Debate about what consent actually means has been the subject of constant reflection in 2018 in Ireland and beyond, from the Dáil to the US Supreme Court. However, not only debate but a working knowledge of consent is particularly important during the Christmas holidays when people may be drinking and socialising more and getting intimate with established or new partners.    NUI Galway researchers who run the SMART Consent programme made headlines last August when they reported research findings based on 3,500 students in Ireland: 70% of students said a couple who had 28 standard drinks were able to consent. 37% of students said a woman who has been drinking heavily can still give consent. These statistics have implications not only for university students, but are relevant to all sexually active adults especially during a party season. To this end, the SMART Consent team at NUI Galway have developed a short promo video highlighting their key message that Consent is OMFG (Ongoing, Mutual, and Freely Given). Using clips from the Consent is OMFG interactive short film series, the promo video (https://youtu.be/AtSP3gAJpuw) breaks down the message of OMFG, namely that consent is:  Ongoing: Not assumed, always reversible Mutual: Not one-sided Freely Given: Not drunk, drugged or under pressure Developed and led by Dr Pádraig MacNeela and Dr Siobhán O’Higgins from the School of Psychology and Dr Charlotte McIvor from Drama and Theatre Studies, the SMART Consent team have been training facilitators and delivering SMART Consent workshops in third level institutions, working in partnership with students and staff at colleges including NUI Galway, GMIT, UCC, DCU, UL, QUB, TCD, NCAD, AIT, Queens, and the University of Ulster.  Dr MacNeela said: “Up to 90% of students who have read our consent stories have said it’s ok to ask for consent. In our workshops we talk to students about what that means, and they tell us it means saying things like ‘are you ok with this’ or ‘do you want to have sex’. Active consent is about feeling confident in what you want, how you are going to say it, and communicating with your partner.” Drs O’Higgins and McIvor added: “We hope that people remember and practice Ongoing, Mutual, and Freely Given even in the midst of all the celebrations. So if anyone decides that they want to share intimacies with someone else, we urge you to be mindful and create mutually satisfying and safe experiences for everyone involved. And remember that consent should always be OMFG, not just under the mistletoe.”  The NUI Galway SMART Consent team have trained over 250 facilitators who have delivered Consent Workshops to over 3,000 students across Ireland as well as through the freely available interactive short film series on consent (www.nuigalway.ie/smartconsent/) delivering their core message that; Consent=OMFG (Ongoing, Mutual, and Freely Given) is a valuable shorthand for all sexually active adults to remember.   SMART Consent workshops were created through research led by Dr MacNeela on sexual consent and sexual experiences of third-level students in Ireland, in partnership with organisations including Rape Crisis Network Ireland. For more about Consent=OMFG, visit: www.nuigalway.ie/consent=omfg/ and for more on Smart Consent, visit: www.nuigalway.ie/smartconsent/ -Ends-  

D’fhógair Príomh-Aoire an Rialtais agus Aire Stáit don Ghaeilge, don Ghaeltacht agus do na hOileáin,Seán Kyne TD, inniu (14 Nollaig) go bhfuil deontas suas le €2.7m  ceadaithe aige don Údarás um Ard-Oideachas le leithdháileadh ar Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge chun cur ar a gcumas leanúint le raon cúrsaí trí mheán na Gaeilge a chur ar fáil sna trí ionad Gaeltachta atá acu - i nGaoth Dobhair, i gCarna agus ar an gCeathrú Rua. Is ionann an t-allúntas seo agus €900,000 in aghaidh na bliana acadúla don tréimhse 2018/19, 2019/20 agus 2020/21. Is mar chuid de chur i bhfeidhm bhearta 2.7, 2.19 agus 3.13 an Phlean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 don Ghaeilge atá an t-allúntas á cheadú.  Mar chuid den chlár oibre atá comhaontaithe leis an Acadamh, tá beartaithe clár teanga agus oiliúna don réimse luathoideachais a fhorbairt a mbeidh mar chuspóir aige tacú leis an oiliúint chuí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge do chleachtóirí luathoideachais atá ag obair i naíonraí sa Ghaeltacht agus taobh amuigh di. Faoin gcur chuige atá aontaithe leis an Acadamh, cuirfear gearrchúrsaí i sealbhú agus saibhrú teanga, mar a bhaineann sé leis an réimse luathoideachais ar fáil sna hionadh Ghaeltachta de chuid an Acadaimh atá lonnaithe i nGaoth Dobhair, ar an gCeathrú Rua agus i gCarna agus forbrófar clár léinn níos leithne le freastal ar an earnáil thábhachtach seo Ag fógairt an deontais, le linn cuairte ar ionad an Acadaimh ar an gCeathrú Rua, dúirt an tAire Stáit Kyne: “Le ceadú an allúntais seo, tá mo Roinn ag déanamh beart de réir briathair mar a bhaineann sé cur i bhfeidhm an Phlean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 don Ghaeilge. Is údar áthais é go bhfuil an Roinn ag cur leis an gcomhpháirtíocht atá bunaithe le fada leis an Acadamh, ar mhaithe le deiseanna oideachais tríú leibhéal a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge in ionaid Ghaeltachta na hollscoile. Nuair a chuirtear san áireamh go mbaineann breis agus dhá mhíle mac léinn tairbhe bhliantúil as an raon cúrsaí a bhíonn á riar ag an Acadamh sna trí ionad Gaeltachta atá acu - agus a chuireann fostaíocht ar fáil do bhreis agus 80 duine faoi scáth an Acadaimh - is léir go bhfuil leas á bhaint as infheistíocht na Roinne, atá ar leas na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta.” I gcomhréir lena bhfuil luaite i mbeart 2.19 den Phlean Gníomhaíochta - go ndíreofar ar fhorbairt a dhéanamh ar oiriúnú a dhéanamh ar na cláir éagsúla chun tacú tuilleadh le cur chun cinn an phróisis pleanála teanga - tá aontaithe ag an Roinn leis an Acadamh go gcuirfear raon cúrsaí ar fáil ar mhaithe le tacú tuilleadh le cur i bhfeidhm an phróisis pleanála teanga mar a bhaineann sé leis na ceantair Ghaeltachta, na Bailte Seirbhíse agus na Líonraí Gaeilge. Is ionann an t-allúntas trí bliana €2.7m seo agus an t-allúntas a ceadaíodh don tréimhse 15/16, 16/17 agus 17/18. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil faoin bPlean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 ar: www.chg.gov.ie. CRÍOCH €2.7m granted to the Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge by the Minister for State Seán Kyne TD Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Seán Kyne TD, has announced today (14 December) that a grant worth up to €2.7m has been granted to the Higher Education Authority to be allocated to the Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, enabling it to continue providing its range of Irish language courses in their three Gaeltacht centres – in Gaoth Dobhair, Carna and An Cheathrú Rua. This allowance equates to €900,000 per year for the following academic years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21. This allowance has been granted as part of the implementation of the measures 2.7, 2.19 and 3.13 in the Action Plan 2018-2022 for the Irish language. As part of the programme agreed with the Acadamh, it has been proposed to develop a language and training programme in the area of early education which will be aimed at supporting the provision of appropriate training through Irish for early education practitioners who are working in preschools both within the Gaeltacht and outside of it. Under the approach agreed with the Acadamh, short courses in language acquisition and improvement relating to early education will be held in the Acadamh's Irish language centres located in Gaoth Dobhair, An Cheathrú Rua and Carna, and a broader education programme will be developed to deal with this important sector. Announcing this grant on a visit to the Acadamh’s centre in An Cheathrú Rua today, the Minister of State Kyne said: "With the granting of this allowance, my Department are delivering on the promises made in the Action Plan 2018-2022 for the Irish language. It is a huge positive that the Department are continuing to contribute to the long-established partnership with the Acadamh in order to provide third-level educational opportunities through Irish in the University's Gaeltacht centres. More than two thousand students benefit annually from the range of courses provided by the Acadamh in their three Gaeltacht centres, and more than 80 people are employed by the Acadamh itself, so when this is taken into account it is quite clear that the Department's investment is of great benefit to the Irish language and the Gaeltacht.” In accordance with the contents of measure 2.19 in the Action Plan – that there will be a focus on developing and adapting the various programmes to further advance the language planning process – the Department has agreed with the Acadamh to provide a range of courses in order to further support the implementation of the language planning process in relation to the Gaeltacht regions, the Service Towns and the Irish Language Networks. This three year allowance of €2.7m matches the allowance that was granted for the period 15/16, 16/17 and 17/18. Further information about the Action Plan 2018-2022 can be found on www.chg.gov.ie. ENDS

The School of Psychology at NUI Galway is seeking 1,000 parents to complete an online ‘Child in Mind Survey’ which is looking at parents’ experiences of their children’s behaviour. The researchers are keen to hear from both fathers and mothers of children aged from two up to 18 years, and in particular the experiences with their eldest child. The study is being carried out by researchers, Noella Lyons, who is also a Senior Clinical Psychologist in the HSE and Dr Jonathan Egan, who is the Deputy Course Director of the Clinical Psychology Programme at NUI Galway and a Consulting Chartered Clinical and Health Psychologist. Noella Lyons from the School Psychology at NUI Galway, explained: “This research hopes to explore a concept called reflective functioning. This relates to how we understand the thoughts, feelings, intentions and behaviours of ourselves and of other people. This online survey is embedded in research on attachment which focuses on how children’s relationship with their parents develops. Through research like this we are beginning to understand more about the importance of how strong parent-child attachment can protect children’s social and emotional wellbeing, thereby leading them to become more resilient as teenagers and adults.” It is hoped that this research will lead to better awareness of how Mums and Dads experience their children’s behaviour. We know that all behaviour is trying to tell us something. Young children in particular don’t have the language skills to tell us about their feelings so they act out when they are hungry or tired, for example. For older children parents tend to have to do a little more exploration to understand what is going on in their child’s mind to cause behaviour problems. Dr Jonathan Egan from the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, said: “Some of these less studied aspects of parenting might open a door to help current parenting programmes become more effective in helping parents meet both their children’s and their own needs. Feeling like you are being an effective parent, builds up a sense of being in control of your family’s direction and also leaves you feeling like a better and more competent mum or dad, which can only be a good thing.” For more information about the study contact Noella Lyons, School of Psychology, NUI Galway at n.lyons7@nuigalway.ie. To complete the online survey, which takes 10-15 minutes to complete, visit: https://centreforpainresearch.com/limesurvey/index.php/651913?lang=en -Ends-