theirishtimes--2020-02-10--How to do Valentine’s Day on the cheap and sustainably

This coming Friday will be the most romantic day of the year , a day when couples get to express their love for each other and re-commit for the year ahead .
Or will it ?
Maybe it is just another con job , a fresh way to get us to spend money we don ’ t have on stuff we don ’ t need in order to conform with an entirely artificial notion of life that retailers , florists , restaurants , advertisers and marketing companies , tell us we should aspire to ?
Well , whatever it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us and before this week ends many people will have spent hundreds of euro on proving their love for another person and make no mistake all the romance comes with a pretty hefty price tag for most Irish couples .
By the time the bells toll to mark the end of Friday night thousands of Irish couples will have spent well in excess of €500 on the flowers , the card , the bubbles , the present , the “ romantic ” candlelit dinner in a restaurant that has shoehorned extra tables in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special menus ” , the taxi home and – possibly – the babysitter .
More than €500 , you say ?
Surely not .
Well , let ’ s look at the numbers .
According to research from the UK , British consumers will spend around £650 million ( €766 million ) on Valentine ’ s gifts this year .
Brexit aside , we ’ re are not hugely different from our friends across the water and if we were to extrapolate Irish spending from those numbers , Irish people will collectively spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How do the costs break down ?
Well it starts with the flowers .
We had a look on the Interflora website for roses and prices varied wildly .
There was one offering that caught our eye .
“ If there was ever a time for grand gestures , Valentine ’ s Day is it , ” says the text .
“ And here ’ s the bouquet to help you make it.
” And what is that bouquet ?
“ One hundred premium , long-stemmed , large-headed roses hand-tied and delivered right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exquisite choice for an unforgettable moment .
Featuring 100 red large headed ‘ Freedom ’ roses beautifully hand-tied , wrapped and presented in our kind-to-the-planet gift packaging.
” While getting 100 premium , long-stemmed , large-headed roses might be exquisite and although the packaging might be kind to the plant , the thing that we would struggle to forget is the price .
It ’ s €494 .
Of course , that is not how much it costs most people and a dozen more typical red roses will cost €68 on with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spikes on Valentine ’ s Day and you will pay 20 per cent more on Friday compared with today , florists should probably not be judged too harshly for that spike .
Prices climb all over the world because huge demand puts huge pressure on every link in the international flower chain .
It starts in Africa where growers have to hire and pay extra staff , freight companies pay premiums , prices on flower international markets spike and then florists have to pay overtime to staff .
A normal-sized flower shop might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a normal day and 5,000 on February 14th .
Next up for the romantic consumer is the card .
All told , one billion cards will be exchanged across the world on the big day – that is enough to stretch around the world five times in case you have ever wondered .
Now , let ’ s say the average price of such a card is €2 then €2 billion will be spent on cards this year and around 20 tonnes of paper will be consumed .
If 30 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it only means that 350,000 trees will have to be cut down for those cards which will – let ’ s be honest – be looked at for about 15 seconds and then slowly make their way to attics , bins , memory boxes or wherever .
Some people in Ireland will spend a lot more than our average of €2 on their card .
Others will post them .
We will set aside a fiver for the cards .
After that we have the bubbles .
A bottle of Moet & Chandon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at €45 while 14 chocolates in a heart shaped box from the people at Butler ’ s will set you back a further €16 .
We are going to allow €50 for a wonderfully thoughtful gift – for some people this amount will be ludicrously high , for others it will be ludicrously small .
Now , at the best of times , dinner in an Irish restaurant is not cheap but Valentine ’ s day is not the best of times and a lot of restaurants – who have just endured a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offer special menus where the only really special thing is the price .
Some couples may be able to have a meal with wine and perhaps a fancy drink on arrival for less than €150 but not many .
Finally we have to add the cost of getting to and from a restaurant – let ’ s say – €40 – plus a further €50 for a babysitter .
Obviously there will be many people who will not require such service but we will leave them out of the picture ( because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now some of these costs – the dinner , the baby sitter and the taxi – might be borne by a couple while others will have to be doubled if both parties in a relationship buy gifts and cards and the like .
That means that when our back-of-an-envelope numbers are added up , the total cost of a pretty modest Valentine ’ s Day for an Irish will be €540 .
If there are 1.5 million couples and half of them spend close to this amount on Valentine ’ s Day then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – drum roll please – €405 million .
Who says money can ’ t buy you love .
1 Aldi , Lidl , Tesco , Dunnes and M & S will all be selling impressive-looking , but not hideously expensive , roses on the big day .
They will have bouquets to suit all budgets but the fanciest roses will be fresh in-store on the days from the middle of this week .
Supplies will be limited so if you don ’ t want to be disappointed , drop into one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re buying them .
2 Maybe you don ’ t have to spend more than €40 on a bottle of champagne ?
Prosecco is cheaper but might be too sweet for some tastes .
There is also Cava , which can be excellent value for money .
Or you could look at Cremant .
This sparkling wine comes from a region close to Champagne but the wines cost a whole lot less .
3 The split between couples who eat out and eat in on Valentine ’ s Day is around 50-50 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who chose to eat in will rely on the special meal deals from supermarkets .
It is worth keeping an eye on the M & S dine-in deal and the rival offering from Tesco .
And remember if you decant everything properly you may be able to pretend you put all the effort in and made the meal yourself .
4 Want to do something romantic for buttons ?
Buy heart-shaped cookie cutters – they ’ re sold in every kitchen and homeware shop for not much more than a fiver .
Use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , romantic pancakes and loved-up toast at a total cost of less than a tenner .
Get some bubbles from a discounter , some freshly squeezed orange juice and a dozen cheapish roses , and you ’ re good to go for less than €30 .
You .
Are .
Welcome .
1 While love is blind it does not necessarily have to be expensive or environmentally unfriendly .
Instead of a card – which is typically made of heavy cardboard – you could write your beloved a love letter instead .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes from the heart .
2 H ave you ever wondered where your romantic roses come from ?
They will almost certainly have been grown in sub-Saharan Africa and then flown to Amsterdam ’ s flower markets before making their way – on a plane – to Ireland .
And then on to the home of recipients all over the country – in cars , most likely .
Those flowers will last a few days and then they will be gone .
Maybe consider buying a plant instead ?
3 Cook a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retailers .
While the temptation is there to shop in a big supermarket , you could make an effort , and buy all the food you plan to eat on the big night from your local butchers and fruit and veg shop .
4 Cheap candles use paraffin wax .
Candles which use natural waxes like soy , rapeseed , plant and beeswax are a better option .
5 If you are planning to surprise your beloved with a trip , keep it local .
We asked Twitter users what they thought about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in love with it .
“ We spend nothing .
Not a big fan of commercial holidays.
” – Greta Donovan “ Three euro on a card , maybe a bottle of wine , that ’ s about it.
” – Orla Woods “ I see it as a challenge to be creative about it and try not fall victim to unnecessary spending .
Some people too cynical about the whole thing .
It ’ s possible to celebrate the sentiment without splurging !
” – Sarah Anderson ( McKell ) “ Aw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young lovers ... but I ’ m an old ( ish ) fart & I think it ’ s utter rubbish.
” – Ashling Colgan “ Worst night to go out ... ..
Nothing special about it imo [ in my opinion ] .
Best to be spontaneous other times.
” – Ken Kelleher “ Showing u love some 1 always worth while .
Very good 4 young children to see this tradition .
U don ’ t have 2 spend a fortune.
” – Patricia McGrath “ Amateurs only buy stuff just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy in the January sales and hide the stuff well , very well !
!
!
!
” – Keith Spriggs

This coming Friday will be the most romantic day of the year, a day when couples get to express their love for each other and re-commit for the year ahead.
Or will it? Maybe it is just another con job, a fresh way to get us to spend money we don’t have on stuff we don’t need in order to conform with an entirely artificial notion of life that retailers, florists, restaurants, advertisers and marketing companies, tell us we should aspire to?
Well, whatever it is, Valentine’s Day is upon us and before this week ends many people will have spent hundreds of euro on proving their love for another person and make no mistake all the romance comes with a pretty hefty price tag for most Irish couples.
By the time the bells toll to mark the end of Friday night thousands of Irish couples will have spent well in excess of €500 on the flowers, the card, the bubbles, the present, the “romantic” candlelit dinner in a restaurant that has shoehorned extra tables in so more people can enjoy the “special menus”, the taxi home and – possibly – the babysitter.
READ MORE
More than €500, you say? Surely not.
Well, let’s look at the numbers.
According to research from the UK, British consumers will spend around £650 million (€766 million) on Valentine’s gifts this year. Brexit aside, we’re are not hugely different from our friends across the water and if we were to extrapolate Irish spending from those numbers, Irish people will collectively spend around €60 million on loved-up presents.
How do the costs break down?
Roses are often grown in sub-Saharan Africa and flown, via the Dutch flower markets, to Ireland
The flowers
Well it starts with the flowers. We had a look on the Interflora website for roses and prices varied wildly. There was one offering that caught our eye. “If there was ever a time for grand gestures, Valentine’s Day is it,” says the text. “And here’s the bouquet to help you make it.” And what is that bouquet?
“One hundred premium, long-stemmed, large-headed roses hand-tied and delivered right to their door. It’s an exquisite choice for an unforgettable moment. Featuring 100 red large headed ‘Freedom’ roses beautifully hand-tied, wrapped and presented in our kind-to-the-planet gift packaging.”
While getting 100 premium, long-stemmed, large-headed roses might be exquisite and although the packaging might be kind to the plant, the thing that we would struggle to forget is the price. It’s €494.
Of course, that is not how much it costs most people and a dozen more typical red roses will cost €68 on with Interflora.
While the price of roses spikes on Valentine’s Day and you will pay 20 per cent more on Friday compared with today, florists should probably not be judged too harshly for that spike. Prices climb all over the world because huge demand puts huge pressure on every link in the international flower chain.
It starts in Africa where growers have to hire and pay extra staff, freight companies pay premiums, prices on flower international markets spike and then florists have to pay overtime to staff. A normal-sized flower shop might sell a couple of hundred roses on a normal day and 5,000 on February 14th.
The card
Next up for the romantic consumer is the card. All told, one billion cards will be exchanged across the world on the big day – that is enough to stretch around the world five times in case you have ever wondered. Now, let’s say the average price of such a card is €2 then €2 billion will be spent on cards this year and around 20 tonnes of paper will be consumed. If 30 per cent of the cards come from recycled materials then it only means that 350,000 trees will have to be cut down for those cards which will – let’s be honest – be looked at for about 15 seconds and then slowly make their way to attics, bins, memory boxes or wherever. Some people in Ireland will spend a lot more than our average of €2 on their card. Others will post them. We will set aside a fiver for the cards.
Bubbles, dinner and chocolates
After that we have the bubbles. A bottle of Moet & Chandon non-vintage champagne in Tesco is currently priced at €45 while 14 chocolates in a heart shaped box from the people at Butler’s will set you back a further €16.
We are going to allow €50 for a wonderfully thoughtful gift – for some people this amount will be ludicrously high, for others it will be ludicrously small.
Now, at the best of times, dinner in an Irish restaurant is not cheap but Valentine’s day is not the best of times and a lot of restaurants – who have just endured a miserable January in their defence – tend to offer special menus where the only really special thing is the price. Some couples may be able to have a meal with wine and perhaps a fancy drink on arrival for less than €150 but not many.
Finally we have to add the cost of getting to and from a restaurant – let’s say – €40 – plus a further €50 for a babysitter. Obviously there will be many people who will not require such service but we will leave them out of the picture (because they are not us!).
Now some of these costs – the dinner, the baby sitter and the taxi – might be borne by a couple while others will have to be doubled if both parties in a relationship buy gifts and cards and the like. That means that when our back-of-an-envelope numbers are added up, the total cost of a pretty modest Valentine’s Day for an Irish will be €540.
If there are 1.5 million couples and half of them spend close to this amount on Valentine’s Day then the total cost this year will be – drum roll please – €405 million.
Who says money can’t buy you love.
Valentine’s Day on the cheap.
1 Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Dunnes and M&S will all be selling impressive-looking, but not hideously expensive, roses on the big day. They will have bouquets to suit all budgets but the fanciest roses will be fresh in-store on the days from the middle of this week. Supplies will be limited so if you don't want to be disappointed, drop into one of the stores early on whatever day you're buying them.
2 Maybe you don't have to spend more than €40 on a bottle of champagne? Prosecco is cheaper but might be too sweet for some tastes. There is also Cava, which can be excellent value for money. Or you could look at Cremant. This sparkling wine comes from a region close to Champagne but the wines cost a whole lot less.
3 The split between couples who eat out and eat in on Valentine's Day is around 50-50. As many as a quarter of those who chose to eat in will rely on the special meal deals from supermarkets. It is worth keeping an eye on the M&S dine-in deal and the rival offering from Tesco. And remember if you decant everything properly you may be able to pretend you put all the effort in and made the meal yourself.
4 Want to do something romantic for buttons? Buy heart-shaped cookie cutters – they're sold in every kitchen and homeware shop for not much more than a fiver. Use the cookie cutter to make heart-shaped eggs, romantic pancakes and loved-up toast at a total cost of less than a tenner. Get some bubbles from a discounter, some freshly squeezed orange juice and a dozen cheapish roses, and you're good to go for less than €30. You. Are. Welcome.
A sustainable Valentine’s Day
1 While love is blind it does not necessarily have to be expensive or environmentally unfriendly. Instead of a card – which is typically made of heavy cardboard – you could write your beloved a love letter instead. It will mean more – as long as it comes from the heart.
2 H ave you ever wondered where your romantic roses come from? They will almost certainly have been grown in sub-Saharan Africa and then flown to Amsterdam's flower markets before making their way – on a plane – to Ireland. And then on to the home of recipients all over the country – in cars, most likely. Those flowers will last a few days and then they will be gone. Maybe consider buying a plant instead?
3 Cook a meal yourself with food bought from local retailers. While the temptation is there to shop in a big supermarket, you could make an effort, and buy all the food you plan to eat on the big night from your local butchers and fruit and veg shop.
4 Cheap candles use paraffin wax. Candles which use natural waxes like soy, rapeseed, plant and beeswax are a better option.
5 If you are planning to surprise your beloved with a trip, keep it local.
The Twitter take
We asked Twitter users what they thought about the big day. Few people were in love with it.
"We spend nothing. Not a big fan of commercial holidays." – Greta Donovan
"Three euro on a card, maybe a bottle of wine, that's about it." – Orla Woods
"I see it as a challenge to be creative about it and try not fall victim to unnecessary spending. Some people too cynical about the whole thing. It's possible to celebrate the sentiment without splurging!"– Sarah Anderson (McKell)
"It's a cod! Total waste of money!" – Caitriona Collopy Wynne
" Aw, it's a day for young lovers... but I'm an old (ish) fart & I think it's utter rubbish." – Ashling Colgan
"Worst night to go out..... Nothing special about it imo [in my opinion]. Best to be spontaneous other times." – Ken Kelleher
"Showing u love some 1 always worth while. Very good 4 young children to see this tradition. U don't have 2 spend a fortune." – Patricia McGrath
"Amateurs only buy stuff just before Valentine's Day, smart buy in the January sales and hide the stuff well, very well!!!!" – Keith Spriggs


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--Snow creates difficult road conditions in many areas

Snow is falling in many counties this afternoon and is creating difficult road conditions .
A nationwide two-day snow and ice warning came into force at midnight .
AA Ireland is reporting snow affecting road conditions in counties Limerick , Tipperary , Laois , Kildare , Wicklow , Carlow and Kilkenny .
It said snow has been reported on routes around Limerick city while in Co Wicklow , the Old Military Rd ( R115 ) and the Roundwood ( R759 ) approach route to the Sally Gap are closed due to snow and ice .
A status orange wind warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mayo , Sligo , Clare and Kerry came into force at 6am on Monday and will remain in place until 8pm .
A lower , status yellow wind warning is in place for the rest of the country .
Met Éireann said a combination of spring tides and high seas would create “ a significant risk of coastal flooding ” .
Storm Ciara is forecast to bring strong westerly winds to coastal areas on Monday with mean speeds of 65km/h to 80km/h expected as well as gusts of up to 130km/h .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ restore power to 14,000 homes and businesses on Sunday .
By Monday morning it appeared as if many of these had been resolved , although homes and businesses in parts of Kerry , Cork , Donegal , Galway and Limerick remain without power .
Met Éireann forecaster Linda Hughes said some travel disruption should be expected as a result of the weather .
“ There will be falls of sleet and snow , and some snow accumulations as well , mainly in the west and the north , and especially on the mountains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall to freezing overnight and not forecast to rise much higher than three degrees on Monday .
“ It will be a very cold day and feeling even colder because of the strong westerly winds , ” Ms Hughes added .
The Road Safety Authority ( RSA ) advised road users to prepare for cold weather conditions , with motorists advised to clear windows and mirrors before setting out on journeys .
In the North , the Met Office has issued a status yellow warning for snow and wind which comes into effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
It said heavy snow and strong winds would lead to travel disruption , especially along routes on higher ground .
There was also a possibility of some vehicles and passengers on certain routes being left stranded , along with potential delays or cancellations to rail and air travel , and power cuts .
In Britain , Storm Ciara caused widespread flooding and brought winds of more than 140km/h over the weekend .
Footage posted on social media showed a wall of the Bridge House Guest House and Sonia ’ s Bistro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hawick , Scotland .
Storm Ciara has caused some travel disruption to flights and sailings in and out of Ireland .
Aer Lingus advised travellers to check the status of their flight before departing for the airport , while Irish Ferries warned passengers there would be some disruption to sailings .
“ Heavy rain may overwhelm drains and gullies leading to surface flooding and property owners and occupiers are being asked to check drains and gullies for potential blockages , ” a spokesman added .
The Irish Coast Guard has cautioned people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stay high and stay dry ” .

Sheep feed during heavy snowfall in Roundwood, Co Wicklow. Photograph: Garry O’Neill
Cold and wintry conditions are expected to continue across the country on Tuesday, with a yellow snow and ice weather warning remaining in place.
Snow fell in many counties on Monday afternoon, creating difficult road conditions for motorists nationwide.
The two-day snow and ice warning, which is in force until midnight on Tuesday, affected road conditions in a number of locations including in Limerick, Tipperary, Laois, Kildare, Wicklow, Carlow and Kilkenny.
Members of Ennis fire brigade free a car from under a tree felled by Storm Ciara at Friars Walk, Ennis on Sunday. Photograph: Eamon Ward
A photograph of flooding from Hawes, North Yorkshire in the UK on Sunday. Photograph: Thomas Beresford/PA
Met Éireann meteorologist Linda Hughes said some travel disruption should be expected as a result of the weather.
READ MORE
“There will be falls of sleet and snow, and some snow accumulations as well, mainly in the west and the north, and especially on the mountains and hills.”
Temperatures were expected to fall to freezing overnight and not forecast to rise much higher than three degrees on Tuesday.
“It will be a very cold day and feeling even colder because of the strong westerly winds,” Ms Hughes added.
On Monday, Storm Ciara brought strong westerly winds to coastal areas, with mean speeds of 65km/h to 80km/h expected as well as gusts of up to 130km/h.
Wind warning
A status orange wind warning for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry was also in place until Monday night, while a yellow wind warning was in place for the remaining counties.
Met Éireann said a combination of spring tides and high seas created “a significant risk of coastal flooding”.
As a result of the weather, a 100-year-old sand embankment was breached at Banna in Co Kerry.
At 5am on Sunday “ferocious” winds and tidal undercurrents demolished the embankment, and the sea is now rushing in, putting houses and roads at risk.
Patrick Lawlor, whose grandfather helped build the defence system, said up to 60 houses were at immediate risk.
“There is huge stress and anxiety. It needs to be declared an emergency. It is going to continuously erode now,” Mr Lawlor said.
The lands including Ardfert village were at sea level and the ferocity of the tides had increased in the past 20 years along the Kerry coast, he added.
ESB Networks said that the majority of the 30,000 faults caused by Storm Ciara over the weekend had been resolved by Sunday night.
An ESB spokesman told The Irish Times that high winds across the country had led to most of the faults.
Road warning
The Road Safety Authority advised road users to prepare for cold weather conditions, with motorists advised to clear windows and mirrors before setting out on journeys.
Seán Moynihan, chief executive of Alone, a charity for older people, called on members of the public to check in on their older neighbours during the extreme weather.
“We’re advising older people to be prepared by ensuring they have adequate heat, medication, food and to stay indoors where possible,” he said.
“With some snow forecast, it is important that older people prioritise spending on heating and stay warm in the coming days.”
In the North, the Met Office has issued a status yellow warning for snow and wind which runs until midnight on Tuesday.
In Britain, Storm Ciara caused widespread flooding and brought winds of more than 140km/h over the weekend.
Footage posted on social media showed a wall of the Bridge House Guest House and Sonia's Bistro building collapsing into the fast-flowing River Teviot in Hawick, Scotland.
Storm Ciara has caused some travel disruption to flights and sailings in and out of Ireland. Aer Lingus advised travellers to check the status of their flight before departing for the airport, while Irish Ferries warned passengers there would be some disruption to sailings.
The Irish Coast Guard has cautioned people in coastal areas to “stay back, stay high and stay dry”. Additional reporting: PA


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--UCD spending millions buying premium south Dublin homes

University College Dublin ( UCD ) has spent several million euro buying premium south Dublin houses neighbouring its Belfield campus in recent years , as part of a long-term plan to expand the university ’ s boundaries .
The university spent €5.5 million buying five properties between January 2017 and last September , according to figures released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act .
It is understood the spending is part of a long-term plan to buy up residential property along the Clonskeagh Road end of the college to potentially extend the campus boundaries in future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the policy .
UCD has not formally acknowledged the policy for fear of driving up the prices of homes bordering the campus , sources said .
However , the practice was confirmed by several current and former members of the university ’ s governing authority , as well as a senior estate agent working in the property market near the campus .
When questioned about the recent €5.5 million spent buying property , a UCD spokeswoman said as the “ information is commercially sensitive the university can not comment further ” .
UCD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a small road backing onto the university just off the Clonskeagh Road , last May .
One of those properties was bought for €865,000 , according to available figures from the Property Price Register .
The purchase of the two properties was discussed at a May 9th meeting of the UCD governing authority last year , according to confidential minutes seen by The Irish Times .
The university ’ s governing body was told the purchases had been authorised by UCD president Andrew Deeks and had been funded “ from the consolidated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s residential properties ” .
The spending had been authorised within the “ president ’ s expenditure authority limits , ” minutes said .
Following queries on the spending the meeting heard the decision did not have to come to the university ’ s finance committee for approval as both purchases were individually under €1 million .
Spending of more than €3 million would have to be approved by the governing authority , the meeting heard .
One senior estate agent who deals in the area said they understood UCD had been bidding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at least the last four to five years , and the university would bid marginally over the market rate to secure property .
UCD is the largest third-level institution in the country and its 133 hectare campus has large areas of fields and woodlands , particularly towards the end of the campus bordering the Clonskeagh Road .
Joanna Siewierska , head of the UCD students ’ union , said the university ’ s decision to spend money buying “ premium properties for the purpose of owning land around the campus boundary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students , makes little sense in the current housing crisis ” .
The university management were “ playing chess with local properties ” and spending funds “ on some of the most expensive properties in the country , ” she said .
At the same time the main campus library was “ not fit for purpose , ” and the student health and counselling service was “ grossly underfunded , ” she said .
In recent days UCD decided to increase the rent in on-campus student accommodation by 12 per cent over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of living in student housing up to as high as almost €10,000 for an academic year .
“ None of the above issues are being adequately addressed by the university , ” she said which made their increases in student rents and spending on property particularly concerning .
“ It is clear that UCD is being ran on a for-profit model , not as a public service , ” Ms Siewierska said .

UCD president Prof Andrew Deeks: authorised the purchase of the two properties at a May 9th meeting of the UCD governing authority last year. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
University College Dublin (UCD) has spent several million euro buying premium south Dublin houses neighbouring its Belfield campus in recent years, as part of a long-term plan to expand the university's boundaries.
The university spent €5.5 million buying five properties between January 2017 and last September, according to figures released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.
It is understood the spending is part of a long-term plan to buy up residential property along the Clonskeagh Road end of the college to potentially extend the campus boundaries in future, according to several sources familiar with the policy.
UCD has not formally acknowledged the policy for fear of driving up the prices of homes bordering the campus, sources said.
READ MORE
However, the practice was confirmed by several current and former members of the university’s governing authority, as well as a senior estate agent working in the property market near the campus.
When questioned about the recent €5.5 million spent buying property, a UCD spokeswoman said as the “information is commercially sensitive the university cannot comment further”.
UCD bought two adjacent properties on Rosemount Crescent, a small road backing onto the university just off the Clonskeagh Road, last May.
One of those properties was bought for €865,000, according to available figures from the Property Price Register.
Confidential minutes
The purchase of the two properties was discussed at a May 9th meeting of the UCD governing authority last year, according to confidential minutes seen by The Irish Times.
The university's governing body was told the purchases had been authorised by UCD president Andrew Deeks and had been funded "from the consolidated rental income cash flows from UCD's residential properties".
The spending had been authorised within the “president’s expenditure authority limits,” minutes said.
Following queries on the spending the meeting heard the decision did not have to come to the university’s finance committee for approval as both purchases were individually under €1 million.
Spending of more than €3 million would have to be approved by the governing authority, the meeting heard.
Bidding and buying
One senior estate agent who deals in the area said they understood UCD had been bidding and buying homes along the Clonskeagh Road for at least the last four to five years, and the university would bid marginally over the market rate to secure property.
UCD is the largest third-level institution in the country and its 133 hectare campus has large areas of fields and woodlands, particularly towards the end of the campus bordering the Clonskeagh Road.
Joanna Siewierska, head of the UCD students' union, said the university's decision to spend money buying "premium properties for the purpose of owning land around the campus boundary, and not for the purpose of housing students, makes little sense in the current housing crisis".
The university management were “playing chess with local properties” and spending funds “on some of the most expensive properties in the country,” she said.
At the same time the main campus library was “not fit for purpose,” and the student health and counselling service was “grossly underfunded,” she said.
In recent days UCD decided to increase the rent in on-campus student accommodation by 12 per cent over the next three years, bringing the cost of living in student housing up to as high as almost €10,000 for an academic year.
“None of the above issues are being adequately addressed by the university,” she said which made their increases in student rents and spending on property particularly concerning.
“It is clear that UCD is being ran on a for-profit model, not as a public service,” Ms Siewierska said.


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--Study into impact of bonus for Irish on CAO points questions fairness

An unpublished study on the impact of bonus points for students who answer the Leaving Cert through Irish has questioned the fairness of the measure .
Under rules that date back to the mid-1920s , any student who answers a written exam in Irish may receive bonus marks of up to 10 per cent , depending on the subject .
A State Examinations Commission ( SEC ) report examined the impact of this on more than 120 students who completed their exams in Irish across two unnamed all-Irish schools .
It found the bonus scheme delivered an average CAO bonus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases it was as high as 30-35 points .
Students who scored high CAO points benefitted the most .
For example , the bonus allowed students who scored between 500 and 600 points overtake about 20 per cent of other students who scored above them .
A commentary accompanying the report states that it is not possible to determine whether students who completed their exams in Irish would have performed better if they answered them in English .
“ While we can assume that all of these candidates are very good at Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speakers .
They might therefore have done better ( exclusive of the bonus ) had they both studied the subject and been examined in it through English , ” the report states .
“ If one takes this view , the effect of the bonus scheme is to partially or fully rectify a cause of unfairness .
If one does not , then the effect is to create an unfair advantage.
” Under Irish bonus scheme rules , students who answer written exams in Irish may receive bonus marks of up to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , geography , physics , chemistry and biology .
The bonus marks are lower – 5 per cent – for subjects where there is less reliance on Irish , such as foreign languages , maths , accounting and engineering .
Irish and English are excluded from the bonus scheme .
The full bonus only applies if the student has obtained less than 75 per cent in their exam .
Above this point , the bonus applies on a sliding scale to the point where a student who scores 100 per cent gets no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the way students benefit from the Irish bonus is “ erratic ” due to the way the grading process works by disproportionately benefitting more students over others .
For example , it points out that it is possible for the Irish bonus to cause an upgrade from an E to a D3 in a higher-level subject , which would yield 45 points , or 70 points in the case of higher maths .
It says changes should be considered so there is a more even distribution of the benefit .
“ Decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme do not simply come down to whether to abolish it or not , ” it states .
“ The scheme has been amended in its manner of application on a number of occasions through its history .
There is no reason why it can not be amended again if there is agreement that there is a fairer way for it to operate.
” In response to queries from The Irish Times , the State Examinations Commission said some of the anomalies highlighted in its report no longer arise due to grading changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which replaced As , Bs and Cs with wider grade bands such as H1s and H2s – followed recommendations from a group led by the Department of Education which included education partners such as higher education institutions .
This same group decided not to make any recommendation in relation to the Irish bonus scheme when making the grading changes in 2017 .
“ The SEC continues to implement the Irish bonus scheme in accordance with Government policy , ” it said .

A State Examinations Commission report found the bonus scheme delivered an average CAO bonus of 12 points, though in some cases it was as high as 30-35 points
An unpublished study on the impact of bonus points for students who answer the Leaving Cert through Irish has questioned the fairness of the measure.
Under rules that date back to the mid-1920s, any student who answers a written exam in Irish may receive bonus marks of up to 10 per cent, depending on the subject.
A State Examinations Commission (SEC) report examined the impact of this on more than 120 students who completed their exams in Irish across two unnamed all-Irish schools.
It found the bonus scheme delivered an average CAO bonus of 12 points, though in some cases it was as high as 30-35 points.
READ MORE
Students who scored high CAO points benefitted the most. For example, the bonus allowed students who scored between 500 and 600 points overtake about 20 per cent of other students who scored above them.
A commentary accompanying the report states that it is not possible to determine whether students who completed their exams in Irish would have performed better if they answered them in English.
“While we can assume that all of these candidates are very good at Irish, the great majority are not native speakers. They might therefore have done better (exclusive of the bonus) had they both studied the subject and been examined in it through English,” the report states.
“If one takes this view, the effect of the bonus scheme is to partially or fully rectify a cause of unfairness. If one does not, then the effect is to create an unfair advantage.”
Scheme rules
Under Irish bonus scheme rules, students who answer written exams in Irish may receive bonus marks of up to 10 per cent for subjects such as history, geography, physics, chemistry and biology.
The bonus marks are lower – 5 per cent – for subjects where there is less reliance on Irish, such as foreign languages, maths, accounting and engineering.
Irish and English are excluded from the bonus scheme.
The full bonus only applies if the student has obtained less than 75 per cent in their exam.
Above this point, the bonus applies on a sliding scale to the point where a student who scores 100 per cent gets no bonus.
The SEC report also found that the way students benefit from the Irish bonus is “erratic” due to the way the grading process works by disproportionately benefitting more students over others.
For example, it points out that it is possible for the Irish bonus to cause an upgrade from an E to a D3 in a higher-level subject, which would yield 45 points, or 70 points in the case of higher maths.
It says changes should be considered so there is a more even distribution of the benefit.
“Decisions over the future of the bonus points scheme do not simply come down to whether to abolish it or not,” it states.
“The scheme has been amended in its manner of application on a number of occasions through its history. There is no reason why it cannot be amended again if there is agreement that there is a fairer way for it to operate.”
Anomalies
In response to queries from The Irish Times, the State Examinations Commission said some of the anomalies highlighted in its report no longer arise due to grading changes introduced in 2017.
These changes – which replaced As, Bs and Cs with wider grade bands such as H1s and H2s – followed recommendations from a group led by the Department of Education which included education partners such as higher education institutions.
This same group decided not to make any recommendation in relation to the Irish bonus scheme when making the grading changes in 2017.
“The SEC continues to implement the Irish bonus scheme in accordance with Government policy,” it said.


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--Election 2020: How Sinn Féin turned their fortunes around

Two years after she was elected Sinn Féin president , Mary Lou McDonald has wildly exceeded the expectations of party members who chose her to succeed Gerry Adams .
When the Dublin Central TD was elected party leader at a special ardfheis in the RDS , Dublin , on February 10th , 2018 , those present hoped she could extend Sinn Féin ’ s reach into the parts of the Irish electorate Adams could not touch .
It is unlikely party members thought her leadership would herald this level of success , which saw her walk through the front door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years later as the star of Election 2020 .
Sinn Féin is set for a seat haul in the mid to late 30s , a significant increase on the 22 seats it had when the 32nd Dáil was dissolved .
The feat is all the more remarkable for the fact McDonald has encountered setbacks in the two years since she succeeded Adams .
Her first electoral outing was the 2018 presidential election , when Sinn Féin candidate Liadh Ní Riada came fourth on just 6.37 per cent of the vote .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local and European elections , which saw Sinn Féin drop from the 159 council seats it won in 2014 to 81 seats and lose two MEPs : Lynn Boylan in Dublin and Ní Riada in Ireland South .
The party , as it always does after elections , carried out a review .
A view formed among some that Sinn Féin needed to strike a better balance between promoting its own policies and criticising the government .
The key frontbench spokespeople – Eoin Ó Broin in housing , Pearse Doherty in finance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to the fore .
Party sources also said TDs went back to their “ bread and butter ” of providing constituency services , which Sinn Féin sources claim outstrip those of other parties .
In the aftermath of the drubbing in the local elections , many in the party felt that some who lost their council seats had not done enough work on the ground .
The same could not be said of the TDs .
The final months of 2019 saw the party ’ s fortunes turn .
Ó Broin engineered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Dublin Mid-West constituency , with Mark Ward joining him in the Dáil and then holding the seat at the general election .
The Westminster elections last December were more mixed , with John Finucane taking the Belfast North seat held by the DUP ’ s Nigel Dodds , as the Foyle seat was lost to SDLP leader Colum Eastwood .
The restoration of the Stormont institutions in January prevented Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael and others using the suspension of the Northern Ireland Executive against Sinn Féin during the general election campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expectation within the party was still that this general election would be about consolidating rather than expanding its Dáil numbers .
The fact that it decided to run only 42 candidates was evidence that Sinn Féin did not expect this level of success .
It pruned tickets and left many TDs , including McDonald herself , without running mates , thus leaving seats behind .
Yet those who canvassed during the byelections said they felt something stirring among the electorate – a desire for change , and the identification of Sinn Féin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about – which carried through to the general election .
“ They were clear who they weren ’ t voting for : Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael or Labour , ” said one source of the attitude of party voters .
When the election came , Sinn Féin ran the best campaign of all the main parties , identifying the pension age issue at the outset and forcing RTÉ to change its mind and invite McDonald into the final leaders ’ debate .
Even though her performance in that debate was poor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the RTÉ set that night was enough .
It said Sinn Féin was now on a par with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael .
McDonald herself was the star of the campaign , and her repeated attacks on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for , as she claimed , being in power together for four years were brutally effective .
It robbed Micheál Martin of his claim to be an agent of change and solidified Sinn Féin as the party offering radical change .
McDonald herself was a hit on the canvass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is warm , friendly and approachable , and this came across in broadcast coverage of her daily walkabouts .
Those who dislike Sinn Féin are turned off by her strident Dáil and debate performances , and are unlikely to have been swayed during this campaign .
But her stump appearances showed her warmth and ease with people .
Before she took over as leader , McDonald suggested her party should be prepared to enter government as a junior partner .
But she has brought Sinn Féin much further than being the new half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has firmly established it as the third force in Irish politics .

Candidates Dessie Ellis and Aengus O’Snodaigh of Sinn Féin celebrate their party’s success in the general election at the RDS count centre. Video: Bryan O’Brien
Two years after she was elected Sinn Féin president, Mary Lou McDonald has wildly exceeded the expectations of party members who chose her to succeed Gerry Adams.
When the Dublin Central TD was elected party leader at a special ardfheis in the RDS, Dublin, on February 10th, 2018, those present hoped she could extend Sinn Féin's reach into the parts of the Irish electorate Adams could not touch.
It is unlikely party members thought her leadership would herald this level of success, which saw her walk through the front door of the same RDS on count day two years later as the star of Election 2020.
Sinn Féin is set for a seat haul in the mid to late 30s, a significant increase on the 22 seats it had when the 32nd Dáil was dissolved.
READ MORE
The feat is all the more remarkable for the fact McDonald has encountered setbacks in the two years since she succeeded Adams. Her first electoral outing was the 2018 presidential election, when Sinn Féin candidate Liadh Ní Riada came fourth on just 6.37 per cent of the vote.
That was followed by last year's local and European elections, which saw Sinn Féin drop from the 159 council seats it won in 2014 to 81 seats and lose two MEPs: Lynn Boylan in Dublin and Ní Riada in Ireland South.
The party, as it always does after elections, carried out a review. A view formed among some that Sinn Féin needed to strike a better balance between promoting its own policies and criticising the government.
The key frontbench spokespeople – Eoin Ó Broin in housing, Pearse Doherty in finance and Louise O'Reilly in health – came to the fore. Party sources also said TDs went back to their "bread and butter" of providing constituency services, which Sinn Féin sources claim outstrip those of other parties.
Fortunes turn
In the aftermath of the drubbing in the local elections, many in the party felt that some who lost their council seats had not done enough work on the ground. The same could not be said of the TDs.
The final months of 2019 saw the party's fortunes turn. Ó Broin engineered a byelection victory for Sinn Féin in his Dublin Mid-West constituency, with Mark Ward joining him in the Dáil and then holding the seat at the general election.
The Westminster elections last December were more mixed, with John Finucane taking the Belfast North seat held by the DUP's Nigel Dodds, as the Foyle seat was lost to SDLP leader Colum Eastwood.
The restoration of the Stormont institutions in January prevented Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and others using the suspension of the Northern Ireland Executive against Sinn Féin during the general election campaign.
Sinn Fein’s Seán Crowe is deemed elected at Citywest count centre. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Confidence was returning, even if the expectation within the party was still that this general election would be about consolidating rather than expanding its Dáil numbers.
The fact that it decided to run only 42 candidates was evidence that Sinn Féin did not expect this level of success. It pruned tickets and left many TDs, including McDonald herself, without running mates, thus leaving seats behind.
Yet those who canvassed during the byelections said they felt something stirring among the electorate – a desire for change, and the identification of Sinn Féin as the party that could bring it about – which carried through to the general election.
"They were clear who they weren't voting for: Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Labour, " said one source of the attitude of party voters.
Best campaign
When the election came, Sinn Féin ran the best campaign of all the main parties, identifying the pension age issue at the outset and forcing RTÉ to change its mind and invite McDonald into the final leaders' debate.
Even though her performance in that debate was poor, party figures said her mere presence on the RTÉ set that night was enough. It said Sinn Féin was now on a par with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
McDonald herself was the star of the campaign, and her repeated attacks on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for, as she claimed, being in power together for four years were brutally effective.
It robbed Micheál Martin of his claim to be an agent of change and solidified Sinn Féin as the party offering radical change.
McDonald herself was a hit on the canvass. In person, the Dublin Central TD is warm, friendly and approachable, and this came across in broadcast coverage of her daily walkabouts.
Those who dislike Sinn Féin are turned off by her strident Dáil and debate performances, and are unlikely to have been swayed during this campaign. But her stump appearances showed her warmth and ease with people.
Before she took over as leader, McDonald suggested her party should be prepared to enter government as a junior partner.
But she has brought Sinn Féin much further than being the new half in the old 2½-party system. She has firmly established it as the third force in Irish politics.


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--Too many nightclubs: Harcourt Street venue refused late opening hours

Dublin City Council has rejected a request from a cafe bar and restaurant proposed for Harcourt Street to lift a restriction on its opening hours , citing an overconcentration of late-night venues in the area .
The council refused an application from Gambetta , the developer of the proposed venue on the corner of Harcourt Street and Montague Street , to alter a condition imposed by An Bord Pleanála that would limit its opening hours to 8am-11pm .
Gambetta is owned by Don and Catherine Arnold , who also operate the Nurse on Call nursing agency .
The company said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building in the morning for breakfast/cafe trade .
The remainder would open in the afternoon and provide an after-work food and drink offering in the evening .
The venue would at night serve as an alternative to “ the typical ‘ club ’ scene ” , providing casual food and music .
The council said lifting the restriction would allow the venue to be operated as a nightclub or late bar and restaurant , which would “ result in an overconcentration of such land uses on Harcourt Street ” .
Planners said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Harcourt Street including Copper Face Jacks , Dicey ’ s and Ohana .
“ It is envisioned that a late-night entertainment venue of this scale is likely to add to the substantial noise pollution from patrons entering and exiting premises in the immediate area , ” the council said .

Dublin City Council planners said there was an overconcentration of late venues on Harcourt Street. File photograph: Aidan Crawley/The Irish Times.
Dublin City Council has rejected a request from a cafe bar and restaurant proposed for Harcourt Street to lift a restriction on its opening hours, citing an overconcentration of late-night venues in the area.
The council refused an application from Gambetta, the developer of the proposed venue on the corner of Harcourt Street and Montague Street, to alter a condition imposed by An Bord Pleanála that would limit its opening hours to 8am-11pm.
Gambetta is owned by Don and Catherine Arnold, who also operate the Nurse on Call nursing agency.
The company said it planned to open part of the building in the morning for breakfast/cafe trade.
READ MORE
The remainder would open in the afternoon and provide an after-work food and drink offering in the evening.
The venue would at night serve as an alternative to “the typical ‘club’ scene”, providing casual food and music.
The council said lifting the restriction would allow the venue to be operated as a nightclub or late bar and restaurant, which would “result in an overconcentration of such land uses on Harcourt Street”.
Planners said there was already an overconcentration of late venues on Harcourt Street including Copper Face Jacks, Dicey’s and Ohana.
“It is envisioned that a late-night entertainment venue of this scale is likely to add to the substantial noise pollution from patrons entering and exiting premises in the immediate area,” the council said.


theirishtimes--2020-02-11--Third of 8- to 12-year-olds have seen ‘upsetting’ material online – survey

Nearly a third of primary school children have seen material online that has upset them , according to a survey from CyberSafeIreland .
Most children reported their experience to a parent or trusted adult but 19 per cent said they had kept it to themselves .
The survey , conducted by the children ’ s online safety charity , spoke to eight to 12-year-olds ahead of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday .
Almost a quarter of those surveyed had seen something online that they wouldn ’ t want their parents to know about .
Some 93 per cent said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent were active on social media , a 10 per cent increase on last year ’ s figure .
The findings were based on a survey of 2,300 primary school children aged between 8 and 12 in 20 schools between September and December .
Alex Cooney , chief executive of CyberSafeIreland said the fact that a third of children have been upset by material encountered online should be “ a wake-up call to whoever emerges in Government after the general election that we must get to grips with children ’ s internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been plenty of encouraging promises made in parties ’ election manifestos , but the proof of their commitment will be seeing these translated into a Programme for Government with clear action points and timelines to both protect and empower our children in the online world.
” CyberSafeIreland is marking Safer Internet Day 2020 by launching two new videos made by sixth -class students from St Kevin ’ s National School , Sallynoggin , designed to encourage discussions in the classroom around healthy use of technology .

A quarter of the children surveyed said they had seen something online they wouldn’t want their parents to know about. Photograph: iStock
Nearly a third of primary school children have seen material online that has upset them, according to a survey from CyberSafeIreland.
Most children reported their experience to a parent or trusted adult but 19 per cent said they had kept it to themselves.
The survey, conducted by the children’s online safety charity, spoke to eight to 12-year-olds ahead of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday.
Almost a quarter of those surveyed had seen something online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about.
READ MORE
Some 93 per cent said they owned their own smart device and 68 per cent were active on social media, a 10 per cent increase on last year’s figure.
The findings were based on a survey of 2,300 primary school children aged between 8 and 12 in 20 schools between September and December.
Alex Cooney, chief executive of CyberSafeIreland said the fact that a third of children have been upset by material encountered online should be "a wake-up call to whoever emerges in Government after the general election that we must get to grips with children's internet use and access".
“There have been plenty of encouraging promises made in parties’ election manifestos, but the proof of their commitment will be seeing these translated into a Programme for Government with clear action points and timelines to both protect and empower our children in the online world.”
CyberSafeIreland is marking Safer Internet Day 2020 by launching two new videos made by sixth -class students from St Kevin's National School, Sallynoggin, designed to encourage discussions in the classroom around healthy use of technology.


theirishtimes--2020-02-11--My son says he’s got a college place and is now slacking off. Can this be true?

My son has been offered a provisional place by a Dutch university and seems to have slacked off on his Leaving Cert study .
He ’ s no longer worried and says he ’ s not under pressure to get good grades .
Is this really the case ?
It is ironic that your fear is being driven by his loss of anxiety over the need to secure a high CAO points score in his Leaving Cert .
I often reflect on why I have never experienced the flashbacks that others recount of reimagining that they are in the exam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer is simple : I sat the exam in 1971 prior to the surge in third level application numbers which occurred following the introduction of free second level education .
Securing a place on most degree programmes on offer back then required no more than two higher level C3 grades , a not very high bar to achieve for those interested in pursuing an academic route after school .
Most young people entered the labour force directly from school in those times .
How times have changed .
A majority of school leavers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Uniquely in the EU , we are one of the few countries where attending third level is not seen as a right , based on meeting the minimum entry requirements for our preferred course .
Programmes such as physiotherapy and psychology – which require CAO points of 540-plus in Irish universities – can be accessed with two H4/5s across EU universities taught through English .
The fear and anxiety that drives much of what occurs after transition year in Irish education derives mainly from a shortage of enough places in highly sought-after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum entry requirements .
We have meekly accepted this reality for over 40 years without question and find it hard to believe that our EU partner countries do not operate their third level systems on this basis .
Where your son may come unstuck in his more relaxed approach to learning is in his perception that having a relatively modest academic target means the hard part is now over .
Nothing could be further from the truth .
Dutch and other EU universities are ranked among the best in the world .
Attrition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are up to 40 per cent .
The academic year is up to 40 weeks long and continuous assessment begins during the first few weeks .
Any let-up in study can lead to a quick exit .
Recent history would suggest that Irish students who have taken advantage of the places on offer in EU universities have lower failure rates that domestic students , partly because they really appreciate the opportunity that they have been given .
But learning to be motivated by a real interest in one ’ s subject matter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on high CAO points , is in my view a positive development .

Dutch and other EU universities are ranked among the best in the world.
My son has been offered a provisional place by a Dutch university and seems to have slacked off on his Leaving Cert study. He’s no longer worried and says he’s not under pressure to get good grades. Is this really the case ?
It is ironic that your fear is being driven by his loss of anxiety over the need to secure a high CAO points score in his Leaving Cert. I often reflect on why I have never experienced the flashbacks that others recount of reimagining that they are in the exam hall resitting their Leaving Cert.
The answer is simple: I sat the exam in 1971 prior to the surge in third level application numbers which occurred following the introduction of free second level education.
Securing a place on most degree programmes on offer back then required no more than two higher level C3 grades, a not very high bar to achieve for those interested in pursuing an academic route after school. Most young people entered the labour force directly from school in those times.
READ MORE
How times have changed. A majority of school leavers in Ireland now progress to third level. Uniquely in the EU, we are one of the few countries where attending third level is not seen as a right, based on meeting the minimum entry requirements for our preferred course.
Programmes such as physiotherapy and psychology – which require CAO points of 540-plus in Irish universities – can be accessed with two H4/5s across EU universities taught through English.
The fear and anxiety that drives much of what occurs after transition year in Irish education derives mainly from a shortage of enough places in highly sought-after programmes to meet the numbers securing the minimum entry requirements.
We have meekly accepted this reality for over 40 years without question and find it hard to believe that our EU partner countries do not operate their third level systems on this basis.
Where your son may come unstuck in his more relaxed approach to learning is in his perception that having a relatively modest academic target means the hard part is now over.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Dutch and other EU universities are ranked among the best in the world. Attrition rates among first years on many programmes are up to 40 per cent. The academic year is up to 40 weeks long and continuous assessment begins during the first few weeks. Any let-up in study can lead to a quick exit.
Recent history would suggest that Irish students who have taken advantage of the places on offer in EU universities have lower failure rates that domestic students, partly because they really appreciate the opportunity that they have been given.
But learning to be motivated by a real interest in one’s subject matter, rather than gut-wrenching fear of missing out on high CAO points, is in my view a positive development.


theirishtimes--2020-02-11--The Secret Teacher: ‘Our State exams are far too open to tweaking and manipulation’

Shane burst into class late and with no sign of an apology .
He was too full of the joys of having passed his driving test .
“ Next stop , the Leaving Cert , ” he declared , rubbing his hands together .
I smiled inwardly at his naivety .
When Shane sat the driver theory test he knew precisely how many questions he needed to answer correctly in order to succeed .
They were randomly selected from a bank of questions , and all equally weighted .
For the practical exam , weightings are accorded to the different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each aspect there are different grades of fault , corresponding to how serious and how dangerous the infringement .
There is , therefore , total transparency regarding how many faults of each type are permitted before a candidate is deemed “ unpassable ” .
A bonus for doing well at Leaving Cert French is that I can help my niece with hers , and she did the final “ old ” Junior Cert French exam last June .
Section I of the listening test involves listening to three short and relatively simple conversations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates must select from them to identify the context of each short piece .
This task is one of five in a test worth a total of 140 marks .
In 2016 , that three-part question was awarded just 10 marks in total ; the breakdown of marks was given as 4,3,3 .
In 2010 , the total of the three parts was 32 – in excess of three times more .
The approach in 2008 was to award 18 marks in total , but 12 marks were to be awarded for getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting two and the full complement of 18 for getting all three correct .
The tasks vary little but what is worth three marks in one year is worth four times more in another .
There is a recruitment struggle for correctors , and we know that high turnover of staff indicates dissatisfaction .
Those recruited know the remuneration package and the July timeframe in advance , so it ’ s clearly what emerges ‘ on the job ’ that turns them away .
To turn teachers away from an opportunity to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an achievement .
Any examiner who has marked a paper diligently and conscientiously will always be extremely reluctant to downgrade the mark on instruction from “ above ” .
Setting assessment tasks is a serious business , and best practice involves an exam candidate having an insight into the success criteria , ie what success looks like .
Currently , exams set by the State Examinations Commission ( SEC ) are far too open to tweaking and manipulation , ensuring that the candidate doesn ’ t know the marking scheme while sitting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the corrections knowing that revisions are a near certainty .
The SEC ’ s failure to have teachers vying for the role of corrector is critical here .
Imagine how effective our school-leaving assessment would be if there were greater and more efficient correlation between those doing the groundwork in the classrooms and those receiving the exam scripts for correction in the summer .
It really is as simple as investment in the appropriate training in the relevant skillsets known as up-skilling , and in many countries and lines of work it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subsequent yield .
The Irish education system urgently requires this for both those setting and correcting high-stake exams .
Perhaps the crisis isn ’ t acute enough : there will always be enough people who need the money so the job will always get done .
Still , if beggars can ’ t be choosers , what guarantees have we of the actual standard of work of those recruited when the SEC becomes desperate for correctors ?
Logically , when there aren ’ t enough people available for work , those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowing the individual charged with grading your performance in an exam you have spent two years preparing for is an overworked , last-resort recruit ?
None of this is intended to offend those entirely capable of carrying out the task to a high standard – the process itself is flawed , and while it remains so it is doing a disservice to all correctors .
Daring to dream big , I wonder if we could perhaps also train people to simultaneously set exams and marking schemes which correspond to the appropriate standard ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates sit before papers which reveal precisely how low or high the stakes are for every single question and sub-question .
Imagine what a valuable resource a set of exams of a consistent standard could be .
Right now , SEC past papers make a mockery of the content learned ; what is a student to gain from discovering that knowledge and skills acquired vary in their value from year to year ?
What currency fluctuates in that way ?
Stable currencies , such as the Road Safety Authority ( RSA ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to wait to find out if his poor positioning on the road was a minor or major fault .
He knew going in that an inability to perform a hill start would count heavily against him .
His tester didn ’ t need to have a conference call with the other RSA test centres to work out quotas for success and failure which each centre would then strive to meet .
Put simply , Shane ’ s performance in his driving test wasn ’ t subject to the demands of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it truly is a case of total transparency : what you come and achieve on the day is precisely the result you get .
And so , just as he had with the theory test , Shane walked away immediately after the exam knowing whether he had passed or failed , and precisely why .
I wish him the best of luck with his Leaving Cert .

Imagine knowing the individual charged with grading your performance in an exam you have spent two years preparing for is an overworked, last-resort recruit?
Shane burst into class late and with no sign of an apology. He was too full of the joys of having passed his driving test.
“Next stop, the Leaving Cert,” he declared, rubbing his hands together. I smiled inwardly at his naivety.
When Shane sat the driver theory test he knew precisely how many questions he needed to answer correctly in order to succeed.
They were randomly selected from a bank of questions, and all equally weighted. For the practical exam, weightings are accorded to the different aspects of safe driving, and within each aspect there are different grades of fault, corresponding to how serious and how dangerous the infringement. There is, therefore, total transparency regarding how many faults of each type are permitted before a candidate is deemed “unpassable”.
READ MORE
A bonus for doing well at Leaving Cert French is that I can help my niece with hers, and she did the final "old" Junior Cert French exam last June. Section I of the listening test involves listening to three short and relatively simple conversations. Five different options are provided and candidates must select from them to identify the context of each short piece. This task is one of five in a test worth a total of 140 marks.
In 2016, that three-part question was awarded just 10 marks in total; the breakdown of marks was given as 4,3,3.
In 2010, the total of the three parts was 32 – in excess of three times more.
The approach in 2008 was to award 18 marks in total, but 12 marks were to be awarded for getting one element correct, 15 marks for getting two and the full complement of 18 for getting all three correct.
The tasks vary little but what is worth three marks in one year is worth four times more in another.
Recruitment struggle for correctors
There is a recruitment struggle for correctors, and we know that high turnover of staff indicates dissatisfaction. Those recruited know the remuneration package and the July timeframe in advance, so it’s clearly what emerges ‘on the job’ that turns them away.
To turn teachers away from an opportunity to see the fruits of their efforts is quite an achievement. Any examiner who has marked a paper diligently and conscientiously will always be extremely reluctant to downgrade the mark on instruction from “above”.
Setting assessment tasks is a serious business, and best practice involves an exam candidate having an insight into the success criteria, ie what success looks like.
Currently, exams set by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) are far too open to tweaking and manipulation, ensuring that the candidate doesn't know the marking scheme while sitting the exam, and that the examiner launches into the corrections knowing that revisions are a near certainty.
The SEC’s failure to have teachers vying for the role of corrector is critical here. Imagine how effective our school-leaving assessment would be if there were greater and more efficient correlation between those doing the groundwork in the classrooms and those receiving the exam scripts for correction in the summer.
Appropriate training
It really is as simple as investment in the appropriate training in the relevant skillsets known as up-skilling, and in many countries and lines of work it is used to better the product and the subsequent yield. The Irish education system urgently requires this for both those setting and correcting high-stake exams.
Perhaps the crisis isn’t acute enough: there will always be enough people who need the money so the job will always get done. Still, if beggars can’t be choosers, what guarantees have we of the actual standard of work of those recruited when the SEC becomes desperate for correctors?
Logically, when there aren’t enough people available for work, those who are appointed must do more. Imagine knowing the individual charged with grading your performance in an exam you have spent two years preparing for is an overworked, last-resort recruit? None of this is intended to offend those entirely capable of carrying out the task to a high standard – the process itself is flawed, and while it remains so it is doing a disservice to all correctors.
Daring to dream big, I wonder if we could perhaps also train people to simultaneously set exams and marking schemes which correspond to the appropriate standard?
I genuinely dream of the day when candidates sit before papers which reveal precisely how low or high the stakes are for every single question and sub-question. Imagine what a valuable resource a set of exams of a consistent standard could be.
Make a mockery
Right now, SEC past papers make a mockery of the content learned; what is a student to gain from discovering that knowledge and skills acquired vary in their value from year to year? What currency fluctuates in that way? Stable currencies, such as the Road Safety Authority (RSA), are entirely dependable.
Shane didn’t have to wait to find out if his poor positioning on the road was a minor or major fault. He knew going in that an inability to perform a hill start would count heavily against him. His tester didn’t need to have a conference call with the other RSA test centres to work out quotas for success and failure which each centre would then strive to meet.
Put simply, Shane’s performance in his driving test wasn’t subject to the demands of any bell curve. With the RSA, it truly is a case of total transparency: what you come and achieve on the day is precisely the result you get. And so, just as he had with the theory test, Shane walked away immediately after the exam knowing whether he had passed or failed, and precisely why. I wish him the best of luck with his Leaving Cert.


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--McDonald seizes initiative by reaching out to smaller parties

Sinn Féin will seek to discuss the formation of a coalition government with the Green Party , the Social Democrats , Labour , Solidarity-People Before Profit and Independent TDs in the coming days .
However , Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald on Monday night acknowledged that the seat numbers needed to put her party in position to lead a left-leaning government may not be there when all the 160 Dáil seats are filled .
With Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil reeling from a disappointing election which saw both parties suffer high profile seat losses as counts progressed on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process of government formation .
She has had preliminary contact with the leaders of the smaller parties as a prelude to negotiations on putting together what would be an extraordinarily diverse administration .
Ms McDonald played down a controversy over a recording of Sinn Féin ’ s Waterford TD David Cullinane ending a speech with pro-IRA slogans , though she admitted it was a “ distraction ” from the party ’ s agenda .
Mr Cullinane shouted “ Up the RA !
Tiocfaidh ar lá !
” at the end of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebration on Sunday in Waterford , where he topped the poll by a large margin .
The speech was filmed and circulated on social media .
Speaking to reporters before a meeting of the party ’ s ard comhairle in Dublin on Monday night , Mr Cullinane said that his comments were “ about the past ... not about the future ” .
He said he did not feel any need to apologise for them .
His party leader said : “ I ’ ve asked everybody not to be making throwaway comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distract us from the work ahead , and I know that ’ s what happened in David ’ s case.
” Ms McDonald also said that “ of course ” she intended to talk to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael about the possibility of government formation .
Both parties had ruled out working with Sinn Féin after the election .
Asked if she would talk to Independents such as Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish who have supported governments in the past , she said the “ obvious ” people to talk to would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positioning ” with her party .
She said that the question of a rotating taoiseach would be “ part and parcel ” of any negotiations with the other big parties .
Fianna Fáil TDs were tightlipped in public about the party ’ s prospects in the wake of seat losses and about the future of party leader Micheál Martin , although some privately acknowledged that he may have to stand aside .
The party is deeply divided over whether it should seek a coalition with Fine Gael or with Sinn Féin .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats – well short of expectations of a seat haul in the mid 50s – and a view has taken hold among party TDs that it should enter opposition and allow Sinn Féin to attempt to form a minority government .
Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte and Longford-Westmeath ’ s Robert Troy called for a party meeting to discuss the election fallout .
“ Fianna Fáil is a party with options .
We need to discuss all of the options , ” said Ms Rabbitte .
Meanwhile , senior Fine Gael sources reiterated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entering government with Sinn Féin , with some senior figures favouring a spell in opposition for the party after nine years in government .
Some party sources said a coalition with Fianna Fáil could come on to the agenda after some weeks if no other government was formed .
However , the views among some TDs and defeated candidates have hardened against a grand coalition .
Carlow-Kilkenny Deputy and Minister of State John Paul Phelan said : “ There will be no grand coalition .
People wanted change , and that is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gael should go into opposition .
”

Róisín Shortall, joint leader of the Social Democrats has been elected in Dublin North West. Video: Bryan O’Brien
Sinn Féin will seek to discuss the formation of a coalition government with the Green Party, the Social Democrats, Labour, Solidarity-People Before Profit and Independent TDs in the coming days.
However, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald on Monday night acknowledged that the seat numbers needed to put her party in position to lead a left-leaning government may not be there when all the 160 Dáil seats are filled.
With Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil reeling from a disappointing election which saw both parties suffer high profile seat losses as counts progressed on Monday, Ms McDonald seized the initiative in the process of government formation.
She has had preliminary contact with the leaders of the smaller parties as a prelude to negotiations on putting together what would be an extraordinarily diverse administration.
READ MORE
Ms McDonald played down a controversy over a recording of Sinn Féin's Waterford TD David Cullinane ending a speech with pro-IRA slogans, though she admitted it was a "distraction" from the party's agenda.
Mr Cullinane shouted “Up the RA! Tiocfaidh ar lá!” at the end of a victory speech to his supporters at a celebration on Sunday in Waterford, where he topped the poll by a large margin. The speech was filmed and circulated on social media.
Speaking to reporters before a meeting of the party’s ard comhairle in Dublin on Monday night, Mr Cullinane said that his comments were “about the past...not about the future”. He said he did not feel any need to apologise for them.
His party leader said: “I’ve asked everybody not to be making throwaway comments or comments that can be misconstrued or distract us from the work ahead, and I know that’s what happened in David’s case.”
Political positioning
Ms McDonald also said that “of course” she intended to talk to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael about the possibility of government formation. Both parties had ruled out working with Sinn Féin after the election.
Asked if she would talk to Independents such as Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish who have supported governments in the past, she said the "obvious" people to talk to would be Independents "that share a political positioning" with her party.
She said that the question of a rotating taoiseach would be “part and parcel” of any negotiations with the other big parties.
Fianna Fáil TDs were tightlipped in public about the party’s prospects in the wake of seat losses and about the future of party leader Micheál Martin, although some privately acknowledged that he may have to stand aside.
The party is deeply divided over whether it should seek a coalition with Fine Gael or with Sinn Féin. It has ended up with 38 seats – well short of expectations of a seat haul in the mid 50s – and a view has taken hold among party TDs that it should enter opposition and allow Sinn Féin to attempt to form a minority government.
Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte and Longford-Westmeath's Robert Troy called for a party meeting to discuss the election fallout. "Fianna Fáil is a party with options. We need to discuss all of the options," said Ms Rabbitte.
Nine years
Meanwhile, senior Fine Gael sources reiterated the view that they would not consider entering government with Sinn Féin, with some senior figures favouring a spell in opposition for the party after nine years in government.
Some party sources said a coalition with Fianna Fáil could come on to the agenda after some weeks if no other government was formed. However, the views among some TDs and defeated candidates have hardened against a grand coalition.
Carlow-Kilkenny Deputy and Minister of State John Paul Phelan said: "There will be no grand coalition. People wanted change, and that is what they voted for. I believe Fine Gael should go into opposition."


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--Ex-principal barred from promotion for 10 years over €244,000 false grants claim

A former principal who furnished false information to get €244,000 in grants for her school should not be permitted to apply for any promotional post for the next ten years , the High Court has found .
Eileen O ’ Connor ( 38 ) was principal of Gaelscoil Mhuscraí in Blarney , Co Cork , when she made the applications for capitation grants to which she was not entitled to the Department of Education and Skills .
It involved overstating the numbers of pupils so that the school would get extra capitation grants of €197 per child and ancillary services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit personally from the fraud , a court heard .
On Monday , Ms Justice Niamh Hyland declined to confirm a recommendation of the teachers ’ regulatory body that she be restricted from applying for promotional posts for 15 years but said Ms O ’ Connor should instead be restricted for ten years .
In 2017 at the Circuit Criminal Court , Ms O ’ Connor , under the name Aileen Ní Cheallaigh , of Mill Road , Midleton , Co Cork , was given a one-year suspended jail sentence after she admitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document required for accounting purposes that she knew as misleading , false or deceptive .
The court heard the offences occurred between 2005 and 2009 and she used the money for provision of accommodation and payment of extra teachers at the school .
Some €69,000 had been recouped at the time of the court case in 2017 from deductions to school grant payments .
Last December , the Teaching Council recommended that a condition be attached to her registration requiring that she not apply for a promotional post , including principal , deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 years .
That recommendation was brought before the High Court on Monday when JP McDowell , solicitor for the Teaching Council , that she has since returned to work as a teacher but not as a principal .
The council panel which examined her case found she had admitted her wrongdoing and there were other significant mitigating features but the panel was less impressed with the mitigation claims that she was young and inexperience and doing the best for the school , Mr McDowell said .
Ms Justice Hyland was concerned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restriction in circumstances where Ms O ’ Connor had not applied for any such position for the last nine years .
The council panel , in making its recommendation , had not taken that nine years into account when making its decision , she said .
She was therefore refusing to confirm the council ’ s decision but said it would have to reconsider its decision having regard to that period when Ms O ’ Connor did not apply for a promotional post or act in a position of responsibility .
The judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from her union , the INTO , that her name not be published in reports of the court hearing .
The judge said the legal test for this had not been met .
Ms O ’ Connor was not in court or represented .

The judge refused a request in a letter from her union, the INTO, that Eileen O’Connor’s name not be published in reports of the court hearing. Stock image: Dave Thompson/PA Wire
A former principal who furnished false information to get €244,000 in grants for her school should not be permitted to apply for any promotional post for the next ten years, the High Court has found.
Eileen O’Connor (38) was principal of Gaelscoil Mhuscraí in Blarney, Co Cork, when she made the applications for capitation grants to which she was not entitled to the Department of Education and Skills. It involved overstating the numbers of pupils so that the school would get extra capitation grants of €197 per child and ancillary services grants of €147.
She did not benefit personally from the fraud, a court heard.
On Monday, Ms Justice Niamh Hyland declined to confirm a recommendation of the teachers’ regulatory body that she be restricted from applying for promotional posts for 15 years but said Ms O’Connor should instead be restricted for ten years.
READ MORE
In 2017 at the Circuit Criminal Court, Ms O’Connor, under the name Aileen Ní Cheallaigh, of Mill Road, Midleton, Co Cork, was given a one-year suspended jail sentence after she admitted five charges of making use of a document required for accounting purposes that she knew as misleading, false or deceptive.
The court heard the offences occurred between 2005 and 2009 and she used the money for provision of accommodation and payment of extra teachers at the school. Some €69,000 had been recouped at the time of the court case in 2017 from deductions to school grant payments.
Last December, the Teaching Council recommended that a condition be attached to her registration requiring that she not apply for a promotional post, including principal, deputy or assistant principal, for the next 15 years.
That recommendation was brought before the High Court on Monday when JP McDowell, solicitor for the Teaching Council, that she has since returned to work as a teacher but not as a principal.
The council panel which examined her case found she had admitted her wrongdoing and there were other significant mitigating features but the panel was less impressed with the mitigation claims that she was young and inexperience and doing the best for the school, Mr McDowell said.
Ms Justice Hyland was concerned the council had sought a 15 year promotions restriction in circumstances where Ms O’Connor had not applied for any such position for the last nine years.
The council panel, in making its recommendation, had not taken that nine years into account when making its decision, she said.
She was therefore refusing to confirm the council’s decision but said it would have to reconsider its decision having regard to that period when Ms O’Connor did not apply for a promotional post or act in a position of responsibility.
The judge also refused a request in a letter from her union, the INTO, that her name not be published in reports of the court hearing. The judge said the legal test for this had not been met.
Ms O’Connor was not in court or represented.


theirishtimes--2020-02-10--Vulnerable woman (18) objects to bid to make her a ward of court

A “ deeply vulnerable ” young woman with a traumatic history who is considered a “ very serious ” risk to certain persons is objecting to being made a ward of court .
A petition by the Child and Family Agency ( CFA ) seeking to have the 18-year-old woman made a ward was adjourned at the High Court on Monday at the request of her lawyers to allow another psychiatrist assess her for the purpose of the wardship inquiry .
The assessment was sought by her lawyers following earlier psychiatric assessments .
One psychiatric report has suggested her various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while two other psychiatrists , and a court-appointed medical visitor , have concluded she lacks capacity to make decisions concerning her welfare .
The wardship petition refers to disorders including a reactive attachment disorder and a sexual sadism disorder .
The CFA considers she may need to be placed in a UK specialist unit as her complex case exceeds anything the services here have come across .
Barry O ’ Donnell SC , for the CFA , told High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly on Monday that , in the “ unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woman ’ s condition , the agency was not objecting to an adjournment for the purpose of getting another psychiatric report .
The woman appears reasonably stable in her secure care placement here and a team from a UK unit hope to assess her next month for possible placement there , he said .
Other options are also being examined , he added .
Mr Justice Kelly said he would adjourn the matter for further review to late March to allow for the psychiatric assessment and progress concerning the assessment by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman is not seeking a jury trial of her objection to wardship with the effect the wardship inquiry can proceed before a judge on a date to be fixed .
The CFA late last year obtained various orders continuing secure detention of the woman beyond her 18th birthday and pending the outcome of the wardship proceedings .
She is separately subject of District Court criminal proceedings .
The woman and her court appointed guardian are separately represented in the wardship case because her view about what is in her best interests are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s .
She also objects to her mother continuing to have any involvement in the case and that matter will be addressed later .
The judge was previously told the woman presents an “ immediate and very serious risk ” to certain people and to particular categories of people .
There is a prior history of assault and sexual violence and an incident last year had lead to her admission to special care .
She had described her intentions and a large knife was found , the court heard .
A form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that she had , on the one hand , set out in a manuscript a plan to kill and mutilate someone which was not treated as a “ fantasy ” but a “ definite ” threat while , on the other hand , she talked about wanting to go to college and pursue a career .

Mr Justice Kelly said he would adjourn the matter for further review to late March to allow for the psychiatric assessment and progress concerning the assessment by the UK unit.
A “deeply vulnerable” young woman with a traumatic history who is considered a “very serious” risk to certain persons is objecting to being made a ward of court.
A petition by the Child and Family Agency (CFA) seeking to have the 18-year-old woman made a ward was adjourned at the High Court on Monday at the request of her lawyers to allow another psychiatrist assess her for the purpose of the wardship inquiry. The assessment was sought by her lawyers following earlier psychiatric assessments.
One psychiatric report has suggested her various disorders suggest a “fluctuating capacity” while two other psychiatrists, and a court-appointed medical visitor, have concluded she lacks capacity to make decisions concerning her welfare.
The wardship petition refers to disorders including a reactive attachment disorder and a sexual sadism disorder.
READ MORE
The CFA considers she may need to be placed in a UK specialist unit as her complex case exceeds anything the services here have come across.
Barry O’Donnell SC, for the CFA, told High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly on Monday that, in the “unusual” circumstances of the underlying complexity of the woman’s condition, the agency was not objecting to an adjournment for the purpose of getting another psychiatric report.
The woman appears reasonably stable in her secure care placement here and a team from a UK unit hope to assess her next month for possible placement there, he said. Other options are also being examined, he added.
Mr Justice Kelly said he would adjourn the matter for further review to late March to allow for the psychiatric assessment and progress concerning the assessment by the UK unit.
The judge noted the woman is not seeking a jury trial of her objection to wardship with the effect the wardship inquiry can proceed before a judge on a date to be fixed.
The CFA late last year obtained various orders continuing secure detention of the woman beyond her 18th birthday and pending the outcome of the wardship proceedings. She is separately subject of District Court criminal proceedings.
The woman and her court appointed guardian are separately represented in the wardship case because her view about what is in her best interests are “diametrically opposed” to the guardian’s. She also objects to her mother continuing to have any involvement in the case and that matter will be addressed later.
The judge was previously told the woman presents an “immediate and very serious risk” to certain people and to particular categories of people. There is a prior history of assault and sexual violence and an incident last year had lead to her admission to special care.
She had described her intentions and a large knife was found, the court heard.
A form of “deep-seated disordered thinking” was illustrated in that she had, on the one hand, set out in a manuscript a plan to kill and mutilate someone which was not treated as a “fantasy” but a “definite” threat while, on the other hand, she talked about wanting to go to college and pursue a career.