theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Back with our old friends at eir – and nothing seems to have changed

Over recent months you would have been forgiven for thinking that all the problems we are accustomed to dealing with on this page have simply gone away .
That has – sadly – not been the case .
While many of the queries we have been getting have been directly related to the current crisis , there have been others which have not .
We will devote the page to just a handful of them this week .
First up are our old friends at eir .
“ Recently I discovered that my 86-year-old mother has been overcharged by eir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail from a reader called Edel .
Edel ’ s mother signed up for a package which cost €66.98 a month and included unlimited usage of eir fibre and Eir Talk Mobile World , something which allows for unlimited calls to Irish landlines and mobiles and to top international landlines and mobiles .
Her son lives in Florida and she likes to call him .
“ However , for some reason for the past year they have charged an extra €24.35 for home broadband charges , ” Edel writes .
“ She spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , holding for over an hour , ” the mail continues .
“ I do appreciate the Covid situation and have just recently taken this over for my mother as you can imagine the stress this is causing an 86-year-old lady , on a State pension .
I applied online to be nominated as the person to speak for her .
I never received confirmation of this.
” Like her mother , Edel spent days holding “ for up to an hour sometimes .
I managed to get to speak to someone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again on 22nd June .
She checked into my query and did confirm that my mother was overcharged for the past six months but they said they could only refund the last month.
” Edel said this was unacceptable and the family wanted all overcharged monies refunded .
“ She said that she would set up a refund case and that it would be between 14 and 30 days before we hear back .
However , since then I have discovered that they have overcharged her since June 2019.
” In the meantime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overdue bill online but decided that she would only pay her package of €66.98 .
“ A few days later we get a text to say that ‘ Due to an overdue balance on your eir account , your service will be suspended , unless you take immediate action .
.
.
’ “ Needless to say , this caused me concern as my mother ’ s phone line is her contact to her family and outside world .
I set about calling the number on the text .
About 50 minutes later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rude person , and explained my predicament .
And , to my horror , I was cut off .
I don ’ t know why but it could be just a technical issue.
” So off Edel went again to try to get through and eventually after about another 50 minutes she made contact again .
“ The customer credit control team member explained that she could not help and that she was not aware of the refund case and that the balance would need to be paid.
” Edel says she is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on .
“ My experience to date with eir is not great , as I just recently changed over to eir for my broadband and phone , and on my first bill I was also overcharged by €40 plus .
I am currently trying to sort that one also .
And again , they are saying that they have submitted a refund case .
As I stated , my mother is 86 and I estimate that she is due about €300 refund , and what I would also like them to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her to access the recent price they have for new customers .
She is with eir for years and years but seemingly loyalty doesn ’ t seem to matter anymore .
She currently needs some medical treatment and that €300 would certainly take some financial pressure off her.
” That is not the only eir-related correspondence we have had in recent days .
“ I am just contacting you to highlight the issue which I have had with eir and vent my frustration , ” starts the mail from Róisín ominously .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eircom/eir , I would imagine for about 40 years .
As my parents are both in their 80s I went down as a contact on the account so I could deal with eir should they have any issues , ” she says .
“ In March 2019 I put them on a package which meant their bills were averaging €45 per month approximately .
Since February of this year my dad has been very unwell and has been in and out of hospital which means my mam has to make a lot more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had risen to approximately €100 per month.
” Róisín tried on many occasions to make contact with eir to discuss changing the package but she kept being placed on a queue of about 30 minutes and generally after this time the call would be disconnected .
“ My mother has an old mobile phone and by chance happened to notice that she had got a message on the 12th May to say that due to high usage she needed to contact 01-7662506 or her phone would be disconnected .
I was worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so happened to be in contact with eir Business that day and I mentioned this message to the eir customer service person and he said that eir never text customers and would never cut off a customer without writing to them and yes it was a spam message and to ignore it.
” That was grand , says Róisín , and she ignored it .
You can probably guess what is coming next .
“ On Thursday last my mam again happened to notice that she had got another message re high usage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landline was cut off !
My mother was so upset as my dad was back in hospital and she had no way of contacting them , ” Róisín says .
She spent two hours solidly trying to contact eir .
“ Each time I was placed in a queue and then it would hang up .
This happened [ and still happens on all eir ’ s numbers ] about 20 times .
Eventually I got through to a representative and he said that even though Mam and Dad ’ s bills are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their opinion they are making too many calls and they decided to disconnect the line.
” Róisín wants to know how eir can get away with treating customers , especially elderly ones , like this .
“ It is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard .
I ended up having to pay €100 off their bill so they would come under what they call their ‘ fair usage policy ’ .
” Her mother was without her phone for 24 hours .
“ I have since being trying to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caller ID and call answering has disappeared but , as usual , the calls are just not answered .
I understand a lot of people are working from home but this is always the case with eir .
I have since spoken to a lot of people about this situation and nearly everyone I have spoken to has had a similar issue.
” And there was more about eir .
“ I am writing to you as a last resort .
I am sure you are sick of getting consumer complaints about eir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The problem started last November when I attempted to cancel the broadband and TV package with eir but we ’ re keeping the house phone which we have had at this house for over 32 years , ” she says .
“ I followed exactly the advice on its website and sent a cease notice .
I had added the TV and broadband in about 2015 .
I noticed in February that the direct debit was still being drawn down and phoned eir .
After some time I got through and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received .
After a lengthy conversation with this person , he told me I should return the modem to a PO Box in Limerick as I would be charged €50 .
This I did and sent both modem and TV box and got a receipt from the post office .
I enclosed the original letter and asked them to acknowledge receipt by text or email .
They failed to do this.
” Then , in the third week of April they cut Brideen ’ s telephone off .
“ This in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OAPs .
I ’ m 75 and Aidan is 77 .
Twice I have filled out the complaint form stating our case and got an automated reply telling me how important we were to them .
I tried Webchat and no one answered .
I have tried repeatedly to get in touch but the system does not recognise either our account number or telephone number ; seemingly it no longer exists .
I also got an automated answer telling me the account was “ temporarily suspended ” .
We got in touch with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our care team has been in contact with all three account holders to rectify the problems and ensure that these customers have the service and account plans that best suit their needs .
We have apologised to the customers for the delay in resolving these matters .
“ Customers have been experiencing longer wait times than usual when contacting customer care over the course of the pandemic as our care agents normally based in Sligo , Cork and Limerick moved to remote working , and we apologise for any delays experienced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our retail stores where it is safe to do so , and we have made changes to how those retail stores operate .
Implementing public health guidelines , including social distancing , have meant longer wait times in stores .
As such , queries relating to SIM card swaps or device upgrades are also being managed by customer care .
“ We are working hard to return to our usual levels of care and thank customers for their patience during this time .
We are currently recruiting to expand our care team throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channels continue to operate as usual , and we have made additional self-service forms available on eir.ie to provide customers with answers to many frequently asked questions.
” The complaints have not all been eir-related .
“ In December 2019 I bought a renewed item from Amazon , ” starts a mail from Francis Reed .
“ The listing makes it clear there is a warranty and they claim they are there when you need them .
This is not the experience I am having.
” The item was offered by a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheapest .
In May the unit failed .
“ So I go to the platform , reach out to the supplier only to find the supplier no longer trades via Amazon .
No feedback , no way of contacting them .
Now Covid-19 comes into play .
Most ways of contacting Amazon don ’ t work .
Phone and emails bounce .
So it ’ s Chat .
That ’ s an experience when you have to do it over and over again.
” He says escalating the issue internally and “ making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets denied without explanation .
“ Amazon say I bought the unit from the seller .
I paid my money to Amazon and I believe they have an obligation under the listing to honour the warranty .
As a sidebar , I found some more details of the seller .
Their trading address seems to be a house , according to Google maps .
The Refurbished scheme has strict sign-up criteria for sellers .
Here ’ s a case where things have broken down and the consumer is left holding the baby.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes his experience highlights the potential problems when dealing with large online retailers .
“ Purchasing online means you can ’ t deal with someone face to face , and organisations have shut down their usual routes of escalation , focusing instead on offshore call centres with chat-only facilities and hard and fixed processes .
Is this what it ’ s going to be like going forward ?
” And finally we have a problem focused on things dear to our hearts – beer and rashers .
“ There is a food item @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has risen in price by 25 per cent in recent weeks , ” says Michael Coyle .
“ The product is the smaller [ unsmoked , vacuum ] pack of Galtee back rashers [ pack of five ] and the Denny equivalent [ six rashers ] .
” He says both were €2 for as long as he can remember but , a few weeks ago , they went up to €2.50 , a rise of 25 per cent .
“ This during a period when every hotel , restaurant and B & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the overall consumption of bacon products has to be down .
Yet this retail product has suddenly gone up in price by 25 per cent .
Both Galtee and Denny are brands produced by Kerry Group.
” His “ next gripe ” is about the box of 20 x 33cl bottles of Heineken .
“ This is a pricing benchmark product for me .
Any time I go into an off-licence , I look to see what they ’ re charging for that box and that gives me a steer as to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a few months ago , you could get this box in some places for as low as €18 and you ’ d never expect to pay more than €20 .
But in my local Supervalu , it has crept up from €22 at the beginning of the lockdown , then to €24 and this week it ’ s €25.
” He says Dunnes in Cornelscourt is doing home delivery for a limited range of groceries and booze and they ’ re asking €27 ( plus delivery charge ) for that box of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pubs and hotels closed , I seriously doubt that Heineken has pushed up their wholesale prices.
” We got in touch with SuperValu to see if it could shed any light on the price hikes .
we heard nothing about the bacon but when it came to the beer , a spokesman said the supplier has raised the price on this product , “ but it is regularly on promotion and will be available again on promotion at a lower cost of €20 from Thursday , July 16th until Sunday , July 19th.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Over recent months you would have been forgiven for thinking that all the problems we are accustomed to dealing with on this page have simply gone away. That has – sadly – not been the case. While many of the queries we have been getting have been directly related to the current crisis, there have been others which have not. We will devote the page to just a handful of them this week.
First up are our old friends at eir.
“Recently I discovered that my 86-year-old mother has been overcharged by eir for a year,” begins a mail from a reader called Edel.
Edel’s mother signed up for a package which cost €66.98 a month and included unlimited usage of eir fibre and Eir Talk Mobile World, something which allows for unlimited calls to Irish landlines and mobiles and to top international landlines and mobiles. Her son lives in Florida and she likes to call him.
READ MORE
“However, for some reason for the past year they have charged an extra €24.35 for home broadband charges,” Edel writes. “She spent weeks trying to get through to eir, holding for over an hour,” the mail continues.
“I do appreciate the Covid situation and have just recently taken this over for my mother as you can imagine the stress this is causing an 86-year-old lady, on a State pension. I applied online to be nominated as the person to speak for her. I never received confirmation of this.”
Like her mother, Edel spent days holding “for up to an hour sometimes. I managed to get to speak to someone in eir as recently as 15th June and again on 22nd June. She checked into my query and did confirm that my mother was overcharged for the past six months but they said they could only refund the last month.”
Edel said this was unacceptable and the family wanted all overcharged monies refunded. “She said that she would set up a refund case and that it would be between 14 and 30 days before we hear back. However, since then I have discovered that they have overcharged her since June 2019.”
In the meantime, Edel paid her mother’s overdue bill online but decided that she would only pay her package of €66.98.
“A few days later we get a text to say that ‘Due to an overdue balance on your eir account, your service will be suspended, unless you take immediate action . . .’
“Needless to say, this caused me concern as my mother’s phone line is her contact to her family and outside world. I set about calling the number on the text. About 50 minutes later I finally got through to a rather rude person, and explained my predicament. And, to my horror, I was cut off. I don’t know why but it could be just a technical issue.”
So off Edel went again to try to get through and eventually after about another 50 minutes she made contact again. “The customer credit control team member explained that she could not help and that she was not aware of the refund case and that the balance would need to be paid.”
Edel says she is afraid this is going to go on and on. “My experience to date with eir is not great, as I just recently changed over to eir for my broadband and phone, and on my first bill I was also overcharged by €40 plus. I am currently trying to sort that one also. And again, they are saying that they have submitted a refund case. As I stated, my mother is 86 and I estimate that she is due about €300 refund, and what I would also like them to do as a goodwill gesture is to allow her to access the recent price they have for new customers. She is with eir for years and years but seemingly loyalty doesn’t seem to matter anymore. She currently needs some medical treatment and that €300 would certainly take some financial pressure off her.”
Frustration
That is not the only eir-related correspondence we have had in recent days.
“I am just contacting you to highlight the issue which I have had with eir and vent my frustration,” starts the mail from Róisín ominously.
“My parents have had a landline with Eircom/eir, I would imagine for about 40 years. As my parents are both in their 80s I went down as a contact on the account so I could deal with eir should they have any issues,” she says.
“In March 2019 I put them on a package which meant their bills were averaging €45 per month approximately. Since February of this year my dad has been very unwell and has been in and out of hospital which means my mam has to make a lot more calls. She was very concerned as they had risen to approximately €100 per month.”
Róisín tried on many occasions to make contact with eir to discuss changing the package but she kept being placed on a queue of about 30 minutes and generally after this time the call would be disconnected.
“My mother has an old mobile phone and by chance happened to notice that she had got a message on the 12th May to say that due to high usage she needed to contact 01-7662506 or her phone would be disconnected. I was worried that this was spam. I just so happened to be in contact with eir Business that day and I mentioned this message to the eir customer service person and he said that eir never text customers and would never cut off a customer without writing to them and yes it was a spam message and to ignore it.”
That was grand, says Róisín, and she ignored it.
You can probably guess what is coming next.
“On Thursday last my mam again happened to notice that she had got another message re high usage and the next thing was that their landline was cut off! My mother was so upset as my dad was back in hospital and she had no way of contacting them,” Róisín says.
She spent two hours solidly trying to contact eir. “Each time I was placed in a queue and then it would hang up. This happened [and still happens on all eir’s numbers] about 20 times. Eventually I got through to a representative and he said that even though Mam and Dad’s bills are paid by direct debit each month, in their opinion they are making too many calls and they decided to disconnect the line.”
Sorry, what?
Róisín wants to know how eir can get away with treating customers, especially elderly ones, like this. “It is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. I ended up having to pay €100 off their bill so they would come under what they call their ‘fair usage policy’.”
Her mother was without her phone for 24 hours. “I have since being trying to get back in contact with them as their caller ID and call answering has disappeared but, as usual, the calls are just not answered. I understand a lot of people are working from home but this is always the case with eir. I have since spoken to a lot of people about this situation and nearly everyone I have spoken to has had a similar issue.”
Broadband and TV package
And there was more about eir. “I am writing to you as a last resort. I am sure you are sick of getting consumer complaints about eir,” started the mail from Brideen.
“The problem started last November when I attempted to cancel the broadband and TV package with eir but we’re keeping the house phone which we have had at this house for over 32 years,” she says.
“I followed exactly the advice on its website and sent a cease notice. I had added the TV and broadband in about 2015. I noticed in February that the direct debit was still being drawn down and phoned eir. After some time I got through and was told that the letter was never received. After a lengthy conversation with this person, he told me I should return the modem to a PO Box in Limerick as I would be charged €50. This I did and sent both modem and TV box and got a receipt from the post office. I enclosed the original letter and asked them to acknowledge receipt by text or email. They failed to do this.”
One eir customer got a message regarding high usage and then their landline was cut off.
Then, in the third week of April they cut Brideen’s telephone off. “This in the middle of the pandemic. We are both OAPs. I’m 75 and Aidan is 77. Twice I have filled out the complaint form stating our case and got an automated reply telling me how important we were to them. I tried Webchat and no one answered. I have tried repeatedly to get in touch but the system does not recognise either our account number or telephone number; seemingly it no longer exists. I also got an automated answer telling me the account was “temporarily suspended”.
Eir’s response
We got in touch with eir and received the following statement:
“ Our care team has been in contact with all three account holders to rectify the problems and ensure that these customers have the service and account plans that best suit their needs. We have apologised to the customers for the delay in resolving these matters.
“Customers have been experiencing longer wait times than usual when contacting customer care over the course of the pandemic as our care agents normally based in Sligo, Cork and Limerick moved to remote working, and we apologise for any delays experienced by customers.
“We have now reopened our retail stores where it is safe to do so, and we have made changes to how those retail stores operate. Implementing public health guidelines, including social distancing, have meant longer wait times in stores. As such, queries relating to SIM card swaps or device upgrades are also being managed by customer care.
“We are working hard to return to our usual levels of care and thank customers for their patience during this time. We are currently recruiting to expand our care team throughout Ireland. Our digital support and social channels continue to operate as usual, and we have made additional self-service forms available on eir.ie to provide customers with answers to many frequently asked questions.”
Difficult to contact
The complaints have not all been eir-related. “In December 2019 I bought a renewed item from Amazon,” starts a mail from Francis Reed. “The listing makes it clear there is a warranty and they claim they are there when you need them. This is not the experience I am having.”
The item was offered by a few sellers so Francis clicked through to the cheapest.
In May the unit failed. “So I go to the platform, reach out to the supplier only to find the supplier no longer trades via Amazon. No feedback, no way of contacting them. Now Covid-19 comes into play. Most ways of contacting Amazon don’t work. Phone and emails bounce. So it’s Chat. That’s an experience when you have to do it over and over again.”
He says escalating the issue internally and “making a claim” under the warranty simply gets denied without explanation.
One Amazon customer says making a claim under warranty simply gets denied without explanation.
“Amazon say I bought the unit from the seller. I paid my money to Amazon and I believe they have an obligation under the listing to honour the warranty. As a sidebar, I found some more details of the seller. Their trading address seems to be a house, according to Google maps. The Refurbished scheme has strict sign-up criteria for sellers. Here’s a case where things have broken down and the consumer is left holding the baby.”
Francis has written to us because he believes his experience highlights the potential problems when dealing with large online retailers. “Purchasing online means you can’t deal with someone face to face, and organisations have shut down their usual routes of escalation, focusing instead on offshore call centres with chat-only facilities and hard and fixed processes. Is this what it’s going to be like going forward?”
Beer and rashers
And finally we have a problem focused on things dear to our hearts – beer and rashers.
“There is a food item which I buy very frequently and which has risen in price by 25 per cent in recent weeks,” says Michael Coyle. “The product is the smaller [unsmoked, vacuum] pack of Galtee back rashers [pack of five] and the Denny equivalent [six rashers].”
He says both were €2 for as long as he can remember but, a few weeks ago, they went up to €2.50, a rise of 25 per cent. “This during a period when every hotel, restaurant and B&B in the country is closed so the overall consumption of bacon products has to be down. Yet this retail product has suddenly gone up in price by 25 per cent. Both Galtee and Denny are brands produced by Kerry Group.”
His “next gripe” is about the box of 20 x 33cl bottles of Heineken. “This is a pricing benchmark product for me. Any time I go into an off-licence, I look to see what they’re charging for that box and that gives me a steer as to what their general pricing is like. Up to a few months ago, you could get this box in some places for as low as €18 and you’d never expect to pay more than €20. But in my local Supervalu, it has crept up from €22 at the beginning of the lockdown, then to €24 and this week it’s €25.”
The price of a box of Heineken can vary hugely as can the price of rashers.
He says Dunnes in Cornelscourt is doing home delivery for a limited range of groceries and booze and they’re asking €27 (plus delivery charge) for that box of Heineken. “With all of the pubs and hotels closed, I seriously doubt that Heineken has pushed up their wholesale prices.”
We got in touch with SuperValu to see if it could shed any light on the price hikes. we heard nothing about the bacon but when it came to the beer, a spokesman said the supplier has raised the price on this product, “but it is regularly on promotion and will be available again on promotion at a lower cost of €20 from Thursday, July 16th until Sunday, July 19th.” So at least that is something.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Luke Kelly sculpture at North Wall vandalised for seventh time

The Luke Kelly statue that sits at the corner of Guild Street and Sheriff Street at the mouth of the Royal Canal in Dublin has been vandalised for a seventh time .
In a statement released on Sunday , the North Wall Community Association has said it was “ frustrating ” but “ not unexpected ” that the statue had been defaced with graffiti again .
The group said the sculpture should “ not be moved but protected ” and said it had called for the plinth that sits underneath the sculpture to be raised .
The association has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black spiked railing ” around the statue .
“ We are calling for the powers that be to immediately protect Luke ’ s statue or the eighth incident will surely happen ” .
The association also issued an apology to the Kelly family for the “ hurt and distress these incidents must be causing them ” .
“ We are very proud of the fact that Luke was born and raised in North Wall , and ask that these terrible attacks stop and that this mindless stupidity is ended once and for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daubed with paint for a sixth time in June , while a second statue of Kelly , which sits beside St Stephen ’ s Green shopping centre , was also vandalised with paint .
The statues were erected in January 2019 following a long campaign to pay tribute to the late Dubliners singer .
Ruairí Ó Cuív , public art manager with Dublin City Council , said in April that the sculpture , by artist Vera Klute , had been located in North Wall for very specific reasons .
“ This was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the very beginning I was wholeheartedly in favour of locating the statue in this community .
Better-off parts of the city have plenty of statues .
Our ambition in the arts office is to bring culture right throughout the city.
” Klute had also specified that the work should be located along the canal , he said .
The council said in April , when the statue was vandalised for a fourth time , that it was considering “ all options ” to protect the sculpture .

The Luke Kelly statue that sits at the corner of Guild Street and Sheriff Street at the mouth of the Royal Canal in Dublin has been vandalised for a seventh time.
In a statement released on Sunday, the North Wall Community Association has said it was “frustrating” but “not unexpected” that the statue had been defaced with graffiti again. The group said the sculpture should “not be moved but protected” and said it had called for the plinth that sits underneath the sculpture to be raised. The association has also requested the installation of a “5ft black spiked railing” around the statue.
“We are calling for the powers that be to immediately protect Luke’s statue or the eighth incident will surely happen”.
The association also issued an apology to the Kelly family for the “hurt and distress these incidents must be causing them”. “We are very proud of the fact that Luke was born and raised in North Wall, and ask that these terrible attacks stop and that this mindless stupidity is ended once and for all”.
READ MORE
The Guild Street statue was daubed with paint for a sixth time in June, while a second statue of Kelly, which sits beside St Stephen’s Green shopping centre, was also vandalised with paint.
The statues were erected in January 2019 following a long campaign to pay tribute to the late Dubliners singer.
Ruairí Ó Cuív, public art manager with Dublin City Council, said in April that the sculpture, by artist Vera Klute, had been located in North Wall for very specific reasons.
“This was the community where Luke was born, and from the very beginning I was wholeheartedly in favour of locating the statue in this community. Better-off parts of the city have plenty of statues. Our ambition in the arts office is to bring culture right throughout the city.”
Klute had also specified that the work should be located along the canal, he said.
The council said in April, when the statue was vandalised for a fourth time, that it was considering “all options” to protect the sculpture.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--US passengers fly into Dublin: ‘I’m here for six days. I guess I’ll have to stay inside’

Three Aer Lingus flights from the United States arrived in Dublin Airport on Sunday morning with almost unseemly haste .
One from New York ’ s JFK landed at 4.15am , one from Boston at 4.31am , and the other from Chicago at 5.15am .
All were earlier than scheduled , and a short time later they brought some semblance of activity to the cavernous and empty Terminal 2 .
Among those disembarking from the JFK flight were Helen Maxwell and husband Thomas Finetto .
She was “ originally from Northern Ireland ” though born in Belgium .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m pregnant and we ’ re living in New York and we want to have the baby here and be close to Mum and Dad in Belfast .
” They have been in the US two years .
“ Like Helen said , with the new baby coming we wanted our parents to be able to travel freely between here and the US.
” Baby is due in January .
She works “ as a product manager for iHeartRadio ” while he is “ a social media manager ” .
Things in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were but who knows ?
They ’ re opening up now ” , said Helen .
Both planned to quarantine for 14 days in Belfast .
Cavan man Patrick Pierson , from Lough Gowna , has been in the US for 32 years .
He is back for a funeral .
“ My uncle died yesterday , lung cancer .
An uncle that lived in Dublin died two months ago , same thing .
Mulhuddart .
” On the street outside was Catherine Everitt , from Mexico .
“ Born and raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dad ’ s from Ireland , so I ’ m relocating here .
I ’ m moving back for good .
From [ Washington ] DC , to Drogheda .
It ’ s better than Mexico or the States .
I ’ m glad to be home.
” Beverley Prince was pushing her mother Benita Harman in a wheelchair .
They had flown from Boston .
“ I live in Boston , originally from the Caribbean .
I am visiting family .
Heading to Northern Ireland , Lisburn .
My son said I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , quarantine .
In Lisburn .
We are staying until August .
My son just had a new baby so we are here.
” In Boston “ there ’ s a lot of protests .
Like every weekend there ’ s a protest , Black Lives Matter .
About the virus , people are following rules , everybody is wearing masks .
There ’ s no protests about that over there , which is good.
” Originally from St Lucia , Beverly has been in the US for 22 years while Benita @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Cindy Lamumba is from Virginia and flew from Boston .
“ I ’ m staying here on holiday for a little bit .
I ’ m going to quarantine at a hotel , just me.
” She is staying at a Hilton in Dublin .
“ Altogether I ’ m going to stay six days , just about a week .
I ’ m going to have to stay inside , I guess .
I have friends here .
I have family members here .
They ’ ll meet me.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for before Covid-19 “ so it was like do I want to rebook ?
” Marie Hijaci , “ I ’ m actually Marie Moran ” , travelled from San Diego , California via Chicago .
“ I ’ m going to Galway because I have a brother who is not feeling very well in hospital.
” She is “ home for 15 days and will spend most of it in quarantine , that ’ s part of the deal .
That ’ s fine .
They ’ re the rules and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a serious issue.
” Originally from Elphin , Co Roscommon , she has been “ I hate to tell you , 35 years ” in the US where , as “ a housewife ” , she says “ I play golf ” .
San Diego was “ actually okay because people are adhering to the rules and the governor of California Gavin Newsom is very strict ” .
“ But still in LA it has got a little bit out of control again .
All the big cities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the whole of Texas .
But you have 350 million people to organise .
It ’ s very serious stuff.
” David Reilly , from Tralee , flew from Chicago and has been working for the Kerry Group in the US for the past two years .
“ I ’ m relocating back to Ireland , basically .
So I ’ m doing the quarantine for 14 days in Kerry .
I ’ ve booked an apartment basically to quarantine for two weeks there , in Tralee.
” He was “ supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Living in Wisconsin , “ things weren ’ t too bad but they ’ re starting to spike there a bit right now .
I think last week they had the most cases in a single day , so it looks like it ’ s getting a little worse there ” .
The US in general was not “ handling it as well as , say , Ireland is .
It ’ s not as strict .
There were protests while I was there too , about the lockdown .
People were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then the Black Lives Matter as well.
” His family lives in Tralee “ but I won ’ t be going to see them till I finish my 14 days ” .
Niall Jackman and fiancée Lydia Lefter are back from Delray Beach , Florida , “ about half an hour north of Miami ” .
He is “ a graphic designer for a publishing company .
They ’ re keeping me going while I ’ m back over here ” .
He had “ only been there nine months .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a year , a year and a half.
” As to whether they were home for good “ we ’ re not sure yet .
So far it ’ s for good but things change .
We don ’ t know.
” They planned to quarantine in their native Waterford .
“ We managed to rent a house , so it ’ s not all bad .
Originally from Ballygunnar .
We ’ ll be somewhere close , ” he said .
Lydia is “ from Moldova originally but I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 ” .
The couple met in Ireland .
“ We worked for the same company in Delray , Palm Beach County .
Grew up in Waterford .
That ’ s exactly what we ’ re doing , waiting this out , ” she said .
At the moment “ Florida is insane .
Everybody wants freedom and rights .
It ’ s ridiculous.
” Niall said “ there ’ s the handful of people that care and then the others that don ’ t .
You ’ d feel sorry for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
There to meet the couple were Niall ’ s parents , David and Marian .
They drove up in two cars , one of which the younger couple will drive back to Waterford .
Niall ’ s father said he was “ glad to have them home , absolutely .
It ’ s nerve wracking .
You just don ’ t know where this is going to end , do you !
Our eldest son is living in Waterford and our daughter is actually living with us at home .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all home .
That ’ s what it ’ s all about , isn ’ t it , family ?
Keep the family safe .
It says a lot for good Irish values !
”

Marie Hijaci at Dublin Airport: she is visiting a brother in Galway who is unwell but will have to spend the majority of her time here in quarantine. Photograph: Patsy McGarry
Three Aer Lingus flights from the United States arrived in Dublin Airport on Sunday morning with almost unseemly haste. One from New York's JFK landed at 4.15am, one from Boston at 4.31am, and the other from Chicago at 5.15am.
All were earlier than scheduled, and a short time later they brought some semblance of activity to the cavernous and empty Terminal 2.
Among those disembarking from the JFK flight were Helen Maxwell and husband Thomas Finetto.
She was "originally from Northern Ireland" though born in Belgium. "We've come home because I'm pregnant and we're living in New York and we want to have the baby here and be close to Mum and Dad in Belfast. "
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They have been in the US two years. “Like Helen said, with the new baby coming we wanted our parents to be able to travel freely between here and the US.” Baby is due in January. She works “as a product manager for iHeartRadio” while he is “a social media manager”.
Quarantine
Things in New York are “not as bad as they were but who knows? They’re opening up now”, said Helen. Both planned to quarantine for 14 days in Belfast.
Cavan man Patrick Pierson, from Lough Gowna, has been in the US for 32 years. He is back for a funeral. "My uncle died yesterday, lung cancer. An uncle that lived in Dublin died two months ago, same thing. Mulhuddart. "
On the street outside was Catherine Everitt, from Mexico. "Born and raised in Mexico and the US. My dad's from Ireland, so I'm relocating here. I'm moving back for good. From [Washington] DC, to Drogheda. It's better than Mexico or the States. I'm glad to be home."
Beverley Prince and her mother Benita Herman outside Dublin Airport. They are on their way to visit family in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Patsy McGarry
Beverley Prince was pushing her mother Benita Harman in a wheelchair. They had flown from Boston. "I live in Boston, originally from the Caribbean. I am visiting family. Heading to Northern Ireland, Lisburn. My son said I have to do the two weeks at home, quarantine. In Lisburn. We are staying until August. My son just had a new baby so we are here."
In Boston “there’s a lot of protests. Like every weekend there’s a protest, Black Lives Matter. About the virus, people are following rules, everybody is wearing masks. There’s no protests about that over there, which is good.”
Originally from St Lucia, Beverly has been in the US for 22 years while Benita “just came this year to stay”.
Cindy Lamumba is from Virginia and flew from Boston. "I'm staying here on holiday for a little bit. I'm going to quarantine at a hotel, just me." She is staying at a Hilton in Dublin. "Altogether I'm going to stay six days, just about a week. I'm going to have to stay inside, I guess. I have friends here. I have family members here. They'll meet me." Her holiday was already arranged and paid for before Covid-19 " so it was like do I want to rebook?"
Marie Hijaci, "I'm actually Marie Moran", travelled from San Diego, California via Chicago. "I'm going to Galway because I have a brother who is not feeling very well in hospital." She is "home for 15 days and will spend most of it in quarantine, that's part of the deal. That's fine. They're the rules and we have to get rid of this virus. It's a serious issue."
Originally from Elphin, Co Roscommon, she has been "I hate to tell you, 35 years" in the US where, as "a housewife", she says "I play golf".
Out of control
San Diego was “actually okay because people are adhering to the rules and the governor of California Gavin Newsom is very strict”.
"But still in LA it has got a little bit out of control again. All the big cities. Miami is horrible, Dallas, Texas, the whole of Texas. But you have 350 million people to organise. It's very serious stuff."
Patrick Pierson at Dublin Airport: he is home for a funeral. Photograph: Patsy McGarry
David Reilly, from Tralee, flew from Chicago and has been working for the Kerry Group in the US for the past two years. "I'm relocating back to Ireland, basically. So I'm doing the quarantine for 14 days in Kerry. I've booked an apartment basically to quarantine for two weeks there, in Tralee."
He was "supposed to be out there until November". Living in Wisconsin, "things weren't too bad but they're starting to spike there a bit right now. I think last week they had the most cases in a single day, so it looks like it's getting a little worse there".
The US in general was not “handling it as well as, say, Ireland is. It’s not as strict. There were protests while I was there too, about the lockdown. People were protesting that they wanted businesses to reopen and then the Black Lives Matter as well.” His family lives in Tralee “but I won’t be going to see them till I finish my 14 days”.
Niall Jackman and fiancée Lydia Lefter are back from Delray Beach, Florida, "about half an hour north of Miami". He is "a graphic designer for a publishing company. They're keeping me going while I'm back over here".
He had “only been there nine months. She’s [Lydia] been there over a year, a year and a half.” As to whether they were home for good “we’re not sure yet. So far it’s for good but things change. We don’t know.”
They planned to quarantine in their native Waterford. "We managed to rent a house, so it's not all bad. Originally from Ballygunnar. We'll be somewhere close," he said.
Lydia is "from Moldova originally but I've been living in Ireland since I was 12". The couple met in Ireland. "We worked for the same company in Delray, Palm Beach County. Grew up in Waterford. That's exactly what we're doing, waiting this out," she said. At the moment "Florida is insane. Everybody wants freedom and rights. It's ridiculous."
Niall said “there’s the handful of people that care and then the others that don’t. You’d feel sorry for the people who are putting in the effort”.
There to meet the couple were Niall’s parents, David and Marian. They drove up in two cars, one of which the younger couple will drive back to Waterford.
Niall’s father said he was “glad to have them home, absolutely. It’s nerve wracking. You just don’t know where this is going to end, do you! Our eldest son is living in Waterford and our daughter is actually living with us at home. We only have three and they’re all home. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it, family? Keep the family safe. It says a lot for good Irish values!”


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--State commemorates Irish who died in past wars or on duty with UN

Ceremonies were held on Sunday in several locations across the country to mark a National Day of Commemoration for Irish men and women who have died in past wars , or on duty with the United Nations .
In Dublin , President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath at a ceremony at Collins Barracks , which was also attended by political and religious leaders , as well as representatives of the humanist society of Ireland .
Many members of the Cabinet attended , as did religious and military leaders , and veterans of several conflicts , and retired members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces from around the world .
Representatives of the next of kin of those who died , as well as relatives of the 1916 leaders , were invited to the event , which featured an Air Corps flypast , and music from the Band 2 Brigade of the Defence Forces , who accompanied the soloist Colette Delahunt .
Chief Justice Frank Clarke was in attendance , as was former president Mary Robinson .
Leading the ceremony , Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was “ fitting ” that the Irish men and women who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN were commemorated .
Prayers and reflections were offered by the religious and humanist leaders during an inter-faith ceremony .
Commemoration ceremonies were also held in Cork , Galway , Kilkenny , Limerick and Waterford .
Due to the coronavirus crisis , and in order to comply with public health guidelines , the ceremonies were not open to the public .

President Michael D Higgins laying a wreath during the National Day of Commemoration Ceremony at Collins Barracks in Dublin. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Ceremonies were held on Sunday in several locations across the country to mark a National Day of Commemoration for Irish men and women who have died in past wars, or on duty with the United Nations.
In Dublin, President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath at a ceremony at Collins Barracks, which was also attended by political and religious leaders, as well as representatives of the humanist society of Ireland.
Many members of the Cabinet attended, as did religious and military leaders, and veterans of several conflicts, and retired members of the Defence Forces and several other armed forces from around the world.
Representatives of the next of kin of those who died, as well as relatives of the 1916 leaders, were invited to the event, which featured an Air Corps flypast, and music from the Band 2 Brigade of the Defence Forces, who accompanied the soloist Colette Delahunt.
READ MORE
Conflicts
Chief Justice Frank Clarke was in attendance, as was former president Mary Robinson.
Leading the ceremony, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was “fitting” that the Irish men and women who died in such conflicts or with the UN were commemorated. Prayers and reflections were offered by the religious and humanist leaders during an inter-faith ceremony.
Commemoration ceremonies were also held in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford. Due to the coronavirus crisis, and in order to comply with public health guidelines, the ceremonies were not open to the public.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Aircraft in crash landing was on way to Roscommon charity event

The light aircraft that crash-landed in a field in Galway at the weekend had taken off from Cork that morning on its way to a charity function in Roscommon .
Two people , a man and a woman , suffered injuries when the Cessna aircraft came down in a field close to Killimordaly GAA club in Co Galway at lunchtime on Saturday .
The pair , both aged in their 60s , were taken to University Hospital Galway where they are being treated for their injuries .
One was airlifted from the crash site and the other taken by ambulance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aerodrome in Cork on Saturday morning to travel to Roscommon where the Tibohine Flying Club near Frenchpark were staging a “ fly-in ” to raise funds from Mayo Roscommon Hospice .
Three inspectors from the Air Accident Investigation Unit attended the crash site on Saturday afternoon and the aircraft , which suffered considerable damage to the front , has been taken to their wreckage facility at Gormanstown in Co Meath .
Fire crews from Athenry and Loughrea were among the emergency services that went to the scene and they doused the aircraft in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been launched .
The pilot of the Cessna had been in regular contact with air traffic control , confirming their location over Loughrea and also their estimated time of arrival in Roscommon shortly before contact was lost .
The alarm was raised when the aircraft came down in a field a short distance from a road in Killimordaly and emergency services were quickly on the scene .

One of the injured people was airlifted and the other taken by ambulance to University Hospital Galway, where they are being treated. Photograph: Eric Luke
The light aircraft that crash-landed in a field in Galway at the weekend had taken off from Cork that morning on its way to a charity function in Roscommon.
Two people, a man and a woman, suffered injuries when the Cessna aircraft came down in a field close to Killimordaly GAA club in Co Galway at lunchtime on Saturday.
The pair, both aged in their 60s, were taken to University Hospital Galway where they are being treated for their injuries. One was airlifted from the crash site and the other taken by ambulance.
They had taken off from Rathcoole Aerodrome in Cork on Saturday morning to travel to Roscommon where the Tibohine Flying Club near Frenchpark were staging a "fly-in" to raise funds from Mayo Roscommon Hospice.
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Considerable damage
Three inspectors from the Air Accident Investigation Unit attended the crash site on Saturday afternoon and the aircraft, which suffered considerable damage to the front, has been taken to their wreckage facility at Gormanstown in Co Meath.
Fire crews from Athenry and Loughrea were among the emergency services that went to the scene and they doused the aircraft in foam.
A Garda investigation has also been launched.
The pilot of the Cessna had been in regular contact with air traffic control, confirming their location over Loughrea and also their estimated time of arrival in Roscommon shortly before contact was lost.
The alarm was raised when the aircraft came down in a field a short distance from a road in Killimordaly and emergency services were quickly on the scene.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Football club raffles house in Donegal to raise funds

A Co Donegal football club struggling to cope since its facilities were damaged by floods three years ago is raffling off a house in the seaside town of Buncrana to raise funds .
The Cockhill Celtic club in Buncrana , which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year , has launched its Win a House for €100 campaign to raise money to rebuild and upgrade the club ’ s facilities .
The winner of the raffle will walk away with keys to a house in Donegal worth €179,000 .
Cockhill Celtic lost one of its two pitches in August 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donegal , dumping a month ’ s worth of rainfall on the county in just a few hours .
Club chairman Dermot O ’ Donnell said members had struggled to train with the reduced facilities since 2017 , but he hoped the raffle , which will be held in December , could help it “ rebuild and go from strength to strength ” .
Youth membership of the club has doubled in recent years with “ triple the number of girls ” now playing football , while the club has won seven consecutive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement from the club .
The Buncrana club teamed up with the Inishowen Aileach football club to gather together a prize fund worth over €200,000 which includes the four-bedroom semi-detached house in Gleann Aoibhinn in the Clonbeg area of Buncrana .
Other prizes include an all-inclusive Mediterranean cruise or the cash equivalent of €2,500 .
Aileach football club chairman Stephen O ’ Donnell said a decision had been made to limit the draw to only 4,000 tickets so that the odds would not be heavily stacked against participants .
“ We believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your life forever is a punt worth taking , ” said Mr O ’ Donnell .

Top prize: the four-bedroom semi-detached house in the Clonbeg area of Buncrana, Co Donegal
A Co Donegal football club struggling to cope since its facilities were damaged by floods three years ago is raffling off a house in the seaside town of Buncrana to raise funds.
The Cockhill Celtic club in Buncrana, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, has launched its Win a House for €100 campaign to raise money to rebuild and upgrade the club's facilities.
The winner of the raffle will walk away with keys to a house in Donegal worth €179,000.
Cockhill Celtic lost one of its two pitches in August 2017, when a catastrophic series of thunderstorms hit Donegal, dumping a month’s worth of rainfall on the county in just a few hours.
READ MORE
Club chairman Dermot O’Donnell said members had struggled to train with the reduced facilities since 2017, but he hoped the raffle, which will be held in December, could help it “rebuild and go from strength to strength”.
Youth membership of the club has doubled in recent years with "triple the number of girls" now playing football, while the club has won seven consecutive Ulster senior league titles, said a statement from the club.
The Buncrana club teamed up with the Inishowen Aileach football club to gather together a prize fund worth over €200,000 which includes the four-bedroom semi-detached house in Gleann Aoibhinn in the Clonbeg area of Buncrana.
Other prizes include an all-inclusive Mediterranean cruise or the cash equivalent of €2,500.
Aileach football club chairman Stephen O’Donnell said a decision had been made to limit the draw to only 4,000 tickets so that the odds would not be heavily stacked against participants.
“We believe that a 4,000 to 1 shot to change your life forever is a punt worth taking,” said Mr O’Donnell.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--New face covering rules on public transport: all you need to know

New regulations governing the wearing of face masks on public transport come into effect on Monday – what is involved ?
The legislation signed on Friday by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly stipulates that members of the public shall not travel by public transport without wearing a face covering unless they can demonstrate a “ reasonable cause ” not to wear one .
What are the exceptions ?
Passengers who can not put on , wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness , impairment or disability or without severe distress are excused from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasonable excuses ” include passengers who remove a face mask to communicate with someone who has difficulties communicating and those who remove one to provide emergency assistance or those providing care or assistance to a vulnerable person .
Passengers who need to remove a mask to take medication are also excused .
In addition , the regulations do not apply to children under the age of 13 , gardaí or drivers of a public transport vehicle separated from passengers by a screen .
What are the penalties for failing to obey the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a request to wear a face covering on public transport or any related direction is deemed to have committed an offence .
On summary conviction , the potential sanctions are a jail sentence of up to six months and/or a maximum fine of €2,500 .
How will the new regulations be enforced ?
It is not entirely clear .
The new regulations state that “ a relevant person ” – including public transport staff such as bus and train drivers , as well as National Transport Authority officials – may refuse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It seems to afford discretionary powers to frontline staff .
Is that a good thing ?
Not really .
The National Bus and Rail Union has stated that public transport workers should have no role in policing the new rules out of concern for the health and safety of staff .
It pointed out that a bus driver in the French city of Bayonne died over the weekend as a result of injuries he suffered when trying to prevent passengers who were not wearing face masks from boarding his bus .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential for confrontations between passengers over the non-wearing of masks .
Has the NTA offered any guidelines ?
Not to date .
The NBRU has sharply criticised the NTA for failing to provide any guidance on how it envisages the new regulations will be enforced .
Various public transport sources have criticised the Government for failing to outline specific actions that should be followed in a scenario where a passenger refuses to wear a face covering .
Iarnród Éireann said it advised staff to ensure passengers were fully aware of the requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by co-operation ” .
Bus Éireann said its frontline workers would “ inform , advise and encourage ” passengers to comply with the rules , while they can report and escalate any issues of non-compliance to their control centre , while Dublin Bus said it would “ encourage and remind ” customers about the new mandatory changes .
So what is likely to happen ?
Difficult to say .
Some bus drivers are likely to refuse someone not wearing a face covering from boarding their vehicle .
What happens if their instructions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the assistance of gardaí is sought but such delay also has a knock-on negative impact on services and timetables .
Are the regulations going to prove controversial ?
One would hope not .
It seems fairly widely accepted by medical professionals at this stage that face coverings can contribute to stopping the spread of the virus .
Compliance levels with the request to wear face coverings where social distancing of 2m is difficult , including on public transport and in supermarkets , have improved in recent weeks .
At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such situations were still not using them up to this weekend .
How long are the rules on wearing face covering on public transport due to last ?
The current regulations are due to remain in operation until October 5th , but the situation is expected to be kept under constant review .
The NBRU said the new regulations have highlighted the desirability of having a dedicated transport police unit , which it has been urging for several years .

New regulations governing the wearing of face masks on public transport come into effect on Monday – what is involved?
The legislation signed on Friday by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly stipulates that members of the public shall not travel by public transport without wearing a face covering unless they can demonstrate a "reasonable cause" not to wear one.
What are the exceptions?
Passengers who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness, impairment or disability or without severe distress are excused from the requirement to wear one.
Other “reasonable excuses” include passengers who remove a face mask to communicate with someone who has difficulties communicating and those who remove one to provide emergency assistance or those providing care or assistance to a vulnerable person.
Passengers who need to remove a mask to take medication are also excused.
READ MORE
In addition, the regulations do not apply to children under the age of 13, gardaí or drivers of a public transport vehicle separated from passengers by a screen.
What are the penalties for failing to obey the new rules?
Anyone who fails to comply with a request to wear a face covering on public transport or any related direction is deemed to have committed an offence. On summary conviction, the potential sanctions are a jail sentence of up to six months and/or a maximum fine of €2,500.
How will the new regulations be enforced?
Under the regulations, where a passenger is not wearing a face covering, a "relevant person" – including public transport staff such as bus and train drivers, as well as National Transport Authority officials – may request the passenger to wear a face covering, refuse the passenger entry to the public transport vehicle, or may request the passenger to alight from the vehicle.
In a statement, gardaí said: "In circumstances where a non-compliant passenger, without reasonable excuse, fails to accept the refusal or comply with a 'relevant person's' request, members of An Garda Síochána may be called to assist."
While the National Bus and Rail Union has welcomed the move towards mandatory mask-wearing, the union’s general secretary, Dermot O’Leary, said his members would not be policing the regulations. He said if a dispute arose over the non-wearing of masks, transport staff would contact the control centre to call gardaí to the scene.
It seems to afford discretionary powers to frontline staff. Is that a good thing?
Not really. The National Bus and Rail Union has stated that public transport workers should have no role in policing the new rules out of concern for the health and safety of staff.
It pointed out that a bus driver in the French city of Bayonne died over the weekend as a result of injuries he suffered when trying to prevent passengers who were not wearing face masks from boarding his bus.
The NBRU said it was also concerned about the potential for confrontations between passengers over the non-wearing of masks.
Has the NTA offered any guidelines?
Not to date. The NBRU has sharply criticised the NTA for failing to provide any guidance on how it envisages the new regulations will be enforced.
Various public transport sources have criticised the Government for failing to outline specific actions that should be followed in a scenario where a passenger refuses to wear a face covering.
Iarnród Éireann said it advised staff to ensure passengers were fully aware of the requirements with the aim of ensuring “compliance by co-operation”.
Bus Éireann said its frontline workers would "inform, advise and encourage" passengers to comply with the rules, while they can report and escalate any issues of non-compliance to their control centre, while Dublin Bus said it would "encourage and remind" customers about the new mandatory changes.
So what is likely to happen?
Difficult to say. Some bus drivers are likely to refuse someone not wearing a face covering from boarding their vehicle. What happens if their instructions are ignored is uncertain. One option is that the assistance of gardaí is sought but such delay also has a knock-on negative impact on services and timetables.
Are the regulations going to prove controversial?
One would hope not. It seems fairly widely accepted by medical professionals at this stage that face coverings can contribute to stopping the spread of the virus.
Compliance levels with the request to wear face coverings where social distancing of 2m is difficult, including on public transport and in supermarkets, have improved in recent weeks. At the same time there is evidence that many people in such situations were still not using them up to this weekend.
How long are the rules on wearing face covering on public transport due to last?
The current regulations are due to remain in operation until October 5th, but the situation is expected to be kept under constant review.
Any other consideration?
The NBRU said the new regulations have highlighted the desirability of having a dedicated transport police unit, which it has been urging for several years.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Stunning image of comet Neowise captured over Dublin Bay

Comet Neowise is the brightest in the Northern Hemisphere this century , but the weather has been less than kind for skyviewers in Ireland .
Persistent cloud has inhibited sightings of the comet , which is visible to the naked eye in dark skies and easily picked out in a binoculars even in light polluted locations .
Astrophotographer Dr Antonio Martin Carrillo took advantage of a rare break in the clouds to capture a stunning image of comet Neowise over the Poolbeg power station and the incinerator nearby by in the early hours of Saturday morning .
The photograph was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was rewarded for his patience when the clouds parted .
“ During the night the sky truly delivered , not only removing the clouds but giving us some of the brightest noctilucent clouds in some time .
It was an incredible show with the comet still visible to the naked-eye and blue colours taking up the whole sky , ” he said .
Noctilucent cloud ( NLC ) are wispy clouds seen between latitudes 50 and 60 degrees north during summer time .
Dr Carillo is an assistant professor at University College Dublin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ astrophysics .
His research focuses on searching for the electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves and the study of gamma-ray bursts , the most violent explosions in the universe since the Big Bang .
He also runs an outreach project , called Skywonders ( http : //skywonders.ie ) with the aim of explaining the science in astrophotography .
The image is the composite of 11 separate photographs of the comet taken with a Canon EOS Ra , a mirrorless camera especially adapted for astrophotography .
He used a Samyang 135mm lens with the aperture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographs taken at short interval was exposed for a third of a second .
The images were later processed with Lightroom and Starry Landscape stacker , two apps used in astrophotography .
There is still time to see the comet in Irish skies as it will be visible all night from Tuesday night low in the north for the next fortnight .
The comet was discovered last March by NASA ’ s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( Neowise ) , hence its name , and reached perihelion – its closest point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a distance of 44 million kilometres .
Comets , by their fragile nature , sometimes fail to survive perihelion as the stresses from intense solar heating may cause them to fragment .
Neowise has emerged intact and promises to be one of the best comets seen from here for the last number of years .
The body ’ s nucleus is only a few kilometres across but can not be seen directly as it is buried in the bright coma form as material erupts from fissures on the surface .
Sunlight pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas , and dust outward to form a complex tail that can extend a million kilometres or more .
Reports from across Europe currently put Neowise as an easy binocular object with a stubby tail .
Some experienced amateur astronomers have also managed to spot the comet as a star-like point with the unaided eye .
By the middle of this week the comet will be in a darker sky when the moon is absent until the early hours .
Although it is likely to have faded a little by then , Neowise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ binoculars and well worth seeking out a dark location away from urban areas to get a view .
Neowise is closest to Earth on July 23rd at a distance of 103 million kilometres .
Unlike periodic comets like Halley , it has a 6,800 year orbit and is now heading back into the outer solar system deep freeze .

The comet Neowise will be closest to Earth on July 23rd at a distance of 103 million kilometres. Image: John Flannery
Comet Neowise is the brightest in the Northern Hemisphere this century, but the weather has been less than kind for skyviewers in Ireland.
Persistent cloud has inhibited sightings of the comet, which is visible to the naked eye in dark skies and easily picked out in a binoculars even in light polluted locations.
Astrophotographer Dr Antonio Martin Carrillo took advantage of a rare break in the clouds to capture a stunning image of comet Neowise over the Poolbeg power station and the incinerator nearby by in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The photograph was taken from Merrion Strand and Dr Carrillo was rewarded for his patience when the clouds parted.
READ MORE
“ During the night the sky truly delivered, not only removing the clouds but giving us some of the brightest noctilucent clouds in some time. It was an incredible show with the comet still visible to the naked-eye and blue colours taking up the whole sky,” he said.
Noctilucent cloud (NLC) are wispy clouds seen between latitudes 50 and 60 degrees north during summer time.
Comet Neowise over the Poolbeg power station in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday morning. Photograph: Antonio Martin-Carrillo
Dr Carillo is an assistant professor at University College Dublin (UCD) where he lecture in astrophysics. His research focuses on searching for the electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves and the study of gamma-ray bursts, the most violent explosions in the universe since the Big Bang.
He also runs an outreach project, called Skywonders(http://skywonders.ie) with the aim of explaining the science in astrophotography.
The image is the composite of 11 separate photographs of the comet taken with a Canon EOS Ra, a mirrorless camera especially adapted for astrophotography. He used a Samyang 135mm lens with the aperture open at f2 and each of the photographs taken at short interval was exposed for a third of a second.
The images were later processed with Lightroom and Starry Landscape stacker, two apps used in astrophotography.
There is still time to see the comet in Irish skies as it will be visible all night from Tuesday night low in the north for the next fortnight.
The comet was discovered last March by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (Neowise), hence its name, and reached perihelion – its closest point to the Sun – on July 3rd at a distance of 44 million kilometres.
Comets, by their fragile nature, sometimes fail to survive perihelion as the stresses from intense solar heating may cause them to fragment. Neowise has emerged intact and promises to be one of the best comets seen from here for the last number of years.
The body’s nucleus is only a few kilometres across but cannot be seen directly as it is buried in the bright coma form as material erupts from fissures on the surface.
Sunlight pressure pushes this mix of icy particles, gas, and dust outward to form a complex tail that can extend a million kilometres or more.
Reports from across Europe currently put Neowise as an easy binocular object with a stubby tail. Some experienced amateur astronomers have also managed to spot the comet as a star-like point with the unaided eye.
By the middle of this week the comet will be in a darker sky when the moon is absent until the early hours. Although it is likely to have faded a little by then, Neowise should still be a nice sight in binoculars and well worth seeking out a dark location away from urban areas to get a view.
Neowise is closest to Earth on July 23rd at a distance of 103 million kilometres. Unlike periodic comets like Halley, it has a 6,800 year orbit and is now heading back into the outer solar system deep freeze.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--GAA club in north Cork confirms positive Covid-19 case

Cork GAA is to hold a meeting of its competitions authority after receiving confirmation from a club in north Cork that it has suspended all activity after learning one of its players tested positive for Covid-19 .
Cork County Board confirmed it had been informed by Glanworth GAA that one of their players had tested positive for Covid-19 and that the club had implemented all the GAA guidelines on dealing with a positive case of the virus .
“ The Cork County Board ’ s Competitions Control Committee will meet in due course , following consultation with Croke Park , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for county competitions , ” Cork GAA said in a statement posted on its website on Sunday night .
Glanworth GAA , who are based in the north Cork village located 9km north-west of Fermoy , also confirmed details of the case , which The Irish Times understands was only confirmed on Sunday after the player began to feel unwell on Friday .
“ Glanworth has been informed by one of our players that he has tested positive for Covid-19 .
In accordance with GAA guidelines on dealing with a positive case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity until public health contact tracers carry out full close contact assessment and testing.
” Glanworth was due to play Mitchelstown in the first round of the Intermediate County Football championship in Mallow on Sunday , July 26th while their hurlers , Harbour Rovers , are due to play Ballygiblin in the Avondhu Junior Hurling Championship on the weekend of August 2nd .
News of the positive case in Glanworth GAA comes as three GAA clubs in west Cork are set to resume their preparations for championship matches scheduled to take place later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club ’ s players tested negative for Covid-19 following concerns that they may have come in contact with a person who recently tested positive for coronavirus .
Argideen Rangers from Timoleague were the first club to suspend all activity as a precautionary measure while Ballinascarthy and St Oliver Plunkett ’ s from Ahiohill also took the decision to suspend activity .
There has been no official confirmation from either HSE or GAA authorities but it is believed that members of Argideen Rangers and Ballinascarthy may have been at a house party in west @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who later tested positive for the virus .
All three clubs issued statements on Friday confirming they were suspending activities , but now two of the three have said through Facebook pages all club activity will resume .
The Irish Times understands from informed sources that no player in any club tested positive .
“ We are pleased to inform our members that Argideen Rangers GAA Club will be recommencing club activities from Sunday , July 12th .
We thank you for your patience and support over the past few days , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday afternoon .
“ As we resume activities , we remind all our members to strictly adhere to the public health advice and guidelines provided by the HSE and by the GAA , ” added the club who are to play Dungourney from east Cork in the first round of the County Intermediate Hurling Championship on August 1st .
Meanwhile , Ballinascarthy GAA also posted on Sunday afternoon it had reversed its decision to suspend all club activity as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of tests and that all club players could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As per HSE public health guidance and GAA return to play protocol , Ballinascarthy GAA and camogie clubs can resume collective training .
We won ’ t be making any comment on individual members ’ medical history and remind everyone to respect the privacy of those involved.
” Although St Oliver Plunkett ’ s have yet to post a similar message on social media at the time of writing , a west Cork GAA source familiar with the situation in all three clubs said all their players too had tested negative and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ballinascarthy and St Oliver Plunkett ’ s both play hurling and football at junior level and are scheduled to play locally in the Carbery Division .
Their footballers start their campaign on the weekend of July 25th-26th and their hurlers are scheduled to play on August 2nd .
Last month , a player with James Stephens club in Kilkenny was diagnosed with Covid-19 and later recovered fully .
Team-mates identified via contact tracing returned negative results and club activity resumed following a seven day precautionary period .

A number of the west Cork club players have been tested for the virus and the results have come back negative. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Cork GAA is to hold a meeting of its competitions authority after receiving confirmation from a club in north Cork that it has suspended all activity after learning one of its players tested positive for Covid-19.
Cork County Board confirmed it had been informed by Glanworth GAA that one of their players had tested positive for Covid-19 and that the club had implemented all the GAA guidelines on dealing with a positive case of the virus.
“The Cork County Board’s Competitions Control Committee will meet in due course, following consultation with Croke Park, to consider the implications, if any, for county competitions,” Cork GAA said in a statement posted on its website on Sunday night.
Glanworth GAA, who are based in the north Cork village located 9km north-west of Fermoy, also confirmed details of the case, which The Irish Times understands was only confirmed on Sunday after the player began to feel unwell on Friday.
READ MORE
“Glanworth has been informed by one of our players that he has tested positive for Covid-19. In accordance with GAA guidelines on dealing with a positive case, the club has suspended all further activity until public health contact tracers carry out full close contact assessment and testing.”
Glanworth was due to play Mitchelstown in the first round of the Intermediate County Football championship in Mallow on Sunday, July 26th while their hurlers, Harbour Rovers, are due to play Ballygiblin in the Avondhu Junior Hurling Championship on the weekend of August 2nd.
Resuming training
News of the positive case in Glanworth GAA comes as three GAA clubs in west Cork are set to resume their preparations for championship matches scheduled to take place later this summer. A number of the club’s players tested negative for Covid-19 following concerns that they may have come in contact with a person who recently tested positive for coronavirus.
Argideen Rangers from Timoleague were the first club to suspend all activity as a precautionary measure while Ballinascarthy and St Oliver Plunkett's from Ahiohill also took the decision to suspend activity.
There has been no official confirmation from either HSE or GAA authorities but it is believed that members of Argideen Rangers and Ballinascarthy may have been at a house party in west Cork last week attended by a person who later tested positive for the virus.
All three clubs issued statements on Friday confirming they were suspending activities, but now two of the three have said through Facebook pages all club activity will resume. The Irish Times understands from informed sources that no player in any club tested positive.
“We are pleased to inform our members that Argideen Rangers GAA Club will be recommencing club activities from Sunday, July 12th. We thank you for your patience and support over the past few days,” Argideen Rangers said in a posting on Sunday afternoon.
"As we resume activities, we remind all our members to strictly adhere to the public health advice and guidelines provided by the HSE and by the GAA," added the club who are to play Dungourney from east Cork in the first round of the County Intermediate Hurling Championship on August 1st.
Meanwhile, Ballinascarthy GAA also posted on Sunday afternoon it had reversed its decision to suspend all club activity as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of tests and that all club players could now resume their collective training.
“As per HSE public health guidance and GAA return to play protocol, Ballinascarthy GAA and camogie clubs can resume collective training. We won’t be making any comment on individual members’ medical history and remind everyone to respect the privacy of those involved.”
Although St Oliver Plunkett’s have yet to post a similar message on social media at the time of writing, a west Cork GAA source familiar with the situation in all three clubs said all their players too had tested negative and had been cleared to resume collective training.
Ballinascarthy and St Oliver Plunkett’s both play hurling and football at junior level and are scheduled to play locally in the Carbery Division. Their footballers start their campaign on the weekend of July 25th-26th and their hurlers are scheduled to play on August 2nd.
Last month, a player with James Stephens club in Kilkenny was diagnosed with Covid-19 and later recovered fully. Team-mates identified via contact tracing returned negative results and club activity resumed following a seven day precautionary period.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Coronavirus: No new deaths reported but 17 more cases confirmed

There have been no new deaths from Covid-19 reported to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) , the Department of Health said on Sunday .
Another 17 cases of the virus have been confirmed , bringing the total number of such cases to 25,628 .
The death toll from the disease in the Republic remains at 1,746 .
The median age for those testing positive for the virus was 48 while 11 people were being treated in intensive care units for the virus on Saturday evening , the department said .
Dr Ronan Glynn , acting chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ still out there ” and that it “ only needs the smallest window of opportunity to become a major problem once again ” .
Dr Glynn called on members of the public to continue protecting themselves and others , watch out for symptoms , wash their hands and wear a face covering where appropriate .
Any person with concerns about symptoms should isolate themselves and contact their GP immediately , he said .
The figures came as a leading expert on international health called for greater “ teeth ” to force people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days , as was currently recommended .
Dr Sam McConkey , associate professor and head of the department of international health and tropical medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ( RCSI ) , warned of a “ public health ” disaster in the United States .
People arriving from that country should be among those compelled to self-isolate for a fortnight , he told RTÉ Radio .
People arriving from Britain and Portugal should also be made quarantine , while “ green ” countries from where people could arrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Finland , Denmark , New Zealand and China .
He was speaking after Taoiseach Micheál Martin advised British holidaymakers not to come here at present .
In an interview on the BBC Andrew Marr Show , Mr Martin said Ireland was taking a “ cautious approach ” , emphasising that all overseas visitors to the Republic would have to quarantine for two weeks .
The Cabinet is to meet on Wednesday to discuss the preparation of a green list of safe countries for travel , and also to make a final decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for pubs that do not serve food will go ahead .
Ministers are first to receive input from NPHET .
From Monday face coverings will be mandatory on public transport .
Passengers who fail to comply could face up to six months in prison and a fine of €2,500 .

A passengers wearing a face covering at Heathrow airport at the weekend. Photograph: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images
There have been no new deaths from Covid-19 reported to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), the Department of Health said on Sunday.
Another 17 cases of the virus have been confirmed, bringing the total number of such cases to 25,628. The death toll from the disease in the Republic remains at 1,746.
The median age for those testing positive for the virus was 48 while 11 people were being treated in intensive care units for the virus on Saturday evening, the department said.
Dr Ronan Glynn, acting chief medical officer, warned that Covid-19 was “still out there” and that it “only needs the smallest window of opportunity to become a major problem once again”.
READ MORE
Dr Glynn called on members of the public to continue protecting themselves and others, watch out for symptoms, wash their hands and wear a face covering where appropriate.
Any person with concerns about symptoms should isolate themselves and contact their GP immediately, he said.
The figures came as a leading expert on international health called for greater “teeth” to force people arriving into the State to quarantine for 14 days, as was currently recommended.
Dr Sam McConkey, associate professor and head of the department of international health and tropical medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), warned of a “public health” disaster in the United States. People arriving from that country should be among those compelled to self-isolate for a fortnight, he told RTÉ Radio.
People arriving from Britain and Portugal should also be made quarantine, while “green” countries from where people could arrive without quarantining could include Greece, Norway, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand and China.
He was speaking after Taoiseach Micheál Martin advised British holidaymakers not to come here at present.
In an interview on the BBC Andrew Marr Show, Mr Martin said Ireland was taking a “cautious approach”, emphasising that all overseas visitors to the Republic would have to quarantine for two weeks.
The Cabinet is to meet on Wednesday to discuss the preparation of a green list of safe countries for travel, and also to make a final decision on whether the July 20th reopening date for pubs that do not serve food will go ahead.
Ministers are first to receive input from NPHET.
From Monday face coverings will be mandatory on public transport. Passengers who fail to comply could face up to six months in prison and a fine of €2,500.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Covid-19: Restrictions on travelling abroad may last several years, expert warns

Restrictions on foreign travel to combat the coronavirus could be necessary for several years , a leading expert on international health has warned .
Dr Sam McConkey , associate professor and head of the department of international health and tropical medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ( RCSI ) , called for greater “ teeth ” to force people arriving into the State to quarantine for 14 days .
Hotels near airports could be used to “ forcibly contain ” people if mandatory quarantining was introduced , he said .
Speaking on RTÉ radio on Sunday he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster in the United States adding people arriving from there should be among those compelled to self-isolate for a fortnight .
People arriving from Britain and Portugal should also be made quarantine , while “ green ” countries from where people could arrive without quarantining could include Greece , Norway , Finland , Denmark , New Zealand and China .
He was speaking as Taoiseach Micheál Martin advised British holidaymakers not to come here at present .
Speaking on the BBC Andrew Marr Show , Mr Martin said Ireland was taking a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors would have to quarantine for two weeks if they came to the Republic .
Dr McConkey said hoped a “ green list ” of countries would be published by Government on July 20th .
If people wanted take holidays in these countries they should be allowed , he added .
Asked how long such a list should be kept , he said : “ We are looking at a multi-year plan here… Nobody knows , but we should be planning for three , seven , 10 years of this.
” Students arriving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , “ will be arriving two weeks early and then self-isolating before term starts .
“ I feel we should be keeping our borders open , as we have done , but we should be absolutely insisting everyone stays 14 days in self isolation and we need greater monitoring that , enforcing that , dating that and quarantining that .
“ We need some teeth on that , on incoming travellers and control on what they do .
We need to measure and see what proportion of people coming in do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re not then we need consequences to it.
” There could be “ a hotel near Dublin airport and you stay there for 14 days …You ’ re physically contained , you ’ re forcibly contained within that facility ” after arriving from a “ red ” country .
“ Unfortunately that includes countries like the USA .
[ The situation in ] New York is improving but 40 other states in the US have massively increasing numbers .
I think we are going to see 30 or 40 New Yorks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Dr McConkey told the Brendan O ’ Connor Show “ What happened in New York that we all saw , with a digger digging a mass grave on Hart Island with coffins going in and nobody there to grieve them – that will be case in Houston and Florida , and Arizona , and 20 or 30 other cities across the US .
“ In the worst case scenario you ’ re looking at about half the people getting it and then between one and five per cent of those dying…That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The director of the national virus reference laboratory Dr Cillian de Gascun said at the weekend the introduction of a mandatory quarantine would be a Government decision but “ we would prefer not to make things mandatory if we can ” .
He said : “ We are also telling people from overseas , in essence , that while we want them to visit the country at some point in time we don ’ t want that time to be now .
But if they do choose to come at this point in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their movements for 14 days.
” He added testing at airports was not an effective measure as it generated a lot of false positives that were very resource intensive .
Ahead of the planned reopening of all pubs on July 20th , Dr McConkey said scenes of younger people socialising without social distancing were worrying .
However , he said young people should not be maligned by those seeking to address the virus among the cohort .
“ Many young people feel very angry in Ireland as we know , because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , lack of jobs .
“ My view is we need to see our public policy in the round for young people , so that there are two-room , unfurnished apartments in Dublin for €500 a month ; so that we can say , ‘ That will be available ’ and young people can have reasonable housing for a reasonable price .
“ Young people are very , very angry and I think legitimately so because of the challenges they face …We need to look at the overall offering that we are providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just seeing this Covid-19 in isolation .
”

Passengers at Dublin Airport prepare to fly to various locations earlier this month. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times
Restrictions on foreign travel to combat the coronavirus could be necessary for several years, a leading expert on international health has warned.
Dr Sam McConkey, associate professor and head of the department of international health and tropical medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), called for greater "teeth" to force people arriving into the State to quarantine for 14 days. Hotels near airports could be used to "forcibly contain" people if mandatory quarantining was introduced, he said.
Speaking on RTÉ radio on Sunday he warned of a "public health" disaster in the United States adding people arriving from there should be among those compelled to self-isolate for a fortnight.
People arriving from Britain and Portugal should also be made quarantine, while "green" countries from where people could arrive without quarantining could include Greece, Norway, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand and China.
READ MORE
He was speaking as Taoiseach Micheál Martin advised British holidaymakers not to come here at present.
Speaking on the BBC Andrew Marr Show, Mr Martin said Ireland was taking a "cautious approach", emphasising that all visitors would have to quarantine for two weeks if they came to the Republic.
Dr McConkey said hoped a “green list” of countries would be published by Government on July 20th. If people wanted take holidays in these countries they should be allowed, he added.
Asked how long such a list should be kept, he said: “We are looking at a multi-year plan here… Nobody knows, but we should be planning for three, seven, 10 years of this.”
Students arriving at the RCSI later this year, he said, "will be arriving two weeks early and then self-isolating before term starts.
“I feel we should be keeping our borders open, as we have done, but we should be absolutely insisting everyone stays 14 days in self isolation and we need greater monitoring that, enforcing that, dating that and quarantining that.
“We need some teeth on that, on incoming travellers and control on what they do. We need to measure and see what proportion of people coming in do actually follow the rules, and if they’re not then we need consequences to it.”
There could be “a hotel near Dublin airport and you stay there for 14 days …You’re physically contained, you’re forcibly contained within that facility” after arriving from a “red” country.
“Unfortunately that includes countries like the USA. [The situation in] New York is improving but 40 other states in the US have massively increasing numbers. I think we are going to see 30 or 40 New Yorks in the next month or two,” Dr McConkey told the Brendan O’Connor Show
"What happened in New York that we all saw, with a digger digging a mass grave on Hart Island with coffins going in and nobody there to grieve them – that will be case in Houston and Florida, and Arizona, and 20 or 30 other cities across the US.
“In the worst case scenario you’re looking at about half the people getting it and then between one and five per cent of those dying…That’s clearly a public health disaster.”
The director of the national virus reference laboratory Dr Cillian de Gascun said at the weekend the introduction of a mandatory quarantine would be a Government decision but "we would prefer not to make things mandatory if we can".
He said: “We are also telling people from overseas, in essence, that while we want them to visit the country at some point in time we don’t want that time to be now. But if they do choose to come at this point in time then they are required to restrict their movements for 14 days.”
He added testing at airports was not an effective measure as it generated a lot of false positives that were very resource intensive.
Ahead of the planned reopening of all pubs on July 20th, Dr McConkey said scenes of younger people socialising without social distancing were worrying. However, he said young people should not be maligned by those seeking to address the virus among the cohort.
“Many young people feel very angry in Ireland as we know, because of the lack of housing, lack of education, lack of jobs.
“My view is we need to see our public policy in the round for young people, so that there are two-room, unfurnished apartments in Dublin for €500 a month; so that we can say, ‘That will be available’ and young people can have reasonable housing for a reasonable price.
“Young people are very, very angry and I think legitimately so because of the challenges they face …We need to look at the overall offering that we are providing to young people in Ireland rather than just seeing this Covid-19 in isolation.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-13--Father and daughter missing for 10 days found safe and well

A father and daughter who were reported missing 10 days ago have been found safe and well , gardaí have @ @ @ @ @ 23 months ) and her father Shiraz Arshad ( 38 ) were reported missing from @ @ @ @ @ Co Roscommon on July 3rd at 5.30pm .
It was understood that the father and @ @ @ @ @ Dublin via public transport at about 1.35pm that day and disembarked in the city centre @ @ @ @ @ , An Garda Síochána were not aware of Jasmine ’ s whereabouts following their arrival @ @ @ @ @ a statement on Monday , gardaí in Co Roscommon said they had located the 23-month-old @ @ @ @ @ were both safe and well .
The Gardaí thanked the public and the media for @ @ @ @ @ .

Gardaí thanked the public and the media for their assistance in this matter. Photograph: Getty Images
A father and daughter who were reported missing 10 days ago have been found safe and well, gardaí have said.
Jasmine Arshad (23 months) and her father Shiraz Arshad (38) were reported missing from their home in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon on July 3rd at 5.30pm.
It was understood that the father and daughter travelled from Ballaghaderreen to Dublin via public transport at about 1.35pm that day and disembarked in the city centre at about 4.30pm.
However, An Garda Síochána were not aware of Jasmine's whereabouts following their arrival to the capital.
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In a statement on Monday, gardaí in Co Roscommon said they had located the 23-month-old and her father and they were both safe and well.
Gardaí thanked the public and the media for their assistance in this matter.