theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Eir customer woes: ‘Telecoms are designed to drive people demented’

A reader , Joanna , contacted us in desperation after being given the runaround by Eir .
She said she @ @ @ @ @ the company since 2017 and was out of contract .
“ I only went with @ @ @ @ @ insulation and after toing and froing , they were the ones who could get the @ @ @ @ @ that time , ” she starts , adding that the connection speed is “ brutal @ @ @ @ @ just 3-5mbps and on an exceptional day , 7mbps ” .

A reader, Joanna, contacted us in desperation after being given the runaround by Eir. She said she had been a customer of the company since 2017 and was out of contract.
“I only went with them as I have external insulation and after toing and froing, they were the ones who could get the wifi into my house at that time,” she starts, adding that the connection speed is “brutal, averaging a speed of just 3-5mbps and on an exceptional day, 7mbps”.
Earlier this summer she started contacting the company’s customer care by phone to seek a contract review and improved service and or cost. “I pay around €70 per month for awful speed broadband and a phone line,” she says. “I spent between 45 and 75 minutes on hold for customer care each day for three days and then messaged, as per their automated message while on hold, their Twitter account seeking a call back for contract review.”
When someone responded they only did so to say they could not help her or arrange a call back.” They then sent a feedback question without addressing the issue.”
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'I wrote on February 10th seeking a refund, but I never received any form of acknowledgement or reply'
So, Joanna went back to trying their phones daily for another week with the same wait times. She messaged their Twitter account on June 18th and someone messaged her back to say she should call customer care again.
“On June 20th, I messaged their Twitter saying I wanted to cancel the account but couldn’t get through to anyone. I cited July 29th as the date to cancel (it allowed 30 days’ notice, actually 39 days, and was the next billing date for me).”
She then got a call from Eir’s loyalty department on July 22nd. She said the person she was speaking to didn’t like her frustration. “I certainly was frustrated but not rude ... I used to do a call-centre job, I know the line and [he] said I now needed to process the cancellation online myself and he emailed me a code. The code didn’t work with the email address so I couldn’t do this, nor could I get back in touch with anyone to say that the code didn’t work and so I went back around to being on hold for hours and messaging Twitter.”
She was given an email address to complain to. She emailed it “but it bounced back saying it is no longer in use. Eventually on July 29th I got [another] call from loyalty, a nice chap who was very apologetic and insisted on posting me a new modem to try to boost my signal and that he would call back on August 7th to process the cancellation.”
The nice chap said the modem would arrive on July 31st. “It arrived August 5th and has made no difference. I was clear with him that I was still cancelling and wanted the notice period backdated and agreed to the week later call back, as it gave me time to arrange for another provider. [He] did not call me on August 7th, so back to Twitter I went seeking another call back.”
Then she got another call from the loyalty team on the day she contacted us. “The person hadn’t read the file and started to assert my 30-day notice period would start today. I resisted and outlined all of the above.”
The Eir staff member said [Joanna’s] cancellation request had not been logged and she needed to escalate the situation to a supervisor who “would listen back to the call and ‘adjudicate for or against’ me in terms of notice. Now I am waiting for this adjudicating supervisor to call me”.
“I have said I will simply cancel the standing order if [there is] no call as I will have done six weeks of this with them and will log a formal complaint with the ombudsman . . . of course [the person in loyalty] doesn’t care about that but I do wish to log a complaint . . . Telecoms are designed to drive people demented, I think. I’m trying to get Sky in as provider next week . . . if I can get rid of Eir asap.”
Customer two
We could certainly detect a certain level of frustration in Joanna’s words and the story we then got from John Lynch was similar. “I had a contract with Eir for home phone, broadband and TV last year. In early December I signed up with Virgin, and contacted Eir to give the required one month’s notice of the cancellation of their contract,” he writes.
“I had been paying Eir by direct debit in advance, and the following bill showed a credit balance of €135.87. I tried to call them to ask for a refund, but I could not get through – their automated system insists on the input of an account number, but it wouldn’t accept my account number, presumably because the account had been closed by this stage – the result was that I couldn’t get through to anyone.”
So he searched in vain on Eir’s website for a chat or email option but couldn’t find either. “I resorted to ‘snail mail’. I am of a generation which considers a letter through the post a matter of some seriousness, but dealing with Eir has educated me that my old-fashioned standards no longer apply.
“I wrote on February 10th seeking a refund, but I never received any form of acknowledgement or reply. The next thing that happened was that I received a message (I can’t recall if it was SMS or email) claiming that my new bill had been issued and I owed them money.”
I believe their treatment of me shows the contempt in which they hold their customers
When he went online he could now access his account again. “It turns out they had charged me for equipment not returned, and claimed that now I owed them €44.10. Their restoration of my account was not updated to the software running their telephone answering system, however, so I still couldn’t call and speak to them.
“I wrote to them again on April 27th, disputing their charge for unreturned equipment, and giving them the Parcel Motel reference number for the equipment return (their choice of courier, by the way). Once again, I have not had the courtesy of an acknowledgment or reply, let alone payment of the money they owe me.”
He outlines his criticisms of Eir:
"1 Their contract is unfair in that the customer is required to give one month's notice of termination (fair enough), but is then required to return the equipment before the expiry of the notice period – why should I have to pay for the equipment if I can't use it? I should be allowed a reasonable time after the end of the contract to return the equipment. Where is the regulator?
“2 Their convenient (for them) practice of barring a customer’s account from the phone answering system once a contract is terminated is self-serving – I suspect it saves them a fortune in refunds.
“3 Their complete failure to respond to customer’s letters is ignorant and inexcusable.
“4 Overall, I believe their treatment of me shows the contempt in which they hold their customers.”
He says he wishes he could honestly say that “Eir’s abuse (and such it is) of their customers is out of kilter with their competitors, but I know it isn’t, and when my current contract with Virgin is up, I may find myself back with Eir! Why do regulated industries seem to have such contempt for their customers? And what are the regulators doing?”
Eir statement
We highlighted both of these issues with Eir. In a statement the company said the following:
“We have spoken with the first customer, resolved this issue and arranged a refund. The customer raised some points we would like to address. Return of equipment no longer required is due within 30 days of the cease of the account, rather than notice to cease. We have a range of channels to speak with care, including over the phone, via webchat, or social media.
“Recently we introduced a range of self-service forms on Eir.ie for customers to manage many frequently requested actions including claiming of final bill refunds, without having to contact care. We have been experiencing longer than acceptable call wait times since the beginning of the lockdown and we apologise to our customers for this. To resolve this we have hired and trained new teams of care agents and we are introducing new care supports in our retail stores throughout the country. These are just some of the many new care initiatives we are introducing to support our customers.
“In relation to the other case highlighted, the customer is unavailable at the moment but a call has been scheduled for next week to resolve this matter.”


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Five due in court charged in connection with New IRA inquiry

Five people are due in Laganside court in Belfast today charged with terrorism offences following a police investigation into dissident @ @ @ @ @ .
PSNI officers charged a 45-year-old woman from Dungannon , Co Tyrone , and a @ @ @ @ @ Co Armagh , with offences including membership of a proscribed organisation , directing terrorism and @ @ @ @ @ of terrorism .
It brought the number of arrests made on Saturday to five as @ @ @ @ @ A 48-year-old man was earlier charged with directing terrorism .
A 32-year-old man from Derry @ @ @ @ @ directing terrorism .
A 43-year-old man from the Dungannon area was also charged with conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ to endanger life and conspiracy to possess ammunition with intent to endanger life .
Two @ @ @ @ @ and Derry , appeared in court on Saturday charged with directing terrorism and other offences @ @ @ @ @ custody until September 18th .

PSNI officers charged a 45-year-old woman from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, and a 49-year-old woman from Lurgan, Co Armagh, with offences including membership of a proscribed organisation, directing terrorism and two charges of preparatory acts of terrorism. Photograph: Paul McErlane/EPA
Five people are due in Laganside court in Belfast today charged with terrorism offences following a police investigation into dissident republican group the New IRA.
PSNI officers charged a 45-year-old woman from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, and a 49-year-old woman from Lurgan, Co Armagh, with offences including membership of a proscribed organisation, directing terrorism and two charges of preparatory acts of terrorism.
It brought the number of arrests made on Saturday to five as part of Operation Arbacia.
A 48-year-old man was earlier charged with directing terrorism. A 32-year-old man from Derry has also been charged with directing terrorism.
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A 43-year-old man from the Dungannon area was also charged with conspiracy to possess explosives with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to possess ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Two other men, from Omagh and Derry, appeared in court on Saturday charged with directing terrorism and other offences. They were remanded in custody until September 18th.


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Elderly woman dies following assault at a house in Dublin

An elderly woman has died after being assaulted in a house in the north Dublin suburb of Clontarf .
The @ @ @ @ @ discovered at a property at Kincora Court in Dublin 3 on Sunday evening with fatal @ @ @ @ @ Garda statement .
Her body remains at the scene .
A man in his 60s @ @ @ @ @ and is currently being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act , 1984 @ @ @ @ @ The relationship between the man and the woman is not known .
It is understood @ @ @ @ @ anyone else in connection with the incident .
The scene was preserved and the State @ @ @ @ @ notified .
A Garda spokeswoman said the Garda Technical Bureau was at the scene and @ @ @ @ @ .
Investigations are ongoing , the spokeswoman said .

A garda at a home in north Dublin where a woman was fatally injured in an assault. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill / The Irish Times
An elderly woman has died after being assaulted in a house in the north Dublin suburb of Clontarf.
The woman in her 80s was discovered at a property at Kincora Court in Dublin 3 on Sunday evening with fatal injuries. Her body remained at the scene on Monday morning.
A man in his 60s was arrested at the scene and is currently being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 in Clontarf Garda station.
It is understood the man knew the woman, and gardaí are seeking to establish if he was a relative of the victim, according to one Garda source. Gardaí are not believed to be looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.
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The scene was preserved and the State Pathologist’s Office was notified.
A Garda spokeswoman said the Garda Technical Bureau was at the scene, as gardaí were working to establish the details of the fatal assault.
Kincora Court is a small road of red brick homes located just off the coast near to the wooden bridge across to Dollymount Strand.
One local resident walking her dog on Monday morning described the area as “very quiet”.
Another neighbour said while she was not friends with the elderly woman who had been killed, she regularly saw the man who had been arrested coming in and out of the home.
On Monday morning a Garda stood outside the house and the front garden was cordoned off. The cul-de-sac was mostly silent apart from a handful of people heading to work.
Bob Cleary was one local resident out walking his dog Minnie on Monday. “I didn’t hear last night myself because I was watching the match, when I heard this morning I went over to my son and he read it all out to me on the phone,” he said. “I was completely shocked,” he said.
Mr Cleary, who has lived in the area for 30 years, said it was a tight knit neighbourhood. He would know many people on the road where the fatal assault occurred from being out walking his dog, or meeting some of the residents for a swim nearby. It was a “beautiful area, very quiet,” he said.
Colm Brophy, an elderly man living on the road, said he had not heard of the killing until Monday morning. Stopping while out walking to the shops he said the area was very peaceful, describing it as “just a little backwater”. Mr Brophy, who has lived on the road for 14 years, said “it can happen anywhere”.
Another woman out jogging, who did not wish to be named, said news of the killing had come as a total shock. “I was trying to tell my kids what had happened,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Inquest into death of Nora Quoirin to start on Monday

An inquest into the death of Nora Quoirin , the teenager who disappeared while on a family holiday in a Malaysian jungle a year ago , begins on Monday .
The body of Ms Quoirin ( 15 ) was found 2km from the Dusun resort where she and her parents and two younger siblings were staying .
She was reported missing on August 3rd .
The teenager ’ s mother , Meabh , is from Belfast .
Her father , Sebastien , is French .
Malaysian police insisted there was no sign of foul play and authorities classed the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , her parents believe the teenager , who had special needs , did not simply wander off and may have been abducted before being killed .
They have pinned their hopes that the inquest will provide answers as to her disappearance .
“ We hope that all avenues surrounding Nora ’ s disappearance will be fully explored and not just the theory which the police has always favoured , ” they said in a statement to AFP .
“ Only we , her parents , have a real understanding of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and up to now it seems that her handicap has not been truly taken into account.
” They described the inquest , which runs until September 4th and will be live-streamed to the public , as “ a crucial element in the fight for truth and justice for Nora ” .
Sixty-seven people , including the Quoirins , will give evidence at the inquest which will be held in the city of Seremban .
The Quoirins will not be travelling to Malaysia because of the Covid-19 pandemic , but will give evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , the coroner went to the Dusun resort south of Kuala .

Nora Quoirin, the 15-year-old teenager disappeared while on a family holiday a year ago. Photograph: AFP / Courtesy of the Quoirin Family
An inquest into the death of Nóra Quoirin, the teenager who disappeared while on a family holiday in a Malaysian jungle a year ago, begins on Monday.
The body of Ms Quoirin (15) was found 2km from the Dusun resort where she and her parents and two younger siblings were staying. She was reported missing on August 4th.
The teenager's mother, Meabh, is from Belfast. Her father, Sebastien, is French.
Malaysian police insisted there was no sign of foul play and authorities classed the case as “requiring no further action”.
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Special needs
However, her parents believe the teenager, who had special needs, did not simply wander off and may have been abducted before being killed.
They have pinned their hopes that the inquest will provide answers as to her disappearance.
“We hope that all avenues surrounding Nóra’s disappearance will be fully explored and not just the theory which the police has always favoured,” they said in a statement to AFP.
“Only we, her parents, have a real understanding of what Nóra was and was not capable of, and up to now it seems that her handicap has not been truly taken into account.”
They described the inquest, which runs until September 4th and will be live-streamed to the public, as “a crucial element in the fight for truth and justice for Nóra”.
Sixty-four people, including the Quoirins, will give evidence at the inquest which will be held in the city of Seremban.
The Quoirins will not be travelling to Malaysia because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but will give evidence and watch via the internet.
On August 13th the coroner went to the Dusun resort south of Kuala.


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Another 61 cases of Covid-19 but no further deaths reported in State

A further 61 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported by State health officials but no new deaths .
This brings to 27,969 the total number of cases of the coronavirus disease .
The death toll from the virus remains at 1,777 .
There were 119 new cases in Northern Ireland , bringing total cases there to 6,766 .
There were no further deaths , leaving Covid-19 fatalities at 559 .
Just over two-thirds of the newly infected people are under 45 years of age , and 23 are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or one in four of the new cases , are identified as community transmission .
Dublin accounts for the highest number of cases with 39 , followed by 13 in Kildare .
The remaining nine cases are spread across Cork , Kerry , Laois , Limerick , Longford and Wicklow .
On Saturday it was confirmed that a female prisoner had tested positive for Covid-19 .
It is understood the woman ( 23 ) , who is the first prisoner to test positive for the virus , has been in quarantine since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13th .
The State ’ s acting chief medical officer , Dr Ronan Glynn , said on Sunday he knew that at times people could “ feel powerless against Covid-19 ” but this was not the case .
“ Each of us has a range of simple tools at our disposal – knowing the risks , washing our hands , not touching our faces , keeping physically distant , avoiding crowds , limiting visitors to our homes and wearing a face covering , ” he said .
He added that “ the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one another .
By encouraging each other to stick with the basic measures and by continuing to act and adapt together we can suppress the transmission of this virus once again.
” The number of very ill people with coronavirus in intensive care units remains low .
There were six confirmed Covid-19 cases and six suspected cases of the disease in critical care units as of 8pm on Saturday night .
Overall , there were 20 confirmed cases in 13 hospitals , including four each in Tallaght and University Hospital Limerick and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including nine in Sligo , eight in University Hospital Limerick and seven each in Naas and St James ’ s Hospital in Dublin .
Prof Philip Nolan , chairman of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group , said on Sunday he did not think the Oireachtas Golf Society ’ s flouting of social distancing guidelines at its dinner in Clifden , Co Galway , last week hindered the public health message .
The event had “ very clearly cast light ” on the recommendation that adults must stop congregating in large groups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a match or in a large group in a hotel so that we don ’ t transmit the virus between households ” , he said .
Prof Nolan said he could offer “ a great deal of assurance ” to parents and teachers worried about schools reopening , noting that there was “ very little evidence internationally that schools are a major site of transmission ” .
Most children contracted the virus at home , he said .
“ We will see cases in students and in teachers and we will see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that , we need to think carefully and look carefully , ” he told RTÉ ’ s This Week programme .
Asked about outbreaks in at least 41 schools in Berlin two weeks after its schools reopened , Prof Nolan said more than 90 per cent of the city ’ s schools remained open and that in almost every case , there was no evidence of the disease being acquired or transmitted within the school .
The 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 cases in Ireland fell to 25.8 per 100,000 population on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the European Centre for Disease Control .
This was higher than in Portugal ( 26 cases per 100,000 people ) , the UK ( 22.3 ) and Italy ( 13.3 ) but lower than in Spain ( 152.7 ) , France ( 59.8 ) , Belgium ( 56.2 ) and Sweden ( 36.6 ) .

A further 61 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported by State health officials but no new deaths.
This brings to 27,969 the total number of cases of the coronavirus disease. The death toll from the virus remains at 1,777.
There were 119 new cases in Northern Ireland, bringing total cases there to 6,766. There were no further deaths, leaving Covid-19 fatalities at 559.
Just over two-thirds of the newly infected people are under 45 years of age, and 23 are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case.
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Some 16 cases, or one in four of the new cases, are identified as community transmission.
Dublin accounts for the highest number of cases with 39, followed by 13 in Kildare. The remaining nine cases are spread across Cork, Kerry, Laois, Limerick, Longford and Wicklow.
On Saturday it was confirmed that a female prisoner had tested positive for Covid-19. It is understood the woman (23), who is the first prisoner to test positive for the virus, has been in quarantine since she was taken into custody on August 13th.
‘Not powerless’
The State's acting chief medical officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, said on Sunday he knew that at times people could "feel powerless against Covid-19" but this was not the case.
“Each of us has a range of simple tools at our disposal – knowing the risks, washing our hands, not touching our faces, keeping physically distant, avoiding crowds, limiting visitors to our homes and wearing a face covering,” he said.
He added that “the most powerful tool of all remains our solidarity with one another. By encouraging each other to stick with the basic measures and by continuing to act and adapt together we can suppress the transmission of this virus once again.”
The number of very ill people with coronavirus in intensive care units remains low.
There were six confirmed Covid-19 cases and six suspected cases of the disease in critical care units as of 8pm on Saturday night.
Overall, there were 20 confirmed cases in 13 hospitals, including four each in Tallaght and University Hospital Limerick and a further 82 suspected Covid-19 cases, including nine in Sligo, eight in University Hospital Limerick and seven each in Naas and St James's Hospital in Dublin.
Prof Philip Nolan, chairman of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said on Sunday he did not think the Oireachtas Golf Society's flouting of social distancing guidelines at its dinner in Clifden, Co Galway, last week hindered the public health message.
The event had “very clearly cast light” on the recommendation that adults must stop congregating in large groups, “whether it be on the sidelines of a match or in a large group in a hotel so that we don’t transmit the virus between households”, he said.
Schools reopening
Prof Nolan said he could offer “a great deal of assurance” to parents and teachers worried about schools reopening, noting that there was “very little evidence internationally that schools are a major site of transmission”. Most children contracted the virus at home, he said.
“We will see cases in students and in teachers and we will see cases in schools, but when we see that, we need to think carefully and look carefully,” he told RTÉ’s This Week programme.
Asked about outbreaks in at least 41 schools in Berlin two weeks after its schools reopened, Prof Nolan said more than 90 per cent of the city's schools remained open and that in almost every case, there was no evidence of the disease being acquired or transmitted within the school.
The 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 cases in Ireland fell to 25.8 per 100,000 population on Sunday, down from 27 on Friday, according to the European Centre for Disease Control.
This was higher than in Portugal (26 cases per 100,000 people), the UK (22.3) and Italy (13.3) but lower than in Spain (152.7), France (59.8), Belgium (56.2) and Sweden (36.6).


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Gardaí arrest two men after patrol car rammed at speed on M1

Gardaí have arrested two men who rammed their speeding car into a patrol vehicle on the M1 outside Dundalk .
Shortly after 3pm , Gardaí encountered a vehicle travelling southbound on the M1 motorway which was suspected of having been involved in an incident in Lisburn , Co Antrim earlier in the day .
Gardaí signalled for the car to stop as it was travelling on the M1 outside Dundalk , Co Louth .
The vehicle came to a halt and as Gardaí alighted from the unmarked patrol car , the offending vehicle rammed into the patrol car and took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radioed ahead and the vehicle was stopped on the M1 southbound between junctions 14 and 15 at approximately 3.30pm .
No injuries were reported during the incident .
Two men , aged in their 20s , were arrested at the scene and taken to Dundalk Garda Station where they are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act , 1984 .
Gardaí are appealing to any member of the public who may have witnessed this incident to come forward .
Gardaí are also appealing to anyone who was travelling along the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hours of 2.45pm and 3.30pm today , Sunday 23rd August 2020 , who may have camera ( dash cam ) footage .
Anyone with any information in relation to this incident should contact Dundalk Garda Station on 042 9388 400 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 .

Gardaí have arrested two men who rammed their speeding car into a patrol vehicle on the M1 outside Dundalk.
Shortly after 3pm, Gardaí encountered a vehicle travelling southbound on the M1 motorway which was suspected of having been involved in an incident in Lisburn, Co Antrim earlier in the day.
Gardaí signalled for the car to stop as it was travelling on the M1 outside Dundalk, Co Louth.
The vehicle came to a halt and as Gardaí alighted from the unmarked patrol car, the offending vehicle rammed into the patrol car and took off at speed.
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The gardaí involved radioed ahead and the vehicle was stopped on the M1 southbound between junctions 14 and 15 at approximately 3.30pm.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
Two men, aged in their 20s, were arrested at the scene and taken to Dundalk Garda Station where they are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
Gardaí are appealing to any member of the public who may have witnessed this incident to come forward.
Gardaí are also appealing to anyone who was travelling along the M1 motorway in the Dundalk area between the hours of 2.45pm and 3.30pm today, Sunday 23rd August 2020, who may have camera (dash cam) footage.
Anyone with any information in relation to this incident should contact Dundalk Garda Station on 042 9388 400 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Donegal funeral of three family members to take place on Monday

The funeral of three members of the Mullan family will take place on Monday morning in Co Donegal .
The funeral Mass for John Mullan and his children Tomás ( 14 ) and Amelia ( 6 ) from Moville parish church will be streamed live on the internet from 11am .
Mr Mullan and his two children were killed when their car crashed off the road into Lough Foyle in Co Donegal on Thursday night during very stormy weather .
Mr Mullan ’ s wife and the children ’ s mother , Geraldine ( 45 ) , who is originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crash .
She managed to get on to the upturned wreckage of the car and was rescued .
She was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital , where her injuries are described as not life-threatening .
Gardaí said the stretch of road at the Three Trees near Quigley ’ s Point where the crash occurred had recently been resurfaced and investigators would examine if this may have contributed to the crash .
The funeral will take place in the church where the family attended Mass and where Tomás was an altar server .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will be allowed to attend the funeral service , though others may social distance outside .
The funeral can be viewed on movilleparish.com .

A detour near the scene of the crash. Image: RTÉ footage
The funeral of three members of the Mullan family will take place on Monday morning in Co Donegal.
The funeral Mass for John Mullan and his children Tomás (14) and Amelia (6) from Moville parish church will be streamed live on the internet from 11am.
Mr Mullan and his two children were killed when their car crashed off the road into Lough Foyle in Co Donegal on Thursday night during very stormy weather.
Mr Mullan's wife and the children's mother, Geraldine (45), who is originally from Williamstown, Co Galway, survived the crash.
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She managed to get on to the upturned wreckage of the car and was rescued. She was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, where her injuries are described as not life-threatening.
Gardaí said the stretch of road at the Three Trees near Quigley’s Point where the crash occurred had recently been resurfaced and investigators would examine if this may have contributed to the crash.
The funeral will take place in the church where the family attended Mass and where Tomás was an altar server.
Under the current guidelines, just 50 people will be allowed to attend the funeral service, though others may social distance outside.
The funeral can be viewed on movilleparish.com.


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Another weather warning as more wind and rain is forecast

A yellow rain weather warning has been issued for Connacht , Donegal , Cork , Kerry and Waterford for all day Tuesday .
Rainfall amounts of between 30mm and 50mm will fall in the 24-hour period between Tuesday midnight and Wednesday midnight .
Local flooding is expected in parts of west Cork , which have already been badly affected by flooding elsewhere after Storm Ellen last week .
This will be accompanied on Tuesday with winds gusting at between 90 and 110 km/h in Munster and Wexford and higher in coastal areas .
It may mean that ESB crews will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Approximately 100 customers are still without power as a result of Storm Ellen .
Met Éireann forecaster Liz Walsh said people who are camping in coastal areas along with the south and south-east need to pay attention to the weather forecasts .
“ People on staycations should avoid mountains and camping over the Munster coast , ” she said .
There is a possibility that the yellow wind and rain warnings will be extended to the whole country and updated to an orange warning in places along the south coast .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s all to do with a deepening low pressure area that is approaching from the Atlantic , ” she explained .
“ We are having a little problem guessing how deep that low will become and that in turn will influence what happens warnings wise.
” Ms Walsh said Storm Ellen saw the lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded in Ireland in August generating very strong winds that brought down trees and left more than 200,000 premises without power .
She said winds will not be quite as high as Ellen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed ever recorded in Ireland was recorded at Roches Point at 10pm on August 19th with a speed of 111 km/h .
At the same time Roches Point recorded the second highest wind speed ever recorded in Ireland in August with a speed of 143 km/h .
The unsettled weather is likely to continue after a brief hiatus on Wednesday .
Thursday and Friday are also likely to be exceptionally wet days with heavy thundery rain expected on Thursday and showers on Friday .
The forecast for the weekend is for drier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spells and well scattered showers .
However , it will be cooler than recently .
Wet Augusts are not uncommon , said Ms Walsh .
August is the second wettest month of the calendar year because of the prevalence of post-hurricane storms in Atlantic and high humidity which can lead to heavy thundery showers .

Waves on the Front Strand in Youghal, Co Cork during Storm Ellen. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
A yellow rain weather warning has been issued for Connacht, Donegal, Cork, Kerry and Waterford for all day Tuesday.
Rainfall amounts of between 30mm and 50mm will fall in the 24-hour period between Tuesday midnight and Wednesday midnight.
Local flooding is expected in parts of west Cork, which have already been badly affected by flooding elsewhere after Storm Ellen last week.
This will be accompanied on Tuesday with winds gusting at between 90 and 110 km/h in Munster and Wexford and higher in coastal areas.
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It may mean that ESB crews will have to restore power to householders again. Approximately 100 customers are still without power as a result of Storm Ellen.
Met Éireann forecaster Liz Walsh said people who are camping in coastal areas along with the south and south-east need to pay attention to the weather forecasts.
“People on staycations should avoid mountains and camping over the Munster coast,” she said.
There is a possibility that the yellow wind and rain warnings will be extended to the whole country and updated to an orange warning in places along the south coast.
“It’s a little bit uncertain. It’s all to do with a deepening low pressure area that is approaching from the Atlantic,” she explained.
“We are having a little problem guessing how deep that low will become and that in turn will influence what happens warnings wise.”
Ms Walsh said Storm Ellen saw the lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded in Ireland in August generating very strong winds that brought down trees and left more than 200,000 premises without power.
She said winds will not be quite as high as Ellen where the highest 10 minute mean wind speed ever recorded in Ireland was recorded at Roches Point at 10pm on August 19th with a speed of 111 km/h. At the same time Roches Point recorded the second highest wind speed ever recorded in Ireland in August with a speed of 143 km/h.
The unsettled weather is likely to continue after a brief hiatus on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are also likely to be exceptionally wet days with heavy thundery rain expected on Thursday and showers on Friday.
The forecast for the weekend is for drier, calmer conditions over next weekend with sunny spells and well scattered showers. However, it will be cooler than recently.
Wet Augusts are not uncommon, said Ms Walsh. August is the second wettest month of the calendar year because of the prevalence of post-hurricane storms in Atlantic and high humidity which can lead to heavy thundery showers.


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Man (40s) found dead with head injuries on Crossmaglen road

A man in his 40s has been found dead on a road in Crossmaglen , Co Armagh .
He was @ @ @ @ @ in the early hours of Sunday with head injuries , police said .
Emergency services @ @ @ @ @ Service and police attended the scene but he was pronounced dead a short time later @ @ @ @ @ said : “ Firstly , I want to offer my condolences to the man ’ @ @ @ @ @ time .
“ We are working to establish how the man , who is aged @ @ @ @ @ to sustain his injuries .
“ We have made a number of inquiries to date @ @ @ @ @ anyone who has information to please get in touch .
“ In particular , we @ @ @ @ @ and any passenger/s of a dark-coloured car that is reported to have been at the @ @ @ @ @ call us.
” – PA

Blaney Road, near Crossmaglen in Co Armagh, where a man in his 40s was found dead. Photograph: Google
A man in his 40s has been found dead on a road in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh.
He was discovered on the Blaney road in the early hours of Sunday with head injuries, police said.
Emergency services including the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and police attended the scene but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Detective inspector Michael Winters said: "Firstly, I want to offer my condolences to the man's family at this difficult time.
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“We are working to establish how the man, who is aged in his 40s, came to sustain his injuries.
“We have made a number of inquiries to date and we would appeal to anyone who has information to please get in touch.
“In particular, we would strongly urge the driver and any passenger/s of a dark-coloured car that is reported to have been at the scene at around 4.40am to call us.” – PA


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Coronavirus: 61 more cases as Glynn appeals for public ‘solidarity’

No new deaths from Covid-19 have been reported in the State but a further 61 confirmed cases have been recorded , the Department of Health said on Sunday .
The death toll remains at 1,777 , while there is now a total of 27,969 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland .
Of the 61 new cases , 67 per cent are under 45 years of age and the gender breakdown is almost equal between male and female .
In terms of county breakdown , 39 are in Dublin , 13 in Kildare and the remaining nine cases are in Cork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Longford and Wicklow .
In a statement , Dr Ronan Glynn , acting chief medical officer at the department , said : “ I know that at times we can all feel powerless against Covid-19 .
But we are not .
Each of us has a range of simple tools at our disposal – knowing the risks , washing our hands , not touching our faces , keeping physically distant , avoiding crowds , limiting visitors to our homes , and wearing a face covering .
“ But the most powerful tool of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – by encouraging each other to stick with the basic measures and by continuing to act and adapt together we can suppress the transmission of this virus once again.
” Earlier on Sunday , the Irish Pharmacy Union ( IPU ) warned the public against purchasing Covid-19 tests and medicines which are being sold online .
Community pharmacist and IPU executive committee member Caitriona O ’ Riordan said : “ It is vitally important that all testing for Covid-19 is centralised under the direction of the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reference Laboratory to ensure first and foremost that the test result is trustworthy , and also that we have reliable national data on case levels , and contact tracing can be carried out.
” The IPU said the public must heed NPHET advice that members of the public should not purchase Covid-19 tests online or from any other retailer , as these tests may provide incorrect results .
The IPU said the ongoing problem with online medicines was highlighted by the seizure earlier this year of over 49,000 illegal medicine products by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The products , worth an estimated €175,000 , were seized as part of Operation Pangea , an international week of co-ordinated action between customs officers , health regulators and police from around the world , which targets the online sale of counterfeit and illegal medicines and medical devices .
The most common items found in the packages seized were large volumes of sedatives and pain relievers , as well as anabolic steroids , erectile dysfunction and teeth whitening products .
Ms O ’ Riordan “ when purchasing medication online , all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She added : “ The dangers of purchasing medicines online have further been brought into focus following recent reports from Northern Ireland that unlicensed supposed anti-viral drugs are being bought online to treat Covid-19 .
“ There are huge dangers in purchasing unlicensed and unproven medicines from online sources that are unregulated and unaccountable .
Anyone who has purchase these medicines online can and should instead consult with their GP or pharmacist , who can provide appropriate professional advice .
”

Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn: ‘I know that at times we can all feel powerless against Covid-19. But we are not.’ Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
No new deaths from Covid-19 have been reported in the State but a further 61 confirmed cases have been recorded, the Department of Health said on Sunday.
The death toll remains at 1,777, while there is now a total of 27,969 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
Of the 61 new cases, 67 per cent are under 45 years of age and the gender breakdown is almost equal between male and female.
In terms of county breakdown, 39 are in Dublin, 13 in Kildare and the remaining nine cases are in Cork, Kerry, Laois, Limerick, Longford and Wicklow.
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In a statement, Dr Ronan Glynn, acting chief medical officer at the department, said: “I know that at times we can all feel powerless against Covid-19. But we are not. Each of us has a range of simple tools at our disposal – knowing the risks, washing our hands, not touching our faces, keeping physically distant, avoiding crowds, limiting visitors to our homes, and wearing a face covering.
“But the most powerful tool of all remains our solidarity with one another – by encouraging each other to stick with the basic measures and by continuing to act and adapt together we can suppress the transmission of this virus once again.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) warned the public against purchasing Covid-19 tests and medicines which are being sold online.
Community pharmacist and IPU executive committee member Caitriona O’Riordan said: “It is vitally important that all testing for Covid-19 is centralised under the direction of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and conducted in the National Virus Reference Laboratory to ensure first and foremost that the test result is trustworthy, and also that we have reliable national data on case levels, and contact tracing can be carried out.”
The IPU said the public must heed NPHET advice that members of the public should not purchase Covid-19 tests online or from any other retailer, as these tests may provide incorrect results.
The IPU said the ongoing problem with online medicines was highlighted by the seizure earlier this year of over 49,000 illegal medicine products by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
The products, worth an estimated €175,000, were seized as part of Operation Pangea, an international week of co-ordinated action between customs officers, health regulators and police from around the world, which targets the online sale of counterfeit and illegal medicines and medical devices.
The most common items found in the packages seized were large volumes of sedatives and pain relievers, as well as anabolic steroids, erectile dysfunction and teeth whitening products.
Ms O’Riordan “when purchasing medication online, all the established safety nets are bypassed”.
She added: “The dangers of purchasing medicines online have further been brought into focus following recent reports from Northern Ireland that unlicensed supposed anti-viral drugs are being bought online to treat Covid-19.
“There are huge dangers in purchasing unlicensed and unproven medicines from online sources that are unregulated and unaccountable. Anyone who has purchase these medicines online can and should instead consult with their GP or pharmacist, who can provide appropriate professional advice.”


theirishtimes--2020-08-23--Golf dinner: Hotels Federation says it has no role in enforcing health and safety rules

The Irish Hotels Federation ( IHF ) has moved to distance itself from the Oireachtas Golf Society ’ s dinner controversy by insisting it had absolutely no role in “ enforcing , monitoring or approving ” health and safety rules at any hotel or guesthouse in the country .
The EU trade commissioner , Phil Hogan , said last week he attended the event at the Station House Hotel in Clifden only “ on the clear understanding that the organisers and the hotel concerned ” had been assured by the IHF that the arrangements in place would comply with Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday morning it “ provides general advice and had no role in organising or providing clearance for this event ” .
It also said the controversy highlighted “ limitations ” in how the Government had been communicating messages about changes to public health advice and suggested there was a “ time lag ” between when such changes were announced and when operational guidelines for businesses were updated .
“ As the representative body for hotels and guesthouses , we have worked closely with the Government throughout this pandemic to ensure robust operational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and effectively communicated in order to safeguard public health in line with evolving Government advice , ” the IHF said in statement .
It stressed that its role was to provide “ general guidance , and at all times we encourage hotels and guesthouses to comply with the required guidelines .
We do not have any role in enforcing , monitoring or approving the implementation of this guidance or operational guidelines.
” The statement hailed the “ enormous and essential work done by both the Department of Tourism and Fáilte Ireland in equipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice necessary to operate safely in line with public health advice ” .
However , the representative group said it had also “ experienced first-hand the challenges for businesses in relation to wider Government communications around public health advice ” and it pointed towards Government press conferences “ announcing changes to public health advice in the absence of updated operational guidelines for businesses ” .
The statement said that as a result of this “ time lag , there is an established process in place with the Department of Tourism for when changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains in place until updated guidance is issued by the department ” .
The statement also detailed a timeline of relevant events last week .
It said the Government conference at which additional public health measures affecting food businesses were announced was held on Tuesday evening .
The IHF said it received a follow-up query from the organiser of the Oireachtas Golf Society in relation to the guidelines for indoor gatherings on Wednesday morning .
“ We indicated that we had no update from the Department of Tourism on the guideline .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in relation to Tuesday ’ s announcement , the Department of Tourism informed it that the status quo [ existing guidance ] remained until clarification was received [ in consultation with the Department of Health ] .
” The guidance at that time allowed for indoor gatherings of a maximum of 50 people including hotel staff and any other event support workers .
Multiple gatherings were allowed in venues as long as they were in separate defined spaces and there were systems to prevent intermingling in common spaces .
The IHF said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it informed all hotels and guesthouses that the status quo remained pending updated guidance .
It said the interim guidance from Fáilte Ireland , in relation to gatherings and businesses serving food , including the restriction of gatherings to six people indoors and 15 people outdoors with weddings for up to 50 people including staff exempt , was received on Friday afternoon .

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has moved to distance itself from the Oireachtas Golf Society's dinner controversy by insisting it had absolutely no role in "enforcing, monitoring or approving" health and safety rules at any hotel or guesthouse in the country.
The EU trade commissioner, Phil Hogan, said last week he attended the event at the Station House Hotel in Clifden only "on the clear understanding that the organisers and the hotel concerned" had been assured by the IHF that the arrangements in place would comply with Government guidelines.
However, the IHF said on Sunday morning it “provides general advice and had no role in organising or providing clearance for this event”.
It also said the controversy highlighted “limitations” in how the Government had been communicating messages about changes to public health advice and suggested there was a “time lag” between when such changes were announced and when operational guidelines for businesses were updated.
READ MORE
“As the representative body for hotels and guesthouses, we have worked closely with the Government throughout this pandemic to ensure robust operational procedures and industry guidelines are in place and effectively communicated in order to safeguard public health in line with evolving Government advice,” the IHF said in statement.
It stressed that its role was to provide “general guidance, and at all times we encourage hotels and guesthouses to comply with the required guidelines. We do not have any role in enforcing, monitoring or approving the implementation of this guidance or operational guidelines.”
The statement hailed the "enormous and essential work done by both the Department of Tourism and Fáilte Ireland in equipping our sector with the required guidance and advice necessary to operate safely in line with public health advice".
However, the representative group said it had also “experienced first-hand the challenges for businesses in relation to wider Government communications around public health advice” and it pointed towards Government press conferences “announcing changes to public health advice in the absence of updated operational guidelines for businesses”.
‘Time lag’
The statement said that as a result of this “time lag, there is an established process in place with the Department of Tourism for when changes are announced in that the status quo remains in place until updated guidance is issued by the department”.
The statement also detailed a timeline of relevant events last week. It said the Government conference at which additional public health measures affecting food businesses were announced was held on Tuesday evening.
The IHF said it received a follow-up query from the organiser of the Oireachtas Golf Society in relation to the guidelines for indoor gatherings on Wednesday morning.
“We indicated that we had no update from the Department of Tourism on the guideline. In response to subsequent queries from the IHF in relation to Tuesday’s announcement, the Department of Tourism informed it that the status quo [existing guidance] remained until clarification was received [in consultation with the Department of Health].”
The guidance at that time allowed for indoor gatherings of a maximum of 50 people including hotel staff and any other event support workers.
Multiple gatherings were allowed in venues as long as they were in separate defined spaces and there were systems to prevent intermingling in common spaces.
The IHF said that following the Department of Tourism update, it informed all hotels and guesthouses that the status quo remained pending updated guidance.
It said the interim guidance from Fáilte Ireland, in relation to gatherings and businesses serving food, including the restriction of gatherings to six people indoors and 15 people outdoors with weddings for up to 50 people including staff exempt, was received on Friday afternoon.


theirishtimes--2020-08-24--Housing Minister Darragh O’ Brien calls for Phil Hogan to quit

Housing minister Darragh O ’ Brien has said that the Phil Hogan should resign after he attended a controversial golf event in the west of the country .
Pressure has been building on Mr Hogan to step down from the EU role since it emerged he attended the Oireachtas Golf Society event .
On Monday , Mr O ’ Brien said that Mr Hogan should take responsibility for his actions .
The commissioner has also been urged to consider his position by the leaders of Ireland ’ s coalition Government , Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar , after attending a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ireland with more than 80 people present .
Gardaí are investigating whether coronavirus regulations were broken in holding the Oireachtas ’ golf society event two days after the Government announced it intended to curb the numbers permitted to gather together .
Mr O ’ Brien also criticised the “ drip feed ” of information about Mr Hogan ’ s movements in Ireland .
“ That ’ s unhelpful to say the least .
The commissioner needs to realise how rightly people are so angry about this event and his participation in it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Hogan to look to Dara Calleary who resigned as Minister for Agriculture less than 48 hours after attending the event .
He also disputed claims that his removal from the high profile post would not be in Ireland ’ s interest because of Mr Hogan ’ s role in the Brexit negotiations .
“ I think to pin all our hopes on one individual is simplistic , ” Mr O ’ Brien added .
“ I don ’ t really think that argument as a justification for the commissioner to stay on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s being made , but frankly our hopes and our strategy in relation to Brexit in the next few months are not just pinned on one individual.
” A resurgence in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks has led Ireland to backtrack on some of its measures reopening society after lockdown .
Mr Martin and his Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have asked Mr Hogan to consider his position .
An Irish Government statement said : “ They both believe the event should never have been held , that the commissioner ’ s apology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give a full account and explanation of his actions.
” Mr Hogan has apologised for attending the event .
It has also emerged that Mr Hogan was stopped by Irish police while driving in Kildare on August 17th for using his mobile phone .
A spokesperson told RTÉ the incident happened while he was en route from Kilkenny to Kildare to collect personal belongings and essential documents at his apartment there before driving on to Galway for the golf event .
The spokesperson said : “ The lockdown guidelines for Kildare provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to travel to work and home again ’ .
” It is EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen who would have to force his resignation .
The leader of Ireland ’ s opposition Labour Party , Alan Kelly , said : “ It is incumbent on Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar to now inform the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen that they no longer have confidence in the Irish commissioner Phil Hogan and that she should ask for his resignation pursuant to Article 17 of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says a member of the commission shall resign if the president makes the request .
Mr Hogan is the EU ’ s former agriculture commissioner and oversaw significant reform of the Common Agricultural Policy .
Trade is a central issue in the EU ’ s efforts to build agreement with the UK to mitigate any ill-effects from Brexit .
Meanwhile , Galway West TD Noel Grealish says he let his constituents , his family and his friends down after the Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden last week .
The Independent Deputy says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by attending the dinner - which had over 80 guests made up of TDs .
As captain of the golf society , Deputy Grealish was one of the event organisers and signed the invitation , along with Donie Cassidy .
He says the dinner should not have taken place and he will cooperate fully with any Garda investigation .
This is the second statement Deputy Grealish has made after the event - with the first made on Friday .
This second statement comes after a weekend of silence from him amid much public @

Housing minister Darragh O’Brien has said that the EU’s Trade Commissioner should resign after he attended a controversial golf event in the west of the country. Photograph: Alan Betson
Housing minister Darragh O'Brien has said that the Phil Hogan should resign after he attended a controversial golf event in the west of the country.
Pressure has been building on Mr Hogan to step down from the EU role since it emerged he attended the Oireachtas Golf Society event. On Monday, Mr O'Brien said that Mr Hogan should take responsibility for his actions.
The commissioner has also been urged to consider his position by the leaders of Ireland’s coalition Government, Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar, after attending a dinner at a hotel in the west of Ireland with more than 80 people present.
Gardaí are investigating whether coronavirus regulations were broken in holding the Oireachtas’ golf society event two days after the Government announced it intended to curb the numbers permitted to gather together.
READ MORE
‘Drip feed’
Mr O’Brien also criticised the “drip feed” of information about Mr Hogan’s movements in Ireland.
“That’s unhelpful to say the least. The commissioner needs to realise how rightly people are so angry about this event and his participation in it,” he added.
He urged Mr Hogan to look to Dara Calleary who resigned as Minister for Agriculture less than 48 hours after attending the event.
He also disputed claims that his removal from the high profile post would not be in Ireland’s interest because of Mr Hogan’s role in the Brexit negotiations.
“I think to pin all our hopes on one individual is simplistic,” Mr O’Brien added.
“I don’t really think that argument as a justification for the commissioner to stay on stand up. I understand the point that’s being made, but frankly our hopes and our strategy in relation to Brexit in the next few months are not just pinned on one individual.”
A resurgence in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks has led Ireland to backtrack on some of its measures reopening society after lockdown.
Mr Martin and his Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have asked Mr Hogan to consider his position.
An Irish Government statement said: “They both believe the event should never have been held, that the commissioner’s apology came late and that he still needs to give a full account and explanation of his actions.”
Mr Hogan has apologised for attending the event.
It has also emerged that Mr Hogan was stopped by Irish police while driving in Kildare on August 17th for using his mobile phone.
Incident
A spokesperson told RTÉ the incident happened while he was en route from Kilkenny to Kildare to collect personal belongings and essential documents at his apartment there before driving on to Galway for the golf event.
The spokesperson said: “The lockdown guidelines for Kildare provide for exceptional travel outside the county ‘to travel to work and home again’.”
It is EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen who would have to force his resignation.
The leader of Ireland's opposition Labour Party, Alan Kelly, said: "It is incumbent on Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar to now inform the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen that they no longer have confidence in the Irish commissioner Phil Hogan and that she should ask for his resignation pursuant to Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union."
The article says a member of the commission shall resign if the president makes the request.
Mr Hogan is the EU’s former agriculture commissioner and oversaw significant reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Trade is a central issue in the EU’s efforts to build agreement with the UK to mitigate any ill-effects from Brexit.
Galway
Meanwhile, Galway West TD Noel Grealish says he let his constituents, his family and his friends down after the Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden last week. The Independent Deputy says he now realises the hurt he caused by attending the dinner - which had over 80 guests made up of TDs.
As captain of the golf society, Deputy Grealish was one of the event organisers and signed the invitation, along with Donie Cassidy. He says the dinner should not have taken place and he will cooperate fully with any Garda investigation. This is the second statement Deputy Grealish has made after the event - with the first made on Friday. This second statement comes after a weekend of silence from him amid much public commentary


theirishtimes--2020-08-24--Taoiseach wants Hogan to explain Kildare movements

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he would like to see a “ very comprehensive statement ” from Phil Hogan to fully explain his position , after it emerged he was stopped driving in Kildare before attending the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner .
Speaking on RTÉ radio ’ s Today with Claire Byrne Show , Mr Martin said that given there was a discrepancy between Mr Hogan ’ s statements , he needed to know that the restrictions in Kildare were not breached .
He said he and the Tánaiste have asked the Garda Commissioner for full details on the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the anger of the Irish people to what they regard as an unacceptable breach of the guidelines by people in office.
” Mr Martin said he had received a call from the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to inform him that Mr Hogan had been stopped by gardaí for using a mobile phone while he was driving in Kildare .
Mr Martin said it was very serious .
Gardaí were at the forefront of implementing guidelines , he added .
The question was if Mr Hogan had been in full adherence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of anger from the public about what had happened , he said .
People had made huge sacrifices , particularly people who lost loved ones and could not give them a proper funeral .
In a statement , Mr Hogan ’ s spokesman said the commissioner was stopped by a garda for using his mobile phone while driving while he was in Kildare en route to Clifden .
“ He stopped briefly at his apartment [ in the K-Club in Kildare ] to collect personal belongings and essential documents relating to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Commissioner was in Galway.
” Mr Martin also said he made his anger very clear to EU Commissioner Phil Hogan about his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden .
Mr Martin also said that the event should never have happened .
Mr Hogan was one of more than 80 people , including a number of senior politicians and a member of the judiciary , who attend the dinner in Clifden , Co Galway last Wednesday , in apparent contravention of Covid-19 restrictions .
The Taoiseach also confirmed , former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy leader of Fianna Fáil .
Micheal Martin said that Mr Calleary has also resigned as national secretary of the party and that his colleague is “ very , very sorry ” for attending a golf dinner during the pandemic .
It comes days after the Mayo TD resigned as minister for agriculture in wake of the golf society dinner in Galway .
Mr Martin said Mr Calleary volunteered to step down from the roles .
He said : “ He knows he did wrong , he knows he got it wrong and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions by him ... he doesn ’ t play golf , but by going down to speak he essentially was undermining the authority of the Government to bring in restrictions.
” A resurgence in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks has led Ireland to backtrack on some of its plan to reopen society after lockdown .
The function was held across two rooms in the hotel in Clifden .
Supreme Court judge Seamus Woulfe was among others on the guest list .
Mr Martin said he could not call for the former attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separation of powers .
“ I don ’ t believe he should have been at that event , but I think within the judicial arm of government , the judicial arm have to deal with this .
The political arm of our constitution can ’ t deal with it , ” he added .
Mr Martin also denied that the Government is falling apart , adding that it is “ tenable ” .
“ It will survive .
I ’ ve had good meetings with ( Tánaiste ) Leo Varadkar , with Eamon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he added .
“ There will be challenges.
” The Taoiseach will also be speaking to the Ceann Comhairle on Monday to agree a date for the Dail to return , which is expected to be next week .
–Additional reporting from PA

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that he made his anger very clear to EU Commissioner Phil Hogan about his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden. Mr Martin also said that the event should never have happened. File photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he would like to see a "very comprehensive statement" from Phil Hogan to fully explain his position, after it emerged he was stopped driving in Kildare before attending the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne Show, Mr Martin said that given there was a discrepancy between Mr Hogan’s statements, he needed to know that the restrictions in Kildare were not breached. He said he and the Tánaiste have asked the Garda Commissioner for full details on the incident.
“We are holding a light on the anger of the Irish people to what they regard as an unacceptable breach of the guidelines by people in office.”
Mr Martin said he had received a call from the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to inform him that Mr Hogan had been stopped by gardaí for using a mobile phone while he was driving in Kildare. Mr Martin said it was very serious.
READ MORE
Gardaí were at the forefront of implementing guidelines, he added. The question was if Mr Hogan had been in full adherence of the restrictions.
There was understandably a lot of anger from the public about what had happened, he said. People had made huge sacrifices, particularly people who lost loved ones and could not give them a proper funeral.
In a statement, Mr Hogan’s spokesman said the commissioner was stopped by a garda for using his mobile phone while driving while he was in Kildare en route to Clifden. “He stopped briefly at his apartment [in the K-Club in Kildare] to collect personal belongings and essential documents relating to the EU-US trade negotiations, which continued while the Commissioner was in Galway.”
Mr Martin also said he made his anger very clear to EU Commissioner Phil Hogan about his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden. Mr Martin also said that the event should never have happened.
Mr Hogan was one of more than 80 people, including a number of senior politicians and a member of the judiciary, who attend the dinner in Clifden, Co Galway last Wednesday, in apparent contravention of Covid-19 restrictions.
Resign
The Taoiseach also confirmed, former agriculture minister Dara Calleary has resigned as deputy leader of Fianna Fáil.
Micheal Martin said that Mr Calleary has also resigned as national secretary of the party and that his colleague is "very, very sorry" for attending a golf dinner during the pandemic.
It comes days after the Mayo TD resigned as minister for agriculture in wake of the golf society dinner in Galway.
Mr Martin said Mr Calleary volunteered to step down from the roles.
He said: “He knows he did wrong, he knows he got it wrong and he understood the key point that the actions by him... he doesn’t play golf, but by going down to speak he essentially was undermining the authority of the Government to bring in restrictions.”
A resurgence in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks has led Ireland to backtrack on some of its plan to reopen society after lockdown.
The function was held across two rooms in the hotel in Clifden.
Supreme Court judge Seamus Woulfe was among others on the guest list.
Mr Martin said he could not call for the former attorney general to step down as there is a separation of powers.
“I don’t believe he should have been at that event, but I think within the judicial arm of government, the judicial arm have to deal with this. The political arm of our constitution can’t deal with it,” he added.
Mr Martin also denied that the Government is falling apart, adding that it is “tenable”.
“It will survive. I’ve had good meetings with (Tánaiste) Leo Varadkar, with Eamon Ryan in terms of these key issues,” he added. “There will be challenges.”
The Taoiseach will also be speaking to the Ceann Comhairle on Monday to agree a date for the Dail to return, which is expected to be next week. –Additional reporting from PA


theirishtimes--2020-08-24--Storm Francis: Risk of flooding and structural damage across country

Heavy rain and strong winds on Tuesday could result in flash flooding , disruption and possible structural damage , the national forecaster has warned .
Met Éireann has issued an orange rainfall warning for Connacht , Cavan , Monaghan , Donegal , Wexford , Cork , Kerry and Waterford , while a yellow rainfall warning is in place in all remaining counties .
The warning is in effect from 9pm on Monday night until 5pm Tuesday evening .
“ Intense rainfall ” is expected at times on Monday night and on Tuesday , with rainfall of between 40 and 60mm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher in mountainous areas .
The heavy rain means that flash flooding is likely , while elevated river levels may result in river flooding also .
Meanwhile , a yellow wind warning has been issued for Munster , Dublin , Wexford and Wicklow from 6am on Tuesday , with “ very windy or stormy conditions expected ” .
Wind will reach mean speeds of 55 to 65km/h and will bring widespread severe gusts of 90 to 110km/h , and possibly higher in exposed areas .
Some disruption is likely and structural damage is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coleman , a forecaster with Met Éireann , said Storm Francis won ’ t be as windy as last week ’ s Storm Ellen , but that rain will be extremely heavy .
“ With this event , it ’ s really the intensity of the rainfall which is more our concern .
It ’ s not as much of a wind event which we saw with Storm Ellen last week .
That ’ s really where we want people to take caution .
The intensity of that rain can be quite treacherous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ The population wouldn ’ t be expecting this kind of weather through August so people really need to heed how impactful a warning can be at this time of the year.
” Ms Coleman said the impact of the rain will first be felt in the southern counties and as it tracks across the country , it will bring quite intense rain to Connacht later on Tuesday .
“ It ’ s going to be heaviest in the southern part of the country from 9pm on Monday until 6am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the intensity will happen later from tonight and then into the day until 3pm tomorrow .
Connacht will be feeling the intensity of it during the day time , ” she said .
Ms Coleman added that the heavy rainfall could result in river flooding around the country .
“ The intensity of the rain is expected to elevate the river levels further .
They would have been elevated from rainfall previously .
They ’ ve had a little bit of time to recover but the intensity of this rain will cause river @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a risk of river flooding , ” she explained .
The unsettled weather is likely to continue after a brief hiatus on Wednesday .
Thursday and Friday are also likely to be exceptionally wet days with heavy thundery rain expected on Thursday and showers on Friday .
The forecast for the weekend is for drier , calmer conditions over next weekend with sunny spells and well scattered showers .
However , it will be cooler than recently .
August is normally a wet month , the second wettest in Ireland climatologically , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ quite active ” due to a tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic .

Southern counties are expected to experience particularly heavy rainfall in the next day or so. Photograph: Tom Honan
Heavy rain and strong winds on Tuesday could result in flash flooding, disruption and possible structural damage, the national forecaster has warned.
Met Éireann has issued an orange rainfall warning for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Wexford, Cork, Kerry and Waterford, while a yellow rainfall warning is in place in all remaining counties.
The warning is in effect from 9pm on Monday night until 5pm Tuesday evening.
“Intense rainfall” is expected at times on Monday night and on Tuesday, with rainfall of between 40 and 60mm expected. However, that could be higher in mountainous areas.
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The heavy rain means that flash flooding is likely, while elevated river levels may result in river flooding also.
Meanwhile, a yellow wind warning has been issued for Munster, Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow from 6am on Tuesday, with "very windy or stormy conditions expected".
Wind will reach mean speeds of 55 to 65km/h and will bring widespread severe gusts of 90 to 110km/h, and possibly higher in exposed areas.
Some disruption is likely and structural damage is possible, Met Éireann said.
The Government’s National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) crisis management team met with the forecaster on Monday morning and the NDFEM advised local authority severe weather assessment teams to “actively monitor” forecasts during the period of unsettled weather and to consider activation of crisis management, where necessary.
The NDFEM said trees are in full leaf, with the potential for a number of trees to fall blocking roads and damaging power lines. ESB Networks are preparing for power outages with staff on standby to repair faults in all areas.
The crisis management team has called on members of the public to avoid coastal areas for the duration of the warnings, and to be aware of hazardous travelling conditions.
Meanwhile, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), has urged motorists to drive slowly, particularly in counties which have orange warnings.
The authority has called on drivers to avoid driving through flooded roads and to “expect” road conditions to change quickly in high winds.
Liz Coleman, a forecaster with Met Éireann, said Storm Francis won't be as windy as last week's Storm Ellen, but that rain will be extremely heavy.
“With this event, it’s really the intensity of the rainfall which is more our concern. It’s not as much of a wind event which we saw with Storm Ellen last week. That’s really where we want people to take caution. The intensity of that rain can be quite treacherous in terms of driving conditions,” she said.
“The population wouldn’t be expecting this kind of weather through August so people really need to heed how impactful a warning can be at this time of the year.”
Ms Coleman said the impact of the rain will first be felt in the southern counties and as it tracks across the country, it will bring quite intense rain to Connacht later on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be heaviest in the southern part of the country from 9pm on Monday until 6am, but then in parts of Connacht the intensity will happen later from tonight and then into the day until 3pm tomorrow. Connacht will be feeling the intensity of it during the day time,” she said.
Ms Coleman added that the heavy rainfall could result in river flooding around the country.
“The intensity of the rain is expected to elevate the river levels further. They would have been elevated from rainfall previously. They’ve had a little bit of time to recover but the intensity of this rain will cause river levels to elevate further so there is a risk of river flooding,” she explained.
The unsettled weather is likely to continue after a brief hiatus on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are also likely to be exceptionally wet days with heavy thundery rain expected on Thursday and showers on Friday.
The forecast for the weekend is for drier, calmer conditions over next weekend with sunny spells and well scattered showers. However, it will be cooler than recently.
August is normally a wet month, the second wettest in Ireland climatologically, but Ms Coleman acknowledged that the weather has been "quite active" due to a tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic.


theirishtimes--2020-08-24--Coastguard praises five teenagers who rescued father and son in Cork

An area officer for the Irish Coastguard has praised five teenagers in Cork for their efforts in rescuing a father and son who were swept out to sea on an inflatable on Sunday .
Just before 7.30pm on Sunday evening , a member of the public raised the alarm after seeing two people in trouble in the water at Fountainstown , Co Cork .
It is understood the child ( 9 ) had an inflatable device which was swept out to sea in strong currents .
His father rushed to help him but also got into difficulties and was left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the RNLI , the coastguard and the national ambulance service were called to attend the scene but five teenagers , who were fishing in a light rib near Roches Point , went out the help the pair .
They arrived at the scene before the emergency services .
Victor Shine of Crosshaven Coastguard told RTÉ radio ’ s Morning that the teenagers were able to assist because their boat was small enough to reach the area which would have been difficult for the Coastguard .
“ I must commend them for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was “ a challenging area ” where the incident occurred , he added .
The teens –- Jamie Venner , Richard McSweeney , Cillian Foster , Kate Horgan and Harry Pritchard – rushed to the scene to save the father and retrieved the man onto their boat .
They brought him ashore where he was reunited with his son who is understood to have made his way ashore himself .
Mr Shine said that both the father and son were suffering severe hypothermia and the emergency services brought them to a camp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up while also wrapping them in foil blankets .
There were concerns about blood pressure so the Coastguard helicopter landed on the beach to transport them to Cork university hospital .

An area officer for the Irish Coastguard has praised five teenagerss in Cork for their efforts in rescuing a father and son who were swept out to sea on an inflatable on Sunday. File Photograph: Collins Dublin
An area officer for the Irish Coastguard has praised five teenagers in Cork for their efforts in rescuing a father and son who were swept out to sea on an inflatable on Sunday.
Just before 7.30pm on Sunday evening, a member of the public raised the alarm after seeing two people in trouble in the water at Fountainstown, Co Cork.
It is understood the child (9) had an inflatable device which was swept out to sea in strong currents. His father rushed to help him but also got into difficulties and was left clinging to a marker buoy.
Gardaí, the RNLI, the coastguard and the national ambulance service were called to attend the scene but five teenagers, who were fishing in a light rib near Roches Point, went out the help the pair. They arrived at the scene before the emergency services.
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Victor Shine of Crosshaven Coastguard told RTÉ radio's Morning that the teenagers were able to assist because their boat was small enough to reach the area which would have been difficult for the Coastguard.
“I must commend them for their heroic efforts,” he said.
It was “a challenging area” where the incident occurred, he added.
The teens –- Jamie Venner, Richard McSweeney, Cillian Foster, Kate Horgan and Harry Pritchard – rushed to the scene to save the father and retrieved the man onto their boat.
They brought him ashore where he was reunited with his son who is understood to have made his way ashore himself.
Mr Shine said that both the father and son were suffering severe hypothermia and the emergency services brought them to a camp fire on the beach to warm them up while also wrapping them in foil blankets.
There were concerns about blood pressure so the Coastguard helicopter landed on the beach to transport them to Cork university hospital.


theirishtimes--2020-08-24--Two die in crashes in Galway and north Dublin

A 26-year-old woman and 17-year-old man died in two seperate road accidents in Co Galway and Finglas in Co Dublin on Sunday evening .
The 26-year-old woman died and two men were injured in a car crash in Tuam , Co Galway on Sunday evening .
The woman died after the car she was travelling in left the road and crashed into a concrete post .
The incident occurred on the Headford to Tuam Road at approximately 6.45pm .
The driver ( 32 ) and front seat passenger ( 28 ) were injured and taken to University Hospital Galway .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatening .
The road remains closed as gardaí carry out an investigation .
Local diversions are in place .
Gardaí are appealing to any road users who may have travelled the road and can assist them or drivers who may have dash cam footage to contact them in Tuam Garda Station on 093 70840 , the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station .
Tuam Gardaí are also appealing to any persons who contacted Gardaí to make contact again in relation to this collision .
The 17-year-old died after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bus in Finglas in Dublin on Sunday evening .
The bus driver ( 50 ) was uninjured but treated for shock at the scene .
The incident occurred at the junction of the R122 and the R108 St. Margarets in Finglas at approximately 7.50pm .
The road has since been reopened .
Gardaí are appealing to any road users who may have travelled the road and can assist them or any drivers who may have dash cam footage to contact them in Finglas Garda Station on 01 6667500 , the Garda Confidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station .

A 26-year-old woman and 17-year-old man have died following seperate road accidents in Galway and Dublin.
A 26-year-old woman and 17-year-old man died in two seperate road accidents in Co Galway and Finglas in Co Dublin on Sunday evening.
The 26-year-old woman died and two men were injured in a car crash in Tuam, Co Galway on Sunday evening.
The woman died after the car she was travelling in left the road and crashed into a concrete post.
The incident occurred on the Headford to Tuam Road at approximately 6.45pm.
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The driver (32) and front seat passenger (28) were injured and taken to University Hospital Galway. The injuries are believed to be non-life threatening.
The road remains closed as gardaí carry out an investigation. Local diversions are in place.
Gardaí are appealing to any road users who may have travelled the road and can assist them or drivers who may have dash cam footage to contact them in Tuam Garda Station on 093 70840, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station. Tuam Gardaí are also appealing to any persons who contacted Gardaí to make contact again in relation to this collision.
The 17-year-old died after the motorbike he was travelling on collided with a bus in Finglas in Dublin on Sunday evening.
The bus driver (50) was uninjured but treated for shock at the scene.
The incident occurred at the junction of the R122 and the R108 St. Margarets in Finglas at approximately 7.50pm.
The road has since been reopened.
Gardaí are appealing to any road users who may have travelled the road and can assist them or any drivers who may have dash cam footage to contact them in Finglas Garda Station on 01 6667500, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-08-24--Malaysia opens inquest into Nora Quoirin’s death near resort

A Malaysian coroner began an inquest on Monday into the death of a French-Irish teen , a year after her body was found near a nature resort where she mysteriously vanished while on holiday .
Nora Anne Quoirin ’ s disappearance from her family ’ s cottage at the Dusun resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4th last year , a day after her family arrived for their holiday , sparked a massive search operation .
Her naked body was discovered August 13th beside a stream in a palm oil estate about 2.5 kilometres ( 1.6 miles ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the inquest is aimed at determining when Nora died , the cause of her death , how she came to her death , and if anyone was criminally involved .
Police have said there was no sign the teen was abducted or raped , with an autopsy showing the 15-year-old succumbed to intestinal bleeding due to starvation and stress .
But her Irish mother and French father , Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin , believed Nora was abducted as she has mental and physical disabilities and could not have wandered off on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited the resort and the place where the body was found .
The inquest , which is set to run until September 4th , will involve 64 witnesses .
The Quoirin family lawyer , S Sakthyvell , said Nora ’ s parents could not attend the inquest due to the coronavirus pandemic but that they will testify via the videoconferencing app Zoom .
A British doctor who conducted a second autopsy on Nora ’ s body will also testify remotely , he said .
The Quoirin family has sued the resort owner for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit that there was no security at the resort and that a cottage window was found ajar with a broken latch on the morning Nora disappeared .
Nora had poor motor skills and needed help to walk and her mental age was about five or six years old , her parents ’ said in the claim .
Nora ’ s parents had welcomed Malaysia ’ s decision to hold the inquest after police classified the case as “ no further action ” .
They have said the inquest will be “ crucial in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened to Nora and how her case was dealt with.
” –AP

A Malaysian coroner began an inquest on Monday into the death of a French-Irish teen, Nora Quoirin. Photograph: Courtesy of the Quoirin Family / AFP
A Malaysian coroner began an inquest on Monday into the death of a French-Irish teen, a year after her body was found near a nature resort where she mysteriously vanished while on holiday.
Nóra Quoirin’s disappearance from her family’s cottage at the Dusun resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4th last year, a day after her family arrived for their holiday, sparked a massive search operation.
Her naked body was discovered August 13th beside a stream in a palm oil estate about 2.5 kilometres from the resort.
Coroner Maimoonah Aid said the inquest is aimed at determining when Nóra died, the cause of her death, how she came to her death, and if anyone was criminally involved.
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Negeri Sembilan police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop, the first witness, said the investigation showed no criminal element. He said there was no indication Nóra was abducted and no ransom demand.
Police believe Nóra climbed out of a window on her own, and the post-mortem showed she succumbed to intestinal bleeding due to starvation and stress, he said.
Her Irish mother and French father, Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin, say Nóra was kidnapped because she had mental and physical disabilities and could not have wandered off on her own.
Resort owner Haanim Bamadhaj, who gave evidence via video conference, said Nóra’s parents had told her the teenager only had on her underwear when she went missing and that she would hide when she was frightened.
Recalling the night, Ms Haanim, whose house faces the Quoirins’ cottage, said it was peaceful and that her dog, who would bark if there were outsiders, was also quiet.
She acknowledged that a window of the cottage that was found ajar the morning Nóra disappeared was faulty and could be opened from the outside. But she said there have never been any criminal break-ins in her property since it opened for business 11 years ago.
A recording of Meabh Quoirin calling “Nóra darling, Nóra, Nóra, mummy here” that was used during the search was played to the court.
The inquest, which is set to run until September 4th, is to involve 64 witnesses.
The Quoirin family lawyer, S Sakhty Vell, said Nóra’s parents could not attend the inquest due to the coronavirus pandemic but will give evidence via video conference. A British doctor who conducted a second post-mortem on Nóra’s body will also give evidence remotely, he said.
The Quoirin family has sued the resort owner for alleged negligence. They said in their lawsuit that there was no security at the resort and that a cottage window was found ajar with a broken latch on the morning Nóra disappeared.
Nóra had poor motor skills and needed help to walk and her mental age was about five or six years old, her parents said in the lawsuit.
Gurdial Singh Nijar, the lawyer representing the resort, told reporters after the first day of the inquest that the incident was unfortunate but “there was no culpability” on the part of the resort owner.
Nóra’s parents have welcomed Malaysia’s decision to hold the inquest after police classified the case as “no further action”. They said the inquest will be “crucial in determining the fullest possible picture of what happened to Nóra and how her case was dealt with”. – AP


theirishtimes--2020-08-24--Car door incident highlights what is wrong with insurance in Ireland

We had a couple of complaints about insurance – both car and travel .
Just more than five weeks ago Elaine Donnelly was involved in “ a very minor incident where my car door hit another car door in a car park .
A scuff mark existed which disappeared after polishing with a wet finger.
” What happened next highlights much of what is wrong with the insurance industry in Ireland .
“ The other driver became irate and took a photo of my insurance details .
I photographed the scuff mark on the other car , and there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
“ I contacted my insurer to inform them , in case of a fraudulent claim .
No claim has been made to date by the other driver .
Indeed , if one were to be made , my excess of €300 would more than cover the cost.
” But the story does not end there .
“ Meanwhile , my insurance renewal quote has been issued , and my premium has jumped from €487 to €1,276 , a price gouging sum .
I have full no claims bonus protection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , but not counted .
My insurer has also stated on my no claims cert that I am at fault for a car accident with a claim outstanding .
Thereby , preventing me from shopping around for a more competitive quote elsewhere .
Apparently , there is no difference between a minor incident involving a car door in a car park and a motor crash that causes significant damage and injury .
Informing my insurance company was on paper the right thing to do .
However , in practice , [ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me in monetary and stress-inducing terms.
” Meanwhile , Gerald Duffy asked us to “ give a big shoutout to VHI travel insurance ” , but before the company gets out the champagne to celebrate some good news , it should probably know that he said that with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek .
He was prompted to mail us after getting an email confirming that his annual VHI travel insurance would auto-renew at the end of the month and the cost would be automatically deducted from his credit card .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancel , and they even then tried to put me off , telling me that I would have access to exclusive airport lounges etc , ” he writes .
“ A friend of mine only discovered his VHI travel insurance renewed in April at the height of travel restrictions when he looked at his Visa bill .
Irate , he phoned them up and got a refund .
Anyway , can you give a big shoutout to VHI travel , and their auto travel insurance renewal policies .
‘ We are all in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VHI , who are in this for the profits .
”

We had a couple of complaints about insurance – both car and travel.
Just more than five weeks ago Elaine Donnelly was involved in “a very minor incident where my car door hit another car door in a car park. A scuff mark existed which disappeared after polishing with a wet finger.” What happened next highlights much of what is wrong with the insurance industry in Ireland.
“The other driver became irate and took a photo of my insurance details. I photographed the scuff mark on the other car, and there was no damage to my car,” she says. “I contacted my insurer to inform them, in case of a fraudulent claim. No claim has been made to date by the other driver. Indeed, if one were to be made, my excess of €300 would more than cover the cost.”
But the story does not end there. “Meanwhile, my insurance renewal quote has been issued, and my premium has jumped from €487 to €1,276, a price gouging sum. I have full no claims bonus protection, with 10-years-plus no claims – 18 in fact, but not counted. My insurer has also stated on my no claims cert that I am at fault for a car accident with a claim outstanding. Thereby, preventing me from shopping around for a more competitive quote elsewhere. Apparently, there is no difference between a minor incident involving a car door in a car park and a motor crash that causes significant damage and injury. Informing my insurance company was on paper the right thing to do. However, in practice, [it comes with] a high cost to me in monetary and stress-inducing terms.”
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Auto pilot
Meanwhile, Gerald Duffy asked us to “give a big shoutout to VHI travel insurance”, but before the company gets out the champagne to celebrate some good news, it should probably know that he said that with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.
He was prompted to mail us after getting an email confirming that his annual VHI travel insurance would auto-renew at the end of the month and the cost would be automatically deducted from his credit card.
“I had to phone VHI and cancel, and they even then tried to put me off, telling me that I would have access to exclusive airport lounges etc,” he writes. “A friend of mine only discovered his VHI travel insurance renewed in April at the height of travel restrictions when he looked at his Visa bill. Irate, he phoned them up and got a refund. Anyway, can you give a big shoutout to VHI travel, and their auto travel insurance renewal policies. ‘We are all in this together’, except of course VHI, who are in this for the profits.”