Tag Archives: Brussels

Minister Helen Mc Entee is in Brussels today (Tuesday) to address a conference on Active Ageing and Mental Health. She is there on the invitation MEP South Deirdre Clune and the conference was organised by the European Peoples Party and Mental Health Europe. A group of about 40 MEPs and key representatives from European mental health and active ageing organisations are at the conference, which is being addressed by various experts from around Europe. The main theme of the one day conference is ‘Ensuring opportunities and participation in society at all ages’ – and relevant policy issues covered included why active ageing matters, the European dimension of active ageing, and Mental Health and Active Ageing in the workplace. Discussions are centring on how best EU countries can progress this important issue over coming years, particularly given looming demographic pressures.

Clare County Council has today (Wednesday) opened separate Books of Condolence in memory of the victims of this week’s terror attack in Brussels and the victims of the Buncrana drowning tragedy. Members of the public are invited to sign the Books at Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, during office hours (9am-3.40pm, Monday-Friday). A number of Clare people were in Brussels Airport and close to the city’s metro when the bombings occurred on Tuesday morning. Although some were badly shaken, none was injured.

A terrorist attack on Brussels Airport and a  metro station after 8am local time this morning (Tuesday) has left at least 23 people dead and and a large number seriously injured. The blasts at the airport and metro station have occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of Saleh Abdeslam, prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November. Belgian police had been on alert for any reprisal action since then. But there has also been a high state of alert across Europe for fear of terrorist attacks by the so-called Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Paris attack. This morning, there were two explosions at Brussels Airport and reports of shots being fired in what Belgian media said was a suicide attack. Thirteen people have died in this attack and a further 35 seriously injured. A second blast struck a metro station, close to European Union institutions, in the capital shortly afterwards. Belgian public broadcaster …