theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Science advice network needed to inform government, RIA says

The setting up of an independent network of scientific advisers is needed to advise government “ on the formidable scientific challenges facing Ireland , such as Covid-19 and climate change ” , according to Dr Mary Canning , president of the Royal Irish Academy ( RIA ) .
Ireland ’ s Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser currently lacks the staff or budget to do the complex job “ now urgently required ” , Dr Canning said – the position is currently filled by Prof Mark Ferguson , who is also director general of Science Foundation Ireland .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr Canning said political parties engaged in coalition talks should prioritise establishment of such a science advisory office in any programme for government – as many of today ’ s policy challenges were characterised by a mixture of complexity , uncertainty and ambiguity .
“ Policymakers are increasingly confronted with highly complex policy issues requiring multiple forms of knowledge , including scientific insights , experiential knowledge and local perspectives , ” she added .
Appropriate high-level , credible , objective scientific insights could help policymakers “ understand the policy problem more completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to provide meaning to the discussion around critical topics within society ” .
This should be provided by a multi-disciplinary network of specialists in a similar way to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) dealing with Covid-19 , but on a permanent basis , she said .
“ Looking beyond the current emergency there are many situations where a government , Oireachtas committee or our elected representatives would benefit from access to scientific evidence to help inform effective policy making , ” Dr Canning said .
The “ networked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wide range of experts feed into the process of producing advice , would likely be very effective at producing the hard information needed by policymakers .
“ It is clear that a similar networked approach could be used to tackle other challenges facing government and society such as climate change , the unacceptably low uptake of safe and valuable vaccines and resolving the Dublin water supply issue before it can become a crisis , ” she pointed out .
The current system does not readily deliver this , she believed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regularly assists the Government , but unlike in many other countries , there is no network of expertise established to assist him in this work , no network to bring experts together under the aegis of the chief scientific adviser , ” Dr Canning noted .
After the economic crash the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service was established , to provide integrated cross-government advice .
“ An equivalent science advisory service is now required for good government , ” Dr Canning said , and should be established under the aegis of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the experts and academy members who had put their expertise at the service of the people of Ireland during the current Covid-19 crisis .
On its new members , Dr Canning said : “ Ireland should be immensely proud of these women and men who have brought international acclaim to our country .
As members of the RIA they will strengthen our capacity to provide the expert advice Ireland needs at this time.
” They include : Janet Brown of Harvard University , a distinguished scholar on Charles Darwin ; Seamus Davis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in UCC ; Kate Fitzgerald a world-renowned immunologist in University of Massachusetts , and Deirdre Madden of UCC , a leading bioethicist and deputy chair of the HSE .
Humanities and Social Sciences – Niamh Brennan ( UCD ) ; David Collings ( DCU ) ; Enrico dal Lago ( NUIG ) ; Paul Michael Garrett ( NUIG ) ; Margaret Kelleher ( UCD ) ; Christopher Marsh ( QUB ) ; Máire Ní Annracháin ( UCD ) ; Fintan O ’ Toole ( The Irish Times and Princeton University ) ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karen E. Till ( MU ) and Ben Tonra ( UCD ) .
Honorary members – Kevin Costello ( Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics ) ; Christopher Hawkesworth ( University of Bristol ) ; David Hempton ( Harvard Divinity School ) and Thomas JJ O ’ Loughlin ( University of Nottingham ) .

The setting up of an independent network of scientific advisers is needed to advise government "on the formidable scientific challenges facing Ireland, such as Covid-19 and climate change", according to Dr Mary Canning, president of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA).
Ireland's Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser currently lacks the staff or budget to do the complex job "now urgently required", Dr Canning said – the position is currently filled by Prof Mark Ferguson, who is also director general of Science Foundation Ireland.
In an online ceremony to welcome newly-admitted RIA members, Dr Canning said political parties engaged in coalition talks should prioritise establishment of such a science advisory office in any programme for government – as many of today’s policy challenges were characterised by a mixture of complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity.
“Policymakers are increasingly confronted with highly complex policy issues requiring multiple forms of knowledge, including scientific insights, experiential knowledge and local perspectives,” she added.
READ MORE
Appropriate high-level, credible, objective scientific insights could help policymakers “understand the policy problem more completely, to generate and evaluate options, and to provide meaning to the discussion around critical topics within society”.
This should be provided by a multi-disciplinary network of specialists in a similar way to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) dealing with Covid-19, but on a permanent basis, she said.
"Looking beyond the current emergency there are many situations where a government, Oireachtas committee or our elected representatives would benefit from access to scientific evidence to help inform effective policy making," Dr Canning said.
The “networked method” adopted by NPHET, where a wide range of experts feed into the process of producing advice, would likely be very effective at producing the hard information needed by policymakers.
“It is clear that a similar networked approach could be used to tackle other challenges facing government and society such as climate change, the unacceptably low uptake of safe and valuable vaccines and resolving the Dublin water supply issue before it can become a crisis,” she pointed out.
The current system does not readily deliver this, she believed. “Ireland has a chief scientific adviser who regularly assists the Government, but unlike in many other countries, there is no network of expertise established to assist him in this work, no network to bring experts together under the aegis of the chief scientific adviser,” Dr Canning noted.
After the economic crash the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service was established, to provide integrated cross-government advice. "An equivalent science advisory service is now required for good government," Dr Canning said, and should be established under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach.
She commended the experts and academy members who had put their expertise at the service of the people of Ireland during the current Covid-19 crisis.
On its new members, Dr Canning said: “Ireland should be immensely proud of these women and men who have brought international acclaim to our country. As members of the RIA they will strengthen our capacity to provide the expert advice Ireland needs at this time.”
They include: Janet Brown of Harvard University, a distinguished scholar on Charles Darwin; Seamus Davis of UCC, a pioneer in quantum physics based in UCC; Kate Fitzgerald a world-renowned immunologist in University of Massachusetts, and Deirdre Madden of UCC, a leading bioethicist and deputy chair of the HSE.
Other members admitted are:
Sciences –Pavel Baranov (University College Cork); Steven EJ Bell (Queen's University Belfast); Marie Cowan (Geological Survey of Northern Ireland); Christopher Elliott (Queen's University Belfast); Robert Forster (Dublin City University); Cecily Kelleher (University College Dublin); Frank McDermott (UCD); Nabeel Agha Riza (UCC); Afshin Samali (NUI Galway) and Miles Turner (DCU).
Humanities and Social Sciences – Niamh Brennan (UCD); David Collings (DCU); Enrico dal Lago (NUIG); Paul Michael Garrett (NUIG); Margaret Kelleher (UCD); Christopher Marsh (QUB); Máire Ní Annracháin (UCD); Fintan O'Toole (The Irish Times and Princeton University); Philipp Rosemann (Maynooth University); Karen E. Till (MU) and Ben Tonra (UCD).
Honorary members – Kevin Costello (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics); Christopher Hawkesworth (University of Bristol); David Hempton (Harvard Divinity School) and Thomas JJ O'Loughlin (University of Nottingham).


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--More than 1,000 drivers caught speeding on National Slow Down Day

By the time National Slow Day came to an end early on Saturday morning more than 1,000 cars had been clocked going faster than they should have been with some travelling at over twice the speed limit .
One vehicle was detected travelling at 202km per hour on the M50 in Dublin , a road which has a speed limit of 100km per hour while another car on the Navan Rd was found to be travelling at 106km per hour in a 60km per hour zone The most egregious speeding breach of the campaign was recorded on the R132 near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was clocked at 125km per hour in a 60km per hour zone .
Gardaí and GoSafe speed vans detected a total of 1,072 speeding drivers as part of the National Slow Down Day campaign held over a 24 hour period starting at 7am on Friday .
The annual campaign sees high-visibility enforcement using marked Garda cars and marked speed detection vans in 1,322 speed enforcement zones , across the country .
Many of the vehicles breaking the limits were travelling at speeds of over 120km per hour with some heavy goods vehicles detected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We would like to thank the 124,929 drivers who were found to be compliant and drove within the speed limits , ” said chief superintendent Paul Cleary , of the Roads Policing Bureau .
“ While the vast majority of motorists were found to be travelling safely and well within the speed limits , there are still those who continue to drive at excessive and inappropriate speeds , ” he continued .
He warned that the Garda would “ continue to focus our enforcement activities on non-compliant motorists as we strive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious injury collisions across our roads network ” .

An Garda Síochána thanked the 124,929 drivers who were found to be compliant and drove within the speed limits.
By the time National Slow Day came to an end early on Saturday morning more than 1,000 cars had been clocked going faster than they should have been with some travelling at over twice the speed limit.
One vehicle was detected travelling at 202km per hour on the M50 in Dublin, a road which has a speed limit of 100km per hour while another car on the Navan Rd was found to be travelling at 106km per hour in a 60km per hour zone
The most egregious speeding breach of the campaign was recorded on the R132 near Mell in Co Louth where a vehicle was clocked at 125km per hour in a 60km per hour zone.
Gardaí and GoSafe speed vans detected a total of 1,072 speeding drivers as part of the National Slow Down Day campaign held over a 24 hour period starting at 7am on Friday.
READ MORE
The annual campaign sees high-visibility enforcement using marked Garda cars and marked speed detection vans in 1,322 speed enforcement zones, across the country.
Many of the vehicles breaking the limits were travelling at speeds of over 120km per hour with some heavy goods vehicles detected breaking the relevant limits while towing trailers.
"We would like to thank the 124,929 drivers who were found to be compliant and drove within the speed limits," said chief superintendent Paul Cleary, of the Roads Policing Bureau.
“While the vast majority of motorists were found to be travelling safely and well within the speed limits, there are still those who continue to drive at excessive and inappropriate speeds,” he continued.
He warned that the Garda would “continue to focus our enforcement activities on non-compliant motorists as we strive to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury collisions across our roads network”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--What is this creature we found in a rockpool?

This white spider killed a bee and took up residence in a flower in my garden .
There is no sign of a web .
Alan McLoughlin , Maynooth , Co Kildare It ’ s the flower spider , a crab spider that doesn ’ t spin a web .
It comes in different colours – white , light green and yellow .
Many readers have asked for identification .
This photo was sent by Catherine Fox .
We found this creature in a rockpool .
What is it ?
The Lydon children , Sutton , Dublin 13 It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sand and lives on the lower shore and in shallow water .
My daughter Holly ( 6 ) found this amazing looking worm emerging from the sand on the seashore between Malahide and Portmarnock .
It had red bumps and was about 45cm long .
Noeleen Smyth , Swords , Co Dublin It ’ s a nereid , a marine worm that belongs to the same family as the ragworm , used as bait by fishermen .
I was lucky enough to happen upon a pair of goosanders on the Avonmore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water and plough the surface with their bills in search of fish .
Christy Kenneally , Rathdrum , Co Wicklow I spotted these small , blue butterflies on my walk .
Deirdre Hennessy , Bray , Co Wicklow They are holly blue butterflies , the earliest of the blues .
While I was working in my garden I had this very tame visitor that sat there as I moved around it .
Siobhan Fitzpatrick , Ruan , Co Clare In my small garden pond I have tadpoles and what look like shrimps about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Water , Co Wicklow They are the larvae of the great diving beetle and they will feast on your tadpoles .
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn , Louisburgh , Co Mayo , F28 F978 , or by email at viney @ anu.ie .
Include a postal address .

This white spider killed a bee and took up residence in a flower in my garden. There is no sign of a web.
Alan McLoughlin, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Flower spider
It’s the flower spider, a crab spider that doesn’t spin a web. It comes in different colours – white, light green and yellow. Many readers have asked for identification. This photo was sent by Catherine Fox.
We found this creature in a rockpool. What is it?
The Lydon children, Sutton, Dublin 13
King rag worm
It’s a king ragworm, which burrows in the sand and lives on the lower shore and in shallow water.
READ MORE
My daughter Holly (6) found this amazing looking worm emerging from the sand on the seashore between Malahide and Portmarnock. It had red bumps and was about 45cm long.
Noeleen Smyth, Swords, Co Dublin
It’s a nereid, a marine worm that belongs to the same family as the ragworm, used as bait by fishermen.
I was lucky enough to happen upon a pair of goosanders on the Avonmore river. They lie low in the water and plough the surface with their bills in search of fish.
Christy Kenneally, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow
Goosanders
I spotted these small, blue butterflies on my walk.
Deirdre Hennessy, Bray, Co Wicklow
Holly blue butterfly
They are holly blue butterflies, the earliest of the blues.
While I was working in my garden I had this very tame visitor that sat there as I moved around it.
Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Ruan, Co Clare
Bullfinch
A friendly bullfinch.
In my small garden pond I have tadpoles and what look like shrimps about 2cm.
John Suttle, Three Mile Water, Co Wicklow
They are the larvae of the great diving beetle and they will feast on your tadpoles.
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Include a postal address.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--The foreign invaders decimating North’s worm population

To learn that mice , cats and frogs find foreign flatworms too distasteful to eat confirms a general disparagement of the creatures .
One shrew , in a laboratory , did manage to tuck in , but shrews must keep eating or die .
Sticky , ribbon-flat , pointed at both ends , the dark-brown Arthurdendyus triangulatus from New Zealand and orangey Australoplana sanguinea from Australia are shapeshifting animals , best inspected on the internet .
They seem to attract much human curiosity .
Three of the Australian flatworms were discovered this month in the vegetable garden of Friends of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Beara Peninsula in west Cork .
A posting of this on the FIE ’ s Facebook page was viewed more than 17,000 times in four days .
Perhaps there was relief from boredom with one plague in sharing the concern about another .
Apart from their over-smooth looks , the flatworms ’ chief offence is their appetite for earthworms .
My drawing is half of their favourite prey , the large and admirable Lumbricus terrestris earthworm , key architect of the structure and fertility of soil .
The flatworms ’ predatory appetite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first New Zealand species was found in a Belfast garden , most probably arriving in the soil of imported plants .
The adult animals can last a year without food and pot plants can also contain their egg capsules , resembling small blackcurrants .
The global plant trade has also spread this invader to Scotland , the Faroes and the Republic , but its density in Northern Ireland remains exceptional .
Scottish records are mainly from city gardens and garden centres but its rapid expansion in the north of Ireland has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , heather moor , woods and wetlands .
An assessment by Dr Roy Anderson of Queen ’ s University Belfast noted its ability to devastate garden populations of large earthworms .
He found only “ patchy ” evidence of serious damage on agricultural land but he accepted that , with the loss of earthworm drainage and a surface thatch of uneaten leaves , the North ’ s problem with impacted soil could grow even worse .
Moreover , systematic surveys of grass fields found the flatworm in 70 per cent of them by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pasture .
Concern was especially for the toll on lumbricid earthworms , whose wide vertical burrows make it easy for flatworms to pursue , attack and absorb them .
The burrows , topped with fresh casts of earth , bring oxygen and water into the soil , adding greatly to its structure and drainage .
They also allow worms to retrieve leaf litter from the surface , digesting and recycling their nutrients .
This vital role , first examined by Darwin , is at the heart of flatworm research .
In four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr Archie Murchie and Dr Alan Gordon of the North ’ s Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute identified and weighed more than 25,000 individual earthworms .
Their 2013 report concluded that a spread of less than one flatworm per square metre , matching “ natural infestations ” in grassland , would cut earthworm biomass by about one-fifth .
This , they said , “ poses a serious risk to L terrestris , with implications for soil functioning and indigenous earthworm-feeding wildlife ” .
Among the latter are the blackbirds , thrushes , seagulls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The flatworms ’ spread in the North is in contrast to sparse occurrence in the Republic , mainly in the disturbed soil of gardens and garden centres .
Dr Anderson had pointed to the animal ’ s intolerance for soil temperatures above 23 degrees , hence its preference for the cooler , moister landscapes of the North .
The Australian flatworm , however , is clearly at home under the rocks , pots , plastic sheets and buckets of the Republic ’ s gardens and plant centres .
A map of reports to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in city gardens , but also in rural Cork and Waterford .
This echoes its chief distribution in the southwest of England .
Eye on Nature has already drawn many reports of Australian flatworms and the 17,000 visits to the FIE Facebook resulted in many more .
A gardener on the Beara Peninsula wrote of being “ left with nothing else ” .
The FIE has urged more citizen gardeners to search under anything lying on the ground and send their records to the data centre .
In the UK , flatworms in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the NGO Buglife , which deplores the lack of biosecurity measures to exclude or check for the animals or their eggs .
This may well become a cause for the Irish Wildlife Trust , but devising any practical measures will remain a challenging prospect .
On both islands , gardeners are urged to uncover , seek out or trap them ( the FIE offers ways and means ) .
They should also encourage large , predatory ground beetles , such as the dearg-a-daoil , or rove beetle , that find an appetite @ @ @ @

To learn that mice, cats and frogs find foreign flatworms too distasteful to eat confirms a general disparagement of the creatures. One shrew, in a laboratory, did manage to tuck in, but shrews must keep eating or die.
Sticky, ribbon-flat, pointed at both ends, the dark-brown Arthurdendyus triangulatus from New Zealand and orangey Australoplana sanguinea from Australia are shapeshifting animals, best inspected on the internet.
They seem to attract much human curiosity. Three of the Australian flatworms were discovered this month in the vegetable garden of Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) on the Beara Peninsula in west Cork.
A posting of this on the FIE’s Facebook page was viewed more than 17,000 times in four days. Perhaps there was relief from boredom with one plague in sharing the concern about another.
READ MORE
Apart from their over-smooth looks, the flatworms’ chief offence is their appetite for earthworms. My drawing is half of their favourite prey, the large and admirable Lumbricus terrestris earthworm, key architect of the structure and fertility of soil.
The flatworms’ predatory appetite sparked concern when, in the 1960s, the first New Zealand species was found in a Belfast garden, most probably arriving in the soil of imported plants. The adult animals can last a year without food and pot plants can also contain their egg capsules, resembling small blackcurrants.
The global plant trade has also spread this invader to Scotland, the Faroes and the Republic, but its density in Northern Ireland remains exceptional. Scottish records are mainly from city gardens and garden centres but its rapid expansion in the north of Ireland has taken it almost everywhere, across farmland, heather moor, woods and wetlands.
An assessment by Dr Roy Anderson of Queen’s University Belfast noted its ability to devastate garden populations of large earthworms. He found only “patchy” evidence of serious damage on agricultural land but he accepted that, with the loss of earthworm drainage and a surface thatch of uneaten leaves, the North’s problem with impacted soil could grow even worse.
Moreover, systematic surveys of grass fields found the flatworm in 70 per cent of them by 1998, often at the moister margins of pasture. Concern was especially for the toll on lumbricid earthworms, whose wide vertical burrows make it easy for flatworms to pursue, attack and absorb them.
The burrows, topped with fresh casts of earth, bring oxygen and water into the soil, adding greatly to its structure and drainage. They also allow worms to retrieve leaf litter from the surface, digesting and recycling their nutrients. This vital role, first examined by Darwin, is at the heart of flatworm research.
In four years of fieldwork, for example, Dr Archie Murchie and Dr Alan Gordon of the North's Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute identified and weighed more than 25,000 individual earthworms.
Their 2013 report concluded that a spread of less than one flatworm per square metre, matching “natural infestations” in grassland, would cut earthworm biomass by about one-fifth. This, they said, “poses a serious risk to L terrestris, with implications for soil functioning and indigenous earthworm-feeding wildlife”. Among the latter are the blackbirds, thrushes, seagulls, badgers, foxes and pine martens.
The flatworms’ spread in the North is in contrast to sparse occurrence in the Republic, mainly in the disturbed soil of gardens and garden centres. Dr Anderson had pointed to the animal’s intolerance for soil temperatures above 23 degrees, hence its preference for the cooler, moister landscapes of the North.
The Australian flatworm, however, is clearly at home under the rocks, pots, plastic sheets and buckets of the Republic's gardens and plant centres. A map of reports to the National Biodiversity Data Centre shows clusters in city gardens, but also in rural Cork and Waterford. This echoes its chief distribution in the southwest of England.
‘Left with nothing else’
Eye on Nature has already drawn many reports of Australian flatworms and the 17,000 visits to the FIE Facebook resulted in many more. A gardener on the Beara Peninsula wrote of being “left with nothing else”. The FIE has urged more citizen gardeners to search under anything lying on the ground and send their records to the data centre.
In the UK, flatworms in imported pot plants engage the vigorous campaigners of the NGO Buglife, which deplores the lack of biosecurity measures to exclude or check for the animals or their eggs. This may well become a cause for the Irish Wildlife Trust, but devising any practical measures will remain a challenging prospect.
On both islands, gardeners are urged to uncover, seek out or trap them (the FIE offers ways and means). They should also encourage large, predatory ground beetles, such as the dearg-a-daoil, or rove beetle, that find an appetite for sticky-toffee planarians.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Daniel Kinahan: A different story on the global stage?

Daniel Kinahan has been in the news a lot lately and it has little to do with his leadership of the most profitable organised crime group in Irish history .
Rather , the sports pages and blogs have been lauding the 42-year-old Dubliner as a global power broker in the world of boxing and the only man capable of organising one of the most anticipated bouts in the sport ’ s history .
Gardaí believe it is the culmination of a secretive campaign by Kinahan and his associates to redeem his reputation , at least internationally , and allow him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s top table .
Employing sophisticated reputation management strategies , Kinahan is suspected of using the media , the law and the internet to draw attention away from his role in a gang feud which has taken the lives of 18 people and establish himself as what his law firm says he is , a legitimate Irish businessman known for his work in the boxing sector .
It is a strategy which appears to be working .
Take , for instance , the coverage of Kinahan ’ s recent moves in the boxing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK Daily Mail calls him a “ controversial boxing broker ” before detailing how well regarded he is in the boxing community .
It does not mention his role in the Kinahan organised crime group , unofficially known in Ireland as “ the Cartel ” .
Similarly , laudatory articles on websites like British Boxing News also fail to mention his criminal past .
Irish coverage is markedly different .
Last week , the Irish Sun called him a “ mob boss ” and “ drugs kingpin ” in the first two lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this newspaper last Saturday states “ Daniel Kinahan ’ s role as boxing ’ s new kingmaker is no cause for Irish celebration ” .
Usually it ’ s the other way around ; Irish media is constrained by some of the strictest defamation laws in Europe meaning it often has to pull its punches when discussing public figures .
However , the situation is different with Kinahan .
In 2018 , a High Court ruling stated he controlled the Kinahan crime gang which was involved in drugs and weapons smuggling on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Spanish police officer told a court in Marbella that Kinahan had ordered the murder of gang rival Gary Hutch on the Costa Del Sol in 2015 .
Just last week , a garda told the Special Criminal Court the Kinahan gang was a sophisticated organisation which had ordered the murder of Patrick Hutch .
Kinahan has always been involved in boxing but the apparent campaign to whitewash his reputation is very recent .
Much of the positive commentary online about Kinahan can be traced back to a song and music video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 2nd last .
The song , Major Plans , which has more than 1.5 million hits on YouTube , portrays Kinahan as a man “ 24 hours from being fully legit ” and someone who “ helps a lot of people ” .
J Spades raps : “ Today you ’ re legit and your business official .
But back then you went through some shit like tissue.
” The central message of the video concerns the infamous shooting in the Regency Hotel in February 2016 , an event which triggered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The lyrics lay out a conspiracy theory that the Irish Government and the Garda were behind an attempt to kill Kinahan at a boxing event organised in the hotel that day by his company MTK .
“ Twenty minute calls to police , no pick up , ” says Spades .
“ Guess the government wanted somebody dead , hoping the bullets hit somebody ’ s head.
” Spades did not reply to a request for comment this week .
Less than half an hour after the song was uploaded , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boxing promoter and the head of the MTK Global Foundation , the charitable arm of the management company co-founded by Kinahan .
The video has been shared thousands of times , including by many well-known boxers managed by Kinahan ’ s now former company MTK Global .
It was also shared by two-time heavyweight champion Tyson Fury , the most famous boxer in the MTK stable .
On the same day it was uploaded the hashtag # truthaboutregency began to appear on social media platforms , with most of the posts defending Kinahan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government conspiracy .
By last Thursday the hashtag had been posted nearly 300 times and shared many times more .
The vast majority of the Twitter posts came from outside Ireland .
Many came from accounts which had only been set up in March or April .
It is difficult to determine how much of this activity is organic and how much is part of an organised campaign .
For example , an account set up under a woman ’ s name last month has posted almost exclusively about Kinahan and the Regency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I started doing some research and to be honest at the start I didn ’ t think much about it but the more you dig the more you uncover and it made me feel sympathy towards Daniel Kinahan , ” the account ’ s operator told this newspaper .
They said they had never heard of Kinahan before the song .
“ Feel sorry for the man though.
” Perhaps the most bizarre development was the release of a “ documentary ” about the Regency shooting on Monday .
The 14-minute film repeats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J Spades ’ song .
In a reenactment , Kinahan , portrayed by an actor , is seen to be deeply worried about the safety of the boxing fans at the event ; in one shot he watches with concern as a young child enters the hotel .
The voiceover accurately states there was no Garda presence at the event despite the threats on Kinahan ’ s life .
However , it also contains major inaccuracies and misrepresentations , including that it took emergency services 20 minutes to respond to the shooting ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being alerted ) .
A major plank of the conspiracy theory – that the Government wanted to frame the Continuity IRA for the shooting to damage Sinn Féin ’ s election chances – makes little sense , considering the long-standing disharmony between the two groups .
The film has very high production values for a YouTube film .
The actors are professionals and the weapons and special effects appear realistic .
The lobby of the hotel bears a striking resemblance to the Regency ’ s before it was done up , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor .
A spokesman for the Regency said none of it was shot there .
Even the fake garda uniforms worn by the gunmen are close matches to the real thing .
It is very hard to find information on the film or who commissioned it .
The Irish Times has determined it was partly filmed outside a Cardiff hotel in 2019 but it is not known if the hotel gave permission ( it did not respond to queries ) .
The man playing Kinahan is a jobbing Welsh actor and photographer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was directed by a Welsh indie director who had won several Welsh Baftas .
Neither man returned requests for comment .
The film appeared on the Scarcity YouTube account which is run by a Birmingham man .
“ No matter how much you want to take the mick out of me , I ’ m listened to every day by thousands and thousands of people , ” he said , when contacted by this newspaper .
He said he received the video from an anonymous source .
“ I had nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was contacted on social media and asked if I wanted to platform , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not endorsing any of the stuff .
I put it out there so people could make up their own minds about it.
” Asked if he thinks Kinahan is connected to the documentary , he said “ I wouldn ’ t rule anything out ” .
On Thursday the film was taken down by YouTube for using copyrighted material from the Irish Independent .
Kinahan has also instructing his lawyers to send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a negative light , including The Irish Times .
The letters threaten defamation actions in the UK courts if newspapers do not take various corrective actions .
Kinahan has hired Brandsmiths , a “ boutique ” London law firm which specialises in defamation and claims an impressive client list , including Brazilian footballer Roberto Carlos and celebrity chef Gordan Ramsey .
“ Protecting the privacy and reputation of our clients – many of whom are well known , public figures – is paramount to us , ” its website states .
Brandsmiths did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerning the services it provides to Kinahan .
“ There is a very good reason all of this is focused on the UK and not Ireland , ” said a Garda who has been involved in investigating Kinahan-related crime for several years .
“ His reputation here is damaged beyond repair .
But they can whitewash it in the UK and the Middle East and America where people don ’ t automatically hear ‘ Daniel Kinahan ’ and think ‘ Cartel ’ .
And it ’ s all towards one end.
” That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by many to be the man who can facilitate a fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua , a bout which could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars .
So is Kinahan ’ s campaign working ?
“ US boxing writers tend to focus more on the sport itself rather than the external parts .
To me , it ’ s living in denial but is sadly the way of life on this side of the pond , ” said American journalist with the Boxing Scene website , Jake Donován .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most don ’ t seem to care how it occurs , ” said Donován , one of the apparently few people on the international boxing scene willing to speak about Kinahan on the record .
“ In the sense that people are so willing to look the other way for [ big fights ] you can say that , yes , their plan is working.
” Donován ’ s view is reflected in recent events .
Last week KHK , a sports company founded by the Prince of Bahrain hired Kinahan as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time promoter Bob Arum , who has worked with Mohammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard , effusively praised Kinahan ’ s morals and abilities .
The icing on the cake came on Thursday when MTK , Kinahan ’ s former company which said it cut ties with him in 2017 , announced it was partnering with him and KHK to stage bouts in the Middle East .
Meanwhile , Kinahan ’ s fans continue to defend him .
“ I ’ ve no idea what reputation he ’ d need to mend because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be media propaganda which seems to serve a purpose of fulfilling an agenda and selling newspapers , ” said Richard O ’ Donnell , one of his most vocal online defenders .
“ He has had his name dragged through the mud by the sensationalist media and quite frankly it ’ s disgusting .
”

‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson and Daniel Kinahan pictured at the funeral of David Byrne who was shot dead in the Regency Hotel attack at St Nicolas of Myra Church,on Francis Street , Dublin. Photograph: Collins Dublin.
Daniel Kinahan has been in the news a lot lately and it has little to do with his leadership of the most profitable organised crime group in Irish history.
Rather, the sports pages and blogs have been lauding the 42-year-old Dubliner as a global power broker in the world of boxing and the only man capable of organising one of the most anticipated bouts in the sport’s history.
Gardaí believe it is the culmination of a secretive campaign by Kinahan and his associates to redeem his reputation, at least internationally, and allow him to take a place at boxing's top table.
Employing sophisticated reputation management strategies, Kinahan is suspected of using the media, the law and the internet to draw attention away from his role in a gang feud which has taken the lives of 18 people and establish himself as what his law firm says he is, a legitimate Irish businessman known for his work in the boxing sector.
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It is a strategy which appears to be working. Take, for instance, the coverage of Kinahan’s recent moves in the boxing world in the international press.
The UK Daily Mail calls him a "controversial boxing broker" before detailing how well regarded he is in the boxing community. It does not mention his role in the Kinahan organised crime group, unofficially known in Ireland as "the Cartel".
Similarly, laudatory articles on websites like British Boxing News also fail to mention his criminal past.
Irish coverage is markedly different. Last week, the Irish Sun called him a “mob boss” and “drugs kingpin” in the first two lines of a piece while an opinion article in this newspaper last Saturday states “Daniel Kinahan’s role as boxing’s new kingmaker is no cause for Irish celebration”.
Usually it's the other way around; Irish media is constrained by some of the strictest defamation laws in Europe meaning it often has to pull its punches when discussing public figures. However, the situation is different with Kinahan.
In 2018, a High Court ruling stated he controlled the Kinahan crime gang which was involved in drugs and weapons smuggling on a global scale. A month earlier, a Spanish police officer told a court in Marbella that Kinahan had ordered the murder of gang rival Gary Hutch on the Costa Del Sol in 2015.
The shooting at the Regency Hotel in 2016 triggered the most bloody phase of the Hutch-Kinahan feud. Photograph: Cyril Byrne / The Irish Times
Just last week, a garda told the Special Criminal Court the Kinahan gang was a sophisticated organisation which had ordered the murder of Patrick Hutch.
Kinahan has always been involved in boxing but the apparent campaign to whitewash his reputation is very recent.
‘Helps a lot of people’
Much of the positive commentary online about Kinahan can be traced back to a song and music video released by UK rapper J Spades on April 2nd last. The song, Major Plans, which has more than 1.5 million hits on YouTube, portrays Kinahan as a man "24 hours from being fully legit" and someone who "helps a lot of people".
J Spades raps: "Today you're legit and your business official. But back then you went through some shit like tissue." The central message of the video concerns the infamous shooting in the Regency Hotel in February 2016, an event which triggered the most bloody phase of the Hutch-Kinahan feud.
The lyrics lay out a conspiracy theory that the Irish Government and the Garda were behind an attempt to kill Kinahan at a boxing event organised in the hotel that day by his company MTK.
“Twenty minute calls to police, no pick up,” says Spades. “Guess the government wanted somebody dead, hoping the bullets hit somebody’s head.” Spades did not reply to a request for comment this week.
Less than half an hour after the song was uploaded, it was shared by Spencer Fearon, a boxing promoter and the head of the MTK Global Foundation, the charitable arm of the management company co-founded by Kinahan.
The video has been shared thousands of times, including by many well-known boxers managed by Kinahan's now former company MTK Global. It was also shared by two-time heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, the most famous boxer in the MTK stable.
Christy Kinahan leaving a court in Antwerp, Belgium.
On the same day it was uploaded the hashtag #truthaboutregency began to appear on social media platforms, with most of the posts defending Kinahan and portraying the Regency shooting as a Government conspiracy. By last Thursday the hashtag had been posted nearly 300 times and shared many times more. The vast majority of the Twitter posts came from outside Ireland. Many came from accounts which had only been set up in March or April.
‘Documentary’
It is difficult to determine how much of this activity is organic and how much is part of an organised campaign. For example, an account set up under a woman’s name last month has posted almost exclusively about Kinahan and the Regency.
“Major Plans was interesting so I started doing some research and to be honest at the start I didn’t think much about it but the more you dig the more you uncover and it made me feel sympathy towards Daniel Kinahan,” the account’s operator told this newspaper. They said they had never heard of Kinahan before the song. “Feel sorry for the man though.”
Perhaps the most bizarre development was the release of a “documentary” about the Regency shooting on Monday. The 14-minute film repeats many of the conspiracy theories outlined in J Spades’ song.
In a re-enactment, Kinahan, portrayed by an actor, is seen to be deeply worried about the safety of the boxing fans at the event; in one shot he watches with concern as a young child enters the hotel.
The voiceover accurately states there was no Garda presence at the event despite the threats on Kinahan’s life. However, it also contains major inaccuracies and misrepresentations, including that it took emergency services 20 minutes to respond to the shooting (they were on the scene three minutes after being alerted).
A major plank of the conspiracy theory – that the Government wanted to frame the Continuity IRA for the shooting to damage Sinn Féin’s election chances – makes little sense, considering the long-standing disharmony between the two groups.
The film has very high production values for a YouTube film. The actors are professionals and the weapons and special effects appear realistic. The lobby of the hotel bears a striking resemblance to the Regency’s before it was done up, even down to the large marble R on the floor. A spokesman for the Regency said none of it was shot there. Even the fake garda uniforms worn by the gunmen are close matches to the real thing.
It is very hard to find information on the film or who commissioned it. The Irish Times has determined it was partly filmed outside a Cardiff hotel in 2019 but it is not known if the hotel gave permission (it did not respond to queries). The man playing Kinahan is a jobbing Welsh actor and photographer and according to the film website Mandy, it was directed by a Welsh indie director who had won several Welsh Baftas. Neither man returned requests for comment.
The film appeared on the Scarcity YouTube account which is run by a Birmingham man. “No matter how much you want to take the mick out of me, I’m listened to every day by thousands and thousands of people,” he said, when contacted by this newspaper.
He said he received the video from an anonymous source. “I had nothing to do with making it. I was contacted on social media and asked if I wanted to platform,” he said. “I’m not endorsing any of the stuff. I put it out there so people could make up their own minds about it.”
Asked if he thinks Kinahan is connected to the documentary, he said “I wouldn’t rule anything out”. On Thursday the film was taken down by YouTube for using copyrighted material from the Irish Independent.
UK focus
Kinahan has also instructing his lawyers to send legal letters to publications portraying him in a negative light, including The Irish Times.
The letters threaten defamation actions in the UK courts if newspapers do not take various corrective actions.
Kinahan has hired Brandsmiths, a "boutique" London law firm which specialises in defamation and claims an impressive client list, including Brazilian footballer Roberto Carlos and celebrity chef Gordan Ramsay.
“Protecting the privacy and reputation of our clients – many of whom are well known, public figures – is paramount to us,” its website states.
Brandsmiths did not respond to a list of questions concerning the services it provides to Kinahan.
“There is a very good reason all of this is focused on the UK and not Ireland,” said a Garda who has been involved in investigating Kinahan-related crime for several years.
“His reputation here is damaged beyond repair. But they can whitewash it in the UK and the Middle East and America where people don’t automatically hear ‘Daniel Kinahan’ and think ‘Cartel’. And it’s all towards one end.”
That end is profit. Kinahan is considered by many to be the man who can facilitate a fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, a bout which could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
‘Living in denial’
So is Kinahan’s campaign working? “US boxing writers tend to focus more on the sport itself rather than the external parts. To me, it’s living in denial but is sadly the way of life on this side of the pond,” said American journalist with the Boxing Scene website, Jake Donován.
“As long as there is in-ring activity, most don’t seem to care how it occurs,” said Donován, one of the apparently few people on the international boxing scene willing to speak about Kinahan on the record. “In the sense that people are so willing to look the other way for [big fights] you can say that, yes, their plan is working.”
Promoter Bob Arum talks in front of Cowboys Stadium before the weigh-in for the WBO welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Joshua Clottey of Ghana on March 12th, 2010. Photograph: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images.
Donován's view is reflected in recent events. Last week KHK, a sports company founded by the Prince of Bahrain hired Kinahan as a special adviser. Around the same time promoter Bob Arum, who has worked with Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, effusively praised Kinahan's morals and abilities.
The icing on the cake came on Thursday when MTK, Kinahan’s former company which said it cut ties with him in 2017, announced it was partnering with him and KHK to stage bouts in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Kinahan’s fans continue to defend him.
“I’ve no idea what reputation he’d need to mend because all I’ve read appears to be media propaganda which seems to serve a purpose of fulfilling an agenda and selling newspapers,” said Richard O’Donnell, one of his most vocal online defenders.
“He has had his name dragged through the mud by the sensationalist media and quite frankly it’s disgusting.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Coronavirus: ‘Critical’ that care providers have input to nursing home panel

It is “ critical ” that the experience of nursing home operators is taken onboard by an expert panel set up to examine how the Government responded to the coronavirus pandemic in the sector , Nursing Homes Ireland has said .
The industry group represents private and voluntary nursing homes , which make up around 80 per cent of the entire sector .
The four-person expert panel will examine national and international measures in response to Covid-19 , as well as emerging best practice to ensure all response measures are prepared for .
On Saturday , Minister for Health Simon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who will issue a report by the end of June .
The expert panel will be chaired by Prof Cecily Kelleher , principal of the college of health and agricultural sciences at University College Dublin .
Prof Kelleher will be joined by Prof Cillian Twomey ( a retired geriatrician ) , Petrina Donnelly , group director of nursing at the RCSI Hospital Group , and Bridget Doherty , representing the public interest .
Tadhg Daly , chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland ( NHI ) , said while the industry group did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Harris had given commitments it would be “ consulted ” by the group .
Previously NHI has been critical that the sector did not have a seat on the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) sub-committee for vulnerable groups .
The Health and Information Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) represents the nursing home sector on the sub-committee , given its watchdog role in inspecting providers .
“ The voice of the sector wasn ’ t heard at the start of this crisis , we have to ensure we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daly said .
In March , many nursing homes reported issues around supply of personal protective equipment and timely testing for staff and residents .
In many cases outbreaks of coronavirus spread rapidly through homes following the first cases , with a number of facilities reporting more than 20 fatalities .
The virus has had a devastating impact on the sector , with Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes accounting for half of the national total .
It was “ critical ” that the expert panel drew on the “ voice , ideas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were the “ frontline ” of the crisis , Mr Daly said .
That included both NHI and the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) , he said .
“ It is important to look back , but it is also important to look forward , particularly in the light of any second wave , ” he said .

Many nursing homes reported issues around the supply of PPE for staff. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty
It is "critical" that the experience of nursing home operators is taken onboard by an expert panel set up to examine how the Government responded to the coronavirus pandemic in the sector, Nursing Homes Ireland has said.
The industry group represents private and voluntary nursing homes, which make up around 80 per cent of the entire sector.
The four-person expert panel will examine national and international measures in response to Covid-19, as well as emerging best practice to ensure all response measures are prepared for.
On Saturday, Minister for Health Simon Harris announced the make-up of the panel, who will issue a report by the end of June.
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The expert panel will be chaired by Prof Cecily Kelleher, principal of the college of health and agricultural sciences at University College Dublin. Prof Kelleher will be joined by Prof Cillian Twomey (a retired geriatrician), Petrina Donnelly, group director of nursing at the RCSI Hospital Group, and Bridget Doherty, representing the public interest.
Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), said while the industry group did not have a seat on the panel, Mr Harris had given commitments it would be "consulted" by the group.
Previously NHI has been critical that the sector did not have a seat on the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) sub-committee for vulnerable groups. The Health and Information Quality Authority (Hiqa) represents the nursing home sector on the sub-committee, given its watchdog role in inspecting providers.
“The voice of the sector wasn’t heard at the start of this crisis, we have to ensure we don’t repeat those mistakes” Mr Daly said.
Rapid spread
In March, many nursing homes reported issues around supply of personal protective equipment and timely testing for staff and residents. In many cases outbreaks of coronavirus spread rapidly through homes following the first cases, with a number of facilities reporting more than 20 fatalities.
The virus has had a devastating impact on the sector, with Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes accounting for half of the national total.
It was "critical" that the expert panel drew on the "voice, ideas and experiences" of nursing home providers, who were the "frontline" of the crisis, Mr Daly said. That included both NHI and the Health Service Executive (HSE), he said.
“It is important to look back, but it is also important to look forward, particularly in the light of any second wave,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Parents polled by Government on ‘practical reality’ of reopening creches

Parents are being asked this weekend whether they intend to send their young children back to creche over the summer as part of a Government-ordered poll on the “ practical reality ” of reopening childcare facilities .
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs ( DCYA ) has confirmed it has hired pollsters Ipsos MRBI to survey a sample 500 households with children under 15 around the country .
The results of the survey , which are expected mid-week , will inform the Government ’ s phased reopening of creches , which is due to begin on June 29th for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , childminders and preschools for children of all other workers are to due to reopen on “ a gradually increasing phased basis ” from July 20th .
The department also issued surveys to creches countrywide on Friday seeking details of their ability to take in children again once the coronavirus lockdown restrictions are further eased .
A key issue is the “ possible capacity ” of creches to take in children given the “ likelihood of reduced adult-child ratios and existing challenges with recruitment and retention ” , according to a department spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are strictly governed by regulations .
Minister for Children Katherine Zappone ’ s department is also planning to seek submissions from the wider childcare sector and parents early next week to offer “ a final opportunity to share their views , experiences , practices and ideas ” for getting children back to creches .
“ DCYA is currently working with the sector to answer the many questions that exist , ” a spokeswoman for the minister said .
“ This is complex work and must balance a number of important issues.
” These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Covid-19 given the difficulty of maintaining social distancing among young children and those caring for them , demand for childcare as the economy reopens and keeping the childcare sector afloat without parents having to pay higher fees .
“ The minister hopes that every early education and childcare service around the country is currently considering how it can be part of helping Ireland get back to work , and how it can support children from June 29 in the very difficult circumstances they have experienced in recent months , ” her spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested childcare may operate using a “ pod ” system as it reopens , with small groups of children being looked after by the same carers in the same room , using the same toys every time they are there .
Speaking in the Dáil , she said children “ will play together and will be encouraged to stay together in this little pod .
They will be encouraged to use outdoor space as much as possible ” .
Under sixes would struggle with the concept of social distancing , making implementation difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ms Zappone said Ireland would be “ referring to the Norwegian model , among others ” as she considered ways to limit interaction between parents and guardians , including children being collected from cars outside creches , as well as extended or staggered opening hours .

Creches and preschools for all children are to due to reopen from July 20th. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty
Parents are being asked this weekend whether they intend to send their young children back to creche over the summer as part of a Government-ordered poll on the “practical reality”of reopening childcare facilities.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) has confirmed it has hired pollsters Ipsos MRBI to survey a sample 500 households with children under 15 around the country.
The results of the survey, which are expected mid-week, will inform the Government’s phased reopening of creches, which is due to begin on June 29th for children of essential workers only.
Creches, childminders and preschools for children of all other workers are to due to reopen on “a gradually increasing phased basis” from July 20th.
READ MORE
The department also issued surveys to creches countrywide on Friday seeking details of their ability to take in children again once the coronavirus lockdown restrictions are further eased.
A key issue is the “possible capacity” of creches to take in children given the “likelihood of reduced adult-child ratios and existing challenges with recruitment and retention”, according to a department spokeswoman.
At the moment, child/carer ratios are strictly governed by regulations.
Sector consultation
Minister for Children Katherine Zappone’s department is also planning to seek submissions from the wider childcare sector and parents early next week to offer “a final opportunity to share their views, experiences, practices and ideas” for getting children back to creches.
“DCYA is currently working with the sector to answer the many questions that exist,” a spokeswoman for the minister said.
“This is complex work and must balance a number of important issues.”
These issues include how to reduce the threat of Covid-19 given the difficulty of maintaining social distancing among young children and those caring for them, demand for childcare as the economy reopens and keeping the childcare sector afloat without parents having to pay higher fees.
"The minister hopes that every early education and childcare service around the country is currently considering how it can be part of helping Ireland get back to work, and how it can support children from June 29 in the very difficult circumstances they have experienced in recent months," her spokeswoman said.
On Wednesday, Ms Zappone suggested childcare may operate using a "pod" system as it reopens, with small groups of children being looked after by the same carers in the same room, using the same toys every time they are there.
Speaking in the Dáil, she said children “will play together and will be encouraged to stay together in this little pod. They will be encouraged to use outdoor space as much as possible”.
Under sixes would struggle with the concept of social distancing, making implementation difficult if not impossible, she pointed out.
Ms Zappone said Ireland would be “referring to the Norwegian model, among others” as she considered ways to limit interaction between parents and guardians, including children being collected from cars outside creches, as well as extended or staggered opening hours.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Covid-19 private hospital deal costs State €112m so far

The Government has paid out €112.4 million to private hospitals so far for access to their facilities and staff during the Covid-19 crisis , the Department of Health has said .
In a statement on Saturday it said the payments were based on cost estimates provided by private hospitals for the period from the beginning of April up to the first week of May .
The Department of Health described the amounts provided to the hospitals as “ advance payments ” .
It said actual costs were subject to verification .
The Department of Health signalled the Government would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals under its agreement as these were considered to be commercially sensitive and covered by a confidentiality clause .
The Government effectively took over nearly 20 private hospitals at the beginning of April to provide additional capacity ahead of an anticipated surge in demand due to Covid-19 .
However , the deal has been criticised over its cost and because significant numbers of beds in private hospitals remained unused .
Private sector consultants have maintained they have been effectively shut out of the hospitals they normally practise in and that this has affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inform private hospitals by the end of May whether it wants to extend the agreement until the end of July .
A HSE review into the operation of the private hospital agreement is underway .
Any extension will have to be agreed by the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe .
In its statement on Saturday , the Department of Health said : “ Under the agreement with the private hospitals payment to them will be on a cost only open book model whereby the hospitals will be reimbursed only for the operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The costs that will be covered will be limited to normal costs of operating the hospital .
The final cost will be verified by independent firms of accountants appointed by the HSE and the private hospitals and there will be an arbitration mechanism in place in the event of any disagreement.
” The Department of Health said under the arrangement a participating private hospital was due 80 per cent of its estimated monthly costs in advance from the HSE .
“ Actual costs incurred are subject to verification , as set out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a balancing payment or clawback in the subsequent month .
The HSE has made advance payments for April totalling €90.2m and €22.2m in the first week in May.
” “ This is based on estimates provided by the participating hospitals and will be adjusted based on verified actual costs validly incurred over the period.
” The department said the Minister for Health Simon Harris intended to bring a memorandum to Cabinet next week regarding the future of the private hospital arrangement .

Staff at the Blackrock Clinic this month. The temporary State takeover of private hospitals has been criticised over costs. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
The Government has paid out €112.4 million to private hospitals so far for access to their facilities and staff during the Covid-19 crisis, the Department of Health has said.
In a statement on Saturday it said the payments were based on cost estimates provided by private hospitals for the period from the beginning of April up to the first week of May.
The Department of Health described the amounts provided to the hospitals as “advance payments”. It said actual costs were subject to verification.
The Department of Health signalled the Government would not be publishing details of payments to individual hospitals under its agreement as these were considered to be commercially sensitive and covered by a confidentiality clause.
READ MORE
The Government effectively took over nearly 20 private hospitals at the beginning of April to provide additional capacity ahead of an anticipated surge in demand due to Covid-19.
However, the deal has been criticised over its cost and because significant numbers of beds in private hospitals remained unused.
Private sector consultants have maintained they have been effectively shut out of the hospitals they normally practise in and that this has affected patient care.
The Government has to inform private hospitals by the end of May whether it wants to extend the agreement until the end of July.
A HSE review into the operation of the private hospital agreement is underway. Any extension will have to be agreed by the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.
In its statement on Saturday, the Department of Health said: “Under the agreement with the private hospitals payment to them will be on a cost only open book model whereby the hospitals will be reimbursed only for the operating costs properly incurred during the period.
“The costs that will be covered will be limited to normal costs of operating the hospital. The final cost will be verified by independent firms of accountants appointed by the HSE and the private hospitals and there will be an arbitration mechanism in place in the event of any disagreement.”
The Department of Health said under the arrangement a participating private hospital was due 80 per cent of its estimated monthly costs in advance from the HSE.
“Actual costs incurred are subject to verification, as set out above and any difference is subject to a balancing payment or clawback in the subsequent month. The HSE has made advance payments for April totalling €90.2m and €22.2m in the first week in May.”
“This is based on estimates provided by the participating hospitals and will be adjusted based on verified actual costs validly incurred over the period.”
The department said the Minister for Health Simon Harris intended to bring a memorandum to Cabinet next week regarding the future of the private hospital arrangement.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--HSE building in Tallaght evacuated following fire

Luas services in Dublin were temporarily suspended for a time on Saturday while firefighters tackled a blaze at a Health Service Executive ( HSE ) building in Tallaght .
Dublin Fire Brigade were alerted to what it described as a “ minor fire ” at the building on Belgard Square at around 1pm .
“ Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control , ” a spokesman for Dublin Fire Brigade said .
There were no reported injuries as a result of the fire , according to the spokesman .
The HSE said arrangements had to be made to fly emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donegal as a result of the blaze .
The fire was discovered on a shared balcony and garden area at its Rivers Building , which houses the National Ambulance Service ( NAS ) and National Emergency Operations Centre ( NEOC ) , which deals with emergency calls .
All staff were evacuated after smoke entered the building .
“ The NAS can reassure the public that service delivery and patient care was protected and business continuity was maintained at all times , ” a HSE spokeswoman said .
“ As per NAS contingency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiated which includes the redirection of all calls and dispatching to its sister site NEOC Ballyshannon and to the pre-designated area within Tallaght University Hospital .
“ Arrangements were made with the Irish Air Corps and Irish Coast Guard to fly staff from Dublin to Ballyshannon to support to existing staff in NEOC Ballyshannon.
” The spokeswoman added : “ We can confirm that no NAS personnel were injured during the incident.
” Luas operators tweeted there were no Red Line services running between Belgard and Tallaght “ due to a fire close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were valid on Dublin Bus services during the stoppage .

Dublin Fire Brigade were alerted to what it described as a minor fire at the building on Belgard Square. File Photograph: Dublin Fire Brigade via Twitter
Luas services in Dublin were temporarily suspended for a time on Saturday while firefighters tackled a blaze at a Health Service Executive (HSE) building in Tallaght.
Dublin Fire Brigade were alerted to what it described as a "minor fire" at the building on Belgard Square at around 1pm.
“Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control,” a spokesman for Dublin Fire Brigade said.
There were no reported injuries as a result of the fire, according to the spokesman.
READ MORE
The HSE said arrangements had to be made to fly emergency call handling staff from Dublin to Co Donegal as a result of the blaze.
The fire was discovered on a shared balcony and garden area at its Rivers Building, which houses the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), which deals with emergency calls.
All staff were evacuated after smoke entered the building.
“The NAS can reassure the public that service delivery and patient care was protected and business continuity was maintained at all times,” a HSE spokeswoman said.
“As per NAS contingency plans all the necessary procedures were immediately initiated which includes the redirection of all calls and dispatching to its sister site NEOC Ballyshannon and to the pre-designated area within Tallaght University Hospital.
“Arrangements were made with the Irish Air Corps and Irish Coast Guard to fly staff from Dublin to Ballyshannon to support to existing staff in NEOC Ballyshannon.”
The spokeswoman added: “We can confirm that no NAS personnel were injured during the incident.”
Luas operators tweeted there were no Red Line services running between Belgard and Tallaght “due to a fire close to the Luas tracks.”
Luas tickets were valid on Dublin Bus services during the stoppage.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--‘To be honest I’ll buy anything’: Dundrum farmers’ market reopens to eager shoppers

Another day , another small step back towards normal .
While outdoor markets were given the green light to restart trading as of last Monday , many waited until the weekend before they dusted down their stalls and started serving customers again .
And in the car park of the Airfield Estate in Dundrum on Saturday morning , the people and those doing the serving could scarcely have been more delighted by the turn of events .
People queued happily for fresh fish and herbs and vegetables pulled from the soil only hours previously .
While shoppers seemed pleased with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of stalls that braved perilously high winds to set up shop , they were even happier to be able to simply shop , almost without fear .
“ We are delighted to be back outside , ” Brian Lenihan said as he and his infant child stood waiting to make a purchase at the vegetable stall .
“ We got through the lockdown okay and it has been great to spend more time with the children.
” As he looked around his voice trailed off .
“ It is still a very peculiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at each other just a little bit differently than they used to , everyone ’ s a little bit more wary and they ’ re keeping their distance more than they ever would have in the past.
” The man about to serve him fruit and vegetables was Simon Conron .
“ I ’ m just so happy to be back , it ’ s so good , ” he said with a broad smile plastered across his face .
“ It has been going very well here so far today and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distance so I ’ m feeling pretty good about things .
I think people are just so happy to be outside .
We have all lived through a very strange time and hopefully we are coming to the end of it now.
” Marie Hanley stood nearby and nodded in agreement .
“ This market used to always be on a Friday and I could never make it so I ’ m delighted to be here and to be honest I ’ ll buy anything , ” she said .
Jason Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching the shoppers shop .
“ I ’ m here to keep an eye on things but so far I haven ’ t had to say or do very much as everybody is really conscious of the social distancing thing .
We ’ re taking small steps but isn ’ t it great to be taking those little steps ?
It is great to get a bit of normality back.
” At a stall selling elderflower cordials and fresh herbs an exchange took place that would have been unimaginable even three months ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask , ” the stallholder said to customers she clearly knew but hadn ’ t seen in some time .
“ I can see that in your eyes , your eyes look happy , ” came the response .
The stallholder ’ s name was Ana Axinte .
“ Business has been constant this morning , ” she said .
“ Everyone is really enthusiastic and really chatty , I am ecstatic to be back .
It is so good to have a bit of normality back in the world .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m at a farmers ’ market and that feels just great.
” Across the car park , a large queue had formed at the pop-up fish shop manned by owner and restaurateur Niall Sabongi , who was dispatching seafood and dispensing advice like a master .
The queue looked even longer than it might have thanks to the social distancing requirements but there was no need for tape or decals to remind people where to stand .
Everyone knew without being told .
The fresh – and living , pinching – lobster and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as was the organic Irish salmon .
Most , if not all , the fish was caught off the coast of Ireland by small boats in the last 48 hours .
Until the pandemic hit , Sabongi ’ s Sustainable Seafood Ireland business primarily supplied high-end restaurants , including his own fish restaurants in Dublin .
They have all closed for now so he has moved into the retail business in a big way .
“ It ’ s lovely to get out and meet people , ” he said .
Almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online presence and done so under the shadow of coronavirus , in more ways than one .
“ I was sick with Covid at the very beginning and from my bed I started to get the website ready , ” Sabongi said .
“ I was hit pretty hard .
I know it ’ s described as the flu but I found it to be very tough , ” he recalled .
“ It ’ s great to be outside again.
” Rita Goode was equally delighted as she surveyed her depleted stall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had sold virtually all her supply of seasonable vegetables , including cauliflower cabbage , courgettes and mixed salad leaves .
“ It was very hard to judge how much we need to because I didn ’ t know if people would be afraid to come out but they are not afraid at all , they are absolutely thrilled to be here .
It is just so nice to see this happening now .
It has been too long .
”

Another day, another small step back towards normal. While outdoor markets were given the green light to restart trading as of last Monday, many waited until the weekend before they dusted down their stalls and started serving customers again.
And in the car park of the Airfield Estate in Dundrum on Saturday morning, the people and those doing the serving could scarcely have been more delighted by the turn of events.
People queued happily for fresh fish and herbs and vegetables pulled from the soil only hours previously. While shoppers seemed pleased with the produce on offer at the handful of stalls that braved perilously high winds to set up shop, they were even happier to be able to simply shop, almost without fear.
"We are delighted to be back outside," Brian Lenihan said as he and his infant child stood waiting to make a purchase at the vegetable stall. "We got through the lockdown okay and it has been great to spend more time with the children."
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As he looked around his voice trailed off. “It is still a very peculiar time and even here today people are looking at each other just a little bit differently than they used to, everyone’s a little bit more wary and they’re keeping their distance more than they ever would have in the past.”
Shoppers at the farmers’ market at Airfield Estate, Dundrum, on Saturday morning. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
The man about to serve him fruit and vegetables was Simon Conron. "I'm just so happy to be back, it's so good," he said with a broad smile plastered across his face. "It has been going very well here so far today and it has been very easy to maintain social distance so I'm feeling pretty good about things. I think people are just so happy to be outside. We have all lived through a very strange time and hopefully we are coming to the end of it now."
Marie Hanley stood nearby and nodded in agreement. "This market used to always be on a Friday and I could never make it so I'm delighted to be here and to be honest I'll buy anything," she said.
Jason Francis was wearing an Airfield jacket and carefully watching the shoppers shop. "I'm here to keep an eye on things but so far I haven't had to say or do very much as everybody is really conscious of the social distancing thing. We're taking small steps but isn't it great to be taking those little steps? It is great to get a bit of normality back."
Queues were longer than usual at the newly reopened open-air market. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
John Geraghty working on The Scarlet Olive stall as the farmers’ market reopened at Airfield Estate, Dundrum. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
At a stall selling elderflower cordials and fresh herbs an exchange took place that would have been unimaginable even three months ago.
“I am smiling under the mask,” the stallholder said to customers she clearly knew but hadn’t seen in some time.
“I can see that in your eyes, your eyes look happy,” came the response.
The stallholder's name was Ana Axinte. "Business has been constant this morning," she said. "Everyone is really enthusiastic and really chatty, I am ecstatic to be back. It is so good to have a bit of normality back in the world. It's a Saturday morning and I'm at a farmers' market and that feels just great."
Across the car park, a large queue had formed at the pop-up fish shop manned by owner and restaurateur Niall Sabongi, who was dispatching seafood and dispensing advice like a master.
Niall Sabongi from Sustainable Seafood Ireland talking to customers at his stall. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
The queue looked even longer than it might have thanks to the social distancing requirements but there was no need for tape or decals to remind people where to stand. Everyone knew without being told.
The fresh – and living, pinching – lobster and the John Dory were in huge demand, as was the organic Irish salmon. Most, if not all, the fish was caught off the coast of Ireland by small boats in the last 48 hours.
Until the pandemic hit, Sabongi’s Sustainable Seafood Ireland business primarily supplied high-end restaurants, including his own fish restaurants in Dublin. They have all closed for now so he has moved into the retail business in a big way. “It’s lovely to get out and meet people,” he said.
Almost overnight the company has developed a big online presence and done so under the shadow of coronavirus, in more ways than one.
“I was sick with Covid at the very beginning and from my bed I started to get the website ready,” Sabongi said. “I was hit pretty hard. I know it’s described as the flu but I found it to be very tough,” he recalled. “It’s great to be outside again.”
Rita Goode was equally delighted as she surveyed her depleted stall. It was not even midday and she had sold virtually all her supply of seasonable vegetables, including cauliflower cabbage, courgettes and mixed salad leaves. "It was very hard to judge how much we need to because I didn't know if people would be afraid to come out but they are not afraid at all, they are absolutely thrilled to be here. It is just so nice to see this happening now. It has been too long."


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Coronavirus: Three children confirmed with rare inflammatory condition

Three children in the State have been confirmed as having had a rare inflammatory condition potentially linked to Covid-19 .
All three children have recovered after being treated in hospital , according to Children ’ s Health Ireland .
There have been no further suspected cases since last week , when chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said seven children were being investigated for a Kawasaki-like presentation , a CHI spokeswoman said .
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ( ECDC ) has issued an alert about suspected cases of a new paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome ( Pims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths reported .
More than 150 children in New York state have been reported as having the condition , about 10 times the normal number of cases that arise .
Dr Holohan , who said the HSE will be raising awareness on the issue , said it was a “ very rare ” condition , with an incidence rate of about 15 for every 100,000 children .
He said said his advice was directed principally at clinicians , not parents .
“ This is about considering when other conditions that might explain these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this possibility .
“ We want clinicians to be more suspicious that this could be , in an unusual set of circumstances with a sick child , a possible explanation.
” Kawasaki disease , aka mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome , is a rare condition that mainly affects children under five years old .
It causes a severe fever that does not respond to medication , and a variety of virus-like symptoms , including a rash , swollen glands and dry and cracked lips .
The cause of Kawasaki disease , which was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Dr Tomisaku Kawasaki , is still unknown , and there is no single test or procedure that can confirm the diagnosis .
Pims has characteristics similar to those of Kawasaki disease .
The children also showed at least two of the following symptoms : rash or signs of inflammation around the mouth , hands or feet ; shock or low blood pressure ; heart problems ; evidence of bleeding disorder ; and acute gastrointestinal problems .

Three children in the State have been confirmed as having had a rare inflammatory condition potentially linked to Covid-19.
All three children have recovered after being treated in hospital, according to Children’s Health Ireland.
There have been no further suspected cases since last week, when chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said seven children were being investigated for a Kawasaki-like presentation, a CHI spokeswoman said.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued an alert about suspected cases of a new paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (Pims) linked to Covid-19, after two deaths reported. More than 150 children in New York state have been reported as having the condition, about 10 times the normal number of cases that arise.
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Pims shares similar disease characteristics to Kawasaki syndrome.
Dr Holohan, who said the HSE will be raising awareness on the issue, said it was a “very rare” condition, with an incidence rate of about 15 for every 100,000 children. He said said his advice was directed principally at clinicians, not parents.
“This is about considering when other conditions that might explain these symptoms have been ruled out to consider this possibility.
“We want clinicians to be more suspicious that this could be, in an unusual set of circumstances with a sick child, a possible explanation.”
Kawasaki disease, aka mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, is a rare condition that mainly affects children under five years old. It causes a severe fever that does not respond to medication, and a variety of virus-like symptoms, including a rash, swollen glands and dry and cracked lips. The cause of Kawasaki disease, which was first diagnosed in 1967 by a Japanese doctor called Dr Tomisaku Kawasaki, is still unknown, and there is no single test or procedure that can confirm the diagnosis.
Pims has characteristics similar to those of Kawasaki disease. The children also showed at least two of the following symptoms: rash or signs of inflammation around the mouth, hands or feet; shock or low blood pressure; heart problems; evidence of bleeding disorder; and acute gastrointestinal problems.


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Two pensioners die in fire at house in south Dublin

Two elderly men have died in a house fire that broke out on Saturday afternoon in Drimnagh , south Dublin .
Shortly after 1pm emergency services were called to the house at Lansdowne Valley .
Four units of Dublin Fire Brigade and a number of Garda cars attended the scene .
Officers broke down the door of the home , and it is understood initial unsuccessful attempts were made to resuscitate one of the men by paramedics .
By 3pm , detectives were on site to inspect the scene , which had been cordoned off , at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one man living in the home , and another individual , were killed in the fire .
The men were believed to be aged in their late 60 and early 70s .
The small cottage was a family home the elderly man had moved into in recent years , one neighbour said .
Previously he had lived elsewhere in south west Dublin .
Described as a “ lovely quiet man ” by neighbours , locals said the news of the deaths were “ shocking.
” “ It ’ s horrible , particularly with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local woman said .
At 4pm one of the bodies was removed from the home .
Investigating gardaí have not yet established the cause of the fire , sources said .
In a statement a Garda spokesman said “ Results of the post-mortems and a technical examination of the scene will determine the course of the Garda investigation .
”

The scene at the house in Lansdowne Valley, Drimnagh. Photograph: The Irish Times
Two men have died in a house fire that broke out on Saturday afternoon in Drimnagh, south Dublin.
Shortly after 1pm emergency services were called to the house at Lansdowne Valley.
Four units of Dublin Fire Brigade and a number of Garda cars attended the scene.
Officers broke down the door of the home, and it is understood initial unsuccessful attempts were made to resuscitate one of the men by paramedics.
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Gardaí at the scene of a fire at a house in Lansdowne Valley, Drimnagh. Photograph: Jack Power
By 3pm, detectives were on site to inspect the scene, which had been cordoned off, at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac.
It is understood one man living in the home, and another individual, were killed in the fire. The men were believed to be aged in their late 60 and early 70s.
The small cottage was a family home the elderly man had moved into in recent years, one neighbour said. Previously he had lived elsewhere in south west Dublin.
Described as a “lovely quiet man” by neighbours, locals said the news of the deaths were “shocking.”
“It’s horrible, particularly with everything else going on”, one local woman said.
At 4pm one of the bodies was removed from the home.
Investigating gardaí have not yet established the cause of the fire, sources said.
In a statement a Garda spokesman said “Results of the post-mortems and a technical examination of the scene will determine the course of the Garda investigation.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Highest Covid-19 incidence recorded on northside of Dublin

There are significantly more cases of coronavirus on the northside of Dublin than other parts of the capital , according to new figures from the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) .
Dublin north west has the highest concentration of Covid-19 , with 2,183 cases and 115 deaths .
The area includes Glasnevin , Phibsboro , Cabra , Finglas , and Blanchardstown .
A breakdown of figures reveals the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the HSE ’ s eight community care areas .
The figures show the Dublin north area , which stretches from Coolock to Howth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,164 coronavirus cases , and 125 deaths to date .
The Dublin north central area has 1,439 confirmed cases and 76 deaths , and covers Drumcondra up to Dublin Airport .
Dublin west has 1,614 cases and 121 coronavirus deaths , and the area covers Inchicore , Lucan , Saggart and Rathcoole .
Dublin accounts for over half of the national total of 24,506 cases .
The figures from the HSE show there have been 680 Covid-19 deaths in Dublin , accounting for 40 per cent of the overall 1,592 deaths from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least number of confirmed cases at 852 , and the area includes Terenure and Ballyboden .
Dún Laoghaire has had 989 Covid-19 cases and 50 deaths , according to the figures .
The area also includes Blackrock , Stillorgan , Cabinteely , and Shankill .
The Dublin south west area , which includes Drimnagh , Tallaght and Fortunestown , has 1,402 cases and 92 deaths .
In a statement , a HSE spokeswoman said “ for confidentiality reasons we don ’ t provide data for small geographical areas .
”

Henry Street in Dublin on Friday. The capital accounts for over half of the national total of 24,506 cases. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
There are significantly more cases of coronavirus on the north side of Dublin than other parts of the capital, according to new figures from the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Dublin north west has the highest concentration of Covid-19, with 2,183 cases and 115 deaths. The area includes Glasnevin, Phibsboro, Cabra, Finglas, and Blanchardstown.
A breakdown of figures reveals the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the HSE’s eight community care areas.
The figures show the Dublin north area, which stretches from Coolock to Howth and then as far as Skerries, has 2,164 coronavirus cases, and 125 deaths to date.
READ MORE
The Dublin north central area has 1,439 confirmed cases and 76 deaths, and covers Drumcondra up to Dublin Airport.
Dublin west has 1,614 cases and 121 coronavirus deaths, and the area covers Inchicore, Lucan, Saggart and Rathcoole.
Dublin accounts for over half of the national total of 24,506 cases. The figures from the HSE show there have been 680 Covid-19 deaths in Dublin, accounting for 40 per cent of the overall 1,592 deaths from the virus.
Dublin south central has the least number of confirmed cases at 852, and the area includes Terenure and Ballyboden.
Dún Laoghaire has had 989 Covid-19 cases and 50 deaths, according to the figures. The area also includes Blackrock, Stillorgan, Cabinteely, and Shankill.
The Dublin south west area, which includes Drimnagh, Tallaght and Fortunestown, has 1,402 cases and 92 deaths.
In a statement, a HSE spokeswoman said “for confidentiality reasons we don’t provide data for small geographical areas.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-23--Thirteen further deaths and 76 cases of people with Covid-19 reported

Thirteen more people with Covid-19 have died , the Department of Health said on Saturday , bring the State ’ s death toll to 1,604 .
In a statement , it said the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 76 confirmed cases of the disease , meaning there are now 24,582 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic .
The statement said that of the confirmed cases , 57 per cent are female and 43 cent are male , nd the median age is 48 .
A total of 3,211 cases ( 13 per cent ) have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted to intensive care .
A total of 7,813 cases are associated with healthcare workers .
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,830 ( 48 per cent ) followed by Cork with 1,420 ( 6 per cent ) and Kildare with 1,387 cases ( 6 per cent ) .
Of those for whom transmission status is known , community transmission accounts for 60 per cent , close contact accounts for 38 per cent , travel abroad accounts for 2 per cent .
Earlier , Minister for Health Simon Harris announced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel which will examine how the Government responded to the pandemic as well as assessing best practice for the months ahead .
There has been widespread concern over the number of deaths associated with residential care facilities , with more than 60 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths in Ireland related to care homes .
The decision comes following a recent National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) recommendation .
The panel will examine national and international measures in response to Covid-19 , as well as emerging best practice to ensure all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health said this was in light of the expected ongoing Covid-19 risk and impact to nursing homes over the next six to 18 months .
The panel will report to the Minister by the end of June 2020 .
Mr Harris said : “ Throughout the response to the pandemic there has been particular focus on the challenges in the nursing home sector and it has been and remains an absolute priority for me in the overall response to Covid-19 .
“ We must continue to plan appropriately to meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
“ I believe that the establishment of a Covid-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel to examine and advise on these matters is a crucial aspect of good planning to support Ireland ’ s navigation through the Covid-19 landscape and ensure the best possible safeguards are in place to protect the many people who call nursing homes their home.
” The expert panel will be chaired by Professor Cecily Kelleher , principal of the College of Health and Agricultural Sciences , UCD .
Professor Kelleher will be joined by Professor Cillian Twomey ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , group director of nursing , RCSI Hospital Group , and Bridget Doherty , representing the public interest .
Mr Harris added : “ I want to sincerely thank the experts for their willingness to undertake this important task and I look forward to working closely with them in the weeks ahead.
” It is expected that the expert panel will commence its scoping work early next week .
Meanwhile , the head of the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) urged the public to “ hold firm ” over Covid-19 restriction measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the HSE , acknowledged that the public are worried about jobs and bills , but added that there “ are bright days ahead ” .
He made the comments as the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospitals continues to fall .
In a tweet Mr Reid said : “ Like many people , today I feel for my family and friends who are worried about their jobs , are anxious over bills and are feeling stress .
“ I miss our family and our granddaughter abroad .
There is lots of help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days ahead .
Hold firm .
”

Minister for Health Simon Harris: ‘We must continue to plan appropriately to meet the ongoing challenges of Covid-19 into the foreseeable future.’ Photograph: Collins
Thirteen more people with Covid-19 have died, the Department of Health said on Saturday, bring the State's death toll to 1,604.
In a statement, it said the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 76 confirmed cases of the disease, meaning there are now 24,582 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic.
The statement said that of the confirmed cases, 57 per cent are female and 43 cent are male, nd the median age is 48.
A total of 3,211 cases (13 per cent) have been hospitalised, of which 393 have been admitted to intensive care. A total of 7,813 cases are associated with healthcare workers.
READ MORE
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,830 (48 per cent) followed by Cork with 1,420 (6 per cent) and Kildare with 1,387 cases (6 per cent).
Of those for whom transmission status is known, community transmission accounts for 60 per cent, close contact accounts for 38 per cent, travel abroad accounts for 2 per cent.
Earlier, Minister for Health Simon Harris announced the establishment of a Covid-19 nursing home expert panel which will examine how the Government responded to the pandemic as well as assessing best practice for the months ahead.
There has been widespread concern over the number of deaths associated with residential care facilities, with more than 60 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths in Ireland related to care homes.
The decision comes following a recent National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) recommendation.
The panel will examine national and international measures in response to Covid-19, as well as emerging best practice to ensure all response measures are prepared for.
The Department of Health said this was in light of the expected ongoing Covid-19 risk and impact to nursing homes over the next six to 18 months.
The panel will report to the Minister by the end of June 2020.
Mr Harris said: “Throughout the response to the pandemic there has been particular focus on the challenges in the nursing home sector and it has been and remains an absolute priority for me in the overall response to Covid-19.
“We must continue to plan appropriately to meet the ongoing challenges of Covid-19 into the foreseeable future.
“I believe that the establishment of a Covid-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel to examine and advise on these matters is a crucial aspect of good planning to support Ireland’s navigation through the Covid-19 landscape and ensure the best possible safeguards are in place to protect the many people who call nursing homes their home.”
The expert panel will be chaired by Professor Cecily Kelleher, principal of the College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, UCD. Professor Kelleher will be joined by Professor Cillian Twomey (a retired geriatrician), Petrina Donnelly, group director of nursing, RCSI Hospital Group, and Bridget Doherty, representing the public interest.
Mr Harris added: “I want to sincerely thank the experts for their willingness to undertake this important task and I look forward to working closely with them in the weeks ahead.”
It is expected that the expert panel will commence its scoping work early next week.
‘Hold firm’
Meanwhile, the head of the Health Service Executive (HSE) urged the public to "hold firm" over Covid-19 restriction measures.
Paul Reid, chief executive of the HSE, acknowledged that the public are worried about jobs and bills, but added that there "are bright days ahead".
He made the comments as the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospitals continues to fall.
In a tweet Mr Reid said: “Like many people, today I feel for my family and friends who are worried about their jobs, are anxious over bills and are feeling stress.
“I miss our family and our granddaughter abroad. There is lots of help out there though and there are bright days ahead. Hold firm.”