theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Election 2020: Twin pressures for Fianna Fáil candidate Catherine Ardagh

The timing of the general election could hardly be less favourable for Fianna Fáil ’ s Dublin South Central candidate Catherine Ardagh .
The Senator gave birth to twins Darragh Óg and Seán on December 29th after what she describes as a “ serious operation ” in the Coombe Hospital .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called the election on January 14th , when the twins were less than three weeks old .
The boys recently made their first public outing in a photocall with Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin as he toured the sprawling urban constituency .
On Sunday the twins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mouth , beside teddy bears dressed in Fianna Fáil colours in the offices of Ardagh ’ s company , Ardagh McCabe Solicitors in Crumlin , which is doubling as a campaign headquarters .
When Ardagh found out she was pregnant last April , she anticipated that an election would occur some time in April or May of this year - plenty of time to make childcare arrangements .
Events , though , intervened and the Taoiseach called an election for a time not of his choosing , and certainly not of Ardagh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she says ironically when asked for her view on the February 8th polling date .
“ You have to deal with whatever comes your way.
” To add to the frenetic atmosphere , Ardagh ’ s husband Darragh McShea is Fianna Fáil ’ s assistant general secretary .
“ We are likes ships in the night , ” she says , adding that the boy ’ s grandmothers have been a big help .
Ardagh says people have been supportive .
One exception is independent candidate Alan Kerrigan .
Nobody in political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims to have been born in the constituency and to have held senior positions in some tech firms .
He has had plenty to say to fellow candidates in Dublin South Central , particularly Ardagh , who he claimed the electorate deserved an answer from about any plans she had to take maternity leave after the election .
His approach did not go down well on social media , but it ’ s not a forum Ardagh takes seriously .
“ I know nothing about him whatsoever .
I had never heard of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bizarre , ” she says .
Ardagh says she plans to put the twins into the creche in Leinster House that ’ s “ if I get elected and if I can get a place .
It ’ s very hard to get into I believe ” .
And if she doesn ’ t get elected ?
“ I have to come back to work anyway because I ’ m self-employed .
I never really thought about maternity leave , ” she says .
“ One way or the other , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sorry Alan to burst your bubble.
” Ardagh says that if she is elected to the Dáil , she will campaign for a State-funded crèche system so mothers are able to return to work after their maternity leave ends .
It ’ s an ambitious plan that is not in Fianna Fáil ’ s manifesto .
“ Women going back to work are paying lots of tax .
It pays for itself .
It doesn ’ t make sense not to do it .
They ’ re sitting at home on unpaid leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radical .
It doesn ’ t make sense to crucify families.
” Ardagh came agonisingly close in 2016 to winning the Dáil seat held by her father , Seán Ardagh , between 2002 and 2011 .
The count went on for four days and she finally lost by 35 votes to People Before Profit ’ s Bríd Smith .
Family matters soon put her loss in perspective as her father was terminally ill from Non-Hodgkin ’ s lymphoma and died three months after the election .
“ We could tell that he wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was rearing its head again .
In previous times when there was a count on , he would be scrutinising every vote .
He just didn ’ t have the energy for it.
” She was then elected to the Seanad ’ s Industrial and Commercial Panel and was appointed Fianna Fáil ’ s leader in the Upper House .
It was a bitter sweet time .
“ He didn ’ t come into the Seanad , but he was aware and compos mentis when I was elected .
He was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is standing in a constituency dubbed the ‘ People ’ s Republic of Dublin South-Central ’ due to its left-wing tendencies .
Three of its four outgoing TDs are from the left - Sinn Féin ’ s Aengus Ó Snodaigh , Independent Joan Collins and Smith .
The seat of Fine Gael Minister of State Catherine Byrne is regarded as vulnerable and the Green Party ’ s Cllr Patrick O ’ Connell is seen as one to watch in the constituency , which has a large transitory population and a lot of residential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat is regarded as safe , and Ardagh should have a better than average chance of being elected based on the poll numbers .
Housing is the big issue in the constituency , she says , and this is borne out on the doorsteps in Perrystown .
Even in this settled suburb , those with homes fret for those who are without .
One woman says she has two children abroad and wonders will they get housing if they return .
Another , a teacher , says it is hard to get younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing issue in the constituency is the redevelopment of St Michael ’ s Estate in Inchicore , a flagship programme for the outgoing Government ’ s “ cost rental ” scheme .
The plan was to build 420 homes and rent them at affordable prices .
This provoked an unseemly spat between the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and Byrne , who said the proposal would bring a transitory population to the area .
The project is yet to go ahead .
Ardagh says she will support the St Michael ’ s proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we really want to sort the housing crisis , we are going to have to let nimbyism slide .
If you look at every constituency you will find examples of sitting TDs or senators coming out against certain housing developments .
We need to be generous in allowing social and housing developments be constructed across the city.
” In that spirit , she says there is no appetite on the doorstep for tax cuts and the electorate are prioritising spending on public services .
“ I think people are a lot less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We have everything .
People aren ’ t as flash these days which is very welcome .
”

Fianna Fáil election candidate Catherine Ardagh is pictured with her five week old twins Seán and Darragh Óg and Christabelle Feeney in Crumlin, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
The timing of the general election could hardly be less favourable for Fianna Fáil's Dublin South Central candidate Catherine Ardagh.
The Senator gave birth to twins Darragh Óg and Seán on December 29th after what she describes as a "serious operation" in the Coombe Hospital.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called the election on January 14th, when the twins were less than three weeks old. The boys recently made their first public outing in a photocall with Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin as he toured the sprawling urban constituency.
On Sunday the twins sit in their car seats, dummies in mouth, beside teddy bears dressed in Fianna Fáil colours in the offices of Ardagh's company, Ardagh McCabe Solicitors in Crumlin, which is doubling as a campaign headquarters.
READ MORE
When Ardagh found out she was pregnant last April, she anticipated that an election would occur some time in April or May of this year - plenty of time to make childcare arrangements. Events, though, intervened and the Taoiseach called an election for a time not of his choosing, and certainly not of Ardagh’s.
“Absolutely delighted,” she says ironically when asked for her view on the February 8th polling date. “You have to deal with whatever comes your way.”
To add to the frenetic atmosphere, Ardagh’s husband Darragh McShea is Fianna Fáil’s assistant general secretary. “We are likes ships in the night,” she says, adding that the boy’s grandmothers have been a big help.
Ardagh says people have been supportive. One exception is independent candidate Alan Kerrigan. Nobody in political circles had heard of Kerrigan, who claims to have been born in the constituency and to have held senior positions in some tech firms. He has had plenty to say to fellow candidates in Dublin South Central, particularly Ardagh, who he claimed the electorate deserved an answer from about any plans she had to take maternity leave after the election.
Bizarre
His approach did not go down well on social media, but it’s not a forum Ardagh takes seriously. “I know nothing about him whatsoever. I had never heard of him. It’s kind of bizarre,” she says.
Ardagh says she plans to put the twins into the creche in Leinster House that's "if I get elected and if I can get a place. It's very hard to get into I believe".
And if she doesn’t get elected?
“I have to come back to work anyway because I’m self-employed. I never really thought about maternity leave,” she says. “One way or the other, I’ll be going back to work. Sorry Alan to burst your bubble.”
Ardagh says that if she is elected to the Dáil, she will campaign for a State-funded crèche system so mothers are able to return to work after their maternity leave ends. It’s an ambitious plan that is not in Fianna Fáil’s manifesto.
“Women going back to work are paying lots of tax. It pays for itself. It doesn’t make sense not to do it. They’re sitting at home on unpaid leave. We need to be much more radical. It doesn’t make sense to crucify families.”
Ardagh came agonisingly close in 2016 to winning the Dáil seat held by her father, Seán Ardagh, between 2002 and 2011. The count went on for four days and she finally lost by 35 votes to People Before Profit’s Bríd Smith.
Family matters soon put her loss in perspective as her father was terminally ill from Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and died three months after the election.
“We could tell that he wasn’t in great form, that it was rearing its head again. In previous times when there was a count on, he would be scrutinising every vote. He just didn’t have the energy for it.”
She was then elected to the Seanad’s Industrial and Commercial Panel and was appointed Fianna Fáil’s leader in the Upper House. It was a bitter sweet time. “He didn’t come into the Seanad, but he was aware and compos mentis when I was elected. He was in a hospice at the time.”
Catherine Ardagh canvassing at St Catherine’s Church on Meath Street in Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times.
‘People’s Republic’
Ardagh is standing in a constituency dubbed the 'People's Republic of Dublin South-Central' due to its left-wing tendencies. Three of its four outgoing TDs are from the left - Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Independent Joan Collins and Smith. The seat of Fine Gael Minister of State Catherine Byrne is regarded as vulnerable and the Green Party's Cllr Patrick O'Connell is seen as one to watch in the constituency, which has a large transitory population and a lot of residential turnover.
Only Ó Snodaigh’s seat is regarded as safe, and Ardagh should have a better than average chance of being elected based on the poll numbers.
Housing is the big issue in the constituency, she says, and this is borne out on the doorsteps in Perrystown. Even in this settled suburb, those with homes fret for those who are without. One woman says she has two children abroad and wonders will they get housing if they return. Another, a teacher, says it is hard to get younger colleagues into her school.
The biggest housing issue in the constituency is the redevelopment of St Michael's Estate in Inchicore, a flagship programme for the outgoing Government's "cost rental" scheme. The plan was to build 420 homes and rent them at affordable prices. This provoked an unseemly spat between the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and Byrne, who said the proposal would bring a transitory population to the area. The project is yet to go ahead.
Ardagh says she will support the St Michael’s proposal if elected.
“As politicians, if we really want to sort the housing crisis, we are going to have to let nimbyism slide. If you look at every constituency you will find examples of sitting TDs or senators coming out against certain housing developments. We need to be generous in allowing social and housing developments be constructed across the city.”
In that spirit, she says there is no appetite on the doorstep for tax cuts and the electorate are prioritising spending on public services.
“I think people are a lot less greedy than you give them credit for. We have everything. People aren’t as flash these days which is very welcome.”


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Coronavirus: New test with faster results available in Ireland

New testing kits for the novel Coronavirus , which deliver results within four to six hours , are now available in Ireland .
This comes after a man who exhibited symptons tested negative for the virus after being removed from a Aeroflot flight at Dublin Airport on Saturday night .
The test is carried out on nasal and throat swabs taken from the patient and results are available four to six hours of a sample arriving at the National Virus Reference Laboratory .
Public health experts are expecting to see a small number of confirmed cases identified in Ireland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
While a number of major airlines have stopped flying from China , Moscow remains a hub through which travellers reach cities in Western Europe .
Specialists here see general practitioners as having a key role in ensuring there is no community spread of the novel virus .
Suspected cases must not be referred to hospital emergency departments ; protocol advises isolation in the persons home while the local public health department is contacted .
Declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by some experts as likely to become a global pandemic .
Outside China some 100 cases have been reported in at least 24 countries .
The latest WHO situation report puts the worldwide total of confirmed cases of 2019-NCoV at 14,557 .
China ’ s death toll from the new coronavirus jumped above 300 to surpass the number of fatalities of the SARS crisis in 2002/2003 .
There has been one death outside China – a person who was a close contact of the first patient confirmed in the Philippines .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have set up a mechanism for the rapid sharing of research data on the new coronavirus .
Key questions that require urgent answers include an accurate estimate of the death rate , as well as more information on how easily the virus can be transmitted from person to person .
The WHO advises the following preventive measures : • Frequent hand washing , especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment .
• People with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette ( maintain distance , cover • coughs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and wash hands ) .
• “ Within healthcare facilities , enhance standard infection prevention and control practices in hospitals , especially in emergency departments .

New testing kits for the novel Coronavirus, which deliver results within four to six hours, are now available in Ireland.
This comes after a man who exhibited symptons tested negative for the virus after being removed from a Aeroflot flight at Dublin Airport on Saturday night.
The test is carried out on nasal and throat swabs taken from the patient and results are available four to six hours of a sample arriving at the National Virus Reference Laboratory.
Public health experts are expecting to see a small number of confirmed cases identified in Ireland, most likely involving indirect travel from central China. While a number of major airlines have stopped flying from China, Moscow remains a hub through which travellers reach cities in Western Europe.
READ MORE
Specialists here see general practitioners as having a key role in ensuring there is no community spread of the novel virus. Suspected cases must not be referred to hospital emergency departments; protocol advises isolation in the persons home while the local public health department is contacted.
Declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO) the 2019 – NCoV virus is now seen by some experts as likely to become a global pandemic. Outside China some 100 cases have been reported in at least 24 countries. The latest WHO situation report puts the worldwide total of confirmed cases of 2019-NCoV at 14,557.
China’s death toll from the new coronavirus jumped above 300 to surpass the number of fatalities of the SARS crisis in 2002/2003. There has been one death outside China – a person who was a close contact of the first patient confirmed in the Philippines.
In a novel move, researchers and academic journals have set up a mechanism for the rapid sharing of research data on the new coronavirus. Key questions that require urgent answers include an accurate estimate of the death rate, as well as more information on how easily the virus can be transmitted from person to person.
The WHO advises the following preventive measures:


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--I can’t wait up to five weeks for Harvey Norman to repair my laptop

Faye Lewis contacted us via Twitter after she was told that she would have to wait as long as five weeks to have a laptop she bought recently in Harvey Norman repaired .
She was told the problem was that the charger was slipping out of the laptop .
“ There couldn ’ t possibly be any physical damage to the laptop or charger as I ’ ve barely used them since I only purchased it on December 2nd and have kept it in a thick protective case which I also purchased the day of the laptop , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charger was a bit dirty in the description , it was a Snow White rubber charger originally which I would have still classed as clean .
I asked them could I just get a charger replacement under my insurance as I don ’ t have the time to give in the laptop but they said they can ’ t do anything for me unless they take both the laptop and the charger in so they can make sure the laptop isn ’ t at fault , ” she says .
She is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new term has only just begun .
Assignments are flying in , I ’ m very upset over signing a form saying that they can hold onto it for five weeks but I had no other option.
” We got in touch with Harvey Norman to see if we could help out .
In response to our queries , a spokeswoman said that Faye was “ correct in that she signed our terms and conditions which state that a repair may take between one to five weeks .
This allows for part constraints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brands etc .
This is not to say all repairs will take the five weeks but rather that in some circumstances , it could take that long – this is worse-case scenario and we need to advise our customers of this .
However , it should be clear in conversation that it is not automatically five weeks.
” She said that it was standard procedure to take the laptop – as well as the charger – to ensure a “ proper assessment is completed to see if there is a manufacturing fault or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason .
This is not always possible to do in-store or on the same day .
But for the majority of cases , this happens in store at the time of return ” .
Then she apologised to our reader “ if our communication was lacking or unclear to her on both the timeframes and the process , and for the stress it has caused her ” .
And then she got her laptop back .

Faye Lewis contacted us via Twitter after she was told that she would have to wait as long as five weeks to have a laptop she bought recently in Harvey Norman repaired. She was told the problem was that the charger was slipping out of the laptop.
“There couldn’t possibly be any physical damage to the laptop or charger as I’ve barely used them since I only purchased it on December 2nd and have kept it in a thick protective case which I also purchased the day of the laptop,” she says.
Replacement
“While they said the charger was a bit dirty in the description, it was a Snow White rubber charger originally which I would have still classed as clean. I asked them could I just get a charger replacement under my insurance as I don’t have the time to give in the laptop but they said they can’t do anything for me unless they take both the laptop and the charger in so they can make sure the laptop isn’t at fault,” she says.
She is a third-year student in college “and the new term has only just begun. Assignments are flying in, I’m very upset over signing a form saying that they can hold onto it for five weeks but I had no other option.”
READ MORE
We got in touch with Harvey Norman to see if we could help out.
In response to our queries, a spokeswoman said that Faye was “correct in that she signed our terms and conditions which state that a repair may take between one to five weeks. This allows for part constraints, logistics to repair agents for different brands etc. This is not to say all repairs will take the five weeks but rather that in some circumstances, it could take that long – this is worse-case scenario and we need to advise our customers of this. However, it should be clear in conversation that it is not automatically five weeks.”
She said that it was standard procedure to take the laptop – as well as the charger – to ensure a “proper assessment is completed to see if there is a manufacturing fault or if the issue is due to another reason. This is not always possible to do in-store or on the same day. But for the majority of cases, this happens in store at the time of return”.
Then she apologised to our reader “if our communication was lacking or unclear to her on both the timeframes and the process, and for the stress it has caused her”. And then she got her laptop back.


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Disclosures tribunal rejects up to eight complaints from gardaí

The Disclosures tribunal has rejected up to eight complaints it received from gardaí who felt they were targeted by senior officers after making a whistleblower disclosure , it has emerged .
It is still considering a further four complaints in private , a source has told The Irish Times .
The tribunal has yet to decide if these fall within its terms of reference and should proceed to full public hearings .
The tribunal began hearing evidence on October 14th last about a complaint from Garda Nicky Keogh that he was targeted and discredited after he made a protected disclosure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of the sittings , two of the most serious complaints he made were withdrawn .
These included a claim that in 2015 the then Garda Commissioner Nóirín O ’ Sullivan phoned Garda Keogh ’ s superintendent and that afterwards the word went out in the Athlone station that members should “ step back and alienate ” the garda .
The remaining 20 of his complaints deal with a range of matters including internal inquiries , alleged unfair treatment over expenses and sick leave , and other matters .
Garda Keogh , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress , has been on sick leave since December 2015 .
The public inquiry into his complaints comes under term of reference P , which instructs the tribunal to consider complaints from members of the force who made protected disclosures prior to February 16th , 2017 , the day the Oireachtas established the tribunal .
It is the tribunal ’ s sole remaining term of reference .
The tribunal has sat in public for 29 days hearing evidence about Garda Keogh ’ s complaints , with up to 20 barristers and solicitors being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit again during the second and third weeks of February and the plan is that the hearing of evidence will end by early March .
According to one source , even if one or two more complaints from other whistleblowers proceed to public sittings , they will be shorter in duration than was the inquiry into Garda Keogh ’ s complaint .
However , no decision has as yet been made about the remaining complaints under review .
The sittings under term of reference P are being chaired by Mr Justice Seán Ryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relation to Sgt Maurice McCabe , Garda Keith Harrison and matters to do with the child and family agency , Tusla , were chaired by Mr Justice Peter Charleton .
Mr Justice Charleton dismissed as false and completely without foundation complaints Garda Harrison made about Tusla and the gardaí treating him unfairly .
The judge subsequently decided that Garda Harrison was not entitled to most of his legal costs .
Other complaints from Garda Harrison were at one stage also expected to feature under term of reference P , but it is understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place and that Garda Harrison has said he has no wish to participate in any tribunal inquiry .
The tribunal is next scheduled to sit on Monday , February 10th .

The tribunal sittings under term of reference P are being chaired by Mr Justice Seán Ryan. Photograph: Collins Courts
The Disclosures tribunal has rejected up to eight complaints it received from gardaí who felt they were targeted by senior officers after making a whistleblower disclosure, it has emerged.
It is still considering a further four complaints in private, a source has told The Irish Times. The tribunal has yet to decide if these fall within its terms of reference and should proceed to full public hearings.
The tribunal began hearing evidence on October 14th last about a complaint from Garda Nicky Keogh that he was targeted and discredited after he made a protected disclosure in May 2014.
On the first week of the sittings, two of the most serious complaints he made were withdrawn. These included a claim that in 2015 the then Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan phoned Garda Keogh’s superintendent and that afterwards the word went out in the Athlone station that members should “step back and alienate” the garda.
READ MORE
The remaining 20 of his complaints deal with a range of matters including internal inquiries, alleged unfair treatment over expenses and sick leave, and other matters.
Sick leave
Garda Keogh, who had a drink problem and suffered from stress, has been on sick leave since December 2015.
The public inquiry into his complaints comes under term of reference P, which instructs the tribunal to consider complaints from members of the force who made protected disclosures prior to February 16th, 2017, the day the Oireachtas established the tribunal. It is the tribunal’s sole remaining term of reference.
The tribunal has sat in public for 29 days hearing evidence about Garda Keogh’s complaints, with up to 20 barristers and solicitors being present at most sittings.
It will sit again during the second and third weeks of February and the plan is that the hearing of evidence will end by early March.
According to one source, even if one or two more complaints from other whistleblowers proceed to public sittings, they will be shorter in duration than was the inquiry into Garda Keogh’s complaint. However, no decision has as yet been made about the remaining complaints under review.
The sittings under term of reference P are being chaired by Mr Justice Seán Ryan. Earlier sittings that heard evidence in relation to Sgt Maurice McCabe, Garda Keith Harrison and matters to do with the child and family agency, Tusla, were chaired by Mr Justice Peter Charleton.
Mr Justice Charleton dismissed as false and completely without foundation complaints Garda Harrison made about Tusla and the gardaí treating him unfairly. The judge subsequently decided that Garda Harrison was not entitled to most of his legal costs.
Other complaints from Garda Harrison were at one stage also expected to feature under term of reference P, but it is understood this inquiry will not now be taking place and that Garda Harrison has said he has no wish to participate in any tribunal inquiry.
The tribunal is next scheduled to sit on Monday, February 10th.


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Teachers’ strike: ‘We have to work part-time jobs to get by’

Tara Ní Mhóráin ( 29 ) , a secondary school teacher , works a part-time job in order to make ends meet .
So , too , do the two other teachers she shares a house with in Co Louth .
All are on lower pay scales which were introduced in 2011 to cut public spending .
“ It ’ s something which is completely foreign for older teachers , ” Ní Mhóráin says .
“ I do some part-time lecturing work in Dublin City University .
My other teaching friends work in shops , babysitting or administration during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work during the summer .
We have to , ” she says .
By her calculation , she has lost out on about €37,500 as a result of being on a lower pay scale since she started teaching in 2014 .
For those hired closer to 2011 , she says , the figure is about €50,000 .
“ At my school , most teachers are on the lower scale .
You see some older colleagues who might be able to buy a new car or go somewhere nice on holidays .
.
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of us , even though we ’ re in the classroom next door doing the same job .
It ’ s a bitter pill to swallow , ” she says .
Even though she ’ s classified as a “ new entrant teacher ” , many have been teaching close to a decade now .
“ We have waited long enough for it to end .
.
.
many of us have had to put life decisions off , such as having children , getting married .
Ending two-tier pay has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving people from teaching , ” she says .
Ní Mhóráin says she loves her job and does not want to be on strike on Tuesday .
But , she says , it is vitally important that the next government ends pay inequality swiftly .
Otherwise , teachers may consider leaving the profession .
“ It makes you wonder do you want to teach for the rest of your life .
I used to work as a translator with the European Commission .
It wasn ’ t work I enjoyed as much , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the political parties have all pledged to end pay inequality , Ní Mhóráin says many of the promises are “ wishy washy ” .
“ We want an end date .
We want to know when can we get on with the rest of our lives , ” she says .

Tara Ní Mhóráin, who is on the new entrants pay scale, is one of thousands of teachers set to strike on Tuesday. Photograph: Dave Meehan
Tara Ní Mhóráin (29), a secondary school teacher, works a part-time job in order to make ends meet. So, too, do the two other teachers she shares a house with in Co Louth.
All are on lower pay scales which were introduced in 2011 to cut public spending.
“It’s something which is completely foreign for older teachers,” Ní Mhóráin says. “I do some part-time lecturing work in Dublin City University. My other teaching friends work in shops, babysitting or administration during the evenings or weekends. And we all work during the summer. We have to,” she says.
By her calculation, she has lost out on about €37,500 as a result of being on a lower pay scale since she started teaching in 2014. For those hired closer to 2011, she says, the figure is about €50,000.
READ MORE
“At my school, most teachers are on the lower scale. You see some older colleagues who might be able to buy a new car or go somewhere nice on holidays . . . that feels so out of reach for many of us, even though we’re in the classroom next door doing the same job. It’s a bitter pill to swallow,” she says.
Even though she’s classified as a “new entrant teacher”, many have been teaching close to a decade now.
“We have waited long enough for it to end . . . many of us have had to put life decisions off, such as having children, getting married. Ending two-tier pay has been a waiting game and it’s driving people from teaching,” she says.
Ní Mhóráin says she loves her job and does not want to be on strike on Tuesday. But, she says, it is vitally important that the next government ends pay inequality swiftly. Otherwise, teachers may consider leaving the profession.
"It makes you wonder do you want to teach for the rest of your life. I used to work as a translator with the European Commission. It wasn't work I enjoyed as much, but it has more financial benefits."
While the political parties have all pledged to end pay inequality, Ní Mhóráin says many of the promises are “wishy washy”.
“We want an end date. We want to know when can we get on with the rest of our lives,” she says.


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Mountjoy Prison to open unit for older inmates

Mountjoy Prison in Dublin is opening a “ centre for older persons ” to cater for the needs of an ageing prison population who often present with complex medical conditions .
The Irish Prison Service ( IPS ) is constructing the unit , for inmates who are older than 55 years old , within a former training unit on the prison grounds , which has been vacant since mid-2017 .
Construction is currently taking place to refurbish the unit , at a cost of about €2.5 million , the IPS said .
The unit will consist of two areas : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for ambulatory prisoners and a lower floor area of 32 cells , as well as two high-dependency rooms for prisoners with mobility and health issues .
Rooms will be adapted to meet the needs of various disabilities and medical presentations , including wheelchair accessibility .
Some medical services will also be provided to inmates on the premises .
“ The Irish Prison Service made the decision as it is required to cater for the needs of an increasing older demographic within the prison population , with more complex medical presentations .
The unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for older persons , ” a spokesman said .
The older person ’ s facility will operate as a semi-open system with prisoners having keys for the door of their own room .
The cells will not have toilets in each individual room but inmates will have 24-hour access to lavatory facilities .
The necessary refurbishment works are currently under way and the construction aspect of the project is expected to be completed shortly , the IPS spokesman added .
Prisoners are expected to move into the unit on a phased basis in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mountjoy Prison was closed temporarily and vacated by prisoners in May 2017 .
Prior to its closure , the unit operated as a semi-open facility which incorporated a unique arrangement offering a process of normalisation which assisted the rehabilitation of prisoners prior to their release .
The number of older people in prison has increased considerably in recent years .
Figures from the IPS in 2018 show that almost 15 per cent of the national prison population was aged over 50 , up from 10 per cent in 2015 .
The most recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 455 prisoners aged over 50 , with 447 of those being male .
The Irish Penal Reform Trust ( IPRT ) has welcomed the IPS recognising the specific needs of older prisoners , but lamented the loss of the training unit .
“ We regret the closing of the training unit as the only urban , semi-open prison in Ireland , ” said Fíona Ní Chinnéide , executive director of IPRT .
“ We would welcome that the Irish Prison Service is taking measures to address specific needs of older prisoners , across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so this is positive.
” She added : “ But a huge gap remains in terms of providing increased , open prison places , and in particular in an urban setting because the reality is , the vast majority of people leaving prison return to an urban setting , not a rural setting such as Shelton Abbey or Loughlinstown .
”

The centre for older persons at Mountjoy Prison will consist of an upper floor area of 64 cells for ambulatory prisoners and a lower floor area of 32 cells, as well as two high-dependency rooms. Photograph: David Sleator
Mountjoy Prison in Dublin is opening a “centre for older persons” to cater for the needs of an ageing prison population who often present with complex medical conditions.
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) is constructing the unit, for inmates who are older than 55 years old, within a former training unit on the prison grounds, which has been vacant since mid-2017.
Construction is currently taking place to refurbish the unit, at a cost of about €2.5 million, the IPS said.
The unit will consist of two areas: an upper floor area of 64 cells for ambulatory prisoners and a lower floor area of 32 cells, as well as two high-dependency rooms for prisoners with mobility and health issues.
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Rooms will be adapted to meet the needs of various disabilities and medical presentations, including wheelchair accessibility. Some medical services will also be provided to inmates on the premises.
“The Irish Prison Service made the decision as it is required to cater for the needs of an increasing older demographic within the prison population, with more complex medical presentations. The unit will also allow for a better regime for older persons,” a spokesman said.
Semi-open system
The older person’s facility will operate as a semi-open system with prisoners having keys for the door of their own room.
The cells will not have toilets in each individual room but inmates will have 24-hour access to lavatory facilities.
The necessary refurbishment works are currently under way and the construction aspect of the project is expected to be completed shortly, the IPS spokesman added. Prisoners are expected to move into the unit on a phased basis in early March.
The training unit in Mountjoy Prison was closed temporarily and vacated by prisoners in May 2017. Prior to its closure, the unit operated as a semi-open facility which incorporated a unique arrangement offering a process of normalisation which assisted the rehabilitation of prisoners prior to their release.
The number of older people in prison has increased considerably in recent years. Figures from the IPS in 2018 show that almost 15 per cent of the national prison population was aged over 50, up from 10 per cent in 2015.
The most recent figures from December 2018 shows there were 455 prisoners aged over 50, with 447 of those being male.
The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has welcomed the IPS recognising the specific needs of older prisoners, but lamented the loss of the training unit.
“We regret the closing of the training unit as the only urban, semi-open prison in Ireland,” said Fíona Ní Chinnéide, executive director of IPRT.
“We would welcome that the Irish Prison Service is taking measures to address specific needs of older prisoners, across medical and disability, but also regime, so this is positive.”
She added: “But a huge gap remains in terms of providing increased, open prison places, and in particular in an urban setting because the reality is, the vast majority of people leaving prison return to an urban setting, not a rural setting such as Shelton Abbey or Loughlinstown.”


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Sex crimes at record high in 2019 after sixth consecutive rise

The number of sex crimes reported to the Garda increased for the sixth year in succession last year , surpassing what was already a record high , new unpublished figures show .
There was a 3 per cent increase in the total number of sexual offences reported to the force last year , up from 3,179 offences in 2018 .
It means a new record for sex crimes reported annually has now been reached for four years consecutively .
Garda officers and some groups working in the area of sexual violence believe the # MeToo movement accelerated an increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more confidence to make a formal complaint to the Garda .
However , many senior officers also believe it is very likely the number of sex crimes being committed in the Republic has increased .
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris set out the increase in some crime trends in a report to the Policing Authority .
The report , which has not yet been published by the Garda , was submitted to the authority in January and relates to Garda activity and crime across the Republic in December and a look back at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of sexual offences recorded by the Garda has been increasing since 2015 , with last year ’ s increase at 3 per cent .
“ This increase is not unique to Ireland and may be partially attributable to a change in reporting behaviour , whereby victims are increasingly likely to report sexual crime , ” he said .
“ However , given that crimes against the person are also on an upward trend , it can not be precluded that there has been an increase in the number of sexual crimes occurring.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased by 3 per cent last year though other types of burglaries – mainly on businesses – were down 11 per cent .
Property crime increased by 1.3 per cent last year compared to 2018 and criminal damage was two per cent higher .
Crimes against the person , which include assault , were up by 5 per cent .
Public order offences were up 4 per cent last year driven by a 6 per cent increase in drunkenness .
Mr Harris has said those crime types were increasing as the Republic became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs was increasing .
It has also emerged that An Garda Síochána came within budget and returned €2 million to the exchequer last year .
This was despite the extra costs incurred when US president Donald Trump and vice-president Mike Pence visited the Republic .
Overall , Garda expenditure was €1,669.2 million , some €3.1 million less than the annual budget of €1,672.3 million , which included a supplementary estimate of €17.5 million .
The fact some money was surrendered back to the exchequer at year end is likely to anger some members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative bodies as overtime was scaled back significantly during the year , with discretionary overtime stopped in the latter part of 2019 .
However , Mr Harris ’ s report says the return of the money was agreed between senior Garda management and the Department of Justice as part of a deal in which a supplementary estimate of €17.5 million was agreed at the end of last year .
That was to cover the costs of the security around the Trump and Pence visits , which cost the Garda €14.7 million .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards the €3.6 million of mobility devices which allow Garda assess at roadside checks if motorists they encountered are banned from driving or not .
The Garda also purchased 450 vehicles last year , with €2.7 million available after an “ underspend ” in the capital building being used towards that investment .

The number of sex crimes reported to the Garda increased for the sixth year in succession last year, surpassing what was already a record high, new unpublished figures show.
There was a 3 per cent increase in the total number of sexual offences reported to the force last year, up from 3,179 offences in 2018.
It means a new record for sex crimes reported annually has now been reached for four years consecutively.
Garda officers and some groups working in the area of sexual violence believe the #MeToo movement accelerated an increase in reporting in that it gave some victims more confidence to make a formal complaint to the Garda.
READ MORE
However, many senior officers also believe it is very likely the number of sex crimes being committed in the Republic has increased.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris set out the increase in some crime trends in a report to the Policing Authority. The report, which has not yet been published by the Garda, was submitted to the authority in January and relates to Garda activity and crime across the Republic in December and a look back at the year in full. It states the number of sexual offences recorded by the Garda has been increasing since 2015, with last year's increase at 3 per cent.
"This increase is not unique to Ireland and may be partially attributable to a change in reporting behaviour, whereby victims are increasingly likely to report sexual crime," he said.
“However, given that crimes against the person are also on an upward trend, it cannot be precluded that there has been an increase in the number of sexual crimes occurring.”
Burglary
The report also reveals residential burglaries increased by 3 per cent last year though other types of burglaries – mainly on businesses – were down 11 per cent. Property crime increased by 1.3 per cent last year compared to 2018 and criminal damage was two per cent higher.
Crimes against the person, which include assault, were up by 5 per cent. Public order offences were up 4 per cent last year driven by a 6 per cent increase in drunkenness. Mr Harris has said those crime types were increasing as the Republic became more prosperous and spending on alcohol and drugs was increasing.
It has also emerged that An Garda Síochána came within budget and returned €2 million to the exchequer last year. This was despite the extra costs incurred when US president Donald Trump and vice-president Mike Pence visited the Republic.
Overall, Garda expenditure was €1,669.2 million, some €3.1 million less than the annual budget of €1,672.3 million, which included a supplementary estimate of €17.5 million.
The fact some money was surrendered back to the exchequer at year end is likely to anger some members of the force and the Garda staff representative bodies as overtime was scaled back significantly during the year, with discretionary overtime stopped in the latter part of 2019.
However, Mr Harris’s report says the return of the money was agreed between senior Garda management and the Department of Justice as part of a deal in which a supplementary estimate of €17.5 million was agreed at the end of last year. That was to cover the costs of the security around the Trump and Pence visits, which cost the Garda €14.7 million.
The €17.5 million supplementary estimate was also used towards the €3.6 million of mobility devices which allow Garda assess at roadside checks if motorists they encountered are banned from driving or not.
The Garda also purchased 450 vehicles last year, with €2.7 million available after an “underspend” in the capital building being used towards that investment.


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Teachers not involved in strike may have to pass picket lines to be paid

Teachers who are not part of the trade union behind Tuesday ’ s one-day secondary school strike will need to register their attendance at schools in order to be paid , according to Government instructions .
At least half of the country ’ s 700-plus secondary schools are set to shut on foot of a stoppage by the Teachers ’ Union of Ireland ( TUI ) in protest over two-tier pay rates .
Official advice set out in a recent circular to school managers stated that they should “ make appropriate arrangements to record the attendance or absence of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February .
This applies to all teaching and non-teaching staff employed by the school.
” In some cases , members of the Association of Secondary Teachers ’ Ireland ( ASTI ) and non-union teachers will have to cross picket lines in order to be paid , regardless of whether the school is open or closed to students .
In official advice to members , the ASTI has advised its members that they must be “ available for work ” in order to be paid .
“ To refuse to do so would mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging in unofficial industrial action and would not be covered by the immunities provided in Industrial Relations Act , 1990 , ” the advice stated .
In addition , the union told its members that the TUI had given assurances that they would have “ no difficulty ” with ASTI members attending for work and passing their pickets .
“ This is also in keeping with normal protocols/standards set out by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions , ” the ASTI advice states .
Latest figures indicate the strike is set to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 700-plus secondary schools .
The stoppage is also expected to cause significant disruption to further education centres and institutes of technology .
The Department of Education said it was likely that virtually all of the 248 Education and Training Board schools and 96 community and comprehensive schools would be closed .
In addition , a minimum of 45 of the country ’ s 380 voluntary secondary schools will also shut .
While this latter category of school is mostly represented by ASTI members , the union has directed its members not to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has forced the closure of some voluntary secondary schools on health and safety grounds , even in cases where a relatively small number of teachers are TUI members .
On foot of the strike , many schools have rescheduled the timing of “ mock ” exams for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert students next week , while some assessments for students sitting the Leaving Cert Applied have also been adjusted .
Talks last Friday involving the TUI and the oversight body for the public service agreement on the planned strike without any breakthrough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that financial penalties will be applied to the 19,000 teachers in schools , institutes of technology and centres of further education who take part in the strike on Tuesday .
In a statement on Friday , the oversight body – which is made up of representatives of public service management and unions and chaired by the Workplace Relations Commission – said it regretted that the proposed strike would go ahead .
“ The oversight body will meet in the near future to consider the issues raised by the parties in connection with this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government has powers under financial emergency legislation to impose financial sanctions on members of trade unions considered to have “ repudiated ” the public service agreement .
However , a spokeswoman for Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said it was “ not constructive ” to talk about financial penalties being applied to those teachers taking part in the planned strike .

Members of the TUI prepare for Tuesday’s one-day strike. Pictured on right is TUI president Seamus Lahart, with (from left) teachers Rachel Flynn, Kyle Clarke, Conor Crowley and Ciara Stack. Photograph: Dave Meehan
Teachers who are not part of the trade union behind Tuesday’s one-day secondary school strike will need to register their attendance at schools in order to be paid, according to Government instructions.
At least half of the country's 700-plus secondary schools are set to shut on foot of a stoppage by the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) in protest over two-tier pay rates.
Official advice set out in a recent circular to school managers stated that they should “make appropriate arrangements to record the attendance or absence of all staff employed by the school on 4 February. This applies to all teaching and non-teaching staff employed by the school.”
In some cases, members of the Association of Secondary Teachers’ Ireland (ASTI) and non-union teachers will have to cross picket lines in order to be paid, regardless of whether the school is open or closed to students.
READ MORE
Official advice
In official advice to members, the ASTI has advised its members that they must be “available for work” in order to be paid.
“To refuse to do so would mean that you would be deemed to be engaging in unofficial industrial action and would not be covered by the immunities provided in Industrial Relations Act, 1990,” the advice stated.
In addition, the union told its members that the TUI had given assurances that they would have “no difficulty” with ASTI members attending for work and passing their pickets.
"This is also in keeping with normal protocols/standards set out by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, " the ASTI advice states.
Latest figures indicate the strike is set to close about 400 of the country’s 700-plus secondary schools. The stoppage is also expected to cause significant disruption to further education centres and institutes of technology.
The Department of Education said it was likely that virtually all of the 248 Education and Training Board schools and 96 community and comprehensive schools would be closed.
In addition, a minimum of 45 of the country’s 380 voluntary secondary schools will also shut.
While this latter category of school is mostly represented by ASTI members, the union has directed its members not to provide cover for striking TUI members.
This has forced the closure of some voluntary secondary schools on health and safety grounds, even in cases where a relatively small number of teachers are TUI members.
On foot of the strike, many schools have rescheduled the timing of “mock” exams for Junior Cert and Leaving Cert students next week, while some assessments for students sitting the Leaving Cert Applied have also been adjusted.
Talks
Talks last Friday involving the TUI and the oversight body for the public service agreement on the planned strike without any breakthrough.
However, it seems increasingly unlikely that financial penalties will be applied to the 19,000 teachers in schools, institutes of technology and centres of further education who take part in the strike on Tuesday.
In a statement on Friday, the oversight body – which is made up of representatives of public service management and unions and chaired by the Workplace Relations Commission – said it regretted that the proposed strike would go ahead .
“The oversight body will meet in the near future to consider the issues raised by the parties in connection with this matter,” it said.
The Government has powers under financial emergency legislation to impose financial sanctions on members of trade unions considered to have “repudiated” the public service agreement.
However, a spokeswoman for Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said it was "not constructive" to talk about financial penalties being applied to those teachers taking part in the planned strike.


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Food growers argue foreign workers needed to sustain industry

Fruit and vegetable growers have warned of a major labour crisis on their farms if an employment permit scheme that allows them to hire workers from outside Europe is not expanded .
The pilot horticulture work permit scheme opened in May 2018 to allow people from non-European Economic Area ( EEA ) countries to work here if employers can show they can not get workers in Ireland or EEA countries .
However , the 500 permits provided for the horticulture sector were all allocated before the end of 2019 , according to the Department of Business , and the sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of the permits were taken by the mushroom industry , while carrot , tomato and Brussels sprouts growers also employed workers under the scheme .
Mushroom picking is a labour-intensive business and this work has attracted migrants from countries such as Poland and Lithuania in the past .
However , as unemployment levels fall , these countries are now facing their own labour shortages .
Hazel Codd doesn ’ t know how the family mushroom business would have found new workers without the pilot scheme .
The Codd family began growing mushrooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the farm in Tullow , Co Carlow .
Today , Codd Family Mushrooms employs around 240 people and it is the largest mushroom supplier into the Irish market .
It hired more than 60 people from Thailand under the work permit scheme .
“ It has been extremely difficult to get workers because there is a huge crisis in the horticulture industry , ” she said .
She noticed the problem emerging about two years ago as the economy improved .
Despite placing advertisements and using social media locally , nationally and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poland , they could not get staff to harvest their mushrooms .
So , when the pilot scheme opened last year , Codd Family Mushrooms were first in the queue for work permits .
Some Thai people living in Carlow knew of people back home looking for work , and the connection with Thailand was made .
She said there were some teething problems with the application process initially , so it took longer than expected , but finally , in May 2019 , the first group of new employees arrived from Thailand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , ” she said .
“ They are lovely people , very enthusiastic and helpful.
” Under the scheme , the employer must organise accommodation and language classes , so there may soon be 60 Thai people speaking in a Carlow accent , thanks to their classes in Tullow .
Ms Codd said it was essential that the scheme was continued and expanded .
Irish Farmers ’ Association horticulture executive secretary Patrick Farrell said fruit and vegetable growers had tried everything to find workers but it was extremely difficult .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction sector is taking many workers because horticulture can ’ t compete with the higher wages in that sector.
” Under the work permit scheme , mushroom growers must pay €22,000 per annum for a 39-hour week , and Mr Farrell said these costs made it very difficult to compete with Polish mushroom growers , who were paying staff €4 an hour .
He pointed to moves recently announced by the Department of Business to address labour shortages in hospitality , construction , health and road haulage and urged the Government to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From January 1st , 2020 , quotas were removed for chefs coming here under the work permit scheme , and Mr Farrell said the same approach should be taken for fruit and vegetable farm workers .
Strawberry growers come under major pressure for extra workers at certain times of the year , and the IFA has called for more flexible labour permits to facilitate this seasonal demand .
It has also called for a measure to allow workers to move between industries .
Extra help is needed on dairy farms during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enterprises need extra staff in the late spring and early summer period .
Hazel Codd said the scheme had temporarily eased the skills shortage on her farm but the problem had not gone away .
“ We have a lot of challenges in the mushroom sector so anything that can help us get staff is welcome .
”

Fruit and vegetable growers have warned of a major labour crisis on their farms if an employment permit scheme that allows them to hire workers from outside Europe is not expanded.
The pilot horticulture work permit scheme opened in May 2018 to allow people from non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries to work here if employers can show they cannot get workers in Ireland or EEA countries.
However, the 500 permits provided for the horticulture sector were all allocated before the end of 2019, according to the Department of Business, and the sector still does not have enough workers.
Many of the permits were taken by the mushroom industry, while carrot, tomato and Brussels sprouts growers also employed workers under the scheme.
READ MORE
Mushroom picking is a labour-intensive business and this work has attracted migrants from countries such as Poland and Lithuania in the past. However, as unemployment levels fall, these countries are now facing their own labour shortages.
Hazel Codd doesn’t know how the family mushroom business would have found new workers without the pilot scheme. The Codd family began growing mushrooms 30 years ago in a small shed on the farm in Tullow, Co Carlow. Today, Codd Family Mushrooms employs around 240 people and it is the largest mushroom supplier into the Irish market. It hired more than 60 people from Thailand under the work permit scheme.
“It has been extremely difficult to get workers because there is a huge crisis in the horticulture industry,” she said. She noticed the problem emerging about two years ago as the economy improved.
Lovely people
Despite placing advertisements and using social media locally, nationally and in European countries such as Latvia and Poland, they could not get staff to harvest their mushrooms.
So, when the pilot scheme opened last year, Codd Family Mushrooms were first in the queue for work permits. Some Thai people living in Carlow knew of people back home looking for work, and the connection with Thailand was made. She said there were some teething problems with the application process initially, so it took longer than expected, but finally, in May 2019, the first group of new employees arrived from Thailand.
“It’s going very well,” she said. “They are lovely people, very enthusiastic and helpful.”
Under the scheme, the employer must organise accommodation and language classes, so there may soon be 60 Thai people speaking in a Carlow accent, thanks to their classes in Tullow.
Ms Codd said it was essential that the scheme was continued and expanded.
Photograph: Alison Healy
Irish Farmers’ Association horticulture executive secretary Patrick Farrell said fruit and vegetable growers had tried everything to find workers but it was extremely difficult.
“And of course, the boom in the construction sector is taking many workers because horticulture can’t compete with the higher wages in that sector.”
Polish pay
Under the work permit scheme, mushroom growers must pay €22,000 per annum for a 39-hour week, and Mr Farrell said these costs made it very difficult to compete with Polish mushroom growers, who were paying staff €4 an hour.
He pointed to moves recently announced by the Department of Business to address labour shortages in hospitality, construction, health and road haulage and urged the Government to give the same attention to the horticulture sector.
From January 1st, 2020, quotas were removed for chefs coming here under the work permit scheme, and Mr Farrell said the same approach should be taken for fruit and vegetable farm workers.
Strawberry growers come under major pressure for extra workers at certain times of the year, and the IFA has called for more flexible labour permits to facilitate this seasonal demand. It has also called for a measure to allow workers to move between industries. Extra help is needed on dairy farms during the spring calving season, while certain horticulture enterprises need extra staff in the late spring and early summer period.
Hazel Codd said the scheme had temporarily eased the skills shortage on her farm but the problem had not gone away. “We have a lot of challenges in the mushroom sector so anything that can help us get staff is welcome.”


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Cover or no cover: ‘I know mistakes happen . . . but it really is a mess’

A reader called Elizabeth took out a health insurance with Laya Healthcare at the start of January 2017 on “ a bargain-basement plan ” and a year later she upgraded it to a better one .
In January 2019 , she moved to another plan with the company and then at the start of this year upgraded her health insurance again .
“ In 2018 I had a niggling pain in my right shoulder-blade and couldn ’ t raise my arm fully above my head , ” she writes .
“ I spoke to the GP in September and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came back fairly normal and I went for some physio sessions for ‘ frozen shoulder ’ .
” Then last year Elizabeth had “ much worse pain , at the front of my shoulder and down my arm ” .
She went back to the doctor in late April and he said he would send her to a consultant at the Hermitage .
“ I called Laya and was told I could see the consultant there .
On a call yesterday they said that I was told at that point I wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-patient at a private hospital .
I don ’ t remember that , but it ’ s certainly possible .
I didn ’ t think it was going to be an issue , I never thought I ’ d need surgery , ” she writes .
She saw the consultant last July and had an ultrasound last August followed by a cortisone injection .
“ Then I went to physio through the autumn , but with no improvement .
In November 2019 I contacted [ the consultant ’ s ] secretary to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was put forward for surgery called a biceps tenodesis .
She said this could be done in either the Hermitage or the Bon Secours Glasnevin and gave me a code to check with Laya.
” Elizabeth called Laya in November to ask if she was covered for the procedure and was told that she was but would have to pay an excess of €500 if she was in overnight and €149 for day case .
“ That was fine , I knew that was the case with my policy .
I distinctly remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms started , and saying that I was covered as long as I didn ’ t have symptoms before January 2017 , when I took out my health insurance with Laya.
” She was scheduled for surgery on last Tuesday at the Bon Secours Glasnevin .
“ I am booked to be in overnight but was told I can go home if I ’ m feeling well .
I was told I would need to take two weeks off work , so I have been working over-time in the past couple of weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned to take two days off so that he could help me in the early stages .
“ I only received my letter from the hospital yesterday .
It stressed that checking insurance was my responsibility and gave the code again .
I was sure everything was fine but I had changed my plan ( upgraded though ) so thought I should just double check .
“ I spoke to a lady who said I was not covered , as it ’ s a pre-existing condition from 2018 .
My current plan would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two year waiting period has passed .
So I ’ m not covered until January 2021 .
“ I explained that I had been told otherwise on my November call , and had only proceeded because of that .
She said she would check and come back to me , which she did , after half an hour or so .
She and a supervisor had gone back over previous communications .
She said I shouldn ’ t have been told I could have the procedure and that she appreciated it was unfortunate.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April that she didn ’ t have private cover so should have known .
“ I can ’ t remember the April call , I had forgotten there had even been one but I know that what I called about then was seeing the consultant not surgery .
“ My November call was about surgery , with the exact code of the procedure , and they said it was covered .
I know mistakes happen , and this obviously was one , but it really is a mess.
” She said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much her treatment would be delayed by because of the mistake “ but if I had been on the correct list , for the correct hospital , I imagine I would have been seen sooner and without all the stress .
I am in so much pain .
The thought of waiting much longer for the operation is unbearable really.
” We contacted the company and they said that Elizabeth had been told in error last November that the procedure would be covered .
The company accepted that it was its mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the procedure they agreed to make an exception .
The full statement from Laya reads : “ While rare , mistakes do happen unfortunately and on this occasion we gave our member incorrect information regarding her cover when she rang us .
We ’ ve contacted the member to apologise and assure her that we will fully cover her upcoming procedure .
We hope it all goes well and will follow up with her to ensure she gets all the support she needs to make a speedy recovery.
” Last Tuesday , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in touch with us after it had taken place to say that all was well .

A reader called Elizabeth took out a health insurance with Laya Healthcare at the start of January 2017 on "a bargain-basement plan" and a year later she upgraded it to a better one.
In January 2019, she moved to another plan with the company and then at the start of this year upgraded her health insurance again.
“In 2018 I had a niggling pain in my right shoulder-blade and couldn’t raise my arm fully above my head,” she writes. “I spoke to the GP in September and he sent me for an MRI. That came back fairly normal and I went for some physio sessions for ‘frozen shoulder’.”
Then last year Elizabeth had “much worse pain, at the front of my shoulder and down my arm”.
READ MORE
She went back to the doctor in late April and he said he would send her to a consultant at the Hermitage.
I was sure everything was fine but I had changed my plan so thought I should just double check
“I called Laya and was told I could see the consultant there. On a call yesterday they said that I was told at that point I wouldn’t be covered if I became an in-patient at a private hospital. I don’t remember that, but it’s certainly possible. I didn’t think it was going to be an issue, I never thought I’d need surgery,” she writes.
She saw the consultant last July and had an ultrasound last August followed by a cortisone injection.
"Then I went to physio through the autumn, but with no improvement. In November 2019 I contacted [the consultant's] secretary to ask what the next step should be and was put forward for surgery called a biceps tenodesis. She said this could be done in either the Hermitage or the Bon Secours Glasnevin and gave me a code to check with Laya."
‘Unfortunate’
Elizabeth called Laya in November to ask if she was covered for the procedure and was told that she was but would have to pay an excess of €500 if she was in overnight and €149 for day case.
“That was fine, I knew that was the case with my policy. I distinctly remember the lady I spoke to asking when symptoms started, and saying that I was covered as long as I didn’t have symptoms before January 2017, when I took out my health insurance with Laya.”
She was scheduled for surgery on last Tuesday at the Bon Secours Glasnevin. “I am booked to be in overnight but was told I can go home if I’m feeling well. I was told I would need to take two weeks off work, so I have been working over-time in the past couple of weeks to have everything covered. My partner planned to take two days off so that he could help me in the early stages.
My November call was about surgery, with the exact code of the procedure, and they said it was covered
“I only received my letter from the hospital yesterday. It stressed that checking insurance was my responsibility and gave the code again. I was sure everything was fine but I had changed my plan (upgraded though) so thought I should just double check.
“I spoke to a lady who said I was not covered, as it’s a pre-existing condition from 2018. My current plan would cover it, but not until a two year waiting period has passed. So I’m not covered until January 2021.
“I explained that I had been told otherwise on my November call, and had only proceeded because of that. She said she would check and come back to me, which she did, after half an hour or so. She and a supervisor had gone back over previous communications. She said I shouldn’t have been told I could have the procedure and that she appreciated it was unfortunate.”
Error
Laya insisted that she was told in April that she didn’t have private cover so should have known. “I can’t remember the April call, I had forgotten there had even been one but I know that what I called about then was seeing the consultant not surgery.
“My November call was about surgery, with the exact code of the procedure, and they said it was covered. I know mistakes happen, and this obviously was one, but it really is a mess.”
She said she did not have a way of knowing how much her treatment would be delayed by because of the mistake “but if I had been on the correct list, for the correct hospital, I imagine I would have been seen sooner and without all the stress. I am in so much pain. The thought of waiting much longer for the operation is unbearable really.”
We contacted the company and they said that Elizabeth had been told in error last November that the procedure would be covered. The company accepted that it was its mistake and while she was not covered for the procedure they agreed to make an exception.
The full statement from Laya reads: “While rare, mistakes do happen unfortunately and on this occasion we gave our member incorrect information regarding her cover when she rang us. We’ve contacted the member to apologise and assure her that we will fully cover her upcoming procedure. We hope it all goes well and will follow up with her to ensure she gets all the support she needs to make a speedy recovery.”
Last Tuesday, our reader had the surgery and she got in touch with us after it had taken place to say that all was well.


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Election 2020 climate policies: From the ambitious to the vague

What happened to “ the climate election ” , where the issue would take over all others ?
Ireland was among the first countries in the world to declare last year that we are living in “ a climate and biodiversity emergency ” .
Despite having little more than a decade to change how we consume , live , and use energy – in short , cut carbon emissions , ease off fossil fuels and embrace genuine sustainability – Election 2020 suggests that , for many voters , does not amount to a crisis .
Some pundits have distilled crunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are living their lives right now and the absence of “ feel good ” .
Through that prism , it ’ s understandable that housing ( key question : how am I ever going to afford to buy a property ? )
; health ( why are hospital services creaking in providing basic services ? )
; and economics ( why does disposable income remain depleted despite the boom ? )
dominate – notwithstanding unprecedented concern about the fate of Planet Earth concentrated in the younger generation .
Auction politics is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proportional representation voting demand close marking of rivals and narrow focus , so notable momentum on climate action is parked .
The only problem is there is every indication that global warming will exacerbate those health and housing problems and undermine personal wealth , if not collectively addressed promptly .
What is the realpolitik ?
It means the ground is being ceded to the Greens , according to University College Dublin climate researcher Sadhbh O ’ Neill , who has evaluated manifestos for One Future Ireland ( OFI ) , a cross-society alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bigger parties don ’ t want to lead , ” she says .
They suspect many necessary actions will be unpopular ; they want wiggle room and to be able to make scapegoats of smaller parties .
“ Brave and bold decisions are not being ventilated ; parties are hiding behind very safe language.
” This means , O ’ Neill believes , voters and the media must ask them how the crisis is going to be addressed with urgency .
She is not endorsing any particular position on the left-right spectrum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the correct response to the latest scientific evidence – and judging manifestos through that lens .
The all party-consensus fashioned in the past 18 months is the way to go ; “ building on that , rather than walking away ” .
Is there a whit of difference on climate policies ?
The 2019 all-party climate action committee report is the backbone identifiable in most manifestos .
It fed into the Government ’ s climate action plan but the missing piece is the driver of scaled-up action ; a governance structure with legally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Climate Change ( Amendment ) Bill that fell with the election being called .
That said , differences are clear on carbon tax ; the national herd ; and the balance of roads versus transport investment .
While left-wing parties are advocating big increases in subsidised or free public transport , Sinn Féin and People Before Profit are against carbon tax increases .
Sinn Féin has bold targets on renewables and boosting public transport , but its position on carbon tax “ does not stand up ” when the evidence shows it shifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a silver bullet , O ’ Neill says .
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are for decarbonisation but not cutting the national herd – pinning all hopes on Teagasc ’ s masterplan to reduce emissions in the sector .
Climatologist Prof John Sweeney says big parties are not showing stepped-up ambition , and are “ still being held to ransom by the agricultural lobby ” .
Fine Gael is on a trajectory of cutting emissions by 2 per cent annually , which is “ wholly inappropriate ” , though he concedes Minister for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December for the EU ’ s Green New Deal ( GND ) target of a 55 per cent reduction over the next decade .
But it has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 to avoid “ climate catastrophe ” .
Fianna Fáil has backed the OFI demand for an 8 per cent annual cut but has nothing on how it can be done .
Most parties have ambitious programmes to retrofit houses without comprehensive costings .
Labour is promising to retrofit 100,000 houses a year , though skills shortages in the construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ climate elements are substantial but weak on costs .
In O ’ Neill ’ s verdict , their agriculture chapter is most impressive as it “ bravely takes charge ” on the unequivocal need for a new model of farming ; diversification , shifting from livestock and supporting biodiversity within farming .
For Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael , it ’ s an expansionist “ business-as-usual ” scenario .
Sweeney cautions about underestimating the need for a Just Transition , with parties viewing it as a Bord na Móna/midlands issue as peat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more far-reaching .
What ’ s absent , blocking the way to radical decarbonisation ?
The manifestos are weakest on the biggest issue – how to decarbonise sufficiently to meet 2030 targets to match Paris pact and GND requirements .
There is a glaring lack of attention to making Ireland climate-resilient with extreme weather requiring major protection of coastlines , cities and those vulnerable from flooding – though Fine Gael has committed €1 billion for this .
There is precious little beyond the Greens on the biodiversity crisis .
What will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , if Greens are in the mix ?
Leo Varadkar insists it will be possible to form a government with the Greens if the maths is right , but his party has underlined there will be no cuts to livestock numbers , and investment in roads to support rural Ireland will continue .
In any discussions with the Greens , he said he would be concentrating on cutting emissions and addressing the biodiversity issue .
So it will be down to rebalancing with scaled-up funding of public transport and active travel ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land-use plan and agreement on a major retrofitting programme will be high on the Greens ’ shopping list .
Negotiations will be in a similar vein , if Fianna Fáil is the main party .
With Sinn Féin a player , carbon tax becomes a difficult issue .
How can Ireland get on the right course ?
It ’ s about implementation and how we pay for climate action .
Ireland has never fallen short on ambition or promises when it comes to climate change , according to Dr Paul Deane of MaREI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just over 10 years ago , we committed to the most ambitious climate targets in Europe , but action and fulfilling promises has been a problem.
” We have missed emissions-reduction targets for transport , homes and agriculture by 95 per cent , failed to meet our clean energy commitments and will have to purchase permits to meet these failed obligations at huge cost – Green Party leader Eamon Ryan predicts that could add up to €7 billion .
Climate action costs money , so finance and investment are vital to the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deane adds .
This means investment in infrastructure such as bus and cycle lanes , home retrofitting , electric vehicle charging points and forestry .
Analysis suggests €500 per citizen per year for the next 30 years is needed .
So “ understanding how we will pay for climate ambition is important ” .
So the most pertinent doorstep question is : how do parties intend to plan and prioritise the investment needed to accelerate and scale up climate actions to get Ireland to zero emissions ?

The national herd is covered by most parties in relation to climate change. File photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
What happened to “the climate election”, where the issue would take over all others?
Ireland was among the first countries in the world to declare last year that we are living in "a climate and biodiversity emergency".
Despite having little more than a decade to change how we consume, live, and use energy – in short, cut carbon emissions, ease off fossil fuels and embrace genuine sustainability – Election 2020 suggests that, for many voters, does not amount to a crisis.
Some pundits have distilled crunch issues down to lifestyle, notably how people are living their lives right now and the absence of “feel good”.
Through that prism, it’s understandable that housing (key question: how am I ever going to afford to buy a property?); health (why are hospital services creaking in providing basic services?); and economics (why does disposable income remain depleted despite the boom?) dominate – notwithstanding unprecedented concern about the fate of Planet Earth concentrated in the younger generation. Auction politics is a different matter.
READ MORE
Short Dáil terms and proportional representation voting demand close marking of rivals and narrow focus, so notable momentum on climate action is parked. The only problem is there is every indication that global warming will exacerbate those health and housing problems and undermine personal wealth, if not collectively addressed promptly.
Steam rises from the brown coal-fired power plant Neurath and Niederaussem in Bergheim, Germany. File photograph: Sascha Steinbach/EPA
What is the realpolitik?
It means the ground is being ceded to the Greens, according to University College Dublin climate researcher Sadhbh O'Neill, who has evaluated manifestos for One Future Ireland (OFI), a cross-society alliance pushing nine key climate demands.
“The bigger parties don’t want to lead,” she says. They suspect many necessary actions will be unpopular; they want wiggle room and to be able to make scapegoats of smaller parties.
“Brave and bold decisions are not being ventilated; parties are hiding behind very safe language.”
This means, O’Neill believes, voters and the media must ask them how the crisis is going to be addressed with urgency.
She is not endorsing any particular position on the left-right spectrum; rather it’s about ensuring the correct response to the latest scientific evidence – and judging manifestos through that lens.
The all party-consensus fashioned in the past 18 months is the way to go; “building on that, rather than walking away”.
Is there a whit of difference on climate policies?
The 2019 all-party climate action committee report is the backbone identifiable in most manifestos. It fed into the Government’s climate action plan but the missing piece is the driver of scaled-up action; a governance structure with legally binding targets. It featured in the Climate Change (Amendment) Bill that fell with the election being called.
That said, differences are clear on carbon tax; the national herd; and the balance of roads versus transport investment.
While left-wing parties are advocating big increases in subsidised or free public transport, Sinn Féin and People Before Profit are against carbon tax increases. Sinn Féin has bold targets on renewables and boosting public transport, but its position on carbon tax “does not stand up” when the evidence shows it shifts behaviours, though it’s not a silver bullet, O’Neill says.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are for decarbonisation but not cutting the national herd – pinning all hopes on Teagasc's masterplan to reduce emissions in the sector.
Climatologist Prof John Sweeney says big parties are not showing stepped-up ambition, and are "still being held to ransom by the agricultural lobby".
Fine Gael is on a trajectory of cutting emissions by 2 per cent annually, which is "wholly inappropriate", though he concedes Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton indicated support in December for the EU's Green New Deal (GND) target of a 55 per cent reduction over the next decade. But it has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 to avoid "climate catastrophe".
Fianna Fáil has backed the OFI demand for an 8 per cent annual cut but has nothing on how it can be done.
Most parties have ambitious programmes to retrofit houses without comprehensive costings. Labour is promising to retrofit 100,000 houses a year, though skills shortages in the construction sector are not addressed.
The Greens’ climate elements are substantial but weak on costs. In O’Neill’s verdict, their agriculture chapter is most impressive as it “bravely takes charge” on the unequivocal need for a new model of farming; diversification, shifting from livestock and supporting biodiversity within farming.
For Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, it’s an expansionist “business-as-usual” scenario.
Sweeney cautions about underestimating the need for a Just Transition, with parties viewing it as a Bord na Móna/midlands issue as peat extraction ends when impacts on communities will be more far-reaching.
Turf Cutting at Derrygreenagh, Co Offaly. File photograph: Pat Sammon
What’s absent, blocking the way to radical decarbonisation?
The manifestos are weakest on the biggest issue – how to decarbonise sufficiently to meet 2030 targets to match Paris pact and GND requirements.
There is a glaring lack of attention to making Ireland climate-resilient with extreme weather requiring major protection of coastlines, cities and those vulnerable from flooding – though Fine Gael has committed €1 billion for this.
There is precious little beyond the Greens on the biodiversity crisis .
What will be the climate trade-offs in forming a new government, if Greens are in the mix?
Leo Varadkar insists it will be possible to form a government with the Greens if the maths is right, but his party has underlined there will be no cuts to livestock numbers, and investment in roads to support rural Ireland will continue.
In any discussions with the Greens, he said he would be concentrating on cutting emissions and addressing the biodiversity issue. So it will be down to rebalancing with scaled-up funding of public transport and active travel (cycling and walking).
A national land-use plan and agreement on a major retrofitting programme will be high on the Greens’ shopping list. Negotiations will be in a similar vein, if Fianna Fáil is the main party. With Sinn Féin a player, carbon tax becomes a difficult issue.
How can Ireland get on the right course?
It's about implementation and how we pay for climate action. Ireland has never fallen short on ambition or promises when it comes to climate change, according to Dr Paul Deane of MaREI energy research facility in UCC. "Just over 10 years ago, we committed to the most ambitious climate targets in Europe, but action and fulfilling promises has been a problem."
We have missed emissions-reduction targets for transport, homes and agriculture by 95 per cent, failed to meet our clean energy commitments and will have to purchase permits to meet these failed obligations at huge cost – Green Party leader Eamon Ryan predicts that could add up to €7 billion.
Eamon Ryan, leader of the Green Party. Photograph: James Forde/The Irish Times
Climate action costs money, so finance and investment are vital to the ability to transition to a cleaner economy, Deane adds. This means investment in infrastructure such as bus and cycle lanes, home retrofitting, electric vehicle charging points and forestry. Analysis suggests €500 per citizen per year for the next 30 years is needed. So “understanding how we will pay for climate ambition is important”.
So the most pertinent doorstep question is: how do parties intend to plan and prioritise the investment needed to accelerate and scale up climate actions to get Ireland to zero emissions?


theirishtimes--2020-02-03--Cancer patient has ‘no choice’ but to spend €40,000 on treatment

A cancer patient has been forced to pay almost €40,000 from family savings to fund a potentially life-saving treatment that is available free to women with cervical cancer .
Mother of three Maria Waters , who is coping with her third bout of the disease and has advanced head and neck cancer , is due to begin her first round of treatment with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab on Monday .
But Ms Waters has to pay for the private treatment – at a cost of €9,000 for each of four rounds – because neither the HSE nor her insurer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therapy .
“ Pembro ” is the drug that has helped extend cervical cancer advocate Vicky Phelan ’ s life ; initially she funded it herself , until the State agreed to pay .
Minister for Health Simon Harris then agreed to provide it to women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy and , after coming under political pressure , to all women with cervical cancer whose doctors recommended the treatment .
This was despite it not being licensed for this form of the disease anywhere in Europe , and despite evidence that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The drug has been approved for melanoma and a small number of other cancers , but not the head and neck cancer Ms Waters has .
Her consultants say she needs “ first-line ” use of the drug , meaning it would be administered experimentally along with chemotherapy , rather than after it .
“ The doctors have explained that the second line treatment – where pembro is given after chemo has been tried – is not enough for me .
This is my third cancer ; it has metastasised .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease will have progressed too far.
” An assessment of whether pembro should be reimbursed generally for head and neck cancer is under way , but the drug approval process is unlikely to be completed for some time .
Ms Waters , from Killiney , Co Dublin , is left wondering why she is being treated differently from women with cervical cancer .
“ Is my throat worth less than my cervix ?
Is my life worth less than another woman ?
Why can my case not be looked at on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked anyone to help me pay for this treatment , we are going to try and manage it ourselves , but it ’ s wrong .
I can not sleep at night with the worry and unfairness of all of this .
I ’ m only 51 now .
I have the rest of my life to live.
” Ms Waters developed oesophageal cancer in 2004 , but went into remission after radiotherapy and chemo .
Her cancer came back in 2018 and she needed surgery to remove her oesophagus and her larynx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to speak through an electronic voice-box .
After becoming ill last November , she underwent a course of radiotherapy , and is due to start treatment with pembro privately on Monday .
Irish Life , while declining to comment on individual cases , said it covered the cost of high-cost drugs in accordance with the criteria set by the National Cancer Control Programme and the National Council for Pharmacoeconomics .
“ If a request for a drug has been declined , it would be because the patient did not satisfy the clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has no choice but to pay for the treatment .
“ I can not just sit back and say , ‘ Well , there was another option but I couldn ’ t go for that ’ .
Robert [ her husband ] and I work hard ; we have saved up , in order to help our three children in the future .
But I feel that this has ruined our dreams for their future.
” She is appealing the decision by Irish Life to refuse funding .

Maria Waters: ‘Is my throat worth less than my cervix? Is my life worth less than another woman?’ Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
A cancer patient has been forced to pay almost €40,000 from family savings to fund a potentially life-saving treatment that is available free to women with cervical cancer.
Mother of three Maria Waters, who is coping with her third bout of the disease and has advanced head and neck cancer, is due to begin her first round of treatment with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab on Monday.
But Ms Waters has to pay for the private treatment – at a cost of €9,000 for each of four rounds – because neither the HSE nor her insurer, Irish Life Health, will fund the therapy.
"Pembro" is the drug that has helped extend cervical cancer advocate Vicky Phelan's life; initially she funded it herself, until the State agreed to pay. Minister for Health Simon Harris then agreed to provide it to women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy and, after coming under political pressure, to all women with cervical cancer whose doctors recommended the treatment.
READ MORE
This was despite it not being licensed for this form of the disease anywhere in Europe, and despite evidence that it has limited effectiveness in treating cervical cancer. The drug has been approved for melanoma and a small number of other cancers, but not the head and neck cancer Ms Waters has.
Her consultants say she needs “first-line” use of the drug, meaning it would be administered experimentally along with chemotherapy, rather than after it.
“The doctors have explained that the second line treatment – where pembro is given after chemo has been tried – is not enough for me. This is my third cancer; it has metastasised. They advised me that if I wait, the disease will have progressed too far.”
Approval process
An assessment of whether pembro should be reimbursed generally for head and neck cancer is under way, but the drug approval process is unlikely to be completed for some time.
Ms Waters, from Killiney, Co Dublin, is left wondering why she is being treated differently from women with cervical cancer.
“Is my throat worth less than my cervix? Is my life worth less than another woman? Why can my case not be looked at on an exceptional basis?
“I have not asked anyone to help me pay for this treatment, we are going to try and manage it ourselves, but it’s wrong. I cannot sleep at night with the worry and unfairness of all of this. I’m only 51 now. I have the rest of my life to live.”
Ms Waters developed oesophageal cancer in 2004, but went into remission after radiotherapy and chemo. Her cancer came back in 2018 and she needed surgery to remove her oesophagus and her larynx, as a result of which she needs to speak through an electronic voice-box.
After becoming ill last November, she underwent a course of radiotherapy, and is due to start treatment with pembro privately on Monday.
Irish Life, while declining to comment on individual cases, said it covered the cost of high-cost drugs in accordance with the criteria set by the National Cancer Control Programme and the National Council for Pharmacoeconomics. “If a request for a drug has been declined, it would be because the patient did not satisfy the clinical criteria for coverage.”
Ms Waters says she has no choice but to pay for the treatment. “I cannot just sit back and say, ‘Well, there was another option but I couldn’t go for that’. Robert [her husband] and I work hard; we have saved up, in order to help our three children in the future. But I feel that this has ruined our dreams for their future.”
She is appealing the decision by Irish Life to refuse funding.