theirishtimes--2020-09-30--Galway church visited by Columbus and used as stables by Cromwell’s troops celebrates 700 years

The Collegiate Church of St Nicholas in Galway city centre is marking its 700th birthday by ringing its bells for seven minutes at 7pm every evening this week .
The largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship , it was completed in 1320 and dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra , patron saint of children and now better known as Santa Claus .
On its outside are two mermaids , a dragon , an ape and a lion with a series of stone gargoyles at its roof edge , some of them carved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beetle ) , human heads and another lion .
The oldest ‘ inhabitant ’ of the church is Adam Bures , known as ‘ the Crusader ’ , whose grave marker dates from the 13th century .
Visitors to St Nicholas ’ over the centuries are said to have included Christopher Columbus , believed to have prayed there on a visit to Galway in 1477 , and , somewhat less welcome - Cromwellian troops who used the church as a stables for their horses after the siege of Galway in 1652 .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the carved figures inside the church .
St Nicholas ’ Schola Cantorum , founded in 2012 , is a modern reimagining of the ancient college of singers there , established here in 1486 .
Its newly formed campanology school has been very busy over the past year bringing the sound of the bells to Galway city for a very popular ringing-in of the new year on December 31st last .
The bells also rang out at 12pm every Friday during the recent lockdown in Galway due to the Covid-19 pandemic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these difficult times .
Rector at St Nicholas ’ s , Rev Lynda Peilow , said “ we are working hard also to ensure that St Nicholas ’ will be around for another 700 years , and awaiting the completion of a conservation management plan.
” She reminded people too that “ the church is in great need of financial support at present ; this year has been challenging as we have had to close our doors to visitors and were not able to hold our fundraisers .
”

Rector at St Nicholas’s, Rev Lynda Peilow, said “we are working hard also to ensure that St Nicholas’ will be around for another 700 years”. Photograph: iStock
The Collegiate Church of St Nicholas in Galway city centre is marking its 700th birthday by ringing its bells for seven minutes at 7pm every evening this week. The largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship, it was completed in 1320 and dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of children and now better known as Santa Claus.
On its outside are two mermaids, a dragon, an ape and a lion with a series of stone gargoyles at its roof edge, some of them carved into horses heads, a manticora (beetle), human heads and another lion. The oldest 'inhabitant' of the church is Adam Bures, known as 'the Crusader', whose grave marker dates from the 13th century.
Visitors to St Nicholas' over the centuries are said to have included Christopher Columbus, believed to have prayed there on a visit to Galway in 1477, and, somewhat less welcome - Cromwellian troops who used the church as a stables for their horses after the siege of Galway in 1652. They are blamed for the headless state of most of the carved figures inside the church.
St Nicholas’ Schola Cantorum, founded in 2012, is a modern reimagining of the ancient college of singers there, established here in 1486. Its newly formed campanology school has been very busy over the past year bringing the sound of the bells to Galway city for a very popular ringing-in of the new year on December 31st last.
READ MORE
The bells also rang out at 12pm every Friday during the recent lockdown in Galway due to the Covid-19 pandemic in honour of frontline workers and all navigating these difficult times.
Rector at St Nicholas's, Rev Lynda Peilow, said "we are working hard also to ensure that St Nicholas' will be around for another 700 years, and awaiting the completion of a conservation management plan."
She reminded people too that “the church is in great need of financial support at present; this year has been challenging as we have had to close our doors to visitors and were not able to hold our fundraisers.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-30--CPE superbug being detected at record levels, says HSE

August was the worst month yet for detections of an antibiotic-resistant superbug said to pose an “ existential threat ” to the health service .
Monitoring saw 97 new patients diagnosed with Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales ( CPE ) , regarded as the most dangerous superbug because it is resistant to almost all antibiotics .
The Health Service Executive ( HSE ) says this is the highest number of newly detected sample received in its laboratories in one month .
The trend will place further pressure on hospitals already battling coronavirus cases and virus restrictions that have impacted on the delivery of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or through contact with contaminated surfaces .
About one in 20 patients who come in contact with carriers will themselves be colonised by CPE and one in 400 runs the risk of a serious , invasive infection .
So far this year , 434 patients have been diagnosed with CPE , compared to 452 in the corresponding period in 2019 .
Detections nosedived during the lockdown but are now back at record levels .
Ten Irish hospitals currently have outbreaks - St James ’ s , the Mater , Beaumont and Tallaght hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kilkenny ; University Hospital Galway , Portiuncula hospital in Ballinasloe ; Cork University Hospital ; Waterford University Hospital ; and University Hospital Limerick .
The number of tests being carried out for the bug is also back at pre-pandemic levels , according to an update from the HSE ’ s Health Protection Surveillance Centre ( HPSC ) .
Last year , HSE chief executive Paul Reid said antibiotic-resistant superbugs posed an “ existential threat ” to the health service and could become an irreversible problem .
With more than 1,000 people then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in cases would move hospitals to a “ tipping point beyond which effective control is impossible ” .
The bug was “ an associate factor ” in the deaths of eight patients in University Hospital Limerick , according to a report published last year .
Up to the end of last year , the data indicated that measures to control the spread of CPE have been “ generally effective ” , according to the HPSC , with the number of detections plateauing .
It says there is increasing recognition that the bug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of “ environmental reservoirs ” of organisms in hospitals .
“ Moist areas , for example showers , sinks and toilets are the most common locations from which CPE have been detected .
”

August was the worst month yet for detections of an antibiotic-resistant superbug said to pose an “existential threat” to the health service.
Monitoring saw 97 new patients diagnosed with Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales (CPE), regarded as the most dangerous superbug because it is resistant to almost all antibiotics.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) says this is the highest number of newly detected sample received in its laboratories in one month. The trend will place further pressure on hospitals already battling coronavirus cases and virus restrictions that have impacted on the delivery of normal care.
CPE is spread person-to-person or through contact with contaminated surfaces. About one in 20 patients who come in contact with carriers will themselves be colonised by CPE and one in 400 runs the risk of a serious, invasive infection.
READ MORE
So far this year, 434 patients have been diagnosed with CPE, compared to 452 in the corresponding period in 2019. Detections nosedived during the lockdown but are now back at record levels.
Ten Irish hospitals currently have outbreaks - St James's, the Mater, Beaumont and Tallaght hospitals in Dublin; St Luke's in Kilkenny; University Hospital Galway, Portiuncula hospital in Ballinasloe; Cork University Hospital; Waterford University Hospital; and University Hospital Limerick.
The number of tests being carried out for the bug is also back at pre-pandemic levels, according to an update from the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Last year, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said antibiotic-resistant superbugs posed an "existential threat" to the health service and could become an irreversible problem.
With more than 1,000 people then carrying CPE, he warned a continued increase in cases would move hospitals to a “tipping point beyond which effective control is impossible”.
The bug was “an associate factor” in the deaths of eight patients in University Hospital Limerick, according to a report published last year.
Up to the end of last year, the data indicated that measures to control the spread of CPE have been “generally effective”, according to the HPSC, with the number of detections plateauing.
It says there is increasing recognition that the bug spreads not only person to person but as a result of “environmental reservoirs” of organisms in hospitals.
“Moist areas, for example showers, sinks and toilets are the most common locations from which CPE have been detected.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--Funding crisis triggers HSE takeover of St John of God services

The Health Service Executive is to assume responsibility for disability and mental health services run by the St John of God charity , due to an “ intolerable ” financial deficit facing the organisation .
St John of God Community Services , part of the wider SJOG Hospitaller Services Group , is funded by the HSE to provide services to 8,000 children and adults on behalf of the State .
The charity employs 2,500 people and is one of the biggest providers of intellectual disability and mental health services in the country .
It has been grappling with a mounting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underfunding from the HSE .
On Wednesday the organisation notified the HSE that it had decided to cease running the majority of its healthcare services , due to the funding crisis , and would transfer responsibility to the HSE over a 12-month period .
In a letter to staff , seen by The Irish Times , chief executive Clare Dempsey said the organisation ’ s financial deficit had reached €37.7 million .
The HSE and Government had “ failed to respond to our many appeals to address our financial crisis ” over recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply can no longer continue with this intolerable situation , that despite the best endeavours of staff , has so frequently compromised the services and supports we aim to provide to people , ” she wrote .
“ This is a seismic step that we have taken with the heaviest of hearts , as it goes against what we want to do and what we have tried to do for almost a century.
” The organisation had advised the HSE in February it would be forced to walk away from running services unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was addressed .
Following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic the organisation agreed it would defer any immediate decision on terminating its contract .
In recent weeks the organisation wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin , Tánaiste Leo Varadkar , Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and other Cabinet members “ to alert them to the seriousness of the current situation ” .
Minister of State for Disability Anne Rabbitte met with officials from the organisation in recent days .
“ I deeply regret to have to inform you that the HSE and the Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals to address our financial crisis .
Consequently , the board has had no alternative but to instruct me to issue to the HSE today , 12 months ’ notice of the termination of our contract , ” Ms Dempsey told staff .
The deficit would be almost €54 million if not for contributions from the SJOG religious order of €16 million to subsidise services over recent years , she said .
It is expected the 2,500 staff “ will be protected ” as services are transferred to the Health Service Executive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the letter said .
In a letter sent to the families of patients and residents , Ms Dempsey said she understood the news would cause “ distress ” .
The organisation has sought an urgent meeting with the Health Service Executive to discuss the handover , she said .
“ Our desire and intention is that there will be no immediate changes in respect of the services as they are currently provided but it must be understood that this is entirely dependent on the HSE providing sufficient funding over the 12-month period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HSE spokeswoman said SJOG services “ will continue to be provided without disruption ” and it wished to work with the organisation “ in order to resolve the sustainability challenges that have been raised ” .

The charity employs 2,500 people and is one of the biggest providers of intellectual disability and mental health services in the country. File photograph: Getty
The Health Service Executive is to assume responsibility for disability and mental health services run by the St John of God charity, due to an "intolerable" financial deficit facing the organisation.
St John of God Community Services, part of the wider SJOG Hospitaller Services Group, is funded by the HSE to provide services to 8,000 children and adults on behalf of the State.
The charity employs 2,500 people and is one of the biggest providers of intellectual disability and mental health services in the country. It has been grappling with a mounting financial deficit in recent years, citing underfunding from the HSE.
On Wednesday the organisation notified the HSE that it had decided to cease running the majority of its healthcare services, due to the funding crisis, and would transfer responsibility to the HSE over a 12-month period.
READ MORE
In a letter to staff, seen by The Irish Times, chief executive Clare Dempsey said the organisation's financial deficit had reached €37.7 million.
The HSE and Government had “failed to respond to our many appeals to address our financial crisis” over recent months, she said.
“We simply can no longer continue with this intolerable situation, that despite the best endeavours of staff, has so frequently compromised the services and supports we aim to provide to people,” she wrote.
“This is a seismic step that we have taken with the heaviest of hearts, as it goes against what we want to do and what we have tried to do for almost a century.”
The organisation had advised the HSE in February it would be forced to walk away from running services unless its current funding shortfall and accumulated deficit was addressed.
Following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic the organisation agreed it would defer any immediate decision on terminating its contract.
In recent weeks the organisation wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and other Cabinet members "to alert them to the seriousness of the current situation". Minister of State for Disability Anne Rabbitte met with officials from the organisation in recent days.
“I deeply regret to have to inform you that the HSE and the Government have failed to respond to our many appeals to address our financial crisis. Consequently, the board has had no alternative but to instruct me to issue to the HSE today, 12 months’ notice of the termination of our contract,” Ms Dempsey told staff.
The deficit would be almost €54 million if not for contributions from the SJOG religious order of €16 million to subsidise services over recent years, she said.
Protection for staff?
It is expected the 2,500 staff “will be protected” as services are transferred to the Health Service Executive, or another provider contracted by the State, the letter said.
In a letter sent to the families of patients and residents, Ms Dempsey said she understood the news would cause “distress”.
The organisation has sought an urgent meeting with the Health Service Executive to discuss the handover, she said. “Our desire and intention is that there will be no immediate changes in respect of the services as they are currently provided but it must be understood that this is entirely dependent on the HSE providing sufficient funding over the 12-month period,” the letter noted.
A HSE spokeswoman said SJOG services “will continue to be provided without disruption” and it wished to work with the organisation “in order to resolve the sustainability challenges that have been raised”.


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--Food bank in Dublin’s working-class Bluebell feeding hungry hundreds

A food bank in west Dublin that began from the back of a car at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic is now delivering 2.4 tonnes of groceries to more than 300 households weekly .
The People ’ s Foodbank in Bluebell gets no State funding and need continues to grow , say founders Tommy Coombes , manager of Bluebell Community Development Project ( CDP ) and Pastor Jimmy Dunne of Bluebell Community Church .
It will be opened formally on Thursday .
“ We had been delivering food to people before the Covid , mainly older and more vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But very quickly from March we were delivering to people we had never met before , especially families with children ; and as far away as Balbriggan.
” The growth has been mainly through word-of-mouth , with people calling the CDP for help .
“ If someone knocks we make sure they get something , ” says community employment worker Antoinette O ’ Connor , who helps distribute food .
“ I didn ’ t realise the struggles people have .
The families , with husbands not working , or single mams .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in school anymore , so cereal was a big thing , milk , yoghurts , beans – the essentials .
It would break your heart.
” Among those helped was Áine Libreri ( 35 ) , who has just graduated from Maynooth University .
She lives on a boat she got a loan to buy after becoming homeless three years ago .
Repayments consume much of her income , however , and she has no electricity or running water .
With lockdown she was unable to shower at college or go to friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a placement at the CDP and so knew Coombes .
“ Tommy got in touch when lockdown started to see if I was okay .
Every couple of weeks he sends over beans , pasta .
.
.
It just means I don ’ t have to choose between food and a bag of turf.
” “ The food was very good .
But it was more that Antoinette knocked at your door , the contact .
I was lonely because I couldn ’ t go anywhere.
” Christine O ’ Connell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emphysema and has twice survived cancer .
“ To get the food was a big help because you were afraid to go out , to go against the rules .
.
.
I am very worried about the Covid .
.
.
I am worried for everyone and what it means .
I just pray every day.
” Patrick McLoughlin ( 57 ) who lives alone , and has mobility problems , says he “ wouldn ’ t have made it ” without the food deliveries as he could not call on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the food is provided by Foodcloud which has seen “ demand dramatically increase ” since March .
In June it noted the 164 charities with whom it worked had provided free food to more than 59,000 people in the preceding three months .
Of these 70 per cent experienced a surge in demand , with 49 per cent reporting an increase among older people ; 36 per cent increases among single parents and 30 per cent among people with mental health problems .
Foodcloud had waived charges from May 1st but will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge from October 1st to cover costs .
It means a weekly bill of €1,200 for the People ’ s Foodbank in Bluebell , along with a monthly rent of €1,000 for its new storage facility .
“ Realistically , we can ’ t afford that 2.4 tonnes of food a week in the long term , ” says Coombes .
“ We are really hoping we get some statutory support .
This crisis with Covid has exposed struggles and crises for people that in many ways were already there , beneath the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from those , but we wouldn ’ t because the State was not stepping in .
”

A food bank in west Dublin that began from the back of a car at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic is now delivering 2.4 tonnes of groceries to more than 300 households weekly.
The People's Foodbank in Bluebell gets no State funding and need continues to grow, say founders Tommy Coombes, manager of Bluebell Community Development Project (CDP) and Pastor Jimmy Dunne of Bluebell Community Church. It will be opened formally on Thursday.
“We had been delivering food to people before the Covid, mainly older and more vulnerable people,” says Coombes. “But very quickly from March we were delivering to people we had never met before, especially families with children; and as far away as Balbriggan.”
The growth has been mainly through word-of-mouth, with people calling the CDP for help.
READ MORE
“If someone knocks we make sure they get something,” says community employment worker Antoinette O’Connor, who helps distribute food.
“I didn’t realise the struggles people have. The families, with husbands not working, or single mams. Kids weren’t getting their breakfast in school anymore, so cereal was a big thing, milk, yoghurts, beans – the essentials. It would break your heart.”
Pastor Jimmy Dunne and Tommy Coombes of the Bluebell Community Development Project. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Bluebell Community Centre, Bluebell Road, Dublin. From left: Antoinette O’Connor, Christine O’Connell, Patrick McLoughlin, Áine Libreri and Liena Hayes. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Among those helped was Áine Libreri (35), who has just graduated from Maynooth University. She lives on a boat she got a loan to buy after becoming homeless three years ago. Repayments consume much of her income, however, and she has no electricity or running water. With lockdown she was unable to shower at college or go to friends' homes for water.
She had had a placement at the CDP and so knew Coombes. “Tommy got in touch when lockdown started to see if I was okay. Every couple of weeks he sends over beans, pasta . . . It just means I don’t have to choose between food and a bag of turf.”
Sustenance and human touch
Widow Liena Hayes (77) started getting food parcels while cocooning.
“The food was very good. But it was more that Antoinette knocked at your door, the contact. I was lonely because I couldn’t go anywhere.”
Christine O’Connell (58) has an essential tremor, emphysema and has twice survived cancer.
“To get the food was a big help because you were afraid to go out, to go against the rules . . . I am very worried about the Covid . . . I am worried for everyone and what it means. I just pray every day.”
Patrick McLoughlin (57) who lives alone, and has mobility problems, says he “wouldn’t have made it” without the food deliveries as he could not call on family for help during Covid.
Most of the food is provided by Foodcloud which has seen “demand dramatically increase” since March. In June it noted the 164 charities with whom it worked had provided free food to more than 59,000 people in the preceding three months.
Of these 70 per cent experienced a surge in demand, with 49 per cent reporting an increase among older people; 36 per cent increases among single parents and 30 per cent among people with mental health problems.
Foodcloud had waived charges from May 1st but will be reintroducing its 50 cent per kilogram charge from October 1st to cover costs. It means a weekly bill of €1,200 for the People’s Foodbank in Bluebell, along with a monthly rent of €1,000 for its new storage facility.
“Realistically, we can’t afford that 2.4 tonnes of food a week in the long term,” says Coombes. “We are really hoping we get some statutory support. This crisis with Covid has exposed struggles and crises for people that in many ways were already there, beneath the surface. We could easily have walked away from those, but we wouldn’t because the State was not stepping in.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--Council set to abandon €20m Liffey bridge plans

Plans for a €20 million bridge across the river Liffey are to be shelved indefinitely following An Bord Pleanála ’ s refusal to allow Dublin City Council to change its location .
This is the second time the planning board has refused the council permission to move the planned location of the bridge , the first dedicated cycling and pedestrian facility over the river , by 150m .
The council has had permission to build a new bridge over the Liffey , east of the Samuel Beckett bridge , since 2014 .
The bridge was to run from the old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the northside to Forbes Street south of the river .
The Victorian train station had been the planned location of a proposed Dart Underground station for the north docks , but the Dart plan was shelved in 2011 .
However in 2016 the National Transport Authority ( NTA ) asked council to defer building the bridge to allow the authority to review the underground plans .
While plans for the underground line have not been reinstated , it was determined , on the advice of the NTA , the council should relocate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the council applied to An Bord Pleanála to move the bridge 150m eastwards .
The new location would connect New Wapping Street at the Central Bank building on the north side , with Blood Stoney Road on the south bank .
The council told the board the new location would allow the bridge to be delivered in a shorter timeframe “ as there would be no need to wait for the outcome of the Dart Underground review , noting that the timeframe for the review is unknown ” .
Building a bridge over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibitively expensive ” , it said .
However in January of last year , the board refused the move , saying it preferred the original location because it offered “ the potential of a direct connection from south of the river to a future Dart Underground commuter rail station ” .
The council sought a judicial review of the board ’ s decision , claiming the board acted without jurisdiction and failed to give adequate reasons for its decision .
However , it subsequently decided to instead submit a new application to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governing the docklands to allow the bridge move .
The council made its application in August of last year .
The board has this month issued its decision and ruled the original location of the bridge should stand .
In its ruling it reiterated its 2019 position that the original location would offer a direct connection to a future station , and also again said “ notwithstanding the technical and cost arguments ” it would better serve the interests and amenities of the area in the long term .
It is understood the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the original location , due to the high cost – likely to be more than double the current estimate – and the interference with the potential future Dart line .

The intended bridge would have been the first dedicated cycling and pedestrian facility over the river. File photograph: The Irish Times
Plans for a €20 million bridge across the river Liffey are to be shelved indefinitely following An Bord Pleanála's refusal to allow Dublin City Council to change its location.
This is the second time the planning board has refused the council permission to move the planned location of the bridge, the first dedicated cycling and pedestrian facility over the river, by 150m.
The council has had permission to build a new bridge over the Liffey, east of the Samuel Beckett bridge, since 2014. The bridge was to run from the old London and North Western Railway Company station on the northside to Forbes Street south of the river.
The Victorian train station had been the planned location of a proposed Dart Underground station for the north docks, but the Dart plan was shelved in 2011.
READ MORE
However in 2016 the National Transport Authority (NTA) asked council to defer building the bridge to allow the authority to review the underground plans.
While plans for the underground line have not been reinstated, it was determined, on the advice of the NTA, the council should relocate the planned bridge.
In 2018, the council applied to An Bord Pleanála to move the bridge 150m eastwards. The new location would connect New Wapping Street at the Central Bank building on the north side, with Blood Stoney Road on the south bank.
The council told the board the new location would allow the bridge to be delivered in a shorter timeframe “as there would be no need to wait for the outcome of the Dart Underground review, noting that the timeframe for the review is unknown”. Building a bridge over the planned rail tunnel would be “prohibitively expensive”, it said.
However in January of last year, the board refused the move, saying it preferred the original location because it offered “the potential of a direct connection from south of the river to a future Dart Underground commuter rail station”.
Judicial review sought
The council sought a judicial review of the board’s decision, claiming the board acted without jurisdiction and failed to give adequate reasons for its decision. However, it subsequently decided to instead submit a new application to the board, to amend the planning scheme governing the docklands to allow the bridge move.
The council made its application in August of last year. The board has this month issued its decision and ruled the original location of the bridge should stand.
In its ruling it reiterated its 2019 position that the original location would offer a direct connection to a future station, and also again said “notwithstanding the technical and cost arguments” it would better serve the interests and amenities of the area in the long term.
It is understood the council will not build the bridge at the original location, due to the high cost – likely to be more than double the current estimate – and the interference with the potential future Dart line.


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--Over 370 tenants served eviction notices during Covid-19 pandemic

More than 370 tenants have been served eviction notices to leave their accommodation by landlords since the start of the coronavirus pandemic , with an increase in complaints over illegal evictions in recent weeks .
Between March and the end of June the Residential Tenancies Board ( RTB ) was informed of 374 cases where landlords served eviction notices to tenants , according to figures provided to The Irish Times .
Since last year landlords have been required to inform the board , which regulates the private rental market , when they serve an eviction notice .
Landlords have 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ termination notice following the end of a tenancy .
The board was informed of 243 notices of termination in March , as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic began to hit the country and the Government imposed a national lockdown .
A further 131 notices of termination were notified to the board by landlords between April and the end of June , despite the Government introducing an emergency ban on evictions and a freeze on rent increases in late March .
The blanket moratorium on evictions expired at the start of August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 2021 for tenants unable to pay their rent due to the Covid-19 crisis .
The board adjudicates in disputes between landlords and tenants .
Since the blanket ban on evictions was lifted the regulator has received 81 complaints from tenants over alleged illegal evictions between August 2nd and September 17th .
Some 139 further disputes have been lodged with the board by tenants challenging the validity of eviction notices .
There have been 150 complaints lodged by landlords against tenants over rent arrears during the same period .
Between April and June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board by tenants over alleged illegal evictions .
A spokeswoman for the board said the unlawful termination of tenancies was a “ significant concern ” for the State body during the pandemic .
“ Since March 2020 , the RTB has been receiving on average 6-7 calls a week in relation to unlawful termination of tenancies and prioritises progressing these applications .
In the majority of these cases the RTB collaborates with both landlord and tenant to reinstate the tenancy , pending the outcome of dispute resolution , ” said the spokeswoman .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegally evicted tenants they can be fined up to €20,000 by the regulator , who can also seek a court injunction to reinstate the tenants in the property .
John-Mark McCafferty , chief executive of tenants ’ rights charity Threshold , said they had also “ worryingly ” seen an increase in cases of illegal evictions compared to last year .
Some 44 tenants had contacted the organisation after being illegally evicted from their housing since March , of which 17 had ended up in homeless accommodation , or sleeping in cars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly to issue new policy guidance to gardaí about their role at evictions .
In August , nine tenants were evicted from a property on Berkeley Road , Phibsborough , north Dublin , as a number of men clad in black repossessed the house .
The tenants claimed they had not received an eviction notice .
Gardaí were present at the eviction but did not intervene as one of the tenants was physically removed from the home , according to video footage .
Civil liberties groups and Opposition politicians criticised the actions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for gardaí on how to approach policing such circumstances is “ near completion , ” said a Garda source .
Following assistance from several housing activists the tenants regained entry into the north Dublin property the following day and remain in situ .
One of the tenants , Elias Niyi Adbo Jegede , said they had not received any correspondence from the owners of the property since re-entering the house .

In August, nine tenants were evicted from a property on Berkeley Road, Phibsborough, north Dublin, as men clad in black repossessed the house. The tenants claimed they had not received an eviction notice. File photograph: Nick Bradshaw
More than 370 tenants have been served eviction notices to leave their accommodation by landlords since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with an increase in complaints over illegal evictions in recent weeks.
Between March and the end of June the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was informed of 374 cases where landlords served eviction notices to tenants, according to figures provided to The Irish Times.
Since last year landlords have been required to inform the board, which regulates the private rental market, when they serve an eviction notice. Landlords have 28 days to inform the regulator of the termination notice following the end of a tenancy.
The board was informed of 243 notices of termination in March, as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic began to hit the country and the Government imposed a national lockdown.
READ MORE
A further 131 notices of termination were notified to the board by landlords between April and the end of June, despite the Government introducing an emergency ban on evictions and a freeze on rent increases in late March.
The blanket moratorium on evictions expired at the start of August, but the protections were extended until January 2021 for tenants unable to pay their rent due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The board adjudicates in disputes between landlords and tenants. Since the blanket ban on evictions was lifted the regulator has received 81 complaints from tenants over alleged illegal evictions between August 2nd and September 17th.
Some 139 further disputes have been lodged with the board by tenants challenging the validity of eviction notices. There have been 150 complaints lodged by landlords against tenants over rent arrears during the same period.
Between April and June there were 93 disputes lodged with the board by tenants over alleged illegal evictions.
A spokeswoman for the board said the unlawful termination of tenancies was a “significant concern” for the State body during the pandemic.
“Since March 2020, the RTB has been receiving on average 6-7 calls a week in relation to unlawful termination of tenancies and prioritises progressing these applications. In the majority of these cases the RTB collaborates with both landlord and tenant to reinstate the tenancy, pending the outcome of dispute resolution,” said the spokeswoman.
If a landlord is found to have illegally evicted tenants they can be fined up to €20,000 by the regulator, who can also seek a court injunction to reinstate the tenants in the property.
New Garda guidance
John-Mark McCafferty, chief executive of tenants’ rights charity Threshold, said they had also “worryingly” seen an increase in cases of illegal evictions compared to last year.
Some 44 tenants had contacted the organisation after being illegally evicted from their housing since March, of which 17 had ended up in homeless accommodation, or sleeping in cars, he said.
The Garda are expected shortly to issue new policy guidance to gardaí about their role at evictions.
In August, nine tenants were evicted from a property on Berkeley Road, Phibsborough, north Dublin, as a number of men clad in black repossessed the house. The tenants claimed they had not received an eviction notice.
Gardaí were present at the eviction but did not intervene as one of the tenants was physically removed from the home, according to video footage. Civil liberties groups and Opposition politicians criticised the actions of gardaí present.
A new policy document for gardaí on how to approach policing such circumstances is “near completion,” said a Garda source.
Following assistance from several housing activists the tenants regained entry into the north Dublin property the following day and remain in situ. One of the tenants, Elias Niyi Adbo Jegede, said they had not received any correspondence from the owners of the property since re-entering the house.


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--Covid-19: Impact will last for years, says US hospital group chief

His hospitals treated more Covid-19 patients than any other system in the US , but at the height of the pandemic you could hear a pin drop in them .
Limerick-born Michael Dowling recalls walking the floors of one hospital , in New Jersey , last April , past rows of patients on ventilators .
With visiting banned , all there was to break the “ eerie quiet ” was the shuffling of medical staff from bed to bed .
“ It was a tough time .
Virtually all of our 3,500 patients were Covid .
We had to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who went on a ventilator had a 70 per cent chance of dying .
We had 90 deaths a day in our system alone , ” says Dowling , chief executive of Northwell Health , which has 23 hospitals , 800 outpatient facilities and 72,000 employees .
New York had a torrid pandemic in the spring , with more than 27,000 deaths .
But after a rocky start , the state has won plaudits for suppressing the virus effectively and – unlike many places in Europe – keeping it suppressed .
State governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Dowling , has obdurately prioritised health over economic considerations during the crisis , backed up by strict quarantining , and massive testing and contact tracing operations .
Consequently , case numbers have remained low – at least until recent days when infections spiked in some orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods .
“ We ’ re doing quite well right now but remaining cautious .
We ’ re always planning as if it might bounce back again , ” he tells The Irish Times , in advance of speaking at an online conference organised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This week was a big one for many restaurants in the Big Apple , who are allowed open for the first time in months , though under severe restrictions .
Dowling acknowledges the economy is “ hurting ” and many business in the city remain “ semi-closed ” thanks to Cuomo ’ s cautious approach to easing restrictions .
“ The hotels are empty and only 20 to 30 per cent of offices are open , with the rest of staff working remotely ” .
“ The impact of this will last for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d rather open carefully and slow .
A lot of other places have opened up too quickly , and then the virus bounces back at you and you have to close again .
We don ’ t want that to happen.
” Although New York has managed to keep its cases down , Dowling says he would not rule out a second wave .
“ We have to avoid the tendency to reopen quickly just because things look good.
” The success of the strategy is most evident in the health system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers by being the first to require mask wearing , he says .
Today , they have just 85 Covid-19 patients , including a handful in intensive care .
“ It ’ s been like that for the last month.
” With his laboratories able to perform up to 50,000 rapid antibody tests a day , he says there are “ hardly any infections ” in his hospitals .
“ The safest place to be these days is in a hospital , because everyone is wearing a mask and protective gear.
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his organisation is provided in specialist centres – urgent care , cardiology , cancer treatment , even surgery .
“ Ireland needs to shift the provision of care out of hospitals and into these centres in the community.
” There is close to herd immunity in some areas of New York , he maintains , though not overall .
In some populations , up to 50 per cent of people have antibodies .
Vaccine in the new year ?
He isn ’ t counting on any miracles , though .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and maintaining social distancing well into next year .
I don ’ t see a vaccine until the new year , and the big question then is who gets it .
“ Managing the distribution of a vaccine is going to be unbelievably crucial .
It will take most of next year to get all New Yorkers vaccinated.
” It would be foolish to rush the introduction of a vaccine , he says .
“ If there ’ s a sense it is being developed for political reasons – and we have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientist every day – people will be hesitant to take it .
I hope we do it right .
And if it ’ s not available in the spring , then so be it.
” He is no fan of US president Donald Trump , whose leadership on the pandemic he describes as an “ abomination ” .
“ It ’ s absolutely disgusting and deplorable that you have a president of the US who pretends the virus doesn ’ t exist , who holds rallies where masks are not worn and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a contempt for reality , not leadership.
” His advice to Ireland ?
“ You seem to be doing a lot of the right things .
You need continuing education on masks so people use the right kind .
There are a lot of knock-offs out there and visors are no use .
And be careful with students .
”

Chief executive of Northwell Health, in New York, Michael Dowling with his masked-up staff. He believes managing the distribution of a vaccine is going to be crucial File photograph: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty
His hospitals treated more Covid-19 patients than any other system in the US, but at the height of the pandemic you could hear a pin drop in them.
Limerick-born Michael Dowling recalls walking the floors of one hospital, in New York, last April, past rows of patients on ventilators. With visiting banned, all there was to break the “eerie quiet” was the shuffling of medical staff from bed to bed.
“It was a tough time. Virtually all of our 3,500 patients were Covid. We had to open 200 new beds a day. Those who went on a ventilator had a 70 per cent chance of dying. We had 90 deaths a day in our system alone,” says Dowling, chief executive of Northwell Health, which has 23 hospitals, 800 outpatient facilities and 72,000 employees.
New York had a torrid pandemic in the spring, with more than 27,000 deaths. But after a rocky start, the state has won plaudits for suppressing the virus effectively and – unlike many places in Europe – keeping it suppressed.
READ MORE
State governor Andrew Cuomo, flanked by handpicked advisers such as Dowling, has obdurately prioritised health over economic considerations during the crisis, backed up by strict quarantining, and massive testing and contact tracing operations.
Consequently, case numbers have remained low – at least until recent days when infections spiked in some orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods.
"We're doing quite well right now but remaining cautious. We're always planning as if it might bounce back again," he tells The Irish Times, in advance of speaking at an online conference organised by Home and Community Care Ireland.
This week was a big one for many restaurants in the Big Apple, who are allowed open for the first time in months, though under severe restrictions.
Dowling acknowledges the economy is “hurting” and many business in the city remain “semi-closed” thanks to Cuomo’s cautious approach to easing restrictions. “The hotels are empty and only 20 to 30 per cent of offices are open, with the rest of staff working remotely”.
“The impact of this will last for years and years. But we’d rather open carefully and slow. A lot of other places have opened up too quickly, and then the virus bounces back at you and you have to close again. We don’t want that to happen.”
Although New York has managed to keep its cases down, Dowling says he would not rule out a second wave. “We have to avoid the tendency to reopen quickly just because things look good.”
The success of the strategy is most evident in the health system. Dowling’s hospitals slashed their case numbers by being the first to require mask wearing, he says. Today, they have just 85 Covid-19 patients, including a handful in intensive care. “It’s been like that for the last month.”
With his laboratories able to perform up to 50,000 rapid antibody tests a day, he says there are “hardly any infections” in his hospitals. “The safest place to be these days is in a hospital, because everyone is wearing a mask and protective gear.”
It helps that much of the care delivered by his organisation is provided in specialist centres – urgent care, cardiology, cancer treatment, even surgery. “Ireland needs to shift the provision of care out of hospitals and into these centres in the community.”
There is close to herd immunity in some areas of New York, he maintains, though not overall. In some populations, up to 50 per cent of people have antibodies.
Vaccine in the new year?
He isn’t counting on any miracles, though. “I think we’ll be wearing masks and maintaining social distancing well into next year. I don’t see a vaccine until the new year, and the big question then is who gets it.
“Managing the distribution of a vaccine is going to be unbelievably crucial. It will take most of next year to get all New Yorkers vaccinated.”
It would be foolish to rush the introduction of a vaccine, he says. “If there’s a sense it is being developed for political reasons – and we have a president who is pretending to be a scientist every day – people will be hesitant to take it. I hope we do it right. And if it’s not available in the spring, then so be it.”
He is no fan of US president Donald Trump, whose leadership on the pandemic he describes as an "abomination".
“It’s absolutely disgusting and deplorable that you have a president of the US who pretends the virus doesn’t exist, who holds rallies where masks are not worn and who refuses to wear one himself. It’s a contempt for reality, not leadership.”
His advice to Ireland? “You seem to be doing a lot of the right things. You need continuing education on masks so people use the right kind. There are a lot of knock-offs out there and visors are no use. And be careful with students.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--Slow Covid test results prompt home help providers to contact trace

Homecare providers say they have been forced to do their own tracing of contacts of positive Covid-19 cases because the official system is so slow .
“ Contact tracing is bad at the moment , so our members are having to do it , ” according to Joseph Musgrave , chief executive of Home and Community Care Ireland .
“ If a carer tests positive it can be three days before clients are contacted and that ’ s way too long.
” Currently , HCCI members are providing care for 50 people who have tested positive for the virus ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest in hospital .
This compares with a maximum of 91 during the height of the pandemic .
While the Health Service Executive is carrying out serial testing of nursing home residents and staff , this is not happening in the homecare sector because this is not considered a congregated – and , therefore , at risk – setting .
Expressing concerns about the level of consultation with the sector , Mr Musgrave says the Government may have “ lost the summer .
Where we are now , what we ’ ve learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been passed to our sector .
We still don ’ t know what the official thinking is about protecting people in their home ” .
The after-effects of lockdown are still being felt , with 840 older people continuing to self-isolate and not receiving their pre-pandemic homecare .
Though down from a high of more than 4,000 during the lockdown , the figure is indicative of the continuing levels of anxiety about the virus among older people .
Meanwhile , 415 carers are in self-isolation , up nine on the August figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or having a positive test .
HCCI , whose members care for 20,000 people and employ 10,000 care workers , holds its annual conference on Thursday , the UN international day of older people .
Last week ’ s HSE winter plan promised an additional 4.7 million home help hours , equivalent to a 25 per cent boost in supply .
Mr Musgrave says this will require the hiring of an additional 800 carers but the sector can “ probably make it work ” .
“ The plan is great news for vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to manage hospital occupancy and other healthcare facilities this winter .
However , to make all this happen , we need Government to lead a consultation process , along with the HSE and homecare providers.
” As for the longer-term Government goal of doubling home help hours , he says this would need 6,000 more staff .
HCCI is seeking a workforce review , wage protection for carers of virus patients who can not work for other clients , training supports and targeted testing for the sector .
Former junior minister Jim Daly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new employment taskforce .
The group says insurance is increasingly becoming a problem , with two providers recently refused cover due to difficulties over “ unquantifiable ” Covid-19 risks .

HSE carries out serial testing of nursing home residents and staff, but not of homecare workers. Photograph: Alan Betson
Homecare providers say they have been forced to do their own tracing of contacts of positive Covid-19 cases because the official system is so slow.
"Contact tracing is bad at the moment, so our members are having to do it," according to Joseph Musgrave, chief executive of Home and Community Care Ireland. "If a carer tests positive it can be three days before clients are contacted and that's way too long."
Currently, HCCI members are providing care for 50 people who have tested positive for the virus; 13 who are at home and the rest in hospital. This compares with a maximum of 91 during the height of the pandemic.
Hospital Report
While the Health Service Executive is carrying out serial testing of nursing home residents and staff, this is not happening in the homecare sector because this is not considered a congregated – and, therefore, at risk – setting.
READ MORE
Expressing concerns about the level of consultation with the sector, Mr Musgrave says the Government may have “lost the summer. Where we are now, what we’ve learned about the virus, this hasn’t been passed to our sector. We still don’t know what the official thinking is about protecting people in their home”.
The after-effects of lockdown are still being felt, with 840 older people continuing to self-isolate and not receiving their pre-pandemic homecare. Though down from a high of more than 4,000 during the lockdown, the figure is indicative of the continuing levels of anxiety about the virus among older people.
Meanwhile, 415 carers are in self-isolation, up nine on the August figure, due to being contacts of cases or having a positive test.
HCCI, whose members care for 20,000 people and employ 10,000 care workers, holds its annual conference on Thursday, the UN international day of older people.
Winter plan
Last week’s HSE winter plan promised an additional 4.7 million home help hours, equivalent to a 25 per cent boost in supply. Mr Musgrave says this will require the hiring of an additional 800 carers but the sector can “probably make it work”.
“The plan is great news for vulnerable people and their families and will help to manage hospital occupancy and other healthcare facilities this winter. However, to make all this happen, we need Government to lead a consultation process, along with the HSE and homecare providers.”
As for the longer-term Government goal of doubling home help hours, he says this would need 6,000 more staff. HCCI is seeking a workforce review, wage protection for carers of virus patients who cannot work for other clients, training supports and targeted testing for the sector.
Former junior minister Jim Daly has been appointed by HCCI to chair a new employment taskforce. The group says insurance is increasingly becoming a problem, with two providers recently refused cover due to difficulties over "unquantifiable" Covid-19 risks.


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--State liability from personal injury and negligence cases put at €3.6bn

The State is facing an outstanding liability of more than €3.6 billion arising from personal injury and negligence cases , the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General has found .
The report , published on Thursday , says that the estimated cost of settling outstanding claims has been steadily increasing over recent years .
The National Treasury Management Agency ( NTMA ) manages personal injury , property damage and clinical negligence compensation claims on behalf of the State and certain State authorities .
In performing these functions it is known as the State Claims Agency ( SCA ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has increased significantly since 2012 .
At the end of 2019 , there were 11,580 claims under management including 2,472 claims in mass actions ( general and clinical ) .
In 2019 , 2,704 claims were resolved , an increase of 6 per cent over the previous year.
” “ The estimated outstanding liability at the end of 2019 has been estimated by the SCA at €3.63 billion – over three times the estimated outstanding liability at the end of 2012 .
A key factor in the increase in the estimated outstanding liability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the real rate of return used , from three per cent to one per cent or 1.5 per cent on foot of a determination by the Court of Appeal in 2015.
” The comptroller ’ s report says that awards and associated claim costs of the SCA in 2019 amounted to €431.4 million – up 21.7 per cent year-on-year from 2018 .
Provision for a discretionary performance-related payment is included in the contracts of the the majority of NTMA employees and the report notes that “ performance-related payments of €2.05 million were made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which €200,000 was paid to seven members of the executive management team ” .
“ For 2018 , performance-related payments of €1.78 million were paid to 184 employees , of which €145,000 was paid to four members of the executive management team .
The chief executive of the NTMA did not receive a performance-related payment in respect of 2018 or 2019.
” The report notes that in 2019 , payments were made to 33 NTMA employees who participated in a voluntary redundancy scheme ; the payments totalled €2.5 million with “ garden leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the employees , 10 of their positions were not subsequently filled , 12 were filled at a lower annual cost and 11 were filled at the same or an increased cost .
While redundancy was not introduced as a cost-saving measure , the report noted “ the projected annual cost savings on staff salaries was expected to be €1 million ” .
“ The cost of the scheme should be recouped in 2½ years following its implementation .
However , the examination team has not seen any evidence of a report to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulting from the redundancy scheme.
” The report also says that performance-related payments of € 479,000 were awarded to 56 staff at the National Asset Management Agency ( Nama ) in respect of 2019 .
And while the chief executive was entitled to be considered , he “ waived his entitlement ” , the report said .
Performance-related payments of €103,000 were awarded to seven Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland ( SBCI ) staff in respect of 2019 , with the chief executive receiving performance-related pay of €25,000 .

The State is facing an outstanding liability of more than €3.6 billion arising from personal injury and negligence cases, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General has found.
The report, published on Thursday, says that the estimated cost of settling outstanding claims has been steadily increasing over recent years.
The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) manages personal injury, property damage and clinical negligence compensation claims on behalf of the State and certain State authorities. In performing these functions it is known as the State Claims Agency (SCA).
“The number of claims under management has increased significantly since 2012. At the end of 2019, there were 11,580 claims under management including 2,472 claims in mass actions (general and clinical). In 2019, 2,704 claims were resolved, an increase of 6 per cent over the previous year.”
READ MORE
“The estimated outstanding liability at the end of 2019 has been estimated by the SCA at €3.63 billion – over three times the estimated outstanding liability at the end of 2012. A key factor in the increase in the estimated outstanding liability is the impact of a reduction in the real rate of return used, from three per cent to one per cent or 1.5 per cent on foot of a determination by the Court of Appeal in 2015.”
The comptroller’s report says that awards and associated claim costs of the SCA in 2019 amounted to €431.4 million – up 21.7 per cent year-on-year from 2018.
Payments
Provision for a discretionary performance-related payment is included in the contracts of the the majority of NTMA employees and the report notes that “performance-related payments of €2.05 million were made to 200 employees for 2019, of which €200,000 was paid to seven members of the executive management team”.
“For 2018, performance-related payments of €1.78 million were paid to 184 employees, of which €145,000 was paid to four members of the executive management team. The chief executive of the NTMA did not receive a performance-related payment in respect of 2018 or 2019.”
The report notes that in 2019, payments were made to 33 NTMA employees who participated in a voluntary redundancy scheme; the payments totalled €2.5 million with “garden leave” costing €100,000. Following the departure of the employees, 10 of their positions were not subsequently filled, 12 were filled at a lower annual cost and 11 were filled at the same or an increased cost. While redundancy was not introduced as a cost-saving measure, the report noted “the projected annual cost savings on staff salaries was expected to be €1 million”.
“The cost of the scheme should be recouped in 2½ years following its implementation. However, the examination team has not seen any evidence of a report to the NTMA board documenting the actual savings resulting from the redundancy scheme.”
The report also says that performance-related payments of € 479,000 were awarded to 56 staff at the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) in respect of 2019. And while the chief executive was entitled to be considered, he "waived his entitlement", the report said.
Performance-related payments of €103,000 were awarded to seven Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) staff in respect of 2019, with the chief executive receiving performance-related pay of €25,000.


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--Mathematics and the nature of physical reality

Applied mathematics is the use of maths to address questions and solve problems outside maths itself .
Counting money , designing rockets and vaccines , analysing internet traffic and predicting the weather all involve maths .
But why does this work ?
Why is maths so successful in describing physical reality ?
How is it that the world can be understood mathematically ?
This question has puzzled many deep thinkers .
Einstein addressed it repeatedly , once asking “ How can it be that mathematics , being after all a product of human thought , independent of experience , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality ?
” His conclusion was that the comprehensibility of the world is one of its great eternal mysteries .
The universe is profoundly mathematical in nature , and we do not really understand why .
Physicist Eugene Wigner looked at the question in an essay entitled The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences .
It seems astounding that we can describe the behaviour of physical systems with great precision and use that description to predict their future evolution .
The ancient Greeks were interested in mathematics primarily as a philosophical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject was its logical structure and consistency and its inherent elegance .
Applications were few and subordinate to the pure subject .
Galileo was the first to devise a mathematical treatment of physical systems .
He wrote that the book of nature is written in the language of mathematics , and anyone ignorant of that language “ is wandering in a dark labyrinth ” .
Those inclined to brag about their mathematical ineptitude might usefully reflect upon this .
Towards the end of the 17th century , Newton and Leibniz formulated calculus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This was a powerful extension of Galileo ’ s language .
Calculus is the Latin word for a small stone , like those used to aid calculations .
It is ironic that small stones , or calculi , were the downfall of both Newton and Leibniz .
A bladder stone caused Newton ’ s demise while a kidney stone led to the death of Leibniz .
Calculus gave us a means of understanding the motion of heavenly bodies and of mechanical systems on Earth .
Its predictive power is illustrated by Maxwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Using these equations , Maxwell predicted the existence of radio waves , which were generated and detected experimentally by Heinrich Hertz about 20 years later .
Attitudes of professional mathematicians to the nature of mathematics cover a wide spectrum .
Formalists view it as a mechanistic process , deducing theorems from initial assumptions , always following clear logical steps .
To the formalist , mathematics is not an abstract representation of reality , but is more like a game with clearly defined rules but no deep underlying meaning .
In contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are eternal and unchanging .
The inspiration was Plato ’ s Theory of Ideas : the everyday world we know is just a shadow of ultimate reality .
This in turn was preceded by the Pythagorean view that reality is essentially numerical in nature .
“ All is Number ” was their motto .
A recent book , Our Mathematical Universe , by Swedish cosmologist Max Tegmark , maintains the universe is not just well described by mathematics ; it is mathematics .
However , commentators have objected that Tegmark ’ s arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quantum mechanics and that physical theories must be based on experimental evidence , and not on metaphysical reasoning .
We still have much to learn about the ultimate nature of reality .
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics , University College Dublin .
He blogs atthatsmaths.com

How is it that the world can be understood mathematically? Einstein addressed it repeatedly, once asking ‘How can it be that mathematics, being after all a product of human thought, independent of experience, is so admirably appropriate to the objects of reality?’ Photograph: AP
Applied mathematics is the use of maths to address questions and solve problems outside maths itself.
Counting money, designing rockets and vaccines, analysing internet traffic and predicting the weather all involve maths. But why does this work? Why is maths so successful in describing physical reality? How is it that the world can be understood mathematically?
This question has puzzled many deep thinkers. Einstein addressed it repeatedly, once asking “How can it be that mathematics, being after all a product of human thought, independent of experience, is so admirably appropriate to the objects of reality?” His conclusion was that the comprehensibility of the world is one of its great eternal mysteries.
The universe is profoundly mathematical in nature, and we do not really understand why. Physicist Eugene Wigner looked at the question in an essay entitled The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences. It seems astounding that we can describe the behaviour of physical systems with great precision and use that description to predict their future evolution.
READ MORE
The ancient Greeks were interested in mathematics primarily as a philosophical pursuit. The real value of the subject was its logical structure and consistency and its inherent elegance. Applications were few and subordinate to the pure subject. Galileo was the first to devise a mathematical treatment of physical systems.
He wrote that the book of nature is written in the language of mathematics, and anyone ignorant of that language “is wandering in a dark labyrinth”. Those inclined to brag about their mathematical ineptitude might usefully reflect upon this.
Calculus
Towards the end of the 17th century, Newton and Leibniz formulated calculus, the branch of mathematics dealing with change. This was a powerful extension of Galileo’s language. Calculus is the Latin word for a small stone, like those used to aid calculations. It is ironic that small stones, or calculi, were the downfall of both Newton and Leibniz. A bladder stone caused Newton’s demise while a kidney stone led to the death of Leibniz.
Calculus gave us a means of understanding the motion of heavenly bodies and of mechanical systems on Earth. Its predictive power is illustrated by Maxwell's equations for electricity and magnetism. Using these equations, Maxwell predicted the existence of radio waves, which were generated and detected experimentally by Heinrich Hertz about 20 years later.
Nature of mathematics
Attitudes of professional mathematicians to the nature of mathematics cover a wide spectrum. Formalists view it as a mechanistic process, deducing theorems from initial assumptions, always following clear logical steps. To the formalist, mathematics is not an abstract representation of reality, but is more like a game with clearly defined rules but no deep underlying meaning.
In contrast, the Platonic view holds that mathematical concepts are eternal and unchanging. The inspiration was Plato’s Theory of Ideas: the everyday world we know is just a shadow of ultimate reality. This in turn was preceded by the Pythagorean view that reality is essentially numerical in nature. “All is Number” was their motto.
A recent book, Our Mathematical Universe, by Swedish cosmologist Max Tegmark, maintains the universe is not just well described by mathematics; it is mathematics.
However, commentators have objected that Tegmark’s arguments depend on a controversial many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and that physical theories must be based on experimental evidence, and not on metaphysical reasoning. We still have much to learn about the ultimate nature of reality.
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics, University College Dublin. He blogs atthatsmaths.com


theirishtimes--2020-10-01--The farmer and the hunter-gatherer should be friends

When farmers migrated from the Middle East into Europe about 9,000 years ago they encountered indigenous European hunter-gatherers with whom they first traded and later interbred .
There is now evidence that , as described by Laura Spinney in Scientific American ( July 2020 ) , the blending of the two groups produced a society in which those with higher hunter-gatherer ancestry were treated as inferiors .
About 11,500 years ago , Europe and the Middle East were emerging from an Ice Age .
As the Earth warmed it became more fertile , particularly in an area called the Fertile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tigris , Euphrates and Nile rivers to the eastern Mediterranean coast .
The hunter-gatherers of the Fertile Crescent gradually changed their lifestyle of hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants to domesticating animals , such as sheep and goats , and planting crops such as wheat .
They became the first farmers .
About 9,000 years ago these farmers migrated into Europe to find new fertile lands to cultivate .
They spilled across the Aegean Sea and the Bosporus into Greece and the Balkan Peninsula and penetrated Europe along two paths .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then on to France and the Iberian Peninsula .
The other group travelled north by land , into Germany and into France .
These two groups eventually came together and blended after about 500 years of separation .
Over this period these farmers had become much more sophisticated , mastering the craft of pottery and smelting copper to make various utensils .
The indigenous Europeans at that time were hunter-gatherers living in dense forests , hunting wild animals , gathering wild grasses and very skilled at making finely chiselled arrowheads for hunting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hunter-gatherers and had dark hair , dark eyes and lighter skin .
Many hunter-gatherers had blue eyes .
When the farmers and hunter-gatherers met they traded but otherwise treated each other with caution , although the southern arm of the migrating farmers fairly quickly interbred with the hunter- gatherers .
Many hunter-gatherers may have retreated deep into forests , remaining segregated from the farmers for a long time .
The study of this period has been greatly facilitated by the discovery of methods to extract and read DNA from ancient bones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainly , and archaeozoology , the study of ancient bones , have also been of great use .
There is evidence that the melding of the farmers with the hunter-gatherers was not harmonious .
Spinney describes archaeological investigation of burial sites , combined with DNA analysis , showing a farmer ’ s skeleton , placed carefully in the grave but accompanied by other skeletons , strongly descended from hunter-gatherers , thrown randomly into the grave .
This is widely interpreted as the grave of an important person ( a farmer ) , buried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next life ” by servants – perhaps slaves – who were killed for this purpose and whose corpses were handled with little care .
European hunter-gatherer culture quickly declined after the farmers arrived .
By 5,000 years ago agriculture dominated Europe and a hierarchical society had evolved , probably with those of strong hunter-gather descent on the bottom .
This was an understandable , albeit regrettable , development .
The farmers would have viewed their farming culture as superior to that of the hunter-gatherers and would discriminate against hunter-gatherers in the social hierarchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be distinguished by physical appearance would also facilitate this discrimination .
Spinney quotes more recent evidence of this phenomenon when Bantu farmers expanded into southern Africa 3,000 years ago and encountered forest-dwelling hunter-gatherer Pygmies to whom the Bantu are no more closely related genetically than they are to Europeans .
The two groups traded for a long time but did not interbreed for 2,000 years .
Pygmy women then married into Bantu communities where they are treated as social inferiors .
Future research will clarify details of the society that developed when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no surprise to discover various inequalities , some gross , across different sectors of society .
This is the way the world is .
For example , I understand that all societies , at some stage in their histories , practised slavery .
But another happier aspect of the way things are is the human ethical instinct that works to remove inequalities , enhance our lot and increase happiness .
Improvement is all we can hope for in the real world .
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC

The farmers would have viewed their farming culture as superior to that of the hunter-gatherers and would discriminate against hunter-gatherers in the social hierarchy
When farmers migrated from the Middle East into Europe about 9,000 years ago they encountered indigenous European hunter-gatherers with whom they first traded and later interbred.
There is now evidence that, as described by Laura Spinney in Scientific American (July 2020), the blending of the two groups produced a society in which those with higher hunter-gatherer ancestry were treated as inferiors.
About 11,500 years ago, Europe and the Middle East were emerging from an Ice Age. As the Earth warmed it became more fertile, particularly in an area called the Fertile Crescent extending from the basins of the Tigris, Euphrates and Nile rivers to the eastern Mediterranean coast.
The hunter-gatherers of the Fertile Crescent gradually changed their lifestyle of hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants to domesticating animals, such as sheep and goats, and planting crops such as wheat. They became the first farmers.
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Migrated
About 9,000 years ago these farmers migrated into Europe to find new fertile lands to cultivate. They spilled across the Aegean Sea and the Bosporus into Greece and the Balkan Peninsula and penetrated Europe along two paths. One group travelled west by sea to Italy, then on to France and the Iberian Peninsula.
The other group travelled north by land, into Germany and into France. These two groups eventually came together and blended after about 500 years of separation. Over this period these farmers had become much more sophisticated, mastering the craft of pottery and smelting copper to make various utensils.
The indigenous Europeans at that time were hunter-gatherers living in dense forests, hunting wild animals, gathering wild grasses and very skilled at making finely chiselled arrowheads for hunting. The immigrant farmers were shorter than the hunter-gatherers and had dark hair, dark eyes and lighter skin.
Many hunter-gatherers had blue eyes. When the farmers and hunter-gatherers met they traded but otherwise treated each other with caution, although the southern arm of the migrating farmers fairly quickly interbred with the hunter- gatherers. Many hunter-gatherers may have retreated deep into forests, remaining segregated from the farmers for a long time.
The study of this period has been greatly facilitated by the discovery of methods to extract and read DNA from ancient bones. Archaeobotany, the study of ancient pollen mainly, and archaeozoology, the study of ancient bones, have also been of great use.
There is evidence that the melding of the farmers with the hunter-gatherers was not harmonious. Spinney describes archaeological investigation of burial sites, combined with DNA analysis, showing a farmer’s skeleton, placed carefully in the grave but accompanied by other skeletons, strongly descended from hunter-gatherers, thrown randomly into the grave. This is widely interpreted as the grave of an important person (a farmer), buried with care and accompanied to the “next life” by servants – perhaps slaves – who were killed for this purpose and whose corpses were handled with little care.
European hunter-gatherer culture quickly declined after the farmers arrived. By 5,000 years ago agriculture dominated Europe and a hierarchical society had evolved, probably with those of strong hunter-gather descent on the bottom. This was an understandable, albeit regrettable, development.
Discriminate
The farmers would have viewed their farming culture as superior to that of the hunter-gatherers and would discriminate against hunter-gatherers in the social hierarchy. The fact that farmers and hunter-gatherers could be distinguished by physical appearance would also facilitate this discrimination.
Spinney quotes more recent evidence of this phenomenon when Bantu farmers expanded into southern Africa 3,000 years ago and encountered forest-dwelling hunter-gatherer Pygmies to whom the Bantu are no more closely related genetically than they are to Europeans. The two groups traded for a long time but did not interbreed for 2,000 years. Pygmy women then married into Bantu communities where they are treated as social inferiors.
Future research will clarify details of the society that developed when farmers conquered Europe. It will be no surprise to discover various inequalities, some gross, across different sectors of society. This is the way the world is. For example, I understand that all societies, at some stage in their histories, practised slavery.
But another happier aspect of the way things are is the human ethical instinct that works to remove inequalities, enhance our lot and increase happiness. Improvement is all we can hope for in the real world.
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC


theirishtimes--2020-09-30--Colleges may have to create 1,000 extra places after Leaving Cert errors

Up to 1,000 extra college places may be needed for students due to errors in calculated grades issued to thousands of Leaving Cert candidates .
Minister for Education Norma Foley apologised on Wednesday for coding errors which resulted in at least 6,500 students receiving a lower grade than they ought to have received .
She said all students affected will be upgraded by at least a single grade – the equivalent of 10 CAO points at higher level – and every effort will be made to ensure no candidate misses out on a college place which they are entitled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total number of students affected will not be known for several days as rechecks continue into errors in the calculated grades system .
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris told a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday night that these figures suggest that anything up to 1,000 extra places could be needed in colleges .
Mr Harris also told the meeting that the CAO had confirmed that any student impacted would be treated as a successful appeal and that a place would be secured in college if available .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Harris said he would put in place all resources necessary to fund extra college places .
Third level colleges are due to meet on Friday to discuss ways of creating additional places .
Some university sources said there was serious doubt over whether additional places could be identified in high-demand courses such as medicine or dentistry , and additional funding will be needed .
Mr Harris said he hoped that the full scale of the issue would be known by next week , at which point students may receive new offers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Opposition parties , who demanded answers over why it took over a week before the public was told of the errors .
Labour ’ s education spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said the Government had “ sat on ” the information for a week .
“ Students weren ’ t told , parents weren ’ t told , the opposition wasn ’ t told , ” he said .
Sinn Féin ’ s education spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said students who had accepted offers in colleges away from home on the basis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financially with the costs .
Ms Foley apologised for the errors and said upgrades will be processed as soon as possible .
“ I want to say how sorry I am that this has happened , ” she said .
“ My immediate priority is to fix the errors and their consequences so that students get their correct grades .
That is happening right now and the next steps will follow quickly.
” Coding errors were first identified on Tuesday evening of last week when Canadian firm Polymetrika International Inc identified an error @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for .
The error affected the academic profile of candidates based on their performance in the Junior Cert .
Instead of using students ’ two strongest subjects , their two weakest subjects were used to build an academic profile for classes .
As a result , some students received grades that were lower than they should have been .
An independent US firm – ETS Educational Testing Service – has been hired to review aspects of the coding and to ensure there are no further errors .
This work is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ms Foley said .
She also defended the delay in making the errors public on the basis that it took time to establish how many students had been affected .

Minister for Education Norma Foley speaking at a press conference on the coding errors found in the Leaving Cert calculated grades system. Photograph: Maxwells
Up to 1,000 extra college places may be needed for students due to errors in calculated grades issued to thousands of Leaving Cert candidates.
Minister for Education Norma Foley apologised on Wednesday for coding errors which resulted in at least 6,500 students receiving a lower grade than they ought to have received.
She said all students affected will be upgraded by at least a single grade – the equivalent of 10 CAO points at higher level – and every effort will be made to ensure no candidate misses out on a college place which they are entitled to.
However, final confirmation on the total number of students affected will not be known for several days as rechecks continue into errors in the calculated grades system.
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Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris told a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday night that these figures suggest that anything up to 1,000 extra places could be needed in colleges.
Mr Harris also told the meeting that the CAO had confirmed that any student impacted would be treated as a successful appeal and that a place would be secured in college if available.
Resources
If there was no such place available, Mr Harris said he would put in place all resources necessary to fund extra college places.
Third level colleges are due to meet on Friday to discuss ways of creating additional places.
Some university sources said there was serious doubt over whether additional places could be identified in high-demand courses such as medicine or dentistry, and additional funding will be needed.
Mr Harris said he hoped that the full scale of the issue would be known by next week, at which point students may receive new offers.
The disclosures prompted a wave of criticism from Opposition parties, who demanded answers over why it took over a week before the public was told of the errors.
Labour’s education spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said the Government had “sat on” the information for a week.
“Students weren’t told, parents weren’t told, the opposition wasn’t told,” he said.
Sinn Féin’s education spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said students who had accepted offers in colleges away from home on the basis of flawed results would need to be helped financially with the costs.
Processed
Ms Foley apologised for the errors and said upgrades will be processed as soon as possible.
“I want to say how sorry I am that this has happened,” she said. “My immediate priority is to fix the errors and their consequences so that students get their correct grades. That is happening right now and the next steps will follow quickly.”
Coding errors were first identified on Tuesday evening of last week when Canadian firm Polymetrika International Inc identified an error in a line of code it was responsible for.
The error affected the academic profile of candidates based on their performance in the Junior Cert.
Instead of using students’ two strongest subjects, their two weakest subjects were used to build an academic profile for classes.
As a result, some students received grades that were lower than they should have been.
An independent US firm – ETS Educational Testing Service – has been hired to review aspects of the coding and to ensure there are no further errors. This work is expected to take “a number of days”, Ms Foley said.
She also defended the delay in making the errors public on the basis that it took time to establish how many students had been affected.


theirishtimes--2020-09-30--Man charged over drugs and cigarettes worth €900,000

A man has been charged in relation to the discovery of cannabis and cigarettes worth almost €900,000 in Co Dublin @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardaí in Tallaght seized the cannabis herb with an estimated value of €467,000 and @ @ @ @ @ an operation that took place on August 14th , 2018 .
The seizure took place @ @ @ @ @ Corbally , Saggart , Co Dublin .
A man aged in his mid-30s was arrested @ @ @ @ @ Dublin , in connection with the seizure .
The man was detained under section 2 @ @ @ @ @ Drug Trafficking ) Act , 1996 , at Crumlin Garda station and is due to @ @ @ @ @ of Justice on Thursday morning .
Investigations are ongoing .

Gardaí in Tallaght seized the cannabis herb with an estimated value of €467,000 and cigarettes valued at €426,000 in an operation that took place in August 2018. File photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
A man has been charged in relation to the discovery of cannabis and cigarettes worth almost €900,000 in Co Dublin more than two years ago.
Gardaí in Tallaght seized the cannabis herb with an estimated value of €467,000 and cigarettes valued at €426,000 in an operation that took place on August 14th, 2018.
The seizure took place at a storage unit in Corbally, Saggart, Co Dublin. A man aged in his mid-30s was arrested on Tuesday night in south Dublin, in connection with the seizure.
The man was detained under section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at Crumlin Garda station and is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on Thursday morning. Investigations are ongoing.


theirishtimes--2020-09-30--Gardaí seize pistols as part of investigation into Dublin gang

Gardaí seized firearms and arrested a man after intercepting a van in Co Roscommon on Wednesday night .
Members of @ @ @ @ @ three loaded 9mm pistols and arrested the driver of the van in Castlerea .
The @ @ @ @ @ formed part of a targeted intelligence operation involving surveillance of a west Dublin gang .
@ @ @ @ @ arrested man , who is in his early 30s , was not known to gardaí @ @ @ @ @ .
He is being held under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act @ @ @ @ @ for up to three days before being charged or released .

Members of the Emergency Response Unit seized three loaded 9mm pistols from the van. File photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
Gardaí seized firearms and arrested a man after intercepting a van in Co Roscommon on Wednesday night.
Members of the Emergency Response Unit seized three loaded 9mm pistols and arrested the driver of the van in Castlerea. The incident is believed to have formed part of a targeted intelligence operation involving surveillance of a west Dublin gang.
It is understood that the arrested man, who is in his early 30s, was not known to gardaí for involvement in serious crime.
He is being held under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. He can be held for up to three days before being charged or released.


theirishtimes--2020-09-30--Girl (12) dies in house fire in Ballymena

A 12-year-old girl has died in a house fire in Co Antrim .
The victim was from the Ballykeel area @ @ @ @ @ they was called to the property at Staffa Drive in the estate at around 5.50pm @ @ @ @ @ Ireland Ambulance Service ( NIAS ) added that a man who was in the house @ @ @ @ @ Hospital for treatment .
The fire service said three units attended .
The Police Service @ @ @ @ @ cause of the fire had not yet been determined .
Democratic Unionist Stormont Assembly member @ @ @ @ @ This is indeed a tragedy .
“ No one can begin to imagine the grief @ @ @ @ @ and they will need all the support and comfort the local community and further afield @ @ @ @ @ Voice Assembly member Jim Allister said the estate had been plunged into sorrow .
“ @ @ @ @ @ young girl ’ s death is devastating .
“ The community rescue efforts were commendable @ @ @ @ @ no avail in respect of the child.
” – PA

A 12-year-old girl has died in a house fire in Co Antrim.
The victim was from the Ballykeel area of Ballymena.
Paramedics said they was called to the property at Staffa Drive in the estate at around 5.50pm on Wednesday.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) added that a man who was in the house was taken to Antrim Area Hospital for treatment.
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The fire service said three units attended. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
Democratic Unionist Stormont Assembly member Mervyn Storey said: "This is indeed a tragedy.
“No one can begin to imagine the grief the family is going through and they will need all the support and comfort the local community and further afield can give.”
Traditional Unionist Voice Assembly member Jim Allister said the estate had been plunged into sorrow.
“To now hear of this young girl’s death is devastating.
“The community rescue efforts were commendable but, alas, to no avail in respect of the child.”– PA


theirishtimes--2020-09-30--Pelosi tells Coveney no trade deal with UK if Belfast Agreement jeopardised

Senior Democrat Richard Neal has reiterated his warning that a trade deal between Britain and the United States will not happen if the Belfast Agreement is undermined .
Speaking following a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the US capitol on Wednesday , Mr Neal said that Ms Pelosi had reinforced her position on Brexit .
“ She reinforced her position so that there is not any confusion - anything that could jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement would mean that there could be no free trade agreement on a bilateral basis between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Mr Coveney met with Mr Neal and Ms Pelosi , for an hour-long meeting at her Capitol Hill office , shortly after she met with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on a contentious Covid relief package which is dominating political activity on the Hill this week .
As Brexit negotiations enter a crucial period , and the European Council meets later this week , Mr Neal said he would be watching the negotiations closely .
The senior Democrat dismissed the possibility of a US-UK trade deal being considered by the Ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even in the so-called ‘ lame duck ’ session between November ’ s election and the sitting of the new Congress in January .
“ I keep trying to remind people , particularly in the UK government , what this was like in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement .
.
.
every side had to compromise , ” he said .
Mr Coveney , who concluded his three-day visit to Washington on Wednesday , said that he struck a tone of optimism during his meeting with the House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is doable before the end of the year .
The full implementation of the protocol is also very doable .
We need to focus perhaps less on the internal market bill and all that flows from that - which has led to an undermining of trust and an increase in tensions around these negotiations – and more on negotiating solutions to the outstanding issues.
” Speaking following his meeting with Mr Coveney , Congressman Brendan Boyle said he was very concerned by the British Government ’ s decision to introduce the Internal Markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland was an issue that interested both political parties in the US .
“ The issue of Ireland is not a partisan issue .
We have Republican members like Pete King , like Brian Fitzpatrick , their Republican members who are just as strong on this issue as Democratic members , ” he said .
As well as bilateral meetings with congress members such as Senators Pat Toomey and Chris Murphy , Mr Coveney also briefed the wider Friends of Ireland group .
On Tuesday , he met with President Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Senior Democrat Richard Neal has reiterated his warning that a trade deal between Britain and the United States will not happen if the Belfast Agreement is undermined.
Speaking following a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the US capitol on Wednesday, Mr Neal said that Ms Pelosi had reinforced her position on Brexit.
“She reinforced her position so that there is not any confusion - anything that could jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement would mean that there could be no free trade agreement on a bilateral basis between the UK and the US,” he said.
Mr Coveney met with Mr Neal and Ms Pelosi, for an hour-long meeting at her Capitol Hill office, shortly after she met with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on a contentious Covid relief package which is dominating political activity on the Hill this week.
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As Brexit negotiations enter a crucial period, and the European Council meets later this week, Mr Neal said he would be watching the negotiations closely.
The senior Democrat dismissed the possibility of a US-UK trade deal being considered by the Ways and Means committee he chairs this year, even in the so-called ‘lame duck’ session between November’s election and the sitting of the new Congress in January.
“I keep trying to remind people, particularly in the UK government, what this was like in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement . . . every side had to compromise,” he said.
Mr Coveney, who concluded his three-day visit to Washington on Wednesday, said that he struck a tone of optimism during his meeting with the House Speaker.
“I think a trade deal is doable before the end of the year. The full implementation of the protocol is also very doable. We need to focus perhaps less on the internal market bill and all that flows from that - which has led to an undermining of trust and an increase in tensions around these negotiations – and more on negotiating solutions to the outstanding issues.”
Speaking following his meeting with Mr Coveney, Congressman Brendan Boyle said he was very concerned by the British Government’s decision to introduce the Internal Markets Bill. He also added that Northern Ireland was an issue that interested both political parties in the US.
“The issue of Ireland is not a partisan issue. We have Republican members like Pete King, like Brian Fitzpatrick, their Republican members who are just as strong on this issue as Democratic members,” he said.
As well as bilateral meetings with congress members such as Senators Pat Toomey and Chris Murphy, Mr Coveney also briefed the wider Friends of Ireland group. On Tuesday, he met with President Trump’s national security advisor Robert O’Brien.


theirishtimes--2020-09-30--Storm Alex expected to bring wind and showers this weekend

Met Éireann has warned of a new storm which is forecast to bring wet and windy weather across France , Britain and Ireland over the rest of the week .
Storm Alex , which was named by the French meteorological office , is expected to hit the Continent on Thursday with associated high winds reaching Ireland by Friday .
There are however no weather warnings for Ireland as a result of the storm .
Overall the coming days are expected to be cooler and more unsettled , but a respite from poor weather is expected after the weekend .
Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the east and north of the island with long clear spells developing elsewhere .
Temperatures will be low , between two and six degrees with some grass frost possible .
On Friday many places will have a dry and bright day with sunny spells .
However , showers will likely affect parts of Leinster , northwest Connacht and west Ulster during the morning .
But Met Éireann said it should become dry in most areas through the afternoon and evening .
Saturday is expected to be dry and bright in many areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wet and windy weather looks likely to spread from the northeast during the day , although there is still some uncertainty in the exact timing .
Sunday will bring heavy rain looks likely to become increasingly confined to Munster and south Leinster , with drier conditions developing further north .
The best of the weather may be early next week offering a brief window of a drier more settled spell on Monday , but turning more unsettled again from Tuesday onwards .

There are however no weather warnings for Ireland as a result of the storm. Photograph: iStock
Met Éireann has warned of a new storm which is forecast to bring wet and windy weather across France, Britain and Ireland over the rest of the week.
Storm Alex, which was named by the French meteorological office, is expected to hit the Continent on Thursday with associated high winds reaching Ireland by Friday.
There are however no weather warnings for Ireland as a result of the storm.
Overall the coming days are expected to be cooler and more unsettled, but a respite from poor weather is expected after the weekend.
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Thursday night will see showers become mainly confined to the east and north of the island with long clear spells developing elsewhere. Temperatures will be low, between two and six degrees with some grass frost possible.
On Friday many places will have a dry and bright day with sunny spells. However, showers will likely affect parts of Leinster, northwest Connacht and west Ulster during the morning. But Met Éireann said it should become dry in most areas through the afternoon and evening.
Saturday is expected to be dry and bright in many areas at first with sunny spells, but wet and windy weather looks likely to spread from the northeast during the day, although there is still some uncertainty in the exact timing.
Sunday will bring heavy rain looks likely to become increasingly confined to Munster and south Leinster, with drier conditions developing further north.
The best of the weather may be early next week offering a brief window of a drier more settled spell on Monday, but turning more unsettled again from Tuesday onwards.