theirishtimes--2020-11-19--Women in prostitution in Ireland experience ‘endemic violence’

A teenager , coerced into prostitution by her mother and marketed on an “ escort ” website to appear like a child , is among the cases highlighted in a landmark report on prostitution , published on Thursday .
Titled Shifting The Burden of Criminality and conducted by the Sexual Exploitation Research Programme in UCD , the report analyses the commercial sex industry against the backdrop of a review of the 2017 Criminal Law ( Sexual Offences ) Act , which criminalises the purchase of sex .
The report details “ endemic violence ” experienced by women and the abusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by poverty and trauma .
It concludes the 2017 legislation has had made a “ very promising ” start in interrupting the demand for sex-for-sale in Ireland .
Underlining the extreme vulnerability of some of the younger women , the report says some have been coerced by family members .
In one case a young Romanian woman was removed from a brothel and brought a support service .
Pictures of her on an “ escort ” website showed her wearing knickers with a flowers pattern and a trainer bra .
The service ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was really skinny and really small .
She was 18 and 3 months when they went in… but the ad was very much [ made ] to look like a kid .
And the language… you know the way they have the coded language… ‘ new in town ’ … ‘ fresh ’ ... to imply she was very young.
” The service supported her for the weekend .
“ But when she got her phone phone back on the Monday she had about 50 missed calls from her mother .
And she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mum and her mum said , ‘ You get back to that brothel , little bitch.
’ And I had to drop her back to the brothel ... ” Interviews were carried for the report with gardaí and support groups including Ruhama and the HSE ’ s Women ’ s Health Service ( WHS ) .
No women who identify freely as “ sex workers ” were interviewed .
Both Ruhama and WHS support women from about 40 countries including Brazil , Romania , Hungary , Ireland and Nigeria .
Most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The report says the majority of women accessing these services had lived in poverty as children and/or adults , a significant proportion experienced childhood abuse and neglect , and some grew up with and/or experienced domestic violence .
Violence and abuse are “ recurrent ” themes in the women ’ s lives .
A service manager said women recounted “ verbal abuse , physical assault , coerced sexual acts , rape and sexual assault ” .
There are “ disgusting ” and “ weird ” requests made of them .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ who want to be babies and simulate sexual abuse ” or to urinate on the women .
The long-term impacts include physical injuries , sexual and reproductive health impacts , long-term chronic pain , anxiety , hyper-vigilance , self-harming , drug and alcohol dependency , depression and low self-esteem .
It can only be concluded , says the report “ that this highly exploitative trade can not be permitted to persist or expand ” .
The legislation , where women in the industry are not criminalised and the buyers are , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls , however , for “ clarity and guidance ” in distinguishing between brothel keeping/organising – which remains illegal , and individuals who are working together in an apartment for safety .
It calls for “ enhanced resourcing of specialist ” organisations like Ruhama and the statutory WHS , and for greater supports for women exiting the industry .

The report highlighted the case of a teenager who was coerced into prostitution by her mother and marketed on an “escort” website to appear like a child. File photograph: Getty Images
A teenager, coerced into prostitution by her mother and marketed on an “escort” website to appear like a child, is among the cases highlighted in a landmark report on prostitution, published on Thursday.
Titled Shifting The Burden of Criminality and conducted by the Sexual Exploitation Research Programme in UCD, the report analyses the commercial sex industry against the backdrop of a review of the 2017 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, which criminalises the purchase of sex.
The report details "endemic violence" experienced by women and the abusive demands of buyers, highlighting backgrounds marked by poverty and trauma. It concludes the 2017 legislation has had made a "very promising" start in interrupting the demand for sex-for-sale in Ireland.
Underlining the extreme vulnerability of some of the younger women, the report says some have been coerced by family members.
READ MORE
In one case a young Romanian woman was removed from a brothel and brought a support service. Pictures of her on an “escort” website showed her wearing knickers with a flowers pattern and a trainer bra.
The service’s manager told researchers: “She was really skinny and really small. She was 18 and 3 months when they went in… but the ad was very much [made] to look like a kid. And the language… you know the way they have the coded language… ‘new in town’… ‘fresh’... to imply she was very young.”
The service supported her for the weekend. “But when she got her phone phone back on the Monday she had about 50 missed calls from her mother. And she got upset, obviously... She rang her mum and her mum said, ‘You get back to that brothel, little bitch.’ And I had to drop her back to the brothel...”
Interviews were carried for the report with gardaí and support groups including Ruhama and the HSE's Women's Health Service (WHS). No women who identify freely as "sex workers" were interviewed.
Both Ruhama and WHS support women from about 40 countries including Brazil, Romania, Hungary, Ireland and Nigeria. Most of the African women were victims of trafficking.
The report says the majority of women accessing these services had lived in poverty as children and/or adults, a significant proportion experienced childhood abuse and neglect, and some grew up with and/or experienced domestic violence.
Violence and abuse are “recurrent” themes in the women’s lives. A service manager said women recounted “verbal abuse, physical assault, coerced sexual acts, rape and sexual assault”. There are “disgusting” and “weird” requests made of them.
There are “punters”, said one, “who want to be babies and simulate sexual abuse” or to urinate on the women.
The long-term impacts include physical injuries, sexual and reproductive health impacts, long-term chronic pain, anxiety, hyper-vigilance, self-harming, drug and alcohol dependency, depression and low self-esteem.
It can only be concluded, says the report “that this highly exploitative trade cannot be permitted to persist or expand”.
The legislation, where women in the industry are not criminalised and the buyers are, has had a positive impact. The report calls, however, for “clarity and guidance” in distinguishing between brothel keeping/organising – which remains illegal, and individuals who are working together in an apartment for safety.
It calls for “enhanced resourcing of specialist” organisations like Ruhama and the statutory WHS, and for greater supports for women exiting the industry.


theirishtimes--2020-11-19--Covid-19: As Holohan urges people to 'work together', senior officials clash with Nphet

After more than nine months and over 69,000 cases of the disease , the State passed the milestone of 2,000 Covid-related deaths yesterday , as Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan urged people to “ work together ” to suppress further spread of the virus .
But there was further evidence of division between Government and its public health advisers .
Senior officials are said to have clashed with Dr Holohan during a meeting yesterday as efforts to draw up a plan to exit the lockdown and manage the pandemic over the Christmas period continue in Government .
According to three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior officials emphasised to Dr Holohan that the Government – not the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) – would make decisions about easing the lockdown and what restrictions would be in place over Christmas .
Officials , which included the secretary general of the Department of the Taoiseach Martin Fraser , the State ’ s most senior civil servant , also complained to Dr Holohan that Nphet members were seeking to pressure the Government with a series of media appearances .
One source said it was “ made clear ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the decision ” on reopening , scheduled for December 1st .
Another source confirmed that the Nphet “ media strategy ” was strongly criticised as some senior officials believed that its members are seeking to influence Government decisions through the media .
The Government is facing far-reaching decisions within the next week to 10 days on ending the lockdown , reopening commercial and social life and on how it manages the pandemic during December and the Christmas period .
Yesterday , Dr Holohan – reflecting on the death toll – said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indirectly , on families and communities all across Ireland ” .
With the Level 5 lockdown due to expire on December 1st Dr Holohan urged the public “ for the next two weeks , work from home , stay at home and follow public health advice ” .
The deaths of a further 12 people with Covid-19 were reported by Nphet yesterday bringing the total to 2,006 .
Nphet also reported a further 379 confirmed cases of the disease .
Nphet is due to meet today to discuss the current trends .
Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people “ haven ’ t been able to mourn the way they normally would ” describing the 2,000 milestone as a “ sobering day ” .
The issue of exiting Level 5 lockdown was the main topic for discussion last night at parliamentary meetings of the two main Coalition parties .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told a Fianna Fáil meeting the Government will make a decision on exiting Level 5 lockdown next week , and that there will be a Dáil debate on the issue beforehand .
He said he wanted Christmas to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that it would be about “ trusting the public with their personal behaviour ” .
He also argued the Republic is doing well on controlling the disease in comparison to most European countries .
The meeting also heard calls for clarity on whether pubs will be able to open for Christmas .
Senator Lisa Chambers said that pubs are coming under pressure to order kegs in time for Christmas if they are to open , but expressed the belief they would not be able to do so , and that the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pub even if they were open .
At the Fine Gael meeting , TDs called on the Cabinet to begin consulting with the church on the plan for Christmas .
Former minister for justice Charlie Flanagan said advance planning was essential and should include “ celebrating the festival of Christmas through Christian worship ” .
Elsewhere the Government is seeking Dáil approval for a further €514 million in funding for the health service this year .
The money is aimed at covering the costs in 2020 of the Government ’ s overall €600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will run until next spring.There will also be additional funding or Covid-related spending in the supplementary estimate .
The supplementary estimate being sought by the Department of Health will also seek to offset income from private patients in public hospital which had been expected to be generated this year but which was curtailed as a result of Covid-19 restrictions .
In the summer the Dáil approved additional spending of almost €2 billion in additional funding for the Department of Health , largely to deal with Covid-19 .

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan: “We are seeing a number of things which concern us. There are examples of small numbers of people congregating for social purposes and simply ignoring the important public health messages. They are putting our collective progress at risk.” Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
After more than nine months and over 69,000 cases of the disease, the State passed the milestone of 2,000 Covid-related deaths yesterday, as Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan urged people to “work together” to suppress further spread of the virus.
But there was further evidence of division between Government and its public health advisers. Senior officials are said to have clashed with Dr Holohan during a meeting yesterday as efforts to draw up a plan to exit the lockdown and manage the pandemic over the Christmas period continue in Government.
According to three sources with knowledge of the meeting, senior officials emphasised to Dr Holohan that the Government – not the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) – would make decisions about easing the lockdown and what restrictions would be in place over Christmas.
Hospital Report
Officials, which included the secretary general of the Department of the Taoiseach Martin Fraser, the State’s most senior civil servant, also complained to Dr Holohan that Nphet members were seeking to pressure the Government with a series of media appearances.
READ MORE
One source said it was “made clear” to Nphet “that the Government will make the decision” on reopening, scheduled for December 1st. Another source confirmed that the Nphet “media strategy” was strongly criticised as some senior officials believed that its members are seeking to influence Government decisions through the media.
The Government is facing far-reaching decisions within the next week to 10 days on ending the lockdown, reopening commercial and social life and on how it manages the pandemic during December and the Christmas period.
Yesterday, Dr Holohan – reflecting on the death toll – said the pandemic has “impacted, directly and indirectly, on families and communities all across Ireland”. With the Level 5 lockdown due to expire on December 1st Dr Holohan urged the public “for the next two weeks, work from home, stay at home and follow public health advice”.
The deaths of a further 12 people with Covid-19 were reported by Nphet yesterday bringing the total to 2,006. Nphet also reported a further 379 confirmed cases of the disease. Nphet is due to meet today to discuss the current trends.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told RTÉ the people "haven't been able to mourn the way they normally would" describing the 2,000 milestone as a "sobering day".
Main topic
The issue of exiting Level 5 lockdown was the main topic for discussion last night at parliamentary meetings of the two main Coalition parties. Taoiseach Micheál Martin told a Fianna Fáil meeting the Government will make a decision on exiting Level 5 lockdown next week, and that there will be a Dáil debate on the issue beforehand. He said he wanted Christmas to be "meaningful, enjoyable and safe" and that it would be about "trusting the public with their personal behaviour".
He also argued the Republic is doing well on controlling the disease in comparison to most European countries.
The meeting also heard calls for clarity on whether pubs will be able to open for Christmas. Senator Lisa Chambers said that pubs are coming under pressure to order kegs in time for Christmas if they are to open, but expressed the belief they would not be able to do so, and that the public may not want to go to a pub even if they were open.
At the Fine Gael meeting, TDs called on the Cabinet to begin consulting with the church on the plan for Christmas. Former minister for justice Charlie Flanagan said advance planning was essential and should include "celebrating the festival of Christmas through Christian worship".
Elsewhere the Government is seeking Dáil approval for a further €514 million in funding for the health service this year. The money is aimed at covering the costs in 2020 of the Government’s overall €600 million winter plan for the health service which will run until next spring.There will also be additional funding or Covid-related spending in the supplementary estimate.
The supplementary estimate being sought by the Department of Health will also seek to offset income from private patients in public hospital which had been expected to be generated this year but which was curtailed as a result of Covid-19 restrictions .
In the summer the Dáil approved additional spending of almost €2 billion in additional funding for the Department of Health, largely to deal with Covid-19.


theirishtimes--2020-11-19--Teachers should be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine, says union

All staff who work in schools should be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available , the country ’ s largest teachers ’ union has said .
The Irish National Teachers ’ Organsation ( INTO ) will tell the Oireachtas education committee on Thursday that the Government should have provided a free flu vaccine to all teachers earlier this year .
“ We insist that when the Covid-19 vaccine becomes available that all those who work in our schools be prioritised for this vaccine , ” INTO general secretary , John Boyle , will tell the committee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send a strong message to families who travel abroad over Christmas that children will have to restrict their movements in line with public health advice prior to returning to school .
The INTO , along with the Teachers ’ Union of Ireland and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland ( ASTI ) , are due to appear before the committee to discuss issues facing the sector .
In a joint statement , all three unions have said the “ scandal of unequal pay ” must be resolved “ once and for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement .
“ It is grossly unfair to breach the ‘ equal pay for equal work ’ principle at any time and it is deeply offensive to all teachers , who have done so much to reopen and keep our schools open during the pandemic , ” it says .
The next pay agreement is likely to run between January 2021 and December 2022 .
Teachers hired since 2010 are on lower payscales than their more experienced colleagues and are not eligible for qualification allowances .
While the gap in earnings narrows over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new entrant teachers still stand to lose out by close to €100,000 over a life-time , according to independent research .
Mr Boyle will tell the committee that issues around contact tracing are being dealt with more more efficiently and effectively since schools returned after the mid-term break .
However , he says principals along the Border need extra support due to the disconnect between public health authorities in both jurisdictions .
Mr Boyle will also say funding provided to clean classrooms is “ totally inadequate ” and is likely to be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The €25 per pupil additional capitation grant for enhanced cleaning in primary schools works out at only €3.50 per day extra to clean a classroom .
In addition , minor works grants announced last week will not be sufficient for the installation of air-monitoring systems .
He will also say the €50 million budget for digital learning must be allocated fairly bearing in mind that “ primary schools have always been short-changed on ICT funding ” .
In addition , he will say about 1,000 schools which are outside the supply panel scheme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We must expand this service early in the new year , ” he says .
In relation to vulnerable children with special needs , he says it is imperative that additional resources and supports are invested to support pupils who have been impacted most by closures .

John Boyle, general secretary of the INTO, says all staff who work in schools should be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
All staff who work in schools should be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available, the country’s largest teachers’ union has said.
The Irish National Teachers' Organsation (INTO) will tell the Oireachtas education committee on Thursday that the Government should have provided a free flu vaccine to all teachers earlier this year.
"We insist that when the Covid-19 vaccine becomes available that all those who work in our schools be prioritised for this vaccine," INTO general secretary, John Boyle, will tell the committee.
He will also call on the Government to send a strong message to families who travel abroad over Christmas that children will have to restrict their movements in line with public health advice prior to returning to school.
READ MORE
The INTO, along with the Teachers’ Union of Ireland and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), are due to appear before the committee to discuss issues facing the sector.
In a joint statement, all three unions have said the “scandal of unequal pay” must be resolved “once and for all” within the next public sector pay agreement.
“It is grossly unfair to breach the ‘equal pay for equal work’ principle at any time and it is deeply offensive to all teachers, who have done so much to reopen and keep our schools open during the pandemic,” it says.
The next pay agreement is likely to run between January 2021 and December 2022.
Teachers hired since 2010 are on lower payscales than their more experienced colleagues and are not eligible for qualification allowances.
While the gap in earnings narrows over time due to newly-adjusted payscales, so-called new entrant teachers still stand to lose out by close to €100,000 over a life-time, according to independent research.
Mr Boyle will tell the committee that issues around contact tracing are being dealt with more more efficiently and effectively since schools returned after the mid-term break.
However, he says principals along the Border need extra support due to the disconnect between public health authorities in both jurisdictions.
Mr Boyle will also say funding provided to clean classrooms is “totally inadequate” and is likely to be used up by Christmas in many cases.
The €25 per pupil additional capitation grant for enhanced cleaning in primary schools works out at only €3.50 per day extra to clean a classroom.
In addition, minor works grants announced last week will not be sufficient for the installation of air-monitoring systems.
He will also say the €50 million budget for digital learning must be allocated fairly bearing in mind that “primary schools have always been short-changed on ICT funding”.
In addition, he will say about 1,000 schools which are outside the supply panel scheme are struggling to source substitute teachers.
“We must expand this service early in the new year,” he says.
In relation to vulnerable children with special needs, he says it is imperative that additional resources and supports are invested to support pupils who have been impacted most by closures.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--Woman who staged murder victim’s suicide is sent back to jail

A woman serving a suspended sentence for staging a murder victim ’ s suicide has been sent back to jail after a judge heard she has been charged with 33 new offences , has consumed crack and heroin and failed to give notice of where she was living .
Janice Brady told Mr Justice Michael White on Friday that she wanted the system to leave her alone as she felt “ smothered ” by it .
“ I just want to get out of prison and be able to breathe , ” she said .
The mother-of-one with a last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sligo was sentenced to four years in prison in November 2019 for staging a suicide in order to impede the prosecution of her brother for the murder of Sligo musician , Martin “ Matt ” Kivlehan ( 60 ) .
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to the impeding charge in November 2017 .
Keith Brady ( 33 ) was found guilty of Mr Kivlehan ’ s murder at New Apartments , Holborn St , Sligo on August 2 or August 3 , 2015 .
By the time of her sentence hearing , after her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already served 28 months in custody .
The court ruled that she was not required to serve the balance of her jail term on condition that she resided with her father in Ballyshannon , Co Donegal .
The Central Criminal Court heard in March that she had moved into a B & B in Dublin without informing her probation officer .
Mr Justice White warned Brady at the time that he would have to send her back to jail if she failed to keep in contact with the probation service about where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a bench warrant was issued for Brady after she breached the terms of her suspended sentence again .
Sergeant Martin McHale of Sligo Garda Station told Mr Justice White that Brady had been charged with 32 offences since March , mainly for shoplifting and all in Dublin .
The judge then issued a warrant for her arrest after hearing that she had 10 months left in her sentence .
At the outset of this morning ’ s hearing , Brady told Mr Justice White that she just wanted “ the system ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SC , on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions ( DPP ) , informed the court that the defendant had breached the conditions imposed by the court for a second time .
In his evidence , probation officer Ambrose O ’ Byrne said that he had attempted to contact the defendant without success by phone on 16 separate occasions between March and August 2020 .
Mr O ’ Byrne said he left messages for Brady but there was no response from her .
Mr O ’ Byrne said he had also contacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the mother-of-one no longer resided there .
The witness noted that Brady ’ s conditions included that she notify gardaí of any change of address and the matter would have been re-entered before now but for Covid-19 .
Following this , Sergeant McHale told Mr Justice White that Brady appeared to be sleeping rough , was no longer in long-term accommodation , was charged with 33 offences in Dublin city and by her own admission was engaging in the consumption of controlled drugs namely crack cocaine and heroin .
From the dock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ smothered ” by the system and she had accepted that it would never “ work out ” between herself and her father .
Taking the stand , Brady agreed with her barrister Joe Barnes BL that she wanted the matter finalised today .
“ I just need it out of the way .
Even when I got out I still felt I was holding onto the past and felt I could not move on , ” she said .
The defendant told the judge that she needed to “ get out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without the system “ holding ” her .
“ With the charge with me and my brother , it was still there .
I just want to get out of prison and be able to breathe .
There is no point me asking for bail , it ’ s wasting the judge ’ s time and my time ” she remarked .
“ I need to get it out of the way and move on from it , ” she concluded .
Activating the suspended part of the original sentence , Mr Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the balance of the nine month sentence as Brady was in trouble again with the law , had failed to cooperate with the probation services and was still abusing drugs .
The court had previously heard that she had assisted her brother , by falsifying the scene of the murder ; she had placed the victim ’ s hand on a knife .

Janice Brady told Mr Justice Michael White on Friday that she wanted the system to leave her alone as she felt “smothered” by it.
A woman serving a suspended sentence for staging a murder victim’s suicide has been sent back to jail after a judge heard she has been charged with 33 new offences, has consumed crack and heroin and failed to give notice of where she was living.
Janice Brady told Mr Justice Michael White on Friday that she wanted the system to leave her alone as she felt “smothered” by it. “I just want to get out of prison and be able to breathe,” she said.
The mother-of-one with a last address at Maryville Hostel, Finisklin, Sligo was sentenced to four years in prison in November 2019 for staging a suicide in order to impede the prosecution of her brother for the murder of Sligo musician, Martin "Matt" Kivlehan (60).
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to the impeding charge in November 2017.
READ MORE
Keith Brady (33) was found guilty of Mr Kivlehan’s murder at New Apartments, Holborn St, Sligo on August 2 or August 3, 2015.
By the time of her sentence hearing, after her brother's trial, Janice Brady had already served 28 months in custody. The court ruled that she was not required to serve the balance of her jail term on condition that she resided with her father in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.
The Central Criminal Court heard in March that she had moved into a B&B in Dublin without informing her probation officer. Mr Justice White warned Brady at the time that he would have to send her back to jail if she failed to keep in contact with the probation service about where she was living.
Earlier this month, a bench warrant was issued for Brady after she breached the terms of her suspended sentence again. Sergeant Martin McHale of Sligo Garda Station told Mr Justice White that Brady had been charged with 32 offences since March, mainly for shoplifting and all in Dublin. The judge then issued a warrant for her arrest after hearing that she had 10 months left in her sentence.
At the outset of this morning’s hearing, Brady told Mr Justice White that she just wanted “the system” to leave her alone.
Paul Murray SC, on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), informed the court that the defendant had breached the conditions imposed by the court for a second time.
In his evidence, probation officer Ambrose O’Byrne said that he had attempted to contact the defendant without success by phone on 16 separate occasions between March and August 2020. Mr O’Byrne said he left messages for Brady but there was no response from her.
Mr O’Byrne said he had also contacted the Peter McVerry Trust and was informed that the mother-of-one no longer resided there. The witness noted that Brady’s conditions included that she notify gardaí of any change of address and the matter would have been re-entered before now but for Covid-19.
Following this, Sergeant McHale told Mr Justice White that Brady appeared to be sleeping rough, was no longer in long-term accommodation, was charged with 33 offences in Dublin city and by her own admission was engaging in the consumption of controlled drugs namely crack cocaine and heroin.
From the dock, Brady said aloud that she felt “smothered” by the system and she had accepted that it would never “work out” between herself and her father.
Taking the stand, Brady agreed with her barrister Joe Barnes BL that she wanted the matter finalised today. “I just need it out of the way. Even when I got out I still felt I was holding onto the past and felt I could not move on,” she said.
The defendant told the judge that she needed to “get out of prison’ and to live her life without the system “holding” her.
“With the charge with me and my brother, it was still there. I just want to get out of prison and be able to breathe. There is no point me asking for bail, it’s wasting the judge’s time and my time” she remarked.
“I need to get it out of the way and move on from it,” she concluded.
Activating the suspended part of the original sentence, Mr Justice White said that he had to impose the balance of the nine month sentence as Brady was in trouble again with the law, had failed to cooperate with the probation services and was still abusing drugs.
The court had previously heard that she had assisted her brother, by falsifying the scene of the murder; she had placed the victim’s hand on a knife.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--Legislation outlawing ‘revenge porn’ to go before Cabinet next week, McEntee says

Cabinet is expected to sign off on legislation next week to outlaw so-called “ revenge porn ” following the alleged sharing of thousands of images of Irish women on online forums .
On Friday afternoon , Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she intends to bring provisions before the Government which will make it illegal to share “ intimate images ” without the consent of the person in the image .
The sharing of such images will be a criminal offence “ regardless of the motivation of the person who passes them on ” , the Minister announced .
Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people over the non-consensual sharing of sexual images “ and I want people to know that I am determined to act and to introduce tough new laws to ensure that anyone who shares these kinds of images will face serious criminal sanctions.
” The provisions will be included in the Harassment , Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill which was introduced by Labour two years ago and has been accepted by the Government .
The matter will go before Cabinet next Tuesday and the Bill is due to be debated in the Dáil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry out preliminary investigations into allegations that thousands of explicit images of Irish women were shared on online forums and chat servers .
Gardaí are to investigate if any of the images may be of minors which would make the sharing of them an offence under child pornography legislation .
The images have been shared on online messaging forums , including one forum established so users can share explicit content that people , mainly women , have sold to subscribers on sites such as OnlyFans .
The images are likely to have come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shares between consenting adults on social media platforms and messaging apps , with no money exchanged .
Some images , gardaí said , may have been gathered by hacking sites where explicit content was bought and sold with the consent of both parties , but which has now been shared much more widely without consent .
Members of Victims ’ Alliance , a victims advocacy group which first highlighted the matter , is expected to make a statement to gardaí today .

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she intends to bring legislation to Cabinet to make it illegal to share “intimate images” without consent. File photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Cabinet is expected to sign off on legislation next week to outlaw so-called “revenge porn” following the alleged sharing of thousands of images of Irish women on online forums.
On Friday afternoon, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she intends to bring provisions before the Government which will make it illegal to share “intimate images” without the consent of the person in the image.
The sharing of such images will be a criminal offence “regardless of the motivation of the person who passes them on”, the Minister announced.
Ms McEntee said she shares the anger of people over the non-consensual sharing of sexual images “and I want people to know that I am determined to act and to introduce tough new laws to ensure that anyone who shares these kinds of images will face serious criminal sanctions.”
READ MORE
The provisions will be included in the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill which was introduced by Labour two years ago and has been accepted by the Government.
The matter will go before Cabinet next Tuesday and the Bill is due to be debated in the Dáil next month.
Gardaí are continuing to carry out preliminary investigations into allegations that thousands of explicit images of Irish women were shared on online forums and chat servers. Gardaí are to investigate if any of the images may be of minors which would make the sharing of them an offence under child pornography legislation.
The images have been shared on online messaging forums, including one forum established so users can share explicit content that people, mainly women, have sold to subscribers on sites such as OnlyFans.
The images are likely to have come from a variety of sources, including shares between consenting adults on social media platforms and messaging apps, with no money exchanged.
Some images, gardaí said, may have been gathered by hacking sites where explicit content was bought and sold with the consent of both parties, but which has now been shared much more widely without consent.
Members of Victims' Alliance, a victims advocacy group which first highlighted the matter, is expected to make a statement to gardaí today.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--Covid-19: Autumn hospitalisation rate about a quarter of March peak

The average Covid-19 hospitalisation rate for the past three months is about a quarter of its peak in March , according to new data from the Central Statistics Office ( CSO ) .
The CSO ’ s latest Deaths and Cases Bulletin acknowledges that while case numbers have fluctuated between August and October , from a low of 623 in week ending August 7th to a high of 7,025 in week ending October 16th , the hospital rates , ICU rates and mortality rates have remained stable over the same period .
In August , September and October , fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were admitted to hospital , down from a peak of 192 per 1,000 in March .
The average admission rate for intensive care units across the same three-month period was also considerably lower , standing at 5 or less per 1,000 confirmed cases , down from a peak of 27 per 1,000 in March .
The average mortality rate was 5 people per 1,000 confirmed cases , down from a peak of 74 per 1,000 in April .
For the week ending November 13th , there were 2,363 confirmed cases , a decrease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some 363 of confirmed cases that week were among health care workers .
The median age of new confirmed cases was 36 years old , lower than the median age of 49 in April .
It is the second week in a row that Dublin had fewer than 1,000 weekly cases .
In the week ending November 13th , Dublin accounted for 28 per cent of all new cases .
Just over half ( 52 per cent ) of all confirmed cases are linked to an outbreak and 42 per cent of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people under 25-years-old .
Outbreaks in private houses account for 53 per cent of cases linked to an outbreak in the last four weeks , nursing homes account for 10 per cent while childcare facilities and schools together account for 8 per cent of cases .
Cork , Donegal , Galway and Roscommon made up 32 per cent of all cases linked to an outbreak .
Some 4,029 more females were diagnosed with Covid-19 than males , while the 25-44 age group still show the highest number of confirmed cases at 22,210 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ case per week was three in the week ending November 13th , down from six contacts six week earlier .
More than 20 people have died with Covid-19 in each of the last five weeks and the median age of Covid-19 deaths has remained relatively stable at approximately 83 years throughout the duration of the pandemic .
In terms of gender breakdown , 69 more men died from the virus when compared to women .
About 93 per cent of people who died with Covid-19 had an underlying condition with chronic heart disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .

The average Covid-19 hospitalisation rate for the past three months is about a quarter of its peak in March, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The average Covid-19 hospitalisation rate for the past three months is about a quarter of its peak in March, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The CSO’s latest Deaths and Cases Bulletin acknowledges that while case numbers have fluctuated between August and October, from a low of 623 in week ending August 7th to a high of 7,025 in week ending October 16th, the hospital rates, ICU rates and mortality rates have remained stable over the same period.
In August, September and October, fewer than 50 people per 1,000 confirmed cases were admitted to hospital, down from a peak of 192 per 1,000 in March.
Hospital Report
The average admission rate for intensive care units across the same three-month period was also considerably lower, standing at 5 or less per 1,000 confirmed cases, down from a peak of 27 per 1,000 in March.
READ MORE
The average mortality rate was 5 people per 1,000 confirmed cases, down from a peak of 74 per 1,000 in April.
For the week ending November 13th, there were 2,363 confirmed cases, a decrease of 517 from the previous week. Some 363 of confirmed cases that week were among health care workers.
The median age of new confirmed cases was 36 years old, lower than the median age of 49 in April.
It is the second week in a row that Dublin had fewer than 1,000 weekly cases. In the week ending November 13th, Dublin accounted for 28 per cent of all new cases.
Outbreaks
Just over half (52 per cent) of all confirmed cases are linked to an outbreak and 42 per cent of cases linked to an outbreak are confirmed in people under 25-years-old.
Outbreaks in private houses account for 53 per cent of cases linked to an outbreak in the last four weeks, nursing homes account for 10 per cent while childcare facilities and schools together account for 8 per cent of cases.
Cork, Donegal, Galway and Roscommon made up 32 per cent of all cases linked to an outbreak.
Some 4,029 more females were diagnosed with Covid-19 than males, while the 25-44 age group still show the highest number of confirmed cases at 22,210.
The average number of contacts per positive case per week was three in the week ending November 13th, down from six contacts six week earlier.
More than 20 people have died with Covid-19 in each of the last five weeks and the median age of Covid-19 deaths has remained relatively stable at approximately 83 years throughout the duration of the pandemic.
In terms of gender breakdown, 69 more men died from the virus when compared to women.
About 93 per cent of people who died with Covid-19 had an underlying condition with chronic heart disease being present in 44 per cent of deaths.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--RTÉ presenters apologise after social distancing breaches

RTÉ has apologised after several high-profile news presenters were photographed at a gathering where social distancing was not fully observed .
Photographs have surfaced of RTÉ personnel posing with a “ long-serving ” colleague on her last day at work .
In the images , social distancing is not observed and the individuals are not wearing masks .
Miriam O ’ Callaghan , David McCullagh and Brian Dobson are among the presenters who were photographed , all of whom have described it as an error of judgement .
In a statement , the broadcaster said it takes public health advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has implemented “ detailed workplace protocols ” since the beginning of the pandemic .
“ These have been essential in keeping staff and visitors /programme guests safe whilst on site .
Because of the measures taken by RTÉ , no cases of Covid-19 have so far been transmitted on campus , ” the statement said .
“ A small number of RTÉ personnel working on site recently attended a short impromptu gathering in a public area and in the place of work of a long-serving colleague to say farewell on her last day.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was observed “ overall ” , a number of the people “ briefly posed for a photo with their departing colleague , before returning to work ” .
“ These contacts were not close contacts as defined by HSPC guidelines .
They were brief casual contacts which , while well intentioned , were unnecessarily risky and should not have happened , ” it added .
“ RTÉ and those involved regret this occurred .
Over the last few days we have reminded all staff of their obligations to keep both themselves and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busy few weeks we are heading into.
” Jon Williams , managing director news and current affairs , who was also photographed , said : “ I deeply regret not thinking through the consequences of a momentary lapse of judgement .
It was wrong and I ’ m very sorry .
Bryan Dobson described the incident as a “ momentary but nonetheless serious lapse of judgement ” , while David McCullagh said he “ deeply regret [ S ] ” the error of judgement .
Miriam O ’ Callaghan said she is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an error of judgement on my part ” .
Dobson also addressed the issue at the start of the News at One on RTÉ Radio One on Friday .
“ Before we go any further I ’ d like to take a moment to comment on that report in today ’ s Sun newspaper about a gathering here in RTÉ last week at which I was photographed beside a colleague who was retiring , ” the broadcaster told listeners .
“ We are advised strongly under Covid-19 guidelines not to be in such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate family bubble and I want once again to unreservedly apologise for my lapse in judgement in posing for the photograph , the responsibility is mine alone .
“ I ’ m sorry to everyone who has sacrificed so much in recent months to those who have lost loved ones who are living with the after effects of the infection to those who have lost their jobs , livelihoods , their businesses , those who have been isolated from family and friends .
“ On this programme we ’ ve vigorously debated Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that each of us should make every effort to observe the restrictions in place at any given time .
I ’ d be very concerned if any action of min undermined that vital life saving public health advice .
”

RTE news journalists David McCullagh and Eileen Dunne apologised live on air from the 6 and 9pm new bulletins on the channel for breaching public health guidelines at a recent gathering on the RTE campus in Donnybrook. Video: RTE News
RTÉ has apologised after several high-profile news presenters were photographed at a gathering where social distancing was not fully observed.
Photographs have surfaced of RTÉ personnel posing with a “long-serving” colleague on her last day at work. In the images, social distancing is not observed and the individuals are not wearing masks.
Miriam O’Callaghan, David McCullagh and Bryan Dobson are among the presenters who were photographed, all of whom have described it as an error of judgement.
In a statement, the broadcaster said it takes public health advice “with the utmost seriousness” and has implemented “detailed workplace protocols” since the beginning of the pandemic.
READ MORE
“ These have been essential in keeping staff and visitors /programme guests safe whilst on site. Because of the measures taken by RTÉ, no cases of Covid-19 have so far been transmitted on campus,” the statement said.
“A small number of RTÉ personnel working on site recently attended a short impromptu gathering in a public area and in the place of work of a long-serving colleague to say farewell on her last day.”
The statement said while social distancing was observed “overall”, a number of the people “briefly posed for a photo with their departing colleague, before returning to work”.
“These contacts were not close contacts as defined by HSPC guidelines. They were brief casual contacts which, while well intentioned, were unnecessarily risky and should not have happened,” it added.
“RTÉ and those involved regret this occurred. Over the last few days we have reminded all staff of their obligations to keep both themselves and the site safe, particularly over the very busy few weeks we are heading into.”
Jon Williams, managing director news and current affairs, who was also photographed, said: "I deeply regret not thinking through the consequences of a momentary lapse of judgement. It was wrong and I'm very sorry.
Bryan Dobson described the incident as a “ momentary but nonetheless serious lapse of judgement”, while David McCullagh said he “deeply regret[S]” the error of judgement.
Bryan Dobson with his colleague at the gathering.
Miriam O’Callaghan said she is “so sorry” and apologises “for an error of judgement on my part”.
Dobson also addressed the issue at the start of the News at One on RTÉ Radio One on Friday.
“Before we go any further I’d like to take a moment to comment on that report in today’s Sun newspaper about a gathering here in RTÉ last week at which I was photographed beside a colleague who was retiring,” the broadcaster told listeners.
“We are advised strongly under Covid-19 guidelines not to be in such close proximity to another person outside our immediate family bubble and I want once again to unreservedly apologise for my lapse in judgement in posing for the photograph, the responsibility is mine alone.
“I’m sorry to everyone who has sacrificed so much in recent months to those who have lost loved ones who are living with the after effects of the infection to those who have lost their jobs, livelihoods, their businesses, those who have been isolated from family and friends.
“On this programme we’ve vigorously debated Covid measures, but what is not disputed is that each of us should make every effort to observe the restrictions in place at any given time. I’d be very concerned if any action of min undermined that vital life saving public health advice.”
David McCullagh also apologised on the Six One News on Friday evening. “I am unfortunately one of the people who failed to properly observe social distancing here in RTÉ last week. It was an error of judgement which I deeply regret, for which I take full responsibility, and for which I unreservedly apologise to you, our audience,” he said.
“None of us can afford to let down our guard, even for a moment, and I am very, very sorry that I failed to do the right thing on this occasion.”
TV News anchor Eileen Dunne also apologised on Friday night as she read the Nine O’Clock news .“So hands up, as you’ve seen I too was photographed at the farewell for Phil and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for my lack of judgment,” she said.
“Particularly to RTÉ colleagues who have worked so hard to keep this campus Covid free over the past eight months. I have let you all down and I’m sorry.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said earlier it was “disappointing” and “not helpful” that a number of prominent RTÉ presenters did not observe social distancing guidelines during a retirement event at its studios.
“It is disappointing and a reminder to people generally to avoid that kind of behaviour as it can create an atmosphere that (others) can emulate,” he said in an interview with Virgin Media News.
“People in public life need to be leading by example,” said Mr Martin.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--Staff rooms a key risk for spread of Covid-19 in schools, health officials warn

Teacher staff rooms and school break times are an area of concern for the potential spread of Covid-19 , according to a mid-term review of schools compiled by public health authorities .
Overall , the review found schools remain safe with very limited evidence of transmission of the virus .
The report found the proportion of close contacts of pupils or staff who tested positive remained low , despite high levels of community transmission across Ireland , particularly in Dublin , during October .
However , in a series of recommendations , it says the support of education partners will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff rooms and at break times .
The report says friendship circles , lunchtime activities , break time activities and supervision have been “ highlighted as areas where close contacts have often been identified ” .
In addition , it says staff rooms have “ not infrequently ” been highlighted as an area of concern for potential for infection transmission , resulting in a significant number of staff members being identified as close contacts .
The unpublished midterm report was completed at the end of last month for the HSE ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It concludes that schools should remain open and that it is important that there is no laxity or slippage in health precautions .
It also notes that the support of public health authorities to support schools was “ severely challenged ” due to the second wave of cases before the midterm break .
Additional supports have subsequently been added with the redeployment of staff from the Department of Education ’ s inspectorate .
A total of 757 schools or pre-schools recorded a positive Covid-19 case up to the end of October and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with follow-up testing .
More than 18,000 follow-up tests identified a further 538 cases across a total of 189 schools or pre-schools .
Of these , 91 cases were over-18 , while 447 were under-18 .
This equates to a positivity rate for close contacts of 2.9 per cent , compared to about 10 per cent for the community .
These positivity rates are lowest in secondary schools ( 2 per cent ) , followed by primary ( 2.7 per cent ) , special education ( 3.3 per cent ) and childcare facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report shows that that fewer than five schools were required to close in the period up to the end of October , though others closed “ voluntarily ” due to staffing problems linked to teachers self-isolating .
It says public health authorities have not routinely required the exclusion of classes , reflecting the mitigation measures put in place by the schools and the assessment of these as part of the clinical public health risk assessments .
It adds that the definition of close contacts used in Ireland differs from the EU agency the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( ECDC ) .
It says their guidance would “ likely result in frequent larger scale exclusions of classes ” .
It adds that ECDC guidance is currently under review , while the UK approach is similar to that currently taken in Ireland , although it says Ireland undertakes “ greater testing of close contacts and has recommendations for face-coverings amongst other mitigation measures ” .
Overall , it says there have been almost 70 instances where there were outbreaks in schools where it was “ likely ” that the virus spread within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have occurred , the onward numbers infected have been , on average , three cases .
The report says the first half-term required intense input from departments of public health to support schools .
In line with a sharp increase in cases of Covid-19 nationally , many cases were identified among those routinely attending educational facilities , either as staff or students .
While there was “ angst ” around schools being open amid rising Covid-19 cases , it says many school principals were very co- operative in their approach and understanding of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health risk assessments are being undertaken in education settings when cases of Covid-19 have been identified during an infectious period , defined as 48 hours prior to symptom onset or 24 hours prior to test for asymptomatic cases .
It also says notifications from the HSE ’ s Covid-19 Tracker App have caused confusion for teachers and principals .
The report says a determination of close contacts should be based on a public health risk assessment and not a notification from the app , This is because the assessment is a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the setting , taking account of case and close contact factors , in conjunction with mitigating measures ” .

Teacher staff rooms and school break times are an area of concern for the potential spread of Covid-19, according to a mid-term review of schools compiled by public health authorities.
Overall, the review found schools remain safe with very limited evidence of transmission of the virus.
The report found the proportion of close contacts of pupils or staff who tested positive remained low, despite high levels of community transmission across Ireland, particularly in Dublin, during October.
Hospital Report
However, in a series of recommendations, it says the support of education partners will be key to minimising close contacts in staff rooms and at break times.
READ MORE
The report says friendship circles, lunchtime activities, break time activities and supervision have been “highlighted as areas where close contacts have often been identified”.
In addition, it says staff rooms have “not infrequently” been highlighted as an area of concern for potential for infection transmission, resulting in a significant number of staff members being identified as close contacts.
The unpublished midterm report was completed at the end of last month for the HSE’s office of the clinical director of health protection.
It concludes that schools should remain open and that it is important that there is no laxity or slippage in health precautions.
It also notes that the support of public health authorities to support schools was “severely challenged” due to the second wave of cases before the midterm break.
Additional supports have subsequently been added with the redeployment of staff from the Department of Education’s inspectorate.
A total of 757 schools or pre-schools recorded a positive Covid-19 case up to the end of October and required a public health risk assessment along with follow-up testing.
More than 18,000 follow-up tests identified a further 538 cases across a total of 189 schools or pre-schools. Of these, 91 cases were over-18, while 447 were under-18.
This equates to a positivity rate for close contacts of 2.9 per cent, compared to about 10 per cent for the community.
These positivity rates are lowest in secondary schools (2 per cent), followed by primary (2.7 per cent), special education (3.3 per cent) and childcare facilities (5 per cent).
The report shows that that fewer than five schools were required to close in the period up to the end of October, though others closed “voluntarily” due to staffing problems linked to teachers self-isolating.
It says public health authorities have not routinely required the exclusion of classes, reflecting the mitigation measures put in place by the schools and the assessment of these as part of the clinical public health risk assessments.
It adds that the definition of close contacts used in Ireland differs from the EU agency the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
It says their guidance would “likely result in frequent larger scale exclusions of classes”.
It adds that ECDC guidance is currently under review, while the UK approach is similar to that currently taken in Ireland, although it says Ireland undertakes “greater testing of close contacts and has recommendations for face-coverings amongst other mitigation measures”.
Overall, it says there have been almost 70 instances where there were outbreaks in schools where it was “likely” that the virus spread within the school.
Where this transmission may have occurred, the onward numbers infected have been, on average, three cases.
The report says the first half-term required intense input from departments of public health to support schools. In line with a sharp increase in cases of Covid-19 nationally, many cases were identified among those routinely attending educational facilities, either as staff or students.
While there was “angst” around schools being open amid rising Covid-19 cases, it says many school principals were very co- operative in their approach and understanding of the public health approach .
It says public health risk assessments are being undertaken in education settings when cases of Covid-19 have been identified during an infectious period, defined as 48 hours prior to symptom onset or 24 hours prior to test for asymptomatic cases.
It also says notifications from the HSE’s Covid-19 Tracker App have caused confusion for teachers and principals.
The report says a determination of close contacts should be based on a public health risk assessment and not a notification from the app,
This is because the assessment is a “carefully considered determination of likely disease transmission within the setting, taking account of case and close contact factors, in conjunction with mitigating measures”.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--Comparing coronavirus in Ireland: Where is the virus spreading?

Donegal has the highest spread of coronavirus in the Republic , latest figures on the disease show .
The 14-day incidence rate across Ireland was 121.3 in the two weeks up to last Monday , November 16th , according to Government data .
The new breakdown of local electoral areas published on Thursday shows four of the top five worst areas are in Co Donegal .
Letterkenny tops the list with a rate of 389 , followed by Buncrana , Co Donegal , Listowel , Co Kerry , Carndonagh , Co Donegal and Milford Co Donegal .
The areas with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 14 days include Rosslare , Co Wexford , Corca Dhuibhne , Co Kerry and Ballinasloe , Co Galway .
You can search for your county or local area in the table .
If you are reading this on The Irish Times app , go here to search the table .
According to the latest data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control , that rate has fallen to 113.7 as of Thursday night , down from 300 on October 27th but significantly higher than a rate of below 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ECDPC figures published daily show the United Kingdom ’ s 14-day rate , per 100,000 population is close to 500 while the rates in Italy and France are close to 800 .
The rate in Spain is more than 500 while the United States has a 14-day rate of 621 while Australia ’ s rate has fallen to below one .
The ECDPC changed Ireland ’ s colour status to “ orange ” on Thursday after its weekly update on the data on the infection rates across Europe .
Ireland had , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , been at the higher restricted travel status but a reduction in the incidence rate during the Level 5 restrictions has moved it to the lower level .
However , public health officials are still warning that Covid-19 figures are going in the wrong direction .
The State ’ s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said on Thursday that recent progress in reducing the spread of coronavirus has stalled , as people have “ slipped ” in adhering to lockdown restrictions over the last week .
The previous sharp decline in numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Level 5 restrictions had plateaued , meaning the country had effectively “ lost a week , ” Dr Holohan said .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) reported concerns that people were socialising more as the six-week lockdown period wore on , and others were unnecessarily working from the office .

Donegal has the highest spread of coronavirus in the Republic, latest figures on the disease show.
The 14-day incidence rate across Ireland was 121.3 in the two weeks up to last Monday, November 16th, according to Government data.
The new breakdown of local electoral areas published on Thursday shows four of the top five worst areas are in Co Donegal. Letterkenny tops the list with a rate of 389, followed by Buncrana, Co Donegal, Listowel, Co Kerry, Carndonagh, Co Donegal and Milford Co Donegal.
The areas with the lowest rate of Covid-19 spread in the 14 days include Rosslare, Co Wexford, Corca Dhuibhne, Co Kerry and Ballinasloe, Co Galway.
READ MORE
You can search for your county or local area in the table. If you are reading this on The Irish Times app, go here to search the table.
According to the latest data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, that rate has fallen to 113.7 as of Thursday night, down from 300 on October 27th but significantly higher than a rate of below 3 at the end of June.
The ECDPC figures published daily show the United Kingdom's 14-day rate, per 100,000 population is close to 500 while the rates in Italy and France are close to 800. The rate in Spain is more than 500 while the United States has a 14-day rate of 621 while Australia's rate has fallen to below one.
The ECDPC changed Ireland's colour status to "orange" on Thursday after its weekly update on the data on the infection rates across Europe. Ireland had, like most of the rest of the EU, been at the higher restricted travel status but a reduction in the incidence rate during the Level 5 restrictions has moved it to the lower level.
However, public health officials are still warning that Covid-19 figures are going in the wrong direction. The State's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said on Thursday that recent progress in reducing the spread of coronavirus has stalled, as people have "slipped" in adhering to lockdown restrictions over the last week .
The previous sharp decline in numbers of new cases in the early weeks of Level 5 restrictions had plateaued, meaning the country had effectively “lost a week,” Dr Holohan said.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) reported concerns that people were socialising more as the six-week lockdown period wore on, and others were unnecessarily working from the office.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--HSE boss says he does not want to ‘demonise people’ but Covid-19 risks remain

HSE director general Paul Reid has said he was confident that if the public do all the basics of wearing masks , observing hand hygiene and practising social distancing then “ we can make progress ” to get down Covid-19 down to “ sustainable lower levels.
” Mr Reid told RTÉ Radio ’ s Morning Ireland programme said that while some progress had been made under Level 5 they were working behind the scenes to see why numbers had stalled .
There was not an aim “ to demonise people ” he said , but people needed to realise that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if they did not wear masks or meet indoors then risks were amplified .
Mr Reid gave an example of a meeting which was attended by eight people and none of them were wearing a mask .
All eight have now tested positive for Covid-19 .
“ I don ’ t believe there is a magic number , we want to get it down further .
We have made good progress , but last week the numbers seemed to freeze.
” Mr Reid pointed out that even during the first wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s outcomes were better than other European countries .
Daily admissions to hospitals are down seven per cent , with daily activity down eight per cent while trolley numbers were down 70 per cent on this week last year .
“ That ’ s a very significant number.
” This reduction could partly be attributed to more home help , he said .
The home help waiting list was down to 2,800 from 7,500 .
Mr Reid said he was concerned about outbreaks of the virus in hospitals with 450 staff at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tested positive or they were close contacts .
It was very difficult to identify how the virus got into health care settings as it may have come from health care workers , from patients or from visitors .
A worker on a ward has to wash their hands ten times per hour on a 10 hour shift , he said .
“ It is very difficult for our teams.
” The State ’ s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned that the progress on the disease had slipped in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new cases in the early weeks of Level 5 restrictions had plateaued , meaning the country had effectively “ lost a week , ” Dr Holohan said on Thursday .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) reported concerns that people were socialising more as the six-week lockdown period wore on , and others were unnecessarily working from the office .
Officials expressed concern that recent positive news over the development of an effective vaccine for 2021 had led to people “ taking the foot off the gas , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understandably suffering from “ pandemic fatigue , ” and had “ slipped ” in keeping their number of daily contacts down , Dr Holohan said .
The message that people should work from home where possible “ really hasn ’ t gotten through , ” Dr Holohan told a press briefing .
“ Car parks are full , canteens are full in workplace settings , people are really not listening to this message…Clearly many , many people who are in situations where they can work from home , are choosing not to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philip Nolan , chair of Nphet ’ s modelling group , said the rapid decline in the number of new cases now levelling off was cause for “ concern and disappointment.
” “ It ’ s not that case numbers are increasing , it ’ s that case numbers are no longer decreasing , ” Prof Nolan said .
The number of people in hospital and intensive care was “ declining very slowly over the last several weeks , ” and similarly the number of coronavirus-related deaths per day was “ not decreasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national 14-day incidence rate of the disease had been around 300 cases per 100,000 people in late October , which following the Level 5 restrictions now stood at 120 cases per 100,000 people , he said .
The R-number , the reproductive rate of the virus - a key metric tracked by officials - was currently estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9 , Prof Nolan said .
Last week the R-number stood at 0.6 , meaning the spread of the virus among the population had slowed substantially .
A new report has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was by far the longest in Europe for bars , restaurants , cinemas and non-essential shops .
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) health system policy tracker states that public spaces defined as parks , restaurants , bars , cinemas , non-essential shops and services were closed in Ireland for 120 days from March 12th .
The country with the next highest number of days where public spaces were shut was Finland ( 74 days ) followed by Slovakia ( 66 days ) and Bulgaria and Estonia ( both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Glance : Europe 2020 report covers 36 countries in Europe including the EU 27 , the UK , Turkey , Switzerland and Norway .
Ireland was also one of only six countries of the 36 to close both primary and secondary schools until the summer holidays , the others being Bulgaria , Finland , Italy , Spain and Latvia .

HSE director general Paul Reid has said he was confident that if the public do all the basics of wearing masks, observing hand hygiene and practising social distancing then "we can make progress" to get down Covid-19 down to "sustainable lower levels."
Mr Reid told RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland programme said that while some progress had been made under Level 5 they were working behind the scenes to see why numbers had stalled.
There was not an aim “to demonise people” he said, but people needed to realise that as they meet there was a risk, if they did not wear masks or meet indoors then risks were amplified.
Hospital Report
Mr Reid gave an example of a meeting which was attended by eight people and none of them were wearing a mask. All eight have now tested positive for Covid-19.
READ MORE
“I don’t believe there is a magic number, we want to get it down further. We have made good progress, but last week the numbers seemed to freeze.”
Mr Reid pointed out that even during the first wave of the virus in the spring, Ireland’s outcomes were better than other European countries.
Daily admissions to hospitals are down seven per cent, with daily activity down eight per cent while trolley numbers were down 70 per cent on this week last year. “That’s a very significant number.”
This reduction could partly be attributed to more home help, he said. The home help waiting list was down to 2,800 from 7,500.
Hospitals
Mr Reid said he was concerned about outbreaks of the virus in hospitals with 450 staff at present unable to work either because they had tested positive or they were close contacts.
It was very difficult to identify how the virus got into health care settings as it may have come from health care workers, from patients or from visitors.
A worker on a ward has to wash their hands ten times per hour on a 10 hour shift, he said. “It is very difficult for our teams.”
HSE director general Paul Reid has said he was confident that if the public do all the basics of wearing masks, observing hand hygiene and practising social distancing then ‘we can make progress’ to get down Covid-19 down. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell/The Irish Times.
The State's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned that the progress on the disease had slipped in recent weeks.
The previous sharp decline in numbers of new cases in the early weeks of Level 5 restrictions had plateaued, meaning the country had effectively “lost a week,” Dr Holohan said on Thursday.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) reported concerns that people were socialising more as the six-week lockdown period wore on, and others were unnecessarily working from the office.
Officials expressed concern that recent positive news over the development of an effective vaccine for 2021 had led to people “taking the foot off the gas,” Dr Holohan said.
People were also understandably suffering from “pandemic fatigue,” and had “slipped” in keeping their number of daily contacts down, Dr Holohan said.
The message that people should work from home where possible “really hasn’t gotten through,” Dr Holohan told a press briefing.
“Car parks are full, canteens are full in workplace settings, people are really not listening to this message…Clearly many, many people who are in situations where they can work from home, are choosing not to do so,” he said.
Professor Philip Nolan, chair of Nphet's modelling group, said the rapid decline in the number of new cases now levelling off was cause for "concern and disappointment."
“It’s not that case numbers are increasing, it’s that case numbers are no longer decreasing,” Prof Nolan said.
The number of people in hospital and intensive care was “declining very slowly over the last several weeks,” and similarly the number of coronavirus-related deaths per day was “not decreasing yet,” he said.
R number
The national 14-day incidence rate of the disease had been around 300 cases per 100,000 people in late October, which following the Level 5 restrictions now stood at 120 cases per 100,000 people, he said.
The R-number, the reproductive rate of the virus - a key metric tracked by officials - was currently estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9, Prof Nolan said. Last week the R-number stood at 0.6, meaning the spread of the virus among the population had slowed substantially.
A new report has revealed that Ireland's first lockdown was by far the longest in Europe for bars, restaurants, cinemas and non-essential shops.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) health system policy tracker states that public spaces defined as parks, restaurants, bars, cinemas, non-essential shops and services were closed in Ireland for 120 days from March 12th.
The country with the next highest number of days where public spaces were shut was Finland (74 days) followed by Slovakia (66 days) and Bulgaria and Estonia (both 65 days).
The Health at a Glance: Europe 2020 report covers 36 countries in Europe including the EU 27, the UK, Turkey, Switzerland and Norway.
Ireland was also one of only six countries of the 36 to close both primary and secondary schools until the summer holidays, the others being Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Spain and Latvia.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--WHO group recommends against use of remdesivir drug for Covid-19

A panel of World Health Organization ( WHO ) experts has advised against the use of the drug remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients , after finding “ no evidence ” that it improves survival rates or other outcomes .
In clinical guidance , published in the BMJ on Friday , the WHO expert panel advised that remdesivir “ has no meaningful effect on mortality , ” or on the need to put patients on ventilation .
There was also no evidence to show the drug had an impact on reducing the recovery time of Covid-19 patients , the group said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new review of evidence comparing the effects of several drug treatments for Covid-19 .
The review drew on data from four international trials involving over 7,000 patients hospitalised with coronavirus .
US president Donald Trump was administered the experimental antiviral drug after he contracted Covid-19 in October .
The WHO Guideline Development Group said remdesivir had received “ worldwide attention ” as a potential treatment for severe cases of Covid-19 , and has been increasingly used to treat patients in hospital .
However , the expert group said despite this the role of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained uncertain.
” The expert panel found “ a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that matter to patients such as reduced mortality , need for mechanical ventilation , time to clinical improvement.
” The report from the panel added there was “ no evidence of increased risk of serious adverse events in patients receiving remdesivir , at least from the included trials.
” Previous trials had shown the drug to be effective on patients who require supplementary oxygen .
It was originally developed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency use in treating Covid-19 in May in the US and in Europe the following month .
In its report the WHO expert panel admitted the certainty of the evidence behind its recommendation was low .
“ The evidence did not prove that remdesivir has no benefit ; rather there is no evidence based on currently available data that it does improve important patient outcomes , ” the group said .
The panel said given the high cost of the drug , and resource implications as it has to be administered intravenously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The group also stated it supported further trials evaluating remdesivir , “ especially to provide higher certainty of evidence for specific groups of patients.
” The WHO expert group provides “ living guidelines ” to doctors and clinicians in fields with quickly developing research , such as Covid-19 .

The WHO expert panel advised that remdesivir ‘has no meaningful effect on mortality,’ or on the need to put patients on ventilation. Photograph: AP.
A panel of World Health Organization (WHO) experts has advised against the use of the drug remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients, after finding "no evidence" that it improves survival rates or other outcomes.
In clinical guidance, published in the BMJ on Friday, the WHO expert panel advised that remdesivir "has no meaningful effect on mortality," or on the need to put patients on ventilation. There was also no evidence to show the drug had an impact on reducing the recovery time of Covid-19 patients, the group said.
The recommendation was based on a new review of evidence comparing the effects of several drug treatments for Covid-19. The review drew on data from four international trials involving over 7,000 patients hospitalised with coronavirus.
US president Donald Trump was administered the experimental antiviral drug after he contracted Covid-19 in October.
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The WHO Guideline Development Group said remdesivir had received “worldwide attention” as a potential treatment for severe cases of Covid-19, and has been increasingly used to treat patients in hospital. However, the expert group said despite this the role of the drug “in clinical practice has remained uncertain.”
The expert panel found “a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that matter to patients such as reduced mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, time to clinical improvement.”
The report from the panel added there was “no evidence of increased risk of serious adverse events in patients receiving remdesivir, at least from the included trials.”
Previous trials had shown the drug to be effective on patients who require supplementary oxygen. It was originally developed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola. It was approved for emergency use in treating Covid-19 in May in the US and in Europe the following month.
In its report the WHO expert panel admitted the certainty of the evidence behind its recommendation was low. “The evidence did not prove that remdesivir has no benefit; rather there is no evidence based on currently available data that it does improve important patient outcomes,” the group said.
The panel said given the high cost of the drug, and resource implications as it has to be administered intravenously, it deemed its recommendation to be appropriate.
The group also stated it supported further trials evaluating remdesivir, “especially to provide higher certainty of evidence for specific groups of patients.”
The WHO expert group provides “living guidelines” to doctors and clinicians in fields with quickly developing research, such as Covid-19.


theirishtimes--2020-11-20--HSE takes over running of Kerry nursing home in ‘chaos’

The Health Service Executive ( HSE ) has taken over the running of a north Kerry nursing home , after the facility was found to be in “ chaos ” during a recent outbreak of Covid-19 .
The HSE took over the management of Oaklands Nursing Home , Derry , Listowel , on Thursday evening on foot of a court order sought by the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) due to serious infection control concerns .
Nineteen residents and staff in the Co Kerry nursing home had tested positive for Covid-19 at the start of this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility on November 4th following the outbreak , they “ found a centre in chaos ” , Susan Cliff , Hiqa ’ s deputy chief inspector of social services , told Listowel District Court .
There were no empty rooms brought together for patients who might test positive for Covid-19 and all staff were in contact with all patients .
Domestic cleaning products were still in use , and not those for Covid-19 .
Residents were “ wandering unsupervised ” through the nursing home , and those who had tested positive for Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have Covid-19 , she said .
“ Alarm bells should have been firing off in this centre and it didn ’ t happen , ” Ms Cliffe told the court .
There was no proper supervision of the care of residents , and no restrictions or checks on people entering the nursing home , the regulator said .
Judge David Waters said given the poor clinical governance and infection control measures , he was satisfied there was a “ serious risk to life and welfare of persons in the centre ” .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents , had been run by a private provider , Bolden ( Nursing ) Ltd. Bolden Ltd , was not represented in court .
However , there was consent to the application by Hiqa to have the nursing home ’ s registration cancelled .
There had been “ a high level of concern ” already this year about the home which had undergone seven inspections , the court heard .
Meanwhile , officials from the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) have expressed concern that early progress in reducing the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaking on Thursday , the State ’ s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the country had effectively “ lost a week ” of lockdown , as recent figures showed the number of new cases was no longer falling .
Dr Holohan said he was concerned people were ignoring directions to work from home unless necessary , with anecdotal evidence showing car parks and office canteens were “ full ” , he said .
Prof Philip Nolan , chair of Nphet ’ s modelling group , said the fact progress suppressing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern and disappointment ” .
The R-number , which is the reproductive rate of the disease , had increased in the last week from 0.6 , to between 0.7 and 0.9 , which was a “ significant cause for concern , ” Prof Nolan said .
Senior Government figures also expressed concern at the daily Covid-19 figures and believe they are not falling at a satisfactory rate .
“ This is going in the wrong direction , ” one source said on Thursday night .
Another Cabinet figure said that any prospect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage in December was becoming less and likely and that the current plan was to move to “ Level 3 plus ” provided the figures did not deteriorate .
The Cabinet will wait to see what the trend is next week before making a final decision about what happens on December 1st when the six-week lockdown is due to come to an end .
There is growing scepticism among some Ministers about the effectiveness of Level 5 restrictions given that recent progress has stalled .
There will be a push from some Ministers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily figures and take into account the level of hospitalisations and intensive care admissions .
Ultimately though , they believe that deteriorating progress on the daily figures will have a knock-on effect on what type of reopening they can approve for December and Christmas .

Ambulance outside Oaklands Nursing Home in Listowel, Co Kerry, on November 4th. Photograph courtesy of Kerry’s Eye
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has taken over the running of a north Kerry nursing home, after the facility was found to be in "chaos" during a recent outbreak of Covid-19.
The HSE took over the management of Oaklands Nursing Home, Derry, Listowel, on Thursday evening on foot of a court order sought by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) due to serious infection control concerns.
Nineteen residents and staff in the Co Kerry nursing home had tested positive for Covid-19 at the start of this month. When a Hiqa team entered the facility on November 4th following the outbreak, they “found a centre in chaos”, Susan Cliff, Hiqa’s deputy chief inspector of social services, told Listowel District Court.
There were no empty rooms brought together for patients who might test positive for Covid-19 and all staff were in contact with all patients. Domestic cleaning products were still in use, and not those for Covid-19.
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Residents were “wandering unsupervised” through the nursing home, and those who had tested positive for Covid-19 were mingling with residents who did not have Covid-19, she said. “Alarm bells should have been firing off in this centre and it didn’t happen,” Ms Cliffe told the court.
There was no proper supervision of the care of residents, and no restrictions or checks on people entering the nursing home, the regulator said.
Judge David Waters said given the poor clinical governance and infection control measures, he was satisfied there was a “serious risk to life and welfare of persons in the centre”. The nursing home, which can house 51 residents, had been run by a private provider, Bolden (Nursing) Ltd.
Bolden Ltd, was not represented in court. However, there was consent to the application by Hiqa to have the nursing home’s registration cancelled.
There had been “a high level of concern” already this year about the home which had undergone seven inspections, the court heard.
Meanwhile, officials from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) have expressed concern that early progress in reducing the number of Covid-19 cases has levelled off.
Speaking on Thursday, the State's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the country had effectively "lost a week" of lockdown, as recent figures showed the number of new cases was no longer falling.
Dr Holohan said he was concerned people were ignoring directions to work from home unless necessary, with anecdotal evidence showing car parks and office canteens were “full”, he said.
Prof Philip Nolan, chair of Nphet's modelling group, said the fact progress suppressing the disease had stalled was cause for "concern and disappointment".
The R-number, which is the reproductive rate of the disease, had increased in the last week from 0.6, to between 0.7 and 0.9, which was a “significant cause for concern,” Prof Nolan said.
Senior Government figures also expressed concern at the daily Covid-19 figures and believe they are not falling at a satisfactory rate.
“This is going in the wrong direction,” one source said on Thursday night. Another Cabinet figure said that any prospect of moving to a Level 2 at some stage in December was becoming less and likely and that the current plan was to move to “Level 3 plus” provided the figures did not deteriorate.
The Cabinet will wait to see what the trend is next week before making a final decision about what happens on December 1st when the six-week lockdown is due to come to an end.
There is growing scepticism among some Ministers about the effectiveness of Level 5 restrictions given that recent progress has stalled. There will be a push from some Ministers next week at Cabinet to look beyond the daily figures and take into account the level of hospitalisations and intensive care admissions.
Ultimately though, they believe that deteriorating progress on the daily figures will have a knock-on effect on what type of reopening they can approve for December and Christmas.