theirishtimes--2020-05-13--HSE to outline new plan for Covid-19 testing targets

A new plan outlining how Ireland will achieve a 72-hour turnaround time for Covid-19 test results will be published by the Health Service Executive on Thursday , the Taoiseach has said .
This plan will contain a series of key performance indicators including the number of tests per week , the turnaround time for results and targets for contact tracing .
It comes after criticism of the relatively slow 9-day average turnaround time from a test being taken to results being returned to the patient .
Most experts recommend a 72-hour timeframe .
Health chiefs have promised improvements to Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have highlighted a range of technical issues , including data entry errors , a lack of automation and systems that can not interact with each other , which are delaying the issuing of results .
Some of these issues are as a result of the speed at which the system was set up .
Leo Varadkar accepted that some targets set by the State had not been met but said the HSE was now in a position to carry out 100,000 tests per week .
The Taoiseach said he was confident the HSE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test results .
“ I absolutely accept criticisms from anyone that says we should have done that sooner but I can also guarantee that absolutely everyone across the system is pulling out all the stops to get to this point.
” “ The target is absolutely to have a test result turnaround time of 72 hours , but it ’ ll never be 100 per cent you know .
There isn ’ t a test that I ’ m aware of where you get the results within 72 hours 100 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had done a phenomenal job to go from zero to 100,000 per week in just a few weeks and said Ireland was now in the top tier for testing in Europe .
On Tuesday night Health chiefs defended progress on testing and contract tracing and promised improvements .
“ There ’ s no single fundamental issue ” causing delays in the turnaround time for test results said Cillian De Gascun , chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group .
He said errors were occurring during manual processes , while data gaps had also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for GPs or patients .
Hospitals also operate on different computer systems .
“ They don ’ t all talk to each other .
.
.
so that takes time to build into place and make sure it ’ s robust .
We don ’ t have a unique patient identifier yet , we don ’ t have a national laboratory information management system.
” The HSE is hopeful of automating some processes by next Monday , including informing close contacts that they have been in touch with a confirmed case .
Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the HSE , said a “ great majority ” of people being referred for testing are swabbed within a day and a half .
The median time between swabbing and contact tracing starting , he said , was at five days and coming down .
More complex cases , such as those involving healthcare workers who would be in contact with a large number of vulnerable people , or people who do not speak English , or in some cases have passed away , were also affecting turnaround times .
However , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be completed within 72 hours , generally seen by experts as the upper limit by which the process should be completed .
A medium-term plan for a testing and contact tracing system is expected to cost about €500 million .
This is in addition to the €1 billion annual bill for personal protective equipment in the HSE .
Sources said the €500 million includes the cost of swabs for testing individuals and lab analysis .
It is also likely to include costs of IT upgrades .
About 1,000 staff may be needed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At present Defence Forces personnel and Revenue Commissioners staff are involved .
Sources said at some stage they would return to their substantive roles , requiring new personnel to come in .
Last Sunday , head of the HSE Paul Reid said a “ future model ” of testing and tracing is needed , beyond the current “ wartime model ” .
The Department of Health said on Tuesday night the HSE ’ s testing plan has been agreed by its board and implementation was under way .

A new plan outlining how Ireland will achieve a 72-hour turnaround time for Covid-19 test results will be published by the Health Service Executive on Thursday, the Taoiseach has said.
This plan will contain a series of key performance indicators including the number of tests per week, the turnaround time for results and targets for contact tracing.
It comes after criticism of the relatively slow 9-day average turnaround time from a test being taken to results being returned to the patient. Most experts recommend a 72-hour timeframe.
Health chiefs have promised improvements to Ireland’s testing and tracing system and have highlighted a range of technical issues, including data entry errors, a lack of automation and systems that cannot interact with each other, which are delaying the issuing of results.
READ MORE
Some of these issues are as a result of the speed at which the system was set up.
Leo Varadkar accepted that some targets set by the State had not been met but said the HSE was now in a position to carry out 100,000 tests per week. The Taoiseach said he was confident the HSE could achieve a 72-hour turnaround time for test results.
“I absolutely accept criticisms from anyone that says we should have done that sooner but I can also guarantee that absolutely everyone across the system is pulling out all the stops to get to this point.”
“The target is absolutely to have a test result turnaround time of 72 hours, but it’ll never be 100 per cent you know. There isn’t a test that I’m aware of where you get the results within 72 hours 100 per cent of the time.”
He said the HSE had done a phenomenal job to go from zero to 100,000 per week in just a few weeks and said Ireland was now in the top tier for testing in Europe.
Progress
On Tuesday night Health chiefs defended progress on testing and contract tracing and promised improvements.
"There's no single fundamental issue" causing delays in the turnaround time for test results said Cillian De Gascun, chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group.
He said errors were occurring during manual processes, while data gaps had also slowed progress, including missing contact details for GPs or patients.
Hospitals also operate on different computer systems.
“They don’t all talk to each other . . . so that takes time to build into place and make sure it’s robust. We don’t have a unique patient identifier yet, we don’t have a national laboratory information management system.”
The HSE is hopeful of automating some processes by next Monday, including informing close contacts that they have been in touch with a confirmed case.
Dr Colm Henry, chief clinical officer at the HSE, said a "great majority" of people being referred for testing are swabbed within a day and a half. The median time between swabbing and contact tracing starting, he said, was at five days and coming down.
More complex cases, such as those involving healthcare workers who would be in contact with a large number of vulnerable people, or people who do not speak English, or in some cases have passed away, were also affecting turnaround times.
However, he could not indicate when the process will be completed within 72 hours, generally seen by experts as the upper limit by which the process should be completed.
A medium-term plan for a testing and contact tracing system is expected to cost about €500 million. This is in addition to the €1 billion annual bill for personal protective equipment in the HSE. Sources said the €500 million includes the cost of swabs for testing individuals and lab analysis. It is also likely to include costs of IT upgrades.
About 1,000 staff may be needed in the future to carry out tracing. At present Defence Forces personnel and Revenue Commissioners staff are involved. Sources said at some stage they would return to their substantive roles, requiring new personnel to come in.
Last Sunday, head of the HSE Paul Reid said a "future model" of testing and tracing is needed, beyond the current "wartime model". The Department of Health said on Tuesday night the HSE's testing plan has been agreed by its board and implementation was under way.


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Ruling quashing Adams’s conviction opens door to compensation case

Gerry Adams , after his convictions for attempting to escape from the Maze or Long Kesh prison camp in 1973 and 1974 were quashed by the London Supreme Court , said that the matter of seeking compensation was “ maybe work for another day ” .
The fact however that the court decision was unanimous would indicate that if he does take a civil case he could be in for a sizeable sum , possibly “ six-figure ” , according to some rough legal guesstimates .
It would be surprising if he did not seek recompense .
In a sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was interned for sure but that incarceration was without trial .
He still says he was never in the IRA and he does not have any conviction for membership .
It was to be expected that some of the reaction to the ruling was jaundiced , as reflected by comments from Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken who said , “ Once again IRA victims will be left dismayed and angry by a judicial decision as Gerry Adams continues to lead what can only be described as a peculiarly charmed life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Said DUP MP Gregory Campbell , “ Whatever this ruling might mean for Gerry Adams ’ s bank balance or his own conscience , the one thing no court can undo is the torment , heartache , bloodshed and broken homes caused by the PIRA in the 1970s.
” Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister also pitched in with the comment that Mr Adams was benefiting “ from the British legal system whose judges the Provos brutally murdered – no right to life for IRA victims but a right of appeal for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former Sinn Féin leader who can dismiss the reaction as unionist sour grapes .
The story will move onto the legal significance of the judgment , and , according to Mr Adams ’ s solicitor Seamus Collins and another Belfast solicitor Kevin Winters , it could have implications for hundreds of former internees .
Internment without trial , called Operation Demetrius , was introduced in Northern Ireland by the Stormont unionist government early on the morning of August 9th 1971 .
It was designed , said the then unionist prime minister Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As generally acknowledged it had the opposite effect , serving as a recruiting operation for the organisation and alienating nationalists .
It ran until the end of December 1975 with close to 2,000 people interned , about 100 of that number estimated to be loyalists .
Mr Adams won his case because the Supreme Court judges ruled that the interim custody order used to initially detain him in July 1973 was not authorised by the then Northern Secretary Willie Whitelaw , as was legally required .
“ There are implications for a significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no doubt that lawyers like myself will be contacted in the coming days and weeks by former internees , ” said Mr Collins .
He said however that to make their case they must provide their detention orders to assess whether the Northern Secretary had personally authorised their internment .
That was not difficult to do in Mr Adams ’ s action because of the court records relating to his attempted escapes but could be problematic for others hoping to take cases , added Mr Collins .
Nonetheless Mr Collins said there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the basis of the Supreme Court ruling .
Mr Winters also said the ruling “ may impact on hundreds of other cases ” .
His company has many former internee clients and he now would be examining whether this ruling strengthened their cases to seek compensation .
“ This opens up the door to revisiting the legal basis for all of the internment cases collectively , although the devil will be in the detail , ” said Mr Winters .
“ It will be all down to , did the secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and did he personally consider the material when making that determination ?
”

It would be surprising if Gerry Adams did not seek recompense. Photograph Nick Bradshaw for The Irish Times
Gerry Adams, after his convictions for attempting to escape from the Maze or Long Kesh prison camp in 1973 and 1974 were quashed by the London Supreme Court, said that the matter of seeking compensation was "maybe work for another day".
The fact however that the court decision was unanimous would indicate that if he does take a civil case he could be in for a sizeable sum, possibly “six-figure”, according to some rough legal guesstimates. It would be surprising if he did not seek recompense.
In a sense he now has an absolute clear record. He was interned for sure but that incarceration was without trial. He still says he was never in the IRA and he does not have any conviction for membership.
It was to be expected that some of the reaction to the ruling was jaundiced, as reflected by comments from Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken who said, "Once again IRA victims will be left dismayed and angry by a judicial decision as Gerry Adams continues to lead what can only be described as a peculiarly charmed life at the hands of the British state."
READ MORE
Said DUP MP Gregory Campbell, "Whatever this ruling might mean for Gerry Adams's bank balance or his own conscience, the one thing no court can undo is the torment, heartache, bloodshed and broken homes caused by the PIRA in the 1970s."
Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister also pitched in with the comment that Mr Adams was benefiting "from the British legal system whose judges the Provos brutally murdered – no right to life for IRA victims but a right of appeal for Adams".
That will hardly bother the former Sinn Féin leader who can dismiss the reaction as unionist sour grapes.
The story will move onto the legal significance of the judgment, and, according to Mr Adams's solicitor Seamus Collins and another Belfast solicitor Kevin Winters, it could have implications for hundreds of former internees.
Internment without trial, called Operation Demetrius, was introduced in Northern Ireland by the Stormont unionist government early on the morning of August 9th 1971. It was designed, said the then unionist prime minister Brian Faulkner, to smash the IRA. As generally acknowledged it had the opposite effect, serving as a recruiting operation for the organisation and alienating nationalists.
It ran until the end of December 1975 with close to 2,000 people interned, about 100 of that number estimated to be loyalists.
Mr Adams won his case because the Supreme Court judges ruled that the interim custody order used to initially detain him in July 1973 was not authorised by the then Northern Secretary Willie Whitelaw, as was legally required.
“There are implications for a significant number of people and I am in no doubt that lawyers like myself will be contacted in the coming days and weeks by former internees,” said Mr Collins.
He said however that to make their case they must provide their detention orders to assess whether the Northern Secretary had personally authorised their internment.
That was not difficult to do in Mr Adams’s action because of the court records relating to his attempted escapes but could be problematic for others hoping to take cases, added Mr Collins.
Nonetheless Mr Collins said there was potential for numerous cases to be taken on the basis of the Supreme Court ruling.
Mr Winters also said the ruling “may impact on hundreds of other cases”.
His company has many former internee clients and he now would be examining whether this ruling strengthened their cases to seek compensation. “This opens up the door to revisiting the legal basis for all of the internment cases collectively, although the devil will be in the detail,” said Mr Winters.
“It will be all down to, did the secretary of state sign off on the detention papers and did he personally consider the material when making that determination?”


theirishtimes--2020-05-13--Jailed rapist in serious condition after 46 days on hunger strike, court told

A jailed rapist is in a serious condition after 46 days on hunger strike in prison in protest at his conviction , the High Court has heard .
By order of the court the man can not be named and neither can the prison .
The man is protesting because he says he is innocent , the court heard .
On Wednesday , Paul Carroll SC , for the prison governor and the Irish Prison Service , said his clients were seeking declarations in relation to whether the prisoner had capacity to continue the hunger strike , whether the prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relation to the strike and “ what should happen going forward.
” The man ’ s situation was becoming more serious , he has underlying health difficulties and has suffered a significant weight loss of some 13 kilogrammes , counsel said .
He is still taking liquids .
Counsel sought permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the man ’ s solicitors and have the case returned to court within a day because the man is in serious danger , possibly at the risk of death .
The application was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man has no difficulties with his conditions in the prison and is aware the authorities were making this application , he said .
His solicitors are also aware and had inquired whether it would be possible for him to participate or observe the hearing via video link from prison .
The man has been in regular contact with his next of kin , his wife , counsel said .
Mr Justice Tony O ’ Connor granted permission for short service of the proceedings on the man ’ s solicitors and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon .
The judge noted the request for video facilities and said he could only at this stage express the court ’ s wish such facilities be made available if possible .

A jailed rapist is in a serious condition after 46 days on hunger strike in prison in protest at his conviction, the High Court has heard.
By order of the court the man cannot be named and neither can the prison.
The man is protesting because he says he is innocent, the court heard.
On Wednesday, Paul Carroll SC, for the prison governor and the Irish Prison Service, said his clients were seeking declarations in relation to whether the prisoner had capacity to continue the hunger strike, whether the prison authorities were complying with the law in relation to the strike and “what should happen going forward.”
READ MORE
The man’s situation was becoming more serious, he has underlying health difficulties and has suffered a significant weight loss of some 13 kilogrammes, counsel said. He is still taking liquids.
Counsel sought permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the man’s solicitors and have the case returned to court within a day because the man is in serious danger, possibly at the risk of death.
The application was made on a one side only represented basis.
The man has no difficulties with his conditions in the prison and is aware the authorities were making this application, he said.
His solicitors are also aware and had inquired whether it would be possible for him to participate or observe the hearing via video link from prison. The man has been in regular contact with his next of kin, his wife, counsel said.
Mr Justice Tony O’Connor granted permission for short service of the proceedings on the man’s solicitors and said the case could come back on Thursday afternoon.
The judge noted the request for video facilities and said he could only at this stage express the court’s wish such facilities be made available if possible.


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--Primary schools must reopen. It’s time for parents need to make their voices heard

Two weeks ago the Government published its roadmap for reopening society and business .
In the 23-page document , its plans to keep schools closed until September merited just a footnote .
On page eight , under education and childcare measures , are the words : “ Commence opening on phased basis at the beginning of the academic year 2020/21 : Primary and secondary schools ; universities , third level education centres and adult education centres.
” There was no explanation as to why schools are to open last of all after offices , construction sites , garden centres , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was even an acknowledgement in a footnote to the footnote that infections are “ less frequently observed in children and that child-to-adult transmission appears to be uncommon ” .
Yet , the roadmap envisages schools remaining closed for the next four months .
This approach is looking increasingly questionable .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar ’ s comments yesterday that reopening schools is “ among the safest things that we can do over the next couple of months ” has raised hopes that schools will open sooner rather than later .
By sooner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school year and not in September .
Mr Varadkar was maddeningly vague on the details .
What does the “ next couple of months ” even mean ?
Is it now , next week , next month or in September ?
Does he understand that this kind of casual speculation only leads to false hope and disappointment among children who desperately want to go back to school ?
We have been here before .
In April , Minister for Health Simon Harris said children might be able to go back to primary schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Teachers ’ Organisation expressed a hope that children could return to school in June .
What happened to those proposals ?
No explanation has been forthcoming because parents and pupils , the key stakeholders to use managerial jargon , are supposed to put up and shut up when it comes to Irish education .
It is becoming clear that the high-handed and peremptory decision to close schools until September , without keeping the situation under review , was unnecessary .
The medical reasons for it look increasingly tenuous .
A study by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , albeit from limited evidence internationally : “ It appears that children are not , to date , substantially contributing to the household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 .
From one study , SARS-CoV-2 transmission in children in schools is also very low.
” The Taoiseach suggested yesterday after a meeting with the World Health Organisation ’ s Dr Mike Ryan , that it would not be a “ good reflection on us as a society to be the last people who are able to re-open our schools and re-open our childcare facilities ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned to keep their schools closed until September and they have been hit hardest of all by the coronavirus pandemic .
We have the spectacle at present of the horse racing and vintners ’ representative groups lobbying the Government to reopen earlier than planned .
Who will speak for the 500,000 primary school pupils in this country who have seven weeks of schooling left ?
Why should they have to wait ?
By the time schools return in September , if they do , these children will have missed almost six months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will make the huge transition to secondary school without the careful preparation needed for such a change .
While the public debate has been fixated about the fate of the Leaving Certificate , primary school children too are suffering stress and have had their lives upended by this pandemic .
If there are sound reasons why schools can not go back until September , these reasons have not been explained to the Irish public .
The chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan acknowledges there have been many studies carried out which justify the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease and are not adversely affected by it .
However , he would not budge on the health advice that schools should remain closed .
“ It is an entirely different thing to conclude in policy terms that we have enough evidence to say that transmission from children doesn ’ t occur but as yet it hasn ’ t been identified as a significant issue in the small number of studies that have been done , ” he said .
Dr Holohan wants evidence-based public health policy .
So do we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the studies that show children are significant spreaders of Covid-19 and that it constitutes a significant health threat to them .
He might explain why the Republic can not follow Denmark where children went back to school almost a month ago .
The experiment there has worked to date .
The Danish R0 has continued to decrease from 0.9 to 0.7 since the schools reopened and pupils in middle school are also returning .
They are also returning this week to school in Belgium , the Netherlands and France , three countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Covid-19 .
In Switzerland primary schools started back on Monday .
The country ’ s public health spokesman Daniel Koch justified this decision succinctly : “ It is very rare for children to transmit and get the disease .
Children very rarely infect other children .
The situation is stable and there is no contradiction that the schools are reopened - it is understandable and correct.
” If the Government and the National Public Health Emergency Team know something about the danger of sending primary school children back to school that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they should share it with us .
There is still time for primary school children to get a meaningful education this year .
It is not just education they are missing ; school is a huge part of their socialisation .
The absence of routine is causing a huge strain .
That strain will only get worse as the economy starts to reopen .
How are those parents who are expected to go back to work on May 18th , June 8th and June 20th supposed to provide childcare for primary school pupils @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to end sooner rather than later .
There is a fear among parents that schools will stay shut until September , not because it is the best option for children - it clearly is not - but because it is the most convenient one .
Parents need to make their voices heard on this issue .
Things can not go on as they are going on .
Ronan McGreevy is an Irish Times journalist

Pupils listen to their teacher in a classroom of of the Saint-Exupery school in the Paris’ suburb of La Courneuve. This week, primary schools in France re-opened after an almost two-month closure. Photograph: Martin Bureau/AFP
Two weeks ago the Government published its roadmap for reopening society and business. In the 23-page document, its plans to keep schools closed until September merited just a footnote.
On page eight, under education and childcare measures, are the words: “Commence opening on phased basis at the beginning of the academic year 2020/21: Primary and secondary schools; universities, third level education centres and adult education centres.”
There was no explanation as to why schools are to open last of all after offices, construction sites, garden centres, restaurants, bookies, bars and barbershops.
There was even an acknowledgement in a footnote to the footnote that infections are “less frequently observed in children and that child-to-adult transmission appears to be uncommon”.
READ MORE
Questionable
Yet, the roadmap envisages schools remaining closed for the next four months. This approach is looking increasingly questionable.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s comments yesterday that reopening schools is “among the safest things that we can do over the next couple of months” has raised hopes that schools will open sooner rather than later.
By sooner, parents and pupils mean the current school year and not in September.
Mr Varadkar was maddeningly vague on the details. What does the “next couple of months” even mean? Is it now, next week, next month or in September?
Does he understand that this kind of casual speculation only leads to false hope and disappointment among children who desperately want to go back to school?
We have been here before. In April, Minister for Health Simon Harris said children might be able to go back to primary schools one day a week. The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation expressed a hope that children could return to school in June. What happened to those proposals?
No explanation has been forthcoming because parents and pupils, the key stakeholders to use managerial jargon, are supposed to put up and shut up when it comes to Irish education.
It is becoming clear that the high-handed and peremptory decision to close schools until September, without keeping the situation under review, was unnecessary.
The medical reasons for it look increasingly tenuous. A study by the Health Information and Quality Authority concluded, albeit from limited evidence internationally: “It appears that children are not, to date, substantially contributing to the household transmission of SARS-CoV-2. From one study, SARS-CoV-2 transmission in children in schools is also very low.”
The Taoiseach suggested yesterday after a meeting with the World Health Organisation’s Dr Mike Ryan, that it would not be a “good reflection on us as a society to be the last people who are able to re-open our schools and re-open our childcare facilities”.
Only Italy and Spain in Europe have planned to keep their schools closed until September and they have been hit hardest of all by the coronavirus pandemic.
We have the spectacle at present of the horse racing and vintners’ representative groups lobbying the Government to reopen earlier than planned.
Who will speak for the 500,000 primary school pupils in this country who have seven weeks of schooling left? Why should they have to wait?
Transition
By the time schools return in September, if they do, these children will have been out of the classroom for almost six months. Children in sixth class will make the huge transition to secondary school without the careful preparation needed for such a change.
While the public debate has been fixated about the fate of the Leaving Certificate, primary school children too are suffering stress and have had their lives upended by this pandemic.
If there are sound reasons why schools cannot go back until September, these reasons have not been explained to the Irish public.
The chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan acknowledges there have been many studies carried out which justify the contention that children are not major spreaders of the disease and are not adversely affected by it.
However, he would not budge on the health advice that schools should remain closed.
“It is an entirely different thing to conclude in policy terms that we have enough evidence to say that transmission from children doesn’t occur but as yet it hasn’t been identified as a significant issue in the small number of studies that have been done,” he said.
Dr Holohan wants evidence-based public health policy. So do we. He should, therefore, point to the studies that show children are significant spreaders of Covid-19 and that it constitutes a significant health threat to them.
He might explain why the Republic cannot follow Denmark where children went back to school almost a month ago.
The experiment there has worked to date. The Danish R0 has continued to decrease from 0.9 to 0.7 since the schools reopened and pupils in middle school are also returning.
They are also returning this week to school in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, three countries which have higher mortality rates than Ireland from Covid-19.
If the Government and the National Public Health Emergency Team know something about the danger of sending primary school children back to school that the rest of Europe does not know, they should share it with us.
In Switzerland primary schools started back on Monday. The country’s public health spokesman Daniel Koch justified this decision succinctly: “It is very rare for children to transmit and get the disease. Children very rarely infect other children. The situation is stable and there is no contradiction that the schools are reopened - it is understandable and correct.”
If the Government and the National Public Health Emergency Team know something about the danger of sending primary school children back to school that the rest of Europe does not know, they should share it with us.
Strain
There is still time for primary school children to get a meaningful education this year. It is not just education they are missing; school is a huge part of their socialisation.
The absence of routine is causing a huge strain. That strain will only get worse as the economy starts to reopen.
How are those parents who are expected to go back to work on May 18th, June 8th and June 20th supposed to provide childcare for primary school pupils?
The closure of primary school needs to end sooner rather than later.
There is a fear among parents that schools will stay shut until September, not because it is the best option for children - it clearly is not - but because it is the most convenient one.
Parents need to make their voices heard on this issue. Things cannot go on as they are going on.
Ronan McGreevy is an Irish Times journalist


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--Timeline: How the abuse scandal in Ireland’s scouting movement unfolded

Scouting Ireland has published a major report into the historic child sexual abuse scandal in legacy scouting organisations .
The report was compiled by child protection expert Ian Elliott and lays bare the scale of the past abuse .
The roots of the controversy facing Scouting Ireland date back more than two years .
Here is how the scandal unfolded : Back in February 2018 The Irish Times published a front page story thatrevealed Scouting Ireland ’ s handling of a rape allegation , concerning two adults , had been “ deeply flawed , ” and a confidential report had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2016 , a female volunteer made an allegation to Scouting Ireland , claiming she had been raped by a male volunteer , on a camping trip in 2009 when she was 18-years-old .
Scouting Ireland had hired Mr Elliott in 2017 to conduct a detailed review of how the organisation dealt with the allegation .
His report criticised the actions of four senior volunteers ; chief scout Christy McCann , chief commissioners David Shalloo and Thérèse Bermingham , and Ollie Kehoe .
The review found the accused male volunteer had sought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
The man was suspended from the organisation following the allegation .
Gardaí investigated the matter , but the Director of Public Prosecutions directed against prosecuting , after which he was reinstated .
Mr Elliott ’ s report made several recommendations on how to address overall safeguarding failings in the organisation , including advising that an audit of how past child protection cases were handled take place .
In April 2018 , The Irish Times reported the male leader accused of rape had not undergone Garda vetting before being readmitted into Scouting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this take place .
In response , Ms Zappone decided to suspend State funding to Scouting Ireland over governance concerns , worth nearly €900,000 a year and a key source of income .
In the days that followed , the four senior volunteers criticised in Mr Elliott ’ s review stepped aside , pending an independent barrister ’ s inquiry into the handling of the case .
The inquiry would later find the four had acted “ inappropriately ” in the case .
Former Senator and children ’ s rights expert Jillian van @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry out a review of the organisation ’ s governance .
Her report was published in June 2018 .
It concluded there was a “ deeply rooted dysfunction ” at the top of the organisation , due to a lack of transparency , and a culture of “ blind loyalty ” to certain senior figures .
The board of Scouting Ireland committed to implement a series of recommendations made by Ms van Turnhout , including that an entirely new board be elected .
Following these commitments Ms Zappone released three months State funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversy was playing out , Mr Elliott was conducting a review of historic files , while also acting as Scouting Ireland ’ s interim safeguarding manager .
The review would include an audit of historic case files held in the organisation ’ s headquarters at Larch Hill , interviews with former members , and information from abuse survivors who were beginning to come forward following media coverage .
Scouting Ireland members were due to ratify an overhaul of their governance structures , and elect an entirely new board at an Extraordinary General Meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
However in the weeks before the key meeting , the existing board voted to reinstate Mr McCann to chair the membership meeting .
On foot of the decision Ms Zappone again suspended the organisation ’ s funding , until a new board had taken office .
Upon the election of a new board at the EGM , funding was restored pending continued governance reform progress .
On November 21st , 2018 , the findings of Mr Elliott ’ s initial review of past child sex abuse in the organisation were revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth affairs .
The review had identified 108 alleged victims of abuse , and 71 alleged abusers , who had operated mainly between the 1960s and 1980s .
Scouting Ireland formed in 2004 following a merger of two legacy organisations ; the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and the Scout Association of Ireland .
Following the bombshell revelations large numbers of other survivors began to contact the organisation , with Scouting Ireland setting up a dedicated helpline to take the calls .
By December 10th , the number of past abuse survivors had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abusers , then-chair of the board Aisling Kelly told a private meeting of senior members .
There was emerging evidence that abuse was “ covered up ” for decades .
Volunteers who allegedly preyed on children were “ protected ” and permitted to move from group to group , Ms Kelly told the meeting .
Those details were reported by The Irish Times on December 11th .
In February 2019 , Tusla , the child and family agency , threw Scouting Ireland into a fresh controversy over current standards , raising concerns with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervision on overnight camping trips .
A letter raising Tusla ’ s “ serious concerns ” and questioning the “ viability ” of continuing overnight trips was made public by Ms Zappone in a speech on the floor of the Dáil .
Scouting Ireland robustly defended its current practices and supervision standards on foot of the criticism .
At this stage Mr Elliott had begun work on a comprehensive final report on the historic abuse scandal .
In June 2019 , Scouting Ireland committed to make an institutional apology to the victims of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims had increased to 321 , and 247 alleged perpetrators , as well as a further 70 victims of alleged youth-on-youth abuse .
However , it was decided to postpone the apology until Mr Elliott ’ s report was completed .
Last November , Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil the Government would consider the establishment of “ a commission of investigation or a statutory inquiry of some nature ” into the historic abuse .
He was responding to calls for an State inquiry from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin , on foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal .
On Thursday , May 14th , 2020 , Scouting Ireland published Mr Elliott ’ s final report into historic child sex abuse in legacy organisations , and made an organisational apology to all survivors of past abuse .

In 2018, The Irish Times revealed that Scouting Ireland’s handling of a rape allegation, concerning two adults, had been “deeply flawed”.
Scouting Ireland has published a major report into the historic child sexual abuse scandal in legacy scouting organisations. The report was compiled by child protection expert Ian Elliott and lays bare the scale of the past abuse.
The roots of the controversy facing Scouting Ireland date back more than two years. Here is how the scandal unfolded:
How it began
Back in February 2018 The Irish Times published a front page story thatrevealed Scouting Ireland's handling of a rape allegation, concerning two adults, had been "deeply flawed," and a confidential report had criticised safeguarding standards in the youth organisation.
In 2016, a female volunteer made an allegation to Scouting Ireland, claiming she had been raped by a male volunteer, on a camping trip in 2009 when she was 18-years-old.
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Scouting Ireland had hired Mr Elliott in 2017 to conduct a detailed review of how the organisation dealt with the allegation. His report criticised the actions of four senior volunteers; chief scout Christy McCann, chief commissioners David Shalloo and Thérèse Bermingham, and Ollie Kehoe.
Ian Elliott’s 2017 report criticised the actions of four senior volunteers including chief scout Christy McCann
The review found the accused male volunteer had sought to put pressure on those managing the case. The man was suspended from the organisation following the allegation. Gardaí investigated the matter, but the Director of Public Prosecutions directed against prosecuting, after which he was reinstated.
Mr Elliott’s report made several recommendations on how to address overall safeguarding failings in the organisation, including advising that an audit of how past child protection cases were handled take place.
Funding suspended
In April 2018, The Irish Times reported the male leader accused of rape had not undergone Garda vetting before being readmitted into Scouting Ireland, despite recommendations from gardaí that this take place.
In response, Ms Zappone decided to suspend State funding to Scouting Ireland over governance concerns, worth nearly €900,000 a year and a key source of income.
In the days that followed, the four senior volunteers criticised in Mr Elliott’s review stepped aside, pending an independent barrister’s inquiry into the handling of the case. The inquiry would later find the four had acted “inappropriately” in the case.
Former Senator and children's rights expert Jillian van Turnhout was appointed by Ms Zappone to carry out a review of the organisation's governance. Her report was published in June 2018.
It concluded there was a "deeply rooted dysfunction" at the top of the organisation, due to a lack of transparency, and a culture of "blind loyalty" to certain senior figures.
The board of Scouting Ireland committed to implement a series of recommendations made by Ms van Turnhout, including that an entirely new board be elected. Following these commitments Ms Zappone released three months State funding to the organisation.
Katherine Zappone at 168th St Aengus Scout Den, Tallaght in 2018.
While the public controversy was playing out, Mr Elliott was conducting a review of historic files, while also acting as Scouting Ireland’s interim safeguarding manager.
The review would include an audit of historic case files held in the organisation’s headquarters at Larch Hill, interviews with former members, and information from abuse survivors who were beginning to come forward following media coverage.
Chief scout reinstated
Scouting Ireland members were due to ratify an overhaul of their governance structures, and elect an entirely new board at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on October 6th, 2018.
However in the weeks before the key meeting , the existing board voted to reinstate Mr McCann to chair the membership meeting. On foot of the decision Ms Zappone again suspended the organisation's funding, until a new board had taken office.
Upon the election of a new board at the EGM, funding was restored pending continued governance reform progress.
Abuse revelations
On November 21st, 2018, the findings of Mr Elliott’s initial review of past child sex abuse in the organisation were revealed to the Oireachtas committee on children and youth affairs. The review had identified 108 alleged victims of abuse, and 71 alleged abusers, who had operated mainly between the 1960s and 1980s.
Scouting Ireland formed in 2004 following a merger of two legacy organisations; the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and the Scout Association of Ireland.
Following the bombshell revelations large numbers of other survivors began to contact the organisation, with Scouting Ireland setting up a dedicated helpline to take the calls.
By December 10th, the number of past abuse survivors had increased to 317, and 212 alleged abusers, then-chair of the board Aisling Kelly told a private meeting of senior members.
Cover-up
There was emerging evidence that abuse was "covered up" for decades. Volunteers who allegedly preyed on children were "protected" and permitted to move from group to group, Ms Kelly told the meeting. Those details were reported by The Irish Times on December 11th.
In February 2019, Tusla, the child and family agency, threw Scouting Ireland into a fresh controversy over current standards, raising concerns with the handling of recent safeguarding cases and supervision on overnight camping trips.
A letter raising Tusla's "serious concerns" and questioning the "viability" of continuing overnight trips was made public by Ms Zappone in a speech on the floor of the Dáil. Scouting Ireland robustly defended its current practices and supervision standards on foot of the criticism.
At this stage Mr Elliott had begun work on a comprehensive final report on the historic abuse scandal.
In June 2019, Scouting Ireland committed to make an institutional apology to the victims of past abuse. The number of alleged victims had increased to 321, and 247 alleged perpetrators, as well as a further 70 victims of alleged youth-on-youth abuse. However, it was decided to postpone the apology until Mr Elliott’s report was completed.
Inquiry
Last November, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil the Government would consider the establishment of "a commission of investigation or a statutory inquiry of some nature" into the historic abuse. He was responding to calls for an State inquiry from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, on foot of an RTÉ Investigates programme on the scandal.
On Thursday, May 14th, 2020, Scouting Ireland published Mr Elliott’s final report into historic child sex abuse in legacy organisations, and made an organisational apology to all survivors of past abuse.


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--Coronavirus: Doctor warns of possible ‘nightmare scenario’ in autumn

The president of the Irish Emergency Medicine Association , Dr Emily O ’ Connor has warned of the “ nightmare scenario ” that could develop in the autumn when schools and activities resume which could lead to a second wave of Covid-19 .
The usual winter pressures of flu and reduced bed capacity are “ really worrying ” she told RTÉ radio ’ s Today programme .
Dr O ’ Connor also expressed concern that there could be another economic recession post coronavirus , also known as Covid-19 .
If there was a second recession it could not be allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like last time.
” There is a need to “ re-set ” how emergency care is delivered in Irish hospitals , she said .
In the past emergency departments were a safety net for inadequacies within the system .
Emergency departments need to be the safest place to be treated .
“ We can not go back to them being overcrowded again.
” During the Covid-crisis bed capacity had increased with a much better flow through emergency departments to wards .
“ We haven ’ t had to treat patients on trolleys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The cancellation of elective surgeries , improved discharges and greater reliance on services such as virtual clinics had all increased bed capacity .
It was important for patients to spend as short a time as possible in a congregated system especially with an airborne virus like Covid-19 , she said .
“ We are asking the public , the government and the HSE to ensure that this doesn ’ t happen.
” Meanwhile , Professor Karina Butler , Consultant Paediatrician and Infectious Diseases Specialist has warned that emerging data on children and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounts of evidence ” .
While the data was encouraging , Prof Butler told RTÉ radio ’ s Morning Ireland “ we are on a learning curve.
” A first glance at the rate of children infected with the virus appeared that they were not as prone to infection as adults , she said , but there could be more children infected but not experiencing symptoms .
“ We won ’ t know until we do antibody testing , that will give us a better handle.
” There could be practical reasons why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults such as they don ’ t have a forceful cough and they catch common colds and viruses all the time and therefore may have more immunity .
“ There are lots of potential reasons and there is conflicting data on that.
” When asked about the possibility of schools reopening soon , Prof Butler said it came down to balancing of risk .
“ There is no such thing as a risk free environment.
” There were stresses for children being away from friends and social interaction , so the counter balancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at .
“ There could be different pathways for different groups.
” Any plans would have to be through a slow process “ so we can pause and evaluate ” she said .
The National Public Health Emergency Team is due to meet today to discuss easing restrictions .

Dr Tony Holohan has confirmed that the rise in positive Covid-19 tests reported on May 14th - 426 cases reported - is an inflated figure as one hospital did not report an accumulation of positive tests from mid-March through to May. Video: RTÉ
A further ten people have died from Covid-19, bringing to 1,506 the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the State, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) announced at its briefing on Thursday evening.
There were 426 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed bringing the total number of cases confirmed over the course of the pandemic to 23,827.
While the daily figure for confirmed infections was the highest for some time, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said most of them related to newly reported cases from a single hospital. Many of these date back to mid-March but Nphet was unaware of them until now, he said.
The reproduction number, a measure of the number of people each case goes on to infect, was stable at 0.4 to 0.6, the Nphet briefing was told.
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Prof Philip Nolan, chair of the Nphet epidemiological modelling group, said all indicators of the spread of Covid-19 were decreasing, including the average number new cases daily, the number in hospital and in ICU and the number of deaths each day.
An analysis of cases up to Tuesday shows 57 were female and 43 per cent were male. The median age was 48 years and 13 per cent were hospitalised. A total of 7,123 cases were associated with healthcare workers. Community transmission accounts for 60 per cent of cases.
In Nothern Ireland, five more people have died, bringing the total number of fatalities to 454, the North's department of health reported.
The department also reported that there were 38 new cases of Covid-19 in the North leaving the total of confirmed cases now at 4,291.
First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said that garden centres and recycling centres in Northern Ireland could re-open from Monday. They also said marriage ceremonies where a person was terminally ill would be permitted.
Ms Foster said the minor relaxation in lockdown rules represented the “very tentative first steps towards recovery”.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil the Government was increasingly confident that phase one of easing restrictions would go ahead on Monday.
He said the virus “is a fire in retreat. We must quench its every spark and stamp out every ember”.
He said Nphet was meeting today and the Cabinet would make a decision tomorrow after receiving its advice.
Speaking in the Dáil during a debate on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic he said “we are still in phase zero, The moment we assume progress is inevitable, we risk going backwards.”
He said the Government wanted to get the economy “humming”. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) would work cooperatively with businesses to get them up and running but “it will close workplaces if necessary”.
The Taoiseach also said that, while face coverings, visors and sneeze guards had a role to play, they were no substitute for any of the public health measures including hand washing, social distancing, correct coughing and sneezing protocols and self isolation where necessary.
Nphet is expected to recommend the advisory - but not mandatory - wearing of face coverings on public transport and in shops from next week.
Concern surrounding a growing number of Covid-19 clusters in meat processing plants was raised in the Dáil, with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin describing the situation as “gravely serious”.
Mr Martin said “there has been a significant lack of transparency on this issue.”
Rise TD Paul Murphy told the Dáil that 200 complaints had been made about workplace breaches of Covid-19 guidelines including at meat plants but no inspections had been carried out by the HSA.
Last week the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) reported 10 outbreaks of Covid-19 in meat-processing plants with 566 staff infected.
Siptu union organiser Greg Ennis said on Thursday the number of confirmed cases in meat processing plans in the Republic had now risen above 600.
School talks
Meanwhile, discussions are continuing on plans to reoopen schools in September, with school managers and teachers saying primary schools would need to reopen on a phased basis with smaller class sizes and pupils attending on certain days of the week.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s (INTO) told the Department of Education not all children in a class would be able to attend school every day due to social distancing rules and distance learning would need to continue.
Teachers, it said, cannot be expected to provide remote teaching and learning for pupils at home after or alongside teaching the pupils who were attending school.
The trade union document was submitted as part of the department’s consultation process over the planned reopening in September.
Professor Karina Butler, Consultant Paediatrician and Infectious Diseases Specialist warned that emerging data on children and Covid-19 infection was based on "very small amounts of evidence".
While the data was encouraging, Prof Butler told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland “we are on a learning curve”.
A first glance at the rate of children infected with the virus appeared that they were not as prone to infection as adults, she said, but there could be more children infected but not experiencing symptoms.
“We won’t know until we do antibody testing, that will give us a better handle.”
There could be practical reasons why children are not as easily infected as adults such as they don’t have a forceful cough and they catch common colds and viruses all the time and therefore may have more immunity.
“There are lots of potential reasons and there is conflicting data on that.”
When asked about the possibility of schools reopening soon, Prof Butler said it came down to balancing of risk. “There is no such thing as a risk free environment.”
The president of the Irish Emergency Medicine Association, Dr Emily O'Connor earlier warned of the "nightmare scenario" that could develop in hospitals in the autumn when schools and activities resume which could lead to a second wave of Covid-19.
The usual winter pressures of flu and reduced bed capacity were “really worrying” she told RTÉ radio’s Today programme.
Dr O’Connor said there was a need to “re-set” how emergency departments operated. “We cannot go back to them being overcrowded again.”
The cancellation of elective surgeries, improved discharges and greater reliance on services such as virtual clinics had all increased bed capacity. It was important for patients to spend as short a time as possible in a congregated system especially with an airborne virus like Covid-19, she said.
“We are asking the public, the government and the HSE to ensure that this doesn’t happen.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--‘Sex offenders dominated leadership’ of scouting body for decades, report finds

Individuals who had a “ sexual interest ” in children rose to positions of power in legacy scouting organisations and were able to prevent known child abusers from being removed from the organisations , according to a damning report into the historic abuse scandal .
There was “ cover up and there was a failure to report ” the abuse , and an “ almost complete absence of any concern for the young people that were abused , ” the report said .
Scouting Ireland published a final report on Thursday into historic child sex abuse that took place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compiled by child protection expert Ian Elliott .
“ Abuse did happen and was not responded to in a way that protected the young person or sought to hold the offender to account , ” Mr Elliott said .
“ Individuals who had a sexual interest in young people , rose to positions of power and influence on occasions and controlled any fledgling accountability processes , preventing known offenders from being removed from scouting ” , the report said .
The historic child sexual abuse scandal relates to predecessor organisations , the Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Scout Association of Ireland ( SAI ) , which merged to form Scouting Ireland in 2004 .
The report said one of the legacy bodies was a “ seriously dysfunctional organisation , ” where “ sex offenders dominating the leadership for decades.
” The culture of the legacy organisations was “ driven by self-interest ” , with little attention paid to the young people involved in scouting .
The report concluded the existence of this “ negative culture driven by self-interest , along with poor governance structures , as being the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse in scouting.
” Cronyism “ thrived ” in the former bodies and remained a “ significant problem in scouting ” up until Mr Elliott ’ s first involvement with Scouting Ireland in mid-2017 , he said .
“ Poor governance structures contributed greatly to the failure of scouting to consistently and comprehensively address abuse , ” and individuals who behaved badly were not held to account , he said .
In response to the report , Scouting Ireland has made an organisational apology to all survivors of past abuse in its legacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acted as Scouting Ireland ’ s interim safeguarding manager for a period , has been investigating the scale of the historic abuse for over a year .
The report found the previous recording keeping system of files related to alleged child abuse cases was “ chaotic , ” and material was “ often stored in the homes of key volunteers.
” Despite repeated requests over the past two years for these files to be passed to Scouting Ireland ’ s headquarters in Larch Hill , “ very little additional documentation has been surrendered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date 321 alleged victims have been identified , 247 alleged perpetrators , and a further 70 victims of alleged youth-on-youth abuse .
The alleged abuse primarily occurred between the 1960s and 1990s , with evidence of elements of a cover-up involving senior figures at the time .
The past abuse was first disclosed by the organisation at an Oireachtas committee hearing in November 2018 .
An initial review by Mr Elliott had uncovered 108 alleged victims of abuse and 71 alleged abusers , following an audit of historic files , and information provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the revelations Mr Elliott was commissioned by the organisation to complete a full report into the scale and nature of the past abuse .
Several survivors and opposition politicians have previously called for a statutory inquiry to be held into the historic abuse .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil last November the Government would consider a “ commission of investigation or a statutory inquiry of some nature ” into the scandal .
The controversy facing Scouting Ireland began over two years ago , when The Irish Times reported details of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a rape allegation concerning two adult volunteers to be “ deeply flawed.
” The youth organisation ’ s State funding was twice suspended ; in 2018 by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone over governance concerns in response to the controversy .
Scouting Ireland has more than 50,000 members , including 12,000 adult volunteers .

Scouting Ireland has published a report into historical child sex abuse that took place in legacy scouting organisations. Photograph: The Irish Times
Individuals who had a “sexual interest” in children rose to positions of power in legacy scouting organisations and were able to prevent known child abusers from being removed from the organisations, according to a damning report into the historical abuse scandal.
There was “cover up and there was a failure to report” the abuse, and an “almost complete absence of any concern for the young people that were abused,” the report said.
Scouting Ireland published a final report on Thursday into historical child sex abuse that took place in legacy scouting organisations. The report was compiled by child protection expert Ian Elliott.
“Abuse did happen and was not responded to in a way that protected the young person or sought to hold the offender to account,” Mr Elliott said.
READ MORE
“Individuals who had a sexual interest in young people, rose to positions of power and influence on occasions and controlled any fledgling accountability processes, preventing known offenders from being removed from scouting,” the report said.
The number of alleged victims of child sex abuse has increased to 356, and 275 alleged perpetrators, and a further 70 victims of alleged youth-on-youth abuse. The alleged abuse primarily occurred between the 1960s and 1990s.
The historical child sexual abuse scandal relates to predecessor organisations, the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI) and the Scout Association of Ireland (SAI), which merged to form Scouting Ireland in 2004.
The report said one of the legacy bodies was a “seriously dysfunctional organisation,” with “sex offenders dominating the leadership for decades”.
The culture of the legacy organisations was “driven by self-interest”, with little attention paid to the young people involved in scouting.
The report concluded the existence of this “negative culture driven by self-interest, along with poor governance structures, as being the main cause of the continuation of sexual abuse in scouting”.
The “close link” between CBSI and the Catholic Church meant some noted clerical sex offenders found “acceptance of their practices” in the scouting body, particularly during the 1980s and 90s, it said.
Cronyism “thrived” in the former bodies and remained a “significant problem in scouting” up until Mr Elliott’s first involvement with Scouting Ireland in mid-2017, he said.
“Poor governance structures contributed greatly to the failure of scouting to consistently and comprehensively address abuse,” and individuals who behaved badly were not held to account, he said.
Mr Elliott, who also acted as Scouting Ireland’s interim safeguarding manager for a period, has been investigating the scale of the historical abuse for over a year.
There is evidence that sex offenders at the top level of the legacy organisations operated as groups to protect each other, “preventing any attempts to hold an alleged offender accountable for their actions, if they were part of their group,” the report said.
Volunteers who tried to report abuse were put under pressure and told that certain senior officials were “too important” to be challenged, the report said.
In some cases, people in power used information of allegations made against individuals for the “purposes of exerting pressure” on them to support certain policies or actions. The report found in this way information had a “value in manipulating people, rather than being focused on protecting young people.”
In an online press conference, Scouting Ireland board chair Adrian Tennant, made a full organisational apology over the historic abuse.
Mr Tennant said Scouting Ireland “unreservedly apologise to the victims and survivors of abuse in scouting who were failed.
“We are sorry that adults in scouting harmed you. We are sorry that you were not protected,” he said.
Commenting on the report, Mr Tennant said it revealed crimes were “ignored and in some cases actively covered up.”
Sexual predators had “used the movement” to destroy the lives of young people, he said.
“Based on emerging evidence senior volunteers, who were thought to be sex offenders themselves, did share information with each other about their abuse and took steps to facilitate that abuse for each other,” he said.
The report found the previous record-keeping system of files related to alleged child abuse cases was “chaotic,” and material was “often stored in the homes of key volunteers”.
Despite repeated requests over the past two years for these files to be passed to Scouting Ireland’s headquarters in Larch Hill, “very little additional documentation has been surrendered,” the report said.
Due to this “systematic” failure to create and retain proper records of abuse allegations Mr Elliott said the “full extent” of the abuse cannot be known.
Scouting Ireland had failed to secure this documentation after its formation and through that “negligence” had contributed to its loss, it said.
The past abuse was first disclosed by the organisation at an Oireachtas committee hearing in November 2018.
An initial review by Mr Elliott had uncovered 108 alleged victims of abuse and 71 alleged abusers, following an audit of historical files, and information provided by survivors coming forward.
On foot of the revelations Mr Elliott was commissioned by the organisation to complete a full report into the scale and nature of the past abuse.
Several survivors and Opposition politicians have previously called for a statutory inquiry to be held into the historical abuse.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil last November the Government would consider a “commission of investigation or a statutory inquiry of some nature” into the scandal.
The controversy facing Scouting Ireland began over two years ago, when The Irish Times reported details of a confidential review which had found the handling of a rape allegation concerning two adult volunteers to be “deeply flawed”.
The youth organisation's State funding was twice suspended; in 2018 by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone over governance concerns in response to the controversy.
Scouting Ireland has more than 50,000 members, including 12,000 adult volunteers.


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--Coronavirus: HSE says new three-day target for testing and tracing to be introduced

Health Service Executive ( HSE ) chief executive Paul Reid has said a target will be introduced next week to turn around testing and tracing in 90 per cent of cases within three days .
Mr Reid acknowledged the service “ needs to improve ” its contact tracing and testing capacity and turnaround times .
Speaking at a HSE operational briefing in University College Dublin today , Mr Reid outlined a new road map for testing and tracing that has been agreed by the health service , the Government , the Department of Health and the National Public Health Emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to improve where we ’ ve been at , ” he said , while defending progress made to date .
“ We have faced very significant backlogs which resulted in a very poor experience for many people , ” he said , adding the HSE had been “ rightly judged and held to account ” .
However , Mr Reid said the health service had met or exceeded all its targets on swabbing and testing capacity , as well as turnaround time for tests to be completed and contact tracing to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the State ’ s contact tracing and testing process , seen as a key element of relaxing restrictions on movement and other measures over the summer .
Experts have said current timelines are too slow relative to where they should be to help ensure the disease is kept under control as lockdown measures are relaxed .
According to documents presented by Mr Reid , by Monday , testing capacity will be 15,000 tests per day .
Swab-to-result time will be between one and two days , and end-to-end turnaround times will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say .
On May 5th , the swab-to-result time was two to three days , and end-to-end turnaround time was around five days Mr Reid said the HSE is now using a variety of different systems for testing and tracing , which can cause difficulties .
“ What we are dealing with .
.
.
is a whole history of legacy systems all across the country , adding there is a “ range of separate systems ” that often do not talk to each other .
Mr Reid said increased automation will aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the national virus reference laboratory and chair of the Coronavirus expert advisory group , emphasised the impact of problems with data errors and a lack of automation .
“ We are reliant on the dataset that ’ s coming into the laboratories and ensuring everything can be streamlined from start to finish .
This can be a small thing , an individual or human error at the start – from a data entry perspective it ’ s very difficult to catch that once it gets into th eprocess .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they come into the system.
” While the HSE is currently modelling based on 15,000 tests per day , giving around 450 positive results , Mr Reid said the model could be scaled up to react to higher levels of the disease in the population without missing the target .
“ The model we have put in place is there to scale up to whatever positivity levels rise within the community , so that ’ s what we have to build for , ” he said .
“ The higher positivity rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobilise to whatever the positivity is.
” Mr Reid said that politicians publicly setting targets which the HSE had struggled to meet is “ not particularly unhelpful ” .
“ For me it ’ s about getting to a model very quickly and can meet whatever volumes come along.
” Asked about data entry errors , the HSE clinical lead for testing Niamh O ’ Beirne said the main data enrtry is a phone number , and that data is missing around 10 per cent of the time .
Using other methods , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered 98 per cent of the time , and then “ there ’ s only about two per cent that remains where we have a challenge on phone numbers ” .
She said tracing would eventually be completed on these cases .
Asked about bringing the time for the process down to 24 hours , Mr Reid said that was not currently in the plan but it “ would be what I ’ m looking at in terms of a future model of operation ” .
“ There ’ s big issues here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish population across rural centres , the number of labs you would need have all across the country to have those swab results going straight to a lab.
” Dr Colm Henry , the chief clinical officer of the HSE , indicated widespread testing of healthcare workers is not under consideration , partially due to a relatively low positivity rate detected in healthcare workers during testing sweeps of nursing homes .
“ It ’ s unlikely that there ’ ll be widespread indiscriminate testing given the low positivity rate at this time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pattern of the disease , ” he said , adding they would be guided by public health opinion and advice .
Dr Henry said a seroprevalence study , detecting the levels of antibodies in the population , would indicate what the level of asymptomatic transmission is – and how widespread the disease is in the population .
“ It will inform us much more about how prevalent the disease has been in society.
” The design of the test is currently being finalised , he said .
“ Based on what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the nursing home population , we were reassured to say the least of the low level of positivity among healthcare workers and patients overall in the long-term residential care setting .
”

A new plan for Covid-19 testing is to be published on Thursday committing to a 72-hour turnaround time for the the completion of test and contact tracing, as well as the long-promised target of 100,000 tests per week. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Paul Reid has said a target will be introduced next week to turn around testing and tracing in 90 per cent of cases within three days.
Mr Reid acknowledged the service “needs to improve” its contact tracing and testing capacity and turnaround times.
Speaking at a HSE operational briefing in University College Dublin today, Mr Reid outlined a new road map for testing and tracing that has been agreed by the health service, the Government, the Department of Health and the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
“We need to improve where we’ve been at,” he said, while defending progress made to date. “We have faced very significant backlogs which resulted in a very poor experience for many people,” he said, adding the HSE had been “rightly judged and held to account”.
READ MORE
However, Mr Reid said the health service had met or exceeded all its targets on swabbing and testing capacity, as well as turnaround time for tests to be completed and contact tracing to be completed.
His comments come amid scrutiny of the State’s contact tracing and testing process, seen as a key element of relaxing restrictions on movement and other measures over the summer.
Experts have said current timelines are too slow relative to where they should be to help ensure the disease is kept under control as lockdown measures are relaxed.
According to documents presented by Mr Reid, by Monday, testing capacity will be 15,000 tests per day. Swab-to-result time will be between one and two days, and end-to-end turnaround times will be three days or less, the documents say.
On May 5th, the swab-to-result time was two to three days, and end-to-end turnaround time was around five days
Mr Reid said the HSE is now using a variety of different systems for testing and tracing, which can cause difficulties.
“What we are dealing with . . . is a whole history of legacy systems all across the country, adding there is a “range of separate systems” that often do not talk to each other. Mr Reid said increased automation will aid turnaround times.
Cillian De Gascun, head of the national virus reference laboratory and chair of the Coronavirus expert advisory group, emphasised the impact of problems with data errors and a lack of automation.
“We are reliant on the dataset that’s coming into the laboratories and ensuring everything can be streamlined from start to finish. This can be a small thing, an individual or human error at the start – from a data entry perspective it’s very difficult to catch that once it gets into th eprocess. It’s really key to get things correct when they come into the system.”
While the HSE is currently modelling based on 15,000 tests per day, giving around 450 positive results, Mr Reid said the model could be scaled up to react to higher levels of the disease in the population without missing the target.
“The model we have put in place is there to scale up to whatever positivity levels rise within the community, so that’s what we have to build for,” he said. “The higher positivity rates . . . we obviously have to mobilise to whatever the positivity is.”
Mr Reid said that politicians publicly setting targets which the HSE had struggled to meet is “not particularly unhelpful”.
“For me it’s about getting to a model very quickly and can meet whatever volumes come along.”
Asked about data entry errors, the HSE clinical lead for testing Niamh O’Beirne said the main data enrtry is a phone number, and that data is missing around 10 per cent of the time. Using other methods, contact details of a case can be gathered 98 per cent of the time, and then “there’s only about two per cent that remains where we have a challenge on phone numbers”. She said tracing would eventually be completed on these cases.
Asked about bringing the time for the process down to 24 hours, Mr Reid said that was not currently in the plan but it “would be what I’m looking at in terms of a future model of operation”.
“There’s big issues here in terms of the dispersal of the Irish population across rural centres, the number of labs you would need have all across the country to have those swab results going straight to a lab.”
Dr Colm Henry, the chief clinical officer of the HSE, indicated widespread testing of healthcare workers is not under consideration, partially due to a relatively low positivity rate detected in healthcare workers during testing sweeps of nursing homes.
“It’s unlikely that there’ll be widespread indiscriminate testing given the low positivity rate at this time. Of course that may change depending on the pattern of the disease,” he said, adding they would be guided by public health opinion and advice.
Dr Henry said a seroprevalence study, detecting the levels of antibodies in the population, would indicate what the level of asymptomatic transmission is – and how widespread the disease is in the population. “It will inform us much more about how prevalent the disease has been in society.”
The design of the test is currently being finalised, he said.
“Based on what we know from a different type of test in the nursing home population, we were reassured to say the least of the low level of positivity among healthcare workers and patients overall in the long-term residential care setting.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--Defence Forces trying to bring officers home from Congo amid safety fears

The Defence Forces has requested the urgent evacuation of Ireland ’ s peacekeeping contingent in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) amid growing fears for their safety during the coronavirus pandemic .
Two Irish army officers are among the almost 12,000 peacekeepers currently deployed to the United Nation ’ s MONUSCO mission in the central African country .
The Irish officers were due to rotate home as normal at the end of April but this was postponed following a request from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to suspend all peacekeeper rotations to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staff Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett and his general staff have alerted the Government of fears for the Irish officers ’ safety due to growing tensions in the country relating to the pandemic .
The Defence Forces has requested permission to evacuate the officers from the country as soon as possible .
It is understood British and Canadian troops have already been removed by their governments .
The Defence Forces has requested permission to deploy the Government jet , which is operated by the Air Corps , to fly the Irish peacekeepers out .
Senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perceived as Government delays in facilitating the removal of the officers , sources told The Irish Times .
The two Irish officers are not based in a secure compound .
Instead they live in an apartment in the city of Goma .
“ They are very exposed as none of the normal force protections are available to them , ” an informed source said .
Mistrust of foreigners , particularly westerners , has been growing in some African countries , including the DRC , since the start of the pandemic due in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to contract or spread the virus .
The tensions compound an already volatile political and ethic situation in the country .
In the last month some 200,000 people have fled their homes in the eastern DRC due to clashes between government troops and armed groups , the UN said .
“ In an already very volatile environment the locals are spooked over Covid-19 and are beginning to blame and target white foreigners , ” a source said .
The DRC has reported a relatively low number of Covid-19 infections to date- there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 deaths .
However , the country ’ s health system , which is already struggling to contain outbreaks of measles and ebola , is ill-equipped to deal with the virus and there is fear further spread could have a devastating effect on the region .
The Government jet , a Learjet 45 , is one of the few aircraft in the Irish fleet capable of flying to the DRC .
Even then it would have to make several refuelling stops .
Irish troops are normally rotated from the country on civilian flights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banned almost all air travel to and from Europe .
The Department of Defence has been approached for comment .
Irish peacekeepers in Mali and Kosovo have already been rotated home after the Government sought exemptions to the UN ’ s ban on troop movements .
Some 350 Irish personnel in Lebanon are expected to be flown home at the end of June and the start of July .

The Defence Forces has requested permission to deploy the Government jet, which is operated by the Air Corps and is the only aircraft in the corps’ fleet capable of making the journey. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times
The Government is making plans to rent an aircraft to evacuate Irish army officers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid growing fears for their safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
Two Irish army officers are among the almost 20,000 peacekeepers currently deployed to the United Nation's MONUSCO mission in the central African country. The act as observers in the city of Goma on the border with Rwanda.
The officers, a captain and a lieutenant colonel, were due to rotate home as normal around now but this was postponed for three months following a request from the UN Secretary to suspend all peacekeeper rotations to prevent the spread of coronavirus in developing nations.
However this week, Defence Forces Chief of Staff Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett told the Government there are immediate fears for the troops' safety due to growing tensions in the country relating to the pandemic. Other countries such as Canada and the UK have already evacuated their observers.
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Overnight stops
On Thursday it was confirmed Minister of State for Defence Paul Kehoe supports the chief of staff's proposal to remove the soldiers immediately and not replace them.
The Defence Forces has requested permission to deploy the Government jet, which is operated by the Air Corps, to fly the peacekeepers out but this request has not yet been granted due to the complexity of such an operation.
The jet, a Learjet 45, is the only aircraft in the Air Corps' fleet capable of making the journey. However the Department of Defence said that while it is capable of being deployed to the DRC, a repatriation operation would require refuelling stops in seven different airports as well as overnighting "at least twice".
It is understood at least four pilots would be required for the operation.
“The restrictions and isolation requirements in place in European and African countries as a result of Covid adds to the complexity of this option,” a spokeswoman said.
The Department said it has been working with the Department of Foreign Affairs to secure diplomatic clearances from various refuelling on the route to and from the DRC.
However it is understood officials now prefer the option of hiring a private aircraft with a much longer range instead.
The department spokeswoman said it is “examining the option the option of chartering an aircraft which would be capable of making the journey as a single flight.”
Frustration
Senior officers have expressed frustration at what is perceived as Government delay in facilitating an evacuation, sources told The Irish Times.
The dilemma posed by bringing troops home during the coronavirus crisis has highlighted the Defence Force’s lack of a strategic airlift capability.
Ireland is the only EU country without any long range troop transport aircraft. Typically the Defence Forces charter commercial planes or ask for assistance from other air forces to move troops internationally - two options which are now no longer available due to the crisis, the department said.
As a result, the 350 Irish troops currently deployed in Lebanon on the Unifil mission are unlikely to return home before late June. They were originally due home around mid-May.
In the Dáil on Thursday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he has asked Vice-Admiral Mellett to explore the possibility of buying an aircraft for troop transport. He said aircraft may be cheaper now that most commercial flights are grounded.
The two Irish officers in the DRC are armed but live in an apartment in Goma rather than a secure compound. “They are very exposed as none of the normal force protections are available to them,” a source said.
Mistrust of foreigners, particularly westerners has been growing in some African countries, including the DRC, since the start of the pandemic due in part to urban myths that westerners are more likely to contract or spread the virus.
The tensions compound an already volatile political and ethic situation in the country. In the last month some 200,000 people have fled their homes in the eastern DRC due to clashes between government troops and armed groups, the UN said.
“In an already very volatile environment the locals are spooked over Covid-19 and are beginning to blame and target white foreigners,” a source said.
The DRC has reported a relatively low number of Covid-19 infections to date- there have been about 1,200 reported infections and 50 deaths. However the country’s health system, which is already struggling to contain outbreaks of measles and Ebola, is ill equipped to deal with the virus and there is fear further spread could have a devastating effect on the region.
Irish peacekeepers in Mali and Kosovo were rotated home last month after the Government sought exemptions to the UN's ban on troop movements.


theirishtimes--2020-05-14--Government must rethink frontline childcare scheme, INMO says

The Government must now go back to the drawing board on childcare , the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation ( INMO ) has said .
A scheme to offer childcare to frontline workers has been scrapped after only six providers applied to participate .
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr Katherine Zappone announced the cancellation of the scheme on Wednesday evening , which would have seen childcare workers coming into the homes of healthcare workers to look after their children .
Concerns about infection risk and insurance issues were among the reasons cited for the low uptake of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
Phil Ní Sheaghdha , general secretary of the INMO , said if the Government wants as many frontline nurses and midwives at work “ they will have to offer an additional scheme to make it practical ” .
“ The government must go back to the drawing board .
Everyone wants to see a successful scheme , so we will be engaging constructively with the government to get this sorted , ” she said .
“ A key lesson from this process is that there should be constant engagement with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these schemes .
“ Until then , nurses and midwives with childcare difficulties can expect maximum flexibility to allow them to attend work .
Should that fail , they can remain home , awaiting remote work , with full pay .
This was negotiated between unions and employers in the past weeks .
Ms Ní Sheaghdha has called for funds originally allocated for the scheme to be reallocated to those paying “ over and above ” rates for childcare .
One nurse had been charged €110 per day to cover her 12 hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breakfast on Thursday .
Others had organised for family members to move into their home , to become part of their household , so they could look after their children .
Public service union Fórsa said the Government had “ let health workers down ” on childcare and must now commit to refunding additional childcare costs they have incurred since schools and creches closed .
“ It ’ s now nine weeks since schools and creches were closed .
At that time , the Government promised that it would help essential health workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive additional childcare costs in order to continue serving the public , ” a spokesman said .
“ The only practical solution now – to do right by staff and maximise the numbers available in our hospitals and community health settings – is for the Government to agree to meet the additional costs that essential health workers have incurred .
Labour ’ s justice , children and youth affairs spokesman Sean Sherlock said the terms of the scheme “ left too many questions unanswered ” .
“ This puts the other stages of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If there is no certainty now how can there be certainty before June 8th and then for June 29th .
This is deeply disappointing for working parents and puts working mothers in particular under further strain , ” Mr Sherlock said .
“ It ’ s a regressive social step and will plunge women backwards .
The Taoiseach needs to take ownership of this issue now .
It requires political leadership at the highest level .
The government can ’ t keep stringing parents and providers along.
’ ’ Sinn Féin leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to indemnify childcare providers to ensure that access to childcare was guaranteed and provided to workers on the frontline during the pandemic .
Nobody could provide a figure outlining how much this will cost , if insurance was called on , she told RTÉ ’ s Today programme on Thursday .
She said the first proposal to provide childcare solutions had fallen flat on its face and something needed to be done .
“ That was the responsible thing to do , ” she said .
Ms McDonald said that this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues with insurance and childcare providers , and it was worrying that it was rearing its head again .
Schools in Northern Ireland had remained open for children of frontline workers , she said .
Early Childhood Ireland has warned that if a decision is made to limit the numbers of children who can return to creches , it would have a “ dreadful knock-on effect ” on staff retention .
Frances Bryne , director of policy and advocacy at the organisation , said it is “ absolutely critical ” that the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health implications for creches as they reopen , such as whether ratios of staff to children would change and if it would be necessary to limit numbers .
This clarity will help proprietors to make decisions about staffing and funding , Ms Byrne said .
Karen Clince , chief executive of Tigers Childcare , which employs 183 staff , said the Government must “ think outside the box ” to bring back childcare services .
Ms Clince said a number of her staff had signed up for the government ’ s childcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt that it would be better for the government to look at “ hub situations ” .
Ms Clince has proposed there should be “ hubbed ” groups within specific rooms and no crossover of staff .
It would be wrong to bring children back and to expect them to adhere to social distancing , to “ not allow them to be normal , ” she told RTÉ ’ s Morning Ireland .

The Government must now go back to the drawing board on childcare, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said. Photograph: Edmond Terakopian/ PA Wire
The Government must now go back to the drawing board on childcare, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said.
A scheme to offer childcare to frontline workers has been scrapped after only six providers applied to participate.
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr Katherine Zappone announced the cancellation of the scheme on Wednesday evening, which would have seen childcare workers coming into the homes of healthcare workers to look after their children.
Concerns about infection risk and insurance issues were among the reasons cited for the low uptake of the scheme, which had due to begin on Monday.
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Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the INMO, said if the Government wants as many frontline nurses and midwives at work “they will have to offer an additional scheme to make it practical”.
“The government must go back to the drawing board. Everyone wants to see a successful scheme, so we will be engaging constructively with the government to get this sorted,” she said.
Lesson
“A key lesson from this process is that there should be constant engagement with unions and stakeholders in the design of these schemes.
“Until then, nurses and midwives with childcare difficulties can expect maximum flexibility to allow them to attend work. Should that fail, they can remain home, awaiting remote work, with full pay. This was negotiated between unions and employers in the past weeks.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha has called for funds originally allocated for the scheme to be reallocated to those paying “over and above” rates for childcare.
One nurse had been charged €110 per day to cover her 12 hour shift, Ms Ní Sheaghdha told Newstalk Breakfast on Thursday. Others had organised for family members to move into their home, to become part of their household, so they could look after their children.
Public service union Fórsa said the Government had “let health workers down” on childcare and must now commit to refunding additional childcare costs they have incurred since schools and creches closed.
“It’s now nine weeks since schools and creches were closed. At that time, the Government promised that it would help essential health workers, thousands of whom have since incurred massive additional childcare costs in order to continue serving the public,” a spokesman said.
“The only practical solution now – to do right by staff and maximise the numbers available in our hospitals and community health settings – is for the Government to agree to meet the additional costs that essential health workers have incurred.
Questions
Labour's justice, children and youth affairs spokesman Sean Sherlock said the terms of the scheme "left too many questions unanswered".
“This puts the other stages of opening up childcare for families in jeopardy. If there is no certainty now how can there be certainty before June 8th and then for June 29th. This is deeply disappointing for working parents and puts working mothers in particular under further strain,” Mr Sherlock said.
“It’s a regressive social step and will plunge women backwards. The Taoiseach needs to take ownership of this issue now. It requires political leadership at the highest level. The government can’t keep stringing parents and providers along.’’
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government would have to indemnify childcare providers to ensure that access to childcare was guaranteed and provided to workers on the frontline during the pandemic.
Nobody could provide a figure outlining how much this will cost, if insurance was called on, she told RTÉ’s Today programme on Thursday. She said the first proposal to provide childcare solutions had fallen flat on its face and something needed to be done. “That was the responsible thing to do,” she said.
Ms McDonald said that this was not the first time there had been issues with insurance and childcare providers, and it was worrying that it was rearing its head again. Schools in Northern Ireland had remained open for children of frontline workers, she said.
‘Knock-on effect’
Early Childhood Ireland has warned that if a decision is made to limit the numbers of children who can return to creches, it would have a “dreadful knock-on effect” on staff retention.
Frances Bryne, director of policy and advocacy at the organisation, said it is “absolutely critical” that the National Public Health Emergency Team provide clarity about public health implications for creches as they reopen, such as whether ratios of staff to children would change and if it would be necessary to limit numbers.
This clarity will help proprietors to make decisions about staffing and funding, Ms Byrne said.
Karen Clince, chief executive of Tigers Childcare, which employs 183 staff, said the Government must "think outside the box" to bring back childcare services.
Ms Clince said a number of her staff had signed up for the government’s childcare scheme for childcare workers, but she felt that it would be better for the government to look at “hub situations”.
Ms Clince has proposed there should be “hubbed” groups within specific rooms and no crossover of staff. It would be wrong to bring children back and to expect them to adhere to social distancing, to “not allow them to be normal,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.