theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Q&A: Is the cancellation of Junior and Leaving Cert orals fair to students?

All students will now get full marks in their oral and practical performance tests in response to the coronavirus threat .
Is this a fair response ?
On balance I don ’ t believe it is .
Notwithstanding the huge problems confronting the State in dealing with the coronavirus crisis , in time it will pass , and schools will re-open .
This may not be for several months and quite possibly way beyond the proposed dates for the written components of this year ’ s Junior and Leaving Cert exams .
At that time , students should be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their subjects on new dates – whenever that is .
By adopting the principle of giving every student the maximum marks in their orals , nobody suffers ; the State certifies all students leaving the system as having successfully concluded their second-level education .
However , the problem arises in that the Leaving Certificates provided by the State to every student will not be worth the paper they are written on when it comes to those said same students seeking places in third-level and further education colleges in Ireland and abroad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many such programmes , students will have to be provided with a fair and equitable assessment process to determine who is going to secure these sought-after places .
Giving everyone 100 per cent in components if they can ’ t be scheduled ignores the actual purpose for which most students work so hard .
By adopting the present strategy , if schools remain closed beyond June , the Department of Education , the State Examinations Commission and the Minister for Education could be accused of collectively washing their hands of the problem and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education system to figure out who will get what places when their institutions reopen .
Will students be able to opt for the higher-level paper on the day of the written exam to benefit from additional points ?
No , the Minister has withdrawn the entitlements that students at Leaving Cert level have had to date to select the level of their choice on the day of the written exam .
All students can now only take the affected subjects they were registered for and at the level they indicated when they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deputy principals in January last .
Does this move mean that students across the board are going to have much higher grades than in previous years ?
Yes , in those subjects which have oral components .
If the policy announced to date were extended to the remaining components , due to the inability of the State to run written papers in June , then everyone would achieve 7 H1s across the board .
What impact are these changes likely to have on CAO points ?
They will inevitably be higher due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how high will depend on whether the other components of the exams can take place in a fair and equitable manner My school isn ’ t providing online classes but the Minister for Education says school buildings are available to staff if they wish to provide online classes .
Is this correct ?
I have personally passed many school buildings in recent days , which are clearly locked and devoid of all staff .
Phone calls to schools are going to voicemail as secretarial staff are also absent in many if not all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed on school principals and their teaching and support staff .
The Minister , by announcing the closure of schools with three hours ’ notice , has left many schools without a plan to engage all students and teachers in ongoing communications regarding work .
Many teachers with wifi connectivity and computers at home may be engaging with students online , but it is in no way universal throughout the country .
We are , after all , connecting up to 500,000 homes to broadband over the next few years .
Today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our students working from home .
It would be very unfair to run the other components of this year ’ s exam without giving all students at least a month to six weeks back in school prior to any such assessment processes .
How will project work for subjects like history , geography , agricultural science , and so on , be affected ?
Project and coursework completion deadlines are extended to Friday , May 15th for the following subjects : Junior Cycle : Metalwork , materials technology wood , technology and religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in English , Irish , modern languages , science and business studies .
For the moment , the second phase of practical examinations remain as originally scheduled from Monday , April 27th to Friday , May 8th , as well as the final written examination in the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme ( LCVP ) scheduled for Wednesday , May 6th , a range of oral and practical tests in the Leaving Certificate Applied ( LCA ) programme , along with the first examination in Leaving Certificate Computer Science on Wednesday , May 27th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 3rd .
Brian Mooney is a guidance counsellor and former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors

Giving everyone 100 per cent in components if they can’t be scheduled ignores the actual purpose for which most students work so hard. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
All students will now get full marks in their oral and practical performance tests in response to the coronavirus threat. Is this a fair response ?
On balance I don't believe it is. Notwithstanding the huge problems confronting the State in dealing with the coronavirus crisis, in time it will pass, and schools will re-open.
This may not be for several months and quite possibly way beyond the proposed dates for the written components of this year’s Junior and Leaving Cert exams.
At that time, students should be able to re-engage with the schedule of assessments in their subjects on new dates – whenever that is.
By adopting the principle of giving every student the maximum marks in their orals, nobody suffers; the State certifies all students leaving the system as having successfully concluded their second-level education.
READ MORE
However, the problem arises in that the Leaving Certificates provided by the State to every student will not be worth the paper they are written on when it comes to those said same students seeking places in third-level and further education colleges in Ireland and abroad.
Given the intense competition for places on many such programmes, students will have to be provided with a fair and equitable assessment process to determine who is going to secure these sought-after places.
Giving everyone 100 per cent in components if they can’t be scheduled ignores the actual purpose for which most students work so hard.
By adopting the present strategy, if schools remain closed beyond June, the Department of Education, the State Examinations Commission and the Minister for Education could be accused of collectively washing their hands of the problem and leaving it to the third-level and further education system to figure out who will get what places when their institutions reopen.
Will students be able to opt for the higher-level paper on the day of the written exam to benefit from additional points?
No, the Minister has withdrawn the entitlements that students at Leaving Cert level have had to date to select the level of their choice on the day of the written exam.
All students can now only take the affected subjects they were registered for and at the level they indicated when they were asked to do so by their principals and deputy principals in January last.
Does this move mean that students across the board are going to have much higher grades than in previous years?
Yes, in those subjects which have oral components. If the policy announced to date were extended to the remaining components, due to the inability of the State to run written papers in June, then everyone would achieve 7 H1s across the board.
What impact are these changes likely to have on CAO points?
They will inevitably be higher due to today's decisions, but how high will depend on whether the other components of the exams can take place in a fair and equitable manner
My school isn't providing online classes but the Minister for Education says school buildings are available to staff if they wish to provide online classes. Is this correct?
I have personally passed many school buildings in recent days, which are clearly locked and devoid of all staff. Phone calls to schools are going to voicemail as secretarial staff are also absent in many if not all schools.
This situation cannot be blamed on school principals and their teaching and support staff.
The Minister, by announcing the closure of schools with three hours’ notice, has left many schools without a plan to engage all students and teachers in ongoing communications regarding work.
Many teachers with wifi connectivity and computers at home may be engaging with students online, but it is in no way universal throughout the country. We are, after all, connecting up to 500,000 homes to broadband over the next few years.
Today, there is no uniformity of support to our students working from home.
It would be very unfair to run the other components of this year’s exam without giving all students at least a month to six weeks back in school prior to any such assessment processes.
How will project work for subjects like history, geography, agricultural science, and so on, be affected?
Project and coursework completion deadlines are extended to Friday, May 15th for the following subjects:
Leaving Certificate: Computer science, PE, technology, art, agricultural science, agricultural economics, history, geography, religious education, politics and society, music, constructions studies and home economics.
Junior Cycle: Metalwork, materials technology wood, technology and religious education; and Junior Cycle assessment tasks in English, Irish, modern languages, science and business studies.
For the moment, the second phase of practical examinations remain as originally scheduled from Monday, April 27th to Friday, May 8th, as well as the final written examination in the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) scheduled for Wednesday, May 6th, a range of oral and practical tests in the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme, along with the first examination in Leaving Certificate Computer Science on Wednesday, May 27th, and the final written examinations commencing on June 3rd.
Brian Mooney is a guidance counsellor and former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors
Email queries to askbrian@irishtimes.com


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: Public transport numbers 75% down on this time last year

Passenger numbers on subsidised public transport services have fallen by up to 75 per cent due to the coronavirus outbreak , the National Transport Authority has said .
Usage figures published by the State agency on Thursday show daily passenger numbers on services provided by Irish Rail , Dublin Bus , Bus Éireann , Go-Ahead Ireland , Luas and Local Link have fallen to between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of the levels seen this time last year .
The authority issued a statement after a day of discussions with public transport operators but did not provide a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit - either by route or operator .
Almost 800,000 passenger journeys are made on public transport in the State every day , with about 650,000 of these in the Greater Dublin area .
Some 156,000 journeys are made on Dublin suburban rail services alone .
The authority said the services provided by these operators would continue as normal for the immediate future .
It said it would continue to monitor transport patterns in conjunction with the operators .
Each of the public transport operators has established an internal coordination group which meets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to update business contingency plans .
The authority said it had been advised that all public transport vehicles and stations were being cleaned in accordance with infection control measures issued by the HSE ’ s Health Surveillance Protection Centre .
HSE information is being displayed on buses , trams and trains , in stations and on real time passenger information displays across Ireland .
All customer service channels remain open and are being monitored by public transport staff , the authority said .
The numbers of cars , vans and trucks travelling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decline similar to that seen across public transport .
There have been mixed results for traffic figures on national roads with volumes increases on some routes , particularly into industrial parks in west Dublin .
The figures have prompted Transport Infrastructure Ireland ( TII ) to speculate that workers may be hoping to avoid exposure to Covid-19 by using their own cars to commute .
Given official advice to work from home where possible , and the number of closed shops , pubs and restaurants , TII said it would be reasonable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the roads , particularly those leading to central Dublin .
Volumes at the morning and evening peak times are down on most routes , but not significantly so .
A few routes , including the approach from Kildare to Dublin on the N7 , have seen traffic volumes rise since January .
TII said it was important when looking at the numbers to note it has been a short time since the Government recommended that people work from home .
But beyond that caveat , it said it was not seeing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be expected .
Traffic counters set into roads and monitored daily by the authority show only slight falls on the main routes into Dublin .
For example , on the N3 at Blanchardstown traffic volumes fell from a morning peak of 5,833 vehicles per hour to 4,750 per hour on Wednesday .
On the M1 approach to the city at Dublin Airport , the morning peak on January 23rd was 9,180 , but this had fallen to 6,922 on Wednesday .
Falls of about 20 percent were experienced on many routes including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show more people were driving on the N7 to Citywest and its environs on Wednesday than on January 23rd , also a midweek day .
M50 volumes are generally down , with peak hour traffic between Dundrum and Sandyford falling from 7,425 in January to 5,020 in March .
At one of the busiest sections of the M50 near Cloverhill Prison , morning peak hourly rates fell from 10,357 in January to 8,985 on Wednesday .

Passenger numbers on subsidised public transport services have fallen by up to 75 per cent due to the coronavirus outbreak, the National Transport Authority has said. File photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times.
Passenger numbers on subsidised public transport services have fallen by up to 75 per cent due to the coronavirus outbreak, the National Transport Authority has said.
Usage figures published by the State agency on Thursday show daily passenger numbers on services provided by Irish Rail, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas and Local Link have fallen to between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of the levels seen this time last year.
The authority issued a statement after a day of discussions with public transport operators but did not provide a breakdown of which services had been hardest hit - either by route or operator.
Almost 800,000 passenger journeys are made on public transport in the State every day, with about 650,000 of these in the Greater Dublin area. Some 156,000 journeys are made on Dublin suburban rail services alone.
READ MORE
The authority said the services provided by these operators would continue as normal for the immediate future. It said it would continue to monitor transport patterns in conjunction with the operators.
Each of the public transport operators has established an internal coordination group which meets daily to monitor developments around Covid-19 and to update business contingency plans.
The authority said it had been advised that all public transport vehicles and stations were being cleaned in accordance with infection control measures issued by the HSE’s Health Surveillance Protection Centre.
HSE information is being displayed on buses, trams and trains, in stations and on real time passenger information displays across Ireland. All customer service channels remain open and are being monitored by public transport staff, the authority said.
Road traffic
The numbers of cars, vans and trucks travelling to and from Dublin has not shown a decline similar to that seen across public transport.
There have been mixed results for traffic figures on national roads with volumes increases on some routes, particularly into industrial parks in west Dublin. The figures have prompted Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to speculate that workers may be hoping to avoid exposure to Covid-19 by using their own cars to commute.
Given official advice to work from home where possible, and the number of closed shops, pubs and restaurants, TII said it would be reasonable to expect a greater reduction in the volume on the roads, particularly those leading to central Dublin.
Volumes at the morning and evening peak times are down on most routes, but not significantly so. A few routes, including the approach from Kildare to Dublin on the N7, have seen traffic volumes rise since January.
TII said it was important when looking at the numbers to note it has been a short time since the Government recommended that people work from home.
But beyond that caveat, it said it was not seeing the dramatic drop in traffic volumes that might be expected.
Slight falls
Traffic counters set into roads and monitored daily by the authority show only slight falls on the main routes into Dublin.
For example, on the N3 at Blanchardstown traffic volumes fell from a morning peak of 5,833 vehicles per hour to 4,750 per hour on Wednesday.
On the M1 approach to the city at Dublin Airport, the morning peak on January 23rd was 9,180, but this had fallen to 6,922 on Wednesday.
Falls of about 20 percent were experienced on many routes including the N4 near Liffey Valley.
The figures show more people were driving on the N7 to Citywest and its environs on Wednesday than on January 23rd, also a midweek day.
M50 volumes are generally down, with peak hour traffic between Dundrum and Sandyford falling from 7,425 in January to 5,020 in March. At one of the busiest sections of the M50 near Cloverhill Prison, morning peak hourly rates fell from 10,357 in January to 8,985 on Wednesday.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: Frontline doctors warn of delays in receiving test results

Patients should expect to wait up to a week after first making contact with their doctor for the results of Covid-19 tests , amid unprecedented levels of demand resulting from the coronavirus pandemic , frontline doctors have said .
While fast-track pathways to testing are being rolled out for healthcare workers and urgent cases , Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail , who practises in Ranelagh in Dublin , said a routine case can expect to wait between three and five days for a testing slot to become available after contacting their GP .
Healthcare workers , he said , should receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although they will then have to wait for it to be analysed .
Urgent cases can also expect to be swabbed quicker under criteria introduced by the HSE .
Once the test is done , usually by means of a nasal swab , it can take between 24 and 48 hours for the sample to be sent to a laboratory , analysed , and for results to be communicated to a person ’ s GP .
Meath GP Dr Stephen Murphy urged those awaiting tests to self-isolate , and be prepared for two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to be a delay between the GP talking to them [ and testing ] and there ’ s going to be a delay to be processed , ” he said .
“ If they are self-isolating in that time , they are doing everything we need them to be doing.
” He said further contact with the health service should only take place if the person is getting more unwell .
Dr Ó Tuathail is one of six GPs in his surgery , which is sending on 300-400 requests for testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19-related queries in recent days .
The GP said it was difficult to predict exactly how quickly testing would progress , as the expansion of criteria for testing had caused a surge in requests which the system was now grappling with .
The first wave of patients to be tested under the broader criteria are only in the process of being swabbed and their samples analysed now .
He said that patients he had referred for testing on Monday were receiving appointments to be tested on Friday .
Other doctors said they expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week to arrive back on Thursday or Friday .
The volume of tests being requested on GPs ’ Healthlink online system caused it to crash on Monday , and while it is working again , GPs said it was slow , with some referrals that usually take a few seconds taking up to 15 minutes to process .
Dr Mark Murphy , a GP in Dublin ’ s south inner city , said he had not been able to successfully refer a patient for testing until Tuesday of this week , after technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been resolved and the criteria for test eligibility were expanded .
“ At the moment , it ’ s taking days , ” he said .
“ I ’ m trying not to be too pessimistic but it is taking significant time to get tested and several days to get results.
” Dr Ó Tuathail said he expects this rush for testing to persist for some time .
“ Today we are as busy as yesterday , and we envisage in the practice that we are looking at at least two weeks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HSE is responding to the surge by bringing more testing facilities online .
Up to 34 testing centres are set to have online capability by the end of this week .
Two drive-through testing facilities are planned at Dublin ’ s Croke Park and Cork ’ s Páirc Uí Chaoimh .
Minister for Health Simon Harris told RTÉ Radio on Thursday that he plans to build capacity to the point where 15,000 tests a day can be carried out .
He said 39,000 more testing kits are arriving in a shipment on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of testing .
Prof Mary Horgan , president of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and former dean of the UCC medical school , said that along with social distancing , robust and wide-ranging testing and contact tracing was the most important way to combat the spread of coronavirus .
She said that as the HSE ’ s testing capacity ramps up , waiting times will come down .
“ The time to taking the swab to getting the test result will decrease , they ’ ve put a huge amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Security guards are seen at Croke Park in Dublin, which is being used as a testing facility for Covid-19. File photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Patients should expect to wait up to a week after first making contact with their doctor for the results of Covid-19 tests, amid unprecedented levels of demand resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, frontline doctors have said.
While fast-track pathways to testing are being rolled out for healthcare workers and urgent cases, Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail, who practises in Ranelagh in Dublin, said a routine case can expect to wait between three and five days for a testing slot to become available after contacting their GP.
Healthcare workers, he said, should receive a test on the same day, although they will then have to wait for it to be analysed. Urgent cases can also expect to be swabbed quicker under criteria introduced by the HSE.
Once the test is done, usually by means of a nasal swab, it can take between 24 and 48 hours for the sample to be sent to a laboratory, analysed, and for results to be communicated to a person’s GP.
READ MORE
Waiting periods
Meath GP Dr Stephen Murphy urged those awaiting tests to self-isolate, and be prepared for two distinct waiting periods. "There's going to be a delay between the GP talking to them [and testing] and there's going to be a delay to be processed," he said. "If they are self-isolating in that time, they are doing everything we need them to be doing." He said further contact with the health service should only take place if the person is getting more unwell.
Dr Ó Tuathail is one of six GPs in his surgery, which is sending on 300-400 requests for testing daily, and has fielded thousands of Covid-19-related queries in recent days. The GP said it was difficult to predict exactly how quickly testing would progress, as the expansion of criteria for testing had caused a surge in requests which the system was now grappling with. The first wave of patients to be tested under the broader criteria are only in the process of being swabbed and their samples analysed now. He said that patients he had referred for testing on Monday were receiving appointments to be tested on Friday.
Other doctors said they expected some results from tests taken earlier this week to arrive back on Thursday or Friday.
The volume of tests being requested on GPs’ Healthlink online system caused it to crash on Monday, and while it is working again, GPs said it was slow, with some referrals that usually take a few seconds taking up to 15 minutes to process.
Dr Mark Murphy, a GP in Dublin's south inner city, said he had not been able to successfully refer a patient for testing until Tuesday of this week, after technical issues with the web referral system had been resolved and the criteria for test eligibility were expanded.
“At the moment, it’s taking days,” he said. “I’m trying not to be too pessimistic but it is taking significant time to get tested and several days to get results.”
Set to continue
Dr Ó Tuathail said he expects this rush for testing to persist for some time. “Today we are as busy as yesterday, and we envisage in the practice that we are looking at at least two weeks of this,” he said.
The HSE is responding to the surge by bringing more testing facilities online. Up to 34 testing centres are set to have online capability by the end of this week. Two drive-through testing facilities are planned at Dublin's Croke Park and Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Minister for Health Simon Harris told RTÉ Radio on Thursday that he plans to build capacity to the point where 15,000 tests a day can be carried out. He said 39,000 more testing kits are arriving in a shipment on Thursday.
Public health experts emphasised the importance of testing. Prof Mary Horgan, president of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and former dean of the UCC medical school, said that along with social distancing, robust and wide-ranging testing and contact tracing was the most important way to combat the spread of coronavirus.
She said that as the HSE’s testing capacity ramps up, waiting times will come down. “The time to taking the swab to getting the test result will decrease, they’ve put a huge amount of resources into it,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: Irish stranded in Peru told only available flight will cost $3,000

A number of Irish citizens stuck in Peru due to travel restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic have been told the only charter flight available to them is to London and will cost between $ 3,000 and $ 3,500 each .
Peru ’ s president Martin Vizcarra has declared a state of emergency and closed the country ’ s borders for at least 15 days from March 16th .
This measure has seen hundreds of tourists unable to leave the country and stuck in a quarantine regime .
In an email to Irish citizens on Wednesday , the Irish Embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avianca airline was considering “ putting in place a charter from Lima to London this weekend for stranded tourists ” .
“ They will also put in place a connecting flight from Cusco to Lima to connect with this London flight .
They say they can only commit to this charter once they know that there is sufficient demand , ” the email says .
The embassy added that the cost of the flight is likely to range from $ 3,000 - $ 3,500 for one way economy class , or $ 7,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told this price range reflects the cost of bringing a sufficiently large plane ( capacity : 250 ) to Peru , a connecting smaller flight from Cusco , and what is involved in negotiating permissions from the authorities .
This is the only charter option that we are aware of that is likely to be available direct to London at this point , ” it added .
“ Onward flights from London are not included in this offer and will need to be arranged and confirmed separately.
” Breandan Casey ( 27 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months and cut his trip short due to coronavirus .
However , his rescheduled flight , which was due to depart on Tuesday last , was cancelled and he is now stranded in Peru .
“ I ’ m in my hostel but even in the hostel everything is closed .
All the common areas , the kitchens , everything like that .
We ’ re to stay in our rooms , ” he said .
“ We can order food off a quarantine menu and they bring it up to us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the supermarket across the road but you have to go straight over and straight back .
That ’ s all we can do .
We can ’ t hang out around the hostel or anything like that.
” ?
Mr Casey said there are between 70 and 80 Irish citizens currently in the same situation .
Marie Barry ( 30 ) , from Co Cork , was travelling with her boyfriend Andrew Potter , but she said now her “ main fear at the moment is just security ” .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organised for the weekend but I ’ m kind of sceptical that will happen at all .
I have heard of other flights not being allowed to leave the country , ” she said .
“ The police are coming into hostels and shutting them down so safety and security is our number one priority now.
” Róisín O ’ Rourke ( 22 ) said she “ can ’ t afford to fly home for that price ” .
“ That ’ s only to London as well .
When we get to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try and figure out how to get back to Dublin but we don ’ t know if there would be flights .
It ’ s not feasible for many people , ” she said .
“ We ’ re wondering can the Irish Government not do something ?
Germany can subsidise their flights for their citizens , so why can ’ t Ireland do the same for us ?
” She added : “ I can ’ t really afford it so it ’ s my intention not to get that flight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait out the 15 days and there might be flights then .
It ’ s just not really feasible for me.
” In a statement , the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said it was in contact with “ a number ” of Irish citizens in Peru , adding that it will “ provide consular assistance as required ” .
“ Irish citizens who may require assistance should contact our Embassy in Chile by calling +56 9 8191 6981 , or alternatively they can contact our dedicated Covid19 advice line at +353 6131733 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Embassy in Chile have also advised Irish citizens in Peru who have not already been in contact with the Embassy should email santiagoemexternalmail @ dfa.ie with their contact details .
”

Irish citizen Róisín O’Rourke is stranded in Peru due to travel restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
A number of Irish citizens stuck in Peru due to travel restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic have been told the only charter flight available to them is to London and will cost between $3,000 and $3,500 each.
Peru's president Martin Vizcarra has declared a state of emergency and closed the country's borders for at least 15 days from March 16th.
This measure has seen hundreds of tourists unable to leave the country and stuck in a quarantine regime.
In an email to Irish citizens on Wednesday, the Irish Embassy in Chile said it understood that the Avianca airline was considering "putting in place a charter from Lima to London this weekend for stranded tourists".
READ MORE
"They will also put in place a connecting flight from Cusco to Lima to connect with this London flight. They say they can only commit to this charter once they know that there is sufficient demand," the email says.
The embassy added that the cost of the flight is likely to range from $3,000 - $3,500 for one way economy class, or $7,500 for business class.
“We are told this price range reflects the cost of bringing a sufficiently large plane (capacity: 250) to Peru, a connecting smaller flight from Cusco, and what is involved in negotiating permissions from the authorities. This is the only charter option that we are aware of that is likely to be available direct to London at this point,”it added.
“Onward flights from London are not included in this offer and will need to be arranged and confirmed separately.”
Stranded
Breandan Casey (27) has been travelling for the past eight months and cut his trip short due to coronavirus. However, his rescheduled flight, which was due to depart on Tuesday last, was cancelled and he is now stranded in Peru.
Breandan Casey says is rescheduled flight home from Peru was cancelled and he is now unable to leave the country.
“I’m in my hostel but even in the hostel everything is closed. All the common areas, the kitchens, everything like that. We’re to stay in our rooms,” he said.
“We can order food off a quarantine menu and they bring it up to us. You’re allowed to go to the supermarket across the road but you have to go straight over and straight back. That’s all we can do. We can’t hang out around the hostel or anything like that.”?
Mr Casey said there are between 70 and 80 Irish citizens currently in the same situation.
Marie Barry (30), from Co Cork, was travelling with her boyfriend Andrew Potter, but she said now her "main fear at the moment is just security".
“There’s a flight that’s being organised for the weekend but I’m kind of sceptical that will happen at all. I have heard of other flights not being allowed to leave the country,” she said.
“The police are coming into hostels and shutting them down so safety and security is our number one priority now.”
Róisín O’Rourke (22) said she “can’t afford to fly home for that price”.
“That’s only to London as well. When we get to London then we’d have to try and figure out how to get back to Dublin but we don’t know if there would be flights. It’s not feasible for many people,” she said.
Subsidise
"We're wondering can the Irish Government not do something? Germany can subsidise their flights for their citizens, so why can't Ireland do the same for us?"
She added: “I can’t really afford it so it’s my intention not to get that flight. I’m hoping maybe we could wait out the 15 days and there might be flights then. It’s just not really feasible for me.”
In a statement, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said it was in contact with “a number” of Irish citizens in Peru, adding that it will “provide consular assistance as required”.
“Irish citizens who may require assistance should contact our Embassy in Chile by calling +56 9 8191 6981, or alternatively they can contact our dedicated Covid19 advice line at +353 6131733,” the department said.
“Our Embassy in Chile have also advised Irish citizens in Peru who have not already been in contact with the Embassy should email santiagoemexternalmail@dfa.ie with their contact details.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Dublin church opens its doors to the dining homeless

A Dublin church has opened its doors , and pews , to homeless people who need a place to eat during the coronavirus outbreak .
St Mary ’ s of the Angels , on Church Street , Dublin is now serving as a makeshift dining room as most homeless cafes and food centres across Dublin close in an effort to stem the spread of the virus .
Early afternoon finds up to 20 people , seated apart on separate pews , eating in silence or whispering to each other .
Most have collected a meal from the Capuchin Day Centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing packed meals instead of breakfast and dinner in its dining room .
The centre normally provides meals to about 800 of the city ’ s poorest people in its busy dining hall , but closed it last weekend on the advice of its medical director .
The decision was made just a day after co-ordinator Alan Bailey had told The Irish Times such a measure would happen only in a “ Doomsday scenario ” .
The centre remains feeding as many people as before ; Mr Bailey estimates about 300 packed breakfasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breakfast includes sausages , bacon and hash browns , along with a cup of soup , fruit and milk , while lunch includes a hot dinner in an aluminium box , a yogurt , small carton of milk , a piece of fruit and a bag of crisps .
Disposable cutlery is included .
The church is warm and peaceful .
One of the diners , finished his lunch , lowers his head and appears to pray .
Another man is lying on his pew , resting .
Noel , who does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60s : “ I came in here , as you can see , to have my lunch .
It ’ s very comfortable .
The heating is on , and the lunch was tasty – bacon and cabbage and mashed potato.
” Though he is not homeless , he has “ just a small room , no cooking facilities ” and the church is “ nicer ” .
Asked what he would do if the day centre had stopped providing meals , he hesitates .
“ I ’ d possibly have to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bread , some butter and jam .
.
.
I ’ m retired .
I did a bit of everything , DIY stuff .
.
.
I do go to church though I know for some people coming to a church might be a bit different , ” he smiles .
Two centre staff are at the church entrance , asking all entering to use the hand-sanitiser provided , while two others are continually cleaning down the pews with antiseptic fluid .
Outside , another person is spraying antiseptic around the entrance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a lot busier earlier .
I ’ d say we had about 60 here today , ” says one of the staff .
“ It ’ s working well .
We just tell people not to sit beside each other.
” Some , however , do not want to go to the church .
Harry , also in his 60s , collects his parcel .
He will eat his lunch in a park as the weather is fine .
“ This is very , very helpful .
I ’ ll have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve no choice .
I ’ ve nowhere else to go .
Everywhere is closed .
I ’ d rather not go to a church.
” Two young men , from Balbriggan , plan to eat their lunch sitting on the boardwalk by the Liffey .
“ It is getting worse every day .
Everything is just being closed down .
We used to chill in here , ” says one , gesturing to the closed hall .
“ We just have to stay outside now because our hostel , we have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the evening .
It is dangerous now to stay outside with this virus but we have no choice.
” Other Dublin homeless day services , like the Merchants Quay Ireland cafe , have also closed , providing takeaways instead .
The Little Flower Penny Dinners on Meath Street is continuing its meals-on-wheels service but has closed its dining room , serving instead takeaway lunches .
Focus Ireland , which runs a coffee shop and family drop-in centre , is keeping both services open albeit with reduced numbers allowed on premises at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Mendicity Institution at Usher ’ s Island , which sees significant numbers of people from Eastern Europe , remains open and is feeding about 100 people a day .
Its chief executive , Louisa Sontoro , says the good weather means they can ask people to eat quickly and go back outside .
“ But if the weather gets bad , if it ’ s pouring rain , it is going to be very difficult .
Almost all the people we have each day have to leave their hostel for the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds during this emergency.
” The Peter McVerry Trust is providing more than 800 , 24-hour beds for single adults , in Dublin and Kildare .
“ Our information and advice centre has closed and staff are working with people who use that service by telephone , ” said a spokesman .

A Dublin church has opened its doors, and pews, to homeless people who need a place to eat during the coronavirus outbreak.
St Mary’s of the Angels, on Church Street, Dublin is now serving as a makeshift dining room as most homeless cafes and food centres across Dublin close in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.
Early afternoon finds up to 20 people, seated apart on separate pews, eating in silence or whispering to each other. Most have collected a meal from the Capuchin Day Centre around the corner, which is now providing packed meals instead of breakfast and dinner in its dining room.
James Prior in the Capuchin Friary Church on Church Street. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
The centre normally provides meals to about 800 of the city’s poorest people in its busy dining hall, but closed it last weekend on the advice of its medical director.
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The decision was made just a day after co-ordinator Alan Bailey had told The Irish Times such a measure would happen only in a "Doomsday scenario".
The centre remains feeding as many people as before; Mr Bailey estimates about 300 packed breakfasts and 500 packed lunches a day.
Breakfast includes sausages, bacon and hash browns, along with a cup of soup, fruit and milk, while lunch includes a hot dinner in an aluminium box, a yogurt, small carton of milk, a piece of fruit and a bag of crisps. Disposable cutlery is included.
The church is warm and peaceful. One of the diners, finished his lunch, lowers his head and appears to pray. Another man is lying on his pew, resting.
Noel, who does not give his surname, is in his 60s: “I came in here, as you can see, to have my lunch. It’s very comfortable. The heating is on, and the lunch was tasty – bacon and cabbage and mashed potato.” Though he is not homeless, he has “just a small room, no cooking facilities” and the church is “nicer”.
Asked what he would do if the day centre had stopped providing meals, he hesitates. “I’d possibly have to go and try to buy a loaf of bread, some butter and jam . . . I’m retired. I did a bit of everything, DIY stuff . . . I do go to church though I know for some people coming to a church might be a bit different,” he smiles.
Two centre staff are at the church entrance, asking all entering to use the hand-sanitiser provided, while two others are continually cleaning down the pews with antiseptic fluid. Outside, another person is spraying antiseptic around the entrance.
“It is quiet now but it was a lot busier earlier. I’d say we had about 60 here today,” says one of the staff. “It’s working well. We just tell people not to sit beside each other.”
Some, however, do not want to go to the church. Harry, also in his 60s, collects his parcel. He will eat his lunch in a park as the weather is fine. “This is very, very helpful. I’ll have to eat this outside now. I’ve no choice. I’ve nowhere else to go. Everywhere is closed. I’d rather not go to a church.”
Two young men, from Balbriggan, plan to eat their lunch sitting on the boardwalk by the Liffey.
“It is getting worse every day. Everything is just being closed down. We used to chill in here,” says one, gesturing to the closed hall. “We just have to stay outside now because our hostel, we have to stay out between 9am and half six in the evening. It is dangerous now to stay outside with this virus but we have no choice.”
Other Dublin homeless day services, like the Merchants Quay Ireland cafe, have also closed, providing takeaways instead. The Little Flower Penny Dinners on Meath Street is continuing its meals-on-wheels service but has closed its dining room, serving instead takeaway lunches.
Focus Ireland, which runs a coffee shop and family drop-in centre, is keeping both services open albeit with reduced numbers allowed on premises at a time, to maintain social distancing.
The Mendicity Institution at Usher's Island, which sees significant numbers of people from Eastern Europe, remains open and is feeding about 100 people a day. Its chief executive, Louisa Sontoro, says the good weather means they can ask people to eat quickly and go back outside.
“But if the weather gets bad, if it’s pouring rain, it is going to be very difficult. Almost all the people we have each day have to leave their hostel for the day. They must be provided with 24-hour beds during this emergency.”
The Peter McVerry Trust is providing more than 800, 24-hour beds for single adults, in Dublin and Kildare. "Our information and advice centre has closed and staff are working with people who use that service by telephone," said a spokesman.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: Minister says crisis could leave over 400,000 people out of work

Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty has said she accepts that more than 400,000 people could lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
Asked about some analysts forecasting that the number of people made unemployed due to outbreak could pass 400,000 , Ms Doherty said : “ It could be potentially as drastic [ as those projections ] .
“ We have not overused the word unprecedented in the past few days but it has been that.
” Ms Doherty said her department and Government colleagues would provide supports to “ see us through the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are in a very different place ” in respect of modelling when compared to last week as it was more that the “ obvious industries that are affected ” .
“ Every day there is another industry that I did not expect to be affected ...
The numbers could potentially be as high as [ the projections ] .
” Central Statistics Office ( CSO ) figures show the number of workers classified as unemployed last month was 120,100 , a rate of some 4.8 per cent .
The total compares to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headline rate was 16 per cent .
There were 2.36 million people recorded as being in work in the final quarter of last year , and a total of 400,000 job loses would see some 17 per cent of the workforce being made unemployed .
Ms Doherty said there had been 58,000 applications to date for the Covid-19 payment introduced at the weekend for those who have been let go because of the crisis .
She said her department had processed 43,000 of these so far .
“ What happened over months and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banking crisis has happened over the past few days , ” said Ms Doherty .
She also confirmed that people would now receive social welfare payments on a fortnightly rather than weekly basis in order to accommodate social distancing for those collecting their benefits in post offices .
Ms Doherty was speaking at a Government press briefing on investment , enterprise and employment , during which Minister for Business Heather Humphreys outlined the grave situation facing Irish companies .
In addition to financial supports including loans of up to €1.5 million , Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business support centre to offer advice to firm that encounter difficulty .
IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan discussed the impact of the crisis on foreign direct investment and industry in Ireland , and emphasised that keeping supply chains open was important .
Julie Sinnamon , the Enterprise Ireland chief executive , said companies had been taking steps such as splitting manufacturing shifts and temporarily laying off staff to deal wit the crisis .
She said €200 million has been made available for a new scheme being operated by Enterprise Ireland , details of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, has announced that all social welfare payments are to be paid fortnightly in a bid to reduce numbers attending post offices during the coronavirus outbreak. Video: RTÉ
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty has said she accepts that more than 400,000 people could lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Asked about some analysts forecasting that the number of people made unemployed due to outbreak could pass 400,000, Ms Doherty said: “It could be potentially as drastic [as those projections].
“We have not overused the word unprecedented in the past few days but it has been that.”
Ms Doherty said her department and Government colleagues would provide supports to “see us through the next few weeks”.
READ MORE
She said “we are in a very different place” in respect of modelling when compared to last week as it was more that the “obvious industries that are affected”.
“Every day there is another industry that I did not expect to be affected...The numbers could potentially be as high as [the projections].”
Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show the number of workers classified as unemployed last month was 120,100, a rate of some 4.8 per cent. The total compares to 356,600 in February 2012, when the headline rate was 16 per cent.
There were 2.36 million people recorded as being in work in the final quarter of last year, and a total of 400,000 job loses would see some 17 per cent of the workforce being made unemployed.
Ms Doherty said there had been 58,000 applications to date for the Covid-19 payment introduced at the weekend for those who have been let go because of the crisis. She said her department had processed 43,000 of these so far.
“What happened over months and months in 2008 and 2009 during the banking crisis has happened over the past few days,” said Ms Doherty.
Fortnightly payments
She also confirmed that people would now receive social welfare payments on a fortnightly rather than weekly basis in order to accommodate social distancing for those collecting their benefits in post offices.
Ms Doherty was speaking at a Government press briefing on investment, enterprise and employment, during which Minister for Business Heather Humphreys outlined the grave situation facing Irish companies.
In addition to financial supports including loans of up to €1.5 million, Ms Humphreys said her department was opening a business support centre to offer advice to firm that encounter difficulty.
IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan discussed the impact of the crisis on foreign direct investment and industry in Ireland, and emphasised that keeping supply chains open was important.
Julie Sinnamon, the Enterprise Ireland chief executive, said companies had been taking steps such as splitting manufacturing shifts and temporarily laying off staff to deal wit the crisis.
She said €200 million has been made available for a new scheme being operated by Enterprise Ireland, details of which will be announced in the coming days.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: UCD to extend on-campus leases for students unable to go home

University College Dublin ( UCD ) has said it will extend leases for any student living in on-campus accommodation “ unable to return to their normal place of residence ” in May , due to coronavirus overseas travel restrictions .
The university has also said students living in private rental accommodation outside of the south Dublin campus who lose their housing amid the coronavirus crisis can apply for on-campus accommodation .
In an email to students on Thursday , UCD registrar Prof Mark Rogers said the university “ will honour the rental agreements for all students who wish to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident ” .
The decision contrasts with a move by Trinity College Dublin at the start of this week to order all students living in the university ’ s student accommodation to vacate their rooms .
In an email late on Monday , Trinity College said students had to leave their rooms within 24 hours , with overseas students given two days ’ notice to leave their accommodation .
The university said it would make exceptions for students who would face homelessness , were subject to visa or travel restrictions , or had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , or one who was immunocompromised .
The university ’ s initial message also covered two private student accommodation providers the college partners with , Kavanagh Court and Binary Hub .
However , the college later backtracked to clarify as it did not manage that accommodation , the instruction to leave was “ strong advice ” rather than a “ requirement ” for students living there .
Trinity College said it had no choice but to attempt to clear its student accommodation due to the spread of the virus , also known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government ordered colleges and schools to close for two weeks in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus .
Following the closure of campuses across the country colleges have switched to online learning .
In the recent email to UCD students , Prof Rogers said students who wanted to leave on-campus accommodation and return home would be refunded the rent they had paid for the remainder of the term .
“ Residents who are advised to self-isolate by the HSE will be moved to specific housing to allow them to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Students living outside of the campus “ who face housing problems because of Covid-19 , eg if a landlord requires the property , may now apply for on-campus accommodation , ” the email said .
Lease agreements “ will be extended should students be unable to return to their normal place of residence at the end of their current agreement due to Covid-19 travel restrictions , ” it said .

The University College Dublin campus after courses were shut down due to coronavirus concerns. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
University College Dublin (UCD) has said it will extend leases for any student living in on-campus accommodation "unable to return to their normal place of residence" in May, due to coronavirus overseas travel restrictions.
The university has also said students living in private rental accommodation outside of the south Dublin campus who lose their housing amid the coronavirus crisis can apply for on-campus accommodation.
In an email to students on Thursday, UCD registrar Prof Mark Rogers said the university "will honour the rental agreements for all students who wish to remain on campus and encourage students to remain resident".
The decision contrasts with a move by Trinity College Dublin at the start of this week to order all students living in the university's student accommodation to vacate their rooms.
READ MORE
In an email late on Monday, Trinity College said students had to leave their rooms within 24 hours, with overseas students given two days’ notice to leave their accommodation.
The university said it would make exceptions for students who would face homelessness, were subject to visa or travel restrictions, or had a family member at home with the virus, or one who was immunocompromised.
The university’s initial message also covered two private student accommodation providers the college partners with, Kavanagh Court and Binary Hub.
However, the college later backtracked to clarify as it did not manage that accommodation, the instruction to leave was “strong advice” rather than a “requirement” for students living there.
Trinity College said it had no choice but to attempt to clear its student accommodation due to the spread of the virus, also known as Covid-19.
Online learning
Last week, the Government ordered colleges and schools to close for two weeks in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. Following the closure of campuses across the country colleges have switched to online learning.
In the recent email to UCD students, Prof Rogers said students who wanted to leave on-campus accommodation and return home would be refunded the rent they had paid for the remainder of the term.
“Residents who are advised to self-isolate by the HSE will be moved to specific housing to allow them to be supported by the university,” he said.
Students living outside of the campus “who face housing problems because of Covid-19, eg if a landlord requires the property, may now apply for on-campus accommodation,” the email said.
Lease agreements “will be extended should students be unable to return to their normal place of residence at the end of their current agreement due to Covid-19 travel restrictions,” it said.


theirishtimes--2020-03-19--Hyde and Seek childcare group takes defamation action against RTÉ

The Hyde and Seek childcare group has lodged defamation proceedings against RTÉ arising out of the RTÉ Investigates programme that was aired in July last year .
The RTÉ programme , called Creches – Behind Closed Doors , created great controversy and led to investigations by Tusla , the child and family agency , as well as by the gardaí .
The programme used undercover reporting to investigate the standard of care in the creche chain .
The Oireachtas children ’ s committee held an emergency meeting in the wake of the programme , and the children ’ s minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about strenghtening its regulatory powers .
Tusla has since then issued proceedings alleging breaches of childcare regulations .
Separately , a file has been sent by the gardaí to the Director of Public Prosecutions .
On Wednesday proceedings were lodged in the High Court alleging defamation against RTÉ .
The proceedings were taken by Hyde and Seek Childcare Ltd , Hyde and Seek Glasnevin Ltd , and Siobhán , Anne and Peter Davy , who are all associated with the family-owned business .
The business and the Davys are being represented by Meagher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Micheal Staines solicitors is acting for Hyde and Seek in relation to the Tusla matters .
Defamation proceedings can be taken at any time within a year of the alleged defamation .
It is understood the lodgement of the defamation action was not proceeded by the type of legal communications that would normally come in advance of such a move , and that the lodgement of the action on Wednesday came as a surprise to RTÉ .
The RTÉ Investigates programme , which created much controversy and was widely discussed after it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the RTÉ Player service .
A spokeswoman for the national broadcaster said it would not be making any comment .

Proceedings against RTÉ were taken by Hyde and Seek Childcare Ltd, Hyde and Seek Glasnevin Ltd, and Siobhán, Anne and Peter Davy. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The Hyde and Seek childcare group has lodged defamation proceedings against RTÉ arising out of the RTÉ Investigates programme that was aired in July last year.
The RTÉ programme, called Creches – Behind Closed Doors, created great controversy and led to investigations by Tusla, the child and family agency, as well as by the gardaí.
The programme used undercover reporting to investigate the standard of care in the creche chain.
The Oireachtas children’s committee held an emergency meeting in the wake of the programme, and the children’s minister, Katherine Zappone, wrote to Tusla about strenghtening its regulatory powers.
READ MORE
Tusla has since then issued proceedings alleging breaches of childcare regulations. Separately, a file has been sent by the gardaí to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
High Court
On Wednesday proceedings were lodged in the High Court alleging defamation against RTÉ.
The proceedings were taken by Hyde and Seek Childcare Ltd, Hyde and Seek Glasnevin Ltd, and Siobhán, Anne and Peter Davy, who are all associated with the family-owned business.
The business and the Davys are being represented by Meagher solicitors in the defamation proceedings, while Micheal Staines solicitors is acting for Hyde and Seek in relation to the Tusla matters.
Defamation proceedings can be taken at any time within a year of the alleged defamation. It is understood the lodgement of the defamation action was not proceeded by the type of legal communications that would normally come in advance of such a move, and that the lodgement of the action on Wednesday came as a surprise to RTÉ.
The RTÉ Investigates programme, which created much controversy and was widely discussed after it was broadcast, can still be viewed on the RTÉ Player service.
A spokeswoman for the national broadcaster said it would not be making any comment.


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--Government working on scheme to refund firms paying more than €203/week to laid off staff

The Government is working on an expanded scheme to refund employers who pay workers who have been laid off more than €203 per week , the Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty has indicated .
The Minister suggested that the current arrangements , under which employers were asked if possible to continue to pay their workers at least the jobseeker rate of €203 per week and receive a subsequent refund from the State , was introduced very speedily and was being looked at again .
Ms Doherty said an announcement would be made shortly .
“ In a time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to do things as quickly as we can - one of these things is to support workers who lose their jobs another is to support employers to keep workers in jobs .
“ Where we can do both at the same time we will .
That is the idea of the employer refund which we put together in less than two days over the weekend .
This allows the employer to pay the worker €203 and receive a refund from the State.
” The Minister said this worked for those employers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ which is actually most employers in the sector effected ” .
“ We did this quickly and launched it as soon as we could because time was of the essence and we didn ’ t want the perfect to get in the way of the good .
“ Paying a refund to those employers who can continue to pay their workers , albeit not at their full rate of pay , is a bit more challenging .
We have being working on this all week and expect to be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
On Thursday , Ms Doherty said she accepted that more than 400,000 people could lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
Asked about projections from some analysts who forecast that the number of people made unemployed during the outbreak could pass 400,000 , she said : “ It could be potentially as drastic [ as those projections ] .
We have not overused the word unprecedented in the past few days but it has been that.
” She said her department and her Government colleagues would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the next few weeks ” .
“ We are in a very different place on our modelling compared to last week .
[ IT IS MORE ] than the obvious industries that are affected .
.
.Every day there is another industry that I did not expect to be affected .
”

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, has announced that all social welfare payments are to be paid fortnightly in a bid to reduce numbers attending post offices during the coronavirus outbreak. Video: RTÉ
The Government is working on an expanded scheme to refund employers who pay workers who have been laid off more than €203 per week, the Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty has indicated.
The Minister suggested that the current arrangements, under which employers were asked if possible to continue to pay their workers at least the jobseeker rate of €203 per week and receive a subsequent refund from the State, was introduced very speedily and was being looked at again.
Her department had said on Thursday that employers who temporarily laid staff off and paid them over this amount would not qualify for a refund.
Ms Doherty said an announcement would be made shortly.
READ MORE
“In a time of crisis with a sudden sharp shock we need to do things as quickly as we can - one of these things is to support workers who lose their jobs another is to support employers to keep workers in jobs.
“Where we can do both at the same time we will. That is the idea of the employer refund which we put together in less than two days over the weekend. This allows the employer to pay the worker € 203 and receive a refund from the State.” The Minister said this worked for those employers who had no means to pay any top-up, “which is actually most employers in the sector effected”.
“We did this quickly and launched it as soon as we could because time was of the essence and we didn’t want the perfect to get in the way of the good.
“Paying a refund to those employers who can continue to pay their workers, albeit not at their full rate of pay, is a bit more challenging. We have being working on this all week and expect to be able to make an announcement very soon,” she said.
On Thursday, Ms Doherty said she accepted that more than 400,000 people could lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Asked about projections from some analysts who forecast that the number of people made unemployed during the outbreak could pass 400,000, she said: “It could be potentially as drastic [as those projections]. We have not overused the word unprecedented in the past few days but it has been that.”
She said her department and her Government colleagues would give all supports to “see us through the next few weeks”.
“We are in a very different place on our modelling compared to last week. [It is more] than the obvious industries that are affected . . .Every day there is another industry that I did not expect to be affected.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--Hundreds of gardaí mobilised in force’s biggest deployment

Almost 450 gardaí have mobilised for front line policing in a day to bolster the strength of An Garda Síochána in the biggest deployment of its kind in the history of the force .
The action , which involves closing the Garda College , Templemore , Co Tipperary , saw all 319 recruit gardaí at the college passing out on Friday morning at the college after effectively skipping the remainder of their training for now .
Friday morning ’ s passing out ceremony , which complied with social distancing protocol , was done behind closed doors , for speed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but has been recorded and photographed for posterity .
Furthermore , because those newly sworn-in gardaí have now been assigned to stations nationwide and the college is closed , 124 Garda members who normally teach at the college or fill other posts there have also been deployed to the frontline .
The unprecedented move has been undertaken to maximise the strength of the force as it attempts to maintain law and order and , if required , enforce the special measures introduced to reinforce social distancing and isolation .
Minister for Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Friday ’ s passing out ceremony , saying the Government and Garda were both determined that nobody would be left alone in the current crisis .
And he told the recruits while they had been fast-tracked , with some of them only two months into their training , they would not be left to fend for themselves on the streets .
“ Your experienced colleagues and supervisors will be on hand to guide you , ” he said .
“ The Government will not be found wanting in our financial support to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take strength too from the certainty that the community supports you.
” The Garda force now numbers 14,758 of all ranks , including 12,051 Garda members of all ranks ; both the largest levels of personnel in the history of the Garda .
Of the newly attested gardaí , 65 have been assigned to the Garda ’ s Dublin Region , 94 to the Eastern Region , 80 to the Southern Region and 80 to the North Western Region .
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has also deferred all age-related retirements and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to depart under a severance package and annual leave has been restricted .
The measures will result in an increase of 25 per cent of gardaí on the streets for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis , with personnel working 12-hour shifts .
Senior Garda management believe a high visibility operation is now vital to reassure the public and to ensure the force was well-placed to cope when some members of the force were diagnosed with Covid-19 and some of their colleagues were forced to go into isolation .
Mr Harris said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the role of Garda units that deal with armed crime , drug gangs and other serious crimes .
However , a contingency plan was in place for the units who police the Republic in those specialised areas .

Garda Public Order Unit members go through Temple Bar as Pubs in that area of Dublin close in ‘interest of public health’ on Sunday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Almost 450 gardaí have mobilised for front line policing in a day to bolster the strength of An Garda Síochána in the biggest deployment of its kind in the history of the force.
The action, which involves closing the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary, saw all 319 recruit gardaí at the college passing out on Friday morning at the college after effectively skipping the remainder of their training for now.
Friday morning’s passing out ceremony, which complied with social distancing protocol, was done behind closed doors, for speed and with no ceremony due to the coronavirus, but has been recorded and photographed for posterity.
Furthermore, because those newly sworn-in gardaí have now been assigned to stations nationwide and the college is closed, 124 Garda members who normally teach at the college or fill other posts there have also been deployed to the frontline.
READ MORE
The unprecedented move has been undertaken to maximise the strength of the force as it attempts to maintain law and order and, if required, enforce the special measures introduced to reinforce social distancing and isolation.
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan addressed the newly attested gardaí at Friday’s passing out ceremony, saying the Government and Garda were both determined that nobody would be left alone in the current crisis.
And he told the recruits while they had been fast-tracked, with some of them only two months into their training, they would not be left to fend for themselves on the streets.
“Your experienced colleagues and supervisors will be on hand to guide you,” he said.
“The Government will not be found wanting in our financial support to the organisation. And I urge you to take strength too from the certainty that the community supports you.”
The Garda force now numbers 14,758 of all ranks, including 12,051 Garda members of all ranks; both the largest levels of personnel in the history of the Garda.
Of the newly attested gardaí, 65 have been assigned to the Garda’s Dublin Region, 94 to the Eastern Region, 80 to the Southern Region and 80 to the North Western Region.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has also deferred all age-related retirements and the retirements of senior officers who had been due to depart under a severance package and annual leave has been restricted.
The measures will result in an increase of 25 per cent of gardaí on the streets for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis, with personnel working 12-hour shifts.
Senior Garda management believe a high visibility operation is now vital to reassure the public and to ensure the force was well-placed to cope when some members of the force were diagnosed with Covid-19 and some of their colleagues were forced to go into isolation.
Mr Harris said on Friday there had been no change in the role of Garda units that deal with armed crime, drug gangs and other serious crimes. However, a contingency plan was in place for the units who police the Republic in those specialised areas.


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--Coronavirus: The Irishman researching how vaccines can be more effective in older people

You want to make vaccines for Covid-19 ( Coronavirus ) more effective in older people , can you explain ?
We know that , in general , older people are more susceptible to Covid-19 , the disease caused by the virus Sars-CoV-2 .
We also know that as you get older , your immune system can change , and you may not respond as well to vaccines as when you were younger .
So my research is looking at how we can formulate the new , emerging vaccines against Covid-19 so that they work well in older people .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ samples , we are looking at how older people ’ s immune systems respond to an experimental vaccine against the 2003 Sars virus and to the new vaccines being developed for Sars-CoV-2 .
We are also researching how adding substances called adjuvants to vaccine formulations can make the older person ’ s immune response stronger .
Doing that should mean a lower dose of the vaccine would be effective for older people , that would speed up the vaccine production process and bring down the cost of it .
What are your thoughts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will be a while before we have available vaccines , and we have to do what we can now to lessen the spread and impact of the virus , while thinking strategically about how we might cope with it becoming seasonal in the future .
What other vaccines are you working on ?
We are looking to develop a vaccine to protect people with opioid use disorder .
The goal is that the vaccine would prevent people from being able to take a lethal dose of opioids , that would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are looking at the immune systems of people who have opioid use disorder and designing the vaccine accordingly .
How did you become interested in immunology as a field of research ?
I grew up in Bray ( Co Wicklow ) as part of a big family , and I got the opportunity to go to college through Dublin City University ’ s ( DCU ) access programme .
I studied biotechnology and became fascinated by the innate immune system .
I went to work in Wyeth ( now Pfizer ) in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do a PhD in DCU with Dr Sandra O ’ Neill , where I looked at how parasitic infections prompt immune responses .
What is your advice to young people with an interest in science ?
Be aspirational , think about what you could do in the future and develop a strategy .
I wanted to apply science to solve problems and now I am working at the epicentre of two huge epidemics , the opioid crisis and Covid-19 .
And finally , how do you take a break from the research ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I am often to be found watching a match on the TV early on a Saturday morning because of the time difference here in Boston .
I also get into the lab early and get home early , then my phone goes into a box and I focus on the family .

You want to make vaccines for Covid-19 (Coronavirus) more effective in older people, can you explain?
We know that, in general, older people are more susceptible to Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus Sars-CoV-2. We also know that as you get older, your immune system can change, and you may not respond as well to vaccines as when you were younger. So my research is looking at how we can formulate the new, emerging vaccines against Covid-19 so that they work well in older people.
How are you doing that?
Using blood samples, we are looking at how older people's immune systems respond to an experimental vaccine against the 2003 Sars virus and to the new vaccines being developed for Sars-CoV-2.
We are also researching how adding substances called adjuvants to vaccine formulations can make the older person’s immune response stronger. Doing that should mean a lower dose of the vaccine would be effective for older people, that would speed up the vaccine production process and bring down the cost of it.
What are your thoughts on the Covid-19 pandemic more generally?
It will be a while before we have available vaccines, and we have to do what we can now to lessen the spread and impact of the virus, while thinking strategically about how we might cope with it becoming seasonal in the future.
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What other vaccines are you working on?
We are looking to develop a vaccine to protect people with opioid use disorder. The goal is that the vaccine would prevent people from being able to take a lethal dose of opioids, that would be a huge achievement. To do this, we are looking at the immune systems of people who have opioid use disorder and designing the vaccine accordingly.
Dr Ofer Levy, director of precision vaccines at Boston Children’s Hospital (right) and Dr David Dowling, project manager of the Adjuvant Discovery Program at Boston Children’s Hospital
How did you become interested in immunology as a field of research?
I grew up in Bray (Co Wicklow) as part of a big family, and I got the opportunity to go to college through Dublin City University's (DCU) access programme. I studied biotechnology and became fascinated by the innate immune system. I went to work in Wyeth (now Pfizer) in Clondalkin (Dublin) before deciding to do a PhD in DCU with Dr Sandra O'Neill, where I looked at how parasitic infections prompt immune responses.
What is your advice to young people with an interest in science?
Be aspirational, think about what you could do in the future and develop a strategy. I wanted to apply science to solve problems and now I am working at the epicentre of two huge epidemics, the opioid crisis and Covid-19.
And finally, how do you take a break from the research?
Soccer is one of my passions, and I am often to be found watching a match on the TV early on a Saturday morning because of the time difference here in Boston. I also get into the lab early and get home early, then my phone goes into a box and I focus on the family.


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--All public church services suspended for forseeable future

Irish churches are already cancelling events planned for well past the March 29th date to which current coronavirus restrictions apply .
The installation of newly appointed Catholic Bishop of Achonry Paul Dempsey , scheduled to take place on April 19th , has been postponed until the summer .
In Northern Ireland the Connor diocesan synod , to take place on June 25th , has also been postponed .
The Bishop-elect of Achonry Fr Dempsey , currently based at Newbridge Co Kildare , said he had requested the installation ceremony at St Nathy ’ s Cathedral , Ballaghaderreen , Co Roscommon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summer ” .
He said “ it would not have been appropriate to proceed with the ( episcopal ) ordination at this time .
“ He expressed gratitude to papal nuncio Archbishop Jude Okolo “ the priests , religious and faithful of the diocese of Achonry for their patience and understanding as we deal with the unprecedented consequences of Covid-19 in our country and in our world.
” He was also grateful to Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin Denis Nulty “ who has asked me to continue for the moment as parish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland the May 1st installation of Church of Ireland Bishop-elect of Connor diocese , Archdeacon George Davison in Belfast , “ will be now be a private service ” with a small congregation due to the Coronavirus pandemic .
The Connor diocesan synod , scheduled for almost two months later , on June 25th , has been postponed .
Meanwhile in Italy 10 Catholic priests have died from the Coronavirus , six of them in the northern province of Bergamo , home of Pope St John XXIII .
As of Wednesday this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island – the Church of Ireland , the Presbyterian Church in Ireland , the Methodist Church in Ireland – suspended Sunday and daily services .
Since Monday last the Catholic Church in Ireland has suspended public Masses , though priests continue to celebrate it privately .
At 10.30 on Thursday morning RTÉ News Now broadcast Mass from the church of St Peter and Paul in Clonmel , Co Tipperary .
Mass will be broadcast on the channel daily at that time until March 29th .
It will be followed each day by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s other Christian denominations and faith communities .
RTÉ will also mark the Jewish festival of Passover on RTÉ One at 5.35pm on Sunday , April 5th .
On Saturday April 11th , it will celebrate the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi , again at 5.35pm on RTÉ One .
In a statement on Wednesday the Irish Council of Imams , which represents 35 Imams at mosques all over the island of Ireland , announced that Friday prayers tomorrow , as last week and until further notice , have been cancelled .
So too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Irish churches are already cancelling events planned for well past the March 29th date to which current coronavirus restrictions apply.
The installation of newly appointed Catholic Bishop of Achonry Paul Dempsey, scheduled to take place on April 19th, has been postponed until the summer. In Northern Ireland the Connor diocesan synod, to take place on June 25th, has also been postponed.
The Bishop-elect of Achonry Fr Dempsey, currently based at Newbridge Co Kildare, said he had requested the installation ceremony at St Nathy's Cathedral, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, "be rescheduled until sometime in the summer". He said "it would not have been appropriate to proceed with the (episcopal) ordination at this time. "
He expressed gratitude to papal nuncio Archbishop Jude Okolo "the priests, religious and faithful of the diocese of Achonry for their patience and understanding as we deal with the unprecedented consequences of Covid-19 in our country and in our world." He was also grateful to Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin Denis Nulty "who has asked me to continue for the moment as parish priest in Newbridge".
READ MORE
In Northern Ireland the May 1st installation of Church of Ireland Bishop-elect of Connor diocese, Archdeacon George Davison in Belfast, "will be now be a private service" with a small congregation due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Connor diocesan synod, scheduled for almost two months later, on June 25th, has been postponed.
Meanwhile in Italy 10 Catholic priests have died from the Coronavirus, six of them in the northern province of Bergamo, home of Pope St John XXIII.
As of Wednesday this week all three major Protestant Churches on the island – the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland – suspended Sunday and daily services.
Since Monday last the Catholic Church in Ireland has suspended public Masses, though priests continue to celebrate it privately and using online livestreams. At 10.30 on Thursday morning RTÉ News Now broadcast Mass from the church of St Peter and Paul in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Mass will be broadcast on the channel daily at that time until March 29th.
It will be followed each day by a religious message from representatives of Ireland’s other Christian denominations and faith communities.
RTÉ will also mark the Jewish festival of Passover on RTÉ One at 5.35pm on Sunday, April 5th. On Saturday April 11th, it will celebrate the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi, again at 5.35pm on RTÉ One.
In a statement on Wednesday the Irish Council of Imams, which represents 35 Imams at mosques all over the island of Ireland, announced that Friday prayers tomorrow, as last week and until further notice, have been cancelled. So too have functions “of all types” .


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--Two men released without charge over shots fired at Cork house

Two men have been released without charge in Cork after they were arrested for questioning about an incident where shots were fired at a house in the city earlier this week .
Gardaí are now preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions .
Detectives from Mayfield , backed up by members of the Armed Support Unit ( ASU ) , detectives from Gurranebraher and uniformed personnel , arrested the two men in the Hollyhill area of Cork ’ s northside early on Thursday morning .
The two men were arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station where they were questioned for several hours before being released late Thursday night .
The two men , who are both in their early 20s , were questioned about an incident where shots were fired at a house in Ard Bhaile in Mayfield and a number of cars were damaged at around 8pm on Monday night .
Gardaí believe the incident is linked to an ongoing feud between a number of Traveller families in Cork which dates back to an incident when a young man was attacked in Blackpool on the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The man from one of the families was attacked by a group of up to 10 people outside the Reel Picture cinema in Blackpool and received a number of blows to the head from one of the group armed with a hurley .
Gardaí believe that assault was the latest incident in a long standing feud between two extended families and they began an investigation even though they did not receive a formal complaint from the injured man .
Five days later , the ASU visited two halting sites and spoke to both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online within hours of each other when masked men armed with machetes and other implements issued threats to each other .
However , a member of another Traveller family from Limerick , travelled to Cork and brokered a peace deal which appeared to be holding with figures from both sides posting messages on social media to say the feud was over .
But earlier this month the peace deal broke down with both sides again turning to social media to issue challenges to the other side to fight them , but matters escalated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Petrol bombs were thrown at one house at Dunmore Gardens in Knocknaheeny and at a second house at St John ’ s Square in Blackpool while a car was burnt out near Blarney , all on the night of March 8th .
Gardaí believe the firing of shots at the house in Ard Bhaile in Mayfield is a continuation of the same feud and gardaí have increased patrols in the area to try and prevent any repeat of the attacks .
Meanwhile , gardaí say an incident in Mahon on Cork ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a house on Avenue de Rennes on Tuesday night are not related to the ongoing feud on the city ’ s northside .
No one was injured when at least two shots were fired at the house by a gang of between two and four men who fled the scene on foot .
Gardaí say they are keeping an open mind on the motive for the attack .

Two men have been released without charge in Cork after they were arrested for questioning about an incident where shots were fired at a house in the city earlier this week. Gardaí are now preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Detectives from Mayfield, backed up by members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU), detectives from Gurranebraher and uniformed personnel, arrested the two men in the Hollyhill area of Cork's northside early on Thursday morning.
The two men were arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and taken to Mayfield Garda station where they were questioned for several hours before being released late Thursday night.
The two men, who are both in their early 20s, were questioned about an incident where shots were fired at a house in Ard Bhaile in Mayfield and a number of cars were damaged at around 8pm on Monday night.
READ MORE
Gardaí believe the incident is linked to an ongoing feud between a number of Traveller families in Cork which dates back to an incident when a young man was attacked in Blackpool on the city's northside on January 19th.
The man from one of the families was attacked by a group of up to 10 people outside the Reel Picture cinema in Blackpool and received a number of blows to the head from one of the group armed with a hurley.
Gardaí believe that assault was the latest incident in a long standing feud between two extended families and they began an investigation even though they did not receive a formal complaint from the injured man.
Five days later, the ASU visited two halting sites and spoke to both sides after the rival families posted videos online within hours of each other when masked men armed with machetes and other implements issued threats to each other.
However, a member of another Traveller family from Limerick, travelled to Cork and brokered a peace deal which appeared to be holding with figures from both sides posting messages on social media to say the feud was over.
But earlier this month the peace deal broke down with both sides again turning to social media to issue challenges to the other side to fight them, but matters escalated with a series of petrol bomb attacks.
Petrol bombs were thrown at one house at Dunmore Gardens in Knocknaheeny and at a second house at St John's Square in Blackpool while a car was burnt out near Blarney, all on the night of March 8th.
Gardaí believe the firing of shots at the house in Ard Bhaile in Mayfield is a continuation of the same feud and gardaí have increased patrols in the area to try and prevent any repeat of the attacks.
Meanwhile, gardaí say an incident in Mahon on Cork’s southside where shots were fired at a house on Avenue de Rennes on Tuesday night are not related to the ongoing feud on the city’s northside.
No one was injured when at least two shots were fired at the house by a gang of between two and four men who fled the scene on foot. Gardaí say they are keeping an open mind on the motive for the attack.


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--Finally some good news:  It's going to stay sunny and get warmer

The weather is set to warm up over the weekend , with highs of up to 14 degrees expected by early next week , Met Éireann has said .
Settled conditions are expected over the next few days , with sunny spells forecast for across the country .
After a cold and frosty start on Friday , it is set to be a warm and sunny day with temperatures of between 8 and 11 degrees .
There will be moderate breezes along the south coast , where it will be a little bit cloudier than it is across the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of some light and patchy rain in the west of Munster , but it will be clear and dry elsewhere in the country .
Saturday will be a mainly dry day , with temperatures of between 6 and 7 degrees in Connacht , west Munster , Ulster , and temperatures of 8 to 10 degrees .
The weather will warm up further on Sunday , with temperatures between 12 degrees in the west and 10 degrees in the east .
However , it will be cold overnight , with temperatures dipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday will be dry and with a good deal of sunshine with afternoon temperatures of up to 14 degrees possible .
The settled spell looks set to continue through to Tuesday with another dry day on the cards with sunshine and temperatures between 12 and 14 degrees .
The southerly winds will freshen through the day .
Met Éireann says current indications suggest an outbreak of rain on Tuesday .

Ballybunion, Co Kerry. The settled spell looks set to continue through Tuesday. File photograph: The Irish Times
The weather is set to warm up over the weekend, with highs of up to 14 degrees expected by early next week, Met Éireann has said.
Settled conditions are expected over the next few days, with sunny spells forecast for across the country.
After a cold and frosty start on Friday, it is set to be a warm and sunny day with temperatures of between 8 and 11 degrees.
There will be moderate breezes along the south coast, where it will be a little bit cloudier than it is across the rest of the country.
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Friday night brings the risk of some light and patchy rain in the west of Munster, but it will be clear and dry elsewhere in the country.
Saturday will be a mainly dry day, with temperatures of between 6 and 7 degrees in Connacht, west Munster, Ulster, and temperatures of 8 to 10 degrees.
The weather will warm up further on Sunday, with temperatures between 12 degrees in the west and 10 degrees in the east.
However, it will be cold overnight, with temperatures dipping below freezing in places once again.
Monday will be dry and with a good deal of sunshine with afternoon temperatures of up to 14 degrees possible.
The settled spell looks set to continue through to Tuesday with another dry day on the cards with sunshine and temperatures between 12 and 14 degrees. The southerly winds will freshen through the day.
Met Éireann says current indications suggest an outbreak of rain on Tuesday.


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--Coronavirus: School closures could extend to April or May, Taoiseach says

School closures could be extended into April or May to combat the spread of coronavirus , Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said .
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Republic has risen to 557 in the 20 days since the first known case was diagnosed in the country on February 29th .
There were 191 new test-positive cases on Thursday , up from 74 the previous day .
Speaking at a parliamentary party teleconference on Thursday night , Mr Varadkar said it could take between five and 10 days before the effects of social distancing are seen on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Varadkar also advised Fine Gael TDs the closure of schools could be extended into April or May .
The Taoiseach announced on Thursday last week that schools , colleges and childcare facilities are to be closed until March 29th .
The move was taken to reduce socialising , encourage social distancing and slow down the spread of the virus .
However , health authorities have acknowledged the situation is not expected to improve by the end of this month , and that the pandemic could continue for a number of months after that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education Joe McHugh announced the Leaving and Junior Cert oral and practical exams had been cancelled and each student would receive 100 per cent in those components .
The exams were due to begin on Monday , 23rd of March .
Mr McHugh said his department was working on the assumption the Leaving Cert written exams would still go ahead as planned .
No decision has been made in relation to the Junior Cert exams , according to Mr McHugh , and “ all contingencies ” were being looked at .
One contingency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or deferring the Junior Cert to provide extra space in exam centres to hold the Leaving Cert .
However , Mr McHugh said no decisions had been made .
Most primary schools are due to break for summer at the end of June , while most secondary school students finish for the summer at the end of May or beginning of June .
The Junior and Leaving Cert exams are scheduled to begin on June 3rd , 2020 .

School closures could be extended into April or May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said. File photograph: David Sleator/The Irish Times
School closures could be extended into April or May to combat the spread of coronavirus, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Republic has risen to 557 in the 20 days since the first known case was diagnosed in the country on February 29th. There were 191 new test-positive cases on Thursday, up from 74 the previous day.
Speaking at a parliamentary party teleconference on Thursday night, Mr Varadkar said it could take between five and 10 days before the effects of social distancing are seen on figures of new confirmed cases.
Mr Varadkar also advised Fine Gael TDs the closure of schools could be extended into April or May.
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The Taoiseach announced on Thursday last week that schools, colleges and childcare facilities are to be closed until March 29th.
The move was taken to reduce socialising, encourage social distancing and slow down the spread of the virus.
However, health authorities have acknowledged the situation is not expected to improve by the end of this month, and that the pandemic could continue for a number of months after that date.
On Thursday, Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced the Leaving and Junior Cert oral and practical exams had been cancelled and each student would receive 100 per cent in those components.
The exams were due to begin on Monday, 23rd of March.
Mr McHugh said his department was working on the assumption the Leaving Cert written exams would still go ahead as planned.
No decision has been made in relation to the Junior Cert exams, according to Mr McHugh, and “all contingencies” were being looked at.
One contingency plan being examined by officials is cancelling or deferring the Junior Cert to provide extra space in exam centres to hold the Leaving Cert. However, Mr McHugh said no decisions had been made.
Most primary schools are due to break for summer at the end of June, while most secondary school students finish for the summer at the end of May or beginning of June.
The Junior and Leaving Cert exams are scheduled to begin on June 3rd, 2020.


theirishtimes--2020-03-20--Coronavirus: Expert expects surge in cases in next five days

Ireland will experience a surge in the number of coronavirus cases before social distancing measures start to make an impact , according to an infectious disease expert .
Professor Sam McConkey has said he was not surprised by the increase in the number of cases of the coronavirus confirmed on Thursday .
Further social measures will have to be considered if the numbers fail to level off following the expected surge , Prof McConkey said .
He told Newstalk Breakfast the figures follow an exponential curve model and he hopes that in the next five to seven days the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are going to be significant numbers in the next four to five days .
The health sector is bracing itself.
” The staff at testing centres , those carrying out contact tracing , GPs and the hospitals are holding their breath , he added .
“ If it doesn ’ t level off , unfortunately we ’ re going to have to look at additional measures to flatten the curve.
” Prof McConkey said there had been an “ exceptional response ” from the public in general and there had been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political level .
“ The vast majority have changed the way we live our lives .
I would encourage everyone to get on message with social distancing .
That ’ s very important.
” Prof McConkey warned that imposing aggressive or harsh measures too soon would mean that people would have difficulty following them well .
It was better to get everyone on board voluntarily .

Temporary shuttering erected to protect staff in the Life Pharmacy, Parnell Street, Dublin on Thursday. Photograph Nick Bradshaw
Ireland will experience a surge in the number of coronavirus cases before social distancing measures start to make an impact, according to an infectious disease expert.
Professor Sam McConkey has said he was not surprised by the increase in the number of cases of the coronavirus confirmed on Thursday.
Further social measures will have to be considered if the numbers fail to level off following the expected surge, Prof McConkey said.
He told Newstalk Breakfast the figures follow an exponential curve model and he hopes that in the next five to seven days the number of cases will level off.
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“There are going to be significant numbers in the next four to five days. The health sector is bracing itself.”
The staff at testing centres, those carrying out contact tracing, GPs and the hospitals are holding their breath, he added.
“If it doesn’t level off, unfortunately we’re going to have to look at additional measures to flatten the curve.”
Prof McConkey said there had been an “exceptional response” from the public in general and there had been a “great show of leadership” at political level.
“The vast majority have changed the way we live our lives. I would encourage everyone to get on message with social distancing. That’s very important.”
Prof McConkey warned that imposing aggressive or harsh measures too soon would mean that people would have difficulty following them well. It was better to get everyone on board voluntarily.