theirishtimes--2020-12-07--Christmas buskers banned from Dublin streets by council over Covid fears

Dublin City Council has banned buskers from performing on the streets this December in order to adhere to Covid-19 public health guidelines , a councillor has said .
Street performers often attract crowds of onlookers , particularly during the Christmas period , when some high-profile musicians perform to raise funds for charities .
Under current Level 3 restrictions on gatherings , up to six people from a maximum of two households can meet outside while maintaining physical distancing and organised gatherings , such as training events or art events , of up to 15 people can take place in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street performers , dated November 27th , Dublin City Council said “ unfortunately due to public health reasons Dublin City Council can not lift the temporary suspension of your street performers permit until further notice ... stay safe and stay well and we hope to welcome you back to the streets of Dublin in the not too distant future.
” Green Party Cllr Donna Cooney tabled an emergency motion at the monthly council meeting on Monday night , which was taken without debate .
She called on the local authority to come up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed performers to make an income and reach an audience this Christmas , while still abiding by the public health guidelines .
“ Whether it be getting some professional recording done , making some videos ...
There are speakers up on Grafton Street that are going to play music so they might not have a street performance , but at least they have an audience and get their music out there , ” she said .
“ We could maybe do things on social media , mainstream media .
Bono and the likes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Christmas eve so maybe this is a time that our established performing artists and bands can help out those that are only starting off and still making their living by playing on the streets.
” Cllr Cooney said she believed street performers have been “ overlooked ” in relation to supporting the arts sector during the pandemic .
“ They ’ re probably most in need .
It ’ s very difficult to prove your income when you ’ re a street performer .
For some people it ’ s their income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path for them ... A lot of bands that are pretty successful now started on the streets , ” she said .
Meanwhile , street traders on Henry Street were last week given the go-ahead to set up a limited number of stalls in the run up to Christmas , after three weeks of talks between representatives and the council .
The council said there were plans for 25 stalls this year , with 15 planned for Henry Street and 10 located on O ’ Connell Street .
There are normally about 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Dublin City Council has banned buskers from performing on the streets this December in order to adhere to Covid-19 public health guidelines, a councillor has said.
Street performers often attract crowds of onlookers, particularly during the Christmas period, when some high-profile musicians perform to raise funds for charities.
Under current Level 3 restrictions on gatherings, up to six people from a maximum of two households can meet outside while maintaining physical distancing and organised gatherings, such as training events or art events, of up to 15 people can take place in an outdoor setting.
In a letter to street performers, dated November 27th, Dublin City Council said “unfortunately due to public health reasons Dublin City Council cannot lift the temporary suspension of your street performers permit until further notice...stay safe and stay well and we hope to welcome you back to the streets of Dublin in the not too distant future.”
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Green Party Cllr Donna Cooney tabled an emergency motion at the monthly council meeting on Monday night, which was taken without debate.
She called on the local authority to come up with a “creative solution” that allowed performers to make an income and reach an audience this Christmas, while still abiding by the public health guidelines.
"Whether it be getting some professional recording done, making some videos...There are speakers up on Grafton Street that are going to play music so they might not have a street performance, but at least they have an audience and get their music out there," she said.
“We could maybe do things on social media, mainstream media. Bono and the likes of them usually get out and play on Christmas eve so maybe this is a time that our established performing artists and bands can help out those that are only starting off and still making their living by playing on the streets.”
Path to success
Cllr Cooney said she believed street performers have been "overlooked" in relation to supporting the arts sector during the pandemic.
“They’re probably most in need. It’s very difficult to prove your income when you’re a street performer. For some people it’s their income and for others it’s a path for them...A lot of bands that are pretty successful now started on the streets,” she said.
Meanwhile, street traders on Henry Street were last week given the go-ahead to set up a limited number of stalls in the run up to Christmas, after three weeks of talks between representatives and the council.
The council said there were plans for 25 stalls this year, with 15 planned for Henry Street and 10 located on O’Connell Street. There are normally about 40 stalls on Henry Street each year.


theirishtimes--2020-12-07--Three given chance to donate to charity in case where Cork street signs were defaced

Three men who defaced street signs in Cork city bearing the name of Queen Victoria in protest over her failure to prevent the deaths of millions during the Famine have been told they will get the benefit of the Probation Act and avoid a criminal conviction if they pay each €250 to charity .
Diarmaid Ó Cadhla ( 59 ) , Tom O ’ Connor ( 59 ) and Anthony Walsh ( 55 ) had denied two counts of criminal damage to street signs at Victoria Road , two counts of criminal damage to street signs at Victoria Cross and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street sign at Victoria Street , Military Hill .
The State alleged Mr Ó Cadhla , from Upper Beaumont Drive , Ballintemple , Mr O ’ Connor from Mangerton Close , the Glen , and Mr Walsh from Carrigmore Park , Ballinlough , committed criminal damage at all three locations on February 2nd , 2017 , contrary to the Criminal Damage Act 1991 .
On Monday at Cork District Court , Judge Paul Kelly found the facts proven against all three defendants but said he would apply the Probation Act if they each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul by December 16th and he adjourned the case until then to allow them make the donation .
Det Garda Neil Walsh told the court gardaí received a complaint from Cork City Council that a total of five streets signs had been defaced at the three locations when the word , Victoria , in both the English and Irish versions of the street names , had been painted over with black paint .
“ From my enquiries this was part of a campaign from a group called Cork Street Names Campaign .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ names with connections to the British monarchy , in particular Queen Victoria whom they called the Famine Queen , ” said Det Garda Walsh .
“ The three suspects more or less identified themselves – in an article in the Irish Examiner on February 3rd , 2017 , there was a photo of two of the suspects painting the street signs and on that date , Diarmaid Ó Cadhla conducted a radio interview with PJ Coogan on The Opinion Line on 96FM.
” Cork City Council director of services , Gerry O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were partially painted over , had to be removed by council staff , cleaned of the black paint and put back in place and the entire cost came of the work came to €800 .
A former member of Cork County Council , Mr Ó Cadhla conducted his own defence in Irish and said they did not believe their actions were criminal and their intention was to stimulate debate about the naming of streets in Cork after Cork City Council had refused to meet them to discuss the issue .
He said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when over two million died and another two million were forced to emigrate and to commemorate Queen Victoria by allowing streets in Cork to be named after her was an insult to all those who died in the Famine Mr O ’ Connor also admitted painting over the signs but he denied that he had criminally damaged them .
“ We didn ’ t damage anything – the signs were all rusty and falling down – it was justice , justice for the Irish people .
I speak for myself and I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr Walsh said : “ I personally took offence to what City Council did , making MacCurtain Street the Victoria Quarter .
It almost killed my soul .
That man died so we could have a free country .
And they did that to his memory – terrible ... We did not set out to do any damage , we were just making a point.
” Mr Ó Cadhla said they were supported in their actions by the majority of the people of Cork .
Cross-examined by State Solicitor for Cork City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected members of Cork City Council had opted not to change any street names , but that was to their shame .
Viewing photographs of the street signs daubed in black paint , Judge Kelly said that while he had no doubt about the sincerity of the convictions held by the three defendants , they had set out in a very deliberate and calculated way to deface the signage and that did constitute criminal damage .
“ Their motives may have been to make a political point but that does not entitle them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did not go out to cause wanton damage – it was very precise damage in furtherance of a particular view but that is not permissible .
I have to find the facts proved .
”

Three men who defaced street signs in Cork city bearing the name of Queen Victoria in protest over her failure to prevent the deaths of millions during the Famine have been told they will get the benefit of the Probation Act and avoid a criminal conviction if they pay each €250 to charity.
Diarmaid Ó Cadhla (59), Tom O'Connor (59) and Anthony Walsh (55) had denied two counts of criminal damage to street signs at Victoria Road, two counts of criminal damage to street signs at Victoria Cross and one count of criminal damage to a street sign at Victoria Street, Military Hill.
The State alleged Mr Ó Cadhla, from Upper Beaumont Drive, Ballintemple, Mr O'Connor from Mangerton Close, the Glen, and Mr Walsh from Carrigmore Park, Ballinlough, committed criminal damage at all three locations on February 2nd, 2017, contrary to the Criminal Damage Act 1991.
On Monday at Cork District Court, Judge Paul Kelly found the facts proven against all three defendants but said he would apply the Probation Act if they each paid €250 to the St Vincent de Paul by December 16th and he adjourned the case until then to allow them make the donation.
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Det Garda Neil Walsh told the court gardaí received a complaint from Cork City Council that a total of five streets signs had been defaced at the three locations when the word, Victoria, in both the English and Irish versions of the street names, had been painted over with black paint.
“From my enquiries this was part of a campaign from a group called Cork Street Names Campaign. These are a group who campaign against street names with connections to the British monarchy, in particular Queen Victoria whom they called the Famine Queen,” said Det Garda Walsh.
“The three suspects more or less identified themselves – in an article in the Irish Examiner on February 3rd, 2017, there was a photo of two of the suspects painting the street signs and on that date, Diarmaid Ó Cadhla conducted a radio interview with PJ Coogan on The Opinion Line on 96FM.”
Cork City Council director of services, Gerry O'Beirne said that the signs, which were partially painted over, had to be removed by council staff, cleaned of the black paint and put back in place and the entire cost came of the work came to €800.
A former member of Cork County Council, Mr Ó Cadhla conducted his own defence in Irish and said they did not believe their actions were criminal and their intention was to stimulate debate about the naming of streets in Cork after Cork City Council had refused to meet them to discuss the issue.
He said that Queen Victoria had effectively overseen the Famine when over two million died and another two million were forced to emigrate and to commemorate Queen Victoria by allowing streets in Cork to be named after her was an insult to all those who died in the Famine
Mr O’Connor also admitted painting over the signs but he denied that he had criminally damaged them. “We didn’t damage anything – the signs were all rusty and falling down – it was justice, justice for the Irish people. I speak for myself and I am proud of what I’ve done.”
Mr Walsh said: "I personally took offence to what City Council did, making MacCurtain Street the Victoria Quarter. It almost killed my soul. That man died so we could have a free country. And they did that to his memory – terrible ... We did not set out to do any damage, we were just making a point."
Mr Ó Cadhla said they were supported in their actions by the majority of the people of Cork. Cross-examined by State Solicitor for Cork City, Frank Nyhan, he accepted the elected members of Cork City Council had opted not to change any street names, but that was to their shame.
Viewing photographs of the street signs daubed in black paint, Judge Kelly said that while he had no doubt about the sincerity of the convictions held by the three defendants, they had set out in a very deliberate and calculated way to deface the signage and that did constitute criminal damage.
“Their motives may have been to make a political point but that does not entitle them to break the law. I accept they did not go out to cause wanton damage – it was very precise damage in furtherance of a particular view but that is not permissible. I have to find the facts proved.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-07--Christmas tree sales spurt welcomed by growers

Christmas tree sales records have been tumbling countrywide as growers and sellers reported surging interest over the course of their busiest weekend of the year as people look to kick-start their festive celebrations in earnest .
Close to half a million real trees are now standing in living rooms across Ireland , according to the Irish Christmas Tree Growers – an alliance representing fir farmers countrywide .
Trevor Roper , of the Inniscarra Christmas Tree Farm in Co Cork , said he was set to double his sales this year compared to last Christmas and had had to “ rope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the weekend as the crowds just kept on coming .
He started selling trees almost two weeks ago as people were anxious to get going with festive celebrations to try and lift the Covid-19 gloom .
“ Everyone has been dying to get going , ” he said .
“ I have also noticed a massive increase in people who are buying a real tree for the first time or for the first time in decades.
” He launched a website to sell trees as part of his response to the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped grow his business .
He said the sudden surge in demand for real trees is fuelled by a desire to have a more authentic Christmas while also supporting local businesses .
And he added that there is a growing awareness of the environmental damage done by fake plastic trees and that buying the real , sustainably grown variety is more carbon efficient than an artificial tree .
“ This weekend is going to be crazy , ” said Mr Roper .
He said that “ 99 per cent of people were buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresher for longer ” .
And he suggested people could easily get a month out of the trees they buy this weekend .
Theo Lambton established a Christmas tree delivery-and-collection service called Fir in Dublin four years ago .
He said last weekend was the busiest in his company ’ s history .
He sources his trees in Co Wicklow and , like Mr Roper , has noticed a massive upsurge in new customers .
“ Everyone has had a hard year and something like a Christmas tree can really stir up emotions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
He added that people wanted to shop local and highlighted the impact that has had on his business .
“ I have 10 vans on the road delivering trees today .
And there are two people in each van which means we have helped 20 people who have been out of work due to crisis earn some income ahead of Christmas.
” He also said people are more conscious of the environmental impact from plastic trees .

Last weekend was cited by several firms as among the busiest is many a year. File photograph: Getty
Christmas tree sales records have been tumbling countrywide as growers and sellers reported surging interest over the course of their busiest weekend of the year as people look to kick-start their festive celebrations in earnest.
Close to half a million real trees are now standing in living rooms across Ireland, according to the Irish Christmas Tree Growers – an alliance representing fir farmers countrywide.
Trevor Roper, of the Inniscarra Christmas Tree Farm in Co Cork, said he was set to double his sales this year compared to last Christmas and had had to "rope in more family to help out" over the weekend as the crowds just kept on coming.
He started selling trees almost two weeks ago as people were anxious to get going with festive celebrations to try and lift the Covid-19 gloom.
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“Everyone has been dying to get going,” he said. “I have also noticed a massive increase in people who are buying a real tree for the first time or for the first time in decades.”
He launched a website to sell trees as part of his response to the crisis and is also offering delivery, which helped grow his business.
He said the sudden surge in demand for real trees is fuelled by a desire to have a more authentic Christmas while also supporting local businesses. And he added that there is a growing awareness of the environmental damage done by fake plastic trees and that buying the real, sustainably grown variety is more carbon efficient than an artificial tree.
“This weekend is going to be crazy,” said Mr Roper.
Water stands
He said that “99 per cent of people were buying water stands which would keep their trees fresher for longer”. And he suggested people could easily get a month out of the trees they buy this weekend.
Theo Lambton established a Christmas tree delivery-and-collection service called Fir in Dublin four years ago. He said last weekend was the busiest in his company's history.
He sources his trees in Co Wicklow and, like Mr Roper, has noticed a massive upsurge in new customers.
“Everyone has had a hard year and something like a Christmas tree can really stir up emotions in all of us,” he said.
He added that people wanted to shop local and highlighted the impact that has had on his business.
“I have 10 vans on the road delivering trees today. And there are two people in each van which means we have helped 20 people who have been out of work due to crisis earn some income ahead of Christmas.”
He also said people are more conscious of the environmental impact from plastic trees.


theirishtimes--2020-12-07--School seeks Instagram account identity over ‘derogatory’ comments, court told

A High Court judge wants the Attorney General to be notified about an application to discover who is behind a closed down Instagram account which a school claims made derogatory and defamatory remarks about students and teachers .
Mr Justice Garrett Simons said he wanted the AG to be notified because of his concerns there may be freedom of speech and public interest issues involved .
There may be “ more to this case than meets the eye ” , he said .
He made the comments when adjourning to later this month an application by the board of management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Facebook Ireland , owners of Instagram , for orders revealing the identity of the person or persons behind the account .
The judge imposed a limited reporting restriction , which allows the school and Facebook to be named .
David Geoghegan BL , for the school , said the application arose out of posts on an Instagram account which was operational for 10 days in October last year before it was closed down .
Various images and derogatory comments were posted on it about teachers and children which were inappropriate and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardaí were notified due to the sexual nature of the comments , counsel said .
The school took steps to find out who was behind the account and ultimately gained access after obtaining the password from one of the students .
However , it was still not possible to find out who was behind it .
Some of the messages being sent to other students were jocular but there were two messages of a sexual nature and there may have been an element of sarcasm in them , counsel said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the account had since been closed , having been operational between October 14th and 24th , 2019 .
Counsel said Facebook had told his side it would only give out information about account holders on foot of a court order because of data protection concerns .
Without an order , the school can not find out who is behind it and whether it was a student or a teacher , he said .
It would be a disciplinary matter if it was a student and an obvious employment issue if it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also the issue of alleged defamation .
Mr Justice Simons asked counsel if there was a freedom of speech issue .
Counsel replied someone who was being disciplined because of the comments could make that argument .
Andrea Mulligan BL , for Facebook , said her client did not object to the order being made under a certain form of words used in similar cases where account holders ’ IDs are divulged by the social media company .
The judge said he was concerned about the freedom of speech issue and he directed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He had a concern there was potentially a public interest issue .
After Mr Geoghegan applied for reporting restrictions because of what the school had said were the negative consequences of the matter and the highly inappropriate sexual references involving students and teachers who have done nothing wrong , the judge said he would impose limited reporting restrictions .
While the school and Facebook may be named none of the individuals , because it involved minors , could be named , he directed .

A High Court judge wants the Attorney General to be notified about an application to discover who is behind a closed down Instagram account which a school claims made derogatory and defamatory remarks about students and teachers.
Mr Justice Garrett Simons said he wanted the AG to be notified because of his concerns there may be freedom of speech and public interest issues involved. There may be “more to this case than meets the eye”, he said.
He made the comments when adjourning to later this month an application by the board of management of the Salesian Secondary College in Limerick against Facebook Ireland, owners of Instagram, for orders revealing the identity of the person or persons behind the account.
The judge imposed a limited reporting restriction, which allows the school and Facebook to be named.
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David Geoghegan BL, for the school, said the application arose out of posts on an Instagram account which was operational for 10 days in October last year before it was closed down.
Various images and derogatory comments were posted on it about teachers and children which were inappropriate and some had a sexual context, he said.
Gardaí were notified due to the sexual nature of the comments, counsel said.
The school took steps to find out who was behind the account and ultimately gained access after obtaining the password from one of the students. However, it was still not possible to find out who was behind it.
Some of the messages being sent to other students were jocular but there were two messages of a sexual nature and there may have been an element of sarcasm in them, counsel said. The messages raised concerns of the principal and the account had since been closed, having been operational between October 14th and 24th, 2019.
Counsel said Facebook had told his side it would only give out information about account holders on foot of a court order because of data protection concerns.
Without an order, the school cannot find out who is behind it and whether it was a student or a teacher, he said. It would be a disciplinary matter if it was a student and an obvious employment issue if it was a teacher, he said. There was also the issue of alleged defamation.
Mr Justice Simons asked counsel if there was a freedom of speech issue. Counsel replied someone who was being disciplined because of the comments could make that argument.
Andrea Mulligan BL, for Facebook, said her client did not object to the order being made under a certain form of words used in similar cases where account holders’ IDs are divulged by the social media company.
The judge said he was concerned about the freedom of speech issue and he directed the AG be put on notice. He had a concern there was potentially a public interest issue.
After Mr Geoghegan applied for reporting restrictions because of what the school had said were the negative consequences of the matter and the highly inappropriate sexual references involving students and teachers who have done nothing wrong, the judge said he would impose limited reporting restrictions. While the school and Facebook may be named none of the individuals, because it involved minors, could be named, he directed.


theirishtimes--2020-12-07--Family settle action over death of new-born baby

The family of a new-born baby who died days after his delivery at the National Maternity Hospital has settled a High Court action .
Henry John McMahon had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition and a plan was put in place for him to have cardiac surgery at another hospital following his birth , the court was told .
Richard Kean SC , for the family , said there was a very traumatic instrumental delivery and the baby suffered a skull fracture .
It was imperative the baby be delivered in as good a condition as possible to maximise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he was unfit to undergo the critical cardiac surgery required , counsel said .
Sorcha McMahon , Kilmacud Road , Blackrock , Dublin had sued the National Maternity Hospital , Holles Street , Dublin , arising from his death .
She brought the claim for mental distress on behalf of the McMahon family over the child ’ s death five days after his birth at the hospital .
It was claimed there was failure to take any , or any reasonable , care for the safety of Ms McMahon and her baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital It was further claimed there was failure to summon a consultant obstetrician in a timely manner to assist and deliver the baby .
It was also claimed the baby was denied the opportunity of life-saving heart surgery by alleged gross compromising of his condition as a result of the alleged mismanagement of his delivery .
In an affidavit , Ms McMahon said her son was born at the Dublin hospital on September 18th , 2017 .
He had been diagnosed during an antenatal ultrasound scan with a heart condition and a plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery , he would be transferred to Our Lady Children ’ s Hospital , Crumlin , Dublin for operative care .
She said his prognosis was positive and it was imperative he be delivered in the best condition possible as he could ill afford any further compromise in light of his pre-existing heart condition and requirement for immediate operative intervention .
Ms McMahon said her son suffered a traumatic brain injury and after birth his condition was extremely compromised .
His condition upon arrival at the Crumlin hospital was such that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a decision had to be taken to allow palliative treatment .
She said her son passed away on September 23rd , 2017 .
The details of the settlement are confidential and the matter was before the court to decide on the division of a €35,000 statutory payment available to compensate dependants for the mental distress and anguish caused by the death of a loved one .

The family of a new-born baby who died days after his delivery at the National Maternity Hospital has settled a High Court action.
Henry John McMahon had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition and a plan was put in place for him to have cardiac surgery at another hospital following his birth, the court was told.
Richard Kean SC, for the family, said there was a very traumatic instrumental delivery and the baby suffered a skull fracture.
It was imperative the baby be delivered in as good a condition as possible to maximise his chances of a successful cardiac intervention but he was unfit to undergo the critical cardiac surgery required, counsel said.
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Sorcha McMahon, Kilmacud Road, Blackrock, Dublin had sued the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, arising from his death. She brought the claim for mental distress on behalf of the McMahon family over the child’s death five days after his birth at the hospital.
It was claimed there was failure to take any, or any reasonable, care for the safety of Ms McMahon and her baby while she was a patient in the hospital
It was further claimed there was failure to summon a consultant obstetrician in a timely manner to assist and deliver the baby.
It was also claimed the baby was denied the opportunity of life-saving heart surgery by alleged gross compromising of his condition as a result of the alleged mismanagement of his delivery.
The claims were denied.
In an affidavit, Ms McMahon said her son was born at the Dublin hospital on September 18th, 2017. He had been diagnosed during an antenatal ultrasound scan with a heart condition and a plan was put in place that, following delivery, he would be transferred to Our Lady Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin for operative care.
She said his prognosis was positive and it was imperative he be delivered in the best condition possible as he could ill afford any further compromise in light of his pre-existing heart condition and requirement for immediate operative intervention.
Ms McMahon said her son suffered a traumatic brain injury and after birth his condition was extremely compromised. His condition upon arrival at the Crumlin hospital was such that he was deemed unfit for his vital cardiac surgery and a decision had to be taken to allow palliative treatment. She said her son passed away on September 23rd, 2017.
The details of the settlement are confidential and the matter was before the court to decide on the division of a €35,000 statutory payment available to compensate dependants for the mental distress and anguish caused by the death of a loved one.
Mr Justice Garrett Simons approved the settlement.


theirishtimes--2020-12-07--House of Lords votes to suspend Lord Maginnis for 18 months

The British House of Lords has voted to suspend Lord ( Ken ) Maginnis for at least 18 months over allegations of bullying , harassment and homophobia .
The suspension motion was carried overwhelmingly on Monday after the House ’ s conduct committee last week found the former Ulster Unionist Party MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone guilty of bullying three MPs and a security guard .
It had recommended his suspension for at least 18 months and this motion was carried by 408 votes to 24 .
The committee also suggested the 18-month suspension could be extended if he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways .
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass had denied the allegations and described the committee ’ s findings as “ ridiculous ” .
Among those who voted against the motion were Lord Maginnis himself , former UUP MP Lord Kilclooney ( John Tayor ) and DUP peers Lord ( William ) McCrea and Lord ( Maurice ) Morrow .
Lord Maginnis was investigated for allegedly being “ verbally abusive ” to a Westminster security officer Christian Bombolo and three MPs : Hannah Bardell , Luke Pollard and Toby Perkins .
Lord Maginnis had protested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a circuitous route into the House of Lords after difficulty locating his security pass .
He had trouble walking due to illness , he said .
Scottish National Party MP Ms Bardell said Lord Maginnis became rude and aggressive when she intervened during the exchange with Mr Bombolo .
She said it was “ one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff ” she had witnessed .
The Huffington Post website quoted Lord Maginnis at the time as saying , “ queers like Ms Bardell don ’ t particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also investigated for using homophobic language about Labour MP Mr Pollard .
In February he became annoyed with Mr Pollard ’ s chairing of a British armed forces all-party parliamentary group , prompting him to send an email of complaint with the heading , “ Discrimination by Homos ” .
Mr Pollard said the email made him feel like a “ victim of abuse ” .
Lord Maginnis also said he had been a victim of a campaign against him by the LGBT rights group Stonewall .
That organisation in turn said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility for his behaviour and apologise to those he has hurt ” .
Lord Maginnis told BBC Radio Ulster last week that he had “ held responsible positions all my life .
At 83 years of age , I ’ m not going to be dictated to in this way.
” Lord Maginnis had been a UUP peer , but in 2012 resigned his membership after the leadership criticised him for referring to gay marriage as “ unnatural and deviant behaviour ” and linking homosexuality with bestiality .

Lord Ken Maginnis said he had been a victim of a campaign against him by the LGBT rights group Stonewall. File photograph: PA
The British House of Lords has voted to suspend Lord (Ken) Maginnis for at least 18 months over allegations of bullying, harassment and homophobia.
The suspension motion was carried overwhelmingly on Monday after the House's conduct committee last week found the former Ulster Unionist Party MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone guilty of bullying three MPs and a security guard.
It had recommended his suspension for at least 18 months and this motion was carried by 408 votes to 24.
The committee also suggested the 18-month suspension could be extended if he did not undergo behavioural training and mend his ways. Lord Maginnis of Drumglass had denied the allegations and described the committee’s findings as “ridiculous”.
READ MORE
Among those who voted against the motion were Lord Maginnis himself, former UUP MP Lord Kilclooney (John Tayor) and DUP peers Lord (William) McCrea and Lord (Maurice) Morrow.
Lord Maginnis was investigated for allegedly being "verbally abusive" to a Westminster security officer Christian Bombolo and three MPs: Hannah Bardell, Luke Pollard and Toby Perkins.
Lord Maginnis had protested that in January he was told unnecessarily to take a circuitous route into the House of Lords after difficulty locating his security pass. He had trouble walking due to illness, he said.
Scottish National Party MP Ms Bardell said Lord Maginnis became rude and aggressive when she intervened during the exchange with Mr Bombolo. She said it was “one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff” she had witnessed.
The Huffington Post website quoted Lord Maginnis at the time as saying, “queers like Ms Bardell don’t particularly annoy me”.
‘Victim of abuse’
Lord Maginnis was also investigated for using homophobic language about Labour MP Mr Pollard. In February he became annoyed with Mr Pollard's chairing of a British armed forces all-party parliamentary group, prompting him to send an email of complaint with the heading, "Discrimination by Homos".
Mr Pollard said the email made him feel like a “victim of abuse”.
Lord Maginnis also said he had been a victim of a campaign against him by the LGBT rights group Stonewall. That organisation in turn said the peer should “step up and accept responsibility for his behaviour and apologise to those he has hurt”.
Lord Maginnis told BBC Radio Ulster last week that he had “held responsible positions all my life. At 83 years of age, I’m not going to be dictated to in this way.”
Lord Maginnis had been a UUP peer, but in 2012 resigned his membership after the leadership criticised him for referring to gay marriage as “unnatural and deviant behaviour” and linking homosexuality with bestiality.


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Man jailed for four years after narrowly missing hitting a garda at checkpoint

A young father of three who drove through a Garda checkpoint , narrowly missing hitting a garda before speeding through a red light leaving a woman pushing a buggy with no choice but to drag it in off the road has been jailed for four years .
Daniel O ’ Brien ( 28 ) of Bracken Court , Donnybrook , Douglas in Cork had been disqualified for driving for eight years at the time of the offence on February 6th , 2019 at the South Douglas Road in Cork .
He has now been further disqualified from driving for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dillon gave evidence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court of carrying out a checkpoint at about 4pm on the date in question .
He told Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin that a black BMW car approaching the checkpoint slowed but never stopped .
“ Then it swerved at speed in my direction causing me to take evasive action .
I jumped out of the way .
The wing mirror clipped my hand .
The car continued on towards the city at speed and overtook a vehicle at traffic lights which were red .
The car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross the road and forced her to pull her buggy ( carrying a young child ) back on to the path .
The light was red at the time .
O ’ Brien presented himself at Togher Garda station for interview but did not co-operate during the interview , he said .
Garda Dillon said O ’ Brien had no insurance or driver ’ s licence at the time of the offence and was also disqualified from driving .
Garda Dillon said he had feared for his life in the incident .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convictions and was in custody on other matters .
O ’ Brien , who was jailed two weeks ago for 18 months for slashing a man with a sharp object , had pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment .
The charges were that he created a substantial risk of death or serious injury to Garda Dillon and to the mother and child who were crossing the road at the time of the offence .
He also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and while disqualified .
Defence barrister Paula McCarthy said O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his actions and was doing well in prison .
She said he is addressing his addiction problems and studying and using the gym in prison .
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said there was an element of definite deliberateness about the driving .
“ He drove deliberately at him [ the garda ] .
That was bad enough .
He then drove through a red light .
She [ the woman ] had to suddenly take back the buggy .
There was a disrespect for the safety of others .
He was also disqualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentenced O ’ Brien to four years in prison .
He also disqualified him from driving for 12 years .

A young father of three who drove through a Garda checkpoint, narrowly missing hitting a garda before speeding through a red light leaving a woman pushing a buggy with no choice but to drag it in off the road has been jailed for four years.
Daniel O’Brien (28) of Bracken Court, Donnybrook, Douglas in Cork had been disqualified for driving for eight years at the time of the offence on February 6th, 2019 at the South Douglas Road in Cork.
He has now been further disqualified from driving for a period of 12 years.
Garda Ryan Dillon gave evidence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court of carrying out a checkpoint at about 4pm on the date in question.
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He told Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin that a black BMW car approaching the checkpoint slowed but never stopped.
“Then it swerved at speed in my direction causing me to take evasive action. I jumped out of the way. The wing mirror clipped my hand. The car continued on towards the city at speed and overtook a vehicle at traffic lights which were red.
The car nearly collided with a female trying to cross the road and forced her to pull her buggy (carrying a young child) back on to the path. The light was red at the time.
O’Brien presented himself at Togher Garda station for interview but did not co-operate during the interview, he said.
Garda Dillon said O’Brien had no insurance or driver’s licence at the time of the offence and was also disqualified from driving.
Garda Dillon said he had feared for his life in the incident. He said O’Brien had 44 previous convictions and was in custody on other matters.
O’Brien, who was jailed two weeks ago for 18 months for slashing a man with a sharp object, had pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment.
The charges were that he created a substantial risk of death or serious injury to Garda Dillon and to the mother and child who were crossing the road at the time of the offence.
He also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and while disqualified.
Defence barrister Paula McCarthy said O’Brien had expressed his remorse for his actions and was doing well in prison. She said he is addressing his addiction problems and studying and using the gym in prison.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said there was an element of definite deliberateness about the driving.
“He drove deliberately at him [the garda]. That was bad enough. He then drove through a red light. She [the woman] had to suddenly take back the buggy. There was a disrespect for the safety of others. He was also disqualified at the time.”
Judge Ó Donnabháin sentenced O’Brien to four years in prison. He also disqualified him from driving for 12 years.


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Mice infestation at Dublin restaurant posed ‘grave’ risk to health

Closure orders citing rodent infestations which posed a serious risk to human health have been served on a Dublin sushi restaurant and an Asian food business based in Waterford .
The Dublin restaurant was named by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland ( FSAI ) as Shiro Sushi , of 10 Moore Street , operated by Boteco Quality Foods Limited .
The closure order , served on company secretary Verano Damas Neto , cited a HSE inspector ’ s report which concluded an infestation of mice in the restaurant posed a “ grave and immediate danger to public health ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dirt in the kitchen ” including food preparation surfaces “ to such an extent that food including sushi/sashimi was likely to be contaminated ” .
In relation to Asian Food Markets , at Park Road Business Park in Waterford city , the closure order was served on Abdel Rahman Adam and Muhedeen Said Awla .
The health inspector ’ s report in the case said evidence of rodents was found to be widespread , with “ gnawed food packaging and droppings on shelving where food was displayed for sale , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the butchery area ” .
A small meat manufacturing plant in Co Longford was also served with a prohibition order under the Food Safety Authority Act .
The prohibition notice on Valhalla Meats Limited of Townparks Industrial Estate , which has since been lifted , cited a range of products which it said should be withdrawn .
These included a venison carcass ; 10 trays of bone and trimmings ; trays of steaks ; diced beef , beef ribs and roast beef .
In addition a prosecution was brought under the EC Food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an animal slaughterhouse .
at Corcreaghy , Carrickmacross , Co Louth .
Barry McConnon was convicted and fined €2,500 , and he paid €1,000 towards prosecution costs .
A forfeiture order was made in respect of all equipment seized .

The health inspector’s report in the case said evidence of rodents was found to be widespread at an Asian food business in Waterford. File photograph: iStock
Closure orders citing rodent infestations which posed a serious risk to human health have been served on a Dublin sushi restaurant and an Asian food business based in Waterford.
The Dublin restaurant was named by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) as Shiro Sushi, of 10 Moore Street, operated by Boteco Quality Foods Limited.
The closure order, served on company secretary Verano Damas Neto, cited a HSE inspector’s report which concluded an infestation of mice in the restaurant posed a “grave and immediate danger to public health” .
The report noted “heavy accumulations of dirt in the kitchen” including food preparation surfaces “to such an extent that food including sushi/sashimi was likely to be contaminated”.
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In relation to Asian Food Markets, at Park Road Business Park in Waterford city, the closure order was served on Abdel Rahman Adam and Muhedeen Said Awla.
The health inspector’s report in the case said evidence of rodents was found to be widespread, with “gnawed food packaging and droppings on shelving where food was displayed for sale, as well as in a wash hand basin in the butchery area”.
A small meat manufacturing plant in Co Longford was also served with a prohibition order under the Food Safety Authority Act. The prohibition notice on Valhalla Meats Limited of Townparks Industrial Estate, which has since been lifted, cited a range of products which it said should be withdrawn. These included a venison carcass; 10 trays of bone and trimmings; trays of steaks; diced beef, beef ribs and roast beef.
In addition a prosecution was brought under the EC Food and Feed Hygiene Regulations against the occupier of an animal slaughterhouse. at Corcreaghy, Carrickmacross, Co Louth. Barry McConnon was convicted and fined €2,500, and he paid €1,000 towards prosecution costs. A forfeiture order was made in respect of all equipment seized.


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Cabinet publishes list of age groups and workers who will get Covid-19 vaccine first

Ministers have confirmed that those aged over 65 and in long-term care , frontline healthcare workers in direct patient contact and those aged over 70 will be the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine .
The Cabinet this morning considered wider categories for inclusion in the vaccination programme and according to a list published this afternoon , these initial cohorts will be followed by other healthcare workers and then those aged 65 to 69 with medical conditions .
Healthcare workers who are not in direct patient contact , as well as the over 65s with medical conditions that put them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among those prioritised next for vaccination , once more pressing categories are immunised .
Following this , “ key workers ” will be vaccinated , although this category will be further refined , according to the Government list .
It will include those “ providing services essential to societal and economic activity ” .
The next category will be those aged 18 to 64 with medical conditions which put them at higher risk of disease , followed by residents of long term care facilities in this age cohort .
Once those groups are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 64-year-olds living in crowded accommodation where self-isolation and social distancing is difficult to maintain , then key workers in essential jobs who “ can not avoid a high risk of exposure ” , including workers in the food supply system as well as public and commercial transport sectors .
The following category will be those who are essential to education and face disease exposure , such as primary and second level school staff , childcare workers and school bus drivers .
Then those aged 55 to 64 will be inoculated , followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the functioning of society ” - for example those working in third level institutions , entertainment and other industries where protective measures can be followed without much difficulty .
Then the 18 to 54 year olds , who did not have access to the vaccine in prior phases will be next , before finally , children , adolescents up to 18 and pregnant women will be immunised , “ if evidence demonstrates safety and efficacy ” .
Government sources have indicated that the list is a “ living document ” and may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different vaccines among different groups in the wider population .
It has not been decided if each immunisation will be completed in each group before the programme moves on to the next one , or if there may be some overlap .

Ministers have confirmed that those aged over 65 and in long-term care, frontline healthcare workers in direct patient contact (including vaccinators) and those aged over 70 will be the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
The Cabinet this morning considered wider categories for inclusion in the vaccination programme and according to a list published this afternoon, these cohorts will be followed by other healthcare workers and then those aged 65 to 69 with medical conditions.
Healthcare workers who are not in direct patient contact, as well as the over 65s with medical conditions that put them at risk of severe disease, are among those prioritised next for vaccination, once more pressing categories are immunised.
Following this, “key workers” will be vaccinated, although this category will be further refined, according to the Government list. It will include those “providing services essential to the vaccination programme (e.g. logistical support)”. An earlier draft has been changed but it had said for those “providing services essential to societal and economic activity”.
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The next category will be those aged between 18 to 64 with medical conditions which put them at higher risk of disease, followed by residents of long term care facilities in this age cohort.
Once those groups are vaccinated, focus will switch to 18 to 64-year-olds living in crowded accommodation where self-isolation and social distancing is difficult to maintain, then key workers in essential jobs who “cannot avoid a high risk of exposure”, including workers in the food supply system as well as public and commercial transport sectors.
The following category will be those who are essential to education and face disease exposure, such as primary and second level school staff, childcare workers and school bus drivers.
Then those aged 55 to 64 will be inoculated, followed by those in occupations “important to the functioning of society” - for example those working in third level institutions, entertainment and other industries where protective measures can be followed without much difficulty.
Then the 18 to 54 year olds, who did not have access to the vaccine in prior phases will be next, before finally, children, adolescents up to 18 and pregnant women will be immunised, “if evidence demonstrates safety and efficacy”.
Government sources have indicated that the list is a “living document” and may be subject to change based on how effective different vaccines among different groups in the wider population.
It has not been decided if each immunisation will be completed in each group before the programme moves on to the next one, or if there may be some overlap.
Vaccine buddy
Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland, the representative group for private nursing home owners, welcomed nursing home residents and staff being prioritised for the first Covid-19 vaccines given that residents of care homes faced “the greatest risk” from the virus.
“The challenge for us now is to ensure a coordinated approach between ourselves and the HSE, which will be rolling out the inoculation, and we hope to get further clarity on that,” he said.
Mr Daly said that he still hoped that NHI’s proposal for a “vaccine buddy” - where a relative or friend of a nursing home resident would be inoculated along with the resident to help their wellbeing with regular visits - would be kept on the agenda as an option.
“What we want to achieve is to get back to relative normality on visiting,” he said.
The NHI said the full roll-out of the vaccines would take some time and the vaccine buddy scheme “presents an opportunity for enhanced contact between residents and family.”
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said today that the measure was not recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee that advised on the priority list for vaccines.
“I think it is a very nice idea and I think it comes from a very good place because obviously it would help,” he said.
Mr Donnelly said that the Government was still awaiting data from the European Medicines Agency on the transmissibility of the virus by people who have been vaccinated and that it could be “high risk” to have people going into nursing homes.
“While they may be protected from getting very sick themselves from the vaccine, it is unclear how much other people in the nursing home will be protected in terms of transmissibility,” he told RTE’s News At One radio programme.


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Garda numbers at highest level in force’s history

Garda numbers reached their highest in the history of the State last year , according to the Garda Síochána annual report published on Tuesday morning .
During 2019 the force seized more than €21 million in drugs , enjoyed the trust of more than 90 per cent of the public and prevented attacks on the peace of the State from weaponised dissident groups .
According to the main points of the review the Garda : • Grew to include a total of 14,307 personnel , a “ working-time equivalent ” of 17,709.9 .
• Enjoyed the highest recorded trust level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years under the public attitudes survey taken in quarter three .
• Began the roll-out of mobility devices to frontline members .
• Increased numbers in sergeant and inspector ranks , with 125 promotions to inspector and 169 promotions to sergeant .
• More than 340 Gardaí reassigned to frontline duties .
The report , which was presented to the Oireachtas , noted the commencement of the new “ Garda operating model ” .
The new model is geared towards larger Garda divisions with more resources , a wider range of locally-delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community policing .
In its role as Ireland ’ s intelligence service the Garda made a number of seizures of weaponry which the report said “ degraded the capability of dissident groups ” .
The Garda also secured “ convictions for terrorism offences ” and made “ large-scale preparations for potential terrorist incidents ” .
The force also published its 2019-2021 diversity and integration strategy .
The strategy focuses on enhancing the identification , reporting , investigation and prosecution of hate crimes .
It also included for the first time a policing definition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 300 refugees with the aid of the Special Detective Unit operating under the State ’ s refugee resettlement programme .
• 98 hostage/barricade/suicide-type incidents which were dealt with by Garda negotiators .
• 11 people successfully convicted before the Special Criminal Court and the higher courts .
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said : “ The dedication and determination of Garda personnel to keeping people safe is evident throughout this report .
From significant drug seizures , ongoing reductions in burglaries , crime-prevention initiatives and daily community engagement .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2019 Garda public attitudes survey .
It found high levels of satisfaction with the service we provide and public trust of over 90 per cent.
” The report was approved by the Policing Authority and has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas .

According to the Garda annual report, the force enjoyed the trust of more than 90 per cent of the public. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Garda numbers reached their highest in the history of the State last year, according to the Garda Síochána annual report published on Tuesday morning.
During 2019 the force seized more than €21 million in drugs, enjoyed the trust of more than 90 per cent of the public and prevented attacks on the peace of the State from weaponised dissident groups.
According to the main points of the review the Garda:
Grew to include a total of 14,307 personnel, a "working-time equivalent" of 17,709.9.
Enjoyed the highest recorded trust level in An Garda Síochána in the last five years under the public attitudes survey taken in quarter three.
Seized €21 million in drugs.
Began the roll-out of mobility devices to frontline members.
Increased numbers in sergeant and inspector ranks, with 125 promotions to inspector and 169 promotions to sergeant.
More than 340 Gardaí reassigned to frontline duties.
The report, which was presented to the Oireachtas, noted the commencement of the new “Garda operating model”. The new model is geared towards larger Garda divisions with more resources, a wider range of locally-delivered policing services and a strong focus on community policing.
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Terrorism offences
In its role as Ireland’s intelligence service the Garda made a number of seizures of weaponry which the report said “degraded the capability of dissident groups”. The Garda also secured “convictions for terrorism offences” and made “large-scale preparations for potential terrorist incidents”.
The force also published its 2019-2021 diversity and integration strategy. The strategy focuses on enhancing the identification, reporting, investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. It also included for the first time a policing definition of hate crime.
The Garda responded to:
4,390 higher-risk spontaneous incidents using the Armed Support Unit.
Security screening of more than 300 refugees with the aid of the Special Detective Unit operating under the State's refugee resettlement programme.
98 hostage/barricade/suicide-type incidents which were dealt with by Garda negotiators.
11 people successfully convicted before the Special Criminal Court and the higher courts.
Determination
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: “The dedication and determination of Garda personnel to keeping people safe is evident throughout this report. From significant drug seizures, ongoing reductions in burglaries, crime-prevention initiatives and daily community engagement.
“The results of this can be seen in the 2019 Garda public attitudes survey. It found high levels of satisfaction with the service we provide and public trust of over 90 per cent.”
The report was approved by the Policing Authority and has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Artists performing train station gigs to raise funds for Focus Ireland

A number of Irish artists will come together to perform at train stations this week in order to raise money for the homeless charity Focus Ireland .
Performances from Mary Coughlan , Damien Dempsey , Brian Kennedy and Erica Cody and others will be streamed over Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8pm on the charity ’ s YouTube and Facebook pages .
The Riptide Movement , Eleanor McEvoy , Mundy , Emma Langford , Mick Flanery , Jack O ’ Rourke , Emer O ’ Flaherty , State Lights and Oliver Cole are also taking part in “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free but donations to Focus Ireland , via their website , are appreciated .
A total of 1,117 families will spend Christmas in emergency accommodation , which includes 2,642 charities , according to the charity .
John O ’ Haire , service manager at Focus Ireland , said the Covid-19 pandemic had “ greatly affected charity efforts ” across Ireland .
“ We have seen an increase in demand for our services as the harsh realities of the impact of Covid-19 come to light , ” he said .
“ Child homelessness in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since July 2014 and with the help of the Irish public , we want to change these children ’ s lives and ensure they have a safe , permanent roof over their heads .
“ We really appreciate the support the public have given to us over the years and hope that this year they can continue to support Focus Ireland .
”

Mary Coughlan will be performing at one of the events that are being streamed over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8pm on Focus Ireland’s YouTube and Facebook pages. File photograph: Cyril Byrne
A number of Irish artists will come together to perform at train stations this week in order to raise money for the homeless charity Focus Ireland.
Performances from Mary Coughlan, Damien Dempsey, Brian Kennedy and Erica Cody and others will be streamed over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8pm on the charity's YouTube and Facebook pages.
The Riptide Movement, Eleanor McEvoy, Mundy, Emma Langford, Mick Flanery, Jack O'Rourke, Emer O'Flaherty, State Lights and Oliver Cole are also taking part in "Station Sessions".
All shows are free but donations to Focus Ireland, via their website, are appreciated.
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A total of 1,117 families will spend Christmas in emergency accommodation, which includes 2,642 charities, according to the charity.
John O’Haire, service manager at Focus Ireland, said the Covid-19 pandemic had “greatly affected charity efforts” across Ireland.
“We have seen an increase in demand for our services as the harsh realities of the impact of Covid-19 come to light,” he said.
“Child homelessness in Ireland has increased by 253 per cent since July 2014 and with the help of the Irish public, we want to change these children’s lives and ensure they have a safe, permanent roof over their heads.
“We really appreciate the support the public have given to us over the years and hope that this year they can continue to support Focus Ireland.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Three arrested in multimillion invoice-redirect fraud investigation

Gardaí investigating a major crime network based in Ireland , and abroad , that has scammed millions of euro from victims of invoice-redirect fraud have arrested three men in Dublin .
Members of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau carried out searches at three properties in Dublin early on Tuesday morning and arrested three men , all in their 20s , and from Nigeria , Ireland and Romania .
The operation was part of Operation Skein , under which there had already been five arrests before the latest searches on Tuesday morning .
The criminals under investigation are effectively all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all with different roles , involved in scamming people and companies by sending them fake invoices .
Gardaí believe the scam is led by Nigerian criminals , based in Ireland and abroad , with many Italian and Romanian suspects also having been identified during the investigation .
The Irish man arrested on Tuesday morning was detained on suspicion he had effectively rented out , or sold , his bank account to the gang so they could take receipt of money from the victims of their frauds .
The Nigerian man detained on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main suspect in the case , also from Nigeria , whose home was searched by gardaí earlier this year , though he has not been arrested to date .
Gardaí suspect the Romanian man arrested on Tuesday is effectively a middle manager in the enterprise as he is suspected of recruiting and organising “ money mules ” – those people who agree to cede control of their bank accounts to the criminals .
The arrests were in Dublin ’ s south inner city , Finglas in north Dublin and in Dublin 8 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street and Pearse Street Garda stations in central Dublin .
They were being held under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows for their detention without charge for up to seven days and is used when suspects are being investigated for alleged organised crime .
Operation Skein has intensified in recent months , with three suspects arrested in October , following another two suspects earlier this year as evidence has been uncovered of about €4 million having been moved through bank accounts in Ireland , all linked to invoice-redirect fraud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into lodging money into accounts controlled by the criminals .
They send invoices to companies purporting to come from one of the targeted companies ’ trading partners .
In order to carry out a fraud successfully that gang often uses information about both companies that they have obtained through hacking or from the firms ’ websites or social media accounts .
When the invoice is paid the money is transferred into a bank account controlled by the fraudsters rather than into the account of the legitimate company owed the money .
Fraudsters gain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false identities or paying the account holder for access to their account for the purposes of receiving and transferring money .

Gardaí believe the scam is led by Nigerian criminals, based in Ireland and abroad, with many Italian and Romanian suspects also having been identified during the investigation. File photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Gardaí investigating a major crime network based in Ireland, and abroad, that has scammed millions of euro from victims of invoice-redirect fraud have arrested three men in Dublin.
Members of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau carried out searches at three properties in Dublin early on Tuesday morning and arrested three men, all in their 20s, and from Nigeria, Ireland and Romania.
The operation was part of Operation Skein, under which there had already been five arrests before the latest searches on Tuesday morning.
The criminals under investigation are effectively all members of a network of people, all with different roles, involved in scamming people and companies by sending them fake invoices.
READ MORE
Gardaí believe the scam is led by Nigerian criminals, based in Ireland and abroad, with many Italian and Romanian suspects also having been identified during the investigation.
The Irish man arrested on Tuesday morning was detained on suspicion he had effectively rented out, or sold, his bank account to the gang so they could take receipt of money from the victims of their frauds.
The Nigerian man detained on Tuesday is believed to be close to the main suspect in the case, also from Nigeria, whose home was searched by gardaí earlier this year, though he has not been arrested to date.
Gardaí suspect the Romanian man arrested on Tuesday is effectively a middle manager in the enterprise as he is suspected of recruiting and organising “money mules” – those people who agree to cede control of their bank accounts to the criminals.
The arrests were in Dublin's south inner city, Finglas in north Dublin and in Dublin 8. They men were being held at Kevin Street and Pearse Street Garda stations in central Dublin.
They were being held under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows for their detention without charge for up to seven days and is used when suspects are being investigated for alleged organised crime.
Operation Skein has intensified in recent months, with three suspects arrested in October, following another two suspects earlier this year as evidence has been uncovered of about €4 million having been moved through bank accounts in Ireland, all linked to invoice-redirect fraud.
Invoice-redirect fraud involves crime gangs tricking companies into lodging money into accounts controlled by the criminals. They send invoices to companies purporting to come from one of the targeted companies’ trading partners.
In order to carry out a fraud successfully that gang often uses information about both companies that they have obtained through hacking or from the firms’ websites or social media accounts.
When the invoice is paid the money is transferred into a bank account controlled by the fraudsters rather than into the account of the legitimate company owed the money. Fraudsters gain control of accounts by opening them under false identities or paying the account holder for access to their account for the purposes of receiving and transferring money.


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Man arrested in Keane Mulready Woods murder investigation

A man has been arrested in connection with the death of Keane Mulready Woods .
The man in his 40s @ @ @ @ @ and is being detained at Drogheda Garda station .
He can be held for up @ @ @ @ @ Mulready Woods ( 17 ) was last seen alive by his family on the evening @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
Gardaí believe he was killed almost immediately after he was last seen @ @ @ @ @ later dismembered .
After his remains were found in two portions in north Dublin in @ @ @ @ @ , gardaí identified a house in Drogheda where they believe he was killed and dismembered @

The remains of Keane Mulready Woods were discovered in Dublin. Gardaí believe he was killed in Drogheda. Photograph: Garda/PA
A man has been arrested in connection with the death of Keane Mulready Woods.
The man in his 40s was arrested on Tuesday morning and is being detained at Drogheda Garda station. He can be held for up to seven days.
Keane Mulready Woods (17) was last seen alive by his family on the evening of Sunday, January 12th, 2020. Gardaí believe he was killed almost immediately after he was last seen alive and his body was later dismembered.
After his remains were found in two portions in north Dublin in the days following his disappearance, gardaí identified a house in Drogheda where they believe he was killed and dismembered.


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Irish students are top maths performers in EU, international study finds

Students across the island of Ireland are the top performers in maths across the European Union at both primary and second level , according to a major international study .
The performance of students in Ireland at science is also significantly above the average .
However , high-achieving students in Ireland are under-performing compared to pupils in other highly ranked countries .
The findings are contained in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ( Timss ) , based on data gathered in 2019 across more than 600,000 students in 64 countries .
The study , carried out every four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at fourth class in primary and second year in secondary level .
It shows there was little significant change recorded among Irish students since 2015 with pupils continuing to perform at a relatively high level .
No significant gender differences were found either , with boys and girls performing equally well in maths and science tests .
Globally , however , Ireland lags significantly behind several east Asian countries and jurisdictions such as Singapore , Chinese Taipei , Korea and Japan .
In fourth class , for example , students in Ireland ranked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place for science .
Northern Irish students ranked 7th .
In second year , students in Ireland ranked in 7th place for maths and 10th for science .
Encouragingly , the results show lower-achieving students in Ireland performed significantly better than the average of students in all countries surveyed .
However , there is a wide gap between the highest performing students in Ireland and their peers in countries with a similar overall performance .
These overall performance patterns for students in Ireland reflect the findings gathered in the previous survey in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes which were introduced over recent years .
Responding to the results , Minister for Education Norma Foley welcomed the fact that Ireland had maintained its strong performance .
“ This high performance reflects the commitment and hard work of our school communities but also the significant efforts that have been put into the national literacy and numeracy strategy , curricular review and redevelopment , the Stem education policy statement and the digital strategy for schools , ” she said .
Ms Foley said the absence of any significant gender differences for maths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department ’ s focus on improvements in relation to gender balance in Stem .
The fact that lower-achieving students performed significantly better than the average of students in all countries showed equity in terms of schools ’ performance generally .
However , she acknowledged there is a need for improvement among high performing students .
“ The results show areas that we need to focus on .
For example , we need to stretch the performance of higher-achieving students .
Concentrated efforts are required to improve the performance of higher achieving students in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Ms Foley said there was a commitment in the Programme for Government to implement a strategy to support gifted and talented students at both primary and post-primary levels .
She said high-quality training is needed for teachers which incorporates a specific focus on extending higher-achieving ’ students .
On the issue of whether benefits should be apparent from new junior cycle reforms , she said we are “ still in the early stage of implementation ” .
“ The new approaches and emphasis on transversal skills , critical thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on students ’ performance , ” she said .
“ However , it is interesting to note the relative strengths of new areas of the curriculum as a trend across science and mathematics.
” Ms Foley added that the results from the study will be taken into account when considering actions in the next Stem education implementation plan .
Results of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ( 2019 ) These are the top-line results from the 64 countries surveyed which show where Ireland ranked relative to other jurisdictions

Students in Ireland are performing at a relatively high level in maths and science, according to an international study. Photograph: iStock
Students across the island of Ireland are the top performers in maths across the European Union at both primary and second level, according to a major international study.
The performance of students in Ireland at science is also significantly above the average.
However, high-achieving students in Ireland are under-performing compared to pupils in other highly ranked countries.
The findings are contained in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (Timss), based on data gathered in 2019 across more than 600,000 students in 64 countries.
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The study, carried out every four years, measures the performance of children at fourth class in primary and second year in secondary level.
It shows there was little significant change recorded among Irish students since 2015 with pupils continuing to perform at a relatively high level.
No significant gender differences were found either, with boys and girls performing equally well in maths and science tests.
East Asia
Globally, however, Ireland lags significantly behind several east Asian countries and jurisdictions such as Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Korea and Japan.
In fourth class, for example, students in Ireland ranked in ninth place for maths and 18th place for science. Northern Ireland students ranked seventh.
In second year, students in Ireland ranked in seventh place for maths and 10th for science.
Encouragingly, the results show lower-achieving students in Ireland performed significantly better than the average of students in all countries surveyed.
However, there is a wide gap between the highest performing students in Ireland and their peers in countries with a similar overall performance.
These overall performance patterns for students in Ireland reflect the findings gathered in the previous survey in 2015.
This is despite junior cycle curriculum changes which were introduced over recent years.
Reaction
Responding to the results, Minister for Education Norma Foley welcomed the fact that Ireland had maintained its strong performance.
“This high performance reflects the commitment and hard work of our school communities but also the significant efforts that have been put into the national literacy and numeracy strategy, curricular review and redevelopment, the Stem education policy statement and the digital strategy for schools,” she said.
Ms Foley said the absence of any significant gender differences for maths or science was very positive given her department’s focus on improvements in relation to gender balance in Stem.
The fact that lower-achieving students performed significantly better than the average of students in all countries showed equity in terms of schools’ performance generally.
However, she acknowledged there is a need for improvement among high performing students.
“The results show areas that we need to focus on. For example, we need to stretch the performance of higher-achieving students. Concentrated efforts are required to improve the performance of higher achieving students in both subjects at both school levels,” she said.
Ms Foley said there was a commitment in the programme for government to implement a strategy to support gifted and talented students at both primary and post-primary levels.
She said high-quality training is needed for teachers which incorporates a specific focus on extending higher-achieving’ students.
Junior cycle
On the issue of whether benefits should be apparent from new junior cycle reforms, she said we are “still in the early stage of implementation”.
“The new approaches and emphasis on transversal skills, critical thinking and inquiry-based learning will take time to impact on students’ performance,” she said.
“However, it is interesting to note the relative strengths of new areas of the curriculum as a trend across science and mathematics.”
Ms Foley added that the results from the study will be taken into account when considering actions in the next Stem education implementation plan.
Results of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (2019)
These are the top-line results from the 64 countries surveyed which show where Ireland ranked relative to other jurisdictions
Fourth class performance in maths
(1) Singapore
(2) Hong Kong
(3) Republic of Korea
(4) Chinese Taipei
(5) Japan
(6) Russian Federation
(7) Northern Ireland
(8) England
(9) Ireland
(10) Latvia
Fourth class performance in science
(1) Singapore
(2) Republic of Korea
(3) Russian Federation
(4) Japan
(5) Chinese Taipei
(6) Finland
(7) Latvia
(8) Norway
(9)United States
(10) Lithuania
(11) Sweden
(12) England
(13) Czech Republic
(14) Australia
(15) Hong Kong
(16) Poland
(17) Hungary
(18) Ireland
Second year performance in maths
(1) Singapore
(2) Chinese Taipei
(3) Republic of Korea
(4) Japan
(5) Hong Kong
(6) Russian Federation
(7) Ireland
(8) Lithuania
Second year performance in science
(1) Singapore
(2) Chinese Taipei
(3) Japan
(4) Republic of Korea
(5) Russian Federation
(6) Finland
(7) Lithuania
(8) Hungary
(9) Australia
(10) Ireland


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--‘It is difficult to be 20 in 2020’: studying abroad in lockdown

“ C ’ est dur d ’ avoir vingt ans en deux mille vingt.
” It is difficult to be 20 years old in 2020 .
Such were the words of Emmanuel Macron on October 14th as he announced localised curfews across France , one of the many measures to combat the second wave of Covid-19 in the country .
As a 20 year old in 2020 and a resident in Paris , Macron ’ s words have a particular resonance with me .
My raison d ’ etre in Paris in the midst of a pandemic is the Erasmus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourages student exchanges between European universities .
Whether born out of my ( somewhat naive ) belief that I would “ come home fluent in French ” , my desire to travel or a bit of both , I have always wanted to participate in the programme and attend a French university .
Though it began to look more and more unlikely as the summer of Covid-19 progressed , Trinity College was one of the few universities to allow their exchange programmes to continue .
Either way , whether in Dublin or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no escaping the pandemic .
However , upon arriving here in September , I noticed a distinctly different attitude to Covid-related restrictions .
As Ireland debated wet pubs and county borders , the French seemed , on the whole , more relaxed and fatalistic , in spite of the exponential growth of cases .
There were no seats off limits on the metro , number limits in shops seemed aspirational and people were not dismounting the footpath to keep their distance .
Pints without €9 meals were definitely not contraband and cocooning was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be eager to seek out the “ normal ” in the “ new normal ” .
The city may have felt busy to me but it was a far cry from pre-Covid Paris .
The queuing barriers leading into the Louvre were made redundant as we breezed into the world-famous gallery without having to endure the infamous waiting times .
It was never difficult to book a slot to ascend the Arc de Triomphe and I even managed to wander down a half-empty Parisian street to get a close-up view of Sam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France glory .
The university experience I have had here so far is in no way comparable to that of previous exchanges but I have learned to adapt my expectations .
Online lectures have been par for the course in Ireland , where universities have been online since April – meaning the novelty of Zoom lectures has long worn off .
My host university , Sciences Po , decided to adopt the “ hybrid model ” of university teaching , which meant I would be taking classes online as the norm .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of my classmates than I expected .
Student societies adapted with sanitary measures and managed to find large parks and outdoor bars to give us opportunities to rub shoulders ( or bump elbows ) with fellow students .
The stranger university experience was had by some of my fellow Irish-on-Erasmus who had to attend in-person lectures in nearby universities that refused to bring their offering online .
Some French universities were happy to fill their lecture halls with pre-lockdown levels of students , a far cry from the more deserted Irish colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Gallic nonchalance , Covid-19 made its presence felt .
Bar closures came first in early October , followed days later by a city-wide curfew and a national lockdown .
For the last few weeks travel has been restricted to within a 1km radius and one hour of exercise a day is allowed .
Not exactly the cultural experience the EU promised to budding Erasmus participants .
However , being resident in the Irish Cultural Centre ( formerly the Irish College ) has undoubtedly made things easier .
At a time of limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exiled in France during the battle against Covid-19 .
Despite circumstances threatening to unravel some residents ’ Christmas travel plans , the students and artists in residence have remained positive and I am indebted to them for the companionship they have provided me with during this second national confinement .
Experiencing a French lockdown , as well as having friends of mine asking whether they should take up a university exchange place this January , has made me ponder whether a year abroad in 2020 was worth undertaking .
Is it worthwhile to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a global pandemic only to attend Zoom lectures that could be accessed with a good internet connection from your bedroom ?
How can you possibly experience the culture of a restricted and periodically locked-down city ?
Not to mention the health risks involved in making the move in the first place .
In spite of all the negatives , I would have to answer , yes , it has been worth it .
The little things have made my time here truly worthwhile : trips to the barber are free French language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walking tours and a few words with the local boulanger never fails to put a smile on my masked face .
Volunteering for a student-led soup run has become a staple in my week during lockdown and interacting with the homeless people of Paris has put me face to face with another facet of French life that you will not find in a tourist brochure .
At a time when the grand plans in our lives have been put on hold , we have had to reset expectations and learn to appreciate those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed as insignificant .
For the past few months I have had the privilege of living in this city at a unique moment in its history .
It is true that being 20 in 2020 is difficult , but it has its compensations .
‘ We ’ ve been left high and dry ’ : international students on college fees and online classes .
We asked international students who have travelled to Ireland to share their views on what their college experience has been like .
Many who are struggling with online lectures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel they have been short-changed and want refunds .
International students from outside the EU can pay fees up to €25,000 for undergraduate courses ( or €55,000 in the case of medicine ) .
Unlike Irish and EU students , they are not eligible for the €250 refunds announced recently .
“ I have paid €10,250 and I have come to Ireland to get a good quality of education and now there are no classes on campus and everything is online and the college asked us to be present on the campus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I am not getting part-time work anywhere.
” “ We ’ ve travelled thousands of miles , paid six times more fees than EU nationals and shelled out hundreds of euro per month for rent and living just to stay inside our houses .
We are getting zero international exposure .
Our learning experience has been tremendously compromised .
I think a fee refund is the least that our university could do for us.
” “ I decided to pay thousands of euro and bear the expenses of staying in an expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 20 per cent in return .
I have met my classmates only once for an hour .
These restrictions are important for our safety but I feel the students should get at least some percentage of fees back .
”

"C'est dur d'avoir vingt ans en deux mille vingt." It is difficult to be 20 years old in 2020. Such were the words of Emmanuel Macron on October 14th as he announced localised curfews across France, one of the many measures to combat the second wave of Covid-19 in the country.
As a 20 year old in 2020 and a resident in Paris, Macron’s words have a particular resonance with me. My raison d’etre in Paris in the midst of a pandemic is the Erasmus programme, a European Union-led programme that encourages student exchanges between European universities.
Whether born out of my (somewhat naive) belief that I would "come home fluent in French", my desire to travel or a bit of both, I have always wanted to participate in the programme and attend a French university. Though it began to look more and more unlikely as the summer of Covid-19 progressed, Trinity College was one of the few universities to allow their exchange programmes to continue.
Either way, whether in Dublin or in Paris, there was going to be no escaping the pandemic. However, upon arriving here in September, I noticed a distinctly different attitude to Covid-related restrictions. As Ireland debated wet pubs and county borders, the French seemed, on the whole, more relaxed and fatalistic, in spite of the exponential growth of cases.
READ MORE
There were no seats off limits on the metro, number limits in shops seemed aspirational and people were not dismounting the footpath to keep their distance. Pints without €9 meals were definitely not contraband and cocooning was reserved for the butterflies. Paris seemed to be eager to seek out the “normal” in the “new normal”.
The city may have felt busy to me but it was a far cry from pre-Covid Paris. The queuing barriers leading into the Louvre were made redundant as we breezed into the world-famous gallery without having to endure the infamous waiting times. It was never difficult to book a slot to ascend the Arc de Triomphe and I even managed to wander down a half-empty Parisian street to get a close-up view of Sam Bennett on his way to Tour de France glory.
The university experience I have had here so far is in no way comparable to that of previous exchanges but I have learned to adapt my expectations. Online lectures have been par for the course in Ireland, where universities have been online since April – meaning the novelty of Zoom lectures has long worn off.
My host university, Sciences Po, decided to adopt the “hybrid model” of university teaching, which meant I would be taking classes online as the norm. In spite of this I got to see more of my classmates than I expected.
Adapting
Student societies adapted with sanitary measures and managed to find large parks and outdoor bars to give us opportunities to rub shoulders (or bump elbows) with fellow students. The stranger university experience was had by some of my fellow Irish-on-Erasmus who had to attend in-person lectures in nearby universities that refused to bring their offering online. Some French universities were happy to fill their lecture halls with pre-lockdown levels of students, a far cry from the more deserted Irish colleges.
However, even in the face of Gallic nonchalance, Covid-19 made its presence felt. Bar closures came first in early October, followed days later by a city-wide curfew and a national lockdown. For the last few weeks travel has been restricted to within a 1km radius and one hour of exercise a day is allowed. Not exactly the cultural experience the EU promised to budding Erasmus participants.
However, being resident in the Irish Cultural Centre (formerly the Irish College) has undoubtedly made things easier. At a time of limited cross-border travel we are in some way exiled in France during the battle against Covid-19. Despite circumstances threatening to unravel some residents' Christmas travel plans, the students and artists in residence have remained positive and I am indebted to them for the companionship they have provided me with during this second national confinement.
Experiencing a French lockdown, as well as having friends of mine asking whether they should take up a university exchange place this January, has made me ponder whether a year abroad in 2020 was worth undertaking. Is it worthwhile to move to another country in the midst of a global pandemic only to attend Zoom lectures that could be accessed with a good internet connection from your bedroom? How can you possibly experience the culture of a restricted and periodically locked-down city? Not to mention the health risks involved in making the move in the first place.
In spite of all the negatives, I would have to answer, yes, it has been worth it. The little things have made my time here truly worthwhile: trips to the barber are free French language lessons, lockdown coffee runs are self-led walking tours and a few words with the local boulanger never fails to put a smile on my masked face. Volunteering for a student-led soup run has become a staple in my week during lockdown and interacting with the homeless people of Paris has put me face to face with another facet of French life that you will not find in a tourist brochure.
At a time when the grand plans in our lives have been put on hold, we have had to reset expectations and learn to appreciate those things that in 2019 might have been dismissed as insignificant. For the past few months I have had the privilege of living in this city at a unique moment in its history. It is true that being 20 in 2020 is difficult, but it has its compensations.
International student fees
‘We’ve been left high and dry’: international students on college fees and online classes.
We asked international students who have travelled to Ireland to share their views on what their college experience has been like.
Many who are struggling with online lectures, empty campuses and few social events feel they have been short-changed and want refunds.
International students from outside the EU can pay fees up to €25,000 for undergraduate courses (or €55,000 in the case of medicine). Unlike Irish and EU students, they are not eligible for the €250 refunds announced recently.
Niranjan Madhugiri Prasanna Kumar, Carlow
“I have paid €10,250 and I have come to Ireland to get a good quality of education and now there are no classes on campus and everything is online and the college asked us to be present on the campus to start my master’s. Moreover, I am not getting part-time work anywhere.”
Jitesh Bhatia, Dublin
“We’ve travelled thousands of miles, paid six times more fees than EU nationals and shelled out hundreds of euro per month for rent and living just to stay inside our houses. We are getting zero international exposure. Our learning experience has been tremendously compromised. I think a fee refund is the least that our university could do for us.”
Preeti Wadhwani, Dublin
“I decided to pay thousands of euro and bear the expenses of staying in an expensive city. I feel I am getting only 20 per cent in return. I have met my classmates only once for an hour. These restrictions are important for our safety but I feel the students should get at least some percentage of fees back.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-08--Minister to seek extension of paid parental leave to five weeks

Minister for Children Roderic O ’ Gorman will on Tuesday bring a memo to Cabinet to extend paid parental leave from two weeks to five weeks .
Mr O ’ Gorman is also expected to receive Cabinet approval to extend the time the leave can be taken from just the first year to the first two years of child ’ s life .
The Minister will receive Cabinet approval to draft the legislation .
The legislation is set to be introduced in January .
The paid benefit is with the Department of Social Protection , which needs until April to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr O ’ Gorman is understood to be examining whether the extended leave can be introduced , with people paid in arrears when the systems are changed .
The Cabinet is also set to approve plans for a memorandum of understanding concerning the common travel area between the UK and Ireland , and how it interacts with healthcare arrangements .
The plan , being brought by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly , will ensure that people are still able to continue getting planned medical procedures within the common travel area after Brexit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominated by Brexit and plans to establish a sequence in which different cohorts of the population will be inoculated against Covid-19 .
The immunisation plan is set to outline more than a dozen categories for sequencing the rollout of the vaccine , which will relate to a variety of criteria , including age , profession and vulnerability to underlying conditions .
Government sources said the list will be a “ living document ” and subject to change , depending on the properties and effectiveness of different vaccines , as well as the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Cabinet is also set to discuss other aspects of the plan , including the communications strategy , which is seen as key to securing the high levels of vaccine uptake that public health chiefs say is important to ensure its effectiveness .
Ministers will also discuss orders setting judicial remuneration and other matters related to public pay , being brought by Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath .
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris will bring forward plans to implement a commitment in the programme for government to review the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students are assessed and administered .
Minister for Media Catherine Martin will bring forward the final scheme of the online safety and media regulation bill , which will seek to create a regulatory framework to deal with the spread and amplification of harmful online content .
The bill is also set to bring legislation up to date with the EU audiovisual media services directive .
The draft scheme of the bill outlined online safety codes on how online video sharing services deal with harmful content , and will seek to establish an online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be part of a new media commission which will replace the broadcasting authority of Ireland .

Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman will on Tuesday bring a memo to Cabinet to extend paid parental leave from two weeks to five weeks.
Mr O’Gorman is also expected to receive Cabinet approval to extend the time the leave can be taken from just the first year to the first two years of child’s life. The Minister will receive Cabinet approval to draft the legislation.
The legislation is set to be introduced in January. The paid benefit is with the Department of Social Protection, which needs until April to update IT systems to reflect the change.
Mr O’Gorman is understood to be examining whether the extended leave can be introduced, with people paid in arrears when the systems are changed.
READ MORE
The Cabinet is also set to approve plans for a memorandum of understanding concerning the common travel area between the UK and Ireland, and how it interacts with healthcare arrangements. The plan, being brought by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, will ensure that people are still able to continue getting planned medical procedures within the common travel area after Brexit.
The agenda is expected to be dominated by Brexit and plans to establish a sequence in which different cohorts of the population will be inoculated against Covid-19.
The immunisation plan is set to outline more than a dozen categories for sequencing the rollout of the vaccine, which will relate to a variety of criteria, including age, profession and vulnerability to underlying conditions.
Government sources said the list will be a “living document” and subject to change, depending on the properties and effectiveness of different vaccines, as well as the order in which they are rolled out.
Communications strategy
The Cabinet is also set to discuss other aspects of the plan, including the communications strategy, which is seen as key to securing the high levels of vaccine uptake that public health chiefs say is important to ensure its effectiveness.
Ministers will also discuss orders setting judicial remuneration and other matters related to public pay, being brought by Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath.
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris will bring forward plans to implement a commitment in the programme for government to review the Susi scheme under which grants for third-level students are assessed and administered.
Minister for Media Catherine Martin will bring forward the final scheme of the online safety and media regulation bill, which will seek to create a regulatory framework to deal with the spread and amplification of harmful online content.
The bill is also set to bring legislation up to date with the EU audiovisual media services directive.
The draft scheme of the bill outlined online safety codes on how online video sharing services deal with harmful content, and will seek to establish an online safety commissioner. The online safety commissioner will be part of a new media commission which will replace the broadcasting authority of Ireland.