theirishtimes--2020-10-15--How Abbeyleix raised its bog standards to the hightst level

The flood of well-founded bad news about the climate and biodiversity crises can be overwhelming .
So it is invigorating to find islands of ecological restoration , where this deluge has not only been halted , but reversed .
Even small , unlikely examples , like the Abbeyleix Bog Project , can offer valuable lessons for progress on a larger scale , not least in its exemplary monitoring of its outcomes by scientists and the local community .
And the latest survey on the state of this bog , just completed by ecologists Fernando Fernandez and Willie Crowley , reveals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started in 2009 , only 1.12 hectares , of 103 in the key high bog area , qualified as “ active raised bog ” .
This is an EU priority habitat where peat is regenerating , carbon is being sequestered , and biodiversity is flourishing in a high-quality native plant community .
Today , this area has expanded to 13.78 hectares .
In the same period , carbon emissions from the high bog area as a whole have halved , the equivalent of 81 fewer standard cars on the road per year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has steadily improved .
This rapid recovery is all the more noteworthy as the site had been dismissed as a “ crap bog ” by wetlands scientist Jim Ryan in the 1990s .
At that time , he had the unenviable task of rapidly assessing the conservation and restoration potential of dozens of peatlands for the National Parks and Wildlife Service ( NPWS ) , as the EU Habitats Directive kicked in .
Ryan has long since cheerfully admitted he was wrong in this instance .
“ You can offer my apologies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he says wryly today .
“ Abbeyleix is now top of our restoration class.
” This site was once a classic midlands raised bog .
These are distinctive ecosystems with very complex hydrology , creating over centuries in a characteristic domed topography ( the high bog ) .
The dome is produced by the accumulation of peat-producing vegetation , dominated by sphagnum mosses , and fed by rainwater .
Raised bogs are usually associated with an adjacent fen or “ lagg ” fed by groundwater .
Ireland was one of the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But most of our raised bogs have been destroyed or critically damaged by turf extraction , which makes restoration exceptionally difficult .
Abbeyleix is unusual in that turf was never extracted from its high bog , but only from the surrounding land .
This now forms revegetating “ cutover ” , as manual turf cutting here ended in the 1960s .
It also retains some aspects of the lagg feature , which has been mostly lost elsewhere .
However , the high bog nearly suffered death by a thousand cuts when Bord na @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channels in the 1980s , to dry out the bog for strip-mining .
But when the board attempted to start extraction in 2000 , it was literally stopped in its tracks by a broad coalition of local people , boldly obstructing the only entry with a crane .
Thestory of their nine-year battle to save the bog has been told elsewhere .
In a remarkable turnaround , the board finally agreed to help the Abbeyleix Bog Committee restore the bog , with the collaboration of the NPWS .
Catherine Farrell , then the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jim Ryan , played leading advisory roles .
Their expertise , plus heavy lifting from a local contractor ’ s excavator , blocking the drains so recently dug , were central to the project .
But Farrell and Ryan both give the main credit to the local community , who participate so actively in surveys , and in developing the bog as a sustainable amenity for residents and visitors , including a boardwalk and signage ( see panel ) .
Preventing further degradation of the bog was one thing .
But no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by drain blockage would be enough to renew the elaborate network of ecological and hydrological processes that form peat-producing plant communities .
Recovery was slow at first , with the vestigial active raised bog only expanding from one to three hectares in the first five years .
But at a public meeting just a year into the project , Ryan had expressed delighted surprise at how high the water table in the high bog had risen .
He hazarded a guess that the active raised bog could eventually expand to 15 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows this target is now within easy reach .
He believes today that the active carbon-sequestering area could reach 20 per cent , but he stresses that , as a target elsewhere , anything above 10 per cent would be good restoration .
Moreover , he reminds us that degraded bogs emit very significant amounts of CO2 , so that while sequestering carbon is the optimal result , reducing emissions , and increasing biodiversity , where sequestration is not possible is a very significant additional benefit .
“ So now we have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he says .
“ But also , with rewetting the rest of the dome , we were reducing emissions from the outset.
” The new survey advocates a further programme of drain blocking to rewet the surrounding cutaway areas , which will also further reduce emissions .
He supports this recommendation , but he points out a familiar restoration dilemma .
The cutaway has spontaneously produced vegetation communities of its own , and while some invasive species are present , valuable native plants not typical of raised bog must not be destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ element of triage in thinking about these issues .
“ If we can restore the cutover in an integrated way with the raised bog , and bring back a fully functioning lagg zone so that the water table fluctuates , we will have a model restoration success story.
” Every bog presents its own challenges , but given the vast peatland restorations currently proposed by BnM , Coillte and the NPWS , one has to hope that they will all study this model carefully .
The Society for Ecological Restoration advocates a rigorous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first principle set out in its 2019international standards is to “ engage stakeholders ” .
All involved in the Abbeyleix project agree .
“ The enthusiasm and commitment of the local community is the keystone , ” says Catherine Farrell .
“ Not all bogs will have such an immediate and local interest , but community engagement is paramount .
The locals then emerge as custodians of their nearby restored bog , while the wider community reaps the rewards of improved biodiversity , water and carbon benefits.
” Jim Ryan concurs : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big lesson here , it can achieve a lot more than a central authority with no boots on the ground.
” Abbeyleix local Chris Uys started out as one of the activists blocking BnM ’ s diggers .
He is now development officer for the national Community Wetlands Forum , and says a “ social ecosystem , multistakeholder approach is vital for restoration success ” .
Jenny Kent , owner of the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel , adjacent to the bog , closed during the lockdown but found her car park filling up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened a coffee truck , which gave the hotel badly needed funds to cover overheads .
She adds : “ I also observed that the walk , coupled with our offering , provided people with a modicum of safe social interaction and exercise , with positive mental and physical health outcomes .
A lot of our older customers were very isolated during this time .
It was wonderful to see them out and enjoying our local amenity.
” Who knew a restored bog could bring so many benefits ?

Sphagnum mosses, commonly known as peat mosses, provide essential ecosystem services. These specialised species of bryophytes not only sequester and store carbon in vast quantities but as a collection of hollow cells also store or retain water in large quantities, thus greatly reducing flood risks. Photograph: APB
The flood of well-founded bad news about the climate and biodiversity crises can be overwhelming. So it is invigorating to find islands of ecological restoration, where this deluge has not only been halted, but reversed.
Even small, unlikely examples, like the Abbeyleix Bog Project , can offer valuable lessons for progress on a larger scale, not least in its exemplary monitoring of its outcomes by scientists and the local community.
And the latest survey on the state of this bog, just completed by ecologists Fernando Fernandez and Willie Crowley, reveals some remarkable findings.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Socio-economic benefits: Following the Covid-19 lockdown in March this year, the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel opened a coffee dock in its car park to capitalise on increasing numbers of recreational visitors to the adjacent Abbeyleix Bog Project. Photograph: APB
When the project started in 2009, only 1.12 hectares, of 103 in the key high bog area, qualified as “active raised bog”. This is an EU priority habitat where peat is regenerating, carbon is being sequestered, and biodiversity is flourishing in a high-quality native plant community. Today, this area has expanded to 13.78 hectares.
READ MORE
In the same period, carbon emissions from the high bog area as a whole have halved, the equivalent of 81 fewer standard cars on the road per year, as its general ecological and hydrological quality has steadily improved.
This rapid recovery is all the more noteworthy as the site had been dismissed as a "crap bog" by wetlands scientist Jim Ryan in the 1990s. At that time, he had the unenviable task of rapidly assessing the conservation and restoration potential of dozens of peatlands for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), as the EU Habitats Directive kicked in.
Ryan has long since cheerfully admitted he was wrong in this instance. “You can offer my apologies to the Irish nation for that remark,” he says wryly today. “Abbeyleix is now top of our restoration class.”
This site was once a classic midlands raised bog. These are distinctive ecosystems with very complex hydrology, creating over centuries in a characteristic domed topography (the high bog). The dome is produced by the accumulation of peat-producing vegetation, dominated by sphagnum mosses, and fed by rainwater. Raised bogs are usually associated with an adjacent fen or “lagg” fed by groundwater.
Ireland was one of the last strongholds in Europe of these systems. But most of our raised bogs have been destroyed or critically damaged by turf extraction, which makes restoration exceptionally difficult.
Abbeyleix is unusual in that turf was never extracted from its high bog, but only from the surrounding land. This now forms revegetating “cutover”, as manual turf cutting here ended in the 1960s. It also retains some aspects of the lagg feature, which has been mostly lost elsewhere.
However, the high bog nearly suffered death by a thousand cuts when Bord na Móna (BnM) inserted intensive drainage channels in the 1980s, to dry out the bog for strip-mining.
But when the board attempted to start extraction in 2000, it was literally stopped in its tracks by a broad coalition of local people, boldly obstructing the only entry with a crane. Thestory of their nine-year battle to save the bog has been told elsewhere. In a remarkable turnaround, the board finally agreed to help the Abbeyleix Bog Committee restore the bog, with the collaboration of the NPWS.
Catherine Farrell, then the board's innovative chief ecologist, and Jim Ryan, played leading advisory roles. Their expertise, plus heavy lifting from a local contractor's excavator, blocking the drains so recently dug, were central to the project. But Farrell and Ryan both give the main credit to the local community, who participate so actively in surveys, and in developing the bog as a sustainable amenity for residents and visitors, including a boardwalk and signage (see panel).
Preventing further degradation of the bog was one thing. But no one knew for sure whether rewetting it by drain blockage would be enough to renew the elaborate network of ecological and hydrological processes that form peat-producing plant communities. Recovery was slow at first, with the vestigial active raised bog only expanding from one to three hectares in the first five years.
But at a public meeting just a year into the project, Ryan had expressed delighted surprise at how high the water table in the high bog had risen. He hazarded a guess that the active raised bog could eventually expand to 15 per cent of the dome. The new report shows this target is now within easy reach.
He believes today that the active carbon-sequestering area could reach 20 per cent, but he stresses that, as a target elsewhere, anything above 10 per cent would be good restoration.
Moreover, he reminds us that degraded bogs emit very significant amounts of CO2, so that while sequestering carbon is the optimal result, reducing emissions, and increasing biodiversity, where sequestration is not possible is a very significant additional benefit.
“So now we have a model for restoring active raised bog,” he says. “But also, with rewetting the rest of the dome, we were reducing emissions from the outset.”
The new survey advocates a further programme of drain blocking to rewet the surrounding cutaway areas, which will also further reduce emissions.
He supports this recommendation, but he points out a familiar restoration dilemma. The cutaway has spontaneously produced vegetation communities of its own, and while some invasive species are present, valuable native plants not typical of raised bog must not be destroyed. As always, there is an element of triage in thinking about these issues.
“If we can restore the cutover in an integrated way with the raised bog, and bring back a fully functioning lagg zone so that the water table fluctuates, we will have a model restoration success story.”
Every bog presents its own challenges, but given the vast peatland restorations currently proposed by BnM, Coillte and the NPWS, one has to hope that they will all study this model carefully.
Empirical approach to restoring ecosystems
The Society for Ecological Restoration advocates a rigorous scientific approach to restoring ecosystems, but the first principle set out in its 2019international standards is to "engage stakeholders". All involved in the Abbeyleix project agree.
“The enthusiasm and commitment of the local community is the keystone,” says Catherine Farrell. “Not all bogs will have such an immediate and local interest, but community engagement is paramount. The locals then emerge as custodians of their nearby restored bog, while the wider community reaps the rewards of improved biodiversity, water and carbon benefits.”
Jim Ryan concurs: “A fully engaged community is the big lesson here, it can achieve a lot more than a central authority with no boots on the ground.”
Abbeyleix local Chris Uys started out as one of the activists blocking BnM's diggers. He is now development officer for the national Community Wetlands Forum, and says a "social ecosystem, multistakeholder approach is vital for restoration success".
Jenny Kent, owner of the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, adjacent to the bog, closed during the lockdown but found her car park filling up with people coming to the bog. She opened a coffee truck, which gave the hotel badly needed funds to cover overheads.
She adds: “I also observed that the walk, coupled with our offering, provided people with a modicum of safe social interaction and exercise, with positive mental and physical health outcomes. A lot of our older customers were very isolated during this time. It was wonderful to see them out and enjoying our local amenity.”
Who knew a restored bog could bring so many benefits?


theirishtimes--2020-10-15--Was the aid worse than the tsunami?

Was the aid worse than the tsunami?

We have seen the scenario many times : TV news reports a natural disaster in a remote area and the humanitarian aid is marshalled to alleviate the crisis .
Unfortunately , in some cases , humanitarian aid worsens rather than improves the situation , often because the aid is culturally inappropriate .
Ajay Saini and Simron J Singh describe how such a scenario played out after the devastating 2004 tsunami hit the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal ( Scientific American , April 2020 ) .
Another case study by Singh and Willi Haas appears in the EU Civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Handbook .
The 2001 census recorded 42,000 inhabitants on the Nicobar Islands of whom 26,000 were indigenous Nicobarese , of Mongoloid stock , possibly coming from Burma thousands of years ago .
Great Britain governed the islands from 1869 until they passed to India in 1947 .
The traditional Nicobar Islands economy is based on growing tropical fruits ( coconuts , sugarcane , lemons , bananas , oranges , mangoes ) , fishing and hunting wild game and rearing pigs and chickens .
Toddy , an alcoholic drink made from fermented coconut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contentedly , many in extended family groups , and women have almost equal rights with men .
On December 26th , 2004 tectonic plate movement off west Sumatra caused a 9.1 magnitude earthquake , triggering the deadliest tsunami in recorded history .
The 22 Nicobar Islands were hit by waves over 15m high .
Entire villages were washed into the sea and 3,449 people were officially reported dead or missing ( independent estimates were as high as 10,000 ) .
A total of 125,000 domestic animals , 6,000 hectares of coconut plantation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of the houses were destroyed .
Although 95 per cent of Nicobarese are Christian , many pre-Christian animistic beliefs are retained .
They believe that the soul leaves the body at death and the person turns into a ghost .
Spirits are thought to cause storms and disease .
Shamans are consulted to identify and pacify spirits responsible for storms etc .
As Saini and Singh explain : “ In the Nicobarese worldview death is the continuation of life in another form .
All ceremonies involve veneration of ancestral and natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These objects are regarded as living beings who guard the home , the village and the community .
No one ever really dies .
If any society has the cultural and psychological resources to cope with a natural disaster it is the indigenous people of these islands ” .
But unfortunately this natural resilience was frustrated by humanitarian aid .
The Indian army evacuated 29,000 tsunami survivors , 20,000 of whom were ethnic Nicobarese , accommodating them in 118 camps in elevated parts of the remaining islands .
Most Nicobarese wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repair their houses and tend their gardens .
Many feared that prolonged separation from their native islands and ancestral family spirits would destroy their identity .
The government announced they would forego major aid benefits if they left .
This confused the Nicobarese and most decided to stay in the cramped camps in enforced idleness with no space to grow food , no hunting or fishing , no tools to build houses and surviving on government rations .
Much of the aid was at odds with cultural needs .
For example , traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wood , but the government constructed permanent “ tsunami shelters ” using concrete blocks and galvanised iron .
Nicobarese can not repair these houses when problems arise .
And when allocating houses , the government split extended families into nuclear ones .
The government also deposited large amounts of money into the bank accounts of the male heads of the nuclear families , which , together with housing allocation policy , undermined the traditional extended family system and the status of women .
Much of the aid money was spent buying televisions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of enforced idleness passed , the Nicobarese gradually lost the motivation to work , developed a taste for fast food , depression set in and many took to strong drinks such as rum in preference to toddy .
Alcoholism is now a problem as are other western diseases such as diabetes and heart disease .
As Saini and Singh point out , the Nicobarese knew how to look after themselves after the tsunami hit .
All they needed was a sympathetic ear from government and NGOs ; not a deluge of inappropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone along with their “ rescuers ” and are planning to return to their native islands .
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC

On December 26th, 2004 the 22 Nicobar Islands were hit by waves over 15m high. Entire villages were washed into the sea and 3,449 people were officially reported dead or missing. Photograph: Reuters/Punit Paranjpe
We have seen the scenario many times: TV news reports a natural disaster in a remote area and the humanitarian aid is marshalled to alleviate the crisis. Unfortunately, in some cases, humanitarian aid worsens rather than improves the situation, often because the aid is culturally inappropriate.
Ajay Saini and Simron J Singh describe how such a scenario played out after the devastating 2004 tsunami hit the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal (Scientific American, April 2020). Another case study by Singh and Willi Haas appears in the EU Civil Society Engagement with ECological EConomics (CEECEC) Handbook. The 2001 census recorded 42,000 inhabitants on the Nicobar Islands of whom 26,000 were indigenous Nicobarese, of Mongoloid stock, possibly coming from Burma thousands of years ago. Great Britain governed the islands from 1869 until they passed to India in 1947.
The traditional Nicobar Islands economy is based on growing tropical fruits (coconuts, sugarcane, lemons, bananas, oranges, mangoes), fishing and hunting wild game and rearing pigs and chickens. Toddy, an alcoholic drink made from fermented coconut sap is popular. The people live contentedly, many in extended family groups, and women have almost equal rights with men.
On December 26th, 2004 tectonic plate movement off west Sumatra caused a 9.1 magnitude earthquake, triggering the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. The 22 Nicobar Islands were hit by waves over 15m high. Entire villages were washed into the sea and 3,449 people were officially reported dead or missing (independent estimates were as high as 10,000). A total of 125,000 domestic animals, 6,000 hectares of coconut plantation, 40,000 hectares of coral reef and 75 per cent of the houses were destroyed.
READ MORE
As the years of enforced idleness passed, the Nicobarese gradually lost the motivation to work, developed a taste for fast food, depression set in and many took to strong drinks such as rum
Although 95 per cent of Nicobarese are Christian, many pre-Christian animistic beliefs are retained. They believe that the soul leaves the body at death and the person turns into a ghost. Spirits are thought to cause storms and disease. Shamans are consulted to identify and pacify spirits responsible for storms etc.
As Saini and Singh explain: “In the Nicobarese worldview death is the continuation of life in another form. All ceremonies involve veneration of ancestral and natural spirits channelled through carved and painted statues. These objects are regarded as living beings who guard the home, the village and the community. No one ever really dies. If any society has the cultural and psychological resources to cope with a natural disaster it is the indigenous people of these islands”. But unfortunately this natural resilience was frustrated by humanitarian aid.
The Indian army evacuated 29,000 tsunami survivors, 20,000 of whom were ethnic Nicobarese, accommodating them in 118 camps in elevated parts of the remaining islands. Most Nicobarese wanted to return quickly to their own islands to repair their houses and tend their gardens. Many feared that prolonged separation from their native islands and ancestral family spirits would destroy their identity.
The government announced they would forego major aid benefits if they left. This confused the Nicobarese and most decided to stay in the cramped camps in enforced idleness with no space to grow food, no hunting or fishing, no tools to build houses and surviving on government rations.
Culturally inappropriate
Much of the aid was at odds with cultural needs. For example, traditional Nicobarese houses are built of bamboo and wood, but the government constructed permanent “tsunami shelters” using concrete blocks and galvanised iron. Nicobarese cannot repair these houses when problems arise. And when allocating houses, the government split extended families into nuclear ones.
The government also deposited large amounts of money into the bank accounts of the male heads of the nuclear families, which, together with housing allocation policy, undermined the traditional extended family system and the status of women. Much of the aid money was spent buying televisions, mobile phones and motorbikes.
As the years of enforced idleness passed, the Nicobarese gradually lost the motivation to work, developed a taste for fast food, depression set in and many took to strong drinks such as rum in preference to toddy. Alcoholism is now a problem as are other western diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
As Saini and Singh point out, the Nicobarese knew how to look after themselves after the tsunami hit. All they needed was a sympathetic ear from government and NGOs; not a deluge of inappropriate aid. Many Nicobarese now regret having gone along with their “rescuers” and are planning to return to their native islands.
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC


theirishtimes--2020-10-15--Covid-19: ‘Things may get worse before they get better,’ says Taoiseach amid record new cases

Warning that “ things may get worse before they get better ” , Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Wednesday night moved three Border counties to Level 4 restrictions , tightened Level 3 for the rest of the country and appealed to people to stop visiting each other ’ s homes to control the spread of Covid 19 .
During a quickly-arranged meeting at Government Buildings , the Cabinet decided that Cavan , Monaghan and Donegal would move to Level 4 of the Government ’ s Living with Covid plan until November 10th , after public health advisers warned of rapidly rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also opted to approve a nationwide ban on visits to homes or gardens in almost all circumstances , and a series of other restrictions , though the rest of the country would remain on Level 3 for now , Mr Martin said .
The sudden move last night followed a decision by the Northern Executive to introduce sweeping new restrictions across Northern Ireland after several days of steeply rising infections there .
First Minister Arlene Foster told the Assembly at Stormont that the hospitality sector will shut down for four weeks from Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Monday .
But it was also in response to rising numbers of infections in the Republic , which on Wednesday saw 1,095 new cases , its highest daily number on record , reported to the health authorities .
There were also five further deaths reported .
Under Level 4 restrictions being introduced in the three Border counties , non-essential retail will close , people should not have any visitors to their homes , the maximum number of attendees at a wedding is now six , and all non-essential workers will work from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference at Government Buildings .
However , he said construction and manufacturing will remain in operation under the right conditions .
Under the new restrictions for the Level 3 counties , people will be allowed to meet in groups of up to six people from up to two households in outdoor public areas .
The exemption for club championships will be removed and sports teams will be told they can not train unless social distancing can be observed .
Mr Martin said that data from Northern Ireland is “ hugely worrying ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming days .
But he said figures in the Republic were also “ very worrying ” with 190 cases per 100,000 nationally , rising to 571 per 100,000 in Cavan .
The implications for local hospitals and public health are “ obvious and very serious ” , he said .
“ We are living in difficult times and things may indeed get worse before they get better ” , Mr Martin added .
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said , “ We know that a lot , if not most , Covid transmission is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sometimes people associate that with house parties , but it ’ s not just that , ” he said .
It was family gatherings , and friends coming over for a drink or cup of coffee .
“ All those things have to stop , ” he said .
Mr Varadkar also noted that “ it is more likely more counties will move to Level 4 than the reverse ” .
Ms Foster made her announcement on a day when a record 1,217 confirmed new coronavirus cases were reported by the North ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cases since the coronavirus outbreak to 23,115 .
There were also four more deaths reported .
In Dublin , there is an intense debate in Government over a potential move to Level 4 nationally .
Chief medical officer Tony Holohan has continued to advise Ministers that the entire country will have to move to tougher restrictions as soon as possible to contain the virus .
However , the Taoiseach , some Ministers and senior officials are reluctant to consider such a move until the restrictions introduced last week , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work .
A move to Level 4 nationally has been estimated by officials to cost €100 million a week , and would result in the loss of 130,000 jobs .
In the Dáil on Wednesday night , Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh expressed concern about the impact of the move to Level 4 on retailers in Border counties and particularly in his constituency of Donegal .
He said it would be badly affected because shops in Northern Ireland would remain open .
Government backbenchers appealed in the Dáil for extra supports to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small businesses .

Warning that “things may get worse before they get better”, Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Wednesday night moved three Border counties to Level 4 restrictions, tightened Level 3 for the rest of the country and appealed to people to stop visiting each other’s homes to control the spread of Covid 19.
During a quickly-arranged meeting at Government Buildings, the Cabinet decided that Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal would move to Level 4 of the Government’s Living with Covid plan until November 10th, after public health advisers warned of rapidly rising Covid numbers in the counties.
Ministers also opted to approve a nationwide ban on visits to homes or gardens in almost all circumstances, and a series of other restrictions, though the rest of the country would remain on Level 3 for now, Mr Martin said.
Hospital Report
The sudden move last night followed a decision by the Northern Executive to introduce sweeping new restrictions across Northern Ireland after several days of steeply rising infections there. First Minister Arlene Foster told the Assembly at Stormont that the hospitality sector will shut down for four weeks from Friday while schools will close for two weeks from Monday.
READ MORE
But it was also in response to rising numbers of infections in the Republic, which on Wednesday saw 1,095 new cases, its highest daily number on record, reported to the health authorities. There were also five further deaths reported.
Under Level 4 restrictions being introduced in the three Border counties, non-essential retail will close, people should not have any visitors to their homes, the maximum number of attendees at a wedding is now six, and all non-essential workers will work from home, Mr Martin told a press conference at Government Buildings. However, he said construction and manufacturing will remain in operation under the right conditions.
Outdoor areas
Under the new restrictions for the Level 3 counties, people will be allowed to meet in groups of up to six people from up to two households in outdoor public areas. The exemption for club championships will be removed and sports teams will be told they cannot train unless social distancing can be observed.
Mr Martin said that data from Northern Ireland is “hugely worrying” and that discussions with Stormont would continue in the coming days. But he said figures in the Republic were also “very worrying” with 190 cases per 100,000 nationally, rising to 571 per 100,000 in Cavan. The implications for local hospitals and public health are “obvious and very serious”, he said.
“We are living in difficult times and things may indeed get worse before they get better”, Mr Martin added.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said, “We know that a lot, if not most, Covid transmission is happening in private homes”.
“Sometimes people associate that with house parties, but it’s not just that,” he said. It was family gatherings, and friends coming over for a drink or cup of coffee. “All those things have to stop,” he said.
Mr Varadkar also noted that “it is more likely more counties will move to Level 4 than the reverse”.
Announcement
Ms Foster made her announcement on a day when a record 1,217 confirmed new coronavirus cases were reported by the North’s health department, bringing the total number of cases since the coronavirus outbreak to 23,115. There were also four more deaths reported.
In Dublin, there is an intense debate in Government over a potential move to Level 4 nationally.
Chief medical officer Tony Holohan has continued to advise Ministers that the entire country will have to move to tougher restrictions as soon as possible to contain the virus. However, the Taoiseach, some Ministers and senior officials are reluctant to consider such a move until the restrictions introduced last week, and the latest measures, are given a chance to work.
A move to Level 4 nationally has been estimated by officials to cost €100 million a week, and would result in the loss of 130,000 jobs.
In the Dáil on Wednesday night, Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh expressed concern about the impact of the move to Level 4 on retailers in Border counties and particularly in his constituency of Donegal. He said it would be badly affected because shops in Northern Ireland would remain open.
Government backbenchers appealed in the Dáil for extra supports to be provided to the counties to assist small businesses.


theirishtimes--2020-10-15--Coronavirus: Weekly testing of nursing home staff considered

The National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) is to consider an increase in the frequency of testing in nursing homes from fortnightly to weekly due to rising coronavirus cases .
Raising the frequency of serial testing of staff in nursing homes , which is designed to catch asymptomatic coronavirus infections to prevent outbreaks among vulnerable residents , from fortnightly to weekly would double the number of nursing home tests to about 30,000 a week .
Nphet emphasised the importance of continuing the fortnightly serial testing “ as a proactive protective measure ” in a letter last week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team told the Minister that it had asked the HSE to finalise proposals “ for sustainable approaches to testing across a number of priority areas including vulnerable groups living in congregated settings , health workers in acute settings and food processing facilities ” .
The serial testing is due to be discussed further at Nphet ’ s meeting today with the possibility of enhanced testing in care facilities , one of the settings most vulnerable to the worst effects of the virus and a sector that accounts for more than half of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion takes place against the backdrop of an increasing number of outbreaks in nursing homes with 11 reported last week , bringing the number of open outbreaks to 40 .
New HSE figures , obtained by The Irish Times , show a further increase in the positivity rate of asymptomatic staff tested in nursing homes under the serial testing programme , reflecting the increased risks of workers bringing the virus into long-term residential care facilities .
The latest data shows a coronavirus positivity rate of 0.4 per cent , or 244 positive cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home staff since the start of September in the third cycle of testing .
The positivity rate has been rising steadily , from 0.33 per cent a week ago , 0.19 per cent in the August cycle and 0.13 per cent in July .
This mirrors increasing community transmission of the virus as the number of infections in the general population have increased since the summer .
The State ’ s chief medical officer , Dr Tony Holohan , has said that it will be impossible to keep the virus out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission , which he said poses an “ existential risk ” to people in nursing homes and older age groups .
Tadhg Daly , chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland , the representative group for private nursing homes that make up 80 per cent of the sector , asked the HSE last week whether weekly testing of nursing home staff should be carried out in areas where infection rates are high .
“ It is something we would like to see kept under constant review .
If the virus is higher in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system needs to respond promptly , ” he said .
“ It may be that there is a spike in a particular part of the country and if that were to continue , then that particular part of the country should consider more frequent testing.
” In the serial testing , if two nursing home staff test positive , then the care facility is referred to the HSE ’ s public health official for outbreak testing of all staff and residents of the home .
Nursing homes view the mass testing as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Raising the frequency of serial testing of staff in nursing homes from fortnightly to weekly would double the number of nursing home tests to about 30,000 a week. Photograph: Getty Images
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is to consider an increase in the frequency of testing in nursing homes from fortnightly to weekly due to rising coronavirus cases.
Raising the frequency of serial testing of staff in nursing homes, which is designed to catch asymptomatic coronavirus infections to prevent outbreaks among vulnerable residents, from fortnightly to weekly would double the number of nursing home tests to about 30,000 a week.
Nphet emphasised the importance of continuing the fortnightly serial testing "as a proactive protective measure" in a letter last week to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
Hospital Report
The team told the Minister that it had asked the HSE to finalise proposals “for sustainable approaches to testing across a number of priority areas including vulnerable groups living in congregated settings, health workers in acute settings and food processing facilities”.
READ MORE
Outbreaks
The serial testing is due to be discussed further at Nphet’s meeting today with the possibility of enhanced testing in care facilities, one of the settings most vulnerable to the worst effects of the virus and a sector that accounts for more than half of the State’s Covid-19 deaths.
The discussion takes place against the backdrop of an increasing number of outbreaks in nursing homes with 11 reported last week, bringing the number of open outbreaks to 40.
New HSE figures, obtained by The Irish Times, show a further increase in the positivity rate of asymptomatic staff tested in nursing homes under the serial testing programme, reflecting the increased risks of workers bringing the virus into long-term residential care facilities.
The latest data shows a coronavirus positivity rate of 0.4 per cent, or 244 positive cases, among 60,552 swabs taken of nursing home staff since the start of September in the third cycle of testing.
The positivity rate has been rising steadily, from 0.33 per cent a week ago, 0.19 per cent in the August cycle and 0.13 per cent in July. This mirrors increasing community transmission of the virus as the number of infections in the general population have increased since the summer.
Community transmission
The State's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, has said that it will be impossible to keep the virus out of the nursing homes if there is widespread community transmission, which he said poses an "existential risk" to people in nursing homes and older age groups.
Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland, the representative group for private nursing homes that make up 80 per cent of the sector, asked the HSE last week whether weekly testing of nursing home staff should be carried out in areas where infection rates are high.
“It is something we would like to see kept under constant review. If the virus is higher in a particular region, then nursing homes and the system needs to respond promptly,” he said.
“It may be that there is a spike in a particular part of the country and if that were to continue, then that particular part of the country should consider more frequent testing.”
In the serial testing, if two nursing home staff test positive, then the care facility is referred to the HSE’s public health official for outbreak testing of all staff and residents of the home.
Nursing homes view the mass testing as an important measure to prevent coronavirus outbreaks.


theirishtimes--2020-10-15--Ombudsman finds children waiting years for vital assessments

Delays of several years in assessing the needs of children with suspected disabilities amount to a serious and ongoing violation of their rights , according to a highly critical report by the Ombudsman for Children .
There is a legal requirement on health authorities to assess the needs of children within six month of receiving an application .
However , latest figures show just under 10 per cent of assessments are being carried out within this time-frame .
A total of 5,533 children are currently overdue an assessment , with some waiting years for a response .
These assessments are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , move , learn and participate in education .
Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon said these “ grossly unfair ” delays were robbing children of their potential and may affect children for the rest of their lives .
“ As a parent , knowing this , it is devastating to hear that your child will be waiting years for services like the children ’ s stories we have included in this report , ” he said .
His investigation found that some parents are so desperate that they have taken credit union loans out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have paid costly legal bills to take the HSE to court to obtain an order forcing them to undertake an assessment for their child .
“ This is completely understandable , but the outcome is that it inevitably pushes further down the list a child whose parent with limited means that can not afford to go to court , ” he said .
“ This is grossly unfair for what is a statutory right for children in Ireland .
” The report chronicles the case of Lucy , who is non-verbal and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning difficulty .
Clinical services recommended that she have a needs assessment when she was six years of age .
She is now 11 and is still waiting for the services identified .
In another case , four-year-old Sarah , who has sensory issues , was told she faced a 27-month wait for a needs assessment .
Dr Muldoon said his office has received “ countless complaints from distraught parents ” whose children have been on a waiting list for years to access an assessment of need for their child .
Additionally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is assessed , they struggle to get any or all of the services recommended to help their child talk , move , learn and grow .
“ It is reasonable for any parent to expect that the State will provide easy access to services , which will enable them to make the right decision about the care , education and health of their child , ” he said .
“ If the policies that are actually in place in Ireland were properly adhered to , we would have a world-class system in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice this is far from the case.
” In a series of recommendations , the Ombudsman says the Government must follow the international children ’ s rights framework to ensure all children ’ s rights are recognised and protected .
The report also says far greater investment– up to 10 times the current level of resources – are needed to get to grips with the significant waiting lists .
While welcoming a recent announcement by Government of €7.8 million in extra funding , it says it must come with a clear strategy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Key legislation – including the Disability Act ( 2005 ) and Epsen Act ( 2005 ) – should be amended to strengthen and speed up access to assessment and clarify children ’ s entitlements , the report continues .
The report also calls for a “ whole of government ” approach to review access criteria for services where a diagnosis is required and to ensure there is a clear pathway to services for all children based on their needs .
In response to a query whether it was satisified that the assssment system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it welcomed the Ombudsman ’ s report and its call for a review of legislation in the area .
“ The HSE is committed to actively participating in any review of this legislation , ” a spokesperson said .
It added that the HSE has endeavoured to meet its legislative obligations under the Disability Act .
It said a High Court ruling a decade ago widened eligibility to all children , whereas the the HSE and the Department of Health had interpreted the legislation as applying to under-fives .
The number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent to 52 per cent of all cases netween 2011 and 2018 .
To help address this situation , the HSE said it has implemented revised standard operating procedures .

Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon says ‘grossly unfair’ delays are robbing children of their potential and may affect children for the rest of their lives. File photograph: James Forde
Delays of several years in assessing the needs of children with suspected disabilities amount to a serious and ongoing violation of their rights, according to a highly critical report by the Ombudsman for Children.
There is a legal requirement on health authorities to assess the needs of children within six month of receiving an application.
However, latest figures show just under 10 per cent of assessments are being carried out within this time-frame. A total of 5,533 children are currently overdue an assessment, with some waiting years for a response.
These assessments are crucial to helping vulnerable children to talk, move, learn and participate in education.
READ MORE
Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon said these "grossly unfair" delays were robbing children of their potential and may affect children for the rest of their lives.
“As a parent, knowing this, it is devastating to hear that your child will be waiting years for services like the children’s stories we have included in this report,” he said.
His investigation found that some parents are so desperate that they have taken credit union loans out to pay for private therapies. Others have paid costly legal bills to take the HSE to court to obtain an order forcing them to undertake an assessment for their child.
"This is completely understandable, but the outcome is that it inevitably pushes further down the list a child whose parent with limited means that cannot afford to go to court," he said. "This is grossly unfair for what is a statutory right for children in Ireland. "
The report chronicles the case of Lucy, who is non-verbal and has a diagnosis of autism and a mild learning difficulty.
Still waiting
Clinical services recommended that she have a needs assessment when she was six years of age. She is now 11 and is still waiting for the services identified.
In another case, four-year-old Sarah, who has sensory issues, was told she faced a 27-month wait for a needs assessment.
Dr Muldoon said his office has received “countless complaints from distraught parents” whose children have been on a waiting list for years to access an assessment of need for their child.
Additionally, many have found that once their child is assessed, they struggle to get any or all of the services recommended to help their child talk, move, learn and grow.
“It is reasonable for any parent to expect that the State will provide easy access to services, which will enable them to make the right decision about the care, education and health of their child,” he said.
“If the policies that are actually in place in Ireland were properly adhered to, we would have a world-class system in place; however the reality is that in practice this is far from the case.”
In a series of recommendations, the Ombudsman says the Government must follow the international children’s rights framework to ensure all children’s rights are recognised and protected.
Sustainable changes
The report also says far greater investment– up to 10 times the current level of resources – are needed to get to grips with the significant waiting lists. While welcoming a recent announcement by Government of €7.8 million in extra funding, it says it must come with a clear strategy to make sustainable changes into the future.
Key legislation – including the Disability Act (2005) and Epsen Act (2005) – should be amended to strengthen and speed up access to assessment and clarify children’s entitlements, the report continues.
The report also calls for a “whole of government” approach to review access criteria for services where a diagnosis is required and to ensure there is a clear pathway to services for all children based on their needs.
Review
In response to a query whether it was satisified that the assssment system was fit for purpise, the HSE said it welcomed the Ombudsman’s report and its call for a review of legislation in the area.
“The HSE is committed to actively participating in any review of this legislation,” a spokesperson said.
It added that the HSE has endeavoured to meet its legislative obligations under the Disability Act.
It said a High Court ruling a decade ago widened eligibility to all children, whereas the the HSE and the Department of Health had interpreted the legislation as applying to under-fives.
The number of applications relating to over-fives grew from 26 per cent to 52 per cent of all cases netween 2011 and 2018.
To help address this situation, the HSE said it has implemented revised standard operating procedures.


theirishtimes--2020-10-16--North and South’s diverging Covid systems are harming response to case surges

The Covid-19 testing and tracing systems in the North and the Republic have come under increased strain due to a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks .
Given the scale of cases per population there , and testing and tracing capacity indicators , the Northern Ireland system is under more pressure – amid accusations it is not rigorous and robust enough .
The system , according to the North ’ s Public Health Agency ( PHA ) , is largely based on the one operated in other parts of the UK .
The latter system has experienced persistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing 16,000 positive cases due to a basic technical glitch .
Lab test results were being transferred to Excel templates , which hit a limit in the number of rows they could handle , and failed to update when more cases were added .
The PHA confirmed , however , its contact tracing service has been enhanced , moving to a “ digital first ” model last week , including “ online self-service contact tracing for the majority of people who test positive ” .
Difficulties in the Republic are largely concentrated on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results – which are averaging more than 100,000 a week – and to complete contact tracing , though test numbers and the extent of tracking are much greater here .
The marked differences between the systems and in their effectiveness makes North-South co-operation in responding to current case surges , where there is a high level of cross-Border movement , more difficult .
This is further compounded by different criteria for testing – in the North it ’ s based on four symptoms/indicators ; in the South it is five .
At least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sense that the StopCOVID NI proximity app and the COVID Tracker Ireland app “ talk ” to each other .
Dr Gabriel Scally , president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine , has expressed particular concern about the North ’ s contact tracing system , as only half of positive cases there were being followed up .
Speaking to RTÉ , he described the English model of testing and tracing as “ dreadful ” – with Northern Ireland “ a victim of that ” .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North has been “ the most untransparent by a long way of any of the jurisdictions on these two islands .
“ There is very little information produced about how well or , I think , badly , probably , their testing and tracing is .
On the face of what little they do produce , they ’ re only reaching just over half of the positive cases , only about half of them are contacted in order to find contact tracing.
” The daily cases being reported “ probably don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease in the region ” , he said .
It was “ like groundhog day ” until transmission is stopped at source through contact tracing .
“ They have to find out where people went , who they met , and do it relentlessly , otherwise they ’ re not going to get on top of the disease.
” Dr Scally said joint testing would track outbreaks on the island more effectively , and reiterated his view that a disease among livestock would prompt much more “ seamless ” co-operation between administrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RCSI infectious diseases consultant Prof Sam McConkey said increased cases were overwhelming the system in the Republic .
“ Access to testing and getting results back is too slow .
Contact tracing is too slow.
” Tracing was taking three to five days , and there was not enough staff for it , he said .
Moreover , he believed contacts going back 10 to 14 days should be traced – instead of contacts going back 48 hours – including second generation contacts , eg friends of friends .
Specific expertise in “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such incidents were now running at 100 per day , Prof McConkey believed .
Benchmarked against the highly effective contact tracing system in Wuhan , China , he had estimated Ireland needed 2,500 tracers .
The HSE is hiring 500 staff for its longer-term contact tracing operation as it moves from a system of relying on almost 300 volunteers and redeployed workers in eight contact tracing centres along with personnel from the Revenue Commissioners and the Defence Forces .
In the North , there are 151 tracing staff , with a further 25 @ @ @ @ @

The Covid-19 testing and tracing systems in the North and the Republic have come under increased strain due to a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks.
Given the scale of cases per population there, and testing and tracing capacity indicators, the Northern Ireland system is under more pressure – amid accusations it is not rigorous and robust enough.
The system, according to the North's Public Health Agency (PHA), is largely based on the one operated in other parts of the UK. The latter system has experienced persistent problems, culminating earlier this month in missing 16,000 positive cases due to a basic technical glitch. Lab test results were being transferred to Excel templates, which hit a limit in the number of rows they could handle, and failed to update when more cases were added.
The PHA confirmed, however, its contact tracing service has been enhanced, moving to a “digital first” model last week, including “online self-service contact tracing for the majority of people who test positive”.
READ MORE
Difficulties in the Republic are largely concentrated on the time it takes to get test results – which are averaging more than 100,000 a week – and to complete contact tracing, though test numbers and the extent of tracking are much greater here.
Marked differences
The marked differences between the systems and in their effectiveness makes North-South co-operation in responding to current case surges, where there is a high level of cross-Border movement, more difficult. This is further compounded by different criteria for testing – in the North it’s based on four symptoms/indicators; in the South it is five.
At least, contact tracing is working cross-Border in the sense that the StopCOVID NI proximity app and the COVID Tracker Ireland app “talk” to each other.
Dr Gabriel Scally, president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine, has expressed particular concern about the North's contact tracing system, as only half of positive cases there were being followed up.
Speaking to RTÉ, he described the English model of testing and tracing as "dreadful" – with Northern Ireland "a victim of that". In addition, he said the response in the North has been "the most untransparent by a long way of any of the jurisdictions on these two islands.
“There is very little information produced about how well or, I think, badly, probably, their testing and tracing is. On the face of what little they do produce, they’re only reaching just over half of the positive cases, only about half of them are contacted in order to find contact tracing.” The daily cases being reported “probably don’t reflect the scale of the spread of the disease in the region”, he said.
It was “like groundhog day” until transmission is stopped at source through contact tracing. “They have to find out where people went, who they met, and do it relentlessly, otherwise they’re not going to get on top of the disease.”
Joint testing
Dr Scally said joint testing would track outbreaks on the island more effectively, and reiterated his view that a disease among livestock would prompt much more “seamless” co-operation between administrations North and South of the Border.
RCSI infectious diseases consultant Prof Sam McConkey said increased cases were overwhelming the system in the Republic. "Access to testing and getting results back is too slow. Contact tracing is too slow."
Tracing was taking three to five days, and there was not enough staff for it, he said. Moreover, he believed contacts going back 10 to 14 days should be traced – instead of contacts going back 48 hours – including second generation contacts, eg friends of friends.
Specific expertise in "outbreak management" was urgently needed given such incidents were now running at 100 per day, Prof McConkey believed. Benchmarked against the highly effective contact tracing system in Wuhan, China, he had estimated Ireland needed 2,500 tracers.
The HSE is hiring 500 staff for its longer-term contact tracing operation as it moves from a system of relying on almost 300 volunteers and redeployed workers in eight contact tracing centres along with personnel from the Revenue Commissioners and the Defence Forces. In the North, there are 151 tracing staff, with a further 25 being trained this month.


theirishtimes--2020-10-16--Budget 2021: Impact of carbon tax hike on diesel prices angers farmers

Maybe it ’ s due to Covid-19 , or maybe it ’ s just a sign of a changing Ireland , but the days when Irish people studied the budget forensically for every change to the pension or the price of a pint seem to have disappeared .
At least that is the way it appears from talking to farmers attending the sheep sale at Macroom Mart in Co Cork on Wednesday , where only a handful said they had been following Budget 2021 very closely .
Several farmers were fatalistic about the budgetary changes announced by Minister for Finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael McGrath , while others cut short any approach on the issue with a toss of their heads and a quick “ I know nothing about it ” .
Of those who did seem exercised about it as they brought their lambs and rams for sale , the one change that did seem to register was the increase in carbon tax which , according to estimates , will add an extra €1.51 to a 60-litre fill of diesel .
Farmer Tom O ’ Keeffe from Castletownroche in north Co Cork had travelled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was expecting to get a good price , but said he felt aggrieved over the carbon tax .
“ It will add about €5 a week to my diesel bill , but what annoys me most about the budget is that the farmer is being penalised for greenhouse gas emissions but it seems there is no recognition that farmers can help tackle the problem .
“ Farmers have the ability to reduce carbon for them – every tree we plant is sequestering carbon but they won ’ t pay us to plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce carbon emissions .
“ I have boundary ditches where I would gladly set 100 trees .
.
.
but I ’ m not getting paid for it.
” He welcomed funding for a food ombudsman – but only if they can examine the entire food chain from farm gate to kitchen plate and have the power to examine the entire price structure underlying food production .
“ I am producing lamb at €5.40 a kilo but the consumer is paying €15-€20 for lamb – there is a huge mark-up from the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meat factories have a monopoly and that has to be looked at.
” Fellow farmer Owen Riordan had come from nearby Carrigadrohid .
Like O ’ Keeffe , he felt the food ombudsman needs to be able to look at the entire price structure if farmers are to benefit in any way .
“ I hope the ombudsman has the teeth to tackle food imports coming from God-knows-where and he needs to look at price too – there are so many people taking a slice of what we ’ re producing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I haven ’ t studied the budget closely but it seems to me that there aren ’ t any great bonuses in it for the farmer – I think they have forgotten the countryside and we , as farmers , are a forgotten cause .
“ What ’ s the point in putting a carbon tax on diesel and hitting the man who is trying to produce something when they are doing nothing for our roads where you have potholes that you could be killed [ by ] , if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from Rylane in mid-Cork to buy lambs for fattening on his holding where he rears sheep and cattle .
He said : “ It [ The budget ] wasn ’ t too bad overall – I know the carbon tax will put up the price of diesel but overall I thought it was a good budget given the times we ’ re living in – we knew in advance what was coming so there were no great surprises.
” Fachtna O ’ Driscoll from Castletownshend in west Co Cork was also somewhat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceded that while the carbon tax wouldn ’ t hugely affect his diesel bill directly , it would add to his costs .
“ What diesel I use myself is small enough but it will hit contractors and they will pass it on to farmers – lamb prices weren ’ t bad today but you ’ d want every bit of it – it ’ s queer times and we just have [ to ] try and keep our best side out .
”

Maybe it's due to Covid-19, or maybe it's just a sign of a changing Ireland, but the days when Irish people studied the budget forensically for every change to the pension or the price of a pint seem to have disappeared.
At least that is the way it appears from talking to farmers attending the sheep sale at Macroom Mart in Co Cork on Wednesday, where only a handful said they had been following Budget 2021 very closely.
Several farmers were fatalistic about the budgetary changes announced by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath, while others cut short any approach on the issue with a toss of their heads and a quick "I know nothing about it".
Of those who did seem exercised about it as they brought their lambs and rams for sale, the one change that did seem to register was the increase in carbon tax which, according to estimates, will add an extra €1.51 to a 60-litre fill of diesel.
READ MORE
Farmer Tom O'Keeffe from Castletownroche in north Co Cork had travelled to Macroom to sell four pedigree Charollais rams and was expecting to get a good price, but said he felt aggrieved over the carbon tax.
“It will add about €5 a week to my diesel bill, but what annoys me most about the budget is that the farmer is being penalised for greenhouse gas emissions but it seems there is no recognition that farmers can help tackle the problem.
Farmer Tom O’Keeffe from Castletownroche pictured at the sheep auction at Macroom, Co Cork. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision
“Farmers have the ability to reduce carbon for them – every tree we plant is sequestering carbon but they won’t pay us to plant trees around our farms that could help reduce carbon emissions.
“I have boundary ditches where I would gladly set 100 trees . . . but I’m not getting paid for it.”
He welcomed funding for a food ombudsman – but only if they can examine the entire food chain from farm gate to kitchen plate and have the power to examine the entire price structure underlying food production.
“I am producing lamb at €5.40 a kilo but the consumer is paying €15-€20 for lamb – there is a huge mark-up from the time it leaves my farm gate, and the meat factories have a monopoly and that has to be looked at.”
Food imports
Fellow farmer Owen Riordan had come from nearby Carrigadrohid. Like O'Keeffe, he felt the food ombudsman needs to be able to look at the entire price structure if farmers are to benefit in any way.
“I hope the ombudsman has the teeth to tackle food imports coming from God-knows-where and he needs to look at price too – there are so many people taking a slice of what we’re producing that there is nothing left for the farmer.
“I haven’t studied the budget closely but it seems to me that there aren’t any great bonuses in it for the farmer – I think they have forgotten the countryside and we, as farmers, are a forgotten cause.
“What’s the point in putting a carbon tax on diesel and hitting the man who is trying to produce something when they are doing nothing for our roads where you have potholes that you could be killed [by], if you fell into them.”
Murt Murphy had come from Rylane in mid-Cork to buy lambs for fattening on his holding where he rears sheep and cattle.
He said: “It [The budget] wasn’t too bad overall – I know the carbon tax will put up the price of diesel but overall I thought it was a good budget given the times we’re living in – we knew in advance what was coming so there were no great surprises.”
Fachtna O'Driscoll from Castletownshend in west Co Cork was also somewhat philosophical about the budget, though he conceded that while the carbon tax wouldn't hugely affect his diesel bill directly, it would add to his costs.
“What diesel I use myself is small enough but it will hit contractors and they will pass it on to farmers – lamb prices weren’t bad today but you’d want every bit of it – it’s queer times and we just have [to] try and keep our best side out.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-16--Fourth planned meeting between Séamus Woulfe and Chief Justice cancelled

There is currently no plan for a meeting between the Chief Justice and Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe , after one scheduled for Thursday was cancelled when Mr Justice Frank Clarke was shown a “ cogent medical report ” .
It was the fourth planned encounter between the two men that has not gone ahead since the Supreme Court announced on October 1st that it was launching an informal process for resolving the controversy caused by Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s attendance at the “ golfgate ” dinner in August .
In a statement , Mr Justice Clarke said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cogent medical report to the effect that [ Mr Justice Woulfe ] is not in a position to take part in the resolution process at this time .
Accordingly , it was necessary to cancel the meeting.
” All of the meetings scheduled to date have not gone ahead because Mr Justice Woulfe was not in a position to attend or had sought a deferral .
On Tuesday , after a meeting due to take place that day was deferred to Thursday , Mr Justice Clarke said that if the meeting did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ make alternative arrangements to convey his final views on the process to Mr Justice Woulfe ” .
However , having received the medical report on Thursday , Mr Justice Clarke said he was “ committed to bringing the process to a conclusion as early as it is possible and appropriate to do so ” .
“ It is in no one ’ s interest that this drags on , ” University of Limerick law lecturer Laura Cahillane told The Irish Times .
“ However , it seems the Chief Justice ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report had been produced , it did not appear that Mr Justice Clarke could move matters forward until Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s condition improved .
“ We are stuck back in limbo.
” In a statement issued on his behalf after Tuesday ’ s deferral of the planned meeting , Mr Justice Clarke indicated “ his very serious concern as to the damage which the continuation of this process is causing ” .
Mr Justice Woulfe was the attorney general to the last government , and was appointed to the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over his attendance at the dinner in August , the former chief justice , Susan Denham , was asked by the Supreme Court to inquire into the matter and report to it .
She submitted a report in late September in which she said Mr Justice Woulfe should not have attended the hotel dinner in the context of a pandemic , but also expressed the view that it would be disproportionate and unjust to ask him to resign .
She recommended that the matter be resolved informally , and the Supreme Court agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day after the publication of her report , the board of the Judicial Council published an appendix to her report that was a transcript of Ms Justice Denham ’ s interview with Mr Justice Woulfe .
The transcript caused a fresh wave of controversy , because of how Mr Justice Woulfe responded to the questions posed to him .

All of the meetings scheduled to date have not gone ahead because Mr Justice Woulfe was not in a position to attend or had sought a deferral. Photograph Nick Bradshaw
There is currently no plan for a meeting between the Chief Justice and Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe, after one scheduled for Thursday was cancelled when Mr Justice Frank Clarke was shown a "cogent medical report".
It was the fourth planned encounter between the two men that has not gone ahead since the Supreme Court announced on October 1st that it was launching an informal process for resolving the controversy caused by Mr Justice Woulfe’s attendance at the “golfgate” dinner in August.
In a statement, Mr Justice Clarke said he had received correspondence that enclosed "a cogent medical report to the effect that [Mr Justice Woulfe] is not in a position to take part in the resolution process at this time. Accordingly, it was necessary to cancel the meeting."
All of the meetings scheduled to date have not gone ahead because Mr Justice Woulfe was not in a position to attend or had sought a deferral.
READ MORE
On Tuesday, after a meeting due to take place that day was deferred to Thursday, Mr Justice Clarke said that if the meeting did not go ahead on Thursday, he would “make alternative arrangements to convey his final views on the process to Mr Justice Woulfe”.
However, having received the medical report on Thursday, Mr Justice Clarke said he was “committed to bringing the process to a conclusion as early as it is possible and appropriate to do so”.
"It is in no one's interest that this drags on," University of Limerick law lecturer Laura Cahillane told The Irish Times. "However, it seems the Chief Justice's hands are tied."
As a medical report had been produced, it did not appear that Mr Justice Clarke could move matters forward until Mr Justice Woulfe’s condition improved. “We are stuck back in limbo.”
‘Damage’
In a statement issued on his behalf after Tuesday’s deferral of the planned meeting, Mr Justice Clarke indicated “his very serious concern as to the damage which the continuation of this process is causing”.
Mr Justice Woulfe was the attorney general to the last government, and was appointed to the Supreme Court in July.
Due to the controversy over his attendance at the dinner in August, the former chief justice, Susan Denham, was asked by the Supreme Court to inquire into the matter and report to it.
She submitted a report in late September in which she said Mr Justice Woulfe should not have attended the hotel dinner in the context of a pandemic, but also expressed the view that it would be disproportionate and unjust to ask him to resign.
She recommended that the matter be resolved informally, and the Supreme Court agreed with her recommendation.
However, on the day after the publication of her report, the board of the Judicial Council published an appendix to her report that was a transcript of Ms Justice Denham’s interview with Mr Justice Woulfe.
The transcript caused a fresh wave of controversy, because of how Mr Justice Woulfe responded to the questions posed to him.


theirishtimes--2020-10-16--Public will demand exit strategy if Level 5 imposed, says Varadkar

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said if Ireland moves to Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions people will demand an exit strategy like they have in Germany .
Mr Varadkar told party colleagues yesterday that in order for the State to go to Level 4 or 5 , he would need to be convinced it is the right thing to do .
He said he did not want to be rushed into making a decision on a Covid-19 lockdown until it was completely necessary to do so .
In Germany , the public receive detailed information on the specific measures that need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to a lower level .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned last night that Covid-19 was “ not in control ” and that the trajectory of the disease was rapidly deteriorating .
Public health officials have written to the Government to make further recommendations following a significant increase in infection levels .
Dr Holohan said case numbers had nearly doubled and the number of hospitalised patients was growing faster than the exponential growth models predicted .
The scale of infection at present is now beyond the capacity of any level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted at the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) briefing .
With widespread community transmission it was no longer possible to “ make the links ” for a large portion of cases .
With the disease no longer under control , Nphet was recommending measures focused on the whole population .
If existing trends continue , there will be up to 2,500 cases a day by the end of this month , along with 400 people in hospital and up to 110 in ICU , officials are forecasting .
A Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night as “ pessimistic ” and said a decisive approach was needed as new decisions every few days may confuse the issue .
“ People want to do the right thing but they need decisive action and very clear communication , ” the source said .
Border counties moved into Level 4 overnight until November 10th meaning non-essential retailers must close and non-essential workers must work from home .
The rest of the country on Level 3 saw increased restrictions announced on Wednesday with a ban on visitors to homes .
Nphet official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation was “ really dangerous ” with about 10,000 infected individuals currently capable of spreading the disease .
“ If we stand back collectively and stop spreading the disease over two weeks , most of them will recover .
If we start to shrink this we can get on top of it quicker than we think , ” he said .
The number of cases reported by Nphet last night was , for the second day in a row , the highest daily total recorded throughout the pandemic .
An additional 1,205 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total number of cases to 46,429 .
Three additional deaths were also reported .
Meanwhile , the level of enforcement actions taken by the Garda against people for breaching Covid-19 restrictions has plummeted in the last 3½ months , with just 26 cases since June 28th , according to a policing authority report .
Gardaí have only taken action six times against people for not wearing face masks where they were mandatory .

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned last night that Covid-19 was “not in control” and that the trajectory of the disease was rapidly deteriorating. Video: RTE
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said if Ireland moves to Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions people will demand an exit strategy like they have in Germany.
Mr Varadkar told party colleagues yesterday that in order for the State to go to Level 4 or 5, he would need to be convinced it is the right thing to do. He said he did not want to be rushed into making a decision on a Covid-19 lockdown until it was completely necessary to do so.
In Germany, the public receive detailed information on the specific measures that need to be taken to allow the region to go to a lower level.
Hospital Report
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned last night that Covid-19 was “not in control” and that the trajectory of the disease was rapidly deteriorating.
READ MORE
Public health officials have written to the Government to make further recommendations following a significant increase in infection levels.
Dr Holohan said case numbers had nearly doubled and the number of hospitalised patients was growing faster than the exponential growth models predicted.
The scale of infection at present is now beyond the capacity of any level of resourced contact tracing process, Dr Holohan admitted at the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) briefing.
With widespread community transmission it was no longer possible to “make the links” for a large portion of cases.
With the disease no longer under control, Nphet was recommending measures focused on the whole population.
If existing trends continue, there will be up to 2,500 cases a day by the end of this month, along with 400 people in hospital and up to 110 in ICU, officials are forecasting.
A Government source described the tone from Nphet last night as “pessimistic” and said a decisive approach was needed as new decisions every few days may confuse the issue.
“People want to do the right thing but they need decisive action and very clear communication,” the source said.
Border counties moved into Level 4 overnight until November 10th meaning non-essential retailers must close and non-essential workers must work from home. The rest of the country on Level 3 saw increased restrictions announced on Wednesday with a ban on visitors to homes.
Nphet official Prof Philip Nolan last night said the situation was “really dangerous” with about 10,000 infected individuals currently capable of spreading the disease.
“If we stand back collectively and stop spreading the disease over two weeks, most of them will recover. If we start to shrink this we can get on top of it quicker than we think,” he said.
The number of cases reported by Nphet last night was, for the second day in a row, the highest daily total of new cases recorded throughout the pandemic. An additional 1,205 cases – including 288 in Dublin – brought the total number of cases to 46,429. Three additional deaths were also reported.
The highest number of cases reported by Nphet in a single bulletin was on April 10th, when 1,515 were confirmed, but this included a large backlog from German laboratories.
Meanwhile, the level of enforcement actions taken by the Garda against people for breaching Covid-19 restrictions has plummeted in the last 3½ months, with just 26 cases since June 28th, according to a policing authority report. Gardaí have only taken action six times against people for not wearing face masks where they were mandatory.


theirishtimes--2020-10-16--Spotlight on lack of transparency on system of judicial appointments

There are no winners in the continuing controversy around Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe ’ s attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner .
The judge , the Supreme Court and public confidence in the judiciary have all been adversely affected .
A spotlight has also been cast on the less than transparent system of judicial appointments , including how it allows for a potential conflict of interest when an outgoing attorney general seeks judicial office .
In July , Mr Justice Woulfe , the outgoing attorney general , was appointed to the Supreme Court .
It is believed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government for appointment by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board ( JAAB ) .
In late July , he received his seal of office from President Michael D Higgins and made the required declaration on oath in the Supreme Court before the Chief Justice , just before the courts rose for the summer vacation .
All seemed set for him to sit on the Supreme Court bench in the new law term this month until the controversy erupted resulting from his attendance at the golf dinner at a hotel in Clifden .
A resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved after a planned meeting between the judge and the Chief Justice , Frank Clarke , was cancelled following receipt on Thursday of a “ cogent ” medical report to the effect the judge was not in a position to take part in the resolution process at this time .
The controversy has drawn attention to issues including the impact of the delayed commencement of judicial conduct provisions of the Judicial Council Act and the lack of transparency surrounding the system of judicial appointments .
There are two routes for appointment to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in both .
The first route , essentially an informal one , is that a judge in the lower courts notifies their interest in being appointed on a confidential basis to the attorney general and it is up to the latter to convey the names to the cabinet .
A potential problem arises here if the attorney is also a contender for the position .
The second route involves the JAAB , comprising the five presidents of the courts , the attorney general , lay members appointed by the minister for justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Law Society .
JAAB matters are confidential but the convention is , when an attorney general is seeking appointment , they will not be present when their application is being considered .
It is believed that convention was adhered to in the case of Mr Justice Woulfe when his application was considered by the JAAB .
It is unclear if any other names were considered but it is believed Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s was the only name forwarded by the JAAB to Cabinet to fill the vacancy created more than a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary Finlay Geoghegan .
It is rare for judges of the Supreme Court to be appointed directly from the Bar or the solicitors profession .
They are generally appointed as promotions from the High Court and Court of Appeal , reflecting the widespread view that serving as a judge in the lower courts is of considerable benefit and that direct appointments should be regarded as exceptional .
A previous convention where , when a judicial vacancy arose , an outgoing attorney general had first refusal , appeared to disappear with the establishment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the only outgoing attorney general appointed to the bench , apart from Mr Justice Woulfe , was Máire Whelan , who was made a judge of the Court of Appeal without going via the JAAB route .
Since the Court of Appeal was established in 2014 , all appointments to the Supreme Court , except that of Mr Justice Woulfe , were made directly from the Court of Appeal .
The last time an outgoing attorney general was elevated directly to the Supreme Court was more than 20 years ago .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court is Mr Justice Donal O ’ Donnell who was elevated straight from the Bar where he had an established reputation as an accomplished constitutional lawyer .
The background to the appointment of Mr Justice Woulfe underlines the lack of transparency surrounding the system of judicial appointments and the potential for a conflict of interest when an outgoing attorney general is seeking judicial office .
Among the problems is the absence of any information concerning the process for evaluating the suitability of candidates for promotion to the Court of Appeal and Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final decision on appointment rests with the Cabinet .
Any change to that structure would require a constitutional amendment .
Many believe it is long past time for reform .

Séamus Woulfe seemed set to sit on the Supreme Court bench until a controversy erupted resulting from his attendance at the golf dinner at a hotel in Clifden. Photograph: Gareth Chaney Collins
There are no winners in the continuing controversy around Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe’s attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner. The judge, the Supreme Court and public confidence in the judiciary have all been adversely affected.
A spotlight has also been cast on the less than transparent system of judicial appointments, including how it allows for a potential conflict of interest when an outgoing attorney general seeks judicial office.
In July, Mr Justice Woulfe, the outgoing attorney general, was appointed to the Supreme Court. It is believed his was the only name recommended to the Government for appointment by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB). In late July, he received his seal of office from President Michael D Higgins and made the required declaration on oath in the Supreme Court before the Chief Justice, just before the courts rose for the summer vacation.
All seemed set for him to sit on the Supreme Court bench in the new law term this month until the controversy erupted resulting from his attendance at the golf dinner at a hotel in Clifden. A resolution of the matter has yet to be achieved after a planned meeting between the judge and the Chief Justice, Frank Clarke, was cancelled following receipt on Thursday of a “cogent” medical report to the effect the judge was not in a position to take part in the resolution process at this time.
READ MORE
The controversy has drawn attention to issues including the impact of the delayed commencement of judicial conduct provisions of the Judicial Council Act and the lack of transparency surrounding the system of judicial appointments.
Potential problem
There are two routes for appointment to the Supreme Court and the attorney general is involved in both. The first route, essentially an informal one, is that a judge in the lower courts notifies their interest in being appointed on a confidential basis to the attorney general and it is up to the latter to convey the names to the cabinet. A potential problem arises here if the attorney is also a contender for the position.
The second route involves the JAAB, comprising the five presidents of the courts, the attorney general, lay members appointed by the minister for justice and representatives of the Bar Council and Law Society. JAAB matters are confidential but the convention is, when an attorney general is seeking appointment, they will not be present when their application is being considered. It is believed that convention was adhered to in the case of Mr Justice Woulfe when his application was considered by the JAAB. It is unclear if any other names were considered but it is believed Mr Justice Woulfe’s was the only name forwarded by the JAAB to Cabinet to fill the vacancy created more than a year earlier by the retirement of Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan.
Promotions
It is rare for judges of the Supreme Court to be appointed directly from the Bar or the solicitors profession. They are generally appointed as promotions from the High Court and Court of Appeal, reflecting the widespread view that serving as a judge in the lower courts is of considerable benefit and that direct appointments should be regarded as exceptional. A previous convention where, when a judicial vacancy arose, an outgoing attorney general had first refusal, appeared to disappear with the establishment of the JAAB in 1996. Since then, the only outgoing attorney general appointed to the bench, apart from Mr Justice Woulfe, was Máire Whelan, who was made a judge of the Court of Appeal without going via the JAAB route.
Since the Court of Appeal was established in 2014, all appointments to the Supreme Court, except that of Mr Justice Woulfe, were made directly from the Court of Appeal. The last time an outgoing attorney general was elevated directly to the Supreme Court was more than 20 years ago. The only other direct appointee on the current Supreme Court is Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell who was elevated straight from the Bar where he had an established reputation as an accomplished constitutional lawyer.
Conflict of interest
The background to the appointment of Mr Justice Woulfe underlines the lack of transparency surrounding the system of judicial appointments and the potential for a conflict of interest when an outgoing attorney general is seeking judicial office.
Among the problems is the absence of any information concerning the process for evaluating the suitability of candidates for promotion to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. After an opaque process, the final decision on appointment rests with the Cabinet. Any change to that structure would require a constitutional amendment. Many believe it is long past time for reform.