theirishtimes--2020-03-18--British government plan on past says ‘small’ chance of justice for Troubles killings

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has delivered a chilly response to a new British government plan on how to deal with the past .
Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis has proposed a new single body that would primarily focus on information recovery and reconciliation rather than investigating Troubles-related killings .
While Mr Lewis in a written statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday didn ’ t totally rule out investigating some past killings he said he wants to end “ the cycle of reinvestigations into the Troubles in Northern Ireland that has failed victims and [ British army ] veterans alike ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a route to justice , experience suggests that the likelihood of justice in most cases may now be small , and continues to decrease as time passes , ” he said .
Figures issues by the PSNI late last year showed that the PSNI Legacy Investigation Branch had a caseload of 1,130 cases touching on the deaths of 1,421 people .
Of these 583 deaths were attributed to republicans , 294 deaths to loyalists , 289 deaths to the British army , 51 to police , 69 were unknown attribution and 135 were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proposals were “ consistent with the principles of the Stormont House Agreement ” although Sinn Féin and the SDLP said they were a “ violation ” of the December 2014 British-Irish agreement – a view with which Mr Coveney appeared to concur .
The Stormont House Agreement proposed a historical investigation unit to investigate Troubles killings ; an independent commission on information retrieval where perpetrators could tell the truth about their involvement in Troubles killings without fear of prosecution ; and an oral history archive where victims and others could tell their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Lewis ’ s plan one independent body would be established to deal with the past .
Mr Lewis said there would be a “ greater emphasis on gathering information for families ; moving at a faster pace to retrieve knowledge before it is lost ; and doing more to help individuals and society to share and understand the tragic experiences of the past ” .
He added , “ This body will oversee and manage both the information recovery and investigative aspects of the legacy system , and provide every family with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their loved one.
” Mr Lewis made clear that he expected that very few cases would lead to prosecutions .
“ The government is committed to the rule of law but given the considerable time that has elapsed since many of these incidents took place it is vital that we swiftly implement an effective information recovery mechanism before this information is lost forever , ” he said .
“ Only cases in which there is a realistic prospect of a prosecution as a result of new compelling evidence would proceed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecution , ” he said .
Mr Lewis added , “ Cases which do not reach this threshold , or subsequently are not referred for prosecution , would be closed and no further investigations or prosecutions would be possible – though family reports would still be provided to the victims ’ loved ones .
Such an approach would give all participants the confidence and certainty to fully engage with the information recovery process.
” In a careful but negative response the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Coveney said the “ Stormont House Agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these issues .
“ It was agreed by both governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations , and it must be implemented , ” he added .
Mr Lewis ’ s written statement on Wednesday comes in the wake of continuing pressure , some of it exerted by British prime minister Boris Johnson , to create legislation that would prevent prosecutions of former British soldiers in relation to Troubles-related killings .
Mr Coveney said there should be “ effective investigations into all Troubles-related deaths , regardless of the perpetrator ” .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduce any special measure or treatment , regarding investigation of state or non-state actors in Northern Ireland , ” he said .
“ Victims and survivors have had to wait for far too long for a suitable and effective system in Northern Ireland to deal with the legacy of the Troubles , ” he added .
The Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Michelle O ’ Neill said there could “ be no hierarchy of victims and no one , including British state forces , can be above the law ” .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would “ cause hurt and anger among families who lost loved ones during the conflict ” .
The Ulster Unionist Party MLA Doug Beattie gave a “ cautious welcome ” to the new proposals .
He said , “ For too many people - most notably republicans , some self-appointed guardians of human rights and certain law firms keen to exploit ‘ lawfare ’ – the entire legacy process presented an opportunity to rewrite history and paint the [ British ] state and its actors as the villains of the piece at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the proposals were wrong and would “ cause an immense amount of hurt to victims and survivors and to families who have lost loved ones ” .
He added , “ This is not about dealing with the past ethically , it is not about delivering truth , justice and reconciliation .
This is about shutting down justice and shielding former soldiers from fulsome investigation indefinitely.
” Mark Thompson , head of the Relatives for Justice group , which represents many bereaved seeking justice and truth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this statement that the British government is trying to get away scot free from its role in the conflict .
This will be resisted and challenged.
” Grainne Teggart of Amnesty Northern Ireland said Mr Lewis ’ s proposals were an attempt to “ close down paths to justice ” .

In a careful but negative response the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Coveney said the “Stormont House Agreement framework is the way forward” on these issues. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw for The Irish Times
Tánaiste Simon Coveney has delivered a chilly response to a new British government plan on how to deal with the past.
Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis has proposed a new single body that would primarily focus on information recovery and reconciliation rather than investigating Troubles-related killings.
While Mr Lewis in a written statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday didn't totally rule out investigating some past killings he said he wants to end "the cycle of reinvestigations into the Troubles in Northern Ireland that has failed victims and [British army] veterans alike".
“While there must always be a route to justice, experience suggests that the likelihood of justice in most cases may now be small, and continues to decrease as time passes,” he said.
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Figures issues by the PSNI late last year showed that the PSNI Legacy Investigation Branch had a caseload of 1,130 cases touching on the deaths of 1,421 people. Of these 583 deaths were attributed to republicans, 294 deaths to loyalists, 289 deaths to the British army, 51 to police, 69 were unknown attribution and 135 were non-paramilitary related deaths.
Mr Lewis said the proposals were "consistent with the principles of the Stormont House Agreement" although Sinn Féin and the SDLP said they were a "violation" of the December 2014 British-Irish agreement – a view with which Mr Coveney appeared to concur.
The Stormont House Agreement proposed a historical investigation unit to investigate Troubles killings; an independent commission on information retrieval where perpetrators could tell the truth about their involvement in Troubles killings without fear of prosecution; and an oral history archive where victims and others could tell their stories of the conflict.
But under Mr Lewis’s plan one independent body would be established to deal with the past. Mr Lewis said there would be a “greater emphasis on gathering information for families; moving at a faster pace to retrieve knowledge before it is lost; and doing more to help individuals and society to share and understand the tragic experiences of the past”.
He added, “This body will oversee and manage both the information recovery and investigative aspects of the legacy system, and provide every family with a report with information concerning the death of their loved one.”
Mr Lewis made clear that he expected that very few cases would lead to prosecutions. “The government is committed to the rule of law but given the considerable time that has elapsed since many of these incidents took place it is vital that we swiftly implement an effective information recovery mechanism before this information is lost forever,” he said.
“Only cases in which there is a realistic prospect of a prosecution as a result of new compelling evidence would proceed to a full police investigation and if necessary, prosecution,” he said.
Mr Lewis added, “Cases which do not reach this threshold, or subsequently are not referred for prosecution, would be closed and no further investigations or prosecutions would be possible – though family reports would still be provided to the victims’ loved ones. Such an approach would give all participants the confidence and certainty to fully engage with the information recovery process.”
In a careful but negative response the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Coveney said the “Stormont House Agreement framework is the way forward” on these issues.
“It was agreed by both governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations, and it must be implemented,” he added.
Mr Lewis's written statement on Wednesday comes in the wake of continuing pressure, some of it exerted by British prime minister Boris Johnson, to create legislation that would prevent prosecutions of former British soldiers in relation to Troubles-related killings.
Mr Coveney said there should be “effective investigations into all Troubles-related deaths, regardless of the perpetrator”.
“We would not support a proposal to introduce any special measure or treatment, regarding investigation of state or non-state actors in Northern Ireland,” he said.
“Victims and survivors have had to wait for far too long for a suitable and effective system in Northern Ireland to deal with the legacy of the Troubles,” he added.
The Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said there could “be no hierarchy of victims and no one, including British state forces, can be above the law”.
She said the proposals were “unacceptable” and would “cause hurt and anger among families who lost loved ones during the conflict”.
The Ulster Unionist Party MLA Doug Beattie gave a “cautious welcome” to the new proposals. He said, “For too many people - most notably republicans, some self-appointed guardians of human rights and certain law firms keen to exploit ‘lawfare’ – the entire legacy process presented an opportunity to rewrite history and paint the [British] state and its actors as the villains of the piece at the UK government’s own expense.”
The SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the proposals were wrong and would "cause an immense amount of hurt to victims and survivors and to families who have lost loved ones".
He added, “This is not about dealing with the past ethically, it is not about delivering truth, justice and reconciliation. This is about shutting down justice and shielding former soldiers from fulsome investigation indefinitely.”
Mark Thompson, head of the Relatives for Justice group, which represents many bereaved seeking justice and truth, said, "It is clear in this statement that the British government is trying to get away scot free from its role in the conflict. This will be resisted and challenged."
Grainne Teggart of Amnesty Northern Ireland said Mr Lewis's proposals were an attempt to "close down paths to justice".


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus could kill ‘tens of thousands’ if warnings ignored

The Covid-19 virus could kills tens of thousands of people if the public does not follow advice to keep apart from others , the Government has warned , as it passed draconian legislation that could restrict the public ’ s movements .
The State recorded its third death from the virus yesterday , while the first fatality in the North was also announced .
It was a day of stark warnings , both north and south of the Border , with a Government Minister in Dublin saying that almost one in five of the working population may lose their jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spread across the globe and killed almost 10,000 people .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told Fine Gael TDs that school closures could be extended to April or May and later discussed the crisis in a telephone call with the British prime minister Boris Johnson .
Despite significant differences in the approach taken in the Republic and the UK , the two men agreed to “ align their actions , in so far as possible ” .
The Government also announced that it would introduce a rent freeze , and a temporary ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – measures which will need further emergency legislation .
The number of new cases in the Republic jumped to 191 from 74 a day earlier , marking a daily record for a sixth day in a row .
The number of confirmed cases in the Republic has risen to 557 in the 20 days since the first known case was diagnosed in the country on February 29th .
In Northern Ireland , 77 people have tested positive for coronavirus , bringing to 634 the total number of known cases on the island of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the island , the third in the Republic , was a woman from the east .
The Department of Health said that it had not been told whether she had underlying health issues .
As Northern Ireland reported its first death from the virus , also known as Covid-19 , its health minister spoke of a “ worst-case nightmare scenario ” in which 15,000 could die from the disease .
“ The scale of the surge coming towards us is of biblical proportions , ” said the North ’ s health minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said that the daily-reported increase was in line with expectations and warned that number would continue to rise .
It would be the end of the month before the effect of the social distancing measures introduced would be seen , he said .
“ In relative terms , these are small numbers compared to where we think we might get to , ” he told reporters at the department ’ s daily briefing on Thursday evening .
“ We obviously hope and anticipate that some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but expect to continue to see growth in the numbers.
” Briefing Fine Gael TDs in a teleconference of the parliamentary party last night , Mr Varadkar echoed Dr Holohan ’ s warnings about an expected rise in cases over the coming days .
He also said all of Government was pulling together on fighting the virus .
On a more general note , he said the effects of social distancing may not be seen for five to 10 days .
He also informed the meeting that the period before schools can reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The numbers are going to go up .
That was his clear message .
We will not see the effects of what we do for seven days at least , ” said one TD who participated in the meeting .
“ This is the critical time period .
The next week will be critical if we keep social distancing measures up , we can minimise and avoid deaths , ” the TD said .
As the Dáil debated emergency legislation to give the State sweeping powers over the freedom of individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coveney said that the political leadership shown to encourage people to protect themselves during the pandemic would determine whether the virus “ kills hundreds of people , thousands of people or tens of thousands of people in Ireland ” .
The Tánaiste ’ s stark warning came as Minister for Employment Affairs Regina Doherty said that more than 400,000 people – some 17 per cent of the State ’ s 2.3 million-strong labour force – could lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic .
“ It could be potentially as drastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We have not overused the word ‘ unprecedented ’ in the past few days but it has been that.
” The Dáil passed the emergency legislation without a vote last night , and the Bill now goes to the Seanad today , where it is expected to pass all stages before being signed into law by the President .

The Covid-19 virus could kills tens of thousands of people if the public does not follow advice to keep apart from others, the Government has warned, as it passed draconian legislation that could restrict the public’s movements.
The State recorded its third death from the virus yesterday, while the first fatality in the North was also announced.
It was a day of stark warnings, both north and south of the Border, with a Government Minister in Dublin saying that almost one in five of the working population may lose their jobs as a result of a virus that has spread across the globe and killed almost 10,000 people.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told Fine Gael TDs that school closures could be extended to April or May and later discussed the crisis in a telephone call with the British prime minister Boris Johnson. Despite significant differences in the approach taken in the Republic and the UK, the two men agreed to “align their actions, in so far as possible”.
READ MORE
Main points
The Government also announced that it would introduce a rent freeze, and a temporary ban on evictions for the duration of the crisis – measures which will need further emergency legislation.
The number of new cases in the Republic jumped to 191 from 74 a day earlier, marking a daily record for a sixth day in a row. The number of confirmed cases in the Republic has risen to 557 in the 20 days since the first known case was diagnosed in the country on February 29th.
In Northern Ireland, 77 people have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing to 634 the total number of known cases on the island of Ireland.
The fourth person to die on the island, the third in the Republic, was a woman from the east. The Department of Health said that it had not been told whether she had underlying health issues.
As Northern Ireland reported its first death from the virus, also known as Covid-19, its health minister spoke of a "worst-case nightmare scenario" in which 15,000 could die from the disease.
"The scale of the surge coming towards us is of biblical proportions," said the North's health minister Robin Swann.
The State's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said that the daily-reported increase was in line with expectations and warned that number would continue to rise. It would be the end of the month before the effect of the social distancing measures introduced would be seen, he said.
“In relative terms, these are small numbers compared to where we think we might get to,” he told reporters at the department’s daily briefing on Thursday evening.
“We obviously hope and anticipate that some of the social distancing measures will flatten this growth but expect to continue to see growth in the numbers.”
The Phil Lynott statue off Grafton Street in Dublin on Thursday. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Briefing Fine Gael TDs in a teleconference of the parliamentary party last night, Mr Varadkar echoed Dr Holohan’s warnings about an expected rise in cases over the coming days.
He also said all of Government was pulling together on fighting the virus. On a more general note, he said the effects of social distancing may not be seen for five to 10 days.
He also informed the meeting that the period before schools can reopen could be extended into April or May.
“The numbers are going to go up. That was his clear message. We will not see the effects of what we do for seven days at least,” said one TD who participated in the meeting.
“This is the critical time period. The next week will be critical if we keep social distancing measures up, we can minimise and avoid deaths,” the TD said.
As the Dáil debated emergency legislation to give the State sweeping powers over the freedom of individuals to stem the outbreak, Tánaiste Simon Coveney said that the political leadership shown to encourage people to protect themselves during the pandemic would determine whether the virus "kills hundreds of people, thousands of people or tens of thousands of people in Ireland".
The Tánaiste's stark warning came as Minister for Employment Affairs Regina Doherty said that more than 400,000 people – some 17 per cent of the State's 2.3 million-strong labour force – could lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic.
“It could be potentially as drastic [as that],” she said. “We have not overused the word ‘unprecedented’ in the past few days but it has been that.”
The Dáil passed the emergency legislation without a vote last night, and the Bill now goes to the Seanad today, where it is expected to pass all stages before being signed into law by the President.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: Health experts warn against reading into data on Covid-19 patients

Public health experts have cautioned against reading too much into figures that show concentrations of cases in Ireland of Covid-19 in people of working age .
Data released this week by the Department of Health on the first 271 cases of the virus shows that two-thirds of cases are in patients younger than 55 years of age , with almost one in four cases in patients aged 35-44 .
However , due to the relatively small sample size , experts said specific factors could be influencing the prevalence of the virus in those age cohorts .
International data shows that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriously ill with the virus .
Prof Sam McConkey , an infectious diseases expert at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ( RCSI ) , pointed to the significant proportion of Irish Covid-19 patients who had picked up the virus while travelling .
These patients account for some 42 per cent of the Irish cases analysed .
Prof McConkey said that “ 87-year-olds aren ’ t travelling to Spain , Italy or Cheltenham .
“ The primary section of our population who travel and fly around tend to be young , healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ not the 70s or over-80s.
” Prof Mary Horgan , president of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and former dean of the UCC medical school , also pointed out that a significant number of Irish cases were healthcare workers , a group who are at risk of higher exposure and de facto are of working age .
As a result , the presence of even a small number of healthcare workers in as small a sample size as 271 patients would skew the age profile .
“ The numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interpret , ” she said .
“ I ’ d caution about what you can interpret from what we ’ re seeing here , but what ’ s really important is we ’ re collecting data , ” she added .
Data released by the Italian government shows the vast majority of deaths from Covid-19 occur in those aged 70 and above .
As of March 17th , 1,757 of the deaths in Italy were in this age group .
Almost all of the deceased had a pre-existing condition , and almost 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The median number of days between symptoms emerging and death was eight , and four days between hospitalisation and death .
Some 76.1 per cent of the Italian sample had hypertension , 20 per cent had cancer , 7 per cent had dementia and 33 per cent had serious cardiac illnesses .

Public health experts have cautioned against reading too much into figures that show concentrations of cases in Ireland of Covid-19 in people of working age.
Data released this week by the Department of Health on the first 271 cases of the virus shows that two-thirds of cases are in patients younger than 55 years of age, with almost one in four cases in patients aged 35-44.
However, due to the relatively small sample size, experts said specific factors could be influencing the prevalence of the virus in those age cohorts. International data shows that older people are more likely to fall seriously ill with the virus.
Prof Sam McConkey, an infectious diseases expert at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), pointed to the significant proportion of Irish Covid-19 patients who had picked up the virus while travelling. These patients account for some 42 per cent of the Irish cases analysed. Prof McConkey said that "87-year-olds aren't travelling to Spain, Italy or Cheltenham.
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“The primary section of our population who travel and fly around tend to be young, healthy, wealthy people,” he said, “not the 70s or over-80s.”
Healthcare workers
Prof Mary Horgan, president of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and former dean of the UCC medical school, also pointed out that a significant number of Irish cases were healthcare workers, a group who are at risk of higher exposure and de facto are of working age. As a result, the presence of even a small number of healthcare workers in as small a sample size as 271 patients would skew the age profile.
“The numbers are small so it is hard to interpret,” she said. “I’d caution about what you can interpret from what we’re seeing here, but what’s really important is we’re collecting data,” she added.
Data released by the Italian government shows the vast majority of deaths from Covid-19 occur in those aged 70 and above. As of March 17th, 1,757 of the deaths in Italy were in this age group. Almost all of the deceased had a pre-existing condition, and almost 50 per cent had three or more.
The median number of days between symptoms emerging and death was eight, and four days between hospitalisation and death. Some 76.1 per cent of the Italian sample had hypertension, 20 per cent had cancer, 7 per cent had dementia and 33 per cent had serious cardiac illnesses.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: Figures show sharp increase in community transmissions

A third death and a further 191 cases of coronavirus were reported in the State on Thursday night , bringing the total number of known cases to 557 .
The Department of Health said the third person to die as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak was a female from the east of the country .
The State ’ s chief medical officer , Dr Tony Holohan , said the department had not been told whether the woman suffered from an underlying condition .
He would not disclose her age .
The increase in confirmed cases marks a record number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a row and the first time the daily increase has entered three figures .
The number of new diagnoses more than doubled from the 74 reported on Wednesday , reflecting the exponential or sharp curve-like growth in cases .
The increase in overall diagnosed cases marks a 52 per cent increase from the total of 366 a day earlier .
The surge in cases came after a significant increase in the number of tests being carried out on people displaying symptoms .
The Government ’ s strategy is to flatten the curve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enable the health system to cope with people suffering the most from infections .
The majority of infected people will suffer only mild symptoms .
Dr Holohan said the day-on-day increases were in line with what the department had expected earlier this week , though the outbreak was “ still at an early stage ” in the country , he said .
The department does not expect to see any results from the social-distancing measures – including restrictions on mass gatherings and school closures – introduced a week ago until the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a full incubation period of about 14 days .
The 191 newly diagnosed cases were people infected prior to the measures , he said .
“ In relative terms , these are small numbers compared to where we think we might get to , ” he told reporters at the department ’ s daily briefing on Thursday evening .
“ We obviously hope and anticipate that some of the social-distancing measures will flatten this growth but we expect to continue to see growth in the numbers.
” Dr Colm Henry , chief clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it had been a “ considerable challenge ” to set up 32 Covid-19 testing sites “ on an unprecedented scale ” over a “ very short period of time ” .
He said the State had received 35,000 testing and would need more but faced “ huge challenges in a very volatile international environment securing testing equipment ” .
Dr Holohan said he had seen “ high degrees of compliance ” with the social-distancing measures but warned young people that while they may experience mild symptoms if infected , they posed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their families and communities if they passed the virus on .
Further details from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre showed that of 350 cases notified at midnight on Tuesday , 55 per cent were male and 43 per cent female , with 26 reported clusters of infection accounting for 137 of the cases .
The average age of those diagnosed was 43 .
Two-thirds of the people diagnosed with Covid-19 are under the age of 55 .
Some 35 per cent of the 350 cases came as a result of community transmission , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in previously reported figures .
Health officials are still investigating how 71 people , or a fifth of the latest batch of analysed cases , became infected .
In 31 per cent of the cases , the infected had to be hospitalised , while 2 per cent , or seven people , were admitted to an intensive care unit .
The death rate among the cases was 0.6 per cent .
About one in four of this group were healthcare workers , with 28 of these 84 people becoming infected as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dublin had the highest number of cases with 172 , followed by Cork with 62 and Limerick with 14 .
Monaghan is the only county in the State that does not yet have a confirmed case .

A third death and a further 191 cases of coronavirus were reported in the State on Thursday night, bringing the total number of known cases to 557.
The Department of Health said the third person to die as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak was a female from the east of the country.
The State's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said the department had not been told whether the woman suffered from an underlying condition. He would not disclose her age.
The increase in confirmed cases marks a record number of new infections for the sixth day in a row and the first time the daily increase has entered three figures.
READ MORE
The number of new diagnoses more than doubled from the 74 reported on Wednesday, reflecting the exponential or sharp curve-like growth in cases.
The increase in overall diagnosed cases marks a 52 per cent increase from the total of 366 a day earlier. The surge in cases came after a significant increase in the number of tests being carried out on people displaying symptoms.
The Government’s strategy is to flatten the curve and delay the peak of cases to enable the health system to cope with people suffering the most from infections. The majority of infected people will suffer only mild symptoms.
Dr Holohan said the day-on-day increases were in line with what the department had expected earlier this week, though the outbreak was “still at an early stage” in the country, he said.
The department does not expect to see any results from the social-distancing measures – including restrictions on mass gatherings and school closures – introduced a week ago until the end of this month given that the disease has a full incubation period of about 14 days.
The 191 newly diagnosed cases were people infected prior to the measures, he said.
“In relative terms, these are small numbers compared to where we think we might get to,” he told reporters at the department’s daily briefing on Thursday evening.
“We obviously hope and anticipate that some of the social-distancing measures will flatten this growth but we expect to continue to see growth in the numbers.”
Testing challenge
Dr Colm Henry, chief clinical officer at the Health Service Executive, said it had been a "considerable challenge" to set up 32 Covid-19 testing sites "on an unprecedented scale" over a "very short period of time".
He said the State had received 35,000 testing and would need more but faced “huge challenges in a very volatile international environment securing testing equipment”.
Dr Holohan said he had seen “high degrees of compliance” with the social-distancing measures but warned young people that while they may experience mild symptoms if infected, they posed a risk to “vulnerable” members in their families and communities if they passed the virus on.
Further details from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre showed that of 350 cases notified at midnight on Tuesday, 55 per cent were male and 43 per cent female, with 26 reported clusters of infection accounting for 137 of the cases.
The average age of those diagnosed was 43. Two-thirds of the people diagnosed with Covid-19 are under the age of 55.
Some 35 per cent of the 350 cases came as a result of community transmission, a steep increase from 22 per cent in previously reported figures. Health officials are still investigating how 71 people, or a fifth of the latest batch of analysed cases, became infected.
In 31 per cent of the cases, the infected had to be hospitalised, while 2 per cent, or seven people, were admitted to an intensive care unit. The death rate among the cases was 0.6 per cent.
About one in four of this group were healthcare workers, with 28 of these 84 people becoming infected as a result of foreign travel to an affected area.
Dublin had the highest number of cases with 172, followed by Cork with 62 and Limerick with 14. Monaghan is the only county in the State that does not yet have a confirmed case.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: All inquests deferred because of outbreak

The Coroners Society of Ireland and the Department of Justice have agreed to defer all inquests in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
The society ’ s president Dr Mary Flanagan said the department held a conference call at the weekend with the State ’ s 33 coroners and their deputies and that the decision was unanimously backed .
“ People felt it was the most prudent course of action to take to try and limit people ’ s exposure to Covid-19 so all inquests have now been deferred and the situation will be reviewed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The department said the discussion provided an opportunity for coroners to be briefed on the public health implications of the outbreak as well the work underway to deal with it .
“ It also provided an opportunity for Coroners to share their experiences over recent days , and to take the advice of colleagues on the best courses of action in a variety of scenarios , ” the statement added .
“ Coroners have been contacting affected parties , An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service to inform them of their decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the deceased are notified.
” The parties involved in the call agreed to set up co-ordination group of coroners to link in with the department and other State bodies over the days and weeks ahead .
Figures from the Coroners Service show that , on average , more than 2,000 inquests a year are held .
The greatest number is held in Dublin , around 700 inquests a year , followed by Cork City where around 250 are held .
Meanwhile , the Courts Service of Ireland has started contacting people asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sessions commencing on April 20th to inform that they are no longer required because of the outbreak .
Some 4,315 people had been asked to attend on April 20th in Cork , Donegal , Galway , Kildare , Limerick , Louth , Tipperary , Waterford and Wexford but they are no longer required as no new trials will take start at that point .

The Coroners Society of Ireland and the Department of Justice have agreed to defer all inquests in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The Coroners Society of Ireland and the Department of Justice have agreed to defer all inquests in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The society's president Dr Mary Flanagan said the department held a conference call at the weekend with the State's 33 coroners and their deputies and that the decision was unanimously backed.
“People felt it was the most prudent course of action to take to try and limit people’s exposure to Covid-19 so all inquests have now been deferred and the situation will be reviewed, pending future developments,” she said.
The department said the discussion provided an opportunity for coroners to be briefed on the public health implications of the outbreak as well the work underway to deal with it.
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“It also provided an opportunity for Coroners to share their experiences over recent days, and to take the advice of colleagues on the best courses of action in a variety of scenarios,” the statement added.
"Coroners have been contacting affected parties, An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service to inform them of their decisions, and to ensure that family members of the deceased are notified."
The parties involved in the call agreed to set up co-ordination group of coroners to link in with the department and other State bodies over the days and weeks ahead.
Figures from the Coroners Service show that, on average, more than 2,000 inquests a year are held. The greatest number is held in Dublin, around 700 inquests a year, followed by Cork City where around 250 are held.
Meanwhile, the Courts Service of Ireland has started contacting people asked to attend for jury service at criminal sessions commencing on April 20th to inform that they are no longer required because of the outbreak.
Some 4,315 people had been asked to attend on April 20th in Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Limerick, Louth, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford but they are no longer required as no new trials will take start at that point.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Three people die after road incidents in Dublin, Meath and Kildare

Three people were killed in separate road collisions in the east of the country on Thursday .
The first fatal incident happened at around 12.20pm when a motorcycle and a van were involved in a collision on the Kells Road in Navan , Co Meath .
The motorcyclist , a man in his 30s , was pronounced dead at the scene before his body was removed to Our Lady ’ s Hospital in Navan for a postmortem .
The driver of the van was not injured .
The road has since reopened after forensic collision experts completed an examination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Clane , Co Kildare at around 12.30pm when a pedestrian was struck by a lorry on the village ’ s Main Street .
The woman , understood to be in her early 80s , was taken by ambulance to Naas General Hospital and was later pronounced dead .
The road was closed while a technical examination of the scene took place .
Meanwhile , a bin collector was fatally injured after being struck by a refuse lorry in a housing estate in Tallaght at around 4.25pm .
It is understood the victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was fatally injured while the vehicle was collecting refuse at Dún an Óir , Oldbawn .
The man was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem will be carried out at a later date .
The road was closed while forensic collision investigators examined the scene .
Gardaí said the Health and Safety Authority and the local coroner had been notified of the incident .
The force appealed to anyone who witnessed any of the fatal collisions to contact them .
The fatalities bring the number of people killed on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year to 44 , nine more than in the corresponding period last year .

Gardaí at the scene of an incident in which a man was killed by a recycling truck on a housing estate in Oldbawn, Tallaght on Thursday. Photograph: Damien Storan.
Three people were killed in separate road collisions in the east of the country on Thursday.
The first fatal incident happened at around 12.20pm when a motorcycle and a van were involved in a collision on the Kells Road in Navan, Co Meath.
The motorcyclist, a man in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene before his body was removed to Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan for a postmortem. The driver of the van was not injured.
The road has since reopened after forensic collision experts completed an examination of the scene.
READ MORE
The second incident occurred in Clane, Co Kildare at around 12.30pm when a pedestrian was struck by a lorry on the village’s Main Street. The woman, understood to be in her early 80s, was taken by ambulance to Naas General Hospital and was later pronounced dead.
The road was closed while a technical examination of the scene took place.
Meanwhile, a bin collector was fatally injured after being struck by a refuse lorry in a housing estate in Tallaght at around 4.25pm.
It is understood the victim, a man in his 30s, who was fatally injured while the vehicle was collecting refuse at Dún an Óir, Oldbawn. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem will be carried out at a later date. The road was closed while forensic collision investigators examined the scene.
Gardaí said the Health and Safety Authority and the local coroner had been notified of the incident. The force appealed to anyone who witnessed any of the fatal collisions to contact them.
The fatalities bring the number of people killed on the State’s roads so far this year to 44, nine more than in the corresponding period last year.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--‘Doomsday predictions’ over court approach to cervical case dismissed

The proper standard of approach to cervical screening is set by reasonable competent professional screeners and is not a “ court-imposed obligation ” , the Chief Justice has said .
Chief Justice Frank Clarke said some “ doomsday predictions ” were made after the High Court said in Ruth Morrissey ’ s case that a competent screener should have “ absolute confidence ” a smear is normal before passing it as clear .
Some of the “ more extreme ” comments are “ very hard to reconcile ” with clear evidence that such a standard applied in the UK and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems there becoming unworkable , he said .
There is no “ absolute confidence ” test for the standard of approach in cases such as this , the test is the same as in any professional negligence case and is based on evidence as to the standard actually applied by competent professionals in the area , he stressed .
The overall question a court must address is whether a reasonable competent screener could have given a clear result , both having regard to the adequacy of a smear slide and the absence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between expert witnesses in the Morrissey case whether the term “ absolute ” was appropriate , they all agreed that any doubt about whether what is seen on a side is normal must not allow the case to be reported as a clear result and there was evidence to support the High Court conclusion that a screener must not give a clear result when in any doubt , he ruled .
The proper standard of approach did not derive from the court but from an assessment of evidence given on all sides concerning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professionals .
Those experts identified the standard expected of a normally competent screener as one “ which precludes giving a clear result in case of doubt ” .
The High Court had also clearly accepted that competent screeners , applying an appropriate standard of approach , could take different views about whether there was even a doubt as to whether a clear result could be given .
While the High Court had found Medlab laboratory was negligent concerning the adequacy of Mrs Morrissey ’ s 2012 smear slide , it was not satisfied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manner in which the screener did not identify any suspicious material on that slide .
This showed , even applying what the trial judge considered to be an absolute confidence test , there was room for a finding this was a case where competent screeners could come to different views and there was thus no negligence .
The suggestion the High Court was applying an absolute confidence test in a way which effectively meant every error , even with the benefit of hindsight , must result in negligence , is “ demonstrably wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set out in the Supreme Court Dunne V NMH judgment continue to represent the law here concerning the standard of care in medical negligence cases , he stressed .
There are “ significant similarities ” between the Dunne principles and the absolute confidence legal test in the UK , he noted .
The “ overarching ” Dunne principle is that the standard of approach of a medical professional is a standard appropriate to a person of equal specialist or general status acting with ordinary care , he said .
The question of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an ordinarily competent professional “ is ultimately a matter of fact ” requiring expert evidence .
In a case such as this , a court has no role in imposing a standard of approach on a professional and it is the standards of the profession itself , as demonstrated by the evidence , which imposed the standard required .

The proper standard of approach to cervical screening is set by reasonable competent professional screeners and is not a “court-imposed obligation”, the Chief Justice has said.
Chief Justice Frank Clarke said some “doomsday predictions” were made after the High Court said in Ruth Morrissey’s case that a competent screener should have “absolute confidence” a smear is normal before passing it as clear.
Some of the “more extreme” comments are “very hard to reconcile” with clear evidence that such a standard applied in the UK and in Northern Ireland specifically without the screening systems there becoming unworkable, he said.
There is no “absolute confidence” test for the standard of approach in cases such as this, the test is the same as in any professional negligence case and is based on evidence as to the standard actually applied by competent professionals in the area, he stressed.
READ MORE
The overall question a court must address is whether a reasonable competent screener could have given a clear result, both having regard to the adequacy of a smear slide and the absence of suspicious material.
Despite “quibbling” between expert witnesses in the Morrissey case whether the term “absolute” was appropriate, they all agreed that any doubt about whether what is seen on a side is normal must not allow the case to be reported as a clear result and there was evidence to support the High Court conclusion that a screener must not give a clear result when in any doubt, he ruled.
The proper standard of approach did not derive from the court but from an assessment of evidence given on all sides concerning the standard actually applied by the relevant professionals.
Those experts identified the standard expected of a normally competent screener as one “which precludes giving a clear result in case of doubt”.
The High Court had also clearly accepted that competent screeners, applying an appropriate standard of approach, could take different views about whether there was even a doubt as to whether a clear result could be given.
While the High Court had found Medlab laboratory was negligent concerning the adequacy of Mrs Morrissey’s 2012 smear slide, it was not satisfied Medlab was negligent in respect of the manner in which the screener did not identify any suspicious material on that slide.
This showed, even applying what the trial judge considered to be an absolute confidence test, there was room for a finding this was a case where competent screeners could come to different views and there was thus no negligence.
The suggestion the High Court was applying an absolute confidence test in a way which effectively meant every error, even with the benefit of hindsight, must result in negligence, is “demonstrably wrong”, he said.
The principles set out in the Supreme Court Dunne V NMH judgment continue to represent the law here concerning the standard of care in medical negligence cases, he stressed.
There are “significant similarities” between the Dunne principles and the absolute confidence legal test in the UK, he noted.
The “overarching” Dunne principle is that the standard of approach of a medical professional is a standard appropriate to a person of equal specialist or general status acting with ordinary care, he said.
The question of the standard of approach which should be applied by an ordinarily competent professional “is ultimately a matter of fact” requiring expert evidence.
In a case such as this, a court has no role in imposing a standard of approach on a professional and it is the standards of the profession itself, as demonstrated by the evidence, which imposed the standard required.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Jury in rape trial told not to engage in ‘victim blaming’

A judge has told the jury in the trial of three Dublin men accused of raping a woman in a car that they must not make moral judgments on the accused or engage in “ victim blaming ” .
The three men , who are now in their early 20s and who can not be named for legal reasons , have pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping a woman at Bull Island , Dollymount , Dublin , on January 5th , 2016 .
The defendants were all teenagers when , it is alleged , they drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , took turns in raping her before leaving her and driving away .
The men say that they each had consensual sex with the woman .
One of the accused gave direct evidence during which he said he and “ his gentleman friends ” treated the complainant with “ nothing but respect ” on the night .
On day 26 of the trial Paul Greene SC , defending the third accused , said that “ this is a sordid enough event , on a winter ’ s evening and three people having sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another ” .
“ None of the three believed they had committed a crime and each of the three believed there was consent .
And there was consent , ” he said .
He asked jurors to consider if his client intended to rape the woman , why would he have used a condom or why would he have dumped it at the scene instead of “ disposing of the evidence ” .
In his charge Mr Justice Alex Owens told jurors they were not being asked to make moral judgments on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said it was not part of their function to engage in judgments of people who they found had bad sexual etiquette , or having fun at someone else ’ s expense .
“ You are not asked to make moral judgments on caddish behaviour , ” he said .
He describing as nonsense various “ rape myths ” , including an idea that woman regularly make up rape allegations for no reasons .
He said it also was not a defence to an allegation of rape that a woman was engaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said this was known as “ victim blaming ” and told jurors they must not do it .
He said they must also not have a fixed view that “ there is no smoke without fire ” .
Mr Justice Owens said consent should not be equated with submission .
He said a failure to offer resistance is not consent and it is not necessary to prove that a person shouted for help or tried to escape .
He said it is required to be established that the person alleged to have committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consent or has been reckless as to whether there was consent .
He said a man who has a genuine belief , even if it is a misguided belief , that a woman is consenting is not guilty of rape .
Mr Justice Owens said he will complete his charge to the jury on Friday morning .
The jury will then begin its deliberations .

Mr Justice Alex Owens told jurors they were not being asked to make moral judgments on the behaviour of anyone involved in the case. Photograph: Frank Miller/The Irish Times
A judge has told the jury in the trial of three Dublin men accused of raping a woman in a car that they must not make moral judgments on the accused or engage in “victim blaming”.
The three men, who are now in their early 20s and who cannot be named for legal reasons, have pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping a woman at Bull Island, Dollymount, Dublin, on January 5th, 2016.
The defendants were all teenagers when, it is alleged, they drove the then 18-year-old woman to Dollymount strand, took turns in raping her before leaving her and driving away. The men say that they each had consensual sex with the woman.
One of the accused gave direct evidence during which he said he and “his gentleman friends” treated the complainant with “nothing but respect” on the night.
READ MORE
On day 26 of the trial Paul Greene SC, defending the third accused, said that “this is a sordid enough event, on a winter’s evening and three people having sex with [the complainant] one after another”.
“None of the three believed they had committed a crime and each of the three believed there was consent. And there was consent,” he said.
Condom
He asked jurors to consider if his client intended to rape the woman, why would he have used a condom or why would he have dumped it at the scene instead of “disposing of the evidence”.
In his charge Mr Justice Alex Owens told jurors they were not being asked to make moral judgments on the behaviour of anyone involved in the case.
He said it was not part of their function to engage in judgments of people who they found had bad sexual etiquette, or having fun at someone else’s expense.
“You are not asked to make moral judgments on caddish behaviour,” he said.
He describing as nonsense various “rape myths”, including an idea that woman regularly make up rape allegations for no reasons.
He said it also was not a defence to an allegation of rape that a woman was engaged in risky or promiscuous behaviour. He said this was known as “victim blaming” and told jurors they must not do it.
Fixed view
He said they must also not have a fixed view that “there is no smoke without fire”.
Mr Justice Owens said consent should not be equated with submission. He said a failure to offer resistance is not consent and it is not necessary to prove that a person shouted for help or tried to escape.
He said it is required to be established that the person alleged to have committed a rape knows the woman does not consent or has been reckless as to whether there was consent. He said a man who has a genuine belief, even if it is a misguided belief, that a woman is consenting is not guilty of rape.
Mr Justice Owens said he will complete his charge to the jury on Friday morning. The jury will then begin its deliberations.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Cancelled exams: ‘I got so annoyed and frustrated that I started crying’

“ I think cancelling the orals was the best option in this strange situation .
It takes off some of the pressure and uncertainty for students , teachers and the Government as we all still figure out how to find our feet .
“ It ’ s an unorthodox solution but we ’ re pretty much stuck in unorthodox times .
My only concern is what the effects of this will be for future exams .
People I ’ ve spoken to are worried what this means for the written part of the exams , whether they ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
“ There ’ s a general lack of motivation among students these days , since we ’ re not even sure if the work we do is going towards anything .
I definitely think cancelling the oral is a small necessary relief , and the full focus should be on people ’ s health , but the department needs to answer some more questions before we have true peace of mind and find some focus ourselves.
” “ The cancellation of the oral and practical exams was music to my ears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of me that is slightly disappointed .
“ I won ’ t get to do my French and Irish oral or my music practical , which is worth 50 per cent of my overall grade , that I have been working on for two years .
But I do think it is a good , manageable solution to a very complicated issue .
“ A lot of my friends have this same feeling , a sense of vexation for those of us who worked towards something and put in a lot of hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in any work will all get the same mark .
It is not ideal nor is it a perfect solution , but there is no perfect solution and sacrifices have to be made .
“ We are in uncharted territory and unprecedented times , and although the Leaving Cert is extremely important , things like making sure there is enough food , care and medication are vital .
It is important that we realise that our health and wellbeing is being put first by this decision , we no longer need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will take place and we can go ahead and focus on our written exams.
” “ I think this is a really positive development , considering the circumstances we ’ re in .
It ’ s not perfect , but there is no perfect solution here .
“ It ’ s clear the Minister has put student welfare first , which is definitely a good thing .
I think it ’ s fair too – people have spent months studying material for the oral exams so it would be completely unfair to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do understand why some people find the situation annoying after spending so much time on this part of the course .
“ rI feel a great sense of relief now .
It ’ s what I needed after a few days of huge uncertainty .
However , there are still a lot of questions that still need to be addressed about the written exams in June .
I ’ m also wondering about how this will affect the CAO points race and bell curve , considering everyone will pass Irish and get more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to wait and see !
” “ I don ’ t know if it ’ s necessarily the right thing or the best thing to do , but I also don ’ t think having an oral exam over Skype or something like that would have worked .
“ It ’ s a bit of a bitter sweet moment .
On one hand , it ’ s great that we ’ re all getting the same , we ’ re all getting the 100 per cent .
But then , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish as well so I was kind of banking on my orals .
“ I would have been looking for nearly 100 per cent in them because I ’ m looking for H1s in languages .
I ’ m wondering where it leaves me because I need my written papers to be nearly perfect now .
“ Obviously I don ’ t think anyone is undeserving of it because we ’ re all in the same situation here .
We ’ re all stuck at home , being almost home schooled so the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of be deserving of it .
“ It is frustrating in a way because I know I put everything into it .
You ’ ve put loads of effort into something and the person beside you put no effort in but you come out with the same results , it can be a little bit demeaning , almost.
” “ Initially , I was really , really annoyed .
I got so annoyed and frustrated to the point that I started crying .
“ It just really annoyed me because I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who worked everyday to do well in an exam , to just be handed 100 per cent in an exam .
It ’ s almost degrading to their character .
“ There are people who I know wouldn ’ t put in as much work and they ’ ll just get 100 per cent and it ’ s just a bit unfair .
“ I just think that most of the people who are happy out with it are happy because they wouldn ’ t have done as well and now they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been to the Gaeltacht five times , I worked there last summer .
I would have done well in the spoken exams but I ’ m actually not so good at writing it .
I ’ m better at hearing it than seeing it .
“ I want to teach primary school children and a H4 is required in Irish for that course .
The way the points system works is whoever gets the higher points gets into the course .
Now , for me going in , I could potentially lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wouldn ’ t have gotten a H4 on the day would now be able to.
” “ It does feel unfair .
I ’ ve worked hard for my Irish and French orals .
I don ’ t see why there couldn ’ t have been an alternative like doing them by video chat or even predicted grades , based on work students have done so far .
“ It means that people who didn ’ t do much work will get 100 per cent , whereas those of us who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognised for it .
Personally , the orals were going to be my strong point .
My fear now is that the written exams will be marked harder to compensate for giving students full marks in the oral component .
“ The uncertainty about the exams is a big challenge .
It can feel demotivating , not knowing when or if there will be exams at the end of the day .
It is also challenging learning online .
In a classroom , you have the benefit of a teacher explaining things .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the same online.
” “ It ’ s a bitter-sweet feeling .
I was initially relieved that we didn ’ t have to go through the orals and practicals .
I was due to do music , Irish and German , so I was among those most affected .
So , it ’ s nice not to have to face that stress .
“ But when I started talking to my friends , I realised that if all of us get 100 per cent , it ’ s practically the same as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re all chasing the highest points we can get .
And higher grades will drive the points up .
“ Then again , this is an unprecedented situation .
If we need to take extreme measures to help protect people ’ s health , then we need to take these steps .
There is a pandemic and it ’ s not worth putting students and examiners ’ health at risk .
However , it does still feel like a lot of work has gone down the drain and our efforts have been wasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself to keep going with all the uncertainty over everything.
” “ I suppose it ’ s the right decision because we ’ re going to be out of school for a good while .
We ’ ve missed a lot of classes and a lot of opportunities to learn all the things we hadn ’ t done before we left .
“ It was either that or possibly having to repeat again next year because you got a low result , which most of us don ’ t want to do .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy about it .
I ’ d like to see how I would have got on in it but it ’ s handy that it ’ s over already , because it means I don ’ t have to go in and spend however many hours there .
“ I think it is a lot of time wasted .
A lot of us have spent a lot of hours revising stuff for orals and that has pretty much been a waste of time .
“ Everyone has passed , so I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve passed but it ’ s a bit frustrating when you spend all that time working on it .
“ I suppose it has lessened my stress in some ways .
A lot of us were really worried about projects we had to get done as well .
“ I ’ m looking forward to getting the rest of them done now .
I just want to get in and get them over with so we can all move on.
” “ It ’ s a good thing - it takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us have the work done and will feel upset about the exams being cancelled , but we ’ re all in the same boat .
“ I think those people who put the extra work in will still be able to use it in the written exam .
“ It ’ s been an extra anxious time not being in school and not knowing if the exams will go ahead .
With some subjects , we ’ re under pressure to finish the curriculum .
“ Learning online isn ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have a timetable and it can be difficult to get up in the morning and keep motivated .
My only hope now is that we do get to sit the exams in summer .
”

Ellen Kenny, Longford: ‘I think cancelling the orals was the best option in this strange situation.’
Ellen Kenny, Longford
“I think cancelling the orals was the best option in this strange situation. It takes off some of the pressure and uncertainty for students, teachers and the Government as we all still figure out how to find our feet.
“It’s an unorthodox solution but we’re pretty much stuck in unorthodox times. My only concern is what the effects of this will be for future exams. People I’ve spoken to are worried what this means for the written part of the exams, whether they’ll be harder, if they go ahead at all.
“There’s a general lack of motivation among students these days, since we’re not even sure if the work we do is going towards anything. I definitely think cancelling the oral is a small necessary relief, and the full focus should be on people’s health, but the department needs to answer some more questions before we have true peace of mind and find some focus ourselves.”
Alicia Joy O’Sullivan, Cork
“The cancellation of the oral and practical exams was music to my ears, but there is an inner part of me that is slightly disappointed.
READ MORE
“I won’t get to do my French and Irish oral or my music practical, which is worth 50 per cent of my overall grade, that I have been working on for two years. But I do think it is a good, manageable solution to a very complicated issue.
Alicia Joy O’Sullivan, Cork: ‘The cancellation of the oral and practical exams was music to my ears.’
“A lot of my friends have this same feeling, a sense of vexation for those of us who worked towards something and put in a lot of hard work and those who didn’t put in any work will all get the same mark. It is not ideal nor is it a perfect solution, but there is no perfect solution and sacrifices have to be made.
“We are in uncharted territory and unprecedented times, and although the Leaving Cert is extremely important, things like making sure there is enough food, care and medication are vital. It is important that we realise that our health and wellbeing is being put first by this decision, we no longer need to stress about when and where these exams will take place and we can go ahead and focus on our written exams.”
Luke Casserly, Longford
“I think this is a really positive development, considering the circumstances we’re in. It’s not perfect, but there is no perfect solution here.
Luke Casserly, Longford: ‘I think this is a really positive development, considering the circumstances we’re in.’ Photograph: Shelley Corcoran
“It’s clear the Minister has put student welfare first, which is definitely a good thing. I think it’s fair too – people have spent months studying material for the oral exams so it would be completely unfair to leave it out completely. However, I do understand why some people find the situation annoying after spending so much time on this part of the course. “rI feel a great sense of relief now. It’s what I needed after a few days of huge uncertainty. However, there are still a lot of questions that still need to be addressed about the written exams in June. I’m also wondering about how this will affect the CAO points race and bell curve, considering everyone will pass Irish and get more points. I suppose I’ll have to wait and see!”
Ellen Clare, Kildare
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily the right thing or the best thing to do, but I also don’t think having an oral exam over Skype or something like that would have worked.
“It’s a bit of a bitter sweet moment. On one hand, it’s great that we’re all getting the same, we’re all getting the 100 per cent. But then, I’m studying French, Spanish and obviously Irish as well so I was kind of banking on my orals.
“I would have been looking for nearly 100 per cent in them because I’m looking for H1s in languages. I’m wondering where it leaves me because I need my written papers to be nearly perfect now.
“Obviously I don’t think anyone is undeserving of it because we’re all in the same situation here. We’re all stuck at home, being almost home schooled so the stress of that alone allows everyone to kind of be deserving of it.
Ellen Clare, Wexford: ‘It’s a bit of a bitter sweet moment.’
“It is frustrating in a way because I know I put everything into it. You’ve put loads of effort into something and the person beside you put no effort in but you come out with the same results, it can be a little bit demeaning, almost.”
Amy Murray, Kildare
“Initially, I was really, really annoyed. I got so annoyed and frustrated to the point that I started crying.
“It just really annoyed me because I think it’s really unfair on the people who worked everyday to do well in an exam, to just be handed 100 per cent in an exam. It’s almost degrading to their character.
“There are people who I know wouldn’t put in as much work and they’ll just get 100 per cent and it’s just a bit unfair.
Amy Murray, Co Kildare: ‘I got so annoyed and frustrated to the point that I started crying.’
“I just think that most of the people who are happy out with it are happy because they wouldn’t have done as well and now they’re flying.
“I’ve been to the Gaeltacht five times, I worked there last summer. I would have done well in the spoken exams but I’m actually not so good at writing it. I’m better at hearing it than seeing it.
“I want to teach primary school children and a H4 is required in Irish for that course. The way the points system works is whoever gets the higher points gets into the course. Now, for me going in, I could potentially lose a place on my course because someone who wouldn’t have gotten a H4 on the day would now be able to.”
Robyn Leahy, Limerick
“It does feel unfair. I’ve worked hard for my Irish and French orals. I don’t see why there couldn’t have been an alternative like doing them by video chat or even predicted grades, based on work students have done so far.
“It means that people who didn’t do much work will get 100 per cent, whereas those of us who have worked very hard won’t get recognised for it. Personally, the orals were going to be my strong point. My fear now is that the written exams will be marked harder to compensate for giving students full marks in the oral component.
“The uncertainty about the exams is a big challenge. It can feel demotivating, not knowing when or if there will be exams at the end of the day. It is also challenging learning online. In a classroom, you have the benefit of a teacher explaining things. But, inevitably, it’s not the same online.”
Robyn Leahy, Limerick: ‘It does feel unfair. I’ve worked hard for my Irish and French orals.’
Micah Darcy, Dublin
“It’s a bitter-sweet feeling. I was initially relieved that we didn’t have to go through the orals and practicals. I was due to do music, Irish and German, so I was among those most affected. So, it’s nice not to have to face that stress.
“But when I started talking to my friends, I realised that if all of us get 100 per cent, it’s practically the same as getting 0 per cent. We’re all chasing the highest points we can get. And higher grades will drive the points up.
“Then again, this is an unprecedented situation. If we need to take extreme measures to help protect people’s health, then we need to take these steps. There is a pandemic and it’s not worth putting students and examiners’ health at risk. However, it does still feel like a lot of work has gone down the drain and our efforts have been wasted. It will be hard to motivate myself to keep going with all the uncertainty over everything.”
Micah Darcy, Dublin: ‘It’s a bitter-sweet feeling. I was initially relieved that we didn’t have to go through the orals and practicals.’
Seamus Kavanagh, Wexford
“I suppose it’s the right decision because we’re going to be out of school for a good while. We’ve missed a lot of classes and a lot of opportunities to learn all the things we hadn’t done before we left.
“It was either that or possibly having to repeat again next year because you got a low result, which most of us don’t want to do.
“I’m both annoyed and happy about it. I’d like to see how I would have got on in it but it’s handy that it’s over already, because it means I don’t have to go in and spend however many hours there.
“I think it is a lot of time wasted. A lot of us have spent a lot of hours revising stuff for orals and that has pretty much been a waste of time.
“Everyone has passed, so I’m sure they will be happy to know they’ve passed but it’s a bit frustrating when you spend all that time working on it.
Seamus Kavanagh, Wexford: ‘I think it is a lot of time wasted. A lot of us have spent a lot of hours revising stuff for orals and that has pretty much been a waste of time.’
“I suppose it has lessened my stress in some ways. A lot of us were really worried about projects we had to get done as well.
“I’m looking forward to getting the rest of them done now. I just want to get in and get them over with so we can all move on.”
Anna Horan, Limerick
“It’s a good thing - it takes pressure off students. Yes, many of us have the work done and will feel upset about the exams being cancelled, but we’re all in the same boat.
“I think those people who put the extra work in will still be able to use it in the written exam.
“It’s been an extra anxious time not being in school and not knowing if the exams will go ahead. With some subjects, we’re under pressure to finish the curriculum.
“Learning online isn’t the same as being in class. You don’t have a timetable and it can be difficult to get up in the morning and keep motivated. My only hope now is that we do get to sit the exams in summer.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Garda inquiry into Tina Satchwell disappearance under review

Gardaí have begun a peer review of the investigation into the disappearance of Tina Satchwell from her home in Youghal in east Cork exactly three years ago on Friday .
Gardaí confirmed a senior investigating officer had been appointed to look into the case and a peer review was being conducted .
Ms Satchwell has been missing from her home on Grattan Street in Youghal since March 20th , 2017 , when her husband , Richard , returned from a shopping trip to Dungarvan in Co Waterford and found she had left the house .
Mr Satchwell waited four days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garda station , after he became increasingly concerned for the welfare of his wife , who was aged 45 at the time .
Mr Satchwell has said he thought she may have needed to “ get her head straight ” after what he said were several months of anxiety .
To date , gardaí have followed up on more than 370 separate lines of inquiry .
Investigators also viewed more than 100 hours of CCTV footage , and more than 170 statements have been taken .
Supt Adrian Gamble of Midleton Garda station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the station on 021-4621550 .

Gardaí have begun a peer review of the investigation into the disappearance of Tina Satchwell from her home in Youghal in east Cork exactly three years ago on Friday.
Gardaí confirmed a senior investigating officer had been appointed to look into the case and a peer review was being conducted.
Ms Satchwell has been missing from her home on Grattan Street in Youghal since March 20th, 2017, when her husband, Richard, returned from a shopping trip to Dungarvan in Co Waterford and found she had left the house.
Mr Satchwell waited four days before he reported her missing at Fermoy Garda station, after he became increasingly concerned for the welfare of his wife, who was aged 45 at the time. Mr Satchwell has said he thought she may have needed to "get her head straight" after what he said were several months of anxiety.
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To date, gardaí have followed up on more than 370 separate lines of inquiry. Investigators also viewed more than 100 hours of CCTV footage, and more than 170 statements have been taken.
Supt Adrian Gamble of Midleton Garda station has urged anyone with information to contact the station on 021-4621550.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Court rejects fears it has created new health screening standard

The Supreme Court has said the courts have not created a new standard to be met in screening programmes .
In a lengthy judgment delivered on Thursday in respect of appeals against a finding of negligence in the case of the cervical cancer screenings of Ruth Morrissey , who is terminally ill , Chief Justice Frank Clarke addressed at length concerns that have been expressed about the High Court ruling .
Clinicians and the HSE expressed fears in the wake of the ruling that a new test of “ absolute confidence ” had been created that could cause significant problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice said that although the issue of screeners having to have “ absolute confidence ” before declaring a slide clear did arise in the Supreme Court appeal , “ in the course of the oral hearing it became clear that there was no significant dispute between the parties on this question ” .
Nevertheless , the judge decided to try bring clarity to a matter that had been the subject of “ a significant amount of public comment , some of it unfortunately misinformed ” since the ruling last year by Mr Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negligence system works in Ireland is that professionals and experts give evidence to the court about the way they approach certain matters , such as the assessment of a screening slide , and the court then decides if the professional against whom an allegation of negligence has been made has met those standards .
“ A court has no role in imposing a standard of approach on a professional , ” Mr Justice Clarke said .
“ Rather it is the standards of the profession itself , as demonstrated by the evidence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screening programmes , a screener should not pass a slide if there is any doubt .
The expert witnesses who gave evidence in the Morrissey trial were all in agreement on this point , the Chief Justice said .
He said the suggestion that Mr Justice Cross had applied an “ absolute confidence ” test in a way that effectively meant that every error ( even with the benefit of hindsight ) must result in a finding of negligence , “ is demonstrably wrong and would clearly be seen to be such to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read the judgment ” .
The requirement that a slide analyst have “ absolute confidence ” in a smear arises from English case law .
The examination of the issue during the High Court case saw all the expert witnesses agreeing with the principle , although one American expert said he was trained , as a scientist , to be wary of the word “ absolute ” , and that physicists might be wary of saying they had “ absolute confidence ” in the law of gravity .
Mr Justice Clarke said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Kingdom was one of “ absolute confidence ” .
“ Given some of the doomsday predictions which followed on from the judgment of the High Court in this case , I do feel it necessary to say that at least some of the more extreme comments are very hard to reconcile with the fact that there was clear evidence that such a standard is actually applied in the United Kingdom generally and , to the particular knowledge of an important expert witness , in Northern Ireland specifically , without the screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He pointed out that the UK is generally regarded as having one of the best cervical screening programmes in the world .
“ I consider that the use of the term ‘ absolute confidence ’ may have created more confusion than clarity .
“ However , it is clear that all of the relevant witnesses agreed that a screener should not give a clear result in respect of a slide unless they had no doubt but that the sample was adequate and did not contain any suspicious material .
“ That standard is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather one which stems from the profession itself , ” Mr Justice Clarke said .

Ruth Morrissey and her husband, Paul at the Four Courts for their High Court action. Photograph: Collins Courts
The Supreme Court has said the courts have not created a new standard to be met in screening programmes.
In a lengthy judgment delivered on Thursday in respect of appeals against a finding of negligence in the case of the cervical cancer screenings of Ruth Morrissey, who is terminally ill, Chief Justice Frank Clarke addressed at length concerns that have been expressed about the High Court ruling.
Clinicians and the HSE expressed fears in the wake of the ruling that a new test of “absolute confidence” had been created that could cause significant problems for screening programmes generally.
The Chief Justice said that although the issue of screeners having to have “absolute confidence” before declaring a slide clear did arise in the Supreme Court appeal, “in the course of the oral hearing it became clear that there was no significant dispute between the parties on this question”.
READ MORE
Nevertheless, the judge decided to try bring clarity to a matter that had been the subject of "a significant amount of public comment, some of it unfortunately misinformed" since the ruling last year by Mr Justice Kevin Cross.
The way the medical negligence system works in Ireland is that professionals and experts give evidence to the court about the way they approach certain matters, such as the assessment of a screening slide, and the court then decides if the professional against whom an allegation of negligence has been made has met those standards.
"A court has no role in imposing a standard of approach on a professional," Mr Justice Clarke said. "Rather it is the standards of the profession itself, as demonstrated by the evidence, which impose the standard required."
In screening programmes, a screener should not pass a slide if there is any doubt. The expert witnesses who gave evidence in the Morrissey trial were all in agreement on this point, the Chief Justice said.
He said the suggestion that Mr Justice Cross had applied an “absolute confidence” test in a way that effectively meant that every error (even with the benefit of hindsight) must result in a finding of negligence, “is demonstrably wrong and would clearly be seen to be such to anyone who had taken the trouble to read the judgment”.
The requirement that a slide analyst have “absolute confidence” in a smear arises from English case law.
Absolute ‘gravity’
The examination of the issue during the High Court case saw all the expert witnesses agreeing with the principle, although one American expert said he was trained, as a scientist, to be wary of the word “absolute”, and that physicists might be wary of saying they had “absolute confidence” in the law of gravity.
Mr Justice Clarke said it was clear that the standard applied in the United Kingdom was one of “absolute confidence”.
“Given some of the doomsday predictions which followed on from the judgment of the High Court in this case, I do feel it necessary to say that at least some of the more extreme comments are very hard to reconcile with the fact that there was clear evidence that such a standard is actually applied in the United Kingdom generally and, to the particular knowledge of an important expert witness, in Northern Ireland specifically, without the screening systems in those countries becoming unworkable.”
He pointed out that the UK is generally regarded as having one of the best cervical screening programmes in the world.
“I consider that the use of the term ‘absolute confidence’ may have created more confusion than clarity.
“However, it is clear that all of the relevant witnesses agreed that a screener should not give a clear result in respect of a slide unless they had no doubt but that the sample was adequate and did not contain any suspicious material.
“That standard is not one imposed by the court but rather one which stems from the profession itself,” Mr Justice Clarke said.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus fraud warnings as scammers target newly unemployed

Fraudsters have sought to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis by trying to trick members of the public into surrendering their banks details over the phone .
Callers have claimed to be processing social welfare payments available from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to those people who have lost their jobs due to the infection outbreak .
The Department said it had become aware of the scam and confirmed the fraudsters were seeking bank details from those people they were targeting .
It added it “ wished to make it absolutely clear ” that it never requested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details from its customers by phone or on social media .
“ Nor do we clarify or check this information over the phone , ” it said in a statement .
“ Bank account information is only accepted as part of a written application to the department .
“ We want ensure that our customers and the public are made aware of this activity and that they keep their bank and other financial account information safe.
” Garda headquarters in Dublin had already warned the public that fraudsters may seek to use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scams .
This included email-based scams in which people are asked to click on links in emails purporting to contain public health information .
However , when people clicked on those links malware was released onto laptops or other devices to extract usernames and passwords for email accounts and bank accounts .
The Garda has also warned fraudsters are setting up bogus websites offering goods for sale , including protective masks and hand sanitisers .
However , when people paid for goods using their bank cards no goods ever arrived and in reality @ @ @ @

The Department confirmed fraudsters were seeking bank details over the phone from those they were targeting
Fraudsters have sought to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis by trying to trick members of the public into surrendering their banks details over the phone.
Callers have claimed to be processing social welfare payments available from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to those people who have lost their jobs due to the infection outbreak.
The Department said it had become aware of the scam and confirmed the fraudsters were seeking bank details from those people they were targeting.
It added it “wished to make it absolutely clear” that it never requested bank account or other financial institution account details from its customers by phone or on social media.
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“Nor do we clarify or check this information over the phone,” it said in a statement. “Bank account information is only accepted as part of a written application to the department.
“We want ensure that our customers and the public are made aware of this activity and that they keep their bank and other financial account information safe.”
Online scams
Garda headquarters in Dublin had already warned the public that fraudsters may seek to use the crisis to target them with bogus revenue-raising scams.
This included email-based scams in which people are asked to click on links in emails purporting to contain public health information. However, when people clicked on those links malware was released onto laptops or other devices to extract usernames and passwords for email accounts and bank accounts.
The Garda has also warned fraudsters are setting up bogus websites offering goods for sale, including protective masks and hand sanitisers. However, when people paid for goods using their bank cards no goods ever arrived and in reality were never available.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Crunching Ireland’s coronavirus numbers brings good and bad news

The first analysis of Ireland ’ s Covid-19 cases provides an interesting , somewhat encouraging , but ultimately incomplete picture of how we are faring in the fight against the disease .
These are early days to be crunching the numbers on cases , just three weeks after the first one occurred , it has to be stressed .
Yet the breakdown of cases by area , age and to some extent severity , provided by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Wednesday evening , offers some straws in the wind .
The number of cases recorded each day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been warned , is set to surge over the coming weeks ; 1,300 by the weekend and 15,000 by the end of the month , it has been predicted .
It will be tempting to rate our performance against these forecasts , but there is little point in doing this .
This is because the more tests we carry out – and more testing is a good thing – the more Covid-19 we will find .
The UK , for example , lags behind Ireland and other European countries in the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is testing less ; generally , patients are tested there only if they end up being hospitalised .
The analysis by the emergency team of the first 271 cases in the Republic show that almost one-third of people were hospitalised .
Again , this tells us little , because in the early stages everyone who tested positive was being hospitalised , even if their symptoms were mild .
We can expect this hospitalisation rate to roughly halve over time if the experiences of other countries is replicated .
It is encouraging that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent , have required intensive care so far .
Translating this figure on to the forecast of 15,000 cases would mean a requirement for 750 intensive care beds by the end of the month .
At the start of this year , Ireland had about 250 such beds ; we have about double this number by now as a result of measures taken to tackle the pandemic .
That still leaves a shortfall , but not one that couldn ’ t be bridged with some more supplies and imaginative thinking – and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differently in the middle of a pandemic-induced surge of cases , relative to our current “ calm before the storm ” period .
Patient outcomes worsen as multiple cases arrive together and staff get infected or have to self-isolate .
The two deaths so far give a case fatality rate of 0.7 per cent .
This is good , but you can tell little from such low numbers .
The low numbers of deaths and intensive care cases are clearly influenced by the age cohorts affected ; almost one-third of cases is among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These figures could change hugely if the disease were to gain a foothold among older people , for example in a nursing home .
Hence the need for social distancing and visitor restrictions .
There are other reasons to be hopeful .
Our population is still relatively young – 14 per cent are over 65 , compared with 23 per cent in Italy .
We do not generally live “ on top of each other ” as in parts of China and Italy .
We have fewer multigenerational households in which the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandparents .
For once , we can think of rural isolation as a positive .
All of these factors , plus a widespread adherence to social-distancing measures , should help to “ bend the curve ” in our favour , though by how much is not yet clear .
It remains the case , though , as I wrote as far back as February 1st , that it is the nature of outbreaks such as this for things to get worse before they get better .
And this one certainly will .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manage to keep as many possible out of intensive care and to minimise the number of deaths from this virus .

The first analysis of Ireland’s Covid-19 cases provides an interesting, somewhat encouraging, but ultimately incomplete picture of how we are faring in the fight against the disease.
These are early days to be crunching the numbers on cases, just three weeks after the first one occurred, it has to be stressed.
Yet the breakdown of cases by area, age and to some extent severity, provided by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Wednesday evening, offers some straws in the wind.
The number of cases recorded each day have been creeping up and, we have been warned, is set to surge over the coming weeks; 1,300 by the weekend and 15,000 by the end of the month, it has been predicted.
READ MORE
It will be tempting to rate our performance against these forecasts, but there is little point in doing this. This is because the more tests we carry out – and more testing is a good thing – the more Covid-19 we will find.
The UK, for example, lags behind Ireland and other European countries in the number of cases it has recorded simply because it is testing less; generally, patients are tested there only if they end up being hospitalised.
The analysis by the emergency team of the first 271 cases in the Republic show that almost one-third of people were hospitalised. Again, this tells us little, because in the early stages everyone who tested positive was being hospitalised, even if their symptoms were mild. We can expect this hospitalisation rate to roughly halve over time if the experiences of other countries is replicated.
It is encouraging that just six patients, or 2 per cent, have required intensive care so far. Translating this figure on to the forecast of 15,000 cases would mean a requirement for 300 intensive care beds by the end of the month.
At the start of this year, Ireland had about 250 such beds; we have about double this number by now as a result of measures taken to tackle the pandemic. That still leaves a shortfall, but not one that couldn’t be bridged with some more supplies and imaginative thinking – and more staff.
However, things play out differently in the middle of a pandemic-induced surge of cases, relative to our current “calm before the storm” period. Patient outcomes worsen as multiple cases arrive together and staff get infected or have to self-isolate.
Mortality rate
The two deaths so far give a case fatality rate of 0.7 per cent. This is good, but you can tell little from such low numbers.
The low numbers of deaths and intensive care cases are clearly influenced by the age cohorts affected; almost one-third of cases is among under-35s, and two-thirds among under-55s.
These figures could change hugely if the disease were to gain a foothold among older people, for example in a nursing home. Hence the need for social distancing and visitor restrictions.
There are other reasons to be hopeful. Our population is still relatively young – 14 per cent are over 65, compared with 23 per cent in Italy. We do not generally live "on top of each other" as in parts of China and Italy.
We have fewer multigenerational households in which the virus can be spread from children to vulnerable grandparents. For once, we can think of rural isolation as a positive.
All of these factors, plus a widespread adherence to social-distancing measures, should help to “bend the curve” in our favour, though by how much is not yet clear.
It remains the case, though, as I wrote as far back as February 1st, that it is the nature of outbreaks such as this for things to get worse before they get better. And this one certainly will.
We will know we are succeeding when we manage to keep as many possible out of intensive care and to minimise the number of deaths from this virus.