sluggerotoole--2020-03-11--Book that shows your kids how to clean their hands like never before?

Some of you with kids will understand the new-ish territory of trying to get your offspring to get their hands @ @ @ @ @ most likely yourself ) have done ever before .
It was once the case that @ @ @ @ @ to touch patients until the ward sister was convinced they knew how to wash their @ @ @ @ @ of alcohol-based antiseptic hand gel dot most wards which means that some of the older @ @ @ @ @ used as ubiquitously as they once were .
With gels in short supply and resort @ @ @ @ @ inevitable , if you have a kindle and kids , why not download Eamon Nancarrow @ @ @ @ @ Book free ?
An infection control expert from Belfast Eamon has re-published a book he @ @ @ @ @ children how to wash their hands properly .
It ’ s free for the next @ @ @

Some of you with kids will understand the new-ish territory of trying to get your offspring to get their hands cleaner than they (and most likely yourself) have done ever before.
It was once the case that junior doctors were not allowed to touch patients until the ward sister was convinced they knew how to wash their hands properly.
Recently dispensers of alcohol-based antiseptic hand gel dot most wards which means that some of the older hand washing skills are not used as ubiquitously as they once were.
With gels in short supply and resort to old fashioned hand washing inevitable, if you have a kindle and kids, why not download Eamon Nancarrow’s 2012 Clean Hand Book free?
An infection control expert from Belfast Eamon has re-published a book he wrote in order to teach children how to wash their hands properly. It’s free for the next few days.


sluggerotoole--2020-03-11--Chatting to the director of 1984 ahead of Bruiser Theatre’s coproduction with Lyric Theatre (from 18

Chatting to the director of 1984 ahead of Bruiser Theatre’s coproduction with Lyric Theatre (from 18 April to 16 May)

You could be forgiven for thinking that we ’ re now living in the middle of George Orwell ’ s Nineteen Eighty-Four in this age of self-imposed surveillance with our reliance on apps and social media , never mind government surveillance and the introduction of facial recognition cameras .
And with alternative facts and a scant regard for truth and accuracy in some quarters , Orwell seems particularly prescient .
While Animal Farm was the novel favoured by English classes at my school , and served as my introduction to the notion of different political ideologies , 1984 is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve picked up and reread my battered copy .
Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan ’ s Olivier Award-nominated stage adaptation of the classic novel is coming to the stage of the Lyric Theatre in April .
“ Fantastic , bold , immersive and very clever ” is how Bruiser Theatre Company ’ s director Lisa May described the script when I sat down to talk with her last week .
The local cast of nine ( eight adults and one child ) has just been revealed , and the director is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rehearsal room .
1984 follows a group of historians as they pore over the diary of Winston Smith , discussing the merits of long-erased Comrade 6079 , and how his love for a woman called Julia starts to free his thoughts from his mandatory allegiance to a controlling regime .
The appendix to Orwell ’ s novel also forms a vital part of the play .
Richard Clements has been cast as Winston , Sophie Robinson plays Julia , and they will be joined on stage by Tony Flynn , Jo Donnelly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Croxford and Karl O ’ Neill .
May has long been a fan of Orwell ’ s novel and in preparation for directing the stage play , she has been soaking up books and films about the book and its author .
She describes 1984 as “ meatier that any other show I ’ ve done in a long time … so I ’ ve sent the cast a cheat sheet to do some homework ” in preparation for the conversations she expects to have at rehearsals about how it all fits together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1984 is ‘ doublethink ’ : the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one ’ s mind simultaneously , and accepting both of them .
There are parallels with theatre even before adding the notions involved in this particular story .
“ Theatre in itself is doublethink , ” explains May .
“ [ The cast and the audience ] know they ’ re in a theatre and not Oceania .
We willingly trick ourselves.
” One unanswered conundrum in the novel is whether Winston ’ s lover Julia is a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s one of those eternal questions that will come up in rehearsals , ” says May .
“ Julia might be , but she might not .
That ’ s also doublethink , so the actors almost have to go through a process of doublethink as we don ’ t provide the answer.
” Over the last few years , Bruiser have enjoyed success on stage with shows like Putnam County Spelling Bee , Cabaret , The 39 Steps , The Importance of Being Earnest , The Ladykillers , The Secret Diary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colleen Bawn .
May sums up the company ’ s style as staging physical , fast , choral , ensemble work that places actors at the centre of performances without reliance on elaborate sets or costumes .
While there ’ s no room for slapstick comedy or farce in 1984 , and the set is large – “ though we ’ re going to use everything about it across the play ” – there ’ s a sense of pace in Icke and Macmillan ’ s script that suits the Bruiser style .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and setting – “ I ’ m basing it here because it could be anywhere ” – will help audiences to connect more and see themselves in the story .
The Lyric ’ s executive producer Jimmy Fay says that “ this brilliant , chilling and exhilarating adaptation of 1984 will leave audiences gripping their seats in astonishment ” .
1984 contains scenes of violence and an age recommendation of 15+ is advised .
“ This production really shakes you up , it ’ s not easy viewing , ” says May .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that discomfort … This adaptation is so clever that it turns the cameras back on us and suggests we are complacent in this , that we should take responsibility for what we put online and how we choose to live our lives.
” One of the lines in the play – though not taken directly from Orwell ’ s text – says : “ The people will not revolt .
They will not look up from their screens long enough to notice what ’ s happening.
” Or as Orwell put it : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never rebel , and until after they have rebelled they can not become conscious.
” The Lyric Theatre and Bruiser Theatre Company coproduction of 1984 runs from Saturday 18 April until Saturday 16 May .
On the eve of the production , the Lyric will stage New Speak , with dynamic short performance pieces commissioned from five artists ( Amadan Ensemble , Zara Janahi , Dominic Montague , Katie Richardson and Lata Sharma ) that seek to engage with the urgent questions raised by our current political , social and economic moment .

You could be forgiven for thinking that we’re now living in the middle of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four in this age of self-imposed surveillance with our reliance on apps and social media, never mind government surveillance and the introduction of facial recognition cameras. And with alternative facts and a scant regard for truth and accuracy in some quarters, Orwell seems particularly prescient.
While Animal Farm was the novel favoured by English classes at my school, and served as my introduction to the notion of different political ideologies, 1984 is so much darker and more rewarding each time I’ve picked up and reread my battered copy.
Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan’s Olivier Award-nominated stage adaptation of the classic novel is coming to the stage of the Lyric Theatre in April.
“Fantastic, bold, immersive and very clever” is how Bruiser Theatre Company’s director Lisa May described the script when I sat down to talk with her last week.
The local cast of nine (eight adults and one child) has just been revealed, and the director is bursting with ideas to take into the rehearsal room.
“I’ve had it in my mind’s eye for the last two or three years. It’s just so relevant and being written in 1948, you would think that Orwell had a crystal ball. Obviously he didn’t, but what he did have was a really amazing understanding of the human condition and our weakness, which is apathy.”
1984 follows a group of historians as they pore over the diary of Winston Smith, discussing the merits of long-erased Comrade 6079, and how his love for a woman called Julia starts to free his thoughts from his mandatory allegiance to a controlling regime. The appendix to Orwell’s novel also forms a vital part of the play.
Richard Clements has been cast as Winston, Sophie Robinson plays Julia, and they will be joined on stage by Tony Flynn, Jo Donnelly, Marty Maguire, Terry Keeley, Richard Croxford and Karl O’Neill.
“The play should appeal to the academic as well as to people like me who love the novel. It’s very true to the original. Icke and Macmillan don’t take any liberties with it, but they have created a framework that is so clever, that addresses all the themes in a very slick and tight manner.”
May has long been a fan of Orwell’s novel and in preparation for directing the stage play, she has been soaking up books and films about the book and its author. She describes 1984 as “meatier that any other show I’ve done in a long time … so I’ve sent the cast a cheat sheet to do some homework” in preparation for the conversations she expects to have at rehearsals about how it all fits together.
“I keep going down a never-ending series of rabbit holes – frustrating and wonderful – as I research. Therein lies madness! So I’m really looking forward to entering the rehearsal room, getting the cast engrossed in it, and beginning to explore it all physically, instead of just over thinking and slowly going mad!”
One of the key concepts of 1984 is ‘doublethink’: the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.
There are parallels with theatre even before adding the notions involved in this particular story. “Theatre in itself is doublethink,” explains May. “[The cast and the audience] know they’re in a theatre and not Oceania. We willingly trick ourselves.”
One unanswered conundrum in the novel is whether Winston’s lover Julia is a member of the Thought Police. “That’s one of those eternal questions that will come up in rehearsals,” says May. “Julia might be, but she might not. That’s also doublethink, so the actors almost have to go through a process of doublethink as we don’t provide the answer.”
Over the last few years, Bruiser have enjoyed success on stage with shows like Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cabaret, The 39 Steps, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Ladykillers, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ and The Colleen Bawn.
May sums up the company’s style as staging physical, fast, choral, ensemble work that places actors at the centre of performances without reliance on elaborate sets or costumes.
While there’s no room for slapstick comedy or farce in 1984, and the set is large – “though we’re going to use everything about it across the play” – there’s a sense of pace in Icke and Macmillan’s script that suits the Bruiser style.
May hopes that local casting, accents and setting – “I’m basing it here because it could be anywhere” – will help audiences to connect more and see themselves in the story.
The Lyric’s executive producer Jimmy Fay says that “this brilliant, chilling and exhilarating adaptation of 1984 will leave audiences gripping their seats in astonishment”.
“It also reminds us of our responsibility as human beings to each other. It is extraordinarily relevant to our current age of fake news and unexpected politics. Big Brother may be still watching us; in fact, he never went away. But like heroes in a David Bowie song, we are always rebelling against the shackles.”
1984 contains scenes of violence and an age recommendation of 15+ is advised.
“This production really shakes you up, it’s not easy viewing,” says May. “I want the audience to feel that discomfort … This adaptation is so clever that it turns the cameras back on us and suggests we are complacent in this, that we should take responsibility for what we put online and how we choose to live our lives.”
One of the lines in the play – though not taken directly from Orwell’s text – says: “The people will not revolt. They will not look up from their screens long enough to notice what’s happening.”
Or as Orwell put it: “Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.”
The Lyric Theatre and Bruiser Theatre Company coproduction of 1984 runs from Saturday 18 April until Saturday 16 May. On the eve of the production, the Lyric will stage New Speak, with dynamic short performance pieces commissioned from five artists (Amadan Ensemble, Zara Janahi, Dominic Montague, Katie Richardson and Lata Sharma) that seek to engage with the urgent questions raised by our current political, social and economic moment.


sluggerotoole--2020-03-13--Lack of sick pay for those with chronic health vulnerabilities forcing some into life threatening si

Lack of sick pay for those with chronic health vulnerabilities forcing some into life threatening situations

Amidst all the understandable angst about the now separate health policies between the north and the south we should not miss the significance of the news that Arsenal have effectively ended the Premiership season for English football .
Whatever criticisms there are of Boris Johnson , the woefully confused and confusing performance of Donald Trump and House leader Mitch McConnell is much worse .
In both cases , sporting bodies are taking the initiative with all US professional sports closing .
Johnson ’ s advice leaves a lot of positive scope for defensive local actions which I hope will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland .
Before we let him off this particular hook , there are important missing elements from his fiscal package .
Not least the run-down state of the NHS .
More precisely though Chris Dillow notes the lack of provision for sick pay to enable individual workers with severe Covid-19 vulnerabilities ( excuse my language ) to get the f**k out of the way of this tSunami : Policy neglect can lead to real-world consequences for individuals and families .
Imagine a mum , her elderly mum and grandmother all linked as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter forced through lack of sick pay into life-threatening work .
Well , you know what , without a plan to with this relatively small demographic , that IS the plan .
This needs gripping asap before people are forced through financial necessity to take severe risks with their own lives and that of their parents and/or grandparents .
Photo by Pixabay is licensed under CC0

Amidst all the understandable angst about the now separate health policies between the north and the south we should not miss the significance of the news that Arsenal have effectively ended the Premiership season for English football.
Whatever criticisms there are of Boris Johnson, the woefully confused and confusing performance of Donald Trump and House leader Mitch McConnell is much worse. In both cases, sporting bodies are taking the initiative with all US professional sports closing.
Johnson’s advice leaves a lot of positive scope for defensive local actions which I hope will be reinforced by the local administrations in Northern Ireland. Before we let him off this particular hook, there are important missing elements from his fiscal package.
Not least the run-down state of the NHS. More precisely though Chris Dillow notes the lack of provision for sick pay to enable individual workers with severe Covid-19 vulnerabilities (excuse my language) to get the f**k out of the way of this tSunami:
4. The welfare state is a public good. Lack of universal healthcare threatens to extend the epidemic as people won't get tested. And lack of sick pay there & here might do so as the symptomatic keep working. — Chris Dillow (@CJFDillow) March 13, 2020
Policy neglect can lead to real-world consequences for individuals and families. Imagine a mum, her elderly mum and grandmother all linked as a support network for looking after her only daughter forced through lack of sick pay into life-threatening work.
Well, you know what, without a plan to with this relatively small demographic, that IS the plan. This needs gripping asap before people are forced through financial necessity to take severe risks with their own lives and that of their parents and/or grandparents.
Photo by Pixabay is licensed under CC0


sluggerotoole--2020-03-15--Hold it a minute. Who’s actually in charge here?

Who actually is in charge of Covid 19 measures in Northern Ireland ?
Just asking .
The mainstream media don ’ t seem that interested .
Health is devolved but national emergencies are reserved to Westminster .
Arlene Foster looks ahead to closing schools for 16 weeks ( Why hit on 16 ?
Why not 20 or 25 ?
Are contingency plans for education ready to roll out ? )
Michelle O ’ Neill with her reflexive approach to crisis thinks they should follow Dublin ’ s example and be closed already .
Does this mean the Executive is back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Troubles ?
Or are we back to solo runs by different minsters ?
Does it even matter what they think or say ?
The Armagh summit yielded no clear answers .
Will NI 70s go into quarantine in a few week ’ s time along with their GB ( or is it English only ) counterparts ?
Will their southern counterparts still hang loose ?
The four chief medical officers of the UK are said to be working in lockstep ( not lockdown ! )
.
There is no way Northern Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobilised British state and economy and without close coordination with the Republic and indeed internationally .
We need lots more genuine information .
Starting clearly with who ’ s unambiguously in charge .
This is no time for the usual cynicism and venting .
We need to trust those in charge whoever they are .
Photo by geralt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

Who actually is in charge of Covid 19 measures in Northern Ireland? Just asking. The mainstream media don’t seem that interested. Health is devolved but national emergencies are reserved to Westminster. Arlene Foster looks ahead to closing schools for 16 weeks (Why hit on 16? Why not 20 or 25? Are contingency plans for education ready to roll out? ) Michelle O’Neill with her reflexive approach to crisis thinks they should follow Dublin’s example and be closed already. Does this mean the Executive is back in deadlock over the biggest crisis since the Troubles? Or are we back to solo runs by different minsters? Does it even matter what they think or say?
The Armagh summit yielded no clear answers. Will NI 70s go into quarantine in a few week’s time along with their GB ( or is it English only) counterparts? Will their southern counterparts still hang loose? The four chief medical officers of the UK are said to be working in lockstep (not lockdown!). There is no way Northern Ireland can cope without massive assistance from the mobilised British state and economy and without close coordination with the Republic and indeed internationally. We need lots more genuine information. Starting clearly with who’s unambiguously in charge. This is no time for the usual cynicism and venting. We need to trust those in charge whoever they are.
Photo by geralt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-03-15--Supermarkets ask people to be courteous and thoughtful whilst shopping..

North or south of the border one thing we do need to be concerned about is the food supply .
@ @ @ @ @ t based on getting goods to people in ways that are constantly monitored and moderated @ @ @ @ @ of food and other supplies at once may be understandable , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ So the biggest UK supermarket chains have written this joint letter appealing for calm : @ @ @ @ @ little .
Every day .

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sluggerotoole--2020-03-15--Schools closed for 4 months?, Pensioners to be confined to their homes? The latest in the battle aga

Schools closed for 4 months?, Pensioners to be confined to their homes? The latest in the battle against Covid-19…

I am sure I am not the only parent who got a shiver down their spine when they head the news that Arlene Foster says the schools might be closed for 4 months .
It is bad enough trying to keep them entertained during the weekend never mind for 4 months .
The problem I see with this strategy is who normally minds the kids when they are off school ?
The Grandparents – exactly the people we are most concerned about .
If the schools are off the economy really will grind to a halt .
And who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the medical staff and other essential workers ?
There was a doctor on RTE Radio the other night saying that you should not bring kids to playparks , playdates etc and I could not help but think what in the name of feck you are meant to do with them at home all day ?
Our 4 year old goes mental after 3 hours in the house never might 3 months .
Parents should take a lot of comfort in the fact that kids either don ’ t seem to get the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barely registers with them .
Have a read of this article from The Guardian , and this one from New Scientist for a much-needed bit of reassurance about the safety of your children .
Meanwhile over in the Spectator Robert Preston is talking about government plans to tell the over 70 ’ s to stay at home for 4 months .
While there might be merit in this it will have unforeseen consequences in that the health of this age group with nose dive if they are not getting out to walk their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the papers etc .
They may dodge Covid-19 but it seems we are in danger of scaring them to death .
I now understand why many experts think the real battle will be psychological .
People can only handle a lockdown for a few weeks before they all start to crack up .
Even at this early stage , I think if I had the option to get it I think I would as for most healthy adults the uncertainty and worry around the illness are likely to be far worse than actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should have offered young healthy medical staff the option to get deliberately infected so they will be all clear and ready to get to work without having to work in a spacesuit .
Stick them in a quarantined 5-star hotel for two weeks until they are all set .
But obviously I am no medic so don ’ t listen to me .
It does seem to be the calm before the storm , so lets kept it together people .
Stay calm , wash your hands and remember – this too shall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under CC0

I am sure I am not the only parent who got a shiver down their spine when they head the news that Arlene Foster says the schools might be closed for 4 months. It is bad enough trying to keep them entertained during the weekend never mind for 4 months. The problem I see with this strategy is who normally minds the kids when they are off school? The Grandparents – exactly the people we are most concerned about. If the schools are off the economy really will grind to a halt. And who is going to mind the kids of all the medical staff and other essential workers?
There was a doctor on RTE Radio the other night saying that you should not bring kids to playparks, playdates etc and I could not help but think what in the name of feck you are meant to do with them at home all day? Our 4 year old goes mental after 3 hours in the house never might 3 months.
Parents should take a lot of comfort in the fact that kids either don’t seem to get the virus at all or if they do it barely registers with them. Have a read of this article from The Guardian, and this one from New Scientist for a much-needed bit of reassurance about the safety of your children.
Meanwhile over in the Spectator Robert Preston is talking about government plans to tell the over 70’s to stay at home for 4 months. While there might be merit in this it will have unforeseen consequences in that the health of this age group with nose dive if they are not getting out to walk their dogs, go to church, get the papers etc. They may dodge Covid-19 but it seems we are in danger of scaring them to death.
I now understand why many experts think the real battle will be psychological. People can only handle a lockdown for a few weeks before they all start to crack up. Even at this early stage, I think if I had the option to get it I think I would as for most healthy adults the uncertainty and worry around the illness are likely to be far worse than actually getting it. I was thinking they should have offered young healthy medical staff the option to get deliberately infected so they will be all clear and ready to get to work without having to work in a spacesuit. Stick them in a quarantined 5-star hotel for two weeks until they are all set. But obviously I am no medic so don’t listen to me.
It does seem to be the calm before the storm, so lets kept it together people. Stay calm, wash your hands and remember – this too shall pass.
Photo by Pixabay is licensed under CC0


sluggerotoole--2020-03-15--“It we get this right it is going to be short lived and not severe…”

This interview with Dr. Paddy Mallon of St Vincent ’ s hospital in Dublin is just great and it shows @ @ @ @ @ lines in this fight lie .
It ’ s primarily with us to take a @ @ @ @ @ hysteria .
Hat tip Ian Parsley on Twitter .


sluggerotoole--2020-03-14--If RHI was a governance mess it was also a media and democratic shambles

I was coming to the end of my time at the Daily Telegraph when the expenses scandal of 2009 broke and pushed its sales through the roof .
I ’ ve since come to understand that there are more costly messes within the public accounts than loo seats and duck houses .
MPs and MLAs can be worth their weight in gold if they are allowed ( and incentivised ) to scrutinise the workings of government to keep things honest and in doing so help put scarce resources to the best use possible .
The RHI debacle was a relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report delivered on a Friday it also got the extra cover of the Covid-19 panic .
But the chief irony is that the report was delivered with a whimper , not the explosive bang that had been so eagerly anticipated by most of the local press .
Looking back through Slugger ’ s archives from the time of the controversy it is clear that the assumption made by most of the press at the time was that the DUP spads were in some way culpable for the spike in demand in Autumn of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crawford , was deemed to have shared confidential information with family members .
Embarrassing , but not corrupt .
And not at all what the press assumed when the story broke , responsible for breaking the scheme .
Looking back , this was the animating assumption driving most of the near-hysterical coverage of the issue in those final weeks of the short-lived Assembly of the 2016 mandate .
The fact none of those folks did nothing to take the shine off ‘ the story ’ .
As it happens we reported calmly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meltdown , on the real reasons for the Autumn 2015 spike .
As pointed out on Slugger at the time , in GB demand spikes come every time you propose a downward review of the tariff .
What made this worse was the energy team had let the industry know that the Minister was minded to change the tariff in the summer when Jonathan Bell was away from Belfast .
This key fact did not emerge until after Sinn Fein had pulled everything down .
In Slugger ’ s archives , we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secrecy was evident even in what should be the non-controversial area of data sharing .
We knew about the spikes in the GB scheme because over there the primary data was open to the public .
This is one of those areas which benefits from transparency ( call me a controversialist , but not everything in government does ) , because in any well-connected organisation red lights should appear on several dashboards , not just in one junior office .
This failure to report upwards was an evidently key theme before Coghlin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened at the very beginning when civil servants failed to brief the Minister ( Arlene Foster ) on the cost implications of taking off the tariff tiering .
Not that this mattered to the red meat brigade in the press for whom ( with a few notable exceptions , not least the ever diligent and hard-working Sam McBride ) this report is a huge disappointment .
The thoroughgoing Coghlin actually had very few punches to pull .
But he has provided proper answers to the questions we posed on Slugger after Conor Spackman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • How did it happen ?
• Why did it go on unchecked for as long as it did ?
• What ’ s in the whistleblower ’ s letter that meant Mrs Foster ( and her department head ) did not read the scale of the problem ?
The transparently bleak disappointment of some of those who had energetically stoked the fires of controversy highlights the role that a widely held assumption of the guilt of the DUP and its Spad ’ s amongst journalists and editors played in derailing Stormont .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ indeed secondary , it was also instrumentally significant in terms of delaying the closure of the scheme .
They also colluded with the DUP to keep the whole affair secret from the rest of their Executive colleagues before the 2016 election .
The disclosure , through Coghlin ’ s wide-ranging powers , of the submissive relationship between SF ’ s Minister of Finance and his party officials may explain why Sinn Fein fought all other parties to the bitter end for a judicial rather than a public inquiry into the matter .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposition of the time .
The premature attempts at trying to take Arlene Foster out of the game showed a certain lack of maturity and purpose in bringing the issue to book within the terms of the Assembly .
Why , for instance , if this became such a grave matter after Spotlight , were the findings from the Auditor General ’ s report from July of that year not driven by the opposition into a committee inquiry when the Assembly reconvened after the summer of 2016 ?
The CAGNI office is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assembly committees that takes an interrogatory approach to government and is often an uncommonly rich source of material for MLAs to get their teeth into .
This stuff really matters .
As I highlighted at the time , for four years public engagement with the scheme was under budget until the penny dropped with the first budget surplus .
That was because of the size and extent of the cost not just of installing the boilers , but whole systems were scary .
If the boilers cost between £25k and £50k , whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recouping some of that initial outlay would have been a priority for owners since the business case for having one was slim to non-existent .
The key to the overruns lies in the text excised from original as drafted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in Whitehall , which removed flexibility from the Northern Ireland scheme to change the tariff and eventually ran the scheme into the ground .
The context for the prominence of Spads over ministers has been largely unreported .
The truth is that at this time the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s regime as a contingency against collapse after the IRA was accused of murdering Kevin McGuigan .
The shouting may have been a result of the well-paid blokes in Stormont having to skeleton crew a drifting DUP ship in parts of the week their ministers were not actually officially being ministers .
Funny enough , the DUP declined to use this in mitigation .
As far as the majority of the media was concerned none of this appeared in their popular deconstructions of this period as anything other than a prima facie indication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time of their reporting had yet to be fully defined .
We look across at America and we wonder how this era of fake news came about .
This homegrown , loose , makey-uppy reporting ultimately cost us three valuable years in which Northern Ireland could have governed itself .
And it has weakened trust in democracy .
I hope Coghlin ’ s report is useful , at least in terms of incentivising the NICS to undertake a thorough review of its governance structures .
In that , I hope senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open standards in how it monitors programmes like RHI .
But this won ’ t be the end of the matter .
As you will see in a follow-up contribution from Andrew Trimble the chair of the RHA Association of Northern Ireland .
There are serious ongoing questions about the way the scheme was changed and wound up .
Changes made , by the admission of the department itself , with scant official regard to potential the real-world impacts upon the businesses of those working in Northern Ireland ’ s agri-food and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @

I was coming to the end of my time at the Daily Telegraph when the expenses scandal of 2009 broke and pushed its sales through the roof. I’ve since come to understand that there are more costly messes within the public accounts than loo seats and duck houses.
MPs and MLAs can be worth their weight in gold if they are allowed (and incentivised) to scrutinise the workings of government to keep things honest and in doing so help put scarce resources to the best use possible. The RHI debacle was a relatively small affair.
Not only was the report delivered on a Friday it also got the extra cover of the Covid-19 panic. But the chief irony is that the report was delivered with a whimper, not the explosive bang that had been so eagerly anticipated by most of the local press.
Looking back through Slugger’s archives from the time of the controversy it is clear that the assumption made by most of the press at the time was that the DUP spads were in some way culpable for the spike in demand in Autumn of 2015.
Only one Spad, Andrew Crawford, was deemed to have shared confidential information with family members. Embarrassing, but not corrupt. And not at all what the press assumed when the story broke, responsible for breaking the scheme.
Looking back, this was the animating assumption driving most of the near-hysterical coverage of the issue in those final weeks of the short-lived Assembly of the 2016 mandate. The fact none of those folks did nothing to take the shine off ‘the story’.
As it happens we reported calmly and clearly in the midst of the Stormont meltdown, on the real reasons for the Autumn 2015 spike. As pointed out on Slugger at the time, in GB demand spikes come every time you propose a downward review of the tariff.
What made this worse was the energy team had let the industry know that the Minister was minded to change the tariff in the summer when Jonathan Bell was away from Belfast. This key fact did not emerge until after Sinn Fein had pulled everything down.
In Slugger’s archives, we have expert accounts showing how a culture of secrecy was evident even in what should be the non-controversial area of data sharing. We knew about the spikes in the GB scheme because over there the primary data was open to the public.
This is one of those areas which benefits from transparency (call me a controversialist, but not everything in government does), because in any well-connected organisation red lights should appear on several dashboards, not just in one junior office.
This failure to report upwards was an evidently key theme before Coghlin’s inquiry was even commissioned. It happened at the very beginning when civil servants failed to brief the Minister (Arlene Foster) on the cost implications of taking off the tariff tiering.
Not that this mattered to the red meat brigade in the press for whom (with a few notable exceptions, not least the ever diligent and hard-working Sam McBride) this report is a huge disappointment. The thoroughgoing Coghlin actually had very few punches to pull.
But he has provided proper answers to the questions we posed on Slugger after Conor Spackman’s Spotlight programme was shown:
How did it happen?
Why did it go on unchecked for as long as it did?
What’s in the whistleblower’s letter that meant Mrs Foster (and her department head) did not read the scale of the problem?
The transparently bleak disappointment of some of those who had energetically stoked the fires of controversy highlights the role that a widely held assumption of the guilt of the DUP and its Spad’s amongst journalists and editors played in derailing Stormont.
Although Sinn Fein’s role was indeed secondary, it was also instrumentally significant in terms of delaying the closure of the scheme. They also colluded with the DUP to keep the whole affair secret from the rest of their Executive colleagues before the 2016 election.
The disclosure, through Coghlin’s wide-ranging powers, of the submissive relationship between SF’s Minister of Finance and his party officials may explain why Sinn Fein fought all other parties to the bitter end for a judicial rather than a public inquiry into the matter.
There is also blame to be attached to the opposition of the time. The premature attempts at trying to take Arlene Foster out of the game showed a certain lack of maturity and purpose in bringing the issue to book within the terms of the Assembly.
Why, for instance, if this became such a grave matter after Spotlight, were the findings from the Auditor General’s report from July of that year not driven by the opposition into a committee inquiry when the Assembly reconvened after the summer of 2016?
The CAGNI office is one of the few resources available to Assembly committees that takes an interrogatory approach to government and is often an uncommonly rich source of material for MLAs to get their teeth into. This stuff really matters.
As I highlighted at the time, for four years public engagement with the scheme was under budget until the penny dropped with the first budget surplus. That was because of the size and extent of the cost not just of installing the boilers, but whole systems were scary.
If the boilers cost between £25k and £50k, whole systems cost between £50k and £100k. Recouping some of that initial outlay would have been a priority for owners since the business case for having one was slim to non-existent.
The key to the overruns lies in the text excised from original as drafted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in Whitehall, which removed flexibility from the Northern Ireland scheme to change the tariff and eventually ran the scheme into the ground.
The context for the prominence of Spads over ministers has been largely unreported. The truth is that at this time the DUP were performing their rolling minister’s regime as a contingency against collapse after the IRA was accused of murdering Kevin McGuigan.
The shouting may have been a result of the well-paid blokes in Stormont having to skeleton crew a drifting DUP ship in parts of the week their ministers were not actually officially being ministers. Funny enough, the DUP declined to use this in mitigation.
As far as the majority of the media was concerned none of this appeared in their popular deconstructions of this period as anything other than a prima facie indication of DUP guilt, of something which at the time of their reporting had yet to be fully defined.
We look across at America and we wonder how this era of fake news came about. This homegrown, loose, makey-uppy reporting ultimately cost us three valuable years in which Northern Ireland could have governed itself. And it has weakened trust in democracy.
I hope Coghlin’s report is useful, at least in terms of incentivising the NICS to undertake a thorough review of its governance structures. In that, I hope senior managers will be encouraged to embrace more open standards in how it monitors programmes like RHI.
But this won’t be the end of the matter. As you will see in a follow-up contribution from Andrew Trimble the chair of the RHA Association of Northern Ireland. There are serious ongoing questions about the way the scheme was changed and wound up.
Changes made, by the admission of the department itself, with scant official regard to potential the real-world impacts upon the businesses of those working in Northern Ireland’s agri-food and other industries who took up the scheme.


sluggerotoole--2020-03-13--I consigli di nonna Rosetta…

I consigli di nonna Rosetta…

Mick is founding editor of Slugger .
He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and @ @ @ @ @ a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland , the UK and Europe .
Twitter @ @ @


sluggerotoole--2020-03-13--Before you have to go into self isolation, here’s some resources…

So before I head off , I thought I ’ d share a couple of resources we ’ re going to be using to try and keep ourselves safe going forward .
The first advice from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asking families to plan around their own vulnerabilities .
The main headings are as follows : Talk with the people who need to be included in your plan .
Meet with household members , other relatives , and friends to discuss what to do if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community and what the needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications .
There is limited information about who may be at risk for severe complications from COVID-19 illness Early data suggest older people are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness .
If you or your household members are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications , please consult with your health care provider .
Get to know your neighbours .
Talk with your neighbours about emergency planning .
If your neighbourhood has a website or social media page , consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , information , and resources .
Identify aid organizations in your community .
Create a list of local organizations that you and your household can contact in the event you need access to information , health care services , support , and resources .
Consider including organizations that provide mental health or counseling services , food , and other supplies .
Create an emergency contact list.Ensure your household has a current list of emergency contacts for family , friends , neighbours , carpool drivers , health care providers , teachers , employers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other community resources .
There are more suggestions on the site although the links are all US-based .
Closer to home , MIND has a great checklist for those who find themselves having to go into self-isolation ( crucial not simply survival , but taking the strain off the NHS ) … • Food : do you have a way to get food delivered ?
• Cleaning : are your cleaning supplies stocked up ?
• Money : can you budget for any higher bills or expenses ?
Will you save money from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere ?
• Work : can you work from home or not ?
If not , what are your rights to payment or benefits ?
• Medication : do you have enough medication , or a way to get more ?
• Health : can you reorganise any planned therapy or treatments ?
• Commitments : can someone else help you care for any dependents , walk your dog , or take care of any other commitments ?
• Connectivity : have you checked the contact details of the people you see regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addresses ?
• Routine : can you create a routine or timetable for yourself ?
And if you live with other people , should you create a household schedule ?
Do you need to agree how the household will run with everyone at home all day ?
• Exercise : is there any physical activity you can do inside your home , such as going up and down the stairs , using bean tins as weights , or exercises you can do in your chair ?
• Nature : have you thought how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get some seeds and planting equipment , houseplants or living herbs ?
• Entertainment : have you thought about things to do , books to read or TV shows to watch ?
• Relax : have you got materials so you can do something creative , such as paper and colouring pencils ?
Photo by Tumisu is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

So before I head off, I thought I’d share a couple of resources we’re going to be using to try and keep ourselves safe going forward. The first advice from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asking families to plan around their own vulnerabilities.
The main headings are as follows:
Talk with the people who need to be included in your plan. Meet with household members, other relatives, and friends to discuss what to do if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community and what the needs of each person will be. Plan ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications. There is limited information about who may be at risk for severe complications from COVID-19 illness Early data suggest older people are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness. If you or your household members are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, please consult with your health care provider. Get to know your neighbours. Talk with your neighbours about emergency planning. If your neighbourhood has a website or social media page, consider joining it to maintain access to neighbors, information, and resources. Identify aid organizations in your community. Create a list of local organizations that you and your household can contact in the event you need access to information, health care services, support, and resources. Consider including organizations that provide mental health or counseling services, food, and other supplies. Create an emergency contact list.Ensure your household has a current list of emergency contacts for family, friends, neighbours, carpool drivers, health care providers, teachers, employers, the local public health department, and other community resources.
There are more suggestions on the site although the links are all US-based. Closer to home, MIND has a great checklist for those who find themselves having to go into self-isolation (crucial not simply survival, but taking the strain off the NHS)…
Food : do you have a way to get food delivered?
: do you have a way to get food delivered? Cleaning : are your cleaning supplies stocked up?
: are your cleaning supplies stocked up? Money : can you budget for any higher bills or expenses? Will you save money from lower transport costs that you could spend elsewhere?
: can you budget for any higher bills or expenses? Will you save money from lower transport costs that you could spend elsewhere? Work : can you work from home or not? If not, what are your rights to payment or benefits?
: can you work from home or not? If not, what are your rights to payment or benefits? Medication : do you have enough medication, or a way to get more?
: do you have enough medication, or a way to get more? Health : can you reorganise any planned therapy or treatments?
: can you reorganise any planned therapy or treatments? Commitments : can someone else help you care for any dependents, walk your dog, or take care of any other commitments?
: can someone else help you care for any dependents, walk your dog, or take care of any other commitments? Connectivity : have you checked the contact details of the people you see regularly, like their phone numbers or email addresses?
: have you checked the contact details of the people you see regularly, like their phone numbers or email addresses? Routine : can you create a routine or timetable for yourself? And if you live with other people, should you create a household schedule? Do you need to agree how the household will run with everyone at home all day?
: can you create a routine or timetable for yourself? And if you live with other people, should you create a household schedule? Do you need to agree how the household will run with everyone at home all day? Exercise : is there any physical activity you can do inside your home, such as going up and down the stairs, using bean tins as weights, or exercises you can do in your chair?
: is there any physical activity you can do inside your home, such as going up and down the stairs, using bean tins as weights, or exercises you can do in your chair? Nature : have you thought how you could access nature? Can you get some seeds and planting equipment, houseplants or living herbs?
: have you thought how you could access nature? Can you get some seeds and planting equipment, houseplants or living herbs? Entertainment : have you thought about things to do, books to read or TV shows to watch?
: have you thought about things to do, books to read or TV shows to watch? Relax: have you got materials so you can do something creative, such as paper and colouring pencils?
Photo by Tumisu is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


RHI Report Published…

Sir Patrick Coghlin has published his long-awaited report into the RHI fiasco .
At 656 pages long you will forgive me for not having read it yet ( or ever to be honest ) .
The headline findings from the BBC are : Corrupt or malicious activity was not the cause of what went wrong with Northern Ireland ’ s failed energy scheme .
The findings into the Renewable Heat Incentive ( RHI ) scheme were published on Friday .
It found the scheme was a “ project too far ” for the NI Executive and “ should never have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which opened in 2012 , paid businesses to switch from oil and gas to environmentally-friendly heating .
The 656-page report said that while there was “ unacceptable ” behaviour by some officials , ministers and special advisers , what went wrong was a “ compounding of errors and omissions over time and a failure of attention ” .
So it looks like our glorious leader Arlene Foster is in the clear .
With RHI off her plate , she now only has to worry about the potential imminent deaths of thousands from Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or do like the rest of us and wait for Sam McBride to read it all and give us the gist of it .
Photo by Alexas_Fotos is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

Sir Patrick Coghlin has published his long-awaited report into the RHI fiasco. At 656 pages long you will forgive me for not having read it yet (or ever to be honest). The headline findings from the BBC are:
Corrupt or malicious activity was not the cause of what went wrong with Northern Ireland’s failed energy scheme. The findings into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme were published on Friday. It found the scheme was a “project too far” for the NI Executive and “should never have been adopted”. The scheme, which opened in 2012, paid businesses to switch from oil and gas to environmentally-friendly heating. The 656-page report said that while there was “unacceptable” behaviour by some officials, ministers and special advisers, what went wrong was a “compounding of errors and omissions over time and a failure of attention”.
So it looks like our glorious leader Arlene Foster is in the clear. With RHI off her plate, she now only has to worry about the potential imminent deaths of thousands from Covid-19.
You can read the report here, or do like the rest of us and wait for Sam McBride to read it all and give us the gist of it.
Photo by Alexas_Fotos is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-03-13--On Corvid-19, there’s no time for anything but adult politicians pulling in one direction

I was impressed yesterday that whatever the huge misgivings that individuals might habour about Boris Johnson ’ s strategy for handling the Corvid-19 emergency , there was at least some unanimity amongst the parties at Stormont .
In particular , I thought Michelle O ’ Neill played a blinder in recognising the issue of confusing messages and trying to make it clear that Northern Ireland had to follow a single strategy even if it was at odds with the one in the south .
This morning , her party sent her out on her own to do a volte-face : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of us share the very same misgivings Mrs O ’ Neill gave voice to this morning of the British approach .
But it seems to me , the pressure to unilaterally withdraw from the local consensus was worth resisting for a while at least .
As we see with regard to the inadequacies of Westminster ’ s plans regarding sick pay , for the duration government has to focus on what it can do and so it effectively , which under powersharing means doing it together .
Scotland shows there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be done together and with a view to saving as many lives as is humanly possible .
Unilaterally pulling out of the collective harness can not help with that ( whatever the experts on Twitter say .
No party can wash its hands like Pilate of its solemn duties .
Stephen Farry puts it better than I can… Perhaps it was Twitter talking .
As Ian notes of the Alliance party , Sinn Fein has done very well in its utilisation of the microblogging site .
But governing in a crisis requires a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and which Twitter rarely fails to pour vituperative scorn upon .
This is no time for politicking or cheap digs .
We need every party back in the fold and doing everything they can to get Northern Ireland to where it needs to be , especially Sinn Fein .
Whatever time any of us believe we have left to sort this out , you can at least half it .
“ Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 ” by NIAID is licensed under CC BY

I was impressed yesterday that whatever the huge misgivings that individuals might habour about Boris Johnson’s strategy for handling the Corvid-19 emergency, there was at least some unanimity amongst the parties at Stormont.
In particular, I thought Michelle O’Neill played a blinder in recognising the issue of confusing messages and trying to make it clear that Northern Ireland had to follow a single strategy even if it was at odds with the one in the south.
This morning, her party sent her out on her own to do a volte-face:
After yesterday's all-executive press conference, Michelle O'Neill delivers her contradictory statement today without even the usual party phalanx behind her – just one watching SF press officer. Coronavirus cakism. I am genuinely disappointed – yesterday was real leadership. pic.twitter.com/8QB7qXkeWy — Newton Emerson (@NewtonEmerson) March 13, 2020
Let me first state that an awful lot of us share the very same misgivings Mrs O’Neill gave voice to this morning of the British approach. But it seems to me, the pressure to unilaterally withdraw from the local consensus was worth resisting for a while at least.
As we see with regard to the inadequacies of Westminster’s plans regarding sick pay, for the duration government has to focus on what it can do and so it effectively, which under powersharing means doing it together. Scotland shows there’s room for derogation.
But it must be done together and with a view to saving as many lives as is humanly possible. Unilaterally pulling out of the collective harness cannot help with that (whatever the experts on Twitter say. No party can wash its hands like Pilate of its solemn duties.
Stephen Farry puts it better than I can…
In a day of a bombshell RHI report into ministerial & other failings and in the wake of NDNA commitments on good governance, it is shocking to see a solo run on this. Surely this should be a matter for Education Minister? Is this consistent with Ministerial Code? https://t.co/Z7Gq7oN4YO — Stephen Farry MP (@StephenFarryMP) March 13, 2020
Perhaps it was Twitter talking. As Ian notes of the Alliance party, Sinn Fein has done very well in its utilisation of the microblogging site. But governing in a crisis requires a steel never asked of our parties before, and which Twitter rarely fails to pour vituperative scorn upon.
This is no time for politicking or cheap digs. We need every party back in the fold and doing everything they can to get Northern Ireland to where it needs to be, especially Sinn Fein. Whatever time any of us believe we have left to sort this out, you can at least half it.
The clock is ticking.
“Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2” by NIAID is licensed under CC BY


sluggerotoole--2020-03-13--Who speaks for us now ‘the other side’ barely exists for me and my kids?

My wife and I left Belfast for England in October 1997 – exactly six months before the Good Friday Agreement .
We left with our first toddler son and were happy enough to take him away from a society that in his first six months had given us the ending of the first ceasefire and the renewed street violence surrounding the 1996 Drumcree .
We returned in February 2011 on his fifteenth birthday and with his eleven-year-old brother also in our number .
We were happy to do that as on our frequent visits home we ’ d come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society much more at peace with itself and seeming to be moving in the more progressive , harmonious direction everyone had hoped for .
As her gesture to the new society , my wife “ accidentally ” lost our boys ’ Rangers shirts in the move from the West of Scotland lest anyone in our new County Armagh homemade any unfair assumptions about them .
Old prejudices die hard .
Despite Brexit and the three-year Stormont hiatus , I still believe Northern Ireland is a better place than before .
Young people – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mix more freely than we did , drink and go to gigs in places we would never have done , feel no unease about dating people from “ the other side ” ( because to many of them there is no other side in any tangible sense ) and generally show a lot less wariness about travelling the length and breadth of Northern Ireland to have a good time .
Just like in any other society .
But is that reflected anywhere in our mainstream media ?
Quite the reverse .
On Radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than seven of the eleven hours from 7am each day are devoted to “ news ” programmes that by and large are devoted to the same hoary old chestnuts that poisoned our society for so long .
Perhaps that ’ s the BBC giving the people what they want .
But the age profile of the callers and more tellingly the very small number who fill the three hours of phone-in each day suggest the BBC is playing to a very niche market rather than reflecting the more modern society we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on BBC One most weeknights .
Maybe it takes one to have spent time away to realise this , but I believe that elements of our media , perhaps unknowingly , are working against the interests of the post-1997 generation but it isn ’ t being challenged .
Has it lost the young already ?
The inability of our media and our politicians to reflect the nature of the society it serves is also most evident in how they articulate the views of people of my background and outlook .
This week yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was published .
This one concluded that the Union is supported by more than three-quarters of the half a million Northern Ireland people who do not vote in elections .
A more interesting and provocative conclusion than most .
As a pro-union person who lives in a safe Sinn Fein constituency , that half a million people include me in their number , for Westminster elections at least .
But if I lived in a unionist or marginal seat would I vote ?
I genuinely don ’ t know .
I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be a struggle to pick a party .
Clearly many can ’ t .
I consider myself to be a member of a broad sector of society .
It ’ s not an especially homogenous sector but the tens ( hundreds ? )
of thousands of us have a certain number of characteristics in common .
We favour the union and are British without being stridently unionist , orange or even “ Protestant ” in any meaningful sense .
We are comfortable in our Irishness , and our broader politics are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conforming to the traditional stereotype .
We supported equal marriage and were embarrassed by being lumped in with those who opposed it .
We are prepared to accept the judgement of women on reproductive matters .
We supported the Good Friday Agreement and voted Remain in significant numbers .
Most importantly we do not obsess over the events of 1969-1997 rather we want our children to grow up in a pluralist , respectful society So , who speaks for us ?
Politically no one as the St Andrews carve-up between the DUP and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled both sides into line with their Stormont votes .
That ’ s not likely to be allowed to change , at least until Sinn Fein overtake the DUP and there ’ s widespread panic about who gets to be the less joint of the Joint First Ministers .
Interestingly , but surely not surprisingly , Liverpool University ’ s survey also found that just 25 % of Alliance voters want a united Ireland .
So , should they be at least attempting to speak for us ?
My recollection is that their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Napier and Cushnahan , but that has clearly been abandoned as the party has morphed into what Owen Polley recently characterised as little more than a virtue-signalling cult .
Obviously , Alliance needed to change .
It had grown stale and unimaginative under its previous couple of leaders and had made little impression in Stormont or outside its base in safe unionist territory unaffected by past events : generally , pro-union people who never felt threatened with the possibility of a Sinn Fein or even SDLP MP .
But rather than make use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weakened beasts of the UUP and SDLP , it strikes me that it looked over its shoulder and made a conscious and successful decision to move onto the new fertile territory occupied by the Greens in the traditional Alliance heartlands of North Down and South Belfast .
Alliance used social media brilliantly before the 2019 council elections .
It created interesting , youthful personalities on Twitter by emphasising the party ’ s socially “ progressive ” side ( a side not necessarily identified with by older Alliance voters and members ) .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new personalities gaining council seats in previously barren areas , while also strengthening in more comfortable areas of the heartland .
Naomi Long ’ s leadership has given them a real boost .
She ’ s a genuine big hitter .
Possibly the biggest hitter we have .
But are they really laying the foundations for the future ?
I think not .
The sort of people I would identify with .
People who have served their time by serving their constituency strongly at the community level while also gaining the confidence – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platformed while the new intake are given the profile but who too often demonstrate that what works in 280 characters on Twitter is woefully insufficient in council chambers or radio debate .
So , at this stage Alliance has a lot to do to demonstrate the surge is sustainable .
Then as I was penning this article , they strongly reinforced the party ’ s agnosticism on the union at their conference .
That won ’ t ultimately play well with the 75 % if the debate is aggressively ramped up when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I should be voting for them by now .
And I ’ d really like to .
But I think I prefer the Greens for the conviction of their politics rather than what seems to be people finding a home in Alliance as the only available option .
So , if we ’ re not to be spoken for politically , is the media giving us a platform ?
Not that I can see .
There is a raft of stridently republican “ commentators “ of varied abilities used by the BBC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than “ commentator ” ( or in one case – laughably – “ historian ” ) .
Also , there are the strident voices of unionism , largely people we rejected at the polls because we wanted something radically different .
Then there is Jamie Bryson , who speaks for no one ( though to his credit he often argues a very poor case very well ) .
If Jamie didn ’ t exist , Radio Ulster would have to invent him .
( Or perhaps they did . )
Even this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on “ the future of unionism ” .
Two septuagenarians discussing the future of people who neither represent , demonstrating no real understanding of how that community has evolved .
The mainstream media is lazy ( I don ’ t think it ’ s anything more sinister than that ) .
Maybe they do struggle for interesting secular pro-union voices .
That laziness or lack of imagination delivers the same go-to affable Prod on at least six different media most weeks but where are the challenging voices ?
So , have we no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not a cliched articulation of it ?
People , who are confident enough to say what they feel and stand over it ?
Who feel the arguments is more of an imperative than being invited back ?
It ’ s not entirely the media ’ s fault .
Its also very much a characteristic of Protestantism to saw away the rungs beneath you once you get on the ladder , rather than helping the next person to climb .
That ’ s why no one will even attempt to sympathetically explain why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alienated and often self-destructive .
These communities are no different from others across the United Kingdom but have an added burden of sectarian stereotyping on one side and a liberal middle class with ( increasingly distant ) roots in those communities but no apparent interest in their welfare .
These communities need to have their very real challenges and concerns fairly articulated but when was the last time that really happened in any tone short of patronising or dismissive ?
When this gap is successfully addressed , then we can have a genuinely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Northern Ireland .
But so long as there is an empty seat on the platform a major silent minority ( or a number of them ) will not be heard .
That may suit some , but it doesn ’ t make for an inclusive , progressive society .

My wife and I left Belfast for England in October 1997 – exactly six months before the Good Friday Agreement. We left with our first toddler son and were happy enough to take him away from a society that in his first six months had given us the ending of the first ceasefire and the renewed street violence surrounding the 1996 Drumcree.
We returned in February 2011 on his fifteenth birthday and with his eleven-year-old brother also in our number. We were happy to do that as on our frequent visits home we’d come to see a positive, vibrant, lively society much more at peace with itself and seeming to be moving in the more progressive, harmonious direction everyone had hoped for.
As her gesture to the new society, my wife “accidentally” lost our boys’ Rangers shirts in the move from the West of Scotland lest anyone in our new County Armagh homemade any unfair assumptions about them. Old prejudices die hard.
Despite Brexit and the three-year Stormont hiatus, I still believe Northern Ireland is a better place than before. Young people – including our sons – largely seem to mix more freely than we did, drink and go to gigs in places we would never have done, feel no unease about dating people from “the other side” (because to many of them there is no other side in any tangible sense) and generally show a lot less wariness about travelling the length and breadth of Northern Ireland to have a good time.
Just like in any other society.
But is that reflected anywhere in our mainstream media? Quite the reverse. On Radio Ulster, for example, no fewer than seven of the eleven hours from 7am each day are devoted to “news” programmes that by and large are devoted to the same hoary old chestnuts that poisoned our society for so long.
Perhaps that’s the BBC giving the people what they want. But the age profile of the callers and more tellingly the very small number who fill the three hours of phone-in each day suggest the BBC is playing to a very niche market rather than reflecting the more modern society we’ve partially secured.
Ditto the 10.45pm slot on BBC One most weeknights. Maybe it takes one to have spent time away to realise this, but I believe that elements of our media, perhaps unknowingly, are working against the interests of the post-1997 generation but it isn’t being challenged.
Has it lost the young already?
The inability of our media and our politicians to reflect the nature of the society it serves is also most evident in how they articulate the views of people of my background and outlook. This week yet another opinion poll on the constitutional issue was published.
This one concluded that the Union is supported by more than three-quarters of the half a million Northern Ireland people who do not vote in elections. A more interesting and provocative conclusion than most.
As a pro-union person who lives in a safe Sinn Fein constituency, that half a million people include me in their number, for Westminster elections at least. But if I lived in a unionist or marginal seat would I vote? I genuinely don’t know. I’d like to think I would, but it would be a struggle to pick a party. Clearly many can’t.
I consider myself to be a member of a broad sector of society. It’s not an especially homogenous sector but the tens (hundreds?) of thousands of us have a certain number of characteristics in common.
We favour the union and are British without being stridently unionist, orange or even “Protestant” in any meaningful sense. We are comfortable in our Irishness, and our broader politics are neither determined by our constitutional preference nor conforming to the traditional stereotype.
We supported equal marriage and were embarrassed by being lumped in with those who opposed it. We are prepared to accept the judgement of women on reproductive matters. We supported the Good Friday Agreement and voted Remain in significant numbers.
Most importantly we do not obsess over the events of 1969-1997 rather we want our children to grow up in a pluralist, respectful society
So, who speaks for us? Politically no one as the St Andrews carve-up between the DUP and Sinn Fein did what was intended and pulled both sides into line with their Stormont votes. That’s not likely to be allowed to change, at least until Sinn Fein overtake the DUP and there’s widespread panic about who gets to be the less joint of the Joint First Ministers.
Interestingly, but surely not surprisingly, Liverpool University’s survey also found that just 25% of Alliance voters want a united Ireland. So, should they be at least attempting to speak for us? My recollection is that their clearly understood purpose under leaders such as Napier and Cushnahan, but that has clearly been abandoned as the party has morphed into what Owen Polley recently characterised as little more than a virtue-signalling cult.
Obviously, Alliance needed to change. It had grown stale and unimaginative under its previous couple of leaders and had made little impression in Stormont or outside its base in safe unionist territory unaffected by past events: generally, pro-union people who never felt threatened with the possibility of a Sinn Fein or even SDLP MP.
But rather than make use of peacetime turn its attention to the weakened beasts of the UUP and SDLP, it strikes me that it looked over its shoulder and made a conscious and successful decision to move onto the new fertile territory occupied by the Greens in the traditional Alliance heartlands of North Down and South Belfast.
Alliance used social media brilliantly before the 2019 council elections. It created interesting, youthful personalities on Twitter by emphasising the party’s socially “progressive” side (a side not necessarily identified with by older Alliance voters and members).
That worked a treat with many of those new personalities gaining council seats in previously barren areas, while also strengthening in more comfortable areas of the heartland.
Naomi Long’s leadership has given them a real boost. She’s a genuine big hitter. Possibly the biggest hitter we have. But are they really laying the foundations for the future?
I think not. The sort of people I would identify with. People who have served their time by serving their constituency strongly at the community level while also gaining the confidence – Chris Lyttle for example – are rarely platformed while the new intake are given the profile but who too often demonstrate that what works in 280 characters on Twitter is woefully insufficient in council chambers or radio debate.
So, at this stage Alliance has a lot to do to demonstrate the surge is sustainable.
Then as I was penning this article, they strongly reinforced the party’s agnosticism on the union at their conference. That won’t ultimately play well with the 75% if the debate is aggressively ramped up when we know the final impact of Brexit.
I should be voting for them by now. And I’d really like to. But I think I prefer the Greens for the conviction of their politics rather than what seems to be people finding a home in Alliance as the only available option.
So, if we’re not to be spoken for politically, is the media giving us a platform? Not that I can see. There is a raft of stridently republican “commentators “of varied abilities used by the BBC, though rarely referred to as anything other than “commentator” (or in one case – laughably – “historian”).
Also, there are the strident voices of unionism, largely people we rejected at the polls because we wanted something radically different. Then there is Jamie Bryson, who speaks for no one (though to his credit he often argues a very poor case very well).
If Jamie didn’t exist, Radio Ulster would have to invent him. (Or perhaps they did.) Even this week Eamonn Mallie promoted and published David McNarry on “the future of unionism”. Two septuagenarians discussing the future of people who neither represent, demonstrating no real understanding of how that community has evolved.
The mainstream media is lazy (I don’t think it’s anything more sinister than that). Maybe they do struggle for interesting secular pro-union voices. That laziness or lack of imagination delivers the same go-to affable Prod on at least six different media most weeks but where are the challenging voices?
So, have we no one out there comfortable with their background but not a cliched articulation of it? People, who are confident enough to say what they feel and stand over it? Who feel the arguments is more of an imperative than being invited back?
It’s not entirely the media’s fault. Its also very much a characteristic of Protestantism to saw away the rungs beneath you once you get on the ladder, rather than helping the next person to climb. That’s why no one will even attempt to sympathetically explain why inner-city post-industrial “protestant” communities are alienated and often self-destructive.
These communities are no different from others across the United Kingdom but have an added burden of sectarian stereotyping on one side and a liberal middle class with (increasingly distant) roots in those communities but no apparent interest in their welfare.
These communities need to have their very real challenges and concerns fairly articulated but when was the last time that really happened in any tone short of patronising or dismissive?
When this gap is successfully addressed, then we can have a genuinely inclusive debate on how to improve life in Northern Ireland. But so long as there is an empty seat on the platform a major silent minority (or a number of them) will not be heard. That may suit some, but it doesn’t make for an inclusive, progressive society.


sluggerotoole--2020-03-16--Fergus on Monday: Cheltenham

Fergus on Monday: Cheltenham

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sluggerotoole--2020-03-16--An appeal to party leaders to take action against Covid 19…

I am sure this is a stressful time for all involved in making major decisions .
I have had a lot of experience in the past preparing for outbreaks .
I learnt a lot from these experiences .
The pace of information flow is rapid and changes almost daily .
Decisions change over time depending on new information .
I want to make a scientific argument why we can no longer continue to follow the UK mathematical model and resultant public health plan for Covid 19 .
My background is in Infectious Diseases , having worked in the Australian and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and as an Infectious Diseases Consultant in the Belfast Trust between 2006 and 2018 .
I have an MSc in epidemiology and I observed outbreak preparedness planning for the 2001 terrorist anthrax attacks , and SARS .
I worked on the pandemic influenza planning in 2009 , and Ebola virus preparedness in 2014 in Northern Ireland .
I have followed the Covid 19 epidemiology both internationally and locally .
Professor Chris Whitty ( Chief Medical Officer , England ) and Public Health England produced a webinar on their strategy and I was aware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information has come to light and many studies are in progress .
As this is a novel virus there are many unknowns .
The case fatality rate has varied depending on whether a health care system collapses or not .
It was higher in Wuhan but lower in other parts of China where health care did not collapse .
There is ongoing research to discover if people were infectious before displaying symptoms .
I have seen this figure change over time as new data emerges .
Italy was a shock to many .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries used a narrow case definition to test for Covid 19 .
They focused on returned travellers from high risk areas and contacts of cases .
It is now obvious that this policy did not detect transmission within the community , allowing uncontrolled spread to take place in the community .
Part of Public Health England ’ s strategy was to do background surveillance looking for any evidence of community transmission unrelated to travel or contact with known cases .
They have Flu spotter GP practices , some of which are testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community .
They have also been screening ICU pneumonia cases .
I do not have direct access to the NI PHA data , but interrogating their published data , NI appears to have done considerably less testing compared to the UK overall , adjusted for population size .
The proportion of positive cases has also been higher , suggesting a continued focus on testing people with travel history or contact with a case .
It is my understanding , having spoken to colleagues within the Belfast Trust and other NI trusts that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid 19 in the community outside risk groups .
The NI case definition has widened to include severe pneumonia in the last few days and testing has increased .
However , as our prior testing and surveillance patterns have differed compared to Public Health England , in my opinion we have diverged from PHE strategy , and it is no longer valid , indeed dangerous , to follow their mathematical model when our data relating to community presence is deficient in comparison .
I have shared my concerns with colleagues both inside Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with my assessment .
At this stage we do not have a good idea of our local transmission in the community and where we are on the epidemic curve .
In my view , this far into the epidemic , and seeing how the cases have soared in other countries , I do not think we have time to do an analysis of community screening at this stage .
The stakes are high here , and I would plead that the safest way forward is to revert to the WHO principles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries .
Photo by geralt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

Dear Party Leaders,
I am sure this is a stressful time for all involved in making major decisions. I have had a lot of experience in the past preparing for outbreaks. I learnt a lot from these experiences. The pace of information flow is rapid and changes almost daily. Decisions change over time depending on new information. I want to make a scientific argument why we can no longer continue to follow the UK mathematical model and resultant public health plan for Covid 19.
My background is in Infectious Diseases, having worked in the Australian and Republic of Ireland health care systems, and as an Infectious Diseases Consultant in the Belfast Trust between 2006 and 2018. I have an MSc in epidemiology and I observed outbreak preparedness planning for the 2001 terrorist anthrax attacks, and SARS. I worked on the pandemic influenza planning in 2009, and Ebola virus preparedness in 2014 in Northern Ireland.
I have followed the Covid 19 epidemiology both internationally and locally. Professor Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer, England) and Public Health England produced a webinar on their strategy and I was aware of their planning.
Over time new information has come to light and many studies are in progress. As this is a novel virus there are many unknowns. The case fatality rate has varied depending on whether a health care system collapses or not. It was higher in Wuhan but lower in other parts of China where health care did not collapse. There is ongoing research to discover if people were infectious before displaying symptoms. I have seen this figure change over time as new data emerges.
Italy was a shock to many. The problem was that Italy and many other countries used a narrow case definition to test for Covid 19. They focused on returned travellers from high risk areas and contacts of cases. It is now obvious that this policy did not detect transmission within the community, allowing uncontrolled spread to take place in the community.
Part of Public Health England’s strategy was to do background surveillance looking for any evidence of community transmission unrelated to travel or contact with known cases. They have Flu spotter GP practices, some of which are testing for Covid 19’s presence in the community. They have also been screening ICU pneumonia cases.
I do not have direct access to the NI PHA data, but interrogating their published data, NI appears to have done considerably less testing compared to the UK overall, adjusted for population size. The proportion of positive cases has also been higher, suggesting a continued focus on testing people with travel history or contact with a case. It is my understanding, having spoken to colleagues within the Belfast Trust and other NI trusts that we have not been systematically looking for Covid 19 in the community outside risk groups. The NI case definition has widened to include severe pneumonia in the last few days and testing has increased. However, as our prior testing and surveillance patterns have differed compared to Public Health England, in my opinion we have diverged from PHE strategy, and it is no longer valid, indeed dangerous, to follow their mathematical model when our data relating to community presence is deficient in comparison. I have shared my concerns with colleagues both inside Northern Ireland and outside Northern Ireland and they agree with my assessment.
At this stage we do not have a good idea of our local transmission in the community and where we are on the epidemic curve. In my view, this far into the epidemic, and seeing how the cases have soared in other countries, I do not think we have time to do an analysis of community screening at this stage. The stakes are high here, and I would plead that the safest way forward is to revert to the WHO principles and introduce public health measures seen in many other countries.
Photo by geralt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


sluggerotoole--2020-03-16--“No one should be penalised for doing the right thing…”

Our propensity to obsess about big stuff means perhaps that we ’ re not great at taking on the implications of the more important and telling details .
One clear message put out by the Prime Minister in London tonight was that : …as we ’ ve always said is to do it when it is most effective when we think it can make the biggest difference to slowing the spread of the disease reducing the number of victims , reducing the number of fatalities and as we take these steps we should be focusing on the most vulnerable so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By this coming weekend it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks .
[ Emphasis added ] However , Slugger understands that in some parts of NI public service flexibility of home working that is being encouraged for some workers in London is not being granted in Northern Ireland , not even in cases of people impaired immunity systems .
As noted earlier , the UK approach is to close schools slowly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a defence around the most vulnerable in our communities .
The strategy simply doesn ’ t work if those protections are not put firmly in place .
The PM ’ s laid back approach allows for a fair bit of looseness and discretion within the system .
“ No one should be penalised for doing the right thing ” , he said .
If this approach is to work , we not should force individuals in a vulnerable group to stay at work .
“ Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 ” by NIAID is licensed @ @ @

Our propensity to obsess about big stuff means perhaps that we’re not great at taking on the implications of the more important and telling details. One clear message put out by the Prime Minister in London tonight was that:
…as we’ve always said is to do it when it is most effective when we think it can make the biggest difference to slowing the spread of the disease reducing the number of victims, reducing the number of fatalities and as we take these steps we should be focusing on the most vulnerable so that in a few days time. By this coming weekend it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks. [Emphasis added]
However, Slugger understands that in some parts of NI public service flexibility of home working that is being encouraged for some workers in London is not being granted in Northern Ireland, not even in cases of people impaired immunity systems.
As noted earlier, the UK approach is to close schools slowly and gradually but at the same time build a defence around the most vulnerable in our communities. The strategy simply doesn’t work if those protections are not put firmly in place.
The PM’s laid back approach allows for a fair bit of looseness and discretion within the system. “No one should be penalised for doing the right thing”, he said. If this approach is to work, we not should force individuals in a vulnerable group to stay at work.
“Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2” by NIAID is licensed under CC BY


sluggerotoole--2020-03-16--UK Health Briefing #2: London, testing, old people and schools

So the first of the UK ’ s daily briefings started today .
The Chief Medical officer stressed that the UK is still on a later trajectory to mainland European countries , but that all measures being kept under constant review .
All schools under review until “ the right time , in the right way , at the right stage of the outbreak ” , but they did say London is now close to the inflection point where it is now on the edge of exponential growth .
They expect figures to double every five days .
They also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illusion this is going to go away any time soon .
However , the chances of getting it are still very low .
Some of those who have symptoms will have a mild version .
Older people will not necessarily get it worse .
The single overall aim is to keep death rates down .
But they expect deaths to occur in three different categories .
Firstly deaths from the disease itself , and then significant numbers may come as a result of not being able to get priority care in the NHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may occur from the measures to prevent widespread infection that could arise from the things we do to stop the spread of the virus .
However , I suspect that was such a wide category there were no specific examples given .
They say that those asked to comply with social distancing/isolation are asked in order to protect the NHS and its ability to treat people with the virus and other patients in the service .
These are older people over 70 , people generally advised taking the flu virus .
On testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a test that tells us who has it now , but what would be transformational would be to have a test that can tell who has already had it , including those with an asymptomatic version of the disease .
It would give us a more realistic view of who has immunity , and who doesn ’ t .
Last week they said the UK was four weeks behind last week , now they are saying three weeks , saying that means we are now on a big upswing .
On herd immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have it more than once .
That happens but is not common .
Immunity is often a shorted lived thing within the season of the epidemic .
the CMO emphasised that research is part of the international effort .
How long will the ban on social contact last ?
“ This is a marathon not a sprint ” .
Minimum of weeks to months and possibly longer .
We have to see this as a long game and measures have to be sustained and sustainable .
Someone in the Q & A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice to self isolate if you have the disease has gone from 7 days to 14 days .
If you are on your own , isolate for seven days .
If you live in a family , then you isolate for 14 days to allow for the others to get it .
Why pregnant women been added to the list of vulnerable .
The CMO pointed out that there are no cases where the birth at the time of infection was affected .
At the moment , it only affects women in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Denis Staunton asked about the contrast with the Irish government ’ s draconian measures .
Were they confident the people in NI would be safe ?
As the disease tends to spare children as the least vulnerable , so social distancing starts in bars , not schools .
That ’ s all I ’ ve got for now… you may find more here yourselves > >

So the first of the UK’s daily briefings started today. The Chief Medical officer stressed that the UK is still on a later trajectory to mainland European countries, but that all measures being kept under constant review.
All schools under review until “the right time, in the right way, at the right stage of the outbreak”, but they did say London is now close to the inflection point where it is now on the edge of exponential growth. They expect figures to double every five days.
They also stressed people should not be under any illusion this is going to go away any time soon. However, the chances of getting it are still very low. Some of those who have symptoms will have a mild version. Older people will not necessarily get it worse.
The single overall aim is to keep death rates down. But they expect deaths to occur in three different categories. Firstly deaths from the disease itself, and then significant numbers may come as a result of not being able to get priority care in the NHS.
But they also suggested that some may occur from the measures to prevent widespread infection that could arise from the things we do to stop the spread of the virus. However, I suspect that was such a wide category there were no specific examples given.
They say that those asked to comply with social distancing/isolation are asked in order to protect the NHS and its ability to treat people with the virus and other patients in the service. These are older people over 70, people generally advised taking the flu virus.
On testing, they say that they only have a test that tells us who has it now, but what would be transformational would be to have a test that can tell who has already had it, including those with an asymptomatic version of the disease.
It would give us a more realistic view of who has immunity, and who doesn’t.
Last week they said the UK was four weeks behind last week, now they are saying three weeks, saying that means we are now on a big upswing.
On herd immunity, it is been reported that some people have it more than once. That happens but is not common. Immunity is often a shorted lived thing within the season of the epidemic. the CMO emphasised that research is part of the international effort.
How long will the ban on social contact last? “This is a marathon not a sprint”. Minimum of weeks to months and possibly longer. We have to see this as a long game and measures have to be sustained and sustainable.
Someone in the Q&A from the press asked why has the advice to self isolate if you have the disease has gone from 7 days to 14 days. If you are on your own, isolate for seven days. If you live in a family, then you isolate for 14 days to allow for the others to get it.
Why pregnant women been added to the list of vulnerable. The CMO pointed out that there are no cases where the birth at the time of infection was affected. At the moment, it only affects women in the third trimester. It’s precautionary.
Denis Staunton asked about the contrast with the Irish government’s draconian measures. Were they confident the people in NI would be safe? As the disease tends to spare children as the least vulnerable, so social distancing starts in bars, not schools.
That’s all I’ve got for now… you may find more here yourselves>>