theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Family of Irishman who fell to death in Australia call for candles to be lit in tribute

The family of a young Irishman who fell to his death trying to escape a trio of armed men in Australia have asked for candles to be lit for their “ hero ” .
Cian English , 19 , originally from Carlow town but who was living with his family in Hawthorne in Brisbane ’ s eastern suburbs , suffered traumatic injuries when he fell from a balcony at the View Pacific resort in Surfers Paradise at about 3.15am last Saturday .
Three men have been charged with his murder , along with two charges of armed robbery and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gold Coast about 74km away from Brisbane .
Jason Ryan Knowles , 22 , Hayden Paul Kratzmann , 20 , and Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas , 18 , have been remanded in custody and were not required to appear in court on Monday .
Their cases have been adjourned for mention on August 4th .
The three were remanded in custody .
In a statement issued on behalf of the teenager ’ s family by Brisbane police , the family said they are “ deeply ” appreciative of all the support they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Join us in lighting a candle on Thursday night in loving memory of our hero Cian and feel free to share your messages of support and love .
Our family are deeply touched by the outpouring of support and the many kind messages from friends and family around the world , ” “ Our sincere thanks also go to the Queensland Police Service for their tireless efforts and everyone who has respected our family ’ s wish for privacy at this difficult time .
“ With current restrictions in place many people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their respects to Cian , so we invite people to light a candle this Thursday night in memory of our hero Cian , so we can all be stronger together.
” The family has asked those who light a candle to share their tribute online using the hashtags # candleforcian # bestrongertogether .
Mr English ’ s parents Vinnie and Siobhan , who both are originally from Carlow town and his older brother Dylan , 26 , are being comforted by friends and family members .
The family left Ireland 15 years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s father worked for Digicel , and then settled in Brisbane in 2011 .
A postmortem examination has been carried out on Mr English ’ s body .
Once his remains are released by the police authorities , a funeral for Mr English can be organised .
The trio , who allegedly used drugs together , are believed to have invited Mr English and a friend to an apartment in the same accommodation block they were staying in .
The party turned sour and the three accused men threatened Mr English and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones , clothing and footwear .
Police have said a girl who tagged along with accused men is believed to have filmed the alleged assault and authorities are investigating if the alleged murder is linked to break-ins at Gold Coast chemists .

The family of a young Irishman who fell to his death trying to escape a trio of armed men in Australia have asked for candles to be lit for their "hero".
Cian English, 19, originally from Carlow town but who was living with his family in Hawthorne in Brisbane's eastern suburbs, suffered traumatic injuries when he fell from a balcony at the View Pacific resort in Surfers Paradise at about 3.15am last Saturday.
Three men have been charged with his murder, along with two charges of armed robbery and two counts of deprivation of liberty, on the Gold Coast about 74km away from Brisbane.
Jason Ryan Knowles, 22, Hayden Paul Kratzmann, 20, and Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas, 18, have been remanded in custody and were not required to appear in court on Monday. Their cases have been adjourned for mention on August 4th. The three were remanded in custody.
READ MORE
In a statement issued on behalf of the teenager’s family by Brisbane police, the family said they are “deeply” appreciative of all the support they have received.
The statement said: “Join us in lighting a candle on Thursday night in loving memory of our hero Cian and feel free to share your messages of support and love. Our family are deeply touched by the outpouring of support and the many kind messages from friends and family around the world,”
"Our sincere thanks also go to the Queensland Police Service for their tireless efforts and everyone who has respected our family's wish for privacy at this difficult time.
“With current restrictions in place many people have not been able to travel to pay their respects to Cian, so we invite people to light a candle this Thursday night in memory of our hero Cian, so we can all be stronger together.”
Hashtags
The family has asked those who light a candle to share their tribute online using the hashtags #candleforcian #bestrongertogether.
Mr English's parents Vinnie and Siobhan, who both are originally from Carlow town and his older brother Dylan, 26, are being comforted by friends and family members. The family left Ireland 15 years ago, first to the Caribbean where Cian's father worked for Digicel, and then settled in Brisbane in 2011.
A postmortem examination has been carried out on Mr English’s body. Once his remains are released by the police authorities, a funeral for Mr English can be organised.
The trio, who allegedly used drugs together, are believed to have invited Mr English and a friend to an apartment in the same accommodation block they were staying in.
The party turned sour and the three accused men threatened Mr English and a male friend at knife point wanting phones, clothing and footwear.
Police have said a girl who tagged along with accused men is believed to have filmed the alleged assault and authorities are investigating if the alleged murder is linked to break-ins at Gold Coast chemists.


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Motorcyclist killed in collision with tractor in Co Mayo

A motorcyclist has been pronounced dead following a collision with a tractor in Co Mayo on Tuesday evening .
The @ @ @ @ @ road between Mulranny and Newport at 8.30pm .
The driver of the motorcycle , a @ @ @ @ @ , was pronounced at the scene .
The operator of the tractor escaped without injury @ @ @ @ @ s body has been removed to the morgue at Mayo General Hospital .
Garda forensic @ @ @ @ @ the scene .
A spokesman said gardaí “ are appealing to any witnesses or any @ @ @ @ @ who may have camera footage ( dashcam footage ) to contact Newport Gardaí on 098 @ @ @ @ @ Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station .
”

The collision occurred on the N59 road between Mulranny and Newport at 8.30pm on Tuesday. Image: Google Maps
A motorcyclist has been pronounced dead following a collision with a tractor in Co Mayo on Tuesday evening.
The collision occurred on the N59 road between Mulranny and Newport at 8.30pm. The driver of the motorcycle, a man aged in his 30s, was pronounced at the scene. The operator of the tractor escaped without injury.
The dead man’s body has been removed to the morgue at Mayo General Hospital. Garda forensic crash scene investigators remain at the scene.
A spokesman said gardaí “are appealing to any witnesses or any road users in the area who may have camera footage (dashcam footage) to contact Newport Gardaí on 098 41102, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Coronavirus: Ictu warns against sudden withdrawal of pandemic supports

Trade unions have said there should be a new deal for workers and society in the post-coronavirus world including greater investment in health , housing , education and social supports funded by increased taxation and additional employer contributions .
In addition they said there could be no cliff edge removal of income supports for hundreds of thousands of workers laid off as a result of the coronavirus , also known as Covid-19 , pandemic .
And while the deficit in the public finances would increase sharply , cutbacks would be wholly unacceptable in their view .
In a new policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Ictu ) also said central banks should act as lenders of last resort to assist governments .
It said there should be “ a medium-term expansion of employer social security contributions , as well as increased taxation of wealth , passive income and environmentally damaging activities.
” Ictu said there could be “ no going back ” to the economic and social situation that existed prior to the current crisis .
Trade unions said the recovery “ should occur as a gradual and phased unfreezing , alongside a parallel phasing out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Central Banks will need to make ‘ whatever it takes ’ commitments to ensure that Governments are able to continue to act as income and liquidity sources of last resort .
We must also recognise the scale of debts incurred by many households and businesses over this period and recognise the need for appropriate debt relief.
” Unions said Government stimulus “ should principally focus on addressing the housing emergency and the transition to a zero carbon future ” .
There should be a legal right to an adequate affordable home and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trade unions said there should be strengthened social supports as well as the establishment of a universal public healthcare system , free at the point of use funded by taxation .
They called for new laws to allow them to represent workers as well as an end to bogus self-employment and precarious work practices .
Unions also sought increased investment in education at all levels as well as reduced class sizes and a fully funded plan to meet increased future education demand .
ICTU said new taxes “ could fund the expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributions from employers in the form of social contributions and/or payroll taxes ; - greater taxation of assets and property , including financial property ( eg a net wealth tax and a higher property tax ) ; - greater taxation of passive income such as inheritances and gifts , as well as rental income ; - a comprehensive review of all existing tax expenditures with a view to possible abolition ; and Ictu general secretary Patricia King said : “ The response to this crisis has to be different this time .
Austerity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We believe that the length and depth of the recession will be determined , at least in part , by the policies we choose and values that guide us ” .

Trade unions have said there should be a new deal for workers and society in the post-coronavirus world including greater investment in health, housing, education and social supports funded by increased taxation and additional employer contributions.
In addition they said there could be no cliff edge removal of income supports for hundreds of thousands of workers laid off as a result of the coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, pandemic. And while the deficit in the public finances would increase sharply, cutbacks would be wholly unacceptable in their view.
In a new policy document the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) also said central banks should act as lenders of last resort to assist governments.
It said there should be “a medium-term expansion of employer social security contributions, as well as increased taxation of wealth, passive income and environmentally damaging activities.”
READ MORE
Ictu said there could be “no going back” to the economic and social situation that existed prior to the current crisis.
Trade unions said the recovery “should occur as a gradual and phased unfreezing, alongside a parallel phasing out of Government income and liquidity supports”.
“Central Banks will need to make ‘whatever it takes’ commitments to ensure that Governments are able to continue to act as income and liquidity sources of last resort. We must also recognise the scale of debts incurred by many households and businesses over this period and recognise the need for appropriate debt relief.”
Unions said Government stimulus “should principally focus on addressing the housing emergency and the transition to a zero carbon future”.
There should be a legal right to an adequate affordable home and a major housebuilding programme, they added.
Trade unions said there should be strengthened social supports as well as the establishment of a universal public healthcare system, free at the point of use funded by taxation.
They called for new laws to allow them to represent workers as well as an end to bogus self-employment and precarious work practices.
Unions also sought increased investment in education at all levels as well as reduced class sizes and a fully funded plan to meet increased future education demand.
ICTU said new taxes “could fund the expanded social State we need”
It proposed:
- greater contributions from employers in the form of social contributions and/or payroll taxes;
- greater taxation of assets and property, including financial property (eg a net wealth tax and a higher property tax);
- greater taxation of passive income such as inheritances and gifts, as well as rental income;
- a comprehensive review of all existing tax expenditures with a view to possible abolition; and
- greater taxation of environmentally damaging activities.
Ictu general secretary Patricia King said: " The response to this crisis has to be different this time. Austerity is neither socially acceptable nor economically necessary. We believe that the length and depth of the recession will be determined, at least in part, by the policies we choose and values that guide us".


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Coronavirus: Face masks should be ‘obligatory’, says Government adviser

A Government adviser has expressed his frustration that Ireland is not taking an “ easy win ” in the battle against Covid-19 by making face masks mandatory .
Damien Nee , who represents patients on the Expert Advisory Group to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) , said wearing masks was key to combating the pandemic in other countries .
“ I am speaking out of frustration that easy wins are not being taken .
That anybody who wants one can wear one and they should be obligatory , especially going into any food shop , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not rise up rapidly again , ” he said in an interview on RTÉ ’ s Prime Time on Tuesday .
“ When I look at all the wise countries that have coped well it ’ s a core element .
It ’ s central to their successfully coping with the growth of coronavirus.
” He said as far as he was aware there was no shortage in supply of medical grade masks .
The Department of Health told Prime Time that such masks are vital for healthcare workers and are not intended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organisation ( WHO ) has said they are not necessary for people who have no symptoms and that they can give a false sense of security .
Responding on the same programme , Minister for Health Simon Harris said there was varying expert opinion on the subject .
“ We have given very clear public health guidance that if you are using public transport or if you ’ re in an indoor space , particularly a space where you can ’ t socially distance , you should wear a face covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an additional hygiene measure , it ’ s not a magic shield.
” It was the same language used by the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan at the NPHET briefing earlier on Tuesday .
He has advised the Government against mandatory use .
Much of the voluntary adoption of masks by members of the public might not conform to safe and appropriate use , he explained .
“ It is really important that people [ see ] the wearing of a face covering as an additional hygiene measure and that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not used properly they can actually increase the risk of transmission if you ’ re handling it inappropriately , ” he said .
“ And we are also concerned about the fact that use of face coverings may be seen as some kind of ... magic shield that will protect people in all circumstances and allow them to disregard all the other important parts of public health advice .
”

A Government adviser has expressed his frustration that Ireland is not taking an "easy win" in the battle against Covid-19 by making face masks mandatory.
Damien Nee, who represents patients on the Expert Advisory Group to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), said wearing masks was key to combating the pandemic in other countries.
“I am speaking out of frustration that easy wins are not being taken. That anybody who wants one can wear one and they should be obligatory, especially going into any food shop, because that will ensure that the pandemic does not rise up rapidly again,” he said in an interview on RTÉ’s Prime Time on Tuesday.
“When I look at all the wise countries that have coped well it’s a core element. It’s central to their successfully coping with the growth of coronavirus.”
READ MORE
He said as far as he was aware there was no shortage in supply of medical grade masks.
The Department of Health told Prime Time that such masks are vital for healthcare workers and are not intended for the public. Similarly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said they are not necessary for people who have no symptoms and that they can give a false sense of security.
‘Not magic shield’
Responding on the same programme, Minister for Health Simon Harris said there was varying expert opinion on the subject.
“We have given very clear public health guidance that if you are using public transport or if you’re in an indoor space, particularly a space where you can’t socially distance, you should wear a face covering,” he said.
“It is an additional hygiene measure, it’s not a magic shield.”
It was the same language used by the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan at the NPHET briefing earlier on Tuesday. He has advised the Government against mandatory use.
Much of the voluntary adoption of masks by members of the public might not conform to safe and appropriate use, he explained.
“It is really important that people [see] the wearing of a face covering as an additional hygiene measure and that they use them properly ... if they’re not used properly they can actually increase the risk of transmission if you’re handling it inappropriately,” he said.
“And we are also concerned about the fact that use of face coverings may be seen as some kind of ... magic shield that will protect people in all circumstances and allow them to disregard all the other important parts of public health advice.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--‘Light-touch regulation’ raises its head again with regard to nursing homes

If any good is to come from the current crisis it should be that we give greater priority to the care of older people .
We could start , for example , by getting on with providing statutory care in people ’ s homes so they are not “ forced ” into nursing homes because that is where the financial supports are .
For now , though , we urgently need to find out what went wrong in our nursing homes during the pandemic .
The number of unexplained deaths in these homes so far this year has jumped by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the vast majority are associated with Covid-19 infections .
How many of these residents died needlessly because no one shut the door to stop the virus entering their vulnerable environments ?
Hundreds , arguably , given the inflated share of care home deaths as a proportion of overall Covid-19 deaths in Ireland .
Compare what happened in nursing homes with another high-risk , enclosed setting , prisons , where temperature checks , cocooning of older inmates and quarantining were implemented .
There have been no cases , let alone deaths , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review what happened in nursing homes , but it is not difficult to identify the many causes even now .
The special committee on Covid-19 ’ s hearings on Tuesday shed some further light , but the extent of what one TD called “ pass the parcel ” was depressing .
Nursing Homes Ireland ( NHI ) , whose members are paid hundreds of millions of euro every year to look after older people under the Fair Deal scheme , claimed to have been left “ isolated ” despite a voluminous trails of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health officials .
The emails and letters did at least show the private nursing home owners were sounding the alarm about the approaching tsunami .
But given the scale of the emergency , and their distance from the levers of power , it clearly took too long for their warning to be properly heeded .
HSE officials boasted about the “ unprecedented level of support ” it has provided to nursing homes , but were unable to provide an up-to-date figure for deaths there or a breakdown of deaths between public and private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question as to whether any of these deaths could have been avoided .
They pleaded it was not until late March that scientific research pointed to the specific threat posed by asymptomatic transmission in care homes .
NHI ’ s beef was that it was left out of the committees where all the big decisions were being made .
The interests of older people at the National Public Health Emergency Team were supposed to have been represented by the regulator , the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) , but as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , there was no mention of nursing homes at the first 11 meetings of NPHET , notwithstanding Hiqa ’ s presence at them .
And when the subject was raised at the 12th meeting in mid-March , the context was NPHET ’ s desire to reverse a blanket restriction on visitors that private nursing homes had just imposed .
NPHET was forced to do a U-turn and impose its own visitor restrictions days later as the situation deteriorated .
Meanwhile , we learned that Hiqa has yet to inspect a single nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspectors not wanting to go to Iraq , or radiological experts in full protective gear not visiting the site of a nuclear accident .
It seems to have contented itself in the early days of the crisis by providing the HSE with a list of “ high-risk ” homes , though today it is unable to correlate the performance of these homes with case numbers and deaths in them .
It seemed the right time to bring out the phrase “ light-touch regulation ” , as in our last national crisis .

We learned that Hiqa has yet to inspect a single nursing home with coronavirus cases
If any good is to come from the current crisis it should be that we give greater priority to the care of older people. We could start, for example, by getting on with providing statutory care in people’s homes so they are not “forced” into nursing homes because that is where the financial supports are.
For now, though, we urgently need to find out what went wrong in our nursing homes during the pandemic. The number of unexplained deaths in these homes so far this year has jumped by over 880 compared to last year, and the vast majority are associated with Covid-19 infections.
How many of these residents died needlessly because no one shut the door to stop the virus entering their vulnerable environments?
Hundreds, arguably, given the inflated share of care home deaths as a proportion of overall Covid-19 deaths in Ireland.
READ MORE
Compare what happened in nursing homes with another high-risk, enclosed setting, prisons, where temperature checks, cocooning of older inmates and quarantining were implemented. There have been no cases, let alone deaths, among prisoners.
Experts have been appointed to review what happened in nursing homes, but it is not difficult to identify the many causes even now. The special committee on Covid-19’s hearings on Tuesday shed some further light, but the extent of what one TD called “pass the parcel” was depressing.
‘Isolated’
Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), whose members are paid hundreds of millions of euro every year to look after older people under the Fair Deal scheme, claimed to have been left "isolated" despite a voluminous trails of correspondence with the HSE and Department of Health officials.
The emails and letters did at least show the private nursing home owners were sounding the alarm about the approaching tsunami. But given the scale of the emergency, and their distance from the levers of power, it clearly took too long for their warning to be properly heeded.
HSE officials boasted about the “unprecedented level of support” it has provided to nursing homes, but were unable to provide an up-to-date figure for deaths there or a breakdown of deaths between public and private homes.
Neither did they answer a question as to whether any of these deaths could have been avoided.
They pleaded it was not until late March that scientific research pointed to the specific threat posed by asymptomatic transmission in care homes.
NHI’s beef was that it was left out of the committees where all the big decisions were being made.
The interests of older people at the National Public Health Emergency Team were supposed to have been represented by the regulator, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) , but as Fianna Fáil's Stephen Donnelly pointed out,there was no mention of nursing homes at the first 11 meetings of NPHET, notwithstanding Hiqa's presence at them.
And when the subject was raised at the 12th meeting in mid-March, the context was NPHET’s desire to reverse a blanket restriction on visitors that private nursing homes had just imposed.
NPHET was forced to do a U-turn and impose its own visitor restrictions days later as the situation deteriorated.
‘High-risk’ homes
Meanwhile, we learned that Hiqa has yet to inspect a single nursing home with cases. Imagine UN arms inspectors not wanting to go to Iraq, or radiological experts in full protective gear not visiting the site of a nuclear accident.
It seems to have contented itself in the early days of the crisis by providing the HSE with a list of “high-risk” homes, though today it is unable to correlate the performance of these homes with case numbers and deaths in them.
It seemed the right time to bring out the phrase “light-touch regulation”, as in our last national crisis.


theirishtimes--2020-05-28--Encouraging health behaviours to tackle the pandemic

Your research is on changing health behaviour – a particularly a hot topic due to Covid-19 .
What is your work about ?
All of my research is about developing behavioural science and applying that to improve health outcomes .
We want to encourage behaviours that can help to prevent disease or manage it .
How do you motivate people to change their health behaviours ?
We know people need three things to make any behaviour change – capability , opportunity and motivation .
So to take self-isolation in the pandemic as an example , you have to think about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Do they have the knowledge to identify symptoms and know when they should self-isolate ?
Can they stay home from work , and can they practically stay away from other people in their house ?
You also need to think about how to motivate them , in this case with the message that by staying socially distanced and also isolating if they have symptoms , they are protecting themselves and others and supporting frontline healthcare workers .
What was keeping you busy before the pandemic ?
I am working on a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic disease .
For example , one ongoing project I ’ m working on with my colleague Prof Sean Dinneen in Galway is the D1 Now study .
It looks at how we can keep young people with diabetes engaged with their care and clinics as they transition from child to adult health services .
We have a wonderful panel of young people with diabetes who are part of the research team .
They help us to design interventions suited to their age group , like sending information over social media rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of insight is critical , otherwise what we do won ’ t reach the people who need it .
How has Covid-19 affected your research ?
Because health services and healthcare delivery has been turned upside down by this pandemic , we are adapting and moving a lot of our interventions and research online .
We are also working directly on health behaviours relating to Covid-19 .
One project is iCARE , a survey gathering information from around the world about people ’ s attitudes and behaviours during the pandemic .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gerry Molloy in Galway on the challenges and beliefs around social distancing , and how we can communicate messages to the public to ensure that everyone adheres to social distancing recommendations .
But how can you ensure the research evidence informs behaviours in the pandemic ?
I am part of the behaviour change sub-group that advises the National Public Health Emergency Team .
We look at evidence from behavioural science and advise on how NPHET should communicate its guidelines for Covid-19 , so this is a way that findings from research can quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is obviously a developing situation , so we meet weekly to discuss our research priorities , and we take into account the different phases and the nuances of more complicated messages about behaviour as the restrictions ease .
What keeps you going as a researcher ?
I really love research .
I learn new things every day , and I do it in the hope that it will improve health outcomes .
And finally , how do you take a break ?
I ’ ve always been disciplined about taking breaks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ evenings or over weekends , and I encourage others in my research group to do the same .
It makes me more efficient in work , and then in my “ time off ” I am busy with family , choir and enjoying the magnificence of sea and culture that Galway has to offer.
” More about the iCARE study and how to take part in its surveys can be found here .

Your research is on changing health behaviour – a particularly a hot topic due to Covid-19. What is your work about?
All of my research is about developing behavioural science and applying that to improve health outcomes. We want to encourage behaviours that can help to prevent disease or manage it.
How do you motivate people to change their health behaviours?
We know people need three things to make any behaviour change – capability, opportunity and motivation. So to take self-isolation in the pandemic as an example, you have to think about whether and how people can do that. Do they have the knowledge to identify symptoms and know when they should self-isolate?
READ MORE
Can they stay home from work, and can they practically stay away from other people in their house? You also need to think about how to motivate them, in this case with the message that by staying socially distanced and also isolating if they have symptoms, they are protecting themselves and others and supporting frontline healthcare workers.
What was keeping you busy before the pandemic?
I am working on a number of projects focusing on prevention and managing chronic disease. For example, one ongoing project I'm working on with my colleague Prof Sean Dinneen in Galway is the D1 Now study. It looks at how we can keep young people with diabetes engaged with their care and clinics as they transition from child to adult health services.
We have a wonderful panel of young people with diabetes who are part of the research team. They help us to design interventions suited to their age group, like sending information over social media rather than letters through the post. That kind of insight is critical, otherwise what we do won’t reach the people who need it.
How has Covid-19 affected your research?
Because health services and healthcare delivery has been turned upside down by this pandemic, we are adapting and moving a lot of our interventions and research online. We are also working directly on health behaviours relating to Covid-19.
One project is iCARE, a survey gathering information from around the world about people’s attitudes and behaviours during the pandemic.
I'm also working with my colleague Dr Gerry Molloy in Galway on the challenges and beliefs around social distancing, and how we can communicate messages to the public to ensure that everyone adheres to social distancing recommendations.
But how can you ensure the research evidence informs behaviours in the pandemic?
I am part of the behaviour change sub-group that advises the National Public Health Emergency Team. We look at evidence from behavioural science and advise on how NPHET should communicate its guidelines for Covid-19, so this is a way that findings from research can quickly have an impact on public health.
This is obviously a developing situation, so we meet weekly to discuss our research priorities, and we take into account the different phases and the nuances of more complicated messages about behaviour as the restrictions ease.
What keeps you going as a researcher?
I really love research. I learn new things every day, and I do it in the hope that it will improve health outcomes.
And finally, how do you take a break?
I’ve always been disciplined about taking breaks. I don’t work in the evenings or over weekends, and I encourage others in my research group to do the same. It makes me more efficient in work, and then in my “time off” I am busy with family, choir and enjoying the magnificence of sea and culture that Galway has to offer.”
More about the iCARE study and how to take part in its surveys can be found here.


theirishtimes--2020-05-28--Learning from food history to create a new sustainable future

Dublin has had a long and lively history of local seafood consumption with a huge diversity of seafood on offer through the centuries .
What kinds of seafood we eat and how we eat it has changed over time and our consumption patterns have some fascinating ecological links as well as solutions for a sustainable future .
Our current seafood preferences mean that we eat a lot of predators from the top of the food chain such as muscular , fast-moving large fish like cod or tuna .
One kilogram of cod is produced by the cod eating many small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right down to the eggs and juvenile stages of shellfish and crustaceans like mussels and crabs which themselves eat tiny plants called phytoplankton at the bottom of the food chain .
Mussels and oysters are filter-feeders which means they pump seawater through their bodies , intercepting tasty bits of plant and animal plankton and pump the waste water out of their bodies .
While the kilo of cod is being produced by this long chain of organisms a lot of energy is lost from the system .
It might take hundreds of kilograms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to produce 1kg of cod .
In ecology the different levels of the food chain are called trophic levels with predators at the top and plants that capture energy from the sun at the bottom .
If you stack the mass of organisms at each of these levels on top of each other they form a pyramid with very few predators at the top relying on a large base of plants at the bottom with the herbivores or vegetarians in between .
By choosing to eat the tastiest parts of the top predators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much larger portion of the ocean ’ s resources than if we ate species of lower trophic levels like shellfish and crustaceans .
A more sustainable choice would be to go back to our cultural roots , widen our palates and eat seafood from lower levels of the food chain .
This is where history comes in .
The Food Smart Dublin project is looking for volunteers to test different kinds of seafood with a historical twist , using recipes of traditionally consumed seafood through the centuries .
They have unearthed historical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potted crab and even cod head terrine which uses an underutilised part of the fish .
These recipes have come from archives , old books and oral folklore projects .
You can participate by choosing to cook from the historical recipes or follow a professional chef ’ s reimagined version .
The project makes it easy to source the seafood you need from local fishmongers or a sustainable seafood distributor , videos and recipes are available and volunteers are asked to fill in a questionnaire about their new food experience .
Seafood consumption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filter feeders such as the familiar mussels and oysters as well as whelks , cockles , razor shells and limpets .
Many of us have never seen these alternative seafood sources in a shop , on a menu or have cooked them at home .
Diets which are healthy for humans and sustainable for the planet have been proposed to include more plant-based foods and lower impact animal protein sources such as the filter-feeders found lower in the food chain .
To help ourselves and the planet we need to learn to love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very well knowing that you should switch your diet but actually getting people to change their eating habits requires engagement , research and learning .
The Food Smart Dublin historical seafood recipe project takes collaborative research and learning to a new level by combining ecology , history , sustainability , cooking and community engagement .
It takes courage to try something new but with a professional chef to guide you it is worth a shot .
By cooking dinner from one of the Food Smart Dublin recipes you can do yourself and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a homeschool curriculum and get a very tasty meal while you hum a few lines of Molly Malone .
Yvonne Buckley is an ecologist and professor of zoology at Trinity College Dublin

Our current seafood preferences mean that we eat a lot of predators from the top of the food chain such as muscular, fast-moving large fish like cod or tuna. Photograph: Getty Images
Dublin has had a long and lively history of local seafood consumption with a huge diversity of seafood on offer through the centuries. What kinds of seafood we eat and how we eat it has changed over time and our consumption patterns have some fascinating ecological links as well as solutions for a sustainable future.
Our current seafood preferences mean that we eat a lot of predators from the top of the food chain such as muscular, fast-moving large fish like cod or tuna. One kilogram of cod is produced by the cod eating many small fish which themselves eat smaller fish, right down to the eggs and juvenile stages of shellfish and crustaceans like mussels and crabs which themselves eat tiny plants called phytoplankton at the bottom of the food chain.
Mussels and oysters are filter-feeders which means they pump seawater through their bodies, intercepting tasty bits of plant and animal plankton and pump the waste water out of their bodies.
While the kilo of cod is being produced by this long chain of organisms a lot of energy is lost from the system. It might take hundreds of kilograms of organisms lower in the food chain to produce 1kg of cod. In ecology the different levels of the food chain are called trophic levels with predators at the top and plants that capture energy from the sun at the bottom.
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Predators
If you stack the mass of organisms at each of these levels on top of each other they form a pyramid with very few predators at the top relying on a large base of plants at the bottom with the herbivores or vegetarians in between.
By choosing to eat the tastiest parts of the top predators of the ocean we are actually using a much larger portion of the ocean’s resources than if we ate species of lower trophic levels like shellfish and crustaceans. A more sustainable choice would be to go back to our cultural roots, widen our palates and eat seafood from lower levels of the food chain.
This is where history comes in. The Food Smart Dublin project is looking for volunteers to test different kinds of seafood with a historical twist, using recipes of traditionally consumed seafood through the centuries. They have unearthed historical recipes for pickled cockles and mussels, potted crab and even cod head terrine which uses an underutilised part of the fish.
These recipes have come from archives, old books and oral folklore projects. You can participate by choosing to cook from the historical recipes or follow a professional chef’s reimagined version. The project makes it easy to source the seafood you need from local fishmongers or a sustainable seafood distributor, videos and recipes are available and volunteers are asked to fill in a questionnaire about their new food experience.
Sustainable
Seafood consumption in the past in Ireland included many filter feeders such as the familiar mussels and oysters as well as whelks, cockles, razor shells and limpets. Many of us have never seen these alternative seafood sources in a shop, on a menu or have cooked them at home.
Diets which are healthy for humans and sustainable for the planet have been proposed to include more plant-based foods and lower impact animal protein sources such as the filter-feeders found lower in the food chain. To help ourselves and the planet we need to learn to love long-neglected seafoods again.
It is all very well knowing that you should switch your diet but actually getting people to change their eating habits requires engagement, research and learning. The Food Smart Dublin historical seafood recipe project takes collaborative research and learning to a new level by combining ecology, history, sustainability, cooking and community engagement.
It takes courage to try something new but with a professional chef to guide you it is worth a shot. By cooking dinner from one of the Food Smart Dublin recipes you can do yourself and the planet a favour, tick off most of a homeschool curriculum and get a very tasty meal while you hum a few lines of Molly Malone.
Yvonne Buckley is an ecologist and professor of zoology at Trinity College Dublin


theirishtimes--2020-05-28--Where’s the beef? Outdated data leads to uncertainty on way forward

Last month , in a separate development , Bord Bia indicated it is creating a credit scheme that would reward farmers implementing pro-climate initiatives .
After farming sector criticism , it described the scheme as “ an online platform to quantify the totality of farms in Ireland implementing environmental , biodiversity and sustainability initiatives ” .
The proposed farm sustainability platform would be voluntary and the launch date is yet to be confirmed .
The platform would allow farmers to “ track their chosen sustainability measures ” and act as “ a centralised hub to record the scale of participation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional programmes operating at farm level ” .
Published in 2010 , using data from 2004 , one of the most cited pieces of beef and dairy research is now well over a decade old .
According to Bord Bia , the report , compiled by the European Commission ’ s Joint Research Centre ( JRC ) , finds Ireland to be “ the most carbon-efficient producer of milk in the EU ( a position shared with Austria ) – and the fifth most carbon-efficient producer of beef ” .
A reassuring message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and growing numbers of reports arguing that the animal-based protein we eat is linked to worsening environmental conditions .
Many climate experts believe , however , that reassurance is unhelpful .
While in no way questioning the validity of the report , titled Evaluation of the Livestock Sector ’ s Contribution to the EU Greenhouse Gas Emissions , nor the JRC ’ s work , they worry about ongoing references to it .
“ Using those JRC rankings might have a tendency to stifle debate , rather than spark it , ” is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s scientific officer and adviser to the Climate Change Advisory Council , Dr Phillip O ’ Brien .
Another risk is poor policymaking , says NUI Maynooth physical climate science professor Peter Thorne , who is director of the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units .
“ The Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia are certainly very attached to the JRC report , doubtless in part at least because it supports their intentions to expand the market for Irish beef and dairy produce globally , ” he says .
But , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dated , there is a greater chance of “ making decisions with adverse consequences ” .
The JRC ’ s answer is similar .
In an email response , its project officer , Franz Weiss , says the data used is “ basically 15 years old , and the larger the time gap becomes the higher is the probability that relevant things have changed ” .
Asked why it relies so heavily on the JRC report and whether it might be outdated , a Bord Bia spokeswoman said the JRC paper “ is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparison of carbon footprints between all EU states for the relevant agricultural outputs ” .
It did not offer any alternative research references .
Alongside its age , climate researchers also point to the fact that the JRC report ’ s findings are varied rather than conclusive .
The report itself notes that the “ results are assigned with considerable uncertainty ” .
NUI Galway carbon foot-printing and life cycle assessment specialist Dr David Styles says rather than a single definitive ranking , the report offers several options .
His modelling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranking rise as high as third or fall as low as 11th .
Equally , Irish dairy can rise to first or fall to 11th .
Thorny measurement issues include “ permanent grassland sequestration ” and “ land use change ” .
The first was included by the JRC at the time of the report but it has not become Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) standard , Weiss added .
That means , “ it is reasonable to consider this assumption as obsolete , which would considerably lower the comparative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ milk production ” .
Land use change emissions data would have had a similarly positive effect on Ireland ’ s ranking .
The method increases emissions in countries where large areas are used to produce feed for livestock .
But again , Styles says , it involves uncertain assumptions that deviate from IPCC guidelines .
Given the number of moving parts , Styles says the crucial point to bear in mind is that results of this kind are uncertain “ and dependent on specific choices about what to include , or not , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyses of Irish beef and dairy emissions are available too , but all come with caveats .
One of the best known alternatives to the JRC report is the global livestock environmental assessment tool – known as Gleam – developed by the UN food and agricultural organisation .
The most recent Gleam results extracted by Alan Matthews , emeritus professor of European agricultural policy at Trinity College Dublin , show Ireland ’ s national dairy and beef emissions to be some of the highest in Europe .
By comparison , the lowest ranked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suckler beef and Finland again for dairy beef .
Whatever the findings , O ’ Brien , Styles and Matthews all agree that rankings only go so far .
Or , in O ’ Brien ’ s words , “ whether we are first or second or third is really angels on the head of a pin ” .
But GHG emissions rankings have another role .
They are used to support an argument known as “ leakage ” .
In a leakage situation , proponents say any reduction of dairy or beef @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production increases and larger herds in poorly-ranked countries .
And that will increase overall global emissions .
O ’ Brien agrees the 2010 JRC rankings have played into the leakage argument , which he says is a plausible one .
What is lacking , he adds , “ is more evidence that would happen .
We can ’ t be sure it would to the extent that total global emissions would increase.
” Nor does the leakage argument do much to help Ireland ’ s progress on lowering emissions to meet national and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that might , around which there is at least some expert agreement and which Bord Bia describes as “ central to accelerating ” progress .
It ’ s called the marginal abatement cost curve , developed by Teagasc .
At its most basic , the cost curve can be described as an way to think about emission reduction routes , from the lowest cost per tonne to the most expensive , says Teagasc ’ s head of the rural economy development programme , Dr Kevin Hanrahan .
Customised for Ireland ’ s farmers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices .
If fully implemented over the years 2021 to 2030 , Hanrahan says it could see agricultural emissions , currently just over 20 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent , fall to about 17 million tonnes .
Good news , because at farm level there is a growing emphasis on practicalities over conflicting bits of research .
“ Yes , of course we should be using the latest science .
But the problem these days is that if there is a piece of research people don ’ t like , they will just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett .
One solution to the resulting confusion , she says , is to focus on what we know .
“ We all know that too much fertiliser can damage the soil , air and water .
We know intensive animal agriculture can reduce animal welfare , and harm biodiversity .
We need to take a holistic approach.
” North Tipperary farmer Maurice Deasy agrees .
“ It is very hard to know what is the right way to go .
There is lots of misinformation or selective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The other problem he sees is that much of the research tends to feed into the narrative that expanding production means more profits .
“ Yet in last 70 years the opposite has occurred .
Farm income is lower than it was in the 1960s and output is higher.
” Deasy ’ s response is a mixed farming approach that includes sheep , tillage , ducks , turkeys , chickens and a brewery called Canvas .
It ’ s not easy , and the farm ’ s produce comes with higher prices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act .
“ Beer is a good example .
You can buy our beer , which is more expensive , but it is totally different to the one euro or less beer you buy in the supermarket .
And when you buy it , you are voting for a small producer.
” It ’ s the same with turkeys , he says .
“ If you are buying a €10 or less turkey , what are you voting for ?
Our turkeys would cost around €70 to produce .
It ’ s good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are voting for .
”

Dr David Styles’s modelling of different possibilities sees Irish beef’s ranking rise as high as third or fall as low as 11th. Equally, Irish dairy can rise to first or fall to 11th.
Published in 2010, using data from 2004, one of the most cited pieces of beef and dairy research is now well over a decade old. According to Bord Bia, the report, compiled by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), finds Ireland to be "the most carbon-efficient producer of milk in the EU (a position shared with Austria) – and the fifth most carbon-efficient producer of beef".
A reassuring message in the context of a climate emergency and growing numbers of reports arguing that the animal-based protein we eat is linked to worsening environmental conditions.
Many climate experts believe, however, that reassurance is unhelpful. While in no way questioning the validity of the report, titled Evaluation of the Livestock Sector’s Contribution to the EU Greenhouse Gas Emissions, nor the JRC’s work, they worry about ongoing references to it.
"Using those JRC rankings might have a tendency to stifle debate, rather than spark it," is one view from the Environmental Protection Agency's scientific officer and adviser to the Climate Change Advisory Council, Dr Phillip O'Brien.
READ MORE
Another risk is poor policymaking, says NUI Maynooth physical climate science professor Peter Thorne, who is director of the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units.
“The Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia are certainly very attached to the JRC report, doubtless in part at least because it supports their intentions to expand the market for Irish beef and dairy produce globally,” he says. But, because the report’s findings are now dated, there is a greater chance of “making decisions with adverse consequences”.
The JRC's answer is similar. In an email response, its project officer, Franz Weiss, says the data used is "basically 15 years old, and the larger the time gap becomes the higher is the probability that relevant things have changed".
Outdated
Asked why it relies so heavily on the JRC report and whether it might be outdated, a Bord Bia spokeswoman said the JRC paper “is sometimes referred to… it is a comprehensive comparison of carbon footprints between all EU states for the relevant agricultural outputs”. It did not offer any alternative research references.
Alongside its age, climate researchers also point to the fact that the JRC report’s findings are varied rather than conclusive. The report itself notes that the “results are assigned with considerable uncertainty”.
NUI Galway carbon foot-printing and life cycle assessment specialist Dr David Styles says rather than a single definitive ranking, the report offers several options. His modelling of the different possibilities sees Irish beef's ranking rise as high as third or fall as low as 11th. Equally, Irish dairy can rise to first or fall to 11th.
Thorny measurement issues include “permanent grassland sequestration” and “land use change”. The first was included by the JRC at the time of the report but it has not become Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) standard, Weiss added. That means, “it is reasonable to consider this assumption as obsolete, which would considerably lower the comparative advantage of Ireland’s beef and milk production”.
Land use change emissions data would have had a similarly positive effect on Ireland’s ranking. The method increases emissions in countries where large areas are used to produce feed for livestock. But again, Styles says, it involves uncertain assumptions that deviate from IPCC guidelines.
Given the number of moving parts, Styles says the crucial point to bear in mind is that results of this kind are uncertain “and dependent on specific choices about what to include, or not, in the footprint” measurement.
Other analyses of Irish beef and dairy emissions are available too, but all come with caveats. One of the best known alternatives to the JRC report is the global livestock environmental assessment tool – known as Gleam – developed by the UN food and agricultural organisation.
Emissions
The most recent Gleam results extracted by Alan Matthews, emeritus professor of European agricultural policy at Trinity College Dublin, show Ireland's national dairy and beef emissions to be some of the highest in Europe. By comparison, the lowest ranked is Finland for dairy, Belgium for suckler beef and Finland again for dairy beef.
Whatever the findings, O’Brien, Styles and Matthews all agree that rankings only go so far. Or, in O’Brien’s words, “whether we are first or second or third is really angels on the head of a pin”.
But GHG emissions rankings have another role. They are used to support an argument known as “leakage”. In a leakage situation, proponents say any reduction of dairy or beef production in well-ranked Ireland will lead to production increases and larger herds in poorly-ranked countries. And that will increase overall global emissions.
O’Brien agrees the 2010 JRC rankings have played into the leakage argument, which he says is a plausible one. What is lacking, he adds, “is more evidence that would happen. We can’t be sure it would to the extent that total global emissions would increase.”
Nor does the leakage argument do much to help Ireland's progress on lowering emissions to meet national and EU targets. But there is something that might, around which there is at least some expert agreement and which Bord Bia describes as "central to accelerating" progress. It's called the marginal abatement cost curve, developed by Teagasc.
At its most basic, the cost curve can be described as an way to think about emission reduction routes, from the lowest cost per tonne to the most expensive, says Teagasc's head of the rural economy development programme, Dr Kevin Hanrahan.
Customised for Ireland’s farmers, it offers 27 technologies and management practices. If fully implemented over the years 2021 to 2030, Hanrahan says it could see agricultural emissions, currently just over 20 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, fall to about 17 million tonnes.
Good news, because at farm level there is a growing emphasis on practicalities over conflicting bits of research.
"Yes, of course we should be using the latest science. But the problem these days is that if there is a piece of research people don't like, they will just discredit it," says organic farmer and Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett.
One solution to the resulting confusion, she says, is to focus on what we know. “We all know that too much fertiliser can damage the soil, air and water. We know intensive animal agriculture can reduce animal welfare, and harm biodiversity. We need to take a holistic approach.”
North Tipperary farmer Maurice Deasy agrees. "It is very hard to know what is the right way to go. There is lots of misinformation or selective cherry picking," he notes.
Farm income
The other problem he sees is that much of the research tends to feed into the narrative that expanding production means more profits. “Yet in last 70 years the opposite has occurred. Farm income is lower than it was in the 1960s and output is higher.”
Deasy’s response is a mixed farming approach that includes sheep, tillage, ducks, turkeys, chickens and a brewery called Canvas. It’s not easy, and the farm’s produce comes with higher prices, but Deasy says shopping is a political act.
“Beer is a good example. You can buy our beer, which is more expensive, but it is totally different to the one euro or less beer you buy in the supermarket. And when you buy it, you are voting for a small producer.”
It’s the same with turkeys, he says. “If you are buying a €10 or less turkey, what are you voting for? Our turkeys would cost around €70 to produce. It’s good to think about what kind of producers we are voting for.”
Bord Bia credit scheme
Last month, in a separate development, Bord Bia indicated it is creating a credit scheme that would reward farmers implementing pro-climate initiatives.
After farming sector criticism, it described the scheme as “an online platform to quantify the totality of farms in Ireland implementing environmental, biodiversity and sustainability initiatives”. The proposed farm sustainability platform would be voluntary and the launch date is yet to be confirmed.
The platform would allow farmers to “track their chosen sustainability measures” and act as “a centralised hub to record the scale of participation” in the “numerous national and regional programmes operating at farm level”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Circus in crisis: Even if the tent goes up, the problems won’t go away

The Circus Gerbola trailers , trampolines and trapeze swings which normally travel the country ’ s roads on days like today are locked down on a small Co Meath farm as sad clowns and grounded acrobats kick their heels in frustration .
Instead of the heady cocktail of laughter , grease paint and death-defying stunts , the performers have been trying to entertain themselves with more pedestrian pursuits such as gardening and strolling country roads in full bloom .
That struggle started in March when the circus was setting up in Carrigaline in Co Cork ahead of a St Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the performers that they were to shut as part of nationwide efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 .
The tent was dismantled , the trailers loaded and off they headed to their winter base on the Gerbola family farm near Kells .
“ Our performers wanted to go to their homes across Europe to be with their families because they were afraid of what was coming .
Many were able to get away but some couldn ’ t and they ’ re here with us and for them it has been horrendous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As she talks in a farmyard barn , two small children bounce on a trampoline behind her as one woman juggles a dizzying array of balls nearby and another walks a tightrope .
“ They have to keep practising , they ’ ve no choice , ” Gerbola says of the performers .
“ Their bodies are used to this and they can ’ t just stop .
They practise every day even though we have no shows , it ’ s hard on them.
” It ’ s hard on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so strange to be here on a summer ’ s day when we ’ d normally be on the road , we ’ re never here now , ” she says .
“ It ’ s such a weird time.
” She has been watching what has been happening to circus communities across Europe .
“ Some are much worse off and have had to stay wherever they were when lockdown was declared .
They were stuck , we ’ re grateful to have our farm and a place we could come home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 restrictions , the circus may be able to re-open on August 10th .
“ We don ’ t even know if that will happen because everything keeps changing , ” Gerbola says .
Even if the tent goes up , the problems won ’ t go away .
“ We ’ ll have to reduce capacity by two-thirds for social distancing and our insurance is climbing .
This year it jumped 78 per cent .
When that happened we ’ d a big decision to make about continuing .
But we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re talking about a lifetime ’ s work.
” Several lifetimes ’ work in fact .
The Gerbolas ’ circus roots stretch back eight generations and their family tree takes in some of the most well-known names in the business , including the Fossetts .
Tara Gerbola and her husband , Mikey , grew up with travelling circuses – he was a clown , she was a trapeze artist .
Then she ran away from the circus to join an accounts department in Tesco .
“ I couldn ’ t stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she says .
“ That was in 2001 , the year we started our own circus.
” It faces an existential threat now .
“ My heart tells me we will survive , we have survived so many things in the past , ” she says .
As she speaks , her husband sitting nearby arches an eyebrow .
He may be a clown but he ’ s not fooling around now .
“ Things are very different , ” Mikey says .
“ Foot and mouth restricted us but didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit hard but didn ’ t close us .
We ’ ve overcome many challenges and nothing has ever closed us , nothing has ever been like this.
” Outside the barn , performers are goofing around .
Denisa Cristea , from Romania , specialises in “ aerial work and fast costume changes ” and when she joined the circus in February she didn ’ t sign up to spend her summer on an Irish farm .
She is blunt in her assessment of how it ’ s going .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In circus life you always have adventures , something is always going on and we move around a lot .
But now we are in just one place and there ’ s not much to do .
I ’ m making a lot of TikTok videos and practising my make-up but I can ’ t wait to get back in the ring .
”

Performers at Circus Gerbola have been locked down since restrictions were implemented and are facing an uncertain future as social distancing will negatively impact future sales. Video: Enda O'Dowd
The Circus Gerbola trailers, trampolines and trapeze swings which normally travel the country’s roads on days like today are locked down on a small Co Meath farm as sad clowns and grounded acrobats kick their heels in frustration.
Instead of the heady cocktail of laughter, grease paint and death-defying stunts, the performers have been trying to entertain themselves with more pedestrian pursuits such as gardening and strolling country roads in full bloom.
It’s been a struggle.
That struggle started in March when the circus was setting up in Carrigaline in Co Cork ahead of a St Patrick's weekend run. Word reached the performers that they were to shut as part of nationwide efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
READ MORE
Isabella Gerbola practises at the family’s winter base in Meath. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
The tent was dismantled, the trailers loaded and off they headed to their winter base on the Gerbola family farm near Kells.
"Our performers wanted to go to their homes across Europe to be with their families because they were afraid of what was coming. Many were able to get away but some couldn't and they're here with us and for them it has been horrendous," circus owner Tara Gerbola says.
As she talks in a farmyard barn, two small children bounce on a trampoline behind her as one woman juggles a dizzying array of balls nearby and another walks a tightrope.
“They have to keep practising, they’ve no choice,” Gerbola says of the performers. “Their bodies are used to this and they can’t just stop. They practise every day even though we have no shows, it’s hard on them.”
It’s hard on the owners too. “It’s so strange to be here on a summer’s day when we’d normally be on the road, we’re never here now,” she says. “It’s such a weird time.”
She has been watching what has been happening to circus communities across Europe. “Some are much worse off and have had to stay wherever they were when lockdown was declared. They were stuck, we’re grateful to have our farm and a place we could come home to.”
Under the phased exit from Covid-19 restrictions, the circus may be able to re-open on August 10th. “We don’t even know if that will happen because everything keeps changing,” Gerbola says.
Even if the tent goes up, the problems won’t go away. “We’ll have to reduce capacity by two-thirds for social distancing and our insurance is climbing. This year it jumped 78 per cent. When that happened we’d a big decision to make about continuing. But we’ve put so much into this, you’re talking about a lifetime’s work.”
Several lifetimes’ work in fact. The Gerbolas’ circus roots stretch back eight generations and their family tree takes in some of the most well-known names in the business, including the Fossetts. Tara Gerbola and her husband, Mikey, grew up with travelling circuses – he was a clown, she was a trapeze artist.
Performers practising at the Gerbola family farm in Co Meath. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Then she ran away from the circus to join an accounts department in Tesco. "I couldn't stand it there so left after a year," she says. "That was in 2001, the year we started our own circus."
Existential threat
It faces an existential threat now. “My heart tells me we will survive, we have survived so many things in the past,” she says.
As she speaks, her husband sitting nearby arches an eyebrow. He may be a clown but he’s not fooling around now. “Things are very different,” Mikey says. “Foot and mouth restricted us but didn’t close us. The recession hit hard but didn’t close us. We’ve overcome many challenges and nothing has ever closed us, nothing has ever been like this.”
Outside the barn, performers are goofing around. Denisa Cristea, from Romania, specialises in "aerial work and fast costume changes" and when she joined the circus in February she didn't sign up to spend her summer on an Irish farm.
She is blunt in her assessment of how it’s going.
“It’s really boring,” she says. “In circus life you always have adventures, something is always going on and we move around a lot. But now we are in just one place and there’s not much to do. I’m making a lot of TikTok videos and practising my make-up but I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Nursing homes were left without a plan, Covid-19 committee hears

At a meeting of the Dáil ’ s special Covid-19 committee on Tuesday , TDs heard that while the coronavirus pandemic took hold across Irish society , nursing homes were left without a timely plan .
Key State organisations left the sector “ isolated ” , the committee heard .
The head of Nursing Homes Ireland ( NHI ) Tadhg Daly said he was left “ exasperated by the lack of engagement ” .
Documentation running to hundreds of pages now paints a picture of a sector struggling to be heard behind the scenes .
A timeline of unfolding events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month for a specific plan to be put in place by which stage there were 22 outbreaks in nursing homes .
NHI head Tadhg Daly writes to senior officials in the Department of Health seeking “ urgent ” guidance for the sector after the first confirmed case of coronavirus on the island of Ireland .
On February 27th , a HSE briefing heard that there is an “ adequate stock ” of personal protective equipment .
In his letter to officials , Mr Daly says he notes the statement from the HSE but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case for our member homes ” .
Daly again writes to senior officials in the Department of Health and asks for an “ express commitment ” that the needs of the private and voluntary nursing home sector are addressed by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .
The department says the sector will be “ encompassed ” within the scope of the work of a team assessing the needs of vulnerable people .
A Dáil debate on the Covid-19 crisis is held the next day , there are only two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells the HSE about “ increasing queries from members ” about “ safe and appropriate discharges from acute hospitals to nursing homes ” .
He says there is an “ immediate requirement on the HSE to outline the procedures for discharge ” .
He says that communication is important or “ this may get out of control ” .
That day , visiting restrictions are introduced in more than 400 private and voluntary nursing homes across the country .
A meeting of NPHET is held the next day .
Nursing homes are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general of the Department of Health Jim Breslin and Minister for Health Simon Harris raising concerns that workers from the nursing homes sector are being recruited to tackle Covid-19 elsewhere in the health service .
This would be at the “ severe detriment ” of people in the nursing home sector and could “ endanger older people ” .
On the same day , Daly again asks the department for guidance on admissions from hospitals .
Guidance on the transfer of patients between healthcare facilities is issued but by March 12th , NHI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around PPE and raises concerns about contingency arrangements should staff become ill. Daly says that there is “ no specific practical guidance ” for nursing homes on places such as the HSPC website .
Publicly , chief medical officer Tony Holohan says restrictions on nursing home visits are not yet necessary .
This is reiterated at a meeting of the NPHET on March 10th where “ it was agreed that the current practice of restricting visitors to nursing homes was not required and this would be kept under review ” .
After an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Daly seeks clarity from the department about how nursing homes will maintain staffing levels .
The NPHET meets again but there is no mention of nursing homes , staffing or visiting restrictions .
In a letter to Kathleen McLellan , the chair of the vulnerable person ’ s sub-group on NPHET , Daly says the recently issued HSE guidance contains “ no practical guidance to nursing homes on how to reduce the risk of transmission ” and says “ no information ” has been provided in relation to personal protective equipment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing homes with regard to how they can access such equipment and no assurance is coming from our health services in this regard.
” He requests “ immediate engagement ” .
He is told by McLellan that “ work is going ” on guidance .
Pharmacists are told on this day that they will be given PPE but that stock is “ limited ” .
NHI reports to health officials that its members still can not get access to PPE .
Pubs are closed on this day .
At a meeting the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need for social distancing in playgrounds and hairdressers .
Concerns about nursing homes and personal protective equipment are not discussed .
Daly writes to Harris with a plea for the Minister to desist from “ targeting the recruitment of staff from the private and voluntary nursing home sector ” .
While Daly praises the “ round the clock ” engagement , he says there are “ pressing issues ” .
He says there are now confirmed cases of Covid-19 among nursing home residents and yet the provision of PPE is “ challenging to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing also have “ cataclysmic consequences ” .
He requests a urgent meeting with the department and the next day also requests an urgent meeting in a email to the Minister for Health .
On this day , Harris tells the public that while some countries choose not to prioritise testing , Ireland will “ test , test , test ” .
He says “ older people should not be worried – it is an uncertain time , but we are going to mind you ” .
NHI makes a submission on funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting with Harris .
Two days later in the Dáil , Labour ’ s Duncan Smith says he has heard of frontline nursing staff having to wash PPE in sinks and baths for reuse .
The NPHET meets on March 24th and agrees sweeping new restrictions across society .
Nursing homes are not discussed .
A meeting is held between the nursing home representatives and Harris on March 30th .
The next day the NPHET meets and agrees “ that the growing number of clusters of Covid-19 infections in nursing homes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and targeted focus ” .
On this day , it emerges that a total of 22 outbreaks of coronavirus have been reported in nursing homes across the State .

Nursing Homes Ireland chief executive, Tadhg Daly had a clear, simply-messaged story to tell when he appeared before the Dáil’s special Covid-19 committee on Tuesday. File photograph: Getty
At a meeting of the Dáil’s special Covid-19 committee on Tuesday, TDs heard that while the coronavirus pandemic took hold across Irish society, nursing homes were left without a timely plan.
Key State organisations left the sector "isolated", the committee heard. The head of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) Tadhg Daly said he was left "exasperated by the lack of engagement".
Documentation running to hundreds of pages now paints a picture of a sector struggling to be heard behind the scenes.
A timeline of unfolding events suggests that it took more than a month for a specific plan to be put in place by which stage there were 22 outbreaks in nursing homes.
READ MORE
February 28th
NHI head Tadhg Daly writes to senior officials in the Department of Health seeking "urgent" guidance for the sector after the first confirmed case of coronavirus on the island of Ireland.
On February 27th, a HSE briefing heard that there is an “adequate stock” of personal protective equipment. In his letter to officials, Mr Daly says he notes the statement from the HSE but he says “this is not the case for our member homes”.
March 4th
Daly again writes to senior officials in the Department of Health and asks for an "express commitment" that the needs of the private and voluntary nursing home sector are addressed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). The department says the sector will be "encompassed" within the scope of the work of a team assessing the needs of vulnerable people. A Dáil debate on the Covid-19 crisis is held the next day, there are only two specific references to nursing homes.
March 6th
Daly tells the HSE about “increasing queries from members” about “safe and appropriate discharges from acute hospitals to nursing homes”. He says there is an “immediate requirement on the HSE to outline the procedures for discharge”. He says that communication is important or “this may get out of control”. That day, visiting restrictions are introduced in more than 400 private and voluntary nursing homes across the country. A meeting of NPHET is held the next day. Nursing homes are not discussed.
March 9th
Daly writes to the secretary general of the Department of Health Jim Breslin and Minister for Health Simon Harris raising concerns that workers from the nursing homes sector are being recruited to tackle Covid-19 elsewhere in the health service. This would be at the "severe detriment" of people in the nursing home sector and could "endanger older people". On the same day, Daly again asks the department for guidance on admissions from hospitals.
March 10th
Guidance on the transfer of patients between healthcare facilities is issued but by March 12th, NHI calls for more stringent measures, clarity around PPE and raises concerns about contingency arrangements should staff become ill. Daly says that there is "no specific practical guidance" for nursing homes on places such as the HSPC website. Publicly, chief medical officer Tony Holohan says restrictions on nursing home visits are not yet necessary. This is reiterated at a meeting of the NPHET on March 10th where "it was agreed that the current practice of restricting visitors to nursing homes was not required and this would be kept under review".
March 12th
After an announcement that schools and colleges will close, Daly seeks clarity from the department about how nursing homes will maintain staffing levels. The NPHET meets again but there is no mention of nursing homes, staffing or visiting restrictions.
March 13th
In a letter to Kathleen McLellan, the chair of the vulnerable person’s sub-group on NPHET, Daly says the recently issued HSE guidance contains “no practical guidance to nursing homes on how to reduce the risk of transmission” and says “no information” has been provided in relation to personal protective equipment.
“We are receiving constant queries from nursing homes with regard to how they can access such equipment and no assurance is coming from our health services in this regard.” He requests “immediate engagement”. He is told by McLellan that “work is going” on guidance. Pharmacists are told on this day that they will be given PPE but that stock is “limited”.
March 15th
NHI reports to health officials that its members still cannot get access to PPE. Pubs are closed on this day. At a meeting the next day, the NPHET talks about the need for social distancing in playgrounds and hairdressers. Concerns about nursing homes and personal protective equipment are not discussed.
March 17th
Daly writes to Harris with a plea for the Minister to desist from “targeting the recruitment of staff from the private and voluntary nursing home sector”.
March 18th
While Daly praises the “round the clock” engagement, he says there are “pressing issues”. He says there are now confirmed cases of Covid-19 among nursing home residents and yet the provision of PPE is “challenging to say the least”.
Delays in testing also have “cataclysmic consequences”. He requests a urgent meeting with the department and the next day also requests an urgent meeting in a email to the Minister for Health. On this day, Harris tells the public that while some countries choose not to prioritise testing, Ireland will “test, test, test”. He says “older people should not be worried – it is an uncertain time, but we are going to mind you”.
March 24th
NHI makes a submission on funding needed for the sector and again requests a meeting with Harris. Two days later in the Dáil, Labour’s Duncan Smith says he has heard of frontline nursing staff having to wash PPE in sinks and baths for reuse. The NPHET meets on March 24th and agrees sweeping new restrictions across society. Nursing homes are not discussed.
March 30th
A meeting is held between the nursing home representatives and Harris on March 30th. The next day the NPHET meets and agrees “that the growing number of clusters of Covid-19 infections in nursing homes and residential healthcare settings... requires an immediate and targeted focus”. On this day, it emerges that a total of 22 outbreaks of coronavirus have been reported in nursing homes across the State.


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--HSE figures show breakdown of 1,030 Covid-19 deaths in 167 care homes

Every night , as the chief medical officer Tony Holohan reads out the latest figures relating to Covid-19 in the State , there is a section dedicated to nursing homes .
Every day , the number of cases in nursing homes and residential institutions rises ; the same for deaths in those settings .
In the depths of late March and early April , as the virus ran through care homes and claimed hundreds of lives , the figures leapt up every night .
Beneath those numbers is a story that is only told by figures privately compiled by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Irish Times .
The figures show a breakdown of 1,030 deaths in 167 facilities caring for older people across the country , including community hospitals , long-stay units , residential institutions and nursing homes .
They are up to date as of Tuesday of this week .
They include those who died with both suspected and confirmed cases of Covid-19 .
The final figures on deaths and confirmed cases are produced by the State ’ s Health Protection Surveillance Centre .
They show a national and global story , at local level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing homes and other residential care facilities have faced the virus .
An analysis of the figures shows that of the 10 settings which saw the highest number of deaths , accounting for 240 of the total , only one is a HSE-run facility – St Mary ’ s Hospital care home in Dublin ’ s Phoenix Park , where the HSE figures show 25 people have died .
The skew towards deaths in private nursing homes is likely accounted for by the model of elder care provision in the State , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities , as well as a smaller figure from the voluntary sector .
Combined , these two ownership classes account for a significant majority of nursing homes in the State .
At least two homes run by either private sector organisations or voluntary groups are miscategorised in the data as HSE-run .
The three settings which saw the highest number of fatalities are all located either in Dublin or in its commuter belt .
Ryevale Nursing Home in Leixlip has had 35 deaths associated with it , the most in the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Winthrop Private Clinic , in Swords , has seen 29 deaths , while there have been 28 deaths associated with the Marymount Care Centre in Lucan .
Asked for comment , a spokesman for the Tara Winthrop Private Clinic said it “ does not discuss issues or statistics relating to staff or residents and their families in public .
It communicates directly with its stakeholders ” .
“ Tara Winthrop has always and continues to deliver its service to the highest standards in accordance with the regulations.
” In a lengthy statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastated at the loss of so many of our residents , including those whom we have cared for for many years , parents of close friends , and members of our local community that we ourselves have grown up with ” .
It said detailed infection control plans had been put in place since early March , including implementing visitor restrictions , limiting staff and resident movements and increased cleaning and PPE protocols , as well as temperature checks .
Ryevale Nursing Home did not respond to a request for comment .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 or more deaths are concentrated either in Dublin , or within the commuter belt in counties like Wicklow , Meath and Kildare .
Several nursing homes disputed the accuracy of the figures , though the HSE figures are based on both laboratory-confirmed and suspected cases .
For example , the HSE figures show there have been 18 confirmed or suspected cases associated with Loughshinny Nursing Home in Dublin .
However , Bartra Healthcare , which owns the nursing home , disputed this figure , saying there had been nine confirmed cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of any suspected cases associated with the facility .
The HSE figures show 23 deaths associated with Kiltipper Woods nursing home in Co Dublin , although when contacted for comment , the hospital said it was “ inaccurate and false to present or infer that there have been 23 Covid-19 resident deaths in our centre ” .
Phil D ’ Arcy , chief executive of the group which owns Drumbear Lodge in Monaghan , said the nursing home had seen deaths in the “ low number of teens ” , although the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the care home .

The Tara Winthrop Private Clinic, Swords has seen 29 deaths from Covid-19, according to the HSE.
Every night, as the chief medical officer Tony Holohan reads out the latest figures relating to Covid-19 in the State, there is a section dedicated to nursing homes.
Every day, the number of cases in nursing homes and residential institutions rises; the same for deaths in those settings. In the depths of late March and early April, as the virus ran through care homes and claimed hundreds of lives, the figures leapt up every night.
Beneath those numbers is a story that is only told by figures privately compiled by the Health Service Executive, and obtained by The Irish Times and illustrated in the table and map with this article.
[ go here ]
The figures show a breakdown of 1,030 deaths in 167 facilities caring for older people across the country, including community hospitals, long-stay units, residential institutions and nursing homes. They are up to date as of Tuesday of this week. They include those who died with both suspected and confirmed cases of Covid-19. The final figures on deaths and confirmed cases are produced by the State’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
READ MORE
They show a national and global story, at local level in Ireland, as communities centred around nursing homes and other residential care facilities have faced the virus.
An analysis of the figures shows that of the 10 settings which saw the highest number of deaths, accounting for 240 of the total, only one is a HSE-run facility – St Mary's Hospital care home in Dublin's Phoenix Park, where the HSE figures show 25 people have died.
The skew towards deaths in private nursing homes is likely accounted for by the model of elder care provision in the State, which relies to a great extent on privately-run facilities, as well as a smaller figure from the voluntary sector. Combined, these two ownership classes account for a significant majority of nursing homes in the State. At least two homes run by either private sector organisations or voluntary groups are miscategorised in the data as HSE-run.
The three settings which saw the highest number of fatalities are all located either in Dublin or in its commuter belt.
Ryevale Nursing Home in Leixlip has had 35 deaths associated with it, the most in the country, according to the HSE figures. Tara Winthrop Private Clinic, in Swords, has seen 29 deaths, while there have been 28 deaths associated with the Marymount Care Centre in Lucan.
‘Devastated’
Asked for comment, a spokesman for the Tara Winthrop Private Clinic said it "does not discuss issues or statistics relating to staff or residents and their families in public. It communicates directly with its stakeholders".
“Tara Winthrop has always and continues to deliver its service to the highest standards in accordance with the regulations.”
In a lengthy statement, Marymount Care Centre said it is “devastated at the loss of so many of our residents, including those whom we have cared for for many years, parents of close friends, and members of our local community that we ourselves have grown up with”. It said detailed infection control plans had been put in place since early March, including implementing visitor restrictions, limiting staff and resident movements and increased cleaning and PPE protocols, as well as temperature checks.
Ryevale Nursing Home did not respond to a request for comment.
The majority of nursing homes, which saw 10 or more deaths are concentrated either in Dublin, or within the commuter belt in counties like Wicklow, Meath and Kildare.
‘Inaccurate’
Several nursing homes disputed the accuracy of the figures, though the HSE figures are based on both laboratory-confirmed and suspected cases.
For example, the HSE figures show there have been 18 confirmed or suspected cases associated with Loughshinny Nursing Home in Dublin. However, Bartra Healthcare, which owns the nursing home, disputed this figure, saying there had been nine confirmed cases. It said it was "not aware" of any suspected cases associated with the facility.
The HSE figures show 23 deaths associated with Kiltipper Woods nursing home in Co Dublin, although when contacted for comment, the hospital said it was "inaccurate and false to present or infer that there have been 23 Covid-19 resident deaths in our centre".
Phil D’Arcy, chief executive of the group which owns Drumbear Lodge in Monaghan, said the nursing home had seen deaths in the “low number of teens”, although the HSE figures suggest there are 20 associated with the care home.


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--How is the 14-day quarantine for arrivals from overseas changing?

What is changing to the rules for quarantining visitors ?
From Thursday , all passengers arriving into the country are legally required to complete a Covid-19 passenger locator form making it mandatory for travellers arriving into the airports and ports to tell the State where they will be self-isolating for 14 days .
Self-isolation means completely avoiding contact with others and is more stringent that the stay-at-home measures that the wider public are having to adhere to .
The form will remain in place until June 18th .
Why is the State doing this ?
The Government wants to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken to stem the spread of Covid-19 from abroad .
But wasn ’ t the State doing this already ?
Yes , but it was not a legal obligation until now .
Visitors arriving at airports and ports before today had been asked to fill out a form on “ an administrative basis ” , Minister for Health Simon Harris has said .
It is now an offence if they refuse .
Arrivals had previously been advised to self-isolate for 14 days once they came into the State .
These changes make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent people from providing false information .
What exactly do you have to write on the form ?
Each passenger aged 16 or older has to provide their name , address , contact details where they can be reached and their places and dates of residence for the following 14 days for themselves and any children travelling with them .
They must also provide information on the name of the aircraft/ferry they arrived on , the date and time of their arrival , their points of departure and arrival , and the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people refuse to fill out the form ?
They can face a fine of up to €2,500 or six months in prison , or both , if they do not complete the form , if they provide false or misleading information , or if they fail to provide an update of any information should they move to a different location within the 14-day isolation period .
This feels like a big deal in a democracy and particularly when membership of the European Union and the Common Travel Area with Britain guarantees freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These rules are onerous but they are aimed at preventing the spread of a disease that has already killed more than 1,600 people in the State .
Mr Harris has said : “ These are extraordinary measures but they are necessary in a time of a public health crisis.
” Does this only apply to foreign nationals ?
No .
Everyone over 16 , whether Irish or not , must fill out the form and self-isolate for 14 days if they are coming into the country from abroad .
How will these rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be made to make sure people who travel into the country are staying where they said they would be .
If there is a confirmed or suspected case on a flight or ferry coming into the country , the form will allow State officials to carry out more accurate and quicker contact tracing to identify any people who had contact with the infected individual on a plane or boat .
It is an offence to refuse to provide information requested to verify the details on the form .
Can you move address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but you have to provide an update if you do .
What about people arriving and travelling on to Northern Ireland or other countries ?
Passengers travelling on to Northern Ireland or overseas who are leaving the port or airport but not residing in the State overnight do not need to provide further contact information .
Residents of Northern Ireland only have to fill out part of the form .
Does it apply to people who cross the Border from North to South ?
No .
People arriving from Northern Ireland are exempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transiting through a port or airport who do not exit the port or airport do not need to fill out the form .
Lorry drivers and holders of an international travel worker certificate do not need to fill out the forms if they are in the course of performing their duties .
Aircraft and ship crews and foreign diplomats do not need to fill out the forms .
Healthcare workers are not exempt ; they must fill out the form .
So should you travel abroad ?
The Government continues to advise Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel but if you do travel , you will have to self-isolate for 14 days on your return .
Are travellers advised to avoid public transport after leaving ports or airports on arrival ?
No .
Will these rules affect many people ?
Not many .
The number of visitors have dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic by more than 99 per cent .
For example , just 613 passengers were scheduled to arrive and depart through Dublin Airport yesterday .
On the same day last year , the number was almost 105,000 .

Minister for Health Simon Harris says that the current regulations requiring air travel passengers arriving into Ireland to fill out a locator form will be reviewed on June 18th. Video: Oireachtas TV
What is changing to the rules for quarantining visitors?
From Thursday, all passengers arriving into the country are legally required to complete a Covid-19 passenger locator form making it mandatory for travellers arriving into the airports and ports to tell the State where they will be self-isolating for 14 days. Self-isolation means completely avoiding contact with others and is more stringent that the stay-at-home measures that the wider public are having to adhere to. The form will remain in place until June 18th.
Why is the State doing this?
The Government wants to track all visitors and ensure precautions are being taken to stem the spread of Covid-19 from abroad.
But wasn't the State doing this already?
Yes, but it was not a legal obligation until now. Visitors arriving at airports and ports before today had been asked to fill out a form on "an administrative basis", Minister for Health Simon Harris has said. It is now an offence if they refuse. Arrivals had previously been advised to self-isolate for 14 days once they came into the State. These changes make it legally enforceable to complete the form and prevent people from providing false information.
What exactly do you have to write on the form?
Each passenger aged 16 or older has to provide their name, address, contact details where they can be reached and their places and dates of residence for the following 14 days for themselves and any children travelling with them. They must also provide information on the name of the aircraft/ferry they arrived on, the date and time of their arrival, their points of departure and arrival, and the reason for their travel.
READ MORE
What happens if people refuse to fill out the form?
They can face a fine of up to €2,500 or six months in prison, or both, if they do not complete the form, if they provide false or misleading information, or if they fail to provide an update of any information should they move to a different location within the 14-day isolation period.
This feels like a big deal in a democracy and particularly when membership of the European Union and the Common Travel Area with Britain guarantees freedom of movement. Is it?
Yes. These rules are onerous but they are aimed at preventing the spread of a disease that has already killed more than 1,600 people in the State. Mr Harris has said: "These are extraordinary measures but they are necessary in a time of a public health crisis."
Does this only apply to foreign nationals?
No. Everyone over 16, whether Irish or not, must fill out the form and self-isolate for 14 days if they are coming into the country from abroad.
How will these rules be monitored or enforced?
Follow-up checks can be made to make sure people who travel into the country are staying where they said they would be. If there is a confirmed or suspected case on a flight or ferry coming into the country, the form will allow State officials to carry out more accurate and quicker contact tracing to identify any people who had contact with the infected individual on a plane or boat. It is an offence to refuse to provide information requested to verify the details on the form.
Can you move address during the 14-day quarantine?
Yes, but you have to provide an update if you do.
What about people arriving and travelling on to Northern Ireland or other countries?
Passengers travelling on to Northern Ireland or overseas who are leaving the port or airport but not residing in the State overnight do not need to provide further contact information. Residents of Northern Ireland only have to fill out part of the form.
Does it apply to people who cross the Border from North to South?
No. People arriving from Northern Ireland are exempt.
Who else is exempt?
Passengers transiting through a port or airport who do not exit the port or airport do not need to fill out the form. Lorry drivers and holders of an international travel worker certificate do not need to fill out the forms if they are in the course of performing their duties. Aircraft and ship crews and foreign diplomats do not need to fill out the forms. Healthcare workers are not exempt; they must fill out the form.
So should you travel abroad?
The Government continues to advise Irish citizens and residents against all non-essential international travel but if you do travel, you will have to self-isolate for 14 days on your return.
Are travellers advised to avoid public transport after leaving ports or airports on arrival?
No.
Will these rules affect many people?
Not many. The number of visitors have dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic by more than 99 per cent. For example, just 613 passengers were scheduled to arrive and depart through Dublin Airport yesterday. On the same day last year, the number was almost 105,000.