To raise further awareness of epilepsy in local communities across Ireland – and to help gain public support for our key advocacy priorities – Epilepsy Ireland have written to all current Cathaoirleach (Mayors) of City/County councils, seeking that they submit a motion at upcoming council meetings to show their support for International Epilepsy Day on February 10th.
In our correspondence, we have provided Cathaoirleach with estimated figures of people with epilepsy in their county; noted our plans to further amplify the key message of TIME, SAFE, STAY on International Epilepsy Day; and outlined our key advocacy priorities and how they can be progressed if action is taken by the state to implement WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Conditions.
A copy of the motion (using Donegal as the example), is included in italics below for information:
This Council calls on the Chief Executive to recognise the estimated 1,400 people who live with epilepsy in Donegal, and the 45,000 people who live with epilepsy nationally by writing to the Minister for Health calling on them to implement the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Conditions, seeking that an implementation plan be developed by the Department of Health and that action is taken on Epilepsy Ireland's specific priorities within this plan; and that this Council acknowledges Epilepsy Ireland’s awareness raising efforts on International Epilepsy Day and the promotion of TIME, SAFE, STAY as the three key words for seizure response.
We believe that if the Motion is introduced and passed, it will help encourage a local conversations about epilepsy and in a wider context, the motion will also help draw attention to the challenges that many people living with epilepsy and their families face by calling for the implementation of the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy.
We do hope that local Cathaoirleach will be willing to introduce these motions and that individual Local Authority members will be willing to support them if introduced. We will provide further updates around this on our website and social media channels in 2025, should motions be introduced and agreed.
We also recognise that many people with epilepsy and their families may wish to raise this directly with their local Councillors to help ensure a motion of support is submitted. If you would like to do his, we have included a template letter which you can amend and send to your local Councillor. This template can be read and downloaded at the end of this article. Details of your local Councillors can be found on your individual local authority website. You can find a list of City & County councils by visiting the 'Gov.ie' website.
Thank you in advance for your support and we do hope to be reporting on the approval of these motions in the New Year. In the meantime, should you require any further information or support on your or your loved ones journey with epilepsy, please do not hesitate to contact your local Community Resource Officer. You can find their details by visiting the ‘Our Local Services’ section of our website.
Further Information
- For more on our current Advocacy Priorities, visit the ‘Advocacy’ section of our website
- For more information on the WHO Global Action Plan on epilepsy, visit the ‘Advocacy’ section of our website
- To learn more about TIME, SAFE, STAY, visit the ‘Seizure First Aid’ section of our website
- To learn more about how you can help support International Epilepsy Day, visit the ‘Awareness & Campaigns’ section of our website