theirishtimes--2020-04-21--Earth Day to click with over 1bn worldwide on climate crisis

This year ’ s Earth Day is set to engage more than a billion people across the planet as the web hosts thousands of events drawing attention to “ the most urgent environmental issue in history : the climate crisis ” , according to organisers Earth Day Network ( EDN ) .
April 22nd is the 50th anniversary of an event that in 1970 prompted mass protests across north America and soon became a global movement .
With many countries banning mass gatherings to slow the spread of Covid-19 , green activists are marking the anniversary online , urging environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deploying “ low-carbon digital tools ” .
On the first Earth Day , climate change , deforestation and chemical-intensive agriculture had yet to become existential crises , EDN noted .
The issue is pollution ; the day a call to action to protect precious resources – air , water , land and all living things – “ from the encroaching toxins of industrial society ” .
Over the past three years the occasion has become a six-day event , which this year features issues from sustainable consumption to climate-smart agriculture , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t Have Time network .
The idea of the digital gathering , in part , “ is to show action on climate change can be a low carbon experience ” , said deputy spokesman for Earth Day 2020 Nick Nuttall .
“ Bringing people together .
.
.
does not have to be accompanied by carbon emissions linked with flying .
.
.
to and from an event.
” In an eve of Earth Day statement , the Global Climate and Health Alliance said that as countries prepare to resume activities after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make now must prepare the way for a safer and healthier future .
.
.
when we emerge from this pandemic ” .
Health alliance director Jeni Miller added : “ We won ’ t get another shot at this .
Only a global green recovery can sustain a safe and healthy future for all .
.
.
we must choose a sustainable path for our planet , to prevent further crises and protect lives.
” Pandemics were likely to happen again along with many other health crises “ unless we fundamentally change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power our communities and produce food and goods ” , she said .
Covid-19 response-and-recovery packages investing trillions of public dollars being rolled out worldwide had to address the climate crisis at the same time .
“ They provide a generational opportunity to co-solve the Covid-related economic crisis and the climate-and-air pollution emergency by bringing to life a vision of a healthy and stable planet that will keep us and our kids safer and healthier , and help ensure a global crisis of Covid ’ s magnitude never happens again.
” David Thorpe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , highlighted the scale of environmental destruction over the past 50 years .
“ In 1970 the world as a whole had an ecological footprint of one planet – just enough to provide for everyone .
In 2020 we need the equivalent of 1.8 planet Earths – in developed countries the average is much higher – which is why we have the climate and extinction emergencies .
We are in what ’ s known as ecological deficit ; 60 per cent of nature has disappeared in 50 years , ” he noted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ things looked even grimmer , but we mustn ’ t forget the other emergencies too .
And as we emerge , nation by nation , from lockdown , we have an unprecedented opportunity to create a healthier world , a happier and fairer world , a zero-carbon world .
A ‘ one-planet ’ world that is no longer in deficit but living within its means.
” Citizen science is also a strong theme this year .
Earth Challenge 2020 , is a mobile phone app allowing users to take photographs and upload @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental issues , from air quality to plastic pollution .
Its backers – EDN , the US Department of State and Washington-based think tank the Wilson Centre – say the information can help create up to date assessments on the state of the environment worldwide .
“ An app by nature facilitates public participation , ” said Wilson Centre director of innovation Anne Bowser .
The creators of the app hope it can be expanded to help contributors report on insect populations and verify satellite data on what crops are being grown worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be made on local air quality and food security even from people ’ s sofas when their movements are restricted during the pandemic , added Ms Bowser .
The lockdown is also an opportunity for people with unexpected time on their hands to dig into the often overdue task of making their finances climate smart , said Sophie Cowen of Earth Day Switch .
The earthddayswitch.orgwebsite allows consumers in some countries to see if their banks and energy companies are investing in fossil fuels , whose use creates the majority of greenhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the pandemic caused the postponement of key United Nations negotiations on climate and biodiversity agreements until next year , an online conference of about 100 of the world ’ s leading scientists , economists and environmentalists is ongoing over this week .
– Additional reporting : Reuters

This year’s Earth Day is set to engage more than a billion people across the planet as the web hosts thousands of events drawing attention to “the most urgent environmental issue in history: the climate crisis”, according to organisers Earth Day Network (EDN).
April 22nd is the 50th anniversary of an event that in 1970 prompted mass protests across north America and soon became a global movement.
With many countries banning mass gatherings to slow the spread of Covid-19, green activists are marking the anniversary online, urging environmental action through apps, webinars and campaigns deploying “low-carbon digital tools”.
On the first Earth Day, climate change, deforestation and chemical-intensive agriculture had yet to become existential crises, EDN noted. The issue is pollution; the day a call to action to protect precious resources – air, water, land and all living things – “from the encroaching toxins of industrial society”.
READ MORE
Over the past three years the occasion has become a six-day event, which this year features issues from sustainable consumption to climate-smart agriculture, according to one of the organisers – We Don’t Have Time network.
The idea of the digital gathering, in part, "is to show action on climate change can be a low carbon experience", said deputy spokesman for Earth Day 2020 Nick Nuttall. "Bringing people together . . . does not have to be accompanied by carbon emissions linked with flying . . . to and from an event."
In an eve of Earth Day statement, the Global Climate and Health Alliance said that as countries prepare to resume activities after their Covid-19 peak, “decisions governments make now must prepare the way for a safer and healthier future . . . when we emerge from this pandemic”.
Health alliance director Jeni Miller added: "We won't get another shot at this. Only a global green recovery can sustain a safe and healthy future for all . . . we must choose a sustainable path for our planet, to prevent further crises and protect lives."
Pandemics were likely to happen again along with many other health crises “unless we fundamentally change the way we travel, trade, power our communities and produce food and goods”, she said.
Covid-19 response-and-recovery packages investing trillions of public dollars being rolled out worldwide had to address the climate crisis at the same time. “They provide a generational opportunity to co-solve the Covid-related economic crisis and the climate-and-air pollution emergency by bringing to life a vision of a healthy and stable planet that will keep us and our kids safer and healthier, and help ensure a global crisis of Covid’s magnitude never happens again.”
David Thorpe, director of the One Planet Centre, highlighted the scale of environmental destruction over the past 50 years. "In 1970 the world as a whole had an ecological footprint of one planet – just enough to provide for everyone. In 2020 we need the equivalent of 1.8 planet Earths – in developed countries the average is much higher – which is why we have the climate and extinction emergencies. We are in what's known as ecological deficit; 60 per cent of nature has disappeared in 50 years," he noted.
With the pandemic, he added, “things looked even grimmer, but we mustn’t forget the other emergencies too. And as we emerge, nation by nation, from lockdown, we have an unprecedented opportunity to create a healthier world, a happier and fairer world, a zero-carbon world. A ‘one-planet’ world that is no longer in deficit but living within its means.”
Public participation
Citizen science is also a strong theme this year. Earth Challenge 2020, is a mobile phone app allowing users to take photographs and upload them to provide local data on key environmental issues, from air quality to plastic pollution. Its backers – EDN, the US Department of State and Washington-based think tank the Wilson Centre – say the information can help create up to date assessments on the state of the environment worldwide.
"An app by nature facilitates public participation," said Wilson Centre director of innovation Anne Bowser. The creators of the app hope it can be expanded to help contributors report on insect populations and verify satellite data on what crops are being grown worldwide, to better fight hunger.
Observations can be made on local air quality and food security even from people’s sofas when their movements are restricted during the pandemic, added Ms Bowser.
The lockdown is also an opportunity for people with unexpected time on their hands to dig into the often overdue task of making their finances climate smart, said Sophie Cowen of Earth Day Switch.
The earthddayswitch.orgwebsite allows consumers in some countries to see if their banks and energy companies are investing in fossil fuels, whose use creates the majority of greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet.
While the pandemic caused the postponement of key United Nations negotiations on climate and biodiversity agreements until next year, an online conference of about 100 of the world's leading scientists, economists and environmentalists is ongoing over this week. – Additional reporting: Reuters


theirishtimes--2020-04-21--Coronavirus: Health staff from around the world serve on Ireland’s frontline

When Mullingar-based Maria Cintra first heard about the coronavirus preparations being made at Midland Regional Hospital in the Westmeath town she immediately felt anxious .
A Norwegian respiratory nurse in the hospital ’ s emergency department , Cintra would work directly with Covid-19 patients and knew she could easily carry the virus home to her family .
“ My daughter is asthmatic ; it ’ s a constant worry that I could make her ill .
I haven ’ t been able to self-isolate from her , she isn ’ t even four years old .
How do you explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t put her to bed ?
” Cintra came to Ireland in 2014 with her Irish husband , spending two years working in a nursing home before joining the Midland hospital .
Working today with Covid-19 patients , she wears full personal protective gear .
“ You ’ re hot and sweaty and you can ’ t have a drink when you want , so you get a sore throat .
It ’ s exhausting .
Before this , a 13-hour shift wasn ’ t a problem but now you feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire day.
” Cintra showers in hospital after her shift , throws all her clothes in the wash and disinfects her shoes before stepping inside her home .
“ I ’ m doing everything possible to keep my family safe.
” Support from colleagues makes today ’ s uncertainty more bearable , she says .
“ It doesn ’ t matter where you ’ re from , or what position you previously had , everyone is working together now .
“ When this started I was so anxious I would get sick , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it at this stage .
If you get sick , you just deal with it , ” says Cintra , who is one of thousands of foreign-born health staff now on Ireland ’ s Covid frontline .
Foreign health staff began to arrive in numbers in the early 2000s .
Most come from India and the Philippines , with smaller numbers from Africa .
This year , 125 have been hired , with some arriving early last month .
Extra foreign recruitment is now off the agenda , the Health Service Executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is “ not a viable response to increase access to nurses and midwives ” .
Rodvic Penas , a Filipino nurse working at a major Dublin hospital , came here three years ago .
Today , he is one of its surgical team , but now has been given ICU training for PPE-equipped shifts caring for Covid-19 patients .
“ It ’ s really difficult to work with all that gear , the mask can be painful and hurts your nose .
It leaves a mark on your face .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stock but we don ’ t know how long it will hold.
” Penas regularly worries about contracting the virus .
“ This morning I felt a sore throat and the first thing you think is do I have the virus ?
I feel paranoid at times but I ’ m just doing my part to keep myself protected.
” Penas says he is “ privileged ” to work in Ireland but also finds that foreign nurses are treated differently from their Irish colleagues .
“ I don ’ t want to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re more favoured than us.
” Though he misses his family , he is happy caring for Irish patients : “ I don ’ t have an issue with caring for another nationality .
That ’ s part of my calling as a nurse , to be able to give service to whoever I ’ m working with.
” While the number of foreign-born nurses working in Irish hospitals has increased , rising numbers of international doctors are also choosing to work in the Republic .
Ireland ’ s share of foreign-trained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , at 42.3 per cent , according to the 2018 Health at a Glance report from the OECD .
Overseas doctors come here to replace Irish doctors who emigrate in search of better opportunities .
In 2018 , most new Medical Council registrations were made by non-Irish doctors .
However , many of them find it difficult to develop their careers once they are here .
One Brazilian senior house officer ( SHO ) male doctor , speaking anonymously , says being accepted into the network of Irish doctors is difficult : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with racist behaviour .
“ You ’ re just not part of the clique and you didn ’ t grow up going to the right schools .
People here tend to feel more comfortable with those who use the same expressions and have the same background.
” The Irish system does not recognise his Brazilian surgical qualifications , nor does it allow him to join specialist training schemes .
“ I have to watch Irish people with a year of experience get a job when I have a decade ’ s experience.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight against the virus : “ Ireland , in my opinion , is one of the countries responding in the best way to this crisis .
Ireland could be testing more but we have good numbers here.
” In Brazil , he grew accustomed to working with highly contagious TB and leprosy patients .
“ We were exposed to weird infections in Brazil ; exposure to unusual forms of contamination comes with the job .
“ I have asthma and I ’ m overweight so I ’ m at risk now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it ’ s not a risk that goes beyond what I was expecting to meet during my working life.
” Dr Bianca Bandarra , a Brazilian-born SHO in Beaumont , which has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 patients , thrives on the adrenalin of working in an emergency department .
Saying that she is “ thankful ” to be working in an Irish hospital now , she says : “ I ’ m really learning from this and really feel part of the team .
Everyone is working shoulder to shoulder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro , Bandarra is unfazed by the pressures of Beaumont .
“ In Rio there was a chance you ’ d get shot or mugged during your shift .
You didn ’ t think about it , that ’ s our job.
” A few weeks ago Bandarra was admitted to Beaumont as a patient after she was diagnosed with appendicitis .
“ You ’ re suddenly in the patient ’ s position and it ’ s not easy .
I started thinking I would catch the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She is due to return to work shortly , following the surgery .
Like many foreign-trained doctors , it took Bandarra a long time to register as a doctor in Ireland .
Even then , she struggled to get locum .
Eventually , she got a job in Craigavon , Co Armagh .
After seven months of commuting from Dublin she secured a job at Beaumont Hospital .
Formerly a surgeon in Brazil , Bandarra plans to go back to the North to train as a GP , as she is unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s hard for foreign doctors to be heard in Ireland .
“ Right now we are in a position that we can show we really care .
We could have gone back to our own hospitals at this time , Brazil could do with my help .
But I didn ’ t want to , my life is here.
” Dr Meenakshi Nursing , an SHO in a hospital outside Dublin , has also struggled to progress : “ I see an Irish doctor who is more junior than me and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a consultant before me .
“ It ’ s something we generally come to accept ; there ’ s no voice for foreign doctors here .
But right now we ’ re all in this pandemic together , we ’ re all doing the same work and getting the same exposure.
” Originally from Mauritius , the mother of a three-year-old studied in Canada and Romania before coming to Ireland in 2015 .
Like Cintra , she feels she can not self-isolate from her young daughter .
“ If I tell her not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only closer .
As soon as I get home I go straight for a shower and stay away from the family until I ’ m completely clean , ” she went on .
Recently , there have been calls in the UK for foreign-born NHS workers on the Covid-19 frontline to receive automatic citizenship .
Now there is an Irish petition urging that foreign doctors get favourable immigration treatment .
Every non-EU doctor here is “ giving their best ” , says Dr Khyyam Ali , who set up the petition , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or enjoy critical work permit status .
So far , the petition has been signed by 2,300 people .

When Mullingar-based Maria Cintra first heard about the coronavirus preparations being made at Midland Regional Hospital in the Westmeath town she immediately felt anxious.
A Norwegian respiratory nurse in the hospital’s emergency department, Cintra would work directly with Covid-19 patients and knew she could easily carry the virus home to her family.
“My daughter is asthmatic; it’s a constant worry that I could make her ill. I haven’t been able to self-isolate from her, she isn’t even four years old. How do you explain to a child that age that you can’t put her to bed?”
Cintra came to Ireland in 2014 with her Irish husband, spending two years working in a nursing home before joining the Midland hospital. Working today with Covid-19 patients, she wears full personal protective gear.
READ MORE
“You’re hot and sweaty and you can’t have a drink when you want, so you get a sore throat. It’s exhausting. Before this, a 13-hour shift wasn’t a problem but now you feel really tired after wearing the mask the entire day.”
Cintra showers in hospital after her shift, throws all her clothes in the wash and disinfects her shoes before stepping inside her home. “I’m doing everything possible to keep my family safe.”
Support from colleagues makes today’s uncertainty more bearable, she says. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what position you previously had, everyone is working together now.
“When this started I was so anxious I would get sick, but I’m nearly getting used to it at this stage. If you get sick, you just deal with it,” says Cintra, who is one of thousands of foreign-born health staff now on Ireland’s Covid frontline.
Foreign health staff began to arrive in numbers in the early 2000s. Most come from India and the Philippines, with smaller numbers from Africa. This year, 125 have been hired, with some arriving early last month.
Extra foreign recruitment is now off the agenda, the Health Service Executive says, adding that travel restrictions mean it is “not a viable response to increase access to nurses and midwives”.
Rodvic Penas, a Filipino nurse working at a major Dublin hospital, came here three years ago. Today, he is one of its surgical team, but now has been given ICU training for PPE-equipped shifts caring for Covid-19 patients.
“It’s really difficult to work with all that gear, the mask can be painful and hurts your nose. It leaves a mark on your face. We’re fortunate because we still have enough stock but we don’t know how long it will hold.”
Penas regularly worries about contracting the virus. “This morning I felt a sore throat and the first thing you think is do I have the virus? I feel paranoid at times but I’m just doing my part to keep myself protected.”
Rodvic Penas, a Filipino nurse, works at a major Dublin hospital, and came to Ireland three years ago. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
I don't have an issue with caring for another nationality. That's part of my calling as a nurse
Penas says he is “privileged” to work in Ireland but also finds that foreign nurses are treated differently from their Irish colleagues. “I don’t want to call it racism, I just feel they’re more favoured than us.”
Though he misses his family, he is happy caring for Irish patients: “I don’t have an issue with caring for another nationality. That’s part of my calling as a nurse, to be able to give service to whoever I’m working with.”
While the number of foreign-born nurses working in Irish hospitals has increased, rising numbers of international doctors are also choosing to work in the Republic.
Ireland’s share of foreign-trained doctors is the third highest among western countries, at 42.3 per cent, according to the 2018 Health at a Glance report from the OECD.
Overseas doctors come here to replace Irish doctors who emigrate in search of better opportunities. In 2018, most new Medical Council registrations were made by non-Irish doctors. However, many of them find it difficult to develop their careers once they are here.
One Brazilian senior house officer (SHO) male doctor, speaking anonymously, says being accepted into the network of Irish doctors is difficult: “It’s nothing to do with racist behaviour.
“You’re just not part of the clique and you didn’t grow up going to the right schools. People here tend to feel more comfortable with those who use the same expressions and have the same background.”
I have to watch Irish people with a year of experience get a job when I have a decade's experience
The Irish system does not recognise his Brazilian surgical qualifications, nor does it allow him to join specialist training schemes. “I have to watch Irish people with a year of experience get a job when I have a decade’s experience.”
Nevertheless, he gives his all in the fight against the virus: “Ireland, in my opinion, is one of the countries responding in the best way to this crisis. Ireland could be testing more but we have good numbers here.”
In Brazil, he grew accustomed to working with highly contagious TB and leprosy patients. "We were exposed to weird infections in Brazil; exposure to unusual forms of contamination comes with the job.
“I have asthma and I’m overweight so I’m at risk now,” he says, adding, “But it’s not a risk that goes beyond what I was expecting to meet during my working life.”
Dr Bianca Bandarra, a Brazilian-born SHO in Beaumont, which has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 patients, thrives on the adrenalin of working in an emergency department.
Dr Bianca Bandarra works at Beaumont Hospital. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
We could have gone back to our own hospitals at this time, Brazil could do with my help. But I didn't want to,
my life is here
Saying that she is “thankful” to be working in an Irish hospital now, she says: “I’m really learning from this and really feel part of the team. Everyone is working shoulder to shoulder against this.”
Having trained in hospitals in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, Bandarra is unfazed by the pressures of Beaumont. "In Rio there was a chance you'd get shot or mugged during your shift. You didn't think about it, that's our job."
A few weeks ago Bandarra was admitted to Beaumont as a patient after she was diagnosed with appendicitis. “You’re suddenly in the patient’s position and it’s not easy. I started thinking I would catch the virus because I was a patient.”
She is due to return to work shortly, following the surgery. Like many foreign-trained doctors, it took Bandarra a long time to register as a doctor in Ireland.
Even then, she struggled to get locum. Eventually, she got a job in Craigavon, Co Armagh. After seven months of commuting from Dublin she secured a job at Beaumont Hospital.
Formerly a surgeon in Brazil, Bandarra plans to go back to the North to train as a GP, as she is unable to undergo specialist training in the Republic. It’s hard for foreign doctors to be heard in Ireland.
“Right now we are in a position that we can show we really care. We could have gone back to our own hospitals at this time, Brazil could do with my help. But I didn’t want to, my life is here.”
Dr Meenakshi Nursing, an SHO in a hospital outside Dublin, has also struggled to progress: "I see an Irish doctor who is more junior than me and know that he'll probably become a consultant before me.
“It’s something we generally come to accept; there’s no voice for foreign doctors here. But right now we’re all in this pandemic together, we’re all doing the same work and getting the same exposure.”
Every non-EU doctor here is giving their best but they do not have permanent residency status, or enjoy critical work permit status
Originally from Mauritius, the mother of a three-year-old studied in Canada and Romania before coming to Ireland in 2015. Like Cintra, she feels she cannot self-isolate from her young daughter.
“If I tell her not to come close, she will come only closer. As soon as I get home I go straight for a shower and stay away from the family until I’m completely clean,” she went on.
Recently, there have been calls in the UK for foreign-born NHS workers on the Covid-19 frontline to receive automatic citizenship. Now there is an Irish petition urging that foreign doctors get favourable immigration treatment.
Every non-EU doctor here is “giving their best”, says Dr Khyyam Ali, who set up the petition, but they do not have permanent residency status, or enjoy critical work permit status. So far, the petition has been signed by 2,300 people.


theirishtimes--2020-04-21--Earth Day 2020: A global movement with the individal at its core

Two newlyweds from Ireland travelled to the east coast of Canada to start a new life 50 years ago – unaware that next door in the US Senator Gaylord Nelson in Wisconsin was busy planning an uprising of grassroots communities and citizens across north America to raise awareness of the need to protect the environment .
Worried about oil spills and pollution he wanted to mobilise people to get informed and to exert pressure on government to adopt policies to protect the environment .
And it worked – April 22nd , 1970 , became the first Earth Day .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those newlyweds were my parents – now cocooned in Kilkenny due to Covid-19 – and living in a world much changed from the world they lived in in 1970 .
The child they had in 1972 , was born at the start of the Anthropocene ; the era where human beings have become the most significant threat to the planet we call home .
I am that child of the Anthropocene .
Since 1970 the population of the Earth has more than doubled , that means twice as many people to house , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more consumption means that on average each person is producing 21 per cent more CO2 emissions now , causing global temperatures to increase by one degree .
The original Earth Day sought to mobilise people as individuals and in communities and to create a day for people to act locally .
It recognised the power of individual action in demanding policy change .
Nelson wondered if it would be possible to “ tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause .
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ force the issue onto the national political agenda ” .
It worked – Earth Day protests and student demonstrations led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and amendments to the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts .
In 2020 we have a thriving movement of young people demanding climate action and we are faced with a new war where the enemy is an invisible virus that is causing us to come together with a solidarity we haven ’ t seen in a long time .
We have a fresh opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 1970 , 20 million people across the US took part in Earth Day .
I wonder how many will take part this year as celebrations move online and may struggle to get attention when communities and political leaders are occupied by the Covid-19 crisis ?
Yet the relevance of individual action and activism has never been more obvious – the actions we take to stay at home , wash our hands and social distance have a national effect and enable government policy to produce an impact .
Channelling that same approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do next .
We have 10 years left to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent and increase the resilience of our societies to the effects of climate change .
There is no time to waste and if we are wise we will plan now for a recovery from Covid-19 that kick-starts investment in a green economy , evaluates climate risks and plans for a zero-carbon , sustainable Ireland by 2050 .
The urgency Nelson felt in 1970 is the same gravity we need today – to drive movements of individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change from their political leaders .
Now is not the time to set the climate and biodiversity aside in the rush to help the economy recover – there is no economy if we damage the planet beyond repair .
Rather it is the time to imagine the society we want to live in and to build back better , to create a better version of the life we had before the pandemic based on the things we really value , like wellbeing , safety , equity and community .
In that way we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthropocene , can be a force for planetary good .
• Dr Tara Shine is an environmentalist , the founder of the climate organisation Change by Degrees and is an adviser to governments and world leaders on climate policy .

The actions we take to stay at home, wash our hands and social distance have a national effect and enable government policy to produce an impact. Photograph: Getty
Two newlyweds from Ireland travelled to the east coast of Canada to start a new life 50 years ago – unaware that next door in the US Senator Gaylord Nelson in Wisconsin was busy planning an uprising of grassroots communities and citizens across north America to raise awareness of the need to protect the environment.
Worried about oil spills and pollution he wanted to mobilise people to get informed and to exert pressure on government to adopt policies to protect the environment. And it worked – April 22nd, 1970, became the first Earth Day.
We celebrate the 50th anniversary this week.
Those newlyweds were my parents – now cocooned in Kilkenny due to Covid-19 – and living in a world much changed from the world they lived in in 1970. The child they had in 1972, was born at the start of the Anthropocene; the era where human beings have become the most significant threat to the planet we call home.
READ MORE
I am that child of the Anthropocene. Since 1970 the population of the Earth has more than doubled, that means twice as many people to house, cloth and feed. More people and more consumption means that on average each person is producing 21 per cent more CO2 emissions now, causing global temperatures to increase by one degree.
The original Earth Day sought to mobilise people as individuals and in communities and to create a day for people to act locally. It recognised the power of individual action in demanding policy change. Nelson wondered if it would be possible to “tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause . . . to generate a demonstration that would force the issue onto the national political agenda”.
It worked – Earth Day protests and student demonstrations led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and amendments to the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.
In 2020 we have a thriving movement of young people demanding climate action and we are faced with a new war where the enemy is an invisible virus that is causing us to come together with a solidarity we haven’t seen in a long time.
We have a fresh opportunity 50 years on to amplify the movement. In 1970, 20 million people across the US took part in Earth Day. I wonder how many will take part this year as celebrations move online and may struggle to get attention when communities and political leaders are occupied by the Covid-19 crisis?
Yet the relevance of individual action and activism has never been more obvious – the actions we take to stay at home, wash our hands and social distance have a national effect and enable government policy to produce an impact. Channelling that same approach into climate action is what we need to do next.
Time for a green economy?
We have 10 years left to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent and increase the resilience of our societies to the effects of climate change. There is no time to waste and if we are wise we will plan now for a recovery from Covid-19 that kick-starts investment in a green economy, evaluates climate risks and plans for a zero-carbon, sustainable Ireland by 2050.
The urgency Nelson felt in 1970 is the same gravity we need today – to drive movements of individuals and communities demanding brave action on climate change from their political leaders. Now is not the time to set the climate and biodiversity aside in the rush to help the economy recover – there is no economy if we damage the planet beyond repair.
Rather it is the time to imagine the society we want to live in and to build back better, to create a better version of the life we had before the pandemic based on the things we really value, like wellbeing, safety, equity and community. In that way we, the children and adults of the Anthropocene, can be a force for planetary good.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Irish universities perform strongly in global social impact ranking

Irish universities have performed strongly in a new global ranking which measures their social and economic impact .
The Times Higher Education on Wednesday published its “ 2020 impact rankings ” which seeks to measure the social and economic impact of universities under the UN ’ s 17 sustainable development goals .
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland was ranked number one in the world under the individual category of “ good health and wellbeing ” .
When measured against all 17 UN goals , it ranked between 101 and 200 universities out of almost 800 participating institutions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish university in 14th place across all 17 goals , up from 28th last year .
UCC was the next highest placed ( 32nd ) , followed by UCD ( 34th ) , NUI Galway ( 68th ) and DCU ( 84th ) .
UL , Maynooth University and RCSI all ranked between 101 and 200 , while TU Dublin ranked between 401 and 600 .
The strong performance of Irish universities contrasts with the overall world university rankings , which measure factors such as funding , staff-student ratios and research capacity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those league tables in recent years due to what college presidents say is a funding crisis , linked to declining State funding per student over the past decade .
The sector has warned that a major decline in international student numbers means Irish universities face a deeper financial black hole over the coming years .
Irish universities , meanwhile , warmly received the latest impact rankings as a sign of their positive contribution to society .
The RCSI - now officially known as the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences - said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in health .
Prof Cathal Kelly , RCSI chief executive , said it recognised the work of staff and students to improve health and wellbeing in the community at home and abroad .
“ As our staff and students face the challenges of working and training in support of the health service during the Covid-19 pandemic , today ’ s recognition of our contribution to health and wellbeing is particularly meaningful for the RCSI community at this critical time for global health , ” he said .
“ Their contributions as expert health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontline , and continued dedication to their studies in health sciences in challenging circumstances , exemplifies our commitment to health and wellbeing , ” he said .
Trinity ’ s dean of research , Professor Linda Doyle , said it was proud to rank so highly in making positive social and economic impacts .
“ It underscores our continued commitment - across all areas of the University - to sustainability and equality of opportunity and underlines the impact we are having in making the planet a better place , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said and the UN ’ s sustainable development goals “ form the framework for the innovations needed to reboot and retool our economy for long-term success and resilience.
” NUI Galway president Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said it was “ heartening to see Irish universities taking such a lead role in addressing ” these goals , which were arguably the most important targets for the world to meet .
DCU president Prof Brian MacCraith said its high placing was a “ testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values ” .
Australasian universities have dominated the overall rankings , securing the top four spots .
The University of Auckland was ranked in first place followed by Australia ’ s University of Sydney , Western Sydney University , and La Trobe University .
The rest of the top 10 is made up of the Arizona State University ( Tempe ) , University of Bologna , Canada ’ s University of British Columbia , University of Manchester , King ’ s College London and Australia ’ s RMIT University .

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ranked number one in health under new Times Higher Education social impact rankings. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
Irish universities have performed strongly in a new global ranking which measures their social and economic impact.
The Times Higher Education on Wednesday published its “2020 impact rankings” which seeks to measure the social and economic impact of universities under the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals.
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland was ranked number one in the world under the individual category of "good health and wellbeing" .
When measured against all 17 UN goals, it ranked between 101 and 200 universities out of almost 800 participating institutions.
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Overall, Trinity was the highest ranked Irish university in 14th place across all 17 goals, up from 28th last year.
UCC was the next highest placed (32nd), followed by UCD (34th), NUI Galway (68th) and DCU (84th).
UL, Maynooth University and RCSI all ranked between 101 and 200, while TU Dublin ranked between 401 and 600.
The strong performance of Irish universities contrasts with the overall world university rankings, which measure factors such as funding, staff-student ratios and research capacity.
Funding crisis
Our top universities have been sliding down those league tables in recent years due to what college presidents say is a funding crisis, linked to declining State funding per student over the past decade.
The sector has warned that a major decline in international student numbers means Irish universities face a deeper financial black hole over the coming years.
Irish universities, meanwhile, warmly received the latest impact rankings as a sign of their positive contribution to society.
The RCSI - now officially known as the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences - said it was delighted with its top ranking in health.
Prof Cathal Kelly, RCSI chief executive, said it recognised the work of staff and students to improve health and wellbeing in the community at home and abroad.
“As our staff and students face the challenges of working and training in support of the health service during the Covid-19 pandemic, today’s recognition of our contribution to health and wellbeing is particularly meaningful for the RCSI community at this critical time for global health,” he said.
“Their contributions as expert health advisors, clinicians and volunteers on the frontline, and continued dedication to their studies in health sciences in challenging circumstances, exemplifies our commitment to health and wellbeing,” he said.
Trinity's dean of research, Professor Linda Doyle, said it was proud to rank so highly in making positive social and economic impacts.
Sustainability
“It underscores our continued commitment - across all areas of the University - to sustainability and equality of opportunity and underlines the impact we are having in making the planet a better place,” she said.
UCC President Prof Patrick O’Shea said and the UN’s sustainable development goals “form the framework for the innovations needed to reboot and retool our economy for long-term success and resilience.”
NUI Galway president Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said it was “heartening to see Irish universities taking such a lead role in addressing” these goals, which were arguably the most important targets for the world to meet.
DCU president Prof Brian MacCraith said its high placing was a “ testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and students and their commitment to our mission and values”.
Australasian universities have dominated the overall rankings, securing the top four spots.
The University of Auckland was ranked in first place followed by Australia's University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, and La Trobe University.
The rest of the top 10 is made up of the Arizona State University (Tempe) , University of Bologna, Canada’s University of British Columbia, University of Manchester, King’s College London and Australia’s RMIT University.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Cancelled: List of summer events called off because of coronavirus

The Government announced on Tuesday it was extending a ban on mass licensed gatherings of more than 5,000 people until the end of August .
Mass gatherings which have so far been confirmed as cancelled include : Life festival – organisers said it will have “ further information ” in the coming days and that ticket holders will be contacted directly by ticket providers .
Body & Soul festival – organisers have said the ticketing company will be contacting everyone who has purchased a ticket about the refund process .
Dublin Horse Show – The RDS announced the cancellation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Monday .
Longitude festival – ticket refunds will be available from original point of purchase , its organisers have said .
All Together Now festival – organisers said tickets for this year will be fully valid for the festival in 2021 and that Ticketmaster will be in contact with ticket holders within the next seven days .
The Galway Racing festival in July will take place behind closed doors if it is possible to do so , Horse Racing Ireland ’ s chief executive Brian Kavanagh has said .
Westlife have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August until 2021 .
The band has said tickets already purchased will be valid for the dates next year .
A spokesperson for the Rose of Tralee said that is “ looking unlikely ” that the event can go ahead this year .
In a standard year the competition would attract up to 100,000 people to the Kerry town for the week of the event .
During the five days of the competition up to 5,000 people would attend the Dome each evening with 15,000 to 20,000 gathering for parades .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Championships can go ahead in September will be taken at the end of May or early June , the assistant managing director of the organisation Annamarie McHugh has said .
Last year , 300,000 people attended the event at Ballintrane , Fenagh , Co Carlow where it is due to be held again this year between September 15th to 17th .
MCD Productions said it is in the process of rescheduling shows affected by the Government ’ s announcement .
It said it will not be possible to reschedule all of the affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be cancelled with full refunds available ” .

The Government’s announcement that is is extending a ban on mass licensed gatherings of more than 5,000 people until the end of August has resulted in large numbers of event cancellations.
The Rose of Tralee festival said that is "looking unlikely" that this year's event can go ahead as scheduled in August.
In a standard year the competition would attract up to 100,000 people to the Kerry town for the week of the event. During the five days of the competition, up to 5,000 people would attend the Dome each evening with 15,000 to 20,000 gathering for parades.
The final decision on whether the National Ploughing Championships can go ahead in September will be taken at the end of May or early June, the assistant managing director of the organisation Annamarie McHugh has said.
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Last year, 300,000 people attended the event at Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co Carlow where it is due to be held again this year between September 15th to 17th.
The promoters of Electric Picnic, which is due to be staged in Stradbally, Co Laois on September 4th to 6th, have admitted the chances of it going ahead as planned were "not good."
MCD managing director, Denis Desmond, said they would await further instructions from the Government, due by May 5th, before a final decision was made.
The three-day festival was already a sell-out with all 70,000 tickets being sold without any acts being announced.
Mr Desmond said the cancellation of large music concerts would have a huge economic fallout as up to 4,000 people worked behind the scenes to stage Electric Picnic. “That whole sector is a big loss at the moment, and the way it’s looking at the moment it will be the last sector to come back,” he said.
The promoter said he believed it would be March and April next year before outdoor concerts could be staged again, although he hoped that events in the 3 Arena in Dublin, which has a 13,000 capacity, might resume before Christmas.
Other events which have so far been cancelled include:
Life festival – organisers said it will have "further information" in the coming days and that ticket holders will be contacted directly by ticket providers.
Body & Soul festival – organisers have said the ticketing company will be contacting everyone who has purchased a ticket about the refund process.
Bloom – Organisers cancelled the garden festival, which was due to take place over the June Bank Holiday weekend, last month.
Sea Sessions festival – Organisers said they will provide "further information" in the coming days and that ticket holders will be contacted by Ticketmaster.
Kaleidoscope festival – The music and arts festival for families was due to take place at Russborough House at the end of June. Ticket refunds will be available from the original point of purchase.
Dublin Horse Show – The RDS announced the cancellation of the event, scheduled for July 15th-19th, on Monday.
Longitude festival – ticket refunds will be available from original point of purchase, its organisers have said.
All Together Now festival – organisers said tickets for this year will be fully valid for the festival in 2021 and that Ticketmaster will be in contact with ticket holders within the next seven days.
Sunstroke festival – the alternative rock festival was due to take place at Punchestown Racecourse. Organisers said tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.
Indiependence music and arts festival - Organisers of the festival, which was due to take place in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, over the August bank holiday weekend, said it will be providing information for ticket holders.
The Galway Racing festival in July will take place behind closed doors if it is possible to do so, Horse Racing Ireland's chief executive Brian Kavanagh has said.
The National Steam Rally in Stradbally, organised by the Irish Steam Preservation Society, was due to take place over the August bank holiday weekend in Co Laois but has now been cancelled. All operating days for the society's steam railway, the Stradbally Woodland Railway, in 2020 have also been cancelled.
Westlife have postponed their gigs in Pairc Uí Chaoimh in August until 2021. The band has said tickets already purchased will be valid for the dates next year.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Coronavirus: Government wary of ‘second wave’ as it examines plan to lift restrictions

The Government is monitoring the experience of other countries where second waves of the coronavirus are emerging and has warned that “ every day matters ” in the lead up to any potential lifting of restrictions .
At the Government ’ s morning Covid 19 briefing , assistant secretary general at the Department of Taoiseach Liz Canavan said a roadmap to lifting restrictions would be shared before May 5th when the current restrictions are due to be reviewed .
She also warned that the road to return for sports must be “ gradual.
” Ms Canavan cautioned that any overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be dependent on the progression of the disease .
“ Everything is very dependent on the public health advice and the progression of the disease .
It is likely to be step by step .
Once you lift any measure , more people start moving around .
“ We are looking at what other countries are doing and you can see in other countries they are having their second wave .
We want to make sure that we are able to monitor very closely what the changes are doing to the progression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the thinking .
“ Every day we are getting more information about how the diseases behaves .
Every day matters .
Every day of data tells us more about about how it is behaving.
” Ms Canavan said that public health considerations form the baseline of the Government ’ s plan while the economic and social consequences of any actions are considered in tandem with that .
She said that there has been “ considerable interest and concern around the topic of easing restrictions about what the exit strategy may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The current public health advice extends all restrictions until May 5th .
“ It is important to note that all of those restrictions will remain in place until the National Public Health Emergency Team gives the Government further advice .
“ We are preparing a plan which we we will have ready to share in advance of any modifications to the current restrictions .
“ It is clear any plan to ease some restrictions will have to be done hand in hand with continuing to follow public health advice including social distancing requirements.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ road to return for sports needs to be gradual.
” Meanwhile shopkeepers and supermarket owners have been reminded that families can shop together including with small children amid concerns that lone parents are being unfairly targeted .
In terms of the economy , Ms Canavan said it was “ no surprise that the economic landscape has changed dramatically in Ireland and across the globe.
” “ Amidst this bad news it is important to remember that Ireland is facing into the crisis from a position of strength and we will put in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employers have applied for the Government ’ s temporary Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme .
The cumulative value to companies made under the scheme is now €378 million euro .
Employees affected by Covid-19 pandemic can also apply for a pandemic unemployment payment .
Separately , the Department of Agriculture has along with EU counterparts submitted a statement to the Commission of Agriculture requesting that the economic impact of Covid-19 on farmers and the agrifood sector be acknowledged and addressed .

Paid leave will be provided for some partners of healthcare workers to assist with childcare issues in the home, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced.
Mr Varadkar said that a proposal was considered on Tuesday by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on childcare for frontline workers, and the proposal has two aspects.
The first is to provide paid leave to the partners of healthcare workers.
This would apply where the partner currently works in the public sector and would allow them to stay at home and provide childcare.
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“That has been approved by NPHET so we can try and action that now over the next couple of weeks,” Mr Varadkar said.
However, those who are lone parents or whose partners do not work in public sector may have to wait until May 5th for support.
“It isn’t an adequate answer for those who either are both healthcare workers or one is in the private sector and one is the public sector,” Mr Varadkar said.
“The second piece which NPHET still has reservations about is using child minders to go into people’s homes. But that’s now going to be considered as something that perhaps could kick in on May 5th as part of a general easing of restrictions. But they’re not happy for us to do it right now.”
However, the new childcare proposals were strongly criticised by nurses’ representatives who claimed they were “worse than irrelevant”.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said the proposals would “do nothing for the vast majority of nurses and midwives”.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “This is a surprisingly old-fashioned concept of family needs. It will not resolve the issues faced by the vast majority of nurses and midwives, offering a limited solution only to those with partners in some public sector work.
“It actively discriminates against single parents and many modern families, who will still have the same problems in relation to childcare provision. It cannot be ignored that over 90 per cent of our members are women.
“We have been seeking a proper solution on behalf of our members for well over a month. We have been bounced back and forth between departments, given endless deadlines for decisions by NPHET. This proposal as reported would not even have needed NPHET approval.”
She said Ireland’s nurses and midwives were risking their lives to provide care and the least the State could do was take care of their children when they went to work.
“Those who can find childcare are paying over the odds, with some of our members practically paying to go to work in a high-risk environment. They also get nothing.”
The largest public service trade union, Fórsa said the Government’s childcare plans fell short of what was required to assist essential health staff and maximise the numbers available in hospitals and nursing homes.
Fórsa, which represents 30,000 health workers, said the plan was a partial solution that would not help those hit hardest by childcare difficulties - single parents, and families where both adults are essential workers. Neither would it assist health workers whose partners have jobs in the private sector.
Fórsa’s head of health Éamonn Donnelly said the Government’s plan was “at best a partial measure”. He said essential health staff were being forced to stay at home to look after their children, even as the coronavirus was depleting the number of health staff available for work.
Earlier, at the Government's morning Covid-19 briefing, assistant secretary general at the Department of Taoiseach Liz Canavan said a roadmap to lifting restrictions would be shared before May 5th when the current restrictions are due to be reviewed.
She said the Government is monitoring the experience of other countries where second waves of the coronavirus are emerging and has warned that “every day matters” in the lead up to any potential lifting of restrictions.
She also warned that the road to return for sports must be “gradual.”
Ms Canavan cautioned that any overall changes to restrictions will be gradual and will be dependent on the progression of the disease.
“Everything is very dependent on the public health advice and the progression of the disease. It is likely to be step by step. Once you lift any measure, more people start moving around.
“We are looking at what other countries are doing and you can see in other countries they are having their second wave. We want to make sure that we are able to monitor very closely what the changes are doing to the progression of the disease. That will be part of the thinking.
“Every day we are getting more information about how the diseases behaves. Every day matters. Every day of data tells us more about about how it is behaving.”
Ms Canavan said that public health considerations form the baseline of the Government’s plan while the economic and social consequences of any actions are considered in tandem with that.
She said that there has been “considerable interest and concern around the topic of easing restrictions about what the exit strategy may be and when those restrictions might end. The current public health advice extends all restrictions until May 5th.
“It is important to note that all of those restrictions will remain in place until the National Public Health Emergency Team gives the Government further advice.
“We are preparing a plan which we we will have ready to share in advance of any modifications to the current restrictions.
“It is clear any plan to ease some restrictions will have to be done hand in hand with continuing to follow public health advice including social distancing requirements.”
She also warned that the “road to return for sports needs to be gradual.”
Meanwhile shopkeepers and supermarket owners have been reminded that families can shop together including with small children amid concerns that lone parents are being unfairly targeted.
In terms of the economy, Ms Canavan said it was "no surprise that the economic landscape has changed dramatically in Ireland and across the globe."
“Amidst this bad news it is important to remember that Ireland is facing into the crisis from a position of strength and we will put in place a recovery plan.”
Meanwhile some 47,400 employers have applied for the Government’s temporary Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme.
The cumulative value to companies made under the scheme is now €378 million euro.
Employees affected by Covid-19 pandemic can also apply for a pandemic unemployment payment.
Separately, the Department of Agriculture has along with EU counterparts submitted a statement to the Commission of Agriculture requesting that the economic impact of Covid-19 on farmers and the agrifood sector be acknowledged and addressed.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Man and woman arrested after €205,000 of drugs seized

A man and a woman have been arrested after €205,000 of suspected drugs were seized in Co Limerick on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ in the Kilteely area just before 10pm by gardaí from the divisional drugs unit who @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardaí searched the car and subsequently discovered €70,000 of suspected cocaine .
The occupant @ @ @ @ @ man in his 30s , was arrested at the scene and brought to Henry Street @ @ @ @ @ detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice ( Drug Trafficking ) Act , 1996 @ @ @ @ @ later executed at a premises in Knockainey and gardaí seized a further €100,000 of suspected @ @ @ @ @ suspected cocaine .
A woman in her 20s was arrested and taken to Henry Street @ @ @ @ @ also being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice ( Drug Trafficking Act ) @ @ @ @ @ said all of the suspected drugs will now be sent for analysis .

Gardaí said all of the suspected drugs will now be sent for analysis.
A man and a woman have been arrested after €205,000 of suspected drugs were seized in Co Limerick on Tuesday.
A car was stopped in the Kilteely area just before 10pm by gardaí from the divisional drugs unit who were assisting in Covid-19 patrols.
Gardaí searched the car and subsequently discovered €70,000 of suspected cocaine. The occupant of the car, a man in his 30s, was arrested at the scene and brought to Henry Street Garda station where he is detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
A search warrant was later executed at a premises in Knockainey and gardaí seized a further €100,000 of suspected cannabis herb and €35,000 of suspected cocaine. A woman in her 20s was arrested and taken to Henry Street Garda station. She is also being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking Act) Act, 1996.
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Gardaí said all of the suspected drugs will now be sent for analysis.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Sawn-off shotgun and ammunition found in Cork city

A sawn-off shotgun and ammunition were found by gardaí in Cork city on Tuesday .
A search was carried out @ @ @ @ @ the cemetery off Skehard Road at 2.30pm by gardaí from the serious crime investigation unit @ @ @ @ @ led operation .
During the search gardaí located what appeared to be a single barrel @ @ @ @ @ and the barrel sawn off .
Three shotgun cartridges were also found in close proximity @ @ @ @ @ the area was carried out by the Southern Region Dog Unit and members of the @ @ @ @ @ other items were discovered .
Gardaí said the suspected shotgun and ammunition will now be @ @ @ @ @ No arrests have been made and gardaí said their investigations are ongoing .

The Southern Region Dog Unit and members of the divisional search team did not find any other suspicious items.
A sawn-off shotgun and ammunition were found by gardaí in Cork city on Tuesday.
A search was carried out of the area next to the cemetery off Skehard Road at 2.30pm by gardaí from the serious crime investigation unit as part of an intelligence led operation.
During the search gardaí located what appeared to be a single barrel shotgun that had the stock and the barrel sawn off. Three shotgun cartridges were also found in close proximity.
A further search of the area was carried out by the Southern Region Dog Unit and members of the divisional search team but no other items were discovered.
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Gardaí said the suspected shotgun and ammunition will now be sent for ballistic analysis.
No arrests have been made and gardaí said their investigations are ongoing.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Good Grub grows legs to deliver 25,000 fruit and vegetable parcels to families

The business world has sprung to the aid of disadvantaged schoolchildren who have been missing out on in-school meals since Covid-19 restrictions came into force .
Thousands of children attending schools in the Deis – or Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools – programme have been getting breakfast every morning in school , an important source of balanced nourishment for those with troubled family backgrounds .
Many more are helped by afterschool projects such as the Aisling Project in north Dublin which provides dinner and a stable environment for activities and homework .
But since social distancing was introduced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay at home , the delivery of balanced nutrition and other supports has become extremely problematic .
While schools remain closed the Government has provided funds for basic food packages to replace the normal school meals .
But the packages do not contain fruit or vegetables and as such do not compensate in terms of nutritional value for the loss of school meals , according to those involved with Good Grub .
In the last two weeks however , food wholesaler Begleys donated five tonnes of fresh vegetables to Dublin businessman Denis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his family could prepare food packages and deliver them to 1,000 families in Dublin ’ s disadvantaged communities .
The scheme then “ grew legs ” according to Mr O ’ Reilly who called his initiative Good Grub .
He plans to deliver at least 25,000 fruit and vegetable parcels between now and when children return to school , working with his supply partner Glanmore Foods .
Among the backers of Good Grub is Michelin-starred chef Ross Lewis from Dublin ’ s Chapter One Restaurant and his daughter Sheana , who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cook simple meals using the fruit and vegetables that the families are getting .
The videos will be put online on schools ’ websites and hard copy instructions will be put in fruit and vegetable packs by Glanmore Foods , which will deliver the packs to schools for onward delivery to families in each area .
Good Grub set up an online Go Fund Me page and in the first four days breached its target of €100,000 .
The target has now been extended to €250,000 and the backers are inviting all businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donation online .
Already several thousand fruit and vegetable parcels have been delivered to homes where children attend Deis schools and the past weekend saw members of the Aisling project , teachers from the Virgin Mary boys and girls national schools in Ballymun and supporters of Good Grub prepare parcels for deliveries in the Ballymun area of north Dublin .
“ It is not so easy to do this while socially distancing but it can be done ” Mr O ’ Reilly said .
“ We ’ re appealing to companies in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to please dig deep and give something towards the Good Grub initiative , ” he added .
Donations can be made at www.GoodGrub.ie and tax relief can be obtained on corporate donations if they are made through the Aisling Project , see aisling.ie for details .

Good Grub supporters pictured with some of the fruit and vegetables they are distributing to the families of children from Deis schools.
The business world has sprung to the aid of disadvantaged schoolchildren who have been missing out on in-school meals since Covid-19 restrictions came into force.
Thousands of children attending schools in the Deis – or Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools – programme have been getting breakfast every morning in school, an important source of balanced nourishment for those with troubled family backgrounds.
Many more are helped by afterschool projects such as the Aisling Project in north Dublin which provides dinner and a stable environment for activities and homework.
But since social distancing was introduced in response to coronavirus and families are asked to stay at home, the delivery of balanced nutrition and other supports has become extremely problematic.
READ MORE
While schools remain closed the Government has provided funds for basic food packages to replace the normal school meals. But the packages do not contain fruit or vegetables and as such do not compensate in terms of nutritional value for the loss of school meals, according to those involved with Good Grub.
In the last two weeks however, food wholesaler Begleys donated five tonnes of fresh vegetables to Dublin businessman Denis O’Reilly, so that he and his family could prepare food packages and deliver them to 1,000 families in Dublin’s disadvantaged communities.
The scheme then “grew legs” according to Mr O’Reilly who called his initiative Good Grub. He plans to deliver at least 25,000 fruit and vegetable parcels between now and when children return to school, working with his supply partner Glanmore Foods.
Among the backers of Good Grub is Michelin-starred chef Ross Lewis from Dublin’s Chapter One Restaurant and his daughter Sheana , who have made videos on how to prepare and cook simple meals using the fruit and vegetables that the families are getting.
The videos will be put online on schools’ websites and hard copy instructions will be put in fruit and vegetable packs by Glanmore Foods, which will deliver the packs to schools for onward delivery to families in each area.
Good Grub set up an online Go Fund Me page and in the first four days breached its target of €100,000. The target has now been extended to €250,000 and the backers are inviting all businesses to get involved or to make a donation online.
Already several thousand fruit and vegetable parcels have been delivered to homes where children attend Deis schools and the past weekend saw members of the Aisling project, teachers from the Virgin Mary boys and girls national schools in Ballymun and supporters of Good Grub prepare parcels for deliveries in the Ballymun area of north Dublin.
“It is not so easy to do this while socially distancing but it can be done” Mr O’Reilly said.
"We're appealing to companies in particular with corporate social responsibilities budgets and resources to please dig deep and give something towards the Good Grub initiative," he added. Donations can be made at www.GoodGrub.ie and tax relief can be obtained on corporate donations if they are made through the Aisling Project, see aisling.ie for details.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Man arrested after woman’s body found in Belfast flat

A man has been arrested after a woman ’ s body was found in a flat in south Belfast .
Detective Chief Inspector Darren McCartney said police were called to the property at Haywood Avenue at about 1.45am on Wednesday , where they discovered the body of a 39-year-old woman .
A 21-year-old man was arrested and has been taken to Musgrave police station for questioning .
“ A post mortem examination will take place in due course to determine the cause of death however I am treating her death as suspicious at this time , ” said Detective Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for anyone who was in the area of Haywood Avenue late last night or early this morning and who seen or heard anything to contact detectives from the Major Investigation Team at Ladas Drive Police Station on 101 quoting reference 106 22/04/20 , ” he said .
SDLP Councillor Gary McKeown said people were “ shocked at this incident in the heart of the community in Ballynafeigh .
“ This is a very popular neighbourhood , so for something like this to happen has caused great concern for residents of the area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ life has been lost so suddenly , and my thoughts are with those close to the deceased .
“ I urge anyone with information to contact police to help them with their investigation , ” he said .

The scene at Haywood Avenue in south Belfast close to a flat where a 39-year-old woman’s body was found in the early hours of Wednesday. Photograph: Rebecca Black/PA Wire.
A man has been arrested after a woman's body was found in a flat in south Belfast.
Detective Chief Inspector Darren McCartney said police were called to the property at Haywood Avenue at about 1.45am on Wednesday, where they discovered the body of a 39-year-old woman.
A 21-year-old man was arrested and has been taken to Musgrave police station for questioning.
“A post mortem examination will take place in due course to determine the cause of death however I am treating her death as suspicious at this time,” said Detective Chief Inspector McCartney.
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“I am appealing for anyone who was in the area of Haywood Avenue late last night or early this morning and who seen or heard anything to contact detectives from the Major Investigation Team at Ladas Drive Police Station on 101 quoting reference 106 22/04/20,” he said.
SDLP Councillor Gary McKeown said people were "shocked at this incident in the heart of the community in Ballynafeigh.
“This is a very popular neighbourhood, so for something like this to happen has caused great concern for residents of the area.
“It is very sad that a life has been lost so suddenly, and my thoughts are with those close to the deceased.
“I urge anyone with information to contact police to help them with their investigation,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Could predicted grades work for this year’s Leaving Certs? Yes. Here’s how

The Minister for Education has had to make difficult decisions to provide certainty to Leaving Cert students , postponing exams to August .
By August we ’ ll be five months into the pandemic .
Nobody knows where , or how , we ’ ll be .
If we look to the East today all that ’ s clear is that nothing is clear .
Many of us will struggle with the new norm .
August exams will apply additional pressure on already stressed students and families , particularly the socially and economically disadvantaged .
Students may have been bereaved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living with the impact of parents losing jobs .
High achievers will probably cope .
We should , however , be concerned for the remainder , many of whom are likely , as fatigue sets in , to become disengaged , disinterested and to underperform .
There will be an ongoing dance between loosening and tightening restrictions .
However , Covid won ’ t have gone away or be any less infectious .
There is , therefore , no certainty August exams can happen .
If they do , it will be under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect 60,000 students to travel to schools nationally to sit exams in restricted environments , with the possibility of infection ever-present .
This year there are just too many questions without clear - and safe - solutions .
When schools re-open , teachers will be required to do much more than teach .
Many students will return traumatised , their families overwhelmed and finances decimated .
Teachers will be required back in schools refreshed and ready .
Are we going to string them along through the summer too ?
So , if after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s not possible to hold exams , what ’ s plan B ?
For everybody ’ s sanity a further extension is not an option .
There is an alternative , implementable immediately , which requires fair consideration .
Here ’ s how it could work : Schools supply expected grades to the State Examinations Commission ( SEC ) .
Teachers predict grades based on evidence in filed records , schools ’ IT systems , mocks , Junior Cert , CAT4 testing , project/practical work etc .
Grades will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where there are exceptional individuals or classes , supporting evidence will be provided .
The principal and deputy will consider and then sign off on expected grade against national criteria , one of which will be the school ’ s performance in , say , the previous five years .
The school will also rank students in every subject .
Where conflicts of interest occur ( relationships , family friendships ) , staff will recuse themselves and will be appropriately replaced .
Data will moderated by the SEC and anomalies investigated .
Final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It will be forbidden for schools to discuss expected grades with student and parents .
Enquiries and complaints will be handled only by the SEC .
There could be two appeals mechanisms .
Students could request a desk review of documentary evidence and moderation mechanisms .
Alternatively , students opt to sit a written paper in any subject .
Assuming the majority of students accept their grade it should be possible , with significantly less than 60,000 students , to safely accommodate exams .
Each paper could be second-marked by a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , irrespective of whether it ’ s higher or lower than the expected grade .
Teachers currently predict grades for students applying outside Ireland .
Further education teachers and third level lecturers grade their students , subject to moderation , for terminal exams .
Further education grades in many courses count for third level entry .
All high stakes .
Understandably some teachers will be reluctant to grade students .
We should not , however , underestimate the professionalism of teachers who , as was demonstrated again recently , always place their students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens don gowns and face masks in life and death situations , asking teachers to exercise professional judgement honourably and impartially should not be viewed as onerous .
Teachers globally , including Northern Ireland , are currently engaged in similar processes .
To mitigate against shortcomings , colleges could , in 2020 , increase the number of places available .
First year examinations can subsequently adjust numbers advancing to second year .
Given the anticipated shortfall of fees from international students , extra fee-paying Irish students might be attractive .
Additionally , colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent , of places for students who accepted expected grades but didn ’ t get their chosen course .
Colleges could devise entry procedures - a matriculation-type exam or interview .
Although they are well aware of potential shortcomings , expected grades is the preferred choice of most students surveyed by the Irish Second Level Students ’ Union .
Students and their families will be most impacted .
Why don ’ t we hear them ?
Is it that we ’ re not listening ?
Or that they need to raise their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result in a system , while imperfect , which offers the fairest possible outcome .
It should be possible to conclude all this in a relatively short timeframe , allowing us all to move on , avoid an interminable ordeal for students , families and teachers and ready ourselves for the more difficult challenges ahead .
Exceptional circumstances requires exceptional measures .
If we want to offer certainty and fairness , there is a way .
We should bite the bullet now and do the right thing for the class of 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chair of the National Association of Principals and Deputies ( NAPD ) leading for learning committee .
He has written this article in a personal capacity .

If after further weeks online and back in school it’s not possible to hold exams, what’s plan B? For everybody’s sanity a further extension is simply not an option. File photograph: David Jones/PA Wire
The Minister for Education has had to make difficult decisions to provide certainty to Leaving Cert students, postponing exams to August. By August we'll be five months into the pandemic. Nobody knows where, or how, we'll be. If we look to the East today all that's clear is that nothing is clear. Many of us will struggle with the new norm.
August exams will apply additional pressure on already stressed students and families, particularly the socially and economically disadvantaged. Students may have been bereaved, have themselves been sick and be living with the impact of parents losing jobs.
High achievers will probably cope. We should, however, be concerned for the remainder, many of whom are likely, as fatigue sets in, to become disengaged, disinterested and to underperform. There will be an ongoing dance between loosening and tightening restrictions. However, Covid won't have gone away or be any less infectious.
Challenging conditions
There is, therefore, no certainty August exams can happen. If they do, it will be under very challenging conditions. We'll expect 60,000 students to travel to schools nationally to sit exams in restricted environments, with the possibility of infection ever-present. This year there are just too many questions without clear - and safe - solutions.
When schools re-open, teachers will be required to do much more than teach. Many students will return traumatised, their families overwhelmed and finances decimated. Teachers will be required back in schools refreshed and ready. Are we going to string them along through the summer too?
So, if after further weeks online and back in school, it's not possible to hold exams, what's plan B? For everybody's sanity a further extension is not an option. There is an alternative, implementable immediately, which requires fair consideration. Here's how it could work:
Schools supply expected grades to the State Examinations Commission (SEC). Teachers predict grades based on evidence in filed records, schools’ IT systems, mocks, Junior Cert, CAT4 testing, project/practical work etc.
Grades will be proposed to the principal and deputy. Where there are exceptional individuals or classes, supporting evidence will be provided. The principal and deputy will consider and then sign off on expected grade against national criteria, one of which will be the school’s performance in, say, the previous five years. The school will also rank students in every subject.
READ MORE
Where conflicts of interest occur (relationships, family friendships), staff will recuse themselves and will be appropriately replaced. Data will moderated by the SEC and anomalies investigated. Final grades will be determined by the SEC. It will be forbidden for schools to discuss expected grades with student and parents. Enquiries and complaints will be handled only by the SEC.
There could be two appeals mechanisms. Students could request a desk review of documentary evidence and moderation mechanisms. Alternatively, students opt to sit a written paper in any subject. Assuming the majority of students accept their grade it should be possible, with significantly less than 60,000 students, to safely accommodate exams. Each paper could be second-marked by a different examiner. This result will be binding, irrespective of whether it’s higher or lower than the expected grade.
At a time when fellow citizens don gowns and face masks in life and death situations, asking teachers to exercise professional judgement honourably and impartially should not be viewed as onerous
Teachers currently predict grades for students applying outside Ireland. Further education teachers and third level lecturers grade their students, subject to moderation, for terminal exams. Further education grades in many courses count for third level entry. All high stakes.
Understandably some teachers will be reluctant to grade students. We should not, however, underestimate the professionalism of teachers who, as was demonstrated again recently, always place their students first. At a time when fellow citizens don gowns and face masks in life and death situations, asking teachers to exercise professional judgement honourably and impartially should not be viewed as onerous. Teachers globally, including Northern Ireland, are currently engaged in similar processes.
To mitigate against shortcomings, colleges could, in 2020, increase the number of places available. First year examinations can subsequently adjust numbers advancing to second year. Given the anticipated shortfall of fees from international students, extra fee-paying Irish students might be attractive.
Additionally, colleges could retain a percentage, say 10 per cent, of places for students who accepted expected grades but didn't get their chosen course. Colleges could devise entry procedures - a matriculation-type exam or interview.
Although they are well aware of potential shortcomings, expected grades is the preferred choice of most students surveyed by the Irish Second Level Students’ Union. Students and their families will be most impacted. Why don’t we hear them? Is it that we’re not listening? Or that they need to raise their voices higher?
Built-in safeguards outlined will result in a system, while imperfect, which offers the fairest possible outcome. It should be possible to conclude all this in a relatively short timeframe, allowing us all to move on, avoid an interminable ordeal for students, families and teachers and ready ourselves for the more difficult challenges ahead.
Exceptional circumstances requires exceptional measures. If we want to offer certainty and fairness, there is a way. We should bite the bullet now and do the right thing for the class of 2020.
Barry O'Callaghan is a former principal and chair of the National Association of Principals and Deputies (NAPD) leading for learning committee. He has written this article in a personal capacity.


theirishtimes--2020-04-22--Coronavirus: Payments likely to be ‘tapered’ after 12 weeks, Donohoe says

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said the Covid-19 support payments would likely be “ tapered ” and “ changed ” when the 12 week period is up .
The Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme , which started on March 26th , allows employers to continue to pay their employees during the crisis .
It is set to end on May 7th .
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €350 a week applies to people aged between 18 and 66 who have lost their jobs due to the crisis .
Speaking on RTÉ radio ’ s Morning Ireland on Wednesday , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s very likely when I get to that 12 week period I will be tapering and changing it .
But the nature of that decision will depend on where we are with the economy and where we are with Covid-19 .
“ Many of the measures that we have in place at the moment from an economic point of view - we can not sustain them indefinitely , but we will be able to sustain them for long enough to allow incomes to continue to be protected where possible and to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our income subsidy scheme a fighting chance of returning to economic and business health.
” The country is facing “ considerable economic challenges , ” but he and the Taoiseach want to avoid cuts to social welfare rates .
The Minister predicted that peak unemployment will reduce to 14 per cent by the end of the year .
“ As we go into next year it should drop further.
” Speaking on Tuesday , Mr Donohoe said the coronavirus crisis had resulted in a “ severe recession ” with unemployment soaring to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shock without precedent in modern times .
Mr Donohoe said his department was predicting unemployment to hit 22 per cent in the second quarter , “ the highest level on record ” , before easing back thereafter .
The overall fiscal cost of the virus in exchequer terms would also be significant with the Government now expecting to run a deficit of 7.5 per cent or €23 billion this year , instead of a surplus of €2.2 billion , which had been forecast at the start of the year .
This corresponds to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finances .
The deaths of another 44 patients – 18 males and 26 females – diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday by NPHET .
There have now been 730 Covid-19 related deaths confirmed by laboratory tests in the Republic .
However , a further 108 probable or suspected deaths in care settings was reported by NPHET on Tuesday .
NPHET also reported 388 new confirmed cases .
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 16,040 .
The Government is considering an easing of restrictions every two to three weeks after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5th .
This would allow for an assessment of how any changes were affecting the spread of the virus .
Some easing of cocooning measures for the over-70s , as well as the re-opening of DIY stores , are seen as the likeliest options for the first wave , as well as clarity on how schools could partially reopen .
People may also be allowed travel further to exercise , it was suggested .
Minister for Education Joe McHugh on Tuesday night said the Leaving Certificate could start on July 29th .
Speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night , Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government would outline its plan before May 5th and it would be considered by Cabinet by the end of April .
In advance of any such move , the Government on Tuesday announced it was extending a ban on mass licensed gatherings of more than 5,000 people until the end of August , giving event organisers notice that concerts and other festivals were off for the summer .
Meanwhile , the chairperson of the Policing Authority Bob Collins told RTÉ radio ’ s Morning Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the circumstances in which the spit hoods can be used on teenagers .
Mr Collins said the authority was worried that garda procedures state only that the hoods are not to be used on children under 12 and was “ silent ” on their use on children aged 12-18 .
He said he had requested clarification from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on the issue and wants the use of spit hoods to be recognised as a “ use of force ” , which requires a process of open reporting .
Mr Collins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by the Commissioner ’ s “ clear indication ” that the use and availability of anti-spit hoods will be strictly limited to the current crisis .
He also disputed the accuracy of figures “ in the public domain ” about the number of spit hoods that have been ordered , but did not clarify the number .

From left, Dr Cillian De Gascun, Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory , Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, and Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer HSE. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
There were another 49 coronavirus-related deaths announced by State health officials and a further 631 new cases of the disease reported on Wednesday.
This brings the death toll to 769 laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 related deaths in the State after validated data resulted in the “denotification” of 10 deaths previously thought to be Covid-related.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) at the Department of Health reported a further 113 “probable or suspected” Covid-19 related deaths in long-term residential care settings, including 102 in nursing homes.
This brings to 882 the total number of deaths that may be related to the flu-like disease.
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The 631 new known cases of Covid-19 brings to 16,671 the number of confirmed cases in Ireland.
The vast majority of the 769 lab-confirmed deaths have been amongst the elderly.
Dr Tony Holohan said that of these deaths, 667 have been people aged 70 or over. The deaths include 53 people between the ages of 60 and 69, 29 between the ages of 50 and 59, 12 between the ages of 40 and 49 and fewer than five people each between the ages of 20 and 29, and 30 and 39.
Community residential settings account for most deaths, with 412 or almost 54 per cent of the 769 laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 deaths.This includes 348 deaths or 45 per cent who were residents of nursing homes, one of the sectors worst affected by the disease.
Some 386 deaths occurred in a hospital setting, including 50 in intensive care units. There were underlying medical conditions in the cases of 645 people who died, or 84 per cent of deaths.
Adhere to guidelines
The median age of people who had died was 83, while the mean age was 69. The ages of the people who have died ranges from 23 to 105.
Dr Holohan urged people to continue to adhere to the Government’s guidelines to stay at home and to keep social-distancing and cocooning to prevent the spread of the virus.
He told reporters that NPHET, which advises the Government on public guidance, would not, based on current figures on confirmed cases, be recommending any change to the restrictions that will remain in place until Tuesday, May 5th, the day after the May bank holiday weekend.
“There should be no anticipatory slacking off in advance of May 5th,” Dr Holohan said.
“We have a way to go; you have seen the number of cases.”
The State’s top health official warned that although there was “plenty to encourage us” including the reduction in the rate of infection and the fact that the State had not been impacted as badly affected other countries, this should “give us no grounds for complacency.”
Dr Holohan said that if there was a change in people’s behaviour because they thought the State was in a much better position now, “we could lose all of the ground we have made.”
Within a period of two to three weeks, State health officials could start to see “very significant change” in terms of the path of this infection if people’s behaviour changed, he said.
Asked about the change in advice that healthcare workers should wear face masks in a majority of hospital settings, Dr Holohan said that NPHET’s expert advisory group had kept this issue under constant review and that the team had accepted the group’s change in advice on this.
He acknowledged that this would “drive up” demand for personal protective equipment but he said he was confident that the HSE would be able to continue to provide this equipment.
Nonetheless, Dr Holohan urged any domestic companies who may be able to switch their production to the manufacturing of PPE to do so in order to help the HSE.
The expert advisory group was assessing whether masks should be worn in “a more general setting” and that NPHET would take the group’s advice on this, he said.
Late on Wednesday night it emerged that GPs have been told that they must wear surgical masks for consultations with patients who are not showing symptoms of Covid-19 or even suspected of having the coronavirus disease.
The new guidance, from NPHET, has led to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGPs) warning the HSE that the current allocation of 50 masks per GP per week “will not be sufficient.”
The ICGP told the country’s GPs in a notification issued on Wednesday that the change in policy “has implications” for the supply of PPE to GPs.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe briefs the media on the latest measures being taken in response to Covid-19. Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland/PA Wire.
Support payments
Earlier on Wednesday, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said the Covid-19 support payments would likely be "tapered" and "changed" when the 12 week period is up.The Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme, which started on March 26th, allows employers to continue to pay their employees during the crisis. It is set to end on May 7th.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland on Wednesday, Mr Donohoe said:
“I think it’s very likely when I get to that 12 week period I will be tapering and changing it. But the nature of that decision will depend on where we are with the economy and where we are with Covid-19.
“Many of the measures that we have in place at the moment from an economic point of view - we cannot sustain them indefinitely, but we will be able to sustain them for long enough to allow incomes to continue to be protected where possible and to give over 40,000 companies that are currently in our income subsidy scheme a fighting chance of returning to economic and business health.”
The country is facing “considerable economic challenges,” but he and the Taoiseach want to avoid cuts to social welfare rates.
The Minister predicted that peak unemployment will reduce to 14 per cent by the end of the year.
“As we go into next year it should drop further.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Donohoe said the coronavirus crisis had resulted in a “severe recession” with unemployment soaring to a record 22 per cent – an economic shock without precedent in modern times.
Mr Donohoe said his department was predicting unemployment to hit 22 per cent in the second quarter, “the highest level on record”, before easing back thereafter.
The overall fiscal cost of the virus in exchequer terms would also be significant with the Government now expecting to run a deficit of 7.5 per cent or €23 billion this year, instead of a surplus of €2.2 billion, which had been forecast at the start of the year. This corresponds to a €25 billion reversal in the public finances.
Easing restrictions
The deaths of another 44 patients – 18 males and 26 females – diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday by NPHET.
There have now been 730 Covid-19 related deaths confirmed by laboratory tests in the Republic. However, a further 108 probable or suspected deaths in care settings was reported by NPHET on Tuesday.
NPHET also reported 388 new confirmed cases. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 16,040.
The Government is considering an easing of restrictions every two to three weeks after a possible initial easing off from May 5th. This would allow for an assessment of how any changes were affecting the spread of the virus.
Some easing of cocooning measures for the over-70s, as well as the re-opening of DIY stores, are seen as the likeliest options for the first wave, as well as clarity on how schools could partially reopen. People may also be allowed travel further to exercise, it was suggested.
Minister for Education Joe McHugh on Tuesday night said the Leaving Certificate could start on July 29th.
Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time on Tuesday night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government would outline its plan before May 5th and it would be considered by Cabinet by the end of April.
In advance of any such move, the Government on Tuesday announced it was extending a ban on mass licensed gatherings of more than 5,000 people until the end of August, giving event organisers notice that concerts and other festivals were off for the summer.
Spit hoods
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Policing Authority Bob Collins told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that he wants “explicit guidelines” about the circumstances in which the spit hoods can be used on teenagers.
Mr Collins said the authority was worried that garda procedures state only that the hoods are not to be used on children under 12 and was "silent" on their use on children aged 12-18.
He said he had requested clarification from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on the issue and wants the use of spit hoods to be recognised as a "use of force", which requires a process of open reporting.
Mr Collins also said he was “somewhat reassured” by the Commissioner’s “clear indication” that the use and availability of anti-spit hoods will be strictly limited to the current crisis.
He also disputed the accuracy of figures “in the public domain” about the number of spit hoods that have been ordered, but did not clarify the number.