theirishtimes--2020-12-10--Only second woman in over 400 years for top post at Irish university

A professor is to become only the second woman in more than four centuries appointed as president of an Irish university .
Prof Maggie Cusack takes on the top role at Munster Technological University ( MTU ) , which opens in January .
She is at present Dean of Natural Sciences at the University of Sterling and said she is “ thrilled ” with her appointment .
“ I look forward to working with my MTU colleagues at this exciting and profoundly important time for staff , students , and all stakeholders to maximise the opportunities of a technological university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit to the region for generations to come , ” she said .
Earlier this year Prof Kerstin Mey shattered a 428-year tradition of men only running Irish universities when she was appointed president of the University of Limerick .
Announcing the newest appointment , Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said Prof Cusack , who was selected from 60 candidates for the job , will help drive higher education and regional development in the southwest .
MTU , the first technical university outside Dublin , will be formed from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute of Technology Tralee .
It will officially come into being on January 1st , 2021 .
Meanwhile , President Michael D Higgins has urged third-level students – particularly those in their first year coming to the end of their first term – to look after themselves during the pandemic .
In a specially recorded message , he said the transition to third level takes time , which has been made even more difficult this year by the outbreak of coronavirus and students should “ encourage and watch out for each other ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the efforts weak or strong that you have been making and will continue to make means that beyond Covid-19 you will have an educational and social experience all the richer in the future , ” he added .
Mr Higgins said although technology can help students , it can not “ ever fully replicate the experience of the first year at third level that you may have anticipated ” .
“ I am very well aware , too , as President , that such technological capacities are not available to all for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , urging third-level colleges to do their best to address these issues .
Mr Higgins also praised staff and management at universities and colleges who “ have gone above and beyond the call of duty this year to change how we teach and how they support our students ” .
“ It has been a momentous transition at very short notice , only made possible by the extraordinary effort , commitment , goodwill , know-how , creativity and co-operation of all staff , ” he said .

Prof Maggie Cusack said she is ‘thrilled’ with her appointment.
A professor is to become only the second woman in more than four centuries appointed as president of an Irish university.
Prof Maggie Cusack takes on the top role at Munster Technological University (MTU), which opens in January.
She is at present Dean of Natural Sciences at the University of Sterling and said she is “thrilled” with her appointment.
“I look forward to working with my MTU colleagues at this exciting and profoundly important time for staff, students, and all stakeholders to maximise the opportunities of a technological university to bring educational, economic and social benefit to the region for generations to come,” she said.
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Earlier this year Prof Kerstin Mey shattered a 428-year tradition of men only running Irish universities when she was appointed president of the University of Limerick.
Announcing the newest appointment, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said Prof Cusack, who was selected from 60 candidates for the job, will help drive higher education and regional development in the southwest.
MTU, the first technical university outside Dublin, will be formed from the dissolution of Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee.
It will officially come into being on January 1st, 2021.
President Higgins urges care
Meanwhile, President Michael D Higgins has urged third-level students – particularly those in their first year coming to the end of their first term – to look after themselves during the pandemic.
In a specially recorded message, he said the transition to third level takes time, which has been made even more difficult this year by the outbreak of coronavirus and students should “encourage and watch out for each other”.
“I hope, too, that the efforts weak or strong that you have been making and will continue to make means that beyond Covid-19 you will have an educational and social experience all the richer in the future,” he added.
Mr Higgins said although technology can help students, it cannot “ever fully replicate the experience of the first year at third level that you may have anticipated”.
“I am very well aware, too, as President, that such technological capacities are not available to all for a multitude of reasons,” he added, urging third-level colleges to do their best to address these issues.
Mr Higgins also praised staff and management at universities and colleges who “have gone above and beyond the call of duty this year to change how we teach and how they support our students”.
“It has been a momentous transition at very short notice, only made possible by the extraordinary effort, commitment, goodwill, know-how, creativity and co-operation of all staff,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-10--CervicalCheck director warns on viability of screening programmes

Cancer screening will no longer be viable if the total cost of related court payouts exceeds the cost of running the programmes , the clinical director of CervicalCheck has warned .
Dr Nóirín Russell said it would be more ethical in this situation to reallocate funding to the treatment of patients who have symptoms of cancer .
Ireland is an “ outlier ” internationally in its approach to compensation of interval cancer cases and the current court adversarial system is not in the best interests of patients , families or doctors , according to Dr Russell .
The comments are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peadar Tóibín , which is sharply critical of Dáil remarks the TD made in October .
“ I worry that comments such as those you have made makes women feel they have been wronged by the system , ” the letter states .
“ It is a huge psychological blow to receive the diagnosis of cancer and to think that you might have been wronged makes that feel even worse .
This is the best that any cancer screening programme in the world will ever be and therefore perpetuating the idea that these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and their confidence in the programme.
” When a woman in a screening programme develops cancer her previous slides are reviewed and abnormalities can be found .
“ However a discrepancy found on review does not imply that the same finding should have been made under routine screening conditions , ” according to Dr Russell , who highlighted the phenomenon of retrospective bias , as the reviewer knows the woman has developed cancer .
“ It is therefore misleading and not factually correct to say that these were ‘ mistakes ’ or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they confirm evidence of negligence .
They are instead regrettable but expected findings in a cervical cancer screening programme.
” While Mr Tóibín suggested a re-examination of CervicalCheck might be needed due to what he termed a high “ mistake rate ” , Dr Russell replied that his call “ inappropriately fuels mistrust in screening , causing damage to the public ” .
A 2018 report found no quality-related reasons to discontinue contracts with any of the labs used by CervicalCheck , she pointed out .
“ There is no test in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will detect all abnormalities and hence there will always be false negative results.
” In response to the letter , Mr Tóibín expressed alarm that CervicalCheck was saying something “ in complete contradiction ” to the Government and the courts in relation to the controversy .
Last year , then taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised to the CervicalCheck women for “ a litany of failures ” in the operation of the screening programme .
Vicky Phelan said on Thursday the 221+ group that represents women affected by the controversy would be writing to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Dr Russell ’ s letter .

When a woman in a screening programme develops cancer her previous slides are reviewed and abnormalities can be found. File photograph: Getty
Cancer screening will no longer be viable if the total cost of related court payouts exceeds the cost of running the programmes, the clinical director of CervicalCheck has warned.
Dr Nóirín Russell said it would be more ethical in this situation to reallocate funding to the treatment of patients who have symptoms of cancer.
Ireland is an "outlier" internationally in its approach to compensation of interval cancer cases and the current court adversarial system is not in the best interests of patients, families or doctors, according to Dr Russell.
The comments are made in a letter to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, which is sharply critical of Dáil remarks the TD made in October.
READ MORE
“I worry that comments such as those you have made makes women feel they have been wronged by the system,” the letter states.
“It is a huge psychological blow to receive the diagnosis of cancer and to think that you might have been wronged makes that feel even worse. This is the best that any cancer screening programme in the world will ever be and therefore perpetuating the idea that these are ‘mistakes’ is harmful to women and their confidence in the programme.”
When a woman in a screening programme develops cancer her previous slides are reviewed and abnormalities can be found.
“However a discrepancy found on review does not imply that the same finding should have been made under routine screening conditions,” according to Dr Russell, who highlighted the phenomenon of retrospective bias, as the reviewer knows the woman has developed cancer.
“It is therefore misleading and not factually correct to say that these were ‘mistakes’ or ‘missed readings’ or to suggest that they confirm evidence of negligence. They are instead regrettable but expected findings in a cervical cancer screening programme.”
‘Fuels mistrust’
While Mr Tóibín suggested a re-examination of CervicalCheck might be needed due to what he termed a high “mistake rate”, Dr Russell replied that his call “inappropriately fuels mistrust in screening, causing damage to the public”.
A 2018 report found no quality-related reasons to discontinue contracts with any of the labs used by CervicalCheck, she pointed out. “There is no test in any laboratory anywhere in the world that will detect all abnormalities and hence there will always be false negative results.”
In response to the letter, Mr Tóibín expressed alarm that CervicalCheck was saying something “in complete contradiction” to the Government and the courts in relation to the controversy.
Last year, then taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised to the CervicalCheck women for "a litany of failures" in the operation of the screening programme.
Vicky Phelan said on Thursday the 221+ group that represents women affected by the controversy would be writing to the Government-appointed steering committee for CervicalCheck in relation to Dr Russell's letter.


theirishtimes--2020-12-10--Nphet warns public not to rely on Covid-19 tests before mixing with family

Public health officials have advised against people getting Covid-19 tests as reassurance before mixing with family members over Christmas .
“ We would not advise that as a protective measure , ” assistant chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said , adding that “ a test is only as good as the context in which it is taken ” .
Some testing companies have said more people are seeking precautionary tests to facilitate get-togethers of families and friends over the festive season .
However , Dr Glynn said if people want to protect their families or meet people with underlying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” available to them .
He urged people to keep their network small over the coming weeks , regardless of testing status , and to ensure that anyone with symptoms or who is feeling under the weather does not meet up with others .
The deaths of a further 15 patients with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team at its briefing on Thursday .
This brings to 2,117 the total number of deaths in the pandemic .
Ten of the deaths occurred in December , officials said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) also reported 310 confirmed cases of the disease on Thursday evening , bringing the total number of cases to 75,203 .
Prof Philip Nolan , chairman of the Nphet epidemiological modelling advisory group , said the reproduction number is now close to 1 nationally .
Prof Nolan said a “ stable point ” has been reached in disease trends and the objective from now on would be to keep infections at this level .
The country remained vulnerable while it waited for a vaccine to arrive , he warned .
Hospitalisations are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths are steady , he said .
While an average of five patients a day are dying , this would have been 40 a day if restrictions had not been introduced in October .
While there was a narrative that the virus was now less lethal , the data does not support this , he said .
Fewer deaths have occurred in the second wave but this was because younger people were becoming infected and long-term residential care facilities were better protected than during the first surge .
Despite increases in mobility in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with an increase in close contacts , he noted .
This showed that while people were moving about more , they were exercising great caution not to increase their contacts .
There remains a “ high risk ” of another surge unless the reproduction number is kept close to 1 , he said , urging people to remain “ extra cautious ” and to limit their contacts .
With Christmas a fortnight away , chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan urged people to plan ahead if they were intending to mix with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movements and contacts from now .
Asked if he would be going to a restaurant over Christmas , he said he would not .
This was a “ discretionary measure ” and he wished to minimise his contacts .
The 14-day incidence of the disease now stands at 79 cases per 100,000 people and the five-day moving average at 258 cases a day .
There are currently 202 Covid-19 patients in hospital including 36 in ICU .
The Government-appointed vaccine rollout taskforce is due to submit its plans for consideration by Ministers on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , taskforce member and chairwoman of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee , warned that a vaccine was “ not a silver bullet ” and the public needs to “ do all the other things to keep safe ” .
“ It is important that the encouraging plans for vaccine rollout in 2021 does not distract from the actions we need to take as we face into December 2020 , ” Dr Glynn said .
“ A vaccine will have no positive impact on the trajectory of this disease over the coming weeks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Christmas period.
” We must not allow Covid-19 to spread through our communities now , after all the efforts we have made throughout 2020 and how close we are to beginning to vaccinate.
” On county-by-county breakdown , the latest data shows three of the top five worst areas for the 14-day incidence rate of coronavirus are in Co Donegal , with Carndonagh ’ s rate more than six times the national average .
The 14-day rate per 100,000 population is a useful measure of how the virus is spreading , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 166 local electoral areas .
Updated figures on the Government ’ s data hub show the Covid 19 incidence rate in Carndonagh at 518.7 per 100,000 population .
The figure in the Inishowen town has more than doubled from last week ( 271.2 ) and is almost 6.5 times the national rate of 80.2 per 100,000 population .
Second worst hit for transmission , according to the figures , is Letterkenny , also in Co Donegal , with a rate of 322.2 - up from 288.7 last week after having dipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which stands at 257.9 .
Callan/Thomastown in Co Kilkenny has a rate of 232.7 while Buncrana , again in Co Donegal , has a rate of 228 .

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan at the Nphet briefing. Asked if he would be going to a restaurant over Christmas, he said he would not. This was a “discretionary measure” as he wished to minimise his contacts. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
Public health officials have advised against people getting Covid-19 tests as reassurance before mixing with family members over Christmas.
“We would not advise that as a protective measure,” assistant chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said, adding that “a test is only as good as the context in which it is taken”.
Some testing companies have said more people are seeking precautionary tests to facilitate get-togethers of families and friends over the festive season.
Hospital Report
However, Dr Glynn said if people want to protect their families or meet people with underlying conditions there are “many other avenues” available to them.
READ MORE
He urged people to keep their network small over the coming weeks, regardless of testing status, and to ensure that anyone with symptoms or who is feeling under the weather does not meet up with others.
The deaths of a further 15 patients with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team at its briefing on Thursday. This brings to 2,117 the total number of deaths in the pandemic.
Ten of the deaths occurred in December, officials said.
Confirmed cases
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) also reported 310 confirmed cases of the disease on Thursday evening, bringing the total number of cases to 75,203.
Prof Philip Nolan, chairman of the Nphet epidemiological modelling advisory group, said the reproduction number is now close to 1 nationally.
Prof Nolan said a “stable point” has been reached in disease trends and the objective from now on would be to keep infections at this level.
The country remained vulnerable while it waited for a vaccine to arrive, he warned.
Hospitalisations are declining slowly, while ICU admissions and deaths are steady, he said. While an average of five patients a day are dying, this would have been 40 a day if restrictions had not been introduced in October.
While there was a narrative that the virus was now less lethal, the data does not support this, he said. Fewer deaths have occurred in the second wave but this was because younger people were becoming infected and long-term residential care facilities were better protected than during the first surge.
Exercising great caution
Despite increases in mobility in the population, this was not yet associated with an increase in close contacts, he noted. This showed that while people were moving about more, they were exercising great caution not to increase their contacts.
There remains a “high risk” of another surge unless the reproduction number is kept close to 1, he said, urging people to remain “extra cautious” and to limit their contacts.
With Christmas a fortnight away, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan urged people to plan ahead if they were intending to mix with older or vulnerable relatives by restricting their movements and contacts from now.
Asked if he would be going to a restaurant over Christmas, he said he would not. This was a “discretionary measure” and he wished to minimise his contacts.
The 14-day incidence of the disease now stands at 79 cases per 100,000 people and the five-day moving average at 258 cases a day.
There are currently 202 Covid-19 patients in hospital including 36 in ICU.
Vaccine rollout
The Government-appointed vaccine rollout taskforce is due to submit its plans for consideration by Ministers on Friday. However, Prof Karina Butler, taskforce member and chairwoman of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, warned that a vaccine was “not a silver bullet” and the public needs to “do all the other things to keep safe”.
“It is important that the encouraging plans for vaccine rollout in 2021 does not distract from the actions we need to take as we face into December 2020,” Dr Glynn said. “A vaccine will have no positive impact on the trajectory of this disease over the coming weeks and does not give immunity to people over the Christmas period.”
We must not allow Covid-19 to spread through our communities now, after all the efforts we have made throughout 2020 and how close we are to beginning to vaccinate.”
On county-by-county breakdown, the latest data shows three of the top five worst areas for the 14-day incidence rate of coronavirus are in Co Donegal, with Carndonagh’s rate more than six times the national average.
The 14-day rate per 100,000 population is a useful measure of how the virus is spreading, and the Government tracks it across the country’s 166 local electoral areas.
Updated figures on the Government’s data hub show the Covid 19 incidence rate in Carndonagh at 518.7 per 100,000 population. The figure in the Inishowen town has more than doubled from last week (271.2) and is almost 6.5 times the national rate of 80.2 per 100,000 population.
Second worst hit for transmission, according to the figures, is Letterkenny, also in Co Donegal, with a rate of 322.2 - up from 288.7 last week after having dipped - followed by Claremorris in Co Mayo, which stands at 257.9.
Callan/Thomastown in Co Kilkenny has a rate of 232.7 while Buncrana, again in Co Donegal, has a rate of 228.


theirishtimes--2020-12-10--Boil water notice in Wexford due to ‘deterioration’ in supply

A boil water notice has been put in place in Wexford town and its surrounding areas following a “ deterioration in the quality ” of water from the local supply , Irish Water has said .
In a statement released on Thursday evening , Wexford County Council and Irish Water advised that the 21,000 people using the Wexford town public water supply should boil their water “ with immediate effect ” .
The decision to introduce the notice is “ due to a deterioration in the quality of raw water entering supply ” , said Irish Water .
Some 21,760 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be affected by the notice which was made following consultation with the HSE .
Customers based in Newtown Road , Carcur , Carricklawn , Coolcotts , Whitemill , Wygram , Clonard , Town parks , Ard Carman , Hill Street , Barntown and Taghmon are being advised to boil their water until further notice .
Irish Water operations lead for Wexford Brian O ’ Leary said the group was working with partners in Wexford County Council and the HSE to address the water contamination and lift the notice “ as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Our priority is the provision of safe , clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus , ” said Mr O ’ Leary .
Vulnerable customers affected by the boil water notice will be contacted by Irish Water , said the group , adding that all customers should continue to follow HSE Covid-19 advice including frequent hand washing .
Water must be boiled for drinking , preparation of salads or similar uncooked foods , drinks made with hot water , brushing of teeth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Members of the public can still use water from the tap for personal hygiene and bathing but not for brushing teeth or gargling and extra caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure they do not swallow any water , it added .
Any customers with queries about the notice are advised to contact 1850278278 or get in touch via Twitter at @ IWCare .

Wexford County Council and Irish Water advised that people using the Wexford town public water supply should boil their water ‘with immediate effect’. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Wire
A boil water notice has been put in place in Wexford town and its surrounding areas following a "deterioration in the quality" of water from the local supply, Irish Water has said.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, Wexford County Council and Irish Water advised that the 21,000 people using the Wexford town public water supply should boil their water “with immediate effect”.
The decision to introduce the notice is “due to a deterioration in the quality of raw water entering supply”, said Irish Water. Some 21,760 in Wexford town and its surrounding areas will be affected by the notice which was made following consultation with the HSE.
Customers based in Newtown Road, Carcur, Carricklawn, Coolcotts, Whitemill, Wygram, Clonard, Town parks, Ard Carman, Hill Street, Barntown and Taghmon are being advised to boil their water until further notice.
READ MORE
Irish Water operations lead for Wexford Brian O’Leary said the group was working with partners in Wexford County Council and the HSE to address the water contamination and lift the notice “as soon as it is safe to do so”.
“Our priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus,” said Mr O’Leary.
Vulnerable customers affected by the boil water notice will be contacted by Irish Water, said the group, adding that all customers should continue to follow HSE Covid-19 advice including frequent hand washing.
Water must be boiled for drinking, preparation of salads or similar uncooked foods, drinks made with hot water, brushing of teeth and the making of ice, the utility said.
Members of the public can still use water from the tap for personal hygiene and bathing but not for brushing teeth or gargling and extra caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure they do not swallow any water, it added.
Any customers with queries about the notice are advised to contact 1850278278 or get in touch via Twitter at @IWCare.


theirishtimes--2020-12-10--Woman (60s) arrested under €1.2m credit union fraud inquiry

A woman aged in her 60s has been arrested as part of a long-running criminal investigation into a suspected €1.2 @ @ @ @ @ county Dublin credit union , gardaí have said .
The arrest was described by investigating @ @ @ @ @ development ” in an ongoing inquiry into alleged irregularities at the lender .
The woman @ @ @ @ @ offences contrary to the Criminal Justice ( Theft and Fraud Offences ) Act , 2001 @ @ @ @ @ at Balbriggan Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 .
The @ @ @ @ @ up to 24 hours .
“ This arrest represents significant development in a long-standing investigation @ @ @ @ @ financial institution , ” a Garda spokesman said .

The woman was arrested on suspicion of offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
A woman aged in her 60s has been arrested as part of a long-running criminal investigation into a suspected €1.2 million fraud at a north county Dublin credit union, gardaí have said.
The arrest was described by investigating officers as a “significant development” in an ongoing inquiry into alleged irregularities at the lender.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.
She is being questioned at Balbriggan Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
READ MORE
The woman can be held for up to 24 hours.
“This arrest represents significant development in a long-standing investigation into fraudulent activity in the financial institution,” a Garda spokesman said.
“Investigations are ongoing.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-10--Grades system would not have discriminated against disadvantaged schools – court

The standardisation process used to estimate Leaving Certificate grades would not have discriminated against students attending disadvantaged schools even if data about schools ’ past performances was included , the High Court has been told .
Feichín McDonagh SC , for student Freddie Sherry , said the system envisaged by the authorities to estimate and award grades to students due to sit the Leaving Cert exam in 2020 was “ highly sophisticated ” and not comparable to models used in England and Scotland .
The standardisation process used to assess and award calculated A-Level grades in Scotland and England this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
This was because many students from disadvantaged areas in the UK saw their grades disproportionately downgraded , compared to students from affluent areas or those who attended fee-paying schools .
Steps had been taken by the Irish authorities formulating the standardisation process here to ensure the process , while using historical school data , would not treat students from disadvantaged areas adversely .
In mid-August , several media articles cited fears that what happened in England and Scotland could happen here if schools ’ past performances in the Leaving Cert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The articles , he said , contained incorrect information because material was available in the public domain from the department to show safeguards had been included in the Irish system to deal with the issues that occurred in the UK .
While he was “ not being critical of any journalist ” , the media articles about the Irish grade estimation process were “ not particularly well informed ” , and were “ lacking in insight ” , he said .
Despite the availability of information to show that safeguards were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published stating what happened in the UK could not happen here , he said .
For reasons that have not been explained to Mr Sherry , the Minister , following the controversy in the UK , took a decision on August 21st not to use historical schools ’ data as part of the standardisation process .
This was despite the Minister having been given information by officials , in advance of her decision , that the use of historical data would not adversely impact students attending schools in disadvantaged areas , he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin fee-paying school , Belvedere College , claims he was unfairly treated , unfairly downgraded in five Leaving Cert subjects , resulting in him missing out on his first choice of Pharmacy in TCD .
His action is the lead case of approximately 50 challenges by other Leaving Cert students over the calculated grades process .
Mr Sherry , of Newtown , Celbridge , Co Kildare , claims the Minister ’ s decision to remove school historical records in the calculated grades process resulted in him being unfairly downgraded by 55 points in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointed when his teachers ’ estimated CAO points total of 542 for him was reduced to 487 under the process .
He claims the Minister ’ s direction interfered in the calculated grades process overseen by an independent steering committee was unlawful .
The Minister and the State deny the claims and maintain there is no reason to believe Mr Sherry would be in an improved position if historical school data was included .
It is also denied that the Minister breached any commitments regarding the fairness and the comparability regarding the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-justiciable , and vague .
Mr Sherry was treated the same as every other student sitting the examinations , the respondents say , and that they were entitled to change to model used to estimate grades .
The defendants also claim that students in Belvedere College received , on average , higher scores in 2020 compared to the 2017-19 period and there is no basis for any assertion Mr Sherry would have been treated more favourably in another category of school .
The hearing continues on Friday before Mr Justice Charles Meenan .

Freddie Sherry, of Newtown, Celbridge, Co Kildare, with his father, Brian, outside the High Court. Photograph: Collins Courts
The standardisation process used to estimate Leaving Certificate grades would not have discriminated against students attending disadvantaged schools even if data about schools’ past performances was included, the High Court has been told.
Feichín McDonagh SC, for student Freddie Sherry, said the system envisaged by the authorities to estimate and award grades to students due to sit the Leaving Cert exam in 2020 was “highly sophisticated” and not comparable to models used in England and Scotland.
The standardisation process used to assess and award calculated A-Level grades in Scotland and England this year came in for much criticism, he said.
This was because many students from disadvantaged areas in the UK saw their grades disproportionately downgraded, compared to students from affluent areas or those who attended fee-paying schools.
READ MORE
Steps had been taken by the Irish authorities formulating the standardisation process here to ensure the process, while using historical school data, would not treat students from disadvantaged areas adversely.
In mid-August, several media articles cited fears that what happened in England and Scotland could happen here if schools’ past performances in the Leaving Cert were used to estimate grades, he said.
The articles, he said, contained incorrect information because material was available in the public domain from the department to show safeguards had been included in the Irish system to deal with the issues that occurred in the UK.
While he was “not being critical of any journalist”, the media articles about the Irish grade estimation process were “not particularly well informed”, and were “lacking in insight”, he said.
Despite the availability of information to show that safeguards were in place, there were no articles published stating what happened in the UK could not happen here, he said.
For reasons that have not been explained to Mr Sherry, the Minister, following the controversy in the UK, took a decision on August 21st not to use historical schools’ data as part of the standardisation process.
This was despite the Minister having been given information by officials, in advance of her decision, that the use of historical data would not adversely impact students attending schools in disadvantaged areas, he added.
Mr Sherry, a student at Dublin fee-paying school, Belvedere College, claims he was unfairly treated, unfairly downgraded in five Leaving Cert subjects, resulting in him missing out on his first choice of Pharmacy in TCD.
His action is the lead case of approximately 50 challenges by other Leaving Cert students over the calculated grades process.
Mr Sherry, of Newtown, Celbridge, Co Kildare, claims the Minister’s decision to remove school historical records in the calculated grades process resulted in him being unfairly downgraded by 55 points in his Leaving Cert. He was hugely disappointed when his teachers’ estimated CAO points total of 542 for him was reduced to 487 under the process.
He claims the Minister’s direction interfered in the calculated grades process overseen by an independent steering committee was unlawful.
The Minister and the State deny the claims and maintain there is no reason to believe Mr Sherry would be in an improved position if historical school data was included.
It is also denied that the Minister breached any commitments regarding the fairness and the comparability regarding the 2020 grades, and that the action is non-justiciable, and vague.
Mr Sherry was treated the same as every other student sitting the examinations, the respondents say, and that they were entitled to change to model used to estimate grades. The defendants also claim that students in Belvedere College received, on average, higher scores in 2020 compared to the 2017-19 period and there is no basis for any assertion Mr Sherry would have been treated more favourably in another category of school. The hearing continues on Friday before Mr Justice Charles Meenan.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--State’s largest trade unions back new pay deal

The country ’ s largest trade unions have backed the proposed new public service agreement that was concluded early on Friday morning .
However , staff representative organisations which are not affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions ( Ictu ) expressed deep unhappiness that promises they said they were given to be treated equally in the talks process had not been implemented .
Kevin Callinan – general secretary of Fórsa , the largest public service union – said the proposals were the best that could be achieved .
Siptu deputy general secretary John King welcomed the proposals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could be achieved in the current circumstances .
“ In particular , they continue the process of income progression for the lower paid and middle income workers in the public service and the return of hours removed under previous agreements .
The detailed proposals will now be considered by the national executive of Siptu before it goes to a postal ballot of members , ” he said .
However the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors ( AGSI ) said it was shocked and dismayed that the proposals were published in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received them .
AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham said : “ Having pursued the right to negotiate the pay and conditions for sergeants and inspectors over many years and receiving undertakings that full parity of esteem would exist between ourselves and other unions and associations , it would appear these commitments have been disregarded and not fully upheld .
“ While we were attending at the Workplace Relations Commission on Friday morning , we were at the same time reading details of the proposed agreement in the media , ” Ms Cunningham said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to state that we have had no part in forming or negotiating the final document that is being presented to us – which we are told will be presented to us later today.
” The National Executive of the AGSI will convene on Tuesday to consider the proposed new agreement .

The country’s largest trade unions have backed the proposed new public service agreement that was concluded early on Friday morning.
However, staff representative organisations which are not affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu)expressed deep unhappiness that promises they said they were given to be treated equally in the talks process had not been implemented.
Kevin Callinan – general secretary of Fórsa, the largest public service union – said the proposals were the best that could be achieved.
Siptu deputy general secretary John King welcomed the proposals. He also said they were the best that could be achieved in the current circumstances.
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“ In particular, they continue the process of income progression for the lower paid and middle income workers in the public service and the return of hours removed under previous agreements. The detailed proposals will now be considered by the national executive of Siptu before it goes to a postal ballot of members,” he said.
However the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) said it was shocked and dismayed that the proposals were published in the media on Friday morning before it had received them.
AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham said: "Having pursued the right to negotiate the pay and conditions for sergeants and inspectors over many years and receiving undertakings that full parity of esteem would exist between ourselves and other unions and associations, it would appear these commitments have been disregarded and not fully upheld.
"While we were attending at the Workplace Relations Commission on Friday morning, we were at the same time reading details of the proposed agreement in the media," Ms Cunningham said.
“As an association it is important to state that we have had no part in forming or negotiating the final document that is being presented to us – which we are told will be presented to us later today.”
The National Executive of the AGSI will convene on Tuesday to consider the proposed new agreement.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Dublin pharmaceutical plant to close with loss of 450 jobs

Nearly 450 staff at a pharmaceutical company in north Dublin are to lose their jobs .
Staff at the Viatris company in Baldoyle were told on Friday that the plant is to close down over a two-year period .
The plant at Baldoyle manufactures oral solid dose generic medicines .
The closure of the plant forms part of a global re-structuring of the company .
There are currently 440 workers employed at the facility in north Dublin .
Viatris was established following the recent merger of two other pharmaceutical companies , Mylan and Upjohn .
Viatris on Friday announced plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enabling functions , and close , downsize or divest up to 15 manufacturing facilities globally that are deemed to be no longer viable due to either surplus capacity , challenging market dynamics or a shift in product portfolio toward more complex products ” .
It said among these sites to be impacted by the move would be its oral solid dose manufacturing facility in Baldoyle .
“ Viatris intends to close down manufacturing operations at this facility at the end of 2022 .
With that said , there will be no immediate reductions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the majority of its workforce at the Baldoyle site will remain employed until late 2022 as the company winds down operations over the next two years.
” The company said it will continue to employ about 1,500 workers at other facilities across the country .
“ Following the closure , Viatris will still maintain a significant presence in Ireland .
The remaining operations workforce in Ireland will continue their focus on manufacturing sterile injectables at its Galway facility , which is also home to one of the company ’ s injectable research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inhalers at its world-class respiratory facility in Dublin ; manufacturing oral solid doses and other medicines at its facility in Damastown ; and producing active pharmaceutical ingredients at its plant in Little Island in Cork .
Viatris will also maintain the company ’ s corporate office at Northern Cross.
” The company said the phasing out of manufacturing operations at the legacy Mylan oral solid dose facility in Baldoyle was not a decision it took lightly .
The company said it was committed to working with public officials and the community to identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all possible .
“ In the meantime , Viatris remains committed to treating those impacted fairly and with respect.
” “ The company will be offering employees comprehensive separation packages , including pay and healthcare continuation , career counselling services , and continued coverage under the employee assistance programme , subject to consultation with elected employee representatives .
”

The Mylan plant in Baldoyle, Co Dublin, which recently merged with Upjohn to become Viatris. Photograph: Dean Ruxton/The Irish Times.
Industry Correspondent
News that nearly 450 staff at a pharmaceutical company in north Dublin are to lose their jobs has been described as a “devastating blow” by Tánaiste and Minister for Business Leo Varadkar.
Staff at Viatris in Baldoyle were told on Friday that the plant is to close down over a two-year period as part of a global restructuring of the company. Viatris was established following the recent merger of two other pharmaceutical firms, Mylan and Upjohn.
The plant manufactures oral solid dose generic medicines and there are currently 440 people employed in the Baldoyle operation.
READ MORE
It is one of up to 15 manufacturing sites around the world that the company will either close, downsize or divest as they are “deemed to be no longer viable due to either surplus capacity, challenging market dynamics or a shift in product portfolio toward more complex products”.
“Viatris intends to close down manufacturing operations at this facility at the end of 2022. With that said, there will be no immediate reductions at the site,” the company said of the north Dublin plant.
“It is anticipated that the majority of its workforce at the Baldoyle site will remain employed until late 2022 as the company winds down operations over the next two years.”
‘Difficult year’
In a statement, Mr Varadkar said it was “really devastating news” for the affected workers and their families in the run-up to Christmas after what has been an “exceptionally difficult year for everyone”.
"I understand that this development is not related to Covid-19, but instead related to a global restructuring of the company. Despite this disappointing decision by the company, Viatris has made it clear that it remains fully committed to Ireland and even after this announcement they will employ more than 1,400 across the country, in Galway, Dublin and Cork."
Mr Varadkar said the Government would make “all necessary State assistance available to the workers” and would provide help affected staff in finding new jobs or returning to eductaion.
“I am very aware of how challenging a time it is for workers and how worried many people are about their future and the uncertainties that exist. However, as difficult as it is to appreciate now, Ireland is in a very strong position to recover and we will continue to work to attract new investment and new opportunities.”
Not taken lightly
Vitaris said the decision to phase out manufacturing operations at the former Mylan facility in Baldoyle was not a decision it took lightly.
It said it would work with public representatives and the community to identify appropriate potential alternatives for the site, if possible.
“In the meantime, Viatris remains committed to treating those impacted fairly and with respect,” the company said.
“The company will be offering employees comprehensive separation packages, including pay and healthcare continuation, career counselling services, and continued coverage under the employee assistance programme, subject to consultation with elected employee representatives.”
Local TD and Labour Party enterprise spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin called for the workers to be supported and for the IDA and the Government to examine if the facility could potentially be offered to other pharmaceutical companies.
“The announcement of future job losses is always troubling, but particularly so close to Christmas and I am concerned that so many positions will be lost in one location. It is a huge blow for the workers and the local community,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Restrict contacts now if visiting vulnerable over Christmas, Government says

People must restrict their movements immediately and avoid socialising if they want to spend time with people vulnerable to Covid-19 over Christmas , a senior Government official said .
To avoid another spike of the virus over the festive period , Liz Canavan , assistant secretary at the Department of Taoiseach , urged people to limit their contacts to “ a very small circle ” , prioritise activities around a “ small , close group ” and “ choose only those who are really important to you.
” She described the coming weeks as “ the next big challenge ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past two months to suppress the virus by having a safe Christmas .
“ With two weeks to go from today , remember that if you have to plan spending time with people who are vulnerable to Covid-19 over Christmas , you should be restricting your movements from now , ” Ms Canavan said at the Government ’ s regular Covid-19 briefing .
“ It won ’ t be sufficient to start reducing your contacts in the couple of days before Christmas .
That means you might have to postpone that meal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will mean avoiding crowds.
” She cautioned against people gathering and travelling for Christmas , pointing to the increase in the number of coronavirus infections in the United States and Canada with an increase of 30 per cent in Chicago from people travelling and mixing over the Thanksgiving holidays last month .
“ Let ’ s learn the lessons from other countries and be determined not to repeat what happened there , ” she said .
The Government official said that it had been “ a very encouraging week ” seeing “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first to be vaccinated in the UK .
But she said the vaccines will be delivered “ in stages ” and it will “ take time to vaccinate everyone ” so people should continue to take actions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 .
The taskforce on the vaccination programme , chaired by Prof Brian MacCraith , will report to Government on the plan on Friday and it will be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday .
“ We are getting closer to a point where we will be able to receive the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of normality but until then we must stay the course .
We are not quite there yet and we don ’ t want to undo all we have achieved in managing the second wave , ” she said .
Ms Canavan advised people to follow basic health guidelines , including wearing a mask in crowded places such as in busy outdoors spaces like shopping streets and queues .
“ Our actions and decisions in these weeks in the run-up to Christmas are crucial in ensuring that we can have a meaningful and safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
She asked people to consider shopping at quieter times earlier or later in the day .
She reported that Dublin city centre had its busiest weekend since March last weekend and that the busiest time of day was between 2pm and 3pm while the quietest was between 9am and 10am .
Traffic volumes around some of the big Dublin shopping centres was 40 per cent higher last weekend than the previous weekend with the quietest times being between 8am and 11am .
On socialising , Dublin city centre was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the previous Saturday .
She urged people to think about planning meals out on a week night instead .
Ms Canavan said that since the easing of the Level 5 government restrictions the number of people claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment had fallen by 25,000 .
PUP recipients registered as unemployed on one or more days between September 27th and December 3rd and in receipt of the payment for at least 17 weeks were among 1.6 million people to receive the State Christmas payment , equal to an extra week ’ s @ @ @ @ @

People must restrict their movements immediately and avoid socialising if they want to spend time with people vulnerable to Covid-19 over Christmas, a senior Government official said.
To avoid another spike of the virus over the festive period, Liz Canavan, assistant secretary at the Department of Taoiseach, urged people to limit their contacts to "a very small circle", prioritise activities around a "small, close group" and "choose only those who are really important to you."
She described the coming weeks as “the next big challenge” and warned against undoing the efforts of the past two months to suppress the virus by having a safe Christmas.
“With two weeks to go from today, remember that if you have to plan spending time with people who are vulnerable to Covid-19 over Christmas, you should be restricting your movements from now,” Ms Canavan said at the Government’s regular Covid-19 briefing.
READ MORE
“It won’t be sufficient to start reducing your contacts in the couple of days before Christmas. That means you might have to postpone that meal with friends until after Christmas and it will mean avoiding crowds.”
She cautioned against people gathering and travelling for Christmas, pointing to the increase in the number of coronavirus infections in the United States and Canada with an increase of 30 per cent in Chicago from people travelling and mixing over the Thanksgiving holidays last month.
“Let’s learn the lessons from other countries and be determined not to repeat what happened there,” she said.
Vaccine
The Government official said that it had been "a very encouraging week" seeing "a grandmother from Fermanagh" Margaret Keenan being the first to be vaccinated in the UK.
But she said the vaccines will be delivered “in stages” and it will “take time to vaccinate everyone” so people should continue to take actions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The taskforce on the vaccination programme, chaired by Prof Brian MacCraith, will report to Government on the plan on Friday and it will be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday.
“We are getting closer to a point where we will be able to receive the vaccine and get back to some kind of normality but until then we must stay the course. We are not quite there yet and we don’t want to undo all we have achieved in managing the second wave,” she said.
Shopping
Ms Canavan advised people to follow basic health guidelines, including wearing a mask in crowded places such as in busy outdoors spaces like shopping streets and queues.
“Our actions and decisions in these weeks in the run-up to Christmas are crucial in ensuring that we can have a meaningful and safe festive period with family and friends,” she said.
“Every contact counts.”
She asked people to consider shopping at quieter times earlier or later in the day. She reported that Dublin city centre had its busiest weekend since March last weekend and that the busiest time of day was between 2pm and 3pm while the quietest was between 9am and 10am.
Traffic volumes around some of the big Dublin shopping centres was 40 per cent higher last weekend than the previous weekend with the quietest times being between 8am and 11am.
On socialising, Dublin city centre was 80 per cent busier last Saturday night than the previous Saturday. She urged people to think about planning meals out on a week night instead.
Ms Canavan said that since the easing of the Level 5 government restrictions the number of people claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment had fallen by 25,000.
PUP recipients registered as unemployed on one or more days between September 27th and December 3rd and in receipt of the payment for at least 17 weeks were among 1.6 million people to receive the State Christmas payment, equal to an extra week’s pay, on Tuesday.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--The Government has made one major concession to unions in the new pay deal

The proposed new public service pay agreement would , if ratified , significantly change the way pay is determined for State employees .
For the Government , the deal would give it pay certainty going into an unpredictable period given the fall-out from the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit and may pave the way for the achievement of greater long-term flexibility and work practice reforms .
Earlier Government proposals about introducing weekend working or five-over-seven-day rostering - which were strongly opposed by unions - did not make it into the agreement .
However the document says : “ Where necessary in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for teams could include extended opening hours for public-facing services , to deliver increased and more accessible services to the public .
Where needs are identified parties will engage on starting and finishing times to meet business needs to ensure cost effective delivery of services “ .
The Government would appear , though , to have made one major concession in principle , regarding the working week for hundreds of thousands of public service staff .
It was a general principle of previous governments and the Department of Public Expenditure that while pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary and would be rolled back over time , the parallel work practice reforms would be permanent .
This included the additional , unpaid , working hours for staff introduced under the Haddington Road agreement in 2013 at the height of the recession .
Over the last year or so there has been a growing campaign by some unions to have these a abolished .
This was a key aim of unions going into the talks on a new deal .
Under the proposed new deal these hours will not be scrapped immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its examination of this whole area by the end of the year .
Crucially the Government has agreed to put in place a €150 million fund in 2020 to pay for the implementation of its recommendations .
Whatever the outcome of the review , the additional working hour arrangements introduced after 2013 would not appear now to be permanent and are open to change .
Abolishing the additional hours will not come cheap .
The Department of Public Expenditure estimated in 2017 that such a move would cost up over €600million although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In October , the head of the HSE Paul Reid said the removal of the additional unpaid working hours for staff would have a “ significant and major impact on the HSE ” and other public bodies as rosters and clinical care had been built around these additional hours .
The headline issue from the proposed agreement will , as is usual , be the pay proposals .
The Government had entered the talks seeking a pay freeze for next year while unions had an unspecified objective of securing a reasonable level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will receive a one per cent increase in October 2021 and in October 2022 .
However there will be a string in the tail for higher earning personnel who were scheduled to receive the final elements of pay restoration arising from austerity-era cuts over the next year or so .
The proposed agreement says : “ Where an individual is due an amount of pay restoration by July 2021 under Section 19 and by July 2022 under Section 20 of the Public Service Pay Pensions Act 2017 , they will not benefit from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Where the amount of restoration is less than the general round increase the individual will be eligible to be paid the balance on the date of the general round increase ” .
A new key feature of the proposed agreement is the introduction of sectoral bargaining arrangements .
Previous deals going back to the 2010 Croke Park accord adopted a one-size-fits -all approach with all groups effectively getting the same amounts .
However this was not sufficiently flexible to deal with issues affecting specific grades , leading to disputes involving gardaí and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under a new system , a sectoral bargaining fund will be established to deal with outstanding adjudications , commitments , recommendations , awards and claims .
The Exchequer will allocate one per cent of basic pay to the new fund .
As an alternative to dealing with specific claims , the money in the sectoral fund could be used to pay for a general pay increase for groups in that particular area .
In the past the Government had a big stick in the form of financial emergency legislation to apply financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - to groups deemed to have gone against public service agreements .
However while such sanctions were applied to second-level teachers in the ASTI in 2016 no similar measure was put in place against nurses after they went on strike in 2019 .
The new agreement has beefed -up proposals to deal with disputes .
However a key element is likely to be that groups who engage in industrial action will be shut out of the new sectoral pay system .
The new proposed agreement has been described by trade unions leaders as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved over the relatively short lifetime of the proposed deal ” .
It will now have to be considered by union executives and subsequently put out to ballot .
However there is anger among some representative bodies outside of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions who maintain that the they were promised a full role in the talks on the the new agreement but that they were effectively presented with a fait-accompli at the end .

The proposed new public service pay agreement would, if ratified, significantly change the way pay is determined for State employees .
For the Government, the deal would give it pay certainty going into an unpredictable period given the fall-out from the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit and may pave the way for the achievement of greater long-term flexibility and work practice reforms.
Earlier Government proposals about introducing weekend working or five-over-seven-day rostering - which were strongly opposed by unions - did not make it into the agreement. However the document says: “Where necessary in response to public demand, working arrangements for teams could include extended opening hours for public-facing services, to deliver increased and more accessible services to the public. Where needs are identified parties will engage on starting and finishing times to meet business needs to ensure cost effective delivery of services “.
The Government would appear, though, to have made one major concession in principle, regarding the working week for hundreds of thousands of public service staff.
READ MORE
It was a general principle of previous governments and the Department of Public Expenditure that while pay cuts introduced in the austerity era were temporary and would be rolled back over time, the parallel work practice reforms would be permanent. This included the additional, unpaid, working hours for staff introduced under the Haddington Road agreement in 2013 at the height of the recession.
Over the last year or so there has been a growing campaign by some unions to have these a abolished. This was a key aim of unions going into the talks on a new deal.
Under the proposed new deal these hours will not be scrapped immediately. However an independent body will report on its examination of this whole area by the end of the year. Crucially the Government has agreed to put in place a €150 million fund in 2020 to pay for the implementation of its recommendations.
Whatever the outcome of the review, the additional working hour arrangements introduced after 2013 would not appear now to be permanent and are open to change.
Abolishing the additional hours will not come cheap. The Department of Public Expenditure estimated in 2017 that such a move would cost up over €600million although this figure is disputed by trade unions.
In October, the head of the HSE Paul Reid said the removal of the additional unpaid working hours for staff would have a "significant and major impact on the HSE"and other public bodies as rosters and clinical care had been built around these additional hours.
The headline issue from the proposed agreement will, as is usual, be the pay proposals.
The Government had entered the talks seeking a pay freeze for next year while unions had an unspecified objective of securing a reasonable level of increase.
The majority of staff will receive a one per cent increase in October 2021 and in October 2022. However there will be a string in the tail for higher earning personnel who were scheduled to receive the final elements of pay restoration arising from austerity-era cuts over the next year or so.
The proposed agreement says: “Where an individual is due an amount of pay restoration by July 2021 under Section 19 and by July 2022 under Section 20 of the Public Service Pay Pensions Act 2017, they will not benefit from the general round increase in that year. Where the amount of restoration is less than the general round increase the individual will be eligible to be paid the balance on the date of the general round increase”.
A new key feature of the proposed agreement is the introduction of sectoral bargaining arrangements. Previous deals going back to the 2010 Croke Park accord adopted a one-size-fits -all approach with all groups effectively getting the same amounts.
However this was not sufficiently flexible to deal with issues affecting specific grades, leading to disputes involving gardaí and teachers in 2016 and nurses in 2019. Under a new system, a sectoral bargaining fund will be established to deal with outstanding adjudications, commitments, recommendations, awards and claims. The Exchequer will allocate one per cent of basic pay to the new fund.
As an alternative to dealing with specific claims, the money in the sectoral fund could be used to pay for a general pay increase for groups in that particular area.
In the past the Government had a big stick in the form of financial emergency legislation to apply financial penalties - such as delaying increments etc - to groups deemed to have gone against public service agreements. However while such sanctions were applied to second-level teachers in the ASTI in 2016 no similar measure was put in place against nurses after they went on strike in 2019.
The new agreement has beefed -up proposals to deal with disputes. However a key element is likely to be that groups who engage in industrial action will be shut out of the new sectoral pay system.
The new proposed agreement has been described by trade unions leaders as “the best outcome that could be achieved over the relatively short lifetime of the proposed deal”.
It will now have to be considered by union executives and subsequently put out to ballot.
However there is anger among some representative bodies outside of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions who maintain that the they were promised a full role in the talks on the the new agreement but that they were effectively presented with a fait-accompli at the end.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Cork charity says Covid 19 reinforces need to house the homeless

The experience of those living on the streets during the Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of people having their own homes , according to a leading homeless charity .
The Cork Simon Community published its 2019 annual report on Friday and its director , Dermot Kavanagh said the pandemic had laid bare the limitations of emergency shelters or institutional homes .
While the impact of the pandemic is not reflected in the annual report , Mr Kavanagh said the experience of his organisation this year was that home is where people are safest and can thrive .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has emphasised our need as a society to move to a situation where we provide care to people in their own homes wherever possible rather than in emergency shelters or institutional homes.
” Mr Kavanagh said his organisation ’ s aim was to provide homes and he asked the Government to take all measures necessary to ensure a sufficient supply of affordable homes .
According to their annual report , last year Cork Simon helped 52 people into secure , affordable , independent and supported housing , a 21 per cent increase on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 52 people continue to be supported by the charity to rebuild their lives .
Mr Kavanagh said Cork Simon supported 1,088 men and women in 2019 with record numbers turning to the community ’ s homeless emergency support services for shelter care and support .
The number of people long-term in its emergency accommodation had increased by 19 per cent per cent , he said .
Mr Kavanagh said Cork Simon made a positive impact on hundreds of people ’ s journey out of homelessness as it has supported 228 people back into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 68 people were supported into addiction treatment and aftercare services .
“ One quarter of those who were long-term homeless were housed by the end of 2019 and we felt that we ’ d made a lot of progress - we knew we had a lot more work to do but we had no idea what was going to hit us this year , ” said Mr Kavanagh .
He said the pandemic forced the charity to re-orientate how they run their services and said this contributed to only “ a handful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracted coronavirus , and all recovered well , ” he added .
Mr Kavanagh praised both Cork City Council and the HSE for their support during the pandemic , saying the council made additional emergency accommodation available while the HSE provided rapid testing and off-site isolation facilities .
“ These measures , together with the Government ’ s moratorium on rent increases and evictions , means that our collective efforts are keeping people as safe and protected as possible during this pandemic , ” he said .

The head of Cork Simon Community said in 2019 it helped 52 people move into secure, affordable and supported housing. Photograph: The Irish Times
The experience of those living on the streets during the Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of people having their own homes, according to a leading homeless charity.
The Cork Simon Community published its 2019 annual report on Friday and its director, Dermot Kavanagh said the pandemic had laid bare the limitations of emergency shelters or institutional homes.
While the impact of the pandemic is not reflected in the annual report, Mr Kavanagh said the experience of his organisation this year was that home is where people are safest and can thrive.
“Our experience of the pandemic this year has emphasised our need as a society to move to a situation where we provide care to people in their own homes wherever possible rather than in emergency shelters or institutional homes.”
READ MORE
Mr Kavanagh said his organisation’s aim was to provide homes and he asked the Government to take all measures necessary to ensure a sufficient supply of affordable homes.
According to their annual report, last year Cork Simon helped 52 people into secure, affordable, independent and supported housing, a 21 per cent increase on the 2018 figure.
It said all 52 people continue to be supported by the charity to rebuild their lives.
Mr Kavanagh said Cork Simon supported 1,088 men and women in 2019 with record numbers turning to the community’s homeless emergency support services for shelter care and support.
The number of people long-term in its emergency accommodation had increased by 19 per cent per cent, he said.
Mr Kavanagh said Cork Simon made a positive impact on hundreds of people’s journey out of homelessness as it has supported 228 people back into education, training and employment while some 68 people were supported into addiction treatment and aftercare services.
“One quarter of those who were long-term homeless were housed by the end of 2019 and we felt that we’d made a lot of progress - we knew we had a lot more work to do but we had no idea what was going to hit us this year,” said Mr Kavanagh.
He said the pandemic forced the charity to re-orientate how they run their services and said this contributed to only “ a handful of people that we’re supporting actually contracted coronavirus, and all recovered well,” he added.
Mr Kavanagh praised both Cork City Council and the HSE for their support during the pandemic, saying the council made additional emergency accommodation available while the HSE provided rapid testing and off-site isolation facilities.
“These measures, together with the Government’s moratorium on rent increases and evictions, means that our collective efforts are keeping people as safe and protected as possible during this pandemic,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--New ballad recalls heroism of English fire chief during Burning of Cork

The story of the Englishman who led the effort to save Cork from being burned to the ground by Crown forces 100 years ago today has been recalled in a new ballad by an English folk singer who has made Leeside his home .
Cliff Wedgbury was a familiar figure in the folk clubs around London in the 1960s where he performed with the late , great Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention , among many other singers .
In 1971 he moved to Cork and is now helping his adopted city to remember one of its worst days .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ballad of Alfred Hutson , which tells the story of his fellow countryman who , as fire chief in Cork , led his men as they battled to prevent a fire started by Auxiliaries in retaliation for an IRA ambush from destroying the city centre .
“ Singer-songwriter , John Murphy rang me one day and said he was making a CD about Cork and asked me would I write a song about Alfred Hutson who was an Englishman and the fire chief in Cork in December 1920 when a group of drunken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mr Wedgbury .
“ I ’ ve always know about the Burning of Cork since I moved here , but I just googled Alfred Hutson , and all the information came up – he was 71 at the time , but he was very courageous , leading his men into a burning city teeming with drunken Auxiliaries angry over an IRA ambush at Dillons Cross .
“ Reading about Hutson , I ended up with huge respect and admiration for him and his firemen – they were all very brave that night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimidated , but they had a job to do , and they just went and did it with little heed for their own personal safety in order to save Cork.
” In his essay in History Ireland , Pat Poland , historian of the Cork Fire Service , described how Mr Hutson remained methodical and fearless as he led his men into a city centre teeming with drunken Auxiliaries .
In The Single Greatest Act of Vandalism of The Irish War of Independence , Mr Poland describes how by 11pm more than 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street were on fire , spreading down side streets to Oliver Plunkett St while Cork City Hall and the nearby Carnegie Free Library on the other side of the South Channel of the River Lee were also ablaze .
According to Mr Poland , as Mr Hutson and his men set out to fight the biggest fire in Cork in 300 years , “ they galloped into a city centre teeming with volatile , drunken veterans of the Western Front , armed to the teeth with revolvers , rifles , bayonets , bombs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cliff captures that sense of terror in his song as he quotes Hutson urging his men to stay true to their task despite the Auxiliaries firing bullets and throwing bombs at them as they sought to contain the conflagration , which ultimately destroyed five acres of property at a cost of £20 million .
“ With the crack of blazing timber , the burst of bullets sound/To quench the flame is the fireman ’ s game , with destruction all around/This night consumed with hatred , the firemen bring their care/As bullets fly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everywhere , ” sings Mr Wedgbury .
‘ The Ballad of Alfred Hutson ’ is one of 12 original songs composed by Cliff and fellow songwriters , John Murphy and Tim O ’ Riordan which feature on a new CD , Cork 1920 : A City in Flames produced by John O ’ Leary from Cork City Libraries which commemorates the War of Independence in Cork .
Meanwhile Cork composer , Paul Frost has also marked the centenary with an orchestral suite , The Burning of Cork , also intended as a tribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were also shot that night .
It will be broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM at 7pm on Friday , December 11th .

The story of the Englishman who led the effort to save Cork from being burned to the ground by Crown forces 100 years ago today has been recalled in a new ballad by an English folk singer who has made Leeside his home.
Cliff Wedgbury was a familiar figure in the folk clubs around London in the 1960s where he performed with the late, great Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention, among many other singers.
In 1971 he moved to Cork and is now helping his adopted city to remember one of its worst days.
Mr Wedgbury has written a song entitled The Ballad of Alfred Hutson, which tells the story of his fellow countryman who, as fire chief in Cork, led his men as they battled to prevent a fire started by Auxiliaries in retaliation for an IRA ambush from destroying the city centre.
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"Singer-songwriter, John Murphy rang me one day and said he was making a CD about Cork and asked me would I write a song about Alfred Hutson who was an Englishman and the fire chief in Cork in December 1920 when a group of drunken Auxiliaries went on the rampage," said Mr Wedgbury.
“I’ve always know about the Burning of Cork since I moved here, but I just googled Alfred Hutson, and all the information came up – he was 71 at the time, but he was very courageous, leading his men into a burning city teeming with drunken Auxiliaries angry over an IRA ambush at Dillons Cross.
“Reading about Hutson, I ended up with huge respect and admiration for him and his firemen – they were all very brave that night because they were being shot at and intimidated, but they had a job to do, and they just went and did it with little heed for their own personal safety in order to save Cork.”
In his essay in History Ireland, Pat Poland, historian of the Cork Fire Service, described how Mr Hutson remained methodical and fearless as he led his men into a city centre teeming with drunken Auxiliaries.
In The Single Greatest Act of Vandalism of The Irish War of Independence, Mr Poland describes how by 11pm more than 20 buildings on the south side of Patrick Street were on fire, spreading down side streets to Oliver Plunkett St while Cork City Hall and the nearby Carnegie Free Library on the other side of the South Channel of the River Lee were also ablaze.
According to Mr Poland, as Mr Hutson and his men set out to fight the biggest fire in Cork in 300 years, “they galloped into a city centre teeming with volatile, drunken veterans of the Western Front, armed to the teeth with revolvers, rifles, bayonets, bombs and jerrycans brimming with petrol”.
Cliff captures that sense of terror in his song as he quotes Hutson urging his men to stay true to their task despite the Auxiliaries firing bullets and throwing bombs at them as they sought to contain the conflagration, which ultimately destroyed five acres of property at a cost of £20 million.
“With the crack of blazing timber, the burst of bullets sound/To quench the flame is the fireman’s game, with destruction all around/This night consumed with hatred, the firemen bring their care/As bullets fly, the hosepipes try, quenching ruin everywhere,” sings Mr Wedgbury.
'The Ballad of Alfred Hutson' is one of 12 original songs composed by Cliff and fellow songwriters, John Murphy and Tim O'Riordan which feature on a new CD, Cork 1920: A City in Flames produced by John O'Leary from Cork City Libraries which commemorates the War of Independence in Cork.
Meanwhile Cork composer, Paul Frost has also marked the centenary with an orchestral suite, The Burning of Cork, also intended as a tribute to the firefighters and the Delany brothers who were also shot that night. It will be broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM at 7pm on Friday, December 11th.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Low take-up by children sees nasal flu vaccine extended to teenagers

The free nasal flu vaccine is being extended to teenagers after low take-up among the target group of younger children left the Health Service Executive with large amounts of unused stock .
With uptake rates at 25 per cent among children aged two to 12 , the vaccine is now being made available to all children up to the age of 17 .
About 600,000 doses of live vaccine were ordered for children aged two to 12 under the new programme , announced by former minister for health Simon Harris last May .
Only 125,000 of these doses have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has pointed out there may be a time lag between the time GPs administer the vaccine and a claim being submitted .
About 450,000 doses have been distributed but unused doses will start expiring from mid-January if not administered by then .
Prof Karina Butler , chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee , described the initial uptake for the vaccine among young children as “ disappointing ” .
“ The new vaccine appears to have fallen between the cracks with all the information about Covid , ” shesaid .
Some parents seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite anadvertising campaign , and that it is free .
“ There is still time for parents of chidren of any age to get it .
It ’ s not too late , as flu is not yet circulating , ” she advised Former Irish Medical Organisation president Dr Ray Walley , who had campaigned for the vaccine to be extended to teenagers , welcomed the decision , which was communicated to GPs on Thursday .
The vaccine , which is being administered by GPs and pharmacists , is being made available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , immediately .
Where effective , it protects a chid getting flu but also from passing it on to others , such as elderly relatives .
On Thursday , the HSE said achieving high coverage for a new vaccine was always challenging in the first year .
Most children ’ s vaccines are administered through a schools programme but this was not seen as feasible this year because of the disruption caused by Covid-19 to the education system .
“ The school vaccination programme was already incredibly stretched .
The first year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning experience.
” Prof Butler said .
Dr Walley told The Irish Times earlier this month that GPs were “ shocked ” at the lack of demand for the new vaccine , which he described as a “ no-brainer ” due to its proven efficacy and safety when used in other countries .
“ It is safe and effective , it ’ s been in use internationally for almost 20 years and it ’ s easy to take , with no needle involved .
The vaccine protects children , and it protects others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed on a flu infection.
” There have been 41 deaths of children due to flu in the past decade in Ireland , and almost 5,000 hospitalisations .
Anyone showing flu-like symptoms such as cough or fever - which are also Covid-19 symptoms - is required to quarantine pending a test , along with their contacts .

The nasal flu vaccine is being offered for free by the HSE this year for the first time although the take-up to date has been low. Photograph: Getty Images
The free nasal flu vaccine is being extended to teenagers after low take-up among the target group of younger children left the Health Service Executive with large amounts of unused stock.
About 600,000 doses of live vaccine were ordered for children aged two to 12 under the new programme, announced by former minister for health Simon Harris last May.
Since October, more than 190,000 of these doses have been administered, his successor Stephen Donnelly said on Friday.
The HSE has pointed out there may be a time lag between the time GPs administer the vaccine and a claim being submitted.
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About 460,000 doses have been distributed to GPs and pharmacists. Unused doses will start expiring from mid-January if not administered by then.
Confirming that the vaccine is now being made available free of charge to all children up to the age of 17, Mr Donnelly said: “Getting the flu vaccine is another way to look after your children’s health. Children are more likely than adults to get very sick from the flu, and they also may pass on the virus for a longer period of time than adults.
“By arranging for them to get a free flu vaccine, you will help to protect your children from a potentially serious illness. You will also help others in your family and community by reducing the potential to spread the flu.”
Prof Karina Butler, chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, described the initial uptake for the vaccine among young children as “disappointing”.
“The new vaccine appears to have fallen between the cracks with all the information about Covid,” she said. Some parents seem to have been unaware of its existence, despite an advertising campaign, and that it is free.
“There is still time for parents of children of any age to get it. It’s not too late, as flu is not yet circulating,” she advised
Former Irish Medical Organisation president Dr Ray Walley, who had campaigned for the vaccine to be extended to teenagers, welcomed the decision, which was communicated to GPs on Thursday.
The vaccine, which is being administered by GPs and pharmacists, is being made available to 12-17 year-olds in addition to younger children, immediately. Where effective, it protects a chid getting flu but also from passing it on to others, such as elderly relatives.
On Thursday, the HSE said achieving high coverage for a new vaccine was always challenging in the first year.
Most children’s vaccines are administered through a schools programme but this was not seen as feasible this year because of the disruption caused by Covid-19 to the education system.
“The school vaccination programme was already incredibly stretched. The first year of any new programme is always a learning experience.” Prof Butler said.
Dr Walley told The Irish Times earlier this month that GPs were “shocked” at the lack of demand for the new vaccine, which he described as a “no-brainer” due to its proven efficacy and safety when used in other countries.
“It is safe and effective, it’s been in use internationally for almost 20 years and it’s easy to take, with no needle involved. The vaccine protects children, and it protects others who might be at risk if children passed on a flu infection.”
There have been 41 deaths of children due to flu in the past decade in Ireland, and almost 5,000 hospitalisations.
Anyone showing flu-like symptoms such as cough or fever - which are also Covid-19 symptoms - is required to quarantine pending a test, along with their contacts.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Ireland’s health system and its staff ‘at the edge of their resilience’

Ireland ’ s health system and those who work in it are “ at the edge of their resilience ” as they face into 2021 with increased rates of self-harm a , pressure on cancer services and a possible need for thousands of extra hospital beds , according to an internal analysis for Government .
The examination of the state of the healthcare system , which was written by the HSE and the Department of Health , warns that the system and those who work in it are “ at the edge of their resilience.
” The report warns that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the end of January if there is even a small increase in the reproductive rate of Covid-19 in the coming weeks , the report warns .
It has found that if coronavirus reproductive number increases to 1.8 , there would be a requirement for 610 critical care beds and 3,900 general acute beds by the end of January .
The latest estimate of the reproductive rate of the virus was between 0.8 and 1 , according to a letter sent by the chief medical officer Tony Holohan to the Minister for Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easing of restrictions and increased social contact over Christmas an increased spread of the virus is already expected early in 2021 .
Furthermore , according to the most recent information published by the HSE there are only 268 available general beds across the country and only 28 critical beds available .
The report , which was considered by the National Public Health Emergency Team , also warns that every 2020 target for therapy services is being missed .
It further says that there is anecdotal evidence of “ increased acuity ” in relation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of eating disorder in adolescents .
In relation to cancer services , the report finds that surgery is the “ area of greatest concern.
” “ Public patient cancer surgery numbers for the full year to June stand at 70 per cent of 2019 levels .
In the early period , many hospitals moved time sensitive and complex surgeries to private hospitals that had the required facilities and support services .
“ Overall , the greatest threat to cancer services at this stage is the risk of staff contracting , or being in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to absences by those staff and their contacts.
” In the first wave of Covid-19 , the former government took over 100 per cent capacity of 18 private hospitals at the end of March .
However , it decided in May not to extended this arrangement beyond an initial three-month period which expired at the end of June .
This came in light of concerns around the €300 million cost of the deal .
While talks are ongoing with individual private hospitals to obtain capacity in the event of another wave of infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private hospitals are indicating that they are working almost to full capacity mainly to deal with the backlog of private work ” .
Discussions are ongoing between the HSE and private hospitals with to create a “ safety net ” arrangement .
There are also warnings about increased pressure on the general practitioners .
The recruitment and development of a “ sustainable Covid-19 specific workforce ” is “ essential if frontline services in the primary sector are to be restored to maximum capacity.
” Throughout both waves of the Covid-19 pandemic , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been expressed about the toll on the public ’ s mental health .
The report estimated that access to mental health services is between 85-90 per cent of pre-Covid figures .
“ Current challenges relate to the need to slightly reduce capacity in inpatient settings to allow for social distancing , and outbreaks of Covid in some approved centres which have affected admissions.
” Current trends will continue in 2021 “ leaving the HSE and mental health services with the challenge of addressing the mental health effects of 2020 even if a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Separately , while recent surveillance data indicates no evidence to date of seasonal influenza activity in Ireland , something which the authors of the report describe as “ extremely welcome ” , it “ can not be assumed that such favourable circumstances will persist , and the risk of an influenza outbreak must remain part of consideration as public health guidance is framed for December and beyond .
”

The report warns that thousands of extra beds will be needed by the end of January if there is even a small increase in the reproductive rate of Covid-19
Ireland’s health system and those who work in it are “at the edge of their resilience” as they face into 2021 with increased rates of self-harm a, pressure on cancer services and a possible need for thousands of extra hospital beds, according to an internal analysis for Government.
The examination of the state of the healthcare system, which was written by the HSE and the Department of Health, warns that the system and those who work in it are "at the edge of their resilience."
The report warns that thousands of extra beds will be needed by the end of January if there is even a small increase in the reproductive rate of Covid-19 in the coming weeks, the report warns.
It has found that if coronavirus reproductive number increases to 1.8, there would be a requirement for 610 critical care beds and 3,900 general acute beds by the end of January. The latest estimate of the reproductive rate of the virus was between 0.8 and 1, according to a letter sent by the chief medical officer Tony Holohan to the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly last week. With the easing of restrictions and increased social contact over Christmas an increased spread of the virus is already expected early in 2021.
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Furthermore, according to the most recent information published by the HSE there are only 268 available general beds across the country and only 28 critical beds available.
The report, which was considered by the National Public Health Emergency Team, also warns that every 2020 target for therapy services is being missed. It further says that there is anecdotal evidence of "increased acuity" in relation to self-harm and reports of increased rates of eating disorder in adolescents. In relation to cancer services, the report finds that surgery is the "area of greatest concern."
“Public patient cancer surgery numbers for the full year to June stand at 70 per cent of 2019 levels. In the early period, many hospitals moved time sensitive and complex surgeries to private hospitals that had the required facilities and support services.
“Overall, the greatest threat to cancer services at this stage is the risk of staff contracting, or being in contact with, Covid-19, giving rise to absences by those staff and their contacts.”
In the first wave of Covid-19, the former government took over 100 per cent capacity of 18 private hospitals at the end of March. However, it decided in May not to extended this arrangement beyond an initial three-month period which expired at the end of June. This came in light of concerns around the €300 million cost of the deal. While talks are ongoing with individual private hospitals to obtain capacity in the event of another wave of infections, the report has warned that “private hospitals are indicating that they are working almost to full capacity mainly to deal with the backlog of private work”.
Discussions are ongoing between the HSE and private hospitals with to create a “safety net” arrangement. There are also warnings about increased pressure on the general practitioners.
The recruitment and development of a “sustainable Covid-19 specific workforce” is “essential if frontline services in the primary sector are to be restored to maximum capacity.”
Throughout both waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the ensuing restrictions that followed, fears have been expressed about the toll on the public’s mental health. The report estimated that access to mental health services is between 85-90 per cent of pre-Covid figures.
“Current challenges relate to the need to slightly reduce capacity in inpatient settings to allow for social distancing, and outbreaks of Covid in some approved centres which have affected admissions.”
Current trends will continue in 2021 “leaving the HSE and mental health services with the challenge of addressing the mental health effects of 2020 even if a vaccine is successfully rolled out in 2021.”
Separately, while recent surveillance data indicates no evidence to date of seasonal influenza activity in Ireland, something which the authors of the report describe as "extremely welcome", it "cannot be assumed that such favourable circumstances will persist, and the risk of an influenza outbreak must remain part of consideration as public health guidance is framed for December and beyond."


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--‘I do it to cheer people up’: the 92-year-old who has started writing songs

This year has been difficult for many , but 92-year-old Rose Deegan is trying to put a smile on people ’ s faces with her new hobby of songwriting .
Ms Deegan , who was the secretary of Trinity College ’ s Department of Genetics for 30 years , recently penned a Christmas song in which she asks Santa to “ make us all feel better ” after a challenging year .
“ I do it just to cheer people up .
I just send them to my own groups .
They can send it onto others .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , or if they want to smile , it ’ s fine .
I just thought that it was coming up to Christmas and I wanted to do something , ” she says .
“ When this started , and everybody was down , I thought I might write a song .
And I just did .
That one was called coronavirus .
I ’ ve written about three or four .
I don ’ t sit down and do it , but it just comes to me.
” A neighbour videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email it to her closest friends .
In the video , Ms Deegan is seen clutching a polar bear teddy , which she says she won in a raffle .
“ He is now going to be my virtual hugger and I ’ m going to call him Daniel , ” she explains of the polar bear .
“ So every time I want to give somebody a hug , then poor Daniel will get the hug .
I ’ m sure his fur is almost rubbed away by now .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who moved to Ireland from Scotland in the late 1950s , lives alone in a house in Finglas , though she says her neighbours have really come together to help her this year .
“ I have a son and a daughter ; my son lives in Clonmel and my daughter lives in England .
My husband died many years ago .
I have no family , nobody in Dublin at all .
My neighbours are young , with families , and they ’ re very good for shopping for me .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it used to be that we might talk to them and their kids ; I love kids .
They ’ d come down to the road and ask me how I was .
But when this started , my next door neighbour said I was going to be her coronavirus project and she was going to look after me .
And she does , she really does.
” She adds : “ It has just amazed me that these young people , who have such busy lives , always have time for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was lonely at times , she was grateful to have access to the internet .
“ I ’ ve got an iPad so my daughter Facetimes me three times a day and I have Scottish niece who will Facetime me every other day .
I get a lot of Facetimes .
I ’ m ok , I don ’ t like it , but I ’ m ok .
”

92-year-old Dublin woman Rose Deegan is bringing joy to family and friends with video performances of songs she has written herself.
This year has been difficult for many, but 92-year-old Rose Deegan is trying to put a smile on people's faces with her new hobby of songwriting.
Ms Deegan, who was the secretary of Trinity College's Department of Genetics for 30 years, recently penned a Christmas song in which she asks Santa to "make us all feel better" after a challenging year.
“I do it just to cheer people up. I just send them to my own groups. They can send it onto others.
“ I don’t mind people laughing at me, or if they want to smile, it’s fine. I just thought that it was coming up to Christmas and I wanted to do something,” she says.
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“When this started, and everybody was down, I thought I might write a song. And I just did. That one was called coronavirus. I’ve written about three or four. I don’t sit down and do it, but it just comes to me.”
A neighbour videos her singing the songs so she can email it to her closest friends. In the video, Ms Deegan is seen clutching a polar bear teddy, which she says she won in a raffle.
“He is now going to be my virtual hugger and I’m going to call him Daniel,” she explains of the polar bear.
“So every time I want to give somebody a hug, then poor Daniel will get the hug. I’m sure his fur is almost rubbed away by now. He’s very cuddly.”
Ms Deegan, who moved to Ireland from Scotland in the late 1950s, lives alone in a house in Finglas, though she says her neighbours have really come together to help her this year.
"I have a son and a daughter; my son lives in Clonmel and my daughter lives in England. My husband died many years ago. I have no family, nobody in Dublin at all. My neighbours are young, with families, and they're very good for shopping for me. I'm very lucky."
“Before, it used to be that we might talk to them and their kids; I love kids. They’d come down to the road and ask me how I was. But when this started, my next door neighbour said I was going to be her coronavirus project and she was going to look after me. And she does, she really does.”
She adds: “It has just amazed me that these young people, who have such busy lives, always have time for me.”
While she admits the year was lonely at times, she was grateful to have access to the internet.
“I’ve got an iPad so my daughter Facetimes me three times a day and I have Scottish niece who will Facetime me every other day. I get a lot of Facetimes. I’m ok, I don’t like it, but I’m ok.”