theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Older children spread coronavirus just as much as adults, study finds

In the heated debate over reopening schools , one burning question has been whether and how efficiently children can spread the virus to others .
A large new study from South Korea offers an answer : Children younger than age 10 transmit to others much less often than adults do , but the risk is not zero .
However those between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do .
The findings suggest that as schools reopen , communities will see clusters of infection take root that include children of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I fear that there has been this sense that kids just won ’ t get infected or don ’ t get infected in the same way as adults and that , therefore , they ’ re almost like a bubbled population , ” said Michael Osterholm , an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota .
“ There will be transmission , ” Dr Osterholm said .
“ What we have to do is accept that now and include that in our plans.
” South Korean researchers identified 5,706 people who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their households between January 20th and March 27th , when schools were closed , and then traced the 59,073 contacts of these “ index cases.
” They tested all of the household contacts of each patient , regardless of symptoms , but only tested symptomatic contacts outside the household .
The first person in a household to develop symptoms is not necessarily the first to have been infected , and the researchers acknowledged this limitation .
Children are also less likely than adults to show symptoms , so the study may have underestimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chain of transmission within their households .
Children under age 10 were roughly half as likely as adults to spread the virus to others , consistent with other studies .
That may be because children generally exhale less air , and therefore less virus-laden air , or because they exhale that air closer to the ground , making it less likely that adults would breathe it in .
The study is more worrisome for children in second-level schools .
This group was even more likely to infect others than adults were , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that finding may be a fluke or may stem from the children ’ s behaviours .
– New York Times

The study is more worrisome for children in second-level schools. This group was even more likely to infect others than adults were, the study found. Photograph: iStock
In the heated debate over reopening schools, one burning question has been whether and how efficiently children can spread the virus to others.
A large new study from South Korea offers an answer: Children younger than age 10 transmit to others much less often than adults do, but the risk is not zero. However those between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do.
The findings suggest that as schools reopen, communities will see clusters of infection take root that include children of all ages, several experts cautioned. “I fear that there has been this sense that kids just won’t get infected or don’t get infected in the same way as adults and that, therefore, they’re almost like a bubbled population,” said Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota. “There will be transmission,” Dr Osterholm said. “What we have to do is accept that now and include that in our plans.”
South Korean researchers identified 5,706 people who were the first to report Covid-19 symptoms in their households between January 20th and March 27th, when schools were closed, and then traced the 59,073 contacts of these “index cases.” They tested all of the household contacts of each patient, regardless of symptoms, but only tested symptomatic contacts outside the household.
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The first person in a household to develop symptoms is not necessarily the first to have been infected, and the researchers acknowledged this limitation. Children are also less likely than adults to show symptoms, so the study may have underestimated the number of children who set off the chain of transmission within their households.
Children under age 10 were roughly half as likely as adults to spread the virus to others, consistent with other studies. That may be because children generally exhale less air, and therefore less virus-laden air, or because they exhale that air closer to the ground, making it less likely that adults would breathe it in.
The study is more worrisome for children in second-level schools. This group was even more likely to infect others than adults were, the study found. But some experts said that finding may be a fluke or may stem from the children’s behaviours. – New York Times


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Male motorcyclist (25) dies following crash in Co Tipperary

A man has died following a road traffic collision in Co Tipperary on Saturday afternoon .
The crash , which occurred at about 5pm on the N74 at Moatequarter , Kilfeacle , involved two motorcycles and a tractor with a trailer .
One male motorcyclist ( 25 ) was fatally injured .
His body was removed from the scene and taken to University Hospital Waterford where a postmortem will take place .
The second male motorcyclist ( 33 ) was seriously injured and taken to University Hospital Limerick .
The male tractor driver ( 21 ) was uninjured .
Garda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scene and the road has now reopened .
Gardaí in Tipperary Town are appealing for anyone with information in relation to the collision to come forward .
Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage ( including dash-cam ) who were travelling on the N74 between Tipperary Town and Cashel to make this footage available to them .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda station on 062 - 80670 , the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 , or any Garda station .

Garda Forensic Investigators carried out an examination of the scene and the road has now reopened.
A man has died following a road traffic collision in Co Tipperary on Saturday afternoon.
The crash, which occurred at about 5pm on the N74 at Moatequarter, Kilfeacle, involved two motorcycles and a tractor with a trailer. One male motorcyclist (25) was fatally injured. His body was removed from the scene and taken to University Hospital Waterford where a postmortem will take place.
The second male motorcyclist (33) was seriously injured and taken to University Hospital Limerick. The male tractor driver (21) was uninjured. Garda Forensic Investigators carried out an examination of the scene and the road has now reopened.
Gardaí in Tipperary Town are appealing for anyone with information in relation to the collision to come forward. Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling on the N74 between Tipperary Town and Cashel to make this footage available to them. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda station on 062 - 80670, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Learning online when school is a nine-hour drive away

Dawn Bateman grew up on the remote and beautiful Horn Head near Dunfanaghy in Co Donegal , attending Holy Trinity National School and later Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola in Falcarragh .
Today , Bateman and her husband , Chris , manage a 2.3 million acre farm in Australia ’ s Northern Territory and their children , Samy ( 4 ) and Pippa ( 3 ) , are embarking on a very different educational experience .
The nearest town , Katherine , is a six-hour drive away , and the family rarely visit .
“ We get all of our supplies delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A truck comes twice a week ; on a Wednesday from the food stores and on Friday with general freight .
So we get everything pretty much delivered there or via mail plane once a week .
We ’ ve got an airstrip on the property , ” Bateman says .
Samy started school this year and , like hundreds of other children living in remote areas across Australia , he is enrolled in a branch of the School of the Air ( Sota ) .
The school itself is in Mount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive away , but all of its 155 students learn remotely .
The first of these schools was set up in Alice Springs in 1951 to provide accessible education for isolated children in outback regions of Australia , initially using high-frequency radios .
Today , classes are conducted online , with follow-up activities done at home with the help of parents or tutors .
For now , Samy ’ s classes are part-time and largely play-based .
“ It ’ s almost like a Zoom meeting ... it ’ s pretty fun getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bateman says .
“ It ’ s like mustering cats but it ’ s good for him to talk to other kids.
” Next year , when Pippa starts school , the couple will look into getting a tutor .
“ I know next year it gets a bit more serious and they have their on-air classes and they have set modules they have to complete .
They have to do exams and it ’ s the same curriculum as the other schools .
It definitely is difficult and that ’ s why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s really a job in itself.
” Bateman says she goes the extra mile to make sure her children socialise despite living in a remote part of the country .
“ You just have to do your best and get them mixing as much as possible.
” She says many isolated children can not participate in school sports or learn to swim as they ’ re so far away from any facilities .
But a rural parents ’ organisation has set up an annual sports camp so their kids can have that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do tennis , they do soccer , they do dance , they do gymnastics and they jam it all into a week .
The kids are fried by the end of it.
” Bateman says she also takes Samy and Pippa to rodeos in the winter , which is from June to August in Australia , to socialise with other kids but many were cancelled this year due to Covid-19 restrictions .
“ I didn ’ t think I ’ d miss them as much , but I most certainly did.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six years ago .
After a few months in the city , she moved to outback Queensland and worked on a cattle station as a tutor , or governess as they are often referred to .
Her role was to help the children on the property with their online education and school work .
“ If there was cattle work to be done we would go out and do it and school would happen when we got back .
It kind of changes around the life timetable of home , ” Murphy says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a rural primary school , with just 16 students .
When schools across Queensland closed for five weeks in April due to the pandemic , her experience as a tutor helped her to understand the balance parents at home had to find when trying to juggle work and overseeing the education of their children .
“ Most parents won ’ t have a background in education .
I think they need to not be hard on themselves ...
Sometimes it just doesn ’ t flow , ” Murphy says .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our kids had laptops and the kids were quite skilled on the computers already .
We use the likes of Blackboard Collaborate .
It ’ s like Skype and all of our distance education schools would use that for web conferencing with the kids.
” Homework is sent to parents and children with explicit instructions , checking in with parents and then letting students talk to each other at the beginning of a lesson helped navigate the new way of learning .
“ Kids just want to talk to each other .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a governess and during the first five minutes of the session we just let the kids talk .
They want to get that out of their systems , ” Murphy says .
“ [ Distance learning ] is a big change , so you may not get as much learning done as you would like .
”

Dawn Bateman (right), her husband Chris and children Samy and Pippa are pictured at their home in the Northern Territory in Australia.
Dawn Bateman grew up on the remote and beautiful Horn Head near Dunfanaghy in Co Donegal, attending Holy Trinity National School and later Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola in Falcarragh.
Today, Bateman and her husband, Chris, manage a 2.3 million acre farm in Australia's Northern Territory and their children, Samy (4) and Pippa (3), are embarking on a very different educational experience.
The nearest town, Katherine, is a six-hour drive away, and the family rarely visit.
“We get all of our supplies delivered to Cape Crawford, a little roadhouse. A truck comes twice a week; on a Wednesday from the food stores and on Friday with general freight. So we get everything pretty much delivered there or via mail plane once a week. We’ve got an airstrip on the property,” Bateman says.
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Samy started school this year and, like hundreds of other children living in remote areas across Australia, he is enrolled in a branch of the School of the Air (Sota). The school itself is in Mount Isa in Queensland, about a nine-hour drive away, but all of its 155 students learn remotely.
The first of these schools was set up in Alice Springs in 1951 to provide accessible education for isolated children in outback regions of Australia, initially using high-frequency radios. Today, classes are conducted online, with follow-up activities done at home with the help of parents or tutors.
For now, Samy’s classes are part-time and largely play-based.
“It’s almost like a Zoom meeting...it’s pretty fun getting a heap of four-year-olds together,” Bateman says. “It’s like mustering cats but it’s good for him to talk to other kids.”
Next year, when Pippa starts school, the couple will look into getting a tutor. “I know next year it gets a bit more serious and they have their on-air classes and they have set modules they have to complete. They have to do exams and it’s the same curriculum as the other schools. It definitely is difficult and that’s why people employ a governess, as it’s really a job in itself.”
Socialise
Bateman says she goes the extra mile to make sure her children socialise despite living in a remote part of the country. “You just have to do your best and get them mixing as much as possible.”
She says many isolated children cannot participate in school sports or learn to swim as they’re so far away from any facilities. But a rural parents’ organisation has set up an annual sports camp so their kids can have that opportunity.
“They do everything; they do tennis, they do soccer, they do dance, they do gymnastics and they jam it all into a week. The kids are fried by the end of it.”
Bateman says she also takes Samy and Pippa to rodeos in the winter, which is from June to August in Australia, to socialise with other kids but many were cancelled this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“I didn’t think I’d miss them as much, but I most certainly did.”
Governess
Aishling Murphy moved from Wexford to Brisbane six years ago. After a few months in the city, she moved to outback Queensland and worked on a cattle station as a tutor, or governess as they are often referred to. Her role was to help the children on the property with their online education and school work.
“If there was cattle work to be done we would go out and do it and school would happen when we got back. It kind of changes around the life timetable of home,” Murphy says.
She now works as a teacher in a rural primary school, with just 16 students.
When schools across Queensland closed for five weeks in April due to the pandemic, her experience as a tutor helped her to understand the balance parents at home had to find when trying to juggle work and overseeing the education of their children.
“Most parents won’t have a background in education. I think they need to not be hard on themselves...Sometimes it just doesn’t flow,” Murphy says.
“We were very lucky in that all of our kids had laptops and the kids were quite skilled on the computers already. We use the likes of Blackboard Collaborate. It’s like Skype and all of our distance education schools would use that for web conferencing with the kids.”
Homework is sent to parents and children with explicit instructions, checking in with parents and then letting students talk to each other at the beginning of a lesson helped navigate the new way of learning.
“Kids just want to talk to each other. I would have seen it too when I was a governess and during the first five minutes of the session we just let the kids talk. They want to get that out of their systems,” Murphy says.
“[Distance learning] is a big change, so you may not get as much learning done as you would like.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Covid-19: Reports of rape and child sex abuse rise sharply during pandemic

The number of people reporting experiences of rape and child sex abuse increased sharply during the first four months of the coronavirus pandemic , figures from the Rape Crisis Network Ireland ( RCNI ) show .
The number of survivors contacting rape crisis centres for counselling was 98 per cent higher between March and the end of June than in the same period last year , the figures confirm .
The number of calls to RCNI helplines increased by 23 per cent in the same period to more than 4,000 .
The figures are taken from six rape crisis centres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RCNI report published on Monday .
The report says the amount of time survivors spent on calls to the RCNI ’ s helplines increased by 83 per cent in the four-month period .
The number of counselling appointments provided by rape crisis centres rose by 30 per cent , with 4,734 sessions provided over the phone or via video call .
The largest increase in numbers contacting RCNI helplines came as the country introduced coronavirus restrictions on non-essential movement in March , with a 63 per cent rise in calls when compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report says that in some cases survivors were forced to suspend their counselling sessions “ due to their living arrangements making it impossible for them to continue ” while the advice to stay at home was in place .
The organisation said it had seen a “ significant increase ” in children and young people reporting abuse to its helplines during the four-month period .
The number of children aged between 12 and 16 contacting it increased from 126 between March and June of last year to 167 in that period this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 and 23 were up by 17.8 per cent , to 614 in total .
People aged 40 to 49 were the age group with the highest year-to-year increase in calls during the four-month period , with the number of calls from this group rising from 272 calls to 760 .
The RCNI said this was likely “ due to the lockdown measures triggering past trauma in survivors ” .
The centres received reports of sexual violence occurring during the lockdown , but the report said that “ we fear this number does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be some time before these victims feel ready to seek support ” .
“ We also found that child sexual violence is now increasingly filmed and circulated online , ” the report said .
The organisation reported “ a small but notable increase in survivors disclosing ritual abuse to counsellors during the Covid period ” .
Clíona Saidléar , RCNI executive director , said this referred to abuse that the perpetrator attempted to “ justify with some sort of ritual ” , which was often “ pseudo-religious or Satanic ” in nature .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the increased demand for counselling services will continue , and says there is evidence of “ suppressed need which is yet to emerge ” .
The pressure would “ stretch the resources of the sector ” and additional funding would be needed in the Government ’ s next budget , it added .
Of the survivors contacting helplines , 55 per cent disclosed that they had been raped , and one-quarter reported childhood sex abuse .
This figure includes adults disclosing historical abuse that took place when they were children , and young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , women were 10 times more likely to avail of rape crisis centre supports than men , the report states .
It also found that small numbers of trans individuals were accessing supports .

The number of people reporting experiences of rape and child sex abuse increased sharply during the first four months of the coronavirus pandemic, new figures show. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The number of people reporting experiences of rape and child sex abuse increased sharply during the first four months of the coronavirus pandemic, figures from the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) show.
The number of survivors contacting rape crisis centres for counselling was 98 per cent higher between March and the end of June than in the same period last year, the figures confirm. The number of calls to RCNI helplines increased by 23 per cent in the same period to more than 4,000.
The figures are taken from six rape crisis centres across the State and feature in an RCNI report published on Monday.
The report says the amount of time survivors spent on calls to the RCNI’s helplines increased by 83 per cent in the four-month period. The number of counselling appointments provided by rape crisis centres rose by 30 per cent, with 4,734 sessions provided over the phone or via video call.
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The largest increase in numbers contacting RCNI helplines came as the country introduced coronavirus restrictions on non-essential movement in March, with a 63 per cent rise in calls when compared with the same period last year.
Suspending counselling
The report says that in some cases survivors were forced to suspend their counselling sessions “due to their living arrangements making it impossible for them to continue” while the advice to stay at home was in place.
The organisation said it had seen a “significant increase” in children and young people reporting abuse to its helplines during the four-month period. The number of children aged between 12 and 16 contacting it increased from 126 between March and June of last year to 167 in that period this year. Calls from young people aged between 17 and 23 were up by 17.8 per cent, to 614 in total.
People aged 40 to 49 were the age group with the highest year-to-year increase in calls during the four-month period, with the number of calls from this group rising from 272 calls to 760. The RCNI said this was likely “due to the lockdown measures triggering past trauma in survivors”.
The centres received reports of sexual violence occurring during the lockdown, but the report said that “we fear this number does not reflect the reality and it will be some time before these victims feel ready to seek support”.
“We also found that child sexual violence is now increasingly filmed and circulated online,” the report said.
Ritual abuse
The organisation reported "a small but notable increase in survivors disclosing ritual abuse to counsellors during the Covid period". Clíona Saidléar, RCNI executive director, said this referred to abuse that the perpetrator attempted to "justify with some sort of ritual", which was often "pseudo-religious or Satanic" in nature.
The report warns it is likely that the increased demand for counselling services will continue, and says there is evidence of “suppressed need which is yet to emerge”. The pressure would “stretch the resources of the sector” and additional funding would be needed in the Government’s next budget, it added.
Of the survivors contacting helplines, 55 per cent disclosed that they had been raped, and one-quarter reported childhood sex abuse. This figure includes adults disclosing historical abuse that took place when they were children, and young people reporting current abuse.
On average, women were 10 times more likely to avail of rape crisis centre supports than men, the report states. It also found that small numbers of trans individuals were accessing supports.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Covid-19: Pharmacies may not be able to handle a second wave, group warns

A pharmacists ’ group has warned that its members may not be in a position to meet the challenge of a second wave of Covid-19 infections hitting the State if the Government does not provide supports to their sector .
The Irish Pharmacy Union ( IPU ) said that during the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic the Government had “ poured resources into sustaining GP services ” but that pharmacies were “ ignored ” .
The union is urging the Government to put in place a package of supports for its members as part of the July economic stimulus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week .
It is seeking a commercial rates waiver for essential healthcare businesses this year , with a further reduction next year ; a scheme to protect pharmacies and other essential businesses from excessive rent demands , and the extension of the temporary wage subsidy scheme until next year and a commitment to its removal being phased .
“ Pharmacies are recognised as an essential healthcare service , but they are also businesses , and it is unreasonable to expect them to bear the soaring costs of providing services for the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general Darragh O ’ Loughlin said .
“ The costs have included installation of protective screens , personal protective equipment , and additional staff .
All of these are primarily designed to keep the public safe while still providing an essential service .
Had pharmacies not stayed open , they would not have incurred these costs .
It is hard to shake the feeling that we are being punished for staying open and fulfilling our duties.
” Mr O ’ Loughlin said pharmacies in Northern Ireland had received a £20 million ( about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while in this jurisdiction we have received no support from the Department of Health ” .
He said an absence of support meant that if a second wave of Covid-19 infections did happen in the autumn , “ we can not be confident that pharmacy services will be maintainable ” .
Meanwhile , the HSE has told hospital managers making plans for operating health services amid restrictions in place due to Covid-19 that there were a range of work practice reforms and flexibilities that had been “ agreed and paid for ” under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not been widely implemented .
In a letter to hospital group and community healthcare organisation chief executives dated July 6th , the HSE ’ s employee relations service said that while it stressed the importance of consulting with staff representatives in a timely way , this did not “ confer [ to them ] a right to veto , in respect of proposed changes that are already agreed and paid for ” .
It said , for example , that since December 2008 all new employees of the HSE and HSE-funded agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver extended services beyond Monday to Friday .
It said that under public service agreements an extended working day running from 8am to 8pm was provided for , with staff working the same number of hours but with different attendance patterns .
It said there was also provision for staff to be redeployed within a 45km distance without compensation .
It said the agreements also allowed for a greater range of services in community settings through primary care teams and social care networks , including the provision of such services at evening time @ @ @

A pharmacists’ group has warned that its members may not be in a position to meet the challenge of a second wave of Covid-19 infections. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
A pharmacists’ group has warned that its members may not be in a position to meet the challenge of a second wave of Covid-19 infections hitting the State if the Government does not provide supports to their sector.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said that during the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic the Government had "poured resources into sustaining GP services" but that pharmacies were "ignored".
The union is urging the Government to put in place a package of supports for its members as part of the July economic stimulus plan, which is to be announced this week.
It is seeking a commercial rates waiver for essential healthcare businesses this year, with a further reduction next year; a scheme to protect pharmacies and other essential businesses from excessive rent demands, and the extension of the temporary wage subsidy scheme until next year and a commitment to its removal being phased.
READ MORE
"Pharmacies are recognised as an essential healthcare service, but they are also businesses, and it is unreasonable to expect them to bear the soaring costs of providing services for the State during a pandemic," IPU secretary general Darragh O'Loughlin said.
“The costs have included installation of protective screens, personal protective equipment, and additional staff. All of these are primarily designed to keep the public safe while still providing an essential service. Had pharmacies not stayed open, they would not have incurred these costs. It is hard to shake the feeling that we are being punished for staying open and fulfilling our duties.”
Mr O'Loughlin said pharmacies in Northern Ireland had received a £20 million (about €22 million) support package, "while in this jurisdiction we have received no support from the Department of Health". He said an absence of support meant that if a second wave of Covid-19 infections did happen in the autumn, "we cannot be confident that pharmacy services will be maintainable".
Work practices
Meanwhile, the HSE has told hospital managers making plans for operating health services amid restrictions in place due to Covid-19 that there were a range of work practice reforms and flexibilities that had been “agreed and paid for” under deals agreed over the last decade but had not been widely implemented.
In a letter to hospital group and community healthcare organisation chief executives dated July 6th, the HSE’s employee relations service said that while it stressed the importance of consulting with staff representatives in a timely way, this did not “confer [to them] a right to veto, in respect of proposed changes that are already agreed and paid for”.
It said, for example, that since December 2008 all new employees of the HSE and HSE-funded agencies were liable to work rosters necessary to deliver extended services beyond Monday to Friday.
It said that under public service agreements an extended working day running from 8am to 8pm was provided for, with staff working the same number of hours but with different attendance patterns.
It said there was also provision for staff to be redeployed within a 45km distance without compensation. It said the agreements also allowed for a greater range of services in community settings through primary care teams and social care networks, including the provision of such services at evening time and weekends.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Return to distance learning in school would widen digital divide, experts warn

A return to distance learning in schools would have a severe impact on students ’ education and motivation and widen the digital divide , experts have warned .
Dr Selina McCoy , of the Economic and Social Research Institute ( ESRI ) , said its survey of hundreds of secondary schools during the coronavirus lockdown found many students were less interested in engaging with online learning approaches adopted by their teachers .
Student engagement was particularly adversely impacted in disadvantaged – or Deis – schools , it found .
These findings , Dr McCoy said , raise questions over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of schools having to remain closed or just partially reopening in the new academic year .
The Government is planning for as full a return to school as possible in September .
However , teachers ’ unions have warned that schools may not fully reopen due to social distancing requirements .
Dr McCoy said while most schools used a variety of online platforms to teach during the lockdown , use of technology to overcome the lack of social contact has been only “ minimally effective ” .
“ Maintaining the school community and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps most importantly , the school ’ s pastoral care for students became exponentially more difficult with the move to distance learning , with wellbeing an area of particular concern .
This had a particularly adverse impact on students with additional needs , ” she said .
Dr McCoy said it was important to maximise classroom learning as much as possible in the new school year , with distance learning coming into play only when “ absolutely necessary ” .
She said schools should be allowed to temporarily acquire more space which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classroom learning .
While resources are vital , she said it was important that school leaders retain autonomy in order to be able to act based on their own judgment and local context .
A key focus , she said , will need to be on the “ digital divide ” and ensuring all students have access to devices and high-speed broadband .
Attention should also focus on providing space and supervision for remote learning for students whose home situations are not suitable .
Alan Mongey , president of the National Association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners are aiming for a full return to school in September and keeping the virus out of schools .
However , if this did not prove possible , he said the level of investment required for a fit-for-purpose system of blended learning for all students would be “ astronomical ” .
Most schools lack the infrastructure needed to live-stream classes and many children have varying access to devices or broadband , said Mr Mongey , who is principal of Coláiste Bhaile Chláir , a 1,000-pupil secondary school in Co Galway .
Dr Ann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at University of Limerick , said there was also an urgent need for improvement in digital content to ensure all subject areas are adequately resourced .
She said much of the conversation over the digital divide has focused on devices , rather than the actual content available for students .
“ We do not know what September will bring and we need to prepare now for as equitable a level of access to high-quality digital content as is possible .
Dr Marcus-Quinn said we can not expect teachers to take on the additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-quality digital content .
“ We need targeted funding to populate our national repository as was done in the early stages of Scoilnet , ” she said , referencing the Department of Education ’ s online resources for teachers .

Teachers’ unions have warned that schools may not fully reopen in September due to social distancing requirements. Photograph: JL CereijidoEPA
A return to distance learning in schools would have a severe impact on students’ education and motivation and widen the digital divide, experts have warned.
Dr Selina McCoy, of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), said its survey of hundreds of secondary schools during the coronavirus lockdown found many students were less interested in engaging with online learning approaches adopted by their teachers. Student engagement was particularly adversely impacted in disadvantaged – or Deis – schools, it found.
These findings, Dr McCoy said, raise questions over the sustainability of distance learning in the event of schools having to remain closed or just partially reopening in the new academic year.
The Government is planning for as full a return to school as possible in September. However, teachers’ unions have warned that schools may not fully reopen due to social distancing requirements.
READ MORE
Difficult
Dr McCoy said while most schools used a variety of online platforms to teach during the lockdown, use of technology to overcome the lack of social contact has been only “minimally effective”.
“Maintaining the school community and a supportive school environment was difficult. Perhaps most importantly, the school’s pastoral care for students became exponentially more difficult with the move to distance learning, with wellbeing an area of particular concern. This had a particularly adverse impact on students with additional needs,” she said.
Dr McCoy said it was important to maximise classroom learning as much as possible in the new school year, with distance learning coming into play only when “absolutely necessary”.
She said schools should be allowed to temporarily acquire more space which would allow more students to take part in classroom learning.
While resources are vital, she said it was important that school leaders retain autonomy in order to be able to act based on their own judgment and local context. A key focus, she said, will need to be on the “digital divide” and ensuring all students have access to devices and high-speed broadband. Attention should also focus on providing space and supervision for remote learning for students whose home situations are not suitable.
Alan Mongey, president of the National Association of Principals and Deputies, said all education partners are aiming for a full return to school in September and keeping the virus out of schools.
However, if this did not prove possible, he said the level of investment required for a fit-for-purpose system of blended learning for all students would be “astronomical”.
Funding
Most schools lack the infrastructure needed to live-stream classes and many children have varying access to devices or broadband, said Mr Mongey, who is principal of Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, a 1,000-pupil secondary school in Co Galway.
Dr Ann Marcus-Quinn, a lecturer in technical communications at University of Limerick, said there was also an urgent need for improvement in digital content to ensure all subject areas are adequately resourced.
She said much of the conversation over the digital divide has focused on devices, rather than the actual content available for students.
“We do not know what September will bring and we need to prepare now for as equitable a level of access to high-quality digital content as is possible.
Dr Marcus-Quinn said we cannot expect teachers to take on the additional role of the design and development of high-quality digital content.
“We need targeted funding to populate our national repository as was done in the early stages of Scoilnet,” she said, referencing the Department of Education’s online resources for teachers.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Drink and drug-driving arrests surge in Dublin during Covid-19 pandemic

Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs have surged in Dublin this year despite pubs being closed for months and traffic levels plummeting during the coronavirus pandemic .
Garda figures obtained by The Irish Times show that arrests for drunk or drug-driving increased in 11 of the 28 Garda divisions nationally in the first six months of this year .
Sources believe the higher arrest numbers in the capital and some other areas was due to people ’ s drinking shifting to the home while movement was restricted and licensed premises were shut .
Tens of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restrictions and senior officers said more drivers than ever were stopped and spoken to by gardaí , raising the chances of encountering drink- or drug-drivers .
The data show that arrests for drink- or drug-driving increased by 24 per cent in Dublin , with its six Garda divisions recording higher numbers in the first half of this year than in the same period last year .
Arrests were also higher in Kilkenny-Carlow , Louth and Roscommon-Longford , with smaller increases in the Wicklow and Cork North divisions .
Garda sources said many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit , with some people stopped after drinking at home and on their way to buy more alcohol .
However , the most significant concern within the force related to the numbers driving under the influence of drugs , with cannabis and cocaine most regularly detected .
Nationally , there were 4,398 drink- and drug-driving detections in the first half of this year ; down almost 9 per cent on the same period last year .
In the Dublin Metropolitan Region ( DMR ) Western Garda division , arrests were up by 32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were up by 29 per cent .
However , there were significant decreases in drink- and drug-driving arrests in some places with arrests in the Clare division down by 44 per cent , Mayo down 43 per cent in Mayo and Kildare and Wexford divisions by about a third .
Transport Infrastructure Ireland data showed traffic levels declined by 40 per cent in the two-week period after schools closed on March 12th and were down by up to 70 per cent after a restriction was placed on non-essential travel farther than 2km @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 12th , traffic levels were just 13 per cent of what they would have been in normal times .
By mid-May , traffic volumes were back to about 50 per cent of the normal level and last month the daily numbers were still about a third lower than last year .

Figures show that such arrests increased in 11 of the 28 Garda divisions nationally in the first six months of this year. File photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/The Irish Times.
Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs have surged in Dublin this year despite pubs being closed for months and traffic levels plummeting during the coronavirus pandemic.
Garda figures obtained by The Irish Times show that arrests for drunk or drug-driving increased in 11 of the 28 Garda divisions nationally in the first six months of this year.
Sources believe the higher arrest numbers in the capital and some other areas was due to people’s drinking shifting to the home while movement was restricted and licensed premises were shut.
Tens of thousands of Garda checkpoints were conducted to enforce the restrictions and senior officers said more drivers than ever were stopped and spoken to by gardaí, raising the chances of encountering drink- or drug-drivers.
READ MORE
Concern
The data show that arrests for drink- or drug-driving increased by 24 per cent in Dublin, with its six Garda divisions recording higher numbers in the first half of this year than in the same period last year. Arrests were also higher in Kilkenny-Carlow, Louth and Roscommon-Longford, with smaller increases in the Wicklow and Cork North divisions.
Garda sources said many drivers caught drink-driving were well over the limit, with some people stopped after drinking at home and on their way to buy more alcohol. However, the most significant concern within the force related to the numbers driving under the influence of drugs, with cannabis and cocaine most regularly detected.
Nationally, there were 4,398 drink- and drug-driving detections in the first half of this year; down almost 9 per cent on the same period last year.
Restriction
In the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) Western Garda division, arrests were up by 32 per cent and in DMR South Central they were up by 29 per cent.
However, there were significant decreases in drink- and drug-driving arrests in some places with arrests in the Clare division down by 44 per cent, Mayo down 43 per cent in Mayo and Kildare and Wexford divisions by about a third.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland data showed traffic levels declined by 40 per cent in the two-week period after schools closed on March 12th and were down by up to 70 per cent after a restriction was placed on non-essential travel farther than 2km from home. On Easter Sunday, April 12th, traffic levels were just 13 per cent of what they would have been in normal times.
By mid-May, traffic volumes were back to about 50 per cent of the normal level and last month the daily numbers were still about a third lower than last year.


theirishtimes--2020-07-20--Coronavirus: Ireland has ‘no significant’ herd immunity, study shows

The vast majority of the Irish population are still vulnerable to catching a coronavirus infection , according to early results from a study to investigate exposure to Covid-19 in the population .
Initial findings from research into a random sample of healthy people in Dublin and Sligo indicate that less than 5 per of the population have been exposed to the disease .
They show the State is still some way off achieving herd immunity , where 60-90 per cent of population become immune to a virus to halt it spreading .
More than 5,000 letters were sent out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country with higher and lower known levels of infection respectively – to participate in blood tests for Covid-19 antibodies .
The research , known as a seroprevalence study , measures antibodies in the blood of healthy people to better understand past rates of infection across the population .
A person develops antibodies to protect against future infections from the illness .
Almost 2,500 people participated in the study with blood tests taken from final participants last week , one month after the study was launched .
Dr Cillian De Gascun , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which helped co-ordinate the study , said that the rate was slightly higher in Dublin than in Sligo .
He said that finding out that less than 5 per cent of the population as a whole being exposed to the virus was “ a little bit disappointing ” .
“ What that means is there is a very large susceptible population there , and that is one of the reasons why we have to be so careful with moving through the reopening phases , ” he said .
“ Because so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the virus kicks off again , it will transmit very readily to people purely because there is no significant level of population immunity at this point.
” Dr De Gascun said researchers would look to repeat the tests with different sections of the population over the next six to 12 months and return to people in whom antibodies were detected to see if they would participate in a follow-up study to assess how long they have immunity .
“ We are seeing suggestions that antibodies probably don ’ t last much past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still early days , so if we can get a cohort of people together and resample them at intervals over the next six to 12 months it would be interesting to see how long the antibodies last , ” he said .
He expressed disappointment at a response rate of less than 50 per cent out of the more than 5,000 people contacted .
He thought more people would have participated given the profile of the virus .
Serological surveys are considered a valuable tool to measure the extent of the pandemic given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus but show no symptoms .
The initial results of the Irish seroprevalence study is similar to analysis in other countries .
A study of 60,000 people in Spain – one of the countries worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic – found that about 5 per cent of the population had developed antibodies , according to a report published in the Lancet .
The area around Madrid , the hardest-hit part of the country , had more than 10 per cent prevalence of antibodies , more than five times the level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Germany ’ s infectious diseases agency , the Robert Koch Institute , detected antibodies in only 1.3 per cent of 12,000 blood donors tested earlier this month .
More than half the residents tested in Italy ’ s northern province of Bergamo – one of the worst affected areas in the world – were last month found to have Covid-19 antibodies .

The vast majority of the Irish population are still vulnerable to catching a coronavirus infection, according to early results from a study to investigate exposure to Covid-19 in the population.
Initial findings from research into a random sample of healthy people in Dublin and Sligo indicate that less than 5 per of the population have been exposed to the disease.
They show the State is still some way off achieving herd immunity, where 60-90 per cent of population become immune to a virus to halt it spreading.
More than 5,000 letters were sent out in Dublin and Sligo – areas of the country with higher and lower known levels of infection respectively – to participate in blood tests for Covid-19 antibodies.
READ MORE
The research, known as a seroprevalence study, measures antibodies in the blood of healthy people to better understand past rates of infection across the population. A person develops antibodies to protect against future infections from the illness.
Almost 2,500 people participated in the study with blood tests taken from final participants last week, one month after the study was launched.
Dr Cillian De Gascun, director of UCD's National Virus Reference Laboratory, which helped co-ordinate the study, said that the rate was slightly higher in Dublin than in Sligo. He said that finding out that less than 5 per cent of the population as a whole being exposed to the virus was "a little bit disappointing".
“What that means is there is a very large susceptible population there, and that is one of the reasons why we have to be so careful with moving through the reopening phases,” he said. “Because so many people have not had the infection and if the virus kicks off again, it will transmit very readily to people purely because there is no significant level of population immunity at this point.”
Follow-up study
Dr De Gascun said researchers would look to repeat the tests with different sections of the population over the next six to 12 months and return to people in whom antibodies were detected to see if they would participate in a follow-up study to assess how long they have immunity.
“We are seeing suggestions that antibodies probably don’t last much past three or four months but it is still early days, so if we can get a cohort of people together and resample them at intervals over the next six to 12 months it would be interesting to see how long the antibodies last,” he said.
He expressed disappointment at a response rate of less than 50 per cent out of the more than 5,000 people contacted. He thought more people would have participated given the profile of the virus.
Serological surveys are considered a valuable tool to measure the extent of the pandemic given the number of people who can have the virus but show no symptoms. The initial results of the Irish seroprevalence study is similar to analysis in other countries.
A study of 60,000 people in Spain – one of the countries worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic – found that about 5 per cent of the population had developed antibodies, according to a report published in the Lancet.
The area around Madrid, the hardest-hit part of the country, had more than 10 per cent prevalence of antibodies, more than five times the level of less populated coastal provinces.
A study by Germany's infectious diseases agency, the Robert Koch Institute, detected antibodies in only 1.3 per cent of 12,000 blood donors tested earlier this month. More than half the residents tested in Italy's northern province of Bergamo – one of the worst affected areas in the world – were last month found to have Covid-19 antibodies.


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Jack Charlton to be commemorated through special postmark

The life of footballing hero Jack Charlton will be commemorated by a special postmark applied to mail sent in England and Ireland .
The former Leeds United defender , who won a World Cup winner ’ s medal while playing for England in 1966 , died on July 10th aged 85 .
After a successful career in England , as a manager he helped lead the Republic of Ireland to their first major tournament finals in the late 1980s and early 1990s .
To commemorate his contribution to both nations An Post and the Royal Mail have collaborated for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his honour .
The postmark , which reads “ Jack Charlton , 1935 — 2020 ” , will be applied across stamped mail posted in England and the Republic of Ireland from Monday until August 9th .
David McRedmond , chief executive at An Post , said : “ Jack Charlton will always have a special place in the hearts and minds of Irish people .
“ He gave our nation many of our happiest and proudest moments .
“ Jack was the greatest example of a culture shared across these islands : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tall English football hero could become an Irish legend .
“ That ’ s why it is so fitting that he should be the subject of the first joint postmark between An Post and the Royal Mail.
” Following the announcement of Charlton ’ s death , tributes poured in from his former clubs and the wider football family .
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said : “ He was an iconic figure on and off the pitch , in England and Ireland.
” Stuart Simpson , chief executive at Royal Mail , said Charlton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both countries .
Highlighting the postal services ’ first-time postmark collaboration , he added : “ The commemoration of the life of Jack Charlton is a fitting occasion to do so .
“ Jack was an integral member of England ’ s 1966 World Cup winning squad and played a key role in the Republic of Ireland ’ s football history .
“ We would like to extend our condolences to the family of Jack Charlton from everyone at Royal Mail.
” English Football Association chairman Greg Clarke said Charlton was “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding : “ He left an indelible impression on our national game and was guaranteed an affectionate and warm welcome wherever he went ” .
In a statement , his family said he led an “ extraordinary life ” and remembered him as a “ thoroughly honest , kind , funny and genuine man who always had time for people ” .

The life of footballing hero Jack Charlton will be commemorated by a special postmark applied to mail sent in England and Ireland.
The former Leeds United defender, who won a World Cup winner’s medal while playing for England in 1966, died on July 10th aged 85.
After a successful career in England, as a manager he helped lead the Republic of Ireland to their first major tournament finals in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
To commemorate his contribution to both nations An Post and the Royal Mail have collaborated for the first time to create a postmark in his honour.
READ MORE
The postmark, which reads “Jack Charlton, 1935 — 2020”, will be applied across stamped mail posted in England and the Republic of Ireland from Monday until August 9th.
David McRedmond, chief executive at An Post, said: “Jack Charlton will always have a special place in the hearts and minds of Irish people.
“He gave our nation many of our happiest and proudest moments.
“Jack was the greatest example of a culture shared across these islands: that a proud Leeds player, a tall English football hero could become an Irish legend.
“That’s why it is so fitting that he should be the subject of the first joint postmark between An Post and the Royal Mail.”
Following the announcement of Charlton’s death, tributes poured in from his former clubs and the wider football family.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: “He was an iconic figure on and off the pitch, in England and Ireland.”
Stuart Simpson, chief executive at Royal Mail, said Charlton was a "football hero" in both countries.
Highlighting the postal services’ first-time postmark collaboration, he added: “The commemoration of the life of Jack Charlton is a fitting occasion to do so.
“Jack was an integral member of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad and played a key role in the Republic of Ireland’s football history.
“We would like to extend our condolences to the family of Jack Charlton from everyone at Royal Mail.”
English Football Association chairman Greg Clarke said Charlton was "a true giant of English football", adding: "He left an indelible impression on our national game and was guaranteed an affectionate and warm welcome wherever he went".
In a statement, his family said he led an “extraordinary life” and remembered him as a “thoroughly honest, kind, funny and genuine man who always had time for people”.


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--How to be a better consumer: 20 commandments

Every couple of years Pricewatch likes to think of ways to be a better consumer and then share the notions with the wider world in the form of commandments to make the page seem infinitely wiser and graver than it actually is .
That time has come round again and , with the world engulfed by a health crisis that sometimes seems endless , many of the rules we would have suggested to make us all better consumers in the past have had to be cast aside to be replaced by others , that would have seemed mad just four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again , some of our consumer commandments of times past are as solid now as they have always been .
1 .
Cough and splutter on fewer people by wearing a face covering : Okay , so , we know that the advice from international experts and those closer to home did change several times over recent months as the world grappled with an ever-evolving pandemic but the bottom line right now is that unless there is a medical or other serious reason why you can ’ t , you should wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public transport .

Every couple of years Pricewatch likes to think of ways to be a better consumer and then share the notions with the wider world in the form of commandments to make the page seem infinitely wiser and graver than it actually is. That time has come round again and, with the world engulfed by a health crisis that sometimes seems endless, many of the rules we would have suggested to make us all better consumers in the past have had to be cast aside to be replaced by others, that would have seemed mad just four or five months ago. But then again, some of our consumer commandments of times past are as solid now as they have always been.
1. Cough and splutter on fewer people by wearing a face covering: Okay, so, we know that the advice from international experts and those closer to home did change several times over recent months as the world grappled with an ever-evolving pandemic but the bottom line right now is that unless there is a medical or other serious reason why you can't, you should wear a mask while shopping indoors and while on public transport.
Will wearing a mask keep you 100 per cent safe? No. Will it remove the need to follow all the other guidelines in relation to hand hygiene or cough and sneeze etiquette? Absolutely not. Might it help in slowing the rate of transmission of Covid-19 in a relatively painless fashion? Almost certainly and it is a small price to pay. Oh, and please, don’t just protect your chin, it’s grand, it doesn’t need any protecting, focus on the nose and mouth.
2. Where you can, stay local and shop local: If recent months have taught us nothing else, they have taught us the value of spending our money in our local communities. By shopping in the local butcher, baker or green grocer, you are supporting your neighbours in a tangible way and frequently getting better quality, better service and even, sometimes, better value. And while Amazon or Asos or any number of online retailers might seem cheap, what is the ultimate cost? If we all shop online all the time then local retailers will disappear and we will all be the poorer for that.
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3. But don't stop shopping around: We are all creatures of habit and, more often than not, we shop in the same supermarkets and buy clothes in the same places and stick with the same phone, gas, television and broadband providers, no matter what happens. That is why fewer than 30 per cent of people change their health insurance or utility provider regularly despite the savings that can be made. The inertia is understandable – shopping around can be a pain – but it is not clever.
So, as a starting point do your “big shop” in a different supermarket at least once in the month ahead. Just to shake things up. If you have not visited one of the German discounters in a while – and less than 30 per cent of Irish consumers shop in either Aldi or Lidl regularly – then give them a whirl. They have improved immeasurably in recent years. And if you normally shop in Aldi, then try Lidl or vice versa.
Shopping in the discounters will not only save you money, it will also save you time because they are small and have less than 20 per cent of the stock a really big supermarket operated by their rivals has. They also support local producers and unlike their big rivals, they may also sell you a flame thrower or wooden shed to boot. But don’t forget commandment two either.
If you make a call to a provider to query something or complain, then log the date and time of all calls in a single word document you keep for such purposes
4. Don't be a supermarket mug: When it comes to food waste, Irish consumers are rarely found wanting. One of the most shameful stats we frequently come across is the fact that we throw away as much as a third of the food we buy and seem only too happy to bin hundreds, if not thousands, of euro each year. Stop doing that by making sure you only buy what you need. Make lists and stick to them. And pay attention to how supermarkets try and sell you things you don't really want or need. Be wary of two-for-one deals on fresh food and don't buy anything you don't really need just because it is on special. Oh, and never do your grocery shopping while hungry or your online shopping when you are drunk.
5. Keep better records of what happened where and with who: Even in a world without paper – or at least with a lot less paper than it once had – it is important to keep some class of trail of your communication with companies. If you cancel a service or change it, then store the emails confirming the happening. If you make a call to a provider to query something or complain, then log the date and time of all calls in a single word document you keep for such purposes. Far too often we have heard tales of people losing hundreds – and sometimes thousands – of euro because they simply could not prove to a company they had done the thing they said they had done.
No records mean it is always going to be harder to get redress if things go wrong. So if you are interacting with a company and the outcome matters, take a note of the date and time and the people you were speaking to on your phone. If you are making a complaint, write a quick timeline of your grievances and include dates and times of phone calls or other conversations. Write down who you spoke to and what was said.
Terms and conditions: be careful of what you agree to.
6. Don't always act on impulse: One of the other things that has changed in our world in recent months has been the allure of spontaneous shopping. The days of wandering around Penneys or BTs or Ikea or wherever it might be are at least temporarily over for many people as the idea of all the queuing and social distancing and the rest has drained much of the joy out of what was once the most popular leisure pursuit in Ireland. Things will get back to normal – whatever that might look like – at some point but that does not mean we have to return to impulse shopping. People who shop without thinking too much about it rarely make the best decisions. So always ask yourself two questions: do you really need this thing? And is this thing really good value for money? And then go away and think about it for a while.
Ireland has a good supply of good-quality drinking water which comes from our taps. So we should drink more of that
7. Beware of the deal: In Pricewatch's experience, if it seems too good to be true, then it is too good to be true Randomly received text messages and Facebook posts promising you free iPads are nonsense. Expensive creams will not gift you eternal youth, that expensive diet or homeopathic treatment aimed at reversing the ageing process will not work. And the sub-Saharan daughter of a dictator with a case full of diamonds is always a sweaty man in a wife-beater and stained tracksuit bottoms who will give you endless heartache while stealing all your money. Oh, and always remember that if you ever get an unsolicited email from your bank, from Revenue or anyone else asking for your bank details – or even just your name and email address – it is a scam, no matter how convincing the mail looks.
8. Eat less processed food and cook your own meals: One of the few good things about the recent unpleasantness has been the move away from rushed eating and the reliance on processed food to keep us going. Stick with it. Cooking is cheaper and better for your physical and mental wellbeing than processed food.
9. Keep telling yourself that fad diets and notions are always stupid: If just one faddy diet actually worked then there would be no need for any others. But there are so many of them, an industry worth billions of euro is built almost entirely on failure. Almost all the diets you might ever consider end up being expensive and worthless – this is particularly true of detox diets which are just nonsense. Don't trust anyone who tries to sell anything that claims to be detoxifying unless it is a human organ. And you're probably better off not trusting someone trying to sell you a liver or a kidney either.
10. Drink more tap water: With a few too many exceptions, Ireland has a good supply of good-quality drinking water which comes from our taps. So we should drink more of that and less of the bottled variety which is incredibly bad for the environment on almost every conceivable level. It takes three litres of regular water to manufacture a single litre of bottled water and the plastic bottle takes at least 500 years to break down.
11. Stay on two wheels or two feet: Another pandemic bonus saw people ditch their cars and walk and cycle more and the authorities have responded by making many urban settings more friendly to both. People who stick with it will be better off as it is a truth almost universally acknowledged that cyclists and walkers are healthier than drivers. A few years back the Lancet published a report which showed cyclists to be slimmer and likely to live longer than their car-driving counterparts.
Stop buying too much. We throw away as much as a third of the food we buy, binning hundreds, if not thousands, of euro each year.
Looking at biological data from more than 150,000 people and studying the health of half a million others aged between 40 and 69, scientists definitively concluded that getting on your bike was better for you. Another Danish study showed that regular cyclists live for more than five years longer than non-cyclists. And it will also save you thousands of euro in commuting costs while allowing you to feel super-smug.
12. Give your health cover a check-up: Pricewatch never ceases to be amazed at how many people seem willing to waste hundreds – and sometimes thousands – of euro simply by not shopping around for better health insurance. If you happen to be among the 70 per cent of Irish people with private health insurance who have not changed provider for a few years do before your next renewal date and you will save a lot of money without losing any real benefits.
Remember if you switch from a comparable plan with company A to one with company B you don’t lose any cover and don’t have to endure any waiting period. And when switching, providers can’t ask intrusive questions about your health. The only thing they can really ask if if you have health insurance already and, if so, for how long and with which insurer and what level of cover you have.
13. Shock yourself with savings: As with health insurance providers, gas and electricity companies profit from our lethargy and ignorance. By switching from one charging you the standard rate to one offering a discounted rate you could easily save more than €400 over the next 12 months. More than 80 per cent of Irish households are paying a higher tariff for both electricity and gas than they need to and unlike cornflakes or broadband – or even health insurance – there is no difference in the quality of the gas or electricity between the dearest and the cheapest.
If you have a grievance, there is little or no point in shouting at the lowest-paid staff member, the very person who has no power to effect change
14. Pay at least some attention to your bank statements and telephone bills: We all know that big companies profit from our unwillingness to even open – never mind actually read and try to understand – the bills and statements they send us and now that so many of them send them to us virtually, it is easier for them to pull the wool over our eyes. So make a resolution to pay attention to them. You never know when you are being gouged and by whom.
15. Don't give in and don't be a pushover: Far too many companies appear to have a policy of making resolving problems as difficult as possible. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that they do this to encourage difficult customers – and by that we mean anyone looking for help or redress – to go away. If you have a grievance with a company, persist. Don't just give up if it seems like too much hassle. That's just playing into their hands.
16. Know the rights you have and the ones you don't: Don't be the person shouting in a shop because it refuses to sell you the flatscreen telly that was incorrectly priced at one cent. Retailers are not obliged to sell you a product just because it has a particular price tag on it. And you do not have the automatic right to a refund or a replacement if a product turns out to be faulty or flawed in some way. A provider can instead offer to repair it. Oh and if you pay a deposit for something and then change your mind, do not automatically assume a provider will give you your money back. They might. But they might not. It depends on the terms and conditions.
Drink more tap water: the bottled variety is incredibly bad for the environment.
17. Be nice but do complain: Working as a shop assistant or in a call centre can be incredibly difficult and not very well-paid. If you have a grievance, there is little or no point in shouting at the lowest-paid staff member, the very person who has no power to effect change. Always be polite – and always make sure you are addressing your complaints to the right people. If you have a serious problem and you are struggling to get it resolved, is there an ombudsman or regulator who can help you out? There is a Financial Services Ombudsman, a Pensions Ombudsman, the Central Bank, a taxi regulator and ComReg, for starters. But remember they can rarely be your starting point, and you will have to exhaust the complaints procedure for that sector and deal with the company before they will entertain you.
18. Read the terms and conditions, or at least some of them: We know that sometimes they are longer than the Bible so a handy way to scan them is to copy the whole thing into a Word document and use Ctrl-F to look for key words you think might be relevant.
19. Be careful with your phone: While the smart phone has arguably been one of the greatest technological advances of the last 100 years with its ability to put a world of knowledge, entertainment, finance and whatever you're having yourself into your pocket, it is not without its problems. We can easily become slaves to the things, they chain us to our offices while we are off and the relentless nature of the social media storm the devices keep us continuously plugged into can be wearying. So, every now and then take a break from it. It's good for the head.
20. Remember there is always Pricewatch: If you have been let down by a shop or service provider then contact Pricewatch – we might be able to help you out. But please remember we do get a lot of queries and complaints and can't deal with them all but we do our best.


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Coronavirus: Publication of ‘green list’ countries to be delayed

The publication of a “ green list ” of countries from which people will not have to self-isolate when returning is to be delayed , as Taoiseach Micheál Martin remains in Brussels at EU talks .
The list was due to be agreed at a Cabinet meeting on Monday , and published shortly afterwards .
However , the Cabinet meeting has been cancelled as Mr Martin remains in Brussels as EU summit negotiations over a coronavirus economic recovery fund continue .
Mr Martin travelled to the key EU summit on Thursday , with tense negotiations over the €750 billion pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the weekend .
EU leaders are split over the size of the recovery fund , with division over what conditions would be placed on the emergency funding .
In particular the Dutch have been pushing for a smaller funding package .
On Sunday night a Government spokeswoman confirmed the Cabinet meeting on Monday had been cancelled , which will push back the publication of the “ green list ” of countries .
The list will be made up of countries with a low incidence of Covid-19 deemed safe to travel to , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries to watch for spikes in coronavirus infections .
The US and the UK are not expected to feature on the list while climbing coronavirus infection rates in Spain , Portugal and France are likely to rule out their inclusion as well .
The list will mean people who have to travel to those countries for essential reasons will not be required to self-isolate for 14 days when they return to Ireland .
Official advice will be to continue to avoid all non-essential overseas travel .

Taoiseach Micheál Martin leaves after an European Union Council in Brussels. Photograph: John Thys / various sources / AFP)
The publication of a "green list" of countries from which people will not have to self-isolate when returning is to be delayed, as Taoiseach Micheál Martin remains in Brussels at EU talks.
The list was due to be agreed at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, and published shortly afterwards.
However, the Cabinet meeting has been cancelled as Mr Martin remains in Brussels as EU summit negotiations over a coronavirus economic recovery fund continue.
Mr Martin travelled to the key EU summit on Thursday, with tense negotiations over the €750 billion pandemic recovery fund beginning on Friday and continuing over the weekend.
READ MORE
EU leaders are split over the size of the recovery fund, with division over what conditions would be placed on the emergency funding. In particular the Dutch have been pushing for a smaller funding package.
On Sunday night a Government spokeswoman confirmed the Cabinet meeting on Monday had been cancelled, which will push back the publication of the “green list” of countries.
The list will be made up of countries with a low incidence of Covid-19 deemed safe to travel to, with health officials monitoring data from shortlisted countries to watch for spikes in coronavirus infections.
The US and the UK are not expected to feature on the list while climbing coronavirus infection rates in Spain, Portugal and France are likely to rule out their inclusion as well.
The list will mean people who have to travel to those countries for essential reasons will not be required to self-isolate for 14 days when they return to Ireland.
Official advice will be to continue to avoid all non-essential overseas travel.


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Covid-19: Mandatory quarantine for new arrivals would not be effective, Minister says

The rollout of a mandatory quarantine regime for people arriving here from outside the State would not be effective due to difficulty securing agreement from Stormont and the British government on an all-Ireland approach , Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said .
Several leading health experts have called for the State to introduce a mandatory two-week quarantine period for people entering the country as a means to prevent imported coronavirus cases .
Mr Ryan , the Green Party leader , said the lack of a parallel regime in Northern Ireland would make introducing such a measure difficult .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the British government and Stormont and we ’ re not getting that , ” he told RTÉ ’ s This Week programme on Sunday .
“ If you want to go down the route of quarantine , that would make it not effective , because you would have that open door to the north , so you couldn ’ t actually lock down in that way.
” There were no further deaths from Covid-19 reported on Sunday , the first day without a fatality linked to the disease being reported in five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) on Sunday , the lowest such daily total in more than a week .
Two deaths and 21 new cases were reported by NPHET on Saturday .
There have now been 1,753 Covid-19-related deaths in the State and 25,760 confirmed cases .
Other island countries such as New Zealand have introduced mandatory quarantining for people entering the country , with repeated testing being used to clear arrivals before they are permitted to enter the community .
The Government has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights into the country for essential travel .
Currently those arriving in the State are required to fill in a passenger locator form to tell authorities where they will be self-isolating for a required 14 days .
Mr Ryan said the Government was “ not happy ” that this system was “ rigorous or effective at the moment ” .
It is expected measures to better enforce the 14-day self-isolation period will be announced following a Cabinet meeting this week .
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally said the country had reached a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its response to Covid-19 , and called for increased restrictions on people arriving into the country .
While accepting there was pressure from the airline and tourism industry when it came to travel , he said he would “ prefer to take the safe road and keep it [ Covid-19 ] out ” .
The US and the UK are not expected to feature on the Government ’ s forthcoming “ green list ” of countries for safe travel , while climbing coronavirus infection rates in Spain , Portugal and France are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Labour Party transport spokesman Duncan Smith said the green list “ will create as many problems as it resolves ” .
Mr Smith said that holidaymakers with flights booked to those countries would not be able to claim refunds despite the current advice against non-essential overseas travel , and if people were still being advised against non-essential travel there was “ a clear need for refunds , vouchers , or the ability to rebook at a later date for holidays ” .
“ Planes will still be travelling but people won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .

The rollout of a mandatory quarantine regime for people arriving here from outside the State would not be effective due to difficulty securing agreement from Stormont and the British government on an all-Ireland approach, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said.
Several leading health experts have called for the State to introduce a mandatory two-week quarantine period for people entering the country as a means to prevent imported coronavirus cases.
Mr Ryan, the Green Party leader, said the lack of a parallel regime in Northern Ireland would make introducing such a measure difficult.
“We would have to have agreement with both the British government and Stormont and we’re not getting that,” he told RTÉ’s This Week programme on Sunday.
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“If you want to go down the route of quarantine, that would make it not effective, because you would have that open door to the north, so you couldn’t actually lock down in that way.”
There were no further deaths from Covid-19 reported on Sunday, the first day without a fatality linked to the disease being reported in five days. An additional 10 cases of the virus were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on Sunday, the lowest such daily total in more than a week. Two deaths and 21 new cases were reported by NPHET on Saturday.
There have now been 1,753 Covid-19-related deaths in the State and 25,760 confirmed cases.
Other island countries such as New Zealand have introduced mandatory quarantining for people entering the country, with repeated testing being used to clear arrivals before they are permitted to enter the community.
Essential travel
The Government has repeatedly said the Republic had to allow flights into the country for essential travel.
Currently those arriving in the State are required to fill in a passenger locator form to tell authorities where they will be self-isolating for a required 14 days.
Mr Ryan said the Government was “not happy” that this system was “rigorous or effective at the moment”. It is expected measures to better enforce the 14-day self-isolation period will be announced following a Cabinet meeting this week.
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally said the country had reached a "fork in the road" in its response to Covid-19, and called for increased restrictions on people arriving into the country.
While accepting there was pressure from the airline and tourism industry when it came to travel, he said he would “prefer to take the safe road and keep it [Covid-19] out”.
The US and the UK are not expected to feature on the Government's forthcoming "green list" of countries for safe travel, while climbing coronavirus infection rates in Spain, Portugal and France are likely to rule out their inclusion as well.
Labour Party transport spokesman Duncan Smith said the green list "will create as many problems as it resolves".
Mr Smith said that holidaymakers with flights booked to those countries would not be able to claim refunds despite the current advice against non-essential overseas travel, and if people were still being advised against non-essential travel there was “a clear need for refunds, vouchers, or the ability to rebook at a later date for holidays”.
“Planes will still be travelling but people won’t be able to get refunds,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Ruth Morrissey’s long legal fight made necessary by broken promise

“ I am not frightened to die , but I don ’ t want to , ” CervicalCheck campaigner Ruth Morrissey told the High Court two years ago during the second day of her case .
The Co Limerick woman explained that receiving news of her prognosis , which had given her one to two years to live , was devastating , and nearly two years to the day after she addressed the court , her family announced that her battle with cancer was over as the 39-year-old died in a hospice .
Ms Morrissey and her husband , Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the High Court last May over the misreading of her cervical smear tests .
“ You have to dig really deep , ” she told the court at the start of the case .
“ You are not going to be the same person .
I am not frightened to die , but I don ’ t want to.
” She took her action against the HSE and two laboratories involved in processing CervicalCheck smears , Quest Diagnostics and Medlab Pathology .
The action was described as a test case for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Morrissey ’ s counsel claimed there was a failure to read and diagnose smear samples taken in 2009 and 2012 .
The failings led to Ms Morrissey ’ s cancer spreading untreated until she was diagnosed in June 2014 .
After she was diagnosed , an internal audit took place of her past smears in 2014 and 2015 , with the results sent to her gynaecologist in 2016 .
However , like many of the women affected by the scandal , she was not told that the reviews that had found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 2018 .
In a High Court judgment last year , Mr Justice Kevin Cross said Ms Morrissey ’ s life had been ruined and she had suffered a life sentence as a result of the failings .
Finding against Quest Diagnostics , Mr Justice Cross said a reasonably competent screener at the relevant time should not have failed to see what was on Ms Morrissey ’ s 2009 slide .
In relation to the 2012 smear test , Mr Justice Cross found MedLab was negligent in failing to reject a smear taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cells .
He said the failure of MedLab to spot irregularities in the 2012 sample did not constitute negligence , because of the nature of the irregularities .
The HSE had admitted liability in relation to the non-disclosure of the audit results .
The High Court ruling set a threshold for screening programmes to have “ absolute confidence ” in their decision if they are giving a sample the all-clear .
The HSE and the two labs have since appealed aspects of the judgment to the Supreme Court , which heard last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death , that the €2.1 million in damages had been paid in full to her and her husband .
The CervicalCheck scandal first came to light after a court case taken by Vicky Phelan , which exposed shortcomings in the screening system that affected more than 220 women .
Ms Morrissey ’ s lengthy legal battle stood in stark contrast to initial promises by then taoiseach Leo Varadkar when the scandal emerged that the affected women would not have to go through the court system for compensation .
Mr Varadkar last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disrespect and deceit ” shown to the women and families affected by CervicalCheck controversy .
He said there had been a “ litany of failures ” in how cervical screening in Ireland operated over many years .
Speaking outside the High Court after winning her case , Ms Morrissey was critical of the broken promise , but hoped the “ women who are left ” would not have to go through the court process and “ fight for their right to have a good life in what they have left ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband Paul said she had died at Milford Hospice .
He said the State had not apologised to Ruth for the “ magnitude of harm ” caused by the misreading of her smear test .
“ Now it is too late , ” he added .

Ruth Morrissey hoped the ‘women who are left’ would not have to go through the court process. Photograph: Collins
"I am not frightened to die, but I don't want to," CervicalCheck campaigner Ruth Morrissey told the High Court two years ago during the second day of her case.
The Co Limerick woman explained that receiving news of her prognosis, which had given her one to two years to live, was devastating, and nearly two years to the day after she addressed the court, her family announced that her battle with cancer was over as the 39-year-old died in a hospice.
Ms Morrissey and her husband, Paul, were awarded €2.1 million in damages by the High Court last May over the misreading of her cervical smear tests.
“You have to dig really deep,” she told the court at the start of the case. “You are not going to be the same person. I am not frightened to die, but I don’t want to.”
READ MORE
She took her action against the HSE and two laboratories involved in processing CervicalCheck smears, Quest Diagnostics and Medlab Pathology.
The action was described as a test case for many similar actions over the CervicalCheck controversy, Ms Morrissey’s counsel claimed there was a failure to read and diagnose smear samples taken in 2009 and 2012. The failings led to Ms Morrissey’s cancer spreading untreated until she was diagnosed in June 2014.
After she was diagnosed, an internal audit took place of her past smears in 2014 and 2015, with the results sent to her gynaecologist in 2016. However, like many of the women affected by the scandal, she was not told that the reviews that had found the initial smears had been reported incorrectly until May 2018.
In a High Court judgment last year, Mr Justice Kevin Cross said Ms Morrissey’s life had been ruined and she had suffered a life sentence as a result of the failings.
Finding against Quest Diagnostics, Mr Justice Cross said a reasonably competent screener at the relevant time should not have failed to see what was on Ms Morrissey’s 2009 slide. In relation to the 2012 smear test, Mr Justice Cross found MedLab was negligent in failing to reject a smear taken in 2012 for having an inadequate number of cells.
He said the failure of MedLab to spot irregularities in the 2012 sample did not constitute negligence, because of the nature of the irregularities. The HSE had admitted liability in relation to the non-disclosure of the audit results.
‘Absolute confidence’
The High Court ruling set a threshold for screening programmes to have “absolute confidence” in their decision if they are giving a sample the all-clear.
The HSE and the two labs have since appealed aspects of the judgment to the Supreme Court, which heard last Thursday, three days before Ms Morrissey's death, that the €2.1 million in damages had been paid in full to her and her husband.
The CervicalCheck scandal first came to light after a court case taken by Vicky Phelan, which exposed shortcomings in the screening system that affected more than 220 women.
Ms Morrissey's lengthy legal battle stood in stark contrast to initial promises by then taoiseach Leo Varadkar when the scandal emerged that the affected women would not have to go through the court system for compensation.
Mr Varadkar last October apologised “for the humiliation, the disrespect and deceit” shown to the women and families affected by CervicalCheck controversy. He said there had been a “litany of failures” in how cervical screening in Ireland operated over many years.
Speaking outside the High Court after winning her case, Ms Morrissey was critical of the broken promise, but hoped the “women who are left” would not have to go through the court process and “fight for their right to have a good life in what they have left”.
In a statement on Sunday, her husband Paul said she had died at Milford Hospice. He said the State had not apologised to Ruth for the “magnitude of harm” caused by the misreading of her smear test.
“Now it is too late,” he added.


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Tributes paid after death of homeless services volunteer in Cork

Warm tributes have been paid to a volunteer with a homeless charity in Cork who died after he was found unconscious on the street in the city centre over the weekend .
Lithuanian national , Arunas Butkus ( 53 ) was found unconscious lying on the pavement on Lower Oliver Plunkett Street near the Cork Simon Shelter at around 10.30pm on Friday night .
The emergency services were alerted and paramedics performed CPR on Mr Butkus but they were unable to resuscitate him and the man was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor .
Mr Butkus ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital where a post-mortem has been scheduled to take place on Monday which gardaí hope will establish the exact cause of his death .
Gardaí say there was nothing to suggest anything suspicious or sinister about Mr Butkus ’ s death and they will now begin preparing a file on his death for an inquest at Cork City Coroner ’ s Court .
Mr Butkus had been a volunteer with Cork Penny Dinners , who began caring from him two years ago following his discharge from Cork University Hospital after being diagnosed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cork Penny Dinners described Mr Butkus as a tireless worker with the charity , working as a volunteer , helping with making hampers for families who were struggling .
“ He had been working in a bakery here and they were very good to him - he was a warrior for work - he would work tirelessly and it was the same when he was helping us at Penny Dinners .
“ He used to love fishing and he would often bring in the fish that he caught and cook it with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lithuanian style - he was a great cook , ” she said “ We had him looked after in terms of accommodation but he was in very poor health even though he never complained but he started to get weaker and weaker about three weeks ago .
“ He had an outstanding medical team at both Cork University Hospital and the Mercy who went above and beyond at all times for him - it ’ s very sad but may he rest in peace now .
”

Lithuanian national Arunas Butkus (53) was found unconscious lying on the pavement in Cork on Friday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Warm tributes have been paid to a volunteer with a homeless charity in Cork who died after he was found unconscious on the street in the city centre over the weekend.
Lithuanian national, Arunas Butkus (53) was found unconscious lying on the pavement on Lower Oliver Plunkett Street near the Cork Simon Shelter at around 10.30pm on Friday night.
The emergency services were alerted and paramedics performed CPR on Mr Butkus but they were unable to resuscitate him and the man was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor.
Mr Butkus’s body was removed to Cork University Hospital where a post-mortem has been scheduled to take place on Monday which gardaí hope will establish the exact cause of his death.
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Gardaí say there was nothing to suggest anything suspicious or sinister about Mr Butkus’s death and they will now begin preparing a file on his death for an inquest at Cork City Coroner’s Court.
Mr Butkus had been a volunteer with Cork Penny Dinners, who began caring from him two years ago following his discharge from Cork University Hospital after being diagnosed with a serious illness.
Caitriona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners described Mr Butkus as a tireless worker with the charity, working as a volunteer, helping with making hampers for families who were struggling.
“He had been working in a bakery here and they were very good to him - he was a warrior for work - he would work tirelessly and it was the same when he was helping us at Penny Dinners.
“He used to love fishing and he would often bring in the fish that he caught and cook it with us in Penny Dinners in his own traditional Lithuanian style - he was a great cook,” she said
“We had him looked after in terms of accommodation but he was in very poor health even though he never complained but he started to get weaker and weaker about three weeks ago.
“He had an outstanding medical team at both Cork University Hospital and the Mercy who went above and beyond at all times for him - it’s very sad but may he rest in peace now.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Low Pay Commission defers guidance on national minimum wage

The Low Pay Commission has deferred until September making a recommendation to the Government on any increase to the national minimum wage paid to some 120,000 workers .
It is understood that concerns were raised by employers about the affordability of any increase given the uncertainty brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic .
The commission had been scheduled to provide a recommendation to the Government by Tuesday .
It last year recommended an increase of 30 cent to the minimum wage for adults , bringing the rate to €10.10 per hour .
The commission , established in 2015 to advise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent chairman appointed by the Government and involves trade unions , employers and campaign groups .
It generally makes its recommendation about the national minimum wage level to the cabinet in July , which is then considered by government before a decision is announced in the budget in October .
There was a political row last year after the then government proposed delaying the introduction of the increased national minimum wage – which generally comes into force in January – for a short period until there was greater clarity regarding Brexit and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The minimum wage is different to the living wage , which is the amount campaigners argue is the level of earnings required to provide an acceptable standard of living .

The Low Pay Commission had been scheduled to provide by Tuesday a recommendation to the Government on any increase to the national minimum wage. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The Low Pay Commission has deferred until September making a recommendation to the Government on any increase to the national minimum wage paid to some 120,000 workers.
It is understood that concerns were raised by employers about the affordability of any increase given the uncertainty brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The commission had been scheduled to provide a recommendation to the Government by Tuesday. It last year recommended an increase of 30 cent to the minimum wage for adults, bringing the rate to €10.10 per hour.
The commission, established in 2015 to advise ministers on the issue, has an independent chairman appointed by the Government and involves trade unions, employers and campaign groups.
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It generally makes its recommendation about the national minimum wage level to the cabinet in July, which is then considered by government before a decision is announced in the budget in October.
There was a political row last year after the then government proposed delaying the introduction of the increased national minimum wage – which generally comes into force in January – for a short period until there was greater clarity regarding Brexit and the ability of businesses to absorb an increase.
The minimum wage is different to the living wage, which is the amount campaigners argue is the level of earnings required to provide an acceptable standard of living.


theirishtimes--2020-07-19--Woman dies in hospital after traffic collision in Killarney

Gardaí are renewing their appeal for witnesses following the death of a woman after a road traffic collision in Killarney @ @ @ @ @ July 17th .
The woman , in her 50s , died at Cork University Hospital @ @ @ @ @ , she was taken to hospital on Friday after a reported collision with a truck @ @ @ @ @ Killarney .
A gardaí statement read : “ Gardaí are renewing their appeal for witnesses @ @ @ @ @ road traffic collision that occurred at the Cleeney Roundabout , Killarney , Co Kerry , @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
“ At around 8.40am Gardaí received a report of a collision involving a @ @ @ @ @ , aged in her 50s .
The pedestrian was taken to Cork University Hospital where @ @ @ @ @ today ( 19/7/2020 ) .
“ Gardaí are renewing their appeal to anyone who was @ @ @ @ @ Roundabout , Killarney at around 8.30am and in particular road users with camera footage , @ @ @ @ @ on 064-667 1160 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 .
”

Gardaí are renewing their appeal for witnesses following the death of a woman after a road traffic collision in Killarney. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Gardaí are renewing their appeal for witnesses following the death of a woman after a road traffic collision in Killarney, Co Kerry on Friday July 17th.
The woman, in her 50s, died at Cork University Hospital on Sunday. A pedestrian, she was taken to hospital on Friday after a reported collision with a truck at the Cleeney roundabout in Killarney.
A gardaí statement read: “Gardaí are renewing their appeal for witnesses in relation to a fatal road traffic collision that occurred at the Cleeney Roundabout, Killarney, Co Kerry, on Friday July 17th, 2020.
“At around 8.40am Gardaí received a report of a collision involving a truck and a female pedestrian, aged in her 50s. The pedestrian was taken to Cork University Hospital where she was pronounced dead earlier today (19/7/2020).
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“Gardaí are renewing their appeal to anyone who was in the vicinity of Cleeney Roundabout, Killarney at around 8.30am and in particular road users with camera footage, to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064-667 1160 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.”