theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Government says surge in Covid-19 cases could not be ignored

The increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent days is of grave concern and could not be ignored , the Government has said .
At a briefing on Wednesday Elizabeth Canavan , assistant secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach said as a result of an “ alarming scale of growth ” in the incidence of the virus many people were being asked to re-think their plans for Christmas .
“ In particular if our plans should include seeing older or vulnerable people over the holidays , we really need to consider that very carefully , assess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people either ourselves or household members have come into contact with in the lead up.
” However Ms Canavan said people should have hope and that vaccines were on the way and with them “ a real prospect of returning to some normality ” .
“ These sacrifices now will pay off in 2021 , ” she said .
Ms Canavan said the decision to move the country again to Level 5 restrictions had not been taken lightly but that the rise in cases could not be ignored .
She urged those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable to be particularly careful and to remember that their home was the safest place to be .
She said under the new measures up to and including St Stephen ’ s Day people could have visitors to their homes from a maximum of two other households .
She said after that , from the 27th December until New Year ’ s Eve , visitors from one other household would be permitted .
However from January 1st no visitors will be allowed except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a “ support bubble ” .
“ You may travel outside of your county up to and including St Stephen ’ s Day and you will be permitted to travel home after this point .
But after that you should stay in the county you live in except for certain essential purposes.
” She said places of worship would be open for services up to and including Christmas Day with a maximum of 50 people in attendance .
She said that after that they would only be open for private worship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canavan said weddings planned for up to and including January 2nd may take place with a maximum of 25 guests .
After that point weddings would limited to having six guests .
She said that from 3pm on Christmas Eve restaurants and pubs operating as restaurants would close .
From that point on hotels may serve food only to residents .
She said that from December 27th hotels “ may be used for essential non-social purposes only ” .
However for people with reservations for hotels who were planning to check in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these arrangements would be honoured .
Ms Canavan said retail would remain open but the Government has asked that traditional January sales should not go ahead .
She said people should work from home unless the work involved health , social care or other essential service .
She said gyms , pools and leisure centres would remain open for individual training only .
Cultural attractions such as museums and galleries will be closed as will hairdressers and other personal services .
Ms Canavan said under the new restrictions no sports training or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in pods of up to 15 could go ahead outdoors .
Professional elite sports and horse racing , greyhound racing and approved equestrian events can continue behind closed doors only .
She said outdoor golf and tennis was also allowed .
Ms Canavan said funerals would be limited to 10 mourners .
“ If you are over 70 or medically vulnerable , you need to be especially careful .
So exercise your judgement .
Be aware of the risks .
Limit your engagements and keep up all of the protective measures .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ms Canavan said there were Government supports available to support businesses and individuals such as the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme ( CRSS ) .
Businesses benefitting under this scheme on the weeks of December 28th and January 4th would receive a double payment up to a maximum of €5,000 .
There will also be a re-start grant of an additional week of the CRSS payment on re-opening if restrictions last beyond three weeks .
She also said that commercial rates relief would apply for affected sectors for the first three months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Government had given Santa the green light to enter Irish air space on Christmas Eve as “ an essential worker ” .
She said as well as leaving out the usual cookies and mince pies , children should also set out some hand sanitiser for him also .

The increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent days is of grave concern and could not be ignored, the Government has said.
At a briefing on Wednesday Elizabeth Canavan, assistant secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach said as a result of an "alarming scale of growth" in the incidence of the virus many people were being asked to re-think their plans for Christmas.
“In particular if our plans should include seeing older or vulnerable people over the holidays, we really need to consider that very carefully, assess where we have been and especially how many people either ourselves or household members have come into contact with in the lead up.”
Hospital Report
However Ms Canavan said people should have hope and that vaccines were on the way and with them “a real prospect of returning to some normality”.
READ MORE
“These sacrifices now will pay off in 2021,” she said.
Ms Canavan said the decision to move the country again to Level 5 restrictions had not been taken lightly but that the rise in cases could not be ignored.
She urged those over 70 and those who were medically vulnerable to be particularly careful and to remember that their home was the safest place to be.
She said under the new measures up to and including St Stephen’s Day people could have visitors to their homes from a maximum of two other households. She said after that, from the 27th December until New Year’s Eve, visitors from one other household would be permitted. However from January 1st no visitors will be allowed except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people or as part of a “support bubble”.
“You may travel outside of your county up to and including St Stephen’s Day and you will be permitted to travel home after this point. But after that you should stay in the county you live in except for certain essential purposes.”
She said places of worship would be open for services up to and including Christmas Day with a maximum of 50 people in attendance.
She said that after that they would only be open for private worship with services moving on line.
Ms Canavan said weddings planned for up to and including January 2nd may take place with a maximum of 25 guests. After that point weddings would limited to having six guests.
She said that from 3pm on Christmas Eve restaurants and pubs operating as restaurants would close. From that point on hotels may serve food only to residents.
Reservations
She said that from December 27th hotels “may be used for essential non-social purposes only”. However for people with reservations for hotels who were planning to check in on or before St Stephen’s Day, these arrangements would be honoured .
Ms Canavan said retail would remain open but the Government has asked that traditional January sales should not go ahead.
She said people should work from home unless the work involved health, social care or other essential service.
She said gyms, pools and leisure centres would remain open for individual training only. Cultural attractions such as museums and galleries will be closed as will hairdressers and other personal services.
Ms Canavan said under the new restrictions no sports training or matches should take place but non-contact training in pods of up to 15 could go ahead outdoors. Professional elite sports and horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events can continue behind closed doors only. She said outdoor golf and tennis was also allowed.
Ms Canavan said funerals would be limited to 10 mourners.
“If you are over 70 or medically vulnerable, you need to be especially careful. So exercise your judgement. Be aware of the risks. Limit your engagements and keep up all of the protective measures. And remember your home is the safest place.”
Ms Canavan said there were Government supports available to support businesses and individuals such as the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS). Businesses benefitting under this scheme on the weeks of December 28th and January 4th would receive a double payment up to a maximum of €5,000.
There will also be a re-start grant of an additional week of the CRSS payment on re-opening if restrictions last beyond three weeks.
She also said that commercial rates relief would apply for affected sectors for the first three months of 2021.
Ms Canavan also assured children that the Government had given Santa the green light to enter Irish air space on Christmas Eve as “an essential worker”.
She said as well as leaving out the usual cookies and mince pies, children should also set out some hand sanitiser for him also.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Inspectors braced for surge in checks on food from Britain post-Brexit

There would be a 30-fold increase in the number of veterinary and food safety checks required at Dublin Port from January if the existing volume of goods arrived from Britain after Brexit .
The Department of Agriculture has built border control infrastructure and hired 200 more inspectors for the checks required on British goods from January 1st based on checks rising from 3,500 a year currently to more than 100,000 after the UK leaves the EU single market .
Hazel Sheridan , head of the department ’ s import control division , which oversees the checks , expects smaller volumes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products , and animal-based food products to pass through Irish ports as a result of the food health , sanitary and phytosanitary checks being applied to UK goods for the first time in a quarter-century after Brexit takes effect .
“ We don ’ t expect trade to remain the same , that the requirement for checks will have impacts that will lead to changes and re-engineering of business models .
We will just have to see what effect that has over the course of the year , ” Ms Sheridan told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant and animal produce checks are just some of the new border controls that businesses face on importing goods from Britain after they become subject to checks against the EU ’ s single market rules with the country ’ s full departure from the economic bloc .
State officials expect the additional cost and time from the complexity of filing health certificates for every food product on multiple loads arriving from the UK will result in fewer goods passing through Dublin Port that will be subject to the checks .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we would expect it to be somewhat less than it is today because at the moment quite small consignments can travel quite easily but whether it will be economic to do that in the future , time will tell , ” Ms Sheridan said .
The department will only know the full extent of the checks required when they become subject to controls because the UK ’ s current membership of the EU single market means that trade is seamless with no checks so the volume of this trade with the UK has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was carried out by the department on 408,000 “ roll-on , roll-off ” lorry consignments off ferries arriving into Dublin Port and found that the loads on 41 per cent or almost 170,000 were potentially of interest to inspectors checking for plant , animal health and food standards .
“ All of those numbers are estimates and we really won ’ t know what the numbers are until January 1st hits and we know what decisions businesses have made and whether they are going to bring product in and how they bring product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The UK ’ s departure from EU single market rules mean “ significant changes ” for Irish businesses that trade with Britain , she said .
“ Unfortunately , that is a very tough adjustment for businesses to make but made it will have to be - there is just no way around it , ” she said .
The complexity of creating several different health certificates for lorries carrying different types of animal-based food products could create an uneconomic burden for businesses .
“ That will be up to businesses to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how easy is it to continue to do that or is in their interests to simplify the businesses somehow ?
” she said .
Dublin Port Company chief executive Eamonn O ’ Reilly called in early December on State agencies to provide key performance indicators on post-Brexit checking to be able to assess whether the new controls would lead to congestion at the port and delays in ferry schedules .
Ms Sheridan said that Brexit will “ mean that getting through the ports will take much longer ” but the extent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trailers from Britain start being checked .
“ We will only know that when we start to run the business and we see the magnitude of trucks that come through and see how well prepared people are , ” she said .
Even though Dublin Port has called on shipping companies to stagger ferry arrivals from Britain to ease pressure on checks to avoid the port being congested by traffic , Ms Sheridan said the department has planned “ based on how the ferries arrive today.
” The department is encouraging businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance of shipping goods given that 67 per cent of third-country cargos are rejected because of problems with documentation .
Businesses face documentary , identification and possibly physical checks on goods that could delay the passage of goods through ports and airports .
“ In January it is not going to be as smooth as it will be in June or December next year when people will start to get used to things and what needs to be done , ” she said .
“ At all times , we will be seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we will be absolutely focused on keeping trade moving.
” The State has border control posts ( BCPs ) at Dublin Port , Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport and has built a new BCP at Rosslare Europort for product checks on EU single market rules .
The number of inspectors have been increased to 262 staff with 210 at Dublin Port , the State ’ s busiest port through which most of the goods requiring the SPS and health checks will pass .
Ms Sheridan said the volume of sanitation and health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU from incoming diseases , pests and contaminants was unprecedented across the EU given the volume of food , plants and live animals currently crossing the EU-UK border between Ireland and Britain .
“ We are not doing those checks today .
We don ’ t have real live experience of doing checks on what is called roll-on , roll-off traffic and in fact nowhere in the European Union is there experience of carrying out checks on large numbers of roll-on , roll-off traffic , ” said Ms Sheridan .

Taoiseach Micheál Martin with Louise Byrne, right, principal officer for Brexit and international trade at the Department of Agriculture. Photograph: Julien Behal
There would be a 30-fold increase in the number of veterinary and food safety checks required at Dublin Port from January if the current volume of goods arrived from Britain after the Brexit transition period ends at the turn of the year.
The Department of Agriculture has built border control infrastructure and hired 200 more inspectors for the checks required on British goods from January 1st based on checks rising from 3,500 a year currently to more than 100,000 after the UK leaves the EU single market.
Hazel Sheridan, head of the department's import control division, which oversees the checks, expects smaller volumes of live animals, plant and plant products, and animal-based food products to pass through Irish ports as a result of the food health, sanitary and phytosanitary checks being applied to UK goods for the first time in a quarter of a century after Brexit takes effect.
“We don’t expect trade to remain the same, that the requirement for checks will have impacts that will lead to changes and re-engineering of business models,” Ms Sheridan said. “We will just have to see what effect that has over the course of the year.”
READ MORE
The food sanitation, plant and animal produce checks are just some of the new border controls that businesses will face on importing goods from Britain after they become subject to checks against the EU’s single market rules.
State officials expect the additional cost and time from the complexity of filing health certificates for every food product on multiple loads arriving from the UK will result in fewer goods passing through Dublin Port that will be subject to the checks.
“It is likely that trade will change and probably we would expect it to be somewhat less than it is today because at the moment quite small consignments can travel quite easily, but whether it will be economical to do that in the future, time will tell,” Ms Sheridan said.
Subject to controls
The department will only know the full extent of the checks required when they become subject to controls as the volume of this trade with the UK has never been measured exactly before.
An analysis was carried out by the department on 408,000 “roll-on, roll-off” lorry consignments off ferries arriving into Dublin Port and found that the loads on 41 per cent or almost 170,000 were potentially of interest to inspectors checking for plant, animal health and food standards.
“All of those numbers are estimates and we really won’t know what the numbers are until January 1st hits and we know what decisions businesses have made and whether they are going to bring product in and how they bring product in,” said Ms Sheridan.
The UK’s departure from EU single market rules mean “significant changes” for Irish businesses that trade with Britain, she said.
“Unfortunately, that is a very tough adjustment for businesses to make but made it will have to be – there is just no way around it,” she said.
The complexity of creating several different health certificates for lorries carrying different types of animal-based food products could create an uneconomic burden for businesses.
“That will be up to businesses to decide: do they continue to do that, how easy is it to continue to do that or is in their interests to simplify the businesses somehow?” she said.
In early December, Dublin Port Company chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly called on State agencies to provide key performance indicators on post-Brexit checking to be able to assess whether the new controls would lead to congestion at the port and delays in ferry schedules.
Ms Sheridan said Brexit would “mean that getting through the ports will take much longer” but the extent of the delays will not be known until the trailers from Britain start being checked.
“We will only know that when we start to run the business and we see the magnitude of trucks that come through and see how well prepared people are,” she said.
Staggered ferries
Even though Dublin Port has called on shipping companies to stagger ferry arrivals from Britain to ease pressure on checks and avoid the port being congested by traffic, Ms Sheridan said the department has planned “based on how the ferries arrive today”.
The department is encouraging businesses to have the correct documents submitted in advance of shipping goods given that 67 per cent of third-country cargo is rejected because of problems with documentation.
Businesses face documentary, identification and possibly physical checks on goods, which could delay the passage of goods through ports and airports.
“In January it is not going to be as smooth as it will be in June or December next year when people will start to get used to things and what needs to be done,” she said.
“At all times we will be seeking to keep the checks to a minimum and we will be absolutely focused on keeping trade moving.”
The State has border control posts at Dublin Port, Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport and has built a new post at Rosslare Europort for product checks on EU single market rules.
The number of inspectors has been increased to 262 staff, with 210 at Dublin Port, the State’s busiest port, through which most of the goods requiring the SPS and health checks will pass.
Ms Sheridan said the volume of sanitation and health checks in the State to protect the EU from incoming diseases, pests and contaminants was unprecedented across the EU given the volume of food, plants and live animals currently crossing the EU-UK border between Ireland and Britain.
"We are not doing those checks today," said Ms Sheridan. "We don't have real live experience of doing checks on what is called roll-on, roll-off traffic, and in fact nowhere in the European Union is there experience of carrying out checks on large numbers of roll-on, roll-off traffic."


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Deaths from Covid-19 ‘now at imminent risk of increasing’, Holohan tells Donnelly

There is an “ imminent risk ” of increasing admissions to hospital and critical care and a “ high likelihood ” hospital capacity will be exceeded if current Covid-19 trends continue , the Minister for Health was warned earlier this week .
Stephen Donnelly was also told , in a letter sent by chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan on Monday , that deaths are “ now at imminent risk of increasing ” .
Mr Donnelly was told that if the current trends seen in infection are not addressed , “ there is a high likelihood that hospital and critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-Covid health and social care services will be significantly impacted ” .
The letter , which was sent to update the Minister in advance of Tuesday ’ s Cabinet meeting , also warned that the State ’ s capacity to undertake testing and contact tracing “ is likely to be constrained over the coming days ” .
Dr Holohan also expressed the view that Level 5 measures will be necessary , and told Mr Donnelly that a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) currently under way on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerations , if needed .
Dr Holohan said that on Monday , the epidemiological situation in the State was “ giving cause for grave concern ” , which in turn was amplified by increased intergenerational socialisation anticipated around Christmas , and the emergence of a new variant of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom .
The European Commission ’ s Health Security Committee ( HSC ) , Dr Holohan wrote , was on Monday anticipated to recommend that countries introduce “ domestic public health restrictive measures to slow down further the spread of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was warned that there had been a 65 per cent increase in positive cases notified in the previous seven days , that the five-day rolling average had increased by 82 per cent , and that the seven and 14 day incidence rates per 100,000 of population had grown by 65 per cent and 39 per cent respectively .
Meanwhile , the percentage of positive tests was growing , and referrals for swabbing on Monday had doubled in a week .
He said there was “ high and rapidly increasing incidence and widespread community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Admissions to hospital and critical care had not decreased substantially and “ are now at an imminent risk of increasing ” .
“ If current trends are not addressed , there is a high likelihood that hospital and critical care capacity will be exceeded and that non-Covid health and social care services will be significantly impacted.
” He said there was a concerning level of outbreaks in nursing homes .
“ The pandemic is escalating rapidly , both in Ireland and internationally , ” Dr Holohan wrote , and that must be viewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international travel , household mixing , and continued operation of hospitality , religious services and other indoor events where households mix and which “ may act as loci for ‘ super-spreading ’ events.
” He also flagged that Nphet will consider recommendations , and the timing of measures , “ in the context of the decision by Northern Ireland to implement comprehensive measures from the 26th December and the need to avoid any unintended cross border movement into the country as a consequence.
” He said : “ There is no basis upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that the situation will not continue to deteriorate in the days ahead .
”

There is an “imminent risk” of increasing admissions to hospital and critical care and a “high likelihood” hospital capacity will be exceeded if current Covid-19 trends continue, the Minister for Health was warned earlier this week.
Stephen Donnelly was also told, in a letter sent by chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan on Monday, that deaths are "now at imminent risk of increasing".
Mr Donnelly was told that if the current trends seen in infection are not addressed, “there is a high likelihood that hospital and critical care capacity will be exceeded and that non-Covid health and social care services will be significantly impacted”.
The letter, which was sent to update the Minister in advance of Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, also warned that the State’s capacity to undertake testing and contact tracing “is likely to be constrained over the coming days”.
READ MORE
Dr Holohan also expressed the view that Level 5 measures will be necessary, and told Mr Donnelly that a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) currently under way on Wednesday could be brought forward to inform Cabinet considerations, if needed.
Dr Holohan said that on Monday, the epidemiological situation in the State was "giving cause for grave concern", which in turn was amplified by increased intergenerational socialisation anticipated around Christmas, and the emergence of a new variant of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom.
The European Commission's Health Security Committee (HSC), Dr Holohan wrote, was on Monday anticipated to recommend that countries introduce "domestic public health restrictive measures to slow down further the spread of this variant".
The Minister for Health was warned that there had been a 65 per cent increase in positive cases notified in the previous seven days, that the five-day rolling average had increased by 82 per cent, and that the seven and 14 day incidence rates per 100,000 of population had grown by 65 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, the percentage of positive tests was growing, and referrals for swabbing on Monday had doubled in a week. He said there was “high and rapidly increasing incidence and widespread community transmission”, with multiple clusters. Admissions to hospital and critical care had not decreased substantially and “are now at an imminent risk of increasing”.
“If current trends are not addressed, there is a high likelihood that hospital and critical care capacity will be exceeded and that non-Covid health and social care services will be significantly impacted.” He said there was a concerning level of outbreaks in nursing homes.
"The pandemic is escalating rapidly, both in Ireland and internationally," Dr Holohan wrote, and that must be viewed in the context of increased national and international travel, household mixing, and continued operation of hospitality, religious services and other indoor events where households mix and which "may act as loci for 'super-spreading' events."
He also flagged that Nphet will consider recommendations, and the timing of measures, "in the context of the decision by Northern Ireland to implement comprehensive measures from the 26th December and the need to avoid any unintended cross border movement into the country as a consequence."
He said: “There is no basis upon which to believe, at this time, that the situation will not continue to deteriorate in the days ahead.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Irish people became smellier and hairier during year as buying habits changed

Irish people became slightly smellier , hairier and , perhaps , more natural versions of themselves over the course of the year as Covid-19 and all its trappings led to dramatic shifts in our buying habits .
Sales of fancy dresses and sharp suits took a big hit with many people feeling disinclined to dress up in anything more elaborate than a tracksuit for their daily commute from the bed to the couch .
Meanwhile , sales of hand sanitiser , face masks and Vitamin D went through the roof as people sought to do whatever they could to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ razors declined across the market said Aldi ’ s group buying director John Curtin , although soap sales jumped by 55 per cent as people took to washing their hands with the vigour of Howard Hughes or a heart surgeon heading into the operating theatre .
“ Purchases of hand sanitiser exploded by 850 per cent , ” Curtin added .
With eating out no longer an easy option , many people started taking advantage of their kitchens .
Curtin said sales of flour climbed by 136 per cent , baking ingredient sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 per cent increase in fresh meat sales .
“ Over half of what we sell is Irish sourced and we saw big increases across the majority of our Irish products , ” he added .
“ During the early weeks of the first lockdown , 80 per cent of our top 20 selling products were Irish sourced.
” With confinement to the fore , Aldi shoppers appeared more inclined to indulge themselves than they might have in times past .
“ Spikes in seasonal sales such as chocolate at Easter and Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Curtin said .
Sales of crisps climbed by 60 per cent , snacks and nuts by 25 per cent and microwave popcorn by 35 per cent as people stayed home watching TV or streaming services .
Some of the most searched for items on the Boots website during lockdown periods were hand sanitiser , handwash , hair clippers , thermometers and hair dye .
“ There has been a renewed interest in health and wellness with customers stocking up more on immunity vitamins , particularly Vitamin C and D , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have also seen a great interest in natural remedies which began to emerge pre-Covid and still continues.
” She said that with offices , pubs , nightclubs , entertainment venues and gyms all closed – for at least of some of the year – there was “ a dip ” in sales of men ’ s razors and grooming products .
Interest in respray and certain cosmetics also slowed , she said .
A spokeswoman for Supervalu said that grocery shopping had “ fundamentally changed ” since the beginning of March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops and what people buy changing ” .
She noted a marked switch to food with a long shelf life such as pasta with and away from pre-prepared salads and the like .
Sales across the home baking category in SuperValu were up by around 63 per cent with flour sales alone rising by 200 per cent and related products such as toppings , mini marshmallows and core baking ingredients like raising agents , flavourings and food colourings all selling strongly .
With the huge rise in people cooking meals from scratch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 80 per cent with its fresh fruit and vegetables , and meat , poultry and fish proving “ an absolute hit ” .
She also said that people appeared to be more conscious of the importance of eating healthy , with banana sales running at an average of one “ every second in recent months ” .
With people spending more time at home , there sales of cleaning and washing products soared with dishwasher tablets climbing by an impressive 60 per cent but still dwarfed by the surge in soap purchases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lidl has also experienced some interesting sales trends as a result of the pandemic with its bananas and flours having among the product lines to have “ significant uplifts ” .
When the stay-at-home summer came round its customers set out to have barbecues at home .
Over the June Bank Holiday weekend alone , it saw a sales increase by 78 per cent with almost half a million items sold across its barbecue meats range .
it said some 80,000 bottles of its own-brand sun creams sold that same weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage .
Amongst the most popular items in Currys PC World were Apple AirPods reflecting the massive change in our work , living and social habits .
“ With everyone working from home , a good set of headphones has become non-negotiable for many , ” said Jamie Cantwell , head of electricals at Currys PC World .
“ The Airpods were followed closely by a JVC 40 ” TV .
With people seeking out second screen options while working from home , many opted for a TV instead of a monitor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales inevitably increased massively throughout the year with printers and scanner sales climbing 50 per cent above last year ’ s volume .
It also appears that people were missing their takeaway coffees with an almost 100 per cent increase in the sale of coffee machines , with bean to cup machines seeing the fastest growth .
Sales of gaming consoles were by up more than 300 per cent , reflecting the desire for home entertainment while sales of virtual reality equipment , albeit from a low base , climbed by 500 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to escape their actual reality for a spell .

Irish people became slightly smellier, hairier and, perhaps, more natural versions of themselves over the course of the year as Covid-19 and all its trappings led to dramatic shifts in our buying habits.
Sales of fancy dresses and sharp suits took a big hit with many people feeling disinclined to dress up in anything more elaborate than a tracksuit for their daily commute from the bed to the couch.
Meanwhile, sales of hand sanitiser, face masks and Vitamin D went through the roof as people sought to do whatever they could to keep themselves virus-free.
Sales of hand sanitiser, face masks and Vitamin D went through the roof
Sales of shampoo and razors declined across the market said Aldi's group buying director John Curtin, although soap sales jumped by 55 per cent as people took to washing their hands with the vigour of Howard Hughes or a heart surgeon heading into the operating theatre.
READ MORE
“Purchases of hand sanitiser exploded by 850 per cent,” Curtin added.
With eating out no longer an easy option, many people started taking advantage of their kitchens.
Curtin said sales of flour climbed by 136 per cent, baking ingredient sales rising by 51 per cent and a 20 per cent increase in fresh meat sales.
“Over half of what we sell is Irish sourced and we saw big increases across the majority of our Irish products,” he added. “During the early weeks of the first lockdown, 80 per cent of our top 20 selling products were Irish sourced.”
With confinement to the fore, Aldi shoppers appeared more inclined to indulge themselves than they might have in times past.
“Spikes in seasonal sales such as chocolate at Easter and Christmas came a lot earlier than other years,” Curtin said.
Sales of crisps climbed by 60 per cent, snacks and nuts by 25 per cent and microwave popcorn by 35 per cent as people stayed home watching TV or streaming services.
Some of the most searched for items on the Boots website during lockdown periods were hand sanitiser, handwash, hair clippers, thermometers and hair dye.
"There has been a renewed interest in health and wellness with customers stocking up more on immunity vitamins, particularly Vitamin C and D," Boots spokeswoman Claire Moran said.
“We have also seen a great interest in natural remedies which began to emerge pre-Covid and still continues.”
She said that with offices, pubs, nightclubs, entertainment venues and gyms all closed – for at least of some of the year – there was “a dip” in sales of men’s razors and grooming products. Interest in respray and certain cosmetics also slowed, she said.
A spokeswoman for Supervalu said that grocery shopping had "fundamentally changed" since the beginning of March, "with lower footfall, bigger trolley shops and what people buy changing". She noted a marked switch to food with a long shelf life such as pasta with and away from pre-prepared salads and the like.
Sales across the home baking category in SuperValu were up by around 63 per cent with flour sales alone rising by 200 per cent and related products such as toppings, mini marshmallows and core baking ingredients like raising agents, flavourings and food colourings all selling strongly.
With the huge rise in people cooking meals from scratch, SuperValu saw its olive oil sales increase by 80 per cent with its fresh fruit and vegetables, and meat, poultry and fish proving “an absolute hit”.
She also said that people appeared to be more conscious of the importance of eating healthy, with banana sales running at an average of one “every second in recent months”.
With people spending more time at home, there sales of cleaning and washing products soared with dishwasher tablets climbing by an impressive 60 per cent but still dwarfed by the surge in soap purchases - up a whopping 400 per cent.
Lidl has also experienced some interesting sales trends as a result of the pandemic with its bananas and flours having among the product lines to have "significant uplifts".
When the stay-at-home summer came round its customers set out to have barbecues at home. Over the June Bank Holiday weekend alone, it saw a sales increase by 78 per cent with almost half a million items sold across its barbecue meats range. it said some 80,000 bottles of its own-brand sun creams sold that same weekend, though few remember sunny weather at this stage.
Amongst the most popular items in Currys PC World were Apple AirPods reflecting the massive change in our work, living and social habits.
“With everyone working from home, a good set of headphones has become non-negotiable for many,” said Jamie Cantwell, head of electricals at Currys PC World.
“The Airpods were followed closely by a JVC 40” TV. With people seeking out second screen options while working from home, many opted for a TV instead of a monitor,” he said.
Home office equipment sales inevitably increased massively throughout the year with printers and scanner sales climbing 50 per cent above last year’s volume.
It also appears that people were missing their takeaway coffees with an almost 100 per cent increase in the sale of coffee machines, with bean to cup machines seeing the fastest growth.
Sales of gaming consoles were by up more than 300 per cent, reflecting the desire for home entertainment while sales of virtual reality equipment, albeit from a low base, climbed by 500 per cent, no doubt as people sought to escape their actual reality for a spell.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Covid-19: 50% increase detected in schools following mass testing last week

There were 94 cases of Covid-19 detected in schools last week following mass testing of more than 2,800 students and staff , latest official figures show .
The number of cases – up from 61 the previous week – represents an increase of just over 50 per cent in the space of seven days .
However , the positivity rate among close contacts tested was 3.3 per cent , similar to last week ’ s rate of 3.5 per cent .
This measure is seen by public health experts as crucial in measuring the risk of transmission in schools .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacts in the community is estimated to be in the region of 10 to 12 per cent .
The figures are contained in the Health Service Executive ’ s ( HSE ) weekly Covid-19 mass testing report for schools and childcare facilities for December 13th to December 21st .
The report shows positivity rates following mass testing were highest in special schools ( 5.1 per cent ) followed by primary schools ( 4 per cent ) and secondary schools ( 0.7 per cent ) .
Public health experts say these figures reflect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among these age groups .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin stressed on Tuesday that schools will open as planned in January despite new Level 5 restrictions .
In line with advice from public health authorities , he said schools , early learning and childcare services will continue to remain open and are deemed essential .
However , this position will likely be reviewed if the growth in cases accelerates to the point where thousands of new cases are being reported every day .
When asked earlier this week if a surge in infection levels could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of schools , State chief medical officer Tony Holohan said officials were keeping the matter under review .
Many schools countrywide have in recent days sent pupils ’ books home with them as a precautionary measure in case of delay to the new year reopening .
Emergency remote teaching guidelines were issued by the Department of Education to secondary schools late last week , though officials say this was simply an update to earlier guidance .
A similar document was circulated to primary schools in November .
In the North many secondary school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning for a period from late-January , Northern Ireland ’ s Minister for Education Peter Weir has said .
In Scotland , the return to face-to-face classes will be delayed for most pupils for two weeks .
The latest HSE schools report , meanwhile , only lists positive cases identified following mass testing .
It does not include a formal breakdown of the number of so-called index cases which triggered testing of close contacts in schools .
However , it is likely the number of index cases is at least 149 , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of schools last week .
This means the total number of cases recorded in schools last week is likely to be in the region of at least 211 .

There were 94 cases of Covid-19 detected in schools last week following mass testing of more than 2,800 students and staff, latest official figures show. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP
There were 94 cases of Covid-19 detected in schools last week following mass testing of more than 2,800 students and staff, latest official figures show.
The number of cases – up from 61 the previous week – represents an increase of just over 50 per cent in the space of seven days.
However, the positivity rate among close contacts tested was 3.3 per cent, similar to last week’s rate of 3.5 per cent.
This measure is seen by public health experts as crucial in measuring the risk of transmission in schools.
READ MORE
The equivalent rate for mass-testing of close contacts in the community is estimated to be in the region of 10 to 12 per cent.
The figures are contained in the Health Service Executive's (HSE) weekly Covid-19 mass testing report for schools and childcare facilities for December 13th to December 21st.
The report shows positivity rates following mass testing were highest in special schools (5.1 per cent) followed by primary schools (4 per cent) and secondary schools (0.7 per cent).
Public health experts say these figures reflect the challenges maintaining social distancing and other measures among these age groups.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin stressed on Tuesday that schools will open as planned in January despite new Level 5 restrictions.
In line with advice from public health authorities, he said schools, early learning and childcare services will continue to remain open and are deemed essential.
However, this position will likely be reviewed if the growth in cases accelerates to the point where thousands of new cases are being reported every day.
When asked earlier this week if a surge in infection levels could result in advice to delay the reopening of schools, State chief medical officer Tony Holohan said officials were keeping the matter under review.
Many schools countrywide have in recent days sent pupils’ books home with them as a precautionary measure in case of delay to the new year reopening.
Emergency remote teaching guidelines were issued by the Department of Education to secondary schools late last week, though officials say this was simply an update to earlier guidance. A similar document was circulated to primary schools in November.
In the North many secondary school pupils are set to move to remote learning for a period from late-January, Northern Ireland's Minister for Education Peter Weir has said.
In Scotland, the return to face-to-face classes will be delayed for most pupils for two weeks.
The latest HSE schools report, meanwhile, only lists positive cases identified following mass testing.
It does not include a formal breakdown of the number of so-called index cases which triggered testing of close contacts in schools.
However, it is likely the number of index cases is at least 149, given that mass testing took place in this number of schools last week.
This means the total number of cases recorded in schools last week is likely to be in the region of at least 211.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--How does Santa deliver billions of gifts in one night? Quantum physics . . .

It was always known Santa Claus used the best technology and most advanced science to make what seemed impossible happen – the delivery of so many gifts to children around the world in a single night .
But one question has always bugged the best scientists : How on Earth does he visit all those different places within such a short period ?
As that magical time of the year again approaches when Santa Claus will set off on his merry way , that familiar question surfaces yet again , but scientists at Trinity College Dublin have thrown new light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In many sceptics ’ minds Santa seems to defy the laws of physics .
But for quantum physicists there is no issue .
The most modern theory , according to Prof John Goold and Dr Mark Mitchison , based in TCD school of physics , is that Santa Claus is in fact exploiting quantum mechanics to deliver the gifts , and there is much to suggest this is the case .
In a nutshell , quantum mechanics allows objects – including Santa , Rudolph and co – to be in many places simultaneously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which allows for his extraordinarily efficient delivery on Christmas Eve .
Quantum physics describes the basic building blocks of the stuff we can see around us .
It explains almost everything we understand about the world : how the sun shines , why metal looks and feels different from plastic or wood , and very many other things .
But quantum physics also makes some bizarre predictions , starting with the fact that objects can be in “ superposition ” – meaning they exist in many different places at the same time !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these weird states describe tiny things – like atoms – but also much larger things too .
In fact , an important part of our job as physicists is trying to put bigger and bigger objects into superpositions , which we think will help us to build ultra-fast computers and a more secure Internet in the future .
But we still haven ’ t learned to do it as well as Santa can !
” For quantum physicists , he says , there is little doubt now that Santa is exploiting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quantum coherence ’ , which is precisely the same resource used by cutting-edge quantum technologies to outperform technologies based on classical physics ” .
Historically the idea an object can be in a macroscopic superposition has led to controversy .
In fact , many scientists over the years have questioned if quantum physics can really be true .
Probably the most famous critic was Albert Einstein , who helped to discover quantum physics over 100 years ago but then spent the rest of his life arguing it was incomplete .
However , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time is that he hated Christmas ( basically , the rumour , which may or may not have originated at the North Pole , implies he was a Grinch who didn ’ t like Santa Claus ) .
Even after sparking a revolution in physics and establishing himself as the smartest man in history , Einstein still wasn ’ t as famous as Santa , Prof Goold notes .
Green with envy , some believe Einstein tried to discredit Santa by arguing quantum superpositions were impossible so no one could possibly visit all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
Nowadays , scientists don ’ t take Einstein ’ s ideas about quantum physics seriousl , y and it is widely accepted that superpositions are real – along with Santa Claus .
Even if we agree that Santa uses quantum physics to bring gifts to all the children in the world on the same night , we still don ’ t understand exactly how he does it , the scientists admit .
“ When we observe a quantum object , we only ever find it in one place at a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very fragile .
Just looking at them causes them to ‘ collapse ’ , which means the object ends up in just one place and all the other possibilities vanish , ” Dr Mitchison adds .
“ We are pretty sure that Santa has developed some advanced technology to protect his quantum superposition and stop such a collapse from ruining Christmas .
But – just in case – we advise children the world over to go to bed early on Christmas Eve and suggest they don ’ t try to catch a glimpse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superposition !
”

It was always known Santa Claus used the best technology and most advanced science to make what seemed impossible happen – the delivery of so many gifts to children around the world in a single night.
But one question has always bugged the best scientists: How on Earth does he visit all those different places within such a short period?
As that magical time of the year again approaches when Santa Claus will set off on his merry way, that familiar question surfaces yet again, but scientists at Trinity College Dublin have thrown new light on how it is made possible.
In many sceptics' minds Santa seems to defy the laws of physics. But for quantum physicists there is no issue. The most modern theory, according to Prof John Goold and Dr Mark Mitchison, based in TCD school of physics, is that Santa Claus is in fact exploiting quantum mechanics to deliver the gifts, and there is much to suggest this is the case.
READ MORE
In a nutshell, quantum mechanics allows objects – including Santa, Rudolph and co – to be in many places simultaneously. That is the key ingredient, which allows for his extraordinarily efficient delivery on Christmas Eve.
Quantum physics describes the basic building blocks of the stuff we can see around us. It explains almost everything we understand about the world: how the sun shines, why metal looks and feels different from plastic or wood, and very many other things.
But quantum physics also makes some bizarre predictions, starting with the fact that objects can be in “superposition” – meaning they exist in many different places at the same time!
Prof Goold explains: “Experiments show that these weird states describe tiny things – like atoms – but also much larger things too. In fact, an important part of our job as physicists is trying to put bigger and bigger objects into superpositions, which we think will help us to build ultra-fast computers and a more secure Internet in the future. But we still haven’t learned to do it as well as Santa can!”
For quantum physicists, he says, there is little doubt now that Santa is exploiting, “what we know as ‘macroscopic quantum coherence’, which is precisely the same resource used by cutting-edge quantum technologies to outperform technologies based on classical physics”.
Einstein vs Santa
Historically the idea an object can be in a macroscopic superposition has led to controversy. In fact, many scientists over the years have questioned if quantum physics can really be true. Probably the most famous critic was Albert Einstein, who helped to discover quantum physics over 100 years ago but then spent the rest of his life arguing it was incomplete.
However, an intriguing rumour circulating since Einstein’s time is that he hated Christmas (basically, the rumour, which may or may not have originated at the North Pole, implies he was a Grinch who didn’t like Santa Claus). Even after sparking a revolution in physics and establishing himself as the smartest man in history, Einstein still wasn’t as famous as Santa, Prof Goold notes.
Green with envy, some believe Einstein tried to discredit Santa by arguing quantum superpositions were impossible so no one could possibly visit all the children in the world in one night. Nowadays, scientists don’t take Einstein’s ideas about quantum physics seriousl,y and it is widely accepted that superpositions are real – along with Santa Claus.
Even if we agree that Santa uses quantum physics to bring gifts to all the children in the world on the same night, we still don’t understand exactly how he does it, the scientists admit.
“When we observe a quantum object, we only ever find it in one place at a time. This tells us that superpositions are very fragile. Just looking at them causes them to ‘collapse’, which means the object ends up in just one place and all the other possibilities vanish,” Dr Mitchison adds.
“We are pretty sure that Santa has developed some advanced technology to protect his quantum superposition and stop such a collapse from ruining Christmas. But – just in case – we advise children the world over to go to bed early on Christmas Eve and suggest they don’t try to catch a glimpse of him and risk collapsing his merry superposition!”


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Minister for Agriculture tests positive for Covid-19 prompting colleagues to restrict movements

Minister for Agriculture Food and Marine Charlie McConalogue has tested positive for Covid-19 , his spokesman has confirmed .
The Donegal representative has displayed no symptoms and is self isolating for a period of time and following all public health guidelines , the spokesman added .
News that Covid-19 had struck at the heart of Government came earlier when the Government Information Service ( GIS ) announced that a member of Cabinet had tested positive , although the identity of the Minister was not revealed initially .
In line with public health advice , all Ministers are now restricting their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and result .
Separately , people who have arrived in Ireland from Britain from December 11th will have to eat their Christmas dinner alone in their room , a senior HSE figure has confirmed .
The Government announced yesterday it had updated its advice for people who have travelled from England , Scotland or Wales to Ireland since December 8th .
The new advice calls on people to self-isolate in their room , rather than simply restrict their movements , for 14 days from the date of their arrival in Ireland .
Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Clinical Officer , was asked on RTÉ ’ s Morning Ireland if that meant people who had arrived since December 11th had to eat Christmas dinner in their room .
“ Sadly it does mean isolation in your room , ” he said .
“ I appreciate…not just how inconvenient this is but how painful this is for people who ’ ve waited so long to come home.
” Explaining the concept of self-isolation , he said that meant staying in your room in so far as possible , except for essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in their room to ensure they were not the means of passing on this much more transmissible version of the virus , he added .
He said positive cases in people who had arrived from Britain had been identified .
It was estimated more than 30,000 people had arrived from Britain .
Asked how many had tested positive , Dr Henry said the figures were not available to date but “ enhanced surveillance ” was underway .
Referring to the new Covid-19 strain found in the south of England recently , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in Ireland and people must act as if it is already here .
Dr Henry said that self isolating was no longer novel “ in our collective national experience ” , as many people in Ireland had self-isolated in recent times .
“ It is difficult , it is painful , but we have learned to our cost…that delay in taking action to prevent spread , transmission of the virus , we will pay for it if we do so.
” The requirement to self-isolate includes people who have had a negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these people could still be developing symptoms and pose a potential risk to others .
Senior Government figures fear that if there is widespread infection here with the new variant of Covid-19 which has been detected in the UK , existing restrictions will be insufficient and a hard lockdown will be needed to stop the spread of the virus .
This could see the country returning to the restrictions which were imposed last March , sources fear .
While the Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday stressed that schools would open as planned in January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be reviewed if the growth in cases accelerated to the point where thousands of new cases were reported every day .
There were 970 new cases announced last night , and that number is expected to pass 1,000 today .
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar also said that the situation for non-essential retail - currently allowed to stay open - would be reviewed if the case numbers continued to increase rapidly .
There is growing alarm in Government that cases are set to spiral in the coming days , after public health officials told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 10 per cent a day .
Ministers were told on Monday that the growth rate was 6.5 per cent , but yesterday senior officials from the National Public Health Emergency Team corrected that , telling ministers it was now 10 per cent .
The Minister for Health told the Cabinet meeting yesterday that they could be looking at 1,900 new cases a day in a week ’ s time - assuming the rate of growth did not increase significantly .
Nphet is scheduled to meet today to consider the latest trends , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sources expect that the group will recommend that non-essential retail be closed and that the country adopt the full level five restrictions .
Speaking on RTÉ ’ s Today with Claire Byrne programme on Wednesday morning , Mr Martin called the new variant a “ game-changer ” .
Meanwhile , Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has defended the pace of the vaccination programme and the latest round of Covid-19 restrictions , saying that the aim was to provide the time to get the vaccine rolled out and in that way to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ our resolution ” Mr Ryan said on Wednesday morning .
However , he warned that it would take time to get the vaccine distributed .
Mr Ryan ’ s comments come a day after it was announced that the State will enter its third lockdown on Thursday , Christmas Eve , as a range of restrictions take effect between then and the new year in an attempt to control surging levels of Covid-19 infections .
“ We need to minimise the damage , ” Mr Ryan told RTÉ ’ s Morning Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and review the situation , but it can not give “ false expectations ” that this would be a short three-week period of restrictions , he said .
“ In all likelihood it will have to keep going until we ’ re in a safer place , ” he said .
“ Everything we ’ re doing is on an evidence basis , ” he said of the decision to allow non-essential retail remain open .
“ We ’ re not seeing any indications of transmission from the retail sector.
” Mr Ryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operated in a “ very careful manner ” and it also provided 40,000 jobs .
There was also no evidence of cases from gyms which were important as they provided people with the ability to maintain their physical and mental health .
However , Mr Ryan said that if numbers associated with the retail sector began to rise then the Government would have to review the situation .
“ We have to heed the public health advice , ” he told the programme .
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald , meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid restrictions .
When asked on RTÉ ’ s Morning Ireland if shops in the Republic should remain closed after Christmas as will be the case in Northern Ireland , Ms McDonald said : “ Well , yes , our central premise is that to keep any of us safe on this island , we have to keep all of us safe .
I would have thought it was a matter of just basic common sense , that on a small island with a relatively small population mass , we are a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” When asked again if non-essential retail in the Republic should be closed from Saturday , Ms McDonald said that “ from the very beginning ” ( of the pandemic ) she had been asking “ the Dublin Government ” to spearhead an all island approach .
“ I support Dublin and Belfast getting their act together and actually having the single all island approach that we need to keep people safe , ” she said .
As for the reopening of schools ( North and South ) , Ms McDonald said schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manner and the situation would have to be assessed closer to the date when they were due to reopen .
Ms McDonald expressed disappointment that the Northern Executive had not ruled to halt flights from the UK .
“ We will press for this matter again , ” and she hoped the Taoiseach would help Sinn Féin in this endeavour .
The party leader said she supported the reimposed restrictions ( in the Republic ) , but said that guidance was “ useless ” unless the restrictions were “ properly enforced and invigilated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north and south ” needed to be strengthened otherwise they left the public “ always vulnerable.
” Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the restrictions on Tuesday in a televised address from the steps of Government Buildings after Cabinet approved the measures .
As expected , bars and restaurants will shut from Thursday , as will hairdressers and beauty salons .
The Government pledged that schools and creches would reopen as planned after Christmas , and retail outlets will be permitted to remain open , though will be told not to hold post-Christmas or January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swimming pools will remain open , and outdoor training can continue .
But no sports matches can take place apart from those at elite level .
Travel between counties will be banned from St Stephen ’ s Day , but people who have already travelled for Christmas will not be asked to return home .
However , once they return home after their visit , no new inter-county travel can take place .
Home visits by members of two households can continue until December 26th , but will then be reduced to just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home visits will be banned completely .
Later Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that although the decisions would be reviewed in mid-January , people could expect the lockdown to last until early March .
There were another 970 new cases of the virus recorded on Wednesday , and a further 13 deaths .

Minister for Agriculture Food and Marine Charlie McConalogue has tested positive for Covid-19, his spokesman has confirmed.
The Donegal representative has displayed no symptoms and is self isolating for a period of time and following all public health guidelines, the spokesman added.
News that Covid-19 had struck at the heart of Government came earlier when the Government Information Service (GIS) announced that a member of Cabinet had tested positive, although the identity of the Minister was not revealed initially.
In line with public health advice, all Ministers are now restricting their movements while they await a coronavirus test and result.
READ MORE
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has tested negative but on Wednesday night the results of other cabinet ministers’ tests were not yet clear.
Under rules for essential workers, Mr McConalogue did not have to restrict his movements on return to the State after a business trip to Brussels earlier this month. The rules state that those who travel overseas for essential purposes and restrict their movements - aside from that essential purpose - while abroad should not be advised to restrict their movements on return. A spokesman for the Minister said he therefore did not have to restrict his movements.
Mr McConalogue was tested before departure for Brussels on the 14th, and again on his return on the 17th, with both tests coming back negative. The “day five” test, required following travel, which was undertaken yesterday (December 22nd), was positive. Mr McConalogue was in Dublin City Centre on personal business yesterday, and also attended the Cabinet meeting at which new Covid-19 restrictions were agreed, prior to taking the Day five test in the late afternoon. He was given the results of the test on Wednesday morning.
Minister Eamon Ryan said he got the word that a colleague tested positive as he arrived at Government buildings for an interview with journalists. He had to return home and the press conference took place online instead.
Mr Ryan said he will follow all HSE advice on restricting his movements. And he said he hopes all his colleagues are safe and well.
“I absolutely wish Charlie well and a safe and speedy recovery from the virus. The same to all my colleagues and anyone else. There’s a thousand families in this country waking up this morning from those figures yesterday to that reality. My thoughts and well wishes goes out to every one of those families. And that’s why we have to act in difficult circumstances the way we do. The Cabinet meeting - just to maybe give a sense of the details - the logistics of it. It’s held - not in the ordinary Cabinet room, not even in Government Buildings - to provide a safe environment it’s held in Dublin Castle.
“And in that conference centre you get down to the bottom of the stairs... and there’s the big main conference room.
“So that’s where cabinet’s held. And it’s more than two metres distancing. I’d say it’s almost three or four metres because it’s such a big room.”
Mr Ryan said the meeting was not very lengthy and lasted a little less than two hours.
“We have tried wherever possible in Government Buildings or other meetings to try and keep them to two hours on health advice. It was there or there about a yesterday. So ordinarily people don’t wear masks but people sometimes do and certainly coming in and out of the room or any other engagements people do wear masks. But because in speaking people tend to take off their masks that tends to be the approach.”
When asked if Mr McConalogue was wearing a mask he said that was his recollection.
Hard lockdown
Meanwhile, senior Government figures fear that if there is widespread infection here with the new variant of Covid-19 which has been detected in the UK, existing restrictions will be insufficient and a hard lockdown will be needed to stop the spread of the virus.
This could see the country returning to the restrictions which were imposed last March, sources fear.
While the Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday stressed that schools would open as planned in January, sources say that position would have to be reviewed if the growth in cases accelerated to the point where thousands of new cases were reported every day.
There were 970 new cases announced last night, and that number is expected to pass 1,000 today.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar also said that the situation for non-essential retail - currently allowed to stay open - would be reviewed if the case numbers continued to increase rapidly.
There is growing alarm in Government that cases are set to spiral in the coming days, after public health officials told ministers yesterday that cases are currently growing by 10 per cent a day.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Christmas always a time of contrasts, says family of Sophie Toscan du Plantier on anniversay

The family of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier have spoken about how her killing has changed their experience of Christmas as they prepare to mark the 24th anniversary of her killing in west Cork .
Ms Toscan du Plantier ’ s brother , Bertrand Bouniol , told The Irish Times Christmas was always a difficult time for him and his elderly parents , Georges and Marguerite , and Ms Toscan du Plantier ’ s son , Pierre Louis Baudey-Vignaud , since the killing .
“ Christmas is always a period of contrast for us – I will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my parents and my aunt , Marie Madeline Opalka , to Cork after we learned that Sophie had been murdered in west Cork .
“ People around us in Cork were happy celebrating Christmas and we were ravaged by Sophie ’ s death and that memory remains with me to this day so Christmas is always difficult for us .
“ I remember too coming back to Paris on the day after Christmas Day and going to my in-laws and having to explain to my three children why I had not been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr Bouniol said he and his family and his parents , Georges and Marguerite , will be joined by Ms Toscan du Plantier ’ s son , Pierre Louis , and his wife , Aurelia , and their two children , Sophie ( 8 ) and Louis ( 7 ) , in Paris for Christmas Day .
But west Cork and what happened to his sister at her holiday home in Toormore where she was found murdered on the morning of December 23rd , 1996 , will never be far from their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will take care of my parents , who are now quite elderly , and we will have a very simple Christmas with them and Pierre Louis and his wife and children here in Paris , ” he said “ It will be a simple family event for us all , but our thoughts will be in Toormore in west Cork as we think about Sophie and all the happiness that she never lived to enjoy because of what her killer did.
” Mr Bouniol said the family were pleased in 2019 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was convicted of his sister ’ s murder in his absence by the Cour d ’ Assises in Paris and sentenced to 25 years in jail for the crime .
But this year , Mr Bouniol ’ s hope of getting justice for his sister turned to disappointment when the High Court in Dublin refused to extradite Mr Bailey to France to serve the sentence imposed on him by Judge Frederique Aline .
“ Last year was important year for us because of the trial in Paris and the verdict of the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we don ’ t know how 2021 will evolve but we will still be fighting.
” Meanwhile , one of the senior officers involved in the investigation of Ms Toscan du Plantier ’ s murder has begun legal proceedings against Mr Bailey over comments he made on The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork ’ s Red FM .
Retired Chief Supt Dermot Dwyer was one of leading investigators in the case , and he confirmed to The Irish Times he has issued legal proceedings against Mr Bailey over the interview , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bailey also declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Irish Times but it ’ s understood that Mr Dwyer ’ s letter sent by solicitors , PJ O ’ Driscoll & Sons seeks a retraction , apology and damages from Mr Bailey .
In the radio interview , which was broadcast on October 28th last , just weeks after the High Court ruled against extraditing Mr Bailey to France , Mr Bailey was highly critical of the Garda investigation that identified him as a suspect .
And in the course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to identify him as a suspect , he made reference to Mr Dwyer who was a detective superintendent at the time and centrally involved in the investigation .
Mr Bailey was twice arrested by gardaí for questioning about Ms Toscan du Plantier , but he was released without charge on each occasion , and the DPP later ruled the evidence against him did not merit a prosecution .
Mr Bailey has repeatedly denied that he killed Ms Toscan du Plantier , while he he also repeatedly denied that he ever admitted killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testified to that effect at various court cases .

The family of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier have spoken about how her killing has changed their experience of Christmas as they prepare to mark the 24th anniversary of her killing in west Cork.
Ms Toscan du Plantier's brother, Bertrand Bouniol, told The Irish Times Christmas was always a difficult time for him and his elderly parents, Georges and Marguerite, and Ms Toscan du Plantier's son, Pierre Louis Baudey-Vignaud, since the killing.
"Christmas is always a period of contrast for us – I will never forget Christmas 1996 when I travelled with my parents and my aunt, Marie Madeline Opalka, to Cork after we learned that Sophie had been murdered in West Cork.
“People around us in Cork were happy celebrating Christmas and we were ravaged by Sophie’s death and that memory remains with me to this day so Christmas is always difficult for us.
READ MORE
“I remember too coming back to Paris on the day after Christmas Day and going to my in-laws and having to explain to my three children why I had not been able to be with them on Christmas morning”
Mr Bouniol said he and his family and his parents, Georges and Marguerite, will be joined by Ms Toscan du Plantier’s son, Pierre Louis, and his wife, Aurelia, and their two children, Sophie (8) and Louis (7), in Paris for Christmas Day.
But west Cork and what happened to his sister at her holiday home in Toormore where she was found murdered on the morning of December 23rd, 1996, will never be far from their thoughts throughout the Christmas period
“We will take care of my parents, who are now quite elderly, and we will have a very simple Christmas with them and Pierre Louis and his wife and children here in Paris,” he said
“It will be a simple family event for us all, but our thoughts will be in Toormore in west Cork as we think about Sophie and all the happiness that she never lived to enjoy because of what her killer did.”
Mr Bouniol said the family were pleased in 2019 when English journalist Ian Bailey (63) was convicted of his sister's murder in his absence by the Cour d'Assises in Paris and sentenced to 25 years in jail for the crime.
But this year, Mr Bouniol's hope of getting justice for his sister turned to disappointment when the High Court in Dublin refused to extradite Mr Bailey to France to serve the sentence imposed on him by Judge Frederique Aline.
“Last year was important year for us because of the trial in Paris and the verdict of the court but this year was not so good and we don’t know how 2021 will evolve but we will still be fighting.”
Meanwhile, one of the senior officers involved in the investigation of Ms Toscan du Plantier's murder has begun legal proceedings against Mr Bailey over comments he made on The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's Red FM.
Retired Chief Supt Dermot Dwyer was one of leading investigators in the case, and he confirmed to The Irish Times he has issued legal proceedings against Mr Bailey over the interview, but he declined to comment further.
Mr Bailey also declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Irish Times but it’s understood that Mr Dwyer’s letter sent by solicitors, PJ O’Driscoll & Sons seeks a retraction, apology and damages from Mr Bailey.
In the radio interview, which was broadcast on October 28th last, just weeks after the High Court ruled against extraditing Mr Bailey to France, Mr Bailey was highly critical of the Garda investigation that identified him as a suspect.
And in the course of expressing his views about how gardaí came to identify him as a suspect, he made reference to Mr Dwyer who was a detective superintendent at the time and centrally involved in the investigation.
Mr Bailey was twice arrested by gardaí for questioning about Ms Toscan du Plantier, but he was released without charge on each occasion, and the DPP later ruled the evidence against him did not merit a prosecution.
Mr Bailey has repeatedly denied that he killed Ms Toscan du Plantier, while he also repeatedly denied that he ever admitted killing her to a number of witnesses who testified to that effect at various court cases.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Third man charged with murder of Michael Barr at Sunset House pub

A third man has been charged with the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin almost four years ago .
Christopher Slater ( 36 ) from Carnlough Road , Cabra , Dublin 7 , was arrested on Monday and held at the Bridewell Garda station under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act , 2007 .
He was charged on Tuesday night and appeared before Judge Conal Gibbons at Dublin District Court on Wednesday .
Det Garda David Chapman said he arrested Mr Slater for the murder of Mr Barr .
He said Mr Slater made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The judge agreed to remand Mr Slater in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court next Tuesday .
Defence solicitor Eoghan O ’ Sullivan said he had no questions for the garda and added that his client would appear via video-link at his next hearing .
He asked the court to recommend that his client be held at Mountjoy Prison , but the judge said that was a matter for the Prison Service to decide .
Legal aid was granted after the judge noted Mr Slater was not in receipt of an income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how he will plead .
A book of evidence has to be prepared by the prosecution .
Mr Barr ( 35 ) , from Co Tyrone , was fatally shot on April 25th , 2016 , at the pub on Summerhill Parade , Dublin , where he worked as a manager .
Previously , two men have been convicted of the murder in trials by the non-jury Special Criminal Court : Liverpool native David Hunter and Eamonn Cumberton of Mountjoy Street , Dublin 7 .
Another man , Martin Aylmer , of Marino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping the Kinahan crime group commit the murder .

The late Michael Barr, who was shot dead at the Sunset House, Summerhill Parade, Dublin 1 on April 25th, 2016.
A third man has been charged with the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin almost four years ago.
Christopher Slater (36) from Carnlough Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, was arrested on Monday and held at the Bridewell Garda station under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
He was charged on Tuesday night and appeared before Judge Conal Gibbons at Dublin District Court on Wednesday.
Det Garda David Chapman said he arrested Mr Slater for the murder of Mr Barr.
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He said Mr Slater made “no reply” when charged.
The judge agreed to remand Mr Slater in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court next Tuesday.
Defence solicitor Eoghan O’Sullivan said he had no questions for the garda and added that his client would appear via video-link at his next hearing.
He asked the court to recommend that his client be held at Mountjoy Prison, but the judge said that was a matter for the Prison Service to decide.
Legal aid was granted after the judge noted Mr Slater was not in receipt of an income.
Mr Slater has not yet indicated how he will plead. A book of evidence has to be prepared by the prosecution.
Mr Barr (35), from Co Tyrone, was fatally shot on April 25th, 2016, at the pub on Summerhill Parade, Dublin, where he worked as a manager.
Previously, two men have been convicted of the murder in trials by the non-jury Special Criminal Court: Liverpool native David Hunter and Eamonn Cumberton of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7.
Another man, Martin Aylmer, of Marino, Dublin 3, was convicted of helping the Kinahan crime group commit the murder.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Unclaimed bank, post office money to fund job training for those with disabilities

Dormant funds worth €2.3 million will be provided to 17 agencies to support programmes to improve the employment prospects for those with disabilities .
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys announced the grants of between just under €50,000 and €200,000 to charities and agencies working with people with disabilities and includes supports for self-employment projects .
The funding will be awarded over six months starting on January 1st and will be administered through Pobal , an intermediary agency that manages government and EU funding programmes .
A number of the awards are to agencies assisting people with vision and hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ €196,955 to fund a “ pathways to employment ” project providing specialist supports for young adults aged between 18 and 25 .
The Irish Deaf Society has been awarded €199,941 for a similar project .
A significant amount of funding will go to carers including Family Carers Ireland , which has been awarded €199,815 to identify and support current and former family carers engaging in employment activation and education including digital supports for young carers .
Care Alliance Ireland will receive €163,479 for an “ intensive online course ” for family carers not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also engage with carers to “ improve employability ” and with employers to raise awareness of the issues facing carers .
NCBI ( National Council for the Blind ) Group will receive €200,000 for its VisAble education , training and employment project , while the Open Doors Initiative receives €200,000 to support employment and entrepreneurship for those with disabilities .
Ms Humphreys said the impact of Covid-19 “ this year has made it one of the most challenging for everyone and I know it has been particularly tough on carers and people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request for funding resulted in high quality projects and initiatives being submitted by organisations around the country with a proven track record of providing services to carers and people with a disability.
” Under dormant accounts legislation unclaimed bank , building society and post office funds along with unclaimed life assurance policy monies are used to assist the socially and educationally disadvantaged and those with a disability .

Dormant funds worth €2.3 million will be provided to 17 agencies to support programmes to improve the employment prospects for those with disabilities.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys announced the grants of between just under €50,000 and €200,000 to charities and agencies working with people with disabilities and includes supports for self-employment projects.
The funding will be awarded over six months starting on January 1st and will be administered through Pobal, an intermediary agency that manages government and EU funding programmes.
A number of the awards are to agencies assisting people with vision and hearing impairment including ChildVision. It will receive €196,955 to fund a “pathways to employment” project providing specialist supports for young adults aged between 18 and 25. The Irish Deaf Society has been awarded €199,941 for a similar project.
READ MORE
A significant amount of funding will go to carers including Family Carers Ireland, which has been awarded €199,815 to identify and support current and former family carers engaging in employment activation and education including digital supports for young carers.
Care Alliance Ireland will receive €163,479 for an “intensive online course” for family carers not currently in paid employment. HR professionals will also engage with carers to “improve employability” and with employers to raise awareness of the issues facing carers.
NCBI (National Council for the Blind) Group will receive €200,000 for its VisAble education, training and employment project, while the Open Doors Initiative receives €200,000 to support employment and entrepreneurship for those with disabilities.
Ms Humphreys said the impact of Covid-19 “this year has made it one of the most challenging for everyone and I know it has been particularly tough on carers and people with disabilities.
“The call-out for a request for funding resulted in high quality projects and initiatives being submitted by organisations around the country with a proven track record of providing services to carers and people with a disability.”
Under dormant accounts legislation unclaimed bank, building society and post office funds along with unclaimed life assurance policy monies are used to assist the socially and educationally disadvantaged and those with a disability.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Take direct ferries to Europe ‘for forseeable future’ to avoid UK – Coveney

Goods should be transported to and from Europe on direct ferries “ for the foreseeable future ” to avoid Covid-19 and Brexit delays in Britain , Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said .
As Irish lorry drivers remained stuck in long queues of traffic in Britain for a second day , Mr Coveney said that the disruption experienced on roads to sea ports in southern England would continue for weeks to come with Brexit taking effect on January 1st and new border checks .
“ There is going to be a period of time for some weeks now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of disruption , and a lot of uncertainty around timelines and queuing , ” he told The Irish Times .
With expected delays on English Channel ferries and particularly on the key Dover-Calais sea route used by Irish importers and exporters , Mr Coveney said that businesses looking for certain deliveries in the coming weeks should “ shift their focus , for now , away from the landbridge.
” “ If people are looking for certainty , then direct ferry routes give them that , ” he said .
Haulage industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lorry drivers on direct ferry routes would be addressed quickly by shipping companies because if there is a “ dramatic reduction ” in landbridge traffic , ferries on the Irish Sea would be switched to the direct routes , he said .
“ This is a very dynamic space .
We have seen a very significant increase in capacity over a short space of time , the last six months , and we are likely to see that continue into next year , ” he said .
Brittany Ferries was “ planning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routes between Ireland and France , he said , following moves by shipping companies Stena Line and DFDS to put on additional ferries and open new direct services to accommodate displaced landbridge traffic .
A spokesman for the French shipping company said that it had “ no immediate plans ” to change its fleet deployment from Irish ports “ but will continue to monitor the situation.
” Mr Coveney said that Irish businesses needed to be “ realistic ” and there was “ no way ” Irish trucks carrying fresh fish were “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queues ” at UK ports .
“ Ireland can not control what happens in British ports , ” he said .
Streamlined supply chains through Britain would , in the short term , be “ significantly disrupted ” and firms should take “ slightly longer ” direct routes , which will be “ significantly quicker ” as they will avoid border checks , bureaucracy , paperwork and delays , he said .
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan urged people not to panic about shortages of supplies due to the effective closure of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People shouldn ’ t be panicking or shouldn ’ t be fearful that there are going to be shortages , ” he said .
Mr Ryan said large ferries were continuing to sail to Irish ports from Britain where the State sources much of its distribution for supplies in Ireland , he said .
France ’ s ban on freight traffic from Britain on Sunday to prevent the spread of a new Covid-19 strain left up to 250 Irish lorry drivers stranded in Britain en route to continental Europe and disrupted supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from mainland EU states .
“ We will continue to work with both the UK and French governments to make sure our truckers get home safe and can deliver goods in a way that is safe for them , ” Mr Ryan said .
The Minister said he told his French counterpart Jean-Baptiste Djebbari in a telephone conversation that Irish haulage businesses have been able to manage operations safely throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and they were “ not a source of transmission ” of the disease .
“ That has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am sure we can continue that – it is a well-protected area , ” he said .

A ferry arrives at the Port of Dover in England on Monday. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Goods should be transported to and from Europe on direct ferries "for the foreseeable future" to avoid Covid-19 and Brexit delays in Britain, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said.
As Irish lorry drivers remained stuck in long queues of traffic in Britain for a second day, Mr Coveney said that the disruption experienced on roads to sea ports in southern England would continue for weeks to come with Brexit taking effect on January 1st and new border checks.
“There is going to be a period of time for some weeks now, where there’s going to be a lot of disruption, and a lot of uncertainty around timelines and queuing,” he told The Irish Times.
With expected delays on English Channel ferries and particularly on the key Dover-Calais sea route used by Irish importers and exporters, Mr Coveney said that businesses looking for certain deliveries in the coming weeks should “shift their focus, for now, away from the landbridge.”
READ MORE
“If people are looking for certainty, then direct ferry routes give them that,” he said.
Haulage industry concerns about a shortage of capacity for lorry drivers on direct ferry routes would be addressed quickly by shipping companies because if there is a “dramatic reduction” in landbridge traffic, ferries on the Irish Sea would be switched to the direct routes, he said.
“This is a very dynamic space. We have seen a very significant increase in capacity over a short space of time, the last six months, and we are likely to see that continue into next year,” he said.
Brittany Ferries was "planning to significantly ramp up" capacity on ferry routes between Ireland and France, he said, following moves by shipping companies Stena Line and DFDS to put on additional ferries and open new direct services to accommodate displaced landbridge traffic.
A spokesman for the French shipping company said that it had “no immediate plans” to change its fleet deployment from Irish ports “but will continue to monitor the situation.”
Mr Coveney said that Irish businesses needed to be “realistic” and there was “no way” Irish trucks carrying fresh fish were “simply going to be able to skip queues” at UK ports.
“Ireland cannot control what happens in British ports,” he said.
Streamlined supply chains through Britain would, in the short term, be “significantly disrupted” and firms should take “slightly longer” direct routes, which will be “significantly quicker” as they will avoid border checks, bureaucracy, paperwork and delays, he said.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan urged people not to panic about shortages of supplies due to the effective closure of the British landbridge due to Covid-19 delays.
“People shouldn’t be panicking or shouldn’t be fearful that there are going to be shortages,” he said.
Mr Ryan said large ferries were continuing to sail to Irish ports from Britain where the State sources much of its distribution for supplies in Ireland, he said.
France’s ban on freight traffic from Britain on Sunday to prevent the spread of a new Covid-19 strain left up to 250 Irish lorry drivers stranded in Britain en route to continental Europe and disrupted supply chains for Irish firms transporting goods to and from mainland EU states.
“We will continue to work with both the UK and French governments to make sure our truckers get home safe and can deliver goods in a way that is safe for them,” Mr Ryan said.
The Minister said he told his French counterpart Jean-Baptiste Djebbari in a telephone conversation that Irish haulage businesses have been able to manage operations safely throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and they were “not a source of transmission” of the disease.
“That has been the case of the last nine months and I am sure we can continue that – it is a well-protected area,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-23--Almost €15m spent on Traveller housing, the largest annual spend in decades

The entire Traveller housing budget this year has been drawn down for the first time since 2014 – with spending the highest in decades .
A total of €14.5 million was allocated for local authorities to spend on Traveller accommodation for 2020 , and almost €15 million has been spent .
The overspend coincides with radical changes to the way Traveller housing funds are allocated to councils , and will be seen as vindication of the new policy .
Traveller advocates warn , however , there remains a dire level of housing need , including significant homelessness , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Housing show €14,497,654 was spent on Traveller housing this year – almost €500,000 more than expected .
The last time all funds were spent was six years ago , when €3 million was allocated and €3.1 million spent .
In 2015 , when 10 people died in a fire on an unofficial halting site in Carrickmines , Dublin , €4.3 million had been allocated and almost all ( €4.1 million ) was spent .
Thereafter , however , amounts left unspent increased even as there were growing numbers of Traveller households in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , of the €13 million provided by the department , just €8.6 million was spent , with 10 local authorities not spending a cent .
Since 2000 , €69 million earmarked for Traveller housing was unspent .
In 2017 and 2018 almost half the national allocations were not spent and in the latter year 10 local authorities did not spend anything .
The most recent data , from 2018 , showed there were more than 1,000 Traveller families living in unsafe , insecure or overcrowded conditions – 591 on unauthorised sites , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and usually without running water , toilets or secure electricity , and 927 sharing accommodation with other families .
For several years senior officials in the department ’ s Traveller Accommodation Support Unit had argued the budget allocation system was complex , that many local authorities appeared to misunderstand it , and that there was a widespread “ reluctance ” among councils to spend on Traveller housing until funding allocations materialised , even where the department had approved plans .
In January , in a circular issued to the 31 councils , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allocations .
“ In order to simplify the procedure while still maintaining an oversight , you are not being requested to provide commitments tables to inform an allocation process , ” it said .
“ All requests for funding will assessed and approved on a case-by-case basis [ throughout the year ] .
” This year , the biggest-spending local authority on Traveller housing was Limerick city and county ( €2,370,922 ) , followed by Dublin city ( €2,066,977 ) and Sligo ( €1,193,488 ) .
Bernard Joyce , director of the Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawdown , describing it as an “ important step ” in improving Travellers ’ living conditions .
“ For the first time in almost a decade we are seeing the full budget used .
This was mainly used for the refurbishment of existing Traveller housing , ” he said , however .
“ We are still a long way from addressing the current and future needs , with 3,000 children in 2,000 families still requiring accommodation .
“ However , this gives us confidence we are moving in the right direction .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Peter Burke and the department to address Traveller accommodation.
” Sinn Féin spokesman on housing Eoin Ó Broin , also welcoming the expenditure , said he would seek details on “ whether the funding was spent on new accommodation , refurbishment of existing units or Covid-19 related works on sites .
“ The Minister now needs to ensure that the full allocation is spent in 2021 and that the recommendations of the expert group on Traveller accommodation , published last year , are fully implemented in 2021 .
”

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin: ‘The Minister now needs to ensure that the full allocation is spent in 2021.’ Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
The entire Traveller housing budget this year has been drawn down for the first time since 2014 – with spending the highest in decades.
A total of €14.5 million was allocated for local authorities to spend on Traveller accommodation for 2020, and almost €15 million has been spent.
The overspend coincides with radical changes to the way Traveller housing funds are allocated to councils, and will be seen as vindication of the new policy.
Traveller advocates warn, however, there remains a dire level of housing need, including significant homelessness, in the community.
READ MORE
Figures provided by the Department of Housing show €14,497,654 was spent on Traveller housing this year – almost €500,000 more than expected.
The last time all funds were spent was six years ago, when €3 million was allocated and €3.1 million spent.
In 2015, when 10 people died in a fire on an unofficial halting site in Carrickmines, Dublin, €4.3 million had been allocated and almost all (€4.1 million) was spent.
Thereafter, however, amounts left unspent increased even as there were growing numbers of Traveller households in unsafe, overcrowded housing conditions.
Last year, of the €13 million provided by the department, just €8.6 million was spent, with 10 local authorities not spending a cent.
Since 2000, €69 million earmarked for Traveller housing was unspent. In 2017 and 2018 almost half the national allocations were not spent and in the latter year 10 local authorities did not spend anything.
Unsafe
The most recent data, from 2018, showed there were more than 1,000 Traveller families living in unsafe, insecure or overcrowded conditions – 591 on unauthorised sites, ie by the side of the road and usually without running water, toilets or secure electricity, and 927 sharing accommodation with other families.
For several years senior officials in the department’s Traveller Accommodation Support Unit had argued the budget allocation system was complex, that many local authorities appeared to misunderstand it, and that there was a widespread “reluctance” among councils to spend on Traveller housing until funding allocations materialised, even where the department had approved plans.
In January, in a circular issued to the 31 councils, the department detailed changes to Traveller housing budget allocations.
“In order to simplify the procedure while still maintaining an oversight, you are not being requested to provide commitments tables to inform an allocation process,” it said. “All requests for funding will assessed and approved on a case-by-case basis [throughout the year].”
This year, the biggest-spending local authority on Traveller housing was Limerick city and county (€2,370,922), followed by Dublin city (€2,066,977) and Sligo (€1,193,488).
Other high-spending councils include Galway county (€1,107,714), Galway city (€861,333) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (€747,750).
‘Important step’
Bernard Joyce, director of the Irish Traveller Movement, cautiously welcomed the full drawdown, describing it as an "important step" in improving Travellers' living conditions.
“For the first time in almost a decade we are seeing the full budget used. This was mainly used for the refurbishment of existing Traveller housing,” he said, however. “We are still a long way from addressing the current and future needs, with 3,000 children in 2,000 families still requiring accommodation.
"However, this gives us confidence we are moving in the right direction. We look forward to working with Minister of State Peter Burke and the department to address Traveller accommodation."
Sinn Féin spokesman on housing Eoin Ó Broin, also welcoming the expenditure, said he would seek details on “whether the funding was spent on new accommodation, refurbishment of existing units or Covid-19 related works on sites.
“The Minister now needs to ensure that the full allocation is spent in 2021 and that the recommendations of the expert group on Traveller accommodation, published last year, are fully implemented in 2021.”