theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Have Howth’s red squirrels succumbed to invasive greys?

Where viruses came from , in all their diverse billions in a teaspoonful of sea , a forkful of soil , is still mysterious , even to virologists .
In one hypothesis , they mght have been archaic , free-living organisms that evolved into parasites ; in another , they started as fragmentary genetic elements that united to move between cells and invade them .
Either way , they reproduce , spread , and evolve to do it more effectively .
Why some viruses evolve to cause disease is another mystery .
But infectious diseases can limit or reduce populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ’ s column , for example , innocently prompted by the chirping of sparrows , I was led to the latest scientific hypothesis on their modern city decline .
It proposed infection by a parasite , found at high levels in the sparrows of suburban London and giving them avian malaria .
Today ’ s column prompted by wondering about the last red squirrels of Dublin ’ s Howth Head .
Have they finally succumbed , like so many in Leinster , to the advance of alien grey squirrels ?
Even a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already disappeared from many Dublin parks .
At the Phoenix Park , for example , the first grey was sighted in 1979 and the last red around 1987 .
On the Howth peninsula , the reds ’ last stronghold in Dublin , the first greys were seen in 2007 .
In 2011 , an assessment for Fingal County Council by ecologist Dr Wiliam Carr , estimated some 25 remaining in the woods .
The narrow entry corridor for grey squirrels at Sutton Cross offered hope for the reds at a crucial balance in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the peninsula by Dr Carr , rising to 38 in a year .
But his traps caught only two male reds .
The Howth colony , he reported in 2017 , “ will not recover ” .
Grey squirrels have been commonly thought to oust the reds by competition for acorns and beech nuts .
A more insidious reason , as seen in the UK , is cross-infection with the squirrel-pox virus , SPQV .
The greys can carry this without much effect , but it ’ s fatal to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rabbit myxomatosis .
Although the American greys were introduced to Ireland at Castleforbes , Co Longford , in 1911 , SPQV was not discovered until 2011 , found in two grey squirrel populations in Northern Ireland .
At one location , 90 per cent of the reds were infected and lost .
In 2012 came reports from Co Wicklow and Co Dublin .
Testing levels of virus in greys from these areas , a team from UCD warned of “ a wave-front of grey squirrel expansion from Wicklow ” to threaten the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three reds – two males and one female – survived on south Dublin ’ s Killiney Hill .
However , with greys removed by Dr Carr , that year saw reinforcement .
Fifteen reds , brought from the Raven Point nature reserve in Wexford , were released in a move supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service .
Elsewhere in Ireland , and notably in the midlands , the resurgence of the pine marten , a native predator , has proved a potent ally in removing grey squirrels and allowing the smaller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woods .
But meanwhile , another wildlife virus has arrived in Ireland , threatening not only wild rabbits but also the Irish hare .
This is RHD/RHD2 , joint acronyms for rabbit haemorrhagic disease , a horror like myxomatosis .
The first form killed millions of farmed rabbits in China in 1984 and then spread globally .
RHD2 , a form killing rabbits even faster , emerged in France in 2010 .
RHD was found in domestic rabbits in Ireland in 2018 and in wild rabbits in July last year ; RHD2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature reserve in August and another 17 fatally infected hares were found in eight weeks after that .
The disease has been confirmed from at least eight counties , from Cork to Leitrim .
Apart from the trysts of mating , the Irish hares lead solitary lives .
But rounded up in nets for coursing , contagion could be inevitable .
The first deaths from RHD2 last summer brought an immediate ban on coursing from Minister for Heritage Josepha Madigan .
By October , however , a deal was reached with the Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ netting within a 25km radius of finding the disease in hares or rabbits .
It was lifted for Kilkenny and for other clubs enlisted in a hare monitoring programme supervised by vets .
Moving west 40-odd years ago brought me encounters with dying rabbits , blundering around my feet in the dunes .
They were victims of myxomatosis , imported by Irish farming interests .
Natural selection of survivors brought their species eventual genetic resistance , as it will beat the even deadlier numbers game of RHD2 .
There are vaccines against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain untested for wild rabbits or hares and netting them for injection is thought too risky .
I watch their solitary scampers on the hillside – a sign of the wild I hope will never grow less .

The narrow entry corridor for grey squirrels at Sutton Cross offered hope for the reds at a crucial balance in their breeding.
Where viruses came from, in all their diverse billions in a teaspoonful of sea, a forkful of soil, is still mysterious, even to virologists.
In one hypothesis, they mght have been archaic, free-living organisms that evolved into parasites; in another, they started as fragmentary genetic elements that united to move between cells and invade them. Either way, they reproduce, spread, and evolve to do it more effectively.
Why some viruses evolve to cause disease is another mystery. But infectious diseases can limit or reduce populations of humans or wildlife .
Researching last week’s column, for example, innocently prompted by the chirping of sparrows, I was led to the latest scientific hypothesis on their modern city decline. It proposed infection by a parasite, found at high levels in the sparrows of suburban London and giving them avian malaria.
READ MORE
Today’s column prompted by wondering about the last red squirrels of Dublin’s Howth Head. Have they finally succumbed, like so many in Leinster, to the advance of alien grey squirrels?
Even a decade ago, the native reds had already disappeared from many Dublin parks. At the Phoenix Park, for example, the first grey was sighted in 1979 and the last red around 1987.
On the Howth peninsula, the reds’ last stronghold in Dublin, the first greys were seen in 2007. In 2011, an assessment for Fingal County Council by ecologist Dr Wiliam Carr, estimated some 25 remaining in the woods.
Grey squirrels have been commonly thought to oust the reds by competition for acorns and beech nuts
The narrow entry corridor for grey squirrels at Sutton Cross offered hope for the reds at a crucial balance in their breeding. Grey squirrels were regularly removed from the peninsula by Dr Carr, rising to 38 in a year. But his traps caught only two male reds. The Howth colony, he reported in 2017, “will not recover”.
Grey squirrels have been commonly thought to oust the reds by competition for acorns and beech nuts. A more insidious reason, as seen in the UK, is cross-infection with the squirrel-pox virus, SPQV. The greys can carry this without much effect, but it’s fatal to the reds, afflicting them with something like the rabbit myxomatosis.
Although the American greys were introduced to Ireland at Castleforbes, Co Longford, in 1911, SPQV was not discovered until 2011, found in two grey squirrel populations in Northern Ireland. At one location, 90 per cent of the reds were infected and lost.
In 2012 came reports from Co Wicklow and Co Dublin. Testing levels of virus in greys from these areas, a team from UCD warned of “a wave-front of grey squirrel expansion from Wicklow” to threaten the surviving eastern reds.
By 2012 just three reds – two males and one female – survived on south Dublin’s Killiney Hill. However, with greys removed by Dr Carr, that year saw reinforcement. Fifteen reds, brought from the Raven Point nature reserve in Wexford, were released in a move supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Elsewhere in Ireland, and notably in the midlands, the resurgence of the pine marten, a native predator, has proved a potent ally in removing grey squirrels and allowing the smaller, more agile, reds to share the woods.
But meanwhile, another wildlife virus has arrived in Ireland, threatening not only wild rabbits but also the Irish hare.
This is RHD/RHD2, joint acronyms for rabbit haemorrhagic disease, a horror like myxomatosis. The first form killed millions of farmed rabbits in China in 1984 and then spread globally. RHD2, a form killing rabbits even faster, emerged in France in 2010.
Moving west 40-odd years ago brought me encounters with dying rabbits, blundering around my feet in the dunes
RHD was found in domestic rabbits in Ireland in 2018 and in wild rabbits in July last year; RHD2 killed a hare on the Wexford Slobs nature reserve in August and another 17 fatally infected hares were found in eight weeks after that. The disease has been confirmed from at least eight counties, from Cork to Leitrim.
Apart from the trysts of mating, the Irish hares lead solitary lives. But rounded up in nets for coursing, contagion could be inevitable. The first deaths from RHD2 last summer brought an immediate ban on coursing from Minister for Heritage Josepha Madigan.
By October, however, a deal was reached with the Irish Coursing Club. A ban remains on netting within a 25km radius of finding the disease in hares or rabbits. It was lifted for Kilkenny and for other clubs enlisted in a hare monitoring programme supervised by vets.
Moving west 40-odd years ago brought me encounters with dying rabbits, blundering around my feet in the dunes. They were victims of myxomatosis, imported by Irish farming interests. Natural selection of survivors brought their species eventual genetic resistance, as it will beat the even deadlier numbers game of RHD2.
There are vaccines against the virus for domestic rabbits, but these remain untested for wild rabbits or hares and netting them for injection is thought too risky. I watch their solitary scampers on the hillside – a sign of the wild I hope will never grow less.


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--‘It’s a bit of a relief’: Leaving Cert student (84) happy to delay exams

Since schools and universities closed on March 12th , studying from home has quickly become the norm for students around the country .
Denise ( 75 ) and Tom ( 84 ) Griffin are no different .
The couple , who celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary on Thursday , are cocooning in their apartment in Dublin , while Mrs Griffin , whose maiden name is Farrell , studies for her final year exams of her UCD undergraduate degree and Mr Griffin studies for his Leaving Cert .
Mrs Griffin , who has two exams left in her BA in English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to college when she retired because she wanted to do more with her time , and never had the opportunity to get a degree when she was younger .
“ When I got to 68 or so , I stopped working .
But it didn ’ t suit me to have all the time on my hands .
I didn ’ t stay well really when my head wasn ’ t busy , ” she said .
“ At about 70 , I rang up UCD and Trinity and discovered that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before you do a degree was one year in UCD and two years in Trinity .
Because I didn ’ t have an awful lot of years left , I decided I would do it in UCD.
” Ms Griffin said she really enjoyed the degree , during which she received two scholarships for Latin and was named a Latin scholar .
“ But thank God I ’ m finishing now , ” she added with a laugh .
Her husband also recently chose to return to education .
Having left school after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1950s , he constantly revisited the idea of completing the Leaving cert .
Just before Christmas last year , he decided to register for the exams and chose to study English , Irish , maths , geography and history .
“ I ’ m finding them okay , but a lot of the terminology is not like how I remembered .
The maths now is completely different .
I have to start from the beginning , ” he said .
He welcomed the delay to the exams , which are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ It was a bit of a relief really that it ’ s not too soon because it give me a chance now .
I can look over the whole scenario and pick out things that are causing me difficulty and I have adequate time to do them .
I probably cut myself a bit short really , ” he said .
The pair have conflicting opinions on how the pandemic is affecting their education , with Mrs Griffin saying that it makes it “ more difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lack of distractions .
“ We have an apartment so we live together in the same living room , dining room .
We just find that it ’ s not easy to withdraw and focus , ” she said .
“ It ’ s much easier , ” Mr Griffin said .
“ There are no distractions - I can ’ t go out or the grandkids can ’ t come in , and things like that .
”

Since schools and universities closed on March 12th, studying from home has quickly become the norm for students around the country. Denise (75) and Tom (84) Griffin are no different.
The couple, who celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary on Thursday, are cocooning in their apartment in Dublin, while Mrs Griffin, whose maiden name is Farrell, studies for her final year exams of her UCD undergraduate degree and Mr Griffin studies for his Leaving Cert.
Mrs Griffin, who has two exams left in her BA in English, Latin and Art History, decided to go to college when she retired because she wanted to do more with her time, and never had the opportunity to get a degree when she was younger.
“When I got to 68 or so, I stopped working. But it didn’t suit me to have all the time on my hands. I didn’t stay well really when my head wasn’t busy,” she said.
READ MORE
“At about 70, I rang up UCD and Trinity and discovered that the access course you have to do before you do a degree was one year in UCD and two years in Trinity. Because I didn’t have an awful lot of years left, I decided I would do it in UCD.”
Ms Griffin said she really enjoyed the degree, during which she received two scholarships for Latin and was named a Latin scholar. "But thank God I'm finishing now," she added with a laugh.
Her husband also recently chose to return to education. Having left school after his Inter Cert, as was common in the 1950s, he constantly revisited the idea of completing the Leaving cert.
Just before Christmas last year, he decided to register for the exams and chose to study English, Irish, maths, geography and history.
“I’m finding them okay, but a lot of the terminology is not like how I remembered. The maths now is completely different. I have to start from the beginning,” he said.
He welcomed the delay to the exams, which are now due to take place on July 29th due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was a bit of a relief really that it’s not too soon because it give me a chance now. I can look over the whole scenario and pick out things that are causing me difficulty and I have adequate time to do them. I probably cut myself a bit short really,” he said.
The pair have conflicting opinions on how the pandemic is affecting their education, with Mrs Griffin saying that it makes it “more difficult” and her husband saying he welcomes the lack of distractions.
“We have an apartment so we live together in the same living room, dining room. We just find that it’s not easy to withdraw and focus,” she said.
“It’s much easier,” Mr Griffin said. “There are no distractions - I can’t go out or the grandkids can’t come in, and things like that.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Criminals targeting vulnerable people in remote areas ‘a virus’, judge says

Criminals who target older people living in remote areas cause as much distress and disruption to society as Covid-19 , a judge said as he jailed two men over a Co Cork burglary .
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said criminals targeting vulnerable people was particularly heinous as he jailed Niall Fitzpatrick ( 53 ) and Jerry O ’ Leary ( 62 ) for seven years each .
Fitzpatrick and O ’ Leary pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to burglary by entering the home of an elderly couple at Kilberehert , Freemount on October 19th last and attempting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city criminals going into rural areas is a virus every bit as virulent as that we are experiencing at the moment .
It causes enormous hurt , fear and disruption in the community .
People are left terrified , ” the judge said .
He made his comments after Det Insp Vincent O ’ Sullivan told the court that gardaí had learned that Fitzpatrick , O ’ Leary and a third man were planning a burglary in a remote part of north Cork .
He said gardaí mounted surveillance on Fitzpatrick at his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on October 18th .
He hired a car and collected O ’ Leary at his home at Brandon Crescent , Dillon ’ s Cross .
They collected a third man who took over the driving and all three travelled to Freemount .
The third man dropped off Fitzpatrick and O ’ Leary , who spent four hours in a wood staking out a farmhouse where a man ( 88 ) and woman ( 86 ) live .
The court was told gardaí continued their monitoring of the three men , who travelled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired car .
The gang waited for the couple to leave the house to go to Mass at around 6pm and the third man followed them , said Det Insp O ’ Sullivan .
Gardaí watched on as Fitzpatrick and O ’ Leary forced open a back window using a screwdriver before being confronted by members of the Armed Support Unit who were waiting inside .
Fitzpatrick and O ’ Leary were then arrested .
Det Insp O ’ Sullivan said Fitzpatrick had 70 previous convictions for offences including robbery and that O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight of which were for burglary .
Defence barristers Sinead Behan BL , for O ’ Leary , and Paula McCarthy BL , for Fitzpatrick , said their clients had assisted the State by pleading guilty and spared the couple the trauma of a trial .
Ms Behan noted that there was no confrontation or threat of violence and that the only implement O ’ Leary had was a screwdriver to force open the window .
“ There is no excuse for what he did but he had financial issues after getting involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to Christmas so he fell into temptation , ” she said .
- “ He is deeply ashamed and remorseful.
” Ms McCarthy said Fitzpatrick had written a letter of apology to the couple .
“ He has an elderly mother in poor health and he has said if something similar happened to her , he would be horrified .
He has genuine remorse and shame for what he did , ” she said .
Judge Ó Donnabháin said it appeared to him that Fitzpatrick and O ’ Leary were “ dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to change their ways at this stage of their lives .
He said that while there was no confrontation , the level of preparation and planning for the crime put it on a different level to an opportunistic burglary .
The gang had hired cars , changed drivers , brought changes of clothes , hidden in woods and staked out their target over two days , he said , adding that it was a carefully planned and calculated crime .
The judge paid tribute to gardaí for their professionalism in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven years and banned Fitzpatrick from driving for 10 years as he had no insurance or licence .

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said criminals targeting vulnerable people was particularly heinous as he jailed Niall Fitzpatrick (53) and Jerry O’Leary (62) for seven years each.
Criminals who target older people living in remote areas cause as much distress and disruption to society as Covid-19, a judge said as he jailed two men over a Co Cork burglary.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said criminals targeting vulnerable people was particularly heinous as he jailed Niall Fitzpatrick (53) and Jerry O'Leary (62) for seven years each.
Fitzpatrick and O'Leary pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to burglary by entering the home of an elderly couple at Kilberehert, Freemount on October 19th last and attempting to commit theft.
“The practice of city criminals going into rural areas is a virus every bit as virulent as that we are experiencing at the moment. It causes enormous hurt, fear and disruption in the community. People are left terrified,” the judge said.
READ MORE
He made his comments after Det Insp Vincent O’Sullivan told the court that gardaí had learned that Fitzpatrick, O’Leary and a third man were planning a burglary in a remote part of north Cork.
He said gardaí mounted surveillance on Fitzpatrick at his home at Corrin Close, the Glen on October 18th. He hired a car and collected O'Leary at his home at Brandon Crescent, Dillon's Cross.
Third man
They collected a third man who took over the driving and all three travelled to Freemount. The third man dropped off Fitzpatrick and O’Leary, who spent four hours in a wood staking out a farmhouse where a man (88) and woman (86) live. The court was told gardaí continued their monitoring of the three men, who travelled to Freemount again the next day in a hired car.
The gang waited for the couple to leave the house to go to Mass at around 6pm and the third man followed them, said Det Insp O’Sullivan.
Gardaí watched on as Fitzpatrick and O’Leary forced open a back window using a screwdriver before being confronted by members of the Armed Support Unit who were waiting inside. Fitzpatrick and O’Leary were then arrested.
Det Insp O’Sullivan said Fitzpatrick had 70 previous convictions for offences including robbery and that O’Leary had 48 previous convictions, eight of which were for burglary.
Defence barristers Sinead Behan BL, for O’Leary, and Paula McCarthy BL, for Fitzpatrick, said their clients had assisted the State by pleading guilty and spared the couple the trauma of a trial.
No confrontation
Ms Behan noted that there was no confrontation or threat of violence and that the only implement O’Leary had was a screwdriver to force open the window.
“There is no excuse for what he did but he had financial issues after getting involved in gambling and it was the lead up to Christmas so he fell into temptation,” she said. - “He is deeply ashamed and remorseful.”
Ms McCarthy said Fitzpatrick had written a letter of apology to the couple.
“He has an elderly mother in poor health and he has said if something similar happened to her, he would be horrified. He has genuine remorse and shame for what he did,” she said.
Judge Ó Donnabháin said it appeared to him that Fitzpatrick and O’Leary were “dedicated and committed criminals” and who were not going to change their ways at this stage of their lives.
He said that while there was no confrontation, the level of preparation and planning for the crime put it on a different level to an opportunistic burglary.
The gang had hired cars, changed drivers, brought changes of clothes, hidden in woods and staked out their target over two days, he said, adding that it was a carefully planned and calculated crime.
The judge paid tribute to gardaí for their professionalism in the case as he jailed both men for seven years and banned Fitzpatrick from driving for 10 years as he had no insurance or licence.


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Wolves’ Diogo Jota beats Alexander-Arnold to Fifa 20 charity title

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Diogo Jota won the inaugural ePremier League Invitational tournament on Saturday as footballers faced off online to generate funds for the NHS .
The Portugal international beat Liverpool fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold with a golden goal in the final of the Fifa 2020 competition after the match ended 1-1 in regular time .
In an exciting encounter both players spurned excellent chances late on in their 1-1 draw .
They played a replay under golden goal rules to decide the winner with Jota striking late in the second half to come out on top .
Jota brushed aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his semi-final earlier on Saturday while Alexander-Arnold came from 2-0 down to knock out Manchester City ’ s Raheem Sterling after a golden goal .
Jota is a renowned Fifa player , representing Portugal in the eNations cup against professional gamers .
All 20 Premier League clubs were represented in the five-day tournament , either by one of their players or a celebrity fan .
Singer-songwriter Tom Grennan flew the flag for Manchester United only to be thumped 5-1 by Alexander-Arnold in the last 16 .
The winner ’ s prize fund will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created by Premier League players to generate funds for the health service during the coronavirus pandemic .
– Reuters

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Diogo Jota won the inaugural ePremier League Invitational tournament on Saturday as footballers faced off online to generate funds for the NHS.
The Portugal international beat Liverpool fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold with a golden goal in the final of the Fifa 2020 competition after the match ended 1-1 in regular time.
In an exciting encounter both players spurned excellent chances late on in their 1-1 draw. They played a replay under golden goal rules to decide the winner with Jota striking late in the second half to come out on top.
Jota brushed aside Burnley's Dwight McNeil 4-1 in his semi-final earlier on Saturday while Alexander-Arnold came from 2-0 down to knock out Manchester City's Raheem Sterling after a golden goal.
READ MORE
Jota is a renowned Fifa player, representing Portugal in the eNations cup against professional gamers.
All 20 Premier League clubs were represented in the five-day tournament, either by one of their players or a celebrity fan. Singer-songwriter Tom Grennan flew the flag for Manchester United only to be thumped 5-1 by Alexander-Arnold in the last 16.
The winner’s prize fund will be donated to the PlayersTogether initiative, created by Premier League players to generate funds for the health service during the coronavirus pandemic. – Reuters


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--HSE confirms 21 people have died of Covid-19 in Dublin nursing home

Twenty-one people have died of Covid-19 in a single Dublin nursing home , the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) has confirmed .
St Mary ’ s Hospital , which has a total of 198 residential beds , is located in the Phoenix Park .
Eleven people died of Covid-19 at the nursing home between April 2nd and 17th , and a further 10 deaths have since been confirmed .
“ We offer our deepest sympathies to their family and friends and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time , ” the HSE said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered his sympathies to the families and friends of those who have died at St Mary ’ s and the staff at the home .
Speaking at the Department of Health on Saturday , Mr Harris said he could not imagine “ how traumatic ” it must be for staff working in an environment where so many residents have died in such a short space of time .
He paid tribute to those continuing to work “ against a backdrop of huge personal tragedy ” .
“ I know there are a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to St Mary ’ s and gone into St Mary ’ s , ” he told reporters at the Department of Health .
“ I understand that the HSE has given this a lot of attention .
I spoke to David Walsh yesterday , the national director for community services , in relation to the supports , I understand that ’ s included things like the redeployment of staff from other areas of the HSE.
” Dr Colm Henry , the HSE ’ s chief clinical officer , last week said that staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing homes .
“ If the screening that is taking place now identifies additional staff having to go off as asymptomatic cases or contacts , we will have to look at redeploying more staff from acute hospitals , ” he said .
Nursing Homes Ireland ( NHI ) released a survey of members this week in which 96 per cent of respondents said they had not received any redeployed staff .
Mr Harris said that the issues being faced in publicly-run nursing homes , like St Mary ’ s , were “ equally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector .
“ Most of the conversations we have about nursing home care tend to be about my interactions with the private representative body whereas what we ’ re actually seeing is it is equally challenging , if not even more so challenging for a number of the long term residential care facilities in public ownership , ” he said .
“ Again , I ’ m not commenting on an individual place but I suppose a lot of that could perhaps relate to the fact that people are in older buildings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s hard to slow the spread of this highly infectious virus ... we ’ re seeing that , how challenging it is , and if you can imagine how much more challenging that is when you ’ re in an old building , an older facility with lots of vulnerable residents , vulnerable either by age or by health or by both.
” A number of residents and staff in St Mary ’ s Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19 , the HSE said .
It said various efforts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease within the care facility .
“ Within St Mary ’ s Hospital an outbreak management team meet daily to manage the Covid-19 outbreak , where actions are agreed and implemented in the best interests of the residents .
There is enhanced focus on infection control procedures , additional measures are put in place in this regard ( and ) an infection control team has visited St Mary ’ s Hospital and provides regular input .
”

Twenty-one people have died of Covid-19 in a single Dublin nursing home, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed.
St Mary's Hospital, which has a total of 198 residential beds, is located in the Phoenix Park. Eleven people died of Covid-19 at the nursing home between April 2nd and 17th, and a further 10 deaths have since been confirmed.
“We offer our deepest sympathies to their family and friends and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time,” the HSE said in a statement.
Minister for Health Simon Harris on Saturday offered his sympathies to the families and friends of those who have died at St Mary's and the staff at the home.
READ MORE
Speaking at the Department of Health on Saturday, Mr Harris said he could not imagine "how traumatic" it must be for staff working in an environment where so many residents have died in such a short space of time. He paid tribute to those continuing to work "against a backdrop of huge personal tragedy".
“I know there are a lot of supports being looked at in relation to St Mary’s and gone into St Mary’s,” he told reporters at the Department of Health.
"I understand that the HSE has given this a lot of attention. I spoke to David Walsh yesterday, the national director for community services, in relation to the supports, I understand that's included things like the redeployment of staff from other areas of the HSE."
Additional staff
Dr Colm Henry, the HSE's chief clinical officer, last week said that staff from acute hospitals may be redeployed to nursing homes.
“If the screening that is taking place now identifies additional staff having to go off as asymptomatic cases or contacts, we will have to look at redeploying more staff from acute hospitals,” he said.
Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) released a survey of members this week in which 96 per cent of respondents said they had not received any redeployed staff.
Mr Harris said that the issues being faced in publicly-run nursing homes, like St Mary’s, were “equally challenging” to those in the private sector.
“Most of the conversations we have about nursing home care tend to be about my interactions with the private representative body whereas what we’re actually seeing is it is equally challenging, if not even more so challenging for a number of the long term residential care facilities in public ownership,” he said.
“Again, I’m not commenting on an individual place but I suppose a lot of that could perhaps relate to the fact that people are in older buildings, sometimes people are in congregated settings.
Challenging
“It’s hard to slow the spread of this highly infectious virus...we’re seeing that, how challenging it is, and if you can imagine how much more challenging that is when you’re in an old building, an older facility with lots of vulnerable residents, vulnerable either by age or by health or by both.”
A number of residents and staff in St Mary’s Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19, the HSE said. It said various efforts are underway to tackle the outbreak of the disease within the care facility.
“Within St Mary’s Hospital an outbreak management team meet daily to manage the Covid-19 outbreak, where actions are agreed and implemented in the best interests of the residents. There is enhanced focus on infection control procedures, additional measures are put in place in this regard (and) an infection control team has visited St Mary’s Hospital and provides regular input.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Harris does not expect May 5th to be ‘Big Bang moment’ for restrictions

Minister for Health Simon Harris has said the week of May 5th will not be a “ Big Bang moment ” in terms of lifting social restrictions in place to limit the spread of coronavirus .
“ I ’ m being honest and blunt with people , I think the week beginning May 5th , is not going to be a Big Bang moment in terms of the lifting of restrictions , ” he said .
“ But what I hope it is , is a period of time in which we can explain to people how we would go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would phase that , the issues we would consider and hopefully , but far from guaranteed , the easing of one or two restrictions.
” Restrictions introduced last month to reduce the public ’ s exposure to the virus , also known as Covid-19 , including a limit on travel beyond 2km of people ’ s homes , are due to expire on May 5th .
Mr Harris was speaking at the Department of Health following a meeting with medical leaders via videolink on Saturday .
He said he had spoken to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday morning and that “ if today was the date he was making the decision on what to do next , he would still be advising against changing the restrictions ” .
“ That ’ s a sobering and a tough message I know because we ’ re all living in hope , ” he added .
Mr Harris said there are now 118 people in intensive care units with the virus , down from 160 last week .
Mr Harris said the drop was “ an encouraging sign ” but that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 is going to be with us for a long period of time ” .
He said it was important now for discussions to happen with medical leaders about how care for those with the virus is provided alongside non-Covid care .
Mr Harris said reopening the country would be “ very complex ” and that while Ireland could look at what other countries have done , “ every country is a little bit different in terms of the scale of its pandemic ” .
Mr Harris said so far 120 HSE staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said while it was a small number , it was “ a significant increase ” from 64 a number of days ago .
He said there was the potential for some home help workers to be deployed to private nursing homes .
“ There ’ s a few issues that nursing home owners and the HSE need to iron out in relation to contracts and insurance and the likes but I expect that all to be bottomed out over this weekend , ” he said .
The Minister also said notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emergency Team and recommendations it had made to the department and HSE should and would be published .
Mr Harris said the HSE ’ s chief executive Paul Reid would publish a plan in the coming days as to how it plans to ramp up testing to cover 100,000 people a week .
He said to date there have been 127,319 tests processed .
The Minister also said he was conscious it was “ a tough time for people ” but warned against complacency and increased movement .
“ One of the reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this country is thanks to people following the public health advice , ” he said .
“ The more we begin to stretch that advice or decide that we ’ re going to interpret or reinterpret that advice in our lives , the more we increase movement in our country and the more we increase risk of making ourselves or other people sick and seeing deaths rise in our country.
” He said next week ’ s meeting with medical leaders would focus on research and that it was important Ireland was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research and clinical trials in relation to Covid-19 ” .

Minister for Health Simon Harris. He said he hoped the week beginning May 5th would be ‘a period of time in which we can explain to people how we would go about reopening our country’. File photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Minister for Health Simon Harris has said the week of May 5th will not be a "Big Bang moment" in terms of lifting social restrictions in place to limit the spread of coronavirus.
“I’m being honest and blunt with people, I think the week beginning May 5th, is not going to be a Big Bang moment in terms of the lifting of restrictions,” he said.
“But what I hope it is, is a period of time in which we can explain to people how we would go about reopening our country, how we would phase that, the issues we would consider and hopefully, but far from guaranteed, the easing of one or two restrictions.”
Restrictions introduced last month to reduce the public’s exposure to the virus, also known as Covid-19, including a limit on travel beyond 2km of people’s homes, are due to expire on May 5th.
READ MORE
Mr Harris was speaking at the Department of Health following a meeting with medical leaders via videolink on Saturday.
He said he had spoken to the chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan on Saturday morning and that "if today was the date he was making the decision on what to do next, he would still be advising against changing the restrictions".
“That’s a sobering and a tough message I know because we’re all living in hope,” he added. Mr Harris said there are now 118 people in intensive care units with the virus, down from 160 last week.
Mr Harris said the drop was “an encouraging sign” but that there is “a real recognition now that Covid-19 is going to be with us for a long period of time”.
He said it was important now for discussions to happen with medical leaders about how care for those with the virus is provided alongside non-Covid care.
Mr Harris said reopening the country would be "very complex" and that while Ireland could look at what other countries have done, "every country is a little bit different in terms of the scale of its pandemic".
Mr Harris said so far 120 HSE staff had volunteered to work in nursing homes. He said while it was a small number, it was “a significant increase” from 64 a number of days ago.
He said there was the potential for some home help workers to be deployed to private nursing homes.
“There’s a few issues that nursing home owners and the HSE need to iron out in relation to contracts and insurance and the likes but I expect that all to be bottomed out over this weekend,” he said.
Meetings
The Minister also said notes from meetings with the National Public Health Emergency Team and recommendations it had made to the department and HSE should and would be published.
Mr Harris said the HSE's chief executive Paul Reid would publish a plan in the coming days as to how it plans to ramp up testing to cover 100,000 people a week. He said to date there have been 127,319 tests processed.
The Minister also said he was conscious it was “a tough time for people” but warned against complacency and increased movement.
“One of the reasons why we’ve made huge progress in this country is thanks to people following the public health advice,” he said.
“The more we begin to stretch that advice or decide that we’re going to interpret or reinterpret that advice in our lives, the more we increase movement in our country and the more we increase risk of making ourselves or other people sick and seeing deaths rise in our country.”
He said next week’s meeting with medical leaders would focus on research and that it was important Ireland was “well positioned to benefit from any research and clinical trials in relation to Covid-19”.


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Two charged over £3m cocaine haul found hidden in lorry

Two men have been charged with conspiracy to import Class A drugs after cocaine worth £3 million was discovered in a purpose-built hide in a lorry that had come by ferry from France to Dover .
The National Crime Agency ( NCA ) said lorry driver Gary Sloan ( 50 ) from Magheralin in Northern Ireland , and Jason Bunce ( 57 ) from Kingswood in Kent , were appearing at Canterbury Magistrates ’ Court on Saturday .
A 40-year-old man from Dover , who was detained at a haulage yard in the town , has been released under investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovered by crime agency investigators and border force officers in the operation on Thursday night .
Mr Sloan was arrested after the discovery and Mr Bunce was detained after being stopped near Dover , said the crime agency .
Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and crime agency also carried out searches of properties in Co Derry and Co Armagh .
“ This was a significant seizure of class A drugs which would have generated a large amount of profit for criminals involved in drug supply .
Crime groups involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exploitation , so cutting off their profits reduces the harm they can cause for our communities , ” said Gerry McLean , NCA regional head of investigations .
“ Working with partners like border force and the PSNI we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle gangs involved in drug trafficking , ” he added .
The arrest came days after the crime agency warned that criminals including drug traffickers were continuing their activities despite the coronavirus pandemic .
Last week officers found cocaine worth more than £1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face masks in a Polish-registered van en route to the UK through the Channel Tunnel .
–PA

The arrest came days after the crime agency warned that criminals including drug traffickers were continuing their activities despite the coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: National Crime Agency
Two men have been charged with conspiracy to import Class A drugs after cocaine worth £3 million was discovered in a purpose-built hide in a lorry that had come by ferry from France to Dover.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said lorry driver Gary Sloan (50) from Magheralin in Northern Ireland, and Jason Bunce (57) from Kingswood in Kent, were appearing at Canterbury Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
A 40-year-old man from Dover, who was detained at a haulage yard in the town, has been released under investigation.
At least 36kg of cocaine was recovered by crime agency investigators and border force officers in the operation on Thursday night.
READ MORE
Mr Sloan was arrested after the discovery and Mr Bunce was detained after being stopped near Dover, said the crime agency.
Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and crime agency also carried out searches of properties in Co Derry and Co Armagh.
“This was a significant seizure of class A drugs which would have generated a large amount of profit for criminals involved in drug supply. Crime groups involved in drugs supply are also involved in violence and exploitation, so cutting off their profits reduces the harm they can cause for our communities,” said Gerry McLean, NCA regional head of investigations.
“Working with partners like border force and the PSNI we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle gangs involved in drug trafficking,” he added.
The arrest came days after the crime agency warned that criminals including drug traffickers were continuing their activities despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week officers found cocaine worth more than £1 million hidden in a consignment of protective face masks in a Polish-registered van en route to the UK through the Channel Tunnel. –PA


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Coronavirus: 52 more people die in State, bringing total virus fatalities to 1,063

A further 52 people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland , according to figures published on Saturday , and 377 additional cases of the disease have been confirmed .
The Department of Health said in 42 cases people were confirmed to have died from the disease by a laboratory test , with 10 others classified as having a probable link to the coronavirus .
Under new reporting guidelines all deaths with a “ probable ” link to the illness are being added to the State total , which increased to 1,063 on Saturday .
Three earlier deaths were removed from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relating to fatalities , the department said .
There has been 18,561 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the State to date , with the number growing by 2.1 per cent on Saturday .
Minister for Health Simon Harris has said the week of May 5th , when the latest set of restrictions are due to be reviewed , will not be a “ big bang moment ” in terms of lifting measures introduced to limit the spread of the virus .
“ I ’ m being honest and blunt with people .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not going to be a big-bang moment in terms of the lifting of restrictions , ” he said told reporters on Saturday in Dublin .
“ But what I hope it is , is a period of time in which we can explain to people how we would go about reopening our country , how we would phase that , the issues we would consider and hopefully , but far from guaranteed , the easing of one or two restrictions.
” The HSE on Saturday confirmed that21 people had died of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin ’ s Phoenix Park .
Mr Harris and the HSE extended sympathies to the relatives of the deceased and staff working at the hospital during what the Minister described as a “ traumatic time ” .
The department said that as of Thursday evening , 57 per cent of Irish Covid-19 cases were in females and 43 per cent in males , with an average age of 49 .
The highest concentration of cases is in found in Dublin , where 50 per cent of the total has been recorded , followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A total of 4,847 cases have been associated with healthcare workers .
Fourteen per cent ( 2,536 ) of people confirmed as having the disease have been hospitalised , with 344 admitted to intensive care .
There were 118 people in critical-care beds with confirmed Covid-19 on Thursday , down from 140 last week .
A total of 80 suspected or confirmed cases were on ventilators .
The highest concentration of confirmed Covid-19 patients in critical-care beds is at St James ’ s Hospital ( 14 ) , followed by St Vincent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 11 ) , the Mater ( 10 ) and Beaumont ( 10 ) .
HSE figures show the hospital with most confirmed cases of Covid-19 is the Mater in Dublin , where 103 patients with the disease were on site at 8pm on Friday , followed by Beaumont ( 83 ) , Tallaght ( 74 ) , St James ’ s ( 72 ) and Connolly ( 57 ) .
The data show 1,664 vacant general-care beds in the system , alongside 143 critical-care beds .
Stormont ’ s Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died of the disease , bringing its total reported Covid 19 deaths to 294 , predominantly in hospitals .
Figures including fatalities at care homes and other facilities will be made available next Friday .
Prof Sam McConkey , an infectious disease specialist , on Saturday said it would be “ premature to stop social distancing ” at this stage , despite the disease now having a reduced reproductive rate .
He said it would take several weeks for Covid-19 to “ fizzle out ” .
“ I think it is premature to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he told RTÉ Radio .
He said people still have to maintain a 2m distance “ or it will come back ” .
Prof McConkey said there are places badly hit , such as residential institutions and nursing homes .
These would have a rate different to the general population .
Officials warned against complacency in adhering to social distancing measures ahead of the weekend , with Department of Health chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan saying “ we still have a lot of progress to make in terms of the pattern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t , at the last minute take , as it were , our foot off the gas because we will lose a lot of the progress we have made.
” Dr Holohan said that were the decision to be taken at the moment , “ we would be sticking with the restrictions that are in place as they are ” .
However , Government officials are considering extending the 2km travel limit on households to 5km or possibly 10km as part of a potential future easing of restrictions .
The State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are “ cocooning ” at home so they can go outside for walks and possibly shop in supermarkets during specific hours .

As of Thursday evening, 57% of cases were females and 43% male, with an average age of 49. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
A further 52 people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland, according to figures published on Saturday, and 377 additional cases of the disease have been confirmed.
The Department of Health said in 42 cases people were confirmed to have died from the disease by a laboratory test, with 10 others classified as having a probable link to the coronavirus.
Under new reporting guidelines all deaths with a “probable” link to the illness are being added to the State total, which increased to 1,063 on Saturday. Three earlier deaths were removed from the total following the validation of data relating to fatalities, the department said.
There has been 18,561 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the State to date, with the number growing by 2.1 per cent on Saturday.
READ MORE
Minister for Health Simon Harris has said the week of May 5th, when the latest set of restrictions are due to be reviewed, will not be a "big bang moment" in terms of lifting measures introduced to limit the spread of the virus.
“I’m being honest and blunt with people. I think the week beginning May 5th, is not going to be a big-bang moment in terms of the lifting of restrictions,” he said told reporters on Saturday in Dublin.
Phased reopening
“But what I hope it is, is a period of time in which we can explain to people how we would go about reopening our country, how we would phase that, the issues we would consider and hopefully, but far from guaranteed, the easing of one or two restrictions.”
The HSE on Saturday confirmed that21 people had died of coronavirus at St Mary's Hospital in Dublin's Phoenix Park. Mr Harris and the HSE extended sympathies to the relatives of the deceased and staff working at the hospital during what the Minister described as a "traumatic time".
The department said that as of Thursday evening, 57 per cent of Irish Covid-19 cases were in females and 43 per cent in males, with an average age of 49. The highest concentration of cases is in found in Dublin, where 50 per cent of the total has been recorded, followed by Cork (6 per cent).
A total of 4,847 cases have been associated with healthcare workers.
Fourteen per cent (2,536) of people confirmed as having the disease have been hospitalised, with 344 admitted to intensive care. There were 118 people in critical-care beds with confirmed Covid-19 on Thursday, down from 140 last week. A total of 80 suspected or confirmed cases were on ventilators.
The highest concentration of confirmed Covid-19 patients in critical-care beds is at St James’s Hospital (14), followed by St Vincent’s (11), Drogheda (11), the Mater (10) and Beaumont (10).
HSE figures show the hospital with most confirmed cases of Covid-19 is the Mater in Dublin, where 103 patients with the disease were on site at 8pm on Friday, followed by Beaumont (83), Tallaght (74), St James’s (72) and Connolly (57).
The data show 1,664 vacant general-care beds in the system, alongside 143 critical-care beds.
Stormont’s Department of Health on Saturday said 16 more people had died of the disease, bringing its total reported Covid 19 deaths to 294, predominantly in hospitals. Figures including fatalities at care homes and other facilities will be made available next Friday.
Social distancing
Prof Sam McConkey, an infectious disease specialist, on Saturday said it would be “premature to stop social distancing” at this stage, despite the disease now having a reduced reproductive rate. He said it would take several weeks for Covid-19 to “fizzle out”.
“I think it is premature to stop social distancing at this stage,” he told RTÉ Radio. He said people still have to maintain a 2m distance “or it will come back”.
Prof McConkey said there are places badly hit, such as residential institutions and nursing homes. These would have a rate different to the general population.
Officials warned against complacency in adhering to social distancing measures ahead of the weekend, with Department of Health chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan saying "we still have a lot of progress to make in terms of the pattern of this disease".
“We can’t, at the last minute take, as it were, our foot off the gas because we will lose a lot of the progress we have made.”
Dr Holohan said that were the decision to be taken at the moment, “we would be sticking with the restrictions that are in place as they are”.
However, Government officials are considering extending the 2km travel limit on households to 5km or possibly 10km as part of a potential future easing of restrictions. The State may also change its advice to over-70s who are “cocooning” at home so they can go outside for walks and possibly shop in supermarkets during specific hours.


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Eight-year-old boy’s pedal power raises cash for health workers

A Galway schoolboy is cycling a marathon in an attempt to raise money for the health service .
Dylan Moran , aged eight , from Tuam , is adhering to Ireland ’ s 2km limit for exercise by doing laps of nearby cycle lanes .
He wants to help front-line workers at University Hospital Galway during the lockdown and set out on Saturday morning with his father Declan on the more than 42km ( 26 mile ) cycle .
“ I wanted to raise money to help out the hospital staff during Covid-19 .
I have been cycling a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so I decided I would like to cycle a marathon distance of 42.2km near my house around Tuam on Saturday , April 25th , ” said Dylan .
“ I will use my dad ’ s Garmin to measure the distance .
All the money I raise will go towards helping out the nurses and staff in University Hospital Galway who are working so hard to help stop coronavirus .
I would appreciate if you can donate anything you can.
” The Sylane National School pupil has raised more than €7,000 so @ @ @ @

Dylan Moran: ‘All the money I raise will go towards helping out the nurses and staff in University Hospital Galway.’
A Galway schoolboy is cycling a marathon in an attempt to raise money for the health service.
Dylan Moran, aged eight, from Tuam, is adhering to Ireland’s 2km limit for exercise by doing laps of nearby cycle lanes.
He wants to help front-line workers at University Hospital Galway during the lockdown and set out on Saturday morning with his father Declan on the more than 42km (26 mile) cycle.
“I wanted to raise money to help out the hospital staff during Covid-19. I have been cycling a lot the past few weeks since school closed, so I decided I would like to cycle a marathon distance of 42.2km near my house around Tuam on Saturday, April 25th,” said Dylan.
READ MORE
"I will use my dad's Garmin to measure the distance. All the money I raise will go towards helping out the nurses and staff in University Hospital Galway who are working so hard to help stop coronavirus. I would appreciate if you can donate anything you can."
The Sylane National School pupil has raised more than €7,000 so far. – PA


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Parental alienation awareness to be marked countrywide

Parents across the country are due to mark International Parental Alienation Awareness Day on Saturday .
Parental alienation takes place when one parent , through their actions , behaviour and attitudes , causes a child to be alienated from their other parent .
Alienated parents and grandparents throughout Ireland and the world are taking part in remembrance ceremonies , some of which involve blowing bubbles or sending messages in balloons while others are sharing messages on social media .
The Alienated Parents Support Group said many parents and grandparents are “ understandably upset ” at the fact that they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via the internet or phone during the coronavirus and “ can not wait for the day that isolation and cocooning comes to an end ” .
“ However , for thousands of Irish children , parents and grandparents it will not end , and even worse , some will never get to phone , facetime or even write to their loved ones much less see them , ” it said .
“ These are the forgotten alienated children , parents and grandparents caused by a Family Law Court system that is not fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise awareness about parental alienation and how it is dealt with in the family law system .

Kenn Joyce, (left) spokesman for Alienated Parents Support pictured with Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD (right) and supporters as Irish Parents marked ‘Bubbles of Love Day’ - International Parental Alienation Awareness Day - in Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times
Parents across the country are due to mark International Parental Alienation Awareness Day on Saturday.
Parental alienation takes place when one parent, through their actions, behaviour and attitudes, causes a child to be alienated from their other parent.
Alienated parents and grandparents throughout Ireland and the world are taking part in remembrance ceremonies, some of which involve blowing bubbles or sending messages in balloons while others are sharing messages on social media.
The Alienated Parents Support Group said many parents and grandparents are “understandably upset” at the fact that they can only communicate with their children or grandchildren via the internet or phone during the coronavirus and “cannot wait for the day that isolation and cocooning comes to an end”.
READ MORE
“However, for thousands of Irish children, parents and grandparents it will not end, and even worse, some will never get to phone, facetime or even write to their loved ones much less see them,” it said.
“These are the forgotten alienated children, parents and grandparents caused by a Family Law Court system that is not fit for purpose.”
The group is working to raise awareness about parental alienation and how it is dealt with in the family law system.


theirishtimes--2020-04-25--Coronavirus: Banks expected to restrict mortgage lending over pandemic price fears

People who have provisionally reached mortgage deals with banks since the start of the year could see loan offers pulled and agreed exemptions from Central Bank lending rules taken off the table , a leading mortgage broker has warned .
With the property market stalled in recent weeks as a result of the coronavirus crisis and a huge level of uncertainty surrounding the wider economy , banks are looking at ways of cushioning themselves against the economic aftershocks of the pandemic .
“ What they are saying is that they are going to pull back on the amounts they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come up with more money , ” said Karl Deeter of Irish Mortgage Brokers .
“ One thing banks are factoring in now are price falls and they are pointing out that if prices fall by even 10 per cent in the short term then a first-time borrower who had a loan of 90 per cent with an exemption which allowed them to take out a loan of four or five times their salary would suddenly have a 100 per cent mortgage and affordability might be an issue.
” Some of the leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped offering exemptions to would-be borrowers as a result of the Covid-19 crisis .
Among the lenders which are restricting the level of exemptions they are prepared to approve are Permanent TSB , Ulster Bank and KBC .
Mr Deeter said there was no easy answer to the issue and the lenders were expected to be fair to would-be borrowers while also being prudent .
“ The banks are uncertain but what I would say is likely to happen in the weeks or months ahead is anyone with an exemption who needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exemption pulled.
” Under the Central Bank mortgage lending rules the maximum a person can can borrow is 3½ times annual income and lenders are permitted to give mortgages of no more than 80 per cent of the value of a property , rising to 90 per cent for first-time buyer .
However , lenders also have the discretion to breach the rules for 20 per cent of its mortgage book , as long as they are comfortable that a would-be borrower has the capacity to repay the loan in the agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions for the application of exemptions and they change over the course of the year depending on what funding is available and what percentage of their new lending has availed of the exemptions .
The beginning of the year typically sees an uptick in activity as borrowers seek to gain exemptions before they run out but exemptions can and traditionally are applied throughout the year as if an exemption-approved borrower doesn ’ t draw down their funds within a six-month timeframe , their exemption is given to another applicant .
The deputy governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will have to act “ prudently ” and carefully assess what is affordable for people applying for mortgages in the months ahead as the economy reels from the coronavirus shock .
Ed Sibley said there was a huge level of “ uncertainty ” in the market as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and he stressed that , as the economic storm clouds continue to gather , lenders will have to “ to lend prudently and to look at the affordability of borrowers ” before agreeing to offer home loans .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would-be borrowers could repay and consider the underlying asset value in a market where there was a “ high degree of uncertainty ” .
Mr Sibley said the country would be “ living with Covid-19 for a good deal of time ” and said that outside of the short term impacts which have seen people lose their jobs and apply for payment breaks on their mortgages the “ longer term implications also need to be considered by having a resilient system , a much more resilient system than it was ” at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaking on RTÉ radio on Saturday morning , he stressed that the Central Bank expected lenders to look beyond the immediate , short term implications of the coronavirus crisis and “ to act prudently as well as making sure they are protecting their customers and acting in their best interests ” .

“What they are saying is that they are going to pull back on the amounts they are willing to lend and asking borrowers to come up with more money,” said Karl Deeter of Irish Mortgage Brokers. Photograph: iStock
People who have provisionally reached mortgage deals with banks since the start of the year could see loan offers pulled and agreed exemptions from Central Bank lending rules taken off the table, a leading mortgage broker has warned.
With the property market stalled in recent weeks as a result of the coronavirus crisis and a huge level of uncertainty surrounding the wider economy, banks are looking at ways of cushioning themselves against the economic aftershocks of the pandemic.
“What they are saying is that they are going to pull back on the amounts they are willing to lend and asking borrowers to come up with more money,” said Karl Deeter of Irish Mortgage Brokers.
“One thing banks are factoring in now are price falls and they are pointing out that if prices fall by even 10 per cent in the short term then a first-time borrower who had a loan of 90 per cent with an exemption which allowed them to take out a loan of four or five times their salary would suddenly have a 100 per cent mortgage and affordability might be an issue.”
READ MORE
Some of the leading mortgage lenders in the State have already stopped offering exemptions to would-be borrowers as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
Among the lenders which are restricting the level of exemptions they are prepared to approve are Permanent TSB, Ulster Bank and KBC.
Mr Deeter said there was no easy answer to the issue and the lenders were expected to be fair to would-be borrowers while also being prudent. “The banks are uncertain but what I would say is likely to happen in the weeks or months ahead is anyone with an exemption who needs to have their loan offer renewed will see the exemption pulled.”
Under the Central Bank mortgage lending rules the maximum a person can can borrow is 3½ times annual income and lenders are permitted to give mortgages of no more than 80 per cent of the value of a property, rising to 90 per cent for first-time buyer.
However, lenders also have the discretion to breach the rules for 20 per cent of its mortgage book, as long as they are comfortable that a would-be borrower has the capacity to repay the loan in the agreed time-frame.
All lenders have their own conditions for the application of exemptions and they change over the course of the year depending on what funding is available and what percentage of their new lending has availed of the exemptions.
The beginning of the year typically sees an uptick in activity as borrowers seek to gain exemptions before they run out but exemptions can and traditionally are applied throughout the year as if an exemption-approved borrower doesn’t draw down their funds within a six-month timeframe, their exemption is given to another applicant.
The deputy governor of the Central Bank has warned banks that will have to act “prudently” and carefully assess what is affordable for people applying for mortgages in the months ahead as the economy reels from the coronavirus shock.
Ed Sibley said there was a huge level of “uncertainty” in the market as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and he stressed that, as the economic storm clouds continue to gather, lenders will have to “to lend prudently and to look at the affordability of borrowers” before agreeing to offer home loans.
He called on banks to focus on what would-be borrowers could repay and consider the underlying asset value in a market where there was a “high degree of uncertainty”.
Mr Sibley said the country would be "living with Covid-19 for a good deal of time" and said that outside of the short term impacts which have seen people lose their jobs and apply for payment breaks on their mortgages the "longer term implications also need to be considered by having a resilient system, a much more resilient system than it was" at the time of the last economic crash.
Speaking on RTÉ radio on Saturday morning, he stressed that the Central Bank expected lenders to look beyond the immediate, short term implications of the coronavirus crisis and "to act prudently as well as making sure they are protecting their customers and acting in their best interests".


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Stormont: Brandon Lewis exceeded powers in introducing abortion regulations

The Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis exceeded his powers in introducing abortion regulations , Stormont ’ s chief legal adviser has said .
It is doubtful whether the legislation gives adequate European Convention on Human Rights-based protection to the rights of those opposed on religious or philosophical grounds , attorney general John Larkin QC added .
The lawyer wrote : “ This is of political and legal significance and , given that the relevant judgment call is best made by a local legislature , it may be inappropriate for the provision to have been so limited in light of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberalising access to terminations in the region was introduced in March .
Julian Smith was the secretary of state when the regulations were being consulted on , but he was replaced by Brandon Lewis in February .
Ministers in Belfast have not introduced local provision after Mr Larkin raised legal points .
He gave written evidence to a House of Lords committee which published its report this week .
The Government introduced regulations allowing abortions last month after MPs passed a law last year in the absence of the devolved Assembly at Stormont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my view , it is disproportionate in the Northern Irish context ( and therefore contrary to article 9 of the Convention ) to require those who undertake ancillary , administrative and managerial tasks to act contrary to their conscience for service maintenance reasons as set out in the consultation response ( particularly when the anticipated impact could be avoided through commissioning a dedicated service ) .
“ Providing for broader conscience protection in regulation 12 would have been possible and would have assisted with Convention compliance by health and social care trusts.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Northern Ireland for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to 24 weeks where there is a risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl .
Abortion will also be available in cases of severe and fatal foetal anomalies , with no gestational limit .
Former Police Ombudsman Baroness Nuala O ’ Loan also told the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee of peers the regulations contained “ grave flaws ” .
She wrote : “ It is both deeply controversial in Northern Ireland because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses and midwives , and because it is my submission that the Secretary of State has acted beyond his competence and the regulations ‘ imperfectly achieve the policy objective ’ .
“ It was also preceded by a flawed consultation process.
” Regulation 12 provides limited legal protection for medical practitioners who object to abortion .
Baroness O ’ Loan added : “ It is my further contention that regulation 12 discriminates against individuals on the grounds of their religious belief or political opinion.
” She said the narrow definition given to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to direct discrimination against individuals who on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion conscientiously objected to abortion .
She added the consultation which led to the regulations was “ deeply flawed ” since it only lasted for six weeks and was conducted during a General Election .
“ Legislating for abortion and freedom of conscience is a devolved matter .
“ Even were one to accept that the absence of a functioning Assembly gave Westminster a moral right to legislate , the fact is that the Northern Ireland Assembly was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations were laid.
” The former Ombudsman added : “ The Northern Ireland Office ( NIO ) did not engage in a meaningful consultation with the Northern Ireland Executive or the Assembly more broadly on conscience .
“ This was an affront to the people of Northern Ireland and wholly wrong.
” –PA

The Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis exceeded his powers in introducing abortion regulations, Stormont's chief legal adviser has said.
It is doubtful whether the legislation gives adequate European Convention on Human Rights-based protection to the rights of those opposed on religious or philosophical grounds, attorney general John Larkin QC added.
The lawyer wrote: “This is of political and legal significance and, given that the relevant judgment call is best made by a local legislature, it may be inappropriate for the provision to have been so limited in light of the changed political context.”
A major change liberalising access to terminations in the region was introduced in March.
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Julian Smith was the secretary of state when the regulations were being consulted on, but he was replaced by Brandon Lewis in February.
Ministers in Belfast have not introduced local provision after Mr Larkin raised legal points.
He gave written evidence to a House of Lords committee which published its report this week.
The Government introduced regulations allowing abortions last month after MPs passed a law last year in the absence of the devolved Assembly at Stormont.
Mr Larkin wrote: “In my view, it is disproportionate in the Northern Irish context (and therefore contrary to article 9 of the Convention) to require those who undertake ancillary, administrative and managerial tasks to act contrary to their conscience for service maintenance reasons as set out in the consultation response (particularly when the anticipated impact could be avoided through commissioning a dedicated service).
“Providing for broader conscience protection in regulation 12 would have been possible and would have assisted with Convention compliance by health and social care trusts.”
New official regulations allow terminations on request in Northern Ireland for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to 24 weeks where there is a risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl.
Abortion will also be available in cases of severe and fatal foetal anomalies, with no gestational limit.
Former Police Ombudsman Baroness Nuala O’Loan also told the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee of peers the regulations contained “grave flaws”.
She wrote: “It is both deeply controversial in Northern Ireland because of its implications for people, doctors, nurses and midwives, and because it is my submission that the Secretary of State has acted beyond his competence and the regulations ‘imperfectly achieve the policy objective’.
“It was also preceded by a flawed consultation process.”
Regulation 12 provides limited legal protection for medical practitioners who object to abortion.
Baroness O’Loan added: “It is my further contention that regulation 12 discriminates against individuals on the grounds of their religious belief or political opinion.”
She said the narrow definition given to the term ‘treatment’ in the regulation led to direct discrimination against individuals who on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion conscientiously objected to abortion.
She added the consultation which led to the regulations was “deeply flawed” since it only lasted for six weeks and was conducted during a General Election.
“Legislating for abortion and freedom of conscience is a devolved matter.
“Even were one to accept that the absence of a functioning Assembly gave Westminster a moral right to legislate, the fact is that the Northern Ireland Assembly was restored in January, long before the regulations were laid.”
The former Ombudsman added: “The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) did not engage in a meaningful consultation with the Northern Ireland Executive or the Assembly more broadly on conscience.
“This was an affront to the people of Northern Ireland and wholly wrong.”–PA


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Coronavirus: Testing can be scaled up to 100,000 per week as ‘roadmap’ agreed, HSE chief says

The HSE will be able to scale up to carry out 100,000 Covid-19 tests per week by the third week of May despite initial concerns , the organisation ’ s chief executive Paul Reid has said .
A road map had been agreed with the HSE and senior Department of Health officials , including the secretary general , for how testing capacity could be built up in the coming weeks , and a joint paper would be put to Cabinet on the plan next week .
On Saturday The Irish Times reported that the HSE had expressed concern over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emergency Team ( NPHET ) that testing is to be significantly expanded to cover 100,000 suspected cases a week .
This follows an expansion of testing to all residents and staff in nursing homes with outbreaks of the virus .
Within the HSE there was understood to have been worries about capacity and concern at the process that led to the announcement of the move , as well as what was seen as a lack of consultation .
Commenting on Sunday at a briefing in UCD , Mr Reid said he would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be tensions between the HSE and the department in his role but they were “ constructive tensions.
” “ The key issues for us were what is the roadmap that gets us to 100,000 [ tests ] … The concerns were in terms of the timing to get us to 100,000 , ” he said .
There are 18,561 confirmed coronavirus cases in the Republic and 1,063 people have died from the virus , according to figures published on Saturday by NPHET .
Mr Reid said the HSE had been operating on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the crisis but a more sustainable model would be needed into the future , as it was clear the country would be dealing with the coronavirus “ well into 2020 , most likely into 2021 , ” he said .
The HSE was planning to place an order for another significant shipment of personal protection equipment ( PPE ) from China , worth between €150-200 million , Mr Reid said .
However , the long term plan would be to develop a “ reliable and sustainable ” supply of crucial PPE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish businesses .
“ There have many good examples of SMEs who have put on the green jersey and redesigned their business models to supply us with much needed protection , ” Mr Reid said .
There are currently 27 laboratories carrying out coronavirus tests , including the national lab in UCD , several acute hospitals , a Department of Agriculture facility , Enfer , and contracted labs in Germany .
Currently the system had a capacity to process a peak of 10,000 tests a day , Mr Reid said .
Some 29 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 tests were open this week , and others could be opened as needed to meet the testing demand , officials said .
Admissions of Covid-19 patients into acute hospitals and intensive care units has remained stable in recent weeks , despite fears the system could be overrun as confirmed cases increased as seen in countries like Italy .
There are 749 coronavirus patients in hospital , and 123 of those are in intensive care , Anne O ’ Connor , HSE chief operations officer told the briefing .
There are also 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 139 ICU beds available , with space to open more in the event of a surge in severe cases .
Only 150 private consultants have signed up to work as public consultants during the crisis to date , the briefing heard .
The HSE ’ s self isolation facility has had 190 people admitted and 102 discharged , and has not “ reached the maximum capacity , ” Ms O ’ Connor said .
There were some 4,500 HSE staff out sick currently , either in self-isolation with the coronavirus , with suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ms O ’ Connor said .
The HSE is hoping to launch a pilot of a contact tracing mobile phone app next month , but discussions were still ongoing with the Data Protection Commissioner over the details of the app , Mr Reid said .

The HSE said it will be able to scale up to carry out 100,000 Covid-19 tests per week by the third week of May.
The Department of Health has reported that another 26 people have died from Covid-19 and a further 701 new cases of the disease have been confirmed.
This brings the death toll of confirmed and probable coronavirus-related deaths to 1,087 in the Republic and the total number of known cases to 19,262.
Data validated by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre resulted in the “denotification” of two deaths where people originally thought to have been victims of Covid-19 were later found to have died from an unrelated issue.
These two deaths are reflected in the overall death toll figure of 1,087.
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The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) at the department - the group responsible for the State’s public health response to the pandemic - released further details of 18,431 Covid-19 cases up to Friday, April 24th.
The figures showed that a further five people with the coronavirus disease were admitted to intensive care units (ICU) in the prior 24-hour period, bringing to 349 cases the number in ICU as a result of the disease.
The median age of the 18,431 cases as of Friday was 49 years.
The gender breakdown was 57 per cent female and 42 per cent made.
Healthcare workers continue to be among the largest group of people affected. Some 5,064 infected people in Friday’s analysed sample were healthcare workers, an increase of 217 in a day.
Health Service Executive chief Paul Reid during his briefing at University College Dublin where he said systems which had been established for three to six months would now be needed for a much longer period, perhaps into next year. Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland/PA Wire
Hospitalised
A further 40 people were hospitalised as a result of the disease, bringing to 2,576 the number of people with Covid-19 in the country’s hospitals, keeping the proportion of hospitalisations at 14 per cent of all cases.
There was a surge again in the percentage of cases transmitted in the community to 63 per cent of the cases for whom transmission status was known. That percentage was 48 per cent in the previous day’s figures.
Close contacts accounted for 33 per cent of transmissions, down from 48 per cent a day earlier, on Thursday.
Dublin remains the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak with 9,224 cases out of the analysed 18,431, or 50 per cent of all cases - a rise of 214 cases over the 24-hour period examined in detail by the HPSC.
Cork had 1,110 cases - 6 per cent of the total - up from 1,103 cases the previous day.
Earlier the HSE chief executive Paul Reid said it will be able to scale up to carry out 100,000 Covid-19 tests per week by the third week of May despite initial concerns.
A road map had been agreed with the HSE and senior Department of Health officials, including the secretary general, for how testing capacity could be built up in the coming weeks, and a joint paper would be put to Cabinet on the plan next week.
On Saturday The Irish Times reportedthat the HSE had expressed concern over a recent announcement by NPHET that testing is to be significantly expanded to cover 100,000 suspected cases a week. This follows an expansion of testing to all residents and staff in nursing homes with outbreaks of the virus.
Within the HSE there was understood to have been worries about capacity and concern at the process that led to the announcement of the move, as well as what was seen as a lack of consultation.
‘Constructive tensions’
Commenting on Sunday at a briefing in UCD, Mr Reid said he would have been naïve to think there would not be tensions between the HSE and the department in his role but they were “constructive tensions.”
“The key issues for us were what is the roadmap that gets us to 100,000 [TESTS]… The concerns were in terms of the timing to get us to 100,000,” he said.
Mr Reid said the HSE had been operating on a “war zone” footing since the start of the crisis but a more sustainable model would be needed into the future, as it was clear the country would be dealing with the coronavirus “well into 2020, most likely into 2021,” he said.
The HSE was planning to place an order for another significant shipment of personal protection equipment (PPE) from China, worth between €150-200 million, Mr Reid said.
However, the long term plan would be to develop a “reliable and sustainable” supply of crucial PPE such as surgical masks and gowns from Irish businesses.
“There have many good examples of SMEs who have put on the green jersey and redesigned their business models to supply us with much needed protection,” Mr Reid said.
There are currently 27 laboratories carrying out coronavirus tests, including the national lab in UCD, several acute hospitals, a Department of Agriculture facility, Enfer, and contracted labs in Germany. Currently the system had a capacity to process a peak of 10,000 tests a day, Mr Reid said.
Some 29 of the 47 community swabbing centres for Covid-19 tests were open this week, and others could be opened as needed to meet the testing demand, officials said.
Admissions of Covid-19 patients into acute hospitals and intensive care units has remained stable in recent weeks, despite fears the system could be overrun as confirmed cases increased as seen in countries like Italy.
There are 749 coronavirus patients in hospital, and 123 of those are in intensive care, Anne O’Connor, HSE chief operations officer told the briefing.
There are also 150 non-coronavirus patients in intensive care, leaving 139 ICU beds available, with space to open more in the event of a surge in severe cases.
Only 150 private consultants have signed up to work as public consultants during the crisis to date, the briefing heard.
The HSE’s self isolation facility has had 190 people admitted and 102 discharged, and has not “reached the maximum capacity,” Ms O’Connor said.
There were some 4,500 HSE staff out sick currently, either in self-isolation with the coronavirus, with suspected Covid-19 symptoms, or for other reasons, Ms O’Connor said.
The HSE is hoping to launch a pilot of a contact tracing mobile phone app next month, but discussions were still ongoing with the Data Protection Commissioner over the details of the app, Mr Reid said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Three men arrested over €2.5m cocaine seizure in Dublin

Three men have been arrested in connection with the seizure of cocaine worth an estimated €2.5 million .
Gardaí stopped @ @ @ @ @ the Blakes Cross area of Co Dublin yesterday as part of an intelligence led operation @ @ @ @ @ National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau ( GNDOCB ) .
The men , aged 44 @ @ @ @ @ arrested at athe scene and are being held at two Dublin Garda stations .
Detective @ @ @ @ @ who is head of Bureau at GNDOCB , said “ The Garda Síochána is committed @ @ @ @ @ organised criminals supplying drugs to our communities .
This seizure of a substantial quantity of @ @ @ @ @ this supply and enabling us to keep people safe.
” Assistant Commissioner John O ’ @ @ @ @ @ Operations said “ We continue to pursue those who engage in serious and organised crime @ @ @ @ @ the organised crime groups they are associated with .
This seizure of what is believed @ @ @ @ @ subsequent arrest of three suspects will assist in achieving that objective ” .

Gardaí investigating the discovery of cocaine valued at €2.5 million believe it had been imported by the Kinahan cartel and was destined for sale in Ireland on both sides of the Border.
Three men were arrested during a suspected handover of the drugs which gardaí believe were destined for a criminal gang just south of the Border.
However, Garda sources believe a consignment of €2.5 million was too big to service even the larger towns around the Border and they suspect it was set to be sold to users in the Republic and the North.
The seizure of the drugs, the largest haul found so far this year, resulted from an intelligence-led Garda operation that had been underway for some time by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau under Det Chief Supt Angela Willis.
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As part of the investigation a number of suspects were under surveillance and gardaí moved in and seized the drugs at a service station off the M1 in north Co Dublin on Saturday afternoon.
Investigating gardaí believe the drugs had come into the country in container freight and that they were being delivered to an Irishman collecting the consignment on behalf of a gang based close to the Border.
The men arrested were being detained at two Garda stations in Dublin under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act. They are aged 44, 48 and 59 years. Two of the men are from Eastern Europe while the other is Irish.
Parcels
The drugs were packaged into parcels wrapped in plastic and gardaí suspect the consignment had arrived at the scene of the arrests in two vehicles and was about to be swapped into a third.
Garda sources said the seizure of the drugs demonstrated that gangs were attempting to continue their illegal trade despite the Covid-19 restrictions. However, they said the restrictions had resulted in much lighter traffic on the roads meaning efforts to move drugs around by car or truck were higher risk at the present time.
Gardaí have seized firearms and drugs during the duration of the lockdown period as investigations into organised crime continue despite the significant policing operation underway to enforce Covid-19 restrictions across the country.
“The Garda Síochána is committed to disrupting the activities of organised criminals supplying drugs to our communities,” Det Chief Supt Willis said in a statement issued by Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin.
“This seizure of a substantial quantity of cocaine is significant in disrupting this supply and enabling us to keep people safe.”
Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, who leads Special Crime Operations in the Garda, said there would be no interruption to investigations into serious crime.
“”We continue to pursue those who engage in serious and organised crime with a view to dismantling the organised crime groups they are associated with,” he said.
“This seizure of what is believed to be cocaine and the subsequent arrest of three suspects will assist in achieving that objective.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Human rights watchdog calls for more oversight on Covid-19 policing powers

The State ’ s human rights watchdog has called for more oversight on whether policing powers given to the Garda during the coronavirus crisis “ are being exercised proportionately ” .
Under emergency legislation introduced to slow the spread of the disease , also known as Covid-19 , gardaí can direct people more than 2km from where they live to return home , and non-compliance can be punished by a fine of up to €2,500 or six months in jail .
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission ( IHREC ) said “ more information is required to assess whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and whether they are being implemented in line with human rights and equality principles ” .
“ The commission believes that more detailed data is required to consider how the implementation of this legislation is impacting people in different sectors of society.
” While the Garda publish figures on how many arrests have been made under the powers , more extensive data , for example on how often they have been invoked to force someone to return home , is not available .
Tony Geoghegan , the acting chief commissioner of IHREC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available , for example on where checkpoints are being set up .
“ One would like to see that it ’ s not just focused in a particular area of disadvantage , that they are being used equitably across the State , ” he said .
“ It ’ s in recognition of the enormity of these acts , and the requirement in a democratic society that there is sufficient oversight of them , ” he said .
“ We are in uncharted waters , these are unprecedented powers that have been set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also calling for direct parliamentary oversight of how emergency powers are being exercised across the State , either through a dedicated human rights committee , or an enhanced role for the Oireachtas justice committee .
Following a meeting on Friday night , IHREC recommended “ as a matter of urgency , the establishment of a mechanism to provide close parliamentary oversight of the implementation of emergency legislation ” .
A review of the powers published last week by the Policing Authority found that the Garda “ fully understands the temporary and exceptional nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their use be “ appropriately and fully recorded ” .
It said , however , that a “ more settled and complete information base ” was needed about how the powers are being used .
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has also called for minimal use of the new powers .
IHREC said it plans to write to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in the coming days about the matter .
Mr Geoghegan also called for more detailed data to be published on who is falling ill with Covid-19 , including vulnerable cohorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to inform policy responses .
“ The more data we have , the better information it gives us to target resources , ” he said .
IHREC said the Covid-19 crisis is “ already impacting , and will continue to impact , different people more acutely than others , including older people , people with disabilities , residents in direct provision , Travellers , homeless people , people experiencing domestic violence and people in precarious employment .
”

The State’s human rights watchdog has called for more oversight on whether policing powers given to the Garda during the coronavirus crisis “are being exercised proportionately”.
Under emergency legislation introduced to slow the spread of the disease, also known as Covid-19, gardaí can direct people more than 2km from where they live to return home, and non-compliance can be punished by a fine of up to €2,500 or six months in jail.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) said “more information is required to assess whether these new powers are being exercised proportionately, and whether they are being implemented in line with human rights and equality principles”.
“The commission believes that more detailed data is required to consider how the implementation of this legislation is impacting people in different sectors of society.”
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Arrests
While the Garda publish figures on how many arrests have been made under the powers, more extensive data, for example on how often they have been invoked to force someone to return home, is not available.
Tony Geoghegan, the acting chief commissioner of IHREC, said he wanted more data made available, for example on where checkpoints are being set up. "One would like to see that it's not just focused in a particular area of disadvantage, that they are being used equitably across the State," he said.
“It’s in recognition of the enormity of these acts, and the requirement in a democratic society that there is sufficient oversight of them,” he said. “We are in uncharted waters, these are unprecedented powers that have been set out on everybody.”
The watchdog is also calling for direct parliamentary oversight of how emergency powers are being exercised across the State, either through a dedicated human rights committee, or an enhanced role for the Oireachtas justice committee.
Following a meeting on Friday night, IHREC recommended “as a matter of urgency, the establishment of a mechanism to provide close parliamentary oversight of the implementation of emergency legislation”.
Vulnerable
A review of the powers published last week by the Policing Authority found that the Garda "fully understands the temporary and exceptional nature of the new powers" and that their use be "appropriately and fully recorded". It said, however, that a "more settled and complete information base" was needed about how the powers are being used. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has also called for minimal use of the new powers.
IHREC said it plans to write to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in the coming days about the matter. Mr Geoghegan also called for more detailed data to be published on who is falling ill with Covid-19, including vulnerable cohorts such as minorities, or the homeless, to inform policy responses. "The more data we have, the better information it gives us to target resources," he said.
IHREC said the Covid-19 crisis is “already impacting, and will continue to impact, different people more acutely than others, including older people, people with disabilities, residents in direct provision, Travellers, homeless people, people experiencing domestic violence and people in precarious employment.”