theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Man on trial for manslaughter after row in Co Longford pub

A man has gone on trial charged with the manslaughter of another man following a row outside a pub in Co Longford last year .
Gerard Melia ( 32 ) , Derrygowna , Lanesboro , Co Longford has pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful killing of 50-year-old Noel McGann at Leavy ’ s Public House car park , Foigha , Kenagh , Co Longford on August 1st , 2019 .
Dominic McGinn , SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions said it would be the State ’ s case Mr Melia punched Mr McGann twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fall , striking his head off the concrete ground in the process .
Mr McGann was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar but died three days later as a result of his injuries .
Mr McGinn said Mr Melia was arrested later that evening and brought to Longford Garda station where he told detectives the incident arose after Mr McGann had been “ sneering ” at him before asking the deceased outside where Mr McGann allegedly threatened him .
Brendan Grehan SC , for Mr Melia , said it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accused struck Mr McGann once and not twice as alleged by the prosecution .
Evidence was also heard from Ivan Treanor and Alan Ward , both of whom had been socialising inside the pub on the day in question .
Mr Ward said said he saw Mr Melia use his index finger to gesture to Mr McGann to follow him outside .
He said he heard Mr Melia tell Mr McGann how he had heard the deceased “ talking about ” him before Mr McGann replied : “ If you want a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr Ward said he saw Mr McGann “ either push , shove or hit ” Mr Melia who then raised his right arm to try and stop Mr McGann as he moved towards him .
He added at that stage , he observed Mr Melia hit him with his left hand , resulting in Mr McGann falling backwards and hitting his head off the ground .
Mr Ward said after striking the deceased Mr Melia a came over and looked at Mr McGann lying on the floor before he drove away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jury of seven men and five women tomorrow .

Gerard Melia (32), Derrygowna, Lanesboro, Co Longford has pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful killing of 50-year-old Noel McGann at Leavy’s Public House car park, Foigha, Kenagh, Co Longford on August 1st, 2019. Photograph: iStock
A man has gone on trial charged with the manslaughter of another man following a row outside a pub in Co Longford last year.
Gerard Melia (32), Derrygowna, Lanesboro, Co Longford has pleaded not guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful killing of 50-year-old Noel McGann at Leavy’s Public House car park, Foigha, Kenagh, Co Longford on August 1st, 2019.
Dominic McGinn, SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions said it would be the State’s case Mr Melia punched Mr McGann twice with the latter blow causing the deceased to fall, striking his head off the concrete ground in the process.
Mr McGann was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar but died three days later as a result of his injuries.
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Mr McGinn said Mr Melia was arrested later that evening and brought to Longford Garda station where he told detectives the incident arose after Mr McGann had been “sneering” at him before asking the deceased outside where Mr McGann allegedly threatened him.
Brendan Grehan SC, for Mr Melia, said it would be the defence’s case that the accused struck Mr McGann once and not twice as alleged by the prosecution.
Evidence was also heard from Ivan Treanor and Alan Ward, both of whom had been socialising inside the pub on the day in question.
Mr Ward said said he saw Mr Melia use his index finger to gesture to Mr McGann to follow him outside.
He said he heard Mr Melia tell Mr McGann how he had heard the deceased “talking about” him before Mr McGann replied: “If you want a row, I will f****** kill you.”
Mr Ward said he saw Mr McGann “either push, shove or hit” Mr Melia who then raised his right arm to try and stop Mr McGann as he moved towards him.
He added at that stage, he observed Mr Melia hit him with his left hand, resulting in Mr McGann falling backwards and hitting his head off the ground.
Mr Ward said after striking the deceased Mr Melia a came over and looked at Mr McGann lying on the floor before he drove away from the scene.
The case continues before a jury of seven men and five women tomorrow.


theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Irish Times Poll: Majority of people believe pandemic will get worse

Most people expect the pandemic to get worse and only a fifth of voters believe that the current restrictions are too severe , according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll .
A clear majority of voters ( 58 per cent ) say that the Government is “ doing a good job ” managing the pandemic but that number has dropped sharply since the last poll which was taken in June , as the country was opening up .
The number of voters who say that the Government is “ not doing a good job ” has surged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 per cent .
Just under half of all voters ( 45 per cent ) say that the current level of restrictions is “ about right ” , while 21 per cent say that there are too many restrictions which are “ damaging business and the economy unnecessarily ” .
However , almost a third of voters ( 32 per cent ) favour additional restrictions , and say that the current level of restrictions is not sufficient to “ safeguard the health of the population ” .
The public ’ s mood about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just 22 per cent of people believe that the worst of the pandemic is behind us , while 69 per cent say that “ the worst is yet to come ” .
Older people are significantly gloomier about the future than younger voters , while women are also more likely than men to say that the worst is ahead .
Asked about their priorities for next week ’ s Budget , the pandemic also weighs on people ’ s views .
Investment in the health service is the most popular choice for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in housing , schools , hospitals and other infrastructure .
Given a list of choices where they believed additional spending in the Budget should be prioritised , “ green initiatives ” was the number one choice of only 4 per cent of respondents to the poll .
Voters also back the decision of TDs to vote in favour of the Dying with Dignity Bill on Wednesday night , which – if passed – will make it legal for someone to assist a terminally ill person to end their own lives .
Over half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) say they are in favour of making it legal to assist someone medically to end their own lives , with just 17 per cent opposed .
Over a quarter of respondents to the poll ( 26 per cent ) say they are undecided but “ open to hearing both sides of the argument ” .
The bill passed its first vote in the Dáil on Wednesday night , when TDs also rejected a Government amendment to stall its progress for a year to allow a special Dáil committee to consider the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken Saturday-Tuesday , October 3rd to 6th , through in-home interviewing among 1,200 adults at 120 locations in every constituency .
The accuracy level is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent .
This poll saw a return to the usual face-to-face methodology , after June ’ s poll was conducted via telephone interviews due to the pandemic .

A third of voters believe the current level of restrictions is not sufficient to ‘safeguard the health of the population’. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell/ The Irish Times
Most people expect the pandemic to get worse and only a fifth of voters believe that the current restrictions are too severe, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll.
A clear majority of voters (58 per cent) say that the Government is “doing a good job” managing the pandemic but that number has dropped sharply since the last poll which was taken in June, as the country was opening up.
The number of voters who say that the Government is “not doing a good job” has surged, from 9 per cent in June to 36 per cent.
Just under half of all voters (45 per cent) say that the current level of restrictions is “about right”, while 21 per cent say that there are too many restrictions which are “damaging business and the economy unnecessarily”. However, almost a third of voters (32 per cent) favour additional restrictions, and say that the current level of restrictions is not sufficient to “safeguard the health of the population”.
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The public’s mood about the future with Covid is quite pessimistic. Just 22 per cent of people believe that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, while 69 per cent say that “the worst is yet to come”. Older people are significantly gloomier about the future than younger voters, while women are also more likely than men to say that the worst is ahead.
Priorities
Asked about their priorities for next week’s Budget, the pandemic also weighs on people’s views. Investment in the health service is the most popular choice for additional government spending, followed by investment in housing, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure. Given a list of choices where they believed additional spending in the Budget should be prioritised, “green initiatives” was the number one choice of only 4 per cent of respondents to the poll.
Voters also back the decision of TDs to vote in favour of the Dying with Dignity Bill on Wednesday night, which – if passed – will make it legal for someone to assist a terminally ill person to end their own lives.
Over half of all voters (52 per cent) say they are in favour of making it legal to assist someone medically to end their own lives, with just 17 per cent opposed. Over a quarter of respondents to the poll (26 per cent) say they are undecided but “open to hearing both sides of the argument”.
The bill passed its first vote in the Dáil on Wednesday night, when TDs also rejected a Government amendment to stall its progress for a year to allow a special Dáil committee to consider the question of assisted dying.
The poll was taken Saturday-Tuesday, October 3rd to 6th, through in-home interviewing among 1,200 adults at 120 locations in every constituency. The accuracy level is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent. This poll saw a return to the usual face-to-face methodology, after June’s poll was conducted via telephone interviews due to the pandemic.


theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Six puppies found in boot of car at Dublin Port

Revenue officials seized six eight-week-old puppies from the boot of a car at Dublin Port on Thursday , destined for @ @ @ @ @ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( DSPCA ) , which is now @ @ @ @ @ said they were likely to have remained in the confined space for the duration of @ @ @ @ @ said the dogs , a mix of terrier crosses , were not microchipped and that @ @ @ @ @ any vaccination certs or paperwork .
“ There was no access to fresh water and @ @ @ @ @ the sealed boot for the entire journey on the ferry .
This is not an @ @ @ @ @ any animal , ” it said .
“ The puppies are now in the care @ @ @ @ @ be placed in foster care until they are ready to be rehomed.
” The DSPCA @ @ @ @ @ to have their dogs microchipped and fully vaccinated with a Pet Passport before transportation in @ @ @ @ @ , and has taken other dogs into care pending investigations following seizures .

Revenue officials seized six eight-week-old puppies from the boot of a car at Dublin Port on Thursday, destined for the UK.
Revenue officials seized six eight-week-old puppies from the boot of a car at Dublin Port on Thursday, destined for the UK.
The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), which is now caring for the dogs, said they were likely to have remained in the confined space for the duration of the journey.
It also said the dogs, a mix of terrier crosses, were not microchipped and that the owner could not provide any vaccination certs or paperwork.
“There was no access to fresh water and they would have remained in the sealed boot for the entire journey on the ferry. This is not an acceptable method of transport for any animal,” it said.
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“The puppies are now in the care of the DSPCA and will be placed in foster care until they are ready to be rehomed.”
The DSPCA has previously called on people to have their dogs microchipped and fully vaccinated with a Pet Passport before transportation in or out of Dublin Port, and has taken other dogs into care pending investigations following seizures.


theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Scratch card prizes omitted in three games due to human error

Scratch card prizes were omitted from three games operated by Premier Lotteries Ireland due to human error and inadequate controls , the regulator of the National Lorry has found .
The regulator found incorrect numbers of top prizes on two 2019 scratch card games , Congratulations 186 and Congratulations 223 , and the Diamond Bingo Doubler game from 2015 .
In the first ever breaches of this kind , the regulator found failures to hold the three lottery games in accordance with the rules in force , to ensure that statements on the games were true and to have adequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Lottery Act 2013 .
The regulator , which was notified of the issue in November 2019 , found that the operator acted transparently and in good faith , that information had not been withheld from the regulator and that staff mistakenly believed that the games were correctly run .
Premier Lotteries incurred the financial cost of rectifying the mistakes by holding a New Year ’ s Special Draw , approved by the regulator , that returned €180,000 of the company ’ s own income to players in guaranteed prizes , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that that the company did not financially benefit from this game , a donation of €50,000 was made to a mental health charity .
New controls have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the errors .
The company ’ s board has engaged external professional advisory firms to assist with implementing the controls .

The regulator, which was notified of the issue in November 2019, found that the operator acted transparently and in good faith. File photograph: Cyril Byrne
Scratch card prizes were omitted from three games operated by Premier Lotteries Ireland due to human error and inadequate controls, the regulator of the National Lorry has found.
The regulator found incorrect numbers of top prizes on two 2019 scratch card games, Congratulations 186 and Congratulations 223, and the Diamond Bingo Doubler game from 2015.
In the first ever breaches of this kind, the regulator found failures to hold the three lottery games in accordance with the rules in force, to ensure that statements on the games were true and to have adequate systems of internal control in place under the National Lottery Act 2013.
The regulator, which was notified of the issue in November 2019, found that the operator acted transparently and in good faith, that information had not been withheld from the regulator and that staff mistakenly believed that the games were correctly run.
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Premier Lotteries incurred the financial cost of rectifying the mistakes by holding a New Year’s Special Draw, approved by the regulator, that returned €180,000 of the company’s own income to players in guaranteed prizes, all of which have been claimed. To ensure that that the company did not financially benefit from this game, a donation of €50,000 was made to a mental health charity.
New controls have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the errors. The company’s board has engaged external professional advisory firms to assist with implementing the controls.


theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Longford school sends pupils home after case of Covid-19 confirmed

Parents of students attending a girls ’ secondary school in Longford were asked to collect their children on Thursday following a confirmed case of Covid-19 .
Meán Scoil Mhuire , Longford Town , which has over 550 students and 40 staff , will remain closed until October 19th but classes will continue online .
Local Independent councillor Gerry Warnock , who sits on the secondary school ’ s board of management , said the move was taken as a precaution .
“ They are very able to deal with it , they had preempted it , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a scenario like this in a school .
.
.
we are going to have to deal with this for a while , this will probably be a common occurrence over the coming weeks.
” The school will remain closed until October 19th but classes will continue online .
Former pupil and cathaoirleach of Longford Municipal District Peggy Nolan said she was aware parents had been advised to collect their children and expressed full confidence in the swift response of the board of management .
“ It ’ s bad news but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to school , ” she said .
“ It ’ s my old school and I have every confidence that all the [ public health ] procedures will be adhered to.
” School management could not be contacted for comment on Thursday evening but according to reports principal Aoife Mulrennan had confirmed that someone within the school had tested positive for Covid-19 and a number of staff had to go into isolation .
Classes are due to continue online on Friday .
Local Fine Gael councillor John Browne said the situation was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopefully it will be resolved quickly and it won ’ t have any undue effects , ” he said .
“ It ’ s a big school , it ’ s a long standing school and there was major refurbishment done to get it ready for the new school term .
”

Classes at Meán Scoil Mhuire, Longford Town, are due to continue online on Friday. File photograph: Getty Images
Parents of students attending a girls’ secondary school in Longford were asked to collect their children on Thursday following a confirmed case of Covid-19.
Meán Scoil Mhuire, Longford Town, which has over 550 students and 40 staff, will remain closed until October 19th but classes will continue online.
Local Independent councillor Gerry Warnock, who sits on the secondary school’s board of management, said the move was taken as a precaution.
“They are very able to deal with it, they had preempted it,” he said.
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“It was quite likely there would be a scenario like this in a school . . . we are going to have to deal with this for a while, this will probably be a common occurrence over the coming weeks.”
The school will remain closed until October 19th but classes will continue online.
Former pupil and cathaoirleach of Longford Municipal District Peggy Nolan said she was aware parents had been advised to collect their children and expressed full confidence in the swift response of the board of management.
“It’s bad news but this can be expected with kids going back to school,” she said. “It’s my old school and I have every confidence that all the [public health] procedures will be adhered to.”
School management could not be contacted for comment on Thursday evening but according to reports principal Aoife Mulrennan had confirmed that someone within the school had tested positive for Covid-19 and a number of staff had to go into isolation. Classes are due to continue online on Friday.
Local Fine Gael councillor John Browne said the situation was a "huge disappointment".
“Hopefully it will be resolved quickly and it won’t have any undue effects,” he said.
“It’s a big school, it’s a long standing school and there was major refurbishment done to get it ready for the new school term.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Blarney Castle owner calls for government support for privately-owned tourist sites

The owner of one of Ireland ’ s most successful tourist attractions , Blarney Castle , has called for increased supports for privately owned visitor attractions amid a collapse in visitor numbers due to Covid-19 .
Sir Charles Colthurst , whose family owns and operates Blarney Castle and Gardens , said ticket receipts for the Co Cork tourist attraction have dropped by 85 per cent as a result of restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 .
According to Failte Ireland , Blarney Castle and Gardens was the 10th most visited paying tourist attraction in the country in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Covid-19 pandemic has decimated visitor numbers .
“ Blarney Castle supports 90 full-time and part-time staff during the height of a normal summer season , when as many as 65,000 tourists visit monthly .
This year , the number of visitors during August fell to 10,000 , ” he said “ Efforts are being made to protect the jobs of 30 full-time staff at Blarney Castle and Gardens during the off-season , but the impact on gate receipts and shortfall in Government support has had a significant impact.
” Sir Charles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of Blarney and Cork who have bought season passes to access the castle and grounds and have supported the attraction during the pandemic .
He said the priority for private operators of attractions such as Blarney Castle was “ to keep the lights on , protect the income of our employees and ensure that we are well positioned to take advantage of an upturn in business.
” “ Unlike public tourist attractions , where state funds flow freely into upkeep and maintenance , those in the private sector have to carry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose family have owned Blarney Castle for 300 years .
“ I would ask the Government to consider a special package of measures to support businesses such as ours .
We will return to being significant contributors in terms of taxes , but not if our businesses are not supported in the meantime .
”

The owner of one of Ireland's most successful tourist attractions, Blarney Castle, has called for increased supports for privately owned visitor attractions amid a collapse in visitor numbers due to Covid-19.
Sir Charles Colthurst, whose family owns and operates Blarney Castle and Gardens, said ticket receipts for the Co Cork tourist attraction have dropped by 85 per cent as a result of restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
According to Failte Ireland, Blarney Castle and Gardens was the 10th most visited paying tourist attraction in the country in 2018 when 460,000 people visited but Sir Charles said the Covid-19 pandemic has decimated visitor numbers.
“Blarney Castle supports 90 full-time and part-time staff during the height of a normal summer season, when as many as 65,000 tourists visit monthly. This year, the number of visitors during August fell to 10,000,” he said
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“Efforts are being made to protect the jobs of 30 full-time staff at Blarney Castle and Gardens during the off-season, but the impact on gate receipts and shortfall in Government support has had a significant impact.”
Sir Charles said he was extremely grateful to the people of Blarney and Cork who have bought season passes to access the castle and grounds and have supported the attraction during the pandemic.
He said the priority for private operators of attractions such as Blarney Castle was “to keep the lights on, protect the income of our employees and ensure that we are well positioned to take advantage of an upturn in business.”
“Unlike public tourist attractions, where state funds flow freely into upkeep and maintenance, those in the private sector have to carry that weight alone,” said Sir Charles whose family have owned Blarney Castle for 300 years.
“I would ask the Government to consider a special package of measures to support businesses such as ours. We will return to being significant contributors in terms of taxes, but not if our businesses are not supported in the meantime.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Gardaí begin investigation after man stabbed in the head in Cork city centre

Gardaí in Cork have begun an investigation after a man was attacked and stabbed in the head in Patrick Street in Cork city centre on Thursday afternoon .
It is understood the man who is in his late 20s was injured when a row broke out with another man outside the Savoy Shopping Centre around 3.30pm .
The man was stabbed in the head and has been taken to hospital for treatment .
It is understood that his injury is not believed to be life threatening .
Shocked and horrified onlookers witnessed the attack which seems to have happened quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just moments before .
Gardaí hope to be given permission by doctors to speak to the injured man later today as they believe that he knows the identity of his assailant .
Gardaí have also begun studying CCTV footage from the area to try to establish the exact sequence of events leading up to the stabbing .
They have also cordoned off the area for a technical examination by Garda forensic experts in the hope of obtaining DNA and other evidence .
Gardai believe that the culprit - thought to be also in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by getting into a taxi and they are actively searching for him .
It ’ s understood there were a large number of people in the area at the time and gardai have appealed to any witnesses to the attack to contact them .
In particular , they are anxious to anyone who may have filmed the incident on their smartphones to contact them at Anglesea Street Garda station on 021-4522000 And they have also appealed to any motorists or taxi drivers with dash cam footage who may have caught the incident to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Central Sinn Fein TD , Thomas Gould said the incident highlighted the need for extra Garda resources in Cork city centre .
“ People in Cork are not used to violence of this magnitude .
For this to have happened in broad daylight on Cork ’ s busiest street will have shaken people.
” Mr Gould said that he had long been calling on the government to increase Garda funding to Cork city to prevent incidents such as this from happening “ It was only a matter of time before a serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need a strong Garda presence on Cork city streets , ” he said .
“ There now needs to be an immediate response .
We need to see Gardai on the streets to ease people ’ s fears .
People need to feel safe coming into Cork city .
”

Gardaí in Cork have begun an investigation after a man was attacked and stabbed in the head in Patrick Street in Cork city centre on Thursday afternoon.
It is understood the man who is in his late 20s was injured when a row broke out with another man outside the Savoy Shopping Centre around 3.30pm.
The man was stabbed in the head and has been taken to hospital for treatment. It is understood that his injury is not believed to be life threatening.
Shocked and horrified onlookers witnessed the attack which seems to have happened quite quickly as the two men were talking just moments before.
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Gardaí hope to be given permission by doctors to speak to the injured man later today as they believe that he knows the identity of his assailant.
Gardaí have also begun studying CCTV footage from the area to try to establish the exact sequence of events leading up to the stabbing.
They have also cordoned off the area for a technical examination by Garda forensic experts in the hope of obtaining DNA and other evidence.
Gardai believe that the culprit - thought to be also in his late 20s - fled the scene by getting into a taxi and they are actively searching for him.
It’s understood there were a large number of people in the area at the time and gardai have appealed to any witnesses to the attack to contact them.
In particular, they are anxious to anyone who may have filmed the incident on their smartphones to contact them at Anglesea Street Garda station on 021-4522000
And they have also appealed to any motorists or taxi drivers with dash cam footage who may have caught the incident to contact them at Anglesea Street
Meanwhile Cork North Central Sinn Fein TD, Thomas Gould said the incident highlighted the need for extra Garda resources in Cork city centre.
“People in Cork are not used to violence of this magnitude. For this to have happened in broad daylight on Cork’s busiest street will have shaken people.”
Mr Gould said that he had long been calling on the government to increase Garda funding to Cork city to prevent incidents such as this from happening
“It was only a matter of time before a serious incident such as this happened. We need a strong Garda presence on Cork city streets,” he said.
“There now needs to be an immediate response. We need to see Gardai on the streets to ease people’s fears. People need to feel safe coming into Cork city.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-08--Four held by gardaí investigating alleged witness intimidation in Aaron Brady trial

Gardaí have arrested four suspects as part of an investigation into alleged witness intimidation and perverting the course of justice in the case of Aaron Brady who was convicted in August of the capital murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe .
During the murder trial a video was taken on a mobile phone of a witness statement that was included in the book of evidence , with the footage posted on social media .
Written threats were also added to the video footage against the witness and gardaí believe the video was filmed in a prison in Dublin using a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect the video was circulated in a bid to intimidate the witness and to derail , and possibly collapse , the trial .
An investigation into the matter , which was not known to the jury members , was begun before the trial concluded and part of that criminal inquiry is also investigating the illegal use of a mobile phone in a prison setting .
The investigation is being carried out by members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation ( GNBCI ) and on Thursday detectives attached to the Serious Crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureau , arrested four people .
The suspects were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and were being held at Ballymun , Mountjoy , the Bridewell and Raheny Garda stations in north Dublin .
The Irish Times understands at least two of the men were arrested in prison .
One of the men is in his 30s and is linked to the Kinahan cartel .
That man is currently serving a lengthy sentence on drug and gun charges .
He was previously questioned about the murder of drugs gang leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was shot dead in April , 2010 .
One of the other men is in his 20s and is from north Dublin but is linked to a drugs and armed robbery gang in the north inner city .
He has convictions for gun crime and has served a number of prison sentences .
Co Armagh man Brady was convicted on August 12th of the capital murder of Det Garda Donohoe by a majority verdict and is due back before the Central Criminal Court next Wednesday , October 14th , for sentencing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ father of one , must be given a term of 40 years for the crime of capital murder when he is sentenced next week .
Det Garda Donohoe , a 41-year-old married father of two , was shot dead shortly after arriving at Lordship Credit Union , Bellurgan , Co Louth , on the night of Friday , January 25th , 2013 .
He and his colleague , Det Garda Joe Ryan , were providing an armed escort for Credit Union staff taking money to a night safe .
Brady , from Crossmaglen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laying in wait in the credit union car park to steal the cash .
Four of the gang members emerged from behind a wall in the car park and Brady ran at Det Garda Donohoe , fatally shooting him .
As well as finding him guilty of capital murder , the jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted Brady for his role in the robbery .
After the murder , Brady fled to the US .
He was arrested in New York in May 2017 .
Brady was deported to Ireland days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a series of offences committed in Dundalk , Co Louth , in October 2012 , including dangerous driving and criminal damage .
He was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty .
By the time that sentence was served he had been charged with the murder of Det Garda Donohoe and remained in prison on remand awaiting his trial , which began in January .
Attempted intimidation of witnesses was a significant factor during the Brady trial .
The prosecution said it was aware of “ very serious ” but unsuccessful attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of the witness making a statement to gardaí implicating Brady was shared widely on social media .
The trial judge , Mr Justice Michael White , described it as “ the most outrageous contempt of court ” he had ever seen .

Aaron Brady (29) must be given a term of 40 years for the crime of capital murder when he is sentenced next week. Photograph: Collins
Gardaí have arrested four suspects as part of an investigation into alleged witness intimidation and perverting the course of justice in the case of Aaron Brady who was convicted in August of the capital murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe.
During the murder trial a video was taken on a mobile phone of a witness statement that was included in the book of evidence, with the footage posted on social media.
Written threats were also added to the video footage against the witness and gardaí believe the video was filmed in a prison in Dublin using a smuggled in mobile phone. Gardaí also suspect the video was circulated in a bid to intimidate the witness and to derail, and possibly collapse, the trial.
An investigation into the matter, which was not known to the jury members, was begun before the trial concluded and part of that criminal inquiry is also investigating the illegal use of a mobile phone in a prison setting.
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The investigation is being carried out by members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and on Thursday detectives attached to the Serious Crime Review Team, which is within the bureau, arrested four people.
The suspects were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and were being held at Ballymun, Mountjoy, the Bridewell and Raheny Garda stations in north Dublin.
The Irish Times understands at least two of the men were arrested in prison. One of the men is in his 30s and is linked to the Kinahan cartel.
That man is currently serving a lengthy sentence on drug and gun charges. He was previously questioned about the murder of drugs gang leader Eamon Dunne, Finglas, Dublin, who was shot dead in April, 2010.
One of the other men is in his 20s and is from north Dublin but is linked to a drugs and armed robbery gang in the north inner city. He has convictions for gun crime and has served a number of prison sentences.
Co Armagh man Brady was convicted on August 12th of the capital murder of Det Garda Donohoe by a majority verdict and is due back before the Central Criminal Court next Wednesday, October 14th, for sentencing.
Brady (29), a married father of one, must be given a term of 40 years for the crime of capital murder when he is sentenced next week.
Det Garda Donohoe, a 41-year-old married father of two, was shot dead shortly after arriving at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth, on the night of Friday, January 25th, 2013.
He and his colleague, Det Garda Joe Ryan, were providing an armed escort for Credit Union staff taking money to a night safe.
Brady, from Crossmaglen, was part of a five-man gang laying in wait in the credit union car park to steal the cash. Four of the gang members emerged from behind a wall in the car park and Brady ran at Det Garda Donohoe, fatally shooting him.
As well as finding him guilty of capital murder, the jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted Brady for his role in the robbery. After the murder, Brady fled to the US. He was arrested in New York in May 2017.
Brady was deported to Ireland days later and once back in Ireland was convicted of a series of offences committed in Dundalk, Co Louth, in October 2012, including dangerous driving and criminal damage. He was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty.
By the time that sentence was served he had been charged with the murder of Det Garda Donohoe and remained in prison on remand awaiting his trial, which began in January.
Attempted intimidation of witnesses was a significant factor during the Brady trial. The prosecution said it was aware of “very serious” but unsuccessful attempts to intimidate its key witness.
The video of the witness making a statement to gardaí implicating Brady was shared widely on social media.
The trial judge, Mr Justice Michael White, described it as “the most outrageous contempt of court” he had ever seen.


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Woman charged over money laundering at charity Console

The widow of the late founder of suicide prevention charity Console has appeared in court charged with fraudulent trading and money laundering over a 10 year period .
The case of Patricia Kelly ( 59 ) was mentioned briefly in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday .
Ms Kelly , of Alexandra Manor , Clane , Co Kildare , is the widow of the charity ’ s former chief executive Paul Kelly , who died earlier this year .
Defence barrister Caroline Cummings BL , led by Kerida Naidoo SC , requested an arraignment date for her client .
Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2nd .
Ms Kelly did not speak during the brief hearing except to confirm she was in attendance .
She is charged with two counts of fraudulent trading and one count of money laundering on dates between December 2006 and July 2016 .
On the first count she is charged that between December 6th , 2006 and May 31st , 2015 , she was knowingly a party to the carrying on of a business — Console Suicide Bereavement Counselling Ltd — for fraudulent purpose ; namely the misuse of the company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the objectives of the company .
The second count relates to the same charge on dates between June 1st , 2015 and July 14th , 2016 .
Ms Kelly is further charged with one count of money laundering , namely that between September 1st , 2010 and July 1st , 2016 , she concealed the true nature , source , location , disposition , movement or ownership of property of Console Ltd or behaved or was reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the court heard .

A file photograph of Patricia Kelly, who has appeared in court charged with fraudulent trading and money laundering over a 10 year period. File photogtraph: Collins Courts.
The widow of the late founder of suicide prevention charity Console has appeared in court charged with fraudulent trading and money laundering over a 10 year period.
The case of Patricia Kelly (59) was mentioned briefly in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday.
Ms Kelly, of Alexandra Manor, Clane, Co Kildare, is the widow of the charity’s former chief executive Paul Kelly, who died earlier this year.
The court heard Patrick Gageby SC, will be defending Ms Kelly. An arraignment date was requested and Judge Martin Nolan set a date of December 2nd.
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Ms Kelly did not speak during the brief hearing except to confirm she was in attendance. She is charged with two counts of fraudulent trading and one count of money laundering on dates between December 2006 and July 2016.
Misuse
On the first count she is charged that between December 6th, 2006 and May 31st, 2015, she was knowingly a party to the carrying on of a business — Console Suicide Bereavement Counselling Ltd — for fraudulent purpose; namely the misuse of the company’s property which was intended to be applied to the objectives of the company.
The second count relates to the same charge on dates between June 1st, 2015 and July 14th, 2016.
Ms Kelly is further charged with one count of money laundering, namely that between September 1st, 2010 and July 1st, 2016, she concealed the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of property of Console Ltd or behaved or was reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Kerida Naidoo SC will prosecute the case, the court heard.


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Patrick Quirke’s appeal of murder conviction to begin on Tuesday

Patrick Quirke ’ s appeal against his conviction for the murder of part-time DJ Bobby Ryan has involved the preparation of 5,500 pages of transcripts from the trial , the Court of Appeal has heard .
Mr Justice George Birmingham said the court was yet to receive a hard copy of the documents from the Director of Public Prosecutions but that these would probably arrive during the day .
“ It ’ s less than ideal and I can ’ t say with certainty that it ’ s still all systems go , ” the judge said .
Quirke ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tipperary , denied murdering Mr Ryan ( 52 ) , a part-time DJ going by the name ‘ Mr Moonlight ’ , who went missing on June 3rd , 2011 after leaving his girlfriend Mary Lowry ’ s house at about 6.30am .
His body was subsequently found in an underground run-off tank on the farm owned by Ms Lowry and leased by Quirke at Fawnagown in April 2013 .
It was the prosecution ’ s case that Quirke murdered Mr Ryan so he could rekindle an affair with Ms Lowry and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mr Ryan ’ s body after Ms Lowry tried to terminate his lease at Fawnagowan .
Quirke ’ s lawyers contended that the prosecution had failed to prove their case beyond mere suspicion .
They pointed to “ inconsistencies ” in Ms Lowry ’ s evidence , and claimed she was “ not a reliable witness ” .
A jury at the Central Criminal al Court found Quirke guilty of Mr Ryan ’ s murder by a 10-2 majority verdict after deliberating for almost 21 hours following a trial that lasted 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandatory life sentence by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon .
Regarding a request for four days to be set aside for Quirke ’ s appeal , Ms Justice Birmingham said that “ having started reading I now have a clear sense why such a lengthy period has been requested ” .
The judge said three days had been set aside and a further day could also be made available .
Free legal aid has been approved and Quirke ’ s appeal is to begin on Tuesday .
Michael Bowman SC , for the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hard copy .
He added that the transcript ran to “ 5,500 pages ” and that there was also a summary of witness testimony from witness Mary Lowry .
Bernard Condon , counsel for Quirke , said that he would talk to Mr Bowman to see if the appeal could be done inside the three days , adding that they would know better on Tuesday .

Patrick Quirke (50), of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, was convicted of the murder of Bobby Ryan. Photograph: Collins Courts.
Patrick Quirke’s appeal against his conviction for the murder of part-time DJ Bobby Ryan has involved the preparation of 5,500 pages of transcripts from the trial, the Court of Appeal has heard.
Mr Justice George Birmingham said the court was yet to receive a hard copy of the documents from the Director of Public Prosecutions but that these would probably arrive during the day.
“It’s less than ideal and I can’t say with certainty that it’s still all systems go,” the judge said.
It was the prosecution’s case that Patrick Quirke murdered Bobby Ryan so he could rekindle an affair with Mary Lowry (pictured). File photograph: Collins Courts.
Quirke (50), of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, denied murdering Mr Ryan (52), a part-time DJ going by the name ‘Mr Moonlight’, who went missing on June 3rd, 2011 after leaving his girlfriend Mary Lowry’s house at about 6.30am.
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His body was subsequently found in an underground run-off tank on the farm owned by Ms Lowry and leased by Quirke at Fawnagown in April 2013.
It was the prosecution’s case that Quirke murdered Mr Ryan so he could rekindle an affair with Ms Lowry and that he subsequently “staged” the discovery of Mr Ryan’s body after Ms Lowry tried to terminate his lease at Fawnagowan.
Quirke’s lawyers contended that the prosecution had failed to prove their case beyond mere suspicion. They pointed to “inconsistencies” in Ms Lowry’s evidence, and claimed she was “not a reliable witness”.
Majority verdict
A jury at the Central Criminal Court found Quirke guilty of Mr Ryan’s murder by a 10-2 majority verdict after deliberating for almost 21 hours following a trial that lasted 13 weeks. The farmer was given a mandatory life sentence by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
Regarding a request for four days to be set aside for Quirke’s appeal, Mr Justice Birmingham said that “having started reading I now have a clear sense why such a lengthy period has been requested”.
The judge said three days had been set aside and a further day could also be made available. Free legal aid has been approved and Quirke’s appeal is to begin on Tuesday.
Michael Bowman SC, for the State, apologised for the delay in providing a hard copy. He added that the transcript ran to “5,500 pages” and that there was also a summary of witness testimony from witness Mary Lowry.
Bernard Condon, counsel for Quirke, said that he would talk to Mr Bowman to see if the appeal could be done inside the three days, adding that they would know better on Tuesday.


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Over half of Covid-19 cases now linked to outbreaks, CSO says

More than half of confirmed cases of Covid-19 are now linked to an outbreak – which is defined as two or more cases in the same location and time – with private homes accounting for 61 per cent of outbreak-linked cases for the last seven weeks , new figures show .
Data from the Central Statistics Office ( CSO ) , as part of its Covid-19 deaths and cases series , showed there were 2,440 cases last week , up 66 on the previous week .
The number of confirmed cases has been more than 2,000 for the past three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data also showed that Dublin accounted for a third ( 805 ) of all new cases for the week ending October 2nd .
It was the fourth week in a row that Dublin had more than 800 weekly cases and the sixth week in a row that all counties have recorded new cases of the virus .
Women still make up the majority of confirmed cases , but in recent months this difference has lessened with men accounting for 52 per cent of cases in August and 49 per cent of all cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since the beginning of the pandemic , some 21,062 positive Covid-19 cases have been linked to an outbreak , which is defined as two or more cases in the same location and time .
Women account for 53 per cent of all cases linked to an outbreak and the median age is 45 .
However , for the week ending October 2nd , 87 per cent of cases linked to an outbreak were found in people under 44 years old .
Last week , 72 people were hospitalised with Covid-19 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people hospitalised has increased .
The total number of people who have died from Covid-19 is 1,572 , with a further 229 deaths cited as probable deaths linked to the virus .
Eight Covid-related deaths were recorded last week .
The virus continues to hit the older age groups the hardest , with 64 per cent of all confirmed Covid-19 deaths to date in the 80 years old or older age group .
Around 1,494 of the Covid-19 deaths happened to people with underlying conditions .
Of the 125 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underlying conditions .
Chronic heart disease was present in 44 per cent of deaths .
The average number of contacts per positive case per week is five in the week ending September 25th , down from six two weeks ago .
The number of contacts in the 15-24 age group has decreased to six contacts per case in September from just over 10 in August .
Weekly testing numbers from HSE labs and hospitals show that testing hit its highest level of 90,697 tests in week ending September 25th , falling to 86,669 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case test positivity rate last week was 3.2 per cent up from 2.5 per cent the previous week .

More than half of confirmed cases of Covid-19 are now linked to an outbreak – which is defined as two or more cases in the same location and time – with private homes accounting for 61 per cent of outbreak-linked cases for the last seven weeks, new figures show.
Data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as part of its Covid-19 deaths and cases series, showed there were 2,440 cases last week, up 66 on the previous week.
The number of confirmed cases has been more than 2,000 for the past three weeks, the CSO said. The data also showed that Dublin accounted for a third (805) of all new cases for the week ending October 2nd.
Hospital Report
It was the fourth week in a row that Dublin had more than 800 weekly cases and the sixth week in a row that all counties have recorded new cases of the virus.
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Women still make up the majority of confirmed cases, but in recent months this difference has lessened with men accounting for 52 per cent of cases in August and 49 per cent of all cases in September, the CSO analysis states.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, some 21,062 positive Covid-19 cases have been linked to an outbreak, which is defined as two or more cases in the same location and time.
Women account for 53 per cent of all cases linked to an outbreak and the median age is 45. However, for the week ending October 2nd, 87 per cent of cases linked to an outbreak were found in people under 44 years old.
Last week, 72 people were hospitalised with Covid-19, the second week in a row that the number of people hospitalised has increased.
The total number of people who have died from Covid-19 is 1,572, with a further 229 deaths cited as probable deaths linked to the virus. Eight Covid-related deaths were recorded last week.
The virus continues to hit the older age groups the hardest, with 64 per cent of all confirmed Covid-19 deaths to date in the 80 years old or older age group.
Around 1,494 of the Covid-19 deaths happened to people with underlying conditions. Of the 125 deaths in the 25-64 age group, 109 had underlying conditions. Chronic heart disease was present in 44 per cent of deaths.
The average number of contacts per positive case per week is five in the week ending September 25th, down from six two weeks ago. The number of contacts in the 15-24 age group has decreased to six contacts per case in September from just over 10 in August.
Weekly testing numbers from HSE labs and hospitals show that testing hit its highest level of 90,697 tests in week ending September 25th, falling to 86,669 in the week ending October 2nd.
The case test positivity rate last week was 3.2 per cent up from 2.5 per cent the previous week.


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Kilkenny family wins €5.4 million with Lotto numbers used for over 25 years

A large family in Co Kilkenny has become Ireland ’ s newest Lotto multi-millionaires after winning an almost €5.4 million jackpot in late September .
The family , who wish to keep their win private , claimed their prize through an approved postal claims process which has been introduced by the National Lottery due to the on-going pandemic .
The Kilkenny dad , who heads-up his family ’ s Lotto syndicate , realised they had won when he saw the winning numbers in a newspaper .
The draw was held on September 23rd .
“ We have been playing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years so I could spot them from a mile off .
I was queuing up in the shop when I spotted them out of the corner of my eye on the top of one of the newspapers , ” he said .
“ It was that exact moment , I instantly knew that we had won over five million without even having to check the ticket.
” The man returned home to tell his family , who thought he had bad news .
“ Anybody who has ever played the Lotto will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break the news of a major win to your family and it was honestly everything like how I imagined it would be , ” he explained .
“ When I got through the door at home , I told them that I had something important to tell them and by the looks on their faces , I knew they were expecting some bad news .
He added : “ Once I blurted it out , we honestly fell around the floor laughing and we haven ’ t been able to stop smiling since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us and we are going to enjoy absolutely every penny of this win as a family.
” The winning ticket was purchased at DeLoughry ’ s Gala store on the outskirts of Kilkenny city on the day of the draw , making it the 25th Lotto jackpot to be won in Kilkenny since the Lotto game began in 1988 , totalling more than €34.7 million .
After two weeks of quiet celebrations , the Kilkenny family said they will knuckle down and start making serious plans to make the most of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the financial hardship of the pandemic .
“ We ’ ve had just over two weeks to let the win sink in but now we can start making real plans for our winnings now that we have the cheque in our hands , ” the man said .
“ We won ’ t be rushing into any silly spending sprees with new cars or any of that but the one thing we have all been looking forward to is visiting our own individual banks to pay off our mortgages .
There really is @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A large family in Co Kilkenny has become Ireland’s newest Lotto multi-millionaires after winning an almost €5.4 million jackpot in late September.
The family, who wish to keep their win private, claimed their prize through an approved postal claims process which has been introduced by the National Lottery due to the on-going pandemic.
The Kilkenny dad, who heads-up his family’s Lotto syndicate, realised they had won when he saw the winning numbers in a newspaper. The draw was held on September 23rd.
“We have been playing the exact same Lotto numbers for over 25 years so I could spot them from a mile off. I was queuing up in the shop when I spotted them out of the corner of my eye on the top of one of the newspapers,” he said.
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“It was that exact moment, I instantly knew that we had won over five million without even having to check the ticket.”
The man returned home to tell his family, who thought he had bad news.
“Anybody who has ever played the Lotto will have fantasised about the first time that you break the news of a major win to your family and it was honestly everything like how I imagined it would be,” he explained.
“When I got through the door at home, I told them that I had something important to tell them and by the looks on their faces, I knew they were expecting some bad news.
He added: “Once I blurted it out, we honestly fell around the floor laughing and we haven’t been able to stop smiling since. It really is life-changing for all of us and we are going to enjoy absolutely every penny of this win as a family.”
The winning ticket was purchased at DeLoughry’s Gala store on the outskirts of Kilkenny city on the day of the draw, making it the 25th Lotto jackpot to be won in Kilkenny since the Lotto game began in 1988, totalling more than €34.7 million.
After two weeks of quiet celebrations, the Kilkenny family said they will knuckle down and start making serious plans to make the most of their newfound fortune, particularly in light of the financial hardship of the pandemic.
“We’ve had just over two weeks to let the win sink in but now we can start making real plans for our winnings now that we have the cheque in our hands,” the man said.
“We won’t be rushing into any silly spending sprees with new cars or any of that but the one thing we have all been looking forward to is visiting our own individual banks to pay off our mortgages. There really is no better feeling than that.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Date set for O’Doherty and Waters appeal over refused Covid-19 law challenge

An appeal by activists Gemma O ’ Doherty and John Waters against a refusal to allow them to challenge the constitutionality of laws introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be heard in January .
The appeal is against the High Court ’ s refusal to permit the two to bring their challenge and its award of costs of that hearing against them .
Ms Justice Caroline Costello , of the Court of Appeal , dealt on Friday , via remote video conference hearing , with a directions hearing in relation to the appeal .
Having consulted with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the appeal , which is expected to last a day .
Ms O ’ Doherty , who appeared with Mr Waters via video link , said the matter is urgent and affects every citizen living in the State who , she said , are threatened with arrest if they leave their counties , along with fines and Garda checkpoints .
The World Health Organisation had “ effectively said ” in the last two days this virus “ has not yet been proven to exist ” and is “ less serious than the average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s economy is being destroyed , she said .
She added that she and Mr Waters objected to the directions hearing being held via video conference , saying that did not meet the constitutional requirement for justice to be heard in public .
The courts “ have prejudiced themselves unwittingly ” , she said .
To meet the constitutional requirement , the appeal must be heard in a public courtroom with members of the public being permitted enter without Garda interference , she said .
Ms Justice Costello said she was not dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the appeal hearing and noted 46 people had linked into the remote hearing .
Ms O ’ Doherty said that did not amount to a public hearing and remarked there were no media present .
The court registrar , Padraig McCrystal , said an Irish Times journalist was in the courtroom to report on the remote hearing , on behalf of the pool of court reporters .
In judicial review proceedings against the State and the Minister for Health , with the Dáil , Seanad and Ceann Comhairle as notice parties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislative measures declared unconstitutional and flawed .
Ms O ’ Doherty and Mr Waters , who represented themselves , sought to challenge legislation including the 2020 Health Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act ; the 2020 Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act Covid-19 Act and the 1947 Health Act ( Affected Areas ) Order .
They claimed the laws , and the manner in which they were enacted , are repugnant to several articles of the Constitution including those concerning the rights to travel , bodily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an “ unprecedented suspension ” of constitutional rights .
In his judgment last May refusing leave for judicial review , Mr Justice Charles Meenan said their claims were not arguable and they had not provided any expert evidence or facts to support their view the laws were disproportionate or unconstitutional .
The applicants , who had “ no medical or scientific qualifications or expertise ” , had “ relied on their own unsubstantiated views , gave speeches , engaged in empty rhetoric and sought to draw parallels to Nazi Germany which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Unsubstantiated opinions , speeches , empty rhetoric and a bogus historical parallel are not a substitute for facts.
” The manner in which the Houses of the Oireachtas dealt with the laws , introduced by a caretaker government and voted on by an incoming Dáil and outgoing Seanad , was not something a court could interfere with , he said .
The laws are constitutionally permissible , he held .
The proceedings should have been brought via plenary hearing , involving hearing oral evidence , and not judicial review , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing commenced on Friday , the appellants raised issues with the registrar about live streaming it but were told that could not be done .
A number of supporters of the appellants who attended at the Four Courts objected to Covid-19 restrictions on the numbers who could enter the courtroom where the hearing could be viewed .

An appeal by activists Gemma O’Doherty and John Waters against a refusal to allow them to challenge the constitutionality of laws introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be heard in January. File photograph: Collins Courts.
An appeal by activists Gemma O’Doherty and John Waters against a refusal to allow them to challenge the constitutionality of laws introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be heard in January.
The appeal is against the High Court’s refusal to permit the two to bring their challenge and its award of costs of that hearing against them.
Ms Justice Caroline Costello, of the Court of Appeal, dealt on Friday, via remote video conference hearing, with a directions hearing in relation to the appeal. Having consulted with the sides, she fixed January 20th for the appeal, which is expected to last a day.
Ms O’Doherty, who appeared with Mr Waters via video link, said the matter is urgent and affects every citizen living in the State who, she said, are threatened with arrest if they leave their counties, along with fines and Garda checkpoints.
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The World Health Organisation had “effectively said” in the last two days this virus “has not yet been proven to exist” and is “less serious than the average seasonal flu” but the country’s economy is being destroyed, she said.
‘Prejudiced’
She added that she and Mr Waters objected to the directions hearing being held via video conference, saying that did not meet the constitutional requirement for justice to be heard in public. The courts “have prejudiced themselves unwittingly”, she said.
To meet the constitutional requirement, the appeal must be heard in a public courtroom with members of the public being permitted enter without Garda interference, she said.
Ms Justice Costello said she was not dealing now with the issue of the form of the appeal hearing and noted 46 people had linked into the remote hearing.
Ms O’Doherty said that did not amount to a public hearing and remarked there were no media present. The court registrar, Padraig MacCriostail, said an Irish Times journalist was in the courtroom to report on the remote hearing, on behalf of the pool of court reporters.
In judicial review proceedings against the State and the Minister for Health, with the Dáil, Seanad and Ceann Comhairle as notice parties, the appellants had sought to have various legislative measures declared unconstitutional and flawed.
Ms O’Doherty and Mr Waters, who represented themselves, sought to challenge legislation including the 2020 Health Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act; the 2020 Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act Covid-19 Act and the 1947 Health Act (Affected Areas) Order.
They claimed the laws, and the manner in which they were enacted, are repugnant to several articles of the Constitution including those concerning the rights to travel, bodily integrity and the family, and amounted to an “unprecedented suspension” of constitutional rights.
In his judgment last May refusing leave for judicial review, Mr Justice Charles Meenan said their claims were not arguable and they had not provided any expert evidence or facts to support their view the laws were disproportionate or unconstitutional.
‘Empty rhetoric’
The applicants, who had “no medical or scientific qualifications or expertise”, had “relied on their own unsubstantiated views, gave speeches, engaged in empty rhetoric and sought to draw parallels to Nazi Germany which is both absurd and offensive”, he said.
“Unsubstantiated opinions, speeches, empty rhetoric and a bogus historical parallel are not a substitute for facts.”
The manner in which the Houses of the Oireachtas dealt with the laws, introduced by a caretaker government and voted on by an incoming Dáil and outgoing Seanad, was not something a court could interfere with, he said.
The laws are constitutionally permissible, he held.
The proceedings should have been brought via plenary hearing, involving hearing oral evidence, and not judicial review, he also held.
Before the remote hearing commenced on Friday, the appellants raised issues with the registrar about live streaming it but were told that could not be done.
A number of supporters of the appellants who attended at the Four Courts objected to Covid-19 restrictions on the numbers who could enter the courtroom where the hearing could be viewed.


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Regulator appoints inspectors to investigate charity Bóthar

The Charities Regulator has appointed inspectors to carry out a statutory investigation into the charity Bóthar that gifts livestock to communities in developing countries .
Concerns were raised with the regulator about the Limerick-based charity in late 2019 and Bóthar was contacted early this year and has been engaging with the charity since then .
It is believed that the investigation relates to governance issues at the charity .
“ While the Charities Regulator acknowledges Bóthar ’ s engagement with it on the concerns raised , the Charities Regulator has determined that a statutory investigation into the charity is warranted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief executive Helen Martin .
The inspectors will investigate the affairs of the charity and will report on its findings .
The regulator noted that the opening of a statutory investigation “ is not in itself a finding of any wrongdoing.
” Bóthar has been contacted seeking a comment on the investigation .
This is the seventh time that the regulator has appointed inspectors to investigate a charity .
Bóthar was established in Limerick in 1989 to send dairy cows to communities in Africa and has since grown to gifting goats , pigs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the developing world , working on livestock projects in countries such as Zambia , Rwanda , Malawi , Nepal , Albania and Kosovo .
The charity aims to help poverty-stricken families with income-producing livestock .
In the most recent annual reports filed with the regulator , the charity had gross income of €6,062938 million in the year to June 2019 and total expenditure of €6,090,914 .
The average number of employees at the charity was in the 10-19 range .

Bóthar was established in Limerick in 1989 to send dairy cows to communities in Africa and has since grown to gifting goats, pigs, poultry, rabbits and bees to the developing world. File photograph: Getty
The Charities Regulator has appointed inspectors to carry out a statutory investigation into the charity Bóthar that gifts livestock to communities in developing countries.
Concerns were raised with the regulator about the Limerick-based charity in late 2019 and Bóthar was contacted early this year and has been engaging with the charity since then.
It is believed that the investigation relates to governance issues at the charity.
"While the Charities Regulator acknowledges Bóthar's engagement with it on the concerns raised, the Charities Regulator has determined that a statutory investigation into the charity is warranted," said the regulator's chief executive Helen Martin.
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The inspectors will investigate the affairs of the charity and will report on its findings.
The regulator noted that the opening of a statutory investigation “is not in itself a finding of any wrongdoing.”
Bóthar said that it would “fully cooperate with the regulator and its inspectors on this matter and awaits the finalisation of the report and its findings at the earliest opportunity”.
This is the seventh time that the regulator has appointed inspectors to investigate a charity.
Bóthar was established in Limerick in 1989 to send dairy cows to communities in Africa and has since grown to gifting goats, pigs, poultry, rabbits and bees to the developing world, working on livestock projects in countries such as Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, Nepal, Albania and Kosovo.
The charity aims to help poverty-stricken families with income-producing livestock.
In the most recent annual reports filed with the regulator, the charity had gross income of €6,062938 million in the year to June 2019 and total expenditure of €6,090,914.
The average number of employees at the charity was in the 10-19 range.


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Covid-19: Michelle O’Neill ‘self-isolating’ after family member tests positive

Northern Ireland ’ s deputy first minister Michelle O ’ Neill is “ self-isolating ” after a close family member tested positive for Covid-19 .
The Sinn Féin vice president , who is being tested herself , will have to restrict her movement for two weeks and work remotely .
The confirmed case would only have potential consequences for Ms O ’ Neill ’ s Stormont colleagues if she tests positive for the disease .
A Sinn Féin spokesman said : “ Joint head of government Michelle O ’ Neill has confirmed that she is being tested for coronavirus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member who has tested positive for Covid-19 .
“ Michelle will continue to follow the public health advice and carry out her duties in Government remotely.
” New figures show that four Covid-19 deaths occurred in the latest week analysed by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency ( Nisra ) , which reports with a one week lag .
It put the North ’ s Covid-19 death toll at the end of last week at 906 .
The four deaths occurred in the week of September 26th to October 2nd .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Department of Health stood at 583 on October 2nd .
The Nisra data gives a broader picture of Covid-19 fatalities than the figures released on a daily basis by the department .
The department ’ s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who have tested positive for Covid-19 .
Nisra obtains its data from death certificates in which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional , regardless of where the death took place .
The person may or may not have tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded by Nisra by October 2nd , 488 ( 53.9 per cent ) occurred in hospital , 356 ( 39.3 per cent ) in care homes , eight ( 0.9 per cent ) in hospices and 54 ( 6 per cent ) at residential addresses or other locations .
The 364 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 85 separate establishments .
Nisra also provides an analysis around the total number of care home residents who have died , whether in their home or in hospital , having been transferred for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deaths of 437 care home residents were linked to coronavirus , 81 of which occurred in hospital .
Care home residents make up about 48 per cent of all deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland .
- PA

Northern Ireland’s Minister for Health warned on Friday that further restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus could soon be necessary after more than 1,000 more people tested positive for the virus.
Figures released by the Northern Ireland Department of Health showed 1,080 new cases of the virus were identified in the 24 hours to Friday, the largest daily increase since the pandemic began.
Robin Swann said the situation was "grave and getting more so on a daily, if not hourly, basis" and he was advised that "further restrictions for Northern Ireland are likely to be required in the very near future, in the event of positive cases continuing their current upward trajectory".
These, he said, would be “necessary to reduce hospitalisations and loss of life and to protect our health and social care system from being overwhelmed”.
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In the last seven days, 5,272 new cases of the virus have been confirmed in the North, with the total number of cases rising to 18,190.
Infection
In Derry and Strabane, Co Tyrone, where restrictions similar to the Republic's Level 3 were introduced on Monday in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, the rate of infection over the last seven days has risen to 834 per 100,000 of population.
The North’s hospitals are now treating 132 patients with the virus, with 16 in intensive care.
No new virus-related fatalities were announced, leaving the total number of deaths recorded by the department at 587.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is to receive an additional £200 million (€220 million) from the UK treasury to help support businesses through coronavirus. The North will also benefit from the expansion of the UK’s job support scheme, which will pay two-thirds of the wages of employees at firms which are forced to close because of coronavirus restrictions.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, as well as the North's Ministers, had previously told the UK government additional financial backing was needed if Northern Ireland – which has limited fiscal powers – was to introduce further coronavirus measures.
This financial injection could pave the way for the restrictions in force in Derry and Strabane to be extended to other areas which are also experiencing significant numbers of cases, such as Belfast, Newry Mourne and Down and Mid-Ulster.
The chief medical officers from North and South spoke on Friday amid increasing concerns about the impact of the Border on infection rates.
Mr Coveney told RTÉ he hoped politicians from the Republic and Northern Ireland would come together to address this in the days ahead.
“We cannot have a situation where there is a significant disparity in terms of the pace of spread in one jurisdiction right next door to another . . . we do need a collective response here,” he said.
Tested positive
Meanwhile, the North’s Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill is self-isolating after a close family member tested positive for the virus.
The Sinn Féin vice president is being tested for the virus and will have to restrict her movements for two weeks and work remotely from her Co Tyrone home.
“Michelle will continue to follow the public health advice and carry out her duties in Government remotely,” a Sinn Féin spokesman said.
New figures show that four coronavirus deaths occurred in the latest week analysed by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), which reports with a one week lag. It put the North's coronavirus death toll at the end of last week at 906.
The four deaths occurred in the week of September 26th to October 2nd. The comparative total number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health stood at 583 on October 2nd.
The Nisra data gives a broader picture of coronavirus fatalities than the figures released on a daily basis by the department. The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who have tested positive for the virus.
Nisra obtains its data from death certificates in which coronavirus is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place. The person may or may not have tested positive for the virus.
Of the 906 deaths recorded by Nisra by October 2nd, 488 (53.9 per cent) occurred in hospital, 356 (39.3 per cent) in care homes, eight (0.9 per cent) in hospices and 54 (6 per cent) at residential addresses or other locations.
The 364 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 85 separate establishments.
Nisra also provides an analysis around the total number of care home residents who have died, whether in their home or in hospital, having been transferred for treatment. Up to October 2nd, the deaths of 437 care home residents were linked to the virus, 81 of which occurred in hospital.
Care home residents make up about 48 per cent of all deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.
Additional reporting – PA


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Young people ‘need higher PUP rate, jobs support package’

The Government must restore young people to the higher pandemic unemployment payment ( PUP ) rate or deliver a “ massive ” jobs support package for them in the budget , the National Youth Council of Ireland ( NYCI ) has said .
The measures are needed to address the 36.5 per cent youth unemployment rate , it said .
Almost a third of young people under 25 are now on the lowest rate of the PUP ( €203 ) compared to a fifth of recipients over 25 , according to analysis undertaken by the NYCI of data provided by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protection .
Overall , almost six out of 10 young people under 25 are on the two lower rates of €203 and €250 .
Almost two-thirds of older workers are on the highest rate of €300 .
James Doorley , deputy director of the NYCI , said it is calling on the Government to either “ restore all those who lost their job as a result of the pandemic to the highest rates or alternatively deliver a massive injection of funds in education , training and access to apprenticeships in Budget 2021 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the employment and future career prospects of young people ” .
“ With 36.5 per cent youth unemployment , young people comprising 21 per cent of those on the PUP , a further 28,777 young people on the live register , the pandemic has hit the employment prospects of young people hard , ” he said .
Mr Doorley said young people are facing into a “ grim period ” in terms of employment with “ the traditional option of emigration now also largely closed off ” .
“ It is vital that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their jobs in March – and who are unlikely to return to those old positions – opportunities and supports to enhance their skills , retrain and look at new and alternative career options , ” he added .
“ We can not afford to abandon them to the corrosive social virus of long-term unemployment .
”

‘Almost a third’ of young people under 25 are now on the lowest rate of the PUP
The Government must restore young people to the higher pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) rate or deliver a “massive” jobs support package for them in the budget, the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) has said.
The measures are needed to address the 36.5 per cent youth unemployment rate, it said.
Almost a third of young people under 25 are now on the lowest rate of the PUP (€203) compared to a fifth of recipients over 25, according to analysis undertaken by the NYCI of data provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
Overall, almost six out of 10 young people under 25 are on the two lower rates of €203 and €250. Almost two-thirds of older workers are on the highest rate of €300.
READ MORE
James Doorley, deputy director of the NYCI, said it is calling on the Government to either "restore all those who lost their job as a result of the pandemic to the highest rates or alternatively deliver a massive injection of funds in education, training and access to apprenticeships in Budget 2021 to counteract the impact of the pandemic on the employment and future career prospects of young people".
“With 36.5 per cent youth unemployment, young people comprising 21 per cent of those on the PUP, a further 28,777 young people on the live register, the pandemic has hit the employment prospects of young people hard,” he said.
Mr Doorley said young people are facing into a “grim period” in terms of employment with “the traditional option of emigration now also largely closed off”.
“It is vital that we provide the young people who lost their jobs in March – and who are unlikely to return to those old positions – opportunities and supports to enhance their skills, retrain and look at new and alternative career options,” he added.
“We cannot afford to abandon them to the corrosive social virus of long-term unemployment.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Covid lessons should be used to tackle inequality, climate change says President

Citizens from across the globe should use the lessons of the Covid-19 crisis as an opportunity to tackle inequality , climate change and capitalism , President Michael D Higgins has said .
Addressing the OECD Confronting Planetary Emergencies conference on Friday , President Higgins said it is “ no longer sufficient ” to describe systemic failure and that we now “ must have the courage to speak out and work for the alternatives ” .
In his address , delivered online , he said Covid-19 has magnified the “ imbalances , inequities and injustices ” within society .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of our citizens and their families are only ever one wage payment away from hardship ; how the self-employed or workers in the so-called ‘ gig ’ economy lack security and are often impeded from access to basic employment rights ; how private tenants in under-regulated housing markets are at the mercy of their landlords , how many designated ‘ key workers ’ , those providing essential services , are shamefully undervalued and underpaid , ” he said .
The President said it is necessary to look beyond growth to measure economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some economists on gross domestic product means it is maximised at “ whatever cost to social cohesion and without any due regard to inequality or adverse ecological impacts ” .
President Higgins said the world has now reached a point of multiple crises : democratic , economic , social , and ecological .
He has called for a new paradigm , which has a focus on ecological responsibility .
“ New ideas are , thus , now required and , even more , their communication to citizens – ideas based on equality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sufficiency , sustainability , ” the President said .
He added that the pandemic provides policymakers with an opportunity to do things better .
“ This crisis will pass , but there will be other viruses and other crises .
We can not let ourselves be left in the same vulnerable position again , ” he said .
“ We have , yet again , learned lessons in relation to healthcare and equity , in relation to what is essential in terms of income and the necessities of life.
” The President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be addressed , and that it is a “ shared challenge ” among the nations .
“ What is a further , real basis for hope is that , within such a framework , it is possible to respond concurrently to the pandemic , climate change , the impact of digitalisation , inequality and what I refer to as ‘ the unaccountable ’ which threatens democracy itself , ” he said .
“ The ‘ unaccountable ’ – speculative flows of insatiable capital , a global , unregulated , financialised version of economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the greatest source of an inevitable conflict , and the greatest obstacle to us achieving an end to global poverty or achieving sustainability .
”

President Michael D Higgins: necessary to look beyond growth to measure economic success. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
Citizens from across the globe should use the lessons of the Covid-19 crisis as an opportunity to tackle inequality, climate change and capitalism, President Michael D Higgins has said.
Addressing the OECD Confronting Planetary Emergencies conference on Friday, President Higgins said it is “no longer sufficient” to describe systemic failure and that we now “must have the courage to speak out and work for the alternatives”.
In his address, delivered online, he said Covid-19 has magnified the “imbalances, inequities and injustices” within society.
“The crisis has also shown us how so many of our citizens and their families are only ever one wage payment away from hardship; how the self-employed or workers in the so-called ‘gig’ economy lack security and are often impeded from access to basic employment rights; how private tenants in under-regulated housing markets are at the mercy of their landlords, how many designated ‘key workers’, those providing essential services, are shamefully undervalued and underpaid,” he said.
READ MORE
The President said it is necessary to look beyond growth to measure economic success.
He said the fixation of some economists on gross domestic product means it is maximised at “whatever cost to social cohesion and without any due regard to inequality or adverse ecological impacts”.
President Higgins said the world has now reached a point of multiple crises: democratic, economic, social, and ecological. He has called for a new paradigm, which has a focus on ecological responsibility.
“New ideas are, thus, now required and, even more, their communication to citizens – ideas based on equality, universal public services, equity of access, sufficiency, sustainability,” the President said.
He added that the pandemic provides policymakers with an opportunity to do things better.
“This crisis will pass, but there will be other viruses and other crises. We cannot let ourselves be left in the same vulnerable position again,” he said.
“ We have, yet again, learned lessons in relation to healthcare and equity, in relation to what is essential in terms of income and the necessities of life.”
The President added that all of these issues must be addressed, and that it is a “shared challenge” among the nations.
“What is a further, real basis for hope is that, within such a framework, it is possible to respond concurrently to the pandemic, climate change, the impact of digitalisation, inequality and what I refer to as ‘the unaccountable’ which threatens democracy itself,” he said.
“The ‘unaccountable’ – speculative flows of insatiable capital, a global, unregulated, financialised version of economy – represents the greatest threat to democracy, the greatest source of an inevitable conflict, and the greatest obstacle to us achieving an end to global poverty or achieving sustainability.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--‘We must change the course now’: Nolan warns of rapidly rising hospitalised cases

There has been “ exponential growth ” of Covid-19 infection in Ireland along with “ rapid increases ” in the number of people being admitted to hospital and ICU , the chair of Nphet ’ s Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group has said .
Prof Philip Nolan said as of Thursday afternoon there were 172 people in hospital , with 22 of those admissions in the previous 24 hours , with 27 people in ICU .
He said at the worst of the pandemic there were 60-80 admissions to hospital and 10-15 admissions to ICU per day over a period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quarter of the way to those admission rates .
We must change course now , ” he said on Twitter .
“ The number of people in hospital is now growing exponentially.
” Prof Nolan said there are very few counties where the incidence rate is not increasing and “ no county where the incidence is not a cause for concern ” .
He said the exponential growth of Covid-19 infection should “ make each and every one of us stop , think and resolve again to do our part to suppress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The call to action is the same as it has been for weeks , but much more urgent now : radically limit our discretionary social contacts , maintain physical distance and safe practices when we do meet , self-isolate and call for help with any symptoms of Covid-19 , ” he added .
A further 506 cases of Covid-19 and one death from the virus were confirmed in the State on Thursday .
Lifford/Stranorlar in Co Donegal remains the national “ hotspot ” for Covid-19 , with a 14-day incidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the figures .
This is more than five times the national average of 116.4 , figures published on the Government ’ s data hub show .
Granard in Co Longford has the second-highest incidence nationally , at 384.1 , while Monaghan local electoral area ranks third , at 317.3 .
Kimmage/Rathmines has the highest incidence in Dublin , at 306.1 , and the fourth-highest figure nationally .
The director general of the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) Paul Reid said on Friday that 19,500 Covid-19 tests were carried out on Thursday– @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the numbers in the past week had been shocking .
“ That ’ s the volume we ’ re at , that ’ s the trend , ” he told Newstalk Breakfast .
The public needed to take a look at those figures and to act appropriately .
“ If anybody ’ s looking at the trends and the numbers coming through right now , it ’ s quite serious .
“ That ’ s the volume we ’ re at , the trend we ’ re seeing and that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now take a radical look at everything we ’ re doing .
I really mean it.
” Mr Reid urged the public not to meet people they did not need to meet and to avoid having others visit their homes over the next few weeks .
No matter that the Government or Nphet did , the biggest impact on figures would be public behaviour -– “ what people do.
” “ We ’ re all on the same page that our hospital service is challenged , and we ’ re watching it very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to keep all of the other services going.
” There wasn ’ t any disagreement between the health service and Nphet , he said .
They were all equally concerned about the impact of a full lockdown .
There are currently around 41 ICU fully-manned beds available in the health care system , while there was capacity to scale up if needed , but that would mean stopping some other health services , he said .
“ We don ’ t want to get near to those levels.
” The Chief Clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned that there is “ the tiniest of windows to stop the virus growing.
” Dr Henry told RTÉ Radio 1 ’ s Morning Ireland that there was funding for ICU beds , but that it was a system that needed trained experts .
The baseline for the number of beds was 256 , he said .
Funding needed to be secured to reach the target of 450 by the end of 2022 .
Hospitals every winter were accustomed to dealing with surges , it was likely that the health service would experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
But Dr Henry warned that the situation now was more difficult as back in March and April during the first surge hospitals had “ cleared the decks ” and now they were providing other services .
Covid-19 levels in Northern Ireland were also a worry he said .
They were “ alarmingly high ” and the capacity to control border areas was important .
“ We need an all island plan , ” he said .

The Department of Health on Friday night reported five additional deaths related to Covid-19 and 617 confirmed further cases of the disease, including 123 in Dublin and 107 in Cork.
This brings the number of deaths from the disease in the State to 1,821 with a total of 40,703 of cases since the start of the pandemic.
Less than one in five of the new cases (123 out of 617) were in Dublin, the smallest proportion in recent months. There were also 107 cases in Cork, 42 in Meath, 36 in Kerry, 35 in Galway with the remaining 274 cases located across 21 counties.
Hospital Report
The number of people in hospital is now growing exponentially. We did this simple exponential fit to the hospital data last Friday 1 October; while we expected it, it still worries me that the numbers are tracking this exponential curve. 6/7 pic.twitter.com/pIlbs7yz9T — Professor Philip Nolan (@President_MU) October 8, 2020
Of the new cases, some 73 per cent are under 45 years of age, while 33 per cent are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case.
READ MORE
The 617 cases reported on Friday is, by a slight margin, the highest daily number since late April.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the profile of the disease continued to deteriorate. “We are continuing to see a high number of daily cases. It is vital that we interrupt the transmission of the virus now.”
There have been an additional 32 hospitalisations and eight ICU admissions in the past 24 hours, he pointed out.
“Nphet [the National Public Health Emergency Team] continues to monitor the situation however it is early, individual action that is needed to suppress the virus. Please follow public health advice and do your part to make an impact on the disease.”
Hospital and ICU
Earlier on Friday, the chair of Nphet's Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group said there has been "exponential growth" of Covid-19 infection in Ireland along with "rapid increases" in the number of people being admitted to hospital and ICU.
Prof Philip Nolan said as of Thursday afternoon there were 172 people in hospital, with 22 of those admissions in the previous 24 hours, with 27 people in ICU.
He said at the worst of the pandemic there were 60-80 admissions to hospital and 10-15 admissions to ICU per day over a period of four weeks.
“We are nearly a quarter of the way to those admission rates. We must change course now,” he said on Twitter. “The number of people in hospital is now growing exponentially.”
Prof Nolan said there are very few counties where the incidence rate is not increasing and “no county where the incidence is not a cause for concern”.
He said the exponential growth of Covid-19 infection should “make each and every one of us stop, think and resolve again to do our part to suppress the virus, now and quickly”.
“The call to action is the same as it has been for weeks, but much more urgent now: radically limit our discretionary social contacts, maintain physical distance and safe practices when we do meet, self-isolate and call for help with any symptoms of Covid-19,” he added.
On Thursday, a further 506 cases of Covid-19 and one death from the virus were confirmed in the State.
Lifford/Stranorlar in Co Donegal remains the national "hotspot" for Covid-19, with a 14-day incidence of 602.6 cases per 100,000 people, according to the figures.
This is more than five times the national average of 116.4, figures published on the Government’s data hub show.
Granard in Co Longford has the second-highest incidence nationally, at 384.1, while Monaghan local electoral area ranks third, at 317.3. Kimmage/Rathmines has the highest incidence in Dublin, at 306.1, and the fourth-highest figure nationally.
Concerning trends
The director general of the Health Service Executive (HSE) Paul Reid said on Friday that 19,500 Covid-19 tests were carried out on Thursday – a new daily record.
Mr Reid said that the numbers in the past week had been shocking. “That’s the volume we’re at, that’s the trend,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
The public needed to take a look at those figures and to act appropriately.
“If anybody’s looking at the trends and the numbers coming through right now, it’s quite serious.
“That’s the volume we’re at, the trend we’re seeing and that’s the concern – people need to now take a radical look at everything we’re doing. I really mean it.”
Mr Reid urged the public not to meet people they did not need to meet and to avoid having others visit their homes over the next few weeks.
No matter that the Government or Nphet did, the biggest impact on figures would be public behaviour -– “what people do”.
“We’re all on the same page that our hospital service is challenged, and we’re watching it very closely on a daily basis – and want to keep all of the other services going.”
There wasn’t any disagreement between the health service and Nphet, he said. They were all equally concerned about the impact of a full lockdown.
There are currently around 41 ICU fully manned beds available in the health care system, while there was capacity to scale up if needed, but that would mean stopping some other health services, he said.
“We don’t want to get near to those levels.”
‘Tiniest of windows’
The Chief Clinical Officer with the HSE Colm Henry warned that there is “the tiniest of windows to stop the virus growing”.
Dr Henry told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland that there was funding for ICU beds, but that it was a system that needed trained experts. The baseline for the number of beds was 256, he said. Funding needed to be secured to reach the target of 450 by the end of 2022.
Hospitals every winter were accustomed to dealing with surges, it was likely that the health service would experience individual pressure points rather than being overwhelmed, he said.
But Dr Henry warned that the situation now was more difficult as back in March and April during the first surge hospitals had “cleared the decks” and now they were providing other services.
Covid-19 levels in Northern Ireland were also a worry he said. They were “alarmingly high” and the capacity to control border areas was important.
“We need an all-island plan,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-10-09--Pharmacist arrested over alleged deception of HSE

A pharmacist has been arrested as part of an investigation into allegations that he defrauded the HSE through his chemist shops .
The man , whose owns a successful business in the sector , is alleged to have claimed payments from the HSE that he was not entitled to by lodging the same claims for payment more than once .
He was arrested in south Dublin by arrangement with gardaí on Wednesday and some 30 sample charges of deception were put to him as he was charged by gardaí with the alleged crimes .
The pharmacist was then released and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a later date .
There is no suggestion of any allegations being made against anyone else involved in the business .
The allegations were brought to the attention of the Garda after the findings of a HSE audit were referred to it .
The investigation has been ongoing for some time and the suspect was first arrested earlier this year .
He was released from custody without charge at that time pending further investigations by members of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau .
Those investigations have since continued and detectives from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
After being arrested by arrangement and charged with the alleged deception-based offences , he was released from custody .
No findings of wrongdoing have yet been made against him as the criminal charges he now faces remain allegations only .

A pharmacist has been arrested as part of a criminal investigation into allegations that he defrauded the HSE through his chemist shops by deception-based crimes. Image: iStock.
A pharmacist has been arrested as part of an investigation into allegations that he defrauded the HSE through his chemist shops.
The man is alleged to have claimed payments from the HSE that he was not entitled to by lodging the same claims for payment more than once.
He was arrested in Dublin by arrangement with gardaí on Wednesday.
S ome 30 sample charges of deception were put to him as he was charged by gardaí with the alleged crimes.
READ MORE
The pharmacist was then released and is scheduled to appear before the courts at a later date.
Audit
The allegations were brought to the attention of the Garda after the findings of a HSE audit were referred to it. The investigation has been ongoing for some time and the suspect was first arrested earlier this year.
He was released from custody without charge at that time pending further investigations by members of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau.
Those investigations have since continued and detectives from the bureau arranged to meet the man on Wednesday.
After being arrested by arrangement and charged with the alleged deception-based offences, he was released from custody.
There is no suggestion of any allegations being made against anyone else involved in the man’s business.