theirishtimes--2020-05-09--‘Is it possible a cuckoo pushed eggs out of another bird’s nest?’

We found these three blue eggs , one by one and perfectly intact , on the ground near two trees .
Next day I heard a cuckoo .
Is it possible a cuckoo pushed them out of another bird ’ s nest ?
The eggs look like those of the dunnock , and cuckoos lay in dunnock nests .
I watched a blackbird with three or four items in its beak .
It went to my pond and dipped them into the water , wriggling them around as if washing them .
Blackbirds , crows and some other seed-eating birds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I saw what looks like a miniature beehive inside my shed with a wasp going into it .
It ’ s the queen wasp starting a nest , where she will rear a first brood of workers .
I found this dead rodent on our lane .
Its body was about 20cms long and the tail about 15cms .
It was a stoat , which is a mustelid , not a rodent .
I found this insect on a potato leaf in my plastic tunnel .
It ’ s the nursery web spider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stays with the cocoon until they hatch and disperse .
Oscar ( 10 ) and Hugh ( 13 ) Morgan in Dublin also found a nursery spider in the garden .
I found bees in my house and buzzing around outside .
They look like honeybees but are lethargic and I don ’ t think they sting .
It ’ s the narcissus fly , a hoverfly that mimics bumblebees .
The larvae live in the bulbs of various members of the narcissus family and cause severe damage to them .
Ethna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Louisburgh , Co Mayo , F28 F978 , or by email at viney @ anu.ie .
Please include a postal address

We found these three blue eggs, one by one and perfectly intact, on the ground near two trees. Next day I heard a cuckoo. Is it possible a cuckoo pushed them out of another bird’s nest?
Eithne Leahy, Co Cavan
The eggs look like those of the dunnock, and cuckoos lay in dunnock nests.
I watched a blackbird with three or four items in its beak. It went to my pond and dipped them into the water, wriggling them around as if washing them.
READ MORE
Brendan O’Donohue, Castledermot, Co Kildare
Blackbirds, crows and some other seed-eating birds are known to wash their food.
I saw what looks like a miniature beehive inside my shed with a wasp going into it.
Dermot Fogarty, Swords, Co Dublin
It’s the queen wasp starting a nest, where she will rear a first brood of workers.
I found this dead rodent on our lane. Its body was about 20cms long and the tail about 15cms.
Vanessa Drew Ballymoney, Co Down
It was a stoat, which is a mustelid, not a rodent.
I found this insect on a potato leaf in my plastic tunnel.
Tom Egan, Glanmire Co Cork
It’s the nursery web spider. The female cocoons lays her eggs and stays with the cocoon until they hatch and disperse.
Oscar (10) and Hugh (13) Morgan in Dublin also found a nursery spider in the garden.
I found bees in my house and buzzing around outside. They look like honeybees but are lethargic and I don’t think they sting.
Catriona Cunniffe, Louisburgh, Co Mayo
It’s the narcissus fly, a hoverfly that mimics bumblebees. The larvae live in the bulbs of various members of the narcissus family and cause severe damage to them.
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Does it matter whether my plants listen to Mozart or Bach?

My painting below shows the polytunnel , with attendant gardener , in another good summer years ago .
I ’ m still down there soon after breakfast , carrying the radio for Lyric , to tend a rather less ambitious vegetable array .
As always , swinging back the tunnel door , I wish its leafy occupants a cheery good morning and ask them how they ’ re doing .
On further inspection , I may murmur some encouragement to a row of climbing beans , praise the mangetout vines for their first purple flowers and the Russian tomatoes for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animism that tempers my appetite for science allows an amiable connection with plants I have raised from seeds .
This lent some fellow feeling with Prince Charles when , years ago , he confided that he always talked to plants in his greenhouses , adding that it was “ very important – they respond ” .
His incautious remarks came in the wake of an American book , The Secret Life of Plants ( 1973 ) , which offered “ the physical , emotional and spiritual relations between plants and man ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ behaviour with subjective experiment and spiritual folklore , it achieved a heady readability that earned much media praise and a considerable nod from public culture .
Scientists seeking acceptance of the new view of plants met much sceptical reaction that jeopardised funding for their work .
With the book ’ s authors now dead ( neither of them were scientists ) , the popular case for plant senses and intelligence now has impeccable champions .
From Israel , for example , plant geneticist Daniel Chamovitz offered What a Plant Knows : A Field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Beyond ( 2012 ) , of which a generous list is online as a PDF .
It persuaded me that whether Lyric plays Mozart or Bach to my polytunnel plants , they are probably deaf to either .
Even talking to them just offers a fleeting , if benevolent , breath of CO2 .
At Chamovitz ’ s Tel Aviv University , on the other hand , new experiments described by Itzhak Keit show that tomato and tobacco plants stressed by drought or being cut emit ultrasonic airborne sounds detectable several metres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoots from the oxters of my tomatoes elicits squeals of protest , I am mercifully unable to hear them .
Plant intelligence rests in the demonstrable awareness and responses by which they solve their problems .
Rooted they may be , but hardly static , as the many online time-lapse films of growth – the ballet of seedling beans , the thrust of elongating briars – make enchantingly clear .
If they show no special taste in music , they may indeed recoil from its vibrations .
They hear approaching insects and react @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaves with deterrent chemicals .
They smell such signals of alarm released by their neighbours .
This is now established in plant science , much of it easily accessible online .
It readily bows to the early work of Charles Darwin among the pots of plants in his study : runner beans , cucumbers , nasturtiums , hops ; anything that climbed and moved .
Darwin worked with son Francis to study the cellular search-and-curl movement ( they called it “ circumnutation ” ) of climbers twirling up poles .
As Francis told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We must believe that in plants there exists a faint copy of what we know as consciousness in ourselves.
” This has developed into today ’ s “ plant neurobiology ” , a term disparaged by those scientists who save anything “ neuro ” for the human brain and its neurons .
It was the Darwins , in their book The Power of Movement in Plants , who proposed that the tiny tip of the embryo root , first to emerge from the seed , “ acts like the brain of one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , multiplied at the tips of branching roots , serves as a network of perception and command that guides their navigation through the soil .
Richard Karban in the US and Anthony Trewavas in Scotland are two more of today ’ s notable scientists absorbed with plant intelligence .
But the most vigorous and prolific proponent of the “ root-brain hypothesis ” is Italy ’ s Prof Stefano Mancuso at Florence University .
Of his lectures on YouTube , “ The roots of plant intelligence ” in the Ted series is a specially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mancuso ’ s challenge to human habits in viewing the life of the planet .
Some 99 per cent of Earth ’ s biomass , as he argues , is that of plants , yet humans have ignored their intricate networks of consciousness , granting active intelligence only to an animal brain .
In a corner of the polytunnel , a chair is propped in a bank of fading wallflowers , next to the early potatoes .
I rest there , circled by bumblebees , to ponder such reproaches to human history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mancuso observed recently , “ might raise the question of who actually domesticated whom ” .

Swinging back the polytunnel door, I wish its leafy occupants a cheery good morning and ask them how they’re doing. Illustration: Michael Viney
My painting below shows the polytunnel, with attendant gardener, in another good summer years ago. I’m still down there soon after breakfast, carrying the radio for Lyric, to tend a rather less ambitious vegetable array.
As always, swinging back the tunnel door, I wish its leafy occupants a cheery good morning and ask them how they’re doing. On further inspection, I may murmur some encouragement to a row of climbing beans, praise the mangetout vines for their first purple flowers and the Russian tomatoes for their yellow ones.
The streak of animism that tempers my appetite for science allows an amiable connection with plants I have raised from seeds. This lent some fellow feeling with Prince Charles when, years ago, he confided that he always talked to plants in his greenhouses, adding that it was “very important – they respond”.
His incautious remarks came in the wake of an American book, The Secret Life of Plants (1973), which offered “the physical, emotional and spiritual relations between plants and man”. Mixing legitimate science on plant senses and behaviour with subjective experiment and spiritual folklore, it achieved a heady readability that earned much media praise and a considerable nod from public culture.
READ MORE
If plants show no special taste in music, they may indeed recoil from its vibrations
Scientists seeking acceptance of the new view of plants met much sceptical reaction that jeopardised funding for their work. With the book’s authors now dead (neither of them were scientists), the popular case for plant senses and intelligence now has impeccable champions.
From Israel, for example, plant geneticist Daniel Chamovitz offered What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses of Your Garden and Beyond (2012), of which a generous list is online as a PDF. It persuaded me that whether Lyric plays Mozart or Bach to my polytunnel plants, they are probably deaf to either. Even talking to them just offers a fleeting, if benevolent, breath of CO2.
At Chamovitz's Tel Aviv University, on the other hand, new experiments described by Itzhak Keit show that tomato and tobacco plants stressed by drought or being cut emit ultrasonic airborne sounds detectable several metres away. If the pinching out of shoots from the oxters of my tomatoes elicits squeals of protest, I am mercifully unable to hear them.
Plant intelligence rests in the demonstrable awareness and responses by which they solve their problems. Rooted they may be, but hardly static, as the many online time-lapse films of growth – the ballet of seedling beans, the thrust of elongating briars – make enchantingly clear.
If they show no special taste in music, they may indeed recoil from its vibrations. They hear approaching insects and react to the munching of caterpillars by flooding leaves with deterrent chemicals. They smell such signals of alarm released by their neighbours.
This is now established in plant science, much of it easily accessible online. It readily bows to the early work of Charles Darwin among the pots of plants in his study: runner beans, cucumbers, nasturtiums, hops; anything that climbed and moved.
Darwin worked with son Francis to study the cellular search-and-curl movement (they called it “circumnutation”) of climbers twirling up poles. As Francis told a science assembly in Dublin: “We must believe that in plants there exists a faint copy of what we know as consciousness in ourselves.” This has developed into today’s “plant neurobiology”, a term disparaged by those scientists who save anything “neuro” for the human brain and its neurons.
Some 99 per cent of Earth's biomass, as he argues, is that of plants, yet humans have ignored their intricate networks of consciousness
It was the Darwins, in their book The Power of Movement in Plants, who proposed that the tiny tip of the embryo root, first to emerge from the seed, “acts like the brain of one of the lower animals”. Its sensitivity, multiplied at the tips of branching roots, serves as a network of perception and command that guides their navigation through the soil.
Richard Karban in the US and Anthony Trewavas in Scotland are two more of today's notable scientists absorbed with plant intelligence. But the most vigorous and prolific proponent of the "root-brain hypothesis" is Italy's Prof Stefano Mancuso at Florence University. Of his lectures on YouTube, "The roots of plant intelligence" in the Ted series is a specially engaging.
Along with scientific enlightenment comes Mancuso’s challenge to human habits in viewing the life of the planet. Some 99 per cent of Earth’s biomass, as he argues, is that of plants, yet humans have ignored their intricate networks of consciousness, granting active intelligence only to an animal brain.
In a corner of the polytunnel, a chair is propped in a bank of fading wallflowers, next to the early potatoes. I rest there, circled by bumblebees, to ponder such reproaches to human history. Our tight co-evolution and reliance on plants, Mancuso observed recently, “might raise the question of who actually domesticated whom”.


Church Services

National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland Saint Patrick ’ s Cathedral remains closed to worshippers and visitors until 20 @ @ @ @ @ you to join us in worship online .
The Fifth Sunday of Easter - Preacher @ @ @ @ @ B.A.
, B.Th .
Prebendary of St Audoens .
Music from the Cathedral Choir .
@ @ @ @ @ and others are available on the Cathedrals website www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/worship/video-stream .
Cork Carrigaline Union .
Under @ @ @ @ @ and the parish office will remain closed until further notice .
there will be a @ @ @ @ @ each Sunday .
Please go to ‘ live streaming of services ’ on carrigalineunion.org to @ @ @ @ @ ’ t tune in at this time , find the recorded service by searching for @ @ @ @ @ ’ on youtube .

CATHEDRALS
National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland Saint Patrick's Cathedral remains closed to worshippers and visitors until 20 July 2020. We invite you to join us in worship online. The Fifth Sunday of Easter - Preacher: Revd D.W. Oxley, B.A., B.Th. Prebendary of St Audoens. Music from the Cathedral Choir. A recording of this service and others are available on the Cathedrals website www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/worship/video-stream.
CHURCH OF IRELAND
Christ Church Bray Sunday 10th May, 11am Sunday Service www.churchservices.tv/christchurchbray
READ MORE
Cork Carrigaline Union. Under covid-19 restrictions , both churches and the parish office will remain closed until further notice. there will be a service live streamed at 11am each Sunday. Please go to 'live streaming of services' on carrigalineunion.org to view or if you can't tune in at this time, find the recorded service by searching for 'carrigaline union of parishes' on youtube.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Covid-19: Some civil servants ‘likely’ working from home until 2021

Civil servants in the Department of Transport have been told it is likely large numbers of them will be working from home for the rest of the year .
The secretary-general of the department , Graham Doyle , wrote to all staff on Thursday that “ it is likely that most of us will be working from home ( to a greater or lesser extent ) for the remainder of 2020 ” .
Mr Doyle ’ s email points out that remote working will remain in place for those who can do so until , at a minimum , August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map .
He told that then there would be “ a very gradual staggered return to the office environment ” .
“ It is also clear that the Civil Service and the wider public service will be showing leadership in this regard by continuing to work remotely where possible , so I expect that there may be a requirement for many of us to continue working in this manner for the remainder of 2020.
” In the email Mr Doyle said he expects a staggered return to work “ will likely involve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being present in any of our offices at any one time .
.
.
given the social distancing guidelines that are expected to remain in place for a considerable period of time.
” It is understood that secretaries-general of Government departments have discussed the issue in recent weeks , but no final decision has been made .
However , senior sources said that under the current public-health advice , it is likely many civil servants will be asked to remain working remotely beyond August , perhaps to the end of the year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ working becomes the norm for an extended period , public-sector employers would be expected to provide adequate supports .
A spokesman for Fórsa said the union wanted to see “ adequate health-and-safety measures in place – in areas like ergonomics , work-life balance , mental health , etc – if remote-working arrangements were to remain in place in the medium to long term ” .
“ In the emergency , everyone just stepped up and did what was needed .
If it were to become ‘ the new normal ’ for some , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place .
Workers also need a recognition that , while remote working really works for some , others just don ’ t enjoy the right home environment , ” the spokesman said .
A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform , responding to queries on behalf of all departments , said they were “ engaged in preliminary planning on how best to manage their work forces in light of the Government ’ s phased road map for reopening.
” “ We will be guided in the first instance by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health Emergency Team ] .
”

Unions warned that if remote working becomes the norm for an extended period, public-sector employers would be expected to provide adequate supports. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Civil servants in the Department of Transport have been told it is likely large numbers of them will be working from home for the rest of the year.
The secretary-general of the department, Graham Doyle, wrote to all staff on Thursday that "it is likely that most of us will be working from home (to a greater or lesser extent) for the remainder of 2020".
Mr Doyle’s email points out that remote working will remain in place for those who can do so until, at a minimum, August under the Government’s Covid-19 road map. He told that then there would be “a very gradual staggered return to the office environment”.
“It is also clear that the Civil Service and the wider public service will be showing leadership in this regard by continuing to work remotely where possible, so I expect that there may be a requirement for many of us to continue working in this manner for the remainder of 2020.”
READ MORE
In the email Mr Doyle said he expects a staggered return to work “will likely involve a maximum of 25 per cent of staff being present in any of our offices at any one time . . . given the social distancing guidelines that are expected to remain in place for a considerable period of time.”
It is understood that secretaries-general of Government departments have discussed the issue in recent weeks, but no final decision has been made. However, senior sources said that under the current public-health advice, it is likely many civil servants will be asked to remain working remotely beyond August, perhaps to the end of the year.
Supports
On Friday, unions warned if remote working becomes the norm for an extended period, public-sector employers would be expected to provide adequate supports.
A spokesman for Fórsa said the union wanted to see “adequate health-and-safety measures in place – in areas like ergonomics, work-life balance, mental health, etc – if remote-working arrangements were to remain in place in the medium to long term”.
“In the emergency, everyone just stepped up and did what was needed. If it were to become ‘the new normal’ for some, those protections would need to be put in place. Workers also need a recognition that, while remote working really works for some, others just don’t enjoy the right home environment,” the spokesman said.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, responding to queries on behalf of all departments, said they were "engaged in preliminary planning on how best to manage their work forces in light of the Government's phased road map for reopening."
“We will be guided in the first instance by the advice of the NPHET [National Public Health Emergency Team].”


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Covid-19: We're only half way at best and the road ahead looks like a long slog

The rule of marathon-running , it is said , is that the first half lasts 20 miles – and the second , six-and-a-bit .
It ’ s a little like that with the Covid-19 epidemic ; having put in the hard yards over long stretches , we find we ’ re only halfway on at best and the road ahead looks like a long slog .
Ireland ’ s plan to escape the lockdown – described by officials who designed it as cautious and conservative – cleaves to the best international advice .
But it is also the product of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the start of this month , with too many cases and deaths occurring each day , and too much of the virus circulating in ways we knew too little about .
Moreover , it takes account of the frailties in the system that have hindered , and may continue to hinder , our effectiveness in hunting down remaining cases so the virus does not make a return .
These include the supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers , which is still a source of complaint for many on health ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in testing capacity , that system still does not inspire confidence , with reported average turnaround times in the community of three to four days and continuing anecdotal reports of much longer waits – 12 days , in the case of one person who contacted me yesterday .
The hospital system , where samples from healthcare workers are tested , works faster , but here too delays are reported .
An effective system for tracking the virus will require the results of tests to be provided much quicker – at most 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and contacts put into isolation .
The same applies to contact tracing , where only a fraction of the number of staff trained for this work are being used .
This is despite it taking an average of six days to complete contact tracing for each case .
In the run-up to the first loosening of restrictions on May 18th , some hard decisions will have to be made on travel into the country .
We got it wrong on foreign travel ; allowing Italian rugby fans into the State , and Cheltenham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to implement either a travel ban or a mandatory quarantine to help stop cases being imported .
These are harsh measures , but if they had been implemented earlier , we might be almost ready to lift them now , as other countries are .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil during the week that making it mandatory for visitors to fill in forms to self-isolate for 14 days was “ not good for tourism ” .
Yet it is hard to see what tourism is likely to happen for months to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a greater or an earlier loosening of internal restrictions , as scientists try to juggle the loosening of different measures in such a way as not to set off a second wave of the virus .
The challenge posed by unrestricted travel across the Border with Northern Ireland would remain , but at least the approaches for the two jurisdictions appear to be converging .
The lockdown was a one-size-fits-all response to an imminent crisis ; what is needed now is greater nimbleness , flexibility and targeting .
Not all measures had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , as a study published last week by the University of East Anglia suggested .
Banning mass gatherings , closing pubs and restaurants and shutting schools had the most impact , while stay-at-home policies and blanket business closure were far less effective , it found .
After the initial restrictions , many of the measures we subsequently introduced effectively doubled down on the broad mass of people who were already adhering to the “ new normal ” .
As we went on to find out , a huge number of virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare workers , residential care settings , meat factories , marginalised groups .
Up to now , the system has been slow to identify and target these areas with approaches tailored to the needs of those affected .

The supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers remains a source of complaint for many on health’s front line. File photograph: The Irish Times
The rule of marathon-running, it is said, is that the first half lasts 20 miles – and the second, six-and-a-bit.
It’s a little like that with the Covid-19 epidemic; having put in the hard yards over long stretches, we find we’re only halfway on at best and the road ahead looks like a long slog.
Ireland’s plan to escape the lockdown – described by officials who designed it as cautious and conservative – cleaves to the best international advice.
But it is also the product of the situation the country found itself in at the start of this month, with too many cases and deaths occurring each day, and too much of the virus circulating in ways we knew too little about.
READ MORE
Moreover, it takes account of the frailties in the system that have hindered, and may continue to hinder, our effectiveness in hunting down remaining cases so the virus does not make a return.
These include the supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, which is still a source of complaint for many on health’s front line.
Despite an increase in testing capacity, that system still does not inspire confidence, with reported average turnaround times in the community of three to four days and continuing anecdotal reports of much longer waits – 12 days, in the case of one person who contacted me yesterday. The hospital system, where samples from healthcare workers are tested, works faster, but here too delays are reported.
An effective system for tracking the virus will require the results of tests to be provided much quicker – at most 24 hours – so that cases can be identified and contacts put into isolation.
The same applies to contact tracing, where only a fraction of the number of staff trained for this work are being used. This is despite it taking an average of six days to complete contact tracing for each case.
In the run-up to the first loosening of restrictions on May 18th, some hard decisions will have to be made on travel into the country. We got it wrong on foreign travel; allowing Italian rugby fans into the State, and Cheltenham fans out of it, and failing to implement either a travel ban or a mandatory quarantine to help stop cases being imported.
These are harsh measures, but if they had been implemented earlier, we might be almost ready to lift them now, as other countries are.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil during the week that making it mandatory for visitors to fill in forms to self-isolate for 14 days was "not good for tourism". Yet it is hard to see what tourism is likely to happen for months to come.
Tougher restrictions on travel might allow for a greater or an earlier loosening of internal restrictions, as scientists try to juggle the loosening of different measures in such a way as not to set off a second wave of the virus.
The challenge posed by unrestricted travel across the Border with Northern Ireland would remain, but at least the approaches for the two jurisdictions appear to be converging.
The lockdown was a one-size-fits-all response to an imminent crisis; what is needed now is greater nimbleness, flexibility and targeting.
Not all measures had the same impact in terms of curbing the virus, as a study published last week by the University of East Anglia suggested. Banning mass gatherings, closing pubs and restaurants and shutting schools had the most impact, while stay-at-home policies and blanket business closure were far less effective, it found.
After the initial restrictions, many of the measures we subsequently introduced effectively doubled down on the broad mass of people who were already adhering to the “new normal”.
As we went on to find out, a huge number of virus cases are concentrated in specific areas – healthcare workers, residential care settings, meat factories, marginalised groups. Up to now, the system has been slow to identify and target these areas with approaches tailored to the needs of those affected.


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Late Late Show raises €1.6m in public donations for Pieta House

The Late Late Show raised €1.6 million in public donations on Friday night for mental health charity Pieta House , which recently announced salary cuts of up to 30 per cent and 28 redundancies for clinical support workers due to a “ very significant funding gap ” .
The show was dedicated entirely to raising funds for the charity and featured appearances from a number of celebrities calling for donations including actor Pierce Brosnan and musicians Mary Black , Sharon Shannon , Frances Black and Mary Coughlan .
Electric Ireland , the charity ’ s longtime supporter of eight years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bringing the total amount raised for the charity to €1.7million .
Tom McEvoy , funding and advocacy manager for Pieta House , told The Irish Times last week that the charity was “ very vulnerable ” as 80 per cent of its funding comes from public donations .
Last month , the annual Darkness Into Light fundraiser was postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis , resulting in a loss of approximately €6 million .
Show host Ryan Tubridy said he initially hoped to raise €250,000 for the charity , which provides free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with suicidal ideation , or bereaved by suicide .
Within 60 minutes , the public had donated €752,000 .
Elaine Austin , chief executive of Pieta House described the volume of donations from the public as “ truly amazing ” .
“ I was sitting in the green room watching and what I had in my head is .
.
.
‘ The light boats are coming ’ .
The Irish people have got Pieta in their hearts , ” she added .
Ms Austin said there has been a “ massive jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6,000 throughout February , March and April in 2019 to 14,000 during the same period this year .
“ We have to consider that that ’ s associated with Covid-19 .
That ’ s associated with people feeling isolated , those cocooning , there is a level of fear and anxiety out there that we ’ ve never experienced before , ” she said .

Last month, the annual Darkness Into Light fundraiser for Pieta House was postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis, resulting in a loss of approximately €6 million. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The Late Late Show raised €1.6 million in public donations on Friday night for mental health charity Pieta House, which recently announced salary cuts of up to 30 per cent and 28 redundancies for clinical support workers due to a “very significant funding gap”.
The show was dedicated entirely to raising funds for the charity and featured appearances from a number of celebrities calling for donations including actor Pierce Brosnan and musicians Mary Black, Sharon Shannon, Frances Black and Mary Coughlan.
Electric Ireland, the charity’s longtime supporter of eight years, offered an additional donation of €100,000, bringing the total amount raised for the charity to €1.7million.
‘Very vulnerable’
Tom McEvoy, funding and advocacy manager for Pieta House, told The Irish Times last week that the charity was “very vulnerable” as 80 per cent of its funding comes from public donations. Last month, the annual Darkness Into Light fundraiser was postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis, resulting in a loss of approximately €6 million.
READ MORE
Show host Ryan Tubridy said he initially hoped to raise €250,000 for the charity, which provides free therapy to those engaging in self-harm, with suicidal ideation, or bereaved by suicide. Within 60 minutes, the public had donated €752,000.
Elaine Austin, chief executive of Pieta House described the volume of donations from the public as “truly amazing”.
“I was sitting in the green room watching and what I had in my head is . . . ‘The light boats are coming’. The Irish people have got Pieta in their hearts,” she added.
Ms Austin said there has been a “massive jump” in calls to the helpline from 6,000 throughout February, March and April in 2019 to 14,000 during the same period this year. “We have to consider that that’s associated with Covid-19. That’s associated with people feeling isolated, those cocooning, there is a level of fear and anxiety out there that we’ve never experienced before,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Man (74) dies after being attacked by bull on Co Cork farm

A 74-year-old male farmer has died following an incident on a farm in west Co Cork on Saturday night .
Gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority ( HSA ) have begun separate investigations following the incident , in which the man suffered fatal injuries when he was attacked by a Friesian bull from behind and hit his head at his dairy farm at Ballyinaloughy in Ballinhassig just before 8pm on Saturday .
The alarm was raised by two men working with the farmer and the emergency services attended at the scene .
It ’ s understood the man was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body was removed to Cork University Hospital ( CUH ) .
Gardaí say that they are treating the man ’ s death as a tragic accident and have begun an investigation in the circumstances surrounding the fatality , with a postmortem due to take place at CUH on Sunday .
Gardaí have begun taking witness statements from the two men working on the farm at the time .
Both their statements and the results of the postmortem will be included in a file for an inquest at the Coroner ’ s Court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its inspectors are due to visit the scene on Sunday as part of a separate HSA investigation into the man ’ s death .
The fatal incident on Saturday is the second involving a farmer and livestock in Co Cork in the space of six weeks , following the death of 64-year-old father-of-four Paddy Curtin after he was attacked by a bull while feeding cattle last month .
According to the HSA , farming remains the most dangerous workplace in Ireland in terms of overall fatal accidents , with some 18 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
According to HSA figures , 214 people died in accidents on Irish farms between 2010 and 2019 , with tractors and farm vehicles accounting for 30 per cent of these fatalities .

A 74-year-old male farmer has died following an incident on a farm in west Co Cork on Saturday. File photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
A 74-year-old father of four has died following a farm accident involving a bull on his holding in West Cork over the weekend.
John Reynolds suffered fatal head injuries when he was attacked and knocked over by a Friesian bull at his dairy farm at Ballyinaloughy in Ballinhassig between Cork and Bandon at around 5.30pm on Saturday evening.
His grandchildren, who were withhim at the time, raised the alarm and the emergency services attended to Mr Reynolds at the scene.
Paramedics continued to work on Mr Reynolds as he was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital but he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
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Gardaí say that they are treating Mr Reynolds’ death as a tragic accident and have begun an investigation. A postmortem due to take on the man’s body at Cork University Hospital on Monday.
Meanwhile the Health and Safety Authority was also notified of the incident and HSA Inspectors have visited the farm as part of a separate HSA investigation into Mr Reynolds’ death.
Mr Reynolds, who is survived by his wife, Margaret and adult children, Antoinette, Kieran, Linda and Loretta as well as his 15 grandchildren, will be buried following a funeral mass in Ballinhassig on Tuesday.
While the funeral mass will be private in line with HSE guidelines on the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be streamed live on the Ballinhassig Parish Facebook page .
Mr Reynolds’ death is the second involving a farmer and livestock in Co Cork in the space of just six weeks and follows the death of a 64-year-old father of four who died after being attacked by a bull last month.
Paddy Curtin from Knockscovane in Meelin in North Cork was fatally injured when he was gored by a bull as he was feeding cattle on a property at Tullylease near Charleville in North Cork on April 2nd.
According to the Health and Safety Authority, farming remains the most dangerous workplace in Ireland in terms of overall fatal accidents with some 18 people dying in accidents on Irish farms in 2019.
According to HSA figures, 214 people died in accidents on Irish farms between 2010 and 2019 with tractors and farm vehicles accounting for 30pc of these and machinery and livestock each accounting for a further 18pc of fatalities.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--One player scoops Lotto jackpot of over €4m

One lucky player has scooped Saturday ’ s Lotto jackpot of €4,041,306 .
The winning numbers were 13 , 18 @ @ @ @ @ 42 , 44 and the bonus number 37 .
There was also one winner of @ @ @ @ @ of €250,000 .
The National Lottery said that more than 86,000 players won prizes in @ @ @ @ @ including two winners of the Match 5+ Bonus prize who receive €118,737 each .

The National Lottery has urged players in Co Clare to check their tickets after one ticket scooped Saturday's Lotto jackpot of €4,041,306.
The winning numbers were 13, 18, 30, 41, 42, 44 and the bonus number 37.
A National Lottery spokesman said it will to reveal the name of the winning shop in the next couple of days.
“With a jackpot win of this amount, it is important that we take some time to inform the winning retailer and of course to give the winning ticketholder the time and space they need to let this amazing win to sink in so we will be announcing the winning store in the coming days”.
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This ticketholder is the 5th jackpot winner of 2020. Since the Lotto games began in 1988, there have been 42 Lotto jackpot winners from Clare .
There was also one winner of the Lotto Plus 2 jackpot of €250,000 which was sold iat the Mace store on Glasnevin Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin 11.
Two other Lotto players were one number short of the jackpot but both halved the match five and bonus prize of €237,474. The first of these tickets was sold in South Dublin in the Spar store on Oliver Plunkett Road, Monkstown Farm, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin
The National Lottery said that more than 86,000 players won prizes in Saturday’s draw.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Coronavirus: 18 more people die of Covid-19 in the State

Eighteen more people have died of coronavirus in the State , as the number of confirmed cases increased by 219 , according to figures published on Saturday .
This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 1,446 , according to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .
There are now 22,760 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Republic .
Analysis of 22,495 known cases up to Thursday by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre ( HPSC ) shows the median age of those who contracted the virus is 49 .
Women make up 57 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining 43 per cent .
Some 2,954 people have been hospitalised after contracting the virus , 13 per cent of known cases .
Of patients who required hospitalisation , 381 were admitted into intensive care .
Dublin still accounts for nearly half of all cases , with 10,948 in the county , followed by Kildare with 6 per cent of cases ( 1,317 ) and then Cork with 1,205 , representing 5 per cent of the national total .
Some 6,669 confirmed Covid-19 cases are associated with healthcare workers .
In cases where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was contracted , community transmission accounted for 61 per cent of cases .
This was followed by close contact with a Covid-19 patient ( 35 per cent ) , and travel abroad ( 3 per cent ) .
Another four Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland , the Department of Health there said .
The latest figure brings total fatalities from the coronavirus outbreak in the North to 430 .
A further 56 positive cases have been diagnosed there , bringing its total of confirmed cases to 4,078 .
Minister for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of Covid-19 patients being treated in the State ’ s ICUs has fallen further .
In a tweet , Mr Harris confirmed that the number of patients infected with the novel coronavirus being treated in intensive care has fallen to 72 , down from 76 on Friday and 99 last Saturday .
He said this constituted “ good progress ” , while also urging people to “ stay the course ” of maintaining safe practices during the pandemic .
A total of 378 people with Covid-19 have been admitted to intensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the NPHET announced that 10 outbreaks of Covid-19 have occurred in meat processing plants in the State , and 566 staff have been infected .
HSE outbreak control teams have been sent into each plant to try to control the outbreaks , chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said at the briefing .
Compliance with restrictions introduced to curb the spread of the virus remains very high , according to Dr Holohan , who presented a variety of data on car traffic , heavy goods vehicle movements , public transport numbers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measured by Google .
“ All together , this data says the population is complying very well and that this compliance is being maintained , ” he said .
Consideration is being given to testing all residents of direct provision centres , where 149 cases in 12 clusters have been reported , Dr Holohan said .
Any asylum-seeker in direct provision who has Covid-19 and is unable to self-isolate is entitled to use the isolation facility at Citywest , officials clarified .
Dr Holohan said he hoped to see schools resuming activity in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us ” , but “ it is impossible to make certain predictions about where we will be at the beginning of September ” .
NPHET was still considering whether a reopening of schools would be full or partial at first , he added .
A breakdown of the instance of the virus among older age groups provided for the first time shows that over-85s account for 10.2 per cent of all coronavirus cases , and 45.6 per cent of deaths .

An infection control nurse looks out from a Covid-19 recovery ward at Craigavon Area Hospital in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland. File photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Eighteen more people have died of coronavirus in the State, as the number of confirmed cases increased by 219, according to figures published on Saturday.
This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 1,446, according to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
There have been 22,760 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Republic.
Analysis of 22,495 known cases up to Thursday by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) shows the median age of those who contracted the virus is 49.
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Women make up 57 per cent of reported cases, with men the remaining 43 per cent.
Some 2,954 people have been hospitalised after contracting the virus, 13 per cent of known cases. Of patients who required hospitalisation, 381 were admitted into intensive care.
Dublin still accounts for nearly half of all cases, with 10,948 in the county, followed by Kildare with 6 per cent of cases (1,317) and then Cork with 1,205, representing 5 per cent of the national total.
Some 6,669 confirmed Covid-19 cases are associated with healthcare workers.
Community transmission
In cases where health officials could establish how the virus was contracted, community transmission accounted for 61 per cent of cases. This was followed by close contact with a Covid-19 patient (35 per cent), and travel abroad (3 per cent).
Another four Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health there said. The latest figure brings total fatalities from the coronavirus outbreak in the North to 430. A further 56 positive cases have been diagnosed there, bringing its total of confirmed cases to 4,078.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said on Saturday that the number of Covid-19 patients being treated in the State's ICUs has fallen further.
In a tweet, Mr Harris confirmed that the number of patients infected with the novel coronavirus being treated in intensive care has fallen to 72, down from 76 on Friday and 99 last Saturday.
He said this constituted “good progress”, while also urging people to “stay the course” of maintaining safe practices during the pandemic.
A total of 378 people with Covid-19 have been admitted to intensive care during the outbreak.
On Friday, the NPHET announced that 10 outbreaks of Covid-19 have occurred in meat processing plants in the State, and 566 staff have been infected.
HSE outbreak control teams have been sent into each plant to try to control the outbreaks, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said at the briefing.
Compliance with restrictions introduced to curb the spread of the virus remains very high, according to Dr Holohan, who presented a variety of data on car traffic, heavy goods vehicle movements, public transport numbers, ATM usage and personal activity, as measured by Google.
“All together, this data says the population is complying very well and that this compliance is being maintained,” he said.
Direct provision
Consideration is being given to testing all residents of direct provision centres, where 149 cases in 12 clusters have been reported, Dr Holohan said.
Any asylum-seeker in direct provision who has Covid-19 and is unable to self-isolate is entitled to use the isolation facility at Citywest, officials clarified.
Dr Holohan said he hoped to see schools resuming activity in the autumn “if things go well for us”, but “it is impossible to make certain predictions about where we will be at the beginning of September”.
NPHET was still considering whether a reopening of schools would be full or partial at first, he added.
A breakdown of the instance of the virus among older age groups provided for the first time shows that over-85s account for 10.2 per cent of all coronavirus cases, and 45.6 per cent of deaths.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Employers have ‘absolute duty’ to stick to new pandemic protocols

Every employer has “ an absolute duty ” to adhere to the new workplace safety protocols announced by the Government which are not “ discretionary ” , the Irish Congress of Trade Unions ( ICTU ) has said .
The Government ’ s Return to Work Safety Protocol was launched on Saturday , setting out a range of measures which employers and their employees will have to follow in order to reopen over the coming weeks .
Patricia King , general secretary of the ICTU , said it is “ vital ” the protocol is supported and that “ every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making our workplaces safe for all ” .
“ The price of negligence is too high , ” Ms King said .
“ There can be no short-cuts or opt-outs when it comes to matters of life and death , Covid-19 does not discriminate and every worker in every sector is entitled to the protection of this protocol .
“ This pandemic has impacted severely on every part of our society and economy , and this document represents an important milestone.
” Tom Parlon , director general of the Construction Industry Federation ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involvement of the Health and Safety Authority ( HSA ) and “ the powers they have ” .
The HSA will oversee compliance with the protocol and will be able to shut down workplaces which do not adhere to the new measures .
Mr Parlon said some construction sites will need “ substantial works ” to comply and that workers have been taking induction courses “ to familiarise themselves with what is in effect quite a new workplace and a new culture ” .
“ I know some of my members who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early days to get everybody to buy into the culture and it took regular what they called ‘ toolbox talks ’ to say , ‘ Lookit , this is the way it has to be done , if we can ’ t change it won ’ t happen and we will be closing down the site ’ , ” he said .
Chambers Ireland said the protocol is an essential framework , but warned the process of reopening will come “ with additional costs for many employers ” .
“ More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of grants , will be essential if employers are to restore jobs and successfully reopen within the parameters in place due to the virus , ” said Ian Talbot , chief executive of Chambers Ireland .
Danny McCoy , chief executive of business lobby Ibec , said it welcomed that the protocol is “ a general document which can be applied across all industry sectors ” .
“ Its design allows for the introduction of further sector- or industry-specific measures , as long as they enhance the measures set out in the protocol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and employees that the safety and wellbeing of people at work can be securely managed as we begin to reopen our economy , ” he said .
The Irish Hotels Federation said it is working closely with Fáilte Ireland to develop operational standards in line with HSE requirements and international best practice .
Dublin Chamber said the protocol provides “ very welcome practical advice ” but warned of the “ complexities and costs ” that businesses will face in reopening .
“ Implementing these changes and complying with the new norms of working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many businesses , and will be costly too , ” said Mary Rose Burke , chief executive of Dublin Chamber .
“ In many cases , compliance for many firms will mean having to hire additional staff or the redeployment of existing workers .
Businesses will require support in adjusting to the new ways of working and Dublin Chamber will be there to help them get the assistance they require .
”

The Health and Safety Authority will oversee compliance with the protocol and will be able to shut down workplaces which do not adhere to the measures. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty
Every employer has "an absolute duty" to adhere to the new workplace safety protocols announced by the Government which are not "discretionary", the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said.
The Government’s Return to Work Safety Protocol was launched on Saturday, setting out a range of measures which employers and their employees will have to follow in order to reopen over the coming weeks.
Patricia King, general secretary of the ICTU, said it is "vital" the protocol is supported and that "every employer and worker plays their part in making our workplaces safe for all".
“The price of negligence is too high,” Ms King said. “There can be no short-cuts or opt-outs when it comes to matters of life and death,Covid-19 does not discriminate and every worker in every sector is entitled to the protection of this protocol.
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‘Important milestone’
“This pandemic has impacted severely on every part of our society and economy, and this document represents an important milestone.”
Tom Parlon, director general of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), said he welcomed the involvement of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and "the powers they have".
The HSA will oversee compliance with the protocol and will be able to shut down workplaces which do not adhere to the new measures.
Mr Parlon said some construction sites will need “substantial works” to comply and that workers have been taking induction courses “to familiarise themselves with what is in effect quite a new workplace and a new culture”.
“I know some of my members who were doing essential works found it a difficulty in the early days to get everybody to buy into the culture and it took regular what they called ‘toolbox talks’ to say, ‘Lookit, this is the way it has to be done, if we can’t change it won’t happen and we will be closing down the site’,” he said.
Chambers Ireland said the protocol is an essential framework, but warned the process of reopening will come "with additional costs for many employers".
"More financial supports, along with the expansion of grants, will be essential if employers are to restore jobs and successfully reopen within the parameters in place due to the virus," said Ian Talbot, chief executive of Chambers Ireland.
Danny McCoy, chief executive of business lobby Ibec, said it welcomed that the protocol is “a general document which can be applied across all industry sectors”.
Safety and wellbeing
“Its design allows for the introduction of further sector- or industry-specific measures, as long as they enhance the measures set out in the protocol... It will provide confidence to employers and employees that the safety and wellbeing of people at work can be securely managed as we begin to reopen our economy,” he said.
The Irish Hotels Federation said it is working closely with Fáilte Ireland to develop operational standards in line with HSE requirements and international best practice.
Dublin Chamber said the protocol provides “very welcome practical advice” but warned of the “complexities and costs” that businesses will face in reopening.
"Implementing these changes and complying with the new norms of working is going to be extremely challenging for many businesses, and will be costly too," said Mary Rose Burke, chief executive of Dublin Chamber.
“In many cases, compliance for many firms will mean having to hire additional staff or the redeployment of existing workers. Businesses will require support in adjusting to the new ways of working and Dublin Chamber will be there to help them get the assistance they require.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Hottest day of the year so far as temperatures reach 23.6 degrees in Mayo

Temperatures soared on Saturday , reaching their highest level in the State so far this year as 23.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Newport , Co Mayo , according to Met Éireann .
Many parts of the country saw temperatures in the low 20s and large numbers of people travelled – many by bicycle – to parks and beaches to enjoy the sunshine .
However , there were more unsettled conditions elsewhere , with Met Éireann issuing the thunderstorm warning for Munster from Saturday afternoon .
Despite some taking to social media to complain about the numbers of people at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some beaches , the Garda Press Office said it wasn ’ t aware of any official complaints or of extra garda patrols being needed to police social distancing restrictions in place to curb the spread of coronavirus .
Claremorris in Co Mayo saw temperatures reach 22.1 degrees , as did Athenry , in Co Galway .
Mullingar in Co Westmeath , Galway city and Gurteen in Co Tipperary all recorded highs of 22 degrees .
“ There were ferocious thunderstorms around Gurteen as well , ” said Deirdre Lowe , meteorologist with Met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 22s and 23s around the country .
Really .
.
.
parts of the west , the midwest and south got the best temperatures today and the best of the sunshine .
“ Some central and southern parts did well but there was more cloud over Ulster.
” Met Éireann ’ s status yellow thunder warning was in effect until 10pm on Saturday , with clusters of slow-moving thunderstorms expected across Munster .
Met Éireann said lightning and local downpours could be expected in the region during the period of the warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In general , many areas across the country will be dry , calm and warm for the rest of Saturday , with further spells of hazy sunshine .
Highest temperatures will range from 19 to 24 degrees , warmest across the south midlands .
Saturday night will see outbreaks of rain in northern areas before gradually spreading southwards .
Lowest temperatures will range between 3 and 12 degrees .
Sunday will be a much cooler day , with brisk northeast winds .
Further outbreaks of rain are forecast , but in general the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spells extending from the north .
Highest temperatures will be between 12 and 16 degrees .
Sunday night will be cold , dry and clear .
Some grass frost is possible in places as temperatures fall to between 1 and 4 degrees .

Temperatures soared on Saturday, reaching their highest level in the State so far this year as 23.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Newport, Co Mayo, according to Met Éireann.
Many parts of the country saw temperatures in the low 20s and large numbers of people travelled – many by bicycle – to parks and beaches to enjoy the sunshine.
However, there were more unsettled conditions elsewhere, with Met Éireann issuing the thunderstorm warning for Munster from Saturday afternoon.
Please see below thunderstorm activity, mostly over Munster this afternoon. ⛈
Lightning strikes, when they occur, are displayed as a cross. Initially they are red but change to orange and then yellow after a period, then disappear.
For more info visit: https://t.co/YJqxvBBwTs pic.twitter.com/3ot01s5fmU — Met Éireann (@MetEireann) May 9, 2020
Despite some taking to social media to complain about the numbers of people at Dublin’s Phoenix Park and on some beaches, the Garda Press Office said it wasn’t aware of any official complaints or of extra garda patrols being needed to police social distancing restrictions in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.
READ MORE
Claremorris in Co Mayo saw temperatures reach 22.1 degrees, as did Athenry, in Co Galway.
Mullingar in Co Westmeath, Galway city and Gurteen in Co Tipperary all recorded highs of 22 degrees.
“There were ferocious thunderstorms around Gurteen as well,” said Deirdre Lowe, meteorologist with Met Éireann.
“There were a lot of 22s and 23s around the country. Really . . . parts of the west, the midwest and south got the best temperatures today and the best of the sunshine.
“Some central and southern parts did well but there was more cloud over Ulster.”
Status yellow
Met Éireann’s status yellow thunder warning was in effect until 10pm on Saturday, with clusters of slow-moving thunderstorms expected across Munster. Met Éireann said lightning and local downpours could be expected in the region during the period of the warning, with the risk of flooding.
In general, many areas across the country will be dry, calm and warm for the rest of Saturday, with further spells of hazy sunshine. Highest temperatures will range from 19 to 24 degrees, warmest across the south midlands.
Saturday night will see outbreaks of rain in northern areas before gradually spreading southwards. Lowest temperatures will range between 3 and 12 degrees.
Sunday will be a much cooler day, with brisk northeast winds. Further outbreaks of rain are forecast, but in general the day will be dry, with sunny spells extending from the north. Highest temperatures will be between 12 and 16 degrees.
Sunday night will be cold, dry and clear. Some grass frost is possible in places as temperatures fall to between 1 and 4 degrees.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Garda and PSNI chiefs meet at Border on coronavirus response

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris met PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne near the Border on Saturday to sign a joint review of the Covid-19 policing response .
They met at Moybridge , Co Monaghan on the Monaghan-Tyrone border near Aughnacloy , Co Tyrone , on Saturday morning .
The police chiefs formally signed the terms of reference for the joint review of the Police Service NI and An Garda Síochána response to the Covid-19 pandemic .
It had been discussed at Thursday ’ s meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board .
They will be reviewing how their operations have worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the respective jurisdictions .
They later conducted a joint patrol with local officers , chatting to gardaí and PSNI members operating checkpoints on cross-Border traffic on the main N2-A5 Dublin to Derry Road as part of a Covid-19 operation .
In a statement , the Garda said Mr Harris had “ a very positive meeting today with Chief Constable , PSNI at Monaghan-Tyrone cross-Border checkpoint to discuss the ongoing strong co-operation to support public health measures to tackle Covid-19 on the island of Ireland ” .
Mr Byrne said he had a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Border and “ discussed our continued joint approach ” .
He said it was “ good to get out on patrol together , a strong partnership ” .

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris (left) and PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne at Moybridge, Co Monaghan on the Tyrone-Monaghan border on Saturday morning. Photograph: PSNI
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris met PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne near the Border on Saturday to sign a joint review of the Covid-19 policing response.
They met at Moybridge, Co Monaghan on the Monaghan-Tyrone border near Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone, on Saturday morning.
The police chiefs formally signed the terms of reference for the joint review of the Police Service NI and An Garda Síochána response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commissioner Drew Harris had a very positive meeting today with Chief Constable, PSNI at Monaghan/Tyrone cross-border checkpoint to discuss the ongoing strong co-operation to support public health measures to tackle COVID-19 on the island of Ireland #InThisTogether pic.twitter.com/xpWfICIfqh — Garda Info (@gardainfo) May 9, 2020
It had been discussed at Thursday’s meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. They will be reviewing how their operations have worked since restrictions were introduced in March by the respective jurisdictions.
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Joint patrol
They later conducted a joint patrol with local officers, chatting to gardaí and PSNI members operating checkpoints on cross-Border traffic on the main N2-A5 Dublin to Derry Road as part of a Covid-19 operation.
In a statement, the Garda said Mr Harris had “a very positive meeting today with Chief Constable, PSNI at Monaghan-Tyrone cross-Border checkpoint to discuss the ongoing strong co-operation to support public health measures to tackle Covid-19 on the island of Ireland”.
Mr Byrne said he had a “positive meeting” with Mr Harris on the Border and “discussed our continued joint approach”. He said it was “good to get out on patrol together, a strong partnership”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Pieta House preparing for further surge in calls as lockdown measures are eased

Mental health charity Pieta House is bolstering itself for a further surge in calls over the coming weeks and months as lockdown measures are eased and people struggle to cope with new circumstances .
Tom McEvoy , funding and advocacy manager with the charity , said it was already dealing with an “ unprecedented ” increase in calls since February , the figure having “ at least doubled ” to more than 14,000 on the same period last year .
“ It is not to be unexpected that this period of lockdown is causing raised anxiety in our community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in crisis , depending on their own personal circumstances , and some are perhaps not equipped to manage and deal with this unusual period we are going though , and that is what we are there for , offering that helping hand to them to get through this period.
” Pieta House provides free therapy to those engaging in self-harm , with suicidal ideation , or bereaved by suicide .
Mr McEvoy said the charity is preparing itself to be “ needed more than ever before ” in the weeks ahead .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future , when people start coming out of the lockdown that there will a further increase in raised anxiety , ” he said .
“ We are preparing for that with our service , and we hope we will be able to cope with that.
” The charity was forced last month to postpone its annual Darkness Into Light fundraiser because of the Covid-19 crisis , resulting in a loss of around €6 million .
However , it expects a “ sunrise appeal ” in which thousands of people got up before dawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight against suicide and self harm ” could raise €3 million .
“ It has just been overwhelming , the support that has come in , ” said Mr McEvoy .
“ We are so thankful to the Irish community .
They came out in their droves .
We weren ’ t sure where this event would bring us.
” People around the country gathered – socially distanced – at beaches , harbours , parks and on streets while others walked or ran to mark the sunrise , many posting spectacular pictures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Up to €2 million of the €3 million was raised through a special Late Late Show on Friday night – featuring appearances by actor Pierce Brosnan and musicians Mary Black , Sharon Shannon , Frances Black and Mary Coughlan – which was dedicated to the charity .
Pieta House recently announced salary cuts of up to 30 per cent and 28 redundancies for clinical support workers due to a “ very significant funding gap ” .
“ We are struggling for funding , we are looking at a huge huge gap , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in funding we wouldn ’ t have otherwise received , ” said Mr McEvoy .
Pieta House can be contacted on 1800 247247 or by texting HELP to 51444

Mental health charity Pieta House is bolstering itself for a further surge in calls over the coming weeks and months as lockdown measures are eased and people struggle to cope with new circumstances.
Tom McEvoy, funding and advocacy manager with the charity, said it was already dealing with an “unprecedented” increase in calls since February, the figure having “at least doubled” to more than 14,000 on the same period last year.
“It is not to be unexpected that this period of lockdown is causing raised anxiety in our community,” he said.
Walkers in the Clontarf area of Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Walkers in the Clontarf area of Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
“People are in crisis, depending on their own personal circumstances, and some are perhaps not equipped to manage and deal with this unusual period we are going though, and that is what we are there for, offering that helping hand to them to get through this period.”
READ MORE
Pieta House provides free therapy to those engaging in self-harm, with suicidal ideation, or bereaved by suicide.
Mr McEvoy said the charity is preparing itself to be “needed more than ever before” in the weeks ahead.
“We feel in the not too distant future, when people start coming out of the lockdown that there will a further increase in raised anxiety,” he said.
“We are preparing for that with our service, and we hope we will be able to cope with that.”
The charity was forced last month to postpone its annual Darkness Into Light fundraiser because of the Covid-19 crisis, resulting in a loss of around €6 million.
However, it expects a “sunrise appeal” in which thousands of people got up before dawn on Saturday “to join united in the fight against suicide and self harm” could raise €3 million.
“It has just been overwhelming, the support that has come in,” said Mr McEvoy.
“We are so thankful to the Irish community. They came out in their droves. We weren’t sure where this event would bring us.”
Walkers in the Clontarf area of Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Walkers in the Clontarf area of Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
People around the country gathered – socially distanced – at beaches, harbours, parks and on streets while others walked or ran to mark the sunrise, many posting spectacular pictures of the dawn on social media.
Up to €2 million of the €3 million was raised through a special Late Late Show on Friday night – featuring appearances by actor Pierce Brosnan and musicians Mary Black, Sharon Shannon, Frances Black and Mary Coughlan – which was dedicated to the charity.
Electric Ireland contributed a donation of €100,000.
Pieta House recently announced salary cuts of up to 30 per cent and 28 redundancies for clinical support workers due to a “very significant funding gap”.
“We are struggling for funding, we are looking at a huge huge gap, so this weekend has really helped to bring in funding we wouldn’t have otherwise received,” said Mr McEvoy.
Pieta House can be contacted on 1800 247247 or by texting HELP to 51444


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Man charged in connection with assault in Limerick

A man in his 30s has been charged in connection with an assault in Limerick on Friday .
The man @ @ @ @ @ 30s were arrested on Saturday in connection with the assault of a man in his @ @ @ @ @ 6.30pm on Friday .
The woman has since been released without charge .
The man @ @ @ @ @ a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Sunday at 4pm .

A man has been charged in connection with an assault in Limerick on Friday.
A man in his 30s has been charged in connection with an assault in Limerick on Friday.
The man and a woman in her 30s were arrested on Saturday in connection with the assault of a man in his 40s in Thomondgate at about 6.30pm on Friday. The woman has since been released without charge.
The man is due to appear before a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Sunday at 4pm.


theirishtimes--2020-05-10--Two women (30s) arrested following serioius assault in Co Wexford

Two women in their 30s have been arrested following a serious assault in Co Wexford on Sunday morning .
A @ @ @ @ @ discovered at a residence in Clonard at about 1.10am with apparent stab wounds and was @ @ @ @ @ with non-life threatening injuries .
The two women were arrested at the scene and are @ @ @ @ @ station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 .
The scene is currently @ @ @ @ @ technical examination to be carried out .
Investigations are ongoing .
Gardaí are appealing for @ @ @ @ @ to this incident to contact Wexford Garda station on 053 9165200 , the Garda Confidential @ @ @ @ @ or any Garda station .

Two women in their 30s have been arrested following a serious assault in Co Wexford on Sunday morning.
A man in his 40s was discovered at a residence in Clonard at about 1.10am with apparent stab wounds and was taken to Wexford General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The two women were arrested at the scene and are currently detained at Wexford Garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. The scene is currently preserved in order for a technical examination to be carried out. Investigations are ongoing.
Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident to contact Wexford Garda station on 053 9165200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-05-10--ASTI advises members to engage with new Leaving Cert process

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland ( ASTI ) is advising its members to engage with the calculated grades process for this year ’ s Leaving Cert so that students can progress to the next stage of their lives .
Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced on Friday that the State exams will not go ahead this summer for the first time in almost 100 years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic .
Instead , students will have the option of receiving grades calculated by their teachers based on their school work or going on to sit written exams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject to public health advice .
The teachers ’ union has a long-standing policy of teachers not assessing their students for the purpose of State certification .
It says this policy ensures the integrity of the State exams process , the value of which it says “ is infinitely superior to any other process ” .
However , in a statement following a meeting of its executive on Saturday , the union said , “ in the context of the current global pandemic the ASTI recognises that this year it is necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ASTI has secured confirmation from the department and the Minister that these measures are being implemented on an emergency basis and will not be regarded as a precedent or an agreement to operate this process in future years ” .
The union ’ s president Deirdre Mac Donald said the process outlined on Friday by Mr McHugh “ is far from ideal .
However , we will be striving to improve the process in order to deliver fairness , objectivity , and equity for all students and protect the professional integrity of teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says it has concerns over a number of issues including : the data to be relied upon by teachers in calculated grades process ; equity and perceived objectivity for students ; and concerns relating to the professional integrity of teachers and school leaders .
The ASTI says it will be raising these matters with the Department of Education “ at the earliest opportunity ” .
Ms McDonald said , “ fairness , objectivity and equity are the foundation stones of our highly credible and trusted state exams system and we must endeavour to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during this pandemic .
We owe this to our students.
” On Saturday another of the country ’ s biggest teachers ’ unions is calling for clear “ safeguards ” to prevent pressure being applied to teachers from parents over Leaving Cert calculated grades .
Following the announcement , the Teachers ’ Union of Ireland ( TUI ) has called for “ safeguards to ensure that the professional integrity of teachers is protected ” under the new system .
John MacGabhann , TUI general secretary , said guidelines were needed about what would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to compromise the process of calculating a student ’ s grades .
“ There needs to be a clear sign that any form of pressure is simply inappropriate and won ’ t work , ” he told The Irish Times .
This would include “ benign ” or “ soft ” efforts to influence teachers , and the Department of Education needed to clearly set out what would constitute parents “ overstepping ” , he said .
Guidelines on how the calculated grade system will work state that teachers “ must not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or with the parents or guardians of any student , the estimated marks that the school is submitting ” .
The guidelines state that allowing discussion would “ interfere ” with the process being carried out “ properly and fairly ” .
Following a meeting on Friday the TUI executive committee approved engaging with the calculated grades system .
In a statement , the union said students “ have a right to advance to the next stage of their lives ” , and needed a “ mechanism ” to allow them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Implementation of these measures on an emergency basis will not and can not be regarded as a precedent or as agreement to operate such measures in future years , ” the statement said .
1 .
Teachers will be asked to provide a professional judgment of student ’ s likely Leaving Cert grades based on their work completed in school over the past three years .
2 .
The school principal will approve the estimated scores provided and the rankings of each student in each subject in the school .
3 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Education to process the data provided by each school and operate “ national standardisation ” to ensure fairness among all students .
4 .
The Department of Education will finalise the grades for each student , which will be as close as possible to the traditional results date in mid-August .
Formal State certification will also be provided .

The ASTI says it has concerns relating to the professional integrity of teachers and school leaders. Photograph: iStock
Minister for Education Joe McHugh has said it is “too early to say” if schools will fully reopen in September amid concerns about social distancing requirements because of Covid-19.
Mr McHugh said he has set up an advisory group to examine the issue and that the group will “work towards opening the schools”.
“I am going to work with the advisory group that I have set up and that work is going to continue. We are going to work with all the stakeholders and I have already started the conversation a number of weeks ago.
“With a lot of the stakeholders, whether it is post-primary or primary, we are going to work towards opening the schools because the NPHET [National Public Health Emergency Team] advice is that schools will reopen in September so the question is now how can we do that in a safe way and I think it is too early to say how that will look. But that is the job we have started and we will continue to work our way through it.”
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He said he wanted a “proper consultation” on the issue.
Mr McHugh announced on Friday that the State exams will not go ahead this summer as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Instead, students will have the option of receiving grades calculated by their teachers based on their schoolwork or going on to sit written exams in late 2020 or early 2021, subject to public health advice.
Mr McHugh denied that the new system of calculating exam results will see some students being unfairly graded after the Labour Party raised concerns about school profiling.
“School profiling is nowhere within any of the guidelines. If there are students in Deis schools that have performed incredibly well and have worked hard over the last two years, that will be the result that they will be given by their whole school, not just the teacher and not just the principal but the whole-school evaluation,” Mr McHugh told RTÉ’s The Week in Politics.
“You could have a situation where once a principal sends off the results of any school whether it is a community school, a Deis school, a private school, where the system will look at some students maybe marked too harshly, some students could be marked leniently, there will be different evaluations. I want to categorically say that any student, just because they go to a certain school, that they will be marked any differently to anyone else is just not the case.”
ASTI
Meanwhile, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) is advising its members to engage with the calculated grades process for this year’s Leaving Cert so that students can progress to the next stage of their lives.
The teachers’ union has a long-standing policy of teachers not assessing their students for the purpose of State certification. It says this policy ensures the integrity of the State exams process, the value of which it says “is infinitely superior to any other process”.
The union’s president Deirdre McDonald said the process outlined on Friday by Mr McHugh “is far from ideal. However, we will be striving to improve the process in order to deliver fairness, objectivity, and equity for all students and protect the professional integrity of teachers,” she said.
The ASTI says it has concerns over a number of issues including: the data to be relied upon by teachers in a calculated grades process; equity and perceived objectivity for students; and concerns relating to the professional integrity of teachers and school leaders.
On Saturday another of the country’s biggest teachers’ unions called for clear “safeguards” to prevent pressure being applied to teachers from parents over Leaving Cert calculated grades.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) called for “safeguards to ensure that the professional integrity of teachers is protected” under the new system.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--One Co Clare player wins Lotto jackpot of over €4m

The National Lottery has urged players in Co Clare to check their tickets after one ticket scooped Saturday ’ s Lotto jackpot of €4,041,306 .
The winning numbers were 13 , 18 , 30 , 41 , 42 , 44 and the bonus number 37 .
A National Lottery spokesman said it will to reveal the name of the winning shop in the next couple of days .
“ With a jackpot win of this amount , it is important that we take some time to inform the winning retailer and of course to give the winning ticketholder the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amazing win to sink in so we will be announcing the winning store in the coming days ” .
This ticketholder is the 5th jackpot winner of 2020 .
Since the Lotto games began in 1988 , there have been 42 Lotto jackpot winners from Clare .
There was also one winner of the Lotto Plus 2 jackpot of €250,000 which was sold iat the Mace store on Glasnevin Avenue , Glasnevin , Dublin 11 .
Two other Lotto players were one number short of the jackpot but both halved the match five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first of these tickets was sold in South Dublin in the Spar store on Oliver Plunkett Road , Monkstown Farm , Dun Laoghaire , Co Dublin The National Lottery said that more than 86,000 players won prizes in Saturday ’ s draw .


theirishtimes--2020-05-11--Children left in State care ‘twilight zone’ indefinitely by Tusla

Temporary measures to take children into State care without a court order have been found in some cases to have been used indefinitely by Tusla , the child and family agency , with children removed from their homes for several years without reviews .
The State ’ s health watchdog has privately raised “ serious concerns ” over the use of voluntary care arrangements by Tusla , after inspections uncovered serious shortcomings .
There are currently 5,971 children in State care , and latest data shows in 55 per cent of cases voluntary consent was used to admit children into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed into care by social workers with the “ voluntary consent ” of their parents as a temporary measure .
A statutory care order to remove a child from their parents must be sanctioned by a judge .
The Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) found cases where paperwork had left the expected duration or end date of the voluntary care arrangement blank .
Some of these children had been taken into care as far back as 10 years ago .
Last August Hiqa wrote to Tusla ’ s chief operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns over the use of voluntary care arrangements , “ given the serious nature ” of the issue .
In some cases children remained in care after the end date of the voluntary arrangement lapsed , including where the placement was intended to be for only short periods of six weeks .
Inspectors found “ no evidence that voluntary consent was reviewed during child-in-care reviews , or that the appropriateness of the child remaining in the voluntary care of Tusla had been reviewed and considered ” , the letter stated .
The correspondence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act .
Children were being “ subjected to voluntary consent for significant periods of time ” with no efforts made to formalise the arrangement by securing a legal care order , “ despite clear indications that they would not be reunified ” with their parents .
Gareth Noble , who practises in child law for KOD Lyons , said Tusla ’ s reliance on voluntary arrangements was “ concerning because it lacks scrutiny and accountability ” , with no court oversight .
“ Children fall through the gaps and remain in this twilight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several years , he said .
Tusla instigated a national review last September on foot of Hiqa ’ s concerns .
A spokeswoman for Tusla said a child “ is only brought into care as a last resort and only if it is in the best interests of the child ” .
“ Where reunification has been explored and is not possible at the time , contact between the parent and child is facilitated ” to build a good-quality relationship .

Children were being ‘subjected to voluntary consent for significant periods of time’. Photograph: Alan Betson
Temporary measures to take children into State care without a court order have been found in some cases to have been used indefinitely by Tusla, the child and family agency, with children removed from their homes for several years without reviews.
The State’s health watchdog has privately raised “serious concerns” over the use of voluntary care arrangements by Tusla, after inspections uncovered serious shortcomings.
There are currently 5,971 children in State care, and latest data shows in 55 per cent of cases voluntary consent was used to admit children into care in 2018. Children can be placed into care by social workers with the “voluntary consent” of their parents as a temporary measure. A statutory care order to remove a child from their parents must be sanctioned by a judge.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found cases where paperwork had left the expected duration or end date of the voluntary care arrangement blank. Some of these children had been taken into care as far back as 10 years ago.
READ MORE
Last August Hiqa wrote to Tusla's chief operations officer, Jim Gibson, to raise concerns over the use of voluntary care arrangements, "given the serious nature" of the issue.
In some cases children remained in care after the end date of the voluntary arrangement lapsed, including where the placement was intended to be for only short periods of six weeks.
No reviews
Inspectors found “no evidence that voluntary consent was reviewed during child-in-care reviews, or that the appropriateness of the child remaining in the voluntary care of Tusla had been reviewed and considered”, the letter stated.
The correspondence was released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Children were being “subjected to voluntary consent for significant periods of time” with no efforts made to formalise the arrangement by securing a legal care order, “despite clear indications that they would not be reunified” with their parents.
Gareth Noble, who practises in child law for KOD Lyons, said Tusla's reliance on voluntary arrangements was "concerning because it lacks scrutiny and accountability", with no court oversight. "Children fall through the gaps and remain in this twilight zone," in some cases for several years, he said.
Tusla instigated a national review last September on foot of Hiqa’s concerns. A spokeswoman for Tusla said a child “is only brought into care as a last resort and only if it is in the best interests of the child”.
“Where reunification has been explored and is not possible at the time, contact between the parent and child is facilitated” to build a good-quality relationship.


theirishtimes--2020-05-11--Successor to President of the High Court must ‘drive reform’

The race is on for selection of the next president of the High Court as Mr Justice Peter Kelly is due to retire from the post next month .
Mr Justice Kelly , who was appointed to the position in 2015 , is compelled to retire because he turns 70 in June .
Those interested in applying for the post , one of the top three positions in the superior courts , must apply by May 21st to a non-statutory advisory committee comprising the Chief Justice Mr Justice Frank Clarke , Attorney General Séamus Woulfe and Jane Williams of Sia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide a 1,000-word statement setting out their suitability for the office and outlining , among other things , their capacity to “ drive reform ” .
The committee will make recommendations to Government concerning the suitability of applicants but those are not binding and the final decision will be made by Cabinet .
Speculation about who might step into Mr Justice Kelly ’ s shoes is rife but it has proven difficult in the past to predict the outcome , underlined by the fact Mr Justice Kelly ’ s own appointment in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointment of his predecessors , Nicholas Kearns , Richard Johnson and Joseph Finnegan .
The fact that a government has yet to be formed further complicates the situation .
Among names being discussed are the High Court ’ s Mr Justice David Barniville , Ms Justice Caroline Costello and Mr Justice Séamus Noonan of the Court of Appeal ( COA ) , and the Supreme Court ’ s Ms Justice Mary Irvine .
A dark horse mentioned by some is another High Court judge , Mr Justice Denis McDonald .
Mr Justice Barniville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council and former head of the Association of Judges of Ireland , currently manages the Commercial Court list .
As a barrister , he specialised in commercial law and represented the State in many cases , including the controversial nationalisation of AIB two days before Christmas 2010 .
Ms Justice Costello and Ms Justice Irvine are also perceived as strong potential candidates with some sources suggesting there would be considerable support for a first female president of the High Court .
Ms Justice Costello ’ s father , Declan Costello , was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while her grandfather John A Costello was a former taoiseach .
Her practice as a barrister centred mainly on commercial , banking law and insolvency law .
Appointed to the High Court in 2010 , she resisted efforts by Facebook to prevent a reference to the Court of Justice of the EU concerning the validity of EU-US data transfer channels .
She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2018 .
Ms Justice Irvine had a considerable practice in medical law before her appointment to the High Court in 2007 .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and served there until 2019 when she was appointed to the Supreme Court .
As a COA judge , she delivered several judgments reducing personal injury awards .
Last year , she was appointed to chair the Cervical Check tribunal .
Mr Justice Noonan was appointed to the COA in October 2019 , having served as a High Court judge since 2014 where he ran the judicial review and non-jury list .
Mr Justice McDonald was appointed as a High Court judge in 2018 and currently manages that court ’ s strategic infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practised mainly in commercial law .
He has a comprehensive knowledge of High Court practices and procedures , having worked previously in the High Court central office .

The race is on for selection of the next president of the High Court as Mr Justice Peter Kelly is due to retire from the post next month.
Mr Justice Kelly, who was appointed to the position in 2015, is compelled to retire because he turns 70 in June.
Those interested in applying for the post, one of the top three positions in the superior courts, must apply by May 21st to a non-statutory advisory committee comprising the Chief Justice Mr Justice Frank Clarke, Attorney General Séamus Woulfe and Jane Williams of Sia Partners management consultancy.
Each applicant must provide a 1,000-word statement setting out their suitability for the office and outlining, among other things, their capacity to “drive reform”.
READ MORE
The committee will make recommendations to Government concerning the suitability of applicants but those are not binding and the final decision will be made by Cabinet.
Speculation about who might step into Mr Justice Kelly’s shoes is rife but it has proven difficult in the past to predict the outcome, underlined by the fact Mr Justice Kelly’s own appointment in 2015 was largely unanticipated while few predicted the appointment of his predecessors, Nicholas Kearns, Richard Johnson and Joseph Finnegan. The fact that a government has yet to be formed further complicates the situation.
Dark horse
Among names being discussed are the High Court’s Mr Justice David Barniville, Ms Justice Caroline Costello and Mr Justice Séamus Noonan of the Court of Appeal (COA), and the Supreme Court’s Ms Justice Mary Irvine. A dark horse mentioned by some is another High Court judge, Mr Justice Denis McDonald.
Mr Justice Barniville, a former chairman of the Bar Council and former head of the Association of Judges of Ireland, currently manages the Commercial Court list. As a barrister, he specialised in commercial law and represented the State in many cases, including the controversial nationalisation of AIB two days before Christmas 2010.
Ms Justice Costello and Ms Justice Irvine are also perceived as strong potential candidates with some sources suggesting there would be considerable support for a first female president of the High Court.
Ms Justice Costello’s father, Declan Costello, was a former attorney general and High Court president while her grandfather John A Costello was a former taoiseach. Her practice as a barrister centred mainly on commercial, banking law and insolvency law. Appointed to the High Court in 2010, she resisted efforts by Facebook to prevent a reference to the Court of Justice of the EU concerning the validity of EU-US data transfer channels. She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2018.
Ms Justice Irvine had a considerable practice in medical law before her appointment to the High Court in 2007. She was elevated to the COA in 2014 and served there until 2019 when she was appointed to the Supreme Court. As a COA judge, she delivered several judgments reducing personal injury awards. Last year, she was appointed to chair the Cervical Check tribunal.
Mr Justice Noonan was appointed to the COA in October 2019, having served as a High Court judge since 2014 where he ran the judicial review and non-jury list. Mr Justice McDonald was appointed as a High Court judge in 2018 and currently manages that court’s strategic infrastructure list. As a barrister, he practised mainly in commercial law. He has a comprehensive knowledge of High Court practices and procedures, having worked previously in the High Court central office.