fórsa's media relations director Niall Shanahan said the latest incident is one of three 'very serious incidents' that have happened over a period of ten days. He said a member of staff was assaulted on 8 June. This staff member was also one of the nine staff injured on Wednesday. 'On 11 June, we had one very serious incident where a staff member had their face slashed. It's what's been described to me as a life changing injury.' According to Shanahan, staff at Oberstown have tried to raise 'mounting issues' in relation to staff assaults over the last number of years. Advertisement 'What we have is a situation that's becoming more and more critical, partly due to staff shortages. Staff have told me that it's quite frequently they don't have enough staff to cover the shift, so they are operating below capacity.' Staff retention is also an issue. Of the 10 new staff that Oberstown took in this year, only two of them are still working on the campus. Shanahan said the management group appear 'unwilling to engage with the reality as staff are experiencing it when when they're working their shifts'. 'Given the number of serious injuries that we've had over those three incidents over the last ten days, the staff members are themselves required to report these incidents to the Gardaí. Management don't report to the Gardaí that anything like this has taken place in the campus,' he continued. 'So it suggests an unwillingness, I think, to take responsibility to what's happening to the staff on the campus. But I think more crucially, what we have is an environment that's becoming more and more unsafe, both for residents and for staff.' Shanahan said he has been engaging with staff at Oberstown for the last 15 years, and this has become 'a feature of their working life'. Fórsa contacted the Oberstown management group 'as a matter or urgency', with a meeting expected to take place in the coming days. 'But at this particular point in time, I'm very mindful of the fact that we have, I think, four or five staff from Oberstown who are not going to be able to attend work for at least a month because of their injuries,' Shanahan said, adding that this 'further exacerbates' the staffing problem at the centre. 'The longer this goes on and it isn't addressed, the more unsafe everybody on the Oberstown campus is.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Limerick teacher's inclusive sports day ‘celebrates every child equally'
Now in its third year, primary school teacher Niall Shanahan's Inclusive Sports Day is set to welcome a record-breaking 544 children from 42 schools on Thursday, May 8, at the University of Limerick. Originally launched to fill an obvious gap in traditional athletics events, the sports days provide a fun, accessible environment where every child, regardless of ability, can participate and enjoy. 'It was about giving children who might not get to take part in other sports days a chance to enjoy the same kind of legacy event,' Mr Shanahan explained. The event has more than doubled in size since last year, when 265 children participated. With this continuous growth, Mr Shanahan is already considering extending it into a multi-day event in future years. 'We might have to look at spreading it out over two days. You'd never want to say no to any school or child,' he said. Each participating child takes part in a track race and receives a medal at the finish line, a major part of Mr Shanahan's objective of inclusion over competition. 'It's not about who comes first. Every child is celebrated equally,' he noted. The day features a broad range of activities, from soccer and GAA to tennis, and even Zumba, with support from local coaches and sports clubs. Children can also enjoy magicians, face painting, and other entertainment on the day. This year's event will once again see the return of Thomas Barr, Irish Olympic hurdler and long-time ambassador of the event, who has become a firm favourite among the children. Special guests from Munster Rugby and the Limerick hurling scene are also expected to attend, with final names yet to be confirmed. Keeping the event free for all schools has been a priority for Mr Shanahan, made possible by generous support from LEDP, JP McManus Benevolent Fund, Paul Construction, and the Limerick Sports Partnership. Volunteers play a key role as well, including transition year students from Castletroy College. Mr Shanahan, who teaches at Knockea National School, takes great pride in seeing his own students participate. 'It's so rewarding to see the joy on their faces and know that this is something they look forward to every year,' he said.
