"The motion, brought forward by Cllr Peir Leonard at the local authority's May monthly meeting and seconded by councillor Warren O'Toole, calls on the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Justice Minister to "urgently examine all available avenues of support" to ensure Ms Byrne can access the surgery without delay. The council also formally acknowledged the "extraordinary generosity and community spirit" shown by the people of Arklow, who have already raised more than €160,000 toward the cost."
"Introducing the motion, Cllr Leonard delivered an emotional and pointed address. She said the council had spent the day discussing millions of euro for various projects, but that sometimes a society must pause and ask itself a more fundamental question. "What do we truly value?" She described Ms Byrne as "a young Arklow teacher... fighting simply for the chance to live," and said it was profoundly wrong that someone in such a vulnerable position should be forced into a public fundraising campaign while battling for her life."
""No person who is critically ill should ever have to spend precious time pleading for help organising fundraising," she said. "Compassion is one of the greatest strengths we possess. The people of Arklow have shown extraordinary generosity, heart and humanity by raising over €160,000... It is a remarkable testament to the kind of community we are. While that generosity should make us proud, it should also make us uncomfortable because we cannot allow this to become the norm.""
"Cllr Leonard warned that Ireland cannot become a country where survival depends on how quickly a community can organise raffles, cake sales"
Local councillors made emotional appeals for urgent assistance so critically ill Ms Byrne can access surgery without delay. The procedure is estimated to cost €600,000, and councillors warned that time is running out. A motion at the local authority’s May monthly meeting calls on the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Justice Minister to urgently examine all available avenues of support. The council acknowledged the extraordinary generosity of Arklow residents, who have already raised more than €160,000 toward the cost. Councillors argued that it is wrong for a vulnerable person to spend precious time pleading for help through public fundraising while battling for life. They warned Ireland must not allow survival to depend on community fundraising efforts.
Read at Irish Independent
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