theirishtimes--2020-07-23--Covid-19 outbreaks in households claimed 68 lives

There were 68 confirmed Covid-19 deaths of individuals who contracted coronavirus in outbreaks in private dwellings , according to new figures from the Department of Health .
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre , the division of the Health Service Executive that tracks Covid-19 infections and deaths , provided more detailed data to The Irish Times showing that 2,937 cases – or about one in every 10 of known infections in the State – were in outbreaks in private dwellings .
The highest number of people infected in a single household outbreak was eight ; the average number was two .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials as two or more cases .
On Wednesday , the State ’ s National Public Health Emergency Team reported one additional Covid-19 death , bringing the death toll from the virus to 1,754 .
There were a further 17 cases of the disease confirmed , bringing total known cases to 25,819 .
The new data on clusters reveals for the first time more detail on the extent of private house outbreaks , which account for the highest concentration of clusters .
There were 1,414 outbreaks recorded in private houses as of last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in family homes .
Dublin had the largest number with 861 , or 61 per cent , followed by Cork with 86 ( 6 per cent ) , Kildare with 65 ( 5 per cent ) and Wicklow with 52 ( 4 per cent ) .
HSE chief executive Paul Reid told The Irish Times the high numbers showed the importance of not just staying at home but isolating within a home if someone in a household tests positive .
Elsewhere , it has emerged that just 4,121 calls were made to check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Dublin Airport in the first two weeks of July to see if they were self-isolating .
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall , who received the figures from a Dáil question , said less than 7 per cent of passengers received a follow-up call to check information they had submitted on the compulsory passenger locator forms and half of those calls went unanswered .
“ How can the public have confidence in the Government ’ s decision on travel when that is the case ?
” she said on the publication of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with similar infection rates .
The Department of Justice said since traffic volumes rose at the start of the month the border management unit charged with making calls had “ to concentrate on their core immigration duties ” with the department awaiting handover of the process to the Department of Health .
Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday , Mr Reid reported significant , worrying trends on the spread of the virus and the public response , with the number of confirmed cases rising to 267 in the fortnight to July 18th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period .
He expressed concern at the increase in the number of close contacts of newly infected individuals from two to more than five and at the significant number of no-shows for testing among close contacts : 25 per cent for their first test and 50 per cent for the day-seven follow-up test .
The HSE said officials were spending double the time conversing with contacts of confirmed cases with no symptoms trying to persuade them to be tested .
“ People are not the best judge on whether they need to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the HSE ’ s chief clinical officer , told the briefing .
The HSE warned that one in 10 close contacts are likely to test positive and that they could test negative on day one but positive on day seven and infect others in the intervening period .
Dr Henry said that an untested asymptomatic case risked spreading infection to other people and creating “ a cluster , which becomes an outbreak and eventually , if enough ripples come together , becomes uncontrolled community transmission ” .

Chief executive Paul Reid says the HSE is concerned at the number of people not turning up for coronavirus testing after being in contact with someone confirmed to have the disease.
There were 68 confirmed Covid-19 deaths of individuals who contracted coronavirus in outbreaks in private dwellings, according to new figures from the Department of Health.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the division of the Health Service Executive that tracks Covid-19 infections and deaths, provided more detailed data to The Irish Times showing that 2,937 cases – or about one in every 10 of known infections in the State – were in outbreaks in private dwellings.
The highest number of people infected in a single household outbreak was eight; the average number was two. A cluster is defined by public health officials as two or more cases.
On Wednesday, the State’s National Public Health Emergency Team reported one additional Covid-19 death, bringing the death toll from the virus to 1,754. There were a further 17 cases of the disease confirmed, bringing total known cases to 25,819.
READ MORE
The new data on clusters reveals for the first time more detail on the extent of private house outbreaks, which account for the highest concentration of clusters. There were 1,414 outbreaks recorded in private houses as of last Saturday, of which 1,404 were outbreaks in family homes.
Dublin had the largest number with 861, or 61 per cent, followed by Cork with 86 (6 per cent), Kildare with 65 (5 per cent) and Wicklow with 52 (4 per cent).
HSE chief executive Paul Reid told The Irish Times the high numbers showed the importance of not just staying at home but isolating within a home if someone in a household tests positive.
Follow-up calls
Elsewhere, it has emerged that just 4,121 calls were made to check up on more than 60,000 people arriving in Dublin Airport in the first two weeks of July to see if they were self-isolating.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall, who received the figures from a Dáil question, said less than 7 per cent of passengers received a follow-up call to check information they had submitted on the compulsory passenger locator forms and half of those calls went unanswered.
“How can the public have confidence in the Government’s decision on travel when that is the case?” she said on the publication of a “green list” of 15 countries with similar infection rates.
The Department of Justice said since traffic volumes rose at the start of the month the border management unit charged with making calls had “to concentrate on their core immigration duties” with the department awaiting handover of the process to the Department of Health.
Increase in cases
Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, Mr Reid reported significant, worrying trends on the spread of the virus and the public response, with the number of confirmed cases rising to 267 in the fortnight to July 18th, compared with 155 in the previous two-week period.
He expressed concern at the increase in the number of close contacts of newly infected individuals from two to more than five and at the significant number of no-shows for testing among close contacts: 25 per cent for their first test and 50 per cent for the day-seven follow-up test.
The HSE said officials were spending double the time conversing with contacts of confirmed cases with no symptoms trying to persuade them to be tested.
"People are not the best judge on whether they need to take a test," Dr Colm Henry, the HSE's chief clinical officer, told the briefing.
The HSE warned that one in 10 close contacts are likely to test positive and that they could test negative on day one but positive on day seven and infect others in the intervening period.
Dr Henry said that an untested asymptomatic case risked spreading infection to other people and creating “a cluster, which becomes an outbreak and eventually, if enough ripples come together, becomes uncontrolled community transmission”.


theirishtimes--2020-07-23--Wide-ranging reform of nursing home sector recommended by Oireachtas committee

A draft report by the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee has recommended wide-ranging reform of the nursing home sector , including a governance shake-up and closer oversight of clinical practice .
The potential recommendations of the report , seen by The Irish Times , were drawn up by committee staff and will be discussed by members at a closed session on Thursday .
It states that the committee is “ of the opinion that the lack of national clinical oversight of care for patients in the private nursing home sector is one of the biggest weaknesses exposed by Covid-19 ” .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgently review clinical oversight and governance arrangements for private nursing homes ” .
It also recommends that an independent review be commissioned into the circumstances of all deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic .
The draft document is subject to change , with committee members having until next Monday to submit amendments .
It also recommends a series of structural reforms , including the integration of private nursing homes into “ the wider framework of public health and social care ” , and that the care of older people be planned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It also recommends that a review should take place of how patients are allocated under the State ’ s € 1 billion per annum Fair Deal scheme to ensure their needs are central to any placement and “ that patients are not placed in centres which have consistently not complied with Hiqa standards ” .
Strengthening the role of Hiqa ( Health Information and Quality Authority ) in enforcing the regulation of care homes is also recommended , as are the introduction of regulations regarding staffing and staff ratios which “ need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient health ” .
Staffing structures , salaries , terms and contracts should also be reviewed , the draft report states .
The report recommends the Department of Health should “ urgently support nursing homes which have planned capital works in order to fulfil statutory obligations under the Health Act , 2007 ” .
It says this work should be completed as a matter of urgency , given the ongoing threat of Covid-19 to the health of residents living in congregated settings .
Informed sources said on Wednesday that the private nursing home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding .

A draft report by the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee has recommended wide-ranging reform of the nursing home sector, including a governance shake-up and closer oversight of clinical practice.
The potential recommendations of the report, seen by The Irish Times, were drawn up by committee staff and will be discussed by members at a closed session on Thursday.
It states that the committee is “of the opinion that the lack of national clinical oversight of care for patients in the private nursing home sector is one of the biggest weaknesses exposed by Covid-19”.
It recommends that the Department of Health "urgently review clinical oversight and governance arrangements for private nursing homes". It also recommends that an independent review be commissioned into the circumstances of all deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic.
READ MORE
Submit amendments
The draft document is subject to change, with committee members having until next Monday to submit amendments. It also recommends a series of structural reforms, including the integration of private nursing homes into “the wider framework of public health and social care”, and that the care of older people be planned for as part of the implementation of Sláintecare.
It also recommends that a review should take place of how patients are allocated under the State’s € 1 billion per annum Fair Deal scheme to ensure their needs are central to any placement and “that patients are not placed in centres which have consistently not complied with Hiqa standards”.
Strengthening the role of Hiqa (Health Information and Quality Authority) in enforcing the regulation of care homes is also recommended, as are the introduction of regulations regarding staffing and staff ratios which “need to be strengthened in order to protect patient health”. Staffing structures, salaries, terms and contracts should also be reviewed, the draft report states.
‘Matter of urgency’
The report recommends the Department of Health should “urgently support nursing homes which have planned capital works in order to fulfil statutory obligations under the Health Act, 2007”. It says this work should be completed as a matter of urgency, given the ongoing threat of Covid-19 to the health of residents living in congregated settings.
Informed sources said on Wednesday that the private nursing home sector does not receive any State capital funding.


theirishtimes--2020-07-23--Russian intelligence could exploit Irish Border poll, security experts say

A potential Irish Border poll could be exploited by Russian intelligence in the same way it targeted the 2016 US presidential election and , allegedly , the Brexit vote , security experts believe .
On Tuesday the UK government released its long-delayed report into allegations that Russia attempted to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum .
The report ’ s authors said it could not definitely say if Russia had interfered with the vote because the government at the time had made no effort to find out .
It said the UK was “ clearly a target ” for disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-EU news stories on news websites affiliated with the Russian government before the vote .
According to Michael Murphy , former deputy chief of J2 , the Irish Defence Force ’ s military intelligence section , Ireland is also a “ prime target ” for disinformation campaigns and attempts to sow discord , despite its neutral and non-aligned status .
“ We are a prime target because of our location and because of the large number of international companies we have , ” he said on Wednesday .
“ We are part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU is going to be a target.
” Russian and other intelligence services like to exploit wedge issues such as Brexit which result in division and long-term political fallout no matter the result , he said .
“ In the UK they ’ ve created a division greater than ever before .
They don ’ t have to go for one side .
All they have to do is create chaos.
” Irish security sources said a vote on Irish unification would be an ideal target for such a campaign .
“ [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for one thing , it would break up the UK , ” said one source .
“ As a major member of Nato , anything Russia can do to distract the UK and make them look inward is well worth doing from their point of view , ” said another .
It would likely not be the first time Russia has sought to influence matters in Ireland .
Russian intelligence was suspected of spreading fake news stories about DUP leader Arlene Foster last year .
It was also accused of spreading false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islamic extremists .
“ From a Russian point of view a Border poll would be great , ” said Mark Galeotti of the Royal United Service Institution , a British defence and security think tank .
“ Their aim is to divide , distract and demoralise .
[ A unity referendum ] would be wonderful .
It would sharpen up all the divisions and if Ireland did reunite there would almost certainly be violent groups in the North who would resist it .
It would lead to all kinds of internal soul-searching and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s left of the UK.
” Ireland is a target for foreign actors for other reasons , says Dr Gerry Waldron , director of the Slándáil National Security Summit and a former Defence Forces officer , including “ our membership of the EU and our veto on important issues such as common security and defence policy ” .
He said Ireland ’ s membership of the UN Security Council next year would likely increase its risk .

50 years after the start of the Troubles some fear a hard Brexit could see a return to violence.
A potential Irish Border poll could be exploited by Russian intelligence in the same way it targeted the 2016 US presidential election and, allegedly, the Brexit vote, security experts believe.
On Tuesday the UK government released its long-delayed report into allegations that Russia attempted to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum.
The report’s authors said it could not definitely say if Russia had interfered with the vote because the government at the time had made no effort to find out.
It said the UK was “clearly a target” for disinformation campaigns and pointed to numerous pro-Brexit and anti-EU news stories on news websites affiliated with the Russian government before the vote.
READ MORE
According to Michael Murphy, former deputy chief of J2, the Irish Defence Force's military intelligence section, Ireland is also a "prime target" for disinformation campaigns and attempts to sow discord, despite its neutral and non-aligned status.
“We are a prime target because of our location and because of the large number of international companies we have,” he said on Wednesday. “We are part of the EU. Any state within the EU is going to be a target.”
Russian and other intelligence services like to exploit wedge issues such as Brexit which result in division and long-term political fallout no matter the result, he said. “In the UK they’ve created a division greater than ever before. They don’t have to go for one side. All they have to do is create chaos.”
Irish security sources said a vote on Irish unification would be an ideal target for such a campaign. "[Russia] would want to influence because, for one thing, it would break up the UK," said one source. "As a major member of Nato, anything Russia can do to distract the UK and make them look inward is well worth doing from their point of view," said another.
It would likely not be the first time Russia has sought to influence matters in Ireland.
Fake news
Russian intelligence was suspected of spreading fake news stories about DUP leader Arlene Foster last year. It was also accused of spreading false stories that the Real IRA was recruiting Islamic extremists.
"From a Russian point of view a Border poll would be great," said Mark Galeotti of the Royal United Service Institution, a British defence and security think tank. "Their aim is to divide, distract and demoralise. [A unity referendum] would be wonderful. It would sharpen up all the divisions and if Ireland did reunite there would almost certainly be violent groups in the North who would resist it. It would lead to all kinds of internal soul-searching and recriminations in the UK, or what's left of the UK."
Ireland is a target for foreign actors for other reasons, says Dr Gerry Waldron, director of the Slándáil National Security Summit and a former Defence Forces officer, including "our membership of the EU and our veto on important issues such as common security and defence policy". He said Ireland's membership of the UN Security Council next year would likely increase its risk.


theirishtimes--2020-07-23--Sligo’s Neolithic tombs are being vandalised ‘on scale never seen before’

Five-thousand-year-old Neolithic tombs in Co Sligo are suffering damage and vandalism “ on a scale never seen before ” and will not survive unless action is taken immediately , archaeological experts have warned .
There are 75 passage tombs in Co Sligo , almost one-third of the estimated 240 in the State , according to the Sligo Neolithic Landscapes Group , which is pressing for the county ’ s Neolithic heritage to be deemed a World Heritage Site by Unesco .
So much material has been removed from one passage tomb , known as Teach Cailleach a ’ Bheara ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ballygawley mountains , that an adult can now lie in the hole created .
People walking on top of some cairns are doing so much damage “ that not only is there a fear that they won ’ t be there for future generations , they may be lost to this generation ” , warned expert Dr Robert Hensey .
Saying that it would be hard to find a comparable landscape anywhere else in the world , the group warned that “ a very fragile landscape ” is under “ grave existential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of Sligo ’ s best-known landmarks , Queen Maebdh ’ s cairn on top of Knocknarea , has suffered ongoing damage including the removal of stones from the base of the monument and “ walking scars ” left by ever-increasing footfall , Dr Hensey adds .
The author and archaeologist , who discovered megalithic art not visible to the human eye in a Carrowkeel passage grave overlooking Lough Arrow , Co Sligo , in 2009 , said many walkers instinctively climb on top of the tombs .
However , the tombs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cairn and are in danger of collapse , Dr Hensey said .
A couple chose to stay in one of the tombs some years ago “ with straw bedding , and their tins of beans and washing line ” .
Meanwhile , Carrowkeel is also plagued by graffiti , with a significant increase in people scratching their names on to the monuments , causing potential damage to the megalithic art which has been there for 5,000 years .
While some damage is accidental , or simply carelessness , there is evidence that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ For some , taking a piece is an instinct almost like bringing home holy water from Knock , ” said Dr Hensey .
Meanwhile , there is evidence that some people may be trying to find hidden chambers or entrances to monuments at Teach Cailleach a ’ Bheara under the “ misguided notion ” that there are valuables are to be found .
Some people believe valuable gold or bronze objects are deposited inside ancient monuments , he added : “ They may not be aware that stone age sites are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of metals in Ireland .
” Under law , it is illegal to be in possession of metal detectors at monuments and sites , or to dig or excavate for archaeological objects , an offence liable to fines of up to €65,000 or up to three months imprisonment .
“ We can not have 24-hour surveillance on all of the endangered monuments in Sligo , ” said Dr Hensey , but better signage and more engagement with the public would be key to raising awareness about the vulnerability of the sites , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neolithic tombs , Brú na Bóinne and Skellig Michael , and seven more on the UN body ’ s tentative list .
The Sligo group argues that placing Sligo ’ s tombs on the tentative list could provide some protection .
On July 25th two group members Dr Stefan Bergh , an archaeology lecturer at NUI Galway , and Pádraig Meehan , a guide at Carrowmore , will lead guided tours to Teach Cailleach a ’ Bheara and Queen Maebdh ’ s grave to highlight the dangers facing the tombs .
The Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ visitor pressure ” facing Neolithic sites and is working with other State bodies to address the issue , “ particularly at those sites , including Carrowkeel , where we have a maintenance responsibility ” .
The Department of Heritage confirmed that its National Monuments Service ( NMS ) had inspected the passage tomb in Ballygawley after it was damaged in 2019 and “ unfortunately , the latest report we have received does indicate further damaging activity at the site , which is in a very remote location ” .
A spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the care of the State and we would appeal to the public for any information that may assist in our investigations ” .
The Department said it was aware of “ the challenges ” at Knocknarea following a dramatic rise in walkers there , and th NMS was doing a detailed recording of the site , to be used as a baseline to measure ongoing erosion .
A drone survey was undertaken there last week as part of the process The OPW was preparing a programme of works for the preservation and protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department said .
Dorothy Clarke , director of services with Sligo County Council said it was involved in and fully supported the bid for Unesco listing , though she pointed out that some key sites are on privately-owned land .
The council had a “ balancing act ” between encouraging tourists and protecting sites .
“ We are damned if we do , and damned if we don ’ t , ” she said – adding that the local authority wanted local tourism to be sustainable .

Five-thousand-year-old Neolithic tombs in Co Sligo are suffering damage and vandalism "on a scale never seen before" and will not survive unless action is taken immediately, archaeological experts have warned.
There are 75 passage tombs in Co Sligo, almost one-third of the estimated 240 in the State, according to the Sligo Neolithic Landscapes Group, which is pressing for the county's Neolithic heritage to be deemed a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
So much material has been removed from one passage tomb, known as Teach Cailleach a' Bheara (the House of the Witch) on the Ballygawley mountains, that an adult can now lie in the hole created.
People walking on top of some cairns are doing so much damage “that not only is there a fear that they won’t be there for future generations, they may be lost to this generation”, warned expert Dr Robert Hensey.
READ MORE
Saying that it would be hard to find a comparable landscape anywhere else in the world, the group warned that “a very fragile landscape” is under “grave existential threat” from tourism and development.
One of Sligo’s best-known landmarks, Queen Maebdh’s cairn on top of Knocknarea, has suffered ongoing damage including the removal of stones from the base of the monument and “walking scars” left by ever-increasing footfall, Dr Hensey adds.
The author and archaeologist, who discovered megalithic art not visible to the human eye in a Carrowkeel passage grave overlooking Lough Arrow, Co Sligo, in 2009, said many walkers instinctively climb on top of the tombs.
However, the tombs are smaller and more fragile than the Knocknarea cairn and are in danger of collapse, Dr Hensey said. A couple chose to stay in one of the tombs some years ago “with straw bedding, and their tins of beans and washing line”.
Stealing quartz
Meanwhile, Carrowkeel is also plagued by graffiti, with a significant increase in people scratching their names on to the monuments, causing potential damage to the megalithic art which has been there for 5,000 years.
While some damage is accidental, or simply carelessness, there is evidence that some people are stealing quartz to sell online: “For some, taking a piece is an instinct almost like bringing home holy water from Knock,” said Dr Hensey.
Meanwhile, there is evidence that some people may be trying to find hidden chambers or entrances to monuments at Teach Cailleach a’ Bheara under the “misguided notion” that there are valuables are to be found.
Some people believe valuable gold or bronze objects are deposited inside ancient monuments, he added: "They may not be aware that stone age sites are over 5,000 years old and predate the use of metals in Ireland. "
Under law, it is illegal to be in possession of metal detectors at monuments and sites, or to dig or excavate for archaeological objects, an offence liable to fines of up to €65,000 or up to three months imprisonment.
“We cannot have 24-hour surveillance on all of the endangered monuments in Sligo,” said Dr Hensey, but better signage and more engagement with the public would be key to raising awareness about the vulnerability of the sites, he added.
‘Visitor pressure’
Ireland has two Unesco-listed Neolithic tombs, Brú na Bóinne and Skellig Michael, and seven more on the UN body’s tentative list. The Sligo group argues that placing Sligo’s tombs on the tentative list could provide some protection.
On July 25th two group members Dr Stefan Bergh, an archaeology lecturer at NUI Galway, and Pádraig Meehan, a guide at Carrowmore, will lead guided tours to Teach Cailleach a' Bheara and Queen Maebdh's grave to highlight the dangers facing the tombs.
The Office of Public Works said it was aware of “visitor pressure” facing Neolithic sites and is working with other State bodies to address the issue, “particularly at those sites, including Carrowkeel, where we have a maintenance responsibility”.
The Department of Heritage confirmed that its National Monuments Service (NMS) had inspected the passage tomb in Ballygawley after it was damaged in 2019 and “unfortunately, the latest report we have received does indicate further damaging activity at the site, which is in a very remote location”. A spokesperson said: “ It is not in the care of the State and we would appeal to the public for any information that may assist in our investigations”.
The Department said it was aware of “the challenges” at Knocknarea following a dramatic rise in walkers there, and th NMS was doing a detailed recording of the site, to be used as a baseline to measure ongoing erosion . A drone survey was undertaken there last week as part of the process
The OPW was preparing a programme of works for the preservation and protection of the monument at Carrowkeel, the department said.
Dorothy Clarke, director of services with Sligo County Council said it was involved in and fully supported the bid for Unesco listing, though she pointed out that some key sites are on privately-owned land.
The council had a “balancing act” between encouraging tourists and protecting sites. “We are damned if we do, and damned if we don’t,” she said – adding that the local authority wanted local tourism to be sustainable.


theirishtimes--2020-07-23--Plan for high-rise development on former Premier Dairies site quashed

A local resident has won a High Court order overturning permission for a controversial development of 245 apartments and a childcare facility on part of the former Premier Dairies site in Dublin .
Mr Justice Denis McDonald said retired public servant Rita O ’ Neill was entitled to the quashing order on grounds the permitted height of the apartments , ranging from blocks of six to 10 storeys , materially contravened the Dublin City Development Plan .
The proposed height was “ significantly in excess ” of what was permitted under any previous development proposed for the same site , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in objections put before the board to the development , he noted .
Ms O ’ Neill , on behalf of residents of the nearby Glenhill estate and Premier Square apartments , had challenged the November 2019 permission granted by An Bord Pleanála to Ruirside Developments Ltd for the development on a vacant brownfield site of some 1.23 hectares in Finglas .
Ms O ’ Neill said the Glenhill housing estate , comprising two-storey houses with gardens , is north-east of the development site and her concerns included those properties will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents will not be able to enjoy any part of their open space .
In court documents , Ms O ’ Neill said she was representing herself and some 120 objectors who are concerned they will be materially affected by the proposed development .
In a judgment delivered electronically on Wednesday , Mr Justice McDonald concluded Ms O ’ Neill was entitled to an order quashing the permission .
Because the proposed development was classified a strategic housing development , it bypassed the normal route for planning permission in that permission was sought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found the proposed development materially contravenes the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022 in that its height exceeds the maximum height of 16 metres permissible under that plan .
He rejected arguments by the board and Ruirside that material before the court showed that ministerial guidelines allowing for re-examination of height limits on a site-specific contextual basis applied to the proposed development so as to permit the board to grant permission notwithstanding the material contravention of the development plan .
Ms O ’ Neill was also entitled to a declaration that the board had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerations for materially contravening the development plan and , therefore , acted contrary to the requirements of section 10.3 of the Planning and Development ( Housing ) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 , he said .
The board ’ s order incorporating its permission decision did not record reasons explaining why the board had decided not to follow its inspector ’ s recommendation that some floors be omitted from the proposed development , he noted .
Those omissions would have meant reducing the heights of block one and block two to a maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The inspector had concluded the proposed height of 9/10 storeys , particularly of block two , would “ have an overbearing impact and would be visually obtrusive when viewed from the dwellings along Glenhill Road ” .
Despite that finding , no justification was subsequently offered , either by the inspector or the board , as to why the proposed development can be said to make a “ positive contribution ” to the urban neighbourhood , the judge noted .
There may well be satisfactory answers to this and other issues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either the inspector ’ s report or from the board ’ s direction and decision , he said .
In other findings , he ruled Ms O ’ Neill was not entitled to various reliefs sought against Ruirside and Dublin City Council , including a declaration they had not complied with European Commission regulations concerning the management of flood risks , he held .
The proceedings have been adjourned to allow the sides to consider the judgment and make submissions concerning final orders .

Rita O’Neill, on behalf of residents of the nearby Glenhill estate and Premier Square apartments, had challenged the November 2019 permission granted by An Bord Pleanála to Ruirside Developments Ltd
A local resident has won a High Court order overturning permission for a controversial development of 245 apartments and a childcare facility on part of the former Premier Dairies site in Dublin.
Mr Justice Denis McDonald said public servant Rita O’Neill was entitled to the quashing order on grounds the permitted height of the apartments, ranging from blocks of six to 10 storeys, materially contravened the Dublin City Development Plan.
The proposed height was "significantly in excess" of what was permitted under any previous development proposed for the same site, and height was a "consistent theme" in objections put before the board to the development, he noted. Ms O'Neill, on behalf of residents of the nearby Glenhill estate and Premier Square apartments, had challenged the November 2019 permission granted by An Bord Pleanála to Ruirside Developments Ltd for the development on a vacant brownfield site of some 1.23 hectares in Finglas.
Ms O’Neill said the Glenhill housing estate, comprising two-storey houses with gardens, is north-east of the development site and her concerns included those properties will be overlooked by the proposed development and that residents will not be able to enjoy any part of their open space.
READ MORE
In court documents, Ms O’Neill said she was representing herself and some 120 objectors who are concerned they will be materially affected by the proposed development.
Electronically
In a judgment delivered electronically on Wednesday, Mr Justice McDonald concluded Ms O’Neill was entitled to an order quashing the permission. Because the proposed development was classified a strategic housing development, it bypassed the normal route for planning permission in that permission was sought directly from the board.
The judge found the proposed development materially contravenes the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022 in that its height exceeds the maximum height of 16 metres permissible under that plan.
He rejected arguments by the board and Ruirside that material before the court showed that ministerial guidelines allowing for re-examination of height limits on a site-specific contextual basis applied to the proposed development so as to permit the board to grant permission notwithstanding the material contravention of the development plan.
Ms O’Neill was also entitled to a declaration that the board had failed to state its main reasons and considerations for materially contravening the development plan and, therefore, acted contrary to the requirements of section 10.3 of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016, he said.
The board’s order incorporating its permission decision did not record reasons explaining why the board had decided not to follow its inspector’s recommendation that some floors be omitted from the proposed development, he noted.
‘Visually obtrusive’
Those omissions would have meant reducing the heights of block one and block two to a maximum of 6/8 storeys and 7/8 storeys respectively. The inspector had concluded the proposed height of 9/10 storeys, particularly of block two, would “have an overbearing impact and would be visually obtrusive when viewed from the dwellings along Glenhill Road”.
Despite that finding, no justification was subsequently offered, either by the inspector or the board, as to why the proposed development can be said to make a “positive contribution” to the urban neighbourhood, the judge noted. There may well be satisfactory answers to this and other issues, but the answer is not apparent from either the inspector’s report or from the board’s direction and decision, he said.
In other findings, he ruled Ms O'Neill was not entitled to various reliefs sought against Ruirside and Dublin City Council, including a declaration they had not complied with European Commission regulations concerning the management of flood risks, he held.
The proceedings have been adjourned to allow the sides to consider the judgment and make submissions concerning final orders.


theirishtimes--2020-07-23--Bedrest and bears - clues for spaceflight and ageing

John , part of your research looks at what happens to our bodies on prolonged bedrest – why ?
Lying in bed continuously for a prolonged period results in loss of muscle mass , bone mineral density and other changes within the body that mimic what happens in ageing and also throughout spaceflight .
As such the research we do is supported by Enterprise Ireland and the European Space Agency ( ESA ) .
The goal is to see what happens at a cellular level during prolonged bedrest , which is key to help find ways to counteract such undesired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bedrest studies ?
In the bedrest studies people lie for weeks in a test facility in France , tilted with their heads down and unable to sit up any reason .
We analyse samples of their blood and muscle over time .
What kinds of changes do you see ?
We look at metabolism , and in particular we measure how bedrest alters our fuel selection for energy , a process highly controlled by organelles within the cell known as mitochondria .
Under normal circumstances these dynamic mitochondria fuse and divide consistently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body .
We found that prolonged bedrest of 21 days leads to a decrease in their fusion , resulting in smaller , more fragmented mitochondria , something which could help explain the change in the way our body uses energy during prolonged bedrest .
Are you figuring out how to improve matters ?
Yes , our lab and our collaborators within the ESA found that if people used resistance vibration exercise to work their muscles as they lay in bed for 21 days , their mitochondrial fusion and ability to process sugars were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do such exercise , improving their overall health .
We have also just completed an experiment where people in bedrest for 60 days took a daily cocktail of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds of selenium , polyphenols , Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. We are now looking to see what kind of impact that had .
What ’ s the most interesting thing you have done in your PhD ?
I think it was working on muscle samples from brown bears in the forests in Sweden , to look at metabolic changes between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have to catch the bears though .
A team of rangers and vets tranquillised the bears and collected the samples , then they rushed the samples over to us researchers by helicopter and we worked on them in a little lab in a house by the woods .
In that study , we noted differences in the bear mitochondria between summer and hibernation , and are now trying to understand such interesting findings .
You recently won the student category of the DCU President ’ s Award for Engagement , well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To be honest it was surreal !
I was delighted just to be nominated .
In my spare time I like to engage in scientific outreach through talks and presentations on space and ageing and I work closely with the Feed Our Homeless charity in Dublin .
I ’ m also a deputy group leader of my local Scout unit .
When Prof Brian MacCraith announced I was the winner in the online ceremony , I had to play it back to make sure it had actually happened .
How was lockdown for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my PhD in June , but my supervisor , Associate Professor Donal O ’ Gorman , arranged for an extension until December because the lab work was significantly disrupted .
Lockdown helped me get a lot of the project written up , and now I am back finishing up the final pieces of lab work .
In that respect , lockdown was useful , because it got me out of the lab so I could write a big chunk of my thesis .

John, part of your research looks at what happens to our bodies on prolonged bedrest – why?
Lying in bed continuously for a prolonged period results in loss of muscle mass, bone mineral density and other changes within the body that mimic what happens in ageing and also throughout spaceflight.
As such the research we do is supported by Enterprise Ireland and the European Space Agency (ESA). The goal is to see what happens at a cellular level during prolonged bedrest, which is key to help find ways to counteract such undesired changes.
What is involved in prolonged bedrest studies?
READ MORE
In the bedrest studies people lie for weeks in a test facility in France, tilted with their heads down and unable to sit up any reason. We analyse samples of their blood and muscle over time.
What kinds of changes do you see?
We look at metabolism, and in particular we measure how bedrest alters our fuel selection for energy, a process highly controlled by organelles within the cell known as mitochondria. Under normal circumstances these dynamic mitochondria fuse and divide consistently, adapting to the energy needs of the body.
We found that prolonged bedrest of 21 days leads to a decrease in their fusion, resulting in smaller, more fragmented mitochondria, something which could help explain the change in the way our body uses energy during prolonged bedrest.
Are you figuring out how to improve matters?
Yes, our lab and our collaborators within the ESA found that if people used resistance vibration exercise to work their muscles as they lay in bed for 21 days, their mitochondrial fusion and ability to process sugars were better than if they didn’t do such exercise, improving their overall health.
We have also just completed an experiment where people in bedrest for 60 days took a daily cocktail of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds of selenium, polyphenols, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. We are now looking to see what kind of impact that had.
What’s the most interesting thing you have done in your PhD?
I think it was working on muscle samples from brown bears in the forests in Sweden, to look at metabolic changes between hibernation and non-hibernation.
Thankfully I didn’t have to catch the bears though. A team of rangers and vets tranquillised the bears and collected the samples, then they rushed the samples over to us researchers by helicopter and we worked on them in a little lab in a house by the woods. In that study, we noted differences in the bear mitochondria between summer and hibernation, and are now trying to understand such interesting findings.
You recently won the student category of the DCU President’s Award for Engagement, well done – how did that feel?
To be honest it was surreal! I was delighted just to be nominated. In my spare time I like to engage in scientific outreach through talks and presentations on space and ageing and I work closely with the Feed Our Homeless charity in Dublin. I’m also a deputy group leader of my local Scout unit.
When Prof Brian MacCraith announced I was the winner in the online ceremony, I had to play it back to make sure it had actually happened.
How was lockdown for you?
I was supposed to finish my PhD in June, but my supervisor, Associate Professor Donal O’Gorman, arranged for an extension until December because the lab work was significantly disrupted.
Lockdown helped me get a lot of the project written up, and now I am back finishing up the final pieces of lab work. In that respect, lockdown was useful, because it got me out of the lab so I could write a big chunk of my thesis.


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe : ‘There’s more accountability now’

After his ten year struggle to raise concerns about An Garda Síochána , whistleblower Maurice McCabe has said he is finally confident past problems are unlikely to occur again .
The former sergeant had attempted to draw attention to penalty points abuses within the force and other investigative issues but came under intense pressure from colleagues .
Today , however , he believes the correct oversight is in place and that things will no longer “ fall through the cracks ” .
Now retired , Mr McCabe and his wife Lorraine gave a detailed interview to Ivan Yates ’ Hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallout from their battle against the State and where they think things stand today .
The controversy surrounding Mr McCabe ’ s claims and the handling of them engulfed An Garda Siochana and the government .
“ I think there ’ s more accountability now , ” Mr McCabe reflected , noting in particular a diminished opportunity for senior gardaí to terminate traffic offences .
“ I think the oversight is in now at the moment… every rank now is inspected and every rank has to go through each incident .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountability meetings and I don ’ t think anything nowadays is going to fall through the cracks .
The systems are now in place.
” Lorraine McCabe also said that while everything today was “ wonderful ” , the family had gone through “ ten years of hell ” .
Her husband had been based at Bailieborough , Co Cavan , when he became concerned about the force ’ s handling of suspected criminal offences in 2007 , including the handling of penalty points .
His allegations and the subsequent handling of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the O ’ Higgins Commission and the Charleton Tribunal .
At one point the whistleblower and his family had 11 sets of High Court proceedings in train arising out of a controversial number of events including the creation within Tusla , the child and family agency , of a file containing completely false allegations of serious sex abuse of a third party .
Mr McCabe later settled with Tusla and the State .
“ The kids are good , ” Ms McCabe told Newstalk of their life today .
“ I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t harmed or hurt but since it has finished , they ’ ve told us things that happened to them or were said to them… we didn ’ t know that was going on , ” she said .
Her husband also said that while he attempted to give up mild medication he had been put on for a decade , he later had to rely on it again .
“ After the Charleton report ( examining the Tusla file and false allegation ) and after our settlement , I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off that… within one month I had to go back on it .
I couldn ’ t cope.
” Now working part time since retiring from the force , Mr McCabe also set out the abuse he received at the hands of colleagues after he had attempted to raise concerns .
It included “ shocking ” messages posted online , one with 11 photographs of a plastic rat .
“ Under the photographs they had ‘ Maurice ’ , and then the words ‘ cheese eating rat b****** ’ , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his case also caused anguish - Ms McCabe said an internal alarm would awaken her early in the morning to see what was being written in the newspapers and that while some journalists were to be praised , the media “ was a terrible threat ” .
When it came to appearing before the Public Accounts Committee to present his allegations , Mr McCabe recalled how he feared what it would mean for him given he was still a serving garda .
“ I thought if I did give evidence I would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had to ask my chief superintendent ‘ will I be disciplined ?
’ ... he came back that evening and said no .
”

‘I on’t think anything nowadays is going to fall through the cracks,’ Maurice McCabe said .Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Mark Hilliard
After his ten year struggle to raise concerns about An Garda Síochána, whistleblower Maurice McCabe has said he is finally confident past problems are unlikely to occur again.
The former sergeant had attempted to draw attention to penalty points abuses within the force and other investigative issues but came under intense pressure from colleagues.
Today, however, he believes the correct oversight is in place and that things will no longer “fall through the cracks”.
READ MORE
Now retired, Mr McCabe and his wife Lorraine gave a detailed interview to Ivan Yates' Hard Shoulder show on Newstalk Radio about the fallout from their battle against the State and where they think things stand today.
The controversy surrounding Mr McCabe’s claims and the handling of them engulfed An Garda Siochana and the government.
“I think there’s more accountability now,” Mr McCabe reflected, noting in particular a diminished opportunity for senior gardaí to terminate traffic offences.
“I think the oversight is in now at the moment… every rank now is inspected and every rank has to go through each incident. There are daily accountability meetings, there are weekly accountability meetings and I don’t think anything nowadays is going to fall through the cracks. The systems are now in place.”
Lorraine McCabe also said that while everything today was “wonderful”, the family had gone through “ten years of hell”.
Her husband had been based at Bailieborough, Co Cavan, when he became concerned about the force's handling of suspected criminal offences in 2007, including the handling of penalty points.
His allegations and the subsequent handling of them by authorities became a central focus of both the O’Higgins Commission and the Charleton Tribunal.
At one point the whistleblower and his family had 11 sets of High Court proceedings in train arising out of a controversial number of events including the creation within Tusla, the child and family agency, of a file containing completely false allegations of serious sex abuse of a third party. Mr McCabe later settled with Tusla and the State.
“The kids are good,” Ms McCabe told Newstalk of their life today. “I would have always said they were good and weren’t harmed or hurt but since it has finished, they’ve told us things that happened to them or were said to them… we didn’t know that was going on,” she said.
Her husband also said that while he attempted to give up mild medication he had been put on for a decade, he later had to rely on it again.
“After the Charleton report (examining the Tusla file and false allegation) and after our settlement, I said I’m going to completely wean off that… within one month I had to go back on it. I couldn’t cope.”
Now working part time since retiring from the force, Mr McCabe also set out the abuse he received at the hands of colleagues after he had attempted to raise concerns.
It included “shocking” messages posted online, one with 11 photographs of a plastic rat.
“Under the photographs they had ‘Maurice’, and then the words ‘cheese eating rat b******’,” he said.
The media’s handling of his case also caused anguish - Ms McCabe said an internal alarm would awaken her early in the morning to see what was being written in the newspapers and that while some journalists were to be praised, the media “was a terrible threat”.
When it came to appearing before the Public Accounts Committee to present his allegations, Mr McCabe recalled how he feared what it would mean for him given he was still a serving garda.
“I thought if I did give evidence I would be disciplined,” he said. “I had to ask my chief superintendent ‘will I be disciplined?’... he came back that evening and said no.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Man wanted in connection with deaths of 39 migrants extradited

A man alleged to have delivered a trailer in which 39 migrants were found dead in Essex last year has been extradited to the United Kingdom .
Eamon Ronald Harrison ( 23 ) of Mayobridge , Co Down , is wanted by Essex police to face 39 counts of manslaughter , conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration , and conspiracy to commit human trafficking under the UK ’ s Modern Slavery Act .
He was handed over to Essex Police in Dublin and flown to London on Wednesday .
Mr Harrison last month lost his latest challenge aimed at preventing his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered the trailer , in which the bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in an industrial park in Grays , Essex on October 23rd last , to a Belgian port before its onward journey to Britain .
The cargo was recorded as “ biscuits ” and the migrants died from a lack of oxygen between 8pm and 10pm after they had entered UK territorial waters .
The temperature inside the unit rose to 38.5 degrees before it “ steadily reduced ” , and police discovered “ bloody hand prints ” inside .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived in England last October on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium .
The youngest victims were two boys aged 15 .

The eight women and 31 men had arrived in England last October on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.
A man alleged to have delivered a trailer in which 39 migrants were found dead in Essex last year has been extradited to the United Kingdom.
Eamon Ronald Harrison (23) of Mayobridge, Co Down, is wanted by Essex police to face 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration, and conspiracy to commit human trafficking under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act.
He was handed over to Essex Police in Dublin and flown to London on Wednesday. Mr Harrison last month lost his latest challenge aimed at preventing his extradition.
It is alleged Mr Harrison delivered the trailer, in which the bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in an industrial park in Grays, Essex on October 23rd last, to a Belgian port before its onward journey to Britain.
READ MORE
The cargo was recorded as “biscuits” and the migrants died from a lack of oxygen between 8pm and 10pm after they had entered UK territorial waters. The temperature inside the unit rose to 38.5 degrees before it “steadily reduced”, and police discovered “bloody hand prints” inside.
The eight women and 31 men had arrived in England last October on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium. The youngest victims were two boys aged 15.


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Public consultation on soft opt-out organ donation to be held in the North

The North ’ s health Minister Robin Swann has announced his intention to hold a public consultation on introducing a soft opt-out system for organ donation in Northern Ireland .
Mr Swann , who met the charity Kidney Care UK to discuss a range of issues , confirmed his commitment to bring in a soft opt-out for organ donation and to increase the promotion of organ donation to enable more organs to become available for those who need a transplant .
Under such a system adults would be considered to be organ donors unless they proactively indicated they did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland has an excellent record in organ donation and transplantation however more needs to be done to increase the number of organs available for those in need of a transplant , ” the Minister said on Wednesday .
“ While approximately 47 per cent of the Northern Ireland population are currently on the organ donation register , there are still approximately 112 waiting on a transplant .
We must do more to increase the number of donor organs available , ” said Mr Swann .
“ With many more people willing to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as donors , I have long believed that an opt-out system would be hugely beneficial and ultimately would save lives here , ” he said .
Mr Swann added , “ It is therefore my intention to consult on policy proposals for the introduction of a soft opt-out system .
This would bring us in line with the other countries in the UK .
In the meantime , I encourage everyone to discuss their wishes about organ donation with their family and friends.
” Jo-Anne Dobson , Kidney Care UK ’ s Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is due to begin in the autumn was a “ momentous day for the entire kidney and indeed organ donation family in Northern Ireland ” .
“ This move will increase the chances of receiving new life for people who are waiting on a transplant , both now and into the future .
This is a good announcement and a good day , ” said Ms Dobson .

Jo-Anne Dobson, Kidney Care UK’s Northern Ireland ambassador said news of the consultation which is due to begin in the autumn was a “momentous day for the entire kidney and indeed organ donation family in Northern Ireland”. Photograph: iStock
The North's health Minister Robin Swann has announced his intention to hold a public consultation on introducing a soft opt-out system for organ donation in Northern Ireland.
Mr Swann, who met the charity Kidney Care UK to discuss a range of issues, confirmed his commitment to bring in a soft opt-out for organ donation and to increase the promotion of organ donation to enable more organs to become available for those who need a transplant.
Under such a system adults would be considered to be organ donors unless they proactively indicated they did not want to be donors.
“Northern Ireland has an excellent record in organ donation and transplantation however more needs to be done to increase the number of organs available for those in need of a transplant,” the Minister said on Wednesday.
READ MORE
“While approximately 47 per cent of the Northern Ireland population are currently on the organ donation register, there are still approximately 112 waiting on a transplant. We must do more to increase the number of donor organs available,” said Mr Swann.
“With many more people willing to consider donating an organ than are actually registered as donors, I have long believed that an opt-out system would be hugely beneficial and ultimately would save lives here,” he said.
Mr Swann added, “It is therefore my intention to consult on policy proposals for the introduction of a soft opt-out system. This would bring us in line with the other countries in the UK. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to discuss their wishes about organ donation with their family and friends.”
Jo-Anne Dobson, Kidney Care UK’s Northern Ireland ambassador said news of the consultation which is due to begin in the autumn was a “momentous day for the entire kidney and indeed organ donation family in Northern Ireland”.
“This move will increase the chances of receiving new life for people who are waiting on a transplant, both now and into the future. This is a good announcement and a good day,” said Ms Dobson.


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Richard Bruton elected chairman of Fine Gael parliamentary party

Richard Bruton has been unanimously elected as the new chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party .
The Dublin Bay North TD stood unopposed at a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday evening , where Dún Laoghaire TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was elected vice-chairwoman .
Mayo TD Alan Dillon was elected party secretary and Dublin Mid West deputy Emer Higgins will serve as the party ’ s assistant secretary .
Sources present at the meeting said Mr Bruton , who served as minister for communications , climate action and environment in the last government , gave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy and maintaining Fine Gael ’ s separate identity within the current coalition Government .
He spoke of his experience in serving in three coalition governments during a career that took in several cabinet positions , including as minister for education , and minister for jobs .
In a statement last night , Mr Bruton said the coronavirus pandemic had “ shown Fine Gael at its best , displaying competence and sensitivity in protecting the people who are most exposed to risk by this awful virus .
It is my aim our parliamentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a team , so we can make this connection a permanent feature of our work.
” Ms Carroll MacNeill emphasised the importance of gender balance in politics .
“ We simply must ensure a more diverse representation than we have had before , and an obvious first challenge is gender.
” “ Women are 50 per cent of the population and consistently underrepresented in our representative chambers .
This parliamentary party will drive the recruitment of more women to run in future elections for Fine Gael.
” Alan Dillon said his new @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Richard Bruton has been unanimously elected as the new chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.
The Dublin Bay North TD stood unopposed at a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday evening, where Dún Laoghaire TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was elected vice-chairwoman.
Mayo TD Alan Dillon was elected party secretary and Dublin Mid West deputy Emer Higgins will serve as the party's assistant secretary. Sources present at the meeting said Mr Bruton, who served as minister for communications, climate action and environment in the last government, gave a speech emphasising the importance of focusing on policy and maintaining Fine Gael's separate identity within the current coalition Government.
He spoke of his experience in serving in three coalition governments during a career that took in several cabinet positions, including as minister for education, and minister for jobs.
READ MORE
Pandemic response
In a statement last night, Mr Bruton said the coronavirus pandemic had “shown Fine Gael at its best, displaying competence and sensitivity in protecting the people who are most exposed to risk by this awful virus. It is my aim our parliamentary party adopts a new way of working as a team, so we can make this connection a permanent feature of our work.”
Ms Carroll MacNeill emphasised the importance of gender balance in politics. “We simply must ensure a more diverse representation than we have had before, and an obvious first challenge is gender.”
“Women are 50 per cent of the population and consistently underrepresented in our representative chambers. This parliamentary party will drive the recruitment of more women to run in future elections for Fine Gael.”
Alan Dillon said his new role was an “honour”.


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Gardaí found breaches of Covid-19 rules in 20 pubs last week

Gardaí found potential breaches of the health regulations or licensing laws in pubs on 20 occasions last week .
Under Operation Navigation , gardaí have been carrying out inspections of pubs and licenced premises across the country .
In conducting these visits , the Garda said it continued its “ graduated policing response based on its tradition of policing by consent ” .
“ This has seen gardaí engage , educate , encourage and , as a last resort , enforce , ” a spokesman for the force said .
In total since the commencement of Operation Navigation on July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaches of the health regulations .
Where potential breaches of the regulations are identified and where a person does not come into compliance with the regulations , a file is submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a direction as to how to proceed .
The majority of these cases continue to refer to no evidence of food being served or consumed and no evidence of receipts to show that food had been sold .
The Garda said the vast majority of licensed premises continue to operate in compliance with regulations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Deputy Commissioner , Policing and Security , John Twomey said : “ An Garda Síochána continue to carry out intensive visits of licensed premises which have opened for business in accordance with Covid-19 Public Health Regulations .
“ An Garda Síochána continues to see high level of compliance .
This is welcome .
An Garda Síochána will continue to enforce the public health guidelines , which have now been extended until the August 10th .
“ The Covid-19 pandemic remains a real and present public health crisis and An Garda Síochána continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and organisations to comply with public health guidelines and regulations in order to continue to save lives.
” Under the Fáilte Ireland measures for the reopening of pubs , those that served food were allowed to reopen from Monday while pubs not serving food must wait until July 20th .
From last Monday , pubs that served food were allowed to reopen with table service only .
Gardaí have no specific powers to close a pub on the spot if they find it in breach of conditions including social distancing and pre-booking and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customer .
However , if Garda members find what they regard as unsafe conditions in pubs , they can alert the Health and Safety Authority ( HSA ) and it can apply to the High Court for an order that would force a pub to close over risks to health and wellbeing .
Under the Fáilte Ireland measures for the reopening of pubs , those that served food were allowed to reopen from June 29th while pubs not serving food must wait until at least August 10th .

The Garda said the vast majority of licensed premises continue to operate in compliance with regulations and licensing laws. Photograph: iStock
Gardaí found potential breaches of the health regulations or licensing laws in pubs on 20 occasions last week.
Under Operation Navigation, gardaí have been carrying out inspections of pubs and licenced premises across the country.
In conducting these visits, the Garda said it continued its “graduated policing response based on its tradition of policing by consent”.
“This has seen gardaí engage, educate, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce,” a spokesman for the force said.
READ MORE
In total since the commencement of Operation Navigation on July 3rd, gardaí have observed 59 potential breaches of the health regulations.
Where potential breaches of the regulations are identified and where a person does not come into compliance with the regulations, a file is submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a direction as to how to proceed.
The majority of these cases continue to refer to no evidence of food being served or consumed and no evidence of receipts to show that food had been sold.
The Garda said the vast majority of licensed premises continue to operate in compliance with regulations and licensing laws.
Speaking at Garda Headquarters, Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, John Twomey said: "An Garda Síochána continue to carry out intensive visits of licensed premises which have opened for business in accordance with Covid-19 Public Health Regulations.
“An Garda Síochána continues to see high level of compliance. This is welcome. An Garda Síochána will continue to enforce the public health guidelines, which have now been extended until the August 10th.
“The Covid-19 pandemic remains a real and present public health crisis and An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to all citizens, businesses and organisations to comply with public health guidelines and regulations in order to continue to save lives.”
Under the Fáilte Ireland measures for the reopening of pubs, those that served food were allowed to reopen from Monday while pubs not serving food must wait until July 20th. From last Monday, pubs that served food were allowed to reopen with table service only.
Gardaí have no specific powers to close a pub on the spot if they find it in breach of conditions including social distancing and pre-booking and a time limit of 105 minutes per customer.
However, if Garda members find what they regard as unsafe conditions in pubs, they can alert the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and it can apply to the High Court for an order that would force a pub to close over risks to health and wellbeing.
Under the Fáilte Ireland measures for the reopening of pubs, those that served food were allowed to reopen from June 29th while pubs not serving food must wait until at least August 10th.


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--‘We’re wary, you know?’ Arriving Americans well aware of 14-day rule

Shortly before 6am , the arrivals hall at Dublin Airport , usually thronged with people emerging from overnight transatlantic flights , is deadly quiet , with the small numbers onboard the four flights moving through quickly .
Arriving Americans appear highly aware of the guidelines for those arriving in Ireland from abroad , and happy to announce that they will be quarantining for two weeks ahead of any further travel .
Spike Wolf from Pittsburgh , who has flown from Boston , is fully aware of the rules .
She is travelling on to Donegal to stay with a friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Later , she plans “ a little bit of touring ” , though “ mostly in Donegal ” .
Simon Gillespie from Donegal , who arrives in with fewer than 40 other passengers from New York ’ s JFK airport – which was as empty as “ a ghost town ” – has already been directly affected by the pandemic , since it has cost him his job .
Having lived in New York for 10 years , Gillespie was laid off in April , and decided to come home for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I won ’ t be going to any social gatherings or anything .
I ’ ll just be there with my family , because obviously we ’ re wary , you know ?
New York was an epicentre.
” Lori Schwartz and her husband are returning to Ireland .
Normally , the two Americans live in Barna , Galway , but they flew back to the US in March to help care for an elderly relative .
Following several delays , they have finally made it back .
“ We cancelled our trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought 12 weeks would be plenty of time , but it wasn ’ t , ” says Lois .
The journey back was quite straighforward , with immigration and other checkpoints “ almost eerie ” , she says .
“ We ’ re heading home now [ to Galway ] and then isolating .
We ’ ll call Joyce ’ s or Tesco for the grocery delivery.
” Steven Beard from Virginia has flown from Washington DC via Newark to stay with his girlfriend and her family in Laois .
He intends to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re possibly going to Donegal then , I ’ ll be in the country about three weeks in total , ” says Beard , who intends to work remotely while he is here .
“ I brought my laptop and another monitor , all these cables , a mouse , a keyboard.
” Claire Read from Tennessee studied in University College , Dublin until March , when she moved back to the US after the Covid-19 crisis broke .
She has decided to come back , but will first isolate in Dublin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a locator form .
It ’ s just this form you print out before you come over .
It asks where you ’ re staying just in case … for the contact tracing , I guess , and to make sure you quarantine for the 14 days.
” Tom Kavanaugh from New York has flown in from Newark to stay with family in Belfast .
He is a regular transatlantic traveller .
“ There was 10 , 15 on the whole flight.
” The 14-day restrictions are “ No problem .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Shortly before 6am, the arrivals hall at Dublin Airport, usually thronged with people emerging from overnight transatlantic flights, is deadly quiet, with the small numbers onboard the four flights moving through quickly.
Arriving Americans appear highly aware of the guidelines for those arriving in Ireland from abroad, and happy to announce that they will be quarantining for two weeks ahead of any further travel.
Spike Wolf from Pittsburgh, who has flown from Boston, is fully aware of the rules. She is travelling on to Donegal to stay with a friend, where she will self-isolate for two weeks. Later, she plans "a little bit of touring", though "mostly in Donegal".
Simon Gillespie from Donegal, who arrives in with fewer than 40 other passengers from New York's JFK airport – which was as empty as "a ghost town" – has already been directly affected by the pandemic, since it has cost him his job.
READ MORE
Having lived in New York for 10 years, Gillespie was laid off in April, and decided to come home for three weeks to see family. “I won’t be going to any social gatherings or anything. I’ll just be there with my family, because obviously we’re wary, you know? New York was an epicentre.”
Lori Schwartz and her husband are returning to Ireland. Normally, the two Americans live in Barna, Galway, but they flew back to the US in March to help care for an elderly relative.
Following several delays, they have finally made it back. “We cancelled our trip in May because of Covid-19, and thought 12 weeks would be plenty of time, but it wasn’t,” says Lois.
The journey back was quite straighforward, with immigration and other checkpoints "almost eerie", she says. "We're heading home now [to Galway] and then isolating. We'll call Joyce's or Tesco for the grocery delivery."
Working remotely
Steven Beard from Virginia has flown from Washington DC via Newark to stay with his girlfriend and her family in Laois. He intends to quarantine for 14 days.
“We’re possibly going to Donegal then, I’ll be in the country about three weeks in total,” says Beard, who intends to work remotely while he is here. “I brought my laptop and another monitor, all these cables, a mouse, a keyboard.”
Claire Read from Tennessee studied in University College, Dublin until March, when she moved back to the US after the Covid-19 crisis broke. She has decided to come back, but will first isolate in Dublin for 14 days.
“They asked for a locator form. It’s just this form you print out before you come over. It asks where you’re staying just in case … for the contact tracing, I guess, and to make sure you quarantine for the 14 days.”
Tom Kavanaugh from New York has flown in from Newark to stay with family in Belfast. He is a regular transatlantic traveller. "There was 10, 15 on the whole flight." The 14-day restrictions are "No problem. I'll be staying the distance."


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Covid-19 survivor who lived through Spanish flu, celebrates her 104th birthday

Few can say they have lived through two pandemics .
Not only can Josephine Silo lay claim to that achievement but , celebrating her 104th birthday on Wednesday , she can say she survived .
In a north Dublin garden , a handful of family members gathered to celebrate her latest milestone , just a few months after her recovery from Covid-19 .
“ At this stage I reckon she is going to outlive all her nieces and nephews because there isn ’ t actually anything else I can say is wrong with her apart from [ reduced ] eyesight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those nieces , who explains how her aunt ’ s recovery from coronavirus had mystified many .
Ms Silo was one of a number of early Covid-19 cases at the Sacred Heart Nursing Home in Raheny , Dublin but suffered only mild symptoms - loss of taste and smell , a persistent cough .
She recovered for the main part after a few weeks but still suffers reduced appetite .
Her poor eyesight prevented her from clearly seeing staff in their protective clothing and she was not initially told she had contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life was : I have lived my life and I am ready to go , ” says Ms Colfer , who describes her aunt ’ s religious devotion and her belief that God had simply spared her .
Somewhere though , there was an acceptance that death was nearby given the sheer length of her life .
Born in July , 1916 , she was a toddler when the Spanish Flu swept across the globe killing tens of millions of people .
She was in her early 20s when Hitler marched into Poland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped on the moon ; and had turned 73 just before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 .
A Dublin native , Ms Silo was born on the Shelbourne Road , the second youngest of six siblings .
She moved to Rathmines as a child and eventually to East Wall where she became a beloved addition to the local community before moving to her nursing home .
“ I know she has to die at some stage but I seriously don ’ t know what is going to take that woman out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She can ’ t understand why [ she is ] still here.
” At the Sacred Heart on Wednesday , well-wishers celebrated over cake and presents before a small family gathering at a relative ’ s house .
By this stage Ms Silo is surrounded by extensive family , right down to great , great grand nieces and nephews .
With two pandemics bookending an enduring life , she tells people her time will come when God deems it so : “ He knows where I am .
”

Few can say they have lived through two pandemics. Not only can Josephine Silo lay claim to that achievement but, celebrating her 104th birthday on Wednesday, she can say she survived.
In a north Dublin garden, a handful of family members gathered to celebrate her latest milestone, just a few months after her recovery from Covid-19.
"At this stage I reckon she is going to outlive all her nieces and nephews because there isn't actually anything else I can say is wrong with her apart from [reduced] eyesight," says Anna Colfer, one of those nieces, who explains how her aunt's recovery from coronavirus had mystified many.
Ms Silo was one of a number of early Covid-19 cases at the Sacred Heart Nursing Home in Raheny, Dublin but suffered only mild symptoms - loss of taste and smell, a persistent cough.
READ MORE
She recovered for the main part after a few weeks but still suffers reduced appetite. Her poor eyesight prevented her from clearly seeing staff in their protective clothing and she was not initially told she had contracted the virus.
“Her outlook on life was: I have lived my life and I am ready to go,” says Ms Colfer, who describes her aunt’s religious devotion and her belief that God had simply spared her.
Somewhere though, there was an acceptance that death was nearby given the sheer length of her life. Born in July, 1916, she was a toddler when the Spanish Flu swept across the globe killing tens of millions of people.
She was in her early 20s when Hitler marched into Poland; her early 50s when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon; and had turned 73 just before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989.
A Dublin native, Ms Silo was born on the Shelbourne Road, the second youngest of six siblings. She moved to Rathmines as a child and eventually to East Wall where she became a beloved addition to the local community before moving to her nursing home.
“I know she has to die at some stage but I seriously don’t know what is going to take that woman out,” jokes her niece. “She can’t understand why [she is] still here.”
At the Sacred Heart on Wednesday, well-wishers celebrated over cake and presents before a small family gathering at a relative’s house. By this stage Ms Silo is surrounded by extensive family, right down to great, great grand nieces and nephews.
With two pandemics bookending an enduring life, she tells people her time will come when God deems it so : “He knows where I am.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--PR firm got further €372,132 in fees for children’s hospital last year

The public relations firm working for the agency constructing the €1.7 billion National Children ’ s Hospital ( NCH ) was paid a further €372,132 in fees , including 23 per cent VAT on the project last year .
New figures provided in response to a Freedom of Information request show that Q4PR was one of more than 50 third parties to share in payments totalling €213.88 million for 2019 from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board .
The bulk of the money paid out by the board last year was to the main contractor for the project , BAM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The board confirmed that the total spend on the project at the end of 2019 was €469.43 million .
The detailed breakdown for last year shows Q4PR was paid €372,132 under the heading of “ community engagement and communication services ” .
The 2019 payout follows payments totalling €1 million to the company over the preceding four years concerning the project : in 2018 , the company received fees of €248,050 and this followed payments of €276,467 in 2017 , €274,567 in 2016 and €204,509 in 2015 .
The company secured the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to continue until March 2021 .
The figures for 2019 show that the architects of the NCH project , BDP , were paid €6.48 million in design-team fees .
The FOI response also discloses that Dublin City Council was paid €3.73 million in planning fees and expenses .
Linesight was paid €6.25 million for construction management services and quantity surveying work on the project .
Other third parties to receive in excess of €2 million for work on the children ’ s hospital last year include Arup which received €2.98 million for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Networks received €2.9 million for providing the electrical connection to the project while O ’ Connor Sutton Cronin received €2.85 million for civil and structural design team fees in 2019 .
Other payments include €556,061 to McCann Fitzgerald for legal services in 2019 and €776,773 to Blackrock Expert Services for project controls and claims management services .
Work only resumed last week on the project after the close down of the site due to Covid-19 .

The public relations firm working for the agency constructing the €1.7 billion National Children’s Hospital (NCH) was paid a further €372,132 in fees, including 23 per cent VAT on the project last year.
New figures provided in response to a Freedom of Information request show that Q4PR was one of more than 50 third parties to share in payments totalling €213.88 million for 2019 from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.
The bulk of the money paid out by the board last year was to the main contractor for the project, BAM Building Ltd, which received €168 million.
The board confirmed that the total spend on the project at the end of 2019 was €469.43 million.
READ MORE
The detailed breakdown for last year shows Q4PR was paid €372,132 under the heading of “community engagement and communication services”.
The 2019 payout follows payments totalling €1 million to the company over the preceding four years concerning the project: in 2018, the company received fees of €248,050 and this followed payments of €276,467 in 2017, €274,567 in 2016 and €204,509 in 2015.
The company secured the PR contract in 2015 and it is due to continue until March 2021.
The figures for 2019 show that the architects of the NCH project, BDP, were paid €6.48 million in design-team fees.
Planning fees
The FOI response also discloses that Dublin City Council was paid €3.73 million in planning fees and expenses. Linesight was paid €6.25 million for construction management services and quantity surveying work on the project.
Other third parties to receive in excess of €2 million for work on the children’s hospital last year include Arup which received €2.98 million for mechanical and electrical design-team fees.
ESB Networks received €2.9 million for providing the electrical connection to the project while O’Connor Sutton Cronin received €2.85 million for civil and structural design team fees in 2019.
Other payments include €556,061 to McCann Fitzgerald for legal services in 2019 and €776,773 to Blackrock Expert Services for project controls and claims management services.
Work only resumed last week on the project after the close down of the site due to Covid-19.


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Covid-19: Don’t expect first vaccinations until early 2021 -WHO’s Ryan says

Researchers are making “ good progress ” in developing vaccines against COVID-19 , with a handful in late-stage trials , but their first use can not be expected until early 2021 , a World Health Organisation ( WHO ) expert said on Wednesday .
WHO is working to ensure fair vaccine distribution , but in the meantime it is key to suppress the virus ’ s spread , said Mike Ryan , head of WHO ’ s emergencies programme , as daily new cases around the globe are at near-record levels .
“ We ’ re making good progress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several vaccines were now in phase 3 trials and none had failed , so far , in terms of safety or ability to generate an immune response .
“ Realistically it is going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting vaccinated , ” he told a public event on social media .
WHO was working to expand access to potential vaccines and to help scale-up production capacity , Dr Ryan said .
“ And we need to be fair about this , because this is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not for the wealthy , they are not for the poor , they are for everybody , ” he said .
The US government will pay $ 1.95 billion to buy 100 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Inc and German biotech BioNTech if it proves safe and effective , the companies said .
Dr Ryan also cautioned schools to be careful about re-opening until community transmission of Covid-19 is under control .
Debate in the United States over restarting education has intensified , even as the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have to do everything possible to bring our children back to school , and the most effective thing we can do is to stop the disease in our community , ” he said .
“ Because if you control the disease in the community , you can open the schools.
” –Reuters

WHO was working to expand access to potential vaccines and to help scale-up production capacity, Dr Mike Ryan said.
Researchers are making “good progress” in developing vaccines against COVID-19, with a handful in late-stage trials, but their first use cannot be expected until early 2021, a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert said on Wednesday.
WHO is working to ensure fair vaccine distribution, but in the meantime it is key to suppress the virus’s spread, said Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s emergencies programme, as daily new cases around the globe are at near-record levels.
“We’re making good progress,” Dr Ryan said, noting that several vaccines were now in phase 3 trials and none had failed, so far, in terms of safety or ability to generate an immune response.
“Realistically it is going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting vaccinated,” he told a public event on social media.
READ MORE
WHO was working to expand access to potential vaccines and to help scale-up production capacity, Dr Ryan said.
“And we need to be fair about this, because this is a global good. Vaccines for this pandemic are not for the wealthy, they are not for the poor, they are for everybody,” he said.
The US government will pay $1.95 billion to buy 100 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Inc and German biotech BioNTech if it proves safe and effective, the companies said.
Dr Ryan also cautioned schools to be careful about re-opening until community transmission of Covid-19 is under control. Debate in the United States over restarting education has intensified, even as the pandemic flares up in dozens of states.
“We have to do everything possible to bring our children back to school, and the most effective thing we can do is to stop the disease in our community,” he said. “Because if you control the disease in the community, you can open the schools.” –Reuters


theirishtimes--2020-07-22--Women receive criminal conviction for operating as therapists

Two women who operated an occupational and speech and language therapy service in Cork have been fined after they pleaded guilty to six charges relating to using professional titles to which they were not entitled .
Lisa O ’ Driscoll ( 38 ) of Ardcahon Way , Coolkellure , Lehenaghmore , Cork and Emma Power ( 30 ) of Clonlea , Mount Oval Rochestown Cork both pleaded guilty to six sample charges .
This is the first criminal conviction of its kind .
Ms O ’ Driscoll pleaded guilty to using the title speech and language therapist while Ms Power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the title occupational therapist .
Both offences occurred in 2018 and 2019 and were breaches of the registration requirements under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 .
The women were directors of Bright Speech and Occupational Therapy Services , known locally as Bright SPOTS , at the South Ring Business Park , Cork .
The company , incorporated in 2016 , provided services to vulnerable children particularly those with developmental disorders .
The two women received their qualifications and were registered in the UK .
However , they were not registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the High Court in January .
They were operating without being registered with Coru , the Health and Social Care Professional Council .
They acknowledged then that they were not permitted to use protected titles in Ireland and would desist from using those unless and until they were registered with Coru .
At Cork District Court on Wednesday Carrie McDermott , solicitor , representing the women said they had ceased trading since the High Court ruling .
They are both now unemployed and are paying High Court costs of more than €1,000 between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances .
Ms McDermott told Judge Con O ’ Leary her clients had paid the “ ultimate price ” for failing to register with Coru and that their lives had been “ devastated ” by the proceedings .
She said that the case involved a “ jurisdictional regulatory problem ” and that the women had to liquidate their business though they counted the HSE as among their biggest clients .
She said the women had “ battled so hard ” in recent months and had met the case against with dignity .
Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorry ” for not registering in Ireland .
However , they were both very busy with their work and were awaiting documentation to prove their credentials from the UK .
She described the prosecutions taken against her clients as “ using a sledge hammer to crack a nut ” .
Martina Ward Clancy of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council , said they had given the women every opportunity to register in Ireland .
Coru ’ s role is to protect the public through regulating the health and social care professionals listed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act 2005 .
It regulates 19,000 health and social care professionals in Ireland .
Prosecuting barrister Tony McGuillicuddy said the women had received written warnings in 2018 to stop using their titles following complaints from the users and other therapists .
The court heard that notwithstanding correspondence from Coru and undertakings given by both women not to hold themselves out as having the protected titles at issue , the undertakings were not observed and they continued to trade .
Judge O ’ Leary said that the women were naive to continue trading without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fined the women €100 each and ordered them to pay nominal costs of €250 each .
He said the amounts would have been higher only for the fact that the women are paying High Court costs .
In a statement Coru said the prosecution was taken following complaints made to them about the use of the titles .
Its chief executive Ginny Hanrahan welcomed the verdict stating “ this investigation and prosecution was a necessary and important action to protect the public ” .
Ms Hanrahan reminded people of the importance of checking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a designated health and social care professional .
“ Coru registered professionals have demonstrated that they meet the educational standards set by the registration board , that they are fit and proper to practise , are garda vetted and that they agree to abide by a code of professional conduct and ethics .
“ If there is a failing , Coru can investigate and hold a fitness to practise hearing if required .
We can not take action if there is a failing and you are using the services of a non-registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check the register at www.coru.ie , ” she added .

The two women received their qualifications and were registered in the UK. However, they were not registered in Ireland. Photograph: iStock
Two women who operated an occupational and speech and language therapy service in Cork have been fined after they pleaded guilty to six charges relating to using professional titles to which they were not entitled.
Lisa O'Driscoll (38) of Ardcahon Way, Coolkellure, Lehenaghmore, Cork and Emma Power (30) of Clonlea, Mount Oval Rochestown Cork both pleaded guilty to six sample charges. This is the first criminal conviction of its kind.
Ms O’Driscoll pleaded guilty to using the title speech and language therapist while Ms Power also entered a guilty plea to using the title occupational therapist. Both offences occurred in 2018 and 2019 and were breaches of the registration requirements under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005.
The women were directors of Bright Speech and Occupational Therapy Services, known locally as Bright SPOTS, at the South Ring Business Park, Cork. The company, incorporated in 2016, provided services to vulnerable children particularly those with developmental disorders.
READ MORE
The two women received their qualifications and were registered in the UK. However, they were not registered in Ireland.
Both women appeared before the High Court in January. They were operating without being registered with Coru, the Health and Social Care Professional Council. They acknowledged then that they were not permitted to use protected titles in Ireland and would desist from using those unless and until they were registered with Coru.
At Cork District Court on Wednesday Carrie McDermott, solicitor, representing the women said they had ceased trading since the High Court ruling. They are both now unemployed and are paying High Court costs of more than €1,000 between them in spite of their poor financial circumstances.
Ms McDermott told Judge Con O’Leary her clients had paid the “ultimate price” for failing to register with Coru and that their lives had been “devastated” by the proceedings. She said that the case involved a “jurisdictional regulatory problem” and that the women had to liquidate their business though they counted the HSE as among their biggest clients.
She said the women had “battled so hard” in recent months and had met the case against with dignity.
‘Very sorry’
Ms McDermott said the women were “very sorry” for not registering in Ireland. However, they were both very busy with their work and were awaiting documentation to prove their credentials from the UK. She described the prosecutions taken against her clients as “using a sledge hammer to crack a nut”.
Martina Ward Clancy of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, said they had given the women every opportunity to register in Ireland.
Coru’s role is to protect the public through regulating the health and social care professionals listed in the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. It regulates 19,000 health and social care professionals in Ireland.
Prosecuting barrister Tony McGuillicuddy said the women had received written warnings in 2018 to stop using their titles following complaints from the users and other therapists. The court heard that notwithstanding correspondence from Coru and undertakings given by both women not to hold themselves out as having the protected titles at issue, the undertakings were not observed and they continued to trade.
Judge O’Leary said that the women were naive to continue trading without the relevant registration in Ireland. He fined the women €100 each and ordered them to pay nominal costs of €250 each. He said the amounts would have been higher only for the fact that the women are paying High Court costs.
Complaints
In a statement Coru said the prosecution was taken following complaints made to them about the use of the titles.
Its chief executive Ginny Hanrahan welcomed the verdict stating "this investigation and prosecution was a necessary and important action to protect the public".
Ms Hanrahan reminded people of the importance of checking the Coru register before using the services of a designated health and social care professional.
“Coru registered professionals have demonstrated that they meet the educational standards set by the registration board, that they are fit and proper to practise, are garda vetted and that they agree to abide by a code of professional conduct and ethics.
“If there is a failing, Coru can investigate and hold a fitness to practise hearing if required. We cannot take action if there is a failing and you are using the services of a non-registered professional – so I encourage people to check the register at www.coru.ie,” she added.