theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Should we allow Leaving Cert students estimate their own grades?

The cancellation of Leaving Certificate exams was a difficult decision for all involved .
Up until Friday May 8th , Minister Joe McHugh and his officials at the Department of Education were between a rock and a hard place .
They knew that planning to go ahead with the Leaving Cert exams over the summer was risky given the health threat ; logistically challenging , given the requirement for social distancing in exam centres ; and open to criticism , given the range of challenges being experienced by students with poor internet access and/or with high levels of anxiety .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficulties involved in conceiving of an implementable alternative to Leaving Cert exams , with the legislative constraints of the State Examinations Commission being involved in any alternative arrangements being a major one .
For the teacher unions , the cancellation of the exams meant crossing a red line by agreeing that teachers could be involved in a process of assessing their own students for certification purposes .
For representatives of student , parent and management bodies it meant advocating for positions that were not universally supported by members .
So what now ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust in the professional judgement and expertise of teachers in the way we have done with our medical practitioners ?
It ’ s true that Irish research evidence on the accuracy of teacher-predicted grades is lacking and that research conducted with teachers in the UK has been presented as evidence in arguments made against the practice .
However , contextual issues in the research have been missed in some reporting and should be noted .
Predicted grades are used by the CAO equivalent in the UK , Ucas , to make provisional university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is very different to where we in Ireland now find ourselves .
The 16 per cent accuracy rate reported in a UK study ( Wyness , 2016 ) and quoted in some media reports relates to predictions involving a combination of three A level subjects , not one .
In addition , what hasn ’ t been explained clearly enough is that about 75 per cent of the predictions were over-predictions ( when compared to the actual results ) as a consequence of many teachers using the process to motivate their students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Interestingly , over-prediction was as likely occur to with the majority of disadvantaged students as it was with their non-disadvantaged counterparts .
However , the fact that very high-achieving students in disadvantaged schools were likely to be under-predicted ( about 3,000 students over three years ) should be noted .
The findings from individual studies conducted over the past ten years in the UK , New Zealand and from a meta-analysis of 75 studies from the United States and various European countries suggest that the correlation between teachers ’ judgments of students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test performance is positive and fairly high ( e.g .
Sudkamp et al.
, 2012 ) .
The correlation coefficient is around 0.6 - a finding that , in essence , indicates that there is a similarity between how teachers and tests rank-order students , but the rankings are not always the same .
This arises from the reality that teacher judgements and standardised exams/tests are different assessments .
Importantly , we must not assume that the exam/test ranking is the correct one - I will return to this issue .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to pay particular attention to the accuracy of teacher judgements about students from low socio-economic backgrounds and/or with low achievement levels ( e.g .
Meissel et al , 2017 ; Murphy & Wyness , 2020 ) .
Overall , it is important to note that much of the research is based on individual teacher expectations about future performance and does not necessarily relate directly to the accuracy of judgements arrived at when teachers apply clear criteria and work with colleagues and their school leaders to arrive at a decision about current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the change of terminology from predicted grades to calculated grades is useful in so far as it helps to remind us that the focus now should be less on trying to replicate a Leaving Cert exam result and more on how informed teacher judgements can be used to arrive at the best possible measure of student achievement .
While the Leaving Cert examination system has many strengths , we should be careful about holding it up as a paragon of accuracy and fairness .
There are very good reasons why efforts to reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there is no ultimate truth in a Leaving Cert result ( or the outcomes from any assessment for that matter ) because each exam can not measure all elements of a subject area .
As a consequence , every educational assessment contains what is called measurement error ( which also accounts for some of the variation in rankings ) .
It is analogous to the idea of the margin of error ( e.g .
±3 per cent ) in opinion polls that involve a sample rather than all possible respondents .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student performance on the day of an exam , e.g .
misreading a question , not feeling well etc .
The Leaving Cert is fair in so far as everyone takes the same test and under the same conditions that include anonymous marking .
The public has confidence in the system and that is important .
However , students do not arrive at the testing centres with nothing but ability and a track record of diligent study separating them .
Some had better teachers than others and some were able to avail of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
grinds .
Indeed , so many of the problems faced by students over the past while in terms of having access to technology , having a quiet space at home to study and so on , have been relevant to the Leaving Cert fairness issue long before the arrival of Covid-19 .
Needless to say , the guidance provided by the department to teachers and schools will be crucial in helping them make the best possible decisions about student marks and class rankings as well as how to handle conflicts of interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaborative nature of the work should mitigate the danger of individual teacher biases coming into play .
What to do in situations where prior information for individual students is inadequate and/or where students study a subject outside of school remains problematic .
Both issues prompt me to wonder if the addition of estimated grades ( or marks ) submitted by all students for the subjects they were planning to take , along with a justification for each using a department-approved pro-forma would have helped the decision making process in schools .
I acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own grades is unusual and that research tells us that students are prone to overestimate their grades ( e.g .
Attwood et al.
, 2013 ) .
However , the idea is democratic and , as well as providing additional information for teachers , would have indicated that we trust our young adults to be responsibly involved in a process that will have a major impact on their futures .
It might also have been a way of guarding against the possibility of canvassing by students and their parents/guardians .
In the guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be important to include the conclusions from the research on teacher judgements , especially those that speak to fairness for disadvantaged students .
Two other points are also worth highlighting .
Over the years a number of studies linking Junior and Leaving Cert data have been conducted at the Educational Research Centre , ( e.g .
Millar and Kelly , 1999 ) and , assuming issues of data protection can be addressed , a new study undertaken in the very short term would provide robust data for teachers to use .
We also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past number of years , many teachers have worked with colleagues during Subject Learning and Assessment Review ( Slar ) meetings to assess student work as part of Junior Cycle reform .
This experience is likely to be very useful now as they go about the process of calculating their students ’ marks/grades .
So let ’ s row in behind this plan and give it every chance to succeed .
While every student deserves to be treated fairly , so does every teacher .
Students have the right to appeal and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take an exam at a later stage .
I ’ m also confident that further and higher education institutions will make every effort to enhance access schemes if required .
Teachers , like their medical counterparts , have the right to make professional judgements without fear or favour , but I worry that headlines that appeared in British newspapers in April will begin appearing here ( e.g .
“ Parents and pupils overwhelm schools with pleas for good grades “ in The Guardian , 19/4/20 ) .
All of this is not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faculties behind .
Far from it .
I understand the need to review grades submitted by schools and to apply statistical procedures in some cases to ensure “ common national standards.
” However , we should remember that there is no objective truth to be found in distributions of grades from previous Leaving Cert years either and that conclusions drawn from aggregated data ( as opposed to student level data ) can be problematic ( see Gilleece , 2014 for more detail ) .
This will be especially important to bear in mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awarding individual grades/marks that may not fit an established pattern .
Moreover , planning for a programme of research should begin immediately to evaluate the extent to which this pandemic has forced us down a path that may or may not prove useful in reforming what we do at the end of secondary education in Ireland .
Michael O ’ Leary holds the Prometric chair in assessment and directs the Centre for Assessment Research , Policy and Professional Practice ( Carpe ) at the Institute of Education , Dublin City University .

Students have the right to appeal their calculated grades and, if unhappy with the outcome, can take the Leaving Cert exam at a later stage.
The cancellation of Leaving Certificate exams was a difficult decision for all involved. Up until Friday May 8th, Minister Joe McHugh and his officials at the Department of Education were between a rock and a hard place.
They knew that planning to go ahead with the Leaving Cert exams over the summer was risky given the health threat; logistically challenging, given the requirement for social distancing in exam centres; and open to criticism, given the range of challenges being experienced by students with poor internet access and/or with high levels of anxiety.
But they were also aware of the difficulties involved in conceiving of an implementable alternative to Leaving Cert exams, with the legislative constraints of the State Examinations Commission being involved in any alternative arrangements being a major one.
For the teacher unions, the cancellation of the exams meant crossing a red line by agreeing that teachers could be involved in a process of assessing their own students for certification purposes. For representatives of student, parent and management bodies it meant advocating for positions that were not universally supported by members.
READ MORE
Trust
So what now? Well why not begin by placing our trust in the professional judgement and expertise of teachers in the way we have done with our medical practitioners?
It’s true that Irish research evidence on the accuracy of teacher-predicted grades is lacking and that research conducted with teachers in the UK has been presented as evidence in arguments made against the practice. However, contextual issues in the research have been missed in some reporting and should be noted.
Predicted grades are used by the CAO equivalent in the UK, Ucas, to make provisional university place offers to students, a situation that is very different to where we in Ireland now find ourselves. The 16 per cent accuracy rate reported in a UK study (Wyness, 2016) and quoted in some media reports relates to predictions involving a combination of three A level subjects, not one.
In addition, what hasn’t been explained clearly enough is that about 75 per cent of the predictions were over-predictions (when compared to the actual results) as a consequence of many teachers using the process to motivate their students in the period before exams taking place. Interestingly, over-prediction was as likely occur to with the majority of disadvantaged students as it was with their non-disadvantaged counterparts. However, the fact that very high-achieving students in disadvantaged schools were likely to be under-predicted (about 3,000 students over three years) should be noted.
Positive
The findings from individual studies conducted over the past ten years in the UK, New Zealand and from a meta-analysis of 75 studies from the United States and various European countries suggest that the correlation between teachers’ judgments of students’ academic achievement and students’ actual test performance is positive and fairly high (e.g. Sudkamp et al., 2012).
The correlation coefficient is around 0.6 - a finding that, in essence, indicates that there is a similarity between how teachers and tests rank-order students, but the rankings are not always the same. This arises from the reality that teacher judgements and standardised exams/tests are different assessments.
Importantly, we must not assume that the exam/test ranking is the correct one - I will return to this issue. There is also evidence in the literature indicating that we need to pay particular attention to the accuracy of teacher judgements about students from low socio-economic backgrounds and/or with low achievement levels (e.g. Meissel et al, 2017; Murphy & Wyness, 2020).
Overall, it is important to note that much of the research is based on individual teacher expectations about future performance and does not necessarily relate directly to the accuracy of judgements arrived at when teachers apply clear criteria and work with colleagues and their school leaders to arrive at a decision about current achievement.
With that in mind, the change of terminology from predicted grades to calculated grades is useful in so far as it helps to remind us that the focus now should be less on trying to replicate a Leaving Cert exam result and more on how informed teacher judgements can be used to arrive at the best possible measure of student achievement.
Fairness
While the Leaving Cert examination system has many strengths, we should be careful about holding it up as a paragon of accuracy and fairness. There are very good reasons why efforts to reform it are underway. The reality is that there is no ultimate truth in a Leaving Cert result (or the outcomes from any assessment for that matter) because each exam cannot measure all elements of a subject area.
As a consequence, every educational assessment contains what is called measurement error (which also accounts for some of the variation in rankings). It is analogous to the idea of the margin of error (e.g. ±3 per cent) in opinion polls that involve a sample rather than all possible respondents.
There are also the myriad factors that affect student performance on the day of an exam, e.g. misreading a question, not feeling well etc. The Leaving Cert is fair in so far as everyone takes the same test and under the same conditions that include anonymous marking. The public has confidence in the system and that is important.
However, students do not arrive at the testing centres with nothing but ability and a track record of diligent study separating them. Some had better teachers than others and some were able to avail of the benefits that economic advantage bestows e.g. grinds. Indeed, so many of the problems faced by students over the past while in terms of having access to technology, having a quiet space at home to study and so on, have been relevant to the Leaving Cert fairness issue long before the arrival of Covid-19.
Needless to say, the guidance provided by the department to teachers and schools will be crucial in helping them make the best possible decisions about student marks and class rankings as well as how to handle conflicts of interest. At the very least, the collaborative nature of the work should mitigate the danger of individual teacher biases coming into play. What to do in situations where prior information for individual students is inadequate and/or where students study a subject outside of school remains problematic.
Students
Both issues prompt me to wonder if the addition of estimated grades (or marks) submitted by all students for the subjects they were planning to take, along with a justification for each using a department-approved pro-forma would have helped the decision making process in schools.
I acknowledge that the idea of students predicting their own grades is unusual and that research tells us that students are prone to overestimate their grades (e.g. Attwood et al., 2013). However, the idea is democratic and, as well as providing additional information for teachers, would have indicated that we trust our young adults to be responsibly involved in a process that will have a major impact on their futures. It might also have been a way of guarding against the possibility of canvassing by students and their parents/guardians.
In the guidance provided to teachers and principals it would be important to include the conclusions from the research on teacher judgements, especially those that speak to fairness for disadvantaged students.
Two other points are also worth highlighting. Over the years a number of studies linking Junior and Leaving Cert data have been conducted at the Educational Research Centre, (e.g. Millar and Kelly, 1999) and, assuming issues of data protection can be addressed, a new study undertaken in the very short term would provide robust data for teachers to use.
We also need to remember that, over the past number of years, many teachers have worked with colleagues during Subject Learning and Assessment Review (Slar ) meetings to assess student work as part of Junior Cycle reform. This experience is likely to be very useful now as they go about the process of calculating their students’ marks/grades.
Succeed
So let's row in behind this plan and give it every chance to succeed. While every student deserves to be treated fairly, so does every teacher. Students have the right to appeal and, if unhappy with the outcome, can take an exam at a later stage. I'm also confident that further and higher education institutions will make every effort to enhance access schemes if required. Teachers, like their medical counterparts, have the right to make professional judgements without fear or favour, but I worry that headlines that appeared in British newspapers in April will begin appearing here (e.g. "Parents and pupils overwhelm schools with pleas for good grades" in The Guardian, 19/4/20).
All of this is not to suggest we should not leave our critical faculties behind. Far from it. I understand the need to review grades submitted by schools and to apply statistical procedures in some cases to ensure “common national standards.”
However, we should remember that there is no objective truth to be found in distributions of grades from previous Leaving Cert years either and that conclusions drawn from aggregated data (as opposed to student level data) can be problematic (see Gilleece, 2014 for more detail). This will be especially important to bear in mind when schools are making strong cases for awarding individual grades/marks that may not fit an established pattern.
Moreover, planning for a programme of research should begin immediately to evaluate the extent to which this pandemic has forced us down a path that may or may not prove useful in reforming what we do at the end of secondary education in Ireland.
Michael O’Leary holds the Prometric chair in assessment and directs the Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Professional Practice (Carpe) at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University.


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Coronavirus: Increasing numbers of people feel worst of pandemic is over

The Government has signalled its concern at the increasing numbers of people in the population who feel the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is over .
Research conducted for the Department of Health showed that 43 per cent now believe the worst has passed , which might lead to less adherence to social distancing rules .
“ We have so far avoided a situation where the system is overwhelmed , ” said Liz Canavan of the Department of An Taoiseach at the Government press briefing on Wednesday .
“ We need to be conscious of the devastating impact of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She pointed to the World Health Organisation opinion that the virus will recur in waves .
She said that even when restrictions were relaxed the public should continue with safe practices as there will be periods when numbers will increase again .
“ The public are asked to stay the course , ” she said .
Ms Canavan pointed to more positive figures from other research conducted this week that showed a marked increase in the number of people who will use sanitiser ( up to 71 per cent from 59 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in future ( up to 61 per cent from 36 per cent ) and who intend to stay at home ( up to 34 per cent from 6 per cent ) .
She also said that over 90 per cent were washing their hands regularly and standing the required distance apart in queues .
She added that 78 per cent of respondents now said they coughed into their elbow and adhered to the guidance on coughing etiquette .
Meanwhile , the prolonged period of dry weather has led to the possibility of water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the daily briefing at Government buildings , households were asked to introduce measures to conserve water .
The conservation advice does not apply to hand-washing with people being advised to wash their hands as regularly as they can .
That should have priority over less essential uses of water .
Ms Canavan said that households should avoid using power washers , use watering cans rather than hoses in gardens , and also to fix leaky taps .
She said that Irish Water had issued guidance for households , businesses and farms on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition , over 20,000 people have been Garda vetted for specific Covid-19 roles in the health and other sectors since March 12th .
The Government said yesterday that a total of 21,500 vetting applications had been processed by An Garda Síochána .
The current turnaround time for vetting is one day and there is no backlog of applications at this time .
At a Government briefing , it was also disclosed that the Garda has invoked the Covid-regulation a total of 192 times since March .
That includes arresting people for not observing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking names and addresses of those who have failed to comply with the rules .
The Garda continue to report a very high level of compliance throughout the State .

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan says he is concerned that contacts per Covid-19 case will be driven up should people attend social gatherings during phase one of the easing of coronavirus restrictions. Video: RTÉ
The possibility of schools reopening earlier than planned was dismissed by the State’s chief medical officer as he played down the Taoiseach’s enthusiasm that it could happen sooner.
Dr Tony Holohan rejected any view that there there was “mounting evidence” showing that children do not appear to be super spreaders of the coronavirus as previously thought.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said earlier on Wednesday that reopening schools for children was “among the safest things” that the State could do, pointing to a report by State regulator, the Health Information and Quality Authority, and comments by WHO official Mike Ryan.
“The emerging evidence is that among the safest things that we can do over the next couple of months is to reopen our schools and to reopen our childcare facilities to allow children to return to education and to return to normal life,” Mr Varadkar said.
READ MORE
Later, Dr Holohan said that there was “a very small number of studies” involving “small numbers of children” and insufficient evidence to change advice on the reopening of schools.
He told the Department of Health’s evening briefing on the Covid-19 epidemic that the State’s National Public Health Emergency Team would be meeting on Thursday to consider whether the first wave of the lockdown relaxations could be proceed as planned next Monday, May 18th.
He was “not anticipating at this moment” any changes on schools reopening before planned at the start of next school year from September or in the advice that NPHET would give on that.
“We don’t have very many studies at this point in time that looked at this question. Those that have looked at this question haven’t identified a significant pattern of transmission among children,” said Dr Holohan on the studies on transmission of the coronavirus among children.
“It is an entirely different thing to conclude in policy terms that we have enough evidence to say that transmission from children doesn’t occur but as yet it hasn’t been identified as a significant issue in the small number of studies that have been done.”
New cases
The deaths of another 10 patients from Covid-19 were announced by National Public Health Emergency Team at its briefing on Wednesday. There have now been 1,497 Covid-19 related deaths in the State.
There were 159 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed bringing the total number of cases confirmed over the course of the pandemic to 23,401.
The median age of confirmed cases is 48 years, according to data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). Fifty-seven per cent are female and 43 per cent are male.
Thirteen per cent of cases, a total of 3,050, have been hospitalised, with 389 cases admitted to ICU.
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,242 (49 per cent of all cases), followed by Kildare with 1,344 cases (6 per cent) and Cork with 1,238 cases (5 per cent).
Community transmission accounts for 60 per cent, close contact 37 per cent and travel abroad 3 per cent. Eighty-four per cent of people have recovered from coronavirus.
Research
Earlier, the Government has signalled its concern at the increasing numbers of people in the population who feel the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is over. Research conducted for the Department of Health showed that 43 per cent now believe the worst has passed, which might lead to less adherence to social distancing rules. “We have so far avoided a situation where the system is overwhelmed,” said Liz Canavan of the Department of An Taoiseach at the Government press briefing on Wednesday. “We need to be conscious of the devastating impact of Covid-19. The risk is still there.”
She pointed to the World Health Organisation opinion that the virus will recur in waves. She said that even when restrictions were relaxed the public should continue with safe practices as there will be periods when numbers will increase again. "The public are asked to stay the course," she said.
Ms Canavan pointed to more positive figures from other research conducted this week that showed a marked increase in the number of people who will use sanitiser (up to 71 per cent from 59 per cent); who will sit further apart in future (up to 61 per cent from 36 per cent) and who intend to stay at home (up to 34 per cent from 6 per cent). She also said that over 90 per cent were washing their hands regularly and standing the required distance apart in queues. She added that 78 per cent of respondents now said they coughed into their elbow and adhered to the guidance on coughing etiquette.
Water shortage
Meanwhile, the prolonged period of dry weather has led to the possibility of water shortages, the Government has said. In the daily briefing at Government buildings, households were asked to introduce measures to conserve water. The conservation advice does not apply to hand-washing with people being advised to wash their hands as regularly as they can. That should have priority over less essential uses of water.
Ms Canavan said that households should avoid using power washers, use watering cans rather than hoses in gardens, and also to fix leaky taps. She said that Irish Water had issued guidance for households, businesses and farms on how best to conserve water.
Garda vetting
In addition, over 20,000 people have been Garda vetted for specific Covid-19 roles in the health and other sectors since March 12th. The Government said yesterday that a total of 21,500 vetting applications had been processed by An Garda Síochána. The current turnaround time for vetting is one day and there is no backlog of applications at this time.
At a Government briefing, it was also disclosed that the Garda has invoked the Covid-regulation a total of 192 times since March. That includes arresting people for not observing the emergency laws, as well as taking names and addresses of those who have failed to comply with the rules. The Garda continue to report a very high level of compliance throughout the State.


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Gerry Adams’s historic prison escape convictions overturned

Former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has welcomed a British Supreme Court ruling that that his convictions for attempting to escape from the Maze Prison in the 1970s were unlawful .
Mr Adams had claimed his two 1975 convictions for escaping from internment were unsafe because his detention was not “ personally considered ” by a senior government minister .
As lawyers consider the import of the Supreme Court decision Mr Adams said , “ There is an onus on the British government to identify and inform other internees whose Internment may also have been unlawful.
” Mr Adams thanked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finucane Centre in Derry which in 2009 uncovered information that gave him strong grounds to take his successful case .
The centre found communications from July 1974 where the then British Director of Public Prosecutions had provided a memorandum to the British Attorney General saying that Mr Adams “ and other detainees ” were held under orders which were not signed by the secretary of state and that they have been “ unlawfully detained ” .
Mr Adams said he understood that the issue was discussed with the then British Labour prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his “ unlawful detention was known by the most senior level of the British system ” .
Mr Adams , 71 , attempted to escape from the Maze - also known as Long Kesh internment camp - on Christmas Eve 1973 and again in July 1974 .
He was later sentenced to a total of four-and-a-half years .
At a hearing in November , Mr Adams ’ lawyers argued that , because the interim custody order ( ICO ) used to initially detain him in July 1973 was not authorised by the then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitelaw , his detention was unlawful and his convictions should be overturned .
Announcing the Supreme Court ’ s judgment at a remote hearing on Wednesday , Lord Kerr - the former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland - said the court had unanimously allowed Mr Adams ’ appeal and had quashed his convictions .
The judge said Mr Adams ’ detention was unlawful because it had not been “ considered personally ” by Mr Whitelaw .
Lord Kerr said : “ The making of the ICO in respect of the appellant was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not himself considered it .
In consequence , Mr Adams ’ detention was unlawful , hence his convictions of attempting to escape from lawful custody were , likewise , unlawful.
” Lord Kerr added : “ The appeal is therefore allowed and his convictions are quashed.
” The judge explained that Mr Adams had been detained under an ICO made under the Detention of Terrorists ( Northern Ireland ) Order 1972 and that “ such an order could be made where the secretary of state considered that an individual was involved in terrorism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a member of the IRA .
In the court ’ s written judgment , Lord Kerr said the power to make such an order was “ a momentous one ” , describing it as “ a power to detain without trial and potentially for a limitless period ” .
He added : “ This provides an insight into Parliament ’ s intention and that the intention was that such a crucial decision should be made by the secretary of state.
” In a statement after the ruling Mr Adams said that internment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside the normal principles of law and was based on a blunt and brutal piece of coercive legislation ” .
He added , “ I have no regrets about my imprisonment except for the time I was separated from my family .
However , we were not on our own .
It is believed that around two thousand men and women were interned during its four and a half years of operation .
“ I consider my time in the Prison Ship Maidstone , in Belfast prison and in Long Kesh to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resilient and inspiring people .
Internment like all coercive measures failed .
”

Former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has welcomed a British Supreme Court ruling that that his convictions for attempting to escape from the Maze Prison in the 1970s were unlawful.
Mr Adams had claimed his two 1975 convictions for escaping from internment were unsafe because his detention was not “personally considered” by a senior government minister.
As lawyers consider the import of the Supreme Court decision Mr Adams said, “There is an onus on the British government to identify and inform other internees whose Internment may also have been unlawful.”
Mr Adams thanked his legal team and also the Pat Finucane Centre in Derry which in 2009 uncovered information that gave him strong grounds to take his successful case.
READ MORE
The centre found communications from July 1974 where the then British Director of Public Prosecutions had provided a memorandum to the British Attorney General saying that Mr Adams “and other detainees” were held under orders which were not signed by the secretary of state and that they have been “unlawfully detained”.
Mr Adams said he understood that the issue was discussed with the then British Labour prime minister Harold Wilson in July 1974 and that his "unlawful detention was known by the most senior level of the British system".
Mr Adams, 71, attempted to escape from the Maze - also known as Long Kesh internment camp - on Christmas Eve 1973 and again in July 1974. He was later sentenced to a total of four-and-a-half years.
At a hearing in November, Mr Adams’ lawyers argued that, because the interim custody order (ICO) used to initially detain him in July 1973 was not authorised by the then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Willie Whitelaw, his detention was unlawful and his convictions should be overturned.
Announcing the Supreme Court's judgment at a remote hearing on Wednesday, Lord Kerr - the former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland - said the court had unanimously allowed Mr Adams' appeal and had quashed his convictions.
The judge said Mr Adams’ detention was unlawful because it had not been “considered personally” by Mr Whitelaw.
Lord Kerr said: “The making of the ICO in respect of the appellant was invalid since the secretary of state had not himself considered it. In consequence, Mr Adams’ detention was unlawful, hence his convictions of attempting to escape from lawful custody were, likewise, unlawful.”
Lord Kerr added: “The appeal is therefore allowed and his convictions are quashed.”
The judge explained that Mr Adams had been detained under an ICO made under the Detention of Terrorists (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 and that “such an order could be made where the secretary of state considered that an individual was involved in terrorism”.
Mr Adams has consistently denied being a member of the IRA. In the court’s written judgment, Lord Kerr said the power to make such an order was “a momentous one”, describing it as “a power to detain without trial and potentially for a limitless period”.
He added: “This provides an insight into Parliament’s intention and that the intention was that such a crucial decision should be made by the secretary of state.”
In a statement after the ruling Mr Adams said that internment was never lawful because “it set aside the normal principles of law and was based on a blunt and brutal piece of coercive legislation”.
He added, “I have no regrets about my imprisonment except for the time I was separated from my family. However, we were not on our own. It is believed that around two thousand men and women were interned during its four and a half years of operation.
“I consider my time in the Prison Ship Maidstone, in Belfast prison and in Long Kesh to have been in the company of many remarkable, resilient and inspiring people. Internment like all coercive measures failed.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Covid-19: Waters and O’Doherty refused permission to challenge laws

The High Court has dismissed John Waters and Gemma O ’ Doherty ’ s legal challenge against laws introduced by the State due to the Covid-19 pandemic .
In judicial review proceedings against the State and the Minister for Health had sought seek to have various pieces of recently enacted legislation , which they say are unconstitutional and flawed , quashed by a judge of the High Court .
They also wanted the court to make a declaration that the legislation challenged was unconstitutional .
Ruling on a preliminary issue , namely whether they were entitled to leave or permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a full hearing , on Wednesday Mr Justice Charles Meenan dismissed their action .
The judge said the their claims were not arguable and the court could not grant them permission to have their challenge determined at a full hearing of the High Court .
The judge said that the case should not have been brought by way of judicial review and should have been taken by way of plenary hearing which would have involved the hearing of oral evidence .
The decision was delivered electronically .
However during the course of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would appeal to he Court of Appeal if they were not granted leave .
During the hearing of the application , dozens of gardaí were stationed around the Four Courts to ensure social distancing regulations for court hearings , where limited persons can attend court , were adhered to .
Dozens of supporters of the journalists had attended around the Four Courts complex when the matter was listed before the court .
The applicants had objected to this , and argued that the public had a right to be present in the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected by the court , which said that as the proceedings were being covered by the media , the hearing was being held in public .
The State , and lawyers acting for the Dáil , Seanad and the Ceann Comhairle who were notice parties to the proceedings , had argued during a two-day leaving hearing that permission should not be granted .
Ms O ’ Doherty and Mr Waters , who represented themselves , challenged legislation including the 2020 Health Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Interest Act Covid-19 Act ; the 1947 Health Act ( Affected Areas ) Order .
Their proceedings were also aimed at striking down temporary restriction regulations brought due to Covid-19 under the 1947 Health Act .
They claimed the laws , and the manner in which they were enacted , are repugnant to several articles of the constitution including rights to travel , bodily integrity and the family .
The laws , they had argued , amount to “ an unprecedented ” suspension of constitutional rights .
Opposing the leave application Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BL for the State , argued the application was “ doomed ” on several grounds including that it was procedurally flawed .
There was a failure to put expert evidence supporting their challenge before the court , and they lacked the legal standing to bring the case to a full hearing , as they had not set out how the regulations challenged personally affects them , the State also claimed .
Francis Kieran BL for the notice parties described the challenge as “ a full frontal attack ” on articles of the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Counsel said the courts should not interfere with decisions made by the Houses in relation to the laws brought about by Covid-19 , and that leave should not be granted as the matters raised can not be decided on by a court of law .
Counsel also rejected the applicants claims that the laws were flawed because they had were enacted by an incoming Dáil and an an outgoing Seanad , or that the had been advanced by a caretaker government .
Mr Waters argued the laws were so draconian that they amounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court interfere with a decision of the legislature .
During the court of her submissions Ms O ’ Doherty , who said that the action was being brought “ on behalf of the people of Ireland , ” described the situation as like living under “ martial law ” and described the actions of the Government as something “ like a coup.
” During the proceeding she said the people of Ireland were under mass house arrested , and compared conditions under the lockdown as akin to being in “ Nazi Germany.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court at a later date .

John Waters (right) and Gemma O’Doherty arrive at the High Court in Dublin on May 6th, 2020. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire
The High Court has dismissed John Waters and Gemma O'Doherty's legal challenge against laws introduced by the State due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Justice Charles Meenan, in dismissing their application for leave to bring their challenge, said they had not provided the court with any expert evidence or facts to support the view that the laws challenged by the applicants were disproportionate or unconstitutional.
The laws brought in by the State to help deal with the pandemic, he said in his judgement, are “constitutionally permissible”.
The judge said the applicants, who have “no medical or scientific qualifications or expertise, relied on their own unsubstantiated views, gave speeches, engaged in empty rhetoric and sought to draw parallel to Nazi Germany which is both absurd and offensive”.
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“Unsubstantiated opinions, speeches, empty rhetoric and a bogus historical parallel are not a substitute for facts,” he said.
In judicial review proceedings against the State and the Minister for Health the applicants sought to have various pieces of recently enacted legislation, which they say are unconstitutional and flawed, quashed by a judge of the High Court.
They also wanted the court to make a declaration that the legislation challenged was unconstitutional.
Opposing the leave application Patrick McCann SC, appearing with Gerard Meehan BL, for the state argued the application was “doomed”.
Francis Kieran BL for the Dáil, the Seanad and the Ceann Comhairle, which were notice parties to the action, also opposed the application and described the challenge as “a full frontal attack” on articles of the Constitution associated with the separation of powers.
Ruling on whether they were entitled to leave or permission of the court to bring their case to a full hearing, on Wednesday, Mr Justice Meenan said the applicant’s claims were not arguable and the court could not grant them permission to have their challenge determined at a full hearing of the High Court.
The judge said that while the laws have interfered with everyone’s lives, he did not accept the applicants’ claim that the legislation was in breach of various articles of the Constitution concerning the family and social policy rights and the right to freedom of movement.
Agreeing with the State’s arguments, the judge said to make out an arguable claim that the limitations and restrictions were disproportionate, the applicants needed to put evidence in a sworn statement supporting their views.
There was “a complete failure” by the applicants to do that, the judge said.
While they had questioned the accuracy of the official figures of those in Ireland who have died and contracted the virus and called the science behind those numbers fraudulent the judge said they had not identified any expert evidence to support their views.
This, the judge said, contrasted with the evidence from the Department of Health setting out in detail the background and reasons for the legislation.
The judge said that while the applicants did have the legal standing to challenge the constitutionality of some of the laws the case should not have been brought by way of judicial review.
Evidence
It should have been taken by way of plenary hearing which would have involved the hearing of oral evidence.
In his judgment, the judge said he agreed with submissions made on behalf of the notice parties in regards to how the laws were voted on and passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas. The manner in which the Houses dealt with the laws, which the judge said is not something a court could interfere with, formed part of the applicants’ challenge.
The laws in question had been brought in by a caretaker government, and voted on by an incoming Dáil and an outgoing Seanad.
However for a court to embark on the hearing of the complaints raised by the applicants, the judge said, would amount to a clear breach of the separation of powers.
There was no question but the Dáil and Seanad that considered and passed the laws were validly constituted, and that the Constitution allows for a caretaker government to remain in place till a new government is formed.
In regards to this aspect of the case the judge said the applicants had failed to establish an arguable case, to a degree that their claim was “unstateable”.
The decision was delivered electronically to the parties.
During the course of the hearing the applicants indicated they would appeal to he Court of Appeal if they were not granted leave.
During the hearing of the application, dozens of gardaí were stationed around the Four Courts to ensure social distancing regulations for court hearings, where limited persons can attend court, were adhered to.
Dozens of supporters of the journalists had attended around the Four Courts complex when the matter was listed before the court. The applicants had objected to this and argued that the public had a right to be present in the court during the hearing.
That argument was rejected by the judge, who said that as the proceedings were being covered by members of the media, the hearing was being held in public.
Ms O’Doherty and Mr Waters, who represented themselves, challenged legislation including the 2020 Health Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act; the 2020 Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act Covid-19 Act; the 1947 Health Act (Affected Areas) Order.
Their proceedings were also aimed at striking down temporary restriction regulations brought due to Covid-19 under the 1947 Health Act.
They claimed the laws and the manner in which they were enacted are repugnant to several articles of the Constitution including rights to travel, bodily integrity and the family.
The laws, they had argued, amount to “an unprecedented” suspension of constitutional rights.
The case will be mentioned before the court at a later date.


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Mother and daughter die in road crash in Co Antrim

A woman and child have died in a road crash in Co Antrim .
It is understood those killed in @ @ @ @ @ a mother and her daughter .
Another child was injured in the collision on the @ @ @ @ @ hospital in Belfast .
It is understood the collision involved a tractor and quad bike @ @ @ @ @ Service said it received an emergency call at 4.46pm on Tuesday afternoon .
It despatched @ @ @ @ @ three emergency crews , one doctor and two ambulance officers to the incident .
The @ @ @ @ @ also involved in the response .
North Antrim MLA Jim Allister said : “ Reports @ @ @ @ @ fatality in a traffic accident in the north of my constituency are distressing .
“ @ @ @ @ @ it is clear a local family has been plunged into deep mourning.
” -PA

The PSNI and Coastguard helicopter were also involved in the response. File photograph: EPA
A woman and child have died in a road crash in Co Antrim.
It is understood those killed in the collision in Ballycastle were a mother and her daughter.
Another child was injured in the collision on the Whitepark Road and airlifted to hospital in Belfast.
It is understood the collision involved a tractor and quad bike.
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The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it received an emergency call at 4.46pm on Tuesday afternoon.
It despatched two rapid response paramedics, three emergency crews, one doctor and two ambulance officers to the incident.
The PSNI and Coastguard helicopter were also involved in the response.
North Antrim MLA Jim Allister said: “Reports tonight of a double family fatality in a traffic accident in the north of my constituency are distressing.
“While further details are awaited it is clear a local family has been plunged into deep mourning.”-PA


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Union says replace Metrolink and BusConnects with cheaper alternatives

Transport workers want the planned multibillion euro Dublin Metro and the BusConnects plan to be scrapped , and to be replaced by a number of lower-cost alternative projects due to Covid-19 .
In a letter to the leaders of the main political parties the National Bus and Rail Union ( NBRU ) said in the new Covid world planning for future transport needs should be based on what was achievable and not on what was desired .
The union said there would have to be many changes to public transport , particularly at peak times , to accommodate passenger numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply can not return to a scenario in which capacity was overstretched .
Kick-starting the economy will require lateral thinking and the introduction of measures and actions that will both alleviate the pressure on transport and obviate the requirement for large sectors of the workforce to use public transport in the short to medium term.
” The NBRU suggested that the opening hours of schools and colleges could be staggered .
It said primary schools could start at their regular times , secondary schools an hour later and colleges an hour after that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the workplace could be restructured , and new financial incentives for working from home could be put in place .
The NBRU said the country should look at how available resources could be used to develop a number of different public transport projects rather than place all the money “ roulette- style ” on big ticket projects such as the the €4 billion to €5 billion Metrolink in Dublin and the € 2 billion BusConnects programme .
“ This type of investment – if still attainable – should perhaps be looked at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could get for our buck if we looked at [ alternatives ] .
” The union suggested these could include a DART line spur to Dublin airport , bus rapid transit systems to Swords , Finglas and Glasnevin in Dublin as well as in Cork , Limerick and Galway , the reopening of the Navan rail line , completion of the Western Rail corridor and development of a tunnel between Connolly and Heuston stations and the provision of cycling and walking space in cities .
NBRU general secretary Dermot O ’ Leary said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers was that “ a return to pre-virus practices will result in buses and trains becoming incubators for this virus or other such viruses that may follow ” .

The NBRU says there will have to be many changes to public transport, particularly at peak times, to accommodate passenger numbers within social distancing rules. Photograph: Getty Images
Transport workers want the planned multibillion euro Dublin Metro and the BusConnects plan to be scrapped, and to be replaced by a number of lower-cost alternative projects due to Covid-19.
In a letter to the leaders of the main political parties the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) said in the new Covid world planning for future transport needs should be based on what was achievable and not on what was desired.
The union said there would have to be many changes to public transport, particularly at peak times, to accommodate passenger numbers within social distancing rules.
“We simply cannot return to a scenario in which capacity was overstretched. Kick-starting the economy will require lateral thinking and the introduction of measures and actions that will both alleviate the pressure on transport and obviate the requirement for large sectors of the workforce to use public transport in the short to medium term.”
READ MORE
The NBRU suggested that the opening hours of schools and colleges could be staggered. It said primary schools could start at their regular times, secondary schools an hour later and colleges an hour after that.
It also suggested that starting times in the workplace could be restructured, and new financial incentives for working from home could be put in place.
The NBRU said the country should look at how available resources could be used to develop a number of different public transport projects rather than place all the money “roulette- style” on big ticket projects such as the the €4 billion to €5 billion Metrolink in Dublin and the € 2 billion BusConnects programme.
Investment
“This type of investment – if still attainable – should perhaps be looked at through the prism of what bang we could get for our buck if we looked at [alternatives].”
The union suggested these could include a DART line spur to Dublin airport, bus rapid transit systems to Swords, Finglas and Glasnevin in Dublin as well as in Cork, Limerick and Galway, the reopening of the Navan rail line, completion of the Western Rail corridor and development of a tunnel between Connolly and Heuston stations and the provision of cycling and walking space in cities.
NBRU general secretary Dermot O’Leary said on Tuesday that the fear of transport workers was that “a return to pre-virus practices will result in buses and trains becoming incubators for this virus or other such viruses that may follow”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--About 12 frontline gardaí contract Covid-19 to date

Only about a dozen rank and file gardaí have been infected with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic , far less than expected by senior management .
However , more than 300 gardaí have been referred for testing to date and have had to self-isolate , including large numbers in Dublin , Westmeath , Meath and Cork .
At times clusters or suspected clusters have led to the temporary closure of entire units .
In Westmeath , 45 gardaí had to self-isolate in March after one member returned from the UK and came into work before being diagnosed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , an entire unit , comprising roughly 15 members , was stood down for 24 hours over fear of an outbreak .
However , despite concerns over the lack of priority testing for gardaí , the force has , so far , escaped the worst of the virus ’ s impact .
Garda Headquarters said it was not releasing official figures for how many members had contracted Covid-19 but that “ there is currently no impact on any services of An Garda Síochána as a result of Covid-19 ” .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which represents 12,000 of the Garda ’ s 15,000 members , said it had received reports of about 12 confirmed cases among rank and file members .
About nine of those gardaí are believed to have contracted the disease in the line of duty .
It is understood a further four or five cases have been reported among higher ranks .
There have been no fatalities among the Garda as a result of the virus .
The figures have come as a pleasant surprise to management who were concerned the virus might severally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , Commissioner Drew Harris took a series of drastic measures to ensure sufficient manpower in the event of a major outbreak , including drafting recruits into service after only five weeks ’ training and delaying the retirement of certain senior members .
Other frontline services have been hit much more severely , including the Irish Prison Service which has seen about five staff , but no prisoners , contract the virus .
This amounts to one infection per 650 staff compared with roughly one per 1,000 in the Garda .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for testing .
Most divisions outside major urban centres have seen 10-15 members requiring testing since the start of the crisis .
Gardaí have been subject to 64 spitting or coughing attacks since the start of the crisis and have used newly sourced spit hoods on a suspected 47 occasions .
Mr Harris has said some individuals are purposely biting the inside of their mouths to draw blood before spitting at gardaí .
The GRA has expressed frustration at the lack of priority testing for its members .
A plan to have gardaí @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by medically trained members had been shelved by management , it said .
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors ( AGSI ) , which represents middle ranking Garda managers , said its 2,500 members felt “ let down ” by senior Garda management over the issue .

Only about a dozen rank and file gardaí have been infected with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, far less than expected by senior management.
However, more than 300 gardaí have been referred for testing to date and have had to self-isolate, including large numbers in Dublin, Westmeath, Meath and Cork.
At times clusters or suspected clusters have led to the temporary closure of entire units. In Westmeath, 45 gardaí had to self-isolate in March after one member returned from the UK and came into work before being diagnosed with the virus.
In Mountjoy Garda Station last week, an entire unit, comprising roughly 15 members, was stood down for 24 hours over fear of an outbreak.
READ MORE
However, despite concerns over the lack of priority testing for gardaí, the force has, so far, escaped the worst of the virus’s impact.
Garda Headquarters said it was not releasing official figures for how many members had contracted Covid-19 but that "there is currently no impact on any services of An Garda Síochána as a result of Covid-19".
The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents 12,000 of the Garda's 15,000 members, said it had received reports of about 12 confirmed cases among rank and file members. About nine of those gardaí are believed to have contracted the disease in the line of duty.
It is understood a further four or five cases have been reported among higher ranks. There have been no fatalities among the Garda as a result of the virus.
Pleasant surprise
The figures have come as a pleasant surprise to management who were concerned the virus might severally deplete operational effectiveness. At the start of the pandemic, Commissioner Drew Harris took a series of drastic measures to ensure sufficient manpower in the event of a major outbreak, including drafting recruits into service after only five weeks' training and delaying the retirement of certain senior members.
Other frontline services have been hit much more severely, including the Irish Prison Service which has seen about five staff, but no prisoners, contract the virus. This amounts to one infection per 650 staff compared with roughly one per 1,000 in the Garda.
More than 300 gardaí have been referred for testing. Most divisions outside major urban centres have seen 10-15 members requiring testing since the start of the crisis.
Gardaí have been subject to 64 spitting or coughing attacks since the start of the crisis and have used newly sourced spit hoods on a suspected 47 occasions. Mr Harris has said some individuals are purposely biting the inside of their mouths to draw blood before spitting at gardaí.
The GRA has expressed frustration at the lack of priority testing for its members. A plan to have gardaí tested at designated centres around the country by medically trained members had been shelved by management, it said.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), which represents middle ranking Garda managers, said its 2,500 members felt “let down” by senior Garda management over the issue.


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Irish mask manufacturing due to start this weekend

Tens of thousands of medical-grade face masks , costing “ cents not euro ” a piece , are expected to be available to the public within weeks from new Irish company measc.ie .
According to Irish entrepreneur Neil Sands , the machinery for this company to produce the masks is due to arrive in Ireland this weekend , with production to get going over the next two weeks .
The masks would be available to buy online and in “ strategic retail locations ” shortly afterwards , he said .
“ We aim to be able to offer reliable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Face masks were “ front and centre ” of the strategy for the return to work and social activity in cities internationally , Mr Sands said , and would be a “ hugely important part ” of the restart programme for Ireland .
Stories of “ price gouging ” in relation to personal protection products such as masks had been prevalent since the start of the pandemic , he said , but with a strong Irish supply chain , rather than relying on importation , costs could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of masks that have been imported from China and are being sold for €20 for a pack of two or four masks .
We will be selling the masks at as close as possible to cost ; that means they will costs cents each not euro.
” Mr Sands , a former Silicon Valley technology executive , describes the company as a “ social enterprise ” designed to “ help Ireland restart as safely as possible ” .
Production of the masks will begin in Mullingar , Co Westmeath , with facilities expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different locations .
“ I ’ d love to have the machine in my home town of Drogheda , ” Mr Sands said .
The masks would be made in “ clean room facilities , to the very highest standards of compliance ” , he said , and while speed was of the essence , the quality of the masks would be paramount .
“ First you crawl , then you walk , then you run .
We don ’ t want to push the machinery too much but we hope to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week.
” The masks will initially be available through the company ’ s website measc.ie in packs of five , 10 or 20 masks , with retail outlets expected to be also used as production scales up , he said .
A pack of 20 should last a month for an individual who is wearing a mask every day going to work , Mr Sands said .

Irish entrepreneur Neil Sands said with a strong Irish supply chain, rather than relying on importation, costs could be kept down.
Tens of thousands of medical-grade face masks, costing "cents not euro" a piece, are expected to be available to the public within weeks from new Irish company measc.ie.
According to Irish entrepreneur Neil Sands, the machinery for this company to produce the masks is due to arrive in Ireland this weekend, with production to get going over the next two weeks. The masks would be available to buy online and in "strategic retail locations" shortly afterwards, he said.
“We aim to be able to offer reliable, medical-grade masks for the lowest possible cost,” he said.
Face masks were “front and centre” of the strategy for the return to work and social activity in cities internationally, Mr Sands said, and would be a “hugely important part” of the restart programme for Ireland.
READ MORE
Stories of “price gouging” in relation to personal protection products such as masks had been prevalent since the start of the pandemic, he said, but with a strong Irish supply chain, rather than relying on importation, costs could be kept down.
"We all know of masks that have been imported from China and are being sold for €20 for a pack of two or four masks. We will be selling the masks at as close as possible to cost; that means they will costs cents each not euro."
Mr Sands, a former Silicon Valley technology executive, describes the company as a “social enterprise” designed to “help Ireland restart as safely as possible”.
Production of the masks will begin in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, with facilities expected to open subsequently in a number of different locations. "I'd love to have the machine in my home town of Drogheda, " Mr Sands said.
The masks would be made in “clean room facilities, to the very highest standards of compliance”, he said, and while speed was of the essence, the quality of the masks would be paramount.
“First you crawl, then you walk, then you run. We don’t want to push the machinery too much but we hope to be producing tens of thousands of masks a week.”
The masks will initially be available through the company’s website measc.ie in packs of five, 10 or 20 masks, with retail outlets expected to be also used as production scales up, he said.
A pack of 20 should last a month for an individual who is wearing a mask every day going to work, Mr Sands said.


theirishtimes--2020-05-12--Technical issues and errors slowing down Covid-19 testing and tracing in Ireland

Ireland ’ s testing and tracing system for Covid-19 has been slowed by a range of technical issues , including data entry errors , a lack of automation and systems that can not interact with each other .
These issues , including the absence of unique patient identifiers and a system for laboratory information management , have pushed the timeframe for testing and tracing beyond expert recommendations .
“ There ’ s no single fundamental issue , ” said Cillian De Gascun , chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group .
He said errors were occurring during manual processes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including missing contact details for GPs or patients .
Hospitals also operate on different computer systems .
“ They don ’ t all talk to each other .
.
.
so that takes time to build into place and make sure it ’ s robust .
We don ’ t have a unique patient identifier yet , we don ’ t have a national laboratory information management system.
” The HSE is hopeful of automating some processes by next Monday , including informing close contacts that they have been in touch with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chief clinical officer at the HSE , said a “ great majority ” of people being referred for testing are swabbed within a day and a half .
The median time between swabbing and contact tracing starting , he said , was at five days and coming down .
More complex cases , such as those involving healthcare workers who would be in contact with a large number of vulnerable people , or people who do not speak English , or in some cases have passed away , were also affecting turnaround @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate when the process will be completed within 72 hours , generally seen by experts as the upper limit by which the process should be completed .
Dr De Gascun said : “ We know we need to get better , but it ’ s a huge improvement on where we were , ” he said .
Last night , a further 107 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed , the lowest number since March 21st , alongside another 24 deaths .
The total death toll is now 1,488 , with 23,242 cases confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a testing and contact tracing system is expected to cost about €500 million .
This is in addition to the €1 billion annual bill for personal protective equipment in the HSE .
Sources said the €500 million includes the cost of swabs for testing individuals and lab analysis .
It is also likely to include costs of IT upgrades .
About 1,000 staff may be needed in the future to carry out tracing .
At present Defence Forces personnel and Revenue Commissioners staff are involved .
Sources said at some stage they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new personnel to come in .
Last Sunday , head of the HSE Paul Reid said a “ future model ” of testing and tracing is needed , beyond the current “ wartime model ” .
The Department of Health said on Tuesday night the HSE ’ s testing plan has been agreed by its board and implementation was under way .
Estimated costs will be subject to review by the Department of Health , the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure , and subsequently submitted to Government for approval .
Elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned that the UK government ’ s decision to exempt visitors from Ireland from a planned 14-day quarantine is a “ serious loophole ” .
The group , chaired by the former chief scientific adviser David King , warned : “ It will be perfectly possible for someone to fly from somewhere where the level of infection is extremely high , such as New York , to Dublin and then change planes to travel to London .
”

Dr Cillian De Gascun, chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group: ‘We know we need to get better, but it’s a huge improvement on where we were.’ Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
Ireland’s testing and tracing system for Covid-19 has been slowed by a range of technical issues, including data entry errors, a lack of automation and systems that cannot interact with each other.
These issues, including the absence of unique patient identifiers and a system for laboratory information management, have pushed the timeframe for testing and tracing beyond expert recommendations.
Health chiefs on Tuesday night defended progress, but promised improvements.
"There's no single fundamental issue," said Cillian De Gascun, chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group. He said errors were occurring during manual processes, while data gaps had also slowed progress, including missing contact details for GPs or patients.
READ MORE
Hospitals also operate on different computer systems.
“They don’t all talk to each other . . . so that takes time to build into place and make sure it’s robust. We don’t have a unique patient identifier yet, we don’t have a national laboratory information management system.”
The HSE is hopeful of automating some processes by next Monday, including informing close contacts that they have been in touch with a confirmed case.
Median time
Dr Colm Henry, chief clinical officer at the HSE, said a "great majority" of people being referred for testing are swabbed within a day and a half. The median time between swabbing and contact tracing starting, he said, was at five days and coming down. More complex cases, such as those involving healthcare workers who would be in contact with a large number of vulnerable people, or people who do not speak English, or in some cases have passed away, were also affecting turnaround times.
A medium-term plan for a testing and contact tracing system is expected to cost about €500 million
However, he could not indicate when the process will be completed within 72 hours, generally seen by experts as the upper limit by which the process should be completed.
Dr De Gascun said: “We know we need to get better, but it’s a huge improvement on where we were,” he said. Last night, a further 107 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed, the lowest number since March 21st, alongside another 24 deaths. The total death toll is now 1,488, with 23,242 cases confirmed.
Elsewhere, a medium-term plan for a testing and contact tracing system is expected to cost about €500 million. This is in addition to the €1 billion annual bill for personal protective equipment in the HSE. Sources said the €500 million includes the cost of swabs for testing individuals and lab analysis. It is also likely to include costs of IT upgrades.
Defence Forces
About 1,000 staff may be needed in the future to carry out tracing. At present Defence Forces personnel and Revenue Commissioners staff are involved. Sources said at some stage they would return to their substantive roles, requiring new personnel to come in.
Last Sunday, head of the HSE Paul Reid said a "future model" of testing and tracing is needed, beyond the current "wartime model". The Department of Health said on Tuesday night the HSE's testing plan has been agreed by its board and implementation was under way.
Estimated costs will be subject to review by the Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure, and subsequently submitted to Government for approval.
Elsewhere, a panel of scientific experts have warned that the UK government's decision to exempt visitors from Ireland from a planned 14-day quarantine is a "serious loophole". The group, chaired by the former chief scientific adviser David King, warned: "It will be perfectly possible for someone to fly from somewhere where the level of infection is extremely high, such as New York, to Dublin and then change planes to travel to London."


theirishtimes--2020-05-12--Warning on future of emergency departments in wake of Covid-19

Emergency departments ( EDs ) in hospitals can not be allowed to become “ reservoirs ” for future outbreaks of Covid-19 due to a lack of investment in infrastructure , doctors have warned .
While EDs are segregated to create a separate pathway for suspected Covid-19 cases , the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has warned that investment is required to enable sufficient levels of future physical distancing .
If that is not done , they have said , there is a real danger of crowded departments becoming a breeding ground for the virus .
“ If it happens it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said a spokesman .
On Tuesday the association called for investment in EDs , a treatment area under less pressure since the outbreak but one they feel could come under particular threat in the future .
While they have said safeguards such as increased space and additional isolation capacity are required to reduce the risks posed by infectious diseases in general and particularly seasonal flu , Covid-19 is now the obvious focus of concern .
The body also said staffing “ must be adequate to compensate for the extra time required in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and taking off personal protective equipment.
” Although EDs have been less busy since the emergence of the coronavirus , the level of admissions to hospital wards has remained more or less the same , said the association .
For now the departments have effectively been cut in two to isolate suspected cases from other hospital patients .
But the association says the virus will be here for some time and its services , much like transport , will have to adapt safely .
Until now , said the spokesman , the normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed tightly in waiting areas and separated only by a curtain once assessed by medical staff .
In recent weeks the number of people waiting on trolleys in public hospitals has fallen dramatically .
But the fear is that this number – a key indicator of stress on the system and physical presence in EDs – could begin to creep back up once relatively normal hospital activity resumes .

Although emergency departments have been less busy since coronavirus emerged, admissions to hospital wards have remained more or less the same. File photograph: The Irish Times
Emergency departments (EDs) in hospitals cannot be allowed to become “reservoirs” for future outbreaks of Covid-19 due to a lack of investment in infrastructure, doctors have warned.
While EDs are segregated to create a separate pathway for suspected Covid-19 cases, the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has warned that investment is required to enable sufficient levels of future physical distancing.
If that is not done, they have said, there is a real danger of crowded departments becoming a breeding ground for the virus.
“If it happens it would spread like a bush fire,” said a spokesman.
READ MORE
On Tuesday the association called for investment in EDs, a treatment area under less pressure since the outbreak but one they feel could come under particular threat in the future.
While they have said safeguards such as increased space and additional isolation capacity are required to reduce the risks posed by infectious diseases in general and particularly seasonal flu, Covid-19 is now the obvious focus of concern.
The body also said staffing “must be adequate to compensate for the extra time required in certain patient encounters in safely putting on and taking off personal protective equipment.”
Are people still tightly packed?
Although EDs have been less busy since the emergence of the coronavirus, the level of admissions to hospital wards has remained more or less the same, said the association.
For now the departments have effectively been cut in two to isolate suspected cases from other hospital patients. But the association says the virus will be here for some time and its services, much like transport, will have to adapt safely.
Until now, said the spokesman, the normal scene in a typical ED is people packed tightly in waiting areas and separated only by a curtain once assessed by medical staff.
In recent weeks the number of people waiting on trolleys in public hospitals has fallen dramatically. But the fear is that this number – a key indicator of stress on the system and physical presence in EDs – could begin to creep back up once relatively normal hospital activity resumes.


theirishtimes--2020-05-12--Can’t wait for that tattoo? How North’s lockdown exit differs from the South's

Everything about the differences between the plans produced in Stormont and Dublin to lift the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 crisis on both sides of the Border comes down to dates .
The Irish Government ’ s plan came 12 days ago .
Stormont ’ s came yesterday .
Dublin favours a five-stage plan , starting on May 18th and continuing on June 8th , June 29th , July 20th and August 10th .
Stormont also favours a five-stage plan , but prefers to act slightly later .
Its first phase starts on May 28th , 10 days later than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prefers not to fix dates now for the rest of its plan .
Here is how each of the phases differ , creating a two-speed approach that could affect people living and working on either side of the Border .
From the off , Northern Ireland is encouraging people unable to work from home to return to their jobs on a phased basis .
The Republic , however , is only permitting a phased return for outdoor workers – construction workers and gardeners , for example – in the first phase .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A return to work for people in the Republic who can not work remotely is not due to occur until the fourth phase on July 20th .
The reopening plans North and South are broadly similar , though cafes and restaurants can reopen earlier in the Republic ( phase three , from June 29th ) whereas they will not reopen until later in the North ( phase five , date unknown ) .
In the North , large outdoor-based retail outlets such as garden centres can open in the first phase .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardware stores and farmers ’ markets can open in this phase .
Other outlets such as homeware stores , opticians , motor and bicycle retail and repair businesses , office product retailers , electrical , IT and phone shops and repairers can also reopen .
Tattoo and piercing will be permitted in the North from the fourth phase , but not until the fifth phase in the Republic .
The North is planning a more detailed phasing-in for the reopening of schools than in the South .
The Government in Dublin is permitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phased basis from the new academic year .
The Belfast government is moving faster , permitting more children to attend school earlier , specially the children of “ key workers ” within an extended definition of that term , from the second phase .
From the third phase , more children of “ priority cohorts ” can return to school on a part-time basis .
From the fourth phase , schools will reopen to accommodate all pupils on a part-time basis with a mixture of in-school and remote teaching .
From the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a full-time basis to “ early years provision ” .
In the South , creches , childminders and pre-schools can reopen from June 29th on a phased basis with social distancing and other requirements ; the North ’ s reopening plan has no details on creches and childcare .
In the North , outdoor spaces and public sports amenities will open from May 28th with walking , running , cycling , some water activities , golf and tennis permitted ( as well as drive-through cinemas ) .
Dublin is more restrictive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permitted in the first phase , but only where social distancing is maintained and the 5km travel limit obeyed .
The North will permit groups of four to six people who are not from the same household to meet outdoors in the first phase of its reopening as long as they maintain social distancing ; the Republic limits this to just four from the first phase on May 18th .
The North has more specific details than the Republic on later phases of reopening : it says that up to 10 people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 30 people gathering outdoors in the third phase and , in the fourth phase , a wider range of gatherings including church services subject to social distancing and other cleaning requirements .
Extended groups can meet in the fifth phase subject to social distancing or “ other suitable mitigations ” .
Northern Ireland is permitting visits to immediate family indoors in its first phase of reopening where social distancing is possible .
People who are cocooning – the Northern Ireland Executive calls this “ shielding ” – are excluded from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to other households until the second phase on June 8th .
From then , in the South up to four people may visit another household for a short period with strict social distancing .
Some indoor activities will open in earlier phases in the North : open-air museums will reopen in the second phase but not until the fourth phase in the South .
The North and the Republic offer limited detail on what is to happen over the phases of reopening on those deemed to be vulnerable to serious illness from Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the South , from the second phase on June 8th , there will be designated hours in supermarkets and other retail outlets to permit the over-70s and medically vulnerable to shop with strict social distancing , the wearing of gloves and , ideally , face masks .
From this date , visits to the homes of over-70s and medically vulnerable will be permitted for a small number of people for a short period of time as long as they wear gloves and face masks , and maintain strict social distancing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar advice but urges older people who are shielding for 12 weeks to contact their Covid-19 community helpline for support .
Funeral services have not been banned in Northern Ireland but government guidance limits attendance to up to 10 people .
This is the same as in the Republic .
In the South , the reopening plan permits slightly larger numbers to attend funerals from the second phase on June 8th whereas no changes are given in the North ’ s reopening plan other than gatherings at church services being permitted from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ drive through ” church services and churches to open for private prayer with appropriate social distancing and the cleaning of shared contact hard surfaces in its first phase .
The Republic is not permitting religious places of worship to open until the fourth phase on July 20th .

Everything about the differences between the plans produced in Stormont and Dublin to lift the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 crisis on both sides of the Border comes down to dates.
The Irish Government’s plan came 12 days ago. Stormont’s came yesterday. Dublin favours a five-stage plan, starting on May 18th and continuing on June 8th, June 29th, July 20th and August 10th.
Stormont also favours a five-stage plan, but prefers to act slightly later. Its first phase starts on May 28th, 10 days later than the Republic. However, it also prefers not to fix dates now for the rest of its plan.
Here is how each of the phases differ, creating a two-speed approach that could affect people living and working on either side of the Border.
READ MORE
Work
From the off, Northern Ireland is encouraging people unable to work from home to return to their jobs on a phased basis. The Republic, however, is only permitting a phased return for outdoor workers – construction workers and gardeners, for example – in the first phase. All workers are encouraged to continue remote working. A return to work for people in the Republic who cannot work remotely is not due to occur until the fourth phase on July 20th.
Retail
The reopening plans North and South are broadly similar, though cafes and restaurants can reopen earlier in the Republic (phase three, from June 29th) whereas they will not reopen until later in the North (phase five, date unknown). In the North, large outdoor-based retail outlets such as garden centres can open in the first phase. In the South, garden centres, hardware stores and farmers' markets can open in this phase. Other outlets such as homeware stores, opticians, motor and bicycle retail and repair businesses, office product retailers, electrical, IT and phone shops and repairers can also reopen. Tattoo and piercing will be permitted in the North from the fourth phase, but not until the fifth phase in the Republic.
Schools
The North is planning a more detailed phasing-in for the reopening of schools than in the South. The Government in Dublin is permitting schools and third-level institutions to reopen on a phased basis from the new academic year. The Belfast government is moving faster, permitting more children to attend school earlier, specially the children of “key workers” within an extended definition of that term, from the second phase. From the third phase, more children of “priority cohorts” can return to school on a part-time basis. From the fourth phase, schools will reopen to accommodate all pupils on a part-time basis with a mixture of in-school and remote teaching. From the fifth phase, schools will be reopened on a full-time basis to “early years provision”. In the South, creches, childminders and pre-schools can reopen from June 29th on a phased basis with social distancing and other requirements; the North’s reopening plan has no details on creches and childcare.
Exercise
In the North, outdoor spaces and public sports amenities will open from May 28th with walking, running, cycling, some water activities, golf and tennis permitted (as well as drive-through cinemas). Dublin is more restrictive, with sports such as tennis and golf permitted in the first phase, but only where social distancing is maintained and the 5km travel limit obeyed.
Groups of people meeting outdoors
The North will permit groups of four to six people who are not from the same household to meet outdoors in the first phase of its reopening as long as they maintain social distancing; the Republic limits this to just four from the first phase on May 18th. The North has more specific details than the Republic on later phases of reopening: it says that up to 10 people can meet outdoors in the second phase, up to 30 people gathering outdoors in the third phase and, in the fourth phase, a wider range of gatherings including church services subject to social distancing and other cleaning requirements. Extended groups can meet in the fifth phase subject to social distancing or “other suitable mitigations”.
Indoor visits and activities
Northern Ireland is permitting visits to immediate family indoors in its first phase of reopening where social distancing is possible. People who are cocooning – the Northern Ireland Executive calls this “shielding” – are excluded from this. The Republic is not permitting visits to other households until the second phase on June 8th. From then, in the South up to four people may visit another household for a short period with strict social distancing. Some indoor activities will open in earlier phases in the North: open-air museums will reopen in the second phase but not until the fourth phase in the South.
People who are cocooning/shielding
The North and the Republic offer limited detail on what is to happen over the phases of reopening on those deemed to be vulnerable to serious illness from Covid-19 infection, the over-70s and medically vulnerable. In the South, from the second phase on June 8th, there will be designated hours in supermarkets and other retail outlets to permit the over-70s and medically vulnerable to shop with strict social distancing, the wearing of gloves and, ideally, face masks. From this date, visits to the homes of over-70s and medically vulnerable will be permitted for a small number of people for a short period of time as long as they wear gloves and face masks, and maintain strict social distancing of two metres. The North offers no similar advice but urges older people who are shielding for 12 weeks to contact their Covid-19 community helpline for support.
Funerals
Funeral services have not been banned in Northern Ireland but government guidance limits attendance to up to 10 people. This is the same as in the Republic. In the South, the reopening plan permits slightly larger numbers to attend funerals from the second phase on June 8th whereas no changes are given in the North’s reopening plan other than gatherings at church services being permitted from the fourth phase.
Church services
Northern Ireland is permitting “drive through” church services and churches to open for private prayer with appropriate social distancing and the cleaning of shared contact hard surfaces in its first phase. The Republic is not permitting religious places of worship to open until the fourth phase on July 20th.


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--HSE ‘quite keen’ to reopen nursing homes safely to visitors

Reopening nursing homes to visitors so elderly residents can see their loved ones would “ very desirable ” as society reopens from the Covid-19 pandemic , a public official has said .
Dr Siobhán Kennelly , the HSE ’ s national clinical adviser for older persons , said the State ’ s public health officials were “ quite keen ” for the health of nursing home residents and staff – and the relatives of the residents – that nursing homes reopen to visitors “ in a safe and controlled way ” .
She noted that nursing homes have been trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in reconnecting elderly nursing homes residents and their loved by permitting them to talk through windows .
Dr Kennelly said that “ clinically ” it would be “ very desirable ” for nursing homes to reopen and that it was “ really critical ” that nursing home residents get to see their loved ones again .
The nursing homes regulator Hiqa has urged the Government and public health officials to begin discussions on a plan to permit visitors into nursing homes safely and with restrictions .
Nursing homes have been closed to visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age group most vulnerable to the disease and the people who have borne the brunt of the virus .
There were 10 new deaths and 159 new cases reported by the Department of Health on Wednesday , bringing the overall death toll to 1,497 and the number of confirmed cases in the Republic to 23,401 .
Two more people died in Northern Ireland from Covid-19 bringing the death toll in the North so far to 449 .
An additional 60 people tested positive , leaving the number of confirmed cases in Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in residential care facilities and nursing homes account for 63 per cent of those who had died in the Republic .
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin raised the prospect on Wednesday of carrying out an inquiry into how nursing homes had been affected .
However , he said it should be done with a view to “ learning lessons ” rather than making people afraid to do their jobs during potential future crises .
People had tough choices to make in the “ middle of a crisis ” , Mr Martin told Virgin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis in 10 year ’ s time or five year ’ s time of another kind , you don ’ t want people looking over their shoulders all the time saying : ‘ I am watching for the inquiry to make sure I do nothing wrong ’ .
But nonetheless we have to evaluate that aspect of and other aspects of it : PPE ( personal protective equipment ) , testing and contract tracing .
We are not where we should be in relation to that.
” The State ’ s chief medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that should public restrictions start to be lifted from Monday that it would lead people to go beyond further planned easing of restrictions .
He said that he would be concerned if people “ start to have the barbecues and the parties and visiting each other ’ s houses ” which public health officials would not be recommending .
“ We have to be ready to catch that if that happens , ” he said .
Dr Tony Holohan also said the State would have to find a way to live with this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge of this virus to vulnerable groups “ is not going away ” , he said , so the State would have to “ manage to minimise its impact on nursing homes and other settings on vulnerable people in the community.
“ “ We are going to have to try to find ways of learning everything so far protect that sector into the future , ” he said .
Dr Holohan said that of 23,089 Covid-19 cases last Sunday , some 17,877 people , or 77.4 per cent , had recovered in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent had left hospital , giving an overall recovery rate of 84.3 per cent - up from a reported figure of 70 per cent two weeks .
There were 64 patients with Covid-19 in intensive care units , an ICU figure last seen back in March , reflecting a level of success in tackling the virus .
Further information was provided on the underlying health conditions of people infected with the coronavirus disease were admitted to intensive care units and who had died .
Out of 15,450 cases assessed , 47 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 per cent had one underlying illness , 12 per cent had two , 6 per cent had three and 3 per cent had four or more .
Figures shows that 40.5 per cent of the people who died , or 40.5 per cent of fatalities in the sample had chronic heart disease , 29.5 per cent had chronic neurological conditions , 16.5 per cent had chronic respiratory disease , 13.3 per cent had diabetes and 12.8 per cent had cancer .
Of Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care , 48.5 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent had respiratory disease , 23 per cent had diabetes and 16.2 per cent had severe obesity .

Dr Siobhán Kennelly, the HSE’s national clinical adviser for older persons, said the State’s public health officials were “quite keen” for the health of nursing home residents and staff – and the relatives of the residents – that nursing homes reopen to visitors “in a safe and controlled way”. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
Reopening nursing homes to visitors so elderly residents can see their loved ones would “very desirable” as society reopens from the Covid-19 pandemic, a public official has said.
Dr Siobhán Kennelly, the HSE’s national clinical adviser for older persons, said the State’s public health officials were “quite keen” for the health of nursing home residents and staff – and the relatives of the residents – that nursing homes reopen to visitors “in a safe and controlled way”.
She noted that nursing homes have been trying “to do their own work” in reconnecting elderly nursing homes residents and their loved by permitting them to talk through windows.
Dr Kennelly said that “clinically” it would be “very desirable” for nursing homes to reopen and that it was “really critical” that nursing home residents get to see their loved ones again.
READ MORE
The nursing homes regulator Hiqa has urged the Government and public health officials to begin discussions on a plan to permit visitors into nursing homes safely and with restrictions.
Most vulnerable
Nursing homes have been closed to visitors since March in an attempt to protect the age group most vulnerable to the disease and the people who have borne the brunt of the virus.
There were 10 new deaths and 159 new cases reported by the Department of Health on Wednesday, bringing the overall death toll to 1,497 and the number of confirmed cases in the Republic to 23,401.
Two more people died in Northern Ireland from Covid-19 bringing the death toll in the North so far to 449. An additional 60 people tested positive, leaving the number of confirmed cases in Northern Ireland at 4,253.
Elderly people living in residential care facilities and nursing homes account for 63 per cent of those who had died in the Republic.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin raised the prospect on Wednesday of carrying out an inquiry into how nursing homes had been affected. However, he said it should be done with a view to “learning lessons” rather than making people afraid to do their jobs during potential future crises.
‘Tough choices’
People had tough choices to make in the “middle of a crisis”, Mr Martin told Virgin Media television
“If there is a crisis in 10 year’s time or five year’s time of another kind, you don’t want people looking over their shoulders all the time saying: ‘I am watching for the inquiry to make sure I do nothing wrong’. But nonetheless we have to evaluate that aspect of and other aspects of it: PPE (personal protective equipment), testing and contract tracing. We are not where we should be in relation to that.”
The State’s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he hoped that should public restrictions start to be lifted from Monday that it would lead people to go beyond further planned easing of restrictions.
He said that he would be concerned if people “start to have the barbecues and the parties and visiting each other’s houses” which public health officials would not be recommending.
“We have to be ready to catch that if that happens,” he said.
Dr Tony Holohan also said the State would have to find a way to live with this virus for quite some time.
‘Minimise its impact’
The challenge of this virus to vulnerable groups “is not going away”, he said, so the State would have to “manage to minimise its impact on nursing homes and other settings on vulnerable people in the community.“
“We are going to have to try to find ways of learning everything so far protect that sector into the future,” he said.
Dr Holohan said that of 23,089 Covid-19 cases last Sunday, some 17,877 people, or 77.4 per cent, had recovered in the community and 1,593 people, or 6.9 per cent had left hospital, giving an overall recovery rate of 84.3 per cent - up from a reported figure of 70 per cent two weeks.
There were 64 patients with Covid-19 in intensive care units, an ICU figure last seen back in March, reflecting a level of success in tackling the virus.
Further information was provided on the underlying health conditions of people infected with the coronavirus disease were admitted to intensive care units and who had died.
Out of 15,450 cases assessed, 47 per cent did not have underlying illness, 24 per cent had one underlying illness, 12 per cent had two, 6 per cent had three and 3 per cent had four or more.
Figures shows that 40.5 per cent of the people who died, or 40.5 per cent of fatalities in the sample had chronic heart disease, 29.5 per cent had chronic neurological conditions, 16.5 per cent had chronic respiratory disease, 13.3 per cent had diabetes and 12.8 per cent had cancer.
Of Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care, 48.5 per cent had chronic heart disease, 24 per cent had respiratory disease, 23 per cent had diabetes and 16.2 per cent had severe obesity.