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A Life Course Institute Election Event at NUI Galway
The Life Course Institute at NUI Galway hosted a pre-election debate entitled “Future Policies: Older People, Children and Families, and Persons with Disabilities”. The event was held in Aras Moyola on the North Campus of NUI Galway on Thursday 17 February 2011 at 8pm.
The organisers of this event invited the election candidates from the main political parties to set out their future policy plans for older people, children and families, and persons with disabilities. Each of these policy areas is central to the work of the Life Course Institute.
Representing the political parties were Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael); Derek Nolan (Labour); Niall O’Brochlain (Green); Trevor O’Clochartaigh (Sinn Féin); and Eamon O’Cuiv (Fianna Fáil). Prof. Chris Curtin, Head of the School of Political Science and Sociology, chaired the proceedings. Donncha O’Connell, of the School of Law at NUI Galway, acted as Rapporteur. Each of the representatives had the opportunity to outline their party position, followed by a question and answer session with representatives from the relevant community groups and members of the public.
Professor Pat Dolan, Academic Director of the Life Course Institute, said “the event will provide an opportunity for the stakeholder groups to engage in a discussion with the political parties on the proposed policies which are directly relevant to them. Scrutinising party policies in relation to children and families, persons with disabilities and older people is critically important, particularly in a time of limited resources”.
The Life Course Institute comprises a multidisciplinary facility which is intended to integrate and enhance the work of three existing centres at NUI Galway, the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, the Child and Family Research Centre, and the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology. The aim of the Life Course Institute is to impact positively on future policies for children and families, person’s with disabilities and older people through advancing an integrated approach to research, policy and services. Each of the three centres already makes an important contribution to its respective field in Ireland and internationally. The Life Course Institute will add value to this existing work through collaboration - while retaining each centre’s distinct identity. The Institute is funded through philanthropic donations and in collaboration with The Atlantic Philanthropies.
