Local cancer support centres offering help FOUR NEW GARDAÍ FOR ROADS POLICING UNIT
EMERGENCY COUNSELLING AVAILABLE AFTER CERVICAL CONTROVERSY
EMERGENCY counselling is available in Arklow and Greystones for women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy.
On Friday the Irish Cancer Society announced emergency funding so that women directly affected by the CervicalCheck controversy can have free counselling in their own community.
Funds will be made available for an addi- tional 500 counselling sessions in 25 Irish Cancer Society-affiliated Support Centres across the country, including the Arklow Cancer Support Group and the Greystones Cancer Support.
The Society has taken the step in response to the significant increase in the numbers of women seeking advice and support from the charity around CervicalCheck and their smear test results.
The announcement brings to 8,000 the number of free counselling sessions for people affected by cancer which the Irish Cancer Society will provide funding for in 2018.
Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society, said: ‘Over the past few days we have received a huge number of queries from women who are very concerned by the revelations about CervicalCheck.
‘Understandably, many women are deeply affected and need support, reassurance and practical help. Through our existing network across the country, we are making additional money for counselling available so women in Wexford can get the support they so desperately need at this time.’
Nurses from the Irish Cancer Society will also be assisting in calling back women who have contacted the CervicalCheck helpline this week and are waiting for a response.
Mr Buggy said: ‘Women are out there worrying and waiting for a call back so they can have their concerns and worries addressed. We want to help reassure these women. Our panel of specialist cancer nurses will work with the CervicalCheck helpline to make sure as many of these women are contacted as soon as possible.’ COUNTY Wicklow HAS been appointed four new garda members for its Roads Policing Unit as part of the forces Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021.
The appointments are among 87 new nationwide positions following an internal examination and evaluation of the role of the Garda Traffic Corps.
A national spokesperson for the force said in a statement to this newspaper that the Traffic Corps is to become known as the Roads Policing Unit (RPU). In addition to the current appointments a further 63 gardaí will be assigned positions this coming October, bringing the overall number of members in Roads Policing to 700.
The spokesperson said that further appointments will be made over the next three years with the aim of fulfilling a commitment made by the Garda Commissioner to incrementally increase the country’s overall number within the RPU to 1,031 by 2021.