theirishtimes--2020-11-10--Good and bad news as prospect of Covid vaccine moves closer

Almost halfway through six weeks of Level 5 restrictions , there is at least plenty of good news to balance the lockdown-induced gloom and hardship .
The prospect of a vaccine solution to this crisis continues to move closer with Pfizer ’ s announcement on Monday of encouraging early results from phase-three trials of its vaccine .
The bad news is that a vaccine appears to be the Government ’ s only strategy for avoiding further lockdown .
If Ministers have already formulated a detailed plan for opening up the country , they have – unusually – managed to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But with three weeks to go before restrictions are due to be lifted on December 1st , it still isn ’ t clear how – or even if – this is going to happen .
Of course , much depends on trends over the rest of this month , but if the country is to be ready for “ living with Covid-19 ” in a way that doesn ’ t see the virus return , elaborate preparations will have to be made in terms of the rules we operate , the staff we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will also finally have to stop merely talking about an all-Ireland approach and actually take steps to ensure the Republic and the North are in synch on Covid-19 .
In reality , the opposite seems to be happening – witness the yawning gap in incidence rates on either side of the Border and the divergence in approach to travel with Denmark in the light of that country ’ s problem with mink farms .
Eight months after the pandemic started , we have no effective quarantine arrangements in place for travellers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no real idea where anyone coming into the country goes .
No country has controlled this virus without stopping , or heavily minimising , new cases entering its territory .
Research has shown most of our cases originated in Spain .
But at least our disarray is egalitarian in that the same lack of purview applies to visitors from areas with low transmission as much as those coming from “ red ” zones .
These shortcomings explain why we have had to rely so heavily on lockdowns to achieve suppression of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on Monday : “ Social distancing is not a light switch .
It is a dial.
” And that dial needs to be fine-tuned so evidence-based decisions can be made about opening or closing specific businesses , bars , restaurants and so on .
The pity is that the learning about how to suppress the virus is out there .
We can pick up ideas from the countries that have implemented effective strategies without taking on board elements that might not sit well with our culture .
If there was proven herd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary .
If we knew for certain a vaccine was coming and it would work widely , we could probably live with the remnants of this surge and even the beginnings of another in the New Year .
However , we don ’ t have these certainties , and therefore we have to work with what we have to achieve a result .
Many analysts advocate a Swiss cheese approach , where actions are the layers of the cheese and the flaws that arise are the holes in any approach .
Every slice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact is minimal and protection is maximised .
Thomas Pueyo , one of the clearest analysts of the challenges we face , talks of four layers of defence : stopping many infections from coming in ( with what he calls “ fences ” ) ; for those infected that make it , minimising the people they meet ( “ bubbles ” ) ; minimising the likelihood they will infect someone else ( “ contra-infection ” ) ; and when they do infect someone , identifying the infection quickly ( “ test , trace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them is perfect .
All have holes that let infections pass .
But together they form an impenetrable defence , ” he reasons .
Pueyo argues that western countries ( Ireland included ) have majored on social distancing , which “ stops the economy ” , rather than beefing up other measures .
“ And [ so ] they keep destroying their economies instead of learning how to dance with the other layers.
” For Ireland , this strategy would mean a greater emphasis on effective quarantine and much greater alignment with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are politically unacceptable ) .
The EU-inspired move to a traffic-light system for international travel is a step in the right direction but the lack of testing options is worrying .
There appears to be no prospect of any rapid testing being approved here this year , even though it is hard to see how travel with low-Covid regions could restart without it .

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech have said that their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 among those without evidence of prior infection, according to new data. Video: Reuters/CNBC
Almost halfway through six weeks of Level 5 restrictions, there is at least plenty of good news to balance the lockdown-induced gloom and hardship.
The prospect of a vaccine solution to this crisis continues to move closer with Pfizer’s announcement on Monday of encouraging early results from phase-three trials of its vaccine.
The bad news is that a vaccine appears to be the Government’s only strategy for avoiding further lockdown. If Ministers have already formulated a detailed plan for opening up the country, they have – unusually – managed to keep it very close to their chests.
Hospital Report
But with three weeks to go before restrictions are due to be lifted on December 1st, it still isn’t clear how – or even if – this is going to happen. Of course, much depends on trends over the rest of this month, but if the country is to be ready for “living with Covid-19” in a way that doesn’t see the virus return, elaborate preparations will have to be made in terms of the rules we operate, the staff we hire and the tests we use.
READ MORE
No country has controlled this virus without stopping, or heavily minimising, new cases entering its territory
We will also finally have to stop merely talking about an all-Ireland approach and actually take steps to ensure the Republic and the North are in synch on Covid-19. In reality, the opposite seems to be happening – witness the yawning gap in incidence rates on either side of the Border and the divergence in approach to travel with Denmark in the light of that country’s problem with mink farms.
Eight months after the pandemic started, we have no effective quarantine arrangements in place for travellers, virtually no testing regime at airports and no real idea where anyone coming into the country goes.
No country has controlled this virus without stopping, or heavily minimising, new cases entering its territory. Research has shown most of our cases originated in Spain. But at least our disarray is egalitarian in that the same lack of purview applies to visitors from areas with low transmission as much as those coming from “red” zones.
These shortcomings explain why we have had to rely so heavily on lockdowns to achieve suppression of the virus. But as US president-elect Joe Biden said on Monday: “Social distancing is not a light switch. It is a dial.” And that dial needs to be fine-tuned so evidence-based decisions can be made about opening or closing specific businesses, bars, restaurants and so on.
The pity is that the learning about how to suppress the virus is out there. We can pick up ideas from the countries that have implemented effective strategies without taking on board elements that might not sit well with our culture.
If there was proven herd immunity, this approach might not be necessary. If we knew for certain a vaccine was coming and it would work widely, we could probably live with the remnants of this surge and even the beginnings of another in the New Year.
However, we don’t have these certainties, and therefore we have to work with what we have to achieve a result. Many analysts advocate a Swiss cheese approach, where actions are the layers of the cheese and the flaws that arise are the holes in any approach. Every slice has holes but when stacked together their impact is minimal and protection is maximised.
Defence layers
Thomas Pueyo, one of the clearest analysts of the challenges we face, talks of four layers of defence: stopping many infections from coming in (with what he calls “fences”); for those infected that make it, minimising the people they meet (“bubbles”); minimising the likelihood they will infect someone else (“contra-infection”); and when they do infect someone, identifying the infection quickly (“test, trace, isolate”).
“None of them is perfect. All have holes that let infections pass. But together they form an impenetrable defence,” he reasons.
Pueyo argues that western countries (Ireland included) have majored on social distancing, which “stops the economy”, rather than beefing up other measures. “And [so] they keep destroying their economies instead of learning how to dance with the other layers.”
For Ireland, this strategy would mean a greater emphasis on effective quarantine and much greater alignment with Northern Ireland (assuming cross-Border travel restrictions are politically unacceptable).
The EU-inspired move to a traffic-light system for international travel is a step in the right direction but the lack of testing options is worrying. There appears to be no prospect of any rapid testing being approved here this year, even though it is hard to see how travel with low-Covid regions could restart without it.


theirishtimes--2020-11-10--Three in four admit they failed to protect themselves when internet shopping

Almost one in five people who shop online say they would follow a link if it promised them a great deal without taking tthe necessary steps to protect themselves new research suggests .
The survey published on Tuesday by Ulster Bank also found more than 30 per cent of people have never changed their online passwords while 22 per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 have shared their online banking pin with someone else either verbally , online or over the phone .
The survey found that 36 per cent of the same cohort said they would move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe from fraud if asked by someone claiming to be from their bank even though a bank would never contact a customer with a request of that nature .
The risky behaviour and the worrying lack of awareness of the level of fraudulent activity on the internet comes as the survey points to a surge in online shopping as a result of Covid-19 retail restrictions and an increased emphasis being placed social distancing and avoiding large crowds .
All told , 47 per cent of respondents said they were shopping more online now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
The survey of 927 online shoppers by Ulster Bank shows an increased awareness when it comes to safely buying goods online with 75 per cent of those surveyed saying they felt they had taken all necessary precautions to shop safely online .
“ Black Friday gets bigger every year , which unfortunately gives criminals even more opportunities to target people online when they ’ re browsing for deals , ” said Ulster Bank ’ s Community Protection Advisor Denise Cusack .
Black Friday was invented in the 1930s in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , traditionally kick-starting the Christmas shopping season in the US .
Many retailers offer bargains and discounts .
“ Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated and will stop at nothing to part people from their money and their personal information.
” She said awareness programmes were vital and added that while it was encouraging that over two-thirds of people said they would not be embarrassed to tell their friends and family they had been the victim of fraud , there was more work to do in other areas .
She said the best advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to really think before you click and make sure that you and your money are safe ” .
The survey found two thirds of respondents shop online once a month or more often , with those aged 18-24 significantly more likely to shop online with this frequency at 84 per cent , falling to 44 per cent among those aged over-65 .
With Christmas just over six weeks away , a quarter of those who took part said they had started their festive shopping earlier this year with 9 per cent claiming it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said that from the start of the year until the end of last month a total of 489 online shopping frauds were reported to the authorities with average loss put at €2,306 per incident , representing an overall loss of €1,127,972 .
In a release , the garda said that among the steps people need to follow to keep themselves safe online are to only buy from trusted sources and to ensure data transfer is secure .
People were warned to never send card details by email , text or other messaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone that is not known to them or a recognised seller .

The survey points to a surge in online shopping as a result of Covid-19 retail restrictions and an increased emphasis being placed social distancing and avoiding large crowds.
Almost one in five people who shop online say they would follow a link if it promised them a great deal without taking tthe necessary steps to protect themselves new research suggests.
The survey published on Tuesday by Ulster Bank also found more than 30 per cent of people have never changed their online passwords while 22 per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 have shared their online banking pin with someone else either verbally, online or over the phone.
The survey found that 36 per cent of the same cohort said they would move money from their account to keep it safe from fraud if asked by someone claiming to be from their bank even though a bank would never contact a customer with a request of that nature.
The risky behaviour and the worrying lack of awareness of the level of fraudulent activity on the internet comes as the survey points to a surge in online shopping as a result of Covid-19 retail restrictions and an increased emphasis being placed social distancing and avoiding large crowds.
READ MORE
All told, 47 per cent of respondents said they were shopping more online now than before the start of the coronavirus crisis.
The survey of 927 online shoppers by Ulster Bank shows an increased awareness when it comes to safely buying goods online with 75 per cent of those surveyed saying they felt they had taken all necessary precautions to shop safely online.
"Black Friday gets bigger every year, which unfortunately gives criminals even more opportunities to target people online when they're browsing for deals," said Ulster Bank's Community Protection Advisor Denise Cusack.
Black Friday was invented in the 1930s in the US and falls on the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally kick-starting the Christmas shopping season in the US. Many retailers offer bargains and discounts.
“Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated and will stop at nothing to part people from their money and their personal information.”
She said awareness programmes were vital and added that while it was encouraging that over two-thirds of people said they would not be embarrassed to tell their friends and family they had been the victim of fraud, there was more work to do in other areas.
She said the best advice she could give to people was “to really think before you click and make sure that you and your money are safe”.
The survey found two thirds of respondents shop online once a month or more often, with those aged 18-24 significantly more likely to shop online with this frequency at 84 per cent, falling to 44 per cent among those aged over-65.
With Christmas just over six weeks away, a quarter of those who took part said they had started their festive shopping earlier this year with 9 per cent claiming it was complete.
Meanwhile, the Garda has said that from the start of the year until the end of last month a total of 489 online shopping frauds were reported to the authorities with average loss put at €2,306 per incident, representing an overall loss of €1,127,972.
In a release, the garda said that among the steps people need to follow to keep themselves safe online are to only buy from trusted sources and to ensure data transfer is secure. People were warned to never send card details by email, text or other messaging methods and to never send money to someone that is not known to them or a recognised seller.


theirishtimes--2020-11-11--Travel restrictions eased following changes to Covid-19 testing rules

International travel will become easier to some countries after a Government decision that will allow Covid-19 testing for passengers passing through Dublin Airport within days .
The Cabinet has also agreed that arrivals from EU “ red ” countries from midnight on November 29th will not have to restrict their movements for the full 14 days if they produce a negative test at least five days after their arrival .
Passengers using Dublin Airport will be able to be tested pre-flight for coronavirus after the Cabinet approved a planning exemption for a privately run testing facility at the airport .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to regions classified as “ orange ” under the EU traffic-light system for international travel where , if they have a negative test , they will not be required to restrict their movements for 14 days .
A spokesman for State airport operator DAA said it would be possible to have a testing facility up and running at Dublin Airport in a matter of days .
Two drive-in Covid-19 test centres have already opened at Cork and Shannon airports .
The Government has said travel from the US will be kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emergency Team ( Nphet ) reported on Tuesday a further 16 additional deaths related to coronavirus , including 14 occurring this month , and an additional 270 cases .
Meanwhile , the Government has also approved an extra €48 million package to support the aviation sector ahead of what Ministers were told would be a difficult winter season for airlines .
The funding is in addition to money already announced as part of Budget 2021 .
New supports include €22 million in additional funding for Cork and Shannon airports and an extra €21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to benefit Knock , Kerry and Donegal airports .
Separately , it has emerged the State ’ s health regulator questioned the Department of Health last month about why residents at some nursing homes , where staff tested positive for Covid-19 , were not being tested .
Hiqa ’ s chief inspector Mary Dunnion called for a repeat programme of testing for nursing home residents or , if not , a more consistent approach to testing if positive cases were detected among staff .
She told a department official not all nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had their residents tested .

A spokesman for State airport operator DAA said it would be possible to have a testing facility up and running at Dublin Airport in a matter of days. Photograph: Kate Geraghty
International travel will become easier to some countries after a Government decision that will allow Covid-19 testing for passengers passing through Dublin Airport within days.
The Cabinet has also agreed that arrivals from EU “red” countries from midnight on November 29th will not have to restrict their movements for the full 14 days if they produce a negative test at least five days after their arrival.
Passengers using Dublin Airport will be able to be tested pre-flight for coronavirus after the Cabinet approved a planning exemption for a privately run testing facility at the airport.
Hospital Report
New airport testing will allow Irish travellers to go to regions classified as “orange” under the EU traffic-light system for international travel where, if they have a negative test, they will not be required to restrict their movements for 14 days.
READ MORE
This will depend on if and when other EU states and regions adopt the same arrangements that exist here. Ireland is currently a red-listed country under the travel code and the Government continues to advise against overseas travel.**
A spokesman for State airport operator DAA said it would be possible to have a testing facility up and running at Dublin Airport in a matter of days.
*Two drive-in Covid-19 test centres will open at Cork and Shannon airports on Thursday.
The Government said it would keep travel from the US under review but the same “red” country arrangements would apply to travellers from there.
Aer Lingus called on Government to extend post-arrival testing to “rapid and affordable” antigen testing for a “meaningful increase in safe international travel”.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) reported on Tuesday a further 16 additional deaths related to coronavirus, including 14 occurring this month, and an additional 270 cases.
Meanwhile, the Government has also approved an extra €48 million package to support the aviation sector ahead of what Ministers were told would be a difficult winter season for airlines.
The funding is in addition to money already announced as part of Budget 2021.
New supports include €22 million in additional funding for Cork and Shannon airports and an extra €21 million for the Regional Airports Programme, to benefit Knock, Kerry and Donegal airports.
Separately, it has emerged the State's health regulator questioned the Department of Health last month about why residents at some nursing homes, where staff tested positive for Covid-19, were not being tested.
Hiqa's chief inspector Mary Dunnion called for a repeat programme of testing for nursing home residents or, if not, a more consistent approach to testing if positive cases were detected among staff.
She told a department official not all nursing homes where staff tested positive for the disease have had their residents tested.
*This article was amended on November 11th to correct the test centres opening date
**This paragraph was added on November 11th to reflect the current arrangements


theirishtimes--2020-11-11--Covid-19: North’s death rate in second wave four times that of Republic

The Covid-19 death rate in Northern Ireland since the second wave of the virus is running at four times that of the rate in the Republic , according to official figures from both jurisdictions .
Since the Northern Executive imposed a four-week lockdown on October 16th , there have been 183 coronavirus deaths in Northern Ireland up to Monday , November 9th , based on figures published by the North ’ s health department .
Over that same period up until Monday , based on official Government figures , there have been 107 Covid deaths in the Republic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in the South .
Were the populations the same and based on the Northern death rate the death figure in the North would be about 450 deaths – more than four times that of the Republic .
The population in the North is older than in the Republic but this is only one factor and the figures do point to a much higher death rate in Northern Ireland , according to Dr Gabriel Scally , president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine in London “ The age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in deaths , ” he said on Tuesday .
Dr Scally put the high difference in deaths down to a number of factors , primarily the “ poor handling of the pandemic in the North ” .
He favoured more stringent measures to curb the spread of the virus .
Dr Scally also complained that not enough information on the North ’ s testing and tracing system was being published , and that this system was not speedy enough .
Dr Scally said he did not have proof but , based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern Ireland , his suspicion was that the testing and tracing system was too slow compared with the system in the Republic .
“ The figures speak for themselves , ” he said .
Dr Scally said if testing and tracing was too slow , it obviously followed that more people would contract the disease in Northern Ireland .
As an example , he posited , “ if it takes someone three days to get a test and five days to get the answer to that test , by that time other contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be infecting people .
The whole thing is dependent on being fast .
If you are slow you are ineffective.
” The testing and tracing system , which is run by the North ’ s Public Health Agency , has been subject to criticism during the period of the pandemic , with Sinn Féin Assembly member Pat Sheehan last month saying it was about as “ useful as a chocolate fireguard ” .
The agency said it had taken a “ major step forward ” in early October by moving to a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would provide online self-service contact tracing for the majority of people who tested positive .
In the Assembly on Tuesday , Minister for Health Robin Swann said the vast majority of track and trace cases were being successfully detected .
The health department has also stated that “ due to differences in testing strategies and the way in which deaths are reported , direct comparisons are likely to be difficult ” .
In relation to the island as a whole , Dr Scally said it was a “ scandal ” that the opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken during the summer when deaths and cases were very low .
He said at the time there should have been “ some managed isolation on the ports and airports ” .
“ At that stage the numbers were so small that they could have been got down to zero quite easily on the island , ” said Dr Scally .
“ But there was no chance of that happening because cases were being introduced by people arriving from abroad .
”

Dr Gabriel Scally said it was a ‘scandal’ that the opportunity to tackle the virus was not properly taken during the summer. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The Covid-19 death rate in Northern Ireland since the second wave of the virus is running at four times that of the rate in the Republic, according to official figures from both jurisdictions.
Since the Northern Executive imposed a four-week lockdown on October 16th, there have been 183 coronavirus deaths in Northern Ireland up to Monday, November 9th, based on figures published by the North’s health department.
Over that same period up until Monday, based on official Government figures, there have been 107 Covid deaths in the Republic.
Hospital Report
The population in the North is roughly two-fifths that in the South. Were the populations the same and based on the Northern death rate the death figure in the North would be about 450 deaths – more than four times that of the Republic.
READ MORE
The population in the North is older than in the Republic but this is only one factor and the figures do point to a much higher death rate in Northern Ireland, according to Dr Gabriel Scally, president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine in London
“The age difference does not explain the full differential in deaths,” he said on Tuesday.
Dr Scally put the high difference in deaths down to a number of factors, primarily the “poor handling of the pandemic in the North”. He favoured more stringent measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Dr Scally also complained that not enough information on the North’s testing and tracing system was being published, and that this system was not speedy enough.
Dr Scally said he did not have proof but, based on the figures and the higher incidence rate in Northern Ireland, his suspicion was that the testing and tracing system was too slow compared with the system in the Republic. “The figures speak for themselves,” he said.
Chocolate fireguard
Dr Scally said if testing and tracing was too slow, it obviously followed that more people would contract the disease in Northern Ireland.
As an example, he posited, “if it takes someone three days to get a test and five days to get the answer to that test, by that time other contacts will have developed the illness and also be infecting people. The whole thing is dependent on being fast. If you are slow you are ineffective.”
The testing and tracing system, which is run by the North's Public Health Agency, has been subject to criticism during the period of the pandemic, with Sinn Féin Assembly member Pat Sheehan last month saying it was about as "useful as a chocolate fireguard".
The agency said it had taken a “major step forward” in early October by moving to a new “digital first” model, which would provide online self-service contact tracing for the majority of people who tested positive.
In the Assembly on Tuesday, Minister for Health Robin Swann said the vast majority of track and trace cases were being successfully detected.
The health department has also stated that “due to differences in testing strategies and the way in which deaths are reported, direct comparisons are likely to be difficult”.
In relation to the island as a whole, Dr Scally said it was a “scandal” that the opportunity to tackle the virus was not properly taken during the summer when deaths and cases were very low.
He said at the time there should have been “some managed isolation on the ports and airports”.
“At that stage the numbers were so small that they could have been got down to zero quite easily on the island,” said Dr Scally. “But there was no chance of that happening because cases were being introduced by people arriving from abroad.”


theirishtimes--2020-11-11--Coronavirus: Non-testing of nursing home residents concerns watchdog

The State ’ s health regulator has questioned the Department of Health about why residents at some nursing homes where staff tested positive for Covid-19 were not themselves tested .
Mary Dunnion , chief inspector at the Health and Information Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) , told a senior department official at the start of last month that not all nursing homes among a large number where staff have tested positive for the disease have had their residents tested .
She said that it “ may now be timely ” to carry out a repeat programme to test all nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to maintain consistency in testing of residents in homes where staff test positive .
Ms Dunnion set out her concerns in an October 6th email to Kathleen Mac Lellan , assistant secretary for social care and a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team ’ s subgroup on vulnerable people .
The email was released under the Freedom of Information Act .
The HSE said last night that public health officials assessed whether to test all nursing home residents after a staff member tests positive .
Nphet on Tuesday reported a further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported number since May 27th .
Fourteen of these deaths occurred in November and one in October .
This brings the number of deaths related to the virus to 1,963 .
There were a further 270 new cases reported , bringing the total number of known cases to 65,889 .
Some 56 per cent of the new cases are aged under 45 .
Dublin has the largest share with 82 , followed by Donegal with 21 , Roscommon with 18 and Limerick and Tipperary each with 17 .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant improvement ” in the profile of the disease with a 51 per cent reduction in the 14-day incidence rate on two weeks ago .
“ To maintain this positive trajectory , we need to remain vigilant to the highly infectious nature of this virus , which can easily spread from person to person through close contact and by social mixing , ” he said .
In her email to the department last month , Ms Dunnion said that some homes were reporting more than 20 positive residents “ in a single round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the infection among the residents for a period of time ” .
“ Luckily , to date most centres are reporting that these residents are asymptomatic .
However , we can not rely on the situation continuing , ” she said .
She raised concerns about the large number of nursing homes where a small number of staff have tested positive on routine testing over the previous four to six weeks .
“ Not all centres where staff have tested positive have undertaken a programme of resident testing , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fourth cycle of fortnightly serial testing of nursing home staff had detected 293 cases from 51,911 tests , amounting to a detection rate of 0.56 per cent .
Meanwhile , American economist Jeffrey Sachs has said that Ireland should have Covid-19 “ under control ” because islands are much better at controlling the virus than continental countries .
“ You could get it down to zero .
Use the island advantage to really control the pandemic and show the rest of us how fast this could be brought under control , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute of International and European Affairs in an event hosted by the think tank .

The State's health regulator has questioned the Department of Health about why residents at some nursing homes where staff tested positive for Covid-19 were not themselves tested.
Mary Dunnion, chief inspector at the Health and Information Quality Authority (Hiqa), told a senior department official at the start of last month that not all nursing homes among a large number where staff have tested positive for the disease have had their residents tested.
She said that it “may now be timely” to carry out a repeat programme to test all nursing home residents or, if not, to maintain consistency in testing of residents in homes where staff test positive.
Hospital Report
Ms Dunnion set out her concerns in an October 6th email to Kathleen Mac Lellan, assistant secretary for social care and a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team's subgroup on vulnerable people. The email was released under the Freedom of Information Act.
READ MORE
The HSE said last night that public health officials assessed whether to test all nursing home residents after a staff member tests positive.
Nphet on Tuesday reported a further 16 Covid-related deaths, the highest daily reported number since May 27th. Fourteen of these deaths occurred in November and one in October.
This brings the number of deaths related to the virus to 1,963. There were a further 270 new cases reported, bringing the total number of known cases to 65,889.
Some 56 per cent of the new cases are aged under 45. Dublin has the largest share with 82, followed by Donegal with 21, Roscommon with 18 and Limerick and Tipperary each with 17.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said there had been "a significant improvement" in the profile of the disease with a 51 per cent reduction in the 14-day incidence rate on two weeks ago.
“To maintain this positive trajectory, we need to remain vigilant to the highly infectious nature of this virus, which can easily spread from person to person through close contact and by social mixing,” he said.
Infection prevalence
In her email to the department last month, Ms Dunnion said that some homes were reporting more than 20 positive residents “in a single round of testing, indicating the possible prevalence of the infection among the residents for a period of time”.
“Luckily, to date most centres are reporting that these residents are asymptomatic. However, we cannot rely on the situation continuing,” she said.
She raised concerns about the large number of nursing homes where a small number of staff have tested positive on routine testing over the previous four to six weeks.
“Not all centres where staff have tested positive have undertaken a programme of resident testing,” she said.
The HSE said last night that the fourth cycle of fortnightly serial testing of nursing home staff had detected 293 cases from 51,911 tests, amounting to a detection rate of 0.56 per cent.
Meanwhile, American economist Jeffrey Sachs has said that Ireland should have Covid-19 "under control" because islands are much better at controlling the virus than continental countries.
“You could get it down to zero. Use the island advantage to really control the pandemic and show the rest of us how fast this could be brought under control,” the public policy analyst told the Dublin-based Institute of International and European Affairs in an event hosted by the think tank.


theirishtimes--2020-11-11--Covid quarantine centre: Many are ‘completely destitute, they have nothing’

Two months ago Roger Warde was living in an apartment and working in Rotterdam .
He was happy , had a girlfriend and finally felt he had some stability in his life .
However , as had happened before , his alcohol addiction caught up with him and within a few weeks he was living on the streets .
“ I suffer from a bipolar condition , ” Warde explains .
“ I didn ’ t attend properly to my mental health .
I started living on my own and a number of factors led me back into a life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I had a wonderful girlfriend , a beautiful apartment overlooking a wonderful river , I had everything .
And that ’ s all gone now .
When you ’ re dealing with homelessness and addiction , all intelligence and rationalisation goes out the window.
” Warde is speaking from his bedroom in the Dublin hotel where he has been self-isolating due to Covid-19 restrictions since arriving back in Ireland two weeks ago .
He arrived in Dublin in October with the help of charity Barka .
He was initially sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought to an isolation unit run by the HSE and Safetynet Primary Care , where he is currently staying .
“ I was living on the streets in Holland .
I returned , not out of choice but necessity , ” he said .
The Dublin centre , in operation since May , provides shelter to some of the most vulnerable people who may have contracted Covid-19 or need somewhere to self-isolate .
Its residents include members of the Roma and Travelling community , women in domestic abuse situations , refugees who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have been repatriated home but don ’ t have anywhere to stay and people sleeping rough .
Maxine Radcliffe , the HSE clinical nursing lead for the centre , says the priority is to prevent the spread of Covid while supporting people to isolate and quarantine .
While the CityWest self-isolation facility has offered a vital service to the general public , there are always members of society who fall through the cracks , says Radcliffe .
“ The people we deal with usually don ’ t fit into boxes , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mainstream response .
These are people on the margins of society .
With the mainstream response you need a PPS number , you need documents .
If you want extra snacks in CityWest you need a debit card .
We were aware a large cohort of the Roma and Traveller groups just wouldn ’ t go into a facility like that .
“ A lot of the people who we have here are completely destitute , they have nothing .
We ’ ve had people come in here and they haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have people who come here and don ’ t believe Covid exists .
It ’ s the full gamut.
” Radcliffe said she was surprised by the number of Irish residents who have arrived back in the country but have nowhere to stay .
About 60 per cent of the current residents in the unit are families while one in four people have tested positive for Covid-19 , she says .
Any person who tests positive stays in a room on the top floor .
Residents are tested on the day of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some 60 per cent are non-Irish ( mostly Europeans ) and more than half do not speak English as a first language .
Finding translators who have the specific skillset needed to communicate the severity of the disease to people in their native language has been a big challenge , says Radcliffe .
With a “ constant stream ” of people needing to quarantine since last spring , Radcliffe admits the volume of work is draining for staff .
Meanwhile , the stream of residents moving in and out continues .
Warde @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future ” and says when he leaves the isolation unit he will probably be on the streets again for a while .
However , he ’ s glad he returned and says his time at the unit has restored his faith in Irish people .
“ I came back to Ireland in the Celtic Tiger and we had lost what being Irish really meant .
We are good , kind-hearted people ... it ’ s taken a pandemic for people to realise the most important things in this world are other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here that there are people who genuinely care for other people .
That ’ s something I would take away from this horrendous time in my life .
”

A Dublin Covid quarantine centre opened in May and provides shelter to some of the most vulnerable people who may have contracted Covid-19 or need somewhere to self-isolate. Video: Enda O'Dowd
Two months ago Roger Warde was living in an apartment and working in Rotterdam. He was happy, had a girlfriend and finally felt he had some stability in his life.
However, as had happened before, his alcohol addiction caught up with him and within a few weeks he was living on the streets.
“I suffer from a bipolar condition,” Warde explains. “I didn’t attend properly to my mental health. I started living on my own and a number of factors led me back into a life of not taking my medication and drinking.
Hospital Report
“I had a wonderful girlfriend, a beautiful apartment overlooking a wonderful river, I had everything. And that’s all gone now. When you’re dealing with homelessness and addiction, all intelligence and rationalisation goes out the window.”
READ MORE
Warde is speaking from his bedroom in the Dublin hotel where he has been self-isolating due to Covid-19 restrictions since arriving back in Ireland two weeks ago. He arrived in Dublin in October with the help of charity Barka. He was initially sent to the Capuchin Centre and from there was brought to an isolation unit run by the HSE and Safetynet Primary Care, where he is currently staying.
“I was living on the streets in Holland. I returned, not out of choice but necessity,” he said.
The Dublin centre, in operation since May, provides shelter to some of the most vulnerable people who may have contracted Covid-19 or need somewhere to self-isolate. Its residents include members of the Roma and Travelling community, women in domestic abuse situations, refugees who have arrived through family reunification, Irish people who have been repatriated home but don't have anywhere to stay and people sleeping rough.
Priority
Maxine Radcliffe, the HSE clinical nursing lead for the centre, says the priority is to prevent the spread of Covid while supporting people to isolate and quarantine.
While the CityWest self-isolation facility has offered a vital service to the general public, there are always members of society who fall through the cracks, says Radcliffe.
“The people we deal with usually don’t fit into boxes, they’re not going to fit into the mainstream response. These are people on the margins of society. With the mainstream response you need a PPS number, you need documents. If you want extra snacks in CityWest you need a debit card. We were aware a large cohort of the Roma and Traveller groups just wouldn’t go into a facility like that.
“A lot of the people who we have here are completely destitute, they have nothing. We’ve had people come in here and they haven’t eaten for days. We also have people who come here and don’t believe Covid exists. It’s the full gamut.”
Radcliffe said she was surprised by the number of Irish residents who have arrived back in the country but have nowhere to stay. About 60 per cent of the current residents in the unit are families while one in four people have tested positive for Covid-19, she says.
Any person who tests positive stays in a room on the top floor. Residents are tested on the day of their arrival and again, seven days later. Some 60 per cent are non-Irish (mostly Europeans) and more than half do not speak English as a first language. Finding translators who have the specific skillset needed to communicate the severity of the disease to people in their native language has been a big challenge, says Radcliffe.
With a “constant stream” of people needing to quarantine since last spring, Radcliffe admits the volume of work is draining for staff.
Meanwhile, the stream of residents moving in and out continues. Warde admits he is “very unsure about the future” and says when he leaves the isolation unit he will probably be on the streets again for a while.
However, he's glad he returned and says his time at the unit has restored his faith in Irish people. "I came back to Ireland in the Celtic Tiger and we had lost what being Irish really meant. We are good, kind-hearted people... it's taken a pandemic for people to realise the most important things in this world are other people and relationships. I've seen here that there are people who genuinely care for other people. That's something I would take away from this horrendous time in my life."


theirishtimes--2020-11-11--Domestic violence linked to suicides of young women in west Dublin – HSE report

A cluster of suicides among young women in west Dublin last year is linked to the housing crisis , domestic violence , social media and recreational drug use , a HSE investigation has found .
Fears their children could be removed by Tusla is cited by the report as a reason some mothers in distress don ’ t seek help .
The investigation , “ Rapid assessment and community response to suicide and suspected suicide in Dublin South ” , was ordered by the HSE ’ s national office of suicide prevention in response to the “ situation regarding suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area has had a female suicide rate three times the national average since 2015 , it was the deaths of eight women in their 20s and early 30s over a 10-week period that prompted the report .
Four of the women who died between April and July 2019 were from Ballyfermot and the others were from neighbouring Clondalkin , Tallaght and Palmerstown .
Several were young mothers .
A Rapid Assessment Response team was established by the HSE late last year , with in-depth interviews across local services and with bereaved relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The lives lost of these young women has been deeply traumatic to the area , ” says the report .
Its aim is “ not to make inferences about individual cases but identify potential risk factors to prevent future suicide clusters in Ballyfermot ” .
Much of the Ballyfermot area , it says , is “ significantly impacted by deprivation ” , with small areas characterised by high unemployment , low school-completion rates and high proportions of families headed by lone parents .
Through summer 2019 there was a “ palpable sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suicides would occur .
An ongoing “ contagion effect ” was feared as most of the young women either shared friend groups or knew each other through social media .
“ There was a feeling amongst research participants that the contagion effect may be stronger in young women , and that when one young mother dies by suicide , the psychological proximity felt can remove the protective barrier of parenthood for other young mothers against suicide ideation.
” And while families must grieve and celebrate their loved ones as they choose , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tributes on social media could serve to “ monumentalise suicide ” .
Social media put enormous pressure on young women to “ look good , be active and popular ” , and interviewees noted the pressure many young women put upon themselves to live up to unattainable versions of how they believed their lives should be .
A consistent view was “ that underlying trauma is at the root of anxiety , depression or poor mental health for young women in the area ” , particularly childhood trauma including domestic violence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill-health in the childhood family home ; childhood physical , sexual or emotional abuse , or parental separation .
Current challenges included the housing crisis , with “ many single parents .
.
.
in and out of homelessness ” while “ almost all of the contributors referenced domestic violence as a key issue ” , with few supports in the area .
Young mothers experiencing abusive relationships , poverty and emerging mental health issues are “ perceived as unlikely to engage with programmes because they fear that social services will intervene ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main problem drug '' , “ especially dangerous at the ‘ coming down from it ’ phase ” , and likely to be used as a coping mechanism rather than a “ root cause in itself ” of distress .
Services in the area were described as “ under-resourced or operating with waiting lists , particularly mental health , counselling and family support services ” .
If you are affected by any issue in this article , please contact Pieta House on 1800-247247 or the Samaritans by telephoning 116 123 ( free ) @ @ @ @ @ @

Fears their children could be removed by Tusla is cited by the report as a reason some mothers in distress don’t seek help
A cluster of suicides among young women in west Dublin last year is linked to the housing crisis, domestic violence, social media and recreational drug use, a HSE investigation has found.
Fears their children could be removed by Tusla is cited by the report as a reason some mothers in distress don’t seek help.
The investigation, "Rapid assessment and community response to suicide and suspected suicide in Dublin South", was ordered by the HSE's national office of suicide prevention in response to the "situation regarding suicide within the Ballyfermot community".
Though the area has had a female suicide rate three times the national average since 2015, it was the deaths of eight women in their 20s and early 30s over a 10-week period that prompted the report.
READ MORE
Four of the women who died between April and July 2019 were from Ballyfermot and the others were from neighbouring Clondalkin, Tallaght and Palmerstown. Several were young mothers.
A Rapid Assessment Response team was established by the HSE late last year, with in-depth interviews across local services and with bereaved relatives conducted between February and May 2020.
“The lives lost of these young women has been deeply traumatic to the area,” says the report. Its aim is “not to make inferences about individual cases but identify potential risk factors to prevent future suicide clusters in Ballyfermot”.
Lone parents
Much of the Ballyfermot area, it says, is “significantly impacted by deprivation”, with small areas characterised by high unemployment, low school-completion rates and high proportions of families headed by lone parents.
Through summer 2019 there was a “palpable sense of fear and anxiety” that further suicides would occur. An ongoing “contagion effect” was feared as most of the young women either shared friend groups or knew each other through social media.
“There was a feeling amongst research participants that the contagion effect may be stronger in young women, and that when one young mother dies by suicide, the psychological proximity felt can remove the protective barrier of parenthood for other young mothers against suicide ideation.”
And while families must grieve and celebrate their loved ones as they choose, there was a concern “huge funerals” and tributes on social media could serve to “monumentalise suicide”.
Social media put enormous pressure on young women to “look good, be active and popular”, and interviewees noted the pressure many young women put upon themselves to live up to unattainable versions of how they believed their lives should be.
Underlying trauma
A consistent view was “that underlying trauma is at the root of anxiety, depression or poor mental health for young women in the area”, particularly childhood trauma including domestic violence, alcohol or drug use, or mental ill-health in the childhood family home; childhood physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or parental separation.
Current challenges included the housing crisis, with “many single parents . . . in and out of homelessness” while “almost all of the contributors referenced domestic violence as a key issue”, with few supports in the area.
Young mothers experiencing abusive relationships, poverty and emerging mental health issues are “perceived as unlikely to engage with programmes because they fear that social services will intervene”.
“The recreational drug-user – the guy who takes cocaine at weekends – may not be spending their money on cocaine, as we saw with the fall-off in usage during the economic crash in 2008.” Photograph: Getty Images
Cocaine was identified as the “main problem drug”, “especially dangerous at the ‘coming down from it’ phase”, and likely to be used as a coping mechanism rather than a “root cause in itself” of distress.
Services in the area were described as “under-resourced or operating with waiting lists, particularly mental health, counselling and family support services”.
[ jo@samaritans.ie ]


theirishtimes--2020-11-11--New Dublin Port cycle route to bridge Dublin bay gap

A major missing link in the provision of cycling infrastructure across Dublin bay will be in place within two years , under plans from Dublin Port Company .
The off-road route will take cyclists from the Tolka river estuary opposite Clontarf to the Liffey quayside , and will enable Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to finally complete the Sutton to Sandycove ( S2S ) cycleway .
Dublin Port will next April apply to the city council for permission for the cycle route which will run within port lands opposite East Wall Road , the access road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is probably the most hostile stretch of urban roadway in the city , ” port company chief executive Eamonn O ’ Reilly said .
“ It ’ s noisy , dusty and not anywhere you would currently want to walk or cycle .
The Liffey-Tolka Project will see us complete a brand new area of public realm that will be a much more pleasant place to move through.
” The 1.4km route will start at the Tolka estuary at Bond Road , beside Eastpoint Business Park , and move south towards Promenade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new cycle and pedestrian bridge .
It will then continue through the port lands parallel to Eastwall Road , as far as the roundabout before the East Link bridge where it meets the Liffey side cycle path .
The footpath , currently a maximum of 2m wide , will be extended to create a 12m cycling and pedestrian space lined with 140 trees to mitigate noise and air pollution.Work on the cycle route , which is being designed by Grafton Architects , is expected to begin next September and be completed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will then be available to link up to the council ’ s cycle paths , Mr O ’ Reilly said .
“ It opens up the possibility of an extension of cycling infrastructure to the Alfie Byrne Road .
That would be the next obvious step.
” The S2S project , the continuous Dublin Bay cycle route , was proposed in 2002 and runs south of Sutton Cross , along the Clontarf coast , ending on Alfie Byrne Road before Eastpoint Business Park .
Segregated cyclepaths have recently been installed along the coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rathdown County Council , as part of Covid-19 mobility measures , and the city council will open a cycleway along Strand Road in Sandymount in January .
Planning for a link from the Merrion Gates at the southern end of Strand Road to Blackrock is expected to begin shortly .
The port company will also begin construction next month on the Tolka Estuary Greenway , a 3.2km route along the northern perimeter of Dublin Port starting again at Bond Road and terminating at the east end of the docks .
This scheme is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Liffey-Tolka project was “ the most important port-city integration project to date ” , Mr O ’ Reilly said , and would facilitate access to several port tourism projects .
“ We have cut the Gordian knot of the complex challenge to open up Dublin Port to Dubliners .
”

Dublin Port will next April apply to the city council for permission for the cycle route which will run within port lands opposite East Wall Road. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
A major missing link in the provision of cycling infrastructure across Dublin bay will be in place within two years, under plans from Dublin Port Company.
The off-road route will take cyclists from the Tolka river estuary opposite Clontarf to the Liffey quayside, and will enable Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to finally complete the Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) cycleway.
Dublin Port will next April apply to the city council for permission for the cycle route which will run within port lands opposite East Wall Road, the access road for the Dublin Port Tunnel.
“This is probably the most hostile stretch of urban roadway in the city,” port company chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly said. “It’s noisy, dusty and not anywhere you would currently want to walk or cycle. The Liffey-Tolka Project will see us complete a brand new area of public realm that will be a much more pleasant place to move through.”
READ MORE
The 1.4km route will start at the Tolka estuary at Bond Road, beside Eastpoint Business Park, and move south towards Promenade Road, which it will cross on a new cycle and pedestrian bridge. It will then continue through the port lands parallel to Eastwall Road, as far as the roundabout before the East Link bridge where it meets the Liffey side cycle path.
The footpath, currently a maximum of 2m wide, will be extended to create a 12m cycling and pedestrian space lined with 140 trees to mitigate noise and air pollution.Work on the cycle route, which is being designed by Grafton Architects, is expected to begin next September and be completed by the end of 2022.
‘Next obvious step’
The path will then be available to link up to the council’s cycle paths, Mr O’Reilly said. “It opens up the possibility of an extension of cycling infrastructure to the Alfie Byrne Road. That would be the next obvious step.”
The S2S project, the continuous Dublin Bay cycle route, was proposed in 2002 and runs south of Sutton Cross, along the Clontarf coast, ending on Alfie Byrne Road before Eastpoint Business Park. Segregated cyclepaths have recently been installed along the coast between Blackrock and Sandycove by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, as part of Covid-19 mobility measures, and the city council will open a cycleway along Strand Road in Sandymount in January. Planning for a link from the Merrion Gates at the southern end of Strand Road to Blackrock is expected to begin shortly.
The port company will also begin construction next month on the Tolka Estuary Greenway, a 3.2km route along the northern perimeter of Dublin Port starting again at Bond Road and terminating at the east end of the docks. This scheme is due for completion in early 2022.
The Liffey-Tolka project was “the most important port-city integration project to date”, Mr O’Reilly said, and would facilitate access to several port tourism projects. “We have cut the Gordian knot of the complex challenge to open up Dublin Port to Dubliners.”


theirishtimes--2020-11-10--Northern Executive divided over coronavirus lockdown extension

The Northern Executive was meeting late on Tuesday night in another effort to break the deadlock over whether and how to extend the current four-week coronavirus lockdown in Northern Ireland .
On a day when the North ’ s Covid-19 death toll passed 800 , Ministers were caught in an impasse over whether to prolong the restrictions beyond Friday , when the current lockdown was due to end .
After what some sources described as angry exchanges at the Executive meeting , a proposal to extend the lockdown by two weeks was rejected when DUP Ministers imposed their effective veto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was put by Minister for Health Robin Swann , of the Ulster Unionist Party , on the advice of chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride and the chief scientific adviser Prof Ian Young .
The Executive also failed to reach a decision in meetings on Monday .
On Tuesday night the Executive adjourned for a period and then reconvened to consider proposals from DUP Minister for the Economy Diane Dodds .
Her proposals , sources said , included allowing cafes and restaurants to open from Friday but without serving alcohol , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to business from Friday .
Also from that date hotels would be able to serve food and alcohol to residents but licensed premises would stay shut until November 27th .
On Tuesday the Department of Health reported 11 more coronavirus deaths in Northern Ireland , taking the total to 802 .
There were also 514 new cases of Covid-19 , bringing the total to 43,902 .
There are now 420 patients receiving treatment for Covid-19 in Northern Irish hospitals , with 50 in intensive care units and 39 on ventilators .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at 99 per cent .
The overall seven-day Covid figure for Northern Ireland has dropped to 199 cases per 100,000 of population .
The highest incidence continues to be in mid-Ulster , with 260 cases per 100,000 followed by Derry and Strabane with 248 cases , Causeway Coast and Glens with 244 cases , and Belfast with 206 cases .
The Department of Health said on Tuesday that by early April Northern Ireland could receive about 570,000 doses of the new coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech , if it passes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary , this would allow about 235,000 people to be inoculated against the disease .
A statement from the department read : “ The vaccine will be split using the Barnett formula , so for the first 20 million doses which are scheduled to be in the UK by the end of March 2021 , Northern Ireland would receive roughly 570,000 doses .
“ This is very good news.
” The statement noted the vaccine still needed to officially pass stage three mass-testing trials and then receive official authorisation before it can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Robin Swann has cautioned the public not to “ let down their guard ” despite progress towards mass vaccination in 2021 .
He said it would probably be well into 2021 before a vaccine would be generally available to the population – not least because mass global vaccination is a huge logistical challenge .
Those most at risk could receive it by the end of the year .

First Minister Arlene Foster whose party blocked a proposal from health minister Robin Swann to extend the circuit break measures for two more weeks. File photograph: Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA Wire
Stormont ministers have again failed to agree fresh coronavirus restrictions for Northern Ireland amid fraying relations at the top of the powersharing administration.
The executive did not reach consensus after a lengthy and at times acrimonious meeting on Tuesday night.
It was the second night in a row the executive broke up without agreement on a day when the North’s Covid-19 death toll passed 800.
Ministers are expected to resume debate later on Wednesday on proposals that would see a partial reopening of the hospitality sector. The current four-week circuit break lockdown ends at midnight on Thursday, at which point regulations that have forced the closure of much of the hospitality sector will fall away.
READ MORE
Ministers are facing mounting criticism for failing to tell businesses whether they will be able to reopen on Friday.
There were angry exchanges at the outset of Tuesday's meeting when the DUP moved to block a proposal from health minister Robin Swann to extend the circuit break measures for two more weeks.
The DUP used a contentious Stormont mechanism — a cross-community vote — to effectively veto the proposal, despite support for the move by a majority of executive parties. Mr Swann and senior health officials had warned that Covid-19 cases were likely to spike again in mid-December if the fortnight extension was not approved.
The proposal from Mr Swann of the Ulster Unionist Party was on foot on the advice of chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride and the chief scientific adviser Prof Ian Young.
On Tuesday night the Executive adjourned for a period and then reconvened to consider proposals from DUP Minister for the Economy Diane Dodds.
Her proposals, sources said, included allowing cafes and restaurants to open from Friday but without serving alcohol, and also for hairdressers and beauticians to get back to business from Friday.
Also from that date, under her plan, hotels would be able to serve food and alcohol to residents but licensed premises would stay shut until November 27th.
An anticipated vote on those proposals did not proceed and the meeting concluded after midnight without agreement on a way forward.
Earlier, Alliance Party justice minister Naomi Long had been particularly critical of the deployment of the cross community vote — a mechanism designed to protect minority rights in a post-conflict society — to veto health regulations.
However, the vote also created anger within the DUP, with the party understood to be furious at Sinn Féin’s decision to back Mr Swann’s proposal. A senior party source accused Sinn Féin of “somersaulting” on an apparent pledge to endorse the reopening of cafes and restaurants.
The DUP source claimed Sinn Féin agreed that position at the weekend, pointing to a Sunday media interview in which deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill said the executive was looking at ways of “opening things up perhaps without alcohol”. The source further claimed Sinn Féin changed position on the instruction of its Dublin powerbase.
The claims were robustly rejected by Sinn Féin, with the party insisting it was acting in line with medical and scientific advice. A senior Sinn Féin source said: “We always said any movement had to be based on medical advice”.
Bed occupancy
On Tuesday the Department of Health reported 11 more coronavirus deaths in Northern Ireland, taking the total to 802. There were also 514 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 43,902.
There are now 420 patients receiving treatment for Covid-19 in Northern Irish hospitals, with 50 in intensive care units and 39 on ventilators. The hospital bed occupancy rate in the North is at 99 per cent.
The overall seven-day Covid figure for Northern Ireland has dropped to 199 cases per 100,000 of population.
The highest incidence continues to be in mid-Ulster, with 260 cases per 100,000 followed by Derry and Strabane with 248 cases, Causeway Coast and Glens with 244 cases, and Belfast with 206 cases.
The Department of Health said on Tuesday that by early April Northern Ireland could receive about 570,000 doses of the new coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, if it passes future trials.
As two jabs are necessary, this would allow about 235,000 people to be inoculated against the disease.
A statement from the department read: “The vaccine will be split using the Barnett formula, so for the first 20 million doses which are scheduled to be in the UK by the end of March 2021, Northern Ireland would receive roughly 570,000 doses. “This is very good news.”
The statement noted the vaccine still needed to officially pass stage three mass-testing trials and then receive official authorisation before it can be used in the UK. Minister for Health Robin Swann has cautioned the public not to “let down their guard” despite progress towards mass vaccination in 2021.
He said it would probably be well into 2021 before a vaccine would be generally available to the population – not least because mass global vaccination is a huge logistical challenge. Those most at risk could receive it by the end of the year. - Additional reporting PA


theirishtimes--2020-11-10--Ex-employee of Jim Mansfield Jnr denies he likes ‘a bit of grandiosity’

A former employee of Jim Mansfield Jnr who claims the businessman set him up to be falsely imprisoned by a gang has denied that he is someone who makes himself look important and likes “ a bit of grandiosity ” .
The State ’ s witness Martin Byrne ( 53 ) , who is now in the Witness Protection Programme and was the in-house security director of Citywest Hotel , was being cross-examined on Tuesday at the non-jury Special Criminal Court trial of Mr Mansfield Jnr ( 53 ) .
Mr Byrne told the three-judge court in his direct evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mansfield Jnr arranged meetings with the New IRA and the INLA to “ assist ” in getting back parts of his family ’ s former property portfolio .
The former security boss testified that €2,500 in protection money was being paid by Mr Mansfield Jnr and another man per week to the Real IRA in order to protect the accused from two Traveller gangs , who claimed they were owed money from the accused .
Mr Byrne also said in his examination-in-chief that after a separate meeting with former INLA man Dessie O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Whacker ” Duffy , he asked Mr Mansfield Jnr if he realised how dangerous these people were .
However , the witness testified that the accused replied he “ did not care ” and “ was going to get back what was his.
” Mr Byrne told the court Mr Mansfield Jnr was “ a couple of feet away ” when he was taken prisoner by a gang of seven men , which included O ’ Hare and Duffy .
Mr Byrne testified that he believed Mr Mansfield Jnr had set him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tasaggart House , Garters Lane , Saggart , Co Dublin , is accused of conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne on a date unknown between January 1st , 2015 and June 30th , 2015 , both dates inclusive .
He is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy recorded CCTV footage , with the alleged intention of perverting the course of public justice in relation to the false imprisonment of Mr Byrne at Finnstown House Hotel , Newcastle Road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9th , 2015 and June 12th , 2015 .
It is the prosecution ’ s case that Mr Mansfield Jnr “ effectively delivered ” Mr Byrne , who was hired as the in-house security director of Citywest Hotel in Saggart in about 2005 by Jim Mansfield Snr , into the arms of a group of men who falsely imprisoned him and his family five years ago .
Under cross-examination on Tuesday from defence counsel Bernard Condon SC , Mr Byrne said he had a career in security and worked for a company called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1990s .
Mr Byrne said he then worked in security for the Irish Film Centre in the mid-1990 ’ s and then for Citywest from 2005 until 2012 .
Counsel for Mr Mansfield Jnr put it to Mr Byrne that he had described himself as a hair specialist at one stage , which the witness accepted .
Mr Byrne agreed that his introduction into the Mansfields ' affairs was when he ran a business at the European Hair Centre in the Citywest complex .
The key prosecution witness acknowledged that he had taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ireland and had worked with a number of celebrities , including Michael Flatley .
“ I wasn ’ t employed by him but I met him at Citywest .
I was responsible for security for the event ‘ Lord of the Dance ’ , ” explained Mr Byrne .
Mr Condon asked the witness if he had worked for the CEO of Hewlett Packard .
“ I was looking after his protection and liaised with him , ” said Mr Byrne .
The barrister said that the impression one might get was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CEO of Hewlett Packard .
“ That wasn ’ t what I said , ” he replied .
The witness said he had trained in the use of firearms in Krakow in Poland in 2006 as there was no firearms training available in Ireland at the time .
During one stage of his cross-examination , Mr Condon asked the witness why it appeared on his LinkedIn page that he held the executive position of director of international operations with Control Risk Management Solutions , when he had previously told the court that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company .
“ They wanted me to leave Citywest and become involved in the company full time and this was the position I was requested to work in , ” he replied .
The lawyer put it to the witness that he was someone who liked to make himself important .
“ I don ’ t need to make myself important , ” replied Mr Byrne .
Mr Condon suggested that the witness liked a “ bit of grandiosity ” , to which Mr Byrne said : “ That ’ s your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Citywest Hotel went into receivership in 2010 , Mr Byrne said the accounts office had contacted Jim Mansfield ’ s Snr office to say the receiver Martin Ferris was coming in imminently .
“ No one could believe what was happening so when the receiver presented himself at reception to go to Jim Mansfield Snr ’ s office , that ’ s when I followed him up the stairs , ” he said , adding that he had not been invited to the meeting but it was an “ open-door office ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied the proposition from the defence that he was never at this meeting and insisted he was .
Mr Byrne said Mr Mansfield ’ s Jnr secretary , Sally Anne Browne , may also have been present amongst others at the meeting that day .
The barrister asked Mr Byrne if he had ever recounted Ms Browne at the meeting before and he said he did not recall .
Mr Condon suggested to the witness that he was making it up as he went along and had never previously referred to Ms Browne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week , the three-judge court heard evidence that Citywest Hotel went into receivership in 2011 and the Dalata Hotel Group came in to manage the hotel on behalf of Bank of Scotland .
Mr Byrne was asked by the Dalata Group to stay on as head of security during the transition , which he said he agreed to and added that his involvement with the Mansfields did not end there .
Mr Byrne testified that three key assets belonging to the Mansfields — Saggart Lodge Court which comprised of 30 town-houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land known as “ Paddy Reilly ’ s Field ” at the back of the Citywest Hotel off the N7 and Finnstown House Hotel — later went into receivership and a third party , who was an old friend of Jim Mansfield Snr , was brought in to act on behalf of the family and retain the properties on their behalf .
Mr Byrne said that “ Paddy Reilly ’ s field ” was purchased for around €30 million during the boom and the initial agreement with the receiver for the site was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the understanding that the Mansfields would get the properties back , originally on the basis that the receivership was illegal and they should not have come in when they did ” , said Mr Byrne , adding that a financial backer or “ funder ” then helped the third party buy “ Paddy Reilly ’ s Field ” from the receiver .
In his evidence last week , Mr Byrne explained how the Mansfields had retained control of three pieces of land around the family home , Tasaggart House , which were dubbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key access routes to the Citywest Hotel and other properties which could not be sold without them .
The Mansfields believed that by having these “ ransom strips on the table ” they could negotiate getting control of their other properties within the portfolio back , he continued .
It was understood that money was to be paid by the accused to the third party to buy back “ Paddy Reilly ’ s Field ” but this was never paid over , which led to a fall out between Mr Mansfield Jnr and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The security boss said he was asked to assist the accused to try and resolve the dispute and gain back control of the properties , which the third partynow had in his possession .
A series of meetings between the two sides were set up , said Mr Byrne , adding that he was the “ go-between ” between both parties .
The trial continues before Mr Justice Alexander Owens presiding , sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan .
In April 2019 , former INLA man Dessie O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Border Fox ” , was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for three years for assaulting John Roche and 10 years with three suspended for the rest of his life for falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne .
The sentences were to run concurrently .
The 63-year-old , of Slate Rock Road , Newtownhamilton , Co Armagh , admitted to assaulting Mr Roche , causing him harm , at The Towers , Garter Lane , Saggart , County Dublin on June 9th , 2015 .
O ’ Hare also pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same date .
Former republican paramilitary Declan “ Whacker ” Duffy was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to six years imprisonment in 2018 after pleading guilty to assaulting John Roche , causing him harm , at The Towers , Garter Lane , Saggart , County Dublin on June 9 , 2015 .
He also admitted falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole/Saggart on the same date .

A former employee of Jim Mansfield Jnr who claims the businessman set him up to be falsely imprisoned by a gang has denied that he is someone who makes himself look important and likes “a bit of grandiosity”.
The State's witness Martin Byrne (53), who is now in the Witness Protection Programme and was the in-house security director of Citywest Hotel, was being cross-examined on Tuesday at the non-jury Special Criminal Court trial of Mr Mansfield Jnr (53).
Mr Byrne told the three-judge court in his direct evidence last Friday that his former employer Mr Mansfield Jnr arranged meetings with the New IRA and the INLA to “assist” in getting back parts of his family’s former property portfolio.
The former security boss testified that €2,500 in protection money was being paid by Mr Mansfield Jnr and another man per week to the Real IRA in order to protect the accused from two Traveller gangs, who claimed they were owed money from the accused.
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Mr Byrne also said in his examination-in-chief that after a separate meeting with former INLA man Dessie O’Hare and former republican paramilitary Declan “Whacker” Duffy, he asked Mr Mansfield Jnr if he realised how dangerous these people were. However, the witness testified that the accused replied he “did not care” and “was going to get back what was his.”
Mr Byrne told the court Mr Mansfield Jnr was “a couple of feet away” when he was taken prisoner by a gang of seven men, which included O’Hare and Duffy. Mr Byrne testified that he believed Mr Mansfield Jnr had set him up.
Mr Mansfield Jnr, of Tasaggart House, Garters Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin, is accused of conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne on a date unknown between January 1st, 2015 and June 30th, 2015, both dates inclusive.
He is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy recorded CCTV footage, with the alleged intention of perverting the course of public justice in relation to the false imprisonment of Mr Byrne at Finnstown House Hotel, Newcastle Road, Lucan, Co Dublin between June 9th, 2015 and June 12th, 2015.
Citywest security
It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Mansfield Jnr “effectively delivered” Mr Byrne, who was hired as the in-house security director of Citywest Hotel in Saggart in about 2005 by Jim Mansfield Snr, into the arms of a group of men who falsely imprisoned him and his family five years ago.
Under cross-examination on Tuesday from defence counsel Bernard Condon SC, Mr Byrne said he had a career in security and worked for a company called Securiforce for one year in the early 1990s. Mr Byrne said he then worked in security for the Irish Film Centre in the mid-1990's and then for Citywest from 2005 until 2012.
Counsel for Mr Mansfield Jnr put it to Mr Byrne that he had described himself as a hair specialist at one stage, which the witness accepted. Mr Byrne agreed that his introduction into the Mansfields' affairs was when he ran a business at the European Hair Centre in the Citywest complex.
The key prosecution witness acknowledged that he had taken many security courses with the Security Institute of Ireland and had worked with a number of celebrities, including Michael Flatley. "I wasn't employed by him but I met him at Citywest. I was responsible for security for the event 'Lord of the Dance'," explained Mr Byrne.
Mr Condon asked the witness if he had worked for the CEO of Hewlett Packard. "I was looking after his protection and liaised with him," said Mr Byrne. The barrister said that the impression one might get was that Mr Byrne had been employed by the CEO of Hewlett Packard. "That wasn't what I said," he replied.
Firearms training
The witness said he had trained in the use of firearms in Krakow in Poland in 2006 as there was no firearms training available in Ireland at the time.
During one stage of his cross-examination, Mr Condon asked the witness why it appeared on his LinkedIn page that he held the executive position of director of international operations with Control Risk Management Solutions, when he had previously told the court that he was a non-executive training consultant with the company. “They wanted me to leave Citywest and become involved in the company full time and this was the position I was requested to work in,” he replied.
The lawyer put it to the witness that he was someone who liked to make himself important. “I don’t need to make myself important,” replied Mr Byrne.
Mr Condon suggested that the witness liked a “bit of grandiosity”, to which Mr Byrne said: “That’s your opinion.”
Asked about the day that Citywest Hotel went into receivership in 2010, Mr Byrne said the accounts office had contacted Jim Mansfield’s Snr office to say the receiver Martin Ferris was coming in imminently. “No one could believe what was happening so when the receiver presented himself at reception to go to Jim Mansfield Snr’s office, that’s when I followed him up the stairs,” he said, adding that he had not been invited to the meeting but it was an “open-door office” and anyone could pop in.
Mr Byrne denied the proposition from the defence that he was never at this meeting and insisted he was.
Mr Byrne said Mr Mansfield’s Jnr secretary, Sally Anne Browne, may also have been present amongst others at the meeting that day.
The barrister asked Mr Byrne if he had ever recounted Ms Browne at the meeting before and he said he did not recall. Mr Condon suggested to the witness that he was making it up as he went along and had never previously referred to Ms Browne being there. The witness denied this.
Dalata group
Last week, the three-judge court heard evidence that Citywest Hotel went into receivership in 2011 and the Dalata Hotel Group came in to manage the hotel on behalf of Bank of Scotland. Mr Byrne was asked by the Dalata Group to stay on as head of security during the transition, which he said he agreed to and added that his involvement with the Mansfields did not end there.
Mr Byrne testified that three key assets belonging to the Mansfields — Saggart Lodge Court which comprised of 30 town-houses and 100 apartments, a piece of land known as "Paddy Reilly's Field" at the back of the Citywest Hotel off the N7 and Finnstown House Hotel — later went into receivership and a third party, who was an old friend of Jim Mansfield Snr, was brought in to act on behalf of the family and retain the properties on their behalf. Mr Byrne said that "Paddy Reilly's field" was purchased for around €30 million during the boom and the initial agreement with the receiver for the site was for €800,000.
“It was always the understanding that the Mansfields would get the properties back, originally on the basis that the receivership was illegal and they should not have come in when they did”, said Mr Byrne, adding that a financial backer or “funder” then helped the third party buy “Paddy Reilly’s Field” from the receiver.
In his evidence last week, Mr Byrne explained how the Mansfields had retained control of three pieces of land around the family home, Tasaggart House, which were dubbed “ransom strips” as they had key access routes to the Citywest Hotel and other properties which could not be sold without them. The Mansfields believed that by having these “ransom strips on the table” they could negotiate getting control of their other properties within the portfolio back, he continued.
It was understood that money was to be paid by the accused to the third party to buy back “Paddy Reilly’s Field” but this was never paid over, which led to a fall out between Mr Mansfield Jnr and the third party , he said.
The security boss said he was asked to assist the accused to try and resolve the dispute and gain back control of the properties, which the third partynow had in his possession. A series of meetings between the two sides were set up, said Mr Byrne, adding that he was the “go-between” between both parties.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Alexander Owens presiding, sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan.
Border Fox
In April 2019, former INLA man Dessie O’Hare, who was known as “The Border Fox”, was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for three years for assaulting John Roche and 10 years with three suspended for the rest of his life for falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne.
The sentences were to run concurrently. The 63-year-old, of Slate Rock Road, Newtownhamilton, Co Armagh, admitted to assaulting Mr Roche, causing him harm, at The Towers, Garter Lane, Saggart, County Dublin on June 9th, 2015. O'Hare also pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole and Saggart on the same date.
Former republican paramilitary Declan “Whacker” Duffy was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to six years imprisonment in 2018 after pleading guilty to assaulting John Roche, causing him harm, at The Towers, Garter Lane, Saggart, County Dublin on June 9, 2015. He also admitted falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole/Saggart on the same date.


theirishtimes--2020-11-10--Barristers express mixed views about so-called Golfgate crisis

Stunned , sympathetic and horrified that it has come to this , was how one practising barrister described his reaction to the crisis in the Supreme Court .
The fallout from the attendance of Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe at the Oireachtas golf society dinner in Clifden has led to talk of impeachment .
“ It is the way this has been managed that has made it so bad , ” said the barrister , speaking off the record .
Friends and supporters of Mr Justice Woulfe might have done more to explain some “ home truths ” to him earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had shown a “ blind spot ” when it came to understanding the public perception side of the controversy , he said .
As for the Supreme Court , it “ kicked the can down the road ” by setting up the Denham review , when the facts were fairly clear .
The court in August asked former chief justice Susan Denham to carry out a review of the judge ’ s attendance at the dinner .
Because the court hadn ’ t tried to resolve the matter directly and earlier , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuck in their positions ” .
The barrister said he had friends who believed the judge should resign and others who felt he should not , “ but sympathy for Séamus is universal .
His wife is a colleague , and there is great sympathy in the Bar ” .
Mr Justice Woulfe is married to barrister Sheena Hickey .
“ The Government will try to impeach him , he will seek a judicial review , and it will be tied up in the courts for years , ” the barrister predicted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court claimed “ a lot of people are pretty bemused ” by the actions of Chief Justice Frank Clarke .
“ It ’ s not like him to take as forthright a step as this , ” the barrister said , referring to the top judge ’ s decision to state publicly that he believed Mr Justice Woulfe should resign .
“ He ’ s normally fairly sure-footed.
” “ That ’ s not what judges do , express their personal opinion , ” the barrister said .
“ It was unnecessary.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters such as being caught fixing a case , or taking a bribe , which had not happened in this instance .
The so-called Golfgate saga involved an error of judgment , and “ judges make errors all the time .
That ’ s why we have a Court of Appeal ” .
Referring to the Denham report ’ s finding that Mr Justice Woulfe should not be asked to resign , the barrister said the Supreme Court had asked for the view of a third party and now appeared to be ignoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court was determined that Mr Justice Woulfe would resign , but it was not for the members of a collegiate court to say they did not want to work with a particular member of the court .
The decision of Mr Justice Clarke to publish his correspondence with Mr Justice Woulfe must have been designed to “ up the temperature ” and try to pressurise Mr Justice Woulfe to resign , the barrister said .
Another barrister had the view that if the Government did not impeach Mr Justice Woulfe , then it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court and that would be the end of the matter .
He believed it was up to the politicians to decide if the circumstances of the crisis constituted sufficient reason to impeach Mr Justice Woulfe for “ stated misbehaviour ” , and up to them to decide what that phrase in the Constitution meant .
He did not believe there would be strong grounds for Mr Justice Woulfe to challenge such a move , given that the Chief Justice has now publicly expressed the view that the judge should resign .
Another barrister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speculated that if Mr Justice Woulfe did not resign , there was a possibility others in the court might resign in protest , given that the Chief Justice had asked Mr Justice Woulfe to go , and the judge had refused to do so .

Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe: fallout from his attendance at the Oireachtas golf society dinner in Clifden has led to talk of impeachment. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Stunned, sympathetic and horrified that it has come to this, was how one practising barrister described his reaction to the crisis in the Supreme Court.
The fallout from the attendance of Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe at the Oireachtas golf society dinner in Clifden has led to talk of impeachment.
“It is the way this has been managed that has made it so bad,” said the barrister, speaking off the record.
Friends and supporters of Mr Justice Woulfe might have done more to explain some “home truths” to him earlier in the crisis and the judge himself had shown a “blind spot” when it came to understanding the public perception side of the controversy, he said.
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As for the Supreme Court, it “kicked the can down the road” by setting up the Denham review, when the facts were fairly clear. The court in August asked former chief justice Susan Denham to carry out a review of the judge’s attendance at the dinner.
Because the court hadn’t tried to resolve the matter directly and earlier, it had allowed both sides to “get stuck in their positions”.
The barrister said he had friends who believed the judge should resign and others who felt he should not, “but sympathy for Séamus is universal. His wife is a colleague, and there is great sympathy in the Bar”. Mr Justice Woulfe is married to barrister Sheena Hickey.
‘Judicial review’
“The Government will try to impeach him, he will seek a judicial review, and it will be tied up in the courts for years,” the barrister predicted.
Another barrister who sometimes appears before the Supreme Court claimed “a lot of people are pretty bemused” by the actions of Chief Justice Frank Clarke.
“It’s not like him to take as forthright a step as this,” the barrister said, referring to the top judge’s decision to state publicly that he believed Mr Justice Woulfe should resign. “He’s normally fairly sure-footed.”
“That’s not what judges do, express their personal opinion,” the barrister said. “It was unnecessary.”
Impeaching a judge was for serious matters such as being caught fixing a case, or taking a bribe, which had not happened in this instance.
The so-called Golfgate saga involved an error of judgment, and “judges make errors all the time. That’s why we have a Court of Appeal”.
A third party
Referring to the Denham report’s finding that Mr Justice Woulfe should not be asked to resign, the barrister said the Supreme Court had asked for the view of a third party and now appeared to be ignoring that view.
It appeared that the court was determined that Mr Justice Woulfe would resign, but it was not for the members of a collegiate court to say they did not want to work with a particular member of the court.
The decision of Mr Justice Clarke to publish his correspondence with Mr Justice Woulfe must have been designed to “up the temperature” and try to pressurise Mr Justice Woulfe to resign, the barrister said.
Another barrister had the view that if the Government did not impeach Mr Justice Woulfe, then it was likely he would remain on the court and that would be the end of the matter.
He believed it was up to the politicians to decide if the circumstances of the crisis constituted sufficient reason to impeach Mr Justice Woulfe for “stated misbehaviour”, and up to them to decide what that phrase in the Constitution meant.
He did not believe there would be strong grounds for Mr Justice Woulfe to challenge such a move, given that the Chief Justice has now publicly expressed the view that the judge should resign.
Another barrister, again speaking off the record, speculated that if Mr Justice Woulfe did not resign, there was a possibility others in the court might resign in protest, given that the Chief Justice had asked Mr Justice Woulfe to go, and the judge had refused to do so.


theirishtimes--2020-11-10--Only ‘gold-standard’ Covid test will result in restriction-free travel around Ireland

Travellers have been warned that only a “ gold-standard ” PCR test result will be accepted for those who wish to move around Ireland without restrictions upon their arrival .
The Cabinet has agreed a new range of measures under the EU traffic light system which will allow tourists and travellers to move around the country without the need to stick to strict Covid-19 movement restrictions .
Under the system there will be green regions , orange regions , red regions and grey regions across the EU .
This map will be updated every Thursday based on EU epidemiological data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland the following Monday .
People arriving from EU green regions will not be required to restrict their movements .
Arrivals from orange regions will also not be required to restrict their movements as long as they have a negative or not-detected result from a Covid-19 test which was taken no more than three days before departure .
From midnight on November 29th , arrivals from an EU red region will also not be expected to restrict their movements as long as they have a negative Covid-19 test taken a minimum of five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same will apply for arrivals from orange regions who did not take a pre-departure test .
Arrivals from third countries , such as the United States , will be treated on the same basis as arrivals from red regions .
Arrivals from Great Britain will be subject to the same traffic light categorisation and restrictions that apply for other EU locations .
The Government has warned , however , that only so-called gold standard PCR tests will be accepted and that these will not be provided through the public health system .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technologies currently available or emerging on the commercial market .
However , subject to the ongoing review of testing by Nphet and Government , a negative result from a Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction ( PCR ) test is the only test result that means the passenger is not expected to follow advice to restrict movements , ” a Government statement said .
Furthermore , travellers using Dublin Airport will be able to be tested pre-flight for coronavirus after the Cabinet approved a planning exemption for a privately run testing facility at the airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU efforts to secure a coronavirus vaccine .
Ireland is currently involved in an EU procurement effort being operated by the European Commission .
Ministers were told that the allocation of access to vaccine doses between EU member states will be decided according to a set population distribution .
A high level vaccine taskforce is being established but the Cabinet has been warned that “ complex logistical challenges have been identified ” .
These are in relation to issues such as “ delivery from the European continent of products with very demanding storage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan timely delivery to the locations of immunisation provision to patients and the need to ensure that waste is avoided ” .

Travellers have been warned that only a "gold-standard" PCR test result will be accepted for those who wish to move around Ireland without restrictions upon their arrival.
The Cabinet has agreed a new range of measures under the EU traffic light system which will allow tourists and travellers to move around the country without the need to stick to strict Covid-19 movement restrictions.
Under the system there will be green regions, orange regions, red regions and grey regions across the EU.
This map will be updated every Thursday based on EU epidemiological data and the changes will be applied in Ireland the following Monday.
READ MORE
People arriving from EU green regions will not be required to restrict their movements.
Arrivals from orange regions will also not be required to restrict their movements as long as they have a negative or not-detected result from a Covid-19 test which was taken no more than three days before departure.
From midnight on November 29th, arrivals from an EU red region will also not be expected to restrict their movements as long as they have a negative Covid-19 test taken a minimum of five days after arrival in Ireland.
The same will apply for arrivals from orange regions who did not take a pre-departure test.
Arrivals from third countries, such as the United States, will be treated on the same basis as arrivals from red regions. Arrivals from Great Britain will be subject to the same traffic light categorisation and restrictions that apply for other EU locations.
The Government has warned, however, that only so-called gold standard PCR tests will be accepted and that these will not be provided through the public health system.
“There are a number of Covid-19 testing technologies currently available or emerging on the commercial market. However, subject to the ongoing review of testing by Nphet and Government, a negative result from a Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is the only test result that means the passenger is not expected to follow advice to restrict movements,” a Government statement said.
Furthermore, travellers using Dublin Airport will be able to be tested pre-flight for coronavirus after the Cabinet approved a planning exemption for a privately run testing facility at the airport.
Vaccine
Ministers were also briefed on ongoing EU efforts to secure a coronavirus vaccine.
Ireland is currently involved in an EU procurement effort being operated by the European Commission. Ministers were told that the allocation of access to vaccine doses between EU member states will be decided according to a set population distribution.
A high level vaccine taskforce is being established but the Cabinet has been warned that “complex logistical challenges have been identified”.
These are in relation to issues such as “delivery from the European continent of products with very demanding storage and transport requirements, the need to plan timely delivery to the locations of immunisation provision to patients and the need to ensure that waste is avoided”.