theirishtimes--2020-11-03--College September 2021: What will student life be like?

What will college be like in 2021 ?
The class of 2021 – who may or may not sit the traditional Leaving Cert exam next June – are , along with the rest of us , hopeful that either a vaccine or effective treatment might allow a return to normal campus life and the familiar college experience .
But the future is wildly uncertain .
We ’ re in the midst of a second round of severe restrictions and , at time of writing , the Government ’ s main strategy appears to be rolling in and out of lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is buckling under pressure and crying out for resources , poorly ventilated buildings help spread the virus , quarantine measures are less than stringent , and some people are refusing to comply even with basic measures like mask-wearing .
We ’ re all hopeful that the Government will put in place the necessary measures to prevent a third lockdown , but students should now psychologically prepare for the very real possibility that their college experience may be largely virtual and remote .
We asked three experts for their views on what college may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What will be done , and could this be a positive opportunity for radical change ?
- Prof Gilly Salmon , a UK-based digital-learning innovator , is founder and chief executive of Education Alchemists which helps educators build the capacity for quality online learning .
Her clients include institutions in Ireland , the UK , Europe , the Middle East , Australia and New Zealand .
She recently spoke at Learnovate , a global tech learning summit organised by Trinity College Dublin , focusing on what the future of third-level might look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan is vice-president of student engagement at the University of Limerick .
- Róisín O ’ Donohoe is public relations officer at the Institute of Guidance Counsellors .
Scenario one : Little to no on-campus learning Much like the first semester of 2020 ’ s college year , this scenario would see most learning delivered online , with exceptions made for crucial lab work .
Sports clubs would be severely curtailed and there would be very few , if any , social or society events .
Gilly Salmon : Having systems of online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academics and students feeling cheated of their college experience .
Zoom and online lectures alone won ’ t make it happen , as I discussed at the Learnovate conference .
It is embedded in our psyche that we go to a physical place for the third-level experience .
If we ’ re still here next year , we need to deconstruct everything that makes up this experience , including getting to gradually make new friends and finding others with shared interests , and enabling them to do it differently .
This will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pocket ” , heavily based around mobile phones , which provides a scaffolding for students to know what they have to do each day and will be facilitated in how to relate to others .
It ’ s about designing pathways in advance of students arriving and helping to provide them with choice .
There will still be chances to meet up but , when you get to know people online , there will be fewer prejudices and everyone will have access to people who are like them and people who are different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise in platforms to enable campus interaction .
From the academic side , particularly in healthcare areas , we might see that professional placements – particularly case-study work – can be done digitally , at least in part .
Patrick Ryan : If we ’ re still in this position , we will have refined a lot of the processes we have already put in place .
Socially , our clubs and societies officers are working hard to engage our freshers through quizzes and fun nights so that , when we do return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foundation of relationships between people .
But there will also be socially distant or virtual activities we couldn ’ t have imagined before .
Róisín O ’ Donohoe : Higher and further education institutions have adapted rapidly .
By the time college starts next year , these institutions will have received feedback on what worked well and what didn ’ t work so well , and this will benefit current sixth-year students .
There is , of course , a concern that the social side of college won ’ t be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and resourceful at coming up with new ways of connecting and of forming groups .
They recognise that everyone is in the same boat .
Scenario two : A mix of blended and in-person learning This scenario resembles the original plan for third-level , where students would all have some campus time .
Rising case numbers meant that it didn ’ t happen for the first semester of 2020 , but it could look different next year .
Róisín O ’ Donohoe : The push for digital skills has been spoken about for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Newer graduates will be streets ahead in terms of how they operate in a global market : it will be natural for them to work on a global scale and ring in to New York , Cape Town or Sydney .
Some students will benefit from this mix .
In particular , virtual socialising and learning can be more inclusive for students who have trouble accessing college or college buildings .
And , in any case , I think students may want more virtual learning which , by its nature , allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Patrick Ryan : We do want people meeting for coffee and at small seminars and tutorial groups but equally we will have created learning opportunities which we will want to hold onto .
We are social animals and will always want opportunities for real-life social engagement , and that means students will want some physical meeting space which we will work to provide .
Gilly Salmon : I think we will see more students living closer to home because so much of the college experience will be mobile , including assessment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the campus for wifi and coffee .
In the medium term , the idea of going to a building for all your learning , with books in your bag , is gone .
One of the reasons for resistance is that it is exciting to meet new people and have the college experience .
We have a responsibility to enable students to have these moments of freedom and exploration , and I believe colleges will have made a lot of progress on this by next year .
In this scenario , students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campus and social life without the need for substantial restrictions .
Róisín O ’ Donohoe : The possibility of a full return to normality looks slim at the moment , but that could of course change by next September .
Patrick Ryan : Even if we go back to normal , things will not look the same .
This pandemic has shifted us on so many levels .
So we will ask reflective questions : what is worth holding onto that we developed over the pandemic , and what should we go back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflection happens in academia .
Gilly Salmon : Things are changed forever .
Looking ahead to 2022 or 2023 , everyone will have realised that flexible learning is here to stay because the future is always so uncertain .
Our complacency has been shaken and , once you disrupt people , they see new opportunities for how to do things better .
It doesn ’ t mean reinventing e-learning – there are already hundreds of resources out there ; it just means implementing changes .
But ultimately I think a lot of campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The social side of college may not be the same, but young people are resilient and resourceful at coming up with new ways of connecting.
What will college be like in 2021? The class of 2021 – who may or may not sit the traditional Leaving Cert exam next June – are, along with the rest of us, hopeful that either a vaccine or effective treatment might allow a return to normal campus life and the familiar college experience.
But the future is wildly uncertain. We’re in the midst of a second round of severe restrictions and, at time of writing, the Government’s main strategy appears to be rolling in and out of lockdowns as necessary.
Testing and tracing capacity is buckling under pressure and crying out for resources, poorly ventilated buildings help spread the virus, quarantine measures are less than stringent, and some people are refusing to comply even with basic measures like mask-wearing.
We’re all hopeful that the Government will put in place the necessary measures to prevent a third lockdown, but students should now psychologically prepare for the very real possibility that their college experience may be largely virtual and remote.
READ MORE
We asked three experts for their views on what college may be like next year – and beyond. What will be done, and could this be a positive opportunity for radical change?
- Prof Gilly Salmon, a UK-based digital-learning innovator, is founder and chief executive of Education Alchemists which helps educators build the capacity for quality online learning. Her clients include institutions in Ireland, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. She recently spoke at Learnovate, a global tech learning summit organised by Trinity College Dublin, focusing on what the future of third-level might look like.
- Clinical psychologist Prof Patrick Ryan is vice-president of student engagement at the University of Limerick.
- Róisín O'Donohoe is public relations officer at the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.
THE STUDENT IN SEPTEMBER 2021
Scenario one: Little to no on-campus learning
Much like the first semester of 2020’s college year, this scenario would see most learning delivered online, with exceptions made for crucial lab work. Sports clubs would be severely curtailed and there would be very few, if any, social or society events.
Gilly Salmon: Having systems of online learning in place doesn't stop academics and students feeling cheated of their college experience. Zoom and online lectures alone won't make it happen, as I discussed at the Learnovate conference. It is embedded in our psyche that we go to a physical place for the third-level experience.
If we’re still here next year, we need to deconstruct everything that makes up this experience, including getting to gradually make new friends and finding others with shared interests, and enabling them to do it differently. This will be a type of “university in your pocket”, heavily based around mobile phones, which provides a scaffolding for students to know what they have to do each day and will be facilitated in how to relate to others. It’s about designing pathways in advance of students arriving and helping to provide them with choice.
There will still be chances to meet up but, when you get to know people online, there will be fewer prejudices and everyone will have access to people who are like them and people who are different from them. I predict a huge rise in platforms to enable campus interaction.
From the academic side, particularly in healthcare areas, we might see that professional placements – particularly case-study work – can be done digitally, at least in part.
Patrick Ryan: If we're still in this position, we will have refined a lot of the processes we have already put in place. Socially, our clubs and societies officers are working hard to engage our freshers through quizzes and fun nights so that, when we do return to physical spaces, there will be the foundation of relationships between people. But there will also be socially distant or virtual activities we couldn't have imagined before.
Róisín O'Donohoe: Higher and further education institutions have adapted rapidly. By the time college starts next year, these institutions will have received feedback on what worked well and what didn't work so well, and this will benefit current sixth-year students.
There is, of course, a concern that the social side of college won’t be the same, but young people are resilient and resourceful at coming up with new ways of connecting and of forming groups. They recognise that everyone is in the same boat.
People will go to the campus for wifi and coffee. The idea of going to a building for all your learning, with books in your bag, is gone.
Scenario two: A mix of blended and in-person learning
This scenario resembles the original plan for third-level, where students would all have some campus time. Rising case numbers meant that it didn’t happen for the first semester of 2020, but it could look different next year.
Róisín O'Donohoe: The push for digital skills has been spoken about for years but Covid has pushed it forward. Newer graduates will be streets ahead in terms of how they operate in a global market: it will be natural for them to work on a global scale and ring in to New York, Cape Town or Sydney.
Some students will benefit from this mix. In particular, virtual socialising and learning can be more inclusive for students who have trouble accessing college or college buildings. And, in any case, I think students may want more virtual learning which, by its nature, allows them to learn at their own pace.
Patrick Ryan: We do want people meeting for coffee and at small seminars and tutorial groups but equally we will have created learning opportunities which we will want to hold onto. We are social animals and will always want opportunities for real-life social engagement, and that means students will want some physical meeting space which we will work to provide.
Gilly Salmon: I think we will see more students living closer to home because so much of the college experience will be mobile, including assessment, libraries and placements. People will go to the campus for wifi and coffee. In the medium term, the idea of going to a building for all your learning, with books in your bag, is gone. One of the reasons for resistance is that it is exciting to meet new people and have the college experience. We have a responsibility to enable students to have these moments of freedom and exploration, and I believe colleges will have made a lot of progress on this by next year.
The push for digital skills has been spoken about for years but Covid has pushed it forward. Newer graduates will be streets ahead in a global market.
Scenario three: A return to ‘normality’
In this scenario, students will be able to safely return to campus and social life without the need for substantial restrictions.
Róisín O'Donohoe: The possibility of a full return to normality looks slim at the moment, but that could of course change by next September.
Patrick Ryan: Even if we go back to normal, things will not look the same. This pandemic has shifted us on so many levels. So we will ask reflective questions: what is worth holding onto that we developed over the pandemic, and what should we go back to? It is right that this reflection happens in academia.
Gilly Salmon: Things are changed forever. Looking ahead to 2022 or 2023, everyone will have realised that flexible learning is here to stay because the future is always so uncertain. Our complacency has been shaken and, once you disrupt people, they see new opportunities for how to do things better. It doesn't mean reinventing e-learning – there are already hundreds of resources out there; it just means implementing changes. But ultimately I think a lot of campus buildings are destined to become data centres.


theirishtimes--2020-11-03--Covid-19: Rise in HSE staff redeployed to nursing homes

The number of health service staff redeployed to nursing homes fighting Covid-19 outbreaks has steadily increased over recent weeks , with more than 80 Health Service Executive ( HSE ) staff currently covering shortages in care homes .
At the start of October , some 56 healthcare staff had been redeployed to assist nursing homes , according to figures provided by the HSE .
The majority of these were sent to State-run nursing homes , with eight sent to assist privately run facilities .
By October 13th , some 70 HSE staff had been redeployed to nursing homes , 64 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six sent to private care homes .
Private or voluntary providers run about 80 per cent of the country ’ s nursing homes .
The number of redeployed HSE staff had increased to 85 by the last week of October , with 64 covering absences in State-run nursing homes , and 21 sent to help private providers .
Latest figures show that as of October 29th , 83 HSE staff had been redeployed to nursing homes .
The HSE has said it is providing intensive support to around five nursing homes dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra staff into the facilities .
Paul Reid , HSE chief executive , said on Friday the nursing homes in question were being kept “ under very close watch ” by health officials .
Staff shortages , due to healthcare workers contracting Covid-19 , or self-isolating awaiting test results , had a huge impact on nursing homes during the first wave of the pandemic earlier this year .
Nursing home residents account for about half of the coronavirus-related deaths in the State .
Many facilities faced significant outbreaks in March and April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , major staff shortages , and lack of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) contributing to the virus spreading within centres .
Increasing numbers of nursing homes have reported fresh outbreaks of the virus in recent weeks , as high rates of community transmission have led to cases in residential facilities .
One nursing home in Co Galway , where 26 out of 28 residents tested positive for Covid-19 , complained about the lack of support from the HSE during an outbreak last month .
Patricia Mac Gabhann , director of nursing at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time it felt as if the facility had been “ abandoned ” .
The majority of staff in the nursing home had also tested positive for Covid-19 .
The high number of staff out sick had left one nurse and one carer looking after 24 residents , and 22 of those had tested positive for coronavirus .
Speaking to The Irish Times on Monday , Ms Mac Gabhann said the staffing pressures had now been resolved “ as our own staff are back from self-isolation ” .
She declined to state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths among residents , or how many staff had been absent with Covid-19 .
One person had died of the virus when the crisis at the nursing home was first highlighted .
When asked to comment on the current relationship with the HSE , Ms Mac Gabhann said “ the truth is I ’ ve said all I want to say ” .
Meanwhile New HSE figures show that the positivity rate of asymptomatic staff tested in nursing homes stands at 0.57 per cent , up from 0.38 per cent in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle of fortnightly testing of staff in nursing homes , there have been 234 cases of Covid-19 detected out of 41,105 swabs taken so far since the cycle began on October 14th .
The positivity rate among nursing home staff has risen in line with the increase in community transmission of the disease over recent weeks .
The positivity rate stood at 0.13 per cent in July , 0.19 per cent in August and 0.33 per cent in the first half of October .
The mass testing of 569 nursing homes is regarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease to prevent outbreaks in residential care facilities , a congregated setting most vulnerable to the virus .
If infections are detected among staff , the HSE then tests residents in the nursing home .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) said on Monday night there were 103 deaths related to Covid-19 in October , of which 39 were nursing home residents .

The number of HSE staff redeployed to nursing homes increased to 85 by the last week of October. File photograph: Getty
The number of health service staff redeployed to nursing homes fighting Covid-19 outbreaks has steadily increased over recent weeks, with more than 80 Health Service Executive (HSE) staff currently covering shortages in care homes.
At the start of October, some 56 healthcare staff had been redeployed to assist nursing homes, according to figures provided by the HSE. The majority of these were sent to State-run nursing homes, with eight sent to assist privately run facilities.
By October 13th, some 70 HSE staff had been redeployed to nursing homes, 64 to assist in public facilities, and six sent to private care homes. Private or voluntary providers run about 80 per cent of the country’s nursing homes.
Hospital Report
The number of redeployed HSE staff had increased to 85 by the last week of October, with 64 covering absences in State-run nursing homes, and 21 sent to help private providers. Latest figures show that as of October 29th, 83 HSE staff had been redeployed to nursing homes.
READ MORE
The HSE has said it is providing intensive support to around five nursing homes dealing with significant Covid-19 outbreaks, which included sending extra staff into the facilities. Paul Reid, HSE chief executive, said on Friday the nursing homes in question were being kept "under very close watch" by health officials.
Staff shortages, due to healthcare workers contracting Covid-19, or self-isolating awaiting test results, had a huge impact on nursing homes during the first wave of the pandemic earlier this year.
Significant outbreaks
Nursing home residents account for about half of the coronavirus-related deaths in the State. Many facilities faced significant outbreaks in March and April, with long delays waiting for test results, major staff shortages, and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) contributing to the virus spreading within centres.
Increasing numbers of nursing homes have reported fresh outbreaks of the virus in recent weeks, as high rates of community transmission have led to cases in residential facilities.
One nursing home in Co Galway, where 26 out of 28 residents tested positive for Covid-19, complained about the lack of support from the HSE during an outbreak last month.
Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer. The National Public Health Emergency Team says there were 103 deaths related to Covid-19 in October, of which 39 were nursing home residents. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
Patricia Mac Gabhann, director of nursing at Nightingale Nursing Home in Ahascragh, said at the time it felt as if the facility had been "abandoned". The majority of staff in the nursing home had also tested positive for Covid-19. The high number of staff out sick had left one nurse and one carer looking after 24 residents, and 22 of those had tested positive for coronavirus.
Speaking to The Irish Times on Monday, Ms Mac Gabhann said the staffing pressures had now been resolved “as our own staff are back from self-isolation”. She declined to state if there had been any further coronavirus-related deaths among residents, or how many staff had been absent with Covid-19. One person had died of the virus when the crisis at the nursing home was first highlighted.
When asked to comment on the current relationship with the HSE, Ms Mac Gabhann said “the truth is I’ve said all I want to say”.
Positivity
Meanwhile New HSE figures show that the positivity rate of asymptomatic staff tested in nursing homes stands at 0.57 per cent, up from 0.38 per cent in the middle of last month.
In the fourth cycle of fortnightly testing of staff in nursing homes, there have been 234 cases of Covid-19 detected out of 41,105 swabs taken so far since the cycle began on October 14th.
The positivity rate among nursing home staff has risen in line with the increase in community transmission of the disease over recent weeks. The positivity rate stood at 0.13 per cent in July, 0.19 per cent in August and 0.33 per cent in the first half of October.
The mass testing of 569 nursing homes is regarded as an effective way to catch the disease to prevent outbreaks in residential care facilities, a congregated setting most vulnerable to the virus.
If infections are detected among staff, the HSE then tests residents in the nursing home.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) said on Monday night there were 103 deaths related to Covid-19 in October, of which 39 were nursing home residents.


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--‘It travelled 4,000km’: Donegal surfers find Russian time capsule

A Donegal surfer who found a Russian time capsule while searching for a surfing location has told of her concern that it might have been a bomb .
Sophie Curran was walking on Bloody Foreland with her friend Conor McClory when they found “ this weird tube looking thing ” on which Russian words were engraved .
Fearing that it might be a bomb or a container for someone ’ s ashes , she contacted her brother who has a Russian friend .
The brother ’ s friend translated the words and let them know that it was safe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time capsule .
Speaking to Oliver Callan on RTÉ radio ’ s Ryan Tubridy show , Ms Curran said that they discovered that the time capsule had not been in the sea for very long .
“ It was actually placed on ice at the North Pole at the 90 degrees point , so that means that the ice has melted and it travelled 4,000km down to us in Donegal in just over two years , which is scary.
” The intrepid sleuths contacted a Russian Instagram blogger called Svetla who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time capsule was despatched .
“ She told me that they thought it would be 30 or 50 years before this would be found so the fact that it was found within two years is really scary - that the ice is melting so quickly.
” Ms Curran was told that the people on board the ship were a mixture of paying passengers and researchers .
“ Svetla , the lady I was talking to , is writing a travel novel , so she just travels all over the world and she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said she wants the next destination after this to be Ireland .
” There was also wildlife photographer on board who included some of his images in the time capsule , added Ms Curran .
“ The time capsule was filled with letters from people who were on the boat and there was photographs of them , menus , itineraries , everything from the ship .
It was very interesting.
” So interesting in fact that she didn ’ t get to go surfing that day .
“ I got a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

A Donegal surfer who found a Russian time capsule while searching for a surfing location has told of her concern that it might have been a bomb.
Sophie Curran was walking on Bloody Foreland with her friend Conor McClory when they found “this weird tube looking thing” on which Russian words were engraved. Fearing that it might be a bomb or a container for someone’s ashes, she contacted her brother who has a Russian friend.
The brother’s friend translated the words and let them know that it was safe to open the item which was in fact a time capsule.
Speaking to Oliver Callan on RTÉ radio's Ryan Tubridy show, Ms Curran said that they discovered that the time capsule had not been in the sea for very long.
READ MORE
“It was actually placed on ice at the North Pole at the 90 degrees point, so that means that the ice has melted and it travelled 4,000km down to us in Donegal in just over two years, which is scary.”
A view of the writing on the outside of the tube. Photograph: Conor McClory
The intrepid sleuths contacted a Russian Instagram blogger called Svetla who had been on the boat from which the time capsule was despatched. “She told me that they thought it would be 30 or 50 years before this would be found so the fact that it was found within two years is really scary - that the ice is melting so quickly.”
Ms Curran was told that the people on board the ship were a mixture of paying passengers and researchers. "Svetla, the lady I was talking to, is writing a travel novel, so she just travels all over the world and she's writing a story about this one. She said she wants the next destination after this to be Ireland. "
There was also wildlife photographer on board who included some of his images in the time capsule, added Ms Curran.
The contents of the Russian time capsule. Photograph: Conor McClory
“The time capsule was filled with letters from people who were on the boat and there was photographs of them, menus, itineraries, everything from the ship. It was very interesting.”
So interesting in fact that she didn’t get to go surfing that day. “I got a bit distracted by the time capsule.”


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--GPs receive €200m-€220m from private patients annually, new review estimates

Family doctors are collectively receiving between €200 million and €220 million a year from their private patients , a new Department of Public Expenditure spending review has estimated .
However , it warns the cost of implementing a universal free GP care programme would not be as simple as the State taking over these private costs and allowing for an increase in the number of times people would visit their doctor under such a scheme .
It says the Department of Public Expenditure in 2019 had estimated “ that extending free GP care to the entire population on the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost upward of €630m per annum ” .
The review says based on its estimates of private GP earnings , the opportunity cost of providing free GP care to all would be , arithmetically , in the region of between €240million and €308million .
However it warns that this would be “ undoubtedly a simplification of a more complex reality ” .
It says increased demand could not be purchased without consideration of the capacity in the overall GP system .
It also warns that changing the current structure to introduce free GP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex cost and structural effects in terms of what is delivered and how it is delivered ” .
It argues that moving from the existing semi-private to a fully-public system would necessarily require an alternative model of employment between GPs and the State , the terms of which would have to be subject to negotiation .
“ Finally it does not automatically follow that the full costs of GP care provision will be covered solely via the Exchequer on current tax arrangements ; many countries fund or partially fund healthcare via a higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ireland ) , and/or through co-payment models.
” The spending review , which was published on Thursday , says that “ the implementation of universal GP care in Ireland has formed part of the policy agenda of several Irish Governments in recent years ” .
It says a variety of policy rationales exist for the provision of free-at-point-of-access primary care ; these range from public health , health system planning and efficiency , and social equity considerations .
“ Reducing and removing barriers to accessing healthcare , perhaps unsurprisingly , is linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the purpose of the GMS ( or medical card ) scheme is to provide care to people for whom attaining care privately would be unduly burdensome , the State does not presently have an obligation to ensure access to all people.
” It says that at present GP care in Ireland is provided though a mix of both public and private systems .
It says virtually all GPs are independent private contractors who provide services at market rates , the majority also participate in the GMS scheme under which the State covers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for whom acquiring such services would present undue hardship ” .
It says GMS eligibility “ is based on economic means , considering family size , income , and expenditure on mortgage/rent and childcare.
” The review says that GPs received €564 million collectively last year across a number of categories for treating public patients .
The spending review says there are several estimates for the amount of money paid to GPs annually by private patients and in relation to the increase frequency at which patients would visit their GP if the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ €52.50 to be a reasonable estimation of average private GP consultation price in Ireland , The review maintains that a range of between €200million and €220million represents “ a broadly accurate estimate of private GP expenditure ” .
The Department of Public Expenditure paper suggests it would be “ reasonable to assume a move to universal GP care will result in an increase of roughly 20 per cent - 40 per cent among patients who are currently private ” .

Family doctors are collectively receiving between €200 million and €220 million a year from their private patients, a new Department of Public Expenditure spending review has estimated.
However, it warns the cost of implementing a universal free GP care programme would not be as simple as the State taking over these private costs and allowing for an increase in the number of times people would visit their doctor under such a scheme.
It says the Department of Public Expenditure in 2019 had estimated “that extending free GP care to the entire population on the same terms as the currently covered cohort would cost upward of €630m per annum”.
The review says based on its estimates of private GP earnings , the opportunity cost of providing free GP care to all would be, arithmetically, in the region of between €240million and €308million.
READ MORE
However it warns that this would be “undoubtedly a simplification of a more complex reality”.
It says increased demand could not be purchased without consideration of the capacity in the overall GP system. It also warns that changing the current structure to introduce free GP services for all “would likely have complex cost and structural effects in terms of what is delivered and how it is delivered”.
Alternative model
It argues that moving from the existing semi-private to a fully-public system would necessarily require an alternative model of employment between GPs and the State, the terms of which would have to be subject to negotiation.
“ Finally it does not automatically follow that the full costs of GP care provision will be covered solely via the Exchequer on current tax arrangements; many countries fund or partially fund healthcare via a higher rate of healthcare related taxation (PRSI in Ireland), and/or through co-payment models.”
The spending review, which was published on Thursday, says that "the implementation of universal GP care in Ireland has formed part of the policy agenda of several Irish Governments in recent years".
It says a variety of policy rationales exist for the provision of free-at-point-of-access primary care; these range from public health, health system planning and efficiency, and social equity considerations.
“Reducing and removing barriers to accessing healthcare, perhaps unsurprisingly, is linked to positive public health outcomes.”
“While the purpose of the GMS (or medical card) scheme is to provide care to people for whom attaining care privately would be unduly burdensome, the State does not presently have an obligation to ensure access to all people.”
It says that at present GP care in Ireland is provided though a mix of both public and private systems.
It says virtually all GPs are independent private contractors who provide services at market rates, the majority also participate in the GMS scheme under which the State covers the cost of access for “persons for whom acquiring such services would present undue hardship”. It says GMS eligibility “is based on economic means, considering family size, income, and expenditure on mortgage/rent and childcare.”
Categories
The review says that GPs received €564 million collectively last year across a number of categories for treating public patients.
The spending review says there are several estimates for the amount of money paid to GPs annually by private patients and in relation to the increase frequency at which patients would visit their GP if the system was fully without cost.
It suggests €52.50 to be a reasonable estimation of average private GP consultation price in Ireland,
The review maintains that a range of between €200million and €220million represents “a broadly accurate estimate of private GP expenditure”.
The Department of Public Expenditure paper suggests it would be “reasonable to assume a move to universal GP care will result in an increase of roughly 20 per cent - 40 per cent among patients who are currently private”.


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Dart services to be suspended on northside line for next two weekends

Dart services over the next two weekends between Malahide/Howth and Grand Canal Dock will be suspended due to engineering works .
Over November 7/8th and 14/15th , bus operators will be accepting rail tickets , and Dart services will operate between Grand Canal Dock and Bray/Greystones only .
The interruption to services is due to the final phase of Irish Rail ’ s resignalling of the Dart network from Howth/Malahide to Sandymount .
Full week-day Dart services will resume from Monday , November 9th .
A revised and reduced schedule will continue until Friday .
All rail services to and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be suspended over the next two weekends , Irish Rail has said .
Maynooth services will operate an hourly service to/from Docklands Station , instead of Connolly , and M3 Parkway services will be suspended .
Northern commuter ( Drogheda ) services will operate and hourly service to/from Malahide , with bus transfers between Malahide and Connolly Services will operate between Belfast and Drogheda , with bus transfers between Drogheda and Connolly .
A revised schedule will operate between Sligo and Maynooth , with bus transfers between Maynooth and Connolly .
Services will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with bus transfers between Bray and Connolly .

Train services will be suspended at Connolly Station over the next two weekends. File photograph: The Irish Times
Dart services over the next two weekends between Malahide/Howth and Grand Canal Dock will be suspended due to engineering works.
Over November 7/8th and 14/15th, bus operators will be accepting rail tickets, and Dart services will operate between Grand Canal Dock and Bray/Greystones only.
The interruption to services is due to the final phase of Irish Rail's resignalling of the Dart network from Howth/Malahide to Sandymount.
Full week-day Dart services will resume from Monday, November 9th. A revised and reduced schedule will continue until Friday.
READ MORE
All rail services to and through Connolly Station in Dublin will also be suspended over the next two weekends, Irish Rail has said.
Maynooth services will operate an hourly service to/from Docklands Station, instead of Connolly, and M3 Parkway services will be suspended.
Northern commuter (Drogheda) services will operate and hourly service to/from Malahide, with bus transfers between Malahide and Connolly
Services will operate between Belfast and Drogheda, with bus transfers between Drogheda and Connolly.
A revised schedule will operate between Sligo and Maynooth, with bus transfers between Maynooth and Connolly. Services will operate between Rosslare Europort and Bray, with bus transfers between Bray and Connolly.


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Two men arrested after estimated €86,000 in drugs seized

Two men have been arrested in Co Laois after an estimated € 86,000 worth of drugs was seized in recent days .
Gardaí attached to the Laois Divisional Drug Unit executed a search warrant at an apartment in Portlaoise at 10.30pm on Tuesday .
Cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of € 72,500 and a large amount of drug paraphernalia and cash was found during the search , which was part of an operation into the supply of drugs in Co Laois .
A man in his early 30s was arrested at the scene and taken to Portlaoise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained under Section 2 , of the Criminal Justice ( Drug Trafficking ) Act , 1996 .
During a follow-up search of a vehicle in Portlaoise , gardaí seized an estimated €3,500 of cocaine and over €3,000 in cash .
A man in his mid 30s was arrested and taken to Portlaoise Garda station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act , 1984 .
This man has since been charged and will appear in court at a later date .
A second follow-up search was also carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday morning , and cannabis with an estimated street value of €10,000 was seized .

Two men have been arrested in Co Laois after an estimated € 86,000 worth of drugs was seized
Two men have been arrested in Co Laois after an estimated € 86,000 worth of drugs was seized in recent days.
Gardaí attached to the Laois Divisional Drug Unit executed a search warrant at an apartment in Portlaoise at 10.30pm on Tuesday.
Cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of € 72,500 and a large amount of drug paraphernalia and cash was found during the search, which was part of an operation into the supply of drugs in Co Laois.
A man in his early 30s was arrested at the scene and taken to Portlaoise Garda station, where he is being detained under Section 2, of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
READ MORE
During a follow-up search of a vehicle in Portlaoise, gardaí seized an estimated €3,500 of cocaine and over €3,000 in cash. A man in his mid 30s was arrested and taken to Portlaoise Garda station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
This man has since been charged and will appear in court at a later date.
A second follow-up search was also carried out in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, early on Wednesday morning, and cannabis with an estimated street value of €10,000 was seized.


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Is it acceptable to use data from Nazi medical experiments?

During the second World War , Nazi medical doctors conducted medical experiments on concentration camp prisoners .
This work was extremely cruel , the prisoners underwent incredible suffering and very often died .
Nevertheless , in some cases , the experiments yielded scientifically valid results that could help save lives today .
The question as to whether it is ethical to use such results was discussed by bioethicist Prof Lynn Gillam in The Conversation , in June 2015 .
The Nazi experiments fell into three categories : medical-military research ; miscellaneous experiments and racially-motivated experiments .
The medical-military experiments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were designed to help the German Luftwaffe .
I will briefly describe the freezing experiments and high-altitude experiments conducted by Dr Sigmund Rascher at Dachau concentration camp .
Expanded details can be consulted in the online encyclopaedia the Jewish Virtual Library .
The Germans wanted to know how long downed Luftwaffe pilots could survive the ice-cold North Sea and how best to revive rescued pilots .
Rascher immersed prisoners in ice-water baths or left them outside in freezing winter cold and recorded body temperature , muscle response , heart rate and urine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s high-altitude experiments were designed to find optimum methods of protecting pilots from the effects of low atmospheric pressure when they bailed out at high altitude .
Rasher simulated high-altitude conditions using a decompression chamber .
Rascher used about 300 prisoners in his freezing experiments of whom about 90 died and of 200 prisoners tested in high-altitude testing , 80 died and the rest were executed .
An example of racially-motivated experiments was the research on twins by Dr Joseph Mengele at Auschwitz .
Mengele was obsessed with racial purity and wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assist the “ master race ” to multiply and repopulate the world with Germans .
Mengele used about 1,000 pairs of twins , of whom about 200 pairs survived .
The enormous suffering inflicted on helpless prisoners by this research is mind-numbing to contemplate and distressing to document .
And the indifference displayed by the Nazi doctors to the suffering they inflicted induces a sense of shame that scientists behaved in this manner .
For example , Rascher asked to have the low-temperature research relocated to Auschwitz , which was bigger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be so frequently interrupted by the agonised shrieking of the experimental prisoners as their extremities froze white .
And , in the high-altitude experiments Rascher sometimes peformed dissections while victims were still alive in an attempt to demonstrate air bubbles in blood cause altitude sickness .
Despite the horrible circumstances under which the Nazi experiments were conducted , some results are scientifically reliable enough to contribute to saving lives today .
For example , Rascher discovered a “ rapid active rewarming ” technique to resuscitate frozen victims and showed it to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published comprehensive tables of rates of body cooling in water down to temperatures well below those that could now be studied in ethical research .
These tables are very useful when designing cold-water survival suits worn on fishing boats in Arctic waters .
Robert Pozos , an American hypothermia researcher , argued in the 1980s that Nazi data was essential to develop improved methods of reviving people rescued from ice-cold water after boating accidents , but the New England Journal of Medicine refused his proposal to publish Nazi data openly .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ papers from the 1950s to the 1980s , with no indication of its source .
Should Nazi experimental data be used that could save lives today ?
A simple utilitarian approach would say yes , despite the horrible ways in which the data was generated .
After all , using the data will not further harm those who died .
However , this simple approach is unacceptable to Gillam because it risks downplaying the evil means used to generate the data and could encourage others to cut ethical corners today .
Nevertheless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not completely reject the idea of rescuing good out of something bad – for example , some murder victims become organ donors .
She would not rule out publishing relevant data from Nazi experiments in this same spirit and as a testament to the original helpless victims .
However , she insists in that event it should be made clear where the data came from , the suffering involved and that the scientific community strenuously condemns this Nazi research .
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC

During the second World War, Nazi medical doctors conducted medical experiments on concentration camp prisoners. This work was extremely cruel, the prisoners underwent incredible suffering and very often died. Nevertheless, in some cases, the experiments yielded scientifically valid results that could help save lives today. The question as to whether it is ethical to use such results was discussed by bioethicist Prof Lynn Gillam in The Conversation, in June 2015.
The Nazi experiments fell into three categories: medical-military research; miscellaneous experiments and racially-motivated experiments. The medical-military experiments, carried out under orders from Heinrich Himmler, were designed to help the German Luftwaffe. I will briefly describe the freezing experiments and high-altitude experiments conducted by Dr Sigmund Rascher at Dachau concentration camp. Expanded details can be consulted in the online encyclopaedia the Jewish Virtual Library .
The Germans wanted to know how long downed Luftwaffe pilots could survive the ice-cold North Sea and how best to revive rescued pilots. Rascher immersed prisoners in ice-water baths or left them outside in freezing winter cold and recorded body temperature, muscle response, heart rate and urine composition as body temperature dropped.
Rascher’s high-altitude experiments were designed to find optimum methods of protecting pilots from the effects of low atmospheric pressure when they bailed out at high altitude. Rasher simulated high-altitude conditions using a decompression chamber.
READ MORE
Rascher used about 300 prisoners in his freezing experiments of whom about 90 died and of 200 prisoners tested in high-altitude testing, 80 died and the rest were executed.
An example of racially-motivated experiments was the research on twins by Dr Joseph Mengele at Auschwitz. Mengele was obsessed with racial purity and wanted to further understand reproduction and multiple births to assist the "master race" to multiply and repopulate the world with Germans. Mengele used about 1,000 pairs of twins, of whom about 200 pairs survived.
The enormous suffering inflicted on helpless prisoners by this research is mind-numbing to contemplate and distressing to document. And the indifference displayed by the Nazi doctors to the suffering they inflicted induces a sense of shame that scientists behaved in this manner.
For example, Rascher asked to have the low-temperature research relocated to Auschwitz, which was bigger than Dachau and where his concentration would not be so frequently interrupted by the agonised shrieking of the experimental prisoners as their extremities froze white. And, in the high-altitude experiments Rascher sometimes peformed dissections while victims were still alive in an attempt to demonstrate air bubbles in blood cause altitude sickness.
Resuscitation technique
Despite the horrible circumstances under which the Nazi experiments were conducted, some results are scientifically reliable enough to contribute to saving lives today. For example, Rascher discovered a “rapid active rewarming” technique to resuscitate frozen victims and showed it to be the best method of revival. He also published comprehensive tables of rates of body cooling in water down to temperatures well below those that could now be studied in ethical research. These tables are very useful when designing cold-water survival suits worn on fishing boats in Arctic waters.
Robert Pozos, an American hypothermia researcher, argued in the 1980s that Nazi data was essential to develop improved methods of reviving people rescued from ice-cold water after boating accidents, but the New England Journal of Medicine refused his proposal to publish Nazi data openly. However, Nazi experimental data was cited in scientific papers from the 1950s to the 1980s, with no indication of its source.
Should Nazi experimental data be used that could save lives today? A simple utilitarian approach would say yes, despite the horrible ways in which the data was generated. After all, using the data will not further harm those who died. However, this simple approach is unacceptable to Gillam because it risks downplaying the evil means used to generate the data and could encourage others to cut ethical corners today.
Nevertheless, as Gillam points out, our society does not completely reject the idea of rescuing good out of something bad – for example, some murder victims become organ donors. She would not rule out publishing relevant data from Nazi experiments in this same spirit and as a testament to the original helpless victims.
However, she insists in that event it should be made clear where the data came from, the suffering involved and that the scientific community strenuously condemns this Nazi research.
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Ireland poised to be first in the world to map its entire seabed

“ If we don ’ t have the data , we can ’ t make sustainable management decisions , ” says Thomas Fury from the Marine Institute .
This is possibly the simplest explanation anyone can offer to justify the 20-year-long project to map the seabed surrounding Ireland .
Fury is the joint manager – with Sean Cullen from the Geological Survey Ireland ( GSI ) – of the integrated mapping for the sustainable development of Ireland ’ s marine resources ( Infomar ) , a project funded by the Department of Environment , Climate and Communications .
Its aim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seabed by 2026 , becoming the first country in the world to have systematically mapped its marine territory .
Ireland ’ s ocean territory area – at 880,000sq km – is about 10 times the land mass of the country .
This mammoth mapping task started with the Irish National Seabed Survey ( 1999-2005 ) which used remote sensing equipment , from multibeam to seismic , to survey vast stretches of offshore waters more than 200m deep beyond Ireland ’ s continental shelf .
Ireland ’ s continental shelf includes the land which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles from the coastline , giving Ireland one of the largest seabed territories in Europe as shown on the so-called Real Map of Ireland .
The drive to have more data to better inform licensing decisions and promote sustainable development across shipping , port development , inshore fisheries , aquaculture , energy and tourism led to the continuation of this mapping exercise .
Infomar ’ s first phase ( 2006-2016 ) resulted in surveying 26 priority bays around Ireland , three strips of coastline in the southwest , south and east , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two , which will continue until 2026 , aims to finish off the mapping of Ireland ’ s exclusive economic zone designated by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea .
“ We have mapped about 4,500sq km of inshore , coastal and shelf seabed each year since 2006 with 60,000sq km mapped to date .
We have about 125,000sq km left to map in total , ” Fury explains .
The Marine Institute co-ordinates the work of two large surveying vessels , including the Celtic Explorer , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond 30 nautical miles off the Irish coastline .
Five smaller research vessels managed by the GSI survey inshore waters .
Understanding the topography ( the surface structure and shape ) and geology ( the rock structure ) of the seabed in Irish waters is crucial for any large offshore infrastructural projects , from wind farms to telecommunication cables and power cables .
“ For example , we have discovered sand waves , which are mega dunes in the Irish Sea , which extend from the north to the south coast .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than others .
It depends on their depth and the type of sand .
All of this information is important in deciding where to put floating or fixed wind farms at sea , ” Fury says .
All of the Infomar findings are open-source data , available on global and European ocean datasets and portals to academic researchers and environmental consultants studying the viability of wave , wind and tide energy generation and oil and gas exploration and production .
Data from Infomar directly feeds into the marine and ocean energy testing site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland ’ s Atlantic marine energy test site in Belmullet , Co Mayo ( oceanenergyireland.ie ) .
Seabed mapping also provides key information about habitats that need to be protected and the conditions in which aquaculture projects will thrive or fail .
The discovery in 2018 of a rare shark nursery in a deep-water coral reef system 200 miles west of Ireland was an exciting one .
David O ’ Sullivan , chief scientist on the SeaRover ( Sensitive Ecosystem Analysis and ROV Exploration of Reef Habitat ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovery – in an offshore special area of conservation in Irish waters – showed the significance of documenting sensitive marine habitats .
“ It will give us a better understanding of the biology of these beautiful animals and their ecosystem in Ireland ’ s biological sensitive area , ” he says .
Data from Infomar is also important for coastal protection and predicting the impacts of storm surges , floods and possible siltation , as well as protecting habitats from pollution .
Fury gives an example of the latter : “ We discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southeast coast in an area proposed as a dumping ground for dredge spoil from Waterford , so we were able to inform them that they needed to change their dumping site.
” Infomar scientists are also asked to provide detailed maps for specific aquaculture projects .
For example , as part of the Horizon 2020 project , Tools for Assessment and Planning of Aquaculture Sustainability , detailed seabed maps of the Kenmare river helped assess the limits to fish farming in a semi-enclosed bay .
“ The oceanographic scientists were able to model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the semi-enclosed bay to assess the ecosystem tipping point from the commercial harvesting of shellfish , ” Fury adds .
The maps and models provided “ the catchment carrying capacity ” based on the scientific knowledge and understanding of how much shellfish can be put in an enclosed area before it pollutes the water and reduces the growth rate of the shellfish .
Seabed mapping technology can also be used to map intertidal seaweed resources .
“ If you know what ’ s there , you can know what you can sustainably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientists at the Marine Institute collaborate with their counterparts around the world to advance understanding of the ecosystems in the ocean and how they will be impacted by climate change .
“ Less than 20 per cent of the world ’ s seabed has been mapped so we work with scientists from Canada , the United States , South America and South Africa in the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance to try to understand the Atlantic on a full basic scale , ” Fury says .
He sees huge potential for Ireland to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diving tourism : “ Ireland can show off its underwater like no other country can and once the imagery is linked to biology and topography , it ’ s a great resource.
” He says the public , for example , has a particular fascination with ship wrecks which have been mapped as part of the Infomar programme .
“ Ireland ’ s offshore waters are steeped in maritime heritage and there are wrecks from historical European and transatlantic trading routes as well as Spanish Armada vessels from 1588 and modern-day fishing vessels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipwrecks are readily available , as is a Dive app highlighting Irish dive sites .
A conference will be held on December 3rd and 4th to celebrate 21 years of mapping Ireland ’ s seabed – see infomar.ie The Infomar programme became part of the Junior Certificate geography syllabus in 2018 ( scoilnet.ie ) .
Seabed mapping involves many aspects of science from geology to physics to biology .
The mapping itself relies on multibeam echo sounder which spreads out like a fan on the seabed .
Scientists calculate the depth of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the sound beam to come back to the surface .
So-called sound velocity profilers measure the temperature , salinity and changes in the density of the water .
Sub-bottom profilers take photographs of what lies underneath the seabed .
Remotely-operated high-definition cameras with robotic arms sit on the seabed gathering imagery which is combined with images from drones on the surface to accurately map habitats in specific areas .

Two large surveying vessels, including the Celtic Explorer, bring scientists out to survey waters beyond 30 nautical miles off the Irish coastline. Photograph: David Branigan/Oceansport
"If we don't have the data, we can't make sustainable management decisions," says Thomas Fury from the Marine Institute. This is possibly the simplest explanation anyone can offer to justify the 20-year-long project to map the seabed surrounding Ireland.
Fury is the joint manager – with Sean Cullen from the Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) – of the integrated mapping for the sustainable development of Ireland's marine resources (Infomar), a project funded by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
Its aim is to map Ireland’s entire seabed by 2026, becoming the first country in the world to have systematically mapped its marine territory. Ireland’s ocean territory area – at 880,000sq km – is about 10 times the land mass of the country.
This mammoth mapping task started with the Irish National Seabed Survey (1999-2005) which used remote sensing equipment, from multibeam to seismic, to survey vast stretches of offshore waters more than 200m deep beyond Ireland’s continental shelf.
READ MORE
Ireland's continental shelf includes the land which extends under the sea to 200 nautical miles from the coastline, giving Ireland one of the largest seabed territories in Europe as shown on the so-called Real Map of Ireland.
The drive to have more data to better inform licensing decisions and promote sustainable development across shipping, port development, inshore fisheries, aquaculture, energy and tourism led to the continuation of this mapping exercise. Infomar’s first phase (2006-2016) resulted in surveying 26 priority bays around Ireland, three strips of coastline in the southwest, south and east, and the fisheries biologically sensitive area.
SS Chirripo, which sank in 1917, was mapped in incredible detail by Infomar and Ulster University.
Phase two, which will continue until 2026, aims to finish off the mapping of Ireland’s exclusive economic zone designated by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“We have mapped about 4,500sq km of inshore, coastal and shelf seabed each year since 2006 with 60,000sq km mapped to date. We have about 125,000sq km left to map in total,” Fury explains.
Surveying vessels
The Marine Institute co-ordinates the work of two large surveying vessels, including the Celtic Explorer, which bring three scientists out to survey waters beyond 30 nautical miles off the Irish coastline. Five smaller research vessels managed by the GSI survey inshore waters.
Understanding the topography (the surface structure and shape) and geology (the rock structure) of the seabed in Irish waters is crucial for any large offshore infrastructural projects, from wind farms to telecommunication cables and power cables.
“For example, we have discovered sand waves, which are mega dunes in the Irish Sea, which extend from the north to the south coast. Some of these sand waves are more mobile than others. It depends on their depth and the type of sand. All of this information is important in deciding where to put floating or fixed wind farms at sea,” Fury says.
All of the Infomar findings are open-source data, available on global and European ocean datasets and portals to academic researchers and environmental consultants studying the viability of wave, wind and tide energy generation and oil and gas exploration and production. Data from Infomar directly feeds into the marine and ocean energy testing site in Galway Bay (smartbay.ie) and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's Atlantic marine energy test site in Belmullet, Co Mayo (oceanenergyireland.ie).
Seabed mapping also provides key information about habitats that need to be protected and the conditions in which aquaculture projects will thrive or fail. The discovery in 2018 of a rare shark nursery in a deep-water coral reef system 200 miles west of Ireland was an exciting one.
David O’Sullivan, chief scientist on the SeaRover (Sensitive Ecosystem Analysis and ROV Exploration of Reef Habitat) survey, says at the time the discovery – in an offshore special area of conservation in Irish waters – showed the significance of documenting sensitive marine habitats. “It will give us a better understanding of the biology of these beautiful animals and their ecosystem in Ireland’s biological sensitive area,” he says.
Coastal protection
Data from Infomar is also important for coastal protection and predicting the impacts of storm surges, floods and possible siltation, as well as protecting habitats from pollution. Fury gives an example of the latter: "We discovered a spawning ground for herring off the southeast coast in an area proposed as a dumping ground for dredge spoil from Waterford, so we were able to inform them that they needed to change their dumping site."
Infomar scientists are also asked to provide detailed maps for specific aquaculture projects. For example, as part of the Horizon 2020 project, Tools for Assessment and Planning of Aquaculture Sustainability, detailed seabed maps of the Kenmare river helped assess the limits to fish farming in a semi-enclosed bay.
High-resolution image of SS Polwell, which was torpedoed off Lambay Island in 1918, produced by Infomar and Ulster University.
“The oceanographic scientists were able to model the water flow, currents and nutrients in the semi-enclosed bay to assess the ecosystem tipping point from the commercial harvesting of shellfish,” Fury adds.
The maps and models provided “the catchment carrying capacity” based on the scientific knowledge and understanding of how much shellfish can be put in an enclosed area before it pollutes the water and reduces the growth rate of the shellfish. Seabed mapping technology can also be used to map intertidal seaweed resources. “If you know what’s there, you can know what you can sustainably take away,” he says.
Scientists at the Marine Institute collaborate with their counterparts around the world to advance understanding of the ecosystems in the ocean and how they will be impacted by climate change. "Less than 20 per cent of the world's seabed has been mapped so we work with scientists from Canada, the United States, South America and South Africa in the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance to try to understand the Atlantic on a full basic scale," Fury says.
He sees huge potential for Ireland to use the seabed imaging to develop angling and diving tourism: “Ireland can show off its underwater like no other country can and once the imagery is linked to biology and topography, it’s a great resource.” He says the public, for example, has a particular fascination with ship wrecks which have been mapped as part of the Infomar programme.
“Ireland’s offshore waters are steeped in maritime heritage and there are wrecks from historical European and transatlantic trading routes as well as Spanish Armada vessels from 1588 and modern-day fishing vessels which have sunk.” Information sheets on shipwrecks are readily available, as is a Dive app highlighting Irish dive sites.
A conference will be held on December 3rd and 4th to celebrate 21 years of mapping Ireland's seabed – see infomar.ie
Sand waves up to 2m in height off the coast of Donegal.
Infomar programme
The Infomar programme became part of the Junior Certificate geography syllabus in 2018 (scoilnet.ie). Seabed mapping involves many aspects of science from geology to physics to biology.
The mapping itself relies on multibeam echo sounder which spreads out like a fan on the seabed. Scientists calculate the depth of the ocean by measuring the time it takes for the sound beam to come back to the surface.
So-called sound velocity profilers measure the temperature, salinity and changes in the density of the water. Sub-bottom profilers take photographs of what lies underneath the seabed.
Remotely-operated high-definition cameras with robotic arms sit on the seabed gathering imagery which is combined with images from drones on the surface to accurately map habitats in specific areas.


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Coronavirus: Aim is to move from Level 5 to ‘minimum additional restrictions’

The Government hopes to apply the “ minimum additional restrictions ” required to keep Covid-19 down after Level 5 measures are lifted , according to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly .
But this could only happen if “ we all follow the basics ” of infection control , he told the Oireachtas health committee yesterday .
Blaming a mix of “ congregation and alcohol ” at house parties and “ sports celebrations ” for the spread of the virus in recent months , he said coronavirus exploited “ very small transgressions ” .
“ A lot of the time it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter for seven months and then said ‘ For the love of God , I just need to let loose this once ’ and who then let go for one night , ” he said .
The reproduction number , a key indicator of the spread of Covid-19 , has dropped below 1 for the first time in four months , the committee was told .
It now stands at 0.7 to 0.9 , the Minister said , compared with 1 last week .
However , this is still above the 0.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to drive case numbers down to double digits by next month Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed last night that the Level 5 lockdown will last for six weeks as scheduled despite case numbers dropping .
He told the weekly meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party the full period was needed to reduce the numbers sufficiently for Christmas and beyond .
He said the Government was working on compiling specific data sets on Covid levels in key sectors of the economy .
This would help inform the State ’ s exit strategy from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Donnelly will on Thursday announce an additional €42 million in financial supports related to Covid-19 for nursing homes next year .
The money provided under the temporary assistance payment scheme is designed to offset the additional costs borne by private and voluntary nursing homes due to Covid , and to help those homes managing an outbreak by funding extra staff and equipment .
The funding covers the first six months of 2021 , and comes on top of spending of €134.5 million under the scheme this year .
The HSE separately provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the latest large outbreak of the virus in nursing homes , 19 residents and staff at a Co Kerry facility have tested positive , it emerged on Wednesday .
Meanwhile , eight further deaths of patients with Covid-19 and 444 new cases of the virus were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team yesterday .
The Minister said the incidence of the disease was falling in 23 of the 26 counties in the Republic .
Three counties reported no new cases on Wednesday .
However , there is still concern about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rise or are “ flatlining ” rather than falling .
The number of new outbreaks in schools fell to 30 last week – midterm – compared with 46 the previous week , according to the HSE .
However , the number of open investigations in the sector increased from 96 to 125 last week .
Last week , there were 320 new outbreaks linked to private houses , 16 to residential institutions and 11 to workplaces , including two in meat plants .

Ireland's Covid-19 reproduction number, a key indicator in the spread of coronavirus, has dropped below 1 and is now calculated between 0.7 and 0.9, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has told the Oireachtas health committee. Video: Oireachtas TV
The Government hopes to apply the "minimum additional restrictions" required to keep Covid-19 down after Level 5 measures are lifted, according to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
But this could only happen if "we all follow the basics" of infection control, he told the Oireachtas health committee yesterday.
Blaming a mix of “congregation and alcohol” at house parties and “sports celebrations” for the spread of the virus in recent months, he said coronavirus exploited “very small transgressions”.
Hospital Report
“A lot of the time it was people who had followed it to the letter for seven months and then said ‘For the love of God, I just need to let loose this once’ and who then let go for one night,” he said.
READ MORE
The reproduction number, a key indicator of the spread of Covid-19, has dropped below 1 for the first time in four months, the committee was told.
It now stands at 0.7 to 0.9, the Minister said, compared with 1 last week. However, this is still above the 0.5 value that public health officials say is needed to drive case numbers down to double digits by next month
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed last night that the Level 5 lockdown will last for six weeks as scheduled despite case numbers dropping.
He told the weekly meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party the full period was needed to reduce the numbers sufficiently for Christmas and beyond.
He said the Government was working on compiling specific data sets on Covid levels in key sectors of the economy. This would help inform the State’s exit strategy from the severe restrictions currently in place.
Nursing homes
Mr Donnelly will on Thursday announce an additional €42 million in financial supports related to Covid-19 for nursing homes next year.
The money provided under the temporary assistance payment scheme is designed to offset the additional costs borne by private and voluntary nursing homes due to Covid, and to help those homes managing an outbreak by funding extra staff and equipment.
The funding covers the first six months of 2021, and comes on top of spending of €134.5 million under the scheme this year. The HSE separately provides personal protective equipment for the sector.
In the latest large outbreak of the virus in nursing homes, 19 residents and staff at a Co Kerry facility have tested positive, it emerged on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, eight further deaths of patients with Covid-19 and 444 new cases of the virus were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team yesterday.
The Minister said the incidence of the disease was falling in 23 of the 26 counties in the Republic. Three counties reported no new cases on Wednesday.
However, there is still concern about parts of Dublin where case numbers continue to rise or are “flatlining” rather than falling.
The number of new outbreaks in schools fell to 30 last week – midterm – compared with 46 the previous week, according to the HSE. However, the number of open investigations in the sector increased from 96 to 125 last week.
Last week, there were 320 new outbreaks linked to private houses, 16 to residential institutions and 11 to workplaces, including two in meat plants.


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Joint application system offers students more choice in course options

Leaving Cert students will be able to apply for both university and further education courses at the same time under a joint system being considered by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris .
The move is aimed at boosting the visibility of further education and apprenticeship options which Mr Harris said are often seen as “ second best ” options compared to the CAO system .
Mr Harris was speaking at the opening of Higher Options , the main information-gathering event for secondary school students exploring their career and study options .
Higher Options is organised by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Counsellors .
This year ’ s event is taking place online on Wednesday and Thursday of this week , with careers talks and question and answer sessions streamed live from a studio at Dublin ’ s RDS .
Mr Harris said there was a kind of “ cultural snobbery ” which led many families to consider further education and training as an option for “ other people ” .
In Ireland , latest figures show about 64 per cent of Irish school-leavers progress to higher education , the highest proportion in the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choosing options such as apprenticeships in Ireland are among the lowest in the EU .
Mr Harris said students should not think of further education or higher education as an “ either or ” choice , but as options which complement each other .
He said hundreds of post-Leaving Cert courses , apprenticeships and traineeships offered excellent career prospects for students , as well a platform for further study or progression into higher education .
The apprenticeship system , he said , has also been transformed from one which once offered mainly craft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and plumbing – to a diverse selection of options ranging from business to bio-pharma , right up to degree or PhD level .
Mary Liz Trant , executive director for skills development in Solas , the further education and training authority , said many new apprenticeships are under consideration , including a new healthcare assistant apprenticeship due to launch soon .
She said a new apprenticeship incentivisation scheme – in which employers receive a grant of €3,000 for each new apprentice registered – has proved popular since it launched earlier this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scheme in respect of more than 1,130 apprentice registrations .
The scheme has been extended until the end of June next year .
The Government ’ s aim is that it will lead to about 4,000 apprentices registering over the coming months .

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris with Irish Times education editor Carl O’Brien and Solas’ Dr Mary-Liz Trant speaking at The Irish Times Higher Options exhibition. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Leaving Cert students will be able to apply for both university and further education courses at the same time under a joint system being considered by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris.
The move is aimed at boosting the visibility of further education and apprenticeship options which Mr Harris said are often seen as "second best" options compared to the CAO system.
Mr Harris was speaking at the opening of Higher Options, the main information-gathering event for secondary school students exploring their career and study options. Higher Options is organised by The Irish Times with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.
This year’s event is taking place online on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, with careers talks and question and answer sessions streamed live from a studio at Dublin’s RDS.
READ MORE
Mr Harris said there was a kind of “cultural snobbery” which led many families to consider further education and training as an option for “other people”.
In Ireland, latest figures show about 64 per cent of Irish school-leavers progress to higher education, the highest proportion in the European Union.
By contrast, the numbers choosing options such as apprenticeships in Ireland are among the lowest in the EU.
Career prospects
Mr Harris said students should not think of further education or higher education as an “either or” choice, but as options which complement each other.
He said hundreds of post-Leaving Cert courses, apprenticeships and traineeships offered excellent career prospects for students, as well a platform for further study or progression into higher education.
The apprenticeship system, he said, has also been transformed from one which once offered mainly craft apprenticeships – in areas such as welding and plumbing – to a diverse selection of options ranging from business to bio-pharma, right up to degree or PhD level.
Mary Liz Trant, executive director for skills development in Solas, the further education and training authority, said many new apprenticeships are under consideration, including a new healthcare assistant apprenticeship due to launch soon.
She said a new apprenticeship incentivisation scheme – in which employers receive a grant of €3,000 for each new apprentice registered – has proved popular since it launched earlier this year.
More than 600 employers had applied for the scheme in respect of more than 1,130 apprentice registrations. The scheme has been extended until the end of June next year.
The Government’s aim is that it will lead to about 4,000 apprentices registering over the coming months.


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Talking about the weather: Forecasting gets better and better

Weather forecasts are getting better .
Fifty years ago , predictions beyond one day ahead were of dubious utility .
Now , forecasts out to a week ahead are generally reliable .
Careful measurements of forecast accuracy have shown that the range for a fixed level of skill has been increasing by one day every decade .
Thus , today ’ s one-week forecasts are about as good as a typical three-day forecast was in 1980 .
How has this happened ?
And will this remarkable progress continue ?
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ( ECMWF ) is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operates one of the largest supercomputer systems in Europe and has the world ’ s largest archive of numerical weather prediction data .
Ireland has been a member of ECMWF since its establishment in 1975 .
The illustration shows the skill scores for ECMWF forecasts at ranges of three , five , seven and 10 days ahead .
All the graphs show sustained improvements over three decades .
At each range , there are two curves , separated by a colour band .
The upper curves are for the northern hemisphere , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Early in the period , the northern forecasts were substantially better .
By the end of the period , skill was comparable in the two hemispheres , thanks to satellite observations and clever numerical algorithms for exploiting them .
The fundamental equations that govern the evolution of atmospheric motions are the Navier-Stokes equations .
They are the mathematical basis of all computer models for weather forecasting .
They have not changed over the past 50 years , but many other things have changed .
Techniques for solving – or integrating – the equations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficient .
Methods of extracting information from satellite data now employ advanced mathematical tools .
And the speed of computers has grown dramatically .
Computer power has been increasing by an order of magnitude every five years .
This exponential growth means that over the 30 years shown on the graphs the power of computers went up one millionfold .
More powerful computers allow us to use more accurate forecast models .
Finer numerical grids and better representation of physical processes have resulted in increased forecast skill .
Weather satellite observations have revolutionised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data even more abundant .
The inexorable growth in computer power continues , so that global models will soon be able to represent convective clouds , simulating showers and thunderstorms explicitly .
We may look forward to weather forecasts that are more reliable for longer ranges ahead .
But there is a limit : the atmosphere is turbulent , and tiny disturbances may grow over time to dominate the weather .
Thus , small errors ultimately spoil the forecast , limiting the predictability horizon .
Theoretical studies indicate middle-latitude weather should be predictable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the strong drivers of progress in weather prediction is meticulous analysis of forecast errors .
As soon as observations are available , computer predictions are subjected to rigorous verification procedures .
Model deficiencies are quickly identified and , where possible , rectified .
Climate prediction is based on the same mathematical foundations , but climate models incorporate more components of the Earth system and the many interactions and feedbacks between them .
Climate change also depends critically on human behaviour , which may be prudent or reckless .
Moreover , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : we have to wait much longer to know how good a climate forecast really is .
Thus , the reliability of model forecasts of climate change is not guaranteed .
Despite that , computer model predictions are the best indicators we have of the changing climate .
We need to take them very seriously , while also doing everything possible to reduce the uncertainties .
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD school of mathematics and statistics .
He blogs at thatsmaths.com

Weather forecasts are getting better. Fifty years ago, predictions beyond one day ahead were of dubious utility. Now, forecasts out to a week ahead are generally reliable. Careful measurements of forecast accuracy have shown that the range for a fixed level of skill has been increasing by one day every decade. Thus, today’s one-week forecasts are about as good as a typical three-day forecast was in 1980. How has this happened? And will this remarkable progress continue?
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is the world-leading weather prediction centre. It operates one of the largest supercomputer systems in Europe and has the world's largest archive of numerical weather prediction data. Ireland has been a member of ECMWF since its establishment in 1975.
The illustration shows the skill scores for ECMWF forecasts at ranges of three, five, seven and 10 days ahead. All the graphs show sustained improvements over three decades. At each range, there are two curves, separated by a colour band. The upper curves are for the northern hemisphere, the lower ones for the southern hemisphere. Early in the period, the northern forecasts were substantially better. By the end of the period, skill was comparable in the two hemispheres, thanks to satellite observations and clever numerical algorithms for exploiting them.
Navier-Stokes equations
The fundamental equations that govern the evolution of atmospheric motions are the Navier-Stokes equations. They are the mathematical basis of all computer models for weather forecasting. They have not changed over the past 50 years, but many other things have changed. Techniques for solving – or integrating – the equations have become more sophisticated and much more efficient. Methods of extracting information from satellite data now employ advanced mathematical tools. And the speed of computers has grown dramatically.
READ MORE
Computer power has been increasing by an order of magnitude every five years. This exponential growth means that over the 30 years shown on the graphs the power of computers went up one millionfold. More powerful computers allow us to use more accurate forecast models. Finer numerical grids and better representation of physical processes have resulted in increased forecast skill.
This illustration shows the skill scores for ECMWF forecasts at ranges of three, five, seven and 10 days ahead. All the graphs show sustained improvements over three decades.
Weather satellite observations have revolutionised forecasting and future programmes will make such data even more abundant. The inexorable growth in computer power continues, so that global models will soon be able to represent convective clouds, simulating showers and thunderstorms explicitly. We may look forward to weather forecasts that are more reliable for longer ranges ahead.
Turbulent atmosphere
But there is a limit: the atmosphere is turbulent, and tiny disturbances may grow over time to dominate the weather. Thus, small errors ultimately spoil the forecast, limiting the predictability horizon. Theoretical studies indicate middle-latitude weather should be predictable for two weeks or a little longer.
One of the strong drivers of progress in weather prediction is meticulous analysis of forecast errors. As soon as observations are available, computer predictions are subjected to rigorous verification procedures. Model deficiencies are quickly identified and, where possible, rectified.
Climate prediction is based on the same mathematical foundations, but climate models incorporate more components of the Earth system and the many interactions and feedbacks between them.
Climate change also depends critically on human behaviour, which may be prudent or reckless. Moreover, verification of climate change forecasts is problematical: we have to wait much longer to know how good a climate forecast really is.
Thus, the reliability of model forecasts of climate change is not guaranteed. Despite that, computer model predictions are the best indicators we have of the changing climate. We need to take them very seriously, while also doing everything possible to reduce the uncertainties.
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD school of mathematics and statistics. He blogs at thatsmaths.com


theirishtimes--2020-11-05--Mental health crisis among drug addicts ‘deepening’

A “ deepening crisis of homelessness , addiction and mental health problems ” is worsening among vulnerable drug users , a leading drug-treatment centre is warning .
Merchants Quay Ireland ( MQI ) , the largest non-statutory addiction treatment service in the State , reports an 11 per cent increase in the number of people needing its mental health service last year and a 6 per cent rise in demand for free food .
Publishing its 2019 annual report on Thursday , it said the pandemic had made this “ bad situation worse ” as demand continues to grow this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become more difficult .
Chief executive Paula Byrne said : “ Last year , we had 11,600 people in need come through our doors – evidence of a deepening social crisis , in housing , in homelessness and in addiction .
The number of people accessing our mental health services jumped by 11 per cent – to 443 people .
“ During this pandemic , life is especially difficult for people who are homeless as day services across the city are restricted due to Covid .
Many of our clients are outside all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nowhere to go indoors for a warm meal , a shower , or a comforting conversation .
“ There is no doubt that this social isolation and increased hardship is having a negative impact on our clients ’ mental health .
This is further compounded by how challenging it is to deliver mental health services safely during this crisis .
There is a very real risk that some people will fall through the cracks this winter.
” Among those helped last year was Stephen , who did not wish to give his surname @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was a child .
He said he had been “ on the streets ” most of his adult life .
“ My drug use would be bad because there ’ s things I ’ ve been dealing with since my childhood , things that have happened to me.
” Describing MQI as his “ lifeline ” , he said he had struggled during Covid and expects the winter to be “ harder ” .
“ I sleep rough , I ’ ve nowhere to go when it ’ s raining .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m out there in that .
.
.
Thankfully , even over the last lockdown and all , I ’ ve still been able to get to talk to my keyworker and my GP , get my bit of food and what have you from Merchants Quay , which has been a lifesaver , literally .
But it ’ s lonely not being able go in and have a bit of rest , have a bit of a sit-down .
”

Merchants Quay Ireland: “Last year, we had 11,600 people in need come through our doors. The number of people accessing our mental health services jumped by 11 per cent.” Photograph: Alan Betson
A “deepening crisis of homelessness, addiction and mental health problems” is worsening among vulnerable drug users, a leading drug-treatment centre is warning.
Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), the largest non-statutory addiction treatment service in the State, reports an 11 per cent increase in the number of people needing its mental health service last year and a 6 per cent rise in demand for free food.
Publishing its 2019 annual report on Thursday, it said the pandemic had made this “bad situation worse” as demand continues to grow this year even as meeting this demand has become more difficult.
Chief executive Paula Byrne said: "Last year, we had 11,600 people in need come through our doors – evidence of a deepening social crisis, in housing, in homelessness and in addiction. The number of people accessing our mental health services jumped by 11 per cent – to 443 people.
READ MORE
‘Nowhere to go’
“During this pandemic, life is especially difficult for people who are homeless as day services across the city are restricted due to Covid. Many of our clients are outside all day, in all weather, with nowhere to go indoors for a warm meal, a shower, or a comforting conversation.
“There is no doubt that this social isolation and increased hardship is having a negative impact on our clients’ mental health. This is further compounded by how challenging it is to deliver mental health services safely during this crisis. There is a very real risk that some people will fall through the cracks this winter.”
‘I sleep rough’
Among those helped last year was Stephen, who did not wish to give his surname and who has had mental ill-health since he was a child.
He said he had been “on the streets” most of his adult life. “My drug use would be bad because there’s things I’ve been dealing with since my childhood, things that have happened to me.”
Describing MQI as his “lifeline”, he said he had struggled during Covid and expects the winter to be “harder”.
“I sleep rough, I’ve nowhere to go when it’s raining. When it’s frosty or snowing, I’m out there in that . . . Thankfully, even over the last lockdown and all, I’ve still been able to get to talk to my keyworker and my GP, get my bit of food and what have you from Merchants Quay, which has been a lifesaver, literally. But it’s lonely not being able go in and have a bit of rest, have a bit of a sit-down.”


theirishtimes--2020-11-04--First fibre-to-home connections under broadband plan to be available this year

The first fibre-to-the-home connections under the Government ’ s National Broadband Plan will be available later this year , Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan has told TDs .
Addressing the Oireachtas committee on transport and communications networks , Mr Ryan said the first homes to be connected will be in counties Cavan and Cork , and these properties will have “ minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset ” .
The broadband plan , costed at almost €3 billion , aims to deliver fast , reliable broadband to people living and working in nearly 540,000 homes or premises .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fibre cable and will utilise more than 1.5 million poles and more than 15,000km of underground duct networks .
The current plan forecasts cable passing some premises in all counties within the first two years , and more than 90 per cent of premises in the State having access to high-speed broadband within the next four years .
But Mr Ryan noted the decision to sign up to the plan was still with the householder or premises owner , and the project leaders were keen to see what take-up would be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú to explain how the Government hopes to accelerate the programme , Mr Ryan said it was not possible to provide a timeline at this stage , but he did hope to accelerate the scheme .
However , Mr Ryan was pressed by Fine Gael TD and committee chairman Kieran O ’ Donnell to provide more information for homeowners and businesses on when they might expect to be offered a connection .
Mr O ’ Donnell also asked about two challenges to the awarding of the contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being made at EU level , citing anti-competitive State aid .
Mr Ryan said he was aware of the challenges that alleged that State aid in relation to the plan was in contravention of EU policy .
But he said he believed the broadband project did meet all the requirements for State aid .
He said : “ I would be very confident that it does meet all State aid requirements .
There was a clear market gap , a real difficulty in terms of certain areas of the country not getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People are entitled to take any cases they like to the EU commission , but I don ’ t see it stopping us .
I don ’ t expect it [ will ] and hopefully it won ’ t affect the rollout of the plan.
” Mr Ryan said the plan had a seven-year timeframe but “ the vast majority ” of connections would be delivered in the first four years .
He said most of the work done to date had been surveying and there remained some issues in some areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or other systems ” would be used to carry the fibre cable to premises .
Mr Ryan also said his department would look at the time it takes to get an Eircode postcode , as it was necessary to have such a code before broadband would be connected .
Cathal Crowe TD said it was the experience of some of his constituents that Eircodes could take several months to get , and therefore they did not have broadband .
He asked the Minister to undertake to speed up the application service for Eircode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the service provider National Broadband Ireland , available online at nbi.ie , would provide more information for applicants .

The first fibre-to-the-home connections under the Government’s National Broadband Plan will be available later this year, Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan has said.
The first fibre-to-the-home connections under the Government's National Broadband Plan will be available later this year, Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan has told TDs.
Addressing the Oireachtas committee on transport and communications networks, Mr Ryan said the first homes to be connected will be in counties Cavan and Cork, and these properties will have "minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset".
The broadband plan, costed at almost €3 billion, aims to deliver fast, reliable broadband to people living and working in nearly 540,000 homes or premises. It will involve the laying of 140,000km of fibre cable and will utilise more than 1.5 million poles and more than 15,000km of underground duct networks.
The current plan forecasts cable passing some premises in all counties within the first two years, and more than 90 per cent of premises in the State having access to high-speed broadband within the next four years.
READ MORE
But Mr Ryan noted the decision to sign up to the plan was still with the householder or premises owner, and the project leaders were keen to see what take-up would be in parts of Cork and Cavan.
Accelerating progress
Asked by Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú to explain how the Government hopes to accelerate the programme, Mr Ryan said it was not possible to provide a timeline at this stage, but he did hope to accelerate the scheme.
However, Mr Ryan was pressed by Fine Gael TD and committee chairman Kieran O'Donnell to provide more information for homeowners and businesses on when they might expect to be offered a connection.
Mr O’Donnell also asked about two challenges to the awarding of the contract for the National Broadband Plan, which were being made at EU level, citing anti-competitive State aid.
Mr Ryan said he was aware of the challenges that alleged that State aid in relation to the plan was in contravention of EU policy. But he said he believed the broadband project did meet all the requirements for State aid.
He said: “I would be very confident that it does meet all State aid requirements. There was a clear market gap, a real difficulty in terms of certain areas of the country not getting it, the market not delivering.
“People are entitled to take any cases they like to the EU commission, but I don’t see it stopping us. I don’t expect it [will] and hopefully it won’t affect the rollout of the plan.”
Timeframe
Mr Ryan said the plan had a seven-year timeframe but "the vast majority" of connections would be delivered in the first four years. He said most of the work done to date had been surveying and there remained some issues in some areas about whether ESB or Eir poles "or other systems" would be used to carry the fibre cable to premises.
Mr Ryan also said his department would look at the time it takes to get an Eircode postcode, as it was necessary to have such a code before broadband would be connected.
Cathal Crowe TD said it was the experience of some of his constituents that Eircodes could take several months to get, and therefore they did not have broadband. He asked the Minister to undertake to speed up the application service for Eircode addresses.
Mr Ryan responded that registering with the service provider National Broadband Ireland, available online at nbi.ie, would provide more information for applicants.