theirishtimes--2020-07-14--We urgently need better digital content for students in case of school closures

For schools one positive aspect in the wake of Covid-19 has been the abundance of high quality digital resources that have been made available , at no charge , to students and teachers .
In March a group of Irish publishers and the Irish Writers Union agreed to waive licence fees for selected books online .
There are further initiatives from some educational publishers to allow parents access to an online home school hub from September 2020 .
However , this level of generosity is not sustainable .
In order to comply with European legislation passed in 2019 , public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to check the accessibility of their websites , mobile apps , and media content .
The publishing sector must also adhere to these common accessibility standards ensuring that digital content can be used by all .
High quality digital materials need to be designed and developed and this requires professional time and resources .
We can not expect this to happen without cost .
While schools physically shut last March , school activity continued and the “ digital divide ” between students with access to devices and broadband was never more in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another digital divide that we are not talking about ; that of the content .
There is massive uncertainty about the return to school in September and we will be relying on technology to help provide an education to all .
Many students and their parents have been overwhelmed by the ocean of resources and training available online .
This has been the case particularly for those who may not have engaged in this type of activity prior to the school closures .
Teachers are also facing the same challenges .
Before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one another face to face and identify “ low risk ” aspects of the technology to embed into their classrooms .
ResearchEd , a global movement among teachers to share best practice , highlights how this informal activity is critical to the successful implementation of technology in Education .
So , what is needed ?
On the 22nd of April the Minister for Education announced a special €10 million fund to support the purchase of technology and devices for disadvantaged students .
There is massive uncertainty about the return to school in September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help provide an education to all While this initial funding will address short-term needs , we urgently need additional funding to conduct a review of the digital resources available in Scoilnet , our national education repository .
Some subjects are well populated with high quality content and some subjects are less well served .
We need an inventory of what teachers need to support their new teaching environment , whatever that will look like , in the autumn .
We need resources that are quality assured and meet accessibility guidelines .
Teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ develop high quality digital teaching materials .
It ’ s worth looking at what other EU countries doing to support teachers and students .
In France , with the support of the government , the education ministry ’ s National Centre for Distance Education ( CNED ) stepped into this space as early as March .
CNED had an e-learning platform that - as of 2017 - was being used by 237,000 students around the world .
The platform had a 15 million-student capacity given that France has around 13 million students from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK there was more of a kneejerk reaction with the government providing stg£4 million in funding to Oak National Academy - a State-funded online school - to provide online materials to teachers and those trying to home school children .
It includes a virtual version of the entire national curriculum and gives schools the opportunity to reorder topics and lessons to match their own plans .
Of course these types of initiatives will not serve those without physical devices to use the resources and broadband will be a huge issue for others but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for education at a crisis point .
In Ireland , we can not expect teachers to take on the additional role of the design and development of high quality digital content .
We need targeted funding to populate our national repository as was done in the early stages of Scoilnet .
The capacity for a repository service has been proven in the context of third level education .
For a short few years we had a successful national repository in the National Digital Learning Resources ( NDLR ) service .
This service was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2004 largely by the university sector .
By 2006 , the NDLR had grown considerably as 21 of the Irish institutions of higher education became involved .
By 2010 , many members were registering from organisations outside of the 21 main institutions of higher education in Ireland .
These organisations included other educational institutions and bodies in the wider public sector .
However , the repository service was shut down at the end of 2012 .
Despite the challenges , Covid-19 provides us with an opportunity to look at future school policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects .
There have been many surveys conducted online in the last few months which have looked at the impact of Covid-19 on second-level education .
The recent report published by the ESRI highlights many of the challenges that students and teachers faced during the lockdown .
We do not know what September will bring and we need to prepare now for as equitable a level of access to high quality digital content as is possible .
Dr Ann Marcus-Quinn is a lecturer in technical communication at University of Limerick

We do not know what September will bring and we need to prepare now for as equitable a level of access to high quality digital content as is possible. Photograph: iStock
For schools one positive aspect in the wake of Covid-19 has been the abundance of high quality digital resources that have been made available, at no charge, to students and teachers.
In March a group of Irish publishers and the Irish Writers Union agreed to waive licence fees for selected books online. There are further initiatives from some educational publishers to allow parents access to an online home school hub from September 2020. However, this level of generosity is not sustainable.
In order to comply with European legislation passed in 2019, public sector organisations and private companies and organisations need to check the accessibility of their websites, mobile apps, and media content. The publishing sector must also adhere to these common accessibility standards ensuring that digital content can be used by all. High quality digital materials need to be designed and developed and this requires professional time and resources. We cannot expect this to happen without cost.
Digital divide
While schools physically shut last March, school activity continued and the “digital divide” between students with access to devices and broadband was never more in the spotlight. However, there is another digital divide that we are not talking about; that of the content.
READ MORE
There is massive uncertainty about the return to school in September and we will be relying on technology to help provide an education to all. Many students and their parents have been overwhelmed by the ocean of resources and training available online. This has been the case particularly for those who may not have engaged in this type of activity prior to the school closures.
Teachers are also facing the same challenges. Before the closures and restrictions teachers could chat to one another face to face and identify “low risk” aspects of the technology to embed into their classrooms.
ResearchEd, a global movement among teachers to share best practice, highlights how this informal activity is critical to the successful implementation of technology in Education.
Support
So, what is needed? On the 22nd of April the Minister for Education announced a special €10 million fund to support the purchase of technology and devices for disadvantaged students. There is massive uncertainty about the return to school in September and we will be relying on technology to help provide an education to all
While this initial funding will address short-term needs, we urgently need additional funding to conduct a review of the digital resources available in Scoilnet, our national education repository.
Some subjects are well populated with high quality content and some subjects are less well served. We need an inventory of what teachers need to support their new teaching environment, whatever that will look like, in the autumn.
We need resources that are quality assured and meet accessibility guidelines. Teachers should not be expected to design and develop high quality digital teaching materials.
E-learning
It’s worth looking at what other EU countries doing to support teachers and students. In France, with the support of the government, the education ministry’s National Centre for Distance Education (CNED) stepped into this space as early as March. CNED had an e-learning platform that - as of 2017 - was being used by 237,000 students around the world. The platform had a 15 million-student capacity given that France has around 13 million students from primary through post-primary school.
In the UK there was more of a kneejerk reaction with the government providing stg£4 million in funding to Oak National Academy - a State-funded online school - to provide online materials to teachers and those trying to home school children. It includes a virtual version of the entire national curriculum and gives schools the opportunity to reorder topics and lessons to match their own plans.
Of course these types of initiatives will not serve those without physical devices to use the resources and broadband will be a huge issue for others but these moves are a hugely positive step for education at a crisis point.
Targeted funding
In Ireland, we cannot expect teachers to take on the additional role of the design and development of high quality digital content. We need targeted funding to populate our national repository as was done in the early stages of Scoilnet.
The capacity for a repository service has been proven in the context of third level education. For a short few years we had a successful national repository in the National Digital Learning Resources (NDLR) service. This service was established as a collaborative pilot service project in 2004 largely by the university sector.
By 2006, the NDLR had grown considerably as 21 of the Irish institutions of higher education became involved. By 2010, many members were registering from organisations outside of the 21 main institutions of higher education in Ireland. These organisations included other educational institutions and bodies in the wider public sector. However, the repository service was shut down at the end of 2012.
Despite the challenges, Covid-19 provides us with an opportunity to look at future school policy and investment in digital teaching and learning projects. There have been many surveys conducted online in the last few months which have looked at the impact of Covid-19 on second-level education.
The recent report published by the ESRI highlights many of the challenges that students and teachers faced during the lockdown. We do not know what September will bring and we need to prepare now for as equitable a level of access to high quality digital content as is possible.
Dr Ann Marcus-Quinn is a lecturer in technical communication at University of Limerick


theirishtimes--2020-07-14--Action needed to prepare for second wave in mental health settings, committee told

Urgent action is needed to prepare for a possible second wave of coronavirus infections in mental health residential settings , the chief executive of the Mental Health Commission has said .
John Farrelly told the Oireachtas special committee on the Covid-19 pandemic there needed to be a review of shared accommodation that did not comply with infection controls .
There had to be clearly defined points of contact and shared protocols for each facility on testing , contact tracing and personal protective equipment , and clear public health guidance specific to mental health settings , including suspending and resuming services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 related deaths of mental health residents reported to the commission between early April and July 10th .
There were confirmed cases of Covid-19 among staff and residents in 56 or 31 per cent of mental health centres in the State , the committee was told .
There are 181 residential mental health services , comprising 67 regulated in-patient mental health centres and 114 unregulated community residences , staffed by nurses 24 hours a day .
These account for about 3,900 beds nationally .
The commission took on a specific role in monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable to Covid-19 outbreaks .
Mr Farrelly , referring to difficulties in managing the pandemic , said that mental health services were “ not fit for purpose and out of date ” .
Mental health facilities with shared accommodation had a limited ability to isolate residents and promote social distancing during the coronavirus crisis .
“ This pandemic has brought into sharp focus the fundamental shortcomings in accommodation for mental health facilities , ” he told the committee in his prepared statement .
“ Covid-19 has highlighted the significant risks associated with shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For years , the commission has also been sounding the alarm on other critical deficiencies such as structural safety , lack of privacy and premises that are dirty and in disrepair.
” National governance of contingency plans to manage outbreaks were “ a week or two , three maybe ” behind and there was a lack of specific public health guidance for mental health settings , Mr Farrelly said .
There were significant delays and inconsistencies in testing and inconsistent continuity of services , and community-based services were suspended , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught on the hop , ” he said , but he praised the professionalism of staff in the mental health services during the public health crisis .
“ We couldn ’ t say it was a success because people died , ” he said .
Martin Rogan , chief executive of Mental Health Ireland , told the committee the pandemic has had “ an extraordinary impact on the mental health and quality of life of the Irish people ” .
There would be a “ tsunami of need ” to treat the damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effects of the pandemic , he told TDs in an appearance before the committee on Tuesday .
“ All of our lives have been changed by this .
It would be very unusual and quite unhealthy if this didn ’ t provide some degree of anxiety , upset , perhaps anger in some instances , ” he said .
He compared the impact and cost of the pandemic to the damage caused by major weather or terror events in the United States to the mental wellbeing of the public .
Mr Rogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slow-burn effect ” from the pandemic with increasing mental health issues emerging over this year as they look back on its “ dislocating effect ” .
Managers in healthcare were being affected by a new phenomenon known as “ moral injury ” where a person in a leadership role makes a decision based on the information they had at the time only for new information to later emerge putting their decision in a different light , he said .
This can have “ a really corrosive effect ” on their ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ People have been exposed to difficult and graphic circumstances , fast-moving and overwhelming situations , ” he said , noting the effect on workers in the healthcare sector .
Mr Rogan said that mental health professionals did not yet have a full measure on the “ amplifying effect ” of some people ’ s reliance on alcohol and drug use during the pandemic .
Paul Longmore , acting clinical director of Jigsaw , the youth mental health charity , said it had seen increased referrals from young adults in the 18- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly affected by the loss of jobs in the retail and hospitality sectors .
Rosemary Smyth , director of standards and quality assurance at the Mental Health Commission , said that 28 residents in mental health facilities and 47 staff tested positive for Covid-19.This was the first week that the commission has had no new cases to report within mental health services , she told the committee .

Covid pandemic has had ‘extraordinary impact on the mental health and quality of life of the Irish people’
Urgent action is needed to prepare for a possible second wave of coronavirus infections in mental health residential settings, the chief executive of the Mental Health Commission has said.
John Farrelly told the Oireachtas special committee on the Covid-19 pandemic there needed to be a review of shared accommodation that did not comply with infection controls.
There had to be clearly defined points of contact and shared protocols for each facility on testing, contact tracing and personal protective equipment, and clear public health guidance specific to mental health settings, including suspending and resuming services, he said.
There were 17 Covid-19 related deaths of mental health residents reported to the commission between early April and July 10th. There were confirmed cases of Covid-19 among staff and residents in 56 or 31 per cent of mental health centres in the State, the committee was told.
READ MORE
There are 181 residential mental health services, comprising 67 regulated in-patient mental health centres and 114 unregulated community residences, staffed by nurses 24 hours a day.
These account for about 3,900 beds nationally. The commission took on a specific role in monitoring 181 residential mental health services identified as vulnerable to Covid-19 outbreaks.
Mr Farrelly, referring to difficulties in managing the pandemic, said that mental health services were “not fit for purpose and out of date”. Mental health facilities with shared accommodation had a limited ability to isolate residents and promote social distancing during the coronavirus crisis.
“This pandemic has brought into sharp focus the fundamental shortcomings in accommodation for mental health facilities,” he told the committee in his prepared statement.
“Covid-19 has highlighted the significant risks associated with shared, and in particular, dormitory-style accommodation.
“For years, the commission has also been sounding the alarm on other critical deficiencies such as structural safety, lack of privacy and premises that are dirty and in disrepair.”
National governance of contingency plans to manage outbreaks were “a week or two, three maybe” behind and there was a lack of specific public health guidance for mental health settings, Mr Farrelly said.
There were significant delays and inconsistencies in testing and inconsistent continuity of services, and community-based services were suspended, he said.
“People were very much caught on the hop,” he said, but he praised the professionalism of staff in the mental health services during the public health crisis.
“We couldn’t say it was a success because people died,” he said.
Martin Rogan, chief executive of Mental Health Ireland, told the committee the pandemic has had "an extraordinary impact on the mental health and quality of life of the Irish people".
There would be a “tsunami of need” to treat the damage to people’s mental health from the effects of the pandemic, he told TDs in an appearance before the committee on Tuesday.
“All of our lives have been changed by this. It would be very unusual and quite unhealthy if this didn’t provide some degree of anxiety, upset, perhaps anger in some instances,” he said.
He compared the impact and cost of the pandemic to the damage caused by major weather or terror events in the United States to the mental wellbeing of the public.
Mr Rogan said he expects to see “almost a slow-burn effect” from the pandemic with increasing mental health issues emerging over this year as they look back on its “dislocating effect”.
Managers in healthcare were being affected by a new phenomenon known as “moral injury” where a person in a leadership role makes a decision based on the information they had at the time only for new information to later emerge putting their decision in a different light, he said.
This can have “a really corrosive effect” on their ability to lead and make decisions, he added.
“People have been exposed to difficult and graphic circumstances, fast-moving and overwhelming situations,” he said, noting the effect on workers in the healthcare sector.
Mr Rogan said that mental health professionals did not yet have a full measure on the “amplifying effect” of some people’s reliance on alcohol and drug use during the pandemic.
Paul Longmore, acting clinical director of Jigsaw, the youth mental health charity, said it had seen increased referrals from young adults in the 18- to 20-year-old age group who have been particularly affected by the loss of jobs in the retail and hospitality sectors.
Rosemary Smyth, director of standards and quality assurance at the Mental Health Commission, said that 28 residents in mental health facilities and 47 staff tested positive for Covid-19.This was the first week that the commission has had no new cases to report within mental health services, she told the committee.


theirishtimes--2020-07-14--More than 10,000 charities registered in Ireland last year

The number of charities registered in Ireland last year surpassed 10,000 for the first time , a new report by the Charities Regulator has said .
According to its 2019 annual report , there were 10,514 charities registered in Ireland last year , an increase of 715 – or 7 per cent – on the previous year .
It is the highest number of charities registered in Ireland since the regulator was established in October 2014 .
The most common charitable purpose of registered charities at the end of 2019 were purposes that are of benefit to the community ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advancement of education ( 30 per cent ) , relief of poverty or economic hardship ( 9 per cent ) and religion ( 7 per cent ) .
52 per cent of charities on the Register had income of more than € 100,000 , 32 per cent had an income of between € 10,000 and € 100,000 and 16 per cent had an income of less than € 10,000 .
Of the 2,165 charities reporting an annual income of more than € 250,000 in 2019 , 875 reported an income in excess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 855 in 2018 .
About 72 per cent of charities on the register had fewer than 20 volunteers , 43 per cent of charities had no employees and 42 per cent reported having between 1-19 employees .
A further 8 per cent of charities had between 20-49 employees , 5 per cent had 50-249 , while 2 per cent had between 250-499 .
There were a total of 649 concerns raised with the Charities Regulator during 2019 , of which 166 related to the issue of bogus clothing collections .
This represents a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of concerns raise in 2018 .
Of the concerns raised with the Charities Regulator in 2019 , approximately 91 per cent raised issues in the combined categories of “ legitimacy of charity ” , “ governance issues ” and “ financial control and transparency ” .
Speaking about the complaints the regulator received , Helen Martin , chief executive of the Charities Regulator , said concerns regarding clothing collections constituted a “ significant number ” of the concerns received in 2019 , resulting in a national radio campaign .
“ This particular campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wider public to tackle issues which have the potential to divert much needed donations from registered charities in Ireland , ” she said .
Ms Martin said a particular focus for the regulator today is the “ challenge that Covid-19 represents ” .
“ I would like to thank all those involved in the charity sector , from those working on the front line , to those supporting local communities across the country , ” she added .
“ We will continue to monitor its impact on the sector , and we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they navigate this very difficult period .
”

The most common charitable purpose of registered charities last year was to benefit the community. Photograph: Getty Images
The number of charities registered in Ireland last year surpassed 10,000 for the first time, a new report by the Charities Regulator has said.
According to its 2019 annual report, there were 10,514 charities registered in Ireland last year, an increase of 715 – or 7 per cent – on the previous year. It is the highest number of charities registered in Ireland since the regulator was established in October 2014.
The most common charitable purpose of registered charities at the end of 2019 were purposes that were of benefit to the community (54 per cent), followed by the advancement of education (30 per cent), relief of poverty or economic hardship (9 per cent) and religion (7 per cent).
Some 52 per cent of charities on the register had income of more than €100,000, 32 per cent had an income of between € 10,000 and € 100,000 and 16 per cent had an income of less than € 10,000.
READ MORE
Some 2,165 charities reported an annual income of more than € 250,000 in 2019, and of these 875 reported an annual income in excess of € 1 million, up from 855 in 2018.
About 72 per cent of charities on the register had fewer than 20 volunteers, 43 per cent of charities had no employees and 42 per cent reported having between one and 19 employees.
A further 8 per cent of charities had 20-49 employees, 5 per cent had 50-249,while 2 per cent had 250-499.
There were a total of 649 concerns raised with the Charities Regulator during 2019, of which 166 related to the issue of bogus clothing collections. This represented a 5 per cent decrease on the number of concerns raised in 2018.
Of the concerns raised with the Charities Regulator in 2019, approximately 91 per cent related to issues in the combined categories of “legitimacy of charity”, “governance issues” and “financial control and transparency”.
Helen Martin, chief executive of the Charities Regulator, said concerns regarding clothing collections constituted a "significant number" of the concerns received in 2019, resulting in a national radio campaign.
“This particular campaign highlighted the importance of engaging with the wider public to tackle issues which have the potential to divert much needed donations from registered charities in Ireland,” she said.
Ms Martin said a particular focus for the regulator today was the “challenge that Covid-19 represents”.
“I would like to thank all those involved in the charity sector, from those working on the front line, to those supporting local communities across the country.
“We will continue to monitor its impact on the sector, and we will provide information and guidance to charities as they navigate this very difficult period.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-14--Parents' leave extension ‘falls far short’, says National Women's Council

The extension of paid parent ’ s leave “ falls far short ” of the needs of women on maternity leave during lockdown , the National Women ’ s Council of Ireland ( NWCI ) has said .
On Monday , the Cabinet approved Government proposals which will permit parents of children born during the pandemic crisis to receive an extra three weeks of parent ’ s leave to offset the impact of having a child during the harshest lockdown measures .
The proposals will be considered part of the Budget 2021 process , coming into force thereafter .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply to all new parents once the reforms are approved , meaning an extra six weeks per family for two-parent families .
Orla O ’ Connor , director of the NWCI , welcomed the measure but said it was “ expected to be made in the forthcoming Budget , and was reiterated as a Programme for Government commitment ” .
Ms O ’ Connor criticised that the leave will not come into effect until Novemeber , adding that it will “ therefore not retain links between women and the workplace ” .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a partner or loved one present , and faced into motherhood without family or professional support , ” Ms O ’ Connor said.
“ Babies had missed developmental checks , vital scans , hospital appointments and even vaccinations have been cancelled or delayed.
” She added : “ This is why extending the maternity benefit was so critical for new mothers , and this measure does not go far enough to meet the needs that new mothers have raised with the NWCI since the start of the Covid crisis.
” President of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent ’ s leave is “ not enough ” .
“ I am disappointed that the Government seems to have reached for parental leave as an alternative to doing the right things for mothers in particular , but for parents who have newborns and have had incredible complications and pressures in these times , ” Ms McDonald told RTÉ Radio ’ s Today with Sarah McInerney .
“ They have been left without all of the normal supports that I know I relied on when I was a new parent – extended family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandparents – all of that has been totally set adrift.
” Ms McDonald also said she would be in favour of extending standard parent ’ s leave further with a more flexible system that would allow parents to use it until their child was 12-years-old .
Parental leave is paid at a rate of € 245 per week , and the extension will be applicable to parents whose children were born after November 1st 2019 .
Announcing the extension , Minister for Children Roderic O ’ Gorman said it was a measure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents faced during the pandemic .
“ We are acknowledging that maternity leave was a difficult period for parents and others in the context of the Covid crisis , and the supports that were traditionally available , both official and then ability to engage with grandparents and friends , just wasn ’ t doable during that time , ” he said .
Parent ’ s leave normally entitles each parent to two weeks ’ leave during the first year of a child ’ s life , or in the case of adoption , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the child with the family .
It is different from parental leave , maternity and paternity leave .
Parental leave entitles parents to take up to 22 weeks ’ unpaid leave from work to spend time looking after their children .
Paternity leave allows the father of the child to take two weeks off work in the first six months after the child ’ s birth , while maternity leave allows mothers to take 26 weeks of ’ leave from their job .

The extension of paid parent’s leave “falls far short” of the needs of women on maternity leave during lockdown, the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) has said.
On Monday, the Cabinet approved Government proposals which will permit parents of children born during the pandemic crisis to receive an extra three weeks of parent’s leave to offset the impact of having a child during the harshest lockdown measures.
The proposals will be considered part of the Budget 2021 process, coming into force thereafter.
The extension from two weeks to five will apply to all new parents once the reforms are approved, meaning an extra six weeks per family for two-parent families.
READ MORE
Orla O’Connor, director of the NWCI, welcomed the measure but said it was “expected to be made in the forthcoming Budget, and was reiterated as a Programme for Government commitment”.
Ms O’Connor criticised that the leave will not come into effect until Novemeber, adding that it will “therefore not retain links between women and the workplace”.
“In many cases, women gave birth without a partner or loved one present, and faced into motherhood without family or professional support,” Ms O’Connor said.“Babies had missed developmental checks, vital scans, hospital appointments and even vaccinations have been cancelled or delayed.”
She added: “This is why extending the maternity benefit was so critical for new mothers, and this measure does not go far enough to meet the needs that new mothers have raised with the NWCI since the start of the Covid crisis.”
President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald said extending parent’s leave is “not enough”.
"I am disappointed that the Government seems to have reached for parental leave as an alternative to doing the right things for mothers in particular, but for parents who have newborns and have had incredible complications and pressures in these times," Ms McDonald told RTÉ Radio's Today with Sarah McInerney.
“They have been left without all of the normal supports that I know I relied on when I was a new parent – extended family, on your mother in particular and grandparents – all of that has been totally set adrift.”
Ms McDonald also said she would be in favour of extending standard parent’s leave further with a more flexible system that would allow parents to use it until their child was 12-years-old.
Parental leave is paid at a rate of € 245 per week, and the extension will be applicable to parents whose children were born after November 1st 2019.
Announcing the extension, Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said it was a measure to recognise the “particular challenges” new parents faced during the pandemic.
“We are acknowledging that maternity leave was a difficult period for parents and others in the context of the Covid crisis, and the supports that were traditionally available, both official and then ability to engage with grandparents and friends, just wasn’t doable during that time,” he said.
Parent’s leave normally entitles each parent to two weeks’ leave during the first year of a child’s life, or in the case of adoption, within one year of the placement of the child with the family.
It is different from parental leave, maternity and paternity leave. Parental leave entitles parents to take up to 22 weeks’ unpaid leave from work to spend time looking after their children.
Paternity leave allows the father of the child to take two weeks off work in the first six months after the child’s birth, while maternity leave allows mothers to take 26 weeks of’ leave from their job.


theirishtimes--2020-07-14--Many people identified as close contacts refusing to come forward for Covid-19 testing

Significant numbers of people identified as close contacts of confirmed cases of coronavirus are refusing to present for testing , a briefing of the National Public Health Emergency Team has heard .
“ We know a significant portion of people who have been identified as contacts and have been offered testing are not coming forward for testing , ” acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said on Monday evening .
“ Testing is the foundation stone of everything we do in relation to this disease , ” he added .
“ If we don ’ t know how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know where it ’ s spreading , we can ’ t stop it .
So if you ’ re asked to get a test , please do so ” .
Nphet reported 11 new cases and no new deaths from the virus on Monday evening .
However , Dr Glynn cautioned against assuming Nphet would recommend moving to the final phase of the country ’ s reopening on July 20th , under which all pubs can resume trading .
“ I think we are concerned about the increase in cases over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
There have been 99 additional cases in the last five days , as the country continues to reopen from lockdown .
“ We ’ re not sounding an alarm but we ’ re certainly watching this really , really closely , ” he said .
Echoing comments from Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney , Dr Glynn said “ now is not the time to travel to Ireland ” , adding Irish people should also not travel abroad unless “ absolutely necessary ” .
Reports of tourists failing to quarantine upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
From a public health perspective , a “ mandatory quarantine would clearly be a desirable measure ” , but the Government had to account for other factors , Dr Glynn said .
The median age of the 165 confirmed cases in the last two weeks was 31 , with just under half of those occurring in Dublin .
Some 12 per cent of these new cases were travel-related .
Males accounted to 41 per cent and females 59 per cent .
A total of 74 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks were in people who are under 45 years of age .
Twenty counties reported new cases , Dublin 47 per cent , Kildare 16 per cent and Wicklow 6 per cent .
while 12 per cent of these cases were travel related .
Dr Glynn revealed that the countries that people visited since the start of June , and later tested positive for Covid-19 include : Afghanistan , Bangladesh , France , Germany , Iraq , India , Malaysia , Pakistan , Portugal , Qatar , Sudan , Sweden , Ukraine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
He added : “ Our research shows that 38 per cent of the population now believe the worst of the pandemic is ahead of us .
This does not have to be the case .
Simple measures like hand washing , physical distancing , face coverings in appropriate settings , cough/sneeze etiquette and watching out for symptoms are the crucial elements in suppressing Covid-19.
” The research conducted on behalf of the Department of Health shows 55 per cent of the population now self-report to wearing face coverings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted on behalf of the Department of Health also reveals : - 81 % of people who use public transport say they wear a face covering every time with 13 % saying they wear a face most of the time ; - 26 % of people say they wear a face covering every time they are shopping and 29 % say they wear a face covering most of the time when shopping ; - More than three quarters ( 78 % ) think that there will be a second wave – up 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population now believe the worst of the pandemic is ahead of us with 33 % believing that is behind us .

No deaths and eleven further cases of Covid-19 have been reported by Dr Ronan Glynn acting Chief Medical Officer at the latest NPHET briefing. Video: RTE News Now
Significant numbers of people identified as close contacts of confirmed cases of coronavirus are refusing to present for testing, a briefing of the National Public Health Emergency Team has heard.
"We know a significant portion of people who have been identified as contacts and have been offered testing are not coming forward for testing," acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said on Monday evening.
“Testing is the foundation stone of everything we do in relation to this disease,” he added. “If we don’t know how many people have it, if we don’t know where it’s spreading, we can’t stop it. So if you’re asked to get a test, please do so”.
Nphet reported 11 new cases and no new deaths from the virus on Monday evening. However, Dr Glynn cautioned against assuming Nphet would recommend moving to the final phase of the country’s reopening on July 20th, under which all pubs can resume trading. “I think we are concerned about the increase in cases over the last five days,” he said.
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There have been 99 additional cases in the last five days, as the country continues to reopen from lockdown. “We’re not sounding an alarm but we’re certainly watching this really, really closely,” he said.
Echoing comments from Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Dr Glynn said "now is not the time to travel to Ireland", adding Irish people should also not travel abroad unless "absolutely necessary".
Reports of tourists failing to quarantine upon arrival in Ireland were a "concern," he said. From a public health perspective, a "mandatory quarantine would clearly be a desirable measure", but the Government had to account for other factors, Dr Glynn said.
The median age of the 165 confirmed cases in the last two weeks was 31, with just under half of those occurring in Dublin. Some 12 per cent of these new cases were travel-related.
Males accounted to 41 per cent and females 59 per cent. A total of 74 per cent of the new cases over the last two weeks were in people who are under 45 years of age. Twenty counties reported new cases, Dublin 47 per cent, Kildare 16 per cent and Wicklow 6 per cent. while 12 per cent of these cases were travel related.
Dr Glynn revealed that the countries that people visited since the start of June, and later tested positive for Covid-19 include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Iraq, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Sudan, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Worst ahead
He added: “Our research shows that 38 per cent of the population now believe the worst of the pandemic is ahead of us. This does not have to be the case. Simple measures like hand washing, physical distancing, face coverings in appropriate settings, cough/sneeze etiquette and watching out for symptoms are the crucial elements in suppressing Covid-19.”
The research conducted on behalf of the Department of Health shows 55 per cent of the population now self-report to wearing face coverings.
The nationally representative sample of 1,900 people conducted on behalf of the Department of Health also reveals:


theirishtimes--2020-07-14--Man released in investigation into death of homeless father

Gardaí are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after releasing without charge a 54-year-old man arrested over allegedly assisting a suspect to flee the country before officers could arrest him for questioning about the murder of a homeless man in Cork .
Detectives investigating the murder of father of three Frankie Dunne ( 64 ) in Cork last December arrested a foreign national in the Ballinlough area of Cork ’ s southside at about 7.30am on Monday morning on suspicion of assisting an offender .
Gardaí believe the man assisted a 29-year-old Romanian man flee the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Belfast and go from there to Edinburgh from where the suspect caught a flight home to Bucharest within days of the killing .
The man , the first to be arrested in the murder investigation , was brought for questioning to Gurranebraher Garda Station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardai detain suspects for up to 24 hours .
But at about 2am on Tuesday morning , the man was released without charge and gardaí have confirmed they will now prepare a file for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was originally from Churchfield in Cork but had been living rough on the streets on and off for a number of years , was murdered after leaving Cork Simon ’ s Clanmornin House on the Boreenamanna Road at 7pm on December 27th .
His dismembered remains were found in the back garden of derelict Castlegreina House at the city end on the Boreenamanna Road less than 500 metres from Clanmornin House on Cork ’ s southside at about 4pm on December 28th .
Garda investigations quickly led them to focus on a 29-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cork and they made contact through Europol with Romanian police in the man ’ s home town near Bucharest and they travelled to Romania on January 15th as part of their investigation .
Gardaí have no powers of arrest in Romania but the Romanian police had already located the man and they requested him to voluntarily attend at the local police station for the interview in the presence of four detectives and a Romanian member of An Garda Siochana who travelled from Cork .
The man duly attended at the local police station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him by Romanian police after he was given the Irish caution by Romanian interviewers that anything he said would be taken down and could be used in evidence against him .
Gardaí are currently preparing a file on the matter for the DPP and if the DPP decides there is sufficient evidence in the Garda file to charge the man with Mr Dunne ’ s killing , it will then be open to gardaí to apply for a European Arrest Warrant which can only be issued for the purpose of charge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his adult children , John , Catherine and Chlóe , his siblings , Michael , Susie , Theresa , Monica and Catherine , his four grandchildren , nephews , nieces and his close friend Joan , was buried in St Michael ’ s Cemetery in Blackrock following a funeral mass in Knocknaheeny .

Gardaí are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after releasing without charge a 54-year-old man arrested over allegedly assisting a suspect to flee the country before officers could arrest him for questioning about the murder of a homeless man in Cork.
Detectives investigating the murder of father of three Frankie Dunne (64) in Cork last December arrested a foreign national in the Ballinlough area of Cork's southside at about 7.30am on Monday morning on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Gardaí believe the man assisted a 29-year-old Romanian man flee the country by helping him to first travel to Belfast and go from there to Edinburgh from where the suspect caught a flight home to Bucharest within days of the killing.
The man, the first to be arrested in the murder investigation, was brought for questioning to Gurranebraher Garda Station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardai detain suspects for up to 24 hours.
READ MORE
But at about 2am on Tuesday morning, the man was released without charge and gardaí have confirmed they will now prepare a file for the DPP.
Mr Dunne, who was originally from Churchfield in Cork but had been living rough on the streets on and off for a number of years, was murdered after leaving Cork Simon's Clanmornin House on the Boreenamanna Road at 7pm on December 27th.
His dismembered remains were found in the back garden of derelict Castlegreina House at the city end on the Boreenamanna Road less than 500 metres from Clanmornin House on Cork’s southside at about 4pm on December 28th.
Garda investigations quickly led them to focus on a 29-year-old Romanian man who had been living in Cork and they made contact through Europol with Romanian police in the man's home town near Bucharest and they travelled to Romania on January 15th as part of their investigation.
Gardaí have no powers of arrest in Romania but the Romanian police had already located the man and they requested him to voluntarily attend at the local police station for the interview in the presence of four detectives and a Romanian member of An Garda Siochana who travelled from Cork.
The man duly attended at the local police station and spent several hours answering questions put to him by Romanian police after he was given the Irish caution by Romanian interviewers that anything he said would be taken down and could be used in evidence against him.
Gardaí are currently preparing a file on the matter for the DPP and if the DPP decides there is sufficient evidence in the Garda file to charge the man with Mr Dunne’s killing, it will then be open to gardaí to apply for a European Arrest Warrant which can only be issued for the purpose of charge.
Mr Dunne, who is survived by his adult children, John, Catherine and Chlóe, his siblings, Michael, Susie, Theresa, Monica and Catherine, his four grandchildren, nephews, nieces and his close friend Joan, was buried in St Michael's Cemetery in Blackrock following a funeral mass in Knocknaheeny.


theirishtimes--2020-07-14--Poles in Ireland mostly voted against Duda in presidential election

More than 77 per cent of Poles living in Ireland who participated in Poland ’ s presidential election voted against the winner of Sunday ’ s vote Andrzej Duda , according to data from the Polish Embassy in Dublin .
The embassy figures show 18,503 Poles living in Ireland – 77.07 per cent of those who submitted a postal vote – supported liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski .
5,504 people , or 22.9 per cent , voted for Mr Duda , the conservative incumbent who is allied with the ruling nationalist Law and Justice ( PiS ) party .
Final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more years in power with 51.03 per cent of the vote .
More than 29,000 Poles living in Ireland were registered to vote in the presidential election with 24,141 actually submitting ballot cards by post to the Polish embassy .
There are 122,515 Poles living in Ireland , according to the 2016 census .
Barnaba Dorda , chair of Forum Polonia , said there had been a spike in registrations among Poles in Ireland accompanied by a “ huge shift ” in their voting patterns .
In 2015 , 54 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while this year the majority supported the liberal opposition candidate , he said .
Data from across the world showed that most Poles living abroad voted for Mr Trzaskowski , said Mr Dorda .
He added that Irish politicians should pay attention to these voting patterns and try and appeal to Poles in Ireland who are becoming more politically active .
Krzysiek Wisniewski , who moved back to Poland last December after living in Ireland for 13 years , voted for Mr Duda because of the improvement in living standards he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The current government supported Duda and they ’ ve brought huge positive change to Poland in terms of people ’ s income , ” he told The Irish Times .
Mr Wisniewski , who now works for Poland ’ s national radio station , says the media ’ s portrayal of Mr Duda as anti-Europe was misleading and that the president actually supports Poland ’ s EU membership .
“ There were even claims that if he won he would push Poland out of the EU but there ’ s no Polexit coming.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the opposition candidate among Poles in Ireland is probably due to the age demographic of people living here .
“ Younger Poles voted for Trzaskowski , we saw that in Poland as well .
He presented himself as very pro-change and younger people want to see that change.
” Teresa Buckowska , who has lived in Ireland since 2005 , described the election results as “ heartbreaking ” and said Mr Trzaskowski had represented “ a light at the end of this dark tunnel Poland is going through ” .
Poland ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Buckowska ’ s family with one half “ grieving for Polish democracy ” .
“ Friendships have been broken and family ties loosened because of this , ” she said .
Citing research by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ) , Ms Buckowska said the incumbent had mis-used public funding to run a campaign marked by “ homophobic , xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric ” .
However , she was heartened by the rise in voter registrations among Poles in Ireland .
“ It showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people can not afford to be bystanders .
Living in a country that is so much more advanced when it comes to human rights and equality ... having that perspective from outside made people think about what was happening in Poland.
” Patrycja Jurkowska , who has also lived in Ireland since 2005 , admitted she had become disengaged from Polish politics since the PiS gained power five years ago and as a result did not register to vote in the election .
However , in light of the results , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m very disappointed with myself , I definitely regret hugely that I didn ’ t register to vote .
Neither of the candidates were perfect in my opinion but I definitely would have voted for Trzaskowski because he supports Europe and is more open-minded .
“ The results are worrying , the picture the ( PiS ) party is painting of the EU is not encouraging .
They ’ re very closed minded when it comes to other religions and have said worrying things about the LGBT community .
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play to show people in Poland what it means to be European and to give them a broader perspective .
”

More than 77 per cent of Poles living in Ireland who participated in Poland's presidential election voted against the winner of Sunday's vote Andrzej Duda, according to data from the Polish Embassy in Dublin.
The embassy figures show 18,503 Poles living in Ireland – 77.07 per cent of those who submitted a postal vote – supported liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. 5,504 people, or 22.9 per cent, voted for Mr Duda, the conservative incumbent who is allied with the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party. Final tallies show Mr Duda has won five more years in power with 51.03 per cent of the vote.
More than 29,000 Poles living in Ireland were registered to vote in the presidential election with 24,141 actually submitting ballot cards by post to the Polish embassy. There are 122,515 Poles living in Ireland, according to the 2016 census.
Barnaba Dorda, chair of Forum Polonia, said there had been a spike in registrations among Poles in Ireland accompanied by a "huge shift" in their voting patterns. In 2015, 54 per cent of Poles in Ireland voted for Mr Duda while this year the majority supported the liberal opposition candidate, he said.
READ MORE
Irish politicians
Data from across the world showed that most Poles living abroad voted for Mr Trzaskowski, said Mr Dorda. He added that Irish politicians should pay attention to these voting patterns and try and appeal to Poles in Ireland who are becoming more politically active.
Krzysiek Wisniewski, who moved back to Poland last December after living in Ireland for 13 years, voted for Mr Duda because of the improvement in living standards he's witnessed in his home country. "The current government supported Duda and they've brought huge positive change to Poland in terms of people's income," he told The Irish Times.
Mr Wisniewski, who now works for Poland's national radio station, says the media's portrayal of Mr Duda as anti-Europe was misleading and that the president actually supports Poland's EU membership.
“There were even claims that if he won he would push Poland out of the EU but there’s no Polexit coming.”
Mr Wisniewski believes the strong support for the opposition candidate among Poles in Ireland is probably due to the age demographic of people living here.
“Younger Poles voted for Trzaskowski, we saw that in Poland as well. He presented himself as very pro-change and younger people want to see that change.”
Teresa Buckowska, who has lived in Ireland since 2005, described the election results as "heartbreaking" and said Mr Trzaskowski had represented "a light at the end of this dark tunnel Poland is going through".
Poland’s politics have created a divide in Ms Buckowska’s family with one half “grieving for Polish democracy”. “Friendships have been broken and family ties loosened because of this,” she said.
Public funding
Citing research by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Ms Buckowska said the incumbent had mis-used public funding to run a campaign marked by “homophobic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric”.
However, she was heartened by the rise in voter registrations among Poles in Ireland.
“It showed the situation in Poland is so bad that people cannot afford to be bystanders. Living in a country that is so much more advanced when it comes to human rights and equality... having that perspective from outside made people think about what was happening in Poland.”
Patrycja Jurkowska, who has also lived in Ireland since 2005, admitted she had become disengaged from Polish politics since the PiS gained power five years ago and as a result did not register to vote in the election. However, in light of the results, she said she regretted that decision.
“I’m very disappointed with myself, I definitely regret hugely that I didn’t register to vote. Neither of the candidates were perfect in my opinion but I definitely would have voted for Trzaskowski because he supports Europe and is more open-minded.
“The results are worrying, the picture the (PiS) party is painting of the EU is not encouraging. They’re very closed minded when it comes to other religions and have said worrying things about the LGBT community. I think we Poles abroad have a huge role to play to show people in Poland what it means to be European and to give them a broader perspective.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-14--Mandatory quarantine and flight cancellations unlikely despite rise in cases

The Government is likely to avoid the harshest measures to curtail international travel or the movement of people arriving from overseas when it updates regulations on travel next week .
While final decisions have not been made , the focus is likely to be on strengthening existing rules , as well as improving the accuracy of data gathering on where people are staying , and checking more closely on those restricting their movements on arrival .
Government sources believe the introduction of mandatory periods of quarantine , or the cancellation of flights from some parts of the world , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on travel which will take place this week .
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Monday , Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said : “ I don ’ t think we should prevent flights from landing in Ireland or ban international travel .
That isn ’ t the approach we ’ ve taken .
“ It ’ s a very difficult thing to have primary legislation to underpin a requirement to restrict your movement or to self-quarantine , and the practical enforcement would be very difficult , ” he said .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ most significant risk in Ireland now to the re-emergence of this virus ” , other considerations had to come into the equation .
“ We need to put this in perspective .
Of course we need to make sure we take a public health approach first but also a pragmatic approach after that to try to ensure we maintain connectivity as an island.
” He said 200-250 people were arriving into the State a day from the United States , out of a total of about 4,500 .
One flight from Dallas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 16 people on it , he said .
A senior Government source said mandatory quarantine was “ not a proportionate response ” , and the focus was on “ trying to persuade people to do the right thing ” .
Aer Lingus said its transatlantic passenger numbers were low and largely involved repatriation of citizens .
It said there was an average of about 150 inbound passengers a day arriving from North America , compared with 4,200 a day for the same period in 2019 .
About 30 per cent travel onwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers from the US to Ireland have been less than 10 per cent of normal levels .
Figures from the Department of Justice show that since the end of May , three people refused to complete the passenger locator form , and were referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau .
Mr Coveney said on Monday that those found to have knowingly filled in the passenger locator form with inaccurate data could face a fine , or imprisonment , or both .
“ If you ’ re lying to us , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 additional coronavirus cases reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) on Monday , and no deaths for the second day in a row .
Dr Ronan Glynn , acting chief medical officer , warned against people assuming that a foreign accent “ is necessarily associated with a tourist from any particular country ” .
He also cautioned against assuming NPHET would recommend moving to the final phase of the country ’ s reopening on July 20th , under which all pubs can resume trading .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases over the last five days , ” he said .
Separately , new parents will get three additional weeks of leave under proposals brought to Cabinet on Monday .
Minister for Children Roderic O ’ Gorman said the additional weeks would apply to the parents of all children born since November 1st , 2019 .
And in a move to bolster business , the Government has said next week it will publish the Credit Guarantee ( Amendment ) Bill 2020 , which will underpin its €2 billion Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme .

No deaths and eleven further cases of Covid-19 have been reported by Dr Ronan Glynn acting Chief Medical Officer at the latest NPHET briefing. Video: RTE News Now
The Government is likely to avoid the harshest measures to curtail international travel or the movement of people arriving from overseas when it updates regulations on travel next week.
While final decisions have not been made, the focus is likely to be on strengthening existing rules, as well as improving the accuracy of data gathering on where people are staying, and checking more closely on those restricting their movements on arrival.
Government sources believe the introduction of mandatory periods of quarantine, or the cancellation of flights from some parts of the world, is unlikely to be the outcome of discussions on travel which will take place this week.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said: "I don't think we should prevent flights from landing in Ireland or ban international travel. That isn't the approach we've taken.
READ MORE
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath and Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman hold a press conference in Dublin Castle. Photograph: Julian Behal/PA Wire
“It’s a very difficult thing to have primary legislation to underpin a requirement to restrict your movement or to self-quarantine, and the practical enforcement would be very difficult,” he said.
Mr Coveney said while international travel remained the “most significant risk in Ireland now to the re-emergence of this virus”, other considerations had to come into the equation.
“We need to put this in perspective. Of course we need to make sure we take a public health approach first but also a pragmatic approach after that to try to ensure we maintain connectivity as an island.”
He said 200-250 people were arriving into the State a day from the United States, out of a total of about 4,500. One flight from Dallas, which attracted much criticism, had only 16 people on it, he said.
A senior Government source said mandatory quarantine was “not a proportionate response”, and the focus was on “trying to persuade people to do the right thing”.
Aer Lingus said its transatlantic passenger numbers were low and largely involved repatriation of citizens. It said there was an average of about 150 inbound passengers a day arriving from North America, compared with 4,200 a day for the same period in 2019. About 30 per cent travel onwards elsewhere in Europe.
Overall, passenger numbers from the US to Ireland have been less than 10 per cent of normal levels.
Figures from the Department of Justice show that since the end of May, three people refused to complete the passenger locator form, and were referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
Mr Coveney said on Monday that those found to have knowingly filled in the passenger locator form with inaccurate data could face a fine, or imprisonment, or both. “If you’re lying to us, you’re breaking the law.”
New cases
There were 11 additional coronavirus cases reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on Monday, and no deaths for the second day in a row.
Dr Ronan Glynn, acting chief medical officer, warned against people assuming that a foreign accent "is necessarily associated with a tourist from any particular country". He also cautioned against assuming NPHET would recommend moving to the final phase of the country's reopening on July 20th, under which all pubs can resume trading. "I think we are concerned about the increase in cases over the last five days," he said.
Separately, new parents will get three additional weeks of leave under proposals brought to Cabinet on Monday. Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said the additional weeks would apply to the parents of all children born since November 1st, 2019.
And in a move to bolster business, the Government has said next week it will publish the Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2020, which will underpin its €2 billion Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme.


theirishtimes--2020-07-15--Irish peacekeeping veterans sue the State over ambush of convoy in Syria

At least seven Defence Forces peacekeeping veterans are suing the State for alleged injuries suffered when a convoy of Irish armoured vehicles was ambushed in Syria seven years ago .
The troops were part of the UNDOF peacekeeping mission in Syria in November 2013 and were on patrol in a convoy of five Mowag armoured personnel carriers ( APCs ) when they came under small-arms fire .
One of the APCs also hit a landmine and lost a wheel in what the Defence Forces concluded was a planned ambush on Irish troops by a Syrian militia .
The Irish troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So far seven people have lodged cases against the Department of Defence alleging they suffered injuries of a “ physical and/or psychological nature ” including post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) .
A total of 39 soldiers were on the patrol .
Details of the case are included in briefing documents for the new Minister of Defence Simon Coveney outlining the department ’ s legal exposure .
The matter is currently in a mediation process which has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic .
It is expected to appear before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
PTSD and other psychological issues are a serious problem for some returning peacekeepers , especially those returning from UNDOF due to the ongoing Syrian civil war .
“ There was a serious amount of human rights abuses and slaughtering going on by these NGA [ non-governmental actors ] which troops came across in the street , ” said one military source .
These include the “ remains of beheadings , hangings openly displayed in streets and off trees/bridges , innocent civilians and families slaughtered ” .
About three-quarters of those returning from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a 2017 Defence Forces review .
The ministerial briefing documents outline nearly 300 other ongoing legal actions against the department concerning anti-malarial drugs given to troops , alleged breaches of the European Union working-time directive and the alleged exposure of Air Corps personnel to toxic chemicals while working at Casement Aerodrome between 1991 and 2006 .
These matters have been subject to “ ongoing political and media attention , ” the Minister was told .
It is understood there are roughly 200 other outstanding cases relating to other matters including alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relating to defence matters have risen significantly in recent years .
The State paid €6.4 million in legal costs , settlements and damages last year and €7.1 million the year before .
This is up from €3.77 million in 2017 .
The Minister was also warned by department officials that the Defence Forces are facing their highest rate of turnover since 2002 .
“ The trend in departures in recent years has varied , however , the number of trained personnel exiting the Permanent Defence Forces has increased progressively since 2017 , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised recruitment was not matching departures meaning Defence Forces strength was declining year on year .
The Army currently has 6,838 members , a figure which has declined almost every year since 2008 when it stood at 8,507 .
The Naval Service has 887 members , down from 1,070 in 2018 .
The Air Corps has 727 personnel , down from 832 in 2008 .
The loss of specialist personnel such as “ pilots , technicians , mechanics and other trades ” is having a disproportionate impact which “ has led to operational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service ” .
“ In a buoyant labour market , members of the Defence Forces with specialist skills were highly sought after .
In addition , many of those who departed did so with pension entitlements and this could also make working in the private sector more attractive financially , ” the briefing states .

Irish members of UNDOF wait to cross into Syrian-controlled territory from the Golan Heights in 2014. File photograph: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
At least seven Defence Forces peacekeeping veterans are suing the State for alleged injuries suffered when a convoy of Irish armoured vehicles was ambushed in Syria seven years ago.
The troops were part of the UNDOF peacekeeping mission in Syria in November 2013 and were on patrol in a convoy of five Mowag armoured personnel carriers (APCs) when they came under small-arms fire.
One of the APCs also hit a landmine and lost a wheel in what the Defence Forces concluded was a planned ambush on Irish troops by a Syrian militia. The Irish troops returned fire before withdrawing to their base.
So far seven people have lodged cases against the Department of Defence alleging they suffered injuries of a "physical and/or psychological nature" including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A total of 39 soldiers were on the patrol.
READ MORE
Details of the case are included in briefing documents for the new Minister of Defence Simon Coveney outlining the department's legal exposure.
The matter is currently in a mediation process which has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is expected to appear before the High Court again later in the year.
PTSD and other psychological issues are a serious problem for some returning peacekeepers, especially those returning from UNDOF due to the ongoing Syrian civil war.
“There was a serious amount of human rights abuses and slaughtering going on by these NGA [non-governmental actors] which troops came across in the street,” said one military source. These include the “remains of beheadings, hangings openly displayed in streets and off trees/bridges, innocent civilians and families slaughtered”.
About three-quarters of those returning from the UNDOF mission required psychological support, according to a 2017 Defence Forces review.
The ministerial briefing documents outline nearly 300 other ongoing legal actions against the department concerning anti-malarial drugs given to troops, alleged breaches of the European Union working-time directive and the alleged exposure of Air Corps personnel to toxic chemicals while working at Casement Aerodrome between 1991 and 2006.
These matters have been subject to “ongoing political and media attention,” the Minister was told. It is understood there are roughly 200 other outstanding cases relating to other matters including alleged bullying and personal injuries.
Legal costs relating to defence matters have risen significantly in recent years. The State paid €6.4 million in legal costs, settlements and damages last year and €7.1 million the year before. This is up from €3.77 million in 2017.
Turnover rates
The Minister was also warned by department officials that the Defence Forces are facing their highest rate of turnover since 2002.
“The trend in departures in recent years has varied, however, the number of trained personnel exiting the Permanent Defence Forces has increased progressively since 2017,” the document states.
The Minister was advised recruitment was not matching departures meaning Defence Forces strength was declining year on year.
The Army currently has 6,838 members, a figure which has declined almost every year since 2008 when it stood at 8,507.
The Naval Service has 887 members, down from 1,070 in 2018. The Air Corps has 727 personnel, down from 832 in 2008.
The loss of specialist personnel such as “pilots, technicians, mechanics and other trades” is having a disproportionate impact which “has led to operational restrictions in the Air Corps and Naval Service”.
“In a buoyant labour market, members of the Defence Forces with specialist skills were highly sought after. In addition, many of those who departed did so with pension entitlements and this could also make working in the private sector more attractive financially,” the briefing states.


theirishtimes--2020-07-15--‘Different to video games’: Army recruits put through paces post-lockdown

Surveying the troops of 157th recruit platoon from a ridge on “ Cemetery Hill ” , in the Glen of Imaal , Comdt Padraig Duggan can spot a lot of mistakes .
Some new soldiers fumble slightly with the magazine of their Steyr rifle as they manoeuvre through the scrub and fire at targets which are raised and lowered via ropes .
Others run a little bit far from their buddy as they make their way to the safety of the ridge line in the shadow of Lugnaquilla .
The errors are not visible to the untrained eye but Duggan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forces , spots them instantly .
He is not concerned ; today is about building confidence , not perfection .
“ We ’ re trying to get rid of the nervous energy they might have .
This is about getting them used to firing live rounds , communicating and moving .
We work out the kinks later.
” The recruits of the 157th platoon were excited and a little tense as they donned camouflage paint in preparation for the Live Fire Tactical Training ( LFTT ) exercise last Thursday .
The coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise in months and they were eager to get back into it .
“ It ’ s a significant day , it ’ s their first time firing live rounds while moving .
Everything , from the first day they pick up the rifle , builds up to today , ” says platoon commander Lieut Austin “ Ossie ” Doyle .
The day starts with buddy manoeuvres .
The recruits move in pairs until someone shouts “ contact ” and the targets pop up .
They must then cover each other with rifle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercises build to a nine-person assault of a fixed position using grenades and heavy machine guns .
One might wonder why Irish soldiers , whose chief overseas purpose will be peacekeeping missions , need to practice such aggressive manoeuvres .
It is a question which some find slightly frustrating .
“ Some people think we ’ re just NGOs in uniform , ” says one .
“ That ’ s not our role.
” Exercises such as today ’ s are the “ building blocks ” of an army , says Duggan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than people might think .
Take for example a 2014 operation by Irish troops to rescue dozens of captured Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights which saw Irish troops engage in a gun battle with Islamic militants .
“ On occasion there are major incidents and you have to be trained to deal with those , ” says Duggan .
“ It has to be muscle memory .
The recruits will do this over and over again each year so it becomes second nature.
” Those types of missions are what attract people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 ) to the Defence Forces .
“ I didn ’ t join the Army for the pay .
I joined for the excitement and an adventurous career , ” he says .
For others , like Pte Nicole Carroll , joining was almost preordained .
She grew up beside the Curragh Camp and most of her family joined the Defence Forces .
One of six women in the platoon , she says the best thing about the Army is the “ unreal bond ” between recruits .
“ It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d die for them.
” Popular military-themed video games give some new recruits unrealistic expectations of military life .
“ People have an interest in it , a lot more so than there was 15 years ago , ” says Duggan .
Is that a good or bad thing ?
He pauses before answering : “ It ’ s more about harnessing it appropriately .
It ’ s a very different reality to video games .
The first thing you ’ re teaching them is how to march .
Maybe the expectation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon and it ’ s Call of Duty straight away .
But the reality is very different.
” After lunch it is time for the section attack and the first job is to prime the grenades .
For obvious reasons this is done by one soldier some distance away from the rest of the group .
As the private screws in the fuse , Duggan tells us the grenade has a nine-metre “ kill radius ” and a four-second fuse .
The Irish Times takes a few more steps back .
Once the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glance that the troops are moving randomly down the Glen .
But it is all carefully choreographed , says Corporal Brian Kiernan .
“ We go through the theory of everything with them first.
” Exercises like this take weeks of preparation .
As well as the extensive paper work and permissions involved , individual rocks have to be removed to minimise the danger of ricochets , and flags have to be placed around the Glen to ward off hillwalkers .
( Even with these precautions it is not unknown for the odd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As we walk through the firefight , Duggan explains the challenge of achieving a “ balance between safety and realism ” in training .
“ I know it seems mental for her to be firing a rifle there and us to be walking here ” , he says “ but everyone is aware of the arcs of fire at all times ” .
After crawling through the underbrush , a soldier reaches the objective and throws a grenade before standing up and spraying the area with automatic fire .
A surprise target appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a volley of fire from the recruits .
“ We like to keep them guessing , ” says Duggan .
With the day ’ s training done , it is back to base .
At one time the soldiers would have stopped in Fenton ’ s Pub down the road for refreshments but those days are long gone .
“ No one drinks in the Army anymore , ” says an older soldier , a note of disappointment in his voice .

Surveying the troops of 157th recruit platoon from a ridge on "Cemetery Hill", in the Glen of Imaal, Comdt Padraig Duggan can spot a lot of mistakes.
Some new soldiers fumble slightly with the magazine of their Steyr rifle as they manoeuvre through the scrub and fire at targets which are raised and lowered via ropes. Others run a little bit far from their buddy as they make their way to the safety of the ridge line in the shadow of Lugnaquilla.
The errors are not visible to the untrained eye but Duggan, a 19-year veteran of the Defence Forces, spots them instantly. He is not concerned; today is about building confidence, not perfection.
“We’re trying to get rid of the nervous energy they might have. This is about getting them used to firing live rounds, communicating and moving. We work out the kinks later.”
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The recruits of the 157th platoon were excited and a little tense as they donned camouflage paint in preparation for the Live Fire Tactical Training (LFTT) exercise last Thursday. The coronavirus pandemic meant this was their first major training exercise in months and they were eager to get back into it.
“It’s a significant day, it’s their first time firing live rounds while moving. Everything, from the first day they pick up the rifle, builds up to today,” says platoon commander Lieut Austin “Ossie” Doyle.
It appears the troops are moving randomly down the Glen but it is all carefully choreographed. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
The day starts with buddy manoeuvres. The recruits move in pairs until someone shouts “contact” and the targets pop up. They must then cover each other with rifle fire while withdrawing to safety.
The exercises build to a nine-person assault of a fixed position using grenades and heavy machine guns.
One might wonder why Irish soldiers, whose chief overseas purpose will be peacekeeping missions, need to practice such aggressive manoeuvres.
Not ‘NGOs in uniform’
It is a question which some find slightly frustrating. “Some people think we’re just NGOs in uniform,” says one. “That’s not our role.”
Exercises such as today’s are the “building blocks” of an army, says Duggan, and they see real-world use more often than people might think. Take for example a 2014 operation by Irish troops to rescue dozens of captured Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights which saw Irish troops engage in a gun battle with Islamic militants.
“On occasion there are major incidents and you have to be trained to deal with those,” says Duggan. “It has to be muscle memory. The recruits will do this over and over again each year so it becomes second nature.”
Those types of missions are what attract people like Pte Adam O’Rourke (20) to the Defence Forces. “I didn’t join the Army for the pay. I joined for the excitement and an adventurous career,” he says.
For others, like Pte Nicole Carroll, joining was almost preordained. She grew up beside the Curragh Camp and most of her family joined the Defence Forces. One of six women in the platoon, she says the best thing about the Army is the "unreal bond" between recruits. "It's a whole different sense of friendship. You'd die for them."
Popular military-themed video games give some new recruits unrealistic expectations of military life. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Popular military-themed video games give some new recruits unrealistic expectations of military life. “People have an interest in it, a lot more so than there was 15 years ago,” says Duggan.
Is that a good or bad thing? He pauses before answering: “It’s more about harnessing it appropriately. It’s a very different reality to video games. The first thing you’re teaching them is how to march. Maybe the expectation is you’re handing them a weapon and it’s Call of Duty straight away. But the reality is very different.”
Assault begins
After lunch it is time for the section attack and the first job is to prime the grenades. For obvious reasons this is done by one soldier some distance away from the rest of the group. As the private screws in the fuse, Duggan tells us the grenade has a nine-metre “kill radius” and a four-second fuse. The Irish Times takes a few more steps back.
Once the assault begins, it appears at first glance that the troops are moving randomly down the Glen. But it is all carefully choreographed, says Corporal Brian Kiernan. "We go through the theory of everything with them first."
Exercises like this take weeks of preparation. As well as the extensive paper work and permissions involved, individual rocks have to be removed to minimise the danger of ricochets, and flags have to be placed around the Glen to ward off hillwalkers. (Even with these precautions it is not unknown for the odd hiker to stumble across proceedings.)
The exercises build to a nine-person assault of a fixed position using grenades and heavy machine guns. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
As we walk through the firefight, Duggan explains the challenge of achieving a “balance between safety and realism” in training.
“I know it seems mental for her to be firing a rifle there and us to be walking here”, he says “but everyone is aware of the arcs of fire at all times”.
After crawling through the underbrush, a soldier reaches the objective and throws a grenade before standing up and spraying the area with automatic fire. A surprise target appears further down the field which is hit by a volley of fire from the recruits. “We like to keep them guessing,” says Duggan.
With the day’s training done, it is back to base. At one time the soldiers would have stopped in Fenton’s Pub down the road for refreshments but those days are long gone. “No one drinks in the Army anymore,” says an older soldier, a note of disappointment in his voice.


theirishtimes--2020-07-15--Coronavirus: ‘Worrying trend’ of symptomatic people refusing Covid-19 tests

Increasing numbers of people with symptoms of coronavirus are refusing to get tested for the condition , GPs have said .
Dr Nick Flynn , a senior partner in the MyCorkGP practices group , said he was seeing a “ worrying trend ” of people presenting with symptoms , then refusing referrals for Covid-19 tests .
“ In the last two to three weeks I ’ ve had at least one patient a day , or two or three , who refused to go for testing , ” he said .
And Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail , GP and former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Practitioners , said he had seen the same trend over the last two weeks .
Earlier this week , the State ’ s acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn warned that “ a significant portion ” of people identified as close contacts of confirmed cases “ are not coming forward for testing ” .
On Tuesday , he urged people with symptoms “ to assume it is Covid-19 in the first instance , until a GP or test tells you otherwise ” .
During the height of the pandemic a very small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GP to get tested for the virus , Dr Flynn said .
Patients were presenting with symptoms , such as cough , shortness of breath , sore throat or fever , but insisting it could not be coronavirus , he said .
Many with “ recurring conditions ” such as a regular cough or lung diseases like COPD , were convinced the symptoms were a “ flare-up ” of their pre-existing health issues , Dr Flynn said .
“ We can ’ t say that anymore , we have to rule out Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time next year , ” he said .
Failing to do so could lead to a second peak of the virus at the same time the winter flu season hit , he said .
The public had “ lost the enthusiasm ” for fighting the virus and many were “ at the end of their tether ” , he said .
“ They don ’ t get that this is a marathon , not a sprint .
.
.
These people are then by definition not self-isolating , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient presented with a sore throat , but after being told they would need to be tested for Covid-19 backtracked and said they no longer had a sore throat .
On two other occasions , people hung up the phone when they were advised they needed to be referred for tests , he said .
During the peak of the pandemic when the number of new cases was increasing by several hundred each day it was easier to “ win ” apprehensive patients over , Dr Flynn said .
There was a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices were inundated with calls from patients seeking referrals for testing .
“ We ’ re at the other side of that slope now , ” he said .
The test involves a swab taken of the back of the throat and nasal passage , which is “ an uncomfortable procedure ” , the Cork GP said .
The resistance was not from a “ fear of the test ” , but patients ’ “ strongly held belief ” that their symptoms were related to other pre-existing conditions , he said .
Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distinct change ” in the public mindset , with people increasingly reluctant to get tested , he said .
As people returned to work they did not want to self-isolate while awaiting test results , he said .
The public health messaging around the importance of testing had “ waned ” in recent weeks , he said .

Patients are presenting with symptoms, such as cough, shortness of breath, sore throat or fever, but insisting it could not be coronavirus. Photograph: Mark Felix/AFP
Increasing numbers of people with symptoms of coronavirus are refusing to get tested for the condition, GPs have said.
Dr Nick Flynn, a senior partner in the MyCorkGP practices group, said he was seeing a "worrying trend" of people presenting with symptoms, then refusing referrals for Covid-19 tests.
“In the last two to three weeks I’ve had at least one patient a day, or two or three, who refused to go for testing,” he said.
And Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail, GP and former president of the National Association of General Practitioners, said he had seen the same trend over the last two weeks.
READ MORE
Earlier this week, the State's acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn warned that "a significant portion" of people identified as close contacts of confirmed cases "are not coming forward for testing".
On Tuesday, he urged people with symptoms “to assume it is Covid-19 in the first instance, until a GP or test tells you otherwise”.
GP recommendation
During the height of the pandemic a very small number would refuse a recommendation from their GP to get tested for the virus, Dr Flynn said.
Patients were presenting with symptoms, such as cough, shortness of breath, sore throat or fever, but insisting it could not be coronavirus, he said.
Many with “recurring conditions” such as a regular cough or lung diseases like COPD, were convinced the symptoms were a “flare-up” of their pre-existing health issues, Dr Flynn said.
“We can’t say that anymore, we have to rule out Covid for all respiratory symptoms until at least this time next year,” he said. Failing to do so could lead to a second peak of the virus at the same time the winter flu season hit, he said.
The public had “lost the enthusiasm” for fighting the virus and many were “at the end of their tether”, he said.
“They don’t get that this is a marathon, not a sprint . . . These people are then by definition not self-isolating,” he said.
‘Hung up’
Dr Flynn said in one case a patient presented with a sore throat, but after being told they would need to be tested for Covid-19 backtracked and said they no longer had a sore throat.
On two other occasions, people hung up the phone when they were advised they needed to be referred for tests, he said.
During the peak of the pandemic when the number of new cases was increasing by several hundred each day it was easier to “win” apprehensive patients over, Dr Flynn said.
There was a large testing backlog in March as many GP practices were inundated with calls from patients seeking referrals for testing. “We’re at the other side of that slope now,” he said.
The test involves a swab taken of the back of the throat and nasal passage, which is “an uncomfortable procedure”, the Cork GP said.
The resistance was not from a “fear of the test”, but patients’ “strongly held belief” that their symptoms were related to other pre-existing conditions, he said.
Dr Tuathail said there had been a “distinct change” in the public mindset, with people increasingly reluctant to get tested, he said. As people returned to work they did not want to self-isolate while awaiting test results, he said.
The public health messaging around the importance of testing had “waned” in recent weeks, he said.


theirishtimes--2020-07-15--Covid-19: Ireland likely faces ‘imminent second wave’ due to reopening, experts warn

Ireland is facing the “ strong likelihood of an imminent second wave ” of coronavirus , as the country reopened before eradicating the virus from the island , a group of leading academics has warned .
The group , which includes many high-profile public health experts and epidemiologists , set out how Ireland could move towards a “ zero-Covid island ” , similar to New Zealand .
The wearing of face masks should be legally enforced in outdoor crowds and indoor public spaces .
Restrictions should be reintroduced locally in areas with continued community transmission of the virus .
Lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zones ” free of coronavirus cases , according to the group .
The zero-Covid island strategy follows a June 8th open letter by the scientists and researchers calling for the government to “ crush ” the virus on an all-island basis , before lifting lockdown measures .
There has been more than 100 additional coronavirus cases reported in the past five days , as the economy continues to reopen .
The group includes professor of public health Anthony Staines of DCU ; infectious diseases ecologist Prof Gerard Killeen of UCC ; immunologist Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kearney of UCC ; Prof Gabriel Scally ; and RCSI infectious diseases expert Prof Sam McConkey .
The Government needed to ensure the “ proper regulation of travel ” and mandatory quarantine for people entering the country , “ supplemented with repeated serial testing before release ” , the group said .
Prof Killeen said this would mean replicating the “ gold standard ” approach of New Zealand .
“ They ’ ll take you to your isolation accommodation and make sure you stay there for two weeks , and test you several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he told The Irish Times .
Dr Ryan said there was no single “ magic bullet ” measure , but the issue of foreign travel into the country had the potential “ in itself to be catastrophic ” .
The problem was also the “ easiest to fix ” with the introduction of mandatory quarantine for people arriving into Ireland , and frequent testing before they entered the wider community , he said .
The country was “ now facing the strong likelihood of an imminent second wave ” , the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and decisive action , we will pay a very heavy price , with many people getting sick , being admitted to ICU and dying , ” the group said in a statement on Tuesday .
“ Many businesses will fold , because a second wave will bring a second dip in activity , whether from Government policy , or customer fears , which will extend their losses well into 2021 , ” it said .
The aim of the strategy is to reduce the incidence of Covid-19 to zero on the island of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely open up as much of our society and economy as possible ” , the group said .
The country could then set up “ safe travel bridges ” between other countries with similar “ zero-Covid strategies ” , it said .
The academics warned there was no guarantee that a coronavirus vaccine would be developed .
Even if an effective drug was produced , “ it may take a number of years to become widely available in sufficient quantities ” , the group said .
“ A zero-Covid island is our only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic , which may otherwise last for years or indefinitely , ” the group said .

Academics warn there is no guarantee that a coronavirus vaccine will be developed. Photograph: Douglas Magno/AFP via Getty
Ireland is facing the “strong likelihood of an imminent second wave” of coronavirus, as the country reopened before eradicating the virus from the island, a group of leading academics has warned.
The group, which includes many high-profile public health experts and epidemiologists, set out how Ireland could move towards a "zero-Covid island", similar to New Zealand.
The wearing of face masks should be legally enforced in outdoor crowds and indoor public spaces. Restrictions should be reintroduced locally in areas with continued community transmission of the virus. Lockdown measures should be relaxed in “green zones” free of coronavirus cases, according to the group.
The zero-Covid island strategy follows a June 8th open letter by the scientists and researchers calling for the government to “crush” the virus on an all-island basis, before lifting lockdown measures.
READ MORE
There has been more than 100 additional coronavirus cases reported in the past five days, as the economy continues to reopen.
The group includes professor of public health Anthony Staines of DCU; infectious diseases ecologist Prof Gerard Killeen of UCC; immunologist Dr Tomás Ryan of TCD; Prof Patricia Kearney of UCC; Prof Gabriel Scally; and RCSI infectious diseases expert Prof Sam McConkey.
Travel regulations
The Government needed to ensure the “proper regulation of travel” and mandatory quarantine for people entering the country, “supplemented with repeated serial testing before release”, the group said.
Prof Killeen said this would mean replicating the “gold standard” approach of New Zealand. “They’ll take you to your isolation accommodation and make sure you stay there for two weeks, and test you several times before they let you go,” he told The Irish Times.
Dr Ryan said there was no single “magic bullet” measure, but the issue of foreign travel into the country had the potential “in itself to be catastrophic”.
The problem was also the “easiest to fix” with the introduction of mandatory quarantine for people arriving into Ireland, and frequent testing before they entered the wider community, he said.
The country was “now facing the strong likelihood of an imminent second wave”, the group said.
“Unless we take immediate and decisive action, we will pay a very heavy price, with many people getting sick, being admitted to ICU and dying,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Many businesses will fold, because a second wave will bring a second dip in activity, whether from Government policy, or customer fears, which will extend their losses well into 2021,” it said.
The aim of the strategy is to reduce the incidence of Covid-19 to zero on the island of Ireland, “so that we can safely open up as much of our society and economy as possible”, the group said.
The country could then set up “safe travel bridges” between other countries with similar “zero-Covid strategies”, it said.
The academics warned there was no guarantee that a coronavirus vaccine would be developed. Even if an effective drug was produced, “it may take a number of years to become widely available in sufficient quantities”, the group said.
“A zero-Covid island is our only viable exit strategy from the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic, which may otherwise last for years or indefinitely,” the group said.


theirishtimes--2020-07-15--Coronavirus: Cabinet to consider whether to move to next stage of reopening State

Serious concerns raised at a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team could endanger plans to reopen the remainder of the State ’ s pubs on Monday .
It is understood concerns were raised at the emergency team by multiple participants regarding the current trends in infection rates in the country , as well as uncertainty over how the virus will behave .
There is significant concern among the team over how these trends could interact with an increase in congregated settings reopening .
It is thought that some recent clusters of the virus have been linked to congregated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier relaxations of restrictions .
The Government will now consider these matters at a key Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening at which moving to the next phase of reopening the economy will be discussed .
There are also ongoing concerns on the emergency team over the incidence of the virus linked to travel , which will play into the Government ’ s upcoming decisions on travel restrictions .
It comes as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform confirmed that more than 300,000 public servants will have to take leave – including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out of the country on non-essential business under new guidelines for the public sector .
The guidelines , which will be published on Wednesday by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform , state that when there is an intention to undertake non-essential travel overseas , “ all employees must make provision by way of an annual leave or unpaid leave application for the additional period of self-isolation ” .
The rules will effectively rule out any foreign holidays planned by hundreds of thousands of public servants .
There is also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel abroad , which the department guidance states “ is necessary for the protection of public health ” .

Australian scientists have begun human trials of a potential Covid-19 vaccine developed at the University of Queensland. Preliminary results of the trial are expected to be released by the end of September. Video: Reuters
Serious concerns raised at a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team could endanger plans to reopen the remainder of the State’s pubs on Monday.
It is understood concerns were raised at the emergency team by multiple participants regarding the current trends in infection rates in the country, as well as uncertainty over how the virus will behave.
There is significant concern among the team over how these trends could interact with an increase in congregated settings reopening. It is thought that some recent clusters of the virus have been linked to congregated settings already permitted to be open under earlier relaxations of restrictions.
Travel restrictions
The Government will now consider these matters at a key Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening at which moving to the next phase of reopening the economy will be discussed. There are also ongoing concerns on the emergency team over the incidence of the virus linked to travel, which will play into the Government’s upcoming decisions on travel restrictions.
READ MORE
It comes as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform confirmed that more than 300,000 public servants will have to take leave – including unpaid leave – to self-isolate if they go out of the country on non-essential business under new guidelines for the public sector.
Public servants
The guidelines, which will be published on Wednesday by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, state that when there is an intention to undertake non-essential travel overseas, “all employees must make provision by way of an annual leave or unpaid leave application for the additional period of self-isolation”.
The rules will effectively rule out any foreign holidays planned by hundreds of thousands of public servants. There is also a requirement that employees advise their employer of travel abroad, which the department guidance states “is necessary for the protection of public health”.