theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Families urged not to smuggle drugs into prison as visits resume

Prisoners who were unable to get smuggled drugs during the Covid-19 ban on family visits could die of overdose if families bring in supplies now , the Irish Prison Service has warned .
A visit ban was imposed in mid-March , which kept prisons free of the virus and severely limited the amount of drugs being smuggled in .
Visits began again yesterday .
The Irish Prison Service ( IPS ) has pleaded with families not to bring in drugs : “ Drug overdose is now the main threat facing your loved ones in prison , ” they told families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need your help to keep them safe .
During the past few weeks your loved one may have stopped using or reduced their drug use .
As a result they will have lower tolerance levels .
“ There is a huge risk of them overdosing if they start using again , ” it states .
“ We know that sometimes you may feel under pressure to bring drugs into prison .
The risk is too great .
It can be fatal.
” Visits will resume on stricter conditions .
Prisoners can receive just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Only one person can visit at a time .
All visits will take place behind screens , preventing contact between parties .
Prison authorities hope the rules will cut smuggling : “ It will be tough on families .
There will be complaints .
But it could put us in a better position , drug-wise , than before the pandemic , ” said one source .
When visits were stopped in March , the IPS allowed prisoners to see their families through video calls .
Families are still able opt for video visits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every week or a physical visit every two weeks .
Kathleen Cash , who saw her son in Mountjoy for the first time in four months on Monday , said he was finding the regime very hard , particularly “ because it ’ s his first time in prison ” .
Until last month Ms Cash ’ s son was in Cloverhill Prison where she said he got two video calls with her a week .
“ He ’ s here in Mountjoy nearly a month and he hasn ’ t got one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on him .
Before the virus they were used to two / [ physical/ ] visits a week .
They could get a hug or whatever but now that ’ s gone.
” However , she said she was grateful the IPS has kept the prisons free of the virus .
“ Thank God so far , so good .
It is working whatever they ’ re doing .
That is the main thing I suppose.
” ?
Meanwhile , prison numbers have started to tick upwards again after falling to their lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The upwards trend is due to the resumption of court sittings and the return of a small number of prisoners who reoffended while on temporary release .
At one stage at the height of the pandemic , about 12 per cent of the prison population was on temporary release to free up space for quarantining prisoners .
As of Friday prisons were 86 per cent full with 3,750 in custody and 311 on temporary release .
However , this is still well below the pre-coronavirus population which was usually more than 4,000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcomed by reformers and the Inspector of Prisons Patricia Gilheaney who wrote in a recent blog post : “ In the longer term and post pandemic serious consideration must be given to maintaining and increasing reduction in the prison population .
”

A visit ban was imposed in mid-March, which kept prisons free of the virus and also severely limited the amount of drugs being smuggled in. Photograph: Cyril Byrne / The Irish Times
Prisoners who were unable to get smuggled drugs during the Covid-19 ban on family visits could die of overdose if families bring in supplies now, the Irish Prison Service has warned.
A visit ban was imposed in mid-March, which kept prisons free of the virus and severely limited the amount of drugs being smuggled in. Visits began again yesterday.
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) has pleaded with families not to bring in drugs: “Drug overdose is now the main threat facing your loved ones in prison,” they told families in a new booklet.
“We need your help to keep them safe. During the past few weeks your loved one may have stopped using or reduced their drug use. As a result they will have lower tolerance levels.
READ MORE
“There is a huge risk of them overdosing if they start using again,” it states. “We know that sometimes you may feel under pressure to bring drugs into prison. The risk is too great. It can be fatal.”
Visits will resume on stricter conditions. Prisoners can receive just one 15-minute visit every two weeks. Only one person can visit at a time. All visits will take place behind screens, preventing contact between parties.
Video calls
Prison authorities hope the rules will cut smuggling: “It will be tough on families. There will be complaints. But it could put us in a better position, drug-wise, than before the pandemic,” said one source.
When visits were stopped in March, the IPS allowed prisoners to see their families through video calls. Families are still able opt for video visits; prisoners can receive a video visit every week or a physical visit every two weeks.
Kathleen Cash, who saw her son in Mountjoy for the first time in four months on Monday, said he was finding the regime very hard, particularly "because it's his first time in prison".
Until last month Ms Cash's son was in Cloverhill Prison where she said he got two video calls with her a week. "He's here in Mountjoy nearly a month and he hasn't got one. It's taking a toll on him. Before the virus they were used to two /[physical/] visits a week. They could get a hug or whatever but now that's gone."
However, she said she was grateful the IPS has kept the prisons free of the virus. “Thank God so far, so good. It is working whatever they’re doing. That is the main thing I suppose.”?
Court sittings
Meanwhile, prison numbers have started to tick upwards again after falling to their lowest level in three years in June. The upwards trend is due to the resumption of court sittings and the return of a small number of prisoners who reoffended while on temporary release.
At one stage at the height of the pandemic, about 12 per cent of the prison population was on temporary release to free up space for quarantining prisoners.
As of Friday prisons were 86 per cent full with 3,750 in custody and 311 on temporary release. However, this is still well below the pre-coronavirus population which was usually more than 4,000.
The reduction in prison numbers has been welcomed by reformers and the Inspector of Prisons Patricia Gilheaney who wrote in a recent blog post: "In the longer term and post pandemic serious consideration must be given to maintaining and increasing reduction in the prison population."


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Coronavirus: Concern over new outbreaks on building sites and in supermarkets

Workers have been urged not to “ drop their guard ” in protecting themselves against coronavirus as the State ’ s acting chief medical officer raised concerns about new Covid-19 outbreaks in workplaces .
Dr Ronan Glynn said that public health officials were now seeing outbreaks in a range of work settings , including on construction sites and in fast food outlets and supermarkets .
Speaking at the National Public Health Emergency Team briefing , Dr Glynn asked workers to “ stay vigilant ” as he said more than 20 new Covid-19 cases had been detected so far among workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first significant cluster at a construction site .
He described the workplace and ” most particularly shops , services and supermarkets ” as “ the new front line ” in the fight against the virus .
Workers should know that “ the disease doesn ’ t stop at the door of your house ” and that they must take all the public health precautions they should be taking in their workplace , including maintaining physical distancing from their work colleagues , he said .
“ What I am concerned about is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel that they know their co-workers and they feel that they see them everyday and they drop their guard .
The reality is we don ’ t know where a co-worker has been at the weekend , ” said Dr Glynn .
He said he felt that people in general were forgetting about not keeping a distance of two metres in social settings , including when they meet others outdoors .
Nphet reported no new deaths from Covid-19 , leaving the death toll at 1,753 .
There were a further six confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease to 25,766 .
Of 270 cases notified to State health officials over the past 14 days , the median age as 34 .
Some 69 per cent of these newly infected people were under the age of 45 .
There were 83 or 31 per cent of the cases among healthcare workers .
Some 149 or 55 per cent were in Dublin , 28 or 10 per cent were in Kildare and 15 or 6 per cent were in Cork .
The remaining 78 cases notified over the past fortnight were spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there had been “ a couple ” of Covid-19 outbreaks at fast food outlets around the country including a significant number of cases linked to an outlet in Kildare .
There had been a small number of clusters amongst staff at supermarkets .
Nphet could not rule out that a customer in a shop has picked up the virus for a staff member , he said .
He reminded people to wear face covering when in shops or other indoor retail outlets .
Dr Sumi Dunne of the Irish College of General Practitioners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people with symptoms of the disease to be tested for Covid-19 .
She reassured people that they should feel “ absolutely no blame ” about coming forward .
“ We are not interested in how you picked up the virus , ” she said .
Asked if she was starting to see stigma amongst people going to see GPs with symptoms of Covid-19 , she said : “ People are worried and I think they do feel that they will judged.
” A survey conducted for the Department of Health has shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now say that they are wearing face coverings , up from 41 per cent a month ago .
Some 75 per cent of people think there will be a second wave , up from 30 per cent in June .
Meanwhile , the number of people receiving the Government ’ s special pandemic unemployment payment fell by 31,800 in the past week to 313,800 as more people returned to work as the country reopens .
At peak , almost 600,000 people were receive the special payment .
Almost 100,000 people have stopped claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elsewhere , the North ’ s department of health ( DoH ) reported no coronavirus-related deaths over the weekend , leaving the total number of fatalities recorded by the department at 556 .
Over the weekend 23 new cases of coronavirus were identified , out of 3,552 individuals who were tested .
Twenty-five cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the Causeway Coast and Glens council area in the last week .
The Public Health Agency ( PHA ) said on Thursday that a cluster had been identified in Limavady , Co Derry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a residential address .

Workers have been urged not to “drop their guard” in protecting themselves against coronavirus as the State’s acting chief medical officer raised concerns about new Covid-19 outbreaks in workplaces.
Dr Ronan Glynn said that public health officials were now seeing outbreaks in a range of work settings, including on construction sites and in fast food outlets and supermarkets.
Speaking at the National Public Health Emergency Team briefing, Dr Glynn asked workers to “stay vigilant” as he said more than 20 new Covid-19 cases had been detected so far among workers at a building site in Dublin city, the first significant cluster at a construction site.
He described the workplace and ”most particularly shops, services and supermarkets” as “the new front line” in the fight against the virus.
READ MORE
Workers should know that “the disease doesn’t stop at the door of your house” and that they must take all the public health precautions they should be taking in their workplace, including maintaining physical distancing from their work colleagues, he said.
“What I am concerned about is that people go to work and they feel that they know their co-workers and they feel that they see them everyday and they drop their guard. The reality is we don’t know where a co-worker has been at the weekend,” said Dr Glynn.
He said he felt that people in general were forgetting about not keeping a distance of two metres in social settings, including when they meet others outdoors.
Nphet reported no new deaths from Covid-19, leaving the death toll at 1,753. There were a further six confirmed cases, bringing total known cases of the disease to 25,766.
Of 270 cases notified to State health officials over the past 14 days, the median age as 34.
Some 69 per cent of these newly infected people were under the age of 45.
There were 83 or 31 per cent of the cases among healthcare workers. Some 149 or 55 per cent were in Dublin, 28 or 10 per cent were in Kildare and 15 or 6 per cent were in Cork.
The remaining 78 cases notified over the past fortnight were spread across 17 counties.
Dr Glynn said there had been “a couple” of Covid-19 outbreaks at fast food outlets around the country including a significant number of cases linked to an outlet in Kildare.
There had been a small number of clusters amongst staff at supermarkets. Nphet could not rule out that a customer in a shop has picked up the virus for a staff member, he said.
He reminded people to wear face covering when in shops or other indoor retail outlets.
Dr Sumi Dunne of the Irish College of General Practitioners said that GPS were referring more and more people with symptoms of the disease to be tested for Covid-19. She reassured people that they should feel “absolutely no blame” about coming forward.
“We are not interested in how you picked up the virus,” she said.
Asked if she was starting to see stigma amongst people going to see GPs with symptoms of Covid-19, she said: “People are worried and I think they do feel that they will judged.”
A survey conducted for the Department of Health has shown that 70 per cent of the population now say that they are wearing face coverings, up from 41 per cent a month ago.
Some 75 per cent of people think there will be a second wave, up from 30 per cent in June.
Covid payment
Meanwhile, the number of people receiving the Government’s special pandemic unemployment payment fell by 31,800 in the past week to 313,800 as more people returned to work as the country reopens. At peak, almost 600,000 people were receive the special payment. Almost 100,000 people have stopped claiming the payment in the past fortnight.
Elsewhere, the North’s department of health (DoH) reported no coronavirus-related deaths over the weekend, leaving the total number of fatalities recorded by the department at 556.
Over the weekend 23 new cases of coronavirus were identified, out of 3,552 individuals who were tested.
Twenty-five cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the Causeway Coast and Glens council area in the last week. The Public Health Agency (PHA) said on Thursday that a cluster had been identified in Limavady, Co Derry, which has been linked to a party at a residential address.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Adrian Donohue murder accused gave Gardaí voluntary statement, court told

The man accused of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe gave gardaí a voluntary statement , after his then solicitor advised him not to do so if he had anything to do with the robbery and fatal shooting , the Central Criminal Court has heard .
Solicitor Daniel McNamee took the stand on Monday after the accused man Aaron Brady waived his solicitor/client privilege .
The solicitor told defence counsel Michael O ’ Higgins SC that the accused man had been “ extremely concerned ” in early February 2013 because he was being linked to the murder on social media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his father , Tony , had arranged to speak to gardaí as a witness on a voluntary basis and Tony Brady asked Mr McNamee for advice .
Mr McNamee told defence counsel Michael O ’ Higgins SC : “ I advised him that if he had anything to do with it he should under no circumstances attend as a witness.
” He explained that a person giving a witness statement does not have the same legal protection under the criminal code as a suspect and this is standard advice he would give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to Dundalk Garda Station where he gave a voluntary statement on February 5th and 6th , 2013 .
Mr McNamee , who no longer acts for Mr Brady , also said that Mr Brady told him prior to giving those statements that he was loading cubes of laundered diesel waste at a yard in Cullaville , south Armagh on the evening when Detective Garda Donohoe was shot .
When Mr Brady spoke to gardaí he told them he went to the yard but was unable to load any cubes because he could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to use .
During his trial Mr Brady has said that , in fact , the forklift did start and he spent about 90 minutes to two hours loading cubes of diesel waste from about 8pm .
The robbery and shooting happened between 9.25pm and 9.30pm .
Mr Brady has said that he lied to gardaí because he did not want to implicate himself in diesel laundering .
Mr McNamee told prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that he did not place much importance on it when when he heard Mr Brady tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that he had left the yard after about 15 minutes .
Mr Grehan asked him if that account seemed different to what Mr Brady had told him before speaking to gardaí .
“ No it didn ’ t , ” the solicitor replied .
The solicitor further told Mr Grehan that he has no notes of the conversation in which Mr Brady told him that he had been laundering cubes of diesel waste .
He said he would not normally keep notes when dealing with a witness statement .
Mr McNamee also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two other men who have been named during the trial as suspects for the robbery .
Aaron Brady ( 29 ) from New Road , Crossmaglen , Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty on January 25th , 2013 at Lordship Credit Union , Bellurgan , Co Louth .
Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues in front of Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of six men and seven women .

The man accused of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe gave gardaí a voluntary statement, after his then solicitor advised him not to do so if he had anything to do with the robbery and fatal shooting, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Solicitor Daniel McNamee took the stand on Monday after the accused man Aaron Brady waived his solicitor/client privilege. The solicitor told defence counsel Michael O’Higgins SC that the accused man had been “extremely concerned” in early February 2013 because he was being linked to the murder on social media.
He said Mr Brady, after speaking with his father, Tony, had arranged to speak to gardaí as a witness on a voluntary basis and Tony Brady asked Mr McNamee for advice.
Mr McNamee told defence counsel Michael O’Higgins SC: “I advised him that if he had anything to do with it he should under no circumstances attend as a witness.”
READ MORE
He explained that a person giving a witness statement does not have the same legal protection under the criminal code as a suspect and this is standard advice he would give to any client.
Mr Brady subsequently went to Dundalk Garda Station where he gave a voluntary statement on February 5th and 6th, 2013. Mr McNamee, who no longer acts for Mr Brady, also said that Mr Brady told him prior to giving those statements that he was loading cubes of laundered diesel waste at a yard in Cullaville, south Armagh on the evening when Detective Garda Donohoe was shot.
When Mr Brady spoke to gardaí he told them he went to the yard but was unable to load any cubes because he could not start a forklift that he was supposed to use.
During his trial Mr Brady has said that, in fact, the forklift did start and he spent about 90 minutes to two hours loading cubes of diesel waste from about 8pm.
The robbery and shooting happened between 9.25pm and 9.30pm. Mr Brady has said that he lied to gardaí because he did not want to implicate himself in diesel laundering.
Mr McNamee told prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that he did not place much importance on it when when he heard Mr Brady tell gardaí that the forklift had not started and that he had left the yard after about 15 minutes.
Mr Grehan asked him if that account seemed different to what Mr Brady had told him before speaking to gardaí. “No it didn’t,” the solicitor replied. The solicitor further told Mr Grehan that he has no notes of the conversation in which Mr Brady told him that he had been laundering cubes of diesel waste.
He said he would not normally keep notes when dealing with a witness statement. Mr McNamee also told Mr Grehan that he has represented two other men who have been named during the trial as suspects for the robbery.
Aaron Brady (29) from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty on January 25th, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth.
Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location. The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of six men and seven women.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--‘Very significant’ increase in seizures of illegal fishing nets

There has been a “ very significant ” increase in the number of seizures of illegal fishing nets and illegally caught salmon and trout on boats since early July , a protective body for fisheries has said .
Only salmon or sea trout that have been caught by licenced commercial salmon fishermen may be sold and must bear a colour coded green or white gill tag , or for wild imported salmon , a yellow tail tag , Inland Fisheries Ireland said .
However , protection officers from the statutory body have made a number of seizures in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegally caught fish .
Last week , officers boarded a fishing boat off the Cork coast and seized 98kg of salmon and 256 metres of illegal net .
The people on board the boat were not licenced commercial salmon fisherman , meaning the fish they caught was illegal .
Similar seizures have taken place in Donegal and Mayo in recent days , the body added .
Dr Greg Forde , deputy chief executive and head of operations at Inland Fisheries Ireland , said they wanted to “ highlight the importance of protecting migrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fishing activity ” .
“ The risk of targeted netting of salmon at sea remains the highest priority for our protection staff , who have seized 15 nets in the South Western River Basin region so far this season , ” he said.
“ Nationally a total of 91 nets , measuring 5,300 metres have been seized to date since the beginning of the year.
” He added that it is important that these salmon are not caught because it is the peak of the salmon run , in which wild salmon return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rivers for the future .
Dr Forde added that the value of “ prompt and accurate information ” from members of the public about instances of suspected illegal activity “ can not be overstated ” .
“ Information may be passed directly to local Inland Fisheries Ireland staff or by phoning our confidential Hotline number on 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24.
” Inland Fisheries Ireland has urged members of the public and the catering and hospitality industries to remember that it is illegal to purchase or possess illegally caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised against buying fresh , wild salmon unless it has the appropriate tags .
Anglers are also prohibited from selling salmon or sea trout caught by rod and line .
Rod caught salmon must have a blue tag affixed but can not be sold .
Fishery officers carry out regular inspections of premises to deter the illegal trade of salmon and sea trout .

Only salmon or sea trout that have been caught by licenced commercial salmon fishermen may be sold. File photograph: Getty
There has been a “very significant” increase in the number of seizures of illegal fishing nets and illegally caught salmon and trout on boats since early July, a protective body for fisheries has said.
Only salmon or sea trout that have been caught by licenced commercial salmon fishermen may be sold and must bear a colour coded green or white gill tag, or for wild imported salmon, a yellow tail tag, Inland Fisheries Ireland said.
However, protection officers from the statutory body have made a number of seizures in recent weeks of illegal, large fishing nets and illegally caught fish.
Last week, officers boarded a fishing boat off the Cork coast and seized 98kg of salmon and 256 metres of illegal net. The people on board the boat were not licenced commercial salmon fisherman, meaning the fish they caught was illegal.
READ MORE
Similar seizures have taken place in Donegal and Mayo in recent days, the body added.
Dr Greg Forde, deputy chief executive and head of operations at Inland Fisheries Ireland, said they wanted to "highlight the importance of protecting migrating salmon and sea trout stocks against illegal fishing activity".
“The risk of targeted netting of salmon at sea remains the highest priority for our protection staff, who have seized 15 nets in the South Western River Basin region so far this season,” he said.“Nationally a total of 91 nets, measuring 5,300 metres have been seized to date since the beginning of the year.”
He added that it is important that these salmon are not caught because it is the peak of the salmon run, in which wild salmon return to the coast to spawn and populate the rivers for the future.
Dr Forde added that the value of “prompt and accurate information” from members of the public about instances of suspected illegal activity “cannot be overstated”.
“Information may be passed directly to local Inland Fisheries Ireland staff or by phoning our confidential Hotline number on 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24.”
Inland Fisheries Ireland has urged members of the public and the catering and hospitality industries to remember that it is illegal to purchase or possess illegally caught salmon or sea trout.
They have advised against buying fresh, wild salmon unless it has the appropriate tags. Anglers are also prohibited from selling salmon or sea trout caught by rod and line. Rod caught salmon must have a blue tag affixed but cannot be sold.
Fishery officers carry out regular inspections of premises to deter the illegal trade of salmon and sea trout.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Ireland secures €8.8m EU grant for Dart commuter rail expansion

The European Commission has awarded Ireland an €8.8 million grant for part of the Government ’ s Dart expansion programme which seeks to upgrade the main commuter rail lines into Dublin .
The grant will be used for the design phase of the Kildare rail line upgrade and was secured under the EU ’ s Connecting Europe Facility ( CEF ) , a programme which seeks to develop a “ resilient transport system ” .
The €2.6 billion Dart expansion programme is one of the Government ’ s key transport projects and involves the provision of electrified rail services from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city centre as well as upgraded signalling systems and junctions .
The Kildare upgrade is part of the programme .
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said he was “ delighted ” that the project is being supported by the EU .
“ Dart expansion is set to double the capacity of our rail network and will facilitate an important reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a shift towards a climate resilient society , ” he said .
“ For the Kildare line , the project will facilitate more services , greater capacity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure into Heuston Station - one of the busiest rail corridors in the country .
” Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton also welcomed the news , adding that the “ current rail system in Dublin is struggling ” and without financial backing , the railway would be left “ struggling to accommodate the population growth projected for the region ” .
Jim Meade , chief executive of Iarnród Éireann , said : “ The Dart expansion project will ensure the communities we serve - both on the Kildare line and nationally - will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more sustainable future .
“ The support for this design phase continues the support we have seen over decades from the European Union for the development of rail infrastructure and services in Ireland.
” The CEF is a key EU funding instrument that aims to promote growth , jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment across the bloc .
It supports the development of a “ high performing , sustainable and efficiently interconnected trans-European transport network ” .
A statement by the European Commission announcing the grant awards , said the EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all member states ” by injecting almost € 2.2 billion into 140 key transport projects across the union .
Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said their contribution to this “ crucial transport infrastructure will help kick-start the recovery , and we expect it to generate € 5 billion in investments ” .

The European Commission has awarded Ireland an €8.8 million grant for part of the Government's Dart expansion programme which seeks to upgrade the main commuter rail lines into Dublin.
The grant will be used for the design phase of the Kildare rail line upgrade and was secured under the EU's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), a programme which seeks to develop a "resilient transport system".
The €2.6 billion Dart expansion programme is one of the Government's key transport projects and involves the provision of electrified rail services from Drogheda, Maynooth and Celbridge to Dublin city centre as well as upgraded signalling systems and junctions. The Kildare upgrade is part of the programme.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said he was "delighted" that the project is being supported by the EU.
READ MORE
“Dart expansion is set to double the capacity of our rail network and will facilitate an important reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a shift towards a climate resilient society,” he said.
“ For the Kildare line, the project will facilitate more services, greater capacity and electrification, as well as enhancing the infrastructure into Heuston Station - one of the busiest rail corridors in the country. ”
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton also welcomed the news, adding that the "current rail system in Dublin is struggling" and without financial backing, the railway would be left "struggling to accommodate the population growth projected for the region".
Jim Meade, chief executive of Iarnród Éireann, said: "The Dart expansion project will ensure the communities we serve - both on the Kildare line and nationally - will gain from better rail services, and a more sustainable future.
"The support for this design phase continues the support we have seen over decades from the European Union for the development of rail infrastructure and services in Ireland."
The CEF is a key EU funding instrument that aims to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment across the bloc.
It supports the development of a “high performing, sustainable and efficiently interconnected trans-European transport network”.
A statement by the European Commission announcing the grant awards, said the EU is “supporting the economic recovery in all member states” by injecting almost € 2.2 billion into 140 key transport projects across the union.
Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said their contribution to this "crucial transport infrastructure will help kick-start the recovery, and we expect it to generate € 5 billion in investments".


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Dublin barber challenges Covid payment cut after getting stranded abroad

A barber who went on holiday to his native country just before the lock down and could not get back here until this month has brought a High Court challenge to the cutting off of his Covid-19 jobless following a review .
Nicolai Ciaica , a citizen of Romania and Moldova , has worked in Ireland since 2013 and lives on Main Street , Clongriffin , Dublin .
Just before the lock down , he says he went on a short holiday to Moldova where he had to remain until July due to the pandemic restrictions .
He had applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 10th last it was withdrawn following a review by a social welfare inspector .
He says this was unlawful and he is seeking court orders that it be restored pending full determination of the matter by a deciding officer in the department .
He also seeks declarations that the payment is non-statutory and provides for payment where a person has lost their job due to the pandemic , has been temporarily laid off , worked in the Republic or was a cross-border frontier worker , and lived here .
The basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off his payment related to provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 whereas pandemic payments are wholly different and apply where job loss/lay off and a number of other conditions are met , it is claimed .
Mr Ciaica claims he must be deemed to be currently living here in circumstances where he had worked here and only left the State for a holiday but could not return due to the restrictions .
He could not have been deemed to be living in Moldova when he solely went there for a holiday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of declarations including that unemployment benefits are exportable under the pandemic payment scheme .
He says the decision to cease the payment was made in the absence of jurisdiction by the department .
On Monday , Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted his barrister Derek Shortall leave to bring judicial review proceedings over the matter against the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection .
The application was made on a one-side only represented ( ex-parte ) basis .
The matter will return before the court in September .

A barber who went on holiday to his native country just before the lock down and could not get back here until this month has brought a High Court challenge to the cutting off of his Covid-19 jobless following a review.
Nicolai Ciaica, a citizen of Romania and Moldova, has worked in Ireland since 2013 and lives on Main Street, Clongriffin, Dublin.
Just before the lock down, he says he went on a short holiday to Moldova where he had to remain until July due to the pandemic restrictions. He had applied and received the Covid-19 unemployment payment but on June 10th last it was withdrawn following a review by a social welfare inspector.
He says this was unlawful and he is seeking court orders that it be restored pending full determination of the matter by a deciding officer in the department.
READ MORE
He also seeks declarations that the payment is non-statutory and provides for payment where a person has lost their job due to the pandemic, has been temporarily laid off, worked in the Republic or was a cross-border frontier worker, and lived here.
The basis on which the social welfare officer cut off his payment related to provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 whereas pandemic payments are wholly different and apply where job loss/lay off and a number of other conditions are met, it is claimed.
Mr Ciaica claims he must be deemed to be currently living here in circumstances where he had worked here and only left the State for a holiday but could not return due to the restrictions. He could not have been deemed to be living in Moldova when he solely went there for a holiday, he says. He seeks a number of declarations including that unemployment benefits are exportable under the pandemic payment scheme. He says the decision to cease the payment was made in the absence of jurisdiction by the department.
On Monday, Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted his barrister Derek Shortall leave to bring judicial review proceedings over the matter against the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The application was made on a one-side only represented (ex-parte) basis. The matter will return before the court in September.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--First human trials of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine suggest it is safe

The first human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford suggest it is safe and triggers two types of immune response .
It stimulates production of antibodies – proteins that can bind to the virus , preventing it from entering cells and flagging it to immune cells , and “ killer ” T cells – white blood cells that attack infected human cells , according to phase 1 trial results published by The Lancet on Monday .
Trials involving some 1,077 people showed the injected virus led to them making antibodies and white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and did not prompt any serious side effects .
It is too soon to know if this is enough to offer protection and larger trials are under way involving 30,000 people .
However , with Covid-19 cases continuing to accelerate , the findings will be greeted with relief around the world as it suggests the vaccine is able to elicit the right type of immune response though more research is necessary .
The Oxford vaccine being developed with AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company is a weakened version of a common cold virus ( adenovirus ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans .
“ We are seeing very good immune responses , not just on neutralising antibodies but of T-cells as well .
We ’ re stimulating both arms of the immune system , ” said Prof Adrian Hill head of Oxford ’ s Jenner Institute .
The US biotech company Moderna released results last week from an early-stage test that showed its vaccine raised levels of antibodies that fight the virus .
Although stimulating production of neutralising antibodies does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s considered an important early step in testing .
“ We want other companies to have vaccines that work as well because the world will get more vaccine sooner , ” added Prof Hill .
“ We just feel there is an advantage of having both arms of the immune system stimulated well .
We ’ re very encouraged ...
I think we ’ re a bit more confident it should work this week than last week.
” The Oxford vaccine elicited neutralising antibodies after a single dose , confirmed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important advantage in quickly raising immunity .
“ I don ’ t read that clearly in the Moderna data , ” he said .
“ I think they need two doses to see plausibly protective neutralising antibodies.
” A large trial is set to begin this month that will test Moderna ’ s vaccine in a two-shot regimen .
AstraZeneca will also prioritise a two-shot regimen , Dr Hill said , as “ it gives higher titres of antibodies , which is important going forward ” .
An antibody titer is a test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood .
The Oxford team still hopes its vaccine could be ready by September .
The next big steps will be an appraisal of the protection it provides .
The two key questions will be whether the immune response can protect against severe disease , and if so , for how long .
The UK government has already ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine .
One issue , however , relates to recent studies which found antibodies in people who have had Covid-19 drop off over a three-month period after infection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop off is seen in antibodies triggered by a vaccine .
Both the Moderna and Oxford vaccines triggered an immune response in a different way to natural infection , meaning this would not necessarily be expected .
But even if antibodies do wane , the body might still be able to produce them much faster next time , while T-cell response tends to last longer and so might offer longer-lasting protection .
The duration of antibody and T-cell responses is different for every vaccine and can not be predicted accurately .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the scientists have to wait and see how long our volunteers carry antibodies and T cells specific for Sars-CoV-2 .
A Covid-19 vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics and China ’ s military research unit has also shown to be safe and induced immune response in most of the recipients , researchers said on Monday .
Meanwhile , Britain has signed deals to secure 90 million doses of two possible Covid-19 vaccines from the Pfizer and BioNTech alliance and French group Valneva .
It now means the UK has purchased close to 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunise its total population , though two doses per person are likely to be required to boost protection .
Additional reporting - The Guardian

An experimental coronavirus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford university was safe and produced an immune response in early-stage clinical trials. Video: Oxford University/ Reuters
The first human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford suggest it is safe and triggers two types of immune response.
It stimulates production of antibodies – proteins that can bind to the virus, preventing it from entering cells and flagging it to immune cells, and “killer” T cells – white blood cells that attack infected human cells, according to phase 1 trial results published by The Lancet on Monday.
Trials involving some 1,077 people showed the injected virus led to them making antibodies and white blood cells that can fight coronavirus, and did not prompt any serious side effects.
It is too soon to know if this is enough to offer protection and larger trials are under way involving 30,000 people.
READ MORE
However, with Covid-19 cases continuing to accelerate, the findings will be greeted with relief around the world as it suggests the vaccine is able to elicit the right type of immune response though more research is necessary.
Common cold
The Oxford vaccine being developed with AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company is a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees, that has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans.
"We are seeing very good immune responses, not just on neutralising antibodies but of T-cells as well. We're stimulating both arms of the immune system," said Prof Adrian Hill head of Oxford's Jenner Institute.
The US biotech company Moderna released results last week from an early-stage test that showed its vaccine raised levels of antibodies that fight the virus.
Although stimulating production of neutralising antibodies does not prove a vaccine will be effective, it’s considered an important early step in testing.
“We want other companies to have vaccines that work as well because the world will get more vaccine sooner,” added Prof Hill. “We just feel there is an advantage of having both arms of the immune system stimulated well. We’re very encouraged...I think we’re a bit more confident it should work this week than last week.”
The Oxford vaccine elicited neutralising antibodies after a single dose, confirmed the Irish scientist, which may be an important advantage in quickly raising immunity.
“I don’t read that clearly in the Moderna data,” he said. “I think they need two doses to see plausibly protective neutralising antibodies.”
Large trial
A large trial is set to begin this month that will test Moderna’s vaccine in a two-shot regimen.
AstraZeneca will also prioritise a two-shot regimen, Dr Hill said, as “it gives higher titres of antibodies, which is important going forward”.
An antibody titer is a test that measures the amount of antibodies in blood.
The Oxford team still hopes its vaccine could be ready by September. The next big steps will be an appraisal of the protection it provides.
The two key questions will be whether the immune response can protect against severe disease, and if so, for how long. The UK government has already ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine.
One issue, however, relates to recent studies which found antibodies in people who have had Covid-19 drop off over a three-month period after infection. A key question is whether the same drop off is seen in antibodies triggered by a vaccine.
Both the Moderna and Oxford vaccines triggered an immune response in a different way to natural infection, meaning this would not necessarily be expected.
But even if antibodies do wane, the body might still be able to produce them much faster next time, while T-cell response tends to last longer and so might offer longer-lasting protection.
The duration of antibody and T-cell responses is different for every vaccine and cannot be predicted accurately. It is also different for any natural infection, so the scientists have to wait and see how long our volunteers carry antibodies and T cells specific for Sars-CoV-2.
A Covid-19 vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics and China’s military research unit has also shown to be safe and induced immune response in most of the recipients, researchers said on Monday.
Meanwhile, Britain has signed deals to secure 90 million doses of two possible Covid-19 vaccines from the Pfizer and BioNTech alliance and French group Valneva.
It now means the UK has purchased close to 200 million doses – more than enough to immunise its total population, though two doses per person are likely to be required to boost protection. Additional reporting - The Guardian


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Hiqa granted court order to shut nursing home over Covid-19 risk to residents

The State health watchdog was granted an emergency court order to shut down a nursing home over fears residents could not be protected during the coronavirus outbreak .
The Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) has also revealed none of 44 homes where there had been confirmed cases of Covid-19 fully complied with regulations to stem the spread of the disease .
Hiqa , which has responsibility for oversight of nursing homes , restarted inspections on May 27th after temporarily suspending them on March 13th .
In a report on the impact of the pandemic on nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that had “ significant outbreaks ” and found shortcomings in management , staffing levels as well as infection prevention and control skills .
Chief Inspector Mary Dunnion was so concerned about “ the management and systems in place to keep residents safe ” in one nursing home that she sought a court order for an emergency closure order .
The order was granted by a district court on May 30th .
Hiqa does not identify the nursing home in its report , but says reports on all of the nursing homes visited during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published in due course .
Of the 44 homes inspected , 39 did not comply with one or more regulations drawn up by Hiqa to help the sector cope with the pandemic .
Five were “ mostly compliant ” .
The watchdog said it is a “ concern ” that 11 nursing homes were found to be not compliant with at least one in three of the regulations .
Nearly six in 10 homes were found to be breaching governance and management regulations , which Hiqa said is a good indicator of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management failures in some homes may have “ contributed to more severe outbreaks than may otherwise have been the case ” , according to Ms Dunnion .
Some homes had not taken sufficient account of public health guidance , the report found .
The inspections revealed half of the homes visited had insufficient infection prevention and control measures in place , with some not following even standard routine practices .
“ For example , one nursing home had left bedroom doors open for residents that had tested positive for Covid-19 , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , staff were observed caring for residents in close proximity without using surgical masks in line with Health Service Executive guidance.
” Temperature checks on staff were not recorded in some nursing homes .
Staff shortages and poor layouts at some nursing homes hampered proper cleaning and hygiene .
Almost a third ( 32 per cent ) failed regulations on how a home should be laid out .
Hiqa said “ outdated ” homes where residents share bedrooms and bathrooms proved “ particularly problematic ” for dealing with the outbreaks .
Staffing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified by the watchdog .
More than a fifth ( 21 per cent ) of inspected homes had an “ inadequate ” number of staff , with many employees sick with the virus or quarantining as a result of exposure .
One home had 29 employees off work after testing positive for Covid-19 .
For the report , inspectors also spoke with residents , their families and staff about their experiences during the lockdown .
It found that residents were “ fearful , confused , angry , frustrated and lonely ” with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak only serving to “ amplify these emotions ” .
“ They were afraid of what would happen should a resident or staff member test positive for Covid-19 , ” the report states .
“ They were sometimes confused by the pace of change in the public health advice .
“ One resident remarked that they were ‘ not going to leave [ THEIR ] room again until a vaccine was found ’ .
” There was anger and frustration among residents at being “ largely confined to their own bedrooms ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolation that many found difficult to cope with.
” One relative of a resident contacted Hiqa to say : “ My Dad is a broken man , he misses his family more than anything.
” The watchdog found “ inconsistencies ” across nursing homes over visits with some being innovative and arranging outdoor or “ window visits ” while others were “ completely closed to the surrounding community.
” “ While this level of caution is somewhat understandable given the anxiety and confusion around Covid-19 , this approach only served to heighten the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the report found .
One common thread in its feedback from families of residents was a lack of Staff were so stretched that there was little or no time to respond to queries about residents , with some nursing homes reporting that calls to their homes soaring from around 300 a week to more than 3,000 .
Some phone calls went unanswered , according to Hiqa , causing “ immense anxiety and worry for concerned relatives and friends , particularly in the case of nursing homes that were known to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became clear during inspections since May that the pandemic was having a “ serious impact on the wellbeing of staff ” at nursing homes .
One inspector was told : “ We have some staff that are still out and it is likely they will never return , such is their upset.
” Staff were worried about contracting the virus and passing it to residents and their own families .
“ The increased workload , coupled with shortages of staff in some nursing homes , meant that many staff who spoke with inspectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to spend time with residents and provide them with important human contact and reassurance , ” the report found .
The number of senior staff and management who contracted the virus also hampered efforts to keep it under control .
Most inspectors reported management and staff becoming “ overwhelmed with emotion when speaking about how they managed during the pandemic.
” “ Some exhibited signs of extreme stress , fatigue , exhaustion and anxiety in trying to come to terms with what was happening around them , ” said Hiqa .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , many staff questioned whether there was more they could or should have done to keep residents safe.
” Staff were also grieving the loss of residents .
In some cases , staff decided to live in the nursing home , away from their own families , to reduce the threat of passing on the virus .
“ One person in charge told us how they slept in the nursing home for six continuous nights due to staff shortages , ” the Hiqa report stated .
Ms Dunnion said the coronavirus has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for reform of current models of care for older people in Ireland .
“ The continued use of multi-occupancy rooms and outmoded premises in some nursing homes undoubtedly created challenges in containing the spread of infection.
” Regulations governing nursing homes are also “ outdated ” and need to be urgently reformed , she added .

Hiqa, which has responsibility for oversight of nursing homes, restarted inspections on May 27th after temporarily suspending them on March 13th.
The State health watchdog was granted an emergency court order to shut down a nursing home over fears residents could not be protected during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has also revealed none of the 44 homes inspected by it where there had been confirmed cases of Covid-19 fully complied with regulations to stem the spread of the disease.
Hiqa, which has responsibility for oversight of nursing homes, restarted inspections on May 27th after temporarily suspending them on March 13th.
In a report on the impact of the pandemic on nursing homes, Hiqa said it began inspecting homes that had “significant outbreaks” and found shortcomings in management, staffing levels as well as infection prevention and control skills.
READ MORE
Chief Inspector Mary Dunnion was so concerned about "the management and
systems in place to keep residents safe” in one nursing home that she sought a court order for an emergency closure order. The order was granted by a district court on May 30th.
There were 16 residents in the home at the time Hiqa sought the court order.
Hiqa does not identify the nursing home in its report, but it says reports on all of the nursing homes visited during risk inspections over recent weeks will be published in due course.
Of the 44 homes inspected, 39 did not comply with one or more regulations drawn up by Hiqa to help the sector cope with the pandemic. Five were “mostly compliant”.
The watchdog said it is a “concern” that 11 nursing homes were found to be not compliant with at least one in three of the regulations.
Nearly six in 10 homes were found to be breaching governance and management regulations, which Hiqa said is a good indicator of how a nursing home is run.
The management failures in some homes may have “contributed to more severe outbreaks than may otherwise have been the case”, according to Ms Dunnion.
Some homes had not taken sufficient account of public health guidance, the report found.
The inspections revealed half of the homes visited had insufficient infection prevention and control measures in place, with some not following even standard routine practices.
“For example, one nursing home had left bedroom doors open for residents that had tested positive for Covid-19,” the report states.
"In another nursing home, staff were observed caring for residents in close proximity without using surgical masks in line with Health Service Executive guidance."
Temperature checks on staff were not recorded in some nursing homes.
Staff shortages and poor layouts at some nursing homes hampered proper cleaning and hygiene. Almost a third (32 per cent) failed regulations on how a home should be laid out.
Hiqa said “outdated” homes where residents share bedrooms and bathrooms proved “particularly problematic” for dealing with the outbreaks.
Staffing levels were a key area of concern identified by the watchdog.
More than one-fifth (21 per cent) of inspected homes had an “inadequate” number of staff, with many employees sick with the virus or quarantining as a result of exposure.
One home had 29 employees off work after testing positive for Covid-19.
For the report, inspectors also spoke with residents, their families and staff about their experiences during the lockdown.
It found that residents were “fearful, confused, angry, frustrated and lonely” with the additional isolation and constant fear of an outbreak only serving to “amplify these emotions”.
“They were afraid of what would happen should a resident or staff member test positive for Covid-19,” the report states.
“They were sometimes confused by the pace of change in the public health advice.
“One resident remarked that they were ‘not going to leave [their] room again until a vaccine was found’.”
There was anger and frustration among residents at being “largely confined to their own bedrooms” which created “a sense of abandonment and isolation that many found difficult to cope with”.
One relative of a resident contacted Hiqa to say: “My Dad is a broken man, he misses his family more than anything.”
The watchdog found “inconsistencies” across nursing homes over visits, with some being innovative and arranging outdoor or “window visits” while others were “completely closed to the surrounding community”.
“While this level of caution is somewhat understandable given the anxiety and confusion around Covid-19, this approach only served to heighten the worry for family and friends of residents,” the report found.
One common thread in its feedback from families of residents was a lack of
communication from management.
Staff were so stretched that there was little or no time to respond to queries about residents, with some nursing homes reporting calls to their homes soaring from around 300 a week to more than 3,000.
Some phone calls went unanswered, according to Hiqa, causing “immense anxiety and worry for concerned relatives and friends, particularly in the case of nursing homes that were known to have an outbreak”.
Hiqa said it became clear during inspections since May that the pandemic was having a “serious impact on the wellbeing of staff” at nursing homes.
One inspector was told: “We have some staff that are still out and it is likely they will never return, such is their upset.”
Staff were worried about contracting the virus and passing it to residents and their own families.
“The increased workload, coupled with shortages of staff in some nursing homes, meant that many staff who spoke with inspectors experienced feelings of guilt at not being able to spend time with residents and provide them with important human contact and reassurance,” the report found.
The number of senior staff and management who contracted the virus also hampered efforts to keep it under control.
Most inspectors reported management and staff becoming “overwhelmed
with emotion when speaking about how they managed during the pandemic.”
“Some exhibited signs of extreme stress, fatigue, exhaustion and anxiety in trying to come to terms with what was happening around them,” said Hiqa. “Despite working long hours in extremely challenging circumstances, many staff questioned whether there was more they could or should have done to keep residents safe.”
Staff were also grieving the loss of residents.
In some cases, staff decided to live in the nursing home, away from their own families, to reduce the threat of passing on the virus. “One person in charge told us how they slept in the nursing home for six continuous nights due to staff shortages,” the Hiqa report stated.
Ms Dunnion said the coronavirus has “brought into sharp focus the need for
reform of current models of care for older people in Ireland”.
“The continued use of multi-occupancy rooms and outmoded premises in some nursing homes undoubtedly created challenges in containing the spread of infection.”
Regulations governing nursing homes are also “outdated” and need to be urgently reformed, she added.


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Staff nurse tells committee of ‘terrifying’ experience of contracting Covid-19

The Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 heard on Tuesday that health care staff were experiencing burn out , fatigue and post traumatic stress as a result of dealing with the pandemic over recent months .
It also heard that a minimum of 5,000 additional nurses and midwives , as well as additional beds , more equipment and space to provide care for Covid-19 and non-Covid patients was required , an Oireachtas committee has been told .
Staff nurse Siobhán Murphy who contracted Covid-19 and who has been off work for 12 weeks told the committee of her “ terrifying ” experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was healthy with no underlying conditions .
She said she was competent in using personal protective equipment but along with 12 of her 20 colleagues on a Covid-19 ward , contracted the virus .
She said she was physically crippled with fatigue , had headaches and shortness of breath .
She said she had to go to to the emergency department as her condition was deteriorating at home .
She said she was unprepared for the psychological impact of having Covid-19 and living with Covid .
The head of the health division of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there was a second wave it would be very difficult to call on the same group of people to provide the same response .
“ We are not going to be able to deal with a second wave without the ability for a a fluid migration of the workforce into the health service and we have to be upfront about that.
” He said while the country was in a better place to deal with a second wave of Covid infections in terms of testing and tracing , health staff were “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Phil Ní Sheaghdha said her members were exhausted and could not bear facing into the idea of dealing with another wave of Covid-19 with the protections that were in place .
She again called on the Government to allow the Health and Safety Authority examine the high infection rate among healthcare workers .
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said the health service needed 5,000 additional nurses and midwives .
She said she was concerned that some student nurses were traumatised by their experiences in dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could decide to leave the system .
She said there were 1,700 of these nurses and “ we need every one of them ” .
Siptu deputy general secretary for the public service John King told the committee that the policy of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform not to include overtime and premium payment earnings in the payment to those health workers who had to go on sick leave was “ wrong ” Siptu , in a submission to the committee , said some workers may have not declared they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would have to take 14 days away from work and lose out on such aditional payments .
Mr King said he did not have evidence in relation to the numbers of such staff .
“ The point of putting ( this assertion ) into the submission was to draw attention to the fact that this was a policy that did not work because it served as a disincentive.
” Siptu honorary vice president Michele Monaghan , who is also a radiography manager , said staff were not nearly at burn out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You had to be there and to work through it .
Nobody can get what you had to go through to be there .
“ The first thing you learn as a healthcare professional is to leave the emotions at the door .
Don ’ t take your patients home with you.
” “ But we took every Covid patient home with us .
Because no family was allowed in to see them .
And the burn out , the stress , the fatigue for those who did not get Covid , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call , additional everything .
This needs to be recognised and a response put in .
” “ What do we need to meet the capacity needs ?
.
The answer is more .
More staff , more equipment , more everything .
Otherwise it is not going to work.
” Ms Ní Sheaghdha said her members who contracted Covid-19 wanted practical post traumatic stress support .
She said a telephone helpline was not sufficient .
“ They describe what they are now enduring as post-traumatic stress and are saying they are fearful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep them safe .
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said nurses should receive more frequent breaks on their work shifts .
She also called for an end to the derogation arrangement under which staff who had been inclose contact with a person with Covid could be asked to return to work by managers if the service was short staffed .

Siobhán Murphy, a staff nurse, tells an Oireachtas committee about her "terrifying" ordeal of contracting Covid-19 and the ongoing effects coronavirus continues to have on her physical and mental health. Video: Oireachtas TV
The Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 has heard that health care staff were experiencing burn out, fatigue and post-traumatic stress as a result of dealing with the pandemic over recent months.
It also heard a minimum of 5,000 additional nurses and midwives, as well as additional beds, more equipment and space to provide care for Covid-19 and non-Covid patients was required.
Staff nurse Siobhán Murphy, who has been off work for 12 weeks after contracting Covid-19, told the committee of her “terrifying” experience.
She said she was healthy with no underlying conditions. She said she was competent in using personal protective equipment but along with 12 of her 20 colleagues on a Covid-19 ward, she contracted the virus.
READ MORE
She said she was physically crippled with fatigue, had headaches and shortness of breath. She said she had to go to the emergency department as her condition was deteriorating at home.
She said she was unprepared for the psychological impact of having Covid-19 and living with the disease.
The head of the health division of the Fórsa trade union Eamon Donnelly said if there was a second wave, it would be very difficult to call on the same group of people to provide the same response.
“We are not going to be able to deal with a second wave without the ability for a a fluid migration of the workforce into the health service and we have to be upfront about that.”
He said while the country was in a better place to deal with a second wave of Covid infections in terms of testing and tracing, health staff were “pretty much at burn out”.
The general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Phil Ní Sheaghdha said her union's members were exhausted and could not bear facing into the idea of dealing with another wave of Covid-19 with the protections that were in place.
She again called on the Government to allow the Health and Safety Authority examine the high infection rate among healthcare workers.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said the health service needed 5,000 additional nurses and midwives.
She said she was concerned that some student nurses were traumatised by their experiences in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and that some could decide to leave the system.
She said there were 1,700 of these nurses and “we need every one of them”.
Siptu deputy general secretary for the public service John King told the committee that the policy of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform of not including overtime and premium payments to those health workers who had to go on sick leave was "wrong".
Siptu, in a submission to the committee, said some workers may have not declared they had Covid symptoms to their employers for fear they would have to take 14 days away from work and lose out on such aditional payments.
Mr King said he did not have evidence in relation to the numbers of such staff.
“The point of putting (this assertion) into the submission was to draw attention to the fact that this was a policy that did not work because it served as a disincentive.”
Siptu honorary vice president Michele Monaghan, who is also a radiography manager , said staff were not nearly at burn out, they were at burn out.
“You had to be there and to work through it. Nobody can get what you had to go through to be there.
“The first thing you learn as a healthcare professional is to leave the emotions at the door. Don’t take your patients home with you.”
“But we took every Covid patient home with us. Because no family was allowed in to see them. And the burn out, the stress, the fatigue for those who did not get Covid, who had to do double shifts, additional call, additional everything. This needs to be recognised and a response put in .”
“What do we need to meet the capacity needs?. The answer is more. More staff, more equipment, more everything. Otherwise it is not going to work.”
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said her members who contracted Covid-19 wanted practical post traumatic stress support. She said a telephone helpline was not sufficient.
“They describe what they are now enduring as post-traumatic stress and are saying they are fearful of the ability of their employer to keep them safe.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said nurses should receive more frequent breaks on their work shifts. She also called for an end to the derogation arrangement under which staff who had been inclose contact with a person with Covid could be asked to return to work by managers if the service was short staffed.


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Government accused of endangering reopening of schools

The Government has been accused of endangering the re-opening of schools due to its “ lax ” travel policy and a “ chaotic ” approach to key issues facing students and teachers .
Speaking outside Leinster House on Tuesday , Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall said Government policy on travel “ seems to be ad hoc , keeping their fingers crossed , and that ’ s not good enough ” .
She said that every possible measure should be put in place to discourage people from travelling to the State .
“ We haven ’ t done that , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been distracted and their focus has been elsewhere.
” The absolute priority has to be to reopen the schools and get our domestic economy up and running , and the only way we ’ re going to be able to do that is by introducing very strict controls in relation to the threat of the importation of the virus as a result of international travel.
” Aodhán Ó Ríordáin , the Labour Party spokesman on education , called on Minister for Education Norma Foley to come into the Dáil to answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector .
He said that she had offered to meet with opposition spokespeople on the matter on Tuesday afternoon , but his preference was that the discussion be public .
“ We want her to come onto the floor of the house today to answer questions not just on the Leaving Cert but also on the re-opening of schools .
It ’ s gone quite clearly past a joke , ” he said on the plinth of Leinster House .
The Dublin Bay North TD said clarity was needed on a host of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support re-opening .
“ Schools are going to need staff , they ’ re going to need more resources , they ’ re going to need capacity , they may need to rent buildings or modify the buildings they already have , they may need to get extra prefabs in order for schools to operate in September.
” With Irish class sizes among the highest in Europe , he said students , teachers , parents , special needs assistants and others need to feel comfortable returning to school .
“ Nothing can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go back , ” he said .
“ Unfortunately , with the Department of Education , we are just waiting for the next chaotic announcement and that has been the history of this debacle since the Covid-19 pandemic started , ” he said .
Elsewhere , the Social Democrats announced their spokesperson portfolios for the new Dáil term .
Catherine Murphy will assume responsibility for justice , enterprise , trade , employment and sport , while her co-leader Róisín Shortall will take on the health , finance and public expenditure and reform briefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for housing , foreign and European affairs and defence , with Holly Cairns spokeswoman on agriculture and higher education .
Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon is spokesman on education , social protection , media , tourism , arts , culture and the Gaeltacht , and Jennifer Whitmore is spokeswoman on climate , communication networks , biodiversity , children , disability , equality and integration .
Catherine Murphy said the party will be “ a constructive opposition , not afraid to ask the hard questions at the same time ” and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery ” from the Covid-19 crisis .
Ms Shortall said a row in the party last year over candidate selection , which led to the resignation of several members of the party ’ s executive board , was a “ distant memory ” .
“ There are teething problems in all organisations but we ’ re a very united party now , ” she said .
“ We very much look forward to the future .
”

The Government has been accused of endangering the re-opening of schools due to its “lax” travel policy and a “chaotic” approach to key issues facing students and teachers.
Speaking outside Leinster House on Tuesday, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall said Government policy on travel "seems to be ad hoc, keeping their fingers crossed, and that's not good enough".
She said that every possible measure should be put in place to discourage people from travelling to the State. “We haven’t done that, the Government is actually doing the opposite… they’ve been distracted and their focus has been elsewhere.”
The absolute priority has to be to reopen the schools and get our domestic economy up and running, and the only way we’re going to be able to do that is by introducing very strict controls in relation to the threat of the importation of the virus as a result of international travel.”
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Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the Labour Party spokesman on education, called on Minister for Education Norma Foley to come into the Dáil to answer questions on the reopening of the education sector. He said that she had offered to meet with opposition spokespeople on the matter on Tuesday afternoon, but his preference was that the discussion be public.
Questions
“We want her to come onto the floor of the house today to answer questions not just on the Leaving Cert but also on the re-opening of schools. It’s gone quite clearly past a joke,” he said on the plinth of Leinster House. The Dublin Bay North TD said clarity was needed on a host of issues, most pressingly a financial package to support re-opening.
“Schools are going to need staff, they’re going to need more resources, they’re going to need capacity, they may need to rent buildings or modify the buildings they already have, they may need to get extra prefabs in order for schools to operate in September.”
With Irish class sizes among the highest in Europe, he said students, teachers, parents, special needs assistants and others need to feel comfortable returning to school. "Nothing can happen in the Irish economy until schools go back," he said.
“Unfortunately, with the Department of Education, we are just waiting for the next chaotic announcement and that has been the history of this debacle since the Covid-19 pandemic started,” he said.
Elsewhere, the Social Democrats announced their spokesperson portfolios for the new Dáil term. Catherine Murphy will assume responsibility for justice, enterprise, trade, employment and sport, while her co-leader Róisín Shortall will take on the health, finance and public expenditure and reform briefs.
Cian O'Callaghan will be responsible for housing, foreign and European affairs and defence, with Holly Cairns spokeswoman on agriculture and higher education. Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon is spokesman on education, social protection, media, tourism, arts, culture and the Gaeltacht, and Jennifer Whitmore is spokeswoman on climate, communication networks, biodiversity, children, disability, equality and integration.
Constructive opposition
Catherine Murphy said the party will be “a constructive opposition, not afraid to ask the hard questions at the same time” and that the party will advocate for “an even recovery” from the Covid-19 crisis.
Ms Shortall said a row in the party last year over candidate selection, which led to the resignation of several members of the party’s executive board, was a “distant memory”.
“There are teething problems in all organisations but we’re a very united party now,” she said. “We very much look forward to the future.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Eid celebrations confirmed to take place in Croke Park on last day in July

Eid celebrations at Croke Park will take place on Friday , July 31st , it has been officially confirmed by the Islamic Centre of Ireland .
The date was determined by the Muslim calender based on an official sighting of the new moon on July 21st .
It a statement it said “ the Eid Prayer at Croke Park is a highly anticipated and historic event which will reflect the pluralism and diversity of our beautiful country Ireland .
As Muslims we are delightful to be able to express our Irish Muslim dual-identity on one of the most important days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there had been “ huge interest from many Muslim brothers and sisters who would like to be part of Eid at Croke Park.
” Within two hours of the announcement last week “ 500 people registered on Eventbribe and more than 500 people also registered their interest on Facebook .
” However “ current Government guidelines do not allow for more than 200 people to gather due to pushing forward the Phase 4 from the 20th of July to the 10th of August.
” The organisers “ have written to the Taoiseach requesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park is a large venue which can accomodate 500 people outdoors while also maintaining strict social distancing , ” and are awaiting a response .
The centre , based at Blanchardstown in west Dublin , said it would be “ in contact with all those who registered with us in the next few days to confirm if they will be able to attend on Friday , July 31st , 2020 Eid at Croke Park and abide by the social distancing rules .
Those that will , will receive a re-confirmation.
” It appealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its emphasis ) come to the Croke Park on Eid Day without a re-confirmation ticket .
You will NOT be allowed entrance without a re-confirmation ticket.
” Shaykh Umar al-Qadri , chair of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council which is organising the event , said “ it is one of the first public gatherings of its kind held in Ireland since last March and would be attended by representatives of the Government , ambassadors , as well as Christian , Jewish , and other faith leaders.
” Muslims in attendance “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks and prayer mats , ” he said .
The event will take place on the Croke Park pitch .
In August 2018 Pope Francis attended the final gathering of the World Meeting of Families at Croke Park and in June 2012 the final Mass of the 50th Eucharistic Congress took place there , with a video address from Pope Benedict XVI .

The organisers of the Eid celebration at Croke Park hope 500 people will be allowed attend the event.
Eid celebrations at Croke Park will take place on Friday, July 31st, it has been officially confirmed by the Islamic Centre of Ireland. The date was determined by the Muslim calender based on an official sighting of the new moon on July 21st.
It a statement it said “the Eid Prayer at Croke Park is a highly anticipated and historic event which will reflect the pluralism and diversity of our beautiful country Ireland. As Muslims we are delightful to be able to express our Irish Muslim dual-identity on one of the most important days in the Islamic calendar.”
It said there had been "huge interest from many Muslim brothers and sisters who would like to be part of Eid at Croke Park." Within two hours of the announcement last week "500 people registered on Eventbribe and more than 500 people also registered their interest on Facebook. "
However “current Government guidelines do not allow for more than 200 people to gather due to pushing forward the Phase 4 from the 20th of July to the 10th of August.”
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The organisers “have written to the Taoiseach requesting a dispensation from this rule as Croke Park is a large venue which can accomodate 500 people outdoors while also maintaining strict social distancing,” and are awaiting a response.
The centre, based at Blanchardstown in west Dublin, said it would be "in contact with all those who registered with us in the next few days to confirm if they will be able to attend on Friday, July 31st, 2020 Eid at Croke Park and abide by the social distancing rules. Those that will, will receive a re-confirmation."
It appealed to people "please do NOT (its emphasis) come to the Croke Park on Eid Day without a re-confirmation ticket. You will NOT be allowed entrance without a re-confirmation ticket."
Shaykh Umar al-Qadri, chair of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council which is organising the event, said "it is one of the first public gatherings of its kind held in Ireland since last March and would be attended by representatives of the Government, ambassadors, as well as Christian, Jewish, and other faith leaders."
Muslims in attendance “are being asked to bring their own masks and prayer mats,” he said. The event will take place on the Croke Park pitch.
In August 2018 Pope Francis attended the final gathering of the World Meeting of Families at Croke Park and in June 2012 the final Mass of the 50th Eucharistic Congress took place there, with a video address from Pope Benedict XVI.


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Q&A: What did Ireland win from the EU talks?

The 27 member states of the European Union this morning signed off on a €1.8 trillion package to fund the @ @ @ @ @ and inject funds into struggling economies amid the coronavirus pandemic .
How well has Ireland @ @ @ @ @ the European Council ?
There are a few significant wins , some uncertainties , and @ @ @ @ @ farmers are concerned they will end up taking in less in subsidies than they do @ @

The 27 member states of the European Union signed off on Tuesday morning on a €1.8 trillion package to fund the next seven years of spending and inject funds into struggling economies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
How well has Ireland done from the negotiations in the European Council? There are a few significant wins, some uncertainties, and despite reassurances from the Government farmers are concerned they will end up taking in less in subsidies than they do now.
Brexit bonus
Habemus papam! #EUCO — Naomi O'Leary (@NaomiOhReally) July 21, 2020 "This recovery fund that is based on European solidarity is indeed a historic change, a historic step for Europe," says Emmanuel Macron. "It needed a spirit of compromise to make this happen and I want to thank all colleagues that have show this." #EUCO — Naomi O'Leary (@NaomiOhReally) July 21, 2020 Merkel notes there may be "very difficult discussions" with the European Parliament, which has threatened to veto a deal if budget was not increased.
"I hope that colleagues in the European Parliament have seen that we wrestled with each other to come up with a solution." #EUCO — Naomi O'Leary (@NaomiOhReally) July 21, 2020
One significant win Ireland argued for along with a group of other states heavily affected by Brexit, particularly Belgium, is a reserve fund of €5 billion that would be available for the sectors and countries worst hit by Britain’s exit from the EU.
Sweeping changes demanded by Britain are expected to hit the Irish economy the hardest of all member states from January 1st next year irrespective of whether a deal is reached or not, meaning Ireland should be in line for a significant proportion of the funds.
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Customs clawback
Member states collect common single market customs duties and levies on imports. Currently, national governments keep 20 per cent of the revenues collected for themselves. The European Commission had initially proposed to reduce this to 10 per cent, but Ireland along with the Netherlands and other member states successfully argued against this. It was ultimately increased to 25 per cent.
What about the farmers?
Irish sources say that the deal protects the Common Agricultural Policy budget for Ireland, and that the negotiations have successfully overturned cuts that were proposed two years ago.
But the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) says that despite changes and an extra €300 million secured for Ireland, farmers will still be in line for what it estimates is a 9 per cent cut in subsidies based on 2018 prices.
The picture is complex. In a bid to get a group of thrifty northern states to agree to the deal, a number of programmes proposed by the commission were cut. Among these were research funding, business investment incentives, health and epidemic preparedness funding, climate transition subsidies, and a cut in rural development funds to €7.5 billion from an initially earmarked €15 billion.
To soften the blow, some member states got extra money: Ireland was allocated €300 million.
But the IFA is concerned this is not enough because in the next seven years payments to the farmers that currently get the lowest amount per hectare in the EU are due to be increased. This comes at the expense of the better-paid farmers, Irish farmers among them.
The Government can also top up farming subsidies in various ways if it chooses to, so the overall picture is uncertain.
Change to calculation of need
Ireland had argued for a change to the system of calculating which member states needed most recovery funds. The initial calculation was entirely based on past data, including economic growth and employment figures, meaning Ireland was due for a relatively small amount of €1.9 billion in recovery fund grants due to its strong performance in recent years.
Ireland and a group of other member states successfully argued the need for funds be based not solely on the state of economies when they entered the crisis but also on economic data showing the real effect of the pandemic. The system was changed so that how national economies have fared will be taken into account to calculate need when recovery funds are given out in 2023.
Grants reduced
Ireland had argued in favour of the initial plan for €500 billion to be given to member states without the obligation for national governments to directly repay it, focused on the worst-hit member states. When the so-called frugals Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden pushed hard for reductions to the amount of grants, Ireland advocated they be at least retained above €400 billion. Ultimately they were cut to €390 billion. The overall recovery fund package remains at €750 billion, with €360 billion to be constituted from loans.
An overall recovery
Taoiseach Micheál Martin argued strongly in favour of agreeing an ambitious package to stimulate the overall EU economy, which would benefit Ireland in turn. Because of the interconnectedness of EU member states, which all export to each other, Ireland’s recovery relies on overall European economic growth in the bloc, he argued, and an economic disaster would drag all member states down.
Ireland’s economic growth over recent decades means it has developed from being a net recipient overall of EU money to becoming a net contributor to the seven-year budget, which is funded by contributions from member states.
The €750 billion recovery fund is paid for by borrowing by the commission, something that has never been done before. To repay it, the commission has proposed introducing new EU-wide strategic levies such as a plastics tax, a levy on imports according to the carbon emitted in their production and a digital tax.
These proposals are not yet agreed and Ireland is likely to block the digital tax. The borrowing is set to be repaid by 2058. Member states are the ultimate guarantors of the loans, and so would ultimately be on the hook for repayments if all else fails. What percentage would fall to Ireland in that scenario depends on many unknown factors.
Stock markets rallied, and the euro reached a four-month high after the deal was announced, indicating financial markets view the deal as positive for the economic outlook.


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Simon Community appeals for urgent action for at-risk tenants

Measures to prevent vulnerable households from being pushed into homelessness are required before a ban on evictions and rent increases is lifted , the Simon Communities of Ireland ( SCI ) has said .
Its spokesman Wayne Stanley said an “ eleventh hour and seemingly piecemeal ” decision to briefly extend the existing moratorium by the new Minister for Housing Darragh O ’ Brien was “ cruel for those individuals and families at risk of homelessness ” .
Mr Stanley ’ s comments are just one of a number of strong reactions to the decision taken by Mr O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will see the Covid-19 prompted move to freeze rents and prevent tenants losing their home extended until the end of the month , by which time the Government aims to have new legislation to underpin the measures .
Mr O ’ Brien said his decision to apply a brief extension followed discussions with the Attorney General Paul Gallagher .
The SCI has appealed for “ urgent preventative action ” on behalf of at-risk tenants .
“ The lifting of the moratoria has to be contingent on the government putting in place an array @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals and families out of homelessness as is possible , ” Mr Stanley said , echoing widespread calls for concrete steps to be taken before existing protections are allowed to lapse .
“ Putting adequate preventative measure in place will take time and the government should ensure that the moratoria are in place until that work is done.
” John Mark McCafferty from Threshold said the Government will be judged on the robustness of new legislation .
He told RTÉ ’ s Morning Ireland that with 300,000 households in the private rental sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuanced approach to the way tenancies end .
“ We are in unprecedented times so calling for measures that would have been impossible before , ” he said .
“ We can ’ t have business as usual .
“ We need workable solutions that will stop the upward rise in rents and protect tenancies.
” Labour ’ s housing spokeswoman Senator Rebecca Moynihan said it was “ unacceptable to leave the extension of the regulations to protect renters until the very last minute ” .

The existing moratorium on evictions and rent increases has been extended for a brief period of time.
Measures to prevent vulnerable households from being pushed into homelessness are required before a ban on evictions and rent increases is lifted, the Simon Communities of Ireland (SCI) has said.
Its spokesman Wayne Stanley said an "eleventh hour and seemingly piecemeal" decision to briefly extend the existing moratorium by the new Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien was "cruel for those individuals and families at risk of homelessness".
Mr Stanley’s comments are just one of a number of strong reactions to the decision taken by Mr O’Brien, announced on Monday.
It will see the Covid-19 prompted move to freeze rents and prevent tenants losing their home extended until the end of the month, by which time the Government aims to have new legislation to underpin the measures.
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Mr O'Brien said his decision to apply a brief extension followed discussions with the Attorney General Paul Gallagher.
The SCI has appealed for “urgent preventative action” on behalf of at-risk tenants.
“The lifting of the moratoria has to be contingent on the government putting in place an array of preventative supports to keep as many individuals and families out of homelessness as is possible,” Mr Stanley said, echoing widespread calls for concrete steps to be taken before existing protections are allowed to lapse.
“Putting adequate preventative measure in place will take time and the government should ensure that the moratoria are in place until that work is done.”
John Mark McCafferty from Threshold said the Government will be judged on the robustness of new legislation.
He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that with 300,000 households in the private rental sector there is a need for a more nuanced approach to the way tenancies end.
“We are in unprecedented times so calling for measures that would have been impossible before,” he said. “We can’t have business as usual.
“We need workable solutions that will stop the upward rise in rents and protect tenancies.”
Labour's housing spokeswoman Senator Rebecca Moynihan said it was "unacceptable to leave the extension of the regulations to protect renters until the very last minute".


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Covid-19: ‘Vast majority’ of nurses who contracted virus suffer post-recovery issues

The vast majority of nurses who have contracted Covid-19 continue to suffer from a range of conditions including mental health difficulties , headaches and breathing problems , a survey of staff has found .
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation ( INMO ) , which conducted a study of thousands of nurses , said two-thirds of the 545 who have “ recovered ” continue to suffer fatigue .
Most staff – 91 per cent – experience ongoing problems post-recovery , with other issues including anxiety , “ brain fog ” , dizziness , recurring fever and palpitations , the surveyt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said to be affecting nursing staff as an apparent consequence of the pandemic in Irish hospitals .
The INMO said 81 per cent of 7,000 nurses and midwives surveyed , including many who did not contract the virus , found working during the outbreak had affected them .
The INMO will present its findings to the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid response on Tuesday in an effort to press home the importance of “ safe staffing ” over the coming months .
The delegation will include a Dublin staff nurse who is facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fatigue is a major risk to patient and staff safety – especially in a pandemic .
Many of our members are reporting that despite recovery , they are still facing exhaustion , ” INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said in a statement ahead of the committee appearance .
“ The impacts of this virus can be long-lasting , so nurses and midwives returning to work after recovery are going to need support .
For many , there will be a long road to full recovery.
” The INMO has asked that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to investigate cases of virus outbreaks , and to address any staffing shortages in the healthcare system as winter approaches .
“ We urgently need a clear plan to ramp up health service capacity before winter hits , ” Ms Ní Sheaghdha said .

The vast majority of nurses who have contracted Covid-19 continue to suffer from a range of conditions including mental health difficulties, headaches and breathing problems, a survey of staff has found.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which conducted a study of thousands of nurses, said two-thirds of the 545 who have "recovered" continue to suffer fatigue.
Most staff – 91 per cent – experience ongoing problems post-recovery, with other issues including anxiety, “brain fog”, dizziness, recurring fever and palpitations, the surveyt found.
Mental health issues are also said to be affecting nursing staff as an apparent consequence of the pandemic in Irish hospitals. The INMO said 81 per cent of 7,000 nurses and midwives surveyed, including many who did not contract the virus, found working during the outbreak had affected them.
READ MORE
The INMO will present its findings to the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid response on Tuesday in an effort to press home the importance of "safe staffing" over the coming months. The delegation will include a Dublin staff nurse who is facing ongoing symptoms of the illness.
“Fatigue is a major risk to patient and staff safety – especially in a pandemic. Many of our members are reporting that despite recovery, they are still facing exhaustion,” INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said in a statement ahead of the committee appearance.
“The impacts of this virus can be long-lasting, so nurses and midwives returning to work after recovery are going to need support. For many, there will be a long road to full recovery.”
The INMO has asked that the government empower the Health and Safety Authority to investigate cases of virus outbreaks, and to address any staffing shortages in the healthcare system as winter approaches.
“We urgently need a clear plan to ramp up health service capacity before winter hits,” Ms Ní Sheaghdha said.


theirishtimes--2020-07-21--Oireachtas committee to hear submissions on healthcare workers

Healthcare workers may have failed to declare symptoms of coronavirus out of fear of losing additional overtime or premium payments , an Oireachtas committee will hear on Tuesday .
In a submission to the Oireachtas committee on the pandemic , trade union Siptu said the decision of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform not to permit employers pay their staff as per their roster if they were put on Covid-19 related leave , “ resulted in significant financial disadvantage being incurred ” .
The committee will hear on Tuesday from trade unions and the Health Service Executive about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all known Covid-19 cases in the State – who have contracted the disease .
In a separate submission , the Irish Medical Organisation has warned that adequate roster arrangements must be put in place to cover workers absent with the virus or who are excluded as potential close contacts of a case .
The State ’ s acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn on Monday night warned employers and workers to adhere to public health precautions after expressing concerns about outbreaks in workplaces .
Dr Glynn described the workplace , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the “ new front line ” .
The medic used Monday ’ s National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) briefing at the Department of Health to remind workers to keep a physical distance from colleagues .
He used the example of the “ first significant cluster on a construction site to date ” – located in Dublin city centre where more than 20 cases have so far been identified – to warn employers about the continuing risk from the virus .
He reported no new deaths from the disease and @ @ @ @ @

The committee will hear on Tuesday from trade unions and the Health Service Executive. Photograph: Alan Betson
Healthcare workers may have failed to declare symptoms of coronavirus out of fear of losing additional overtime or premium payments, an Oireachtas committee will hear on Tuesday.
In a submission to the Oireachtas committee on the pandemic, trade union Siptu said the decision of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform not to permit employers pay their staff as per their roster if they were put on Covid-19 related leave, “resulted in significant financial disadvantage being incurred”.
The committee will hear on Tuesday from trade unions and the Health Service Executive about the 8,300 healthcare workers – almost a third of all known Covid-19 cases in the State – who have contracted the disease.
In a separate submission, the Irish Medical Organisation has warned that adequate roster arrangements must be put in place to cover workers absent with the virus or who are excluded as potential close contacts of a case.
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The State’s acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn on Monday night warned employers and workers to adhere to public health precautions after expressing concerns about outbreaks in workplaces.
Dr Glynn described the workplace, and particularly shops, services and supermarkets, as the “new front line”.
The medic used Monday’s National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) briefing at the Department of Health to remind workers to keep a physical distance from colleagues. He used the example of the “first significant cluster on a construction site to date” – located in Dublin city centre where more than 20 cases have so far been identified – to warn employers about the continuing risk from the virus. He reported no new deaths from the disease and six new confirmed cases.