theirishtimes--2020-06-26--Q&A: Do we know yet where abroad we can go on summer holiday?

Are we any the wiser on whether we can holiday overseas this summer ?
Well , to borrow a couple of lines from Dr Seuss , we are all still “ in a most useless place , the waiting place ” and when it comes to “ the places you ’ ll go ” , we still don ’ t really know .
What ?
I thought there were big developments this week ?
Yes and no .
But mostly no .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has outlined a map of sorts for the resumption of foreign travel , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know whether we are coming or going or what ’ s going to be happening in the weeks ahead .
Or at least we don ’ t know very much more than we did at the start of the month .
What did the Taoiseach say this week ?
He announced that from July 9th there will be air bridges between Ireland and some other countries and people will be able to travel to and from those countries without having to undergo a 14-day quarantine and with the permission of the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be co-ordinated at European Union level .
And where are these countries ?
Oh we don ’ t know .
We won ’ t know what countries are on the so-called Green List for some time yet and maybe not until just before July 9th .
The Taoiseach also said he needed “ to caution people , that list of countries will be reviewed and it may change every two weeks .
So we may see it getting longer but if a country ends up having a second wave or there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that list of countries.
” So how can I plan my holiday ?
You can ’ t actually , or at least not with any degree of certainty .
Can you guess what countries are likely to be one the list ?
Ah yeah .
We can always try , although to be honest there probably will not be that many in the first instance .
Travel experts and people close to those who stalk the corridors of power have suggested that Spain , Portugal , Malta , Greece and Croatia are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feature .
Other countries including Finland and the Baltic states also have low levels of virus transmission today and would most likely be accommodated also .
But as they are not primary , or even secondary , holiday destinations for Irish people the level of traffic to such destinations is likely to be small .
What criteria will be used to decide the Green List ?
According to Government officials , the precise criteria is still being worked on but key elements are likely to be the reproduction rate of the virus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and numbers hospitalised , and mortality rate along with measures that are in place in countries to contain the virus .
Will the United Kingdom be on the list ?
This is a tricky one in an Irish context .
Had you asked this question a couple of weeks ago , the answer would have been a definite maybe as officials were humming and hawing about allowing resumption of unfettered travel between here and there .
It would have been deemed politically wise , not least because of the common travel area , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this side of the Irish Sea have hardened in recent days and the chances of the UK being included on any good-to-go list in the near future is pretty much zero .
That means people who travel from the UK to the Republic will be forced to spend two weeks in quarantine while a travel advisory against going to the UK from the Republic is likely to remain in place .
On Thursday the Taoiseach said if a decision was to be made on list of accepted countries today , the Government would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on travel between Ireland and the UK .
Is that extreme given they are our closest neighbour and huge market for our tourism ?
If there was any doubts in official circles about leaving the UK out in the cold , they would have been removed this week after images of overcrowding and general chaos on the beaches around Bournemouth started circulating .
The celebrations around Anfield after Liverpool won their first league title in 30 years will not have done much to create the impression that Britain has the whole social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Isn ’ t Northern Ireland in the UK ?
What about that ?
That is a very good question .
Of course Northern Ireland is part of the UK but it is also part of the island of Ireland and so it is exempt from any of the restrictions that are imposed on Britain , which means people from Northern Ireland are able to travel freely to the Republic .
So can I fly from London to Belfast , then take the train to Dublin ?
Yes .
And there is absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be closed unless the new government feels inclined to rip up the Belfast Agreement as one source said on Friday .
And that is not going to happen .
Remind me again what the restrictions are now ?
Well the Department of Foreign Affairs is advising against all non-essential travel while everyone arriving in the State at its airports or ports must fill in a passenger locator form to allow authorities to check if individuals are self-isolating for 14 days as advised and for contact tracing purposes .
What happens if I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People who do not fill out the passenger locator form or who provide false details can face a fine of €2,500 or a prison term of six months .
Could I take a chance and go to a country not on the Green List ?
You could .
As it stands there are plenty of flights to countries that are not likely to be on any list in the near future .
You can also fly to the United States today – or at least there are planes leaving here and flying there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly to those countries ?
Not really .
First , if you do it will be at your own risk and invalidate any travel insurance policy you have .
When it comes to the United States , that country has barred entry to Irish citizens .
But while the planes might be leaving Ireland you have an Irish passport so will not be allowed on it .
Oh , and when you come back you will have to do the quarantine thing also which , after what we have all been through , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun .
What was that you said about travel insurance ?
If you travel to any country against official advice then you automatically invalidate any travel insurance you might have .
If you ’ re travelling within the European Union and you have a European Health Insurance Card then you ’ ll be treated in the whatever country you are in as a citizen of that country .
But if you are the victim of a robbery or any other crime or need to be repatriated or suffer any other mishap you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back up .
Varadkar said the Green List was a movable feast .
What if a country is taken off the list while I am there ?
What , indeed .
Imagine if you went to Greece and all was rosy as your plane took off but while you were lounging on a Cretan beach , a spike in Covid-19 infections was reported there .
Under the as yet unwritten rules , Greece might be whisked off the list and you would have to quarantine upon your return , if you could get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to square this circle and are said to be struggling to see how this might be managed to everyone ’ s benefit .
Why would anyone travel with such doubt hanging over the trip ?
There is still considerable confusion and mounting concern about spikes in Covid-19 in other countries .
So many people may decide that it might be as well off giving up on overseas travel this summer .
And the Government would probably be delighted by this outcome .
Why not just say no non-essential overseas travel until October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Government in general and the Department of Transport and Tourism in particular is walking a thin line here .
They have to factor in public health concerns and the economy .
There is a tourism sector here that is worth billions and an aviation sector on its knees .
The Government is keen to allow visitors come , safely , to this country but not so keen to see many thousands of people leaving and rubbing shoulders with potentially infected people overseas before coming home and bringing the virus with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not increase the risk of the virus spiking here ?
It will and the Government is aware of the dangers of importing new cases of Covid-19 into parts of Ireland that have been clear for weeks if the doors are opened to overseas tourists too quickly .
“ That would be the nightmare scenario , ” according to one official .
But airlines are flying , right ?
Well , they certainly have plans to and the charge to take to the air again is being led by Ryanair .
It said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bookings from Irish holiday makers for July and August with people seeking to fly to the sun .
It is , however , worth pointing out that while the airline talks about a surge in new bookings , many of the seats on flights bound to Spain , Portugal and Italy this summer will have been sold to Irish families who had plans in place long before the pandemic hit .
If restrictions remain and flights take off , will people get their money back ?
No .
Under the rules if a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official guidance and avoids non-essential travel overseas then they are regarded as a no-show and are not entitled to any money back .
And what will travel look like when it restarts ?
Passengers will be asked to wear face masks for a start .
DAA , the State company responsible for Cork and Dublin airports , says public access to terminals will be limited to passengers , travellers will have to maintain the 2m social distance and there will be constant reminders about hand washing .
DAA has installed more than 960 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be hundreds of Plexiglass screens at close-contact points .
DAA has also said it will regularly deep clean and disinfect all hard surfaces , including trays , handrails and self-service kiosks , while paying close attention to places where passengers congregate .
Masks are likely to be a requirement on board planes .
Will air bridges apply to other parts of the world ?
Things are moving slowly and travelling within the EU is probably the best Irish people can hope for in the weeks ahead .
Places like Dubai may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the resumption of travel .
What about the US ?
Are we likely to see an air bridge to that country ?
That certainly seems unlikely in the short term .
Covid-19 is not under control there and its leading public health official , Dr Anthony Fauci , indicated last week that that US restrictions on international travel could remain in place for months and perhaps until a vaccine is developed .
And on Friday holiday company TUI announced it had cancelled all holidays to Florida for its Irish customers up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ongoing uncertainty around international travel restrictions and the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 ” .
That news might give you an idea of where we ’ re at .

‘Imagine if you went to Greece and all was rosy as your plane took off but while you were lounging on a Cretan beach, a spike in Covid-19 infections was reported there.’ File photograph: Getty
Are we any the wiser on whether we can holiday overseas this summer?
Well, to borrow a couple of lines from Dr Seuss, we are all still "in a most useless place, the waiting place" and when it comes to "the places you'll go", we still don't really know.
What? I thought there were big developments this week?
Yes and no. But mostly no. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has outlined a map of sorts for the resumption of foreign travel, but the reality is we still don't know whether we are coming or going or what's going to be happening in the weeks ahead. Or at least we don't know very much more than we did at the start of the month.
What did the Taoiseach say this week?
He announced that from July 9th there will be air bridges between Ireland and some other countries and people will be able to travel to and from those countries without having to undergo a 14-day quarantine and with the permission of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The list of countries will be co-ordinated at European Union level.
READ MORE
And where are these countries?
Oh we don’t know. We won’t know what countries are on the so-called Green List for some time yet and maybe not until just before July 9th. The Taoiseach also said he needed “to caution people, that list of countries will be reviewed and it may change every two weeks. So we may see it getting longer but if a country ends up having a second wave or there are spikes then they may be taken off that list of countries.”
So how can I plan my holiday?
You can’t actually, or at least not with any degree of certainty.
Can you guess what countries are likely to be one the list?
Ah yeah. We can always try, although to be honest there probably will not be that many in the first instance. Travel experts and people close to those who stalk the corridors of power have suggested that Spain, Portugal, Malta, Greece and Croatia are likely to be among the EU countries that feature. Other countries including Finland and the Baltic states also have low levels of virus transmission today and would most likely be accommodated also. But as they are not primary, or even secondary, holiday destinations for Irish people the level of traffic to such destinations is likely to be small.
What criteria will be used to decide the Green List?
According to Government officials, the precise criteria is still being worked on but key elements are likely to be the reproduction rate of the virus in each country, level of community transmission and numbers hospitalised, and mortality rate along with measures that are in place in countries to contain the virus.
Will the United Kingdom be on the list?
This is a tricky one in an Irish context. Had you asked this question a couple of weeks ago, the answer would have been a definite maybe as officials were humming and hawing about allowing resumption of unfettered travel between here and there. It would have been deemed politically wise, not least because of the common travel area, to do that.
But attitudes on this side of the Irish Sea have hardened in recent days and the chances of the UK being included on any good-to-go list in the near future is pretty much zero. That means people who travel from the UK to the Republic will be forced to spend two weeks in quarantine while a travel advisory against going to the UK from the Republic is likely to remain in place. On Thursday the Taoiseach said if a decision was to be made on list of accepted countries today, the Government would not be removing the 14-day quarantine requirement on travel between Ireland and the UK.
Is that extreme given they are our closest neighbour and huge market for our tourism?
If there was any doubts in official circles about leaving the UK out in the cold, they would have been removed this week after images of overcrowding and general chaos on the beaches around Bournemouth started circulating. The celebrations around Anfield after Liverpool won their first league title in 30 years will not have done much to create the impression that Britain has the whole social distancing thing under control either.
Hang on. Isn’t Northern Ireland in the UK? What about that?
That is a very good question. Of course Northern Ireland is part of the UK but it is also part of the island of Ireland and so it is exempt from any of the restrictions that are imposed on Britain, which means people from Northern Ireland are able to travel freely to the Republic.
So can I fly from London to Belfast, then take the train to Dublin?
Yes. And there is absolutely no way that channel of entry can be closed unless the new government feels inclined to rip up the Belfast Agreement as one source said on Friday. And that is not going to happen.
Remind me again what the restrictions are now?
Well the Department of Foreign Affairs is advising against all non-essential travel while everyone arriving in the State at its airports or ports must fill in a passenger locator form to allow authorities to check if individuals are self-isolating for 14 days as advised and for contact tracing purposes.
What happens if I don’t want to do that?
People who do not fill out the passenger locator form or who provide false details can face a fine of €2,500 or a prison term of six months.
Could I take a chance and go to a country not on the Green List?
You could. As it stands there are plenty of flights to countries that are not likely to be on any list in the near future. You can also fly to the United States today – or at least there are planes leaving here and flying there. But does that mean you can fly to those countries? Not really. First, if you do it will be at your own risk and invalidate any travel insurance policy you have. When it comes to the United States, that country has barred entry to Irish citizens. But while the planes might be leaving Ireland you have an Irish passport so will not be allowed on it. Oh, and when you come back you will have to do the quarantine thing also which, after what we have all been through, does not sound like a lot of fun.
What was that you said about travel insurance?
If you travel to any country against official advice then you automatically invalidate any travel insurance you might have . If you’re travelling within the European Union and you have a European Health Insurance Card then you’ll be treated in the whatever country you are in as a citizen of that country. But if you are the victim of a robbery or any other crime or need to be repatriated or suffer any other mishap you’re on your own.
Okay, back up. Varadkar said the Green List was a movable feast. What if a country is taken off the list while I am there?
What, indeed. Imagine if you went to Greece and all was rosy as your plane took off but while you were lounging on a Cretan beach, a spike in Covid-19 infections was reported there. Under the as yet unwritten rules, Greece might be whisked off the list and you would have to quarantine upon your return, if you could get home. Government officials are working at how to square this circle and are said to be struggling to see how this might be managed to everyone’s benefit.
Why would anyone travel with such doubt hanging over the trip?
There is still considerable confusion and mounting concern about spikes in Covid-19 in other countries. So many people may decide that it might be as well off giving up on overseas travel this summer. And the Government would probably be delighted by this outcome.
Why not just say no non-essential overseas travel until October?
Because travel is a two-way street. The Government in general and the Department of Transport and Tourism in particular is walking a thin line here. They have to factor in public health concerns and the economy. There is a tourism sector here that is worth billions and an aviation sector on its knees. The Government is keen to allow visitors come, safely, to this country but not so keen to see many thousands of people leaving and rubbing shoulders with potentially infected people overseas before coming home and bringing the virus with them.
Will opening our borders to travel not increase the risk of the virus spiking here?
It will and the Government is aware of the dangers of importing new cases of Covid-19 into parts of Ireland that have been clear for weeks if the doors are opened to overseas tourists too quickly. “That would be the nightmare scenario,” according to one official.
But airlines are flying, right?
Well, they certainly have plans to and the charge to take to the air again is being led by Ryanair. It said it has seen a "surge" of bookings from Irish holiday makers for July and August with people seeking to fly to the sun. It is, however, worth pointing out that while the airline talks about a surge in new bookings, many of the seats on flights bound to Spain, Portugal and Italy this summer will have been sold to Irish families who had plans in place long before the pandemic hit.
If restrictions remain and flights take off, will people get their money back?
No. Under the rules if a plane takes off and a passenger follows official guidance and avoids non-essential travel overseas then they are regarded as a no-show and are not entitled to any money back.
And what will travel look like when it restarts?
Passengers will be asked to wear face masks for a start. DAA, the State company responsible for Cork and Dublin airports, says public access to terminals will be limited to passengers, travellers will have to maintain the 2m social distance and there will be constant reminders about hand washing. DAA has installed more than 960 hand sanitisers in Dublin and Cork and there will be hundreds of Plexiglass screens at close-contact points. DAA has also said it will regularly deep clean and disinfect all hard surfaces, including trays, handrails and self-service kiosks, while paying close attention to places where passengers congregate. Masks are likely to be a requirement on board planes.
Will air bridges apply to other parts of the world?
Things are moving slowly and travelling within the EU is probably the best Irish people can hope for in the weeks ahead. Places like Dubai may also open for business in early phases of the resumption of travel.
What about the US? Are we likely to see an air bridge to that country?
That certainly seems unlikely in the short term. Covid-19 is not under control there and its leading public health official, Dr Anthony Fauci, indicated last week that that US restrictions on international travel could remain in place for months and perhaps until a vaccine is developed. And on Friday holiday company TUI announced it had cancelled all holidays to Florida for its Irish customers up to the end of November "due to the ongoing uncertainty around international travel restrictions and the unprecedented impact of Covid-19". That news might give you an idea of where we're at.


theirishtimes--2020-06-26--Man found civilly liable for Omagh bombing to be extradited to Lithuania

After a legal battle lasting nearly 12 years the High Court will order the extradition of Liam Campbell , who was found civilly liable for the Omagh bombing , to Lithuania where he is wanted on international weapons trafficking charges .
Campbell ( 58 ) was arrested in Upper Faughart , Dundalk , Co Louth on December 2 , 2016 , on foot of the second European Arrest Warrant ( EAW ) issued by Lithuanian authorities to be endorsed by the High Court here .
It was the third attempt overall by Lithuania to seek Campbell ’ s surrender .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he allegedly organised the preparation for the smuggling of weapons in support of the “ terrorist grouping ” the Real IRA ( RIRA ) between the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007 .
Campbell ’ s legal team had objected to his surrender based on the length of time he had been subject to the warrant and had argued that he could be subjected to “ inhuman or degrading treatment ” in prison there .
Remy Farrell SC , for Campbell , said that the Lithuanian authorities were “ culpable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay , which amounted to an “ abuse of process ” , and that they had been seeking his client ’ s extradition for over ten years .
Mr Farrell added that the remand prison of Lukiskes , in Vilnius , had closed in July of last year , that his client ’ s bail was “ hanging over him for four years ” and that the delay in proceedings was “ shameful ” .
In a judgement returned on Friday afternoon , Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said she was satisfied that an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made .
As the judgement was delivered electronically , Ms Justice Donnelly said she would formally make the order when Campbell next appears in person before the High Court on July 13th .
In 2017 , Campbell ’ s legal team had raised concerns about prison conditions in Lithuania , while he had also objected to his surrender on the grounds that it was “ an abuse of process ” .
Campbell had previously spent four years in custody in Northern Ireland during a second attempt to extradite him and was released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so would be a breach of his rights .
Campbell was to be incarcerated at Lukiskes prison , which had been held by the High Court in the past to have been in breach of the Convention of Human Rights .
In her judgement , Ms Justice Donnelly said that “ virtually the entire legal argument prior to the hearing on 9 June , 2020 , concerned Lukiskes prison , the conditions there and the undertakings that have been given by the Lithuanian authorities in respect of same .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed .
I am satisfied that the point as regards prison conditions has no merit at this stage of the proceedings .
“ There is simply no other evidence that demonstrates that there is a real risk that this respondent [ Campbell ] will be subjected to inhuman and degrading prison conditions .
“ The respondent ’ s own expert had no issue with the conditions in Kaunas Remand prison , which was the alternative prison , ” she said .
The EAW had sought Campbell to prosecute him on three offences : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of firearms and terrorism .
The maximum sentence for the offence of terrorism is 20 years .
The warrant alleges that Campbell “ made arrangements , while acting in an organised terrorist group , the Real Irish Republican Army ( RIRA ) to acquire a substantial number of firearms and explosives from Lithuania and smuggle them into Ireland ” .
It further alleges that during the end of 2006 to 2007 Campbell “ made arrangements with Seamus McGreevy , Michael Campbell ( his brother ) , Brendan McGuigan and other unidentified persons to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquiring firearms and explosives , including , automatic rifles , sniper guns , projectors , detonators , timers and trotyl [ TNT ] ” .
It is also alleged that in 2007 Campbell held conspiracy meetings regarding the planning of logistics for the operation and supplied money for the purchase of the weapons .
Addressing the delay in proceedings , Ms Justice Donnelly said : “ It must be said that Lithuania is not entirely to blame for the periods at stake .
In the first place , the criminal offences were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see how time can be said to run against Lithuania - a period of 12 years .
Allowing for investigation and internal decision-making with respect to proceedings , the [ first ] EAW was issued reasonably promptly against him - within 12 months from January 2008 ” .
Lithuanian authorities had given an assurance that Campbell would not be held in Lukiskes prison but the respondent objected to the assurance .
“ Lithuania were within their rights to issue the assurance and there can be no blame on them .
It would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any responsibility for delaying human rights protections ...
I do not accept that it is mala fides [ bad faith ] for a judicial authority to seek surrender when prisons may subsequently be found to be defective , ” said Ms Justice Donnelly , who noted that not all Lithuanian prisons were deemed to violate human rights due to conditions .
Ms Justice Donnelly said she did not think Lithuania were engaging in a breach of process .
The High Court previously heard that an issue had arisen over the independence , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and this issue was referred to the European courts by the Supreme Court .
In May 2019 , the Court of Justice of the European Union found that the Prosecutor General of Lithuania can be considered a “ judicial authority ” capable of issuing European Arrest Warrants .
The CJEU found it was up to the referring court to determine whether the prosecutor ’ s decisions are subject to court proceedings fully meeting the requirements for effective judicial protection .
Campbell will have one week to apply for a certificate of appeal from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13th .

After a legal battle lasting nearly 12 years the High Court will order the extradition of Liam Campbell, who was found civilly liable for the Omagh bombing, to Lithuania where he is wanted on international weapons trafficking charges.
Campbell (58) was arrested in Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Co Louth on December 2, 2016, on foot of the second European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by Lithuanian authorities to be endorsed by the High Court here. It was the third attempt overall by Lithuania to seek Campbell’s surrender.
The arrest warrant for Campbell stated that he allegedly organised the preparation for the smuggling of weapons in support of the “terrorist grouping” the Real IRA (RIRA) between the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007.
Campbell’s legal team had objected to his surrender based on the length of time he had been subject to the warrant and had argued that he could be subjected to “inhuman or degrading treatment” in prison there.
READ MORE
Remy Farrell SC, for Campbell, said that the Lithuanian authorities were “culpable, with a capital C” over the delay, which amounted to an “abuse of process”, and that they had been seeking his client’s extradition for over ten years.
Mr Farrell added that the remand prison of Lukiskes, in Vilnius, had closed in July of last year, that his client’s bail was “hanging over him for four years” and that the delay in proceedings was “shameful”.
In a judgement returned on Friday afternoon, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said she was satisfied that an order for the surrender of Campbell may be made.
As the judgement was delivered electronically, Ms Justice Donnelly said she would formally make the order when Campbell next appears in person before the High Court on July 13th.
In 2017, Campbell’s legal team had raised concerns about prison conditions in Lithuania, while he had also objected to his surrender on the grounds that it was “an abuse of process”. Campbell had previously spent four years in custody in Northern Ireland during a second attempt to extradite him and was released when he succeeded in his objection that to do so would be a breach of his rights.
Campbell was to be incarcerated at Lukiskes prison, which had been held by the High Court in the past to have been in breach of the Convention of Human Rights.
In her judgement, Ms Justice Donnelly said that “virtually the entire legal argument prior to the hearing on 9 June, 2020, concerned Lukiskes prison, the conditions there and the undertakings that have been given by the Lithuanian authorities in respect of same.
“The position now is that Lukiskes prison has closed. I am satisfied that the point as regards prison conditions has no merit at this stage of the proceedings.
“There is simply no other evidence that demonstrates that there is a real risk that this respondent [Campbell] will be subjected to inhuman and degrading prison conditions.
“The respondent’s own expert had no issue with the conditions in Kaunas Remand prison, which was the alternative prison,” she said.
Delay
The EAW had sought Campbell to prosecute him on three offences: preparation of a crime, illegal possession of firearms and terrorism. The maximum sentence for the offence of terrorism is 20 years.
The warrant alleges that Campbell “made arrangements, while acting in an organised terrorist group, the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) to acquire a substantial number of firearms and explosives from Lithuania and smuggle them into Ireland”.
It further alleges that during the end of 2006 to 2007 Campbell “made arrangements with Seamus McGreevy, Michael Campbell (his brother), Brendan McGuigan and other unidentified persons to travel to Lithuania for the purposes of acquiring firearms and explosives, including, automatic rifles, sniper guns, projectors, detonators, timers and trotyl [TNT]”.
It is also alleged that in 2007 Campbell held conspiracy meetings regarding the planning of logistics for the operation and supplied money for the purchase of the weapons.
Addressing the delay in proceedings, Ms Justice Donnelly said: “It must be said that Lithuania is not entirely to blame for the periods at stake. In the first place, the criminal offences were not complete until 2008 and it is difficult to see how time can be said to run against Lithuania - a period of 12 years. Allowing for investigation and internal decision-making with respect to proceedings, the [first] EAW was issued reasonably promptly against him - within 12 months from January 2008”.
Lithuanian authorities had given an assurance that Campbell would not be held in Lukiskes prison but the respondent objected to the assurance.
“Lithuania were within their rights to issue the assurance and there can be no blame on them. It would not be appropriate to fix Lithuania with any responsibility for delaying human rights protections ... I do not accept that it is mala fides [bad faith] for a judicial authority to seek surrender when prisons may subsequently be found to be defective,” said Ms Justice Donnelly, who noted that not all Lithuanian prisons were deemed to violate human rights due to conditions.
Ms Justice Donnelly said she did not think Lithuania were engaging in a breach of process.
The High Court previously heard that an issue had arisen over the independence, or otherwise, of the Lithuanian public prosecutor and this issue was referred to the European courts by the Supreme Court.
In May 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union found that the Prosecutor General of Lithuania can be considered a “judicial authority” capable of issuing European Arrest Warrants. The CJEU found it was up to the referring court to determine whether the prosecutor’s decisions are subject to court proceedings fully meeting the requirements for effective judicial protection.
Campbell will have one week to apply for a certificate of appeal from the day of the order, July 13th.


theirishtimes--2020-06-26--Valuable lessons learned as Clonakilty pupils embrace technology

Teaching through a coronavirus pandemic has literally proven an education – and not just for pupils , according to one Co Cork primary school principal , who has seen his staff as much as his pupils develop during the lockdown .
Barth Harrington has been principal for the past 25 years at Scoil na mBuachailli in Clonakilty , which has 256 pupils and 19 staff .
Nothing in his career prepared him for the challenges that Covid 19 brought .
“ It was a nightmare in that we got no warning about the lockdown .
We found out at lunchtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around to all the teachers and told them to tell the boys to bring home as many books as possible .
“ We had three or four days off , and we said we would give them work for a few days after St Patrick ’ s Day , and we said we would evaluate it again , but then we realised this was going to go on a lot longer.
” The school already used a primary school software package called Aladdin to communicate with its students ’ parents on their phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its potential to help teach .
The school also utilised two other software packages , Google Classroom and Class Dojo , and all the pupils worked with their teachers from home , sending in their homework via computers which was corrected and returned to them .
“ For those apps the teacher doesn ’ t see the pupils , they just see the work they are doing .
And that was fine for a while , but then we began to realise they are going to lose motivation , so we got on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – as I ’ m sure other schools did – if they could improve their software because their homework software was poor at the time .
They listened and over Easter they upgraded their software and it was brilliant .
“ We could send the children homework via the Aladdin app , the parents could send it back , we would get it corrected and send it back , and give them a star or say ‘ well done ’ so they were getting constant feedback.
” However , as the lockdown continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have greater interaction with their pupils .
So they began to investigate Zoom , and quickly introduced it , with teachers using it to hold virtual classes .
“ We started three times a day with our Early Intervention Class for boys with autism , but then worked up to the other classes .
But we only zoomed in small groups – usually it was five or six pupils at a time .
“ Initially things were fine because it was a novelty , but then things grew as we went along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as well .
And using Zoom made a huge difference because they had face-to-face contact and could see their friends .
The classes weren ’ t just homework , there was teaching as well .
“ Now we wouldn ’ t have achieved the same as you would in a classroom because you had smaller groups , and it was hard work with a lot more preparation .
“ And the children embraced the technology even more than we as teachers did – a class would last 30-40 minutes , and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You couldn ’ t go any longer , you would be exhausted .
Working from home , Harrington lived with Zoom , spending up to two days a week on the videotelephony app on meetings with his staff and reviews of how they were managing and interacting with their students .
“ The teachers all embraced it , and once they were getting feedback from the children it spurred them on to keep it going and it was very successful – I can honestly say I had no negative feedback whatsoever.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their children were not engaging , but once contact was made they bought into the process .
Up to 25 of the school ’ s laptops were shared to ensure everyone could participate .
Grateful to all his staff and Jonathan Sweeney of the Department of Education , he said they asked pupils to write a song about Covid 19 .
Six original entries were judged by singer John Spillane and three local musicians .
Pupils were also asked to take pictures of themselves homeschooling , which they posted to the school .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewed by parents and children .
“ I found the children were very resilient and the teachers were marvellous .
Enthusiasm is the most important attribute in a teacher because you are trying to motivate the children all the time , but the staff really rose to the occasion .
”

Teaching through a coronavirus pandemic has literally proven an education – and not just for pupils, according to one Co Cork primary school principal, who has seen his staff as much as his pupils develop during the lockdown.
Barth Harrington has been principal for the past 25 years at Scoil na mBuachailli in Clonakilty, which has 256 pupils and 19 staff. Nothing in his career prepared him for the challenges that Covid 19 brought.
“It was a nightmare in that we got no warning about the lockdown. We found out at lunchtime on March 12th, so I went around to all the teachers and told them to tell the boys to bring home as many books as possible.
“We had three or four days off, and we said we would give them work for a few days after St Patrick’s Day, and we said we would evaluate it again, but then we realised this was going to go on a lot longer.”
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The school already used a primary school software package called Aladdin to communicate with its students’ parents on their phone or laptop, and it quickly harnessed its potential to help teach.
The school also utilised two other software packages, Google Classroom and Class Dojo, and all the pupils worked with their teachers from home, sending in their homework via computers which was corrected and returned to them.
“For those apps the teacher doesn’t see the pupils, they just see the work they are doing. And that was fine for a while, but then we began to realise they are going to lose motivation, so we got on to Aladdin.
“We asked them – as I’m sure other schools did – if they could improve their software because their homework software was poor at the time. They listened and over Easter they upgraded their software and it was brilliant.
“We could send the children homework via the Aladdin app, the parents could send it back, we would get it corrected and send it back, and give them a star or say ‘well done’ so they were getting constant feedback.”
Interaction
However, as the lockdown continued Harrington and his staff realised they needed to have greater interaction with their pupils. So they began to investigate Zoom, and quickly introduced it, with teachers using it to hold virtual classes.
“We started three times a day with our Early Intervention Class for boys with autism, but then worked up to the other classes. But we only zoomed in small groups – usually it was five or six pupils at a time.
“Initially things were fine because it was a novelty, but then things grew as we went along, and we kind of grew with it as well. And using Zoom made a huge difference because they had face-to-face contact and could see their friends. The classes weren’t just homework, there was teaching as well.
“Now we wouldn’t have achieved the same as you would in a classroom because you had smaller groups, and it was hard work with a lot more preparation.
“And the children embraced the technology even more than we as teachers did – a class would last 30-40 minutes, and then the teacher would go to another group. You couldn’t go any longer, you would be exhausted.
Working from home, Harrington lived with Zoom, spending up to two days a week on the videotelephony app on meetings with his staff and reviews of how they were managing and interacting with their students.
“The teachers all embraced it, and once they were getting feedback from the children it spurred them on to keep it going and it was very successful – I can honestly say I had no negative feedback whatsoever.”
He called some parents to ask why their children were not engaging, but once contact was made they bought into the process. Up to 25 of the school’s laptops were shared to ensure everyone could participate.
Write a song
Grateful to all his staff and Jonathan Sweeney of the Department of Education, he said they asked pupils to write a song about Covid 19. Six original entries were judged by singer John Spillane and three local musicians.
Pupils were also asked to take pictures of themselves homeschooling, which they posted to the school. So far a 500-strong slideshow can be viewed by parents and children.
“I found the children were very resilient and the teachers were marvellous. Enthusiasm is the most important attribute in a teacher because you are trying to motivate the children all the time, but the staff really rose to the occasion.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Murder investigation begins following death of man in Co Antrim

A murder investigation has begun following the death of a man at a house in Ballymena , Co Antrim , @ @ @ @ @ The PSNI said one man has been arrested and remains in custody in relation to @ @ @ @ @ on Orkney Drive .
No further details have been provided at this stage .

Police investigating the murder of a man at a house in Ballymena, Co Antrim on Saturday morning have named the victim as Jason Lee Martin.
Police investigating the murder of a man at a house in Ballymena, Co Antrim on Saturday morning have named the victim as Jason Lee Martin.
Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s major investigation team are currently investigating the murder of the 31-year-old at a house in the Orkney Drive area of Ballymena early on Saturday morning.
PSNI detective inspector Kerry Brennan confirmed that Mr Martin had been stabbed in the house on Saturday morning and said an 18-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder. The suspect remained in custody on Saturday evening.
The PSNI has appealed for anyone with information or who could assist with the investigation to get in touch by calling 101. Information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 “which is 100 per cent anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime”, said the PSNI officer.


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Body believed to be missing Noah Donohoe (14) found in Belfast

A body found in Belfast on Saturday morning is believed to be that of missing teenager Noah Donohoe .
The Police Service of Northern Ireland ( PSNI ) said it was recovered in the North Belfast area just before 9.45am .
In a brief statement to the media , the PSNI said officers believe it is the body of the 14-year-old and they are continuing to provide support to his family at this very difficult time .
The police also requested that people “ refrain from speculation as this is not helpful , ” they said .
“ Enquiries are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this stage.
” Noah Donohue , from south Belfast , went missing after cycling across the city on Sunday .
He was last seen in the Northwood Road area in the north of the city just after 6pm .
A large-scale search for the boy had been under way in north Belfast since he went missing .
He had cycled approximately 4km across the city from his home in south Belfast , where police believe he may have fallen off his bicycle and hit his head .
He was seen discarding his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and his family said were “ completely out of character.
” Police said the police ’ s main line of inquiry was that Noah had fallen off his bicycle and may have suffered some form of trauma which had left him either disorientated or incapacitated .
According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland ( PSNI ) , the teenager left his home in South Belfast at about 5.30pm on Sunday .
He was riding a black Apollo mountain bike and wearing a black skateboarding helmet , khaki green North Face jacket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one leg , a tie-die blue hoody , Nike trainers with a bright yellow tick and carrying a khaki rucksack containing a book and a laptop .
He was last seen cycling naked on Northwood Road in north Belfast , where police believe he dropped his bicycle and left the area on foot .
There had been no further confirmed sightings since 6.11pm on Sunday .
On Wednesday police recovered his bicycle , black crash helmet , trainers , hoody and mobile phone .

A poster of Noah Donohoe in a window near where he was last seen alive in north Belfast last weekend. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Police have said a body found in a storm drain in Belfast on Saturday morning is believed to be that of missing teenager Noah Donohoe (14).
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the body was recovered in north Belfast just before 9.45am.
The PSNI said officers believe it is the body of the 14-year-old and they are continuing to provide support to his family. They said there is no suggestion of foul play and asked that people “refrain from speculation as this is not helpful”.
Noah Donohue, from south Belfast, went missing after cycling across the city on Sunday. He was last seen in the Northwood Road area just after 6pm.
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He had cycled approximately 4km across the city from his home in south Belfast to north Belfast, where police believe he may have fallen off his bicycle and hit his head. He was seen discarding his clothes and cycling naked, actions which police and his family said were “completely out of character.”
The police’s main line of inquiry was that he may have suffered some form of trauma which had left him either disorientated or incapacitated.
At a media briefing on Saturday afternoon, PSNI Superintendent Muir Clark said a postmortem is to take place and the investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance is continuing.
“But there is no evidence to suggest foul play,” he said at a press conference at PSNI Musgrave Station in central Belfast.
“From the initial inquiries we do not see foul play at this stage,” added Supt Clark.
He explained that Noah’s body was found in a storm drain complex in north Belfast that was almost a kilometre long.
It had been searched for a number of days but finding the body took so long because it was an “extremely challenging environment”. He said specialist search and rescue officers were involved. “They were working in the pitch black.”
Supt Clark said police were continuing to examine the electronic equipment that was recovered. He hoped this might answer some of the questions about why Noah had cycled from the south of the city to the north.
He said it was possible that the reported head injury that Noah suffered played a part in his death. He hoped the post mortem would provide some answers in this regard.
Asked was the storm drain covered or would a person have to proactively enter it or could they fall into it Supt Clark said, “You would have to proactively enter it.”
“In my 30 years in the police this is one of the most unusual missing person inquiries that I have done,” he told reporters.
A member of the PSNI Hazardous Environment Search Team enters a drain in Seaview Park on Wednesday during the search for Noah Donohoe. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Supt Clark also criticised rumours about the teenager’s disappearance that were circulating on social media and, he said, were “completely without foundation”.
“This type of commentary and rumour is distressing for Noah’s family and is extremely unhelpful.
“If people post distasteful and patently untrue rumours on social media we will investigate that,” he added.
According to the PSNI, the teenager left his home in South Belfast at about 5.30pm on Sunday. He was riding a black Apollo mountain bike and wearing a black skateboarding helmet, khaki green North Face jacket, grey sweat shorts with an emblem on one leg, a tie-die blue hoody, Nike trainers with a bright yellow tick and carrying a khaki rucksack containing a book and a laptop.
He was seen on Ormeau Avenue at 5.45pm and on Royal Avenue heading towards York Street a short time after, then on North Queen Street heading towards the Limestone Road at 5.57pm.
He was last seen cycling naked on Northwood Road in north Belfast, where police believe he dropped his bicycle and left the area on foot. There have been no further confirmed sightings since 6.11pm on Sunday.
On Wednesday police recovered his bicycle, black crash helmet, trainers, hoody and mobile phone.
The North's first minister, Arlene Foster, expressed her sadness at the discovery.
“My heart goes out to Noah’s family. Absolutely devastating,” she wrote on social media. “The community acted as one in the search and I know they will also support Noah’s family at this time of heart-rending grief.”
She thanked the police, community rescue teams and the local community for their “tireless efforts” during the search.
The deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, said it was “heartbreaking”.
“The whole community has been left numb after six days of searches,” she posted on Twitter. “Sincere sympathy and condolences to his mother Fiona, family and friends at this awful time.”
The MP for North Belfast, Sinn Féin’s John Finucane, said his thoughts and condolences and those of the entire community in north Belfast were with the teenager’s family and friends, and appealed for anyone with information which could help the police investigation to come forward.
“This is tragic and heart breaking news for his family and friends and all who knew him, as well as the entire community who were involved in the search for him over recent days,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Tony Holohan: Overseas travel is a major Covid-19 threat

The State ’ s most senior medical official has warned the reintroduction of overseas travel is a “ major threat to public health and increases the risk of a potential second-wave ” of Covid-19 in Ireland .
The warning is contained in a letter sent by Dr Tony Holohan , the chief medical officer , to Minister for Health Simon Harris following Thursday ’ s meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .
It echoes comments made by Dr Holohan during a press conference on Friday night , when he said he is “ beyond nervous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and encouraged people to holiday at home this summer .
In a tweet sent on Saturday morning , the CMO said “ what worries me most now is travel from overseas and I fear many planning foreign trips .
2020 is a year for a staycation ” .
In his letter , he writes that given improvements in the profile of the disease in Ireland in recent months , “ travel-related introduction of the disease is now a significant and growing concern ( and ) represents a major threat to public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second-wave of the disease in Ireland ” .
The letter outlines how 7 per cent of cases notified over the past fortnight have been associated with travel , while around the world , data shows the spread of the disease remains strong .
There is thought to be significant disquiet among some members of NPHET regarding the relaxation of travel restrictions , currently planned for July 9th .
On that date , it is currently envisaged that a “ green list ” of countries be introduced that people can travel between without having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On this , the letter notes the planned reintroduction of travel corridors .
“ In order to ensure the credibility of these arrangements , it will be necessary to put in place legal restrictions regarding travel from countries which do not qualify for such arrangements , as is the approach taken by other EU member states ” .
“ In this regard , the NPHET recalls with urgency its prior recommendations on the need for legal restrictions to be put in place in regard to overseas travel .
”

The State's most senior medical official has warned the reintroduction of overseas travel is a "major threat to public health and increases the risk of a potential second-wave" of Covid-19 in Ireland.
The warning is contained in a letter sent by Dr Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, to Minister for Health Simon Harris following Thursday's meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
It echoes comments made by Dr Holohan during a press conference on Friday night, when he said he is “beyond nervous” about the reintroduction of overseas travel, and encouraged people to holiday at home this summer.
In a tweet sent on Saturday morning, the CMO said “what worries me most now is travel from overseas and I fear many planning foreign trips. 2020 is a year for a staycation”.
READ MORE
In his letter, he writes that given improvements in the profile of the disease in Ireland in recent months, “travel-related introduction of the disease is now a significant and growing concern (and) represents a major threat to public health and increases the risk of a potential second-wave of the disease in Ireland”.
The letter outlines how 7 per cent of cases notified over the past fortnight have been associated with travel, while around the world, data shows the spread of the disease remains strong.
There is thought to be significant disquiet among some members of NPHET regarding the relaxation of travel restrictions, currently planned for July 9th. On that date, it is currently envisaged that a “green list” of countries be introduced that people can travel between without having to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.
On this, the letter notes the planned reintroduction of travel corridors. “In order to ensure the credibility of these arrangements, it will be necessary to put in place legal restrictions regarding travel from countries which do not qualify for such arrangements, as is the approach taken by other EU member states”.
“In this regard, the NPHET recalls with urgency its prior recommendations on the need for legal restrictions to be put in place in regard to overseas travel.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Learner permits extended as driving tests to resume next week

Outgoing Minister for Transport Shane Ross has assured learner drivers they will soon learn the date for their test , as the Department of Transport confirmed the service will gradually re-open from Monday .
In the meantime , the validity of learner permits which were due to expire between July 1 st and October 31st has been extended by four months When the testing system does reopen , candidates will face a series of new protocols to combat the spread of coronavirus , Mr Ross said .
The testing system is among the services to resume as the country enters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related restrictions on business and social activities .
However , it has not yet been decided precisely when driving tests , which are administered by the Road Safety Authority ( RSA ) will resume .
In a statement this morning , Mr Ross said the development “ will be welcome news for the many learner drivers who have been waiting to sit a car test since the service was suspended on 13 March .
“ While a specific date has not yet been finalised for the restart of car tests , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the RSA who have assured me that they are working towards getting car tests up and running , as soon as possible in Phase 3.
” He said that things will be different , however , when the driving test resumes , with measures put in place to protect staff and customers .
“ This will mean that for all categories being tested , at least for the initial resumption period , everyone will have to get used to the new protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
” The details of measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be supplied to driving test candidates beforehand , he said .
Driving lessons are also permitted from Monday under the Government reopening road map .
The outgoing Minister emphasised that approved driving instructors are independent contractors , but have “ personal responsibility to follow Government and Health Authorities ’ Protocols.
” The extension will apply to permits which were due to expire after March 1st and already benefitted from an extension introduced in April , Mr Ross said .

Driving lessons are also permitted from Monday under the Government reopening road map.
Outgoing Minister for Transport Shane Ross has assured learner drivers they will soon learn the date for their test, as the Department of Transport confirmed the service will gradually re-open from Monday.
In the meantime, the validity of learner permits which were due to expire between July 1 st and October 31st has been extended by four months
When the testing system does reopen, candidates will face a series of new protocols to combat the spread of coronavirus, Mr Ross said.
The testing system is among the services to resume as the country enters phase three of the unwinding of Covid-19 related restrictions on business and social activities.
READ MORE
However, it has not yet been decided precisely when driving tests, which are administered by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) will resume.
In a statement this morning, Mr Ross said the development “will be welcome news for the many learner drivers who have been waiting to sit a car test since the service was suspended on 13 March.
“While a specific date has not yet been finalised for the restart of car tests, this is a high priority for my officials and the RSA who have assured me that they are working towards getting car tests up and running, as soon as possible in Phase 3.”
He said that things will be different, however, when the driving test resumes, with measures put in place to protect staff and customers. “This will mean that for all categories being tested, at least for the initial resumption period, everyone will have to get used to the new protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”
The details of measures to be observed at all test centres will be supplied to driving test candidates beforehand, he said. Driving lessons are also permitted from Monday under the Government reopening road map.
The outgoing Minister emphasised that approved driving instructors are independent contractors, but have “personal responsibility to follow Government and Health Authorities’ Protocols.”
The extension will apply to permits which were due to expire after March 1st and already benefitted from an extension introduced in April, Mr Ross said.


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Weekend events to mark 90th birthday of Nobel laureate William C Campbell

For Prof William C Campbell , Ireland ’ s only winner of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine , Sunday will mark another significant milestone in his remarkable life of scientific endeavour .
His 90th birthday will be celebrated at a small family gathering in Boston , but it will also coincide with publication by the Royal Irish Academy ( RIA ) of his memoir Catching the Worm – a story of the discovery of the drug ivermectin for veterinary use in livestock to eliminate parasites , and then its subsequent adaptation for use in humans .
In 1987 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his employer Merck Research Laboratories decided to distribute the drug free of charge , saving millions of lives in the developing world in the process .
As a result , the World Health Organisation moved from treatment to elimination of River Blindness which afflicted much of Sub-Saharan Africa .
Prof Campbell , who is from Ramelton , Co Donegal , won Nobel Prize with others in 2015 when aged 85 and well into an enjoyable retirement .
His early education was in the converted attic of his home .
His father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tutor .
He later attended Campbell College near Belfast and studied natural sciences at Trinity College .
The town had planned to unveil a life-size bronze statue of him by sculptor Paul Ferriter this weekend but this had to be postponed due to Covid-19 .
A local committee has decided instead to send him “ a virtual birthday present ” , according to Jean Winston who is helping to compile the digital gift .
It will include music and song ; a poem by Denise Blake , a birthday card created by artist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Education Joe McHugh , a fellow Donegal manwho has described the parasitologist as one of the most inspirational people on the planet , who has “ arguably done more for humanity than any other Irish person ” .
On Sunday evening , the RIA and the RDS will present Catching the Worm a filmed podcast – William C Campbell in conversation with Prof Luke O ’ Neill of Trinity College and Dr Claire O ’ Connell who wrote the book with the Nobel laureate – at 8pm via ria.ie/catchingtheworm Prof Campbell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ireland as planned but that he would be having “ a wonderful time of togetherness with his family ” .
In the podcast , he makes a strong plea for risk-taking and empirical research , especially in the search for new drugs , rather than the current scenario of using molecular biology to design medications .
There should be a place for chance discovery , he added , and advised young scientists to retain curiosity , exploration and a sense of adventure during their careers .
“ Being first to do something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .

For Prof William C Campbell, Ireland's only winner of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, Sunday will mark another significant milestone in his remarkable life of scientific endeavour.
His 90th birthday will be celebrated at a small family gathering in Boston, but it will also coincide with publication by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) of his memoir Catching the Worm – a story of the discovery of the drug ivermectin for veterinary use in livestock to eliminate parasites, and then its subsequent adaptation for use in humans.
In 1987, nine years after the latter discovery, his employer Merck Research Laboratories decided to distribute the drug free of charge, saving millions of lives in the developing world in the process. As a result, the World Health Organisation moved from treatment to elimination of River Blindness which afflicted much of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prof Campbell, who is from Ramelton, Co Donegal, won Nobel Prize with others in 2015 when aged 85 and well into an enjoyable retirement.
READ MORE
His early education was in the converted attic of his home. His father, a local shopkeeper, employed a live-in tutor. He later attended Campbell College near Belfast and studied natural sciences at Trinity College.
The town had planned to unveil a life-size bronze statue of him by sculptor Paul Ferriter this weekend but this had to be postponed due to Covid-19. A local committee has decided instead to send him "a virtual birthday present", according to Jean Winston who is helping to compile the digital gift.
It will include music and song; a poem by Denise Blake, a birthday card created by artist Laura Buchanan and a message from Minister for Education Joe McHugh, a fellow Donegal manwho has described the parasitologist as one of the most inspirational people on the planet, who has "arguably done more for humanity than any other Irish person".
On Sunday evening, the RIA and the RDS will present Catching the Worm a filmed podcast – William C Campbell in conversation with Prof Luke O'Neill of Trinity College and Dr Claire O'Connell who wrote the book with the Nobel laureate – at 8pm via ria.ie/catchingtheworm
Prof Campbell said he was sorry he could not be in Ireland as planned but that he would be having "a wonderful time of togetherness with his family".
In the podcast, he makes a strong plea for risk-taking and empirical research, especially in the search for new drugs, rather than the current scenario of using molecular biology to design medications.
There should be a place for chance discovery, he added, and advised young scientists to retain curiosity, exploration and a sense of adventure during their careers. “Being first to do something, that is perfectly valid,” he added.


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Brazilian students in Dublin face eviction despite moratorium

A group of Brazilian students living in a Dublin house-share have been told they must vacate their home this weekend despite the Government ’ s extension of the moratorium on on evictions .
The four students , who live in Blackrock and rent a two-bedroom house through the GL accommodation agency , were told in mid-June they had to move out by the end of the month because they had failed to pay the house rent in full .
There had been seven students living in the house – three in one bedroom and four in another .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving the four remaining students to cover the missing rent , a cost they were unable to cover .
“ When I moved into this house no one told me it was a full house contract , I was just told I would pay for my room , ” Carine Queiroz told The Irish Times .
“ I sent messages to the agency looking for clarity but they didn ’ t respond.
” Ms Queiroz , who is from Brazil , moved into the house in March after she lost her job as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She now works in Centra and has been paying her rent through one of her housemates who liaises with the housing agency .
“ I ’ m worried and confused .
It ’ s very unfair , I never thought this would happen when I moved in.
” The housing agency contacted Ms Queiroz ’ s housemate on June 16th accusing the tenants of failing to pay the rent in full .
In a message seen by The Irish Times , a representative for GL accommodation told the students as their former housemates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be deducted from the deposit .
“ You asked for a rent reduction , which was denied by the landlord to stay in the house , because he received a lot of complaints from the condominium and you did not pay the rent correctly , ” said the message .
The GL accommodation group did not respond to a request for comment .
A spokesman for the Department of Housing confirmed that the moratorium on rent increases and evictions , which was due to expire on June 27th , had been extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can stay in their homes during this emergency period ” .
“ The RTB ( Residential Tenancies Board ) encourages landlords and tenants to engage early if issues arise and keep lines of communicatio open , and to be mindful of the challenges arising as a result of this Covid-19 emergency period , ” said the spokesman .
“ Anybody who is experiencing difficulties with their tenancy should note that services are available through the RTB and national housing charity , Threshold , which operates the tenancy protection service.
” Threshold chief executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” had occurred during the pandemic despite the moratorium on rent increases or evictions .
The charity has also encountered a number of tenants , who like Ms Queiroz , have been asked to cover rent for housemates after they moved back in with parents during the pandemic , said Mr McCafferty .
“ What we ’ ve been saying is for people to go back to their landlord and renegotiate their rent , stating that this is clearly a very different economic situation to before Covid-19 .
We ’ ve been asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed concern that some of the most vulnerable tenants were unaware of services offered by Threshold and the RTB .
“ It ’ s really important that everyone knows there is a national service not only to advise but to negotiate on their behalf .
The moratorium has been all-important in getting some stability for people at a time of extreme uncertainty for many renters .
All renters should be protected until July 20th and after that they need a notice period .
”

Threshold said it is important that tenants knows there is a national service to negotiate on their behalf.
A group of Brazilian students living in a Dublin house-share have been told they must vacate their home this weekend despite the Government’s extension of the moratorium on on evictions.
The four students, who live in Blackrock and rent a two-bedroom house through the GL accommodation agency, were told in mid-June they had to move out by the end of the month because they had failed to pay the house rent in full.
There had been seven students living in the house – three in one bedroom and four in another. However, three residents moved out during the pandemic leaving the four remaining students to cover the missing rent, a cost they were unable to cover.
“When I moved into this house no one told me it was a full house contract, I was just told I would pay for my room,” Carine Queiroz told The Irish Times. “I sent messages to the agency looking for clarity but they didn’t respond.”
READ MORE
Lockdown
Ms Queiroz, who is from Brazil, moved into the house in March after she lost her job as a live-in au-pair because of lockdown. She now works in Centra and has been paying her rent through one of her housemates who liaises with the housing agency.
“I’m worried and confused. It’s very unfair, I never thought this would happen when I moved in.”
The housing agency contacted Ms Queiroz's housemate on June 16th accusing the tenants of failing to pay the rent in full. In a message seen by The Irish Times, a representative for GL accommodation told the students as their former housemates' rent had not been covered it would be deducted from the deposit.
“You asked for a rent reduction, which was denied by the landlord to stay in the house, because he received a lot of complaints from the condominium and you did not pay the rent correctly,” said the message.
The GL accommodation group did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesman for the Department of Housing confirmed that the moratorium on rent increases and evictions, which was due to expire on June 27th, had been extended till July 20th so that “people can stay in their homes during this emergency period”.
“The RTB ( Residential Tenancies Board) encourages landlords and tenants to engage early if issues arise and keep lines of communicatio open, and to be mindful of the challenges arising as a result of this Covid-19 emergency period,” said the spokesman.
"Anybody who is experiencing difficulties with their tenancy should note that services are available through the RTB and national housing charity, Threshold, which operates the tenancy protection service."
Renegotiate
Threshold chief executive John-Mark McCafferty said “various illegal evictions” had occurred during the pandemic despite the moratorium on rent increases or evictions. The charity has also encountered a number of tenants, who like Ms Queiroz, have been asked to cover rent for housemates after they moved back in with parents during the pandemic, said Mr McCafferty.
“What we’ve been saying is for people to go back to their landlord and renegotiate their rent, stating that this is clearly a very different economic situation to before Covid-19. We’ve been asking for stability from landlords.”
He also expressed concern that some of the most vulnerable tenants were unaware of services offered by Threshold and the RTB.
“It’s really important that everyone knows there is a national service not only to advise but to negotiate on their behalf. The moratorium has been all-important in getting some stability for people at a time of extreme uncertainty for many renters. All renters should be protected until July 20th and after that they need a notice period.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Historic coalition agreement ends almost a century of Civil War politics

Civil War politics began in the surroundings of what is now the National Concert Hall in Earlsfort Terrace and has @ @ @ @ @ the Convention Centre Dublin .
The coalition government formed between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael @ @ @ @ @ to an end the biggest and most enduring rivalry in Irish politics and , to @ @ @ @ @ .

Civil War politics began in the surroundings of what is now the National Concert Hall in Earlsfort Terrace and has ended 98 years later at the Convention Centre Dublin.
The coalition government formed between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with the Green Party brings to an end the biggest and most enduring rivalry in Irish politics and, to outsiders, the most baffling.
On January 7th, 1922, sitting in Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, the Dáil voted narrowly by 64 votes to 57 to accept the Anglo-Irish Treaty as negotiated by the British and Irish delegations a month previously in London.
Its terms, as Michael Collins famously opined during that debate, gave the nascent state "the freedom to achieve freedom". To Éamon de Valera it was a betrayal of the idea of an independent Irish republic.
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Following the vote, de Valera led his followers out of the chamber and resigned as president of the Dáil two days later to be replaced by Arthur Griffith. The provisional government took office on January 14th.
In March 1922 the anti-Treaty IRA held a meeting in the Mansion House in which it pledged its opposition to the new government. In April it occupied the Four Courts as its headquarters.
De Valera roamed the country making inflammatory speeches, most notably when he declared that those who opposed the Treaty “would have to wade through Irish blood, through the blood of the soldiers of the Irish government and through, perhaps, the blood of some of the members of the government in order to get Irish freedom.”
For these remarks and for perceptions that he incited the Civil War, many never forgave de Valera.
There were now two rival armies and political camps, but even then civil war was not inevitable. In an attempt to broker peace, de Valera and Collins agreed a pact a month before the election at a meeting in the Mansion House, Dublin.
Coincidentally a photograph of that historic meeting, which was unseen for decades, has been discovered by the granddaughter of the photographer Leo McCormack.
The group is shown in an informal pose before the official photograph is taken. De Valera is pictured beside Collins, Griffith and Harry Boland. Within three months Griffith, Collins and Boland would be dead, the latter two killed on opposite sides in the Civil War.
A never-before seen photograph of a meeting - the so-called ‘pact meeting’ - between those on both sides of the debate surrounding the Treaty ahead of the June 1922 election, showing a more informal image of Michael Collins.
Both wings of Sinn Féin, the pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty sides, held a pact election on June 16th, 1922 in which they agreed to put up candidates according to their relative strengths in the Dáil, and not to oppose each other.
The election result, though, was interpreted as a victory for those who supported the Treaty. Pro-Treaty candidates outpolled anti-Treaty candidates by 60:40 (38.5/21.2). A hefty chunk of the electorate, 40 per cent in total, voted for Labour, the Farmers' Party and Independents who were pro-Treaty.
Even then de Valera hoped to form a Sinn Féin pact government with Collins, but events happened in the space of two weeks which made that impossible. The assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson by two members of the IRA in London on June 22nd was blamed by the British government, erroneously as it turned out, on the anti-Treaty side and a warning was sent to the provisional government to deal with the rebels in the Four Courts or the British would sort them out.
The kidnapping of Free State general JJ Ginger O'Connell in response to the arrest of anti-Treaty officer Leo Henderson was the final trigger.
The Civil War began on June 28th, 1922 when Free State forces shelled the Four Courts. Nine months later the anti-Treaty side were defeated, but never surrendered and the Civil War, in effect, never ended.
Uniquely, the Free State government, which came into being in December 1922, was a government in search of a party not the other way around. The pro-Treaty government broke with Sinn Féin during the Civil War and Cumann na nGaedheal was founded in April 1923.
The party gained 40 per cent of the vote in that month’s general election, but was able to govern because of the abstentionist policy of the anti-Treaty Sinn Féin side led by de Valera.
In 1926 de Valera too broke with Sinn Féin over the policy of abstentionism from Dáil Éireann, which was becoming increasingly untenable. Fianna Fáil was founded in October 1926, yet there was still one outstanding barrier to its entry into democratic politics - the oath of allegiance taken by members of the Dáil to the British monarch.
The photograph is the one that appears in most reports of the pact meeting. Within three months, Arthur Griffith, Harry Boland and Michael Collins would be dead - the last two on opposing sides in the Civil War to come
Lingering bitterness
Matters came to a head when the minister for justice Kevin Higgins was assassinated on July 10th, 1927 demonstrating that the hatred and bitterness of the Civil War still existed for a long time afterwards. Higgins was blamed for the extrajudicial killings carried out by Free State forces during and after the Civil War.
In response, the Free State government made it a condition of standing for election that a TD must take the oath. Fianna Fáil came up with the “empty formula” of words to dismiss the oath and entered Dáil Éireann.
The lingering bitterness between the two sides is exemplified in an exchange between Ernest Blythe, then the minister for finance in the Cumann na nGaedheal government, and future president Seán T O'Kelly in the Dáil in October 1927.
The government during the Civil War ruthlessly executed 77 anti-Treaty rebels in response to armed rebellion and O’ Kelly declared: “ As I said, I do not want to start on a bitter note, though God knows I could, and God knows I would have justification, in thinking of those who lie in cold graves - 77 of my comrades who lie in cold graves today -and the fathers and mothers, and the sons and daughters of these people expect us and look to us to vindicate them in some way.”
Blythe responded: “There was a sort of suggestion in Deputy O’Kelly’s speech that on their side was virtue and Erin, and on ours Saxon and guilt. That is all very well for an election platform, but it does not bear any relation to reality.”
A minority Cumann na nGaedheal government ruled until the general election of 1932.
The often vicious election campaign that year demonstrated that both parties had divergent views of themselves and each other which went beyond their stance on the Treaty. The dichotomy between “Saxon and guilt” and “virtue and Erin” was not so far from the truth.
An element of class politics entered the election with Fianna Fáil relentlessly pillorying Cumann na nGaedheal as a party of privileged West Brits out-of-touch with the public. Fianna Fáil's slogan encapsulated this world view: "Government by the rich for the rich".
These tropes have endured to the present day when Fianna Fáil leader and now Taoiseach Micheál Martin accused Fine Gael during the 2020 general election of being a party of privileged individuals.
This prompted indignation from many Fine Gael politicians, including ministers Simon Harris and Joe McHugh, who said their upbringings were anything but privileged.
In 1932 Cumann na nGaedheal hit back by attempting to smear Fianna Fáil as a party in thrall to sinister forces. Its most famous election poster “the shadow of a gunman, keep it from your home” sought to portray Fianna Fáil as a party which had a legacy of violence in ways that will be familiar to the modern-day taunts directed at Sinn Féin.
Leo Varadkar has a daily reminder of this campaign in his office as a party poster from 1932. It portrays de Valera with a gun jammed into his back by an IRA gunman. It also references Saor Éire, a revolutionary, republican organisation founded in 1931 which was associated with communism.
The Blueshirts
After Cumann na nGaedheal's defeat in 1932, the party merged with the National League Party and the Army Comrades Association (ACA) to found Fine Gael in September 1933.
The National League Party (NLP) had grown out a group of like-minded Independents and the Farmers’ Party which had supported Cumann na nGaedhael during the 1920s. The NLP won a respectable 11 seats in the 1932 general election. The ACA was a group of ex-National Army personnel led by Eoin O’Duffy, who was sacked as Garda commissioner by the incoming de Valera government.
The ACA was better known by the blue shirts its members wore in conscious imitation of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts.
The Blueshirts were some 30,000 in number and were regarded by the de Valera government as a threat to the State. This was somewhat ironic given their previous status as defenders of the State.
O’Duffy was the first president of Fine Gael, but he was not a success and resigned in 1934. He does not appear on the Fine Gael website as one of its leaders.
During the 1930s the Fianna Fáil government dismantled the treaty. It got rid of the oath of allegiance in 1933, the office of the governor-general in 1936 and got back the Treaty ports in 1938.
Fine Gael saw Fianna Fáil’s actions in those years as a vindication of its own belief that the Treaty was indeed the “freedom to achieve freedom”.
However, it was the Fine Gael government of John A Costello that provided the full coup de grâce for the Anglo-Irish Treaty with the declaration of a republic in April 1949.
This was much resented by de Valera who opposed it on the basis that it would make a united Ireland harder to achieve. It was a riposte to those who maintained that Fine Gael was a west Brit party.
With the Treaty no longer the defining issue, the two behemoths of Irish politics had to find something else to differentiate themselves.
‘Psychological difference’
When asked what separated Fine Gael from Fianna Fáil in 1950, Costello is alleged to have told a gathering of diplomats that there was “really no essential differences between the two”.
According to historian Dr Ciara Meehan, who is co-writing a history of Fine Gael with Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins, Costello "dared to give expression to what many non-partisan voters already suspected".
She explained: “Costello’s comment was borne partially of frustration at Fine Gael’s lack of interest in policy formulation, but there was also an element of truth to his remark.
“Essentially the children of the Sinn Féin split in 1921/22, Cumann na nGaedheal, later Fine Gael, and Fianna Fáil positioned themselves in relation to the Treaty and this remained the main marker in the decades that followed.
“When other countries formed national governments during the second World War (or the Emergency, in Irish terms), the two sides did not - or could not - come together.
“Long after the Civil War ceased to be immediately relevant, the deep divide it caused still influenced the mindset of the staunchest grassroots supporters. At the most basic level, Fine Gael was once seen as the political home of big business and large farmers; Fianna Fáil was the party of the small farmer and the ordinary worker. Fianna Fáil propaganda presented this as the wealthy versus the working class, and the dichotomy was the subject of a myriad of cartoons.
“Cumann na nGaedheal’s willingness to work within the framework of the Commonwealth also provided Fianna Fáil with the material to dismiss its rival as west British, while at the same time priding itself on its own tag, ‘the Republican Party’.
“Aside from the Treaty split, I think the real difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, for a long time, was a psychological one. Fianna Fáil was Fianna Fáil, but Fine Gael was ‘not Fianna Fáil’. In other words, Fine Gael was concerned with defining itself in relation to its rival.
“Fianna Fáil’s impressive electoral record after 1932 fuelled the party’s confidence, while prolonged periods in the political wilderness demoralised Fine Gael and left the party in its rival’s shadow. Fine Gael’s achievements were in the past, with the creation of the new state. Rather than articulating what it actually stood for, it dwelt on that phase of its history and, more particularly, became preoccupied with explaining that it wasn’t Fianna Fáil.”
Maynooth University educated historian Dr Mel Farrell, the author of Party Politics in a New Democracy, the Irish Free State 1922-1937, says the perception has grown up through the decades that Fine Gael is more to the right of the political spectrum than Fianna Fáil on economic matters, but even those distinctions have been blurred over the years.
"Different leaders have put their own stamp on each of the two parties. In 1965 conservative Fine Gael moved to the left of Fianna Fáil with the adoption of the Just Society manifesto while the party pursued liberal reform during the 1980s," he says.
"Until the later Charles Haughey years, Northern Ireland policy would have been another issue that clearly demarcated the two parties. In 1985 Haughey vigorously opposed the Anglo-Irish Agreement but later came to work it on his return to power. During the 1997, 2002 and 2007 elections Fianna Fáil's alliance with the Progressive Democrats probably kept Fianna Fáil slightly to the right of Fine Gael."
He maintains Ireland is not the only country in Europe to have large parties that are similar in ideological terms. Germany, with the dominance of the Christian Democrat and Social Democrat parties, is another.
“People tend to examine Irish politics with reference to British politics because we consume so much UK media. The British system of first past the post has led to a system in which two clear blocs dominate. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are a product of an electoral system in which compromise and coalitions are fundamental.”
Endless academic treatises and comment pieces have been written over the last century about the differences between the two parties. The late Jackie Healy-Rae, when he was still a Fianna Fáil stalwart, once cryptically said of such speculation. “Them that know don’t need to ask and them that ask will never know.”
The only surprising thing about the coalition government is the absence of surprise. What seemed unthinkable a generation ago now feels inevitable given the inconclusive results of the general election which saw both of the main parties fall behind Sinn Féin.
There may be one further denouement in the relationship between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Will the two parties merge to form a large centre-right party as has been long mooted and so create the right-left divide that seems to prevail in most other countries?
Many supporters of both parties fear for their future as separate entities. Éamon Ó Cuív, the grandson of Éamon de Valera, is one of them: “There will again be two big parties in future, but one of them will not be Fianna Fáil.”


theirishtimes--2020-06-27--Gardaí appeal for witnesses after boy (11) seriously injured in crash

An 11-year-old boy is in critical condition following a two-vehicle crash in Co Cork .
The collision occured in the @ @ @ @ @ Friday at about 4.45pm .
The boy was airlifted from the scene to Limerick Regional @ @ @ @ @ described as critical .
The driver and three other passengers of the same vehicle were @ @ @ @ @ Hospital with non life threatening injuries .
The other driver was not injured .
Garda @ @ @ @ @ an examination of the scene and the road has now re-opened .
Gardaí have appealed @ @ @ @ @ collision , particularly any road users who were travelling in the area at the time @ @ @ @ @ footage , to contact Macroom Garda Station on 026 20590 or the Garda Confidential Line @ @ @ @ @

An 11-year-old boy is in critical condition following a two-vehicle crash in Co Cork.
The collision occured in the Knocknaboul area of Ballydesmond on Friday at about 4.45pm.
The boy was airlifted from the scene to Limerick Regional Hospital. His condition is described as critical. The driver and three other passengers of the same vehicle were also taken to Limerick Regional Hospital with non life threatening injuries. The other driver was not injured.
Garda forensic collision investigators carried out an examination of the scene and the road has now re-opened.
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Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses to this collision, particularly any road users who were travelling in the area at the time who may have dash cam footage, to contact Macroom Garda Station on 026 20590 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.