theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Migrant workers angry over lack of Covid-19 protection in meat plants

Migrant meat plant workers have been “ frightened and angry ” over the lack of safety measures to protect against Covid-19 in their workplaces , according to a migrants ’ rights group .
In an opening statement to the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee , the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland will tell TDs on Friday that they began to receive complaints from workers in the meat processing sector on March 26th about their working conditions and the lack of health measures .
“ They were worried , frightened and angry about the conditions they were being forced to work in , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety measures , their health and their families would be at risk , ” Edel McGinley , director of the centre , says in her opening statement .
The meat processing sector was one of the worst industries affected by Covid-19 outbreaks because of the prolonged close proximity between workers on meat production lines in factories .
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions ( Ictu ) says in a statement to the committee that some meat processors “ completely ignored the obvious need for enhanced health and safety measures ” .
The trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Government and some statutory authorities to the concerns of unions in the sector in our view contributed to the high number of cases ” .
There were more than 1,050 Covid-19 cases at 22 meat plants but no new cases in recent weeks .
Ictu said that low-paid work in the sector forced many workers to share rental accommodation which “ undoubtedly was a factor in the spread of Covid-19 in the sector ” .
“ Unions raised concerns with employers and public representatives about the potential spread of Covid-19 in meat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
It claims that Siptu sought to engage with the Government and the meat industry throughout April but “ in the main their requests were ignored ” .
“ It is also clear that if the concerns raised by unions early in the crisis had been taken more seriously the high rate of infection in the meat processing plants could have been prevented , ” Ictu says in a statement .
Cormac Healy , a director of Meat Industry Ireland , which represents the plants , will tell TDs that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reported on March 17th but that it was not until May 15th that the HSE published its guidance on the disease for the meat sector , two months after the industry implemented mitigation measures in their plants .
The migrant centre estimates that migrant workers account for 58 per cent of meat plant workers .
They are mainly Polish , Lithuanian , Romanian , Latvian , Moldovan , Slovakian , Brazilian , South African , Batswana and Filipino .
Six in 10 migrant workers are from the EU , it says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the committee , Ms McGinley said there was a “ very mixed picture ” on when protections were put in place to prevent workers from catching the virus in their places of employment .
“ The varying timeframes in which employers introduced these measures , shows the inconsistent response which at the beginning of lockdown exposed workers unnecessarily to Covid-19 , while showing the gaps in statutory oversight , ” she says in the statement .
“ Too much trust was given to a sector with an inconsistent health and safety track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 68 migrant workers in meat processing plants surveyed by MRCI said that it took five weeks or longer to put protection measures in place during the pandemic .
Some 15 per cent said it happened after four weeks , while 7 per cent said there were still not sufficient safety measures .
Just 24 per cent said measures were introduced in the first week .
Mr Healy will tell say there are “ not active cases ” of Covid-19 in the plants and that more than 97 per cent of affected staff have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolating and recovering .
In advance of the hearing , Siptu said it was angered by its “ exclusion ” from appearing before the committee .
The trade union said it was “ the first representative body to raise concerns about the numerous issues within the meat processing industry , which it is believed gave rise to Covid-19 transmission within these workplaces ” .
Union representatives “ have not been requested to attend ... despite the many and important issues we wish to raise ” .
Siptu manufacturing division organiser Greg Ennis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,056 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infections of meat processing plant workers out of a total workforce of approximately 15,000 .

Rosderra Irish Meats plant in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, where, according to Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley had 140 workers were out sick and 120 had tested positive in April. Photograph: Diarmuid Greene
Migrant meat plant workers have been “frightened and angry” over the lack of safety measures to protect against Covid-19 in their workplaces, according to a migrants’ rights group.
In an opening statement to the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee, the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland will tell TDs on Friday that they began to receive complaints from workers in the meat processing sector on March 26th about their working conditions and the lack of health measures.
“They were worried, frightened and angry about the conditions they were being forced to work in, and could foresee that without appropriate health and safety measures, their health and their families would be at risk,” Edel McGinley, director of the centre, says in her opening statement.
The meat processing sector was one of the worst industries affected by Covid-19 outbreaks because of the prolonged close proximity between workers on meat production lines in factories.
READ MORE
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) says in a statement to the committee that some meat processors "completely ignored the obvious need for enhanced health and safety measures".
The trade union group says the “slow response of Government and some statutory authorities to the concerns of unions in the sector in our view contributed to the high number of cases”.
There were more than 1,050 Covid-19 cases at 22 meat plants but no new cases in recent weeks.
Ictu said that low-paid work in the sector forced many workers to share rental accommodation which “undoubtedly was a factor in the spread of Covid-19 in the sector”.
“Unions raised concerns with employers and public representatives about the potential spread of Covid-19 in meat processing facilities,” Ictu said in a statement.
It claims that Siptu sought to engage with the Government and the meat industry throughout April but “in the main their requests were ignored”.
“It is also clear that if the concerns raised by unions early in the crisis had been taken more seriously the high rate of infection in the meat processing plants could have been prevented,” Ictu says in a statement.
Cormac Healy, a director of Meat Industry Ireland, which represents the plants, will tell TDs that the first Covid-19 case in a meat plant was reported on March 17th but that it was not until May 15th that the HSE published its guidance on the disease for the meat sector, two months after the industry implemented mitigation measures in their plants.
Plant workers
The migrant centre estimates that migrant workers account for 58 per cent of meat plant workers. They are mainly Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Latvian, Moldovan, Slovakian, Brazilian, South African, Batswana and Filipino. Six in 10 migrant workers are from the EU, it says.
In the statement submitted ahead of appearing at the committee, Ms McGinley said there was a “very mixed picture” on when protections were put in place to prevent workers from catching the virus in their places of employment.
“The varying timeframes in which employers introduced these measures, shows the inconsistent response which at the beginning of lockdown exposed workers unnecessarily to Covid-19, while showing the gaps in statutory oversight,” she says in the statement.
“Too much trust was given to a sector with an inconsistent health and safety track record.”
Some 27 per cent of 68 migrant workers in meat processing plants surveyed by MRCI said that it took five weeks or longer to put protection measures in place during the pandemic.
Some 15 per cent said it happened after four weeks, while 7 per cent said there were still not sufficient safety measures. Just 24 per cent said measures were introduced in the first week.
Mr Healy will tell say there are “not active cases” of Covid-19 in the plants and that more than 97 per cent of affected staff have returned to work and the remainder are isolating and recovering.
In advance of the hearing, Siptu said it was angered by its “exclusion” from appearing before the committee.
The trade union said it was “the first representative body to raise concerns about the numerous issues within the meat processing industry, which it is believed gave rise to Covid-19 transmission within these workplaces”.
Union representatives “have not been requested to attend... despite the many and important issues we wish to raise”.
Siptu manufacturing division organiser Greg Ennis, said there had been a total of 1,056 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infections of meat processing plant workers out of a total workforce of approximately 15,000.


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Covid-19: NPHET member denies trying to ‘scare people’ with warnings

The National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) was not scaremongering when it warned there was an immediate need to be cautious due to Covid-19 ’ s rising reproduction rate in the State , one of its members has said .
Prof Philip Nolan , chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group , said that every new case represents a risk to an individual and those around them .
He on Thursday evening warned that the disease ’ s reproduction number , which measures how many people a confirmed case goes on to infect , has increased to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The numbers are the numbers , ” Prof Nolan told RTÉ ’ s Morning Ireland when asked about the warning on Friday .
“ Nothing that I have said is designed to scare people , it ’ s to keep the virus low in the population.
” He said Ireland was at a point in the battle against the virus where there was a need to get across the message to use caution when going about one ’ s business .
NPHET on Thursday reported six deaths from Covid-19 and an additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly occurring among young people and giving rise to clusters of the disease .
All of the latest cases reported involved people aged under 44 , and 77 per cent were among under 25s .
This was the first time officials had seen such a concentration of cases among younger people , acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said .
Of the 23 latest cases , 15 were “ directly or indirectly ” related to travel , he said .
Of the 140 cases that occurred last week , the median age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ median of 83 years for all cases that have occurred in the pandemic .
Dr Glynn said a “ good number ” of recent cases were related to travel , and to “ groups having met up ” .
One new cluster involved nine cases and was “ not a pub gathering ” , he said .
He said the rise in cases was not unexpected as people moved about more .
People could get on with their activities but they had to do so safely , he said .
Non-essential overseas travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wanted to remind and encourage the public that they can resume some level of social and economic activity , but in a cautious manner .
“ The virus remains as contagious as it ever was , ” he said , adding that it was a time for everyone to show leadership .
“ This is not the time to be a bystander .
Use any opportunity to influence.
” He said such an approach would be necessary if schools were to reopen in September , which remained a priority .
The Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its top priority is to reopen all schools as “ fully , normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year ” .
Prof Nolan ’ s NPHET colleague , virilogist Dr Cillian de Gascun , said there was “ a tendency for people to think we ’ re back to normal ” now that large parts of the economcy were reopening .
However , he warned “ we can not go back to the way we acted in January ” and that things needed to be done in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Gascun told Newstalk Breakfast people need to be responsible and to think about the impact of the virus on their parents or grandparents or friends with compromised immune systems .
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally said there is not time for information campaigns on the dangers of the spread of Covid-19 at this stage .
“ We don ’ t have time to turn everyone into saints , ” he told RTÉ ’ s Today with Sarah McInerney .
“ This is not a time for panic or the ringing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State and Northern Ireland were both “ tantalisingly close ” to getting control of the virus and that it would be terrible to let the hard work slip away due to risky behaviour or importing the virus .
He said it was wrong to have flights coming into Ireland from Texas , which was a high risk zone .
“ We ’ re at a fork in the road , there are two ways to go .
We really need a safe summer , a zero Covid summer , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Health to have “ a real proper discussion ” with Northern leaders about how “ we can have a zero Covid island and that means taking hard decisions about quarantine of travellers ” .
Dr Mary Favier , president of the Irish College of General Practitioners , said it was not a time to panic but that GPs had started to see a rise in case numbers in recent weeks .
She warned that if cases continue to duplicate , the country could be back to April levels of infection within four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make , it would be such a pity to lose ground .
If the R number rises to 1.5 by the end of August , we will be back to April levels , ” she said .
Dr Favier said frontline workers are exhausted and were alarmed at the prospect of having “ to do it all again ” in the autumn if there was a second wave .

Prof Philip Nolan has said that NPHET was not scaremongering when it warned there was an need to be cautious due to Covid-19’s rising reproduction rate in Ireland .Last night he announced that the rate had increased to 'at or above 1'. Video: RTE
Acting chief medical officer Ronan Glynn urged people to make “safe choices” this weekend as a further 25 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported on Friday.
The National Public Health Emergency Team also confirmed the death of one more person with coronavirus, bringing to 1,744 the total number of deaths related to the disease in the Republic.
Reporting the figures, NPHET also said one confirmed case had been denotified, bringing the total number of confirmed cases here to 25,589.
It said work was ongoing to identify contacts the patients may have had.
READ MORE
Dr Glynn urged people to follow public health advice this weekend after there were large gatherings of people outside pubs last weekend and reports of many reopened licensed premises not following the Covid-19 regulations.
“Continue to protect each other using public health advice and encourage each other to make safe choices as we work together to limit the spread of Covid-19. We have all achieved so much through solidarity over the last few months, that effort must not be in vain.
“Please follow public health advice and refer to the guidance if unsure about your environment or plans.”
Prof Philip Nolan said every new Covid-19 case represents a risk to an individual and those around them. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins.
Meanwhile, another of NPHET’s members said it was not scaremongering when it warned there was an immediate need to be cautious due to Covid-19’s rising reproduction rate in the State.
Prof Philip Nolan, chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said that every new case represents a risk to an individual and those around them.
He on Thursday evening warned that the disease’s reproduction number, which measures how many people a confirmed case goes on to infect, has increased to “at or above 1”.
“The numbers are the numbers,” Prof Nolan told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland when asked about the warning on Friday. “Nothing that I have said is designed to scare people, it’s to keep the virus low in the population.”
He said Ireland was at a point in the battle against the virus where there was a need to get across the message to use caution when going about one’s business.
NPHET on Thursday reported six deaths from Covid-19 and an additional 23 cases, which it said were increasingly occurring among young people and giving rise to clusters of the disease. All of the latest cases reported involved people aged under 44, and 77 per cent were among under 25s.
Younger people
This was the first time officials had seen such a concentration of cases among younger people, Dr Glynn said on Thursday. Of the 23 cases, 15 were “directly or indirectly” related to travel, he said.
Of the 140 cases that occurred last week, the median age was 34 years, compared with a median of 83 years for all cases that have occurred in the pandemic.
Dr Glynn said a “good number” of recent cases were related to travel, and to “groups having met up”. One new cluster involved nine cases and was “not a pub gathering”, he said.
He said the rise in cases was not unexpected as people moved about more. People could get on with their activities but they had to do so safely, he said. Non-essential overseas travel should be avoided.
Prof Nolan said he wanted to remind and encourage the public that they can resume some level of social and economic activity, but in a cautious manner.
“The virus remains as contagious as it ever was,” he said, adding that it was a time for everyone to show leadership. “This is not the time to be a bystander. Use any opportunity to influence.”
He said such an approach would be necessary if schools were to reopen in September, which remained a priority.
The Department of Education will today tell TDs that its top priority is to reopen all schools as "fully, normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year".
Not back to normal
Prof Nolan’s NPHET colleague, virologist Dr Cillian de Gascun, said there was “a tendency for people to think we’re back to normal” now that large parts of the economy were reopening.
However, he warned “we cannot go back to the way we acted in January” and that things needed to be done in a controlled and safe manner.
Dr de Gascun told Newstalk Breakfast people need to be responsible and to think about the impact of the virus on their parents or grandparents or friends with compromised immune systems.
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally said there was not time for information campaigns on the dangers of the spread of Covid-19 at this stage.
“We don’t have time to turn everyone into saints,” he told RTÉ’s Today with Sarah McInerney. “This is not a time for panic or the ringing of alarm bells.”
Dr Scally said the State and Northern Ireland were both “tantalisingly close” to getting control of the virus and that it would be terrible to let the hard work slip away due to risky behaviour or importing the virus. He said it was wrong to have flights coming into Ireland from Texas, which was a high risk zone.
“We’re at a fork in the road, there are two ways to go. We really need a safe summer, a zero Covid summer,” he said.
He called on the Taoiseach and Minister for Health to have “a real proper discussion” with Northern leaders about how “we can have a zero Covid island and that means taking hard decisions about quarantine of travellers”.
Northern Ireland
On Friday, it was announced that there had been no deaths from Covid-19 in Northern Ireland for the seventh day in a row, according to the North’s Department of Health figures.
The last death with coronavirus was reported by the department on Friday July 3rd.
Some 554 people have died in the North with the virus to date.
However, another four positive cases have been confirmed since Thursday, bringing the total to 5,772.
The department announced on Thursday that the current estimate of the R rate in Northern Ireland is between 0.5 and 1
Preparations have been made at Olympia Leisure Centre in south Belfast as Northern Ireland becomes the first part of the UK where gyms can reopen. Photograph: Rebecca Black/PA Wire
.
Cinemas, bingo halls and gyms in Northern Ireland reopened on Friday as part of the latest relaxation of lockdown rules.
A quarantine period for those arriving in the region from more than 50 countries, including popular holiday destinations such as France and Spain, was also stopped.
The Northern Ireland Executive agreed on Thursday to scrap the requirement that those arriving from countries categorised as low to medium-risk self-isolate for 14 days.
The region is the first part of the UK to reopen gyms.
Marriages and baptisms in places of worship and civil partnerships in local government offices have also been given the green light to resume.
From Friday, face coverings on public transport in the North will be mandatory.
The Government announced masks were being made mandatory on public transport in the Republic from June 30th but regulations to provide for that are still being prepared.
Exhausted
Dr Mary Favier, president of the Irish College of General Practitioners, said it was not a time to panic but that GPs had started to see a rise in case numbers in recent weeks.
She warned that if cases continue to duplicate, the country could be back to April levels of infection within four weeks.
“We have choices to make, it would be such a pity to lose ground. If the R number rises to 1.5 by the end of August, we will be back to April levels,” she said.
Dr Favier said frontline workers are exhausted and were alarmed at the prospect of having “to do it all again” in the autumn if there was a second wave. Additional reporting: PA


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Temperatures to hit 20 degrees as (mostly) dry weekend forecast

The weather is to be mostly dry with some light showers over the weekend , with temperatures hitting 20 degrees in parts on Saturday , Met Éireann has said .
Rain is due over the northern half of the country on Friday and will be heaviest in Ulster , the national forecaster has said .
The south of the country will be dry and sunny in the evening .
Temperatures are below average for this time of year , with highs of between 14 and 17 degrees and moderate breezes .
Friday evening is set to see long dry spells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northwest .
The forecaster said it will be “ chilly for early July ” with temperatures hitting lows of five degrees .
There will be some mist and fog in the southern half of the country where temperatures are due to drop the lowest .
Saturday will be mainly dry and milder than the rest of the week , with temperatures hitting highs of 20 degrees .
There will be some short rain showers in parts of the north and west of the country .
The weather will be warmest in Leinster and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night will remain dry with lowest temperatures between seven and nine degrees .
The dry weather will continue into Sunday morning , with some sunny spells forecast .
Light rain and clouds from the Atlantic coast will move in over the afternoon , but the southeast is expected to remain dry .
Temperatures may hit 21 degrees in sunny spots , and 16 to 19 degrees elsewhere .
The rain is forecast to get heavier and cover most of the country by Sunday night , with Monday morning to be a cloudy , @ @ @ @ @ @

Temperatures are forecast to reach 20 degrees in parts on Saturday. File photograph: The Irish Times
The weather is to be mostly dry with some light showers over the weekend, with temperatures hitting 20 degrees in parts on Saturday, Met Éireann has said.
Rain is due over the northern half of the country on Friday and will be heaviest in Ulster, the national forecaster has said.
The south of the country will be dry and sunny in the evening. Temperatures are below average for this time of year, with highs of between 14 and 17 degrees and moderate breezes.
Friday evening is set to see long dry spells, with scattered showers remaining in the northwest. The forecaster said it will be “chilly for early July” with temperatures hitting lows of five degrees.
READ MORE
There will be some mist and fog in the southern half of the country where temperatures are due to drop the lowest.
Saturday will be mainly dry and milder than the rest of the week, with temperatures hitting highs of 20 degrees. There will be some short rain showers in parts of the north and west of the country.
The weather will be warmest in Leinster and Munster, with light winds.
Saturday night will remain dry with lowest temperatures between seven and nine degrees.
The dry weather will continue into Sunday morning, with some sunny spells forecast. Light rain and clouds from the Atlantic coast will move in over the afternoon, but the southeast is expected to remain dry.
Temperatures may hit 21 degrees in sunny spots, and 16 to 19 degrees elsewhere. The rain is forecast to get heavier and cover most of the country by Sunday night, with Monday morning to be a cloudy, wet start to next week.


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Environmentalists to meet Green Party Ministers on ‘fragmentation’

Environmentalists will meet Green Party Ministers Pippa Hackett , Eamon Ryan and Malcolm Noonan on Friday afternoon in what they hope will be the first of regular progress updates on the “ green agenda ” .
Members of the environmental coalition – the Pillar , Stop Climate Chaos and the Sustainable Water Network – will be seeking regular briefings on the progress of measures to protect biodiversity , promote sustainable forestry , mitigate against climate change among other environmental issues .
The environmental coalition is also expected to tell the three ministers they are concerned about the “ fragmented ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government .
“ For a start the Programme for Government says it intends to implement the McKinnon report on forestry .
But the report recommends there be a Cabinet minister for forestry and we don ’ t have that , ” said Andrew St Leger of the Woodland League , a participant group in the environmental Pillar .
Mr St Ledger said the environmentalists would seek clarity from the ministers on the responsibilities of particular departments .
He said it was “ all a bit fragmented with the National Parks and Wildlife Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the new Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity , Ms Hackett , based at the Department of Agriculture .
Mr St Ledger said heritage was the preserve of a further department with Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan being based at the new department of Media , Tourism , Arts , Culture , Sport and the Gaeltacht .
The environmentalists are expected to ask Green Party leader and Minister for Climate Action , Communications Networks and Transport , to brief them on the responsibilities of each department , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet regularly with the environmentalists to brief them on progress on the green agenda .

Environmentalists will meet Green Party Ministers Pippa Hackett, Eamon Ryan and Malcolm Noonan on Friday afternoon in what they hope will be the first of regular progress updates on the “green agenda”.
Members of the environmental coalition – the Pillar, Stop Climate Chaos and the Sustainable Water Network – will be seeking regular briefings on the progress of measures to protect biodiversity, promote sustainable forestry, mitigate against climate change among other environmental issues.
The environmental coalition is also expected to tell the three ministers they are concerned about the “fragmented” approach to environmental issues in the incoming Government.
“For a start the Programme for Government says it intends to implement the McKinnon report on forestry. But the report recommends there be a Cabinet minister for forestry and we don’t have that,” said Andrew St Leger of the Woodland League, a participant group in the environmental Pillar.
READ MORE
Mr St Ledger said the environmentalists would seek clarity from the ministers on the responsibilities of particular departments. He said it was “all a bit fragmented with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of Housing, and the new Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Ms Hackett, based at the Department of Agriculture.
Mr St Ledger said heritage was the preserve of a further department with Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan being based at the new department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht.
The environmentalists are expected to ask Green Party leader and Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport, to brief them on the responsibilities of each department, and it was hoped he would agree to meet regularly with the environmentalists to brief them on progress on the green agenda.


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Two men arrested after €425,000 worth of heroin seized in Cork

Two men have been arrested in Cork city after €425,000 worth of heroin was seized by gardaí on Thursday night .
Officers from the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad seized the drugs in an intelligence-led operation , when they searched a car in the Knocknaheeny area on the city ’ s northside at 11.30pm .
The car had just pulled into the driveway of a house in the Harbour View Road area of Knocknaheeny when a team of plainclothes detectives surrounded the car and carried out the search .
They found approximately three kilos of heroin , with a street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest ever heroin seizures in city , which they believe had just been brought from Dublin for distribution and sale in the local Cork market .
A 57-year-old man and a 42-year-old man , one from Greenmount and one from Gurranebraher , were arrested and brought to Gurranebraher Garda Station for questioning about the seizure .
The two men are detained under drugs trafficking legislation , which allows gardaí to hold suspects for up to seven days before they have to be charged or released .
Members of the Cork City Divisional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation by officers from the Gurranebraher District Drugs Unit and members of the Armed Support Unit based in Anglesea Street Garda Station .
They later carried out a search of the house on Harbour View Road while they also seized the car for a forensic examination by Garda technical experts at a secure location .
Supt Michael Comyns paid tribute to the community for their assistance .
“ Gardaí were only able to act so quickly on this because they had calls from the local community about unusual activity .
”

Gardaí found approximately 3kg of heroin when they searched a car in the Knocknaheeny area on Thursday night.
Three people have been arrested in Cork city after €425,000 worth of heroin was seized by gardaí on Thursday night.
Officers from the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad seized the drugs in an intelligence-led operation, when they searched a car in the Knocknaheeny area on the city's northside at 11.30pm.
The car had just pulled into the driveway of a house in the Harbour View Road area of Knocknaheeny when a team of plainclothes detectives surrounded the car and carried out the search.
They found approximately 3kg of heroin, with a street value of about €425,000, one of the biggest ever heroin seizures in city. They believe the drugs had just been brought from Dublin for distribution and sale in the local Cork market.
READ MORE
A 57-year-old man and a 42-year-old man, one from Greenmount and one from Gurranabraher, were arrested and brought to Gurranabraher Garda station for questioning about the seizure.
A woman in her 30s was arrested on Friday evening after follow-up searches of houses in Greenmount and Knocknaheeny and is being held at Bridewell Garda station.
The three are detained under drugs trafficking legislation, which allows gardaí to hold suspects for up to seven days before they have to be charged or released.
Members of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad were backed up in the operation by officers from the Gurranabraher District Drugs Unit and members of the Armed Support Unit based in Anglesea Street Garda station.
Supt Michael Comyns paid tribute to the community for their assistance. “Gardaí were only able to act so quickly on this because they had calls from the local community about unusual activity.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Four released after questioning over suspected murders of missing couple

Gardaí investigating the disappearance and assumed murder of a couple five years ago have released four suspects arrested earlier this week .
Investigating gardaí will now prepare files for the Director of Public Prosecutions , who will make a decision on prosecuting the case .
The four were being held for questioning about the suspected murders of William Maughan ( 35 ) and Anastasija ( Anna ) Varslavane ( 21 ) in April 2015 .
Two men , aged in their 50s and 60s , and a woman in her 40s , were arrested on Wednesday .
A man in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four were released without charge on Friday morning , and a Garda spokeswoman said investigations were ongoing .
Mr Maughan and Ms Varslavane were last seen in Co Meath and gardaí believe they were abducted and murdered by a crime gang based in the northeast .
Detectives believed the couple were killed because members of the gang feared Mr Maughan and Ms Varslavane , a Latvian national , were about to go to the Garda and link them to a drug-related gun murder in 2014 .
While the bodies of the missing couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was upgraded to a murder investigation in 2016 and has been under investigation since then , including a cold case review .
The latest arrests follow the detention of an English man in his 50s in Co Meath in April .
He was questioned about the assumed murders of the couple and also the separate discovery of two caches of guns and ammunition in Gormanstown , Co Meath , last January and in April of last year .

Gardaí investigating the disappearance and assumed murder of a couple five years ago have released four suspects arrested earlier this week.
Investigating gardaí will now prepare files for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will make a decision on prosecuting the case.
The four were being held for questioning about the suspected murders of William Maughan (35) and Anastasija (Anna) Varslavane (21) in April 2015.
Two men, aged in their 50s and 60s, and a woman in her 40s, were arrested on Wednesday. A man in his 20s was also detained.
READ MORE
The four were released without charge on Friday morning, and a Garda spokeswoman said investigations were ongoing.
Mr Maughan and Ms Varslavane were last seen in Co Meath and gardaí believe they were abducted and murdered by a crime gang based in the northeast.
Detectives believed the couple were killed because members of the gang feared Mr Maughan and Ms Varslavane, a Latvian national, were about to go to the Garda and link them to a drug-related gun murder in 2014.
While the bodies of the missing couple have never been found, the case was upgraded to a murder investigation in 2016 and has been under investigation since then, including a cold case review.
The latest arrests follow the detention of an English man in his 50s in Co Meath in April. He was questioned about the assumed murders of the couple and also the separate discovery of two caches of guns and ammunition in Gormanstown, Co Meath, last January and in April of last year.


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Facebook quadruples spending on lobbying in Brussels

Facebook has increased the amount it spends on lobbying efforts in Brussels fourfold to more than €4 million last year , according to figures from a European Union transparency register .
The social media giant has ramped up the amount it spends attempting to influence policy at EU level , as several countries such as France have begun to take a more hardline stance against the company .
Last year Facebook spent between €4.2 million and €4.5 million on EU lobbying activities , and employs 12 full-time lobbyists , according to figures from the transparency database .
In 2017 it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ €1.25 million on EU lobbying efforts , employing five full-time lobbyists .
The company ’ s spending increased to more than €2 million in 2018 , according to the database .
There has been increasing political pressure in both Europe and the United States to better regulate the social media firm , amid concerns over the power of the company and the use of its platforms to spread disinformation .
Facebook ’ s European headquarters is located in Dublin , so it is registered as an Irish-based firm on the EU transparency database @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobbying in Brussels of any Irish-registered organisation .
A spokeswoman for Facebook said it did not wish to comment .
The transparency register is published online and compiled by the EU , based on annual returns from companies and organisations involved in lobbying the European Commission or European Parliament .
Lobbying firm Hume Brophy spent more than €1.2 million last year , according to the database , and its clients included EirGrid , the DAA , Zurich Insurance and Airlines for America .
Business group Ibec recorded a spend from its Brussels office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 10 full-time staff .
Bank of America Merrill Lynch is registered in Ireland and spent between €1.2 million and €1.5 million on EU lobbying last year .
Lobbyists Red Flag spent more than €300,000 on its Brussels operations last year , with its clients including Pernod Ricard , British American Tobacco and American pesticide producer Monsanto .
Last September Margrethe Vestager was reappointed as the EU ’ s competition commissioner , as well as taking on a new role as executive vice-president for digital policy .
Ms Vestager instigated the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland .
Facebook lobbyists met Ms Vestager in February to discuss “ digital policy ” , according to a public log of her meetings , with officials from the tech company also meeting members of her staff in May .
Phil Hogan , former Fine Gael minister and current EU commissioner for trade , has held meetings on trade policy with companies such as Microsoft , Apple and drinks producer Diageo in recent months , according to logs of his meetings .

Last year Facebook spent between €4.2 million and €4.5 million on EU lobbying activities, and employs 12 full-time lobbyists, according to figures from the EU transparency database. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
Facebook has increased the amount it spends on lobbying efforts in Brussels fourfold to more than €4 million last year, according to figures from a European Union transparency register.
The social media giant has ramped up the amount it spends attempting to influence policy at EU level, as several countries such as France have begun to take a more hardline stance against the company.
Last year Facebook spent between €4.2 million and €4.5 million on EU lobbying activities, and employs 12 full-time lobbyists, according to figures from the transparency database.
In 2017 it had reported spending between €1 million and €1.25 million on EU lobbying efforts, employing five full-time lobbyists. The company’s spending increased to more than €2 million in 2018, according to the database.
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There has been increasing political pressure in both Europe and the United States to better regulate the social media firm, amid concerns over the power of the company and the use of its platforms to spread disinformation.
Facebook’s European headquarters is located in Dublin, so it is registered as an Irish-based firm on the EU transparency database. The company spent the most on lobbying in Brussels of any Irish-registered organisation. A spokeswoman for Facebook said it did not wish to comment.
The transparency register is published online and compiled by the EU, based on annual returns from companies and organisations involved in lobbying the European Commission or European Parliament.
Lobbying firm Hume Brophy spent more than €1.2 million last year, according to the database, and its clients included EirGrid, the DAA, Zurich Insurance and Airlines for America.
Business group Ibec recorded a spend from its Brussels office of more than €1.2 million last year, with 10 full-time staff.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch is registered in Ireland and spent between €1.2 million and €1.5 million on EU lobbying last year.
Lobbyists Red Flag spent more than €300,000 on its Brussels operations last year, with its clients including Pernod Ricard, British American Tobacco and American pesticide producer Monsanto.
Last September Margrethe Vestager was reappointed as the EU's competition commissioner, as well as taking on a new role as executive vice-president for digital policy. Ms Vestager instigated the investigation into Apple over its tax arrangements in Ireland.
Facebook lobbyists met Ms Vestager in February to discuss “digital policy”, according to a public log of her meetings, with officials from the tech company also meeting members of her staff in May.
Phil Hogan, former Fine Gael minister and current EU commissioner for trade, has held meetings on trade policy with companies such as Microsoft, Apple and drinks producer Diageo in recent months, according to logs of his meetings.


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Major funding package planned to help schools reopen ‘as fully as possible’

The Government is working on a major financial package to help schools reopen “ as fully as possible ” in the autumn , including extra funding for substitution cover , cleaning and supports for school principals .
The Department of Education ’ s top priority is to reopen all schools as “ fully , normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year ” , its secretary general Seán Ó Foghlú will tell the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee on Friday .
Mr Ó Foghlú will say there is flexibility in the interim public health guidelines which stipulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for most students .
While teachers ’ unions have warned these rules mean a full return to school may not be possible , Mr Ó Foghlú says the guidelines state that they must be applied in a practical way and that classrooms “ can not be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on the issue ” .
As economic activity increases with the easing of the lockdown , public health officials have again warned against non-essential trips overseas after it emerged that 15 out of the 23 new cases reported on Thursday were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel .
All of the new cases of Covid-19 were in people aged under 44 , and 77 per cent were among under 25-year-olds , the National Public Health Emergency Team reported .
This was the first time officials had seen such a concentration of cases among younger people , acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said .
Meanwhile , the wearing of face-coverings on public transport is still not mandatory , two weeks after the Government announced the measure .
Regulations to provide for the mandatory wearing of face-coverings on public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an advanced stage ” , the Department of Health said last night .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) on Thursday recommended the wearing of face-coverings for all visits to hospitals , GP practices and pharmacies , but said it had no plans to make this measure compulsory .
Another six deaths of people diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by NPHET on Thursday .
This brings to 1,743 the total number of deaths from the disease in the Republic .
The 23 new confirmed cases of the virus reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases to 25,565 .
In relation to schools , the Department of Education is in discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure over the scale of the funding package needed to support schools to reopen .
Some sources say it could end up running to in excess of €100 million over the course of the coming academic year .
The estimated costs for hygiene services in schools alone – such as hand sanitiser and cleaning services – is projected to run to €25 million between September and December .
“ We know there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just in terms of hand sanitisation or cleaning regimes but in terms of teacher and SNA substitution and support for school leaders , ” Mr Ó Foghlú says in his opening statement to the committee .
Scoping and planning for the reopening of schools is due to conclude by the end of this month , so schools have sufficient time to prepare at a local level for their reopening .
“ There will also be comprehensive communication with students and parents so that they are fully informed , ” he states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirm that work is taking place to address logistical challenges , such as school transport , as well as issues around how to best assess students in the Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert exams next year .
Potential adjustments to the curriculum are being worked on in conjunction with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment .
Mr Ó Foghlú will also emphasise the importance of staff , students and families in helping to prevent the spread of the virus in schools .
This , he says , means ensuring those who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay out of school .
Staff and students will also be required to maintain best practice in terms of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette in school and by minimising social contacts and respecting physical distancing practices .

A major financial package is intended to help schools reopen ‘as fully as possible’ in the autumn
The Government is working on a major financial package to help schools reopen “as fully as possible” in the autumn, including extra funding for substitution cover, cleaning and supports for school principals.
The Department of Education's top priority is to reopen all schools as "fully, normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year", its secretary general Seán Ó Foghlú will tell the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee on Friday.
Mr Ó Foghlú will say there is flexibility in the interim public health guidelines which stipulate a one-metre physical distancing rule should apply for most students.
While teachers’ unions have warned these rules mean a full return to school may not be possible, Mr Ó Foghlú says the guidelines state that they must be applied in a practical way and that classrooms “cannot be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on the issue”.
READ MORE
As economic activity increases with the easing of the lockdown, public health officials have again warned against non-essential trips overseas after it emerged that 15 out of the 23 new cases reported on Thursday were “directly or indirectly” related to travel.
All of the new cases of Covid-19 were in people aged under 44, and 77 per cent were among under 25-year-olds, the National Public Health Emergency Team reported.
This was the first time officials had seen such a concentration of cases among younger people, acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said.
Face-coverings
Meanwhile, the wearing of face-coverings on public transport is still not mandatory, two weeks after the Government announced the measure.
Regulations to provide for the mandatory wearing of face-coverings on public transport “are being prepared and are at an advanced stage”, the Department of Health said last night.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on Thursday recommended the wearing of face-coverings for all visits to hospitals, GP practices and pharmacies, but said it had no plans to make this measure compulsory.
Another six deaths of people diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by NPHET on Thursday. This brings to 1,743 the total number of deaths from the disease in the Republic.
The 23 new confirmed cases of the virus reported on Thursday brings the total number of cases to 25,565.
In relation to schools, the Department of Education is in discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure over the scale of the funding package needed to support schools to reopen.
Some sources say it could end up running to in excess of €100 million over the course of the coming academic year.
The estimated costs for hygiene services in schools alone – such as hand sanitiser and cleaning services – is projected to run to €25 million between September and December.
“We know there will be costs associated with reopening and not just in terms of hand sanitisation or cleaning regimes but in terms of teacher and SNA substitution and support for school leaders,” Mr Ó Foghlú says in his opening statement to the committee.
Scoping
Scoping and planning for the reopening of schools is due to conclude by the end of this month, so schools have sufficient time to prepare at a local level for their reopening.
“There will also be comprehensive communication with students and parents so that they are fully informed,” he states.
Mr Ó Foghlú is also due to confirm that work is taking place to address logistical challenges, such as school transport, as well as issues around how to best assess students in the Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert exams next year.
Potential adjustments to the curriculum are being worked on in conjunction with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
Mr Ó Foghlú will also emphasise the importance of staff, students and families in helping to prevent the spread of the virus in schools.
This, he says, means ensuring those who have symptoms or suspect they have the virus stay out of school.
Staff and students will also be required to maintain best practice in terms of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette in school and by minimising social contacts and respecting physical distancing practices.


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Covid-19 fatalities in convent highlight need for review, researchers say

The Covid-19-related deaths of four nuns in a convent in the southwest highlights the need to review such unregulated care homes , researchers have said .
The four nuns died , and 12 out of 14 in their order tested positive , as the care system “ collapsed ” in their home during the height of the pandemic , according to an article published in an academic journal .
The “ significant ” outbreak of the disease in the residence of a religious order “ highlights the need to review these unregulated homes ” , the authors , geriatricians from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Cork and Clonakilty community hospital , say .
The order provided the staff for the home , whose residents were aged 76 to 103 .
In mid-March , one resident was hospitalised with Covid-19 and later died .
Within days , staff and other residents developed symptoms and the care system “ collapsed ” , according to the case study published in the Journal of Nursing Home Research Sciences .
A second patient was admitted to hospital with confirmed Covid-19 and died there in early April .
After the local community support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , seven nuns were transferred to two local hospitals .
One “ moribund ” patient stayed in the convent and died , while three healthy nuns also stayed .
Overall , 12 nuns tested positive , four died , three remained in the convent and seven , with an average age of 93 , were transferred to a local HSE rehab ward .
Religious organisations were reluctant to give access to HSE staff during the crisis as residents were cocooning in accordance with Government regulations , according to the geriatricians who authored the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , religious orders do not fall under the remit of the HSE and there was limited existing knowledge of their services when support was being organised .
While some religious homes had an infirmary to manage frail residents , they were unable to respond to the increased nursing needs during the outbreak .
The article says a key learning was the importance of onsite visits to the larger religious organisations to observe social distancing , hygiene arrangements and staff training .
Generally , the authors say nursing homes had concerns during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and did not have access to rapid or universal testing .
“ Testing was available but it was slow and results were not received fast enough.
” They say religious and other unregulated homes should be brought under the guidance of regulatory authorities and clear advance care directives should be in place before any future outbreak .
These should deal with resuscitation , tube feeding and transfer out to hospital with a defined level of care for residents .

Religious organisations were reluctant to give access to HSE staff during the crisis as residents were cocooning in accordance with Government regulations. Photograph: Dylan Martinez
The Covid-19-related deaths of four nuns in a convent in the southwest highlights the need to review such unregulated care homes, researchers have said.
The four nuns died, and 12 out of 14 in their order tested positive, as the care system “collapsed” in their home during the height of the pandemic, according to an article published in an academic journal.
The “significant” outbreak of the disease in the residence of a religious order “highlights the need to review these unregulated homes”, the authors, geriatricians from the Health Service Executive, Mercy hospital in Cork and Clonakilty community hospital, say.
The order provided the staff for the home, whose residents were aged 76 to 103. In mid-March, one resident was hospitalised with Covid-19 and later died. Within days, staff and other residents developed symptoms and the care system “collapsed”, according to the case study published in the Journal of Nursing Home Research Sciences.
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Failing supports
A second patient was admitted to hospital with confirmed Covid-19 and died there in early April. After the local community support team learned that care supports were failing, seven nuns were transferred to two local hospitals. One “moribund” patient stayed in the convent and died, while three healthy nuns also stayed.
Overall, 12 nuns tested positive, four died, three remained in the convent and seven, with an average age of 93, were transferred to a local HSE rehab ward.
Religious organisations were reluctant to give access to HSE staff during the crisis as residents were cocooning in accordance with Government regulations, according to the geriatricians who authored the article.
Frail residents
Along with private nursing homes, religious orders do not fall under the remit of the HSE and there was limited existing knowledge of their services when support was being organised. While some religious homes had an infirmary to manage frail residents, they were unable to respond to the increased nursing needs during the outbreak.
The article says a key learning was the importance of onsite visits to the larger religious organisations to observe social distancing, hygiene arrangements and staff training.
Generally, the authors say nursing homes had concerns during the pandemic about the supply of personal protective equipment and did not have access to rapid or universal testing. “Testing was available but it was slow and results were not received fast enough.”
They say religious and other unregulated homes should be brought under the guidance of regulatory authorities and clear advance care directives should be in place before any future outbreak. These should deal with resuscitation, tube feeding and transfer out to hospital with a defined level of care for residents.


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Work to resume on €1.7bn children’s hospital amid costs dispute

Work will resume on Monday at the €1.7 billion National Children ’ s Hospital despite a continuing dispute over extra costs which Government sources believe could run into tens of millions of euro .
The main contractor on the project , BAM Ireland , had not returned to work amid a row over the cost of resuming construction amid Covid-19 restrictions .
The company ’ s failure to resume work had led to the threat of legal action by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board ( NPHDB ) .
It is understood that a letter issued to the company by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company to return to work on the site , and said that if the timeline was not complied with , legal action would follow .
BAM also came under intense political pressure on Friday , with Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking of his “ anger ” and frustration over the work stoppage .
“ I would say people need to get back on site and start building the children ’ s hospital because the children of this country need it , ” he said .
“ I ’ m angry about this and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the site.
” Speaking on Friday night , Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that “ all options are on the table ” when it came to addressing the dispute .
A stand-off over the project was due to a dispute over who would pay for the additional costs that arose through having to meet new public health guidelines on building sites .
Government sources believe that demands made by BAM during the stand-off would add tens of millions to the project ’ s final cost .
The stalemate was broken on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get under way again from the beginning of next week “ in good faith ” and “ following robust communication with the board and in the interest of completing the project as quickly and economically as possible ” .
“ Work will recommence with the safety of all stakeholders as the top priority and with full implementation of the Government ’ s mandatory Covid-19 restrictions .
We look forward to a successful resumption and getting this vital project moving , notwithstanding all of the challenges that are not of our making , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the NPHDB now expects the issue to be referred to dispute-resolution mechanisms contained in the contract for the construction .
Earlier on Friday , BAM said it was “ unfair ” that it was not being offered compensation for the additional construction costs on foot of Covid-19 public health restrictions and that this needed to addressed urgently .
BAM had also said that the Government had agreed to make ex gratia payments to companies building other public projects .
However , it said no such compensation payments for the restrictions – which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to constructions delays – were being made in relation to the National Children ’ s Hospital , which is being built at the campus of St James ’ s Hospital in Dublin .
Highly placed sources said there were concerns within Government that the potential additional costs involved could run to “ tens of millions of euro ” .
It is understood that the board overseeing the development of the hospital wrote to Mr Donnelly on the issue of delay in re-commencing work on the site on Thursday .
Mr Donnelly said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman of the board on Friday .
It is understood that contractors involved in other State building projects have received additional payments to deal with pressures caused by Covid-19 , but that this would have to come from within the existing overall budget .
The Department of Public Expenditure on Friday night argued that the National Children ’ s Hospital project was different to other State building developments .
“ Guidance for standard works projects was issued to contracting authorities setting out measures that they could consider to address the impact of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Development Plan , ” the department said .
“ The Office of Government Procurement is not aware of the conditions that apply where non-standard forms of contract are used , and the form of contract used on the National Children ’ s Hospital is not a standard public works contract .
”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was ‘angry’ over the work stoppage. ‘I would say people need to get back on site and start building the children’s hospital because the children of this country need it.’ Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Work will resume on Monday at the €1.7 billion National Children’s Hospital despite a continuing dispute over extra costs which Government sources believe could run into tens of millions of euro.
The main contractor on the project, BAM Ireland, had not returned to work amid a row over the cost of resuming construction amid Covid-19 restrictions.
The company’s failure to resume work had led to the threat of legal action by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB). It is understood that a letter issued to the company by the board contained an indicative timeline for the company to return to work on the site, and said that if the timeline was not complied with, legal action would follow.
BAM also came under intense political pressure on Friday, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking of his “anger” and frustration over the work stoppage. “I would say people need to get back on site and start building the children’s hospital because the children of this country need it,” he said. “I’m angry about this and I think they should get back on the site.”
READ MORE
Speaking on Friday night, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that "all options are on the table" when it came to addressing the dispute.
A stand-off over the project was due to a dispute over who would pay for the additional costs that arose through having to meet new public health guidelines on building sites. Government sources believe that demands made by BAM during the stand-off would add tens of millions to the project’s final cost.
Stalemate
The stalemate was broken on Friday night when BAM confirmed building work would get under way again from the beginning of next week “in good faith” and “following robust communication with the board and in the interest of completing the project as quickly and economically as possible”.
“Work will recommence with the safety of all stakeholders as the top priority and with full implementation of the Government’s mandatory Covid-19 restrictions. We look forward to a successful resumption and getting this vital project moving, notwithstanding all of the challenges that are not of our making,” said the company.
It is understood that the NPHDB now expects the issue to be referred to dispute-resolution mechanisms contained in the contract for the construction.
Earlier on Friday, BAM said it was “unfair” that it was not being offered compensation for the additional construction costs on foot of Covid-19 public health restrictions and that this needed to addressed urgently.
BAM had also said that the Government had agreed to make ex gratia payments to companies building other public projects.
However, it said no such compensation payments for the restrictions – which would allow fewer workers on site and lead to constructions delays – were being made in relation to the National Children’s Hospital, which is being built at the campus of St James’s Hospital in Dublin.
Concerns
Highly placed sources said there were concerns within Government that the potential additional costs involved could run to “tens of millions of euro”. It is understood that the board overseeing the development of the hospital wrote to Mr Donnelly on the issue of delay in re-commencing work on the site on Thursday.
Mr Donnelly said last night that he had met the chairman of the board on Friday.
It is understood that contractors involved in other State building projects have received additional payments to deal with pressures caused by Covid-19, but that this would have to come from within the existing overall budget.
The Department of Public Expenditure on Friday night argued that the National Children’s Hospital project was different to other State building developments.
“Guidance for standard works projects was issued to contracting authorities setting out measures that they could consider to address the impact of Covid-19 on projects being delivered under the National Development Plan,” the department said.
“The Office of Government Procurement is not aware of the conditions that apply where non-standard forms of contract are used, and the form of contract used on the National Children’s Hospital is not a standard public works contract.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Nursing homes say big effort needed to keep residents out of hospital this winter

Nursing home operators have told Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly a concerted effort must be made to keep residents out of hospital this winter .
In a meeting on Friday evening , Nursing Homes Ireland ( NHI ) , the main representative body for the group , urged the Minister to examine measures such as mobile X-ray units , on-site intravenous therapies and site visits from geriatricians .
The spread of Covid-19 to nursing homes has partially been attributed to residents contracting the virus while hospitalised , and then infecting other residents after returning to their care facilities .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit by the Covid-19 pandemic , accounting for 985 of the 1,738 Covid-19 deaths .
Tadhg Daly , the chief executive of NHI , said he had held a meeting with Mr Donnelly concerning winter planning and hospital avoidance measures .
“ I am very encouraged by my engagement with the Minister , and will be coming back with some considerations in the coming weeks.
” Earlier in the day Mr Donnelly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin met with the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) to consider winter planning .
Speaking afterward , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a winter much more difficult and complex than any before given the continued prevalence of Covid-19 ” .
An expert panel on nursing homes , appointed by previous minister for health Simon Harris , delivered its interim report to Mr Donnelly .
According to the report , which has been seen by The Irish Times , data and evidence gathering “ are now at an advanced stage of completion ” .
The expert panel is now set to focus on the completion of its evidence review and more data analysis .
The report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expert panel will be seeking to speak those who live in nursing homes and who worked on the front lines as part of their work .
The panel , according to the report , is “ particularly anxious to hear from and understand the lived experience in nursing homes throughout the pandemic ” .
“ The panel is particularly keen to engage with and hear from those who have been managing the response to Covid-19 on the nursing homes frontline ( or ) have been providing care in nursing homes throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and learnings from these vital stakeholders will provide a key input to the panel ’ s deliberations.
” A number of nursing homes have been selected for this part of the panel ’ s work , including a mix of public and privately-operated facilities , and those which experienced Covid-19 cases , as well as those that did not .
The report shows the four-person expert panel has received 12 separate meeting engagements with stakeholders , consisting of a total of 21 different representative organisations or other bodies .
It has also received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consultation , and 50 submissions from nursing homes themselves .
In addition to these engagements , the panel is also planning to hold meetings with residents and relatives “ who have expressed the desire to share their thoughts and experiences with the expert panel ” .
These engagements are likely to take place next week .
According to the interim report , a final report will be submitted to the Minister by the middle of this month .

The spread of Covid-19 to nursing homes has partially been attributed to residents contracting the virus while hospitalised, and then infecting other residents after returning to their care facilities. Photograph: Getty Images
Nursing home operators have told Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly a concerted effort must be made to keep residents out of hospital this winter.
In a meeting on Friday evening, Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), the main representative body for the group, urged the Minister to examine measures such as mobile X-ray units, on-site intravenous therapies and site visits from geriatricians.
The spread of Covid-19 to nursing homes has partially been attributed to residents contracting the virus while hospitalised, and then infecting other residents after returning to their care facilities.
The nursing home sector has been the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, accounting for 985 of the 1,738 Covid-19 deaths.
READ MORE
Tadhg Daly, the chief executive of NHI, said he had held a meeting with Mr Donnelly concerning winter planning and hospital avoidance measures.
“I am very encouraged by my engagement with the Minister, and will be coming back with some considerations in the coming weeks.”
Earlier in the day Mr Donnelly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin met with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to consider winter planning. Speaking afterward, Mr Martin said "this will be a winter much more difficult and complex than any before given the continued prevalence of Covid-19".
An expert panel on nursing homes, appointed by previous minister for health Simon Harris, delivered its interim report to Mr Donnelly.
According to the report, which has been seen by The Irish Times, data and evidence gathering “are now at an advanced stage of completion”.
The expert panel is now set to focus on the completion of its evidence review and more data analysis.
Lived experience
The report contains no findings, but indicates that the expert panel will be seeking to speak those who live in nursing homes and who worked on the front lines as part of their work.
The panel, according to the report, is “particularly anxious to hear from and understand the lived experience in nursing homes throughout the pandemic”.
“The panel is particularly keen to engage with and hear from those who have been managing the response to Covid-19 on the nursing homes frontline (or) have been providing care in nursing homes throughout the pandemic.
“The voices, experience and learnings from these vital stakeholders will provide a key input to the panel’s deliberations.”
A number of nursing homes have been selected for this part of the panel’s work, including a mix of public and privately-operated facilities, and those which experienced Covid-19 cases, as well as those that did not.
The report shows the four-person expert panel has received 12 separate meeting engagements with stakeholders, consisting of a total of 21 different representative organisations or other bodies.
Submissions
It has also received around 40 written submissions from a public consultation, and 50 submissions from nursing homes themselves.
In addition to these engagements, the panel is also planning to hold meetings with residents and relatives “who have expressed the desire to share their thoughts and experiences with the expert panel”.
These engagements are likely to take place next week.
According to the interim report, a final report will be submitted to the Minister by the middle of this month.


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Hundreds of substitute teachers may be hired full-time to keep schools open

Hundreds of substitute teachers could be hired on a full-time basis in order to provide emergency cover to keep schools open , under plans being considered by the Department of Education .
Sick rates and teacher absences are likely to rise sharply in the new school year year in light of public health guidelines which advise teachers not to turn up for work if they have any Covid-19 symptoms .
The Department of Education ’ s secretary general , Seán Ó Foghlú , confirmed that officials are looking at the option of hiring panels of substitute teachers full-time or sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Principals Network – which estimates that in the region of 300 full-time substitute teachers will be needed to provide cover for release days for teaching principals – has warned that a “ crisis ” in the supply of substitute teachers needs to be tackled first .
The Irish National Teachers ’ Organisation also says significant numbers will be needed to provide cover for sick teachers .
The department is due to publish detailed guidelines on reopening of schools by the end of this month with the aim that all primary and secondary schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foghlú , speaking at the Oireachtas special committee on Covid-19 , said there was flexibility with physical distancing guidelines which should see all children to return to school for full days of classes as “ safely and as normally as possible ” .
However , he urged parents to ensure children who travel abroad for summer holidays self-isolate for 14 days before they return to school in September .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said on Friday evening that a key reason for the Government ’ s cautious approach to reopening international travel was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of August .
“ We need to keep community transmission of the virus down , and that is why we will be cautious on the travel issue insofar as we can be within our jurisdiction , ” he said .
Department officials have also confirmed that if cases of Covid-19 are reported in schools , it may not require their entire closure .
Instead , a class or a group within a class may be directed not to attend school and to self-isolate for 14 days .
This is on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in placed in schools to prevent the spread of the virus .
These decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the health authorities .

The Department of Education officials say that if cases of Covid-19 are reported in schools, it may not require their entire closure
Hundreds of substitute teachers could be hired on a full-time basis in order to provide emergency cover to keep schools open, under plans being considered by the Department of Education.
Sick rates and teacher absences are likely to rise sharply in the new school year year in light of public health guidelines which advise teachers not to turn up for work if they have any Covid-19 symptoms.
The Department of Education’s secretary general, Seán Ó Foghlú, confirmed that officials are looking at the option of hiring panels of substitute teachers full-time or sharing substitutes between schools.
The Irish Primary Principals Network – which estimates that in the region of 300 full-time substitute teachers will be needed to provide cover for release days for teaching principals – has warned that a “crisis” in the supply of substitute teachers needs to be tackled first.
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The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation also says significant numbers will be needed to provide cover for sick teachers.
The department is due to publish detailed guidelines on reopening of schools by the end of this month with the aim that all primary and secondary schools reopen fully in September.
Mr Ó Foghlú, speaking at the Oireachtas special committee on Covid-19, said there was flexibility with physical distancing guidelines which should see all children to return to school for full days of classes as “safely and as normally as possible”.
However, he urged parents to ensure children who travel abroad for summer holidays self-isolate for 14 days before they return to school in September.
International travel
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said on Friday evening that a key reason for the Government’s cautious approach to reopening international travel was to ensure all schools can reopen safely towards the end of August.
“We need to keep community transmission of the virus down, and that is why we will be cautious on the travel issue insofar as we can be within our jurisdiction,” he said.
Department officials have also confirmed that if cases of Covid-19 are reported in schools, it may not require their entire closure.
Instead, a class or a group within a class may be directed not to attend school and to self-isolate for 14 days.
This is on the basis of precautionary measures which will be in placed in schools to prevent the spread of the virus. These decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the health authorities.


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Surplus hotel rooms and facilities used to tackle coronavirus costing State millions

Surplus hotel accommodation and other facilities for use in battling the coronavirus pandemic is still costing the State millions of euro , even as much of it remains unused .
In one of the more expensive moves the Government rented the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre in Saggart , Dublin , for €21 million on a lease which was to run out at the end of December .
The hotel was to be used as a community self-isolating centre and coronavirus recovery centre , providing 756 rooms with the added potential of 450 beds in the convention centre , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , there have been just 586 admissions to date and on June 22nd the Government exercised a break option , and will relinquish the hotel and convention centre on October 22nd .
Three hotels in Temple Bar – Handel ’ s Hotel , Temple Bar Hotel and Riverhouse Hotel – were contracted to supply 105 rooms between them at a cost of up to €105.72 per night .
There have been just 108 admissions to date and the lease runs out on August 4th , subject to extension if required by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21-bedroom guesthouse on Western Road , Cork , was acquired for use from April to July at a flat rate of €122,000 .
The 21 rooms have been in use since the lease commenced .
The University of Limerick Sports Arena was acquired from June 8th to August 31st .
Up to 30 of the 84 available beds have been used on a weekly basis .
The HSE said if it is used beyond September 1st a licence fee of €93,000 per month will arise .
Other properties acquired include at the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin , at €4,500 per week , as well as a guesthouse at Waterloo Road in Dublin for €25,000 per month .
Less expensive properties were acquired in Shannon , Clare , Kerry and Sligo .
The figures were provided on foot of parliamentary questions to Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín , who said the details painted “ a very worrying picture ” , adding that serious questions remain over HSE spending .
“ The problem with Fine Gael in government is that while on one hand they will purport to be a party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generous in spending other people ’ s money and prone to massive , avoidable overspends on contracting projects , while looking scornfully at our heroic nurses and pretending they ’ ve no money for them .
”

In one of the more expensive moves the Government rented the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre in Saggart, Dublin, for €21 million on a lease which was to run out at the end of December. Photograph: Frank Miller
Surplus hotel accommodation and other facilities for use in battling the coronavirus pandemic is still costing the State millions of euro, even as much of it remains unused.
In one of the more expensive moves the Government rented the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre in Saggart, Dublin, for €21 million on a lease which was to run out at the end of December.
The hotel was to be used as a community self-isolating centre and coronavirus recovery centre, providing 756 rooms with the added potential of 450 beds in the convention centre, for a period of seven months from March.
However, there have been just 586 admissions to date and on June 22nd the Government exercised a break option, and will relinquish the hotel and convention centre on October 22nd.
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Three hotels in Temple Bar – Handel’s Hotel, Temple Bar Hotel and Riverhouse Hotel – were contracted to supply 105 rooms between them at a cost of up to €105.72 per night. There have been just 108 admissions to date and the lease runs out on August 4th, subject to extension if required by the HSE.
Garnish House, a 21-bedroom guesthouse on Western Road, Cork, was acquired for use from April to July at a flat rate of €122,000. The 21 rooms have been in use since the lease commenced.
Worrying picture
The University of Limerick Sports Arena was acquired from June 8th to August 31st. Up to 30 of the 84 available beds have been used on a weekly basis. The HSE said if it is used beyond September 1st a licence fee of €93,000 per month will arise.
Other properties acquired include at the National Show Centre, in Swords, Co Dublin, at €4,500 per week, as well as a guesthouse at Waterloo Road in Dublin for €25,000 per month. Less expensive properties were acquired in Shannon, Clare, Kerry and Sligo.
The figures were provided on foot of parliamentary questions to Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín, who said the details painted “a very worrying picture”, adding that serious questions remain over HSE spending.
“The problem with Fine Gael in government is that while on one hand they will purport to be a party of economic prudence, they are very generous in spending other people’s money and prone to massive, avoidable overspends on contracting projects, while looking scornfully at our heroic nurses and pretending they’ve no money for them.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--Why is our water supply system so precarious?

The latest report card on Irish Water highlights a range of failures and presents further evidence that Ireland has a water supply network that is far from reliable .
This week ’ s Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) report on public drinking water supplies notes that the lack of robust infrastructure is putting the health of more than one million people at risk and acutely impacting the Dublin region , the most populous of the country .
The precarious situation in the capital is being exacerbated by the utility being barely able to meet demand and its difficulties at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes water from the Liffey river and supplies much of Dublin and parts of Meath and Kildare .
Last year , boil-water notices affecting 650,000 people were in place for an extended period due to problems at Leixlip .
In its report , the EPA did not hold fire in highlighting issues throughout the country – it said it could take 60 years to remove dangerous lead pipe connections and noted there was inadequate disinfection of infrastructure and poor management of harmful cleaning byproducts such as trihalomethanes .
In 2018 , Irish Water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s remedial action list – the most problematic ones – had completion dates no later than 2021 .
They have since been pushed out to 2024 and beyond , due to funding required not being available before then .
In those circumstances , it is remarkable that overall 99.9 per cent of samples complied with EPA bacterial limits and 99.6 per cent complied with chemical limits .
Indeed , levels of compliance have been consistently high since Irish Water became responsible for public supplies in 2014 .
The problem , however , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Prof Fiona Regan , director of DCU Water Institute .
She believes the scale of the problem and how it has to be addressed needs to be a Government priority .
“ Irish Water is not resourced enough ; it ’ s not moving quickly enough , ” she says , adding that taking 60 years to remove lead pipes “ is simply not acceptable ” .
Prof Regan argues that because Irish Water is not providing appropriate timelines to address problems , “ the security issue should be taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Government level ” .
Resolving Dublin ’ s water problems is a complex task balancing supply and demand , she admits .
“ But it ’ s also about management .
What happened in Leixlip should not have happened.
” The EPA details three separate incidents last October at Leixlip , which Irish Water operates with Fingal County Council .
In November , “ very heavy rain led to a significant deterioration in quality of the water coming from the Liffey , and the treatment plant was unable to cope ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ notices had to be extended , says Prof Regan .
“ Can you imagine if this happened in this period [ of Covid-19 ] ?
” Dr Tom Collins of the Water Forum , a statutory advisory body , acknowledges the progress on compliance but says he has major concerns about the 67 boil-water notices in place nationwide last year .
He says 59 of them lasted for more than 30 days , indicating significant investment in infrastructure is needed .
“ Such impacts are extremely inconvenient for Irish Water customers and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view .
It is particularly worrying that more than 15,065 people remain on boil-water notices across the country today and some of them – like the 12,576 people in Lough Talt , Sligo – have been dealing with boil-water notices now for a number of years.
” The forum has repeatedly highlighted the vulnerability of Dublin ’ s water supply , noting the Liffey supplies more than 80 per cent of the city ’ s water needs , and main treatment plants at Leixlip , Vartry and Ballymore Eustace are at their maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or very little , ‘ headroom ’ for further drinking water production ” he says .
“ Dublin water supply on a knife edge , even where there isn ’ t a drought.
” The long-term solution , the Water Forum believes , must include a national strategy on conservation , including accelerated leakage reduction .
Irish Water accepts Dublin needs a new source of water as the existing sources will not be able to meet long-term requirements .
Some 40 per cent of the flow from the Liffey is needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s water needs .
“ This means the maximum sustainable raw water abstraction from the Liffey has been reached and there is adequate treatment capacity for what we can sustainably abstract , ” the utility said .
Irish Water planned to invest €750 million in water and wastewater projects in 2020 as part of a €2 billion overall investment by 2021 .
However , due to the pandemic , 95 per cent of its 300 construction sites were temporarily demobilised , which will push back timelines further .
By its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of billions of euro over a number of investment cycles , and many years , to address all of the legacy and emerging issues in the water and waste-water infrastructure while maintaining services to customers and minimising disruption to villages , towns and cities.
” • Lead exposure Water leaving treatment plants is lead free , Irish Water stresses .
It is replacing some 180,000 lead service connections , where feasible .
“ Commitment to remove public-side lead service connections will have limited impact in reducing lead levels from the customer tap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead pipe in the public distribution network is inside the property boundary.
” Uptake of grants to replace private lead pipes has been low .
• Leakage Current leakage rate nationally is 42.3 per cent – in the Greater Dublin Area it is to 37.5 per cent .
Leakage is more likely in old lead pipes but Dr Collins says the problem is throughout the network , where progress typically is two steps forward , one step back as leaks are fixed and others emerge .
Irish Water says it is on track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and save 166 million litres of drinking water daily nationally by 2021 , including 44 million litres in the Greater Dublin Area through investment of €500 million .
• Disinfection Irish Water is investing more than €65 million in upgrading and standardising disinfection systems in treatment plants , pumping stations and reservoirs .
On harmful byproducts and pesticide levels , it says , there has been significant progress .

The latest report card on Irish Water highlights a range of failures and presents further evidence that Ireland has a water supply network that is far from reliable.
This week’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on public drinking water supplies notes that the lack of robust infrastructure is putting the health of more than one million people at risk and acutely impacting the Dublin region, the most populous of the country.
The precarious situation in the capital is being exacerbated by the utility being barely able to meet demand and its difficulties at the Leixlip water treatment plant, which takes water from the Liffey river and supplies much of Dublin and parts of Meath and Kildare.
Last year, boil-water notices affecting 650,000 people were in place for an extended period due to problems at Leixlip.
READ MORE
In its report, the EPA did not hold fire in highlighting issues throughout the country – it said it could take 60 years to remove dangerous lead pipe connections and noted there was inadequate disinfection of infrastructure and poor management of harmful cleaning byproducts such as trihalomethanes.
Irish Water is not resourced enough; it's not moving quickly enough
In 2018, Irish Water indicated all issues on the EPA’s remedial action list – the most problematic ones – had completion dates no later than 2021. They have since been pushed out to 2024 and beyond, due to funding required not being available before then.
In those circumstances, it is remarkable that overall 99.9 per cent of samples complied with EPA bacterial limits and 99.6 per cent complied with chemical limits. Indeed, levels of compliance have been consistently high since Irish Water became responsible for public supplies in 2014.
Lack of resilience
The problem, however, is a lack of resilience in the system, according to Prof Fiona Regan, director of DCU Water Institute.
She believes the scale of the problem and how it has to be addressed needs to be a Government priority.
“Irish Water is not resourced enough; it’s not moving quickly enough,” she says, adding that taking 60 years to remove lead pipes “is simply not acceptable”.
Prof Regan argues that because Irish Water is not providing appropriate timelines to address problems, “the security issue should be taken away from Irish Water and dealt with at Government level”.
Resolving Dublin’s water problems is a complex task balancing supply and demand, she admits. “But it’s also about management. What happened in Leixlip should not have happened.”
The EPA details three separate incidents last October at Leixlip, which Irish Water operates with Fingal County Council. In November, “very heavy rain led to a significant deterioration in quality of the water coming from the Liffey, and the treatment plant was unable to cope”.
The bottom line was that the boil-water notices had to be extended, says Prof Regan. “Can you imagine if this happened in this period [of Covid-19]?”
Lead piping excavated from the driveway of a home in Sandymount, Dublin, after it ruptured and caused a leak. Uptake of grants to replace private lead pipes has been low. File photograph: Frank Miller
Major concerns
Dr Tom Collins of the Water Forum, a statutory advisory body, acknowledges the progress on compliance but says he has major concerns about the 67 boil-water notices in place nationwide last year. He says 59 of them lasted for more than 30 days, indicating significant investment in infrastructure is needed.
“Such impacts are extremely inconvenient for Irish Water customers and not acceptable from a public health point of view. It is particularly worrying that more than 15,065 people remain on boil-water notices across the country today and some of them – like the 12,576 people in Lough Talt, Sligo – have been dealing with boil-water notices now for a number of years.”
The forum has repeatedly highlighted the vulnerability of Dublin’s water supply, noting the Liffey supplies more than 80 per cent of the city’s water needs, and main treatment plants at Leixlip, Vartry and Ballymore Eustace are at their maximum production capacity.
“They have no, or very little, ‘headroom’ for further drinking water production” he says. “Dublin water supply on a knife edge, even where there isn’t a drought.”
The long-term solution, the Water Forum believes, must include a national strategy on conservation, including accelerated leakage reduction.
New source
Irish Water accepts Dublin needs a new source of water as the existing sources will not be able to meet long-term requirements.
Due to the pandemic, 95 per cent of Irish Water's 300 construction sites were temporarily demobilised
Some 40 per cent of the flow from the Liffey is needed to supply more than 80 per cent of the city’s water needs. “This means the maximum sustainable raw water abstraction from the Liffey has been reached and there is adequate treatment capacity for what we can sustainably abstract,” the utility said.
Irish Water planned to invest €750 million in water and wastewater projects in 2020 as part of a €2 billion overall investment by 2021. However, due to the pandemic, 95 per cent of its 300 construction sites were temporarily demobilised, which will push back timelines further.
By its own admission, “it will take tens of billions of euro over a number of investment cycles, and many years, to address all of the legacy and emerging issues in the water and waste-water infrastructure while maintaining services to customers and minimising disruption to villages, towns and cities.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-10--EncroChat breach may not greatly affect Irish gangland criminals, say gardaí

Leading Irish gangland criminals may not have been greatly impacted by the EncroChat breach because they are using other encrypted mobile phone services , senior Garda sources believe .
Last month , it emerged an international policing operation , led by the French authorities , had broken into the EncroChat secure mobile phone system , which was used by major criminals to send text messages and photographs hidden from police .
But Garda officers specialising in investigating organised crime said Irish criminals had always used several systems and gang members using EncroChat could simply switch to new systems that provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no doubt it was a help and when you make any of these breakthroughs it damages these [ gangs ] , ” one senior officer said of the EncroChat investigation .
“ But these people will also seek to stay one step ahead and there ’ s no short of options for them that they can easily avail of.
” Another officer said the EncroChat breakthrough was a warning to organised crime that no system they used was beyond law enforcement .
However , he said most of the phones seized from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We will take any evidence from this that we get about our criminals operating here or what they are doing abroad , but you could overestimate its significance , ” he said of the EncroChat operation and Irish criminals .
While at least two Irish men have been arrested arising from the EncroChat breach , the full extent of the evidence about other Irish criminals that has become available to the Garda is not yet clear .
Irish criminals , including members of the Kinahan cartel , have long been using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to each other .
The messages could also be remotely deleted if the phones were seized by the Garda or international police forces .
Encrypted phones were seized in Dublin last week during a Criminal Assets Bureau raid against a suspected drug dealer and were also found in drug-related raids in March and May .
EncroChat phones , which cost about €1,000 each , are Android devices with the camera , microphone and GPS removed .
Users were required to sign up for the secure messaging service at a cost of €1,500 every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60,000 users .
When European law enforcement broke into the EncroChat system earlier this year , they were able to read texts and view photographs before they became encrypted .
The breach resulted in the arrest of hundreds of organised crime suspects , the foiling of murder conspiracies and the seizure of large quantities of drugs .

Leading Irish gangland criminals may not have been greatly impacted by the EncroChat breach because they are using other encrypted mobile phone services, senior Garda sources believe.
Last month, it emerged an international policing operation, led by the French authorities, had broken into the EncroChat secure mobile phone system, which was used by major criminals to send text messages and photographs hidden from police.
But Garda officers specialising in investigating organised crime said Irish criminals had always used several systems and gang members using EncroChat could simply switch to new systems that provided similar secure services.
“There’s no doubt it was a help and when you make any of these breakthroughs it damages these [gangs],” one senior officer said of the EncroChat investigation. “But these people will also seek to stay one step ahead and there’s no short of options for them that they can easily avail of.”
READ MORE
Another officer said the EncroChat breakthrough was a warning to organised crime that no system they used was beyond law enforcement. However, he said most of the phones seized from criminals during Garda searches were not encrypted.
Kinahan cartel
“We will take any evidence from this that we get about our criminals operating here or what they are doing abroad, but you could overestimate its significance,” he said of the EncroChat operation and Irish criminals.
While at least two Irish men have been arrested arising from the EncroChat breach, the full extent of the evidence about other Irish criminals that has become available to the Garda is not yet clear.
Irish criminals, including members of the Kinahan cartel, have long been using modified Blackberry devices to send encrypted messages to each other. The messages could also be remotely deleted if the phones were seized by the Garda or international police forces.
Encrypted phones were seized in Dublin last week during a Criminal Assets Bureau raid against a suspected drug dealer and were also found in drug-related raids in March and May.
EncroChat phones, which cost about €1,000 each, are Android devices with the camera, microphone and GPS removed. Users were required to sign up for the secure messaging service at a cost of €1,500 every six months. The system had about 60,000 users.
When European law enforcement broke into the EncroChat system earlier this year, they were able to read texts and view photographs before they became encrypted. The breach resulted in the arrest of hundreds of organised crime suspects, the foiling of murder conspiracies and the seizure of large quantities of drugs.