theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Cork city centre businesses on flood alert as high tides forecast

Traders in Cork city centre have been warned to put defences in places as they face the prospect of flooding for the second time in less than three months as high tides are set to hit the city on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning .
Cork City Council has declared a Level 3 alert as high spring tides are set to prompt a rise in water levels in both the north and south channels of the river Lee which is tidal right through the city centre to the western fringes of the city .
Cork City Council Director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses were most at risk of flooding during high tide on Wednesday morning and predicted they could face the a similar flooding event to that which hit the city on the morning of October 20th and caused extensive damage to over 20 business premises .
“ A tidal surge and strong south-easterly winds are forecast for Wednesday morning at 6.21am .
These factors combined with the morning high tide have the potential to cause significant tidal flooding in the city centre at this time , ” he said .
“ It is predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event on October 20th last .
It is imperative that businesses take active measures to protect their premises so they can continue to trade later on Wednesday morning , ” he added .
Mr Joyce said Cork City Council was advising businesses and householders at risk of flooding to erect barriers this evening and he also urged traders to postpone all deliveries until after 8am on Wednesday .
Mr Joyce said Cork City Council ’ s Flood Assessment Team was monitoring the situation closely and will issue regular updates on the tidal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ corkcitycouncil ) account as well as to the City Council ’ s website ( www.corkcity.ie ) .
He said Cork City Council had a limited stock of gel-bags and sand-bags available for collection by members of the public and businesses which can be collected at the Council Depot on Anglesea Terrace in the city centre or at the Tramore Valley Park Civic Amenity Site on the South Link Road .
Meanwhile , city centre traders spoke this morning of the concerns over a repeated of the October flooding when the south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Morrison ’ s Island and Fr Mathew Quay and spilled into the South Mall and flowed down into Oliver Plunkett Street .
Shane Kennedy of Diane O ’ Mahony Jewellers on Winthrop Street between Oliver Plunkett Street and Patrick Street told PJ Coogan on 96FM ’ s Opinion Line they were badly flooded in October and were dreading a similar inundation of water .
“ The last flood came just two days before the last lockdown when we had to close our doors for six weeks - it was one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we lost half the day trying to clean up after it and get the place dried out so we could start trading again , ” he said .
Mr Kennedy said they would have to rely on sandbags to protect their premises as they had an old Victorian shop front and entrance which prevented them from putting up the modern flood barriers and they would have to bail out flood water that seeped through the sand bags .
“ What we do and what we have been doing for the past 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay on the other side of the sandbags and we try and bail the water out over the sandbags as it seeps through , ” he said .
“ The high tide is expected at 6.20am tomorrow so we will put up our sandbags tonight and we expect to be in tomorrow at 5.30am to be on flood watch ... .
we need to get the clean up started as soon as the water drops because we want to open for business first thing in the morning.
” Cork City Council is predicting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Morrison ’ s Quay , Fr Mathew Quay , Fr Mathew Street , Union Quay , Trinity Bridge , South Terrace , Rutland Street , Sawmill Street , Lavitts Quay , Kyrls Street , Kyrls Quay , Crosses Green , Proby ’ s , Quay Sharman Crawford St and Wandesford Quay .
The council is warning that flooding linked to high tide on Wednesday morning will affect all these areas as well as the South Mall , Oliver Plunkett Street , Lower Glanmire Road , Grand Parade , Washington Street , Lapps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McSwiney Quay , Albert Quay , Kennedy Quay , Patrick Street , French ’ s Quay and Lancaster Quay .
Meanwhile , Cork County Council has also issued a flood warning , pointing out that a Status Yellow wind warning for Cork , valid from 9pm on Tuesday until 9pm on Wednesday with winds gusting up to 100km/h , could lead to storm surges in coastal areas .
“ Cork County Council is calling on property owners in coastal areas to take appropriate measures to protect their property while we also urge property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as on the Bailick Road and Dwyer ’ s Road in Midleton to be vigilant for the risk of flooding , ” it said .
“ Council staff are preparing for these circumstances with sandbags and pumping arrangements while members of the public are advised to stay high , stay dry and stay away from the coast , rivers and lakes and they should also be vigilant about the risk of fallen trees and road damage .
”

A file image of jewellers Roland and Shane Kennedy outside their shop in heavy flooding on Winthrop Street, Cork in October. With high tides forecast on Wednesday there are fears of renewed flooding in the city. Photograph: Darragh Mc Sweeney/Provision
Traders in Cork city centre have been warned to put suitable defences in place as they face the prospect of being flooded for the second time in less than three months with high tides set to hit the city early on Wednesday morning.
Cork City Council declared a Level 3 alert as a period of high tides was set to lead to a rise in water levels in both the north and south channels of the Lee which is tidal right through the city centre to the western fringes of the city.
Cork City Council director of operations, David Joyce said that city centre businesses would be most at risk on Wednesday morning and predicted they could face the sort of flooding which hit the city on the morning of October 20th and caused extensive damage to over 20 business premises.
“A tidal surge and strong south-easterly winds are forecast for Wednesday morning at 6.21am. These factors combined with the morning high tide have the potential to cause significant tidal flooding in the city centre at this time,” he said.
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“It is predicted that the flooding could be similar to the event on October 20th last. It is imperative that businesses take active measures to protect their premises so they can continue to trade later on Wednesday morning as we expect the tide to recede quite quickly.”
Mr Joyce said that Cork City Council was advising all businesses and householders to erect flood barriers on Tuesday evening so they were in place for the anticipated flooding on Wednesday while he also urged traders to postpone all deliveries until after 8am on Wednesday morning.
He said that up to 100 staff from across various Cork City Council departments would be on site across the city centre from 5am on Wednesday morning and would be supported by colleagues from Cork City Fire Brigade, Cork City Civil Defence and An Garda Síochána.
A file image of heavy flooding on Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork, in October 2020. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision
Mr Joyce urged motorists not to leave their cars parked overnight in areas susceptible to flooding such as Morrison’s Island and Fr Mathew Quay while he also advised motorists to plan early morning journeys as he expected several city centre streets to close from 5.30am to 7.30m on Wednesday.
He said Cork City Council had distributed 500 flood warning leaflets to properties in the city centre and notified people they had a limited stock of gel-bags and sand-bags available for collection at the council department on Anglesea Terrace and the Tramore Valley Park Civic Amenity Site.
Mr Joyce said Cork City Council’s Flood Assessment Team was monitoring the midweek situation closely and would continue to issue regular updates on the tidal forecast to the council’s Twitter (@corkcitycouncil) account as well as to the City Council’s website (www.corkcity.ie).
Meanwhile Cork County Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team met on Tuesday afternoon to assess the implications for the county of Met Éireann’s Status Orange Wind Warning which predicted gale force winds, veering south east to south west and gusting up to 110km/h
"Due to high seas, as a result of high astronomical Spring Tides approaching Highest Astronomical Tide, and strong onshore winds, there is a risk of coastal flooding tonight and on Wednesday, said Cork County Council on Tuesday evening," said Cork County Council in a statement.
"Cork County Council is calling on property owners in coastal communities, in particular property owners in Bantry, Clonakilty, Ring, Kinsale, Midleton (along the Bailick Road and Dwyers Road), and also in Dunmanway, to undertake appropriate measures to protect their property.
“Council staff are preparing for these circumstances with sandbags and pumping arrangements while members of the public are advised to stay high, stay dry and stay away from the coast, rivers and lakes and they should also be vigilant about the risk of fallen trees and road damage.”
Cork County Council also confirmed that the Dursey Cable Car linking Dursey Island with the Beara Peninsula would cease operating once wind speeds exceed 65km/hr and operations would recommence following an inspection by Council staff.
Earlier, city centre traders spoke of their fears of a repeat of the October flooding when the south channel of the Lee burst its banks at Morrison’s Island and Fr Mathew Quay and spilled into the South Mall and flowed down into Oliver Plunkett Street.
Shane Kennedy of Diane O'Mahony Jewellers on Winthrop Street between Oliver Plunkett Street and Patrick Street told PJ Coogan on 96FM's Opinion Line they were badly flooded in October and were dreading a similar inundation of water.
“The last flood came just two days before the last lockdown when we had to close our doors for six weeks - it was one of the days we were hoping to be busy but we lost half the day trying to clean up after it and get the place dried out so we could start trading again,” he said.
Mr Kennedy said they would have to rely on sandbags to protect their premises as they had an old Victorian shop front and entrance which prevented them from putting up the modern flood barriers and they would have to bail out flood water that seeped through the sand bags.
“What we do and what we have been doing for the past 40 years is putting up sandbags and we stay on the other side of the sandbags and we try and bail the water out over the sandbags as it seeps through,” he said.
“The high tide is expected at 6.20am tomorrow so we will put up our sandbags tonight and we expect to be in tomorrow at 5.30am to be on flood watch .... we need to get the clean up started as soon as the water drops because we want to open for business first thing in the morning.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Yellow wind warning for several counties with risk of flooding

Met Éireann has issued two weather warnings for Tuesday night , with gale force winds in Co Cork creating a risk of coastal flooding .
An orange wind warning is in place in Cork from between 9pm on Tuesday until 9am on Wednesday .
Met Éireann said that due to high seas and strong onshore winds , there is the risk of coastal flooding tonight.There will be gale force southeast winds , veering southwest gusting 90 to 110km/h generally , but higher in exposed areas .
Meanwhile , a yellow wind warning is in place in Leinster and counties Clare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waterford for the same period .
Strong and gusty southeast winds , veering southwest , will reach up to 100km/h .
Due to high seas and strong onshore winds , there is a greater risk of coastal flooding Cork city , which flooded as recently as October , is bracing itself for further difficulties amid the conditions expected in the coming days .
Cork County Council issued a warning over possible flooding to residents and traders in coastal areas , and in Dunmanway and Midleton .
The Road Safety Authority ( RSA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the orange warning to check local traffic and weather conditions before going on journeys .
The agency has advised motorists to beware of objects being blown onto the road , to watch out for falling or fallen debris , and to allow extra space between them and vulnerable road users .
The RSA advised more vulnerable road users , such as pedestrians , to wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt ; to walk on a footpath where possible ; and to walk on the right-hand side to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it will become wet and windy on Tuesday night .
Cloud will increase through the evening with a band of rain crossing the area early in the night bringing the risk of surface flooding .
Gale to strong-gale force winds will develop on southern and eastern coasts .
Later in the night , the rain will clear to scattered blustery showers , heaviest and most frequent in the west .
Lowest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees will occur early in the night .
Wednesday will start wet and very windy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ south to southwest and gradually ease .
It will remain mostly cloudy with scattered heavy showers merging to longer spells of rain at times .
The highest temperatures will be between 7 and 11 degrees .
By Wednesday night , scattered showers will continue to affect western and northwestern areas , with lowest temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees .
Some mist and fog patches will develop .
Thursday will feature a mix of sunny spells with isolated showers in the morning .
However , cloud will increase from the southwest with rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the afternoon .
Temperatures are expected to hit highs of 7 to 11 degrees before becoming milder through the evening in moderate to fresh , southerly winds .
Rain will clear the northeast early on Thursday night .
However , it will remain mostly cloudy with a further spell of heavy rain moving in from the west later in the night .
Lowest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in light to moderate southerly winds .
Friday will have a relatively mild and wet start to the day as rain crosses the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spells in the afternoon .
There will be blustery showers that night , with the heaviest and most frequent along Atlantic coasts in fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds .
It will remain drier in the east with long clear spells .

Met Éireann has issued two weather warnings for Tuesday night, with gale force winds in Co Cork creating a risk of coastal flooding.
An orange wind warning is in place in Cork from between 9pm on Tuesday until 9am on Wednesday.
Met Éireann said that due to high seas and strong onshore winds, there is the risk of coastal flooding tonight.There will be gale force southeast winds, veering southwest gusting 90 to 110km/h generally, but higher in exposed areas.
Meanwhile, a yellow wind warning is in place in Leinster and counties Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford for the same period.
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Strong and gusty southeast winds, veering southwest, will reach up to 100km/h. Due to high seas and strong onshore winds, there is a greater risk of coastal flooding
Cork city, which flooded as recently as October, is bracing itself for further difficulties amid the conditions expected in the coming days. Cork County Council issued a warning over possible flooding to residents and traders in coastal areas, and in Dunmanway and Midleton.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has advised road users in areas affected by the orange warning to check local traffic and weather conditions before going on journeys.
The agency has advised motorists to beware of objects being blown onto the road, to watch out for falling or fallen debris, and to allow extra space between them and vulnerable road users.
The RSA advised more vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, to wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt; to walk on a footpath where possible; and to walk on the right-hand side to the road facing traffic.
Across the country, it will become wet and windy on Tuesday night. Cloud will increase through the evening with a band of rain crossing the area early in the night bringing the risk of surface flooding. Gale to strong-gale force winds will develop on southern and eastern coasts.
Later in the night, the rain will clear to scattered blustery showers, heaviest and most frequent in the west. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees will occur early in the night.
Wednesday will start wet and very windy. Strong and gusty southeasterly winds will veer south to southwest and gradually ease. It will remain mostly cloudy with scattered heavy showers merging to longer spells of rain at times. The highest temperatures will be between 7 and 11 degrees.
By Wednesday night, scattered showers will continue to affect western and northwestern areas, with lowest temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees. Some mist and fog patches will develop.
Thursday will feature a mix of sunny spells with isolated showers in the morning.
However, cloud will increase from the southwest with rain and drizzle extending from the Atlantic by the afternoon.
Temperatures are expected to hit highs of 7 to 11 degrees before becoming milder through the evening in moderate to fresh, southerly winds.
Rain will clear the northeast early on Thursday night. However, it will remain mostly cloudy with a further spell of heavy rain moving in from the west later in the night. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in light to moderate southerly winds.
Friday will have a relatively mild and wet start to the day as rain crosses the country eastwards, clearing to showers and sunny spells in the afternoon.
There will be blustery showers that night, with the heaviest and most frequent along Atlantic coasts in fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds. It will remain drier in the east with long clear spells.


theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Emergency services respond to large fire near Sligo town

Emergency services have contained a fire in a small garage outside of Sligo town on Tuesday morning , after a @ @ @ @ @ due to an asbestos risk .
The fire broke out on Larkhill Road with a @ @ @ @ @ responding to a 999 call at 5am .
The fire involved “ low levels of @ @ @ @ @ as a result a small number of neighbouring households were evacuated , a spokeswoman for @ @ @ @ @ Other homes within a 150 metre radius of the fire had also been asked to @ @ @ @ @ closed due to the asbestos risk .
“ The fire has been contained and the @ @ @ @ @ down , ” the council spokeswoman said .
An investigation into the asbestos hazard will @ @ @ @ @ Health and Safety Authority , she said .
Larkhill Road has been closed off with @ @ @ @ @ .

A file image of a Sligo fire service tender. Sligo County Council has warned people in the local area to take care due to smoke from the blaze. Photograph via Sligo Fire Service via Twitter
Emergency services have contained a fire in a small garage outside of Sligo town on Tuesday morning, after a number of homes were evacuated due to an asbestos risk.
The fire broke out on Larkhill Road with a number of Fire Service units responding to a 999 call at 5am.
The fire involved "low levels of asbestos material," and as a result a small number of neighbouring households were evacuated, a spokeswoman for Sligo County Council said.
Other homes within a 150 metre radius of the fire had also been asked to keep their windows and doors closed due to the asbestos risk.
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“The fire has been contained and the asbestos material has been dampened down,” the council spokeswoman said.
An investigation into the asbestos hazard will be carried out by the Health and Safety Authority, she said. Larkhill Road has been closed off with local traffic diversions in place.


theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Shelbourne Hotel statues restored to front of building

The owners of the Shelbourne Hotel have reinstalled four statues that were removed in the mistaken belief two of them were representations of slave women .
Workers put the statues back on their pedestals outside the front of the hotel overnight .
The statues , which have stood at the front of the hotel since 1867 , have been restored , and several layers of paint and grime have been removed .
They were removed in July by hotel management , citing the Black Lives Matter movement and its focus on the legacy of slavery .
Hotel management believed two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Nubia being a rival kingdom to ancient Egypt .
The other two statues represent Egyptian princesses .
The move prompted several complaints to the council that the facade of the hotel , which was restored in 2016 , was a protected structure and the removal of the statues was a breach of planning permission .
The statues were originally designed and sculpted by Mathurin Moreau ( 1822-1912 ) , son of another famous French sculptor , Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Joseph Moreau , and were cast in the Val d ’ Orsne foundry in Paris .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ original catalogue from which the four statues were ordered clearly label them not as slaves but as Egyptian and Nubian women .
Mr Leyden said the architect who designed the Shelbourne facade , John McCurdy , would have ordered the statues from the catalogue , which was published in the late 1850s .
Dublin City Council sent an enforcement letter on July 29th giving hotel management four weeks to respond to the claims of an alleged planning breach .
Hotel management were granted another four-week extension to respond to the allegation .
Kennedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ProfPaula Murphy to examine the statues .
An expert on sculpture , she concluded they were not depictions of slaves and advised on the clean-up operation .
The hotel owners said the restoration took time “ due to the delicate conservation works required ” .

The Shelbourne Hotel Dublin has reinstalled four statues at the entrance. They had been removed in July in the belief that two of them were representations of slave women. Video: Ronan McGreevy Workers put the statues back on their pedestals
The owners of the Shelbourne Hotel have reinstalled four statues that were removed in the mistaken belief two of them were representations of slave women.
Workers put the statues back on their pedestals outside the front of the hotel overnight.
The statues, which have stood at the front of the hotel since 1867, have been restored, and several layers of paint and grime have been removed.
They were removed in July by hotel management, citing the Black Lives Matter movement and its focus on the legacy of slavery.
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Hotel management believed two of the statues depicted Nubian slave princesses – Nubia being a rival kingdom to ancient Egypt. The other two statues represent Egyptian princesses.
The move prompted several complaints to the council that the facade of the hotel, which was restored in 2016, was a protected structure and the removal of the statues was a breach of planning permission.
The statues were originally designed and sculpted by Mathurin Moreau (1822-1912), son of another famous French sculptor, Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Joseph Moreau, and were cast in the Val d'Orsne foundry in Paris.
Art historian Kyle Leyden has said the original catalogue from which the four statues were ordered clearly label them not as slaves but as Egyptian and Nubian women. Mr Leyden said the architect who designed the Shelbourne facade, John McCurdy, would have ordered the statues from the catalogue, which was published in the late 1850s.
Dublin City Council sent an enforcement letter on July 29th giving hotel management four weeks to respond to the claims of an alleged planning breach. Hotel management were granted another four-week extension to respond to the allegation.
Kennedy Wilson commissioned University College Dublin art historian ProfPaula Murphy to examine the statues. An expert on sculpture, she concluded they were not depictions of slaves and advised on the clean-up operation.
The hotel owners said the restoration took time “due to the delicate conservation works required”.


theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Paying 15c more for a loaf after Brexit? Irish bakeries eye flour beyond Britain

Irish bakeries have stockpiled flour , sourced alternative supplies from Europe and sought ways to minimise tariffs on British flour in preparation for a potential collapse in EU-UK trade talks .
About half the flour used by Irish bakers comes from England with the other half sourced from three mills on the island of Ireland – Allied Mills and Andrews Flour in Belfast and Odlums in Portarlington , Co Laois .
These mills have limited capacity to substitute for supply from English mills .
The large proportion of flour coming from Britain could mean heavy tariffs on imports , €172 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35-40 per cent on the cost of flour imports under a no-deal scenario .
Increased costs could be passed on to consumers , adding up to 15 cent to a loaf of bread .
Under no-deal contingency planning , Irish bakeries have sought to open new supply lines from continental Europe , sourcing flour from Germany and France .
“ The fear of the year ending without an agreement has risen so no-deal planning across the board is really switched on , ” said Alex Waugh , director of the National Association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large quantities of flour required by bakeries – about 4,000 tonnes of flour are imported into the Republic from the UK every week – means there is limited capacity to stockpile ahead of World Trade Organisation tariffs applying if there is no trade deal by January 1st .
“ There would be efforts that the silos are fully stocked by the end of the transition period , ” said Linda Stuart-Trainor , director of prepared consumer foods at industry group Food Drink Ireland .
“ For product categories that use a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far because of the volume of space and the way it is stored , they can not store too much of it in advance.
” She estimates that about 30 per cent of grocery products contain flour .
Irish firms have had to turn to Europe to reduce reliance on UK-imported flour .
“ Every company has certainly looked at it .
We would still intend to import large quantities of flour from the UK in the short term .
Maybe in the longer term , things may evolve , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sensible thing to do but we shouldn ’ t kid ourselves that that means that nothing changes .
The cost of freight is quite high so it is not cost neutral , ” said Mr Waugh .
Michael McCambridge , managing director of Dublin bakery McCambridge ’ s , buys packaging in the UK for which he has “ a hedge ” until June to give him time to find other sources .
“ We are pointing more towards the EU for anything we can get in the future rather than defaulting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK mills are looking at milling EU wheat which , Mr Waugh estimates , could shave €100 off the per-tonne tariff on exported British flour .
Large amounts of baked goods made with British flour are sold back into the UK so some in the industry believe customs arrangements can be put in place .
“ You could get relief on your tariffs .
It is not as simple as saying that there is going to be €172 a tonne and no supply , ” said an industry source .
Costs could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loaf of bread with tariffs .
“ The likelihood is that there will be an inflationary impact , ” said Mr Waugh .
Mr McCambridge said the pandemic might not make this inevitable .
“ Whether the price of a loaf of bread will rise is another issue because of the competitive issues in the marketplace between retailer and bakery , ” he said .
“ Given the economic situation with pandemic unemployment , all the retailers are quite correctly focusing on value .
”

Michael McCambridge, managing director of McCambridge’s, says they are pointing more towards the EU for anything they can get in the future rather than defaulting to the UK. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Irish bakeries have stockpiled flour, sourced alternative supplies from Europe and sought ways to minimise tariffs on British flour in preparation for a potential collapse in EU-UK trade talks.
About half the flour used by Irish bakers comes from England with the other half sourced from three mills on the island of Ireland – Allied Mills and Andrews Flour in Belfast and Odlums in Portarlington, Co Laois. These mills have limited capacity to substitute for supply from English mills.
The large proportion of flour coming from Britain could mean heavy tariffs on imports, €172 per tonne, or an increase of 35-40 per cent on the cost of flour imports under a no-deal scenario.
Increased costs could be passed on to consumers, adding up to 15 cent to a loaf of bread. Under no-deal contingency planning, Irish bakeries have sought to open new supply lines from continental Europe, sourcing flour from Germany and France.
READ MORE
"The fear of the year ending without an agreement has risen so no-deal planning across the board is really switched on," said Alex Waugh, director of the National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers.
The large quantities of flour required by bakeries – about 4,000 tonnes of flour are imported into the Republic from the UK every week – means there is limited capacity to stockpile ahead of World Trade Organisation tariffs applying if there is no trade deal by January 1st.
“There would be efforts that the silos are fully stocked by the end of the transition period,” said Linda Stuart-Trainor, director of prepared consumer foods at industry group Food Drink Ireland.
“For product categories that use a lot of flour, that can only get them so far because of the volume of space and the way it is stored, they cannot store too much of it in advance.”
Turning to Europe
She estimates that about 30 per cent of grocery products contain flour. Irish firms have had to turn to Europe to reduce reliance on UK-imported flour.
“Every company has certainly looked at it. We would still intend to import large quantities of flour from the UK in the short term. Maybe in the longer term, things may evolve,” she said.
Buying flour from French and German mills carries additional costs.
“That is a perfectly sensible thing to do but we shouldn’t kid ourselves that that means that nothing changes. The cost of freight is quite high so it is not cost neutral,” said Mr Waugh.
Michael McCambridge, managing director of Dublin bakery McCambridge’s, buys packaging in the UK for which he has “a hedge” until June to give him time to find other sources.
“We are pointing more towards the EU for anything we can get in the future rather than defaulting to the UK,” he said.
UK mills are looking at milling EU wheat which, Mr Waugh estimates, could shave €100 off the per-tonne tariff on exported British flour.
Large amounts of baked goods made with British flour are sold back into the UK so some in the industry believe customs arrangements can be put in place.
“You could get relief on your tariffs. It is not as simple as saying that there is going to be €172 a tonne and no supply,” said an industry source.
Costs could be passed on to the price of a loaf of bread with tariffs.
“The likelihood is that there will be an inflationary impact,” said Mr Waugh.
Mr McCambridge said the pandemic might not make this inevitable.
“Whether the price of a loaf of bread will rise is another issue because of the competitive issues in the marketplace between retailer and bakery,” he said.
“Given the economic situation with pandemic unemployment, all the retailers are quite correctly focusing on value.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Cabinet plans to roll out 14m doses of Covid vaccine in five types of location

Cabinet will today sign off on a plan to deliver more than €100 million worth of vaccines across the country – including at mass vaccination centres – as the State moves to implement the most important inoculation programme since its foundation .
Under the plan the State will roll out 14 million doses of at least five different vaccines .
There will be five types of locations where the doses will be administered across the country , including mass vaccination centres potentially at Citywest in west Dublin and the National Show Centre in Cloghran , near Dublin Airport .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared by a high-level taskforce chaired by Prof Brian MacCraith , which details the types of locations which will be used at different stages of the planned roll-out .
The first locations will be hospitals , followed by long-term residential care facilities , which will be served by mobile distribution teams from a nearby hospital .
There will then be centralised mass vaccination centres , and once broader sections of society are vaccinated GPs and pharmacies will play a bigger role .
The programme will draw on the existing pool of vaccinators working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there were a number of options being progressed to scale up the workforce for the roll-out .
The HSE is also working on a new IT system which will cover registrations , bookings , second bookings and monitoring .
Sources said a “ ready-made software solution ” was being sourced , and it is hoped it will be ready by the end of the year .
Ireland is currently signed up to at least five advanced purchase agreements for different vaccines , and if these are all approved by the European Medicines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be available .
Sources have said the cost of the drugs will be about €112 million .
However , even as the Government prepares to launch its plan , Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the “ optimal period ” for vaccine roll-out would not be until the spring .
He also said that there could be further restrictions in January .
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will bring the plan to Cabinet at today ’ s meeting , where Ministers will also consider the complex storage and distribution requirements for the different Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a communications strategy designed to build trust in the inoculation programme and to reassure society about safety and efficacy .
It is expected that “ trusted experts ” will be asked to “ debunk misinformation ” and provide facts on the vaccines .
On Monday Ireland ’ s drug regulator said there would be no “ lowering of the bar ” in the approvals process .
No regulatory body , here or abroad , would make any new vaccines available “ without having full confidence that they are safe and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nolan , chief executive of the Health Products Regulatory Authority .
“ All vaccine applications will be reviewed just as carefully and as rigorously as any other medicine .
We will be led by the evidence and by the science , ” she told a National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) briefing on Monday .
Asked about a new variant of the virus identified in the UK , assistant chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said very little information was available , and it was too early to say if this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response .
The deaths of a further two patients with Covid-19 were reported by Nphet on Monday .
This brings to 2,126 the total number of deaths in the pandemic .
Another 264 confirmed cases of the disease was also reported , bringing the total number of cases to 76,449 in the Republic .

Under the plan the State will roll out 14 million doses of at least five different vaccines. File photograph: Getty Images
Cabinet will today sign off on a plan to deliver more than €100 million worth of vaccines across the country – including at mass vaccination centres – as the State moves to implement the most important inoculation programme since its foundation.
Under the plan the State will roll out 14 million doses of at least five different vaccines.
There will be five types of locations where the doses will be administered across the country, including mass vaccination centres potentially at Citywest in west Dublin and the National Show Centre in Cloghran, near Dublin Airport.
The details are contained in a new report prepared by a high-level taskforce chaired by Prof Brian MacCraith, which details the types of locations which will be used at different stages of the planned roll-out.
READ MORE
The first locations will be hospitals, followed by long-term residential care facilities, which will be served by mobile distribution teams from a nearby hospital.
There will then be centralised mass vaccination centres, and once broader sections of society are vaccinated GPs and pharmacies will play a bigger role.
The programme will draw on the existing pool of vaccinators working within the health system, and sources said there were a number of options being progressed to scale up the workforce for the roll-out.
Registrations
The HSE is also working on a new IT system which will cover registrations, bookings, second bookings and monitoring.
Sources said a “ready-made software solution” was being sourced, and it is hoped it will be ready by the end of the year.
Ireland is currently signed up to at least five advanced purchase agreements for different vaccines, and if these are all approved by the European Medicines Agency at least 14 million vaccine doses will be available.
Sources have said the cost of the drugs will be about €112 million.
However, even as the Government prepares to launch its plan, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the “optimal period” for vaccine roll-out would not be until the spring.
He also said that there could be further restrictions in January.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will bring the plan to Cabinet at today’s meeting, where Ministers will also consider the complex storage and distribution requirements for the different Covid-19 vaccines.
Key to the Government plan will be a communications strategy designed to build trust in the inoculation programme and to reassure society about safety and efficacy. It is expected that “trusted experts” will be asked to “debunk misinformation” and provide facts on the vaccines.
Drug regulator
On Monday Ireland’s drug regulator said there would be no “lowering of the bar” in the approvals process.
No regulatory body, here or abroad, would make any new vaccines available "without having full confidence that they are safe and that they work", said Dr Lorraine Nolan, chief executive of the Health Products Regulatory Authority.
“All vaccine applications will be reviewed just as carefully and as rigorously as any other medicine. We will be led by the evidence and by the science,” she told a National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) briefing on Monday.
Asked about a new variant of the virus identified in the UK, assistant chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said very little information was available, and it was too early to say if this variant had any effect on the immune response.
The deaths of a further two patients with Covid-19 were reported by Nphet on Monday. This brings to 2,126 the total number of deaths in the pandemic.
Another 264 confirmed cases of the disease was also reported, bringing the total number of cases to 76,449 in the Republic.


theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Third of Irish rivers and a quarter of lakes fail water quality standards

More than a third of Irish rivers and a quarter of lakes are failing to meet environmental quality standards due to high levels of polluting nitrates and phosphates , according to a new assessment .
The Environmental Protection Agency ’ s report for 2019 finds that more than a fifth of groundwater , which is a critical source of drinking water , has high nitrate concentrations , as does a fifth of estuarine and coastal water bodies .
Just over half of rivers and lakes have high or good biological quality .
The main threat to water quality is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of phosphates and nitrates arising from agriculture and waste-water discharges .
“ Nutrient concentrations in waters are too high and the trends are going in the wrong direction , ” the EPA ’ s Water Quality Indicators report finds .
The main threat to water quality is the presence of too much nutrients in the form of phosphates and nitrates , which come primarily from agriculture and waste water .
Nitrate concentrations are increasing in nearly half of river and groundwater sites , while phosphate levels are increasing in a quarter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , however , “ have shown more improvements than declines overall , which is welcome ” , the report adds .
“ However , further action is needed to return waters to a satisfactory condition.
” EPA director Dr Micheál Lehane said clean , healthy water was essential for our economy , our aquatic wildlife and for our health and wellbeing .
“ However , this assessment shows that our water environment remains under considerable pressure from human activities.
” Of most concern , he said , was the continued upward trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly evident in the south and southeast of the country , where the main source of such pollutants is agriculture .
The rise in nitrates coincides with the growth of the dairy sector in recent years , noted Dr Lehane .
“ We need urgent and effective action to ensure that the decline in water quality is halted and to restore those water bodies that have declined in quality , ” he added .
EPA programme manager Mary Gurrie said elevated nutrient concentrations were contributing to pollution in freshwaters and estuaries , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some areas .
Urgent action is now needed to reduce nutrient inputs from agriculture , she said .
Measures needed to be targeted at the critical source areas where nitrogen and phosphate problems occurred , she added .
There was a lot of good work happening at a local level to improve water quality and this needed to be scaled up to deliver the improvements needed .
Delivering on key objectives set out in the river basin plan “ and targeted action at local water catchment level is key to improving water quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a form of nitrogen , is essential for plant growth .
Too much of it in a water body can lead to the overgrowth of plants and algae that outcompete and displace other flora and fauna .
This excessive growth can also cause oxygen depletion and damage the ecology of our water bodies .
Estuaries and coastal waters are particularly sensitive to high nitrate concentrations .
Nitrate concentrations above the drinking water standard can pose a risk to human health , particularly for young children .
The EPA report is available at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water quality assessments are available at on catchments.ie .

‘We need urgent and effective action to ensure that the decline in water quality is halted.’ Photograph: iStock
More than a third of Irish rivers and a quarter of lakes are failing to meet environmental quality standards due to high levels of polluting nitrates and phosphates, according to a new assessment.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s report for 2019 finds that more than a fifth of groundwater, which is a critical source of drinking water, has high nitrate concentrations, as does a fifth of estuarine and coastal water bodies. Just over half of rivers and lakes have high or good biological quality.
The main threat to water quality is the presence of too many nutrients in the form of phosphates and nitrates arising from agriculture and waste-water discharges. “Nutrient concentrations in waters are too high and the trends are going in the wrong direction,” the EPA’s Water Quality Indicators report finds.
The main threat to water quality is the presence of too much nutrients in the form of phosphates and nitrates, which come primarily from agriculture and waste water.
READ MORE
Nitrate concentrations are increasing in nearly half of river and groundwater sites, while phosphate levels are increasing in a quarter of river sites.
The rivers surveyed last year, however, “have shown more improvements than declines overall, which is welcome”, the report adds. “However, further action is needed to return waters to a satisfactory condition.”
EPA director Dr Micheál Lehane said clean, healthy water was essential for our economy, our aquatic wildlife and for our health and wellbeing. “However, this assessment shows that our water environment remains under considerable pressure from human activities.”
Of most concern, he said, was the continued upward trend of nitrate concentrations. The problem is particularly evident in the south and southeast of the country, where the main source of such pollutants is agriculture. The rise in nitrates coincides with the growth of the dairy sector in recent years, noted Dr Lehane.
“We need urgent and effective action to ensure that the decline in water quality is halted and to restore those water bodies that have declined in quality,” he added.
Drinking water
EPA programme manager Mary Gurrie said elevated nutrient concentrations were contributing to pollution in freshwaters and estuaries, and causing difficulties with drinking water standards in some areas.
Urgent action is now needed to reduce nutrient inputs from agriculture, she said.
Measures needed to be targeted at the critical source areas where nitrogen and phosphate problems occurred, she added. There was a lot of good work happening at a local level to improve water quality and this needed to be scaled up to deliver the improvements needed.
Delivering on key objectives set out in the river basin plan “and targeted action at local water catchment level is key to improving water quality”, the report underlines.
Nitrate, a form of nitrogen, is essential for plant growth. Too much of it in a water body can lead to the overgrowth of plants and algae that outcompete and displace other flora and fauna. This excessive growth can also cause oxygen depletion and damage the ecology of our water bodies. Estuaries and coastal waters are particularly sensitive to high nitrate concentrations.
Nitrate concentrations above the drinking water standard can pose a risk to human health, particularly for young children.
The EPA report is available at epa.ie, while data used in the water quality assessments are available at on catchments.ie.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Scouting Ireland chief scout calls for his suspension to be lifted ‘immediately’

A number of senior Scouting Ireland figures have called for the suspension of chief scout Christy McCann to be lifted “ immediately ” , in a renewed bout of internal conflict within the youth organisation .
Mr McCann and three other voluntary officers were found to have acted inappropriately in the handling of a rape allegation concerning two adult volunteers .
The four temporarily stepped aside in April 2018 , following coverage of controversy by The Irish Times .
A subsequent investigation made a number of findings in early 2019 against the four officers over the handling of the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the findings decided to suspend Mr McCann , and two other officers , David Shalloo and Thérèse Bermingham , from their roles .
The fourth , board member Ollie Kehoe , had already stepped down when the organisation ’ s entire board resigned the previous year .
A December 11th letter signed by three former chief scouts , and Mr McCann himself , called for the suspensions to be lifted “ immediately ” .
The other signatories were Martin Burbridge , Ken Ramsey and Donald Harvey , who are also honorary vice-presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the suspensions were to last until the organisation ’ s national council next year , the amount of time the officers had already spent “ inactive ” should be deemed “ sufficient punishment ” .
It said there was no doubt lifting the suspensions “ will present difficulty for the board of directors , ” given past dealings with the Department of Children and former minister for children Katherine Zappone .
Previously Ms Zappone twice suspended the youth organisation ’ s State funding in 2018 , due to governance concerns over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been re-elected as chief scout in early 2018 for a three-year term which will come to an end in April 2021 .
The letter said the elections due to be held next April “ should be deferred until September or October , ” due to the “ issues that need to be addressed in the coming months ” .
Speaking to The Irish Times , Mr McCann said under the organisation ’ s constitution a chief scout was limited to two terms .
However , he did not rule out seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped aside from the role shortly after he was re-elected .
“ Technically I haven ’ t served a second term … I haven ’ t really had a second term , ” he said .
The letter said the senior members were “ very concerned for the future of our movement ” , and their intervention had “ no intention whatsoever ” of trying to undermine the current board .
They called for the board to “ seek additional Government financial support ” to help the organisation fully return to running activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Following coverage of the initial Scouting Ireland controversy by The Irish Times , increasing numbers of survivors of child sexual abuse in predecessor scouting bodies began to contact the organisation .
A report by child protection expert Ian Elliott , published in May 2020 , concluded past abuse had been “ tolerated ” at the highest levels , and covered up to protect the reputation of the movement .
Scouting Ireland has identified more than 350 alleged victims of historic child sex abuse , and 275 alleged perpetrators .

Chief scout Christy McCann did not rule out seeking to contest a further election, given he stepped aside from the role shortly after he was re-elected in 2018. Photograph: Scouting Ireland Facebook page
A number of senior Scouting Ireland figures have called for the suspension of chief scout Christy McCann to be lifted "immediately", in a renewed bout of internal conflict within the youth organisation.
Mr McCann and three other voluntary officers were found to have acted inappropriately in the handling of a rape allegation concerning two adult volunteers.
The four temporarily stepped aside in April 2018, following coverage of controversy by The Irish Times. A subsequent investigation made a number of findings in early 2019 against the four officers over the handling of the complaint.
A subcommittee set up to deal with the findings decided to suspend Mr McCann, and two other officers, David Shalloo and Thérèse Bermingham, from their roles. The fourth, board member Ollie Kehoe, had already stepped down when the organisation's entire board resigned the previous year.
READ MORE
A December 11th letter signed by three former chief scouts, and Mr McCann himself, called for the suspensions to be lifted "immediately". The other signatories were Martin Burbridge, Ken Ramsey and Donald Harvey, who are also honorary vice-presidents of the organisation.
The letter said while the suspensions were to last until the organisation’s national council next year, the amount of time the officers had already spent “inactive” should be deemed “sufficient punishment”.
It said there was no doubt lifting the suspensions "will present difficulty for the board of directors," given past dealings with the Department of Children and former minister for children Katherine Zappone.
Previously Ms Zappone twice suspended the youth organisation’s State funding in 2018, due to governance concerns over the handling of the controversy.
Mr McCann had been re-elected as chief scout in early 2018 for a three-year term which will come to an end in April 2021.
Second term
The letter said the elections due to be held next April “should be deferred until September or October,” due to the “issues that need to be addressed in the coming months”.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr McCann said under the organisation’s constitution a chief scout was limited to two terms. However, he did not rule out seeking to contest a further election, given he stepped aside from the role shortly after he was re-elected. “Technically I haven’t served a second term … I haven’t really had a second term,” he said.
The letter said the senior members were “very concerned for the future of our movement”, and their intervention had “no intention whatsoever” of trying to undermine the current board.
They called for the board to “seek additional Government financial support” to help the organisation fully return to running activities for young people during the pandemic.
Following coverage of the initial Scouting Ireland controversy by The Irish Times, increasing numbers of survivors of child sexual abuse in predecessor scouting bodies began to contact the organisation.
A report by child protection expert Ian Elliott, published in May 2020, concluded past abuse had been "tolerated" at the highest levels, and covered up to protect the reputation of the movement. Scouting Ireland has identified more than 350 alleged victims of historic child sex abuse, and 275 alleged perpetrators.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--State pays almost €1m in fees to Ben Dunne’s Moriarty tribunal legal team

The State has paid out almost €1 million in legal fees to the legal team of businessman Ben Dunne , according to newly released records .
The payment of €973,792 was made in January to HBMO Solicitors in settlement of Mr Dunne ’ s legal costs for the Moriarty Tribunal .
Mr Dunne had been a key witness at the lengthy tribunal , which investigated payments to politicians including the late taoiseach Charles Haughey and Tipperary TD Michael Lowry .
The tribunal – which was established in 1997 – is still incurring costs and is now estimated to have cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent is legal fees .
Mr Dunne , the former supermarket tycoon and now owner of a popular chain of fitness centres , said he was aware of the transfer of the funds , but that he had never seen the money .
“ I know if I lodged a cheque for that much , I would remember it , ” he said .
“ They were the fees that my legal team got and the money , I never saw it .
I ’ m not trying to avoid any questions or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the money went to the lawyers .
“ We all knew when tribunals are set up , they are going to be expensive , that ’ s the way they have been.
” He said it was not for him to say whether the costs involved in the inquiry represented good value for money for the taxpayer .
“ Look – it would be wrong for me to really comment .
I was the cause of this particular tribunal and people in glasshouses can ’ t throw stones , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would be wrong of me to make a comment on something I played a role in creating .
I certainly didn ’ t see any of the money.
” The legal bill was sent to the Department of the Taoiseach in late December of last year by the National Treasury Management Agency ( NTMA ) , according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act .
It said the NTMA had just paid out €973,792 – including VAT – “ in respect of settlements ” in connection with tribunal .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transaction was of such a high value , it needed to be signed off by a senior official there .
“ Please find attached copy of invoice for settlement made by the State Claims Agency ( Legal Cost Unit ) in relation to Moriarty Tribunal and Ben Dunne , ” it said .
“ The amount due for reimbursement is €973,792.09 .
Due to the high value on this transaction the purchase order will issue to [ named official ] for approval as head of corporate affairs.
” In a statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrative responsibility for funding of the tribunal .
It said : “ Previously payments were processed by this department on instruction by the Chief State Solicitor ’ s Office .
However , this process changed in 2016 and since this date settlements are processed and paid by the Legal Costs Unit [ in the NTMA ] .
“ Reimbursement is sought by the Legal Costs Unit from this Department once settlements have been made .
For this reason , the records held by this department relate to the reimbursement paid to the Legal @ @ @ @ @

The State has paid out almost €1 million in legal fees to the legal team of businessman Ben Dunne, according to newly released records.
The payment of €973,792 was made in January to HBMO Solicitors in settlement of Mr Dunne’s legal costs for the Moriarty Tribunal.
Mr Dunne had been a key witness at the lengthy tribunal, which investigated payments to politicians including the late taoiseach Charles Haughey and Tipperary TD Michael Lowry.
The tribunal – which was established in 1997 – is still incurring costs and is now estimated to have cost €65.5 million, of which 84 per cent is legal fees.
READ MORE
Mr Dunne, the former supermarket tycoon and now owner of a popular chain of fitness centres, said he was aware of the transfer of the funds, but that he had never seen the money.
“I know if I lodged a cheque for that much, I would remember it,” he said.
“They were the fees that my legal team got and the money, I never saw it. I’m not trying to avoid any questions or be casual about a million euro but the money went to the lawyers.
Expensive
“We all knew when tribunals are set up, they are going to be expensive, that’s the way they have been.”
He said it was not for him to say whether the costs involved in the inquiry represented good value for money for the taxpayer.
“Look – it would be wrong for me to really comment. I was the cause of this particular tribunal and people in glasshouses can’t throw stones,” he said.
“How can I be critical? It would be wrong of me to make a comment on something I played a role in creating. I certainly didn’t see any of the money.”
The legal bill was sent to the Department of the Taoiseach in late December of last year by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act.
It said the NTMA had just paid out €973,792 – including VAT – “in respect of settlements” in connection with tribunal.
An internal note from the department said because the transaction was of such a high value, it needed to be signed off by a senior official there.
“Please find attached copy of invoice for settlement made by the State Claims Agency (Legal Cost Unit) in relation to Moriarty Tribunal and Ben Dunne,” it said.
Reimbursement
“The amount due for reimbursement is €973,792.09. Due to the high value on this transaction the purchase order will issue to [named official] for approval as head of corporate affairs.”
In a statement, the department said it continues to have administrative responsibility for funding of the tribunal.
It said: “Previously payments were processed by this department on instruction by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office. However, this process changed in 2016 and since this date settlements are processed and paid by the Legal Costs Unit [in the NTMA].
“Reimbursement is sought by the Legal Costs Unit from this Department once settlements have been made. For this reason, the records held by this department relate to the reimbursement paid to the Legal Costs Unit only.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh on vaccine rollout advice: ‘Leave it to the experts’

Veteran sports commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh says he is keen to take the Covid-19 vaccine whenever his turn comes and he will follow expert health advice on taking it .
The 90-year-old retired broadcaster , who has cocooned during the pandemic , says people should listen to the recommendations of doctors and public health specialists on the vaccine .
“ I would be keen to take it , whenever it is not a problem doing it , ” he said .
As part of the vaccination strategy , the Government intends to identify “ people of trust to act as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ó Muircheartaigh led a campaign this year to encourage older people cocooning to exercise more but feels advice on the vaccine is best left to the doctors .
“ I support the principle , ‘ leave it to the experts ’ , the same as unless you have faith in a manager of a team , it is not going to work , ” he said .
“ If you listen to the experts the same as all the Limerick players listened to their managers they had and the other people they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success .
I think it will get a good response , ” he said , referring to last weekend ’ s victorious All-Ireland hurling champions .
He believes people will accept the priority order that the vaccine is being given and will “ get good advice from their own doctors ” rather than “ anti-vaxxers ” who spread misinformation .
“ The vast majority of people believe in what the experts say and I go by that , ” he said .
The Kerry man , who has limited his movements during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he preferred the Irish phrase “ ag clutharú ” – “ being comfortable or sheltered ” – to “ cocooning ” .
He applauded the GAA ’ s decision not to permit the Liam MacCarthy cup return to Limerick , after the county won the All-Ireland hurling championship at an empty Croke Park on Sunday , until a safe homecoming can take place , in light of the risks from coronavirus .
He could visualise a “ massive presentation ” before a game in May that “ will be remembered forever ” given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Mr Ó Muircheartaigh , who has attended 77 All-Ireland finals and replays since his first in 1948 , says he will miss this weekend ’ s football championship decider between “ raging favourites ” Dublin and Mayo , which he says , has “ an influx of young players who could make a difference ” .
“ I won ’ t mind that .
I would love to be there and to be there early in the morning , like I always was , but it is not to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am going by the doctors and the people in charge .
The onus is on them to come up with the best ideas and it is good to see the faith that most people have in them .
”

Veteran sports commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh says he is keen to take the Covid-19 vaccine whenever his turn comes and he will follow expert health advice on taking it.
The 90-year-old retired broadcaster, who has cocooned during the pandemic, says people should listen to the recommendations of doctors and public health specialists on the vaccine.
“I would be keen to take it, whenever it is not a problem doing it,” he said.
As part of the vaccination strategy, the Government intends to identify “people of trust to act as ambassadors for the vaccine”. Mr Ó Muircheartaigh led a campaign this year to encourage older people cocooning to exercise more but feels advice on the vaccine is best left to the doctors.
READ MORE
“I support the principle, ‘leave it to the experts’, the same as unless you have faith in a manager of a team, it is not going to work,” he said.
“If you listen to the experts the same as all the Limerick players listened to their managers they had and the other people they had in the background, that will bring success. I think it will get a good response,” he said, referring to last weekend’s victorious All-Ireland hurling champions.
Misinformation
He believes people will accept the priority order that the vaccine is being given and will “get good advice from their own doctors” rather than “anti-vaxxers” who spread misinformation.
“The vast majority of people believe in what the experts say and I go by that,” he said.
The Kerry man, who has limited his movements during the pandemic because of his age, said he preferred the Irish phrase “ag clutharú” – “being comfortable or sheltered” – to “cocooning”.
He applauded the GAA’s decision not to permit the Liam MacCarthy cup return to Limerick, after the county won the All-Ireland hurling championship at an empty Croke Park on Sunday, until a safe homecoming can take place, in light of the risks from coronavirus.
He could visualise a “massive presentation” before a game in May that “will be remembered forever” given the unusual year 2020 has been, he said.
‘Raging favourites’
Mr Ó Muircheartaigh, who has attended 77 All-Ireland finals and replays since his first in 1948, says he will miss this weekend’s football championship decider between “raging favourites” Dublin and Mayo, which he says, has “an influx of young players who could make a difference”.
“I won’t mind that. I would love to be there and to be there early in the morning, like I always was, but it is not to be,” he said.
“I am going by the doctors and the people in charge. The onus is on them to come up with the best ideas and it is good to see the faith that most people have in them.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Covid-19: Irish vaccination plan contains many blanks and uncertainties

The publication of the State ’ s plans for introducing Covid-19 vaccines marks a major step towards the resolution of the crisis caused by the pandemic .
There is still a long way to go , but at least now there is a roadmap for administering the vaccines to the bulk of the Irish population over 2021 .
An hour before the Government-appointed taskforce published its plans , the European Medicines Agency announced it was bringing forward final consideration of the first vaccine under development , from Pfizer/BioNTech , by a week to next Monday .
Within days , therefore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 vaccine will be authorised for use in the EU , just as it already is in the UK and the US .
The need to get organised quickly could not be more pressing .
The document has plenty of “ known and unknown unknowns ” .
Many of these are not particular to Ireland and have been well canvassed – relating , for example , to the effectiveness of particular vaccines or the risk of rare side effects .
But others are within our gift to monitor and control , and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do not yet know what our initial allocations of doses will be , even though the first of these may be administered before the end of the month .
Ireland is slated to receive 1.11 per cent of the total quantity of each vaccine for which a purchase agreement has been signed by the EU on behalf of member states .
However , most of these 14.4 million doses will not arrive until later in 2021 .
Earlier this month the UK said it planned to administer 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BionNTech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 25 million people , or 40 per cent of the population , in the first phase of its vaccination programme .
There is no breakdown of this kind , for any of the vaccines , in the Irish document , which talks of three phases – initial roll-out , mass ramp-up and open access – without specifying any dose quantities or dates .
Perhaps it will suffice for now for the blanks to be filled in as time passes , but it would be good to know how much of the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days ’ time .
Officials told the briefing they had “ yet to hear ” from Pfizer on this issue and that delivery schedule has yet to be “ closed out ” .
Another area of concern relates to the IT needed to back up this mammoth project .
Ireland is an outlier in Europe in not having a unique health identifier for everyone , despite plans going back five years .
The HSE ’ s IT systems , despite some improvements in recent years , are dated and fragmented .
So a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be integrated into existing systems .
IBM and Salesforce have been engaged to do this , but contract negotiations have not been finalised .
The HSE says it has a back-up if the new system is not ready by year ’ s end as planned .
The experience this year with other vaccination programmes – too little supplies of the flu vaccine to meet demand and too much of the children ’ s flu vaccine because parents remained unaware of it – is also a source of concern .
On the other hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inoculated without any mishaps .
There are still many uncertainties around the delivery of vaccines next year .
We are lucky to have so many jabs so far advanced in development so quickly , but each have different characteristic and handling requirements .
Pfizer/BionNTech is attractive because it came first , AstraZeneca/Oxford has the least demanding storage requirements , and Johnson & Johnson requires only one dose .
And that ’ s before we consider their relative merits in terms of safety , effectiveness , target groups and duration of protection .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year to bring some clarity to this situation .
What is clear right now is that there will be no-let up in the requirement for social distancing , masks and other measures to protect against the virus , not for many months .
Depending on the level of transmission of infections , that may also mean further restrictions , even lockdowns , to keep Covid-19 under control .

The publication of the State’s plans for introducing Covid-19 vaccines marks a major step towards the resolution of the crisis caused by the pandemic.
There is still a long way to go, but at least now there is a roadmap for administering the vaccines to the bulk of the Irish population over 2021.
An hour before the Government-appointed taskforce published its plans, the European Medicines Agency announced it was bringing forward final consideration of the first vaccine under development, from Pfizer/BioNTech, by a week to next Monday.
Within days, therefore, it is highly likely that a Covid-19 vaccine will be authorised for use in the EU, just as it already is in the UK and the US. The need to get organised quickly could not be more pressing.
READ MORE
The document has plenty of “known and unknown unknowns”. Many of these are not particular to Ireland and have been well canvassed – relating, for example, to the effectiveness of particular vaccines or the risk of rare side effects.
But others are within our gift to monitor and control, and this is somewhat concerning. For example, we do not yet know what our initial allocations of doses will be, even though the first of these may be administered before the end of the month.
Ireland is slated to receive 1.11 per cent of the total quantity of each vaccine for which a purchase agreement has been signed by the EU on behalf of member states. However, most of these 14.4 million doses will not arrive until later in 2021.
Earlier this month the UK said it planned to administer 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BionNTech vaccine initially, but was targeting more than 25 million people, or 40 per cent of the population, in the first phase of its vaccination programme.
There is no breakdown of this kind, for any of the vaccines, in the Irish document, which talks of three phases – initial roll-out, mass ramp-up and open access – without specifying any dose quantities or dates.
Delivery schedule
Perhaps it will suffice for now for the blanks to be filled in as time passes, but it would be good to know how much of the first vaccine we can expect in probably 10 days’ time. Officials told the briefing they had “yet to hear” from Pfizer on this issue and that delivery schedule has yet to be “closed out”.
Another area of concern relates to the IT needed to back up this mammoth project. Ireland is an outlier in Europe in not having a unique health identifier for everyone, despite plans going back five years. The HSE’s IT systems, despite some improvements in recent years, are dated and fragmented.
So a new system is needed, which must be integrated into existing systems. IBM and Salesforce have been engaged to do this, but contract negotiations have not been finalised.
The HSE says it has a back-up if the new system is not ready by year’s end as planned.
The experience this year with other vaccination programmes – too little supplies of the flu vaccine to meet demand and too much of the children’s flu vaccine because parents remained unaware of it – is also a source of concern. On the other hand, those programmes saw 1.2 million people inoculated without any mishaps.
There are still many uncertainties around the delivery of vaccines next year. We are lucky to have so many jabs so far advanced in development so quickly, but each have different characteristic and handling requirements.
Pfizer/BionNTech is attractive because it came first, AstraZeneca/Oxford has the least demanding storage requirements, and Johnson & Johnson requires only one dose. And that’s before we consider their relative merits in terms of safety, effectiveness, target groups and duration of protection.
It will take the early months of next year to bring some clarity to this situation. What is clear right now is that there will be no-let up in the requirement for social distancing, masks and other measures to protect against the virus, not for many months.
Depending on the level of transmission of infections, that may also mean further restrictions, even lockdowns, to keep Covid-19 under control.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Covid-19 vaccine: 5,000 people in the State could be inoculated by end of year

Up to 5,000 Irish people could be vaccinated against Covid-19 before the new year , depending on authorisation from medicines regulators .
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly yesterday predicted a “ low volume ” of vaccinations could take place this month after the European Medicines Agency brought forward its final assessment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by more than a week .
If the agency authorises the vaccine at an exceptional meeting , now scheduled for next Monday , final approval from the European Commission , which is binding on Ireland and other member states , is expected to follow within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several thousand doses of the vaccine initially as part of its 1.11 per cent share of supplies negotiated by the EU on behalf of member states .
But because the vaccine is shipped in consignments of 975 vials , each containing five doses , our initial supply will be almost 5,000 doses .
Whatever vaccines are approved will be rolled out in three phases , under the plans published by a Government-appointed taskforce yesterday .
An initial rollout will be followed by a mass ramp-up and finally open access .
No dates were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to uncertainties around the authorisation process and the supply and logistical challenges for each vaccine that is ultimately authorised .
Not every drug company would be able to follow through with the delivery of vaccines after regulatory approval as quickly as Pfizer , according to a source involved in planning the rollout , who predicted a longer “ lag ” between approval and vaccines being widely available , with some not coming on stream until the second half of 2021 .
Under the plans , the highest priority groups – those over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare workers in direct contact with patients – will receive the vaccine first .
Vaccines will be administered in long-term care facilities and hospitals and other healthcare sites in the first phase , and then in mass vaccination clinics , GP surgeries and community pharmacies in the two later phases .
The plan foresees a number of risks , including delays in the approval process , IT challenges and a shortage of staff to carry out vaccinations .
A “ third peak ” of the virus could also affect the number of staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to access the vaccine , the plan warns .
Low adoption rates in some groups and ineffective communications are also seen as risks , along with the emergence of “ a very unforeseen event ” .
Up to 14 million doses of six different vaccines will ultimately be available , if they are authorised , to Irish people free of charge .
IBM and Salesforce have been engaged to provide an IT system that will underpin the vaccination programme .
Pfizer said it aimed to start a first shipment as soon as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorisation being received from the EMA .
Irish supplies will be shipped from Belgium via Germany to the HSE ’ s supply centre in Citywest .
The challenge of rolling out a Covid-19 vaccination programme is “ unparalleled ” due to the “ scale , complexity and desire for speed ” involved , according to the chairman of the vaccination taskforce , Prof Brian MacCraith .
The team set up to plan the rollout will be kept on and will play an “ ongoing role ” in overseeing and monitoring the implementation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oireachtas committee today .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said yesterday the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines would in part be determined by drug companies ’ capacity to produce doses , as well as authorisation timelines .

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said a “low volume” of vaccinations could take place later this month. Video: PA/Pool
Thousands Irish people could get the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before the new year, depending on authorisation from medicines regulators.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly yesterday predicted a “low volume” of vaccinations could take place this month after the European Medicines Agency brought forward its final assessment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by more than a week.
If the agency authorises the vaccine at an exceptional meeting, now scheduled for next Monday, final approval from the European Commission, which is binding on Ireland and other member states, is expected to follow within days.
Hospital Report
Ireland is due to receive several thousand doses of the vaccine initially as part of its 1.11 per cent share of supplies negotiated by the EU on behalf of member states. But because the vaccine is shipped in consignments of 975 vials, each containing five doses, our initial supply will be almost 5,000 doses.
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Authorities say they will need to hold back half of those in order to administer the second dose three weeks later. This means 2,500 people could be in the first cohort of those getting the jab before the new year.
Whatever vaccines are approved will be rolled out in three phases, under the plans published by a Government-appointed taskforce yesterday.
An initial rollout will be followed by a mass ramp-up and finally open access. No dates were given for each of the phases, due to uncertainties around the authorisation process and the supply and logistical challenges for each vaccine that is ultimately authorised.
Longer lag
Not every drug company would be able to follow through with the delivery of vaccines after regulatory approval as quickly as Pfizer, according to a source involved in planning the rollout, who predicted a longer “lag” between approval and vaccines being widely available, with some not coming on stream until the second half of 2021.
Under the plans, the highest priority groups – those over 65 in long-term care facilities, and healthcare workers in direct contact with patients – will receive the vaccine first.
Vaccines will be administered in long-term care facilities and hospitals and other healthcare sites in the first phase, and then in mass vaccination clinics, GP surgeries and community pharmacies in the two later phases.
The plan foresees a number of risks, including delays in the approval process, IT challenges and a shortage of staff to carry out vaccinations.
A “third peak” of the virus could also affect the number of staff available and the ability of particular groups to access the vaccine, the plan warns.
Low adoption rates in some groups and ineffective communications are also seen as risks, along with the emergence of “a very unforeseen event”.
Free of charge
Up to 14 million doses of six different vaccines will ultimately be available, if they are authorised, to Irish people free of charge.
IBM and Salesforce have been engaged to provide an IT system that will underpin the vaccination programme.
Pfizer said it aimed to start a first shipment as soon as possible, “possibly within hours” of authorisation being received from the EMA. Irish supplies will be shipped from Belgium via Germany to the HSE’s supply centre in Citywest.
The challenge of rolling out a Covid-19 vaccination programme is “unparalleled” due to the “scale, complexity and desire for speed” involved, according to the chairman of the vaccination taskforce, Prof Brian MacCraith.
The team set up to plan the rollout will be kept on and will play an “ongoing role” in overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the programme, he will tell an Oireachtas committee today.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said yesterday the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines would in part be determined by drug companies’ capacity to produce doses, as well as authorisation timelines.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Number of victims of ‘online pimping’ grows since first lockdown

The number of female victims of “ online pimping ” has returned to normal levels following a drop of 50 per cent during the first lockdown , a study has found .
The Sexual Exploitation Research Programme ( SERP ) at University College Dublin ( UCD ) has been monitoring the levels of women being advertised for sex online , which is now back to about 650 profiles per week .
It notes that women from Latin America , apparently trapped in Ireland because of Covid-19 restrictions , accounted for the majority of those profiled on escort sites .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are based overseas in order to avoid Irish law .
The findings are included in the report Exploitation as Usual , published on Wednesday .
“ We see increased risk and actual reports of violence by partner , by pimps and by buyers .
Pressure is now on for money and it pushes women into making poor decisions , so safety is a real issue and always a risk , ” said Linda Latham , manager of the HSE ’ s Women ’ s Health Service which maintains daily contact with affected women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues of crisis pregnancy , issues relating to termination of pregnancy services , contraception , Mirena coil issues , sexual health symptoms and treatment of all those infections , secondly the psychological impacts…women are feeling very isolated and want to talk.
” The report documents that many women appeared to be trapped in brothels when Covid-19 restrictions commenced .
As vulnerable migrants with no PPS numbers , it says , they have been unable to seek help .
Examining more than 1,300 online reviews over two weeks , the SERP found that buyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health advice during the pandemic .
The research programme has called on Government to support various measures to give vulnerable women a means to escape .
Among a number of recommendations are that exiting prostitution be recognised and resourced by the State as a statutory right and that the HSE resource the Women ’ s Health Service to re-open safely as a matter of urgency .
It has also said action is required to effectively tackle Ireland ’ s online prostitution advertisers who are circumventing national legislation .
Its author Ruth Breslin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade , sex buyers , brothel owners and the websites based outside Ireland are back in business .
“ The ‘ escort ’ websites gave a façade of protecting health , yet were offering incentives to encourage the trade to resume , ” she said .
“ At the same time vulnerable migrant women had little prospect of exiting the trade - even at the height of lockdown they accounted for over 90 per cent of profiles .
”

‘We see increased risk and actual reports of violence by partner, by pimps and by buyers. Pressure is now on for money and it pushes women into making poor decisions, so safety is a real issue and always a risk,’ said Linda Latham, manager of the HSE’s Women’s Health Service.
The number of female victims of “online pimping” has returned to normal levels following a drop of 50 per cent during the first lockdown, a study has found.
The Sexual Exploitation Research Programme (SERP) at University College Dublin (UCD) has been monitoring the levels of women being advertised for sex online, which is now back to about 650 profiles per week.
It notes that women from Latin America, apparently trapped in Ireland because of Covid-19 restrictions, accounted for the majority of those profiled on escort sites. The companies involved, and their servers, are based overseas in order to avoid Irish law.
The findings are included in the report Exploitation as Usual, published on Wednesday.
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“We see increased risk and actual reports of violence by partner, by pimps and by buyers. Pressure is now on for money and it pushes women into making poor decisions, so safety is a real issue and always a risk,” said Linda Latham, manager of the HSE’s Women’s Health Service which maintains daily contact with affected women.
“We’ve had many issues of crisis pregnancy, issues relating to termination of pregnancy services, contraception, Mirena coil issues, sexual health symptoms and treatment of all those infections, secondly the psychological impacts…women are feeling very isolated and want to talk.”
The report documents that many women appeared to be trapped in brothels when Covid-19 restrictions commenced. As vulnerable migrants with no PPS numbers, it says, they have been unable to seek help.
Examining more than 1,300 online reviews over two weeks, the SERP found that buyers of sex showed a disregard for all health advice during the pandemic.
The research programme has called on Government to support various measures to give vulnerable women a means to escape.
Among a number of recommendations are that exiting prostitution be recognised and resourced by the State as a statutory right and that the HSE resource the Women’s Health Service to re-open safely as a matter of urgency.
It has also said action is required to effectively tackle Ireland’s online prostitution advertisers who are circumventing national legislation.
Its author Ruth Breslin said that following a sharp initial drop in trade, sex buyers, brothel owners and the websites based outside Ireland are back in business.
“The ‘escort’ websites gave a façade of protecting health, yet were offering incentives to encourage the trade to resume,” she said.
“At the same time vulnerable migrant women had little prospect of exiting the trade - even at the height of lockdown they accounted for over 90 per cent of profiles.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Most stroke patients go to hospital too late for emergency interventions

Less than half of all patients suffering from stroke present to hospital quickly enough to receive emergency treatments , a new report reveals .
Large variations between different hospitals in the time taken to treat patients are also evident in the 2019 national audit of stroke services .
Stroke patients are supposed to be scanned within an hour of arriving in hospital , but in 14 out of 20 hospitals this target was not reached .
In Wexford General Hospital , the average “ door to imaging ” time was almost 14 hours , compared with one hour and 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of patients arrived in hospital within three hours of the onset of their stroke symptoms , down from 53 per cent in 2017 , according to the report .
This means they are less likely to receive potentially life-saving “ clot-busting ” treatments .
The audit shows most patients are left with a disability after a stroke – 72 per cent in the case of ischaemic stroke and 62 per cent for haemorrhagic stroke .
Only one in 20 patients is well enough to be referred for early supported discharge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent of all strokes , happens when the brain ’ s blood vessels become blocked .
Haemorrhagic stroke results from ruptured or leaking blood vessels .
The death rate for ischaemic stroke is 9 per cent – half what it was in 2008 – while for haemorrhagic stroke it is 31 per cent .
Thrombolysis , the use of drugs to break down blood clots formed in blood vessels , must be given with 4½ hours of the onset of stroke .
Last year just 10.6 per cent of patients with ischaemic stroke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
Another procedure , thrombectomy , involving the removal of large clots from the arteries of the brain , was performed on 9 per cent of stroke patients .
The rate in Europe is 2 per cent .
The average time to get a stroke patient from arrival at hospital to contact with the medical team was 17 minutes , the audit found .
Some 71 per cent of patients were admitted to a dedicated stroke unit , well below the target of 90 per cent .
The main reasons for not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were lack of capacity , with no stroke unit bed available in 38 per cent of cases ; and lack of a stroke unit , as 20 per cent of hospitals do not have one .
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Ireland and western Europe , and the leading cause of severe physical disability occurring in adulthood .
The average age of patients with a stroke was 72 , though 24 per cent were under 65 .
Prof Joe Harbison , clinical lead on the Irish National Audit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services review quality and allow for improvements .
“ This audit points to the need for investment in more designated stroke unit beds to meet our key performance indicators .
It also highlights the need for patients to go to hospital as soon as possible when experiencing stroke symptoms .
”

Less than half of all patients suffering from stroke present to hospital quickly enough to receive emergency treatments, a new report reveals.
Large variations between different hospitals in the time taken to treat patients are also evident in the 2019 national audit of stroke services.
Stroke patients are supposed to be scanned within an hour of arriving in hospital, but in 14 out of 20 hospitals this target was not reached. In Wexford General Hospital, the average “door to imaging” time was almost 14 hours, compared with one hour and 20 minutes across all hospitals.
Just 49 per cent of patients arrived in hospital within three hours of the onset of their stroke symptoms, down from 53 per cent in 2017, according to the report. This means they are less likely to receive potentially life-saving “clot-busting” treatments.
READ MORE
The audit shows most patients are left with a disability after a stroke – 72 per cent in the case of ischaemic stroke and 62 per cent for haemorrhagic stroke. Only one in 20 patients is well enough to be referred for early supported discharge.
Ischaemic stroke, accounting for 85 per cent of all strokes, happens when the brain’s blood vessels become blocked. Haemorrhagic stroke results from ruptured or leaking blood vessels.
The death rate for ischaemic stroke is 9 per cent – half what it was in 2008 – while for haemorrhagic stroke it is 31 per cent.
Thrombolysis, the use of drugs to break down blood clots formed in blood vessels, must be given with 4½ hours of the onset of stroke. Last year just 10.6 per cent of patients with ischaemic stroke received this treatment, down slightly on 2018.
Another procedure, thrombectomy, involving the removal of large clots from the arteries of the brain, was performed on 9 per cent of stroke patients. The rate in Europe is 2 per cent.
Stroke units
The average time to get a stroke patient from arrival at hospital to contact with the medical team was 17 minutes, the audit found.
Some 71 per cent of patients were admitted to a dedicated stroke unit, well below the target of 90 per cent. The main reasons for not admitting a patient to a stroke unit were lack of capacity, with no stroke unit bed available in 38 per cent of cases; and lack of a stroke unit, as 20 per cent of hospitals do not have one.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Ireland and western Europe, and the leading cause of severe physical disability occurring in adulthood.
The average age of patients with a stroke was 72, though 24 per cent were under 65.
Prof Joe Harbison, clinical lead on the Irish National Audit of Stroke, said the report would help services review quality and allow for improvements. “This audit points to the need for investment in more designated stroke unit beds to meet our key performance indicators. It also highlights the need for patients to go to hospital as soon as possible when experiencing stroke symptoms.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-15--Temporary no-deal Brexit raises prospect of further volatility, farmers say

The prospect of a temporary no-deal Brexit in which a potential agreement can not be ratified before January 1st raises the prospect of further volatility , according to farmers ’ organisations .
Farmers have also rejected the prospect of flying cattle and sheep to markets in Europe , citing the expense and that such a move would “ leave farmers with nothing , or a bill ” .
Eddie Punch , general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers ’ Association ( ICSA ) , told the Oireachtas committee on agriculture that even if a Brexit deal was brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be too late at this stage to have it in place for January , leading to a temporary period of World Trade Organisation rules .
He said the position could lead to further “ unknown unknowns ” .
The issue he said was complex , with several negatives at play including the uncertainty causing weakness in sterling .
The further potential weakening of Sterling in the days ahead was another unknown .
He said even as meat buyers in Britain and Northern Ireland stockpiled , amid fears of a no-deal Brexit , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the uncertainty .
Nobody knows where that stockpiling would leave farmers in January , he said .
Mr Punch said another unknown is the impact of a no-deal on consumers in the UK .
He said apart from any tariff , there is the potential that they would buy less beef , so reducing the market .
“ It is hard to forecast , it is not just tariffs , ” he said .
Mr Punch said sourcing other markets was possible and should be investigated .
But he added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tonnes of beef , whereas the British market in 2019 was for 260,000 tonnes of beef .
Mr Punch said farmers are disappointed with the lack of progress by the meat industry in creating premium products from suckler beef .
He also said the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU , as well as the Mercosur deal between the EU and Argentina , Brazil , Paraguay and Uruguay , would be bad for farmers here .
He said the beef industry appears to have been sacrificed for other advantages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enright , general secretary of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association , said Irish farmers must receive compensation under a €5 billion EU Brexit emergency fund .
He said there is “ support for others further up the supply chain ” , but in the case of losses “ we take the hit ” .
Joe Connolly , chief executive of animal feeds supplier Red Mills , said World Trade Organisation rules would lead to the imposition of 10 per cent duty on horse feeds and potentially 32 per cent on pet foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a month ’ s supply in warehousing in the UK where it also had staff , but the business has serious concerns about the future of the UK market .
Tara McCarthy , chief executive of Bord Bia , said the organisation is working hard to develop business for Irish products in new markets .
Since 2009 it has also had the responsibility for seafood promotion in domestic and international markets .
Ms McCarthy told Roscommon TD Michael Fitzmaurice that meat industry businesses in Ireland are free to attend trade shows worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe .
Committee chairman Jackie Cahill said the hearings are taking place at a strategically crucial time .
As we heard last week , “ significant challenges and opportunities exist for our food producers and with much uncertainty regarding the type of Brexit to come after December 31st ” .
On Thursday the committee will address Brexit and its impact on fisheries .

The committee heard that efforts should be ramped up to source other markets for Irish beef. File photograph: Getty
The prospect of a temporary no-deal Brexit in which a potential agreement cannot be ratified before January 1st raises the prospect of further volatility, according to farmers' organisations.
Farmers have also rejected the prospect of flying cattle and sheep to markets in Europe, citing the expense and that such a move would “leave farmers with nothing, or a bill”.
Eddie Punch, general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), told the Oireachtas committee on agriculture that even if a Brexit deal was brought “across the line” it might be too late at this stage to have it in place for January, leading to a temporary period of World Trade Organisation rules.
He said the position could lead to further “unknown unknowns” .
READ MORE
The issue he said was complex, with several negatives at play including the uncertainty causing weakness in sterling.
The further potential weakening of Sterling in the days ahead was another unknown. He said even as meat buyers in Britain and Northern Ireland stockpiled, amid fears of a no-deal Brexit, the exchange rate for sterling earnings was down because of the uncertainty.
Nobody knows where that stockpiling would leave farmers in January, he said.
Mr Punch said another unknown is the impact of a no-deal on consumers in the UK. He said apart from any tariff, there is the potential that they would buy less beef, so reducing the market. “It is hard to forecast, it is not just tariffs,” he said.
Mr Punch said sourcing other markets was possible and should be investigated. But he added that new markets tended to take tens of tonnes of beef, whereas the British market in 2019 was for 260,000 tonnes of beef.
Mr Punch said farmers are disappointed with the lack of progress by the meat industry in creating premium products from suckler beef. He also said the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU, as well as the Mercosur deal between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, would be bad for farmers here.
Brexit emergency fund
He said the beef industry appears to have been sacrificed for other advantages in the overall trade deal.
John Enright, general secretary of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, said Irish farmers must receive compensation under a €5 billion EU Brexit emergency fund. He said there is “support for others further up the supply chain”, but in the case of losses “we take the hit”.
Joe Connolly, chief executive of animal feeds supplier Red Mills, said World Trade Organisation rules would lead to the imposition of 10 per cent duty on horse feeds and potentially 32 per cent on pet foods. He said the business had built up a month’s supply in warehousing in the UK where it also had staff, but the business has serious concerns about the future of the UK market.
Tara McCarthy, chief executive of Bord Bia, said the organisation is working hard to develop business for Irish products in new markets. Since 2009 it has also had the responsibility for seafood promotion in domestic and international markets.
Ms McCarthy told Roscommon TD Michael Fitzmaurice that meat industry businesses in Ireland are free to attend trade shows worldwide and promote meat from anywhere on the globe.
Committee chairman Jackie Cahill said the hearings are taking place at a strategically crucial time. As we heard last week, “significant challenges and opportunities exist for our food producers and with much uncertainty regarding the type of Brexit to come after December 31st”.
On Thursday the committee will address Brexit and its impact on fisheries.