theirishtimes--2020-10-27--Cork suspected murder-suicide may have been over disputed will

Gardaí investigating the deaths of a father and his two sons in what they believe was a murder-suicide are hoping that postmortem examinations on Tuesday will help them establish what exactly happened to the family in their home in north Cork .
Gardaí described the incident , which claimed the lives of Tadhg O ’ Sullivan ( 59 ) and his two sons , Mark ( 26 ) and Diarmuid ( 23 ) , as a terrible tragedy as relatives were last night comforting Mr O ’ Sullivan ’ s widow , Anne ( 60 ) who had recently come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say they are keeping an open mind on what led to the tragedy but say they are inquiring whether the shootings may have been related to a dispute over a will that would have seen Diarmuid miss out on a share of the family farm at Castlemagner near Kanturk .
The farmhouse , where the body of Mark O ’ Sullivan was found in an upstairs room , was declared a crime scene and cordoned off by gardaí yesterday , while gardaí also cordoned off a field where the bodies of Tadhg and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster arrived at the scene at about 5.30pm and carried out a preliminary examination of the bodies .
Gardaí also requested the services of the Garda Technical Bureau from Dublin , and ballistic experts travelled to Kanturk to carry out examinations of the two rifles found beside Tadhg and Diarmuid O ’ Sullivan to see if one or both weapons were used to shoot Mark O ’ Sullivan .
Gardaí will await the results of Dr Bolster ’ s postmortems at Cork University Hospital to establish how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but early indications were that Tadhg and Diarmuid O ’ Sullivan suffered single gunshot wounds .
“ We ’ re going to have to await the results of the postmortems but it ’ s possible that Mark suffered more than one gunshot wound while it would appear on a preliminary examination that Tadhg and Diarmuid suffered a single gunshot wound each , ” said a Garda source .
“ But we need to see the results of the postmortems and the results of ballistic and forensic tests on the two rifles to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they shoot each other or did one person shoot the other and then shoot himself – that has all yet to be determined.
” Supt Adrian Gamble of Cork North Division later appealed at a press conference in Kanturk to anyone who might have any information that could assist in the investigation of the incidents to contact investigating gardaí at Mallow Garda station on 022-31450 .
Gardaí under Chief Supt Tom Myers of Cork North Division appointed a family liaison officer to liaise with Ms O ’ Sullivan , who was being comforted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Sullivan was originally from Roskeen , between Mallow and Kanturk , and had married into the farm but never farmed or worked the 150-acre tillage holding .
He was employed instead as a mechanic at Greenhall Motors in Buttevant about 15km away .
Mark O ’ Sullivan had a law degree from University College Cork and was working as a trainee solicitor while his brother had recently completed a degree in financial and business management .
He is understood to have started working in the area .
He had worked part time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while studying and it is understood he had become quite angry and aggrieved recently and was concerned he might not inherit a share in the farm , which is described as good tillage land .
The holding northeast of Kanturk had been leased out to neighbouring farmers for the past 30 years or so since Ms O ’ Sullivan ’ s father died .
Local Fine Gael councillor John Paul O ’ Shea from nearby Lombardstown said that as news began to emerge on Monday morning and afternoon , people in Castlemagner and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible tragedy happening on their doorstep .
“ There ’ s a total sense of disbelief , ” he said .
“ The exact details of the case have to be confirmed but obviously it ’ s a very close-knit community in Castlemagner , so confirmation that three people had passed is very tragic and has been greeted with a real sense of grief and loss in the area .
“ People will find it very hard to come to terms with it but I have no doubt the people of Castlemagner will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister for Justice Helen McEntee extended her sympathies to “ all those impacted upon by this tragic and disturbing incident ” .
“ I want to thank the gardaí and other emergency services who attended the scene , ” she said .

Three relatives have died in an apparent murder-suicide on a farm in Kanturk, north Co Cork. The shooting incident has left a father (late 50s) and his two sons (aged in their 20s) dead. Video: Provision
Gardaí investigating the deaths of a father and his two sons in what they believe was a murder-suicide are hoping that post-mortem examinations on Tuesday will help them establish what exactly happened to the family in their home in north Cork.
Gardaí described the incident, which claimed the lives of Tadhg O’Sullivan (59) and his two sons, Mark (26) and Diarmuid (23), as a terrible tragedy as relatives were last night comforting Mr O’Sullivan’s widow, Anne (60) who had recently come out of hospital following surgery.
Gardaí say they are keeping an open mind on what led to the tragedy but say they are inquiring whether the shootings may have been related to a dispute over a will that would have seen Diarmuid miss out on a share of the family farm at Castlemagner near Kanturk.
The farmhouse, where the body of Mark O’Sullivan was found in an upstairs room, was declared a crime scene and cordoned off by gardaí yesterday, while gardaí also cordoned off a field where the bodies of Tadhg and Diarmuid were found beside two rifles.
READ MORE
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster arrived at the scene at about 5.30pm and carried out a preliminary examination of the bodies.
Gardaí also requested the services of the Garda Technical Bureau from Dublin, and ballistic experts travelled to Kanturk to carry out examinations of the two rifles found beside Tadhg and Diarmuid O'Sullivan to see if one or both weapons were used to shoot Mark O'Sullivan.
Single shot
Gardaí will await the results of Dr Bolster’s post-mortems at Cork University Hospital to establish how many times Mark O’Sullivan was shot but early indications were that Tadhg and Diarmuid O’Sullivan suffered single gunshot wounds.
“We’re going to have to await the results of the post-mortems but it’s possible that Mark suffered more than one gunshot wound while it would appear on a preliminary examination that Tadhg and Diarmuid suffered a single gunshot wound each,” said a Garda source.
“But we need to see the results of the post-mortems and the results of ballistic and forensic tests on the two rifles to establish whether they each shot themselves or did they shoot each other or did one person shoot the other and then shoot himself – that has all yet to be determined.”
Supt Adrian Gamble of Cork North Division later appealed at a press conference in Kanturk to anyone who might have any information that could assist in the investigation of the incidents to contact investigating gardaí at Mallow Garda station on 022-31450.
Gardaí under Chief Supt Tom Myers of Cork North Division appointed a family liaison officer to liaise with Ms O'Sullivan, who was being comforted by friends and neighbours.
Tadhg O'Sullivan was originally from Roskeen, between Mallow and Kanturk, and had married into the farm but never farmed or worked the 150-acre tillage holding. He was employed instead as a mechanic at Greenhall Motors in Buttevant about 15km away.
Became angry
Mark O'Sullivan had a law degree from University College Cork and was working as a trainee solicitor while his brother had recently completed a degree in financial and business management. Diarmuid O'Sullivan is understood to have started working in the area. He had worked part time in a local hardware store in Kanturk while studying and it is understood he had become quite angry and aggrieved recently and was concerned he might not inherit a share in the farm, which is described as good tillage land.
The holding northeast of Kanturk had been leased out to neighbouring farmers for the past 30 years or so since Ms O’Sullivan’s father died.
Local Fine Gael councillor John Paul O'Shea from nearby Lombardstown said that as news began to emerge on Monday morning and afternoon, people in Castlemagner and Kanturk were stunned to discover such a terrible tragedy happening on their doorstep.
“There’s a total sense of disbelief,” he said. “The exact details of the case have to be confirmed but obviously it’s a very close-knit community in Castlemagner, so confirmation that three people had passed is very tragic and has been greeted with a real sense of grief and loss in the area.
“People will find it very hard to come to terms with it but I have no doubt the people of Castlemagner will rally around and support the family.”
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee extended her sympathies to “all those impacted upon by this tragic and disturbing incident”.
“I want to thank the gardaí and other emergency services who attended the scene,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-10-27--Suspected murder-suicide shooting in Cork leaves father and two sons dead

Gardaí have said they are not looking for anyone else following what they believe was a murder-suicide incident which left three men dead at their family farm near Castlemagner outside Kanturk in north Cork yesterday .
The tragedy which left father Tadhg O ’ Sullivan ( 59 ) and his two sons Mark ( 26 ) and Diarmuid ( 23 ) dead at the family farm at Assolas between Castlemagner and Kanturk began unfolding at 6.30am when gardaí received an emergency call from Tadhg O ’ Sullivan ’ s wife , Anne O ’ Sullivan .
Gardaí are investigating reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a dispute over a proposed will .
Some reports suggested that Diarmuid O ’ Sullivan felt aggrieved he might not inherit a share in the 150-acre farm , became angry and had threatened to self-harm .
Ms O ’ Sullivan ( 60 ) , a nurse at Mount Alverna in Mallow , had been in hospital in Dublin last week for surgery for a serious medical condition and was accompanied to Dublin by her older son , Mark .
It is understood they stayed with neighbours for the past few days upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they moved back to the family home on Sunday night and events took a tragic turn on Monday morning when it is believed Tadhg and Diarmuid burst into Mark ’ s bedroom sometime after 6.30am and one or both of them shot him .
Ms O ’ Sullivan managed to flee the house and raced to a neighbour ’ s home to raise the alarm , telling them that her husband and son had shot her other son .
They contacted gardaí , who rushed to the scene .
Gardaí were informed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 7.25am .
They set up a cordon 70m back as they knew the family had three licensed firearms , two rifles and a shotgun , and were unsure whether or not they were facing a siege or possible hostage situation .
Gardaí declared the matter a critical firearms incident and a senior officer from Cork city division was appointed as on-scene commander as gardaí requested back-up .
Armed members of the emergency response unit ( ERU ) from Cork were deployed and took up positions around the farmhouse .
Meanwhile , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ division attempted to make contact with any persons in the house throughout the morning without success as gardaí maintained their position in the cordon in case anyone in the house was armed .
However , shortly after 12.30pm , supported by armed members of the ERU from Cork , members of the armed support unit ( ASU ) who had travelled from Dublin on board an Air Corps helicopter entered the house and found Mark O ’ Sullivan ’ s body .
He was pronounced dead at the scene before some 20 members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a search of the outhouses attached to the farmhouse , while the Garda air support unit helicopter which had come from Dublin was also deployed to carry out a sweep of the farm .
At about 1.40pm the air support unit spotted two bodies lying near a fairy fort some four fields behind the house and when members of the ASU and ERU reached the scene they found the bodies of Tadhg and Diarmuid O ’ Sullivan beside two rifles and both were pronounced dead .

Three relatives have died in an apparent murder-suicide on a farm in Kanturk, north Co Cork. The shooting incident has left a father (late 50s) and his two sons (aged in their 20s) dead. Video: Provision
Gardaí have said they are not looking for anyone else following what they believe was a murder-suicide incident which left three men dead at their family farm near Castlemagner outside Kanturk in north Cork yesterday.
The tragedy which left father Tadhg O’Sullivan (59) and his two sons Mark (26) and Diarmuid (23) dead at the family farm at Assolas between Castlemagner and Kanturk began unfolding at 6.30am when gardaí received an emergency call from Tadhg O’Sullivan’s wife, Anne O’Sullivan.
Gardaí are investigating reports that the tragedy may have been triggered by a dispute over a proposed will.
Some reports suggested that Diarmuid O’Sullivan felt aggrieved he might not inherit a share in the 150-acre farm, became angry and had threatened to self-harm.
READ MORE
Gardaí at the scene of the shootings at Assolas, near Kanturk in north Cork. Photograph: Daragh McSweeney/Provision
Ms O’Sullivan (60), a nurse at Mount Alverna in Mallow, had been in hospital in Dublin last week for surgery for a serious medical condition and was accompanied to Dublin by her older son, Mark. It is understood they stayed with neighbours for the past few days upon their return to Castlemagner.
However, they moved back to the family home on Sunday night and events took a tragic turn on Monday morning when it is believed Tadhg and Diarmuid burst into Mark’s bedroom sometime after 6.30am and one or both of them shot him.
Ms O’Sullivan managed to flee the house and raced to a neighbour’s home to raise the alarm, telling them that her husband and son had shot her other son. They contacted gardaí, who rushed to the scene.
Gardaí were informed by locals they had heard further gunshots at about 7.25am. They set up a cordon 70m back as they knew the family had three licensed firearms, two rifles and a shotgun, and were unsure whether or not they were facing a siege or possible hostage situation.
Gardaí declared the matter a critical firearms incident and a senior officer from Cork city division was appointed as on-scene commander as gardaí requested back-up. Armed members of the emergency response unit (ERU) from Cork were deployed and took up positions around the farmhouse.
Diarmuid O’Sullivan. Photograph: Provision
Meanwhile, a trained negotiator attached to the Cork North division attempted to make contact with any persons in the house throughout the morning without success as gardaí maintained their position in the cordon in case anyone in the house was armed.
Armed support unit
However, shortly after 12.30pm, supported by armed members of the ERU from Cork, members of the armed support unit (ASU) who had travelled from Dublin on board an Air Corps helicopter entered the house and found Mark O'Sullivan's body.
He was pronounced dead at the scene before some 20 members of the ASU and the ERU began a search of the outhouses attached to the farmhouse, while the Garda air support unit helicopter which had come from Dublin was also deployed to carry out a sweep of the farm.
At about 1.40pm the air support unit spotted two bodies lying near a fairy fort some four fields behind the house and when members of the ASU and ERU reached the scene they found the bodies of Tadhg and Diarmuid O’Sullivan beside two rifles and both were pronounced dead.


theirishtimes--2020-10-27--Covid-19 in a cramped inner-city flat: ‘It felt like the walls were closing in’

Sinéad O ’ Brien still becomes upset when remembering isolating with her family – including her husband and two children – for 14 days in March in their small inner-city flat .
O ’ Brien , a ward clerk at St James ’ s hospital , tested positive for Covid-19 just after St Patrick ’ s Day .
“ It was like getting hit by a bus , I was so unwell .
It knocked me for six.
” The family had to isolate for a fortnight .
Her son ( 22 ) and daughter ( 15 ) stayed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Darren , had to sleep on the living-room floor , while she stayed in their tiny bedroom .
“ It was actually the most horrible time of my life .
I couldn ’ t leave that room .
I couldn ’ t even go to the front door .
All I had , for fresh air , was to stick my head out the window.
” Their flat , in the 1937-built Marrowbone House flats complex in the Liberties , is on the second floor , its front-door sharing a balcony with seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the balcony over us , another under us , and the ground floor too , ” says O ’ Brien .
“ I couldn ’ t go out of the room , or out on the balcony .
There were too many people around .
It felt like the walls were closing in .
I was so sick and so frightened , ” she says , becoming emotional .
“ And I was worried about my children .
It definitely affected my mental health.
” For the past five years , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting for a transfer ” to a three-bedroom flat on a ground floor .
“ My husband had a hip replacement and he finds the stairs difficult .
The council just keep saying I am at ‘ such and such ’ a place on the list and there ’ s hundreds ahead of us .
“ There is not a bit of privacy for any of us .
We have no space to keep anything .
The kids can ’ t have their music on .
It ’ s very stressful.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You just feel like everyone is on top of you , from people living underneath you , to the people on top .
You can hear every foot-step and it gets in on you .
It would have never bothered me six months ago but , because of Covid and feeling you can ’ t get out , you can feel desperate.
” Asked how she feels about Level 5 , she says she has cried at the announcements of restrictions in recent months .
“ But now I feel , let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
We just have to get on with it.
” Nearby are the Oliver Bond House flats , built in 1936 .
While well-designed for their time , they were not built for a modern pandemic .
The 397 flats are in 16 four-storey blocks .
The average two-bed is 47-53sq m , far smaller than the mandatory 73-90sq m minimum today .
Many are overcrowded , with little ventilation or storage space .
During the first lockdown , residents suffered an infestation of rats – an issue that has not yet been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no gardens .
The only green area nearby is a small grassy patch at St Audoen ’ s Church .
According to 2016 data , just 4.5 per cent of adults here have a third-level education ; 37 per cent have a primary education only and 50 per cent of adult males are unemployed .
The first lockdown brought further job losses .
Resident Lisa Carey describes as “ awful ” the anxiety felt by her son , a warehouse operative , and his girlfriend .
“ They are both losing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s two months before Christmas and people with kids are expected to live on €300 or €350 a week , ” she says referring to the pandemic unemployment payment .
“ People need more support.
” A young man who shares a two-bed flat on the ground floor with his partner , daughter ( 3 ) and mother has not returned to work in construction since March .
“ My mother has COPD and is on oxygen 16 hours a day .
The way things are with the virus I couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
I could be in Ballyfermot today , Blanchardstown the day after .
My wages were about €500 a week , so I really do feel it.
” “ I ’ m in a two-bed with the kids .
Two have learning difficulties and it was so hard .
And the homework – it was okay for about two weeks , but then just too stressful .
It was very hard trying to keep them in the flat , trying to explain why they couldn ’ t go out to play with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think I can cope as long as the schools stay open , ” she says – a sentiment echoed by many in the complex .
Isolation is a fear for Nora Dodd ( 93 ) , Oliver Bond ’ s oldest resident , who has lived in her fourth-storey flat since 1958 .
She “ can ’ t go out at all ” since she broke her hip three years ago , she says .
She is a widow with four sons who , she fears , will not be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carer comes daily , but it gets lonely .
“ I have arthritis all over .
I am okay , only for the constant pain all the time .
My family can ’ t come , but I have the best of neighbours.
” Widower Christopher Carey ( 71 ) describes himself as “ very positive ” .
It was “ frustrating not going out ” in March .
“ It does be lonely , but we ’ ve got to go with it .
If we don ’ t do it this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all who speak to The Irish Times say Level 5 is necessary , weariness , resignation , some irritation with restrictions and fear are apparent , too .
Austin Campbell , executive director of the local Robert Emmet community development project , says during the first lockdown , job losses and the closure of schools and after-school clubs ( where children are fed ) saw demand for free food increase from 240kg a week to two tonnes a week now , distributed by volunteers .
“ It really underlined to us how close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the relative lack of socio-economic resilience ” of many in the face of the pandemic .
He worries poverty and mental health issues will worsen in a second lockdown .
Though there was great unity of purpose in March and April , the easing of restrictions over the summer has led to “ some fraying in the local social fabric ” , he fears .
For some , further restrictions will inevitably be seen “ as a greater threat than the possibility of contracting Covid-19 ” .
In the short term , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poorer communities during this crisis must be met with adequate funding for community and voluntary services providing essential supports – such as food , home-help , counselling and educational supports .
In the longer term , decades of “ bad planning , inadequate investment and neglect ” must be addressed , he says , pointing to the lack of green spaces , dearth of community and sports facilities , overcrowded and dilapidated housing and an overconcentration of homeless hostels and hotels in the area .
One resident who sees a way through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 62 ) .
Having been sent to Artane industrial school aged seven and been in and out of prison in the years after , he discovered art in Limerick prison .
He is completing a master ’ s in fine arts at the local National College of Art and Design , and his third-storey one-bed flat in Oliver Bond is also his studio .
Dark grey and black charcoal sketches on his wall , expressing how he feels , are his latest work .
“ It seems the whole of Ireland is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I go it ’ s Covid , as if there is no reality any more .
“ But I am ready for this lockdown .
I am going to get stuck in , paint my emotions .
I ’ ll go for walks in the evenings , and get through it .
”

Sinéad O’Brien still becomes upset when remembering isolating with her family – including her husband and two children – for 14 days in March in their small inner-city flat.
O’Brien, a ward clerk at St James’s hospital, tested positive for Covid-19 just after St Patrick’s Day. “It was like getting hit by a bus, I was so unwell. It knocked me for six.” The family had to isolate for a fortnight.
Her son (22) and daughter (15) stayed in their shared bedroom. Her husband, Darren, had to sleep on the living-room floor, while she stayed in their tiny bedroom.
Hospital Report
“It was actually the most horrible time of my life. I couldn’t leave that room. I couldn’t even go to the front door. All I had, for fresh air, was to stick my head out the window.”
READ MORE
Their flat, in the 1937-built Marrowbone House flats complex in the Liberties, is on the second floor, its front-door sharing a balcony with seven other households.
“Then there’s the balcony over us, another under us, and the ground floor too,” says O’Brien. “I couldn’t go out of the room, or out on the balcony. There were too many people around. It felt like the walls were closing in. I was so sick and so frightened,” she says, becoming emotional. “And I was worried about my children. It definitely affected my mental health.”
For the past five years, she says, the family has been “fighting for a transfer” to a three-bedroom flat on a ground floor.
“My husband had a hip replacement and he finds the stairs difficult. The council just keep saying I am at ‘such and such’ a place on the list and there’s hundreds ahead of us.
But now I feel, let it be. What can we do? We just have to get on with it
“There is not a bit of privacy for any of us. We have no space to keep anything. The kids can’t have their music on. It’s very stressful.”
The pandemic has exacerbated the cramped conditions.
“You just feel like everyone is on top of you, from people living underneath you, to the people on top. You can hear every foot-step and it gets in on you. It would have never bothered me six months ago but, because of Covid and feeling you can’t get out, you can feel desperate.”
Asked how she feels about Level 5, she says she has cried at the announcements of restrictions in recent months. “But now I feel, let it be. What can we do? We just have to get on with it.”
Infestation of rats
Nearby are the Oliver Bond House flats, built in 1936. While well-designed for their time, they were not built for a modern pandemic.
The 397 flats are in 16 four-storey blocks. The average two-bed is 47-53sq m, far smaller than the mandatory 73-90sq m minimum today. Many are overcrowded, with little ventilation or storage space. During the first lockdown, residents suffered an infestation of rats – an issue that has not yet been eliminated.
There are two tiny playgrounds and no gardens. The only green area nearby is a small grassy patch at St Audoen’s Church.
According to 2016 data, just 4.5 per cent of adults here have a third-level education; 37 per cent have a primary education only and 50 per cent of adult males are unemployed.
The first lockdown brought further job losses.
Resident Lisa Carey describes as "awful" the anxiety felt by her son, a warehouse operative, and his girlfriend. "They are both losing their jobs again this week. It's two months before Christmas and people with kids are expected to live on €300 or €350 a week," she says referring to the pandemic unemployment payment. "People need more support."
I'm in a two-bed with the kids. Two have learning difficulties and it was so hard
A young man who shares a two-bed flat on the ground floor with his partner, daughter (3) and mother has not returned to work in construction since March.
"My mother has COPD and is on oxygen 16 hours a day. The way things are with the virus I couldn't be taking public transport all over the place. I could be in Ballyfermot today, Blanchardstown the day after. My wages were about €500 a week, so I really do feel it."
Mother-of-four Rachel McNamara found the early lockdown “very stressful”.
“I’m in a two-bed with the kids. Two have learning difficulties and it was so hard. And the homework – it was okay for about two weeks, but then just too stressful. It was very hard trying to keep them in the flat, trying to explain why they couldn’t go out to play with their friends.
I have arthritis all over. I am okay, only for the constant pain all the time
“Level 5? I think I can cope as long as the schools stay open,” she says – a sentiment echoed by many in the complex.
Isolation is a fear for Nora Dodd (93), Oliver Bond's oldest resident, who has lived in her fourth-storey flat since 1958. She "can't go out at all" since she broke her hip three years ago, she says.
Oliver Bond Flats resident Nora Dodd (93). Photograph: Crispin Rodwell
She is a widow with four sons who, she fears, will not be able to visit under Level 5. A home-help carer comes daily, but it gets lonely. “I have arthritis all over. I am okay, only for the constant pain all the time. My family can’t come, but I have the best of neighbours.”
Widower Christopher Carey (71) describes himself as "very positive". It was "frustrating not going out" in March. "It does be lonely, but we've got to go with it. If we don't do it this will go on for ever."
Christopher Carey, a resident of Oliver Bond Flats. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell
While all who speak to The Irish Times say Level 5 is necessary, weariness, resignation, some irritation with restrictions and fear are apparent, too.
It really underlined to us how close to the edge many families are and the relative lack of socio-economic resilience
Close to the edge
Austin Campbell, executive director of the local Robert Emmet community development project, says during the first lockdown, job losses and the closure of schools and after-school clubs (where children are fed) saw demand for free food increase from 240kg a week to two tonnes a week now, distributed by volunteers.
“It really underlined to us how close to the edge many families are and the relative lack of socio-economic resilience” of many in the face of the pandemic. He worries poverty and mental health issues will worsen in a second lockdown.
Though there was great unity of purpose in March and April, the easing of restrictions over the summer has led to “some fraying in the local social fabric”, he fears. For some, further restrictions will inevitably be seen “as a greater threat than the possibility of contracting Covid-19”.
In the short term, he warns, the particular difficulties faced by poorer communities during this crisis must be met with adequate funding for community and voluntary services providing essential supports – such as food, home-help, counselling and educational supports.
In the longer term, decades of “bad planning, inadequate investment and neglect” must be addressed, he says, pointing to the lack of green spaces, dearth of community and sports facilities, overcrowded and dilapidated housing and an overconcentration of homeless hostels and hotels in the area.
One resident who sees a way through the coming weeks is artist Jimmy Leonard (62). Having been sent to Artane industrial school aged seven and been in and out of prison in the years after, he discovered art in Limerick prison. He is completing a master's in fine arts at the local National College of Art and Design, and his third-storey one-bed flat in Oliver Bond is also his studio.
Jimmy Leonard, an artist who lives in Oliver Bond Flats. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell
Dark grey and black charcoal sketches on his wall, expressing how he feels, are his latest work. "It seems the whole of Ireland is in a dark, heavy presence. Everywhere I go it's Covid, as if there is no reality any more.
“But I am ready for this lockdown. I am going to get stuck in, paint my emotions. I’ll go for walks in the evenings, and get through it.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--Covid-19: Contact tracing recruits asked to bring own laptops to work due to HSE delay

New coronavirus contact-tracing recruits were told to bring their own laptop to work because HSE laptops are not yet available , it has emerged .
According to a list of guidelines seen by The Irish Times , new recruits were told that after a period of shadowing other contact-tracing staff in one centre , they would be rostered for work .
The correspondence asked recruits to “ bring your laptop if you have one .
You might not need one while shadowing , but will need one for work as we are still awaiting HSE laptops ” .
On Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied recruits would be asked to work on their laptops and said they would not be accessing the tracker system .
“ A small number of new contact-tracer recruits were asked to bring their own laptops to training in one of our centres , ” the spokeswoman said .
“ Due to the large number of new recruits , 270 by last Friday , a small number of new laptops are not available yet .
“ This cohort of trainee contact tracers will not be accessing the Covid Care Tracker live system until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptop .
The Covid care tracker is a Microsoft Cloud system on a secure server and can not be accessed by external devices .
“ All new contact tracers will have a work laptop before they are rostered on to begin contact tracing , ” the spokeswoman said .
Elsewhere , new HSE statistics show a recent surge in case numbers led to delays in contact tracing and turnaround times “ well outside the normal range ” .
The figures , released to The Irish Times , show that in the seven days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of positive cases took more than four days to complete the testing and tracing process .
This is the same period where the pressure on the system led the HSE to ask almost 2,000 people to undertake their own contact tracing .
The data shows 53.2 per cent of positive cases took more than 96 hours from referral for testing to the completion of contact tracing .
The figures show that just 0.6 per cent of positive cases completed the process in less than 24 hours , during the period , and 16.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is the timeframe recommended by most experts .
The HSE said in a statement that the “ considerable increases in cases put the contact-tracing system under significant pressures and increased the turnaround times well outside the normal range ” .
For negative cases , which do not need to be contact traced , the turnaround time was much quicker .
The HSE said it is meeting its target of completing this process within three days for 90 per cent of samples .
It said that as of last Friday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ back within normal timeframes ” .
Meanwhile , chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said last night it was too early to tell whether Ireland had turned a corner in its management of Covid-19 .
A further 720 cases were confirmed on Tuesday , down from a high of more than 1,000 over an eight-day period earlier in the month .
There were also five deaths reported bringing the total to 1,890 .
Separately , a HSE briefing for the Oireachtas health committee has revealed the events leading to the decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact tracing .
While the system “ worked well ” in August and September , a “ sudden significant ” rise in cases early October “ exceeded the capacity of our tracing system as it was set up ” .
The contact tracers also cut the number of questions they asked people , in order to speed up calls .

The new recruits were asked in a letter to bring their own laptops due to a delay on HSE equipment. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
New coronavirus contact-tracing recruits were told to bring their own laptop to work because HSE laptops are not yet available, it has emerged.
According to a list of guidelines seen by The Irish Times, new recruits were told that after a period of shadowing other contact-tracing staff in one centre, they would be rostered for work.
The correspondence asked recruits to “bring your laptop if you have one. You might not need one while shadowing, but will need one for work as we are still awaiting HSE laptops”.
Hospital Report
On Tuesday night, a spokeswoman for the HSE denied recruits would be asked to work on their laptops and said they would not be accessing the tracker system.
READ MORE
“A small number of new contact-tracer recruits were asked to bring their own laptops to training in one of our centres,” the spokeswoman said.
“Due to the large number of new recruits, 270 by last Friday, a small number of new laptops are not available yet.
“This cohort of trainee contact tracers will not be accessing the Covid Care Tracker live system until they are in possession of a work laptop. The Covid care tracker is a Microsoft Cloud system on a secure server and cannot be accessed by external devices.
“All new contact tracers will have a work laptop before they are rostered on to begin contact tracing,” the spokeswoman said.
Elsewhere, new HSE statistics show a recent surge in case numbers led to delays in contact tracing and turnaround times “well outside the normal range”.
Tracing
The figures, released to The Irish Times, show that in the seven days up to last Thursday, a majority of positive cases took more than four days to complete the testing and tracing process.
This is the same period where the pressure on the system led the HSE to ask almost 2,000 people to undertake their own contact tracing.
The data shows 53.2 per cent of positive cases took more than 96 hours from referral for testing to the completion of contact tracing.
The figures show that just 0.6 per cent of positive cases completed the process in less than 24 hours, during the period, and 16.6 per cent in less than three days, which is the timeframe recommended by most experts.
The HSE said in a statement that the “considerable increases in cases put the contact-tracing system under significant pressures and increased the turnaround times well outside the normal range”.
For negative cases, which do not need to be contact traced, the turnaround time was much quicker. The HSE said it is meeting its target of completing this process within three days for 90 per cent of samples. It said that as of last Friday, the HSE’s contact-tracing system has been “back within normal timeframes”.
Meanwhile, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said last night it was too early to tell whether Ireland had turned a corner in its management of Covid-19.
A further 720 cases were confirmed on Tuesday, down from a high of more than 1,000 over an eight-day period earlier in the month. There were also five deaths reported bringing the total to 1,890.
Separately, a HSE briefing for the Oireachtas health committee has revealed the events leading to the decision to ask 1,971 people to conduct their own contact tracing.
While the system “worked well” in August and September, a “sudden significant” rise in cases early October “exceeded the capacity of our tracing system as it was set up”.
The contact tracers also cut the number of questions they asked people, in order to speed up calls.


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--Rape victims to be legally represented at trial if their sexual history is examined

Rape victims subjected to questioning about their past sexual history will be legally represented at trial , under sweeping reforms to be unveiled on Wednesday .
The measure is among a raft of changes planned to improve victims ’ experiences of the criminal justice system .
The strategy , Supporting A Victim ’ s Journey : A Plan to Help Victims and Vulnerable Witnesses in Sexual Violence Cases , to be published by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee , will , for the first time , ensure victims are represented in the court when past sexual history is being examined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel , of equal seniority to those representing the defence and the prosecution , at both pre-trial hearing and trial .
Their counsel will be entitled to address the court only on the issue of past sexual history .
The strategy contains 50 actions to implement recommendations contained in a review of the system by legal academic and barrister Tom O ’ Malley SC , published in August .
That review was commissioned by Ms McEntee ’ s predecessor , Charlie Flanagan , in the wake of the 2018 Belfast rape trial which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex crime victims in the Northern Irish system .
The strategy promises specialist training to all public servants , including judges , likely to engage with victims of sexual assault , and free legal advice to victims , even where no prosecution is planned .
The Bar Council will provide courses as part of barristers ’ continuing professional development , on how to treat victims , including how they should be questioned .
All frontline gardaí will receive specialist training in engaging with victims of sexual crime and vulnerable witnesses , while all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with victims of sexual crime will get “ appropriate training ” .
A key O ’ Malley recommendation was that a defence barrister must give notice at a pre-trial hearing if they intend to question the victim about their past sexual history .
In such instances the “ Legal Aid Board should be immediately informed ” and the board should ensure the victim has legal representation , says the review .
A spokesman for Ms McEntee said : “ New legislation to give effect to the recommendations on preliminary hearings ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2020 ” .

Rape victims subjected to questioning about their past sexual history will be legally represented at trial, under sweeping reforms to be unveiled. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Rape victims subjected to questioning about their past sexual history will be legally represented at trial, under sweeping reforms to be unveiled on Wednesday.
The measure is among a raft of changes planned to improve victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system.
The strategy, Supporting A Victim’s Journey: A Plan to Help Victims and Vulnerable Witnesses in Sexual Violence Cases, to be published by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, will, for the first time, ensure victims are represented in the court when past sexual history is being examined.
The victim will be entitled to counsel, of equal seniority to those representing the defence and the prosecution, at both pre-trial hearing and trial. Their counsel will be entitled to address the court only on the issue of past sexual history.
READ MORE
The strategy contains 50 actions to implement recommendations contained in a review of the system by legal academic and barrister Tom O’Malley SC, published in August.
Belfast rape trial
That review was commissioned by Ms McEntee's predecessor, Charlie Flanagan, in the wake of the 2018 Belfast rape trial which highlighted major deficiencies in the treatment of sex crime victims in the Northern Irish system.
The strategy promises specialist training to all public servants, including judges, likely to engage with victims of sexual assault, and free legal advice to victims, even where no prosecution is planned.
The Bar Council will provide courses as part of barristers’ continuing professional development, on how to treat victims, including how they should be questioned.
All frontline gardaí will receive specialist training in engaging with victims of sexual crime and vulnerable witnesses, while all State agencies’ employees who are likely to deal with victims of sexual crime will get “appropriate training”.
A key O'Malley recommendation was that a defence barrister must give notice at a pre-trial hearing if they intend to question the victim about their past sexual history. In such instances the "Legal Aid Board should be immediately informed" and the board should ensure the victim has legal representation, says the review.
A spokesman for Ms McEntee said: “New legislation to give effect to the recommendations on preliminary hearings...will be published before the end of December 2020”.


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--UCC criticised for links with controversial Chinese university

University College Cork is considering deepening its relationship with a controversial university in China that the Beijing regime uses to educate students from ethnic minorities , many of whom go on to become Chinese Communist Party officials or cadres .
The intended move raises “ huge ethical questions ” , according to Alexander Dukalskis , an associate professor in UCD ’ s school of politics and international relations , and China fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC .
Minzu University , formerly known as the Central Nationalities University , has a special focus on ethnic studies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are from non-Han Chinese backgrounds .
These include Uighurs from Xinjiang , where the Chinese Communist Party regime has established a network of controversial camps , as well as students from Tibet , where the regime has also been accused of mass human rights abuses .
UCC already has a joint programme relationship with Minzu , whereby students can study for an environmental science degree , with staff from the Cork university teaching students in Minzu , and students from the Chinese university coming to Cork for their third year of study .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a steering committee to look at making a “ joint college ” application to the Chinese ministry of education in relation to Minzu .
The committee – with which the interim president of UCC , Prof John O ’ Halloran , is involved – is proposing to provide degrees in science , engineering , food science and law on the new Minzu campus in Hainan province , The Irish Times understands .
“ Co-operation with Minzu University – designed to focus on ethnic minority education – raises huge ethical questions as China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most oppressive in the world in recent years , ” said Mr Dukalskis .
“ I think it ’ s difficult to justify deepening co-operation with a university focusing on ethnic issues overseen by the very same party that is simultaneously putting ethnic minorities in re-education camps in vast numbers in Xinjiang or systematically suppressing Tibetan culture .
“ Indeed , the world ’ s most famous jailed scholar , Ilham Tohti , was a professor there , which is a stark reminder of the prevailing political controls.
” Tohti , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was jailed for life in 2014 by the Chinese regime , who accused him of “ separatism ” and fanning ethnic tensions .
He is widely considered to be a moderate on the Xinjiang question .
Seven of his students , six of whom were Uighurs and one of whom was from the Yi ethnic minority , were given sentences of between three and eight years .
Last year Mr Tohti ’ s daughter , Jewher , when collecting the EU ’ s top human rights award , the Sakharov Prize , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father was still alive .
“ UCC currently has a joint programme with Minzu University of China , ” a spokesman for the Cork university said .
“ An application for an additional joint programme in law ( LLM ) has been submitted to the Chinese ministry of education .
Universities with three or more joint programmes can create a ‘ a joint college ’ , which is a common academic feature of transnational education involving China .
“ Discussions with Minzu University of China do not include the development of a physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be subject to university approval.
” UCD and Maynooth also have joint college arrangements with other Chinese universities .
Earlier this year Minzu University sent 10,000 face masks to Cork , against the backdrop of a shortage of personal protective equipment in Europe at that time .

Ilham Tohti, who lectured at Minzu University, was jailed for life in 2014 by the Chinese regime. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty
University College Cork is considering deepening its relationship with a controversial university in China that the Beijing regime uses to educate students from ethnic minorities, many of whom go on to become Chinese Communist Party officials or cadres.
The intended move raises "huge ethical questions", according to Alexander Dukalskis, an associate professor in UCD's school of politics and international relations, and China fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC.
Minzu University, formerly known as the Central Nationalities University, has a special focus on ethnic studies, and a large proportion of its students are from non-Han Chinese backgrounds.
These include Uighurs from Xinjiang, where the Chinese Communist Party regime has established a network of controversial camps, as well as students from Tibet, where the regime has also been accused of mass human rights abuses.
READ MORE
UCC already has a joint programme relationship with Minzu, whereby students can study for an environmental science degree, with staff from the Cork university teaching students in Minzu, and students from the Chinese university coming to Cork for their third year of study.
The Cork university has now set up a steering committee to look at making a “joint college” application to the Chinese ministry of education in relation to Minzu.
The committee – with which the interim president of UCC, Prof John O’Halloran, is involved – is proposing to provide degrees in science, engineering, food science and law on the new Minzu campus in Hainan province, The Irish Times understands.
“Co-operation with Minzu University – designed to focus on ethnic minority education – raises huge ethical questions as China’s ethnic minority policy has become one of the most oppressive in the world in recent years,” said Mr Dukalskis.
“I think it’s difficult to justify deepening co-operation with a university focusing on ethnic issues overseen by the very same party that is simultaneously putting ethnic minorities in re-education camps in vast numbers in Xinjiang or systematically suppressing Tibetan culture.
"Indeed, the world's most famous jailed scholar, Ilham Tohti, was a professor there, which is a stark reminder of the prevailing political controls."
Jailed for life
Tohti, a Uighur economist who lectured in Minzu, was jailed for life in 2014 by the Chinese regime, who accused him of “separatism” and fanning ethnic tensions. He is widely considered to be a moderate on the Xinjiang question.
Seven of his students, six of whom were Uighurs and one of whom was from the Yi ethnic minority, were given sentences of between three and eight years.
Last year Mr Tohti’s daughter, Jewher, when collecting the EU’s top human rights award, the Sakharov Prize, said she did not know if her father was still alive.
“UCC currently has a joint programme with Minzu University of China,” a spokesman for the Cork university said. “An application for an additional joint programme in law (LLM) has been submitted to the Chinese ministry of education. Universities with three or more joint programmes can create a ‘a joint college’, which is a common academic feature of transnational education involving China.
“Discussions with Minzu University of China do not include the development of a physical campus by UCC, and any agreement will be subject to university approval.”
UCD and Maynooth also have joint college arrangements with other Chinese universities.
Earlier this year Minzu University sent 10,000 face masks to Cork, against the backdrop of a shortage of personal protective equipment in Europe at that time.


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--Cork shootings: Gardaí hope ballistics report can provide answers

Gardaí investigating the murder-suicide that left three members of the same family dead at a farm in north Cork are hoping a technical examination of two firearms recovered at the scene will clarify the exact sequence of what happened to the three men who died .
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster completed her postmortem examinations on Tuesday on the bodies of father Tadhg O ’ Sullivan ( 59 ) and his son Diarmuid ( 23 ) , who were each found with single gunshot wounds to the head in a field on their farm near Castlemagner .
Dr Bolster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday on the body of Mr O ’ Sullivan ’ s other son , Mark ( 26 ) , whom gardaí believe was shot in his bed by possibly both his brother and his father at about 6.40am on Monday over a grievance they had over a proposed will .
Garda sources are hoping that a technical examination of both rifles recovered from beside Tadhg and Diarmuid O ’ Sullivan will shed some light on who shot whom some time after 7am , in what gardaí believe was a suicide pact between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are hoping that the technical examination of both firearms including an examination for fingerprint and DNA evidence as well as an examination by ballistic experts of casings will reveal as far is possible , who fired which gun at which person , ” said a Garda source .
Gardaí are also hoping Dr Bolster ’ s postmortem on Mark O ’ Sullivan along with an examination by a ballistics expert of casings found in his bedroom will help establish how exactly he was killed , with initial indications suggesting he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardaí are keeping an open mind on what exactly happened in the fatal shooting of Mark O ’ Sullivan but they are not discounting the possibility that he may have been first shot while in bed and then shot a second time while struggling to get from bed to confront his attacker or attackers .
Again , they are hoping that ballistics experts will be able tell whether or not one or both rifles recovered from beside Tadhg and Diarmuid O ’ Sullivan were used to kill Mark and whether he was killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardaí are continuing to investigate whether the tragedy was linked to a dispute over a proposed will , which had divided the family in recent weeks .
Mark apparently sided with his mother , Ann , and Diarmuid sided with his father in the dispute over who should inherit their farm .
Officers have carried out door-to-door inquiries in the Castlemagner area and have also spoken to workmates of Tadhg O ’ Sullivan , who worked as a mechanic in Buttevant , as well as friends of Mark and Diarmuid .
Gardaí were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise of reports that Diarmuid had been very angry and agitated in recent days and weeks and had felt so aggrieved he might not get what he had hoped for in terms of inheritance that he had threatened to harm himself or others .
It is understood Ms O ’ Sullivan had been accompanied by Mark to Dublin earlier this month for surgery for a serious medical condition but that when they returned to Castlemagner two weeks ago , they opted to stay with relatives rather than return to the family home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed on the property while they were away but they returned to the family home on Sunday night only for Ms O ’ Sullivan to be awoken at about 6.40am to discover Mark had been shot in his bedroom .
Ms O ’ Sullivan managed to escape from the farmhouse and make her way to a neighbour ’ s house to raise the alarm , prompting a major Garda response involving armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit in Dublin and Armed Support Units from Cork , Waterford , Limerick and Mayo .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by personnel from the other units entered the farmhouse at about 1pm to discover the body of Mark O ’ Sullivan in the house , while the bodies of Tadhg and Diarmuid O ’ Sullivan were spotted by the Garda Air Support Unit in a field at about 1.40pm Ms O ’ Sullivan ( 60 ) , an only child , had inherited the 115-acre holding from her parents .
Tadhg O ’ Sullivan had married into the farm but neither he nor either of his sons ever worked the holding , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tillage crops for more than 30 years .
It ’ s also understood that the dispute in the family over the proposed will , which began some months ago , had worsened in recent weeks and solicitors ’ letters had been exchanged between Ms O ’ Sullivan and her husband .
Gardaí would not be drawn on the possible motive for the three deaths , but they did say some media reports that they had been called to the home two weeks ago were not correct .

Three relatives have died in an apparent murder-suicide on a farm in Kanturk, north Co Cork. The shooting incident has left a father (late 50s) and his two sons (aged in their 20s) dead. Video: Provision
Gardaí investigating the murder-suicide that left three members of the same family dead at a farm in north Cork are hoping a technical examination of two firearms recovered at the scene will clarify the exact sequence of what happened to the three men who died.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster completed her postmortem examinations on Tuesday on the bodies of father Tadhg O'Sullivan (59) and his son Diarmuid (23), who were each found with single gunshot wounds to the head in a field on their farm near Castlemagner.
Dr Bolster is expected to carry out a postmortem on Wednesday on the body of Mr O’Sullivan’s other son, Mark (26), whom gardaí believe was shot in his bed by possibly both his brother and his father at about 6.40am on Monday over a grievance they had over a proposed will.
Garda sources are hoping that a technical examination of both rifles recovered from beside Tadhg and Diarmuid O’Sullivan will shed some light on who shot whom some time after 7am, in what gardaí believe was a suicide pact between the father and son in the field.
READ MORE
“We are hoping that the technical examination of both firearms including an examination for fingerprint and DNA evidence as well as an examination by ballistic experts of casings will reveal as far is possible, who fired which gun at which person,” said a Garda source.
Gardaí are also hoping Dr Bolster’s postmortem on Mark O’Sullivan along with an examination by a ballistics expert of casings found in his bedroom will help establish how exactly he was killed, with initial indications suggesting he suffered more than one gunshot wound.
Gardaí are keeping an open mind on what exactly happened in the fatal shooting of Mark O’Sullivan but they are not discounting the possibility that he may have been first shot while in bed and then shot a second time while struggling to get from bed to confront his attacker or attackers.
Again, they are hoping that ballistics experts will be able tell whether or not one or both rifles recovered from beside Tadhg and Diarmuid O’Sullivan were used to kill Mark and whether he was killed by one or both family members.
Tadhg O’Sullivan. Photograph: Family Handout/PA Wire
Will dispute
Gardaí are continuing to investigate whether the tragedy was linked to a dispute over a proposed will, which had divided the family in recent weeks. Mark apparently sided with his mother, Ann, and Diarmuid sided with his father in the dispute over who should inherit their farm.
Officers have carried out door-to-door inquiries in the Castlemagner area and have also spoken to workmates of Tadhg O'Sullivan, who worked as a mechanic in Buttevant, as well as friends of Mark and Diarmuid.
Gardaí were particularly anxious to establish the veracity or otherwise of reports that Diarmuid had been very angry and agitated in recent days and weeks and had felt so aggrieved he might not get what he had hoped for in terms of inheritance that he had threatened to harm himself or others.
It is understood Ms O’Sullivan had been accompanied by Mark to Dublin earlier this month for surgery for a serious medical condition but that when they returned to Castlemagner two weeks ago, they opted to stay with relatives rather than return to the family home.
It is understood that locks had been changed on the property while they were away but they returned to the family home on Sunday night only for Ms O’Sullivan to be awoken at about 6.40am to discover Mark had been shot in his bedroom.
Ms O'Sullivan managed to escape from the farmhouse and make her way to a neighbour's house to raise the alarm, prompting a major Garda response involving armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit in Dublin and Armed Support Units from Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Mayo.
Incorrect media reports
Personnel from the Dublin unit backed up by personnel from the other units entered the farmhouse at about 1pm to discover the body of Mark O'Sullivan in the house, while the bodies of Tadhg and Diarmuid O'Sullivan were spotted by the Garda Air Support Unit in a field at about 1.40pm
Ms O’Sullivan (60), an only child, had inherited the 115-acre holding from her parents. Tadhg O’Sullivan had married into the farm but neither he nor either of his sons ever worked the holding, which was leased out to neighbouring farmers for tillage crops for more than 30 years.
It’s also understood that the dispute in the family over the proposed will, which began some months ago, had worsened in recent weeks and solicitors’ letters had been exchanged between Ms O’Sullivan and her husband.
Gardaí would not be drawn on the possible motive for the three deaths, but they did say some media reports that they had been called to the home two weeks ago were not correct.


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--Covid-19 transmitted in fewer than 10 schools – Nphet

Covid-19 has been found to have spread significantly within fewer than 10 schools in the State , even though 110 schools have reported cases caused by transmission outside of the classroom , public health authorities believe .
A briefing document prepared by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre says very few school are likely to have had intraschool transmission .
While there have been a total of 110 clusters or outbreaks detected in schools since they reopened in late August , authorities say transmission in most cases is likely to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the virus has spread amongst pupils in school , it is “ most likely ” to have occurred in fewer than 10 schools .
In these cases , the numbers of further spread have been “ very low ” with one or two cases mainly .
The document was prepared by public health authorities in response to a series of school safety questions from the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland ( ASTI ) .
The union is due to receive the results of a ballot for industrial action over concerns it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of this week .
The ASTI has raised concerns over testing and tracing turnaround times and “ inconsistencies ” over the definition of close contacts in schools .
In the document , public authorities acknowledge that contact-tracing service have been under increased pressure with the recent rise in detected cases .
The median time to complete all contact-tracing calls in the past week or so was just under four days , it says .
Public health authorities also confirm that they intend to help expedite contact with schools through the establishment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the public departments which will be the focal point for the local schools .
The document also rejects claims that there has been a lack of consistency around the definition of close contacts in schools .
It says a public health risk assessment is undertaken in each case where a positive case has been detected among a member of the school community which determines how many close contacts there are .
It said this will vary depending on local circumstances .
“ The definition of close contacts within the school setting will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatically assumed that a whole class will be deemed as close contacts , ” it states .
“ This is because the school settings are so varied e.g .
in young primary school children , ‘ pods ’ will likely be deemed close contacts and all removed .
“ In secondary settings where there is social distancing rather than a ‘ pod ’ per se , close contacts will be determined by proximity and interaction with the index case ; class placement ; classroom structure ; common travel ; social networks and friendship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some cases they have been told to disregard alerts from the official Covid tracker app after a positive case has been identified in a school .
In response , the document states that the app , which identifies close contacts , has caused some confusion when schools are also assessed under the public health risk assessment .
It says the app information helps inform the risk assessment , which involves a broader assessment of settings where a case has been detected .
As a result , it is the determination from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – which is used .
It said the HSE is in the process of updating information on the app so staff in such schools are aware that a different determination might be made following a risk assessment .
The response adds that the average number of close contacts is five for those tested as part of mass testing in schools .
On average , the number of close contacts per individual case in the community setting is 4.4 .

Covid has been found to have spread significantly in fewer than 10 schools, says Nphet. Photograph: Getty Images
Covid-19 is found to have spread significantly within fewer than 10 schools in the State, public health authorities believe.
While there have been a total of 110 recorded clusters or outbreaks detected in schools since they reopened in late August, authorities say transmission in most cases is likely to have happened outside school settings.
A briefing document prepared by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre says very few schools are likely to have had “intraschool transmission” or cases spread within schools.
Hospital Report
The trend will be seen by the Government and school leaders as an encouraging sign that safety precautions within schools are helping to limit the spread of the virus.
READ MORE
In cases where the virus has spread among pupils in school, it is “most likely” to have occurred in fewer than 10 schools. In these cases, the numbers of further spread have been “very low” with one or two cases mainly.
The document was prepared by public health authorities in response to a series of school safety questions from the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI).
The union is due to receive the results of a ballot for industrial action over concerns it has over the safety of staff towards the end of this week.
The ASTI has raised concerns over testing and tracing turnaround times and “inconsistencies” over the definition of close contacts in schools .
In the document, public authorities acknowledge that contact-tracing service have been under increased pressure with the recent rise in detected cases.
The median time to complete all contact-tracing calls in the past week or so was just under four days, it says.
Public health authorities also confirm that they intend to help expedite contact with schools through the establishment of 10 dedicated teams around the country linked to the public departments which will be the focal point for the local schools.
The document also rejects claims that there has been a lack of consistency around the definition of close contacts in schools.
It says a public health risk assessment is undertaken in each case where a positive case has been detected among a member of the school community which determines how many close contacts there are. It said this will vary depending on local circumstances.
“The definition of close contacts within the school setting will be variable. It will not be automatically assumed that a whole class will be deemed as close contacts,” it states.
“This is because the school settings are so varied e.g. in young primary school children, ‘pods’ will likely be deemed close contacts and all removed.
"In secondary settings where there is social distancing rather than a 'pod' per se, close contacts will be determined by proximity and interaction with the index case; class placement; classroom structure; common travel; social networks and friendship groups."
Many teachers have queried why in some cases they have been told to disregard alerts from the official Covid tracker app after a positive case has been identified in a school.
In response, the document states that the app, which identifies close contacts, has caused some confusion when schools are also assessed under the public health risk assessment.
It says the app information helps inform the risk assessment, which involves a broader assessment of settings where a case has been detected.
As a result, it is the determination from the risk assessment – incorporating the app data – which is used.
It said the HSE is in the process of updating information on the app so staff in such schools are aware that a different determination might be made following a risk assessment.
The response adds that the average number of close contacts is five for those tested as part of mass testing in schools.
On average, the number of close contacts per individual case in the community setting is 4.4.


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--Covid restrictions make it difficult for Irish women seeking abortions to travel

The number of women travelling to Britain for abortions more than halved in the first six months of this year , compared with the same period in 2019 , amid warnings some women in crisis may find it impossible to travel as tighter Level 5 restrictions take hold .
Figures from the British Department of Health and Social Care , provided to The Irish Times under freedom of information legislation , show 101 Irish women travelled for abortions between January and June this year , compared with 215 during these months last year .
Although medical abortion on request is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an abortion must be performed in a hospital , and only in exceptional circumstances where continuing the pregnancy would put the woman ’ s life or health at serious risk or where the baby is likely to die within 28 days of birth due to a foetal abnormality .
Since enactment of the 2018 Abortion Regulation Act there have been reports of doctors reluctant to certify a foetal abnormality as fatal where there is any doubt , and others of women not finding out they are pregnant until almost 12 weeks or later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Irish Family Planning Association ( IFPA ) says since March it has counselled women who have “ encountered multiple barriers ” to travelling , as have the London-based Abortion Support Network ( ASN ) which supports women in financial difficulties , and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service ( Bpas ) , the largest abortion provider in the UK .
Barriers have included cancelled appointments at British clinics , cancelled flights , inability to find hotel accommodation and difficulties getting childcare while women are away .
Niall Behan , chief executive of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialist pregnancy counselling during the pandemic to a number of women who needed to access abortion care , but fell outside the criteria for access under Irish law ” .
“ Some individuals were able to travel to the UK , particularly in the early weeks before the requirement to isolate when travelling to other states .
However , many encountered multiple barriers and were unable to travel .
“ The new [ Level5 ] restrictions will leave some women and girls in an impossible situation : excluded by law from accessing care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions from availing of this essential service elsewhere , ” he warned .
A spokeswoman said Bpas had seen a “ significant decline in the numbers of women travelling from the Republic of Ireland .
Women who have travelled have met significant difficulties , including flights being cancelled at short notice , sometimes when women were at the airport , leaving women stranded .
“ Women have also been left without accommodation due to hotels closing without any warning .
During the height of lockdown when all flights were suspended , women were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trains.
” ASN director Mara Clarke said Covid had “ added to the pile ” of obstacles the women they support must overcome .
“ One woman arrived by ferry to Liverpool to find that the hotel we booked for her had given all their rooms to homeless and key workers , ” she said , while some women with “ fatal foetal indications are finding that many of the hospitals that used to provide care to them are closed to international patients ” .

Just 101 Irish women travelled for abortions between January and June this year, compared with 215 during these months last year. Photograph: Getty
The number of women travelling to Britain for abortions more than halved in the first six months of this year, compared with the same period in 2019, amid warnings some women in crisis may find it impossible to travel as tighter Level 5 restrictions take hold.
Figures from the British Department of Health and Social Care, provided to The Irish Times under freedom of information legislation, show 101 Irish women travelled for abortions between January and June this year, compared with 215 during these months last year.
Although medical abortion on request is legal up to 12 weeks, thereafter an abortion must be performed in a hospital, and only in exceptional circumstances where continuing the pregnancy would put the woman’s life or health at serious risk or where the baby is likely to die within 28 days of birth due to a foetal abnormality.
Hospital Report
Since enactment of the 2018 Abortion Regulation Act there have been reports of doctors reluctant to certify a foetal abnormality as fatal where there is any doubt, and others of women not finding out they are pregnant until almost 12 weeks or later, and falling outside the Act.
READ MORE
Multiple barriers
The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) says since March it has counselled women who have "encountered multiple barriers" to travelling, as have the London-based Abortion Support Network (ASN) which supports women in financial difficulties, and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), the largest abortion provider in the UK.
Barriers have included cancelled appointments at British clinics, cancelled flights, inability to find hotel accommodation and difficulties getting childcare while women are away.
Niall Behan, chief executive of the IFPA, said it had provided "specialist pregnancy counselling during the pandemic to a number of women who needed to access abortion care, but fell outside the criteria for access under Irish law".
“Some individuals were able to travel to the UK, particularly in the early weeks before the requirement to isolate when travelling to other states. However, many encountered multiple barriers and were unable to travel.
"The new [Level5] restrictions will leave some women and girls in an impossible situation: excluded by law from accessing care in Ireland and precluded by the pandemic restrictions from availing of this essential service elsewhere," he warned.
A spokeswoman said Bpas had seen a “significant decline in the numbers of women travelling from the Republic of Ireland. Women who have travelled have met significant difficulties, including flights being cancelled at short notice, sometimes when women were at the airport, leaving women stranded.
“Women have also been left without accommodation due to hotels closing without any warning. During the height of lockdown when all flights were suspended, women were forced to make the journey via ferry and trains.”
ASN director Mara Clarke said Covid had "added to the pile" of obstacles the women they support must overcome. "One woman arrived by ferry to Liverpool to find that the hotel we booked for her had given all their rooms to homeless and key workers," she said, while some women with "fatal foetal indications are finding that many of the hospitals that used to provide care to them are closed to international patients".


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--A nation takes to its feet: Walking ourselves out of lockdown

Behind the shut doors of his central Dublin shop , Ken Costigan is busier than expected these days , parcelling trekking shoes for shipping to “ every small corner of Ireland ” as the country experiences a surge in the simple pleasure of walking .
Forced to close during earlier coronavirus restrictions – and now again for six weeks – the co-owner of Great Outdoors noticed during the first lockdown a significant spike in online sales of walking gear .
“ Sales had doubled , ” he says .
“ And it has just kept going .
The kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when out in the park ; sales have been really good since May.
” Costigan says his own observations as a keen walker also point to “ an awful lot more people out walking ” .
Official figures bear out his contention of a nation taking to its feet .
Sport Ireland , the State body charged with promoting sports , commissioned pollsters Ipsos MRBI to carry out a survey of walking habits during three phases since the outbreak of the pandemic .
The first stage was before most early restrictions were imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when schools were first shut down , and the third stage covered the “ Stay at Home ” lockdown imposed from the end of March .
The poll found more people walking regardless of gender , geographic location or income level – up from 65 per cent of the population nationally to 78 per cent .
Some 60 per cent of Dubliners reported walking recreationally before the Covid-19 restrictions .
That increased to 75 per cent during the second stage and rose again to 80 per cent during the tightened lockdown .
Elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent to 82 per cent ; in Munster from 66 per cent to 76 per cent ; with the lowest increase in Connacht/Ulster , from 68 per cent to 71 per cent .
Those aged under 45 were most likely to be walking more , as were higher income middle class earners ( up from 67 per cent to 87 per cent ) compared with lower income earners ( up from 64 per cent to 71 per cent ) .
The shift was against a backdrop of fewer people engaging in sporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronounced than the increase in walking .
The poll also found a significant drop in the number of “ inactive ” people , who do neither sport nor walking – down from 22 per cent for March/April last year to 14 per cent for the same period this year .
The trend is heartening for Shane O ’ Mara , professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin , who wrote a book on the benefits of walking .
While walking is not a panacea for all our woes and ailments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few of them ” , he suggests .
Prof O ’ Mara says humans evolved as social walkers – “ We walked out of Africa to conquer the world and we did it together in groups , in families and in tribes.
” Studies show the sound of footfall lights up the area of the brain associated with social activity .
Pacing his hallway while talking on the phone , Prof O ’ Mara describes walking as a “ commonplace miracle ” which produces molecules called myokines , which diffuse all around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain and body .
People who walk more are much less likely to have non-communicable diseases , such as heart conditions , or affective disorders such as depression and it is also a good boost to creativity and memory .
“ It is also good for our neighbourhoods .
People who walk more tend to be more connected with friends and neighbours , tend to have greater levels of psychological wellbeing , ” says Prof O ’ Mara .
“ So it is good for society at large and that comes back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social walkers.
” Making us more resilient , focused and healthier , he suggests the surge in walking is acting as a natural human response to the imposition of lockdowns .
Conversely , that social connection through walking has also taken a hit during the restrictions .
Neighbourhood walking groups countrywide are reporting a steep fall-off in attendance as people are warned to reduce their contacts with others .
Keith Kelly set up Walks and Talks in Dublin ’ s Ballyfermot two years ago .
It quickly swelled to 70 members , mainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It just went kaput when Covid came .
It went into full shutdown , ” he says .
There was an attempt to get it going again in the summer , but nobody turned up .
“ It ’ s catch-22 , ” says Kelly .
“ A lot of the members are classed as vulnerable but they are the ones who need the walking group the most , they don ’ t have anyone else to walk with.
” Kelly would like to see engagement from authorities – including formal training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safe , socially distanced way .
“ There is a national fear now of meeting in groups , and older people are feeling it most , ” he adds .
Jason King , programme manager of Get Ireland Walking , which supports hundreds of informal neighbourhood walking groups , says under the current lockdown they “ have all been put on hold ” .
“ They are a social outlet for many , but what can we do ?
The restrictions have put the kibosh on things , ” he says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the likes of WhatsApp groups .
“ Hopefully , when there is a pull back on this , we can get back out with smaller numbers in a safe way , ” he says .

Ken Costigan, co-owner of Great Outdoors, says sales in walking gear doubled during the first lockdown. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Behind the shut doors of his central Dublin shop, Ken Costigan is busier than expected these days, parcelling trekking shoes for shipping to “every small corner of Ireland” as the country experiences a surge in the simple pleasure of walking.
Forced to close during earlier coronavirus restrictions – and now again for six weeks – the co-owner of Great Outdoors noticed during the first lockdown a significant spike in online sales of walking gear.
“Sales had doubled,” he says.
Hospital Report
“And it has just kept going. The kind of gear people wear walking their dog or when out in the park; sales have been really good since May.”
READ MORE
Costigan says his own observations as a keen walker also point to “an awful lot more people out walking”.
Official figures bear out his contention of a nation taking to its feet.
Sport Ireland, the State body charged with promoting sports, commissioned pollsters Ipsos MRBI to carry out a survey of walking habits during three phases since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The first stage was before most early restrictions were imposed, the second covered weeks in March when schools were first shut down, and the third stage covered the “Stay at Home” lockdown imposed from the end of March.
The poll found more people walking regardless of gender, geographic location or income level – up from 65 per cent of the population nationally to 78 per cent.
Some 60 per cent of Dubliners reported walking recreationally before the Covid-19 restrictions. That increased to 75 per cent during the second stage and rose again to 80 per cent during the tightened lockdown.
Elsewhere in Leinster, numbers jumped from 68 per cent to 82 per cent; in Munster from 66 per cent to 76 per cent; with the lowest increase in Connacht/Ulster, from 68 per cent to 71 per cent.
Those aged under 45 were most likely to be walking more, as were higher income middle class earners (up from 67 per cent to 87 per cent) compared with lower income earners (up from 64 per cent to 71 per cent).
The shift was against a backdrop of fewer people engaging in sporting activity, but that drop-off was less pronounced than the increase in walking.
The poll also found a significant drop in the number of “inactive” people, who do neither sport nor walking – down from 22 per cent for March/April last year to 14 per cent for the same period this year.
The trend is heartening for Shane O’Mara, professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin, who wrote a book on the benefits of walking.
While walking is not a panacea for all our woes and ailments, it could be “for a fair few of them”, he suggests.
Prof O’Mara says humans evolved as social walkers – “We walked out of Africa to conquer the world and we did it together in groups, in families and in tribes.” Studies show the sound of footfall lights up the area of the brain associated with social activity.
People who walk more tend to be more connected with friends and neighbours, tend to have greater levels of psychological wellbeing
Pacing his hallway while talking on the phone, Prof O’Mara describes walking as a “commonplace miracle” which produces molecules called myokines, which diffuse all around the body, building resilience in both the brain and body.
People who walk more are much less likely to have non-communicable diseases, such as heart conditions, or affective disorders such as depression and it is also a good boost to creativity and memory.
“It is also good for our neighbourhoods. People who walk more tend to be more connected with friends and neighbours, tend to have greater levels of psychological wellbeing,” says Prof O’Mara.
“So it is good for society at large and that comes back to this idea that we have evolved as social walkers.”
Making us more resilient, focused and healthier, he suggests the surge in walking is acting as a natural human response to the imposition of lockdowns.
Conversely, that social connection through walking has also taken a hit during the restrictions.
Neighbourhood walking groups countrywide are reporting a steep fall-off in attendance as people are warned to reduce their contacts with others.
Keith Kelly set up Walks and Talks in Dublin’s Ballyfermot two years ago. It quickly swelled to 70 members, mainly women aged 50 years and over.
“It just went kaput when Covid came. It went into full shutdown,” he says.
There was an attempt to get it going again in the summer, but nobody turned up.
“It’s catch-22,” says Kelly. “A lot of the members are classed as vulnerable but they are the ones who need the walking group the most, they don’t have anyone else to walk with.”
Neighbourhood walking groups countrywide are reporting a steep fall-off in attendance as people reduce their contact with others. Photograph: Tom Honan
Kelly would like to see engagement from authorities – including formal training – to get people back walking in a safe, socially distanced way.
“There is a national fear now of meeting in groups, and older people are feeling it most,” he adds.
Jason King, programme manager of Get Ireland Walking, which supports hundreds of informal neighbourhood walking groups, says under the current lockdown they “have all been put on hold”.
“They are a social outlet for many, but what can we do? The restrictions have put the kibosh on things,” he says, advising members to stay in touch through the likes of WhatsApp groups.
“Hopefully, when there is a pull back on this, we can get back out with smaller numbers in a safe way,” he says.


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--Vicky Phelan feels ‘betrayed’ by CervicalCheck tribunal

CervicalCheck campaigner Vicky Phelan said she feels “ betrayed ” after claiming Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has formally established the CervicalCheck tribunal despite announcing that it would be paused .
The tribunal was due to start its work on Tuesday but was paused for a number of days following meetings between Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and representatives of the 221+ Group .
It emerged on Tuesday night , however , the order establishing the tribunal had been signed late last week and so the effective start date of the tribunal still began on Tuesday .
In a thread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Phelan said the CervicalCheck Tribunal was established by statutory order on Tuesday morning “ despite an announcement yesterday evening by Minister [ Stephen Donnelly ] that its establishment would be paused ” .
Ms Phelan said the Department of Health issued a statement , which stated the tribunal had been paused “ for a number of days : to allow the 221+ group to engage with its members .
The Limerick mother , who was given a terminal cervical cancer diagnosis after she was given a false negative smear test result , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this evening 18 hours after the tribunal was established , we get a phone call from a [ Department of Health ] official to inform us that the tribunal that we do not support has been established , and to tell us that the Minister and officials were unable to delay it.
” “ The order to establish the tribunal had already been signed by the Minister on October 21st last .
We made it quite clear last Friday , October 23rd and again on Monday last , October 27th that we wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Ms Phelan wrote .
“ This promise was broken.
” Ms Phelan and others from the 221+ Patient Support Group – which was set up to support women and families identified arising out of the CervicalCheck scandal – met the Minister last Monday .
Ms Phelan said “ the Minister should not have signed the order last week allowing the tribunal to be established ” , adding that it is “ not fit for purpose ” .
She said the Minister knew “ as early as last Tuesday ” that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the format of the tribunal and that we would not support it ” .
Ms Phelan stated that she and her fellow campaigners “ have communicated the issues very clearly and what needs to happen “ .
Ms Phelan said the Minister “ can decommission the tribunal ” but “ we will not support the tribunal in its current format ” .
“ So unless the Minister meets our demands for a just tribunal , he will be left with a dead duck , ” she concluded .
Meanwhile , the Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tribunal to ensure that women still have the full nine months to make a claim .
“ Following a meeting with the 221+ Group on Monday , October 26th , the Minister for Health and officials from Department of Health formally pursued the delaying of the establishment of the CervicalCheck tribunal , ” a spokeswoman for Mr Donnelly said on Tuesday night .
“ However , as the order establishing the tribunal had already been signed and sent for publication on Friday 23rd , this could not be reversed .
This means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date of October 27th stands as the establishment day under the Act .
“ All further actions with regard to establishing the tribunal , including the appointment of the chairperson and members to properly constitute the tribunal , have been paused as agreed .
This was communicated to the chairperson-designate of the tribunal on Monday evening .
“ As the tribunal was officially established on October 27th , the nine-month period for making claims will run from today .
This is the only practical impact of the establishment of the tribunal today .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ length of the tribunal by additional days to cover this period if necessary.
” Labour Party leader Alan Kelly described the development as “ unacceptable ” .

Vicky Phelan: said “the Minister should not have signed the order last week allowing the tribunal to be established”, adding that it is “not fit for purpose”. Photograph: Collins
CervicalCheck campaigner Vicky Phelan said she feels "betrayed" after claiming Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has formally established the CervicalCheck tribunal despite announcing that it would be paused.
The tribunal was due to start its work on Tuesday but was paused for a number of days following meetings between Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and representatives of the 221+ Group.
It emerged on Tuesday night, however, the order establishing the tribunal had been signed late last week and so the effective start date of the tribunal still began on Tuesday.
In a thread on Twitter late on Tuesday night, Ms Phelan said the CervicalCheck Tribunal was established by statutory order on Tuesday morning "despite an announcement yesterday evening by Minister [Stephen Donnelly] that its establishment would be paused".
READ MORE
Ms Phelan said the Department of Health issued a statement, which stated the tribunal had been paused "for a number of days: to allow the 221+ group to engage with its members.
Cancer diagnosis
The Limerick mother, who was given a terminal cervical cancer diagnosis after she was given a false negative smear test result, added: "Yet, at 6pm this evening 18 hours after the tribunal was established, we get a phone call from a [Department of Health] official to inform us that the tribunal that we do not support has been established, and to tell us that the Minister and officials were unable to delay it."
“The order to establish the tribunal had already been signed by the Minister on October 21st last. We made it quite clear last Friday, October 23rd and again on Monday last, October 27th that we wanted it paused.We were promised that would happen,” Ms Phelan wrote. “This promise was broken.”
Ms Phelan and others from the 221+ Patient Support Group – which was set up to support women and families identified arising out of the CervicalCheck scandal – met the Minister last Monday.
Ms Phelan said “the Minister should not have signed the order last week allowing the tribunal to be established”, adding that it is “not fit for purpose”.
She said the Minister knew “as early as last Tuesday” that the 221+ campaign group was “not happy with the format of the tribunal and that we would not support it”. Ms Phelan stated that she and her fellow campaigners “have communicated the issues very clearly and what needs to happen“.
Ms Phelan said the Minister “can decommission the tribunal” but “we will not support the tribunal in its current format”.
“So unless the Minister meets our demands for a just tribunal, he will be left with a dead duck,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, the Government has promised to extend the length of the tribunal to ensure that women still have the full nine months to make a claim.
“Following a meeting with the 221+ Group on Monday, October 26th, the Minister for Health and officials from Department of Health formally pursued the delaying of the establishment of the CervicalCheck tribunal,” a spokeswoman for Mr Donnelly said on Tuesday night.
“However, as the order establishing the tribunal had already been signed and sent for publication on Friday 23rd, this could not be reversed. This means that, technically and formally, the date of October 27th stands as the establishment day under the Act.
“All further actions with regard to establishing the tribunal, including the appointment of the chairperson and members to properly constitute the tribunal, have been paused as agreed. This was communicated to the chairperson-designate of the tribunal on Monday evening.
“As the tribunal was officially established on October 27th, the nine-month period for making claims will run from today. This is the only practical impact of the establishment of the tribunal today. However, the Government will extend the length of the tribunal by additional days to cover this period if necessary.”
Labour Party leader Alan Kelly described the development as "unacceptable".


theirishtimes--2020-10-28--Take the virtual route: Open days and Higher Options

Late autumn is traditionally a time when colleges and universities throw open their doors to prospective third-level students as they start the process of gathering information about college courses and the campus experience .
While the coronavirus continues to disrupt life around us , the latest crop of sixth-year secondary school students have already turned their attention to next year ’ s CAO as they edge towards making that all-important decision : what course they will study once they get past the Leaving Cert ?
Of course the pandemic has seen to it that open days and Higher Options , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secondary school students , can not be held in their traditional format this year .
University campuses have been closed down and the public can not gather in any significant numbers for the foreseeable future .
Yet third-level institutions are still as invested in attracting prospective students as they were before the virus hit and they have invested heavily in virtual platforms which allow prospective students to get a taste of the lifestyle and study opportunities on offer .
Virtual open days offer prospective students an opportunity to engage from home ( or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter ) as they try to visualise what their lives would look like next autumn .
Colleges are generally holding virtual events on different days and students should plan to allocate time over the coming weeks to make sure they don ’ t miss out on any of them .
Most institutions will feature live presentations from academics and Q & A sessions and live chats with current students as part of their virtual open day .
Even if you miss an open day , most institutions will keep the material online for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While that may be the case , every situation is unique and students are advised to prepare their own questions – whether they relate to college courses or information about entry routes .
Another option of course is Higher Options .
On November 4th and 5th from 1pm to 6pm each day , The Irish Times will bring Ireland ’ s top universities under the one digital roof at this year ’ s expo .
Students will be able to visit stands and meet representatives from multiple universities based in Ireland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union .
They will be able to gather information and ask the same questions about courses and college life as well as the services of Student Universal Support Ireland ( Susi ) , Ireland ’ s national awarding authority for higher and further education grants .
A full programme of career talks will also give students the opportunity to find out about different areas of study , how to choose a course that fits their interests and studying abroad .
Guest speakers will include Brian Mooney , Eileen Keleghan of the CAO , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kehoe and Anne Kiely .
They will speak on a range of topics from how to map a career in science to the future of business .
So how do you enrol ?
Bookings for attendees and exhibitors are open from now until Monday , November 2nd .
On the day : Click on your unique link to get access .

Third-level institutions are still as invested in attracting prospective students as they were before the virus hit.
Late autumn is traditionally a time when colleges and universities throw open their doors to prospective third-level students as they start the process of gathering information about college courses and the campus experience.
While the coronavirus continues to disrupt life around us, the latest crop of sixth-year secondary school students have already turned their attention to next year’s CAO as they edge towards making that all-important decision: what course they will study once they get past the Leaving Cert?
Of course the pandemic has seen to it that open days and Higher Options, Ireland’s main information-gathering opportunity for secondary school students, cannot be held in their traditional format this year. University campuses have been closed down and the public cannot gather in any significant numbers for the foreseeable future.
Yet third-level institutions are still as invested in attracting prospective students as they were before the virus hit and they have invested heavily in virtual platforms which allow prospective students to get a taste of the lifestyle and study opportunities on offer.
READ MORE
Virtual open days offer prospective students an opportunity to engage from home (or anywhere in the world, for that matter) as they try to visualise what their lives would look like next autumn.
Colleges are generally holding virtual events on different days and students should plan to allocate time over the coming weeks to make sure they don’t miss out on any of them.
Most institutions will feature live presentations from academics and Q&A sessions and live chats with current students as part of their virtual open day.
Even if you miss an open day, most institutions will keep the material online for you to review at a later point. While that may be the case, every situation is unique and students are advised to prepare their own questions – whether they relate to college courses or information about entry routes.
Higher Options
Another option of course is Higher Options. On November 4th and 5th from 1pm to 6pm each day, The Irish Times will bring Ireland’s top universities under the one digital roof at this year’s expo.
Students will be able to visit stands and meet representatives from multiple universities based in Ireland, the UK and from across the European Union.
They will be able to gather information and ask the same questions about courses and college life as well as the services of Student Universal Support Ireland (Susi), Ireland's national awarding authority for higher and further education grants.
A full programme of career talks will also give students the opportunity to find out about different areas of study, how to choose a course that fits their interests and studying abroad.
Guest speakers will include Brian Mooney, Eileen Keleghan of the CAO, Damien Dempsey, Aoife Moore, Lory Kehoe and Anne Kiely. They will speak on a range of topics from how to map a career in science to the future of business.
So how do you enrol?
Bookings for attendees and exhibitors are open from now until Monday, November 2nd.
Go to: higheroptions.vfairs.com
Check: Your email for confirmation.
On the day: Click on your unique link to get access.