theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Contributing factors to Covid-19 outbreaks at Mayo hospital identified

Several causes contributed to Covid-19 outbreaks at Mayo University Hospital including a lack of understanding of the virus and the importance of wearing face masks , a report has found .
Two outbreaks last April and May occurred on two inpatient wards leading to 75 confirmed cases , 33 among patients and 42 staff .
On April 24th Leaving Cert student Sally Maaz ( 17 ) died 10 days after being admitted to the hospital ’ s Covid-19 ward .
Her parents have raised questions over the circumstances of her death .
The case is not referenced in Thursday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) .
It conducted an unannounced visit last September to assess Covid-19 related aspects of management .
And while it found the hospital to be either compliant or substantially compliant in five of six areas , it raised concerns over its emergency department and addressed the causes of the earlier outbreaks .
“ Contributory factors [ to the outbreaks ] included key information deficits relating to the nature of the Sars-CoV-2 virus at that time , inclusive of the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing to prevent cross-transmission , ” it found .
Other factors included a delay in turnaround time for tests ( subsequently addressed with increased on-site capability ) , the absence of proper contact tracing , a lack of appropriate isolation facilities , staff crossover between wards and asymptomatic transmission to staff and patients .
During the course of this inspection , Hiqa noted the hospital had implemented several measures to reduce the likelihood of further outbreaks .
However , it said while affected areas of outbreak wards were subsequently closed , “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the wards remained open to admissions for two weeks afterwards .
Was there an overcrowding problem ?
The hospital was found to be non-compliant with standards governing infection prevention and control , specifically relating to overcrowding in its non-Covid emergency department A , where the original outbreak occurred .
“ Patients admitted .
.
.
had been boarded [ overnight ] on trolleys and chairs for extended periods of time , ” it said .
“ Patient placement within this department was not optimal from an infection prevention and control perspective as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cluttered .
Minimal spatial separation between trolleys did not comply with public health guidelines.
” By contrast , emergency department B , used for Covid patients , was found to have adhered to national guidelines on social distancing .
“ If further outbreaks are to be avoided the hospital must urgently address ongoing risks through improvements in the wider hospital infrastructure , addressing emergency department overcrowding , and through the early closure of outbreak wards to new admissions .
”

Emergency department B, used for coronavirus patients, was found to have adhered to guidelines on social distancing. File photograph: The Irish Times
Several causes contributed to Covid-19 outbreaks at Mayo University Hospital including a lack of understanding of the virus and the importance of wearing face masks, a report has found.
Two outbreaks last April and May occurred on two inpatient wards leading to 75 confirmed cases, 33 among patients and 42 staff.
On April 24th Leaving Cert student Sally Maaz (17) died 10 days after being admitted to the hospital's Covid-19 ward. Her parents have raised questions over the circumstances of her death.
The case is not referenced in Thursday’s inspection report on the hospital published by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).
READ MORE
It conducted an unannounced visit last September to assess Covid-19 related aspects of management. And while it found the hospital to be either compliant or substantially compliant in five of six areas, it raised concerns over its emergency department and addressed the causes of the earlier outbreaks.
“Contributory factors [to the outbreaks] included key information deficits relating to the nature of the Sars-CoV-2 virus at that time, inclusive of the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread, and the importance of mask wearing to prevent cross-transmission,” it found.
Other factors included a delay in turnaround time for tests (subsequently addressed with increased on-site capability), the absence of proper contact tracing, a lack of appropriate isolation facilities, staff crossover between wards and asymptomatic transmission to staff and patients.
During the course of this inspection, Hiqa noted the hospital had implemented several measures to reduce the likelihood of further outbreaks.
However, it said while affected areas of outbreak wards were subsequently closed, “it was of concern” that other areas of the wards remained open to admissions for two weeks afterwards.
Was there an overcrowding problem?
The hospital was found to be non-compliant with standards governing infection prevention and control, specifically relating to overcrowding in its non-Covid emergency department A, where the original outbreak occurred.
“Patients admitted . . . had been boarded [overnight] on trolleys and chairs for extended periods of time,” it said.
“Patient placement within this department was not optimal from an infection prevention and control perspective as overall the treatment areas were cramped and cluttered. Minimal spatial separation between trolleys did not comply with public health guidelines.”
By contrast, emergency department B, used for Covid patients, was found to have adhered to national guidelines on social distancing.
“If further outbreaks are to be avoided the hospital must urgently address ongoing risks through improvements in the wider hospital infrastructure, addressing emergency department overcrowding, and through the early closure of outbreak wards to new admissions.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Cork’s ‘Shakey Bridge’ reopens after €1.7m refurbishment

One of Cork ’ s most beloved landmarks , “ Shakey Bridge ” , is set to reopen to the public this weekend after a €1.7 million refurbishment in preparation for its centenary in a few years time .
Cork City Council began work in the autumn of 2019 on the refurbishment of Daly ’ s Bridge , affectionately known as the Shakey Bridge , to bring the pedestrian suspension bridge up to modern safety standards in preparation for its centenary in 2026 .
The only suspension bridge in Cork city , Daly ’ s Bridge , which has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the River Lee , links Sunday ’ s Well and Shanakiel on the city ’ s northside with Fitzgerald ’ s Park and the Mardyke and provides pedestrian access for many going to University College Cork .
Officially reopening the bridge at a Covid-19 compliant ceremony on Thursday , the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Joe Kavanagh noted Daly ’ s Bridge is the third heritage bridge in the city to be refurbished in recent years and follows work on St Patrick ’ s Bridge and St Vincent ’ s Bridge on North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen this bridge after works which will ensure it can be crossed and admired by many more generations of Corkonians .
Daly ’ s Bridge is the only suspension bridge in Cork and is unique in Ireland as the only surviving pedestrian suspension bridge of its type and age ” .
“ Its design , setting and high level of use have granted it a near iconic status amongst Cork people .
Its ‘ shakey ’ quality , which may not have been originally intended , has contributed in no small way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Local historian and member of Cork City Council , Cllr Kieran McCarthy explained that the bridge replaced an old ferry crossing where the ferry rights across the Lee were passed down from the Weber family to the Carlton family and then to the Dooley family who operated the service up 1921 .
Work commenced on the new bridge in the mid 1920s and the structure , suspended between two steel lattice towers at its northern and southern ends , was built in London by David Rowell & Company of Westminister to a specification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen W Farrington .
Daly ’ s Bridge was completed in 1926 and officially opened on April 9th , 1927 and was officially named after Cork butter merchant , James Daly , who lived at Dalymount on Strawberry Hill in nearby Shanakiel and offered to pay half the cost if it were to be built by Cork Corporation .
Cllr McCarthy , who described the bridge as being “ infused in the city ’ s DNA ” , explained that it got its nickname “ due to the fact that a large number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to GAA matches in the Mardyke .
Consequently , the bridge would shake with the masses of people walking across it.
” According to Cork City Council , Daly ’ s Bridge is included on its Record of Protected Structures and is recorded on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage where it has Artistic , Historical , Social and Technical categories of special interest , and a Regional significance rating .
Cork City Council explained that the refurbishment and conservation works , which were undertaken with funding assistance from the Department of Transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transport Authority , were aimed at repairing serious corrosion and extensive damage to the bridge .
“ Works commenced on site in August 2019 and in mid-September 2019 , the main bridge structure was dismantled in four sections , as per its original assembly , and transported off-site to the workshop of Mackey Plant Construction Limited in Nenagh , Co Tipperary .
“ In the period , late September 2019 to January 2020 , each of the four sections was extensively cleaned with all corrosion removed and all defective steelwork was sympathetically repaired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cork City Council in its statement .
In February 2020 , the four sections were transported to Rossaveal in Co Galway where a protective coating was applied to each section followed by layered repainting and each of the four sections was returned to site and re-erected with the final section bolted into position on March 16th , 2020 .
During the same time period on site , the southern ramp was demolished and rebuilt and the four main suspension cables were removed and replaced while both bridge towers were wrapped to prevent debris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with all corrosion removed .
Similar to the main bridge structure , all defective steelwork was sympathetically repaired with missing elements replaced followed by the application of a protective coating to each tower and layered repainting , added Cork City Council in its statement .

One of Cork’s most beloved landmarks, “Shakey Bridge”, is set to reopen to the public this weekend after a €1.7 million refurbishment in preparation for its centenary in a few years time.
Cork City Council began work in the autumn of 2019 on the refurbishment of Daly's Bridge, affectionately known as the Shakey Bridge, to bring the pedestrian suspension bridge up to modern safety standards in preparation for its centenary in 2026.
The only suspension bridge in Cork city, Daly's Bridge, which has a 50.9 metre-span over the north channel of the River Lee, links Sunday's Well and Shanakiel on the city's northside with Fitzgerald's Park and the Mardyke and provides pedestrian access for many going to University College Cork.
Officially reopening the bridge at a Covid-19 compliant ceremony on Thursday, the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Joe Kavanagh noted Daly's Bridge is the third heritage bridge in the city to be refurbished in recent years and follows work on St Patrick's Bridge and St Vincent's Bridge on North Mall.
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"I am delighted to reopen this bridge after works which will ensure it can be crossed and admired by many more generations of Corkonians. Daly's Bridge is the only suspension bridge in Cork and is unique in Ireland as the only surviving pedestrian suspension bridge of its type and age".
“Its design, setting and high level of use have granted it a near iconic status amongst Cork people. Its ‘shakey’ quality, which may not have been originally intended, has contributed in no small way to this significance,” he added.
Local historian and member of Cork City Council, Cllr Kieran McCarthy explained that the bridge replaced an old ferry crossing where the ferry rights across the Lee were passed down from the Weber family to the Carlton family and then to the Dooley family who operated the service up 1921.
New bridge
Work commenced on the new bridge in the mid 1920s and the structure, suspended between two steel lattice towers at its northern and southern ends, was built in London by David Rowell & Company of Westminister to a specification by the then Cork City Engineer, Stephen W Farrington.
Daly's Bridge was completed in 1926 and officially opened on April 9th, 1927 and was officially named after Cork butter merchant, James Daly, who lived at Dalymount on Strawberry Hill in nearby Shanakiel and offered to pay half the cost if it were to be built by Cork Corporation.
Cllr McCarthy, who described the bridge as being “infused in the city’s DNA”, explained that it got its nickname “due to the fact that a large number of people used the bridge to go to GAA matches in the Mardyke. Consequently, the bridge would shake with the masses of people walking across it.”
According to Cork City Council, Daly’s Bridge is included on its Record of Protected Structures and is recorded on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage where it has Artistic, Historical, Social and Technical categories of special interest, and a Regional significance rating.
Cork City Council explained that the refurbishment and conservation works, which were undertaken with funding assistance from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority, were aimed at repairing serious corrosion and extensive damage to the bridge.
"Works commenced on site in August 2019 and in mid-September 2019, the main bridge structure was dismantled in four sections, as per its original assembly, and transported off-site to the workshop of Mackey Plant Construction Limited in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
“In the period, late September 2019 to January 2020, each of the four sections was extensively cleaned with all corrosion removed and all defective steelwork was sympathetically repaired with missing elements replaced,” said Cork City Council in its statement.
In February 2020, the four sections were transported to Rossaveal in Co Galway where a protective coating was applied to each section followed by layered repainting and each of the four sections was returned to site and re-erected with the final section bolted into position on March 16th, 2020.
During the same time period on site, the southern ramp was demolished and rebuilt and the four main suspension cables were removed and replaced while both bridge towers were wrapped to prevent debris falling into the river and extensively cleaned with all corrosion removed.
Similar to the main bridge structure, all defective steelwork was sympathetically repaired with missing elements replaced followed by the application of a protective coating to each tower and layered repainting, added Cork City Council in its statement.


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Irish lorries face long traffic tailbacks heading to Holyhead port

Irish-bound lorries are facing seven-kilometre tailbacks into Holyhead as Brexit stockpiling , weather delays and the loss of a ferry to a Covid-19 outbreak is congesting the Welsh port .
Record levels of freight are moving across the Irish Sea in “ phenomenal ” volumes , one shipping industry insider said , ahead of new border controls taking effect with Brexit from January 1st .
The loss of a Belfast-bound Stena Line ferry from Birkenhead to a coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday forced hauliers to redirect to ferries out of Holyhead to Dublin Port .
Bad weather has forced the delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming congested , with traffic backed up to Junction 3 on the A55 main road through north Wales .
A spokesman for Stena Line Ports , which operates Holyhead port , said the delays were due to a combination of the three factors : bad weather , Brexit stockbuilding and the Covid outbreak .
He said Stena Line ’ s records for carrying freight across the Irish Sea had been broken for three weeks in a row with an “ absolutely massive ” 20 per cent increase in volumes on last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ times what they would normally bring in , ” he said .
No ferries were cancelled but there were long delays due to the adverse weather , the company said .
Stena ’ s ferry company hoped to have the Covid-striken vessel , the Stena Edda , back in service and operating on the Irish Sea route on Thursday night once a deep clean of the ship was completed .
“ Traffic is now moving as we are filling ferries , but obviously we will get another wave later , ” said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British port is a critical transit point for traders and transporters in the Republic and Northern Ireland shipping goods to and from Britain and mainland Europe .
Just over half of the goods passing through Dublin Port , the State ’ s busiest port , goes to Holyhead .
The congestion has resulted in delayed arrivals in Dublin Port , which one shipping source said emphasised the importance of the transit chain between the two ports ahead of Brexit happening .
Eugene Drennan , president of the Irish Road Haulage Association , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of worse traffic to come if hauliers faced severe post-Brexit checks on either side of the Irish Sea .
“ It is enough for weather to cause this without us causing own goals .
If we are not efficient and streamlined with Brexit , this is what we are facing , ” he said .
From January 1st , Irish traders and transport companies will not be permitted to ship goods or board Irish Sea ferries unless they have the correct customs documentation in place .
Seamus Leheny , policy manager with Logistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transport industry , said that many of the lorries in the Holyhead traffic jam are Northern Ireland trucks .
Shipping volumes were up 50 per cent with “ stockpiling an issue , ” he tweeted .
“ The tailbacks and congestion at Holyhead are worrying for Irish supply chains , both North and South as it ’ s the primary route for ‘ just-in-time ’ consumer goods so any delays will affect retail and manufacturing , ” he said .
“ We have many members raising concerns about this which is being fuelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Brexit transition phase .
”

The traffic into the the Welsh port is due to Brexit stockpiling, weather delays and the loss of a ferry to a Covid outbreak.
Irish-bound lorries are facing seven-kilometre tailbacks into Holyhead as Brexit stockpiling, weather delays and the loss of a ferry to a Covid-19 outbreak is congesting the Welsh port.
Record levels of freight are moving across the Irish Sea in “phenomenal” volumes, one shipping industry insider said, ahead of new border controls taking effect with Brexit from January 1st.
The loss of a Belfast-bound Stena Line ferry from Birkenhead to a coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday forced hauliers to redirect to ferries out of Holyhead to Dublin Port.
Bad weather has forced the delay of ferries leaving the Stena Line-owned port becoming congested, with traffic backed up to Junction 3 on the A55 main road through north Wales.
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A spokesman for Stena Line Ports, which operates Holyhead port, said the delays were due to a combination of the three factors: bad weather, Brexit stockbuilding and the Covid outbreak.
He said Stena Line’s records for carrying freight across the Irish Sea had been broken for three weeks in a row with an “absolutely massive” 20 per cent increase in volumes on last year.
“Some customers are bringing in six times what they would normally bring in,” he said.
Adverse weather
No ferries were cancelled but there were long delays due to the adverse weather, the company said.
Stena’s ferry company hoped to have the Covid-striken vessel, the Stena Edda, back in service and operating on the Irish Sea route on Thursday night once a deep clean of the ship was completed.
“Traffic is now moving as we are filling ferries, but obviously we will get another wave later,” said the spokesman for the ferry company.
The British port is a critical transit point for traders and transporters in the Republic and Northern Ireland shipping goods to and from Britain and mainland Europe.
Just over half of the goods passing through Dublin Port, the State’s busiest port, goes to Holyhead.
The congestion has resulted in delayed arrivals in Dublin Port, which one shipping source said emphasised the importance of the transit chain between the two ports ahead of Brexit happening.
Eugene Drennan, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said that delays into Holyhead were a forewarning of worse traffic to come if hauliers faced severe post-Brexit checks on either side of the Irish Sea.
“It is enough for weather to cause this without us causing own goals. If we are not efficient and streamlined with Brexit, this is what we are facing,” he said.
From January 1st, Irish traders and transport companies will not be permitted to ship goods or board Irish Sea ferries unless they have the correct customs documentation in place.
Seamus Leheny, policy manager with Logistics UK, a representative body for the transport industry, said that many of the lorries in the Holyhead traffic jam are Northern Ireland trucks.
Shipping volumes were up 50 per cent with “stockpiling an issue,” he tweeted.
“The tailbacks and congestion at Holyhead are worrying for Irish supply chains, both North and South as it’s the primary route for ‘just-in-time’ consumer goods so any delays will affect retail and manufacturing,” he said.
“We have many members raising concerns about this which is being fuelled by stockpiling in preparation for the end of the Brexit transition phase.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Referendum lowered bar for State intervention in child welfare, court hears

The Attorney General ’ s counsel has told the Supreme Court the 2012 children ’ s referendum may have resulted in a “ lower ” bar for State intervention in parental decisions affecting the health and safety of their children .
Article 42a – the 2015 ‘ child rights ’ constitutional amendment – marked a “ child-focused constitutional recalibration ” , Conleth Bradley SC , for the Attorney General , said .
When it comes to State intervention , Article 42a marked a shift to a more child-centred approach focused on a child ’ s safety and welfare , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proportionate ” State intervention in “ exceptional ” cases where there has been parental failure to the extent a child ’ s safety and welfare is likely to be prejudicially affected .
In exchanges with Mr Justice William McKechnie , counsel said this appeared to be a lower bar than existed prior to Article 42a .
The bar appeared to have dropped “ very significantly ” , the judge responded .
In his submissions , Mr Bradley stressed the Attorney General was not advocating for either side in an important appeal by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ contingency ” orders permitting a hospital treat him as it considers clinically appropriate .
The parents are concerned the hospital wants to administer certain pain-relieving treatments that can trigger respiratory distress and withhold invasive intensive care interventions should his condition substantially deteriorate .
They want him to get any treatment necessary to keep him alive .
The orders , including one making the boy – referred to as John – a ward of court , were granted by High Court president Ms Justice Mary Irvine .
The hospital has said it believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful recovery from catastrophic injuries suffered in a road crash last summer but the parents maintain it is too early to ascertain his prognosis and he should be given “ every chance ” .
John ’ s court-appointed guardian has supported the orders as in his best interests .
At the request of the Supreme Court , the Attorney General and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission ( IHREC ) were respectively involved in the appeal as a notice party and amicus curiae , assistant to the court on legal issues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Justice Donal O ’ Donnell , presiding , said the five-judge court will give judgment as soon as possible but the sides have liberty to apply .
Everyone in the case will be thinking in the coming weeks of John , his family and all providing care to him , he said .
A core issue in the case concerns the threshold for intervention by the State in relation to decisions by parents concerning the health and welfare of their children and the impact of Article 42a on that threshold .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” cases where parents fail in their duty towards their children to such extent the safety or welfare of their children “ is likely to be prejudicially affected ” , the State shall , “ by proportionate means as provided by law , endeavour to supply the place of the parents but always with due regard for the natural and imprescriptible rights of the child ” .
In submissions on Thursday for IRHEC , Michael Lynn SC said it was particularly concerned about the use of the High Court ’ s wardship jurisdiction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a lack of clarity ” about the legal basis of the jurisdiction to take minors into wardship and the orders made under that jurisdiction meant John ’ s parents had no legal authority to make decisions concerning his welfare , he said .
In exchanges with the judges , counsel accepted there were regular reviews of wards and John ’ s mother had been appointed as the committee to represent his interests in wardship .
In closing arguments for the mother , Siobhán Phelan SC said the combination of the orders granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the constitutionally impermissible effect of terminating John ’ s life .
The exercise of the wardship jurisdiction has a disproportionate effect and “ lays to waste ” the entirety of the rights between John and his parents , she also argued .
Closing the case for John ’ s father , Ciarán Craven SC argued the orders should also be refused on grounds they are unnecessary for reasons including the duty of doctors to respect their patients constitutional rights .

Checking the results following the passing of the children’s referendum, at the count centre at Dublin Castle in November 2012. File photograph: Eric Luke
The Attorney General's counsel has told the Supreme Court the 2012 children's referendum may have resulted in a "lower" bar for State intervention in parental decisions affecting the health and safety of their children.
Article 42a – the 2015 ‘child rights’ constitutional amendment – marked a “child-focused constitutional recalibration”, Conleth Bradley SC, for the Attorney General, said.
When it comes to State intervention, Article 42a marked a shift to a more child-centred approach focused on a child’s safety and welfare, he said. Article 42a provides for “proportionate” State intervention in “exceptional” cases where there has been parental failure to the extent a child’s safety and welfare is likely to be prejudicially affected.
In exchanges with Mr Justice William McKechnie, counsel said this appeared to be a lower bar than existed prior to Article 42a. The bar appeared to have dropped “very significantly”, the judge responded.
READ MORE
In his submissions, Mr Bradley stressed the Attorney General was not advocating for either side in an important appeal by the parents of a catastrophically injured boy against “contingency” orders permitting a hospital treat him as it considers clinically appropriate.
The parents are concerned the hospital wants to administer certain pain-relieving treatments that can trigger respiratory distress and withhold invasive intensive care interventions should his condition substantially deteriorate. They want him to get any treatment necessary to keep him alive.
The orders, including one making the boy – referred to as John – a ward of court, were granted by High Court president Ms Justice Mary Irvine.
The hospital has said it believes John has no prospect of making a meaningful recovery from catastrophic injuries suffered in a road crash last summer but the parents maintain it is too early to ascertain his prognosis and he should be given “every chance”.
John’s court-appointed guardian has supported the orders as in his best interests.
At the request of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) were respectively involved in the appeal as a notice party and amicus curiae, assistant to the court on legal issues.
After the three-day appeal concluded on Thursday, Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell, presiding, said the five-judge court will give judgment as soon as possible but the sides have liberty to apply. Everyone in the case will be thinking in the coming weeks of John, his family and all providing care to him, he said.
A core issue in the case concerns the threshold for intervention by the State in relation to decisions by parents concerning the health and welfare of their children and the impact of Article 42a on that threshold.
Article 42a provides, in “exceptional” cases where parents fail in their duty towards their children to such extent the safety or welfare of their children “is likely to be prejudicially affected”, the State shall, “by proportionate means as provided by law, endeavour to supply the place of the parents but always with due regard for the natural and imprescriptible rights of the child”.
In submissions on Thursday for IRHEC, Michael Lynn SC said it was particularly concerned about the use of the High Court’s wardship jurisdiction to make the orders. There is “a lack of clarity” about the legal basis of the jurisdiction to take minors into wardship and the orders made under that jurisdiction meant John’s parents had no legal authority to make decisions concerning his welfare, he said.
In exchanges with the judges, counsel accepted there were regular reviews of wards and John’s mother had been appointed as the committee to represent his interests in wardship.
In closing arguments for the mother, Siobhán Phelan SC said the combination of the orders granted to the hospital permit treatment which may have the constitutionally impermissible effect of terminating John’s life. The exercise of the wardship jurisdiction has a disproportionate effect and “lays to waste” the entirety of the rights between John and his parents, she also argued.
Closing the case for John’s father, Ciarán Craven SC argued the orders should also be refused on grounds they are unnecessary for reasons including the duty of doctors to respect their patients constitutional rights.


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Concern over doubling of motorists caught drug-driving during pandemic

The number of motorists caught drug-driving has more than doubled this year , which gardaí link to people driving home after house parties , due to restrictions on pubs and nightclubs during Covid-19 .
Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau , said people were now more likely to be taking drugs at house parties , as drink-only pubs and nightclubs were shut .
Rather than taking a taxi home from the pub or club , people were then driving home themselves , he said .
“ We have to look at Covid and people ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licensed premises are closed , people are drinking at home , ” he said .
“ While the number of people caught drink-driving has reduced broadly in line with traffic volumes , the same can not be said of those who have been caught drug-driving , ” he said .
Det Supt McMahon was speaking at the launch of a new road safety campaign appealing for people to drive responsibly over the Christmas period , along with officials from the Road Safety Authority ( RSA ) and Dublin Fire Brigade .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speeding in recent months , traffic volumes have reduced by almost 30 per cent throughout the year , and yet the numbers of people being caught speeding has increased by 25 per cent , ” he said .
Sam Waide , RSA chief executive , said there had been a 113 per cent increase in motorists caught drug-driving this year , compared to 2019 .
Despite the drop in traffic levels during periods of lockdown , 143 people had been killed on the roads to date this year , 12 more than last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of fatal traffic collisions was “ unsettling and concerning , ” given overall traffic volumes had fallen .
“ Despite the travel restrictions , lockdowns , reduction in traffic volumes this year due to Covid-19 , road deaths are up , ” he said .
While there was less traffic on the roads , it appeared motorists who were driving were more likely to speed , he said .
The road safety official said a “ large number ” of those killed in traffic collisions this year had been pedestrians .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatalities can be linked to lots of people having been walking and exercising on the roads this year compared to previous years , ” he said .
The coming Christmas period was always a “ high risk ” time on the roads , Mr Waide said .
Eighteen people had been killed in road traffic collisions between St Stephen ’ s Day and New Year ’ s Day in the last five years .
Det Supt McMahon said vehicle passengers had also accounted for a high proportion of those killed in collisions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ still not wearing seatbelts ” .
A number of new advertisements will run in the coming weeks , as part of the road safety campaign , featuring testimony from emergency service responders appealing for people to drive safely .

The number of motorists caught drug-driving has more than doubled this year, which gardaí link to people driving home after house parties, due to restrictions on pubs and nightclubs during Covid-19.
Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, said people were now more likely to be taking drugs at house parties, as drink-only pubs and nightclubs were shut.
Rather than taking a taxi home from the pub or club, people were then driving home themselves, he said.
“We have to look at Covid and people’s behaviours during Covid, so our licensed premises are closed, people are drinking at home,” he said.
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“While the number of people caught drink-driving has reduced broadly in line with traffic volumes, the same cannot be said of those who have been caught drug-driving,” he said.
Det Supt McMahon was speaking at the launch of a new road safety campaign appealing for people to drive responsibly over the Christmas period, along with officials from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Dublin Fire Brigade.
“We’ve seen high numbers of drivers speeding in recent months, traffic volumes have reduced by almost 30 per cent throughout the year, and yet the numbers of people being caught speeding has increased by 25 per cent,” he said.
Sam Waide, RSA chief executive, said there had been a 113 per cent increase in motorists caught drug-driving this year, compared to 2019.
Despite the drop in traffic levels during periods of lockdown, 143 people had been killed on the roads to date this year, 12 more than last year.
Mr Waide said the higher number of fatal traffic collisions was “unsettling and concerning,” given overall traffic volumes had fallen.
“Despite the travel restrictions, lockdowns, reduction in traffic volumes this year due to Covid-19, road deaths are up,” he said.
While there was less traffic on the roads, it appeared motorists who were driving were more likely to speed, he said.
The road safety official said a “large number” of those killed in traffic collisions this year had been pedestrians.
“We do know that increase in pedestrian fatalities can be linked to lots of people having been walking and exercising on the roads this year compared to previous years,” he said.
The coming Christmas period was always a “high risk” time on the roads, Mr Waide said. Eighteen people had been killed in road traffic collisions between St Stephen’s Day and New Year’s Day in the last five years.
Det Supt McMahon said vehicle passengers had also accounted for a high proportion of those killed in collisions in 2020, which he attributed to people “still not wearing seatbelts”.
A number of new advertisements will run in the coming weeks, as part of the road safety campaign, featuring testimony from emergency service responders appealing for people to drive safely.


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Almost 3,000 grocery vouchers handed out at Capuchin Centre

Almost 3,000 grocery vouchers , in lieu of Christmas hampers , were provided to some of Dublin ’ s poorest households at the Capuchin Day Centre on Friday .
Doors at the Bow Street premises opened at 8am and the socially-distanced queue moved quickly as people collected the small white envelopes containing the credit-card sized vouchers .
Though the centre had continued providing take-away breakfasts and lunches through the pandemic , and grocery parcels every Wednesday , a decision was taken to provide €40 Supervalu vouchers instead of hampers this year .
“ Normally we would have about 70 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because of the Covid we just couldn ’ t have that this year , ” explains volunteer co-ordinator Alan Bailey .
“ Brother Kevin took the decision on the vouchers .
We bought about €120,000 worth .
The €40 probably is worth more than the hampers would , but for this Christmas more than ever people will need it.
” Blue tickets for the “ hampers ” were offered to anyone collecting parcels over the last two Wednesdays .
People were not told they would in fact be getting vouchers , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Mr Bailey .
As a result some appear somewhat confused when handed the envelope at the hatch .
“ I thought it was a Christmas card to be honest , ” says one elderly man .
When he realises what it is he adds : “ I don ’ t mind the voucher instead to be honest .
I am a diabetic so I wouldn ’ t want biscuits , sweets , chocolates that we usually get in with the other food .
I am not in too much need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years and they always welcome me because I have no family.
” Marie McKenna ( 84 ) however would have preferred the hamper .
“ I brought my trolley in and all , but I suppose it doesn ’ t make much difference.
” A former hospital cleaner – “ my last job was in St Brendan ’ s hospital ” – she lives with her son in nearby Wolfe Tone Street .
“ He is very good to me .
He ’ s a chef – can ’ t get work at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money every week .
I get the pension .
“ This year has been very bad .
Money is tight and I have had a few falls so I have to watch myself.
” Asked how they will spend Christmas she says they may go to Knights of Columbanus dinner , which will be a take-away service at the Mansion House .
Then they will visit her mother ’ s grave .
“ I miss her very much , ” she says .
Maggie , a mother of three children , aged 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ every Wednesday ” for the parcels .
“ The few bits inside of it are brilliant – the tea bags , the sugar .
It means you don ’ t have to buy those things and you have that for other things .
The children are at very expensive ages , trust me .
I am on my own , so I need this , ” she says looking at the envelope .
“ It is hard going.
” A retired mechanic tells how he comes once a week from Carlow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It helps me out because my circumstances aren ’ t the best .
I had my house repaired but for the last three years I had broken windows and no heating.
” Asked how his year has been he says : “ I ’ ve had worse ones .
I went through so much in life there ’ s nothing worries me these days.
” “ My father used to say to me : ‘ If you ’ re homeless or a multi-millionaire , once you have a dry bed and food in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad .
Every day then is a blessing.
” .
He becomes upset talking about family he rarely sees .
“ Ah just a little bit emotional .
I leave the old memories behind me but sometimes they come back .
A lot of things go through your mind when you ’ re on your own .
It ’ s nice to talk.
” The Centre closes on Christmas Day , reopening for breakfast at 8 am on St Stephen ’ s Day .

Alan Bailey Manager at the Capuchin Day Centre, Bow Street, handing out Supervalue Gift cards to the value of 40 euros due to Covid 19 instead of the traditional Christmas hamper. Photograph: Alan Betson
Almost 3,000 grocery vouchers, in lieu of Christmas hampers, were provided to some of Dublin’s poorest households at the Capuchin Day Centre on Friday.
Doors at the Bow Street premises opened at 8am and the socially-distanced queue moved quickly as people collected the small white envelopes containing the credit-card sized vouchers.
Though the centre had continued providing take-away breakfasts and lunches through the pandemic, and grocery parcels every Wednesday, a decision was taken to provide €40 Supervalu vouchers instead of hampers this year.
"Normally we would have about 70 people in the day before packing the hampers. Because of the Covid we just couldn't have that this year," explains volunteer co-ordinator Alan Bailey.
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“Brother Kevin took the decision on the vouchers. We bought about €120,000 worth. The €40 probably is worth more than the hampers would, but for this Christmas more than ever people will need it.”
Blue tickets for the “hampers” were offered to anyone collecting parcels over the last two Wednesdays. People were not told they would in fact be getting vouchers, “to avoid numbers getting out of hand,” says Mr Bailey. As a result some appear somewhat confused when handed the envelope at the hatch.
“I thought it was a Christmas card to be honest,” says one elderly man. When he realises what it is he adds: “I don’t mind the voucher instead to be honest. I am a diabetic so I wouldn’t want biscuits, sweets, chocolates that we usually get in with the other food. I am not in too much need. I have been coming here for years and they always welcome me because I have no family.”
Marie McKenna (84) however would have preferred the hamper. "I brought my trolley in and all, but I suppose it doesn't make much difference." A former hospital cleaner – "my last job was in St Brendan's hospital" – she lives with her son in nearby Wolfe Tone Street.
“He is very good to me. He’s a chef – can’t get work at the minute. He gives me his money every week. I get the pension.
“This year has been very bad. Money is tight and I have had a few falls so I have to watch myself.” Asked how they will spend Christmas she says they may go to Knights of Columbanus dinner, which will be a take-away service at the Mansion House. Then they will visit her mother’s grave. “I miss her very much,” she says.
Maggie, a mother of three children, aged 12 to 16, comes to the centre “every Wednesday” for the parcels. “The few bits inside of it are brilliant – the tea bags, the sugar. It means you don’t have to buy those things and you have that for other things. The children are at very expensive ages, trust me. I am on my own, so I need this,” she says looking at the envelope. “It is hard going.”
A retired mechanic tells how he comes once a week from Carlow, using his free travel pass. “It helps me out because my circumstances aren’t the best. I had my house repaired but for the last three years I had broken windows and no heating.” Asked how his year has been he says: “I’ve had worse ones. I went through so much in life there’s nothing worries me these days.”
“My father used to say to me: ‘If you’re homeless or a multi-millionaire, once you have a dry bed and food in your tummy you’re not too bad. Every day then is a blessing.”. He becomes upset talking about family he rarely sees. “Ah just a little bit emotional. I leave the old memories behind me but sometimes they come back. A lot of things go through your mind when you’re on your own. It’s nice to talk.”
The Centre closes on Christmas Day, reopening for breakfast at 8 am on St Stephen’s Day.


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Man who watched girl being abused on video call gets five years

A man who went on a video call with other men to watch a young Irish girl being sexually abused by her stepfather has been jailed for five years .
David Kelly ( 38 ) appeared at Donegal Circuit Court where he was charged with two charges of possession of child pornography and two charges of distribution of child pornography .
Kelly , from Magheracar Cottages , Bundoran , was caught with more than 2,000 images of children being abused as well as videos of similar abuse .
Kelly was caught when the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children had been uploaded to a certain IP address .
When gardaí raided his house on April 11th , 2016 , he ran to the bathroom and tried to hide a laptop under the bath .
Gardaí managed to access the computer and other software and Kelly made full admissions .
On May 17th , 2016 , Kelly went to gardaí and provided them with details of his activities and those of a man in Dublin .
The man was secretly filming his step-daughter as he abused her and was sharing the images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garda Mark Deavin told the court the Dublin man had since been convicted in the courts .
He revealed how Kelly and the other man , who can not be named , shared 84 files between two online accounts , 74 of these were sent from Kelly and the Dublin man sent 10 files back .
All these files contained images of sexual abuse as well as movies of children being sexually abused .
Of 180 movies found on Kelly ’ s computers , 145 were category one which meant they depicted children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with children or adults .
The other 35 movies were classed in category 2 which showed children ’ s genital or anal area but which did not show any sexual abuse .
Barrister Patricia McLaughlin , for the State , also said there were transcripts of Skype calls between Kelly and the other man with references to drugging the 13-year-old so that she could be raped .
Kelly is also heard asking the man to drug and rape the child and requests that he record it on Skype so that it can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking the Dublin man to film himself abusing his nieces who were between three and five years old .
Barrister for Kelly , Declan McHugh , said he was not trying to excuse or lessen the seriousness of what Kelly had done and the effects it had had on all the children involved .
He said his client was a changed man .
“ He is deeply remorseful and ashamed of what he has done and is under no illusions about the gravity of it .
He knows that society views these actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale of offences that we know , ” said Mr McHugh .
Kelly had worked for 14 years in Dublin ’ s Four Seasons Hotel but had returned to the seaside town in which he grew up .
Judge John Aylmer said that the offences merited sentences of eight years , and five years putting them at both the higher range and mid-range of such offences .
He said the case deserved a sentence of eight years in prison .
However , in mitigation , he said Kelly came before the court with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ashamed , had co-operated fully with gardaí and had received up to 36 counselling sessions as part of his rehabilitation .
He said he would reduce the sentence to six years in prison with the final year suspended upon agreement that the accused be of good behaviour for two years after he is released .
Kelly will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years .

David Kelly (38) at Donegal Circuit Court on Friday. He was jailed for five years on two charges of possession of child pornography and two charges of distribution of child pornography. Photograph: North West Newspix
A man who went on a video call with other men to watch a young Irish girl being sexually abused by her stepfather has been jailed for five years.
David Kelly (38) appeared at Donegal Circuit Court where he was charged with two charges of possession of child pornography and two charges of distribution of child pornography.
Kelly, from Magheracar Cottages, Bundoran, was caught with more than 2,000 images of children being abused as well as videos of similar abuse.
Kelly was caught when the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children received a report that two images of children had been uploaded to a certain IP address.
READ MORE
When gardaí raided his house on April 11th, 2016, he ran to the bathroom and tried to hide a laptop under the bath.
Gardaí managed to access the computer and other software and Kelly made full admissions. On May 17th, 2016, Kelly went to gardaí and provided them with details of his activities and those of a man in Dublin.
The man was secretly filming his step-daughter as he abused her and was sharing the images and videos online with others.
Det Garda Mark Deavin told the court the Dublin man had since been convicted in the courts.
He revealed how Kelly and the other man, who cannot be named, shared 84 files between two online accounts, 74 of these were sent from Kelly and the Dublin man sent 10 files back.
All these files contained images of sexual abuse as well as movies of children being sexually abused.
Of the 180 movies found on Kelly’s computers, 145 were category one which meant they depicted children under 17 years engaging in sexual acts with children or adults.
The other 35 movies were classed in category 2 which showed children’s genital or anal areas but which did not show any sexual abuse.
Barrister Patricia McLaughlin, for the State, also said there were transcripts of Skype calls between Kelly and the other man with references to drugging the 13-year-old so that she could be raped.
Kelly is also heard asking the man to drug and rape the child and requests that he record it on Skype so that it can be shared.
The accused was also recorded asking the Dublin man to film himself abusing his nieces who were between three and five years old.
‘Changed man’
Barrister for Kelly, Declan McHugh, said he was not trying to excuse or lessen the seriousness of what Kelly had done and the effects it had had on all the children involved. He said his client was a changed man.
“He is deeply remorseful and ashamed of what he has done and is under no illusions about the gravity of it. He knows that society views these actions against children right up there on the scale of offences that we know,” said Mr McHugh.
Kelly had worked for 14 years in Dublin’s Four Seasons Hotel but had returned to the seaside town in which he grew up.
Judge John Aylmer said the offences merited sentences of eight years and five years, putting them at both the higher range and mid-range of such offences.
He said the case deserved a sentence of eight years in prison.
However, in mitigation, he said Kelly came before the court with no previous convictions, was remorseful and ashamed, had co-operated fully with gardaí and had received up to 36 counselling sessions as part of his rehabilitation.
He said he would reduce the sentence to six years in prison with the final year suspended upon agreement that the accused be of good behaviour for two years after he is released.
Kelly will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Cyberpunk 2077: A buggy mess

Cyberpunk 2077: A buggy mess

From the first moments of Cyberpunk 2077 , gamers are immediately greeted with a retro-style 1980s vision of the future .
Little did they realise it would be so retro on Playstation 4 that the game would look like a Playstation 3 game at best and run even worse than that .
Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 [ base console ] is a buggy mess and a crash course in how to ruin a good game .
Literally .
The game crashed several times while playing , while friends and online users complained of similar issues .
The issues were so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cyberpunk 2077 from its digital Playstation store following a deluge of complaints .
The game deservedly attracted massive hype .
Blade Runner meets Grand Theft Auto , from CD Projekt Red the makers of the acclaimed The Witcher 3 , it caught the world ’ s attention from its first teaser trailer in 2013 .
For a game that took so long to be released , and was delayed three times this year alone , it plays like a game that missed a crucial stage of production and needed another few months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went back on its word and made the unpopular industry “ crunch ” time for workers mandatory during game development and had devs working excessive overtime to finish the game .
The promotional material for the game suggested stunning graphics , taken from high-end PCs , promising something that 41 per cent of those who pre-ordered the game , for a console , will never see .
All in all , it seems the game production disaster equivalent of Apocalypse Now .
Like Apocalypse Now , the ambition of Cyberpunk can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially disappointing when there are many things to commend .
The score and setting successfully creates a haunting dystopian futuristic vibe .
Keenu Reeves leads an excellent acting performance and the eclectic mix of characters you meet along the way are well developed .
The game begins with the selection of one of three lifepaths for the player character V ( voiced by Irish actor Gavin Drea if you choose a male character ) : Nomad , Streetkid , or Corpo .
This promises divergent story paths early on but they all somewhat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line .
The main story is intriguing , boosted by a multitude of ways to complete various missions that is quite impressive .
The game shines when it sticks to closed indoor areas that take in less of the buggy open world , where inventive dialogue sets missions up nicely .
Missions are varied and fun and well-placed within the cyberpunk genre , even if sometimes it is hard at the beginning to keep up with the techno jargon .
Outside of the main story , the world is teeming with side-plots from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odd jobs around the city , with many monetary rewards to be obtained .
The game is branded as an RPG but the options to develop your character are a little shallow after the opening selection .
However , the variety of ways to improve your character ’ s skills through experience points and perks , choosing what V will excel at , scratches the RPG itch and an assortment of weapon modifications help make the quick-fire combat one of the stronger aspects of the game .
Driving in Night City is overly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the wanted system after committing a crime is erratic .
In general , travelling around Night City is not as compelling to explore as it should be due to the unacceptable level of performance on PS4 – glitches are plentiful and , even aside from technical issues , NPCs lack the level of detail set by other open-world games .
Overall , this is no last hurrah for the Playstation 4 .
It is hard to imagine this as the ground-breaking game to “ change the industry ” as was promised by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – but there is still potential for it to be one of the better games of the first year of the Playstation 5 when it is released in 2021 , should the considerable performance issues be addressed .
Those that question the capabilities of “ seven-year-old hardware ” need only look at the flawless and beautiful PS4 worlds created this year in Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part II .
It is not an acceptable excuse to blame the “ dated ” hardware of the PS4 when that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was originally going to be released in April 2020 .
A significant patch may somewhat salvage the last-gen consoles , but currently it is impossible to recommend a AAA game with such issues .
Wait on significant fixes , or even better yet wait for the PS5 version , before you buy .

For a game that took so long to be released, and was delayed three times this year alone, it plays like a game that missed a crucial stage of production. Photograph: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)
Cyberpunk 2077      Publisher : CD Projekt Red Reviewed On : Playstation 4 Cert : 18 Available On : Xbox One,Playstation 4
From the first moments of Cyberpunk 2077, gamers are immediately greeted with a retro-style 1980s vision of the future. Little did they realise it would be so retro on Playstation 4 that the game would look like a Playstation 3 game at best and run even worse than that.
Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 [base console] is a buggy mess and a crash course in how to ruin a good game. Literally. The game crashed several times while playing, while friends and online users complained of similar issues.
The issues were so bad it has led to Sony removing Cyberpunk 2077 from its digital Playstation store following a deluge of complaints.
The game deservedly attracted massive hype. Blade Runner meets Grand Theft Auto, from CD Projekt Red the makers of the acclaimed The Witcher 3, it caught the world’s attention from its first teaser trailer in 2013. For a game that took so long to be released, and was delayed three times this year alone, it plays like a game that missed a crucial stage of production and needed another few months of testing.
READ MORE
This comes after the studio went back on its word and made the unpopular industry “crunch” time for workers mandatory during game development and had devs working excessive overtime to finish the game. The promotional material for the game suggested stunning graphics, taken from high-end PCs, promising something that 41 per cent of those who pre-ordered the game, for a console, will never see.
The graphics of Cyberpunk 2077 do not match up to other AAA games on the PS4
All in all, it seems the game production disaster equivalent of Apocalypse Now. Like Apocalypse Now, the ambition of Cyberpunk cannot be faulted, and the performance issues are especially disappointing when there are many things to commend. The score and setting successfully creates a haunting dystopian futuristic vibe. Keanu Reeves leads an excellent acting performance and the eclectic mix of characters you meet along the way are well developed.
The game begins with the selection of one of three lifepaths for the player character V (voiced by Irish actor Gavin Drea if you choose a male character): Nomad, Streetkid, or Corpo. This promises divergent story paths early on but they all somewhat disappointingly lead to the same main plot line.
The main story is intriguing, boosted by a multitude of ways to complete various missions that is quite impressive. The game shines when it sticks to closed indoor areas that take in less of the buggy open world, where inventive dialogue sets missions up nicely. Missions are varied and fun and well-placed within the cyberpunk genre, even if sometimes it is hard at the beginning to keep up with the techno jargon.
Outside of the main story, the world is teeming with side-plots from fixers looking for you to deliver on odd jobs around the city, with many monetary rewards to be obtained.
The Afterlife bar in Cyberpunk 2077
The game is branded as an RPG but the options to develop your character are a little shallow after the opening selection. However, the variety of ways to improve your character’s skills through experience points and perks, choosing what V will excel at, scratches the RPG itch and an assortment of weapon modifications help make the quick-fire combat one of the stronger aspects of the game.
Driving in Night City is overly sensitive at times with odd physics, while the wanted system after committing a crime is erratic. In general, travelling around Night City is not as compelling to explore as it should be due to the unacceptable level of performance on PS4 – glitches are plentiful and, even aside from technical issues, NPCs lack the level of detail set by other open-world games.
Keenu Reeves features in the game as Johnny Silverhands
Overall, this is no last hurrah for the Playstation 4. It is hard to imagine this as the ground-breaking game to “change the industry” as was promised by some – even on more powerful hardware – but there is still potential for it to be one of the better games of the first year of the Playstation 5 when it is released in 2021, should the considerable performance issues be addressed.
Those that question the capabilities of “seven-year-old hardware” need only look at the flawless and beautiful PS4 worlds created this year in Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part II. It is not an acceptable excuse to blame the “dated” hardware of the PS4 when that it is the largest market for a game that was originally going to be released in April 2020.
A significant patch may somewhat salvage the last-gen consoles, but currently it is impossible to recommend a AAA game with such issues. Wait on significant fixes, or even better yet wait for the PS5 version, before you buy.


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Bacteria which can reduce appetite in obese people and ease ‘stress eating’ is identified

A strain of bacteria identified in UCC has potential to be used as a probiotic to reduce appetite in obese people and to ease “ stress eating ” associated with feeling overweight .
Known as Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 , it also has huge implications for people with type 2 diabetes , notably in helping to control blood glucose , according research findings published on Friday .
Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 ; most of the world ’ s population now live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight – a trend seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge because it substantially increases the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes .
In recent years , prevalence of type 2 diabetes has soared worldwide with approximately 462 million individuals affected , corresponding to 6.28 per cent of the world ’ s population .
A team led by Dr Harriet Schellekens at the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre identified Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 to be an important regulator of appetite and metabolism during laboratory studies .
Researchers at the centre have gone on to prove the benefit in a human clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who were overweight or obese , their research published the Lancet journal , eBioMedicine , shows the novel bacterial strain Bifidobacterium Longum APC1472 reduced their fasting blood glucose levels and could normalise active levels of both ghrelin , a hormone signalling hunger , and the stress hormone cortisol – both of which are altered in obesity .
While no effect was seen in reducing weight gain in humans , initial research showed the bacterium reduced weight gain and fat deposit size in obese mice .
“ This study shows that B. longum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a valuable probiotic supplement to reduce blood glucose , which is important in the development of conditions such as type 2 diabetes , ” Dr Schellekens said .
“ This study is the first of its kind demonstrating the translation of a Bifidobacterium longum species ... from initial laboratory studies through pre-clinical studies to a human intervention study.
” Dr Schellekens ’ lab catalogues bacteria , and uses screening techniques to identify strains that potentially can bring benefits to humans , by deploying an exhaustive “ bugs to drugs ” approach in developing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has been known for a long time that stress and obesity are linked , she explained .
While stress can suppress appetite in the short-term , chronic stress is known to increase cortisol which increases appetite ; hence the phrase “ stress eating ” .
“ This research shows B.Longum APC1472 plays an important role in keeping our ‘ hunger hormone ’ , ghrelin , in check , and lowers our stress hormone , cortisol , ” she added – the hormone being the critical interface between “ food and mood ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the strain in a probiotic supplement “ can indeed be useful in the fight against obesity , ” said Prof John Cryan , joint senior-author of the study .
The findings reinforced the concept of the link between the gut microbiome ( microbes living in the digestive tract ) , metabolic disease and mental health , which is a growing area of research , he added .
Prof Timothy Dinan , chief investigator on the clinical aspect of the research , said the findings are solid , but warrant further investigation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use as a psychobiotic to improve mental health ” .

Bifidobacterium longum APC1472, it also has huge implications for people with type 2 diabetes, notably in helping to control blood glucose, according research findings published on Friday. Photograph: iStock
A strain of bacteria identified in UCC has potential to be used as a probiotic to reduce appetite in obese people and to ease “stress eating” associated with feeling overweight.
Known as Bifidobacterium longum APC1472, it also has huge implications for people with type 2 diabetes, notably in helping to control blood glucose, according research findings published on Friday.
Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980; most of the world's population now live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight – a trend seen in Ireland.
It is a major health challenge because it substantially increases the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. In recent years, prevalence of type 2 diabetes has soared worldwide with approximately 462 million individuals affected, corresponding to 6.28 per cent of the world’s population.
READ MORE
A team led by Dr Harriet Schellekens at the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre identified Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 to be an important regulator of appetite and metabolism during laboratory studies. Researchers at the centre have gone on to prove the benefit in a human clinical trial.
In a group of healthy people who were overweight or obese, their research published the Lancet journal, eBioMedicine, shows the novel bacterial strain Bifidobacterium Longum APC1472 reduced their fasting blood glucose levels and could normalise active levels of both ghrelin, a hormone signalling hunger, and the stress hormone cortisol – both of which are altered in obesity.
While no effect was seen in reducing weight gain in humans, initial research showed the bacterium reduced weight gain and fat deposit size in obese mice.
“This study shows that B. longum APC1472 has potential to be developed as a valuable probiotic supplement to reduce blood glucose, which is important in the development of conditions such as type 2 diabetes,” Dr Schellekens said.
“This study is the first of its kind demonstrating the translation of a Bifidobacterium longum species...from initial laboratory studies through pre-clinical studies to a human intervention study.”
Dr Schellekens’ lab catalogues bacteria, and uses screening techniques to identify strains that potentially can bring benefits to humans, by deploying an exhaustive “bugs to drugs” approach in developing products for incorporation into the diet.
It has been known for a long time that stress and obesity are linked, she explained. While stress can suppress appetite in the short-term, chronic stress is known to increase cortisol which increases appetite; hence the phrase “stress eating”.
“This research shows B.Longum APC1472 plays an important role in keeping our ‘hunger hormone’, ghrelin, in check, and lowers our stress hormone, cortisol,” she added – the hormone being the critical interface between “food and mood”.
This study delivers important evidence that using the strain in a probiotic supplement "can indeed be useful in the fight against obesity," said Prof John Cryan, joint senior-author of the study.
The findings reinforced the concept of the link between the gut microbiome (microbes living in the digestive tract), metabolic disease and mental health, which is a growing area of research, he added.
Prof Timothy Dinan, chief investigator on the clinical aspect of the research, said the findings are solid, but warrant further investigation of B. longum APC1472's "potential use as a psychobiotic to improve mental health".


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Reports of crammed planes, crowded airports not true, says Government

There have not been crowded airports and planes crammed with passengers returning to Ireland for Christmas , the Government said on Friday .
“ We have heard the reporting that planes will be crammed and airports will be bustling this coming week but we know that is not the case , ” Assistant Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach Liz Canavan said at a media briefing .
Even with passenger volumes at Dublin , Shannon and Cork airports down by 90 per cent on last year , Covid testing capacity has been built up far in advance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general briefing on Friday morning , she said more than 5,000 tests have been booked at Dublin and Cork airports since they opened last month , for both pre-departure and post-arrival .
The DAA , which runs both of those airports , has lab access for 12,000 daily tests and the capability of carrying out 3,000 per day at Dublin .
But in the run up to Christmas , it is only expecting somewhere in the region of 660 per day , with almost 1,700 on the 23rd .
“ However many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ testing facilities are also providing testing for travel purposes adding to these numbers , ” the spokeswoman said .
Noting the highly abnormal nature of Christmas this year , she stressed the need for public adherence to health advice in all daily activities and said those who must travel should refamiliarise themselves with rules and expectations .
People intending on travelling to any of the 30 countries in the European traffic light system are asked to exercise a “ high degree of caution ” .
The spokeswoman said that in relation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( WHO ) has advised caution on the issue of immunity passports .
It will take time to vaccinate the population and there remain knowledge gaps around how long immunity will last , whether the virus can still be transmitted and whether booster shots will be necessary .
“ It is premature to discuss immunity passports due to these uncertainties , ” she said .
“ The WHO has cautioned governments against introducing immunity passports at this time and has advised that the focus should be on vaccine certificates ” used to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what specific vaccines and when .
The Government has also addressed concerns around schools , noting publicity over the recent closure of a small number .
The spokeswoman said this would be dictated by public health advice alone and stressed that schools remain safe .
The detection rate for Covid in the school system has averaged 2.4 per cent since they reopened earlier this year .
This week it is at 3.5 per cent but this remains “ significantly lower ” than community close contact testing of about 12.5 per cent .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun to climb , as has the number of close contacts among those who contract the virus , each case now having an average of 3.8 contacts over the past week .
“ Remember if you ’ re dining out and someone offers you a multiple table booking or extra drinks after your meal they ’ re not doing you a favour , ” the spokeswoman said .
“ They ’ re simply increasing the chances that you will end up being the close contact of somebody who tests positive.
” As cautious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been some good news for local businesses - research conducted by the Look For Local campaign has found that 82 per cent of people are now more likely to shop close to home , and the same proportion say they intend to continue doing so .
With many businesses recently reopened , the Government has also moved to reassure people that they can reapply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment ( PUP ) in the New Year if there are further closures .
Last Tuesday , about 306,000 people received the payment , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are currently 41,000 employers registered for the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme which has paid out over €1 billion in supports to date .
The major focus of Friday ’ s briefing was on hammering home the message of a safe Christmas .
“ In the days ahead please remember that being able to come together is about a mutual trust that we have been avoiding risks in the run up to meeting , ” the spokeswoman said .
“ As we plan for next week we need to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with is comfortable with the arrangements in place for Christmas day .
And it ’ s probably no harm to check in again , especially given the increasing rates of transmission .
”

There have not been crowded airports and planes crammed with passengers returning to Ireland for Christmas, the Government said on Friday.
“We have heard the reporting that planes will be crammed and airports will be bustling this coming week but we know that is not the case,” Assistant Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach Liz Canavan said at a media briefing.
Even with passenger volumes at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports down by 90 per cent on last year, Covid testing capacity has been built up far in advance of expected demand, she added.
Hospital Report
At the general briefing on Friday morning, she said more than 5,000 tests have been booked at Dublin and Cork airports since they opened last month, for both pre-departure and post-arrival.
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The DAA, which runs both of those airports, has lab access for 12,000 daily tests and the capability of carrying out 3,000 per day at Dublin. But in the run up to Christmas, it is only expecting somewhere in the region of 660 per day, with almost 1,700 on the 23rd.
“However many other commercial providers outside of the airports’ testing facilities are also providing testing for travel purposes adding to these numbers,” the spokeswoman said.
Noting the highly abnormal nature of Christmas this year, she stressed the need for public adherence to health advice in all daily activities and said those who must travel should refamiliarise themselves with rules and expectations.
People intending on travelling to any of the 30 countries in the European traffic light system are asked to exercise a “high degree of caution”.
The spokeswoman said that in relation to forthcoming vaccines, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised caution on the issue of immunity passports.
It will take time to vaccinate the population and there remain knowledge gaps around how long immunity will last, whether the virus can still be transmitted and whether booster shots will be necessary.
“It is premature to discuss immunity passports due to these uncertainties,” she said. “The WHO has cautioned governments against introducing immunity passports at this time and has advised that the focus should be on vaccine certificates” used to track who in the population has been given what specific vaccines and when.
The Government has also addressed concerns around schools, noting publicity over the recent closure of a small number. The spokeswoman said this would be dictated by public health advice alone and stressed that schools remain safe.
The detection rate for Covid in the school system has averaged 2.4 per cent since they reopened earlier this year. This week it is at 3.5 per cent but this remains “significantly lower” than community close contact testing of about 12.5 per cent.
The general 14-day incident rate in Ireland has begun to climb, as has the number of close contacts among those who contract the virus, each case now having an average of 3.8 contacts over the past week.
“Remember if you’re dining out and someone offers you a multiple table booking or extra drinks after your meal they’re not doing you a favour,” the spokeswoman said. “They’re simply increasing the chances that you will end up being the close contact of somebody who tests positive.”
As cautious Christmas activity gets underway, there has been some good news for local businesses - research conducted by the Look For Local campaign has found that 82 per cent of people are now more likely to shop close to home, and the same proportion say they intend to continue doing so.
With many businesses recently reopened, the Government has also moved to reassure people that they can reapply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) in the New Year if there are further closures.
Last Tuesday, about 306,000 people received the payment, a reduction of 42,000 on the previous week. There are currently 41,000 employers registered for the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme which has paid out over €1 billion in supports to date.
The major focus of Friday’s briefing was on hammering home the message of a safe Christmas.
“In the days ahead please remember that being able to come together is about a mutual trust that we have been avoiding risks in the run up to meeting,” the spokeswoman said.
“As we plan for next week we need to make sure that everyone we plan to mark the day with is comfortable with the arrangements in place for Christmas day. And it’s probably no harm to check in again, especially given the increasing rates of transmission.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Kerry babies: Suffering and stress of ordeal finally behind us - Joanne Hayes

The State has apologised to Joanne Hayes , the woman who was wrongly accused of murdering an infant over 35 years ago , and her siblings over their treatment during events that became known as the Kerry Babies case .
The apology , made before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds at the High Court on Friday and reiterated one made in 2018 , forms part of a settlement of damages actions brought by Ms Hayes , her sister Kathleen and brothers Michael and Edmund following their arrest by the gardaí in May 1984 .
Conleth Bradley SC for the State said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sincere regret ” over “ the hurt and stress ” caused to the entire Hayes family .
Their actions were against the Garda Commissioner , the Minister for Justice , Ireland and the Attorney General , which the court heard have been struck out .
Proceedings against the DPP , whose role in the affair was praised for the manner it brought an end to the family prosecution , were discontinued .
As part of the settlement the family also secured declarations from the court that all findings or wrongdoing made against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were , that took place between late 1984 to mid 1985 were unfounded and incorrect .
The court also made a declaration that their questioning , arrest , charge and prosecution on dates between April and October 1984 were unfounded and in breach of their constitutional rights .
The State consented to the making of the declarations .
The making of declarations , Liam Reidy SC for the family said , will vindicate their good names after more than 35 years after what was an unfounded investigation and prosecution and many unfounded findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the settlement , the declarations are to be permanently attached to Tribunal report in the Oireachtas Library , which the family say will ensure the accuracy of the public record .
A separate damage claim by Ms Hayes ’ s daughter Yvonne McGuckin was also settled , and struck out .
No details of any of the settlements were revealed in open court .
The judge , who described what happened to the family as “ a travesty ” welcomed the resolution of the actions .
The judge said the settlement has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Irish history , and expressed her hope that the end of the proceedings will bring some closure for the family .
The judge also asked the media to be sensitive to Ms Hayes and her family in its reporting of the proceedings .
Ms Hayes and her family were not in court when the matter came before the judge .
In a statement Ms Hayes thanked all those who had supported the family over the last 36 years , her legal team and hoped and believed that after many years the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now finally behind ” them all .
She also asked that their privacy be respected and that the family be allowed to “ return to our lives within our local community in peace.
” In 1984 Ms Hayes , along with members of her family , were arrested by the gardaí following the discovery of a new born baby with multiple stab wounds on a beach in Cahersiveen , in South Kerry , some 80km from Ms Hayes ’ home in Abbeydorney in North Kerry .
The parents of that child , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nor has his killer .
Ms Hayes was accused by gardaí of being the mother of baby John and murdering him .
Her family were accused of concealing the birth of a child .
Following their arrest in May 1984 they claimed they were subjected to wrongful acts committed by the gardaí , and were forced into making false confessions admitting the killing of baby John , which they later withdrew .
The charges , which they were all innocent of , were dropped in October 1984 .
Ms Hayes had given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shane , on April 13 , 1984 on the family farm , but that child died of natural causes and was buried on the property , counsel said .
She claimed that had a proper investigation of the matter by the gardaí taken place she and her family would have been eliminated as persons of interest .
Their arrest and interrogation , detention and charge were improper after a blood test in May 1984 made it clear that she was not the mother of baby John , counsel said .
During the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gardaí of having given birth to twins .
She said that claim was used for malicious purposes and as part of their continued prosecution before a state established tribunal of inquiry , known as the Kerry Babies Tribunal , conducted by the then Mr Justice Kevin Lynch .
Ms Hayes and her family claim the tribunal ’ s final report contained numerous findings against them that were untrue , unfounded , not supported by any evidence , and were purely speculative .
Mr Reidy SC , appearing with Padraig McCartan SC instructed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the tribunal had gone off course from what it was set up to do .
Counsel said it was established to find out why Ms Hayes and other members of her family had given statements to the gardaí at Tralee Garda Station , in separate rooms , admitting to a murder which was not scientifically possible .
Counsel said that the manner in which the “ organs of the state ” had treated the then 24-year-old Ms Hayes amounted to “ torture ” as well as an intrusion into her privacy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ included that Ms Hayes had assaulted her new born son with a bath brush , and had choked him to death , that were wrong counsel said .
That particular finding was completely unsubstantiated and was made despite the fact that the former State Pathologist Dr John Harbison , who performed an autopsy was unable to determine the cause of Shane ’ s death , Mr Reidy added .
The tribunal also wrongly found that the Hayes family lied to the tribunal , that they were involved in an attempted cover up regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to and made false allegations against the gardaí .
During the tribunal the family said the gardaí took false and unjustifiable positions by stating that none of the Hayes family were stressed or upset during their interrogations , and that the questioning was unrelated to baby John but rather Ms Hayes ’ own pregnancy .
In 2018 Ms Hayes previously received apologies over her treatment from the former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on behalf of the State , and the then acting Garda Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin .
On Friday Mr Bradley said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Helen McEntee wanted to reiterate and extend that apology to the entire Hayes family .

The State has apologised to Joanne Hayes, the woman who was wrongly accused of murdering an infant more than 35 years ago, and her siblings over their treatment during events that became known as the Kerry babies case.
The apology, made before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds at the High Court on Friday and the reiterated one made in 2018, forms part of a settlement of damages actions brought by Ms Hayes, her sister Kathleen and brothers Michael and Edmund following their arrest by gardaí in May 1984.
Conleth Bradley SC for the State said it wished to express its “deep and sincere regret” over “the hurt and stress” caused to the entire Hayes family.
Joanne Hayes leaving the tribunal into the Kerry babies case. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh
Solicitors Patrick Mann and Bernadette Cronin make a statement outside the Four Courts in Dublin, following the issue of an apology from the State to Joanne Hayes for her treatment during the Kerry Babies case in the 1980s. Photograph: Sam Boal/ RollingNews.ie
Their actions were against the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General, which the court heard have been struck out.
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Proceedings against the Director of Public Prosecutions, whose role in the affair was praised for the manner in which it brought an end to the family prosecution, were discontinued.
As part of the settlement, the family also secured declarations from the court that all findings or wrongdoing made against them by the tribunal into the case, that took place between late 1984 to mid-1985, were unfounded and incorrect.
The court also made a declaration that their questioning, arrest, charge and prosecution on dates between April and October 1984 were unfounded and in breach of their constitutional rights.
The State consented to the making of the declarations.
The making of declarations, Liam Reidy SC for the family said, would vindicate their good names more than 35 years after what was an unfounded investigation and prosecution and many unfounded findings made by the tribunal.
Arising out of the settlement, the declarations are to be permanently attached to the tribunal report in the Oireachtas library, which the family say will ensure the accuracy of the public record.
A separate damage claim by Ms Hayes’s daughter, Yvonne McGuckin, was also settled, and struck out. No details of any of the settlements were revealed in open court.
Travesty
The judge, who described what happened to the family as “a travesty”, welcomed the resolution of the actions.
The judge said the settlement had brought a close to a dark chapter in Irish history, and expressed her hope that the end of the proceedings would bring some closure for the family.
The judge also asked the media to be sensitive to Ms Hayes and her family in its reporting of the proceedings.
Ms Hayes and her family were not in court when the matter came before the judge.
In a statement, Ms Hayes thanked all those who had supported the family over the past 36 years and her legal team, and she hoped and believed that after many years the “suffering and stress of this ordeal is now finally behind” them all.
She also asked that their privacy be respected and that the family be allowed to “return to our lives within our local community in peace”.
Arrested
In 1984, Ms Hayes, along with members of her family, were arrested by the gardaí following the discovery of a newborn baby with multiple stab wounds on a beach in Cahersiveen, in south Kerry, some 80km from Ms Hayes’s home in Abbeydorney in north Kerry.
The parents of that child, called baby John, have never been identified, nor has his killer.
Ms Hayes was accused by gardaí of being the mother of baby John and murdering him.
Her family were accused of concealing the birth of a child.
Following their arrest in May 1984 they claimed they were subjected to wrongful acts committed by gardaí, and were forced into making false confessions admitting the killing of baby John, which they later withdrew.
The charges, of which they were all innocent, were dropped in October 1984.
Ms Hayes had given birth to a baby boy, named Shane, on April 13th, 1984, on the family farm, but that child died of natural causes and was buried on the property, counsel said.
She claimed that had a proper investigation of the matter by the gardaí taken place, she and her family would have been eliminated as persons of interest.
Their arrest and interrogation, detention and charge were improper after a blood test in May 1984 made it clear that she was not the mother of baby John, counsel said.
During the investigation she said she was accused by gardaí of having given birth to twins.
She said that claim was used for malicious purposes and as part of their continued prosecution before a State-established tribunal of inquiry, known as the Kerry babies tribunal, conducted by the then Mr Justice Kevin Lynch.
Ms Hayes and her family claim the tribunal’s final report contained numerous findings against them that were untrue, unfounded, not supported by any evidence, and were purely speculative.
Off course
Mr Reidy SC, appearing with Padraig McCartan SC instructed by solicitor Pat Mann for the family, said the tribunal had gone off course from what it was set up to do.
Counsel said it was established to find out why Ms Hayes and other members of her family had given statements to gardaí at Tralee Garda station, in separate rooms, admitting to a murder which was not scientifically possible.
Counsel said the manner in which the “organs of the State” had treated the then 24-year-old Ms Hayes amounted to “torture” as well as an intrusion into her privacy.
The tribunal had made many findings, including that Ms Hayes had assaulted her newborn son with a bath brush and had choked him to death, that were wrong, counsel said.
That particular finding was completely unsubstantiated and was made despite the fact that the former State pathologist Dr John Harbison, who performed an autopsy, was unable to determine the cause of Shane’s death, Mr Reidy added.
The tribunal also wrongly found that the Hayes family lied to the tribunal, that they were involved in an attempted cover-up regarding Shane’s death and had lied to and made false allegations against the gardaí.
During the tribunal the family said gardaí took false and unjustifiable positions by stating that none of the Hayes family were stressed or upset during their interrogations, and that the questioning was unrelated to baby John but rather Ms Hayes’s own pregnancy.
In 2018, Ms Hayes received apologies over her treatment from former taoiseach Leo Varadkar on behalf of the State, and the then acting Garda commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin.
On Friday, Mr Bradley said Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee wanted to reiterate and extend that apology to the entire Hayes family.


theirishtimes--2020-12-18--Bird owners must keep birds in secure buildings to curb spread of bird flu

People who keep flock or pet birds will be legally required to confine all birds in secure buildings from Monday as part of new measures to curb the spread of bird flu .
The Department of Agriculture has today announced that all poultry and captive birds must be kept in indoor spaces that are inaccessible to other animals or wild birds .
Enhanced biosecurity measures , required by law since December 1st , should continue to be observed .
The announcement follows a similar move by decision makers in Northern Ireland yesterday and in England , Scotland , and Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Precautionary confinement of birds ) 2020 will come into force on Monday , December 21st .
These precautionary measures are being taken in response to an outbreak of Avian Influenza H5N8 , more commonly known as bird flu , in a small turkey flock in Co Wicklow .
All affected birds on the farm were culled and a protection zone was established around the area .
The disease was also recorded in 10 wild birds in Cork , Kildare , Limerick , Mayo , Monaghan , Wexford , and Wicklow .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bird flu in wild birds in a number of counties indicates the disease is “ circulating in the wild bird population across the country ” .
Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza have also been identified in Britain and across other European countries in recent weeks .
“ It is important to note that there is no evidence of risk associated with consumption of poultry meat or poultry meat products , ” the Department spokesperson added .
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has confirmed that , although the H5N8 subtype can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birds , no human infections with this virus have been reported worldwide and , therefore , the risk to humans is very low .
However , members of the public are advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report any such findings to their Regional Veterinary Office .
The Department is urging poultry flock owners to remain vigilant for any signs of disease in their flocks and to report any disease suspicion .

People who keep flock or pet birds will be legally required to confine all birds in secure buildings from Monday as part of new measures to curb the spread of bird flu.
The Department of Agriculture has today announced that all poultry and captive birds must be kept in indoor spaces that are inaccessible to other animals or wild birds. Enhanced biosecurity measures, required by law since December 1st, should continue to be observed.
The announcement follows a similar move by decision makers in Northern Ireland yesterday and in England, Scotland, and Wales on Monday. The Avian Influenza Regulations (Precautionary confinement of birds) 2020 will come into force on Monday, December 21st.
These precautionary measures are being taken in response to an outbreak of Avian Influenza H5N8, more commonly known as bird flu, in a small turkey flock in Co Wicklow. All affected birds on the farm were culled and a protection zone was established around the area.
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The disease was also recorded in 10 wild birds in Cork, Kildare, Limerick, Mayo, Monaghan, Wexford, and Wicklow. A spokesperson for the Department said the discovery of bird flu in wild birds in a number of counties indicates the disease is “circulating in the wild bird population across the country”. Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza have also been identified in Britain and across other European countries in recent weeks.
“It is important to note that there is no evidence of risk associated with consumption of poultry meat or poultry meat products,” the Department spokesperson added.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has confirmed that, although the H5N8 subtype can cause serious disease in poultry and other birds, no human infections with this virus have been reported worldwide and, therefore, the risk to humans is very low. However, members of the public are advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report any such findings to their Regional Veterinary Office.
The Department is urging poultry flock owners to remain vigilant for any signs of disease in their flocks and to report any disease suspicion.