theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Cancel St Patrick’s Day events due to coronavirus, urges international virologist

A leading international virologist and expert on influenza has said the Government should cancel St Patrick ’ s Day parades to avoid the spread of the coronavirus .
Prof John Oxford said Chinese authorities cancelled the Chinese New Year celebrations and Ireland should take this opportunity to stop the spread of the virus .
“ The Government should take it a bit more seriously , I know you ’ ve got only one case [ of the coronavirus ] , but it ’ s quite likely you ’ ve got the virus spreading around - this is pretty infectious .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not quite as infectious as flu , it just moves quietly , ” he told RTÉ radio ’ s Today with Séan O ’ Rourke Show on Tuesday .
“ Like in northern Italy , they sat there for weeks thinking they didn ’ t have a case , everything was fine , suddenly there was an explosion - they ’ re the new epicentre now .
“ I heard this morning that Italians are now importing the virus back into China , into areas where they ’ ve not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said St Patrick ’ s Day parades are held all around the country , not just in Dublin .
“ Every little place has a parade , on top of that you ’ re getting lots of visitors in from abroad , from all over the place .
“ If I were in their [ the Government ’ s ] shoes I would say ‘ we must postpone it ’ , it ’ s not the end of the world for one year .
Don ’ t have it this year because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese postponed the Chinese New Year , which is immense .
They took it so seriously .
“ I would take advantage of the situation you ’ re in , so that you could prevent a big out break , by taking these actions , I would go ahead and stop the parades.
” He added that this is “ a very fruitful opportunity for the virus to get a grip on your country and start spreading.
” Prof Oxford also said he did not support plans for the Cheltenham racing festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health has warned the public about fake letters and “ misinformation ” being spread about the coronavirus .
In a statement on Tuesday morning , the department said it is aware of “ fake letters ” circulating regarding the confirmed case of coronavirus in the east of the country .
“ There is one confirmed case of covid-19 in Ireland .
If further confirmed cases arise , Department of Health will notify the public , ” it said .
“ Please be wary of misinformation.
” Minister for Health Simon Harris is briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s preparedness for coronavirus .
The Government is to set up a special Cabinet committee , chaired by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar , to assess the impact of Covid-19 and oversee a response .
Google has told most of its 8,000 Irish staff and contractors to work from home on Tuesday after a member of staff reported flu-like symptoms .
Twitter has also said it is “ strongly encouraging all employees globally ” to work from home if they are able to .
“ Our goal is to lower the probability of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us - and the world around us , ” it ’ s head of people , Jennifer Christie , said in a blog post .
Twitter said that working from home is mandatory for employees based in its Hong Kong , Japan and South Korea offices .
“ Our criteria will evolve over time as we get more information , ” Ms Christie added .
New measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are also likely to be announced following a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team , which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control .
The emergency team will also bring forward recommendations on limiting mass gatherings due to public health concerns over the virus , which may impinge on St Patrick ’ s Festival and other upcoming public events .
It is also likely to recommend the transfer of testing of suspected cases from hospital emergency departments to the community .
Mr Harris said that although heightened awareness of the virus was “ a good thing ” , there was “ no room for complacency or panic ” in Ireland ’ s reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut flights for three weeks from the middle of this month as the virus outbreak hits bookings .
The airline has told passengers it would cut its short-haul flight programme , mainly to and from Italy , by up to 25 per cent from March 17th to April 8th .
It blamed a “ significant drop in the bookings over that late March/early April period , in response to the Covid-19 virus ” for its decision and said a significant number of passengers were not showing up for flights , particularly those to @ @ @ @

The Government is not advising "at this stage" that St Patrick's Day parades should be cancelled because of the coronavirus threat, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.
Speaking at a press briefing in Government Buildings on Tuesday afternoon, he said the Government expected the coronavirus Covid-19 to spread and it was likely to change its approach as further cases emerged.
Asked about St Patrick’s Day parades, Mr Varadkar said there was only one confirmed case of the virus in the State “so we’re not advising anyone to cancel any gatherings at this stage.
“But bear in mind that the St Patrick’s Day festival is two weeks away and a lot can happen between now and then.”
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He added: “There will be new advice published later today or tomorrow.”
Minister for Health Simon Harris said the Government was talking to public health experts and virologists on a "daily and often on an hourly basis" and taking their lead.
He was speaking following a briefing at the Cabinet about the efforts to tackle the virus and to prepare for its potential spread.
As businesses in Ireland continued to deal with the threat, Google said its staff at Barrow Street in Dublin were being asked to work from home for a second day as a precautionary measure after an employee reported flu-like symptoms.
Google told most of its 8,000 Irish staff and contractors to work from home on Tuesday, and it said this policy would continue on Wednesday.
The number of Irish people tested for coronavirus more than trebled over the past week, a period that saw the Republic record its first confirmed case and a massive surge in cases worldwide.
Almost 400 people have been tested for the virus since the current outbreak started in January, public health officials said on Tuesday, compared to 90 this time last week.
All but two of the tests, one involving a woman who travelled from northern Italy and the other involving a school student from Dublin, came back negative.
The increase is mainly due to a widening of the number of areas of the world subject to coronavirus-related travel advice.
GP contacts
Previously, the Department of Foreign Affairs's travel advice was confined to travellers from China, but it now encompasses other areas, including Japan, Hong Kong, Iran, and four regions in Italy where restrictions have been imposed.
Anyone coming back from these areas and who feels unwell is being advised to contact their GP and may require testing. Italy, the European country worst affected by coronavirus, has exported cases to many other countries, including Ireland.
Speaking before the second case in the east of Ireland had been confirmed, Mr Varadkar said: “The situation is still evolving. This is a new virus and a virus that we don’t know everything about yet. So advice and actions and policy may change as we know more. But there is a moderate to high risk of more cases.
“A small percentage of those people may get very sick. But... some of the actions that you see in other countries are not necessary in Ireland at this stage.”
The Taoiseach said: “What we’re pursuing in Ireland at the moment is a policy of containment, making sure that any cases that are identified are contact-traced and we contain any potential outbreak.
“But we may come to stage in a few weeks time if that’s not successful where we move to mitigation phase, and that would be treating the ill, rather than trying to contain the virus but we’re not at that stage yet.”
Mr Varadkar said that most briefing would be done by the chief medical officer and other doctors, rather than politicians.
Public advice
He added the advice the Government was giving to people was simple – wash your hands, cough and sneeze into a sleeve or tissue and people who had been in an affected region who developed symptoms should contact their GP and “self-isolate”.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said experts – “the best brains in the world” – were continuing to learn about the virus. He said any decisions made by the government would be guided by public health and by science – “not by politics”.
There was some confusion on Tuesday morning when the Department of Health initially denied it had advised members of a Dublin youth group to "self-isolate" before retracting that denial. On Monday, the HSE sent a letter to parents of children who are members of the group saying a case of coronavirus had been identified in a person who attended a two-hour meeting of the group last weekend.
The group is linked to the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the Republic.
Asked about the department’s initial denial in a now-deleted tweet, Mr Harris said: “People acted in good faith in responding to what was a very dynamic situation. . . People are working flat out, they’re working seven days a week . . . and people are answering questions in good faith and on this occasion that good faith turned out not to be true.
“But what’s most important to the public is the clarification that measures have been taken on a precautionary basis,” he said.
Reiterating public health advice, Mr Varadkar said people should wash their hands for 20 seconds – "that's roughly long enough to sing happy birthday twice". Further information was on the HSE website hse.ie, he said.
St Patrick’s Day
Earlier, a leading international virologist and expert on influenza said the Government should cancel St Patrick’s Day parades to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
Prof John Oxford said Chinese authorities cancelled the Chinese New Year celebrations and Ireland should take this opportunity to stop the spread of the virus.
"The Government should take it a bit more seriously, I know you've got only one case [of the coronavirus], but it's quite likely you've got the virus spreading around - this is pretty infectious. It's not like measles and it's not quite as infectious as flu, it just moves quietly," he told RTÉ radio's Today with Seán O'Rourke Show on Tuesday.
“Like in northern Italy, they sat there for weeks thinking they didn’t have a case, everything was fine, suddenly there was an explosion - they’re the new epicentre now.
“I heard this morning that Italians are now importing the virus back into China, into areas where they’ve not had it before.”
Prof Oxford said St Patrick’s Day parades are held all around the country, not just in Dublin. “Every little place has a parade, on top of that you’re getting lots of visitors in from abroad, from all over the place.
“If I were in their [the Government’s] shoes I would say ‘we must postpone it’, it’s not the end of the world for one year. Don’t have it this year because of the things going on, after all the Chinese postponed the Chinese New Year, which is immense. They took it so seriously.
“I would take advantage of the situation you’re in, so that you could prevent a big out break, by taking these actions, I would go ahead and stop the parades.”
He added that this is “a very fruitful opportunity for the virus to get a grip on your country and start spreading.”
Prof Oxford also said he did not support plans for the Cheltenham racing festival to go ahead.
New Measures
New measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are also likely to be announced following a meeting on Tuesday of the National Public Health Emergency Team, which will be considering fresh advice from the European Centre for Disease Control.
The emergency team will also bring forward recommendations on limiting mass gatherings due to public health concerns over the virus, which may impinge on St Patrick’s Festival and other upcoming public events. It is also likely to recommend the transfer of testing of suspected cases from hospital emergency departments to the community.
Ryanair has decided to cut flights for three weeks from the middle of this month as the virus outbreak hits bookings.
The airline has told passengers it would cut its short-haul flight programme, mainly to and from Italy, by up to 25 per cent from March 17th to April 8th.
It blamed a “significant drop in the bookings over that late March/early April period, in response to the Covid-19 virus” for its decision and said a significant number of passengers were not showing up for flights, particularly those to and from Italy.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Teenager hospitalised after alleged stabbing at Luas stop

Gardaí are investigating an alleged stabbing incident at a Luas stop in south Dublin on Monday night , which has @ @ @ @ @ hospital .
The boy was approached by a group of males at Glencairn Luas stop @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardaí said during an altercation with one of the males , the teenager “ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
The boy was taken to St Vincent ’ s Hospital by ambulance .
@ @ @ @ @ to be life-threatening .
No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing .

Gardaí are investigating a stabbing attack at a Luas stop in south Dublin on Monday night, which has left a teenage boy in hospital.
The boy, in his mid teens, was approached by a group of males at Glencairn Luas stop in Leopardstown at about 10pm. Gardaí said during an altercation with one of the males, the teenager was.
The boy was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital by ambulance. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
The stabbing is the latest in a series of attacks in south Dublin in which knives were used over the past year.
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In one incident Azzam Raguragui (18) died last May after he was stabbed in Finsbury Park, Dundrum. A person has since been charged in relation to that crime.
Gardai are hopeful the victim of Monday night’s attack will be able to provide information that can help them bring the attackers to justice, including identifying at least some of those in the group who approached him.
Footage from CCTV cameras close to the crime scene had also been gathered up for review as part of what is now a major investigation into the attack on the boy.
The scene of the incident was sealed off an has undergone an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. Gardai investigating the case have identified a number of suspects but said they were keeping an openmind as thecriminal investigation may take some time.
Green Party TD for Dublin Rathdown Catherine Martin said the local community are “shocked and appalled” at news of the attack.
“My thoughts are with the victim and his family at this worrying time. I would urge anyone who has any information whatsoever to contact the local gardaí.
“We all need to be vigilant and show not just zero tolerance, but our revulsion at knife crime by cooperating fully with the gardaí.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Air pollution killing nearly 9m people a year, report finds

Air pollution is causing about 8.8 million premature deaths around the world each year , a new study suggests .
It is reducing life expectancy by an average of 2.9 years for people across the globe , experts have calculated .
Long-term exposure to air pollutants has been found to increase people ’ s risk of heart and breathing problems .
The international team of authors from the latest study set out to examine the relationship between air pollution exposure and people ’ s “ loss of life expectancy ” .
They found that air pollution is responsible for shortening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale far greater than wars and other forms of violence , parasitic and vector-born diseases such as malaria and HIV/Aids .
Using new modelling techniques , the authors estimated that globally , air pollution caused an extra 8.8 million premature deaths in 2015 .
Across the world , it has been calculated that life expectancy has been reduced by 2.9 years .
By comparison , tobacco smoking shortens life expectancy by an average of 2.2 years , HIV/Aids by 0.7 years , diseases like malaria that are carried by parasites or insects such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.6 years , and all forms of violence - including deaths in wars - by 0.3 years , the authors wrote in their new paper , published in the journal Cardiovascular Research .
The researchers suggested that without fossil fuel emissions , global life expectancies would increase by more than a year .
They said that ambient air pollution is one of the “ main global health risks ” .
One of the lead authors of the research , professor Jos Lelieveld of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Germany , said : “ It is remarkable that both the number of deaths and the loss in life expectancy from air pollution rival the effect of tobacco smoking and are much higher than other causes of death .
“ Air pollution exceeds malaria as a global cause of premature death by a factor of 19 ; it exceeds violence by a factor of 16 , HIV/Aids by a factor of nine , alcohol by a factor of 45 , and drug abuse by a factor of 60.
” - Reuters

An image from last month showing a car spewing black exhaust smoke in Bucharest, Romania. Photograph: Reuters
Air pollution is causing about 8.8 million premature deaths around the world each year, a new study suggests.
It is reducing life expectancy by an average of 2.9 years for people across the globe, experts have calculated.
Long-term exposure to air pollutants has been found to increase people’s risk of heart and breathing problems.
A file image showing air pollution over London. A new study suggests air pollution is causing 8.8 million premature deaths around the globe each year. Photograph: PA
The international team of authors from the latest study set out to examine the relationship between air pollution exposure and people’s “loss of life expectancy”.
READ MORE
They found that air pollution is responsible for shortening people’s lives worldwide on a scale far greater than wars and other forms of violence, parasitic and vector-born diseases such as malaria and HIV/Aids.
Using new modelling techniques, the authors estimated that globally, air pollution caused an extra 8.8 million premature deaths in 2015.
Across the world, it has been calculated that life expectancy has been reduced by 2.9 years.
By comparison, tobacco smoking shortens life expectancy by an average of 2.2 years, HIV/Aids by 0.7 years, diseases like malaria that are carried by parasites or insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas by 0.6 years, and all forms of violence - including deaths in wars - by 0.3 years, the authors wrote in their new paper, published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.
The researchers suggested that without fossil fuel emissions, global life expectancies would increase by more than a year.
They said that ambient air pollution is one of the “main global health risks”.
One of the lead authors of the research, professor Jos Lelieveld of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Department of Cardiology of the University Medical Centre Mainz in Germany, said: "It is remarkable that both the number of deaths and the loss in life expectancy from air pollution rival the effect of tobacco smoking and are much higher than other causes of death.
“Air pollution exceeds malaria as a global cause of premature death by a factor of 19; it exceeds violence by a factor of 16, HIV/Aids by a factor of nine, alcohol by a factor of 45, and drug abuse by a factor of 60.” - Reuters


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Floods, road and rail closures still causing suffering in midlands

Discharges of Shannon water over Parteen Weir in Co Clare are close to the highest levels recorded in the floods of December 2015 , according to the ESB .
Following severe flooding which has closed railway lines and roads and flooded hundreds of thousands of acres of farmlands in the midlands the ESB has repeated its insistence that its hydroelectric plant at Ardnacrusha is contributing to flooding further upstream .
An ESB spokesman said the Shannon was a slow flowing river which falls just 15 metres over 200kms from Lough Allen , to Co Clare .
A spokesman said 400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being discharged at Parteen , close to the highest level of 470 cubic metres per second recorded in 2015 .
Widespread flooding along the 360km Shannon and some of its tributaries has led to widespread flooding , with thousands of acres of farmland submerged , a number of houses and businesses cut-off by flood waters and some rail and road networks disrupted .
An estimated 30 roads along the Shannon were closed on Tuesday due to flooding .
Among these was the N65 between Portumna Co Galway and Borrisokane Co Tipperary , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( R438 ) and the Nenagh to Terryglass Road ( R493 ) at Ballinderry .
In Offaly the Shannon Harbour to Banagher Road L7014-1 is closed , as is the Crank Road L-7017-1 in Banagher and the R438 at Anglers Rest on the Tipperary/Offaly border .
Motorists have been advised to follow local diversions and to not to attempt to drive through a flood .
Transport Infrastructure Ireland said it was braced for further rainfall and advised motorists to be particularly careful of sudden hailstone showers in the midwest which a spokesman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are driving on ball bearings ” .
Speaking from Co Galway where he visited farms affected by flooding , IFA President Tim Cullinan said the situation was “ an indictment of the authorities , right up to the top levels of Government ” .
He said “ farm families deserved better than this.
” Irish Rail said bus transfers will continue to operate between Limerick and Ennis until further notice due to flooding on the line at Ballycar .
A speed restriction of 5km/hr is in place on the line between Dromod and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is being monitored constantly since water levels rose above the sleepers last week .
Spokesman Barry Kenny said conditions had not worsened in recent days .
He said a 25 km/hr speed limit was in place between Woodlawn and Ballinasloe in east Galway .
Met Éireann said conditions over coming days would not be as severe as those experienced last weekend during Storm Jorge but it forecast further showers across the country with freezing conditions at night .
The Garda warned all motorists to “ carefully consider ” whether journeys , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Garda said many potential hazards were caused by bad weather including ice on the roads , at the verges of roads , and salt which was sprayed on the roads in a bid to clear ice .
A Garda spokesman said motorists should carry out extra vehicle checks including checking the levels of fluids in screen washers as slat on the road can make windscreens opaque at critical moments .
Met Éireann said Tuesday and Wednesday would be cold in many areas with spells of persistent and locally heavy rain on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will hold dry and the rain will transition to sunny spells and showers from the west by the Thursday afternoon .
Some sleet and hill snow is possible for a time in parts of the midlands and west .
The outlook is for conditions to stay cold and wintry at times through the next few days , but milder for the weekend .

Drone footage captures the extent of flooding in Clonlara, Co Clare. Video: Alan O'Reilly/Carlow Weather
Discharges of Shannon water over Parteen Weir in Co Clare are close to the highest levels recorded in the floods of December 2015, according to the ESB.
Following severe flooding which has closed railway lines and roads and left hundreds of thousands of acres of farmlands in the midlands underwater the ESB has repeated its insistence that its hydroelectric plant at Ardnacrusha is not contributing to flooding further upstream.
An ESB spokesman said the Shannon was a slow flowing river which falls just 15 metres over 200kms from Lough Allen, to Co Clare.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 3 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran seen during a visit to Athlone to examine the flooding last month. Co. Westmeath. Photograph: PA
A spokesman said 400 cubic metres of water per second were being discharged at Parteen, close to the highest level of 470 cubic metres per second recorded in 2015.
READ MORE
Widespread flooding along the 360km Shannon and some of its tributaries has led to widespread flooding, with thousands of acres of farmland submerged, a number of houses and businesses cut-off by flood waters and some rail and road networks disrupted.
Roads closed
An estimated 30 roads along the Shannon were closed on Tuesday due to flooding.
Among these was the N65 between Portumna Co Galway and Borrisokane Co Tipperary, as well as the Borrisokane to Cloghan Road (R438) and the Nenagh to Terryglass Road (R493) at Ballinderry.
In Offaly the Shannon Harbour to Banagher Road L7014-1 is closed, as is the Crank Road L-7017-1 in Banagher and the R438 at Anglers Rest on the Tipperary/Offaly border.
Motorists have been advised to follow local diversions and to not to attempt to drive through a flood.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland said it was braced for further rainfall and advised motorists to be particularly careful of sudden hailstone showers in the midwest which a spokesman said “can leave you feeling like you are driving on ball bearings”.
Speaking from Co Galway where he visited farms affected by flooding, IFA President Tim Cullinan said the situation was “an indictment of the authorities, right up to the top levels of Government”.
He said “farm families deserved better than this.”
Train services
Irish Rail said bus transfers will continue to operate between Limerick and Ennis until further notice due to flooding on the line at Ballycar.
A speed restriction of 5km/hr is in place on the line between Dromod and Carrick on Shannon in Co Leitrim, which is being monitored constantly since water levels rose above the sleepers last week. Spokesman Barry Kenny said conditions had not worsened in recent days. He said a 25 km/hr speed limit was in place between Woodlawn and Ballinasloe in east Galway.
Forecast
Met Éireann said conditions over coming days would not be as severe as those experienced last weekend during Storm Jorge but it forecast further showers across the country with freezing conditions at night.
The Garda warned all motorists to “carefully consider” whether journeys, particularly at night time were absolutely necessary. The Garda said many potential hazards were caused by bad weather including ice on the roads, at the verges of roads, and salt which was sprayed on the roads in a bid to clear ice.
A Garda spokesman said motorists should carry out extra vehicle checks including checking the levels of fluids in screen washers as slat on the road can make windscreens opaque at critical moments.
Met Éireann said Tuesday and Wednesday would be cold in many areas with spells of persistent and locally heavy rain on Wednesday. Parts of the north and northwest will hold dry and the rain will transition to sunny spells and showers from the west by the Thursday afternoon. Some sleet and hill snow is possible for a time in parts of the midlands and west . The outlook is for conditions to stay cold and wintry at times through the next few days, but milder for the weekend.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Teenager arrested following shooting in Co Tipperary

A teenager has been arrested following a shooting incident in Co Tipperary last night .
Gardaí received reports of shots @ @ @ @ @ the Mullinahone area at around 10.30pm .
It is understood a number of people were @ @ @ @ @ time but no one was injured .
Gardaí recovered a number of spent casings from @ @ @ @ @ and members of the Armed Support Unit later arrested a man in his late teens @ @ @ @ @ A number of licenced firearms and ammunition were seized .
The youth is currently detained @ @ @ @ @ Offences against the State Act , 1939 at Clonmel Garda station .

Members of the Armed Support Unit were involved in the operation which led to the arrest. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
A teenager has been arrested following a shooting incident in Co Tipperary last night.
Gardaí received reports of shots fired outside a house in the Mullinahone area at around 10.30pm.
It is understood a number of people were in the house at the time but no one was injured.
Gardaí recovered a number of spent casings from the scene.
READ MORE
Local gardaí and members of the Armed Support Unit later arrested a man in his late teens a short time later.
A number of licenced firearms and ammunition were seized.
The youth is currently detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939 at Clonmel Garda station.
More to follow.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to visit Garden of Remembrance

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Garden of Remembrance on the first day of their visit to Ireland .
The couple will follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth , who laid a wreath in 2011 at the memorial to those who died for Irish freedom over the centuries .
In a statement before their arrival , the couple said they hoped the visit would “ build on the theme of remembrance and reconciliation ” which followed on from the queen ’ s visit .
In 2011 the queen visited both the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardens in Islandbridge where she paid tribute to the Irish who died serving the British crown in two World Wars .
Her grandson ’ s visit to the Garden of Remembrance is significant in that he will only be honouring those who fought against British rule .
A source close to the visit said it was intended to show “ respect ” to the complexity of the relationship between Ireland and Britain .
The source said the queen had made a deep impression by laying a wreath in the Garden of Remembrance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duchess would carry on that tradition .
They would do so in the spirit of the British queen ’ s comment in 2011 at Dublin Castle that both countries should be “ able to bow to the past , but not be bound by it ” .
It also follows on from Prince Charles ’ s visit to Mullaghmore in 2017 where he visited the site where his granduncle Lord Mountbatten was killed by the IRA in 1979 .
It is the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ’ s first visit to Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build a “ lasting friendship with the Irish people ” .
They added that they “ will learn about local organisations working to support and empower young people and projects which provide opportunities to help them develop important life skills ” .
“ Their Royal Highnesses will also hear more about Ireland ’ s conservation initiatives and efforts to protect its environment , with a particular focus on sustainable farming and marine conservation .
“ 2020 will see Galway host the European Capital of Culture on behalf of Ireland – a showcase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish culture , art and sport .
During their time in Galway , The Duke and Duchess will have the opportunity to experience a taste of modern and traditional Irish culture for themselves .
“ Throughout the visit , Their Royal Highness will meet a broad range of people , including the President , the Taoiseach and senior political leaders , children and young people , and those working in the creative arts , business and charity sectors.
” The atmosphere has changed since 2011 as Brexit has strained Anglo-Irish relationships and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( RIC ) has awoken ancestral memories of atrocities carried out by British forces in the War of Independence 100 years ago .
Nevertheless , it is hoped that the visit will foster good relations between the two countries as Brexit negotiations begin .
On Wednesday , the couple will pay courtesy visits to Áras an Uachtarin to meet President Michael D Higgins .
They last met the president during the commemorations that marked the centenary of the start of the First World War in June 1914 .
They will then visit Taoiseach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their visit to the Garden of Remembrance .

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived in Dublin for a three-day visit to Ireland. Video: Reuters
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge discussed the implications of Brexit with President Michael D Higgins during the first day of their Irish tour.
Prince William and Kate Middleton talked about the UK’s decision to leave the EU during a meeting with the President his wife Sabina.
They also spoke about building on the foundations of the Good Friday Agreement which ushered in peace in Northern Ireland, said a spokesman for the president.
Prince William after his meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Government Buildings in Dublin. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
During a visit to Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance, the couple called for a “brighter future” in a handwritten note left with a wreath.
READ MORE
The couple also met Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his partner Matt Barrett at Government Buildings.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his partner, Matt, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Government Buildings in Dublin. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
The visitors were given a brief tour of the building en route to Mr Varadkar’s office, where they sat for a lengthy conversation.
The couple then signed he visitor’s book, as Prince William’s brother, Harry, and his wife Meghan Markle had done in 2018.
Mr Varadkar translated from the Irish saying that it required the Duke to write his name and address. “Would you like an address?” asked the Duke.
To which Mr Varadkar replied: “What’s the postcode for Kensington Palace.”
The royal couple arrived in Dublin on Tuesday morning, beginning a three-day visit to Ireland, their first official visit here.
They arrived at the President’s residence in the Phoenix Park shortly after 2.15pm where they were announced into the State Reception Room by the aide-de-camp to the President.
The Duke and Duchess last met the President during the commemorations that marked the centenary of the start of the first World War in June 2014.
The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing a coat designed by the London-based French designer, Catherine Walker. She wore a vivid green dress designed by the London-based Italian designer, Alessandra Rich, and also a black velvet hair band.
The couple signed the distinguished visitors’ book before they entered the State drawing room and the President’s study for what was described as a “short tete-a-tete”.
The party then proceed to the drawing room for a bilateral meeting. Accompanying the President was his secretary-general, Art O'Leary; the Irish Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Adrian O'Neill, and the president's adviser Claire Power.
The couple were accompanied by Robin Barnett, British ambassador to Ireland, and Simon Case, who is private secretary to Prince William.
Peace bell
The Duke and Duchess flew to Dublin Airport on a commercial Aer Lingus flight and were greeted by a small group of dignitaries led by Mr Barnett.
Following the meeting at the Áras, the Duke and Duchess went to the South Portico where they rang the Peace Bell. The bell, which dates from the 19th century, was introduced to the Áras in 2009 by former president Mary McAleese to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ring the Peace Bell as they meet President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina at Áras an Uachtaráin. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
The couple departed Áras an Uachtaráin for the Garden of Remembrance, where they will follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth, who laid a wreath in 2011 at the memorial to those who died for Irish freedom over the centuries.
In a statement before their arrival, the couple said they hoped the visit would “build on the theme of remembrance and reconciliation” which followed on from the queen’s visit.
In 2011, the queen visited both the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square and the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge where she paid tribute to the Irish who died serving the British crown in two World Wars.
It also follows on from Prince Charles's visit to Mullaghmore in 2015 where he visited the site where his granduncle Lord Mountbatten was killed by the IRA in 1979.
First visit
The Duke and Duchess said they hoped to build a “lasting friendship with the Irish people”.
They added that they “will learn about local organisations working to support and empower young people and projects which provide opportunities to help them develop important life skills”.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Áras an Uachtaráin with President Michael D Higgins, his wife Sabina and their dog Bród. Photograph: Julien Behal Photography
After the meeting at Áras an Uachtaráin, a spokesman for Mr Higgins confirmed Brexit was among the topics of conversation.
He said: “The couples discussed the close ties between the people of Ireland and Britain and the importance of continuing and deepening close relations between all of the peoples of these islands.
“President Higgins, Sabina and their royal highnesses spoke of the challenges ahead, including the implications of the UK’s departure from the European Union and the importance of continuing to build on the foundations of the Good Friday Agreement.
“They also discussed the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss and the urgent need to revisit the fundamentals of how we organise our economies and societies if we are to tackle these existential threats in a meaningful way.
“The importance of removing obstacles that inhibit young people from building their skills and realising their aspirations for a truly fair and sustainable world, and the particular importance of responding to the vulnerabilities of young people, was among the other topics discussed.”
Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge at the Guinness Storehouse Gravity Bar in Dublin with Ireland international Sene Naoupu. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ended the first day of their visit at a reception at the Guinness Storehouse.
The couple, who arrived at about 7.30pm, were greeted at the Guinness gates by John Kennedy, president of Diageo Europe, Turkey and India and Paul Carty, managing director of the storehouse.
The pair then attended a reception in the Gravity Bar, on the top floor of the tourist attraction, which was hosted by Mr Barnett.
Guests on the night included actors Liam Cunningham, Deirdre O’Kane and Robert Sheehan.
Activist Sinéad Burke was also in attendance, alongside rugby player Garry Ringrose and TV presenter Ryan Tubridy.
They also enjoyed a pint of the Black stuff alongside Ireland international rugby player Sene Naoupu.
During a speech to the attendees, Prince William said the relationship between Ireland and UK was very important.
“Catherine and I are delighted to be here tonight,” he said. “Ireland is a country that we have both heard so much about, so we are really excited to be here with you to see it first-hand for ourselves.”
“On a slightly more serious note, I just wanted to thank you all in the room for coming here this evening.
“Thank you for all that you do to support the very special relationship between our two countries. It has been a pleasure to meet so many of you this evening who demonstrate the breadth of our connections across the arts, sports, uniformed services, education, research, and charity sectors.”
He said they valued the friendship between the two countries, and were “committed to strengthening it further”.
He concluded his speech by raising his pint of Guinness and saying “Sláinte”.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Just 105 households have made use of grants to replace lead pipes

Only 105 households have made use of State grants to replace potentially harmful lead pipes in their homes since a scheme was set up four years ago , new figures show .
The low uptake is despite Irish Water writing to 38,000 householders advising them to check pipes in their properties for lead and estimating that 180,000 houses across the country could be affected by the issue , particularly those built before 1980 .
The means-tested grant scheme to support the replacement of lead pipes was introduced in 2016 .
Households with annual gross income of up to €50,000 can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of the costs of the replacement works , capped at €4,000 .
Homes with income between €50,000 and €75,000 can apply for up to €2,500 .
Homeowners can apply for the grant to their local authority , which then recoups the money from the Department of Housing .
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has processed two applications for the grant , one in 2017 and one last year .
Fingal County Council has received just one application in four years .
A council spokesman said that “ in light of GDPR ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ application had been successful , but it was not included on the list of grants paid issued by the Department of Housing .
Figures released by Irish Water to the Irish Examiner in January showed 23 home water supplies across the country had lead levels above the legal limit in tests carried out last year .
Although 10µg/l is the legal limit for drinking water supplies , the World Health Organisation advises that there is no safe level .
Consumption of lead can affect the brain development of children and infants .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high blood pressure and has been linked to cancer .
Department of Housing figures show just under €264,300 has been paid out in the grants since 2016 .
Limerick City and County Council issued €104,300 of that in 29 grants .
Dublin City Council processed 23 successful applications , securing grants worth €33,550 .
The number of grants issued doubled last year to 32 , from 16 in 2018 , when councillors expressed concern at the low uptake of the grants .
Two of the 105 payments issued since 2016 were made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one from the Limerick local authority .
Roscommon County Council has paid out one grant .
Nine of the 31 local authorities have not issued any funds through the scheme .
Irish Water engaged with the Economic and Social Research Institute ( ESRI ) to research different ways of communicating the risks to households and improving take-up of measures to reduce exposure to lead .
An ESRI researcher said it was waiting for Irish Water to initiate a trial it had proposed .
A spokeswoman for Irish Water said the water that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are no lead public water mains in Ireland .
However , many old “ service connections ” – the pipes running from the public mains to houses – contain lead .
By the end of 2019 Irish Water had replaced nearly 32,000 of these with plastic pipes .
The spokeswoman said that as of the end of 2019 , just in excess of 920 homes had availed of a customer “ opt-in ” scheme whereby the utility replaced the lead service connection outside their home free of charge , once the internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could then apply for the grant to recoup some of the cost of fixing the internal plumbing .
A Department of Housing spokeswoman said Irish Water hoped to remove lead from the public supply network completely by 2026 .
The spokeswoman said that , in the interim , “ where necessary ” Irish Water can treat water with orthophosphate .
“ This will build up a protective coating inside pipes and reduce the lead dissolving into drinking water supplies.
” Orthophosphate is described by Irish Water as a “ food-grade product and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A means-tested grant scheme to support the replacement of lead pipes was introduced in 2016. File photograph: Frank Miller
Only 105 households have made use of State grants to replace potentially harmful lead pipes in their homes since a scheme was set up four years ago, new figures show.
The low uptake is despite Irish Water writing to 38,000 householders advising them to check pipes in their properties for lead and estimating that 180,000 houses across the country could be affected by the issue, particularly those built before 1980.
The means-tested grant scheme to support the replacement of lead pipes was introduced in 2016. Households with annual gross income of up to €50,000 can apply for funding covering up to 80 per cent of the costs of the replacement works, capped at €4,000. Homes with income between €50,000 and €75,000 can apply for up to €2,500.
Homeowners can apply for the grant to their local authority, which then recoups the money from the Department of Housing.
READ MORE
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has processed two applications for the grant, one in 2017 and one last year.
Fingal County Council has received just one application in four years. A council spokesman said that "in light of GDPR" the council could not confirm if the application had been successful, but it was not included on the list of grants paid issued by the Department of Housing.
Lead piping excavated from the driveway of a home in Sandymount, Dublin, beside a water meter fitted by Irish Water. File photograph: Frank Miller
Figures released by Irish Water to the Irish Examiner in January showed 23 home water supplies across the country had lead levels above the legal limit in tests carried out last year.
Although 10µg/l is the legal limit for drinking water supplies, the World Health Organisation advises that there is no safe level. Consumption of lead can affect the brain development of children and infants. It may harm kidneys, may contribute to high blood pressure and has been linked to cancer.
Department of Housing figures show just under €264,300 has been paid out in the grants since 2016. Limerick City and County Council issued €104,300 of that in 29 grants. Dublin City Council processed 23 successful applications, securing grants worth €33,550.
The number of grants issued doubled last year to 32, from 16 in 2018, when councillors expressed concern at the low uptake of the grants. Two of the 105 payments issued since 2016 were made in 2020, one from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council and one from the Limerick local authority. Roscommon County Council has paid out one grant.
Nine of the 31 local authorities have not issued any funds through the scheme.
Improving take-up
Irish Water engaged with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to research different ways of communicating the risks to households and improving take-up of measures to reduce exposure to lead. An ESRI researcher said it was waiting for Irish Water to initiate a trial it had proposed.
A spokeswoman for Irish Water said the water that leaves its treatment plants is lead-free and there are no lead public water mains in Ireland.
However, many old “service connections” – the pipes running from the public mains to houses – contain lead. By the end of 2019 Irish Water had replaced nearly 32,000 of these with plastic pipes.
Irish Water has written to 38,000 householders advising them to check pipes in their properties for lead.
The spokeswoman said that as of the end of 2019, just in excess of 920 homes had availed of a customer “opt-in” scheme whereby the utility replaced the lead service connection outside their home free of charge, once the internal plumbing had been addressed. The households could then apply for the grant to recoup some of the cost of fixing the internal plumbing.
A Department of Housing spokeswoman said Irish Water hoped to remove lead from the public supply network completely by 2026.
The spokeswoman said that, in the interim, “where necessary” Irish Water can treat water with orthophosphate. “This will build up a protective coating inside pipes and reduce the lead dissolving into drinking water supplies.”
Orthophosphate is described by Irish Water as a “food-grade product and is a clear, odourless liquid”.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Jury intimidation a factor in some criminal trials, say judges

Jury intimidation and interference is a feature of a small number of criminal trials in Ireland , according to judges and barristers interviewed as part of a major new piece of legal research .
Some judges expressed concern about intimidation in trials involving gangland figures while another recalled a trial where members of a jury had been bribed .
The risk of jury intimidation is often cited in support of retaining the non-jury Special Criminal Court , particularly for trials involving paramilitary and organised crime .
However , little research has been conducted in the area .
The latest research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in UCD ’ s School of Law and is due to be launched on Tuesday , found that while jury interference was not widespread , “ it was nevertheless regarded by interviewees as a known feature of a small number of Irish jury trials ” .
Researchers conducted anonymous interviews with 22 judges and 11 barristers about the role of the judiciary and the jury system in criminal trials .
None of the judges questioned about jury intimidation or interference said they had personally witnessed it in their trials , put several reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 11 barristers reported encountering the issue .
One judge responded that when they were a barrister they had been involved in a case where jurors were bribed .
“ That ’ s a possibility in a small country .
The possibility of jury interference is a live possibility.
” Some juries become intimidated by cases involving notorious criminals , according to one judge who recalled being told by his court crier that the jury was “ very worried ” and had requested that their names not be read out in court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not grant the request .
“ But what I did do at the end of the trial , when they had convicted him .
.
.
because I knew of their concerns , I said to them : ‘ Look , you ’ ve done exactly what you had to do ’ .
.
.
and that was to reassure them more than anything else because I knew they were worried and concerned about their safety having served on that jury.
” One judge said when dealing with a gangland case they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure they were “ looking comfortable .
.
.
Making sure the channels of communication are open without saying why.
” One barrister said some jurors could be very “ jumpy ” and “ paranoid ” .
“ But there are definitely cases where people have made attempts , either by giving looks to the jury or walking close to them afterwards or something like that , to intimidate them.
” The report ’ s authors say there is no reason a roll-call has to be done in open court and noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had recommended the abolition of the practice .
“ It draws attention to the jurors in a way that is at best embarrassing and at worst identifies them to persons intent on contacting them for an unlawful purpose.
” In the past , senior gardaí have also called for the abolition of the practice of defendants being given a list of jurors ’ names and addresses .
This followed a case where a list of jurors ’ addresses was found in the home of an associate of a leading gangland figure during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration with how jurors are treated by the courts system .
Employers are obliged to pay staff serving on jurors but there is no provision for payment for jurors who are self-employed or out of work .
Jurors also do not receive expenses .
One judge described the current system as “ most unfair ” while another said it was “ appalling ” .
One said he frequently excused self-employed people from service due to the financial burden .
The LRC has previously suggested a small per diem payment for jurors .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payment but there should be provision for reimbursing expenses .
“ They have to be treated decently , and they ’ re not being treated decently .
.
.
It ’ s not that they should be paid ; but they actually lose money , ” one judge remarked .

The risk of jury intimidation is often cited in support of retaining the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Jury intimidation and interference is a feature of a small number of criminal trials in Ireland, according to judges and barristers interviewed as part of a major new piece of legal research.
Some judges expressed concern about intimidation in trials involving gangland figures while another recalled a trial where members of a jury had been bribed.
The risk of jury intimidation is often cited in support of retaining the non-jury Special Criminal Court, particularly for trials involving paramilitary and organised crime. However, little research has been conducted in the area.
The latest research, which was carried out by academics in UCD’s School of Law and is due to be launched on Tuesday, found that while jury interference was not widespread, “it was nevertheless regarded by interviewees as a known feature of a small number of Irish jury trials”.
READ MORE
Researchers conducted anonymous interviews with 22 judges and 11 barristers about the role of the judiciary and the jury system in criminal trials.
None of the judges questioned about jury intimidation or interference said they had personally witnessed it in their trials, put several reported hearing about it from colleagues. Three of the 11 barristers reported encountering the issue.
Bribes
One judge responded that when they were a barrister they had been involved in a case where jurors were bribed. “That’s a possibility in a small country. The possibility of jury interference is a live possibility.”
Some juries become intimidated by cases involving notorious criminals, according to one judge who recalled being told by his court crier that the jury was “very worried” and had requested that their names not be read out in court during the morning roll-call.
The judge did not grant the request. “But what I did do at the end of the trial, when they had convicted him . . . because I knew of their concerns, I said to them: ‘Look, you’ve done exactly what you had to do’ . . . and that was to reassure them more than anything else because I knew they were worried and concerned about their safety having served on that jury.”
One judge said when dealing with a gangland case they kept a close eye on jurors and make sure they were “looking comfortable . . . Making sure the channels of communication are open without saying why.”
One barrister said some jurors could be very “jumpy” and “paranoid”. “But there are definitely cases where people have made attempts, either by giving looks to the jury or walking close to them afterwards or something like that, to intimidate them.”
Open roll-call
The report's authors say there is no reason a roll-call has to be done in open court and noted the Law Reform Commission (LRC) had recommended the abolition of the practice.
“It draws attention to the jurors in a way that is at best embarrassing and at worst identifies them to persons intent on contacting them for an unlawful purpose.”
In the past, senior gardaí have also called for the abolition of the practice of defendants being given a list of jurors’ names and addresses. This followed a case where a list of jurors’ addresses was found in the home of an associate of a leading gangland figure during a Garda search.
Several judges also expressed frustration with how jurors are treated by the courts system. Employers are obliged to pay staff serving on jurors but there is no provision for payment for jurors who are self-employed or out of work. Jurors also do not receive expenses.
One judge described the current system as “most unfair” while another said it was “appalling”. One said he frequently excused self-employed people from service due to the financial burden.
The LRC has previously suggested a small per diem payment for jurors. Some judges said there should not be a payment but there should be provision for reimbursing expenses.
“They have to be treated decently, and they’re not being treated decently . . . It’s not that they should be paid; but they actually lose money,” one judge remarked.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Coronavirus: New measures to combat spread in Ireland to be announced

The Government is to set up a special Cabinet committee on the coronavirus threat , with Minister for Health Simon Harris warning the disease may be “ with us for a considerable period of time ” .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is to chair the committee , which will assess the impact of Covid-19 and oversee a cross-Government response .
Mr Harris is to brief Cabinet on Ireland ’ s preparedness today .
New measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are also likely to be announced following a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team , which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control .
The emergency team will also bring forward recommendations on limiting mass gatherings due to public health concerns over the virus , which may impinge on St Patrick ’ s Festival and other upcoming public events .
It is also likely to recommend the transfer of testing of suspected cases from hospital emergency departments to the community .
Cases have now been confirmed in 18 out of 27 EU states , and 28 EU citizens have died .
There are 89,068 confirmed cases of the illness globally , 2,199 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,000 deaths , the bulk of them in China .
The OECD on yesterday warned that the virus could halve global economic growth this year from its previous forecast .
The Paris-based group lowered its central growth forecast from 2.9 per cent to 2.4 per cent , but said a “ longer-lasting and more intensive coronavirus outbreak ” could slash annual growth to 1.5 per cent .
Google has told most of its 8,000 Irish staff and contractors to work from home today after a member of staff reported flu-like symptoms .
Ryanair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks from the middle of this month as the virus outbreak hits bookings .
The airline told passengers it would cut its short-haul flight programme , mainly to and from Italy , by up to 25 per cent from March 17th to April 8th .
It blamed a “ significant drop in the bookings over that late March/early April period , in response to the Covid-19 virus ” for its decision and said a significant number of passengers were not showing up for flights , particularly those to and from Italy .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus was “ a good thing ” , there was “ no room for complacency or panic ” in Ireland ’ s reaction to it .
Despite the European agency ’ s upgrading the threat of transmission of the disease in Europe to “ moderate to high ” , Irish public health officials continue to insist they do not expect this to happen in the State .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he was confident only a “ small numbers of sporadic cases ” would occur .
Mr Harris defended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Dublin school that was closed after one of its students contracted the coronavirus .
More than 400 students of the school started two weeks off on Monday after public health officials ordered it to shut to prevent the spread of the disease .
Mr Harris described the decision , which has been widely criticised on social media , as proportionate and evidence-based .
“ It is our job to provide information that is in the public interest ; it is not our job to provide information the public is interested in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ process of tracing contacts of the person has been completed and the school has been cleaned , public health officials said , adding that family members of students in the school are free to continue their daily routine as normal .
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald confirmed in a video posted on Twitter that her children attend the affected school .
Meanwhile , the Department of Foreign Affairs warned Irish citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran due to the spread of the coronavirus there , making it the second country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a travel warning from the department since the virus outbreak began .

New measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are also likely to be announced following a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team, which will be considering fresh advice from the European Centre for Disease Control. File photograph: New York Times
The Government is to set up a special Cabinet committee on the coronavirus threat, with Minister for Health Simon Harris warning the disease may be "with us for a considerable period of time".
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is to chair the committee, which will assess the impact of Covid-19 and oversee a cross-Government response. Mr Harris is to brief Cabinet on Ireland's preparedness today.
New measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 are also likely to be announced following a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team, which will be considering fresh advice from the European Centre for Disease Control.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he was confident only a ‘small numbers of sporadic cases’ would occur. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
The emergency team will also bring forward recommendations on limiting mass gatherings due to public health concerns over the virus, which may impinge on St Patrick’s Festival and other upcoming public events. It is also likely to recommend the transfer of testing of suspected cases from hospital emergency departments to the community.
READ MORE
Cases have now been confirmed in 18 out of 27 EU states, and 28 EU citizens have died. There are 89,068 confirmed cases of the illness globally, 2,199 of them in Europe, and more than 3,000 deaths, the bulk of them in China.
The OECD on yesterday warned that the virus could halve global economic growth this year from its previous forecast. The Paris-based group lowered its central growth forecast from 2.9 per cent to 2.4 per cent, but said a “longer-lasting and more intensive coronavirus outbreak” could slash annual growth to 1.5 per cent.
Google measures
Google has told most of its 8,000 Irish staff and contractors to work from home today after a member of staff reported flu-like symptoms.
Ryanair announced it was cutting flights for three weeks from the middle of this month as the virus outbreak hits bookings. The airline told passengers it would cut its short-haul flight programme, mainly to and from Italy, by up to 25 per cent from March 17th to April 8th.
It blamed a “significant drop in the bookings over that late March/early April period, in response to the Covid-19 virus” for its decision and said a significant number of passengers were not showing up for flights, particularly those to and from Italy.
Mr Harris said that although heightened awareness of the virus was “a good thing”, there was “no room for complacency or panic” in Ireland’s reaction to it.
Despite the European agency’s upgrading the threat of transmission of the disease in Europe to “moderate to high”, Irish public health officials continue to insist they do not expect this to happen in the State.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he was confident only a "small numbers of sporadic cases" would occur.
School closed
Mr Harris defended the decision of authorities not to name the Dublin school that was closed after one of its students contracted the coronavirus. More than 400 students of the school started two weeks off on Monday after public health officials ordered it to shut to prevent the spread of the disease.
Mr Harris described the decision, which has been widely criticised on social media, as proportionate and evidence-based. “It is our job to provide information that is in the public interest; it is not our job to provide information the public is interested in. That is a different test.”
The process of tracing contacts of the person has been completed and the school has been cleaned, public health officials said, adding that family members of students in the school are free to continue their daily routine as normal.
Shelves where disinfectant wipes are usually displayed are nearly empty at a Target store in Novato, California. File photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald confirmed in a video posted on Twitter that her children attend the affected school.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs warned Irish citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran due to the spread of the coronavirus there, making it the second country, after China, to be subject to a travel warning from the department since the virus outbreak began.


theirishtimes--2020-03-04--Just 40% of renters can afford to regularly save money – report

Unmanageable household debt should not be seen as simple “ individual failing ” but as a reflection of economic and political factors affecting thousands of people , a new report argues .
Exploring Household Debt in Ireland , published on Wednesday by the social change think-tank Tasc , says those who fall into debt often do so through funding basic needs , not extravagant lifestyles .
It points out that private sector renters are almost four times as likely to be unable to pay for heating , while 28 per cent have faced arrears in utility bills .
Just 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford to regularly save money , it says , while exactly one third of those in debt are over-burdened by repayments .
Those statistics , drawn from the 2017 EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions , are used to support the report ’ s overall argument that more needs to be done to train people in financial management , alongside a healthier overall understanding of why people find themselves in difficulty .
“ A large number of people in Ireland are living without financial security , ” said the report ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose their job , or if they have to deal with an unforeseen issue , they are unable to cope .
This is a very precarious situation , not just for individuals and families , but for the economy .
“ We have to change the way we regard dangerous over-indebtedness - to shift it from being an issue of blame or solely personal responsibility to a national policy issue.
” Tasc is to begin a pilot programme in Dublin ’ s north inner city , providing individuals with “ intensive and personalised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , designed as a pre-emptive approach to debt .
It says household debt in Ireland was €137.5 billion in 2018 with many struggling with the rate of repayments .
The proportion of those who feel overburdened by debt varies from one section of society to another - 22 per cent generally , rising to 32 per cent in low income households , according to the same EU data .
The report also reemphasises the issue of access to credit - over 350,000 households borrowed from moneylenders in 2017 , with the most common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ [ Personalised financial risk ] is storing up real difficulties if the economy goes into a recession or if there is an external economic shock , ” Ms Lajoie said .

Private sector renters are almost four times as likely to be unable to pay for heating, while 28 per cent have faced arrears in utility bills, the report says.
Unmanageable household debt should not be seen as simple “individual failing” but as a reflection of economic and political factors affecting thousands of people, a new report argues.
Exploring Household Debt in Ireland, published on Wednesday by the social change think-tank Tasc, says those who fall into debt often do so through funding basic needs, not extravagant lifestyles.
It points out that private sector renters are almost four times as likely to be unable to pay for heating, while 28 per cent have faced arrears in utility bills.
Just 40 per cent of people renting privately can afford to regularly save money, it says, while exactly one third of those in debt are over-burdened by repayments.
READ MORE
Those statistics, drawn from the 2017 EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions, are used to support the report’s overall argument that more needs to be done to train people in financial management, alongside a healthier overall understanding of why people find themselves in difficulty.
“A large number of people in Ireland are living without financial security,” said the report’s author Amie Lajoie.
“If they lose their job, or if they have to deal with an unforeseen issue, they are unable to cope. This is a very precarious situation, not just for individuals and families, but for the economy.
“We have to change the way we regard dangerous over-indebtedness - to shift it from being an issue of blame or solely personal responsibility to a national policy issue.”
Tasc is to begin a pilot programme in Dublin’s north inner city, providing individuals with “intensive and personalised” training on financial resilience and capability, designed as a pre-emptive approach to debt.
It says household debt in Ireland was €137.5 billion in 2018 with many struggling with the rate of repayments.
The proportion of those who feel overburdened by debt varies from one section of society to another - 22 per cent generally, rising to 32 per cent in low income households, according to the same EU data.
The report also reemphasises the issue of access to credit - over 350,000 households borrowed from moneylenders in 2017, with the most common interest rate set at 125 per cent.
"[Personalised financial risk] is storing up real difficulties if the economy goes into a recession or if there is an external economic shock," Ms Lajoie said.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Social media ‘overload’ linked to fatigue

Social media users who report feeling higher levels of “ overload ” from the volume of information and communication online are more fatigued on a day-to-day basis , according to new research .
The study , by researchers at NUI Galway , finds that the more prone to feeling bored a social media user is , the more likely it is they will feel overloaded by social media content .
However , the level of fatigue depends on what the person uses social media for .
It finds that those using social media as an information source , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , amplifies the effects of social media overload on fatigue levels .
By contrast , using platforms such as Snapchat and WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family actually diminishes fatigue levels , even when a person is feeling overloaded .
The study defines social media overload as “ the feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of communication and information a person is exposed to through social media channels ” .
The findings are contained in a study carried out by the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in business information systems at NUI Galway , said that while social media provides many advantages to users , researchers are now more closely scrutinising the problematic effects of platforms such as Facebook .
“ Our study finds that social media users who are more prone to boredom are more likely to become overloaded by that content , which ultimately has the adverse effect of depleting their energy levels , ” he said .
“ While being overloaded by social media has many negative psychological consequences , our findings suggest overload only leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to source information.
” He said using social media for communication purposes acts as a “ coping mechanism ” , which enables users to maintain energy levels even when experiencing overload .
“ Therefore , users need to consider not just the amount of social media they expose themselves to , but also how they use these technologies , if they wish to avoid exhaustion.
” Last year , another study researchers at NUI Galway examined how social media overload affects students ’ academic performance .
The research found that third level students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overload perform less well academically .
The study also examined why this relationship between social media overload and poor academic performance exists .
The data suggests that being constantly overloaded by social media diminishes a person ’ s self-control .
Researchers noted that self-control is important in deciding to study every evening or put the effort into submitting high quality assignments , the study .
However , engaging in social media diminishes self-control such as , for example , attempting to participate in multiple WhatsApp group conversations simultaneously .

Using platforms such as Snapchat and WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family actually diminishes fatigue levels, the study found. File photograph: Alan Betson
Social media users who report feeling higher levels of “overload” from the volume of information and communication online are more fatigued on a day-to-day basis, according to new research.
The study, by researchers at NUI Galway, finds that the more prone to feeling bored a social media user is, the more likely it is they will feel overloaded by social media content.
However, the level of fatigue depends on what the person uses social media for.
It finds that those using social media as an information source, such as accessing news stories through Facebook and Twitter, amplifies the effects of social media overload on fatigue levels.
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By contrast, using platforms such as Snapchat and WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family actually diminishes fatigue levels, even when a person is feeling overloaded.
The study defines social media overload as “the feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of communication and information a person is exposed to through social media channels”.
The findings are contained in a study carried out by the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway.
Dr Eoin Whelan, senior lecturer in business information systems at NUI Galway, said that while social media provides many advantages to users, researchers are now more closely scrutinising the problematic effects of platforms such as Facebook.
“Our study finds that social media users who are more prone to boredom are more likely to become overloaded by that content, which ultimately has the adverse effect of depleting their energy levels,” he said.
“While being overloaded by social media has many negative psychological consequences, our findings suggest overload only leads to fatigue when social media is used to source information.”
‘Coping mechanism’
He said using social media for communication purposes acts as a “coping mechanism”, which enables users to maintain energy levels even when experiencing overload.
“Therefore, users need to consider not just the amount of social media they expose themselves to, but also how they use these technologies, if they wish to avoid exhaustion.”
Last year, another study researchers at NUI Galway examined how social media overload affects students’ academic performance.
The research found that third level students who report higher levels of social media overload perform less well academically.
The study also examined why this relationship between social media overload and poor academic performance exists.
The data suggests that being constantly overloaded by social media diminishes a person’s self-control.
Researchers noted that self-control is important in deciding to study every evening or put the effort into submitting high quality assignments, the study .
However, engaging in social media diminishes self-control such as, for example, attempting to participate in multiple WhatsApp group conversations simultaneously.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Member of ‘hit team’ jailed for eight years by Special Criminal Court

A member of a “ hit team ” has been jailed for eight years by the Special Criminal Court for having a Beretta handgun and silencer after a confrontation with armed gardai during which an officer opened fire on a jeep .
The three-judge court heard Owen Cummins had driven the jeep straight towards gardaí in a narrow roadway as they restrained his co-accused on the ground .
One of the officers drew his firearm at the defendant as he had feared for his life and that of the man he was restraining on the ground .
When the garda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the side and smashed into a parked car while “ accelerating at 95 per cent capacity ” , the court was told .
Cummins ( 41 ) with an address at St Attracta Road , Cabra , Dublin 7 , pleaded guilty at the three-judge court last November to possessing a Beretta handgun and silencer two years ago .
Cummins was charged with possessing a firearm , namely a Beretta 92s handgun and silencer in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he had not got it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamestown Road , Inchicore , Dublin 8 on September 6 , 2017 .
Passing sentence today , Mr Justice Tony Hunt said Cummins had recently suffered a personal tragedy when his 19-year-old child died in a road traffic accident .
“ His attendance at the funeral was not logistically feasible and he had adopted a realistic stance to that matter , ” said the judge .
Mr Justice Hunt noted that Cummins ’ barrister had submitted that his participation was at the “ lowest part of the pyramid ” and he had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as driver of the van and had been exploited in this way .
The firearm was of a lethal variety and there was a bullet in the breach ready for use , continued the judge .
He said the appropriate headline sentence was 12 years but as a result of the mitigating circumstances including his guilty plea , he would reduce the headline sentence from 12 years to nine years and six months .
A further 18 months was suspended in order to encourage the defendant ’ s rehabilitation .
Mr Justice Hunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Griffin and Judge Dermot Dempsey , sentenced Cummins to nine years and six months imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended .
It was backdated to May 27 2019 when he went into custody .
At Cummins ’ sentence hearing , Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher who was previously attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau , summarised the facts of the case .
Caroline Cummings BL , for the State , said that on September 6th , 2017 , gardai had “ confidential information ” that several men were actively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 .
Det Supt Gallagher also confirmed that “ intelligence ” led gardaí to believe that the men had a white Citroen Berlingo van and a firearm .
Det Supt Gallagher briefed gardai to patrol the area with “ high visibility ” in a bid to prevent any threat to life .
Gardaí located the Citreon Berlingo van near Raheen Park and Garda Stephen Gillespie noticed there was a nervous-looking man in the driver ’ s seat .
The court heard that as gardaí carried out a registration check , the van sped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vehicle ” .
Garda Gillespie and his colleagues put on their blue lights and siren and followed the van which headed towards the Naas Road .
The van failed to stop at a stop sign , prompting other drivers to take action for their own safety , the court was told .
It continued to move at speed along Kylemore Way where a civilian witness saw the driver pass a “ plastic bag ” to the van ’ s passenger who , in turn , threw the Dunnes Stores bag out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court that Kylemore Way is effectively a “ dead end ” for cars as there are bollards present .
The court heard the van stopped at these bollards and the chasing garda car collided with the rear passenger side of the van .
Two men then exited the van , and ran towards a parked Hyundai Tucson jeep .
The passenger , Andrew O ’ Keeffe , was apprehended by Garda Gillespie and tackled to the ground beside the jeep , while the driver of the Citreon Berlingo van , Cummins , got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jeep .
O ’ Keeffe ( 30 ) from Drumcliff Road , Cabra West , Dublin 7 , pleaded guilty in June 2018 , to possessing a 9mm Beretta handgun and silencer in suspicious circumstances at Kylemore Way in Inchicore , Dublin , on the same date .
He was sentenced to nine years with one year suspended in August 2018 .
Cummins then started the jeep and revved the engine loudly , as two of Garda Gillespie ’ s colleagues tried to break the driver ’ s seat window .
Det @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drove straight towards Garda Gillespie who was on the ground restraining O ’ Keeffe and that Garda Gillespie believed his and O ’ Keeffe ’ s lives were “ in danger ” at this point .
Garda Gillespie waved his firearm and discharged a gunshot in an attempt to dissuade Cummins from hitting him and O ’ Keeffe with the jeep .
The court heard after the shot was fired , Cummins swerved , “ narrowly missing ” Garda Gillespie and O ’ Keeffe .
Instead , the jeep hit an unoccupied and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the VW Passat was moved 2.4 metres by the collision and that tests later showed the jeep was accelerating at 95 per cent of capacity when it struck the VW Passat .
The court heard Cummins then drove towards Garda Gillespie ’ s two garda colleagues , who were standing in front of the jeep , before it drove at speed down Jamestown Road towards Inchicore .
The jeep was later abandoned , the court was told .
Det Supt Gallagher told the court that CCTV harvested by gardaí led them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lion pub in Inchicore after he abandoned the jeep and that he later took a taxi from the pub to his home .
An analysis of phone traffic details and IP addresses also revealed Cummins as the person who sourced and bought the Citroen Berlingo and Hyundai Tucson .
It also heard that Cummins has 68 previous convictions .
These include 36 road traffic offences ; 12 circuit court convictions , all in relation to robberies at services stations and shops in 2008 ; and 20 district court convictions for theft and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Higgins SC , for Cummins , a former heroin addict who is now drug-free , told the court that another person , who is “ extremely insulated from any form of detection ” , was “ pulling strings ” and giving Cummins instructions .
He said Cummins had just returned from Spain with a drug debt , and had no job or money when he agreed to being a driver for the gunman .

Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted that Owen Cummins’ barrister had submitted that his participation was at the ‘lowest part of the pyramid’. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times
A member of a “hit team” has been jailed for eight years by the Special Criminal Court for having a Beretta handgun and silencer after a confrontation with armed gardai during which an officer opened fire on a jeep.
The three-judge court heard Owen Cummins had driven the jeep straight towards gardaí in a narrow roadway as they restrained his co-accused on the ground. One of the officers drew his firearm at the defendant as he had feared for his life and that of the man he was restraining on the ground.
When the garda discharged his gun, the jeep veered to the side and smashed into a parked car while “accelerating at 95 per cent capacity”, the court was told.
Cummins (41) with an address at St Attracta Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty at the three-judge court last November to possessing a Beretta handgun and silencer two years ago.
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Cummins was charged with possessing a firearm, namely a Beretta 92s handgun and silencer in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he had not got it in his possession for a lawful purpose at Jamestown Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 on September 6, 2017.
Passing sentence today, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said Cummins had recently suffered a personal tragedy when his 19-year-old child died in a road traffic accident. “His attendance at the funeral was not logistically feasible and he had adopted a realistic stance to that matter,” said the judge.
Mr Justice Hunt noted that Cummins’ barrister had submitted that his participation was at the “lowest part of the pyramid” and he had been persuaded by those higher up to act as driver of the van and had been exploited in this way.
The firearm was of a lethal variety and there was a bullet in the breach ready for use, continued the judge.
He said the appropriate headline sentence was 12 years but as a result of the mitigating circumstances including his guilty plea, he would reduce the headline sentence from 12 years to nine years and six months.
A further 18 months was suspended in order to encourage the defendant’s rehabilitation.
Mr Justice Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Dermot Dempsey, sentenced Cummins to nine years and six months imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. It was backdated to May 27 2019 when he went into custody.
Garda ‘information’
At Cummins’ sentence hearing, Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher who was previously attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, summarised the facts of the case.
Caroline Cummings BL, for the State, said that on September 6th, 2017, gardai had “confidential information” that several men were actively targeting another person in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10.
Det Supt Gallagher also confirmed that “intelligence” led gardaí to believe that the men had a white Citroen Berlingo van and a firearm.
Det Supt Gallagher briefed gardai to patrol the area with “high visibility” in a bid to prevent any threat to life.
Gardaí located the Citreon Berlingo van near Raheen Park and Garda Stephen Gillespie noticed there was a nervous-looking man in the driver’s seat.
The court heard that as gardaí carried out a registration check, the van sped off onto Kylemore Avenue “narrowly missing a vehicle”.
Garda Gillespie and his colleagues put on their blue lights and siren and followed the van which headed towards the Naas Road. The van failed to stop at a stop sign, prompting other drivers to take action for their own safety, the court was told.
It continued to move at speed along Kylemore Way where a civilian witness saw the driver pass a “plastic bag” to the van’s passenger who, in turn, threw the Dunnes Stores bag out the window.
Det Supt Gallagher told the court that Kylemore Way is effectively a “dead end” for cars as there are bollards present.
The court heard the van stopped at these bollards and the chasing garda car collided with the rear passenger side of the van.
Two men then exited the van, and ran towards a parked Hyundai Tucson jeep.
The passenger, Andrew O’Keeffe, was apprehended by Garda Gillespie and tackled to the ground beside the jeep, while the driver of the Citreon Berlingo van, Cummins, got into the driver’s seat of the jeep.
O’Keeffe (30) from Drumcliff Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty in June 2018, to possessing a 9mm Beretta handgun and silencer in suspicious circumstances at Kylemore Way in Inchicore, Dublin, on the same date. He was sentenced to nine years with one year suspended in August 2018.
Cummins then started the jeep and revved the engine loudly, as two of Garda Gillespie’s colleagues tried to break the driver’s seat window.
Det Supt Gallagher told the court that Cummins drove straight towards Garda Gillespie who was on the ground restraining O’Keeffe and that Garda Gillespie believed his and O’Keeffe’s lives were “in danger” at this point.
Garda Gillespie waved his firearm and discharged a gunshot in an attempt to dissuade Cummins from hitting him and O’Keeffe with the jeep.
Shot fired
The court heard after the shot was fired, Cummins swerved, “narrowly missing” Garda Gillespie and O’Keeffe. Instead, the jeep hit an unoccupied and parked Volkswagen Passat.
Ms Cummings said that the VW Passat was moved 2.4 metres by the collision and that tests later showed the jeep was accelerating at 95 per cent of capacity when it struck the VW Passat.
The court heard Cummins then drove towards Garda Gillespie’s two garda colleagues, who were standing in front of the jeep, before it drove at speed down Jamestown Road towards Inchicore.
The jeep was later abandoned, the court was told.
Det Supt Gallagher told the court that CCTV harvested by gardaí led them to identify Cummins as having gone into The Black Lion pub in Inchicore after he abandoned the jeep and that he later took a taxi from the pub to his home.
An analysis of phone traffic details and IP addresses also revealed Cummins as the person who sourced and bought the Citroen Berlingo and Hyundai Tucson.
It also heard that Cummins has 68 previous convictions. These include 36 road traffic offences; 12 circuit court convictions, all in relation to robberies at services stations and shops in 2008; and 20 district court convictions for theft and minor drugs offences.
Michael O’Higgins SC, for Cummins, a former heroin addict who is now drug-free, told the court that another person, who is “extremely insulated from any form of detection”, was “pulling strings” and giving Cummins instructions.
He said Cummins had just returned from Spain with a drug debt, and had no job or money when he agreed to being a driver for the gunman.


theirishtimes--2020-03-03--Judge dismisses court actions by three prison officers

Three prison officers have lost their separate High Court challenges related to internal transfers and bullying allegations within the Irish Prison Service .
James Ben Buckley , Gerald Dowling and David McDonald were all members of the Irish Prison Service intelligence gathering and gang-disrupting unit called the Operational Support Group ( OSG ) .
They claimed they were denied fair procedures and natural justice when decisions were made arising out of bullying allegations against Mr Dowling and Mr McDonald .
On Tuesday , Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh refused to grant them declarations that their rights under the Constitution and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at work policy had been breached .
Mr Buckley , a chief officer in OSG who says he retired mainly because of how this matter was handled , claimed the attempt to transfer him to the prisoner escort/transport unit was a demotion and a punishment .
He initially claimed it was the result of him querying the shortlisting process for a promotional position and later claimed it was connected with bullying allegations against the other two OSG colleagues .
Mr Dowling , also a chief officer , claimed in his action he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bullying by a junior officer .
He said a preliminary investigation failed to take account of the fact that the bullying complaint arose out of the complainant himself having been admonished for allegedly making slanderous allegations against Mr Buckley .
In his case , Portlaoise Prison assistant chief officer David McDonald claimed an attempt to temporarily transfer him to the Midlands Prison pending an investigation into a similar bullying allegation breached his right to fair procedures , among other things .
The court heard the matter first arose in early summer 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process for a governor grade post .
Around the same time , in May 2018 , two junior officers were called to a meeting with Mr McDonald and Mr Dowling to be admonished in relation to an administrative matter .
When they had been admonished , one of the two juniors was asked to stay behind and was allegedly told by Mr Dowling he had been spreading malicious rumours about Mr Buckley , who was not present at that meeting .
In July and August , both junior officers made bullying complaints , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Mr McDonald .
On August 18th , Mr Buckley , who was allegedly the subject of the rumours , got an email ordering his transfer to the Midlands Prison .
He strongly protested and initially believed it was “ inextricably linked ” with his promotional shortlist query .
He said the suddenness of the transfer gave rise to a widespread perception within the service “ that I had done something wrong ” .
The prison service denied this and said it was done because the demand for prisoner escorts had risen from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40,000 in 2018 .
On August 24th , Mr McDonald was informed of his temporary transfer pending investigation of the allegation against him .
He also strongly protested and then brought court proceedings which were settled when the prison service accepted procedures were not as they should have been .
A new process to investigate the bullying allegation was then opened and Mr McDonald brought new High Court proceedings challenging this .
Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh said , in Mr Buckley ’ s case , none of his theories supported the view his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These theories included it was done over his query about the shortlist , a desire to prevent him continuing to access OSG records and that it was connected to the bullying allegations against his two colleagues .
The judge found Mr Buckley was not entitled to notice or to an opportunity to make submissions before he was transferred .
In relation to Mr McDonald , she said , after he brought his second legal challenge , the issue with the two junior officers had been dealt with by putting them on a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be transferred .
Once that happened , he should have discontinued the High Court action and should also have engaged with an independent process into the bullying allegations but instead sought to prolong and bring to trial what was essentially a pointless ( moot ) case .
In relation to Mr Dowling , matters in relation to the junior officer who complained against him also appear to be at an end , she said .

In March, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) balloted 96 per cent in favour of taking industrial action, up to and including all-out strikes. File Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times One of the men, a chief officer, claimed in his action he was denied fair procedures when he was accused of bullying by a junior officer. File photograph: Cyril Byrne
Three prison officers have lost their separate High Court challenges related to internal transfers and bullying allegations within the Irish Prison Service.
James Ben Buckley, Gerald Dowling and David McDonald were all members of the Irish Prison Service intelligence gathering and gang-disrupting unit called the Operational Support Group (OSG). They claimed they were denied fair procedures and natural justice when decisions were made arising out of bullying allegations against Mr Dowling and Mr McDonald.
On Tuesday, Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh refused to grant them declarations that their rights under the Constitution and under the prison service’s dignity at work policy had been breached.
Mr Buckley, a chief officer in OSG who says he retired mainly because of how this matter was handled, claimed the attempt to transfer him to the prisoner escort/transport unit was a demotion and a punishment. He initially claimed it was the result of him querying the shortlisting process for a promotional position and later claimed it was connected with bullying allegations against the other two OSG colleagues.
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Mr Dowling, also a chief officer, claimed in his action he was denied fair procedures when he was accused of bullying by a junior officer. He said a preliminary investigation failed to take account of the fact that the bullying complaint arose out of the complainant himself having been admonished for allegedly making slanderous allegations against Mr Buckley.
In his case, Portlaoise Prison assistant chief officer David McDonald claimed an attempt to temporarily transfer him to the Midlands Prison pending an investigation into a similar bullying allegation breached his right to fair procedures, among other things.
The court heard the matter first arose in early summer 2018 when Mr Buckley had queried the promotional process for a governor grade post. Around the same time, in May 2018, two junior officers were called to a meeting with Mr McDonald and Mr Dowling to be admonished in relation to an administrative matter.
When they had been admonished, one of the two juniors was asked to stay behind and was allegedly told by Mr Dowling he had been spreading malicious rumours about Mr Buckley, who was not present at that meeting.
In July and August, both junior officers made bullying complaints, one against Mr Dowling and the other against Mr McDonald.
On August 18th, Mr Buckley, who was allegedly the subject of the rumours, got an email ordering his transfer to the Midlands Prison. He strongly protested and initially believed it was “inextricably linked” with his promotional shortlist query. He said the suddenness of the transfer gave rise to a widespread perception within the service “that I had done something wrong”.
The prison service denied this and said it was done because the demand for prisoner escorts had risen from 29,459 per year in 2016 to nearly 40,000 in 2018.
On August 24th, Mr McDonald was informed of his temporary transfer pending investigation of the allegation against him. He also strongly protested and then brought court proceedings which were settled when the prison service accepted procedures were not as they should have been. A new process to investigate the bullying allegation was then opened and Mr McDonald brought new High Court proceedings challenging this.
Theories
Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh said, in Mr Buckley’s case, none of his theories supported the view his transfer was imposed as a punishment. These theories included it was done over his query about the shortlist, a desire to prevent him continuing to access OSG records and that it was connected to the bullying allegations against his two colleagues.
The judge found Mr Buckley was not entitled to notice or to an opportunity to make submissions before he was transferred.
In relation to Mr McDonald, she said, after he brought his second legal challenge, the issue with the two junior officers had been dealt with by putting them on a different roster which meant Mr McDonald did not have to be transferred. Once that happened, he should have discontinued the High Court action and should also have engaged with an independent process into the bullying allegations but instead sought to prolong and bring to trial what was essentially a pointless (moot) case.
In relation to Mr Dowling, matters in relation to the junior officer who complained against him also appear to be at an end, she said.