REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF BALLYMUN DAY NURSERY
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF BALLYMUN DAY NURSERY MONDAY 11TH OCTOBER, 1999
Is bréa liom bheith anseo arís i mBaile Munna agus tá mé thar a bheith buíoch dibh as an chuireadh.
I would like to start by saying how delighted I am to be back once again in Ballymun. It is a place which, despite the many problems you face, always lifts the spirit because of the very real sense of community, of determination to get involved and improve things, which exists here. I would like to thank the Management Committee and all of the staff of the Ballymun Day Nursery and, in particular, Eugene Donohoe for inviting me to officiate at today's opening ceremony.
While it is only now that you have your own premises, I know that this Day Nursery has a long and proud record of service to people of Ballymun since 1982. This Nursery has played an essential role in enabling many of the parents of Ballymun to return to work or study thereby enriching not only their lives, but those of their children and, indeed, the whole social fabric of the Ballymun area.
The success of this Nursery lies in the spirit of co-operation that exists here in Ballymun. I am reminded of the old Irish adage "Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine". An enterprise such as this shows that by co-operating with each other, by allowing ourselves to become interdependent, our own independence is not threatened but enhanced. In this case, the parents of Ballymun depend on the providers of this child care facility to allow them the time and freedom to take up employment or training, enabling them to become more independent and more fulfilled personally, financially, intellectually and socially. It gives the parents who drop their children here each morning or afternoon the opportunity to have a few minutes of conversation with other adults in similar situations, decreasing their sense of isolation, enabling them to make more acquaintances and friends, to gain mutual support and increase their store of self-worth. It is true to say that the providers of childcare in the Ballymun Day Nursery have helped to build bridges both locally and on a wider scale.
I am aware that since its foundation in 1982, Ballymun Day Nursery has had to move premises on several occasions. However, it is clear that the staff here are truly dedicated to providing a service of the highest quality and the determination shown in acquiring a permanent location for this facility is a tribute not only to them but to the commitment of the whole community.
It is encouraging to see that this Nursery is a collaborative venture between the management and staff of the Nursery and the Eastern Health Board, the Regeneration of Urban North Dublin, the Ballymun Partnership and many other organisations. This partnership approach is especially important in the area of childcare. It gives people an opportunity to listen to each other, to share their experiences and expertise and, consequently, to learn from one another. In learning from one another, good ideas are fostered and everyone benefits. Indeed, the staff here are not just caring for children but they are also enabling a whole generation of parents in Ballymun to take up work, return to education and improve their own lives and the life of this community.
It is a well-known fact that a child who is told and shown that he or she can succeed has a much higher chance of doing so. I know that this has been the experience of the children who attend this Nursery, and this will help to foster in them a strong sense of self-confidence, optimism and courage to follow their own dreams in life. Children learn from example and the high calibre of commitment and dedication exhibited by Mary Brady and all of the staff of this Nursery is one shining example from which the children here can learn and be encouraged to follow.
It is important for every society to have a vision of how they wish their future to be. Here in the Ballymun Day Nursery we have a marvellous group of people who had a vision of what they could do for their community. Society will always be rich when it has people with your courage, hope and determination and I congratulate you all on the hard work you have put into this Nursery over the past few years. The staff and Management Committee of the Ballymun Day Nursery should be very proud of what it has achieved thus far and I have every confidence that it will make considerable and important progress on behalf of the children of Ballymun in the coming years.
I wish to thank all of the voluntary and statutory agencies which have contributed to this Nursery especially in respect of the funding received from the EU and Eastern Health Board. I would also like to wholeheartedly congratulate Eugene Donohoe and his colleagues for all of their work which has contributed to the success of this project. Most of all, I want to commend the people of Ballymun for their generosity in contributing to the new premises. By following through with a marathon task such as this, you are building the future of Ballymun. I am very honoured to be associated with the Ballymun Day Nursery and I have pleasure in now opening it officially.
Guím gach rath oraibh sa todhchaí. Go raibh maith agaibh.