theirishtimes--2020-12-02--Child sues over catastrophic brain injury suffered in road collision

A damages action has been brought in the High Court on behalf of a child who was a baby when she suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a result of a head-on road collision .
Luna Vezignol McGuinness was aged just 3½ months when the accident happened at Lissycasey , Co Clare , on February 27th , 2016 .
She was on holiday with her mother and father at the time .
Suing through her mother , Orla Vezignol McGuinness , she has brought an action against the driver of the car , her father Laurent Vezignol , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rent a Car , Ballygar , Athlone Road , Roscommon town .
The family now live in Donadea , Co Kildare .
Oonah McCrann SC , instructed by Ernest Cantillon solicitor , told the court the family was living in South America at the time of the accident but were in Ireland “ to show off the baby to the grandparents.
” They had stopped at a garage in Lissycasey to buy chocolates for a friend they were going to visit next .
While her mother was in the shop , Mr Vezignol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to comfort her .
When Luna ’ s mother returned , she took the baby and was strapping her into her seat when Mr Vezignol , a French national , pulled the car out onto the incorrect side of the road .
Counsel said Luna was unrestrained at the time of the collision .
“ In that instance the family ’ s lives imploded , ” she told Ms Justice Bronagh O ’ Hanlon .
The baby suffered multiple skull fractures and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Limerick and later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She was not discharged from hospital until the end of April 2016 and then spent four months in the National Rehabilitation Hospital .
Counsel said Luna is a remarkable little girl who is going to need significant care .
She is very much loved and brings joy to all her family .
It is claimed , without warning , Mr Vezignol drove the hire car on the incorrect side of the carriageway and the collision occurred with an oncoming vehicle .
It is further claimed there was failure to ensure the intended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vehicles and to keep any or any proper lookout .
Liability is admitted and the case is before the court for assessment of damages only .
It was decided at mediation an interim payment for the next five years will be sought from the court .

Orla Vezignol McGuinness and her husband Laurent Vezignol, of Donadea, Co. Kildare, leaving the High Court on Wednesday after the hearing. The case continues. Photograph: Collins Courts
A damages action has been brought in the High Court on behalf of a child who was a baby when she suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a result of a head-on road collision.
Luna Vezignol McGuinness was aged just 3½ months when the accident happened at Lissycasey, Co Clare, on February 27th, 2016.
She was on holiday with her mother and father at the time.
Suing through her mother, Orla Vezignol McGuinness, she has brought an action against the driver of the car, her father Laurent Vezignol, and the owner of the car, Flynn Bros Rent a Car, Ballygar, Athlone Road, Roscommon town.
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The family now live in Donadea, Co Kildare.
Oonah McCrann SC, instructed by Ernest Cantillon solicitor, told the court the family was living in South America at the time of the accident but were in Ireland “to show off the baby to the grandparents.”
They had stopped at a garage in Lissycasey to buy chocolates for a friend they were going to visit next. While her mother was in the shop, Mr Vezignol took his daughter out of her seat to comfort her. When Luna’s mother returned, she took the baby and was strapping her into her seat when Mr Vezignol, a French national, pulled the car out onto the incorrect side of the road.
Counsel said Luna was unrestrained at the time of the collision. “In that instance the family’s lives imploded,” she told Ms Justice Bronagh O’Hanlon.
The baby suffered multiple skull fractures and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Limerick and later transferred to Dublin where she had surgery. She was not discharged from hospital until the end of April 2016 and then spent four months in the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
Counsel said Luna is a remarkable little girl who is going to need significant care. She is very much loved and brings joy to all her family.
It is claimed, without warning, Mr Vezignol drove the hire car on the incorrect side of the carriageway and the collision occurred with an oncoming vehicle. It is further claimed there was failure to ensure the intended path of travel was safe and free of vehicles and to keep any or any proper lookout.
Liability is admitted and the case is before the court for assessment of damages only. It was decided at mediation an interim payment for the next five years will be sought from the court.
The case continues on Thursday.


theirishtimes--2020-12-02--Covid-19: A further five deaths and 270 new cases confirmed by Nphet

A further five deaths and 270 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) on Wednesday evening , as the Chief Medical Officer warned there was no room for complacency in the national approach to the virus .
This brings the total number of virus-related deaths in the State to 2,074 since the pandemic began and to 73,066 the total number of confirmed cases of the virus in the Republic .
Of the new cases , 58 are in Dublin , 38 in Donegal , 28 in Wicklow , 25 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining 97 cases are spread across 21 other counties .
As of 2pm today , 231 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised , of which 31 are in ICU .
There have been 27 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours .
Dr Tony Holohan said it was important to keep up the progress achieved in recent weeks in relation to the virus .
“ Ireland now has the lowest 14-day incidence of Covid-19 in the EU , according to the latest European Centre for Disease Control figures , and we need to hold firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holohan .
“ As the country moves into Level 3 , there is no room for complacency in our response to Covid-19 .
“ When you are out in shops and accessing services , try to avoid high-risk situations and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible on busy streets and crowded outdoor areas.
” Dr Holohan reiterated the importance of hand-washing after going shopping or being outdoors .
“ For those of us who can not work from home , the wearing of a face covering is now advised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in communal work areas .
If you are planning to travel around your county , consider first whether it is absolutely necessary to travel .
“ Your individual actions are vital to our national effort to suppress the transmission of this disease , ” Dr Holohan added .
The latest figures come on a day when the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use and said that it will be rolled out from early next week .
Pfizer said the UK ’ s emergency-use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against Covid-19 .
Some 12,000 people in Northern Ireland should start getting the vaccine in less than two weeks ’ time , the North ’ s health minister Robin Swann said .
The rollout of the newly approved vaccine was due to begin on Monday week , December 14th , but Mr Swann said that could be brought forward by a couple of days and vaccination could actually start next week .
“ This is the start , it is not the end , ” said Mr Swann in welcoming the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the beginning of the end.
” News of the authorisation of the vaccine was announced as the North ’ s health department reported four more deaths from coronavirus , taking the death toll to 1,015 .
There were 52 deaths in the last seven days .
Also on Wednesday the health department recorded 416 new cases of the virus bringing the total to 53,272 .
Hospital bed occupancy is now at 99 per cent in Northern Ireland .
There are 416 patients receiving Covid treatment , with 37 in intensive care and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid figure for Northern Ireland is 134 cases per 100,000 of population .
Also on Wednesday , latest figures for the State ’ s Health Protection Surveillance Centre showed there were a further 348 outbreaks or clusters of Covid-19 over the past week .
The number of new outbreaks recorded in private homes dropped significantly .
There were 262 outbreaks traced to private homes in the past week , down from 652 recorded the week before .
Outbreaks in private homes accounted for the majority of the 348 new outbreaks recorded by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28th .
There were six further outbreaks reported in nursing homes , and ten in hospitals .
There were also 21 outbreaks recorded in workplaces , 12 linked to schools , and five traced to childcare facilities .
In the case of schools the HPSC said the outbreaks had not been tied to confirmed transmission of the virus within schools , but positive cases among school staff or students .
Of the outbreaks in workplaces , two involved food processing plants , and two involved construction sites .
There were 10 outbreaks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five in childcare facilities and 12 in universities/colleges , as well as two associated with retail outlets , and one associated with a religious/other ceremony .
More than a quarter of nursing homes are currently dealing with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19 among staff or residents , according to figures from the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) .
Figures from the healthcare watchdog , provided to The Irish Times , show as of Monday 156 nursing homes have reported current confirmed or suspected cases .

There were 31 cases of Covid-19 in ICU on Wednesday. File photograph: Alan Betson
A further five deaths and 270 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) on Wednesday evening, as the Chief Medical Officer warned there was no room for complacency in the national approach to the virus.
This brings the total number of virus-related deaths in the State to 2,074 since the pandemic began and to 73,066 the total number of confirmed cases of the virus in the Republic.
Of the new cases, 58 are in Dublin, 38 in Donegal, 28 in Wicklow, 25 in Mayo, 24 in Limerick with the remaining 97 cases are spread across 21 other counties.
Hospital Report
As of 2pm today, 231 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 31 are in ICU. There have been 27 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
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Dr Tony Holohan said it was important to keep up the progress achieved in recent weeks in relation to the virus.
“Ireland now has the lowest 14-day incidence of Covid-19 in the EU, according to the latest European Centre for Disease Control figures, and we need to hold firm to this position,” said Dr Holohan. “As the country moves into Level 3, there is no room for complacency in our response to Covid-19.
“When you are out in shops and accessing services, try to avoid high-risk situations and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible on busy streets and crowded outdoor areas.”
Dr Holohan reiterated the importance of hand-washing after going shopping or being outdoors.
“For those of us who cannot work from home, the wearing of a face covering is now advised when moving around busy indoor workplaces and in communal work areas. If you are planning to travel around your county, consider first whether it is absolutely necessary to travel.
“Your individual actions are vital to our national effort to suppress the transmission of this disease,” Dr Holohan added.
UK vaccination
The latest figures come on a day when the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use and said that it will be rolled out from early next week.
Pfizer said the UK's emergency-use authorisation marks a historic moment in the fight against Covid-19.
Some 12,000 people in Northern Ireland should start getting the vaccine in less than two weeks' time, the North's health minister Robin Swann said.
The rollout of the newly approved vaccine was due to begin on Monday week, December 14th, but Mr Swann said that could be brought forward by a couple of days and vaccination could actually start next week.
“This is the start, it is not the end,” said Mr Swann in welcoming the UK authorisation of the vaccine. “It is the beginning of the end.”
News of the authorisation of the vaccine was announced as the North’s health department reported four more deaths from coronavirus, taking the death toll to 1,015. There were 52 deaths in the last seven days.
Also on Wednesday the health department recorded 416 new cases of the virus bringing the total to 53,272.
Hospital bed occupancy is now at 99 per cent in Northern Ireland. There are 416 patients receiving Covid treatment, with 37 in intensive care and 29 on ventilators.
The overall 7-day Covid figure for Northern Ireland is 134 cases per 100,000 of population.
Outbreaks
Also on Wednesday, latest figures for the State’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre showed there were a further 348 outbreaks or clusters of Covid-19 over the past week.
The number of new outbreaks recorded in private homes dropped significantly. There were 262 outbreaks traced to private homes in the past week, down from 652 recorded the week before.
Outbreaks in private homes accounted for the majority of the 348 new outbreaks recorded by the HPSC in the week up to November 28th.
There were six further outbreaks reported in nursing homes, and ten in hospitals.
There were also 21 outbreaks recorded in workplaces, 12 linked to schools, and five traced to childcare facilities. In the case of schools the HPSC said the outbreaks had not been tied to confirmed transmission of the virus within schools, but positive cases among school staff or students.
Of the outbreaks in workplaces, two involved food processing plants, and two involved construction sites.
There were 10 outbreaks in hospitals, six in nursing homes, five in childcare facilities and 12 in universities/colleges, as well as two associated with retail outlets, and one associated with a religious/other ceremony.
More than a quarter of nursing homes are currently dealing with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19 among staff or residents, according to figures from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).
Figures from the healthcare watchdog, provided to The Irish Times, show as of Monday 156 nursing homes have reported current confirmed or suspected cases.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Unions warn talks with Government on public service pay ‘extremely fragile’

Trade union leaders have questioned whether a new public service agreement on pay and other issues can now be reached with the Government .
Unions said that the talks process with the Government was now “ extremely fragile ” .
Public service union leaders on Thursday expressed “ fury ” over how they said talks on a proposed new accord to cover 340,000 State employees was being handled by the Department of Public Expenditure .
Kevin Callinan , chairman of the public service committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions , said the conduct of the Department of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of progress on issues the staff side had sought raised questions about whether progress towards a new deal was now possible .
Unions said following a meeting on Thursday morning that talks planned for Thursday afternoon with the Department of Public Expenditure would be “ crucial ” .
Trade unions are angry that proposals drawn up by the Government side in the talks — which they considered to be confidential – had been shared with other staff associations that are outside the Irish Congress of Trade Unions .
The leadership of many unions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the talks , had not been given the Government proposals .
The Irish Times reported on Thursday the Government had proposed that staff in the public service could be rostered to work over an extended week , including weekends , as part of a new overall agreement on pay for State employees .
The proposals put forward by the Department of Public Expenditure in recent days also suggested there should be “ maximum flexible service delivery options ” – which some groups believe could lead to greater outsourcing of services .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were set out as modernisation reforms – in the current public service pay talks maintained that employees should be available over an entire week “ to provide better services for the public ” and that this could include Saturday and Sunday .
Union sources have indicated proposals such as five-over-seven-day rostering , extended days or any outsourcing would absolutely not be accepted as part of any final deal .
Mr Callinan said unions have maintained that any successor to the current public service agreed – which expires at the end of December— must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Haddington Road agreement , a separate mechanism to address sectoral issues and a realistic and acceptable approach on pay .

Trade union leaders have questioned whether a new public service agreement on pay and other issues can now be reached
Trade union leaders have questioned whether a new public service agreement on pay and other issues can now be reached with the Government.
Unions said that the talks process with the Government was now “extremely fragile”.
Public service union leaders on Thursday expressed “fury” over how they said talks on a proposed new accord to cover 340,000 State employees was being handled by the Department of Public Expenditure.
Kevin Callinan, chairman of the public service committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said the conduct of the Department of Public Expenditure around the talks and the absence of progress on issues the staff side had sought raised questions about whether progress towards a new deal was now possible.
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Unions said following a meeting on Thursday morning that talks planned for Thursday afternoon with the Department of Public Expenditure would be “crucial”.
Trade unions are angry that proposals drawn up by the Government side in the talks — which they considered to be confidential – had been shared with other staff associations that are outside the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The leadership of many unions, who are not directly been involved in the talks, had not been given the Government proposals.
The Irish Times reported on Thursday the Government had proposed that staff in the public service could be rostered to work over an extended week, including weekends, as part of a new overall agreement on pay for State employees.
The proposals put forward by the Department of Public Expenditure in recent days also suggested there should be “maximum flexible service delivery options” – which some groups believe could lead to greater outsourcing of services.
The Department of Public Expenditure proposals – which were set out as modernisation reforms – in the current public service pay talks maintained that employees should be available over an entire week “to provide better services for the public” and that this could include Saturday and Sunday.
Union sources have indicated proposals such as five-over-seven-day rostering, extended days or any outsourcing would absolutely not be accepted as part of any final deal.
Mr Callinan said unions have maintained that any successor to the current public service agreed – which expires at the end of December— must include amechanism to address issues still outstanding from the Haddington Road agreement, a separate mechanism to address sectoral issues and a realistic and acceptable approach on pay.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--GP describes ‘terrible problem’ of suicide among young people

A GP and coroner in Co Donegal has said there is “ a terrible problem ” of suicide among young people in Ireland .
Dr Denis McCauley , who is chair of the Irish Medical Organisation ’ s GP committee , said he has seen an increase in female suicides this year .
Dr McCauley told the Oireachtas sub-committee on mental health on Thursday morning that he encounters suicide in both his roles as a GP and coroner .
“ Every death by suicide is a disaster .
I think it ’ s important to put it into context that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries in Europe , I think 11th lowest in relation to general suicide .
We have a terrible problem with young people committing suicide , particularly young men , ” he told the committee .
“ This year unfortunately I have seen more female suicides in our area than I have seen for a while.
” Dr McCauley also said there is no doubt that the present Covid pandemic has had significant psychological effects on the population of Ireland .
“ There are escalating reports of common mental health problems and more marked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ These can arise from direct effects of infection and of long Covid syndrome , with enforced isolation and quarantine and with the additional stressors such as acute or abnormal bereavement , job losses , inter familial tensions and sudden impoverishment .
“ These additional pressures can present as acute psychiatric diagnosis or an exacerbation of previous psychological/psychiatric issues , domestic violence or increased levels of alcohol or drug use.
” Dr Diarmuid Quinlan , medical director of the Irish College of General Practitioners ( ICGP ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has become “ much worse ” because of the pandemic .
Dr Quinlan referenced the example of an older man who used to visit his surgery “ well in advance ” of his appointment time .
“ When I ’ d see him sitting there , the first one or two times I would call him out of order ahead of his scheduled appointment time .
But very quickly I realised that he lived alone , in a rural part of Cork and that essentially he was coming [ early ] just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in a doctor ’ s waiting room , ” he said .
Dr Quinlan said the current workload for GPs is “ very substantial ” and that there will likely be a role for them in supporting the Covid-19 vaccine campaign .
He added that rural Ireland is facing a “ real crisis ” in terms of attracting and retaining GPs .
The committee heard that around 50 per cent of GP consultations have some element of psychological input , while 25 per cent of GP workload relates directly to managing mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms and addiction .
Figures from October show 2,229 young people with serious mental health and behavioural problems are on a waiting list for an initial assessment by a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service team of which over a third have been waiting for longer than six months .
Dr Sumi Dunne , a GP in Co Laois , said we need to start looking at embedding mental health care within existing services and having less dependence on voluntary charities , which will be going through “ lean times ” due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any issue in this article , please contact Pieta House on 1800 247 247 or the Samaritans by telephoning 116 123 ( free ) or by emailing jo @ samaritans.ie

Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, medical director of the Irish College of General Practitioners, said loneliness was a challenge before Covid-19 and has become ‘much worse’ because of the pandemic.
A GP and coroner in Co Donegal has said there is "a terrible problem" of suicide among young people in Ireland.
Dr Denis McCauley, who is chair of the Irish Medical Organisation’s GP committee, said he has seen an increase in female suicides this year.
Dr McCauley told the Oireachtas sub-committee on mental health on Thursday morning that he encounters suicide in both his roles as a GP and coroner.
"Every death by suicide is a disaster. I think it's important to put it into context that we are probably one of the lowest countries in Europe, I think 11th lowest in relation to general suicide. We have a terrible problem with young people committing suicide, particularly young men," he told the committee.
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“This year unfortunately I have seen more female suicides in our area than I have seen for a while.”
Dr McCauley also said there is no doubt that the present Covid pandemic has had significant psychological effects on the population of Ireland.
“There are escalating reports of common mental health problems and more marked neuropsychiatric disorders associated with the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
“These can arise from direct effects of infection and of long Covid syndrome, with enforced isolation and quarantine and with the additional stressors such as acute or abnormal bereavement, job losses, inter familial tensions and sudden impoverishment.
“These additional pressures can present as acute psychiatric diagnosis or an exacerbation of previous psychological/psychiatric issues, domestic violence or increased levels of alcohol or drug use.”
‘Much worse’
Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, medical director of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), said loneliness was a challenge before Covid-19 and has become "much worse" because of the pandemic.
Dr Quinlan referenced the example of an older man who used to visit his surgery “well in advance” of his appointment time.
“When I’d see him sitting there, the first one or two times I would call him out of order ahead of his scheduled appointment time. But very quickly I realised that he lived alone, in a rural part of Cork and that essentially he was coming [early] just for the social interaction of meeting other people in a doctor’s waiting room,” he said.
Dr Quinlan said the current workload for GPs is “very substantial” and that there will likely be a role for them in supporting the Covid-19 vaccine campaign. He added that rural Ireland is facing a “real crisis” in terms of attracting and retaining GPs.
The committee heard that around 50 per cent of GP consultations have some element of psychological input, while 25 per cent of GP workload relates directly to managing mental health symptoms including anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and addiction.
Figures from October show 2,229 young people with serious mental health and behavioural problems are on a waiting list for an initial assessment by a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service team of which over a third have been waiting for longer than six months.
Dr Sumi Dunne, a GP in Co Laois, said we need to start looking at embedding mental health care within existing services and having less dependence on voluntary charities, which will be going through "lean times" due to Covid-19.
If you are affected by any issue in this article, please contact Pieta House on 1800 247 247 or the Samaritans by telephoning 116 123 (free) or by emailing jo@samaritans.ie


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Galway couple receive Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year Award 2020

The 2020 Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year award has been given to a Galway couple .
Arthur and Deborah Carr are responsible for the mental health support line Galway East Life Support as well as the city ’ s Claddagh Watch Patrol , which runs volunteer patrols aiming to prevent deaths by accident and suicide on its waterways .
Together they have recruited and trained over 80 volunteers for the CladdaghWatch Patrol , and every week they are on the bridges of Galway .
Volunteer Ireland chief executive Nina Arwitz said : “ They have a clear passion for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their free time to supporting those in crisis .
“ Not only do they have a big impact on those they help but also on the team of volunteers they support and train to carry out what I ’ m sure at times is a very difficult role.
” Other winners this year include Noelle Fitzsimons , who has been supporting victims of crime attending court for over 30 years , and three RNLI volunteers – Alec Fitzmaurice and brothers David and Fergal McGrath , who were involved in what was descrived as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co Waterford ] earlier this year.
” Another winner was the Achill Community Response group , which has been supporting the vulnerable , elderly and self-isolating on the island during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Due to restrictions awards were made by special delivery from Volunteer Ireland and included an engraved trophy , a framed message from President Michael D Higgins , complimentary tickets to the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin and a hamper .
All 805 volunteers nominated this year were sent a special thank-you card from Volunteer Ireland .
The Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland provided funding for the awards , while GLS helped deliver the 40 awards across the country .
EPIC donated more than 700 tickets for winners .
The Volunteer Ireland Awards , now in their 13th year , aim to recognise ordinary people doing extraordinary things .
The overall Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year award is named after the late Ms Buckley , a dedicated campaigner for people abused in residential institutions for children .

The 2020 Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year award has been given to a Galway couple.
Arthur and Deborah Carr are responsible for the mental health support line Galway East Life Support as well as the city's Claddagh Watch Patrol, which runs volunteer patrols aiming to prevent deaths by accident and suicide on its waterways.
Together they have recruited and trained over 80 volunteers for the CladdaghWatch Patrol, and every week they are on the bridges of Galway.
Volunteer Ireland chief executive Nina Arwitz said: "They have a clear passion for helping others and dedicate so much of their free time to supporting those in crisis.
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“Not only do they have a big impact on those they help but also on the team of volunteers they support and train to carry out what I’m sure at times is a very difficult role.”
Other winners this year include Noelle Fitzsimons, who has been supporting victims of crime attending court for over 30 years, and three RNLI volunteers – Alec Fitzmaurice and brothers David and Fergal McGrath, who were involved in what was descrived as "a miraculous rescue in Tramore [Co Waterford] earlier this year."
Another winner was the Achill Community Response group, which has been supporting the vulnerable, elderly and self-isolating on the island during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to restrictions awards were made by special delivery from Volunteer Ireland and included an engraved trophy, a framed message from President Michael D Higgins, complimentary tickets to the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin and a hamper.
All 805 volunteers nominated this year were sent a special thank-you card from Volunteer Ireland.
The Department of Rural and Community Development and Healthy Ireland provided funding for the awards, while GLS helped deliver the 40 awards across the country. EPIC donated more than 700 tickets for winners.
The Volunteer Ireland Awards, now in their 13th year, aim to recognise ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The overall Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year award is named after the late Ms Buckley, a dedicated campaigner for people abused in residential institutions for children.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Bishops ‘strongly encourage’ people to view Christmas Masses online

The Catholic Bishops have described it as “ impossible ” for the usual large numbers to attend Christmas Masses later this month due to Covid-19 and have reminded people that such Masses would be “ widely available over webcam ” .
They “ strongly encourage families to ‘ tune in ’ from the ‘ domestic churches ’ of their living rooms and join with those who are gathering in their local churches in welcoming the birth of the Christ-child ” .
Christmas was “ about more than just one day .
Families are welcome to attend Mass at some point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Epiphany ( January 6th ) , ” they said .
At the conclusion of their winter meeting on Wednesday night , they also reminded Catholics “ that the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days remains suspended during the pandemic ” .
Noting that Christmas preparations were under way in parishes across the island , “ albeit in a very different context this year ” , they appealed “ to all the faithful to cooperate fully ” in this .
Expressing their “ sincere gratitude to parish teams throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who generously ensure that our churches are safe environments where people can confidently assemble for worship ” they said “ their task , as Christmas approaches , will not be easy ” .
The Bishops also encouraged the faithful “ to keep Christ at the centre of Christmas this year ” and said that “ the age-old tradition of having a Christmas crib in the home and gathering there as a family to pray or to sing a carol will be especially meaningful this year ” .
Families or ‘ household bubbles ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some time during the 12 days to offer a Christmas prayer at the crib and pray together for their families and for those particularly impacted by the pandemic , ” they said .
They also pointed out that “ charities such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul , Crosscare , Trócaire and World Missions Ireland will welcome much needed contributions as they have been unable to raise funds in the normal way during the pandemic ” .
The Bishops prayed for people who have experienced grief and loss of a loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have suffered financial difficulties would receive support .
Conscious of “ those whose livelihoods have been seriously threatened by the pandemic ” , people “ coping with bereavement , families that can not be together , those in care homes who can only have limited visits from their loved ones ” as well as “ Irish emigrants and migrants living in Ireland , who are unable to travel home ” , they prayed “ that the time will come very soon when sorrow will ease and loving connections can be fully restored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ acutely aware of the yearning in our country and in our world for hope and consolation ” .
Due to the pandemic , and for the third time this year , the Catholic bishops met for their quarterly meeting via video-link , instead of at Maynooth .

The Bishops prayed for people who have experienced grief and loss of a loved one during the pandemic. Photograph: iStock
The Catholic Bishops have described it as “impossible” for the usual large numbers to attend Christmas Masses later this month due to Covid-19 and have reminded people that such Masses would be “widely available over webcam”.
They “strongly encourage families to ‘tune in’ from the ‘domestic churches’ of their living rooms and join with those who are gathering in their local churches in welcoming the birth of the Christ-child”.
Christmas was “about more than just one day. Families are welcome to attend Mass at some point during the 12 days from Christmas Eve to Epiphany (January 6th),” they said.
At the conclusion of their winter meeting on Wednesday night, they also reminded Catholics “that the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days remains suspended during the pandemic”.
READ MORE
Noting that Christmas preparations were under way in parishes across the island, “ albeit in a very different context this year”, they appealed “to all the faithful to cooperate fully” in this.
Expressing their “sincere gratitude to parish teams throughout the country - including stewards and cleaners – who generously ensure that our churches are safe environments where people can confidently assemble for worship” they said “their task, as Christmas approaches, will not be easy”.
The Bishops also encouraged the faithful “to keep Christ at the centre of Christmas this year” and said that “the age-old tradition of having a Christmas crib in the home and gathering there as a family to pray or to sing a carol will be especially meaningful this year”.
Families or ‘household bubbles’ could visit their local church “at some time during the 12 days to offer a Christmas prayer at the crib and pray together for their families and for those particularly impacted by the pandemic,”they said.
They also pointed out that "charities such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Crosscare, Trócaire and World Missions Ireland will welcome much needed contributions as they have been unable to raise funds in the normal way during the pandemic".
The Bishops prayed for people who have experienced grief and loss of a loved one during the pandemic and that families who have suffered financial difficulties would receive support.
Conscious of “those whose livelihoods have been seriously threatened by the pandemic”, people “coping with bereavement, families that cannot be together, those in care homes who can only have limited visits from their loved ones” as well as “Irish emigrants and migrants living in Ireland, who are unable to travel home”, they prayed “that the time will come very soon when sorrow will ease and loving connections can be fully restored”.
They were, they said, “acutely aware of the yearning in our country and in our world for hope and consolation”.
Due to the pandemic, and for the third time this year, the Catholic bishops met for their quarterly meeting via video-link, instead of at Maynooth.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Judge approves further €2m settlement for severely disabled boy

A severely disabled child who sued over failures in his care at Portiuncula Hospital in Co Galway has secured a further interim payment of more than €2m at the High Court to meet his care needs .
The payment to nine-year-old Eoghan Dunne is intended to meet his care and other needs for the next five years and brings to more than €4.4m the sums paid to date under a settlement of his case .
The president of the High Court , Ms Justice Mary Irvine , said on Thursday she had no hesitation approving the second interim payment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the child ’ s lawyers , Bruce Antoniotti SC , with Shaymus O ’ Quigley BL , instructed by Jamie Hart , of Augustus Cullen Law solicitors , on the payment agreement .
Addressing Eoghan ’ s father Ronan Dunne , who was in court , the judge said the elements of the settlement would not just allow Eoghan to develop to his best potential but permit the entire family to develop and grow .
She extended best wishes to the family and commended them for their “ remarkable ” work for Eoghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cappyroe , Ballinagar , Tullamore , Co Offaly , was a healthy 11 month old child when admitted to Portiuncula Hospital on August 3rd , 2012 , having been referred there by a GP who considered he was quite ill and noted he had fever , was breathless and lethargic .
It was claimed antibiotics should have been administered on the child ’ s admission to the hospital .
His condition deteriorated over the following hours and he was transferred to Temple Street Children ’ s Hospital in Dublin in the early hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ septic shock , later suffered cardiac arrest and was left with major neurological damage .
An internal review of his treatment at Portiuncula was later undertaken , of which the family was unaware for a time .
A report of that review was provided to the family in early 2014 .
When the case settled in July 2016 with an interim payment of €2.4m to cover Eoghan ’ s care needs to 2020 , the hospital apologised for the failures of care in the child ’ s treatment and for the manner in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicated to the family .
Eoghan ’ s mother Teresa Dunne , who ceased working as a primary school teacher to look after Eoghan , told the court in 2016 the pain her son had endured over the past four years was “ unbelievable ” .
She said she forgave the Portiuncula hospital staff for “ human mistakes ” .
On Thursday , when seeking approval for the further €2.01m payment , Mr Antoniotti said Eoghan is severely disabled in all aspects of his life .
He has neurodevelopment injury , spasticity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk or stand unsupported and is fed through a tube .
An irony of the Covid-19 pandemic is that , as a result of widespread wearing of facial coverings , he has not suffered infections which he was prone to before the pandemic , counsel remarked .
The judge remarked on the “ fantastic ” work by the child ’ s mother in helping Eoghan develop a switch facility which will assist his future development .
Counsel said the family home has been extensively renovated to meet Eoghan ’ s needs and includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , is as active as he can be , is availing of a range of care and other services , and is attending a special education school which he loves .
Rather than seeking a final payment order , it had been decided to seek a five year order , with the matter reviewed in 2025 , for reasons including a significant difference between experts concerning Eoghan ’ s life expectancy , counsel added .
Ms Justice Irvine said it was a very appropriate settlement , the family were very unlikely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had no hesitation approving it .
The matter will return to court in 2025 for further review .

A severely disabled child who sued over failures in his care at Portiuncula Hospital in Co Galway has secured a further interim payment of more than €2m at the High Court to meet his care needs.
The payment to nine-year-old Eoghan Dunne is intended to meet his care and other needs for the next five years and brings to more than €4.4m the sums paid to date under a settlement of his case.
The president of the High Court, Ms Justice Mary Irvine, said on Thursday she had no hesitation approving the second interim payment, agreed following a mediation.
She commended the child’s lawyers, Bruce Antoniotti SC, with Shaymus O’Quigley BL, instructed by Jamie Hart, of Augustus Cullen Law solicitors, on the payment agreement.
READ MORE
Addressing Eoghan’s father Ronan Dunne, who was in court, the judge said the elements of the settlement would not just allow Eoghan to develop to his best potential but permit the entire family to develop and grow.
She extended best wishes to the family and commended them for their “remarkable” work for Eoghan.
The court heard Eoghan, from Cappyroe, Ballinagar, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was a healthy 11 month old child when admitted to Portiuncula Hospital on August 3rd, 2012, having been referred there by a GP who considered he was quite ill and noted he had fever, was breathless and lethargic.
It was claimed antibiotics should have been administered on the child’s admission to the hospital. His condition deteriorated over the following hours and he was transferred to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin in the early hours of August 4th.
He had developed septic shock, later suffered cardiac arrest and was left with major neurological damage. An internal review of his treatment at Portiuncula was later undertaken, of which the family was unaware for a time. A report of that review was provided to the family in early 2014.
When the case settled in July 2016 with an interim payment of €2.4m to cover Eoghan’s care needs to 2020, the hospital apologised for the failures of care in the child’s treatment and for the manner in which its internal review was undertaken and communicated to the family.
‘Human mistakes’
Eoghan’s mother Teresa Dunne, who ceased working as a primary school teacher to look after Eoghan, told the court in 2016 the pain her son had endured over the past four years was “unbelievable”.
She said she forgave the Portiuncula hospital staff for “human mistakes”.
On Thursday, when seeking approval for the further €2.01m payment, Mr Antoniotti said Eoghan is severely disabled in all aspects of his life. He has neurodevelopment injury, spasticity and severe scoliosis, cannot sit, walk or stand unsupported and is fed through a tube.
An irony of the Covid-19 pandemic is that, as a result of widespread wearing of facial coverings, he has not suffered infections which he was prone to before the pandemic, counsel remarked.
The judge remarked on the “fantastic” work by the child’s mother in helping Eoghan develop a switch facility which will assist his future development.
Counsel said the family home has been extensively renovated to meet Eoghan’s needs and includes a hydrotherapy pool. Eoghan, he said, is as active as he can be, is availing of a range of care and other services, and is attending a special education school which he loves.
Rather than seeking a final payment order, it had been decided to seek a five year order, with the matter reviewed in 2025, for reasons including a significant difference between experts concerning Eoghan’s life expectancy, counsel added.
Ms Justice Irvine said it was a very appropriate settlement, the family were very unlikely to do better in an adversarial situation and she had no hesitation approving it. The matter will return to court in 2025 for further review.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--McEntee wants to change law on naming child crime victims ‘as quickly as possible’

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said that she wants to change the law “ as quickly as possible ” with regard to the Court of Appeal ruling banning the naming of children who have been victims of crime .
“ I want to change this .
The number of people it ’ s having a negative impact on is huge.
” Ms McEntee told RTÉ radio ’ s Today with Claire Byrne show that she was working to have the law changed as quickly as possible following her determination that her department had responsibility for the issue .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , ” protected the defendant , she said .
The Court of Appeal in October rejected an application by several media outlets to allow them identify a woman who killed her three-year-old child .
She was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity following a short trial last year .
Before the trial began , two High Court judges ordered that the victim should not be identified .
Consequently , the woman could not be named .
Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions had requested the order , holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 makes it an offence to publish anything that could identify a child who is an alleged victim of an offence , including a deceased child .
The Court of Appeal upheld that interpretation .
Mr Justice George Birmingham said that while its ruling might be of surprise to the media , it was not possible to read Section 252 “ as not including a deceased person who was a child at the time of death ” .
Section 252 states that in “ any proceedings for an offence against a child ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address or school of the child or includes any particulars likely to lead to his or her identification ... shall be published or included in a broadcast .
”

Minster for Justice Helen McEntee said existing legislation, ‘in an inadvertent way,’ protected the defendant, she said. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell/The Irish Times
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said that she wants to change the law “as quickly as possible” with regard to the Court of Appeal ruling banning the naming of children who have been victims of crime.
“I want to change this. The number of people it’s having a negative impact on is huge.”
Ms McEntee told RTÉ radio's Today with Claire Byrne show that she was working to have the law changed as quickly as possible following her determination that her department had responsibility for the issue.
The existing legislation, “in an inadvertent way,” protected the defendant, she said.
READ MORE
The Court of Appeal in October rejected an application by several media outlets to allow them identify a woman who killed her three-year-old child. She was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity following a short trial last year.
Before the trial began, two High Court judges ordered that the victim should not be identified. Consequently, the woman could not be named.
Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions had requested the order, holding that Section 252 of the Children Act 2001 makes it an offence to publish anything that could identify a child who is an alleged victim of an offence, including a deceased child.
The Court of Appeal upheld that interpretation. Mr Justice George Birmingham said that while its ruling might be of surprise to the media, it was not possible to read Section 252 "as not including a deceased person who was a child at the time of death".
Section 252 states that in “any proceedings for an offence against a child... no report which reveals the name, address or school of the child or includes any particulars likely to lead to his or her identification... shall be published or included in a broadcast.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Dublin Bus starts new 24-hour bus route between Ongar and UCD

A new 24-hour bus route is being rolled out by Dublin Bus .
The 39a , which runs between Ongar and UCD , is the third 24-hour service announced by the company .
The 39a will now run 24 hours , seven days a week with one every 30 minutes between 11.30pm and 5am .
The 15 and 41 bus routes have been operating 24 hours since December 2019 .
There will also be “ significant improvements ” across seven bus routes ( 1 , 9 , 13 , 14 , 39 , 40 and 83 ) , Dublin Bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service improvements , which include an additional 824 departures per week , are as a result of a €4.9 million investment , provided by the National Transport Authority ( NTA ) , ” it said .
The funding was made available through the Government ’ s July stimulus plan and will lead to the creation of 80 additional jobs .
Dublin Bus said the 24-hour services facilitate increasing employment in the night-time economy as businesses expand their opening hours , create 24 hour airport links and reduce night-time carbon emissions by encouraging people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travelling by car .
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said as Ireland looks forward to a post-Covid future , “ it is important that we resource our public transport system for the recovery ” .
“ These new services will give passengers more choices and more flexibility and will also see the creation of 80 new jobs , ” he said .
Anne Graham , chief executive of the National Transport Authority , said the manner in which Dublin functions as a city has shifted and “ it is no longer the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or 12 at night ” .
“ We believe that enhancement like these , along with the revised bus network in Dublin , and the investment in our bus corridor infrastructure under BusConnects , will bring about the kind of improvements that people expect in a modern city , ” she said .
Ray Coyne , chief executive of Dublin Bus , said “ our public transport service must reflect the changing needs of customers and these changes will bring the many benefits of public transport to even more people and businesses including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Ray Coyne of Dublin Bus and Anne Graham of the National Transport Authority at Thursday’s announcement of the new 24-hour service for Route 39a. Photograph: Maxwells
A new 24-hour bus route is being rolled out by Dublin Bus. The 39a, which runs between Ongar and UCD, is the third 24-hour service announced by the company.
The 39a will now run 24 hours, seven days a week with one every 30 minutes between 11.30pm and 5am. The 15 and 41 bus routes have been operating 24 hours since December 2019.
There will also be "significant improvements" across seven bus routes (1, 9, 13, 14, 39, 40 and 83), Dublin Bus said on Thursday.
"The new service improvements, which include an additional 824 departures per week, are as a result of a €4.9 million investment, provided by the National Transport Authority (NTA)," it said.
READ MORE
The funding was made available through the Government’s July stimulus plan and will lead to the creation of 80 additional jobs.
Dublin Bus said the 24-hour services facilitate increasing employment in the night-time economy as businesses expand their opening hours, create 24 hour airport links and reduce night-time carbon emissions by encouraging people to take the bus as opposed to travelling by car.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said as Ireland looks forward to a post-Covid future, "it is important that we resource our public transport system for the recovery".
“These new services will give passengers more choices and more flexibility and will also see the creation of 80 new jobs,” he said.
Anne Graham, chief executive of the National Transport Authority, said the manner in which Dublin functions as a city has shifted and "it is no longer the case that the city shuts down at 11 or 12 at night".
“We believe that enhancement like these, along with the revised bus network in Dublin, and the investment in our bus corridor infrastructure under BusConnects, will bring about the kind of improvements that people expect in a modern city,” she said.
Ray Coyne, chief executive of Dublin Bus, said "our public transport service must reflect the changing needs of customers and these changes will bring the many benefits of public transport to even more people and businesses including mobility, safety, sustainability and inclusion."


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--€10.7 million-winning Lotto ticket sold in Co Cork

The €10.7 million-winning Lotto ticket was sold in Co Cork .
The person purchased the winning Quick Pick ticket for Wednesday night ’ s draw on Sunday , November 29th .
The National Lottery has said the ticketholder has yet to make contact .
The winning numbers were 9 , 12 , 22 , 28 , 35 and 47 .
The bonus number was 37 .
“ With a jackpot win of this amount , it is important that we take some time to inform the winning retailer and of course to give the winning ticketholder the time and space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sink in so we will be announcing the winning store in the coming days , ” a National Lottery spokesman said .
“ Last night ’ s draw produced an incredible 93,000 winners throughout the country so we are encouraging everybody who played in Wednesday ’ s Lotto game to continue to check their tickets .
“ We are still waiting to hear from the lucky winner of the €10.7 million jackpot , so we are appealing for all players to check their tickets carefully and if you are the big winner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and contact our prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims @ lottery.ie , and we will make arrangements for you to claim your prize .
”

The €10.7 million-winning Lotto ticket was sold in Co Cork.
The person purchased the winning Quick Pick ticket for Wednesday night's draw on Sunday, November 29th. The National Lottery has said the ticketholder has yet to make contact.
The winning numbers were 9, 12, 22, 28, 35 and 47. The bonus number was 37.
“With a jackpot win of this amount, it is important that we take some time to inform the winning retailer and of course to give the winning ticketholder the time and space they need to let this amazing win sink in so we will be announcing the winning store in the coming days,” a National Lottery spokesman said.
READ MORE
“Last night’s draw produced an incredible 93,000 winners throughout the country so we are encouraging everybody who played in Wednesday’s Lotto game to continue to check their tickets.
“We are still waiting to hear from the lucky winner of the €10.7 million jackpot, so we are appealing for all players to check their tickets carefully and if you are the big winner, please sign the back of the ticket and contact our prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie, and we will make arrangements for you to claim your prize.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Major concerts and matches may not go ahead in summer, Varadkar warns

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that major events including concerts , matches and other “ mass gatherings ” may not go ahead next summer and warned ticket buyers that they might not get refunds if an event did not take place as it may be rescheduled .
He also said that the decision on who would be prioritised to received the vaccine was not “ rocket science ” .
He believed everyone understood that those who need it most would be prioritised - healthcare workers , residents of nursing homes and those who are older and have chronic diseases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as in meat plants might also be prioritised , he said .
He was responding in the Dáil to Labour leader Alan Kelly who asked about events for next year already being promoted as he noted radio advertisements “ for an awful lot of events being planned ” .
Mr Kelly told the Tánaiste that events including the Longitude music festival in Marlay Park in Dublin were being planned .
“ I ’ m sure you and I would like to get to concerts sometime next year , ” Mr Kelly said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Enterprise what advice he had for companies who were “ spending a considerable amount of money planning events and whether or not they should expect for them to go ahead ” .
The Tánaiste acknowledged the ticket sales “ for some major events that we all hope will go ahead next summer ” .
“ The advice I would say is that there is no guarantee that those events will go ahead .
We might need some time yet before we can attend matches and concerts and mass gatherings .
I hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s far from sure at this point.
” He added : “ Under the law it is possible for companies organising those events to cancel them and reschedule them .
They don ’ t have to refund the cost of tickets .
They can reschedule them .
“ I think people who are buying a ticket should be aware of that that they ’ re not guaranteed a refund .
They might find it being rescheduled.
” Mr Kelly also raised concerns about the roll-out of the vaccine and asked who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is approved .
Mr Varadkar said that the priority for who would get the vaccine first was , as far as he knew , not a matter for the Covid-19 taskforce but for the National Immunisation Advisory Committee ( Niac ) .
“ That is the body that makes these kinds of decisions on other vaccines and we expect a report from them very soon as to what the order of prioritisation will be.
” “ I don ’ t think it ’ s going to be rocket science ” , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home residents , and older people with chronic conditions first in line .
He suggested that those working high risk environments such as in meat plants might also be prioritised .
Mr Varadkar also insisted that “ the Government is in control .
The Cabinet is in control and makes decisions based on advice.
” He said the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was the lead Minister for the vaccine programme , after Mr Kelly said there seemed to be contradictory views on this .
He noted The Irish Times report that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Government on Tuesday about who would be prioritised , but the Taoiseach had told him they would have to await the taskforce report three days later .
Mr Varadkar said the taskforce , which will report on December 11th , is in charge of issues including the purchase , delivery , administration , IT system and communications .
Mr Varadkar said Government would have to examine the issue of companies providing the vaccine privately .
He did not think companies would be doing this as they would not be indemnified .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to undermine in any way our programme of vaccination which will be free of charge and based on need ” .
He said it may be the case that the vaccine company that produces it might want to vaccinate their own staff and “ we ’ d have to think long and hard about preventing them from doing it if they ’ re the ones who developed it ” .
He said he did not know , but would examine if legislation would be needed to establish a database for the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister for Health , he said .
Meanwhile , Covid-19 vaccines have not been rushed and the science that was needed to develop them was already there from the time of Sars and Mers , a World Health Organisation ( WHO ) spokeswoman has said .
The regulatory authorities were kept up to date during the development process so they were able to move swiftly on seeing the final data , she said .
Surveillance systems will be critical to the vaccination process , Dr Harris told RTÉ ’ s Morning Ireland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ second doses are administered and that any side effects are tracked .
The issue of counterfeit drugs will also need to be monitored , she warned .
There will need to be secure tracking systems at every level .
Getting accurate information on the vaccine out to the public will be vital and public health measures will be more important than ever as the less virus there is the community the better the vaccine will work , she said .
The WHO ’ s special envoy on Covid-19 Dr David Nabarro told Newstalk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given to the anti-vaccination movement .
“ We don ’ t want to push people to do something that they don ’ t want to do .
We have to encourage them and get them to come to us .
Everyone has to be convinced.
” The Covid lead of the Irish College of General Practitioners ( ICGP ) , Dr Mary Favier told Morning Ireland that communications about the vaccine will be really important .
There was great anxiety and enthusiasm about the vaccine and people needed to have the full details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent level of uptake , which is necessary for herd immunity , was going to be a significant logistical challenge “ but we ’ ll do it.
” Dr Favier said that while it had not yet been decided what role GPs will play in the vaccination programme , she felt there was a role for GPs as they were already experienced at rolling out vaccines , had knowledge of their patients , and had the IT systems to track .
“ We will be nimble and we can respond , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vital in helping determine patients with co-morbidities and to ensure that patients follow up with their second dose of the vaccine .
Dr Favier warned that dealing with Covid-19 was like running a marathon and while a vaccine had been developed “ there ’ s still four to five miles to run.
” A further five deaths and 270 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the State yesterday .

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan with deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn (right) and Prof Philip Nolan (left), chair of the Nphet modelling group, address the media at the Covid -19 briefing on Thursday evening. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
People who have concerns about the forthcoming coronavirus vaccines should not be treated as anti-vaccine campaigners, the State’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn has said.
Dr Glynn said there would always be “a very small proportion of people who will be very resolutely anti-vaccine, and will never take a vaccine and will spread misinformation”.
The small cohort would likely be “a very vocal group” in the debate around the new Covid-19 vaccines, which the Government hopes will begin to be administered to vulnerable groups in January.
Hospital Report
“We need to be careful not to mix those people up with a larger group of people who would have very understandable questions, and will want to know lots about this vaccine before they agree to take it,” Dr Glynn said.
READ MORE
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) met on Thursday and discussed the rollout of the vaccine, and which groups should be prioritised.
Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, said following approval the vaccine would be rolled out “as quickly as we reasonably can”.
The initial distribution of a vaccine would not remove the need for people to follow public health guidance over the coming weeks and months, he said.
“Even if we find ourselves in a situation of being able to offer a vaccine to the population in January, it will start with a focus on particular groups. For the rest of the population we will have to maintain a high level of compliance with public health guidance,” he said.
There were six additional coronavirus-related deaths reported on Thursday, and 183 new confirmed cases, bringing the national total to 73,228.
There were 56 cases in Dublin; 26 in Donegal; 13 in Limerick; 11 in Kilkenny and 11 in Monaghan, with the remaining 66 spread across 15 other counties.
Dr Glynn said at Nphet’s evening briefing that due to an IT problem the number of additional cases disclosed on Thursday was likely under-reporting the true figure by about 100 cases.
Prof Philip Nolan, chair of Nphet’s modelling group, said the reproductive rate of the virus, known as the R-number, was estimated to be between 0.8 and 1.
“The number of people in hospital is declining but declining very slowly, and declining slowly compared to the first wave,” he said. The numbers in intensive care remained the same, while the number of fatalities from Covid-19 remained high, he said.
There had been “significantly less” transmission of the disease in long-term residential care settings, such as nursing homes, when compared with the first wave in April and May, he said.
Prof Nolan warned that some projections mapping the potential growth of the virus as restrictions were eased, estimated the country could see up to 1,200 cases a day by mid-January.
“We really do advise extreme caution in terms of limiting our number of contacts per week, and taking every precaution during those contacts, in order to avert a significant surge of infection over the Christmas and new year period,” Prof Nolan said.
As restaurants and gastropubs reopen on Friday, Dr Holohan cautioned people that “just because things are allowed and provided for, doesn’t mean we need to rush out and do them”.
He appealed for people to cut down on the number of unnecessary or “discretionary” contacts they had over the coming month, in order to prevent the need for renewed restrictions in January.
Later, on RTÉ's Prime Time, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said it was expected daily cases would continue to fall, albeit at a much slower rate, into next week.
The fall in numbers from the lockdown measures was “bottoming out a week quicker than hoped,” with the lowest numbers likely to be next week, before beginning to rise again.
“People are tired, and with the wonderful news about the vaccines, the fear I have is that people think this will be sorted in the first week of January, so we’re just going to relax, we’re just going to breath, we’re just going to live,” he said.
“It’s so important…that we don’t lose our discipline, for next few weeks we live well, but keep each other safe,” he said.
‘Mass gatherings’
Earlier, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said major events including concerts, matches and other “mass gatherings” may not go ahead next summer and warned ticket buyers that they might not get refunds if an event did not take place as it may be rescheduled.
He also said that the decision on who would be prioritised to receive the vaccine was not “rocket science”. He believed everyone understood that those who need it most would be prioritised – healthcare workers, residents of nursing homes and those who are older and have chronic diseases.
People who worked in high-risk environments such as in meat plants might also be prioritised, he said.
He was responding in the Dáil to Labour leader Alan Kelly who asked about events for next year already being promoted as he noted radio advertisements “for an awful lot of events being planned”.
Mr Kelly told the Tánaiste that events including the Longitude music festival in Marlay Park in Dublin were being planned.
“I’m sure you and I would like to get to concerts sometime next year,” Mr Kelly said.
He asked Mr Varadkar as Minister for Enterprise what advice he had for companies who were “spending a considerable amount of money planning events and whether or not they should expect for them to go ahead”.
The Tánaiste acknowledged the ticket sales “for some major events that we all hope will go ahead next summer”.
“The advice I would say is that there is no guarantee that those events will go ahead. We might need some time yet before we can attend matches and concerts and mass gatherings. I hope it’s possible in summer. It’s far from sure at this point.”
He added: “Under the law it is possible for companies organising those events to cancel them and reschedule them. They don’t have to refund the cost of tickets. They can reschedule them.
“I think people who are buying a ticket should be aware of that that they’re not guaranteed a refund. They might find it being rescheduled.”
Vaccines
Mr Kelly also raised concerns about the roll-out of the vaccine and asked who would be first to get it once it is approved.
Mr Varadkar said that the priority for who would get the vaccine first was, as far as he knew, not a matter for the Covid-19 taskforce but for the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac).
“That is the body that makes these kinds of decisions on other vaccines and we expect a report from them very soon as to what the order of prioritisation will be.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be rocket science”, he said, with healthcare workers, nursing home residents, and older people with chronic conditions first in line. He suggested that those working high-risk environments such as in meat plants might also be prioritised.
Mr Varadkar also insisted that “the Government is in control. The Cabinet is in control and makes decisions based on advice.”
He said the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was the lead Minister for the vaccine programme, after Mr Kelly said there seemed to be contradictory views on this.
He noted The Irish Times report that the Minister for Health would bring a memo to Government on Tuesday about who would be prioritised, but the Taoiseach had told him they would have to await the taskforce report three days later.
Mr Varadkar said the taskforce, which will report on December 11th, is in charge of issues including the purchase, delivery, administration, IT system and communications.
Mr Varadkar said Government would have to examine the issue of companies providing the vaccine privately. He did not think companies would be doing this as they would not be indemnified. And “we certainly wouldn’t want them to undermine in any way our programme of vaccination which will be free of charge and based on need”.
He said it may be the case that the vaccine company that produces it might want to vaccinate their own staff and “we’d have to think long and hard about preventing them from doing it if they’re the ones who developed it”.
He said he did not know, but would examine if legislation would be needed to establish a database for the vaccine. He would raise it with the Minister for Health, he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Cold, frost and icy stretches forecast for rest of week

A snow and ice warning is in place for parts of the north of the country on Thursday .
A yellow warning was issued for Co Donegal on Wednesday and is in place until midnight with reduced visibility likely in areas .
A similar warning was in place until 8am this morning for counties Antrim , Fermanagh , Tyrone and Derry .
Met Éireann has also warned that it will be “ much colder ” across the country for the rest of the week , with sharp to severe frosts , icy stretches and some wintry showers .
Thursday is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with widespread showers early on along with isolated thunderstorms .
Showers will gradually become confined to Atlantic counties , with spells of sunshine developing elsewhere .
Highest temperatures will be between just two and five degrees .
Thursday night is expected to be very cold with severe frost in most places .
Lowest temperatures will be between zero and minus three degrees .
There will be widespread frost to begin with on Friday with some icy stretches on untreated surfaces .
Many areas will stay dry for the day with spells of winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be brisk with an added wind chill factor .
A few coastal showers will persist too , mainly in the north and northwest with isolated hail and thunderstorms .
Highest temperatures will be between four and seven degrees .
Friday night will bring scattered rain and local hail showers , with some sleet on higher ground .
Lowest temperatures will be between zero and four degrees .
Saturday will bring further scattered showers with some sunshine developing later in the day .
Winds will be moderate with highest temperatures between five and eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showers in eastern coastal areas overnight but most areas will be dry with clear skies .
Lowest temperatures will be between minus three and three degrees .
Sunday is expected to be a largely dry day with a light northerly breeze and plenty of sunshine .
There may be some showers , with eastern fringes most at threat .
Highest temperatures will be between three and seven degrees .

Thursday night is expected to be very cold with severe frost in most places. File photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times
A snow and ice warning is in place for parts of the north of the country on Thursday. A yellow warning was issued for Co Donegal on Wednesday and is in place until midnight with reduced visibility likely in areas.
A similar warning was in place until 8am this morning for counties Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry.
Met Éireann has also warned that it will be "much colder" across the country for the rest of the week, with sharp to severe frosts, icy stretches and some wintry showers.
Thursday is due to be a bitterly cold day with widespread showers early on along with isolated thunderstorms. Showers will gradually become confined to Atlantic counties, with spells of sunshine developing elsewhere. Highest temperatures will be between just two and five degrees.
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Thursday night is expected to be very cold with severe frost in most places. Lowest temperatures will be between zero and minus three degrees.
There will be widespread frost to begin with on Friday with some icy stretches on untreated surfaces. Many areas will stay dry for the day with spells of winter sunshine.
However, northwest winds will be brisk with an added wind chill factor. A few coastal showers will persist too, mainly in the north and northwest with isolated hail and thunderstorms.
Highest temperatures will be between four and seven degrees.
Friday night will bring scattered rain and local hail showers, with some sleet on higher ground. Lowest temperatures will be between zero and four degrees.
Saturday will bring further scattered showers with some sunshine developing later in the day. Winds will be moderate with highest temperatures between five and eight degrees.
There will be some lingering showers in eastern coastal areas overnight but most areas will be dry with clear skies. Lowest temperatures will be between minus three and three degrees.
Sunday is expected to be a largely dry day with a light northerly breeze and plenty of sunshine. There may be some showers, with eastern fringes most at threat. Highest temperatures will be between three and seven degrees.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Putting our frontline workers up in lights for Christmas

It is starting to feel a lot more like Christmas in Dublin as the City Council ’ s Winter Lights campaign has transformed 17 locations with colourful projections and lighting displays .
Four new locations have been added to the list for this the third year of the campaign .
They are the Mater Hospital , Capital Dock , the Jeanie Johnston ship , and the CHQ triumphal arch .
Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu said the lights were “ heartening ” coming just at a time when people needed cheering up and she encouraged Dubliners to travel into town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be up for the whole month of December so , Covid restrictions allowing , I would encourage people to come into the city centre at their leisure and take a look .
While you ’ re in the city , do what you can to support local businesses too.
” Simon Clarke from Dublin City Council ’ s events section said , “ Smithfield [ is also ] getting an enhanced display this year featuring photos of frontline workers to thank them for their contribution in helping to keep the city running throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feature 157,800 low-power LEDs , 100 tonnes of equipment and 15,780 metres of cable .
The lights that power some of the projections consume less than 80 per cent of the energy of their traditional predecessors .
The ship sculpture at Sir John Rogerson ’ s Quay is all LED , using less electrical power than a domestic socket .
City Hall is also illuminated by LED using a total of 3kW , the equivalent of about two dishwashers .
The Hugh Lane Gallery and the Mansion House are illuminated each using the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The city council said the cost for the illuminations would not be available until January .
Dublin City Council Culture Company and community groups and artists across Dublin are behind the project .
The community groups involved are Croft Nursing Home , Hollybrook Nursing Home , Henrietta Street Adult & Community Education Service , an over-55s movement group from Richmond Barracks and a group of individuals who met during lockdown through the National Neighbourhood , a Culture Company programme .
Collaborating artists include Steve MacDevitt , Alan Dunne , Helen Barry , Ben @ @ @ @ @ @

It is starting to feel a lot more like Christmas in Dublin as the City Council’s Winter Lights campaign has transformed 17 locations with colourful projections and lighting displays.
Four new locations have been added to the list for this the third year of the campaign. They are the Mater Hospital, Capital Dock, the Jeanie Johnston ship, and the CHQ triumphal arch.
Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu said the lights were “heartening” coming just at a time when people needed cheering up and she encouraged Dubliners to travel into town to see them.
“They will be up for the whole month of December so, Covid restrictions allowing, I would encourage people to come into the city centre at their leisure and take a look. While you’re in the city, do what you can to support local businesses too.”
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Simon Clarke from Dublin City Council’s events section said, “Smithfield [is also] getting an enhanced display this year featuring photos of frontline workers to thank them for their contribution in helping to keep the city running throughout the pandemic.”
The eco-friendly Winter Lights feature 157,800 low-power LEDs, 100 tonnes of equipment and 15,780 metres of cable. The lights that power some of the projections consume less than 80 per cent of the energy of their traditional predecessors. The ship sculpture at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay is all LED, using less electrical power than a domestic socket. City Hall is also illuminated by LED using a total of 3kW, the equivalent of about two dishwashers. The Hugh Lane Gallery and the Mansion House are illuminated each using the power equivalent of a vacuum cleaner. The city council said the cost for the illuminations would not be available until January.
Dublin City Council Culture Company and community groups and artists across Dublin are behind the project. The community groups involved are Croft Nursing Home, Hollybrook Nursing Home, Henrietta Street Adult & Community Education Service, an over-55s movement group from Richmond Barracks and a group of individuals who met during lockdown through the National Neighbourhood, a Culture Company programme. Collaborating artists include Steve MacDevitt, Alan Dunne, Helen Barry, Ben Redmond and choreographer Aoife McAtamney.


theirishtimes--2020-12-03--Evolved to run – but not to exercise

Evolved to run – but not to exercise

Exercise leaves us healthier and more likely to live longer , yet many of us struggle to swallow the recommended dose of physical activity .
This is because it is unnatural to exercise , says Prof Daniel Lieberman , a top evolutionary scientist at Harvard University .
He has studied extinct humans and living hunter gatherers for decades , and describes exercise as a uniquely modern phenomenon .
“ When people don ’ t exercise , we label them as lazy , ” laments Lieberman , “ but they are actually doing what we evolved to do - which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent book is Exercised - The Science of Physical Activity , Rest and Health .
In it he busts myths and misunderstandings about exercise by looking at it from the viewpoint of evolutionary biology and anthropology .
The biggest myth , he says , is that it is normal to exercise .
Our hunter-gatherer and farming ancestors never ran or walked several miles a day just for health .
Lieberman explains why exercising can be so difficult and suggests how to overcome our instincts to avoid it .
If you ever watched the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they spend a lot of time inactive , sitting around grooming or feeding .
A 2016 study in Nature showed that apes spend hundreds of calories less energy per day than we do .
A chimpanzee typically is inactive for 10.5 hours in a 12-hour day .
Our ape ancestors evolved for sluggish activity levels to suit life in a rainforest .
Around 7 million years ago , as the climate in Africa dried and rainforests retreated , our ancestors evolved to walk on two legs .
They took on a different strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent more calories to earn more calories - and reproduce twice as fast .
“ We evolved an unusually expensive way of increasing our reproductive success , from an unusually low-energy-budget ancestor , ” Lieberman writes .
He argues that as result , our deeply embedded human instinct during downtime is “ to be as inactive as possible.
” While some describe sitting as the new smoking , he scoffs at this notion .
“ Hunter-gatherers sit as much as Westerners , ” he says .
Studies of Hazda hunter-gatherers in Africa show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two hours squatting and an hour kneeling each day .
Still , average hunter-gatherer men and women walk about 9.5km ( six miles a day ) , respectively , in order to hunt or collect food .
We evolved to walk with extreme efficiency .
Chimps spend about twice as many calories to walk the same distance as humans .
Therefore , it is hard to expend large amounts of calories quickly by walking .
Our ancestors evolved to be endurance walkers , adds Lieberman , but only when necessary .
Our adaptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , angled thighs and the forward curve in our lower spines .
One part of Lieberman ’ s research that attracts media attention is his focus on how we also evolved for endurance running .
“ We have short toes , and an arch in our foot , which is basically a spring .
You don ’ t need an arch for walking , but you need one for running , ” he says .
“ We have long tendons in our leg like the Achilles ’ .
” And there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest muscle in the human body .
“ Which we don ’ t use when we are walking , but which is incredibly important for running , ” says Lieberman .
There is also a special “ nuchal ligament , ” which works like a spring and keeps our heads steady as we run .
Gorillas , chimps and our early ancestors lack this ligament .
It first appears about two million years ago in Homo erectus , along with other adaptations for running .
Fossil evidence suggests that this is when running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important .
We were never fast .
Almost all four-legged creatures can outsprint Usain Bolt .
Instead , we evolved to be long-distance runners .
Lieberman proved this to himself when he once took part in a race in Arizona over 40km ( 25 miles ) , with 40 others on shank ’ s mare , competing against 53 horses and riders .
After 4 hours 20 minutes , he had finished ahead of all but 13 horses .
While antelopes , horses and zebras easily galloped away from human hunters , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) did not give up .
Yet for most of human history , hunting animals meant getting up close .
The first stone-tipped spear dates to around 500,000 years ago , and the bow and arrow was invented just 100,000 years ago .
Persistence hunting seems to have been widespread .
This involves humans running and walking after prey , never letting it cool down , and tracking it until it overheats and exhausts itself .
The San hunter-gatherers in the Kalahari in southern Africa have been recorded hunting in this way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half marathon .
Humans are especially adapted not to overheat .
In his book , Lieberman crowns humans the sweating champions of the world .
We alone have five to 10 million sweat glands all over our skin , allowing us to sweat one litre every hour , which keeps us cool , something animals we pursue can not do .
“ Until relatively recently , running was part of everyday life , ” says Lieberman .
This includes accounts from Native Americans , Australian aborigines , Africans and Siberians .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t have to run anymore and with that comes problems .
Walking and running are essential to switch on repair and maintenance in our bodies .
Exercise breaks down muscles and triggers inflammation , but this in turn switches on anti-inflammatory and repair mechanisms .
The long-term effect is less inflammation all over the body .
Exercise also keeps off belly fat , which in itself is a major cause of inflammation and other problems .
“ We evolved to be physically active .
It is important for almost every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds .
But we evolved to be active when it is either necessary or fun - dancing is a fun tradition in almost all human cultures .
When we exercise we produce chemicals that make us feel good and can lift our mood .
But dopamine levels , for example , only go up after we exercise , so can not get us off the couch , and ( rather unfairly ) overweight people have fewer dopamine receptors .
We never evolved to be physically inactive and out of shape , so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after several months , Lieberman explains .
We all know exercise is good for us .
But our natural instinct is not to exercise .
“ Two-thirds of Americans don ’ t exercise , and I dare say that the data are not that different in countries like Ireland and elsewhere , ” Lieberman says .
He argues that we need to accept how natural it is not to exercise and come up with ways to get around this - similar to how we approach education .
The key to getting started is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also to enter into a commitment contract , like we do during university studies .
“ I am a professor at a university where students pay for me to essentially torture them , making them do all kinds of work , ” Lieberman says .
He supports compulsory physical activity in schools and universities .
For adults , we might schedule exercises with a friend , and be socially obligated to show up .
One can pay to enter a race or event that requires training , or post exercises online so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and not doing .
Or one could designate someone you admire or fear as a referee to check up on your progress .
Or commit to teams or sports clubs .
“ One thing we do with education is make it social and we make it fun , ” he points out – and we should do the same with exercise .
We also need to accept that exercise is not natural and is challenging for most people .
“ Let ’ s stop pretending that exercise is necessarily fun , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The book Exercised can easily be enjoyed over the upcoming festive season , when we all begin to consider changes for 2021 and most of us reflect on how we might fit in – against our instincts – more exercise .

Exercise leaves us healthier and more likely to live longer, yet many of us struggle to swallow the recommended dose of physical activity.
This is because it is unnatural to exercise, says Prof Daniel Lieberman, a top evolutionary scientist at Harvard University. He has studied extinct humans and living hunter gatherers for decades, and describes exercise as a uniquely modern phenomenon.
“When people don’t exercise, we label them as lazy,” laments Lieberman, “but they are actually doing what we evolved to do - which is to avoid unnecessary physical activity.” His recent book is Exercised - The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health. In it he busts myths and misunderstandings about exercise by looking at it from the viewpoint of evolutionary biology and anthropology.
The biggest myth, he says, is that it is normal to exercise. Our hunter-gatherer and farming ancestors never ran or walked several miles a day just for health. Lieberman explains why exercising can be so difficult and suggests how to overcome our instincts to avoid it.
READ MORE
If you ever watched the gorillas or chimps in Dublin Zoo, they spend a lot of time inactive, sitting around grooming or feeding. A 2016 study in Nature showed that apes spend hundreds of calories less energy per day than we do. A chimpanzee typically is inactive for 10.5 hours in a 12-hour day. Our ape ancestors evolved for sluggish activity levels to suit life in a rainforest.
Around 7 million years ago, as the climate in Africa dried and rainforests retreated, our ancestors evolved to walk on two legs. They took on a different strategy to our ape relatives, wherein we spent more calories to earn more calories - and reproduce twice as fast. "We evolved an unusually expensive way of increasing our reproductive success, from an unusually low-energy-budget ancestor," Lieberman writes. He argues that as result, our deeply embedded human instinct during downtime is "to be as inactive as possible."
While some describe sitting as the new smoking, he scoffs at this notion. “Hunter-gatherers sit as much as Westerners,” he says. Studies of Hazda hunter-gatherers in Africa show them typically spending nine hours sitting, two hours squatting and an hour kneeling each day.
Still, average hunter-gatherer men and women walk about 9.5km (six miles a day), respectively, in order to hunt or collect food. We evolved to walk with extreme efficiency. Chimps spend about twice as many calories to walk the same distance as humans. Therefore, it is hard to expend large amounts of calories quickly by walking. Our ancestors evolved to be endurance walkers, adds Lieberman, but only when necessary. Our adaptions include a big toe that points forward, angled thighs and the forward curve in our lower spines.
Born to run
One part of Lieberman’s research that attracts media attention is his focus on how we also evolved for endurance running. “We have short toes, and an arch in our foot, which is basically a spring. You don’t need an arch for walking, but you need one for running,” he says. “We have long tendons in our leg like the Achilles’.”
And there’s our unusually large gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the human body. “Which we don’t use when we are walking, but which is incredibly important for running,” says Lieberman. There is also a special “nuchal ligament,” which works like a spring and keeps our heads steady as we run.
Gorillas, chimps and our early ancestors lack this ligament. It first appears about two million years ago in Homo erectus, along with other adaptations for running. Fossil evidence suggests that this is when running long distances to scavenge and hunt became important. We were never fast. Almost all four-legged creatures can outsprint Usain Bolt. Instead, we evolved to be long-distance runners.
Lieberman proved this to himself when he once took part in a race in Arizona over 40km (25 miles), with 40 others on shank's mare, competing against 53 horses and riders. After 4 hours 20 minutes, he had finished ahead of all but 13 horses.
While antelopes, horses and zebras easily galloped away from human hunters, our ancestors (just like Lieberman in Arizona) did not give up. Yet for most of human history, hunting animals meant getting up close. The first stone-tipped spear dates to around 500,000 years ago, and the bow and arrow was invented just 100,000 years ago.
Persistence hunting seems to have been widespread. This involves humans running and walking after prey, never letting it cool down, and tracking it until it overheats and exhausts itself. The San hunter-gatherers in the Kalahari in southern Africa have been recorded hunting in this way, with the average distance slightly longer than a half marathon.
Humans are especially adapted not to overheat. In his book, Lieberman crowns humans the sweating champions of the world. We alone have five to 10 million sweat glands all over our skin, allowing us to sweat one litre every hour, which keeps us cool, something animals we pursue cannot do.
“Until relatively recently, running was part of everyday life,” says Lieberman. This includes accounts from Native Americans, Australian aborigines, Africans and Siberians. It is only in the modern world that we don’t have to run anymore and with that comes problems.
We all know exercise is good for us. But our natural instinct is not to exercise. Photograph: iStock
Run to repair
Walking and running are essential to switch on repair and maintenance in our bodies. Exercise breaks down muscles and triggers inflammation, but this in turn switches on anti-inflammatory and repair mechanisms. The long-term effect is less inflammation all over the body. Exercise also keeps off belly fat, which in itself is a major cause of inflammation and other problems. “We evolved to be physically active. It is important for almost every system in the body,” he adds.
But we evolved to be active when it is either necessary or fun - dancing is a fun tradition in almost all human cultures. When we exercise we produce chemicals that make us feel good and can lift our mood. But dopamine levels, for example, only go up after we exercise, so cannot get us off the couch, and (rather unfairly) overweight people have fewer dopamine receptors. We never evolved to be physically inactive and out of shape, so many of the rewards from exercise only come after several months, Lieberman explains .
We all know exercise is good for us. But our natural instinct is not to exercise. "Two-thirds of Americans don't exercise, and I dare say that the data are not that different in countries like Ireland and elsewhere," Lieberman says. He argues that we need to accept how natural it is not to exercise and come up with ways to get around this - similar to how we approach education.
The key to getting started is to try make it social and fun and also to enter into a commitment contract, like we do during university studies. “I am a professor at a university where students pay for me to essentially torture them, making them do all kinds of work,” Lieberman says. He supports compulsory physical activity in schools and universities.
For adults, we might schedule exercises with a friend, and be socially obligated to show up. One can pay to enter a race or event that requires training, or post exercises online so others can see what you are doing, and not doing. Or one could designate someone you admire or fear as a referee to check up on your progress. Or commit to teams or sports clubs. “One thing we do with education is make it social and we make it fun,” he points out – and we should do the same with exercise.
We also need to accept that exercise is not natural and is challenging for most people. “Let’s stop pretending that exercise is necessarily fun, especially for habitual non-exercisers,” Lieberman advises.
The book Exercised can easily be enjoyed over the upcoming festive season, when we all begin to consider changes for 2021 and most of us reflect on how we might fit in – against our instincts – more exercise.