REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAMILY SUPPORT
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “FAMILY SUPPORT IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIE
I would like at the outset to thank you Dr. Fottrell for your kind words of welcome this morning – and to express my appreciation to Pat Dolan, of the Western Health Board, for giving me this honour of opening your conference. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the delegates attending the conference – and in particular the overseas delegates – some of whom are no doubt visiting Ireland and Galway for the first time.
Indeed, this is a conference which addresses one of the crucial issues of our time – especially in Ireland – where we have seen tremendous economic activity – a rise in the level of affluence for many – yet at the same time – a downside which sees quite a number of people – particularly young people – under threat from family breakdown and drug abuse – which in turn sees them running the very real risk of being marginalised and forgotten, in the rush for prosperity and progress.
The last several decades have also seen a shift in the definition of family – where there has been a trend to have smaller families – greater individual independence – and a tendency for elderly people to be left to fend for themselves. This is in contrast to the older Ireland where there were larger families – with a greater sense of cohesion – where the level of outside pressure and influence was relatively limited – and where the parents and grandparents were very much a part of a close family. The change has brought with it many positive aspects – many benefits in opening up access to education and opportunity – in giving people the economic independence to enable them to make lives and livelihoods for themselves.
However, in that profound and rapid change – where by virtue of chance or circumstance the family breadwinner does not or cannot deliver - it is all too easy for young people to be left behind – to fail to even get up to the starting blocks – and to fall victim to the many external pressures on their young and impressionable lives. In Ireland today, there are many families and individuals in many communities who are in this predicament – and the subject of this conference is centred on the resolution of their difficulties by the agencies and authorities concerned.
Over the next couple of days, you have a full programme of papers and discussions which will examine the nature and definition of Family Support – covering such areas as the role and nature of public policy – delivery channels and mechanism – type, timing and sources of support – Psychological therapies in supporting children – the role of education – the community context of family support – drug use and abuse – the Danish experience – Social Pedagogical Family Help in Germany – and the Neighbourhood Youth Project. Clearly there is a considerable volume of material to work through – and quite an amount of food for debate and deliberation.
It is important to remember that when we speak of disadvantaged communities – that their problems can heavily impact on the lives of the affluent – on those who see themselves as being a part of the new, fast moving economies like our own ‘Celtic Tiger’. The reality is that we are all disadvantaged as long as there are disadvantaged communities in our society. We’re not using their talents and ingenuity. We are ourselves unfilled and unhappy – because we are not giving them full access to all the benefits and opportunities. In short, as a community we are flying on one wing. To sustain ourselves into the new millennium we need to release their talents – to move away from disadvantage – and to include those who have a positive contribution to make if only they get the chance and the encouragement.
Occasions like this usually mean a lot of hard work – both for delegates and presenters – as new information is shared and analysed – and views and ideas are explored. I commend all of you on taking the time out to be here in Galway for this conference - for having the openness of mind, the intellectual curiosity and the professional humility needed to advance scholarship and research – and to ensure your related disciplines remain relevant to today’s society. The conference is also an opportunity to meet many other professionals in the area of Family Support – and to share current thinking and developments in the different disciplines involved.
As society develops and advances – the problems associated with those who run into difficulties get more and more complex. The means and mechanisms used to address those changing circumstances are in constant need of critique and review. Over the next two days you will have an opportunity to do just that - and to share ideas, insights, problems and solutions. It is an opportunity for those of you who work in specific disciplines to explore the interconnectedness of your related professions – and to pool your talents and skills. The quality of the service which you can give is directly related to your willingness to be open – to embrace change – to critique and amend – to try out new ideas and to learn.
In opening the conference – I want to wish all of you well in your deliberations. I hope you have an enjoyable and fruitful conference - discussing the new possibilities your work can offer to those who rely on your care – your professionalism and your dedication. As we approach the new millennium, society will have many obstacles and hurdles to overcome – and it is to people like you that we must look for the ideas and expertise to address them satisfactorily.