theirishtimes--2020-02-17--Man accused of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe’s murder was on bail and under curfew

The man accused of the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was on bail and under curfew at the time of the fatal shooting , the Central Criminal Court has heard .
Aaron Brady ( 29 ) went to a Garda station 11 days after the shooting and gave a voluntary statement in which he said he was before the Circuit Court on charges of criminal damage and dangerous driving .
In the lengthy statement he detailed his background and gave an account of his movements in the days leading up to Det Gda Donohoe ’ s death .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Donohoe ( 41 ) who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty on January 25th , 2013 at Lordship Credit Union , Bellurgan , Co Louth .
Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location .
Inspector Mark Phillips of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation told prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February 5th , 2013 to make a voluntary statement .
Insp Phillips said he advised Mr Brady that gardaí would listen to what he had to say and document it in writing .
They also told him they would not question him and he was free to leave and was not under arrest .
At that stage Insp Phillips said Mr Brady was not a suspect .
The accused was accompanied by his solicitor and made what Insp Phillips described as a “ lengthy statement ” .
The witness agreed that Mr Brady @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was currently “ in court ” for criminal damage and dangerous driving and as a result he had a curfew .
He was on bail , he said , and was trying to save money to pay off the damage .
Detailing his family background he said his father was chairman of Crossmaglen Rangers and his mother ’ s name is Caroline .
He said he played as a forward for Crossmaglen .
When he was 16 he finished school having done his O-Levels and worked as an electrician from age 18 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later did a FAS course in Sligo for six months and then went to Australia for four months .
When he was 19 he went to Boston in the US .
He told gardaí : “ I loved America but I couldn ’ t work illegally.
” When his grandmother got sick he came home and worked for a time for his father until the business “ went a bit downhill ” .
He said he has a metal plate in his right hand following an injury he suffered during a football game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power when I squeeze my right hand , ” which he described as his dominant hand .
He would struggle , he said , to lift 20 to 30 kilograms with that hand .
He had been on the dole for a time getting £45 ( €54 ) per week and he was living off a £4,000 ( €4,800 ) claim he made following an accident in which someone drove into the back of a car in which he was a passenger .
For the previous four to five weeks he had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming up to Valentine ’ s Day ” .
He got work through a friend for a firm in Santry , Dublin and was hoping for more shifts over the coming week .
Detailing his movements in the days leading up to the murder of Det Gda Donohoe he said he had spent the Wednesday with a friend , who can not be named for legal reasons .
They planned to go driving quad bikes but one of them needed repairs and so they stayed at his friend ’ s house playing Playstation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brady said his girlfriend went to a nightclub in Dundalk while he stayed with his friend watching the Tom Hardy film Lawless .
At about 2am he and his friend went to Dundalk to collect their girlfriends but Mr Brady had an argument with his girlfriend because she was wearing a “ fella ’ s American-style cap when she came out of the disco ” .
They continued the argument by text until the next morning .
He said : “ She was saying she was all on for breaking up and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening Det Gda Donohoe was shot dead .
Mr Brady said he woke up that afternoon in his friend ’ s house at about noon and at about 1pm they took his friend ’ s BMW and collected another friend from his house on the Armagh Road in Tullydonnell , Co Armagh .
He detailed the route they took , stopping to eat at a petrol station along the way before pulling into a closed petrol station in Cullaville , Co Armagh where they tried to decide what to do for the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The statement evidence will continue on Tuesday .
Donald Whiteside earlier told Lorcan Staines SC for the prosecution that he works as a wildlife ranger covering areas in Armagh , Antrim , Down and Derry .
On Saturday January 26th , 2013 , one day after the shooting at Lordship , he saw a burned out car on Cumsons Road in south Armagh .
The driver ’ s side tyres were still smouldering and the bonnet was “ lukewarm ” when he touched it .
It was “ completely burned out ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was .
He noted that it was a saloon and thought by the shape that it was a Volkswagen Passat , although he could not be sure .
The witness told gardaí at the time that it was normal to find burned out cars in that general area .
He notified the forester on the Monday , two days after he saw the car .
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of eight men and seven women .

The man accused of the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was on bail and under curfew at the time of the fatal shooting, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Aaron Brady (29) went to a Garda station 11 days after the shooting and gave a voluntary statement in which he said he was before the Circuit Court on charges of criminal damage and dangerous driving. In the lengthy statement he detailed his background and gave an account of his movements in the days leading up to Det Gda Donohoe’s death.
Mr Brady from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Donohoe (41) who was then a member of An Garda Síochána on active duty on January 25th, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately €7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location.
Inspector Mark Phillips of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation told prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that Mr Brady came to Dundalk Garda Station on February 5th, 2013 to make a voluntary statement. Insp Phillips said he advised Mr Brady that gardaí would listen to what he had to say and document it in writing. They also told him they would not question him and he was free to leave and was not under arrest. At that stage Insp Phillips said Mr Brady was not a suspect. The accused was accompanied by his solicitor and made what Insp Phillips described as a “lengthy statement”.
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The witness agreed that Mr Brady started out by telling gardaí that he was currently “in court” for criminal damage and dangerous driving and as a result he had a curfew. He was on bail, he said, and was trying to save money to pay off the damage. Detailing his family background he said his father was chairman of Crossmaglen Rangers and his mother’s name is Caroline. He said he played as a forward for Crossmaglen.
When he was 16 he finished school having done his O-Levels and worked as an electrician from age 18 to 19. He did an apprenticeship and later did a FAS course in Sligo for six months and then went to Australia for four months. When he was 19 he went to Boston in the US. He told gardaí: “I loved America but I couldn’t work illegally.” When his grandmother got sick he came home and worked for a time for his father until the business “went a bit downhill”.
He said he has a metal plate in his right hand following an injury he suffered during a football game. He said he has “no power when I squeeze my right hand,” which he described as his dominant hand. He would struggle, he said, to lift 20 to 30 kilograms with that hand.
He had been on the dole for a time getting £45 (€54) per week and he was living off a £4,000 (€4,800) claim he made following an accident in which someone drove into the back of a car in which he was a passenger. For the previous four to five weeks he had been looking for work “harder than ever coming up to Valentine’s Day”. He got work through a friend for a firm in Santry, Dublin and was hoping for more shifts over the coming week.
Detailing his movements in the days leading up to the murder of Det Gda Donohoe he said he had spent the Wednesday with a friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons. They planned to go driving quad bikes but one of them needed repairs and so they stayed at his friend’s house playing Playstation games. On the Thursday evening Mr Brady said his girlfriend went to a nightclub in Dundalk while he stayed with his friend watching the Tom Hardy film Lawless. At about 2am he and his friend went to Dundalk to collect their girlfriends but Mr Brady had an argument with his girlfriend because she was wearing a “fella’s American-style cap when she came out of the disco”. They continued the argument by text until the next morning. He said: “She was saying she was all on for breaking up and I was sorry for overreacting.”
The following evening Det Gda Donohoe was shot dead. Mr Brady said he woke up that afternoon in his friend’s house at about noon and at about 1pm they took his friend’s BMW and collected another friend from his house on the Armagh Road in Tullydonnell, Co Armagh. He detailed the route they took, stopping to eat at a petrol station along the way before pulling into a closed petrol station in Cullaville, Co Armagh where they tried to decide what to do for the day. It was about 2 to 2.30pm. The statement evidence will continue on Tuesday.
Donald Whiteside earlier told Lorcan Staines SC for the prosecution that he works as a wildlife ranger covering areas in Armagh, Antrim, Down and Derry. On Saturday January 26th, 2013, one day after the shooting at Lordship, he saw a burned out car on Cumsons Road in south Armagh. The driver’s side tyres were still smouldering and the bonnet was “lukewarm” when he touched it. It was “completely burned out” and he could not tell what colour it was. He noted that it was a saloon and thought by the shape that it was a Volkswagen Passat, although he could not be sure.
The witness told gardaí at the time that it was normal to find burned out cars in that general area. He notified the forester on the Monday, two days after he saw the car.
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of eight men and seven women.


theirishtimes--2020-02-17--School secretary admits she did not pay 520 M50 tolls over three years

Six motorists have received fines totalling €56,000 at Dublin District Court after failing to turn up to face charges for repeatedly failing to pay M50 tolls .
Some 22 motorists had been summonsed to appear in court on Monday ; prosecutions against seven of them went ahead .
Six motorists failed to show up but were given fines ranging between €5,000 and €15,000 in their absence and were also ordered to pay a further €350 in prosecution costs .
School secretary Jessica Brewer , from Latchford Close , Clonee , Dublin 15 , had the highest number of unpaid tolls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 520 over a three-year period .
She cried in court as she told Judge Anthony Halpin it happened because she was unwell last year and she feared a recorded conviction could jeopardise her career plans .
Like all defendants in the list , she was prosecuted on five sample counts .
After listening to her story , Judge Halpin remarked , “ You can ’ t get feathers off a frog ’ s back ” , saying she did not have the money .
He ordered her to pay €500 to the motorway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs , adjourning the case until a date in July when the case will be struck out with no record if she has paid by then .
The court heard she had paid for 39 trips each costing €3.10 on the motorway but another 520 remained unpaid .
She admitted she had been the driver and was responsible .
She has since set up a toll tag and is now paying when she uses the motorway .
Ownership of her car was recently transferred , the court heard .
Meanwhile , a goods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 250 passages and six payments , received €7,000 in fines .
Another commercial vehicle owner was fined €15,000 for 138 passages but the court noted he not paid any of his tolls despite being issued with 414 warning letters .
A private car owner with a record of 104 M50 trips and no payments was fined €15,000 in his absence .
He had been sent 312 letters .
Prosecuting counsel Thomas Rice BL , instructed by Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors , said a Transport Infrastructure Ireland official had certificates of ownership as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll gantry on the M50 , on dates in June , July and August last year .
Fines of up to €5,000 per charge as well as a sentence of up to six months can be imposed .
The court has heard the motorway authority only selected habitual non-payers to face criminal proceedings but no one has been jailed so far .
Nine cases were adjourned on Monday for defendants to reach agreement over the unpaid charges .
Another two were struck out after debts were resolved .
Four prosecutions were withdrawn due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M50 toll for an unregistered private car is €3.10 must be paid before 8pm the following day or else there is a €3.00 penalty for missing the deadline .
Motorists have 14 days from the date of issue to pay for the journey and the initial penalty ; otherwise a further penalty of €41 is applied .
After a further 56 days there is an additional penalty charge of €103 and if it remains unpaid legal proceedings follow with the possibility of a court fine of up to €5,000 as well as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , per offence .
Commercial and goods vehicle owners have to pay higher tolls .
The registered owner of a vehicle is responsible even if they were not driving the vehicle .

The judge ordered Jessica Brewer to pay €500 to the motorway operator and a further €100 toward prosecution costs. File photograph showing the M50: Dara Mac Dónaill
Six motorists have received fines totalling €56,000 at Dublin District Court after failing to turn up to face charges for repeatedly failing to pay M50 tolls.
Some 22 motorists had been summonsed to appear in court on Monday; prosecutions against seven of them went ahead.
Six motorists failed to show up but were given fines ranging between €5,000 and €15,000 in their absence and were also ordered to pay a further €350 in prosecution costs.
School secretary Jessica Brewer, from Latchford Close, Clonee, Dublin 15, had the highest number of unpaid tolls of the defendants listed on Monday, 520 over a three-year period.
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She cried in court as she told Judge Anthony Halpin it happened because she was unwell last year and she feared a recorded conviction could jeopardise her career plans.
Like all defendants in the list, she was prosecuted on five sample counts.
After listening to her story, Judge Halpin remarked, “You can’t get feathers off a frog’s back”, saying she did not have the money.
He ordered her to pay €500 to the motorway operator and a further €100 toward prosecution costs, adjourning the case until a date in July when the case will be struck out with no record if she has paid by then.
The court heard she had paid for 39 trips each costing €3.10 on the motorway but another 520 remained unpaid. She admitted she had been the driver and was responsible. She has since set up a toll tag and is now paying when she uses the motorway.
Ownership of her car was recently transferred, the court heard.
Meanwhile, a goods vehicle owner, with a history of 250 passages and six payments, received €7,000 in fines.
Another commercial vehicle owner was fined €15,000 for 138 passages but the court noted he not paid any of his tolls despite being issued with 414 warning letters.
A private car owner with a record of 104 M50 trips and no payments was fined €15,000 in his absence. He had been sent 312 letters.
Prosecuting counsel Thomas Rice BL, instructed by Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors, said a Transport Infrastructure Ireland official had certificates of ownership as well as the images of the vehicles passing the toll gantry on the M50, on dates in June, July and August last year.
Fines of up to €5,000 per charge as well as a sentence of up to six months can be imposed.
The court has heard the motorway authority only selected habitual non-payers to face criminal proceedings but no one has been jailed so far.
Nine cases were adjourned on Monday for defendants to reach agreement over the unpaid charges. Another two were struck out after debts were resolved. Four prosecutions were withdrawn due to issues with summonses.
The standard M50 toll for an unregistered private car is €3.10 must be paid before 8pm the following day or else there is a €3.00 penalty for missing the deadline. Motorists have 14 days from the date of issue to pay for the journey and the initial penalty; otherwise a further penalty of €41 is applied. After a further 56 days there is an additional penalty charge of €103 and if it remains unpaid legal proceedings follow with the possibility of a court fine of up to €5,000 as well as a jail term of six-months, or both, per offence.
Commercial and goods vehicle owners have to pay higher tolls.
The registered owner of a vehicle is responsible even if they were not driving the vehicle.


theirishtimes--2020-02-17--Housing charity says protest puts delivery of 65 social homes at risk

A housing charity may have to “ walk away ” from delivery of 65 social homes in west Dublin unless a protest which has halted construction work for more than three weeks is lifted “ in the very near future ” .
Clúid said there were “ no winners ” in the ongoing impasse where a group of about 50 people , calling themselves “ House the Irish first ” , have mounted a 24-hour picket at the entrance to the site on Ladyswell Road in Mulhuddart .
The protest began in mid-January and work stopped a few days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of seeking a court injunction against the protest was being explored .
“ Construction started onsite in November 2018 and was due to be completed in August of this year .
It is not now known when construction will be completed , ” he said .
“ There is a risk this project may never be completed if the contractor can not get back onsite in the very near future.
” Concerns have been raised by activists and other residents about the anti-immigrant tone of the protest , the group ’ s Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who support the action .
Mulhuddart resident Adrieanne McDermott , whose family has been served with a notice to quit the home they have rented for more than 10 years , understands the frustration of the women protesting .
“ Of course people are desperate and of course there should be transparency about the housing list , but they are going about it the wrong way .
They are blaming the wrong people , hurting their own neighbours and dividing local residents on ethnic lines.
” The protestors insist they are not racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing crisis on the local community .
They want half the homes allocated to local households on the Fingal County Council housing list with the remainder open to the wider council list .
The site will comprise two- , three- and four-bed houses as well as one- , two- and three-bed apartments , 22 of which are described as “ age-friendly ” .
On completion they will be allocated to households on the housing list by the council .
Some of the leading protestors met Clúid representatives on Friday at which the urgency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A meeting with council officials on Monday was described by one of the main organisers , Alice Woods , as having gone “ well enough ” .
The “ protest continues ” , she added .
A council spokeswoman said : “ Officials met with a number of applicants for social housing from the Mulhuddart area this morning and updated them on their list positions based on the date on which they applied for housing support in accordance with the terms of the council ’ s allocations scheme .
Information in relation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme [ HAP ] was also provided.
” Asked about her reaction to the possibility of Clúid not completing the homes , Ms Woods said : “ That would be awful .
We don ’ t want the houses not be built .
We just want them going to local girls first.
” She said they hoped to meet councillors in coming days .
There are 6,959 applicants on the council ’ s housing list who indicate a preference for the Dublin 15 area , according to the council .

Nadine Gannon (right) and Alice Woods joined House the Irish First protest group in Mulhuddart, Dublin last week. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
A housing charity may have to “walk away” from delivery of 65 social homes in west Dublin unless a protest which has halted construction work for more than three weeks is lifted “in the very near future”.
Clúid said there were "no winners" in the ongoing impasse where a group of about 50 people, calling themselves "House the Irish first", have mounted a 24-hour picket at the entrance to the site on Ladyswell Road in Mulhuddart.
The protest began in mid-January and work stopped a few days later.
A Clúid spokesman said the possibility of seeking a court injunction against the protest was being explored.
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“Construction started onsite in November 2018 and was due to be completed in August of this year. It is not now known when construction will be completed,” he said.
“There is a risk this project may never be completed if the contractor cannot get back onsite in the very near future.”
Concerns have been raised by activists and other residents about the anti-immigrant tone of the protest, the group's Facebook page and the influence of far-right activists who support the action.
Mulhuddart resident Adrieanne McDermott, whose family has been served with a notice to quit the home they have rented for more than 10 years, understands the frustration of the women protesting.
“Of course people are desperate and of course there should be transparency about the housing list, but they are going about it the wrong way. They are blaming the wrong people, hurting their own neighbours and dividing local residents on ethnic lines.”
Angry, not racist
The protestors insist they are not racist but angry at the impact of the housing crisis on the local community. They want half the homes allocated to local households on the Fingal County Council housing list with the remainder open to the wider council list.
The site will comprise two-, three- and four-bed houses as well as one-, two- and three-bed apartments, 22 of which are described as “age-friendly”. On completion they will be allocated to households on the housing list by the council.
Some of the leading protestors met Clúid representatives on Friday at which the urgency of resuming work onsite was stressed.
A meeting with council officials on Monday was described by one of the main organisers, Alice Woods, as having gone "well enough". The "protest continues", she added.
A council spokeswoman said: “Officials met with a number of applicants for social housing from the Mulhuddart area this morning and updated them on their list positions based on the date on which they applied for housing support in accordance with the terms of the council’s allocations scheme. Information in relation to the provisions of the Housing Assistance Payment scheme [HAP] was also provided.”
Asked about her reaction to the possibility of Clúid not completing the homes, Ms Woods said: “That would be awful. We don’t want the houses not be built. We just want them going to local girls first.”
She said they hoped to meet councillors in coming days.
There are 6,959 applicants on the council’s housing list who indicate a preference for the Dublin 15 area, according to the council.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Cardiologist saved by paramedics after heart attack at Dublin Airport

A UK-based consultant cardiologist who has spent decades saving the lives of others had his own life saved by paramedics at Dublin Airport after suffering a heart attack on a flight from Manchester .
Dr Farqad Alamgir was travelling to Ireland recently where he works in a number of hospitals when he took ill .
He was initially tended to by an Aer Lingus staff member who administered CPR until airport police and fire service responders arrived .
The airport ’ s advanced paramedics administered life-saving drugs at the scene and used a defibrillator to administer several shocks before transferring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he underwent emergency heart bypass surgery .
Dr Alamgir has worked for 30 years resuscitating patients who present with acute heart attacks but never imagined he would find himself on the other side of the fence .
“ I remember getting off the aircraft at Dublin Airport , then the next memory I have is waking up in the Coronary Care Unit in the Mater Hospital , ” he said .
“ I now know that Dublin Airport ’ s first responders used the Lucas CPR system giving me four shocks initially then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administered urgent advanced life-saving drugs via an intraosseous needle into my shin , bringing me back after 17 minutes of downtime.
” He said the speed of the response “ not only saved my life , but the resuscitation was so effective that I have not suffered any neurological or cardiac muscle damage ” .
Dr Alamgir said he was “ so grateful and thankful to the team at Dublin Airport , the ambulance crews and the team at the Mater for giving me another opportunity to spend more time with my family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gerry Keogh said it was hugely rewarding and humbling when a passenger walks through the door to thank the team for saving their life .
“ Our defibrillator programme began in 2003 and since then we have increased our defibrillator numbers to over 50 around the airport ’ s campus .
We also have two fully-trained advanced paramedics and two in training , and their new skills greatly enhance the emergency medical response to any incident at the airport.
” He said that every life saved by the defibrillator programme had a profoundly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
The airport ’ s defibrillator CPR programme was introduced in 2003 and the airport said it had saved 32 lives in that period .

A UK-based consultant cardiologist who has spent decades saving the lives of others had his own life saved by paramedics at Dublin Airport after suffering a heart attack on a flight from Manchester.
Dr Farqad Alamgir was travelling to Ireland recently where he works in a number of hospitals when he took ill. He was initially tended to by an Aer Lingus staff member who administered CPR until airport police and fire service responders arrived.
The airport’s advanced paramedics administered life-saving drugs at the scene and used a defibrillator to administer several shocks before transferring the medic to the Mater hospital where he underwent emergency heart bypass surgery.
Dr Alamgir has worked for 30 years resuscitating patients who present with acute heart attacks but never imagined he would find himself on the other side of the fence.
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“I remember getting off the aircraft at Dublin Airport, then the next memory I have is waking up in the coronary care unit in the Mater hospital,” he said.
"I now know that Dublin Airport's first responders used the Lucas CPR system giving me four shocks initially then the skills of their advanced paramedic team administered urgent advanced lifesaving drugs via an intraosseous needle into my shin, bringing me back after 17 minutes of downtime."
He said the speed of the response “not only saved my life, but the resuscitation was so effective that I have not suffered any neurological or cardiac muscle damage”.
Dr Alamgir said he was “so grateful and thankful to the team at Dublin Airport, the ambulance crews and the team at the Mater for giving me another opportunity to spend more time with my family”.
Dublin Airport Chief Fire Officer Gerry Keogh said it was hugely rewarding and humbling when a passenger walks through the door to thank the team for saving their life.
“Our defibrillator programme began in 2003 and since then we have increased our defibrillator numbers to over 50 around the airport’s campus. We also have two fully-trained advanced paramedics and two in training, and their new skills greatly enhance the emergency medical response to any incident at the airport.”
He said that every life saved by the defibrillator programme had a profoundly positive impact on a wide range of people.
The airport’s defibrillator CPR programme was introduced in 2003 and the airport said it had saved 32 lives since then.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Woman arrested in connection with Wayne Whelan murder

Gardaí investigating the gun murder of Wayne Whelan in Lucan last year have arrested a woman .
She is the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the death of Mr Whelan ( 42 ) whose body was found in a burning car in Mount Andrew , Lucan , on November 18th .
A post mortem determined he died from several gunshot wounds .
DNA samples were required to identify his body .
Detectives arrested the woman , who is aged in her 30s , on Tuesday morning .
She is being held in Ronanstown Garda Station where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three days .
On Monday , gardaí arrested two men in connection with the murder .
One of the men , aged in his 30s , remains in custody in Lucan Garda Station where he can be held for up to seven days .
The other , a man in his 40s , has been released without charge .
A file on his alleged involvement will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions .
Two other men have already been charged in relation to Mr Whelan ’ s death .
Anthony Casserly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 ) , both from Rowlagh Park in Clondalkin , appeared at Blanchardstown District Court in December charged in connection with the murder .

Gardaí remove the vehicle in which Wayne Whelan was shot and killed in Lucan. Photograph: Collins
Files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions on a man and a woman who were arrested this week by gardaí investigating the gun murder of Wayne Whelan in Lucan last year.
The woman, aged in her 30, was the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the death of Mr Whelan (42) whose body was found in a burning car in Mount Andrew, Lucan, on November 18th.
A post mortem determined he died from several gunshot wounds. DNA samples were required to identify his body.
Detectives arrested the woman, who is aged in her 30s, on Tuesday morning. She was held in Ronanstown Garda Station and later released without charge.
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On Monday, gardaí arrested two men in connection with the murder. One of the men, aged in his 30s, was questioned at Lucan Garda Station and later released, gardaí said on Wednesday.
The other, a man in his 40s, was earlier released without charge. File are being prepared for the DPP on all three who were so released.
Two other men have already been charged in relation to Mr Whelan's death. Anthony Casserly (23) and Christopher Moran (50), both from Rowlagh Park in Clondalkin, appeared at Blanchardstown District Court in December charged in connection with the murder.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Wit and warmth: The secret weapons of Irish debaters

It was January 1960 .
Seán Lemass had recently taken over from de Valera .
The arrival of television was just around the corner .
The Catholic Church ’ s vice-like grip on morality would soon be challenged .
A monochrome State was on the cusp of modernity .
It was against this backdrop that the Irish Times Debate was born .
For students , the chance to have their voice heard in public debate over burning issues of the day felt both thrilling and liberating .
“ There was a real sense of change and modernisation in the air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer Gerry Stembridge .
“ The debate was part of that climate and marked a shift towards listening to the voices of young people .
It was very forward-thinking of whoever decided to start it.
” Generations of public figures have since cut their oratorical teeth in what is Ireland ’ s longest-running university debating competition .
It has been an early proving ground for many who have gone onto to forge distinguished careers in law , medicine , theatre , media and politics .
Former winners and finalists include presidents , past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary Robinson ) , politicians ( Eamonn McCann , Mary Harney , Brian Lenihan and Ronan Mullen ) , broadcasters ( Henry Kelly , Derek Davis and Marian Finuance ) , senior civil servants and judges ( Adrian Hardiman , Frank Clarke and Donal O ’ Donnell , to name a few ) .
Sixty years on , it is still going strong .
And in an era of Twitter soundbytes and echo chambers , debating enthusiasts say there has never been a greater need to challenge entrenched views and learn how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawyer and historian , was a member of the very first Irish Times Debate winning team in 1960 .
While some college debating societies like UCD ’ s Literary & Historical society ( L & H ) were like a “ bear-pit ” , he recalls The Irish Times debate was more receptive – but no less intimidating .
The element of display and entertainment was still important .
“ To do well , you had to prepare well , be fairly fluent and seem as if you were speaking spontaneously .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ other speeches and take on points of information , ” he recalls .
He also recalls the thrill of seeing his name in the newspaper and hearing the winning speeches broadcast on Raidió Éireann .
Neville Keery , representing Trinity ’ s College Historical Society ( “ the Hist ” ) , won best individual speakers in the 1960 final .
He recalls feeling nervous as he looked up at the tiered auditorium , wondering where the next point of information or heckle might come from .
“ It was a terrific experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really excellent debaters ” recalls Keery , who went on to become a senator and senior European Commission official .
While the audience was fairly restrained that night , it wasn ’ t always the case .
“ In some cases , an audience could count down a speaker , just like a referee does with a boxer : ‘ One , two three… ’ Very few would survive if they got to ten , ” he says .
He recalls using various techniques to keep the audience onside .
One was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to quiet and thoughtful .
Another involved clutching his notes and waving them about furiously to make a point .
“ I plead guilty to that – it tended to get people ’ s attention which wasn ’ t always easy in a competition with time-limited speeches.
” The audience has always been important to The Irish Times debate and additional spice has been added by long-standing and simmering rivalries between academic institutions , especially UCD and Trinity .
Trinity ’ s Hist tops the league table of team winners ( 15 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & H ( 12 ) , King ’ s Inns ( eight ) , UCC ’ s Philisoph ( six ) , Trinity Phil ( four ) and UCD Lawsoc and Queen ’ s University Belfast ( three ) .
Plenty of other colleges have also had their moment in the sun including Maynooth , NUI Galway , DCU , RCSI , Griffith College and the Military College ’ s Cadet School in the Curragh .
Each year about 150 teams of two take part in the competition , which is whittled down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and four individuals .
The format is that an equal number of teams propose and oppose a motion , with a team member on either side speaking alternately for seven minutes each .
In addition to the prestige , the winners enjoy a remarkable prize ; an all-expenses-paid three-week debating tour of the United States .
Decades on , the performances of some individual students are still spoken about in near reverential terms .
UCD law student Conor Gearty was one of those to make a big impression in the late 1970s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ row with different teammates ( after that , Mace organisers banned winners from re-entering ) .
Gearty is now professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics .
Some also went on to become world student debating champions , such as Damian Crawford , who won the Irish Times tournament in 1983 with his UCG team mate Eoin O Maolain .
He won “ Worlds ” in Canada in 1985 for the King ’ s Inns with Shane Murphy who narrowly missed out on winning the Irish Times title for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who won The Irish Times debate that year , went on to win Worlds in New York in 1986 with fellow UCC student Siobhan Lankford .
The broadcaster Henry Kelly – who won the Irish Times individual speaker award in 1968 – says the competition fulfilled a crucial role : it was the only forum for “ intelligent conversation and social gathering outside student politics and rugger buggers ” .
He recalls being impressed by a student by the name of Mary T W Bourke in the mid-1960s .
She went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She was the best speaker that I personally ever saw in the Literary and Historical Society at UCD , ” Kelly recalls .
“ She held the L & H silent for seven glorious , stimulating , witty minutes.
” This , he says , was particularly impressive because “ she was a girl and usually girls would endure cries of ‘ show us your knickers ’ from the rear of the hall.
” If there has been a challenge with the debate , it has been female under-representation – though it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robinson was a finalist but didn ’ t win in the mid-1960s .
In fact , the first female individual winner was Marian Finuance in 1971 , while the first woman to feature in a winning team was Maeve Collins , part of the King ’ s Inns team in 1989 and now Ireland ’ s deputy permanent representative to the EU .
During the first 50 years , the competition had only 11 female winners ; in the past 10 years , it has had nine .
Collins feels the competition – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paucity of woman in public life due to structural biases and cultural barriers .
“ There was a lot of verbal aggression towards women competitors which would , I hope , be completely unacceptable nowadays .
Things are somewhat better now but progress has been shockingly , unacceptably slow , ” says Collins .
Aisling Tully , a member of the 2017 winning UCD L & H team with Dara Keenan , says women can still face barriers .
“ Debating rewards risk-taking and being outrageous – and this can appeal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clíodhna Ní Chéileachair [ winner of The Irish Times Debate in 2016 ] helped me to realise that I deserved to be there .
For men , consciousness can help : be aware of making space for women and reaching out to them , rather than simply and automatically taking the men who respond strongest or first.
” While a great many have gone on to flourish in the legal world , future doctors , writers , teachers and scientists have all tested their talents of persuasion in the competition .
Future journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won in 1965 with , uncharacteristically , an argument against socialism .
He was on the same team as Cian O ’ hEigeartaigh , a future author and TV producer , and David McConnell , who went on to become a professor of genetics and chancellor of Trinity College Dublin .
For comedian and TV presenter Dara O Briain , college debating is where he realised he was a performer – and not a scientist , “ It changed my life completely , ” he says .
“ I didn ’ t realise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laugh from a crowd until I did debating in college ; and I ’ ve basically been chasing that high ever since , ” he says .
For those who flourished in the white heat of debating competitions , most acknowledge that meticulous preparation is key .
If you can pass off devastating one-liners as spontaneous pieces of genius , all the better .
President Michael D Higgins confides that he would rest on the afternoon of a debate to make sure he was in the right frame of mind .
Looking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dress suit was a big event at the time , particularly if you were going to be debating against opponents who gave the impression that they dressed formally for dinner every evening , ” he says .
Eamonn McCann , however , seems to be a rare exception to the rule .
“ In the year that I won the individual competition , I did it with no preparation because I was on my own .
I had no notes prepared , and I did it off the top of my head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I said was in reaction to what others had said , and I managed to get through it.
” A new dimension to the competition was added in 1980 when a three-week debating tour of US campuses became part of the prize for the winners .
It was the brainchild of US professor Garry Holbrook , a top debating coach professor emeritus at Metropolitan State College in Colorado , who came to Trinity on sabbatical .
He said he was inspired by the quality of debate here ; even debates at Oxford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impress him as much .
While US debaters tend to rely on rapid-fire delivery of statistics and facts , he said they lacked the audience connection and “ blarney ” of Irish debaters .
Brent Northup , professor of communications at Carroll College in Montana and founder of Pax Rhetorica : Words Across Borders , a non-profit dedicated to global dialogue , has since taken over responsibility for organising the US tour .
Whoever wins this year ’ s debate will find themselves taking part in a three-week tour which criss-crosses the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Chicago , where they will do battle with debating teams across the country .
“ The Irish debaters have keen analytic minds blended with distinctive wit – which is more than humour .
It ’ s a warm regard for the audience and wanting to speak with them , not at them , ” says Northup .
“ That makes for a deadly combination in debate rounds .
American debaters tend to be more legalistic and less rhetorical than the Irish .
We are a bit more boring , and that contributes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These days , some grumble that college debating doesn ’ t attract the crowds it used to .
The golden age , some say , were the heady days of the 1960s when Patrick Cosgrave and Anthony Clare stood head and shoulders over student debaters across the UK and Ireland , winning both the Irish Times competition and the Observer Mace .
Others say some of the greats were not always the winners ; simply making it to the finals has always been a formidable achievement .
Mary Harney , Mary Robinson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the list of high-profile finalists still talked about .
But , then , maybe there ’ s an element of rose-tinted spectacles about the old day .
After all , as Eugene McCague – a member of 1980 winning team and now chair of Arthur Cox – admits , the quality was so poor that year that adjudicators opted not to award a second team prize .
“ [ Christina Murphy , an adjudicator ] later confided in me that , if she had had her way , there wouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laughs McCague .
And so the debate goes on .
The heckling may not be quite as raucous as it used to be .
Debaters are , some say , a little more solemn these days .
Regardless , anyone who experiences The Irish Times Debate at its best can still find soaring and spell-binding performances .
Aisling Tully , a team winner in 2017 , takes part regularly in national , European and world debating championships .
She says standards in Ireland are still extremely high , and a new generation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s an incredible atmosphere at The Irish Times Debate final .
It ’ s an incredible feeling to speak and make people feel and react to your words .
I got so much in return from debating , ” she says , .
Debating , says Charles Lysaght , one of the very first winners all those years ago in 1960 , has always been a vital skill .
The ability to construct a well-ordered argument and express it with clarity will remain important long into the future .
“ I still remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Isocrates , the Greek : “ The right word is a sure sign of the clear mind ” .

It was January 1960. Seán Lemass had recently taken over from de Valera. The arrival of television was just around the corner. The Catholic Church’s vice-like grip on morality would soon be challenged. A monochrome State was on the cusp of modernity.
It was against this backdrop that the Irish Times Debate was born. For students, the chance to have their voice heard in public debate over burning issues of the day felt both thrilling and liberating.
"There was a real sense of change and modernisation in the air," says writer and former debate winner Gerry Stembridge.
“The debate was part of that climate and marked a shift towards listening to the voices of young people. It was very forward-thinking of whoever decided to start it.”
READ MORE
Generations of public figures have since cut their oratorical teeth in what is Ireland’s longest-running university debating competition. It has been an early proving ground for many who have gone onto to forge distinguished careers in law, medicine, theatre, media and politics.
Former winners and finalists include presidents, past and present (Michael D Higgins and Mary Robinson), politicians (Eamonn McCann, Mary Harney, Brian Lenihan and Rónán Mullen), broadcasters (Henry Kelly, Derek Davis and Marian Finucane), senior civil servants and judges (Adrian Hardiman, Frank Clarke and Donal O'Donnell, to name a few).
Sixty years on, it is still going strong. And in an era of Twitter soundbytes and echo chambers, debating enthusiasts say there has never been a greater need to challenge entrenched views and learn how to disagree, agreeably.
Early days
Charles Lysaght, a lawyer and historian, was a member of the very first Irish Times Debate winning team in 1960.
While some college debating societies like UCD’s Literary & Historical society (L&H) were like a “bear-pit”, he recalls The Irish Times Debate was more receptive – but no less intimidating. The element of display and entertainment was still important.
“To do well, you had to prepare well, be fairly fluent and seem as if you were speaking spontaneously. It was also important to refer to other speeches and take on points of information,” he recalls.
He also recalls the thrill of seeing his name in the newspaper and hearing the winning speeches broadcast on Raidió Éireann.
Neville Keery, representing Trinity's College Historical Society ("the Hist"), won best individual speakers in the 1960 final.
He recalls feeling nervous as he looked up at the tiered auditorium, wondering where the next point of information or heckle might come from.
"It was a terrific experience and very competitive – there were some really excellent debaters" recalls Keery, who went on to become a senator and senior European Commission official.
While the audience was fairly restrained that night, it wasn’t always the case.
“In some cases, an audience could count down a speaker, just like a referee does with a boxer: ‘One, two three…’ Very few would survive if they got to ten,” he says.
He recalls using various techniques to keep the audience onside.
One was to alternate his tone from loud and combative to quiet and thoughtful. Another involved clutching his notes and waving them about furiously to make a point.
“I plead guilty to that – it tended to get people’s attention which wasn’t always easy in a competition with time-limited speeches.”
Competition
The audience has always been important to The Irish Times Debate and additional spice has been added by long-standing and simmering rivalries between academic institutions, especially UCD and Trinity.
Trinity’s Hist tops the league table of team winners (15), followed by UCD’s L&H (12), King’s Inns (eight), UCC’s Philisoph (six), Trinity Phil (four) and UCD Lawsoc and Queen’s University Belfast (three).
Plenty of other colleges have also had their moment in the sun including Maynooth, NUI Galway, DCU, RCSI, Griffith College and the Military College's Cadet School in the Curragh.
Each year about 150 teams of two take part in the competition, which is whittled down to a grand final with four teams and four individuals. The format is that an equal number of teams propose and oppose a motion, with a team member on either side speaking alternately for seven minutes each.
In addition to the prestige, the winners enjoy a remarkable prize; an all-expenses-paid three-week debating tour of the United States.
Decades on, the performances of some individual students are still spoken about in near reverential terms.
UCD law student Conor Gearty was one of those to make a big impression in the late 1970s, winning the Mace two years in a row with different teammates (after that, Mace organisers banned winners from re-entering). Gearty is now professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics.
Some also went on to become world student debating champions, such as Damian Crawford, who won the Irish Times tournament in 1983 with his UCG team mate Eoin O Maolain. He won "Worlds" in Canada in 1985 for the King's Inns with Shane Murphy who narrowly missed out on winning the Irish Times title for UCD the previous year. Brian Hassett, who won The Irish Times Debate that year, went on to win Worlds in New York in 1986 with fellow UCC student Siobhan Lankford.
The broadcaster Henry Kelly – who won the Irish Times individual speaker award in 1968 – says the competition fulfilled a crucial role: it was the only forum for “intelligent conversation and social gathering outside student politics and rugger buggers”.
He recalls being impressed by a student by the name of Mary T W Bourke in the mid-1960s. She went on to be President Mary Robinson.
“She was the best speaker that I personally ever saw in the Literary and Historical Society at UCD,” Kelly recalls. “She held the L&H silent for seven glorious, stimulating, witty minutes.”
This, he says, was particularly impressive because “she was a girl and usually girls would endure cries of ‘show us your knickers’ from the rear of the hall.”
Marion Finucane talking part in a semi-final of The Irish Times Debating Competition in 1971. File Photograph: Tommy Collins
Women
If there has been a challenge with the debate, it has been female under-representation – though it has been improving in more recent times.
Robinson was a finalist but didn't win in the mid-1960s. In fact, the first female individual winner was Marian Finuance in 1971, while the first woman to feature in a winning team was Maeve Collins, part of the King's Inns team in 1989 and now Ireland's deputy permanent representative to the EU.
During the first 50 years, the competition had only 11 female winners; in the past 10 years, it has had nine.
Collins feels the competition – and student debating societies generally – mirrored the paucity of woman in public life due to structural biases and cultural barriers.
“There was a lot of verbal aggression towards women competitors which would, I hope, be completely unacceptable nowadays. Things are somewhat better now but progress has been shockingly, unacceptably slow,” says Collins.
Aisling Tully, a member of the 2017 winning UCD L&H team with Dara Keenan, says women can still face barriers.
“Debating rewards risk-taking and being outrageous – and this can appeal to men,” says Tully. ”Clíodhna Ní Chéileachair [winner of The Irish Times Debate in 2016] helped me to realise that I deserved to be there. For men, consciousness can help: be aware of making space for women and reaching out to them, rather than simply and automatically taking the men who respond strongest or first.”
Future careers
While a great many have gone on to flourish in the legal world, future doctors, writers, teachers and scientists have all tested their talents of persuasion in the competition.
Future journalist and People Before Profit politician Eamonn McCann won in 1965 with, uncharacteristically, an argument against socialism.
He was on the same team as Cian O'hEigeartaigh, a future author and TV producer, and David McConnell, who went on to become a professor of genetics and chancellor of Trinity College Dublin.
For comedian and TV presenter Dara O Briain, college debating is where he realised he was a performer – and not a scientist, "It changed my life completely," he says. "I didn't realise the sheer adrenaline rush of getting a laugh from a crowd until I did debating in college; and I've basically been chasing that high ever since," he says.
Sorcha Ryder and Harry Higgins TCD speakers warming up for the Irish Times Debate grand final. File Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Preparation
For those who flourished in the white heat of debating competitions, most acknowledge that meticulous preparation is key. If you can pass off devastating one-liners as spontaneous pieces of genius, all the better.
President Michael D Higgins confides that he would rest on the afternoon of a debate to make sure he was in the right frame of mind. Looking the part was also important.
“Hiring a dress suit was a big event at the time, particularly if you were going to be debating against opponents who gave the impression that they dressed formally for dinner every evening,” he says.
Eamonn McCann, however, seems to be a rare exception to the rule. “In the year that I won the individual competition, I did it with no preparation because I was on my own. I had no notes prepared, and I did it off the top of my head,” he says. “Everything that I said was in reaction to what others had said, and I managed to get through it.”
A new dimension to the competition was added in 1980 when a three-week debating tour of US campuses became part of the prize for the winners.
It was the brainchild of US professor Garry Holbrook, a top debating coach professor emeritus at Metropolitan State College in Colorado, who came to Trinity on sabbatical.
He said he was inspired by the quality of debate here; even debates at Oxford and Cambridge in the UK did not impress him as much. While US debaters tend to rely on rapid-fire delivery of statistics and facts, he said they lacked the audience connection and “blarney” of Irish debaters.
Brent Northup, professor of communications at Carroll College in Montana and founder of Pax Rhetorica: Words Across Borders, a non-profit dedicated to global dialogue, has since taken over responsibility for organising the US tour.
Whoever wins this year’s debate will find themselves taking part in a three-week tour which criss-crosses the US with visits to Nashville, Los Angeles and Chicago, where they will do battle with debating teams across the country.
“The Irish debaters have keen analytic minds blended with distinctive wit – which is more than humour. It’s a warm regard for the audience and wanting to speak with them, not at them,” says Northup.
“That makes for a deadly combination in debate rounds. American debaters tend to be more legalistic and less rhetorical than the Irish. We are a bit more boring, and that contributes to being a bit less persuasive.”
These days, some grumble that college debating doesn't attract the crowds it used to. The golden age, some say, were the heady days of the 1960s when Patrick Cosgrave and Anthony Clare stood head and shoulders over student debaters across the UK and Ireland, winning both the Irish Times competition and the Observer Mace.
Others say some of the greats were not always the winners; simply making it to the finals has always been a formidable achievement. Mary Harney, Mary Robinson, Mary Hanafin and many others are among the list of high-profile finalists still talked about.
But, then, maybe there’s an element of rose-tinted spectacles about the old day.
After all, as Eugene McCague – a member of 1980 winning team and now chair of Arthur Cox – admits, the quality was so poor that year that adjudicators opted not to award a second team prize.
"[Christina Murphy, an adjudicator] later confided in me that, if she had had her way, there wouldn't have been a first prize either," laughs McCague.
And so the debate goes on. The heckling may not be quite as raucous as it used to be. Debaters are, some say, a little more solemn these days. Regardless, anyone who experiences The Irish Times Debate at its best can still find soaring and spell-binding performances.
Aisling Tully takes part regularly in national, European and world debating championships. She says standards in Ireland are still extremely high, and a new generation is carrying the torch.
“There’s an incredible atmosphere at The Irish Times Debate final. It’s an incredible feeling to speak and make people feel and react to your words. I got so much in return from debating,” she says,.
Debating, says Charles Lysaght, one of the very first winners all those years ago in 1960, has always been a vital skill. The ability to construct a well-ordered argument and express it with clarity will remain important long into the future.
“I still remember our teacher [Joe Veale] quoting Isocrates, the Greek: “The right word is a sure sign of the clear mind”.
Additional reporting by Peter McGuire


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--UCD students protest over accomodation price hike

University City Dublin ( UCD ) students are protesting at the Belfield campus on Tuesday morning over a decision by @ @ @ @ @ accommodation rents by 12 per cent over the next three years .
The UCD students @ @ @ @ @ “ outraged ” by the decision and is currently holding a rally in the student @ @ @ @ @ with a meeting of the university management team , which is discussing the campus rent @ @ @ @ @ mean the cost of student accommodation on the Belfield campus rises to between €8,000 and @ @ @ @ @ next three years .
The student union is calling for the rent increase to be @ @ @ @ @ to implement a rental support scheme for students struggling in the private market .

University City Dublin (UCD) students protest at the Belfield campus over a decision by the university to increase on-campus accommodation rents by 12 per cent over the next three years. Video: Kathleen Harris
University City Dublin (UCD) students are protesting at the Belfield campus on Tuesday morning over a decision by the university to increase on-campus accommodation rents by 12 per cent over the next three years.
The UCD students’ union said they are “outraged” by the decision and is currently holding a rally in the student centre.
The demonstration coincides with a meeting of the university management team, which is discussing the campus rent increase.
The increase would mean the cost of student accommodation on the Belfield campus rises to between €8,000 and €9,900 per year over the next three years.
READ MORE
The student union is calling for the rent increase to be scrapped immediately and for management to implement a rental support scheme for students struggling in the private market.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Over-reliance on inhalers putting asthma sufferers at risk

Almost a third of asthma sufferers are at risk of dying from the disease due to an over-reliance on reliever inhalers , according to new research from the Asthma Society of Ireland .
Three in ten sufferers use more than 12 reliever inhalers a year , which most people recognise as the blue inhalers .
Using three or more reliever inhalers a year indicates a person is at risk of a “ severe asthma exacerbation ” , while the use of 12 or more is an indication someone is at risk of an asthma-related death .
The research , conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliance on reliever inhaler medication by people with asthma in Ireland .
Seven in ten asthma sufferers are using more than three reliever inhalers a year .
Within five years of diagnosis , half of the asthma population are over reliant on their reliever inhaler .
In the year after diagnosis , 30 per cent of children ( newborn to 17-years-old ) are overusing their reliever inhaler .
Meanwhile , 60 per cent of people aged 50 or over are overusing their inhaler in the year after diagnosis .
Carlow has the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overuse of reliever inhalers five years after being prescribed an inhaler , followed by Waterford ( 53 per cent ) , Limerick ( 53 per cent ) and Dublin ( 52 per cent ) .
Donegal ( 43 per cent ) , Meath ( 43 per cent ) , Kilkenny ( 44 per cent ) and Laois ( 44 per cent ) have the lowest rates .
The research also showed a trend where reliever over-use scales up dramatically after the first year and is very high by five years after initial diagnosis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one in five people overuse their reliever inhaler .
In the year after diagnosis , there is a six per cent increase in the number of people using 12 or more reliever inhalers a year and a 17 per cent increase in the number of people using three or more reliever inhalers per year .
Sarah O ’ Connor , chief executive of the Asthma Society of Ireland said the research revealed that a “ huge proportion ” of people in all age groups are overusing their reliever inhalers throughout the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an asthma severe exacerbation or asthma related death ” .
“ If you are using your reliever inhaler several times each week , you are over-reliant on it and your asthma is not controlled , ” she said .
“ The exception to this is people with asthma who participate in sport/exercise , where it is still recommended you use your reliever inhaler prior to warming up before exercising.
” Marcus Butler , medical director of the Asthma Society of Ireland , said : “ A reliever inhaler works within minutes to relieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives a short-lived improvement in symptoms , effectively just buying time , but can eventually fail to keep a patient safe from asthma if more appropriate and effective controller inhalers are not used on a daily basis .
“ A controller inhaler works over a much longer duration than reliever inhalers to eventually ease the underlying airway inflammation which ultimately causes asthma symptoms .
It prevents symptoms from arising several weeks and months down the road , as long as it is habitually taken.
” The Asthma Society of Ireland is launching a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aiming to end asthma deaths in Ireland by making patients and public aware of asthma management issues .

The use of 12 or more is an indication someone is at risk of an asthma-related death. Photograph: Getty Images
Almost a third of asthma sufferers are at risk of dying from the disease due to an over-reliance on reliever inhalers, according to new research from the Asthma Society of Ireland.
Three in ten sufferers use more than 12 reliever inhalers a year, which most people recognise as the blue inhalers. Using three or more reliever inhalers a year indicates a person is at risk of a “severe asthma exacerbation”, while the use of 12 or more is an indication someone is at risk of an asthma-related death.
The research, conducted by hmR Ireland, examines the over reliance on reliever inhaler medication by people with asthma in Ireland.
Seven in ten asthma sufferers are using more than three reliever inhalers a year. Within five years of diagnosis, half of the asthma population are over reliant on their reliever inhaler.
READ MORE
In the year after diagnosis, 30 per cent of children (newborn to 17-years-old) are overusing their reliever inhaler. Meanwhile, 60 per cent of people aged 50 or over are overusing their inhaler in the year after diagnosis.
Carlow has the highest rate (56 per cent) of overuse of reliever inhalers five years after being prescribed an inhaler, followed by Waterford (53 per cent), Limerick (53 per cent) and Dublin (52 per cent). Donegal (43 per cent), Meath (43 per cent), Kilkenny (44 per cent) and Laois (44 per cent) have the lowest rates.
The research also showed a trend where reliever over-use scales up dramatically after the first year and is very high by five years after initial diagnosis.
In the initial year of diagnosis, one in five people overuse their reliever inhaler. In the year after diagnosis, there is a six per cent increase in the number of people using 12 or more reliever inhalers a year and a 17 per cent increase in the number of people using three or more reliever inhalers per year.
‘Huge proportion’
Sarah O’Connor, chief executive of the Asthma Society of Ireland said the research revealed that a “huge proportion” of people in all age groups are overusing their reliever inhalers throughout the country, “putting them at risk of an asthma severe exacerbation or asthma related death”.
“If you are using your reliever inhaler several times each week, you are over-reliant on it and your asthma is not controlled,” she said.
“The exception to this is people with asthma who participate in sport/exercise, where it is still recommended you use your reliever inhaler prior to warming up before exercising.”
Marcus Butler, medical director of the Asthma Society of Ireland, said: "A reliever inhaler works within minutes to relieve asthma symptoms when they happen – it gives a short-lived improvement in symptoms, effectively just buying time, but can eventually fail to keep a patient safe from asthma if more appropriate and effective controller inhalers are not used on a daily basis.
“A controller inhaler works over a much longer duration than reliever inhalers to eventually ease the underlying airway inflammation which ultimately causes asthma symptoms. It prevents symptoms from arising several weeks and months down the road, as long as it is habitually taken.”
The Asthma Society of Ireland is launching a SafetyCare campaign on Tuesday, an initiative aiming to end asthma deaths in Ireland by making patients and public aware of asthma management issues.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--MMA fighters influenced more by peers on weight loss than doctors

Sources of information in support of rapid weight loss , specifically among mixed martial arts athletes ( MMA ) and powerlifters , is “ a cause for concern ” , according to research from Dublin City University ( DCU ) .
They found while the practice varied considerably between sports in terms of methods and magnitude , common to both MMA and powerlifting “ was that much of the practices were influenced by coaches and fellow athletes , whereas medical and health professionals including dieticians had minimal contributions ” .
The research , involving Dr Brendan Egan , David Nolan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health and Human Performance , profiled over 260 athletes engaging in rapid weight loss prior to competing .
Rapid weight loss is frequently carried out in sports that have weight class restrictions , and includes wrestling , judo , boxing , taekwondo , horse riding , rowing , MMA and powerlifting .
It generally involves athletes cutting weight in the 48 hours before competition through a variety of means that reduce food contents from the gut and overall body water content through dehydration .
The practices vary between sports , depending on factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competition and the historical/cultural practices of the sport .
Drinking up to 10 litres of water per day in a process known as water loading , lengthy fasting periods , immersion in hot salt water baths , and time in the sauna were some of the most frequent methods employed for rapid weight loss by these athletes .
Dr Brendan Egan said rapid weight loss practices have been around for “ a long time in these sports ” and as long as there are weight categories “ athletes will look to a competitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is important to understand which methods are being used , and how widely they are being used , and in turn understand which individuals are most influential in providing information to athletes about these practices , ” he said .
“ Clearly there is scope to improve the quality of information provided to athletes across a range of sports , but there is also a lot more research needed on the effectiveness and safety of the methods presently being used ” .
The prevalence of rapid weight loss in the sample cohort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 95 per cent while in the sample of powerlifters it stood at 86 per cent .
The prevalence of rapid weight loss in female powerlifters is more than 90 per cent and 83 per cent for their male counterparts .

Sources of information in support of rapid weight loss ‘a cause for concern’. Photograph: iStock
Sources of information in support of rapid weight loss, specifically among mixed martial arts athletes (MMA) and powerlifters, is "a cause for concern", according to research from Dublin City University (DCU).
They found while the practice varied considerably between sports in terms of methods and magnitude, common to both MMA and powerlifting “was that much of the practices were influenced by coaches and fellow athletes, whereas medical and health professionals including dieticians had minimal contributions”.
The research, involving Dr Brendan Egan, David Nolan and John Connor from the School of Health and Human Performance, profiled over 260 athletes engaging in rapid weight loss prior to competing.
Rapid weight loss is frequently carried out in sports that have weight class restrictions, and includes wrestling, judo, boxing, taekwondo, horse riding, rowing, MMA and powerlifting. It generally involves athletes cutting weight in the 48 hours before competition through a variety of means that reduce food contents from the gut and overall body water content through dehydration.
READ MORE
The practices vary between sports, depending on factors such as the time from weigh-in to competition and the historical/cultural practices of the sport.
Fasting periods
Drinking up to 10 litres of water per day in a process known as water loading, lengthy fasting periods, immersion in hot salt water baths, and time in the sauna were some of the most frequent methods employed for rapid weight loss by these athletes.
Dr Brendan Egan said rapid weight loss practices have been around for “a long time in these sports” and as long as there are weight categories “athletes will look to a competitive advantage using these practices”.
“It is important to understand which methods are being used, and how widely they are being used, and in turn understand which individuals are most influential in providing information to athletes about these practices,” he said.
“Clearly there is scope to improve the quality of information provided to athletes across a range of sports, but there is also a lot more research needed on the effectiveness and safety of the methods presently being used”.
The prevalence of rapid weight loss in the sample cohort of MMA athletes was generally greater than 95 per cent while in the sample of powerlifters it stood at 86 per cent.
The prevalence of rapid weight loss in female powerlifters is more than 90 per cent and 83 per cent for their male counterparts.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--An Post stamp prices to rise by 10c

An Post stamp prices to rise by 10c

The price of standard An Post domestic and international stamps are to increase by 10 cent from March 19th .
The price of a standard domestic postage stamp will increase from €1 to €1.10 , and the price of a standard international stamp will rise from €1:70 to €1:80 .
The prices are to take effect from the middle of next month , and existing stamps will remain valid following the increase .
It is the first time An Post has raised the price of a domestic stamp in three years , the last increase coming in April 2017 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ price increases are in line with other European postal services , and reflect the “ steady decline ” in the number of people posting letters .
An Post said over the last three years it had invested in services to extend collection and delivery times , and to introduce digital options such as its Click and Post service , which allows customers to buy and print postage labels online .
The company said it was also developing a new fully-automated sorting facility for smaller parcels in its Dublin mail centre in Clondalkin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day when operational .

An Post said the price increases are in line with other European postal services, and reflect the “steady decline” in the number of people posting letters. Photograph: iStock
The price of standard An Post domestic and international stamps are to increase by 10 cent from March 19th.
The price of a standard domestic postage stamp will increase from €1 to €1.10, and the price of a standard international stamp will rise from €1:70 to €1:80.
The prices are to take effect from the middle of next month, and existing stamps will remain valid following the increase.
It is the first time An Post has raised the price of a domestic stamp in three years, the last increase coming in April 2017.
READ MORE
In a statement the company said the price increases are in line with other European postal services, and reflect the “steady decline” in the number of people posting letters.
An Post said over the last three years it had invested in services to extend collection and delivery times, and to introduce digital options such as its Click and Post service, which allows customers to buy and print postage labels online.
The company said it was also developing a new fully-automated sorting facility for smaller parcels in its Dublin mail centre in Clondalkin, which is expected to process 70,000 items a day when operational.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Call for Garda to investigate threats to victim of sexual abuse

The Rape Crisis Network has called on the Garda to investigate threats made to a victim of sexual violence in a courtroom after two men were jailed for raping her .
On Monday morning , two Leitrim men were jailed for seven years for raping a woman who had blacked out at a house party in 2017 .
After the sentence was handed down and the judge had exited the courtroom , some supporters of the men shouted at the victim .
One woman shouted obscenities and another person shouted , “ You ’ re a liar ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ” .
Clíona Saidléar , executive director of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland , condemned the remarks and called on the State to show it is “ willing and able to protect survivors who come forward in this manner ” .
“ This is a threat , even out of the context that it ’ s in , this is a threat from one person to another person and that ’ s a matter for the gardaí .
We would also wonder if there was an element of contempt of court there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We would really like to see the arms of the State really taking it [ verbal abuse ] seriously because it can have a hugely detrimental impact on not only this survivor , but others who are contemplating , or in the process of , coming forward through the justice system.
” Ms Saidléar said that under the Victims of Crime Act , there were mechanisms in place to manage conduct in and around a court building and to ensure victims were not subjected to intimidation .
“ There is already a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that is certainly something that maybe the Courts Service should look at , ” she said .
Security sources said , however , that because the judge had left the court it was no longer in session and that any inquiry into the threats made would be carried out by the Garda rather than the presiding judge or the Courts Service .
In reply to queries , Garda headquarters said the force was “ aware of actions that occurred in the Courts of Criminal Justice after a court had adjourned post a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaints have been made by any parties at this time .
The victim in the case continues to receive the full support of the Garda.
” Garda sources also said in the event there was no complaint , the matter would be examined by gardaí with a view to a criminal investigation being carried out .
Ms Saidléar sought to reassure individuals who may be affected by the behaviour .
“ I think what they need to hear loud and clear is that this is an individual and they do not speak for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added.
“ What I would say to them is there is lots of support out there for them .
They are believed and they are respected.
” Ms Saidléar said this incident showed the country still had work to do with regards to the treatment of victims of sexual violence .
“ We sometimes think that we have come a long way in terms of sexual violence , in terms of stigma and people not being believed , ” she said .
“ But we do understand that often survivors are coming forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed by certain parties and cohorts so there is still a lot of work to be done .
”

Clíona Saidléar of the Rape Crisis Network called on the State to show it is ‘willing and able to protect survivors who come forward’. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The Rape Crisis Network has called on the Garda to investigate threats made to a victim of sexual violence in a courtroom after two men were jailed for raping her.
On Monday morning, two Leitrim men were jailed for seven years for raping a woman who had blacked out at a house party in 2017.
After the sentence was handed down and the judge had exited the courtroom, some supporters of the men shouted at the victim. One woman shouted obscenities and another person shouted, "You're a liar" and "You're going to pay for this".
Clíona Saidléar, executive director of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, condemned the remarks and called on the State to show it is “willing and able to protect survivors who come forward in this manner”.
READ MORE
“This is a threat, even out of the context that it’s in, this is a threat from one person to another person and that’s a matter for the gardaí. We would also wonder if there was an element of contempt of court there,” Ms Saidléar said.
“We would really like to see the arms of the State really taking it [verbal abuse] seriously because it can have a hugely detrimental impact on not only this survivor, but others who are contemplating, or in the process of, coming forward through the justice system.”
Intimidation
Ms Saidléar said that under the Victims of Crime Act, there were mechanisms in place to manage conduct in and around a court building and to ensure victims were not subjected to intimidation.
“There is already a whole set of rights and rules and conditions and that is certainly something that maybe the Courts Service should look at,” she said.
Security sources said, however, that because the judge had left the court it was no longer in session and that any inquiry into the threats made would be carried out by the Garda rather than the presiding judge or the Courts Service.
In reply to queries, Garda headquarters said the force was “aware of actions that occurred in the Courts of Criminal Justice after a court had adjourned post a sentence hearing”.
“No formal complaints have been made by any parties at this time. The victim in the case continues to receive the full support of the Garda.”
Garda sources also said in the event there was no complaint, the matter would still be examined by gardaí with a view to a criminal investigation being carried out.
Ms Saidléar sought to reassure individuals who may be affected by the behaviour.
“I think what they need to hear loud and clear is that this is an individual and they do not speak for the whole of society,” she added.“What I would say to them is there is lots of support out there for them. They are believed and they are respected.”
Ms Saidléar said this incident showed the country still had work to do with regards to the treatment of victims of sexual violence.
“We sometimes think that we have come a long way in terms of sexual violence, in terms of stigma and people not being believed,” she said. “But we do understand that often survivors are coming forward in a situation where they are not believed by certain parties and cohorts so there is still a lot of work to be done.”


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Mediterranean diet fuels bacteria that may reduce old-age frailty

Eating a Mediterranean diet promotes gut bacteria linked to healthy ageing and may help curb the advance of frailty and cognitive decline , according to new Irish-led research .
Harmful inflammation was also reduced in older people who followed the diet for a year , according to the five-country study .
As ageing is associated with deteriorating bodily functions and increasing inflammation , the diet might act on gut bacteria so as to help curb the advance of physical frailty and cognitive decline in older age , the researchers suggest .
Previous research suggests a poor or restrictive diet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly those in long-term residential care , reduces the range and types of bacteria found in the gut – the microbiome – and helps to speed up the onset of frailty .
The researchers at University College Cork therefore wanted to see if a Mediterranean diet might maintain the microbiome in older people ’ s guts , and promote the retention or even proliferation of bacteria associated with “ healthy ” ageing .
They analysed the gut microbiome of 612 people aged 65 to 79 , before and after 12 months of either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diet rich in fruits , vegetables , nuts , legumes , olive oil and fish and low in red meat and saturated fats .
The participants , who were either frail , on the verge of frailty , or not frail at the beginning of the study , lived in five different countries : France , Italy , the Netherlands , Poland and the UK .
Sticking to the Mediterranean diet for 12 months was associated with beneficial changes to the gut microbiome .
It was associated with stemming the loss of bacterial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bacteria previously associated with several indicators of reduced frailty , such as walking speed and hand grip strength , and improved brain function , such as memory ; and with reduced production of potentially harmful inflammatory chemicals .
The changes were largely driven by an increase in dietary fibre and associated vitamins and minerals – specifically , C , B6 , B9 , copper , potassium , iron , manganese and magnesium .
The findings , published in Gut journal , were independent of the person ’ s age or weight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the microbiome .
There were some differences in the make-up of a person ’ s gut microbiome , depending on country of origin to start with , but the response to the Mediterranean diet after 12 months was similar and consistent , irrespective of nationality .
The study was carried out by researchers at APC Microbiome Ireland , a Science Foundation Institute Research Centre , at UCC .

Researchers at University College Cork wanted to see if a Mediterranean diet maintains the microbiome in older people’s guts and promotes bacteria associated with “healthy” ageing.
Eating a Mediterranean diet promotes gut bacteria linked to healthy ageing and may help curb the advance of frailty and cognitive decline, according to new Irish-led research.
Harmful inflammation was also reduced in older people who followed the diet for a year, according to the five-country study.
As ageing is associated with deteriorating bodily functions and increasing inflammation, the diet might act on gut bacteria so as to help curb the advance of physical frailty and cognitive decline in older age, the researchers suggest.
Previous research suggests a poor or restrictive diet, which is common among older people, particularly those in long-term residential care, reduces the range and types of bacteria found in the gut – the microbiome – and helps to speed up the onset of frailty.
READ MORE
Stomach microbiome
The researchers at University College Cork therefore wanted to see if a Mediterranean diet might maintain the microbiome in older people's guts, and promote the retention or even proliferation of bacteria associated with "healthy" ageing.
They analysed the gut microbiome of 612 people aged 65 to 79, before and after 12 months of either eating their usual diet or a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, olive oil and fish and low in red meat and saturated fats.
The participants, who were either frail, on the verge of frailty, or not frail at the beginning of the study, lived in five different countries: France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK.
Sticking to the Mediterranean diet for 12 months was associated with beneficial changes to the gut microbiome.
Dietary fibre
It was associated with stemming the loss of bacterial diversity; an increase in the types of bacteria previously associated with several indicators of reduced frailty, such as walking speed and hand grip strength, and improved brain function, such as memory; and with reduced production of potentially harmful inflammatory chemicals.
The changes were largely driven by an increase in dietary fibre and associated vitamins and minerals – specifically, C, B6, B9, copper, potassium, iron, manganese and magnesium.
The findings, published in Gut journal, were independent of the person’s age or weight, both of which influence the make-up of the microbiome.
There were some differences in the make-up of a person’s gut microbiome, depending on country of origin to start with, but the response to the Mediterranean diet after 12 months was similar and consistent, irrespective of nationality.
The study was carried out by researchers at APC Microbiome Ireland, a Science Foundation Institute Research Centre, at UCC.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Council writes to Taoiseach over white-water rafting comments

Comments made by Leo Varadkar about a proposed white-water rafting facility at George ’ s Dock were surprising and concerning , the chief executive of Dublin City Council said in a letter to the Taoiseach .
Owen Keegan wrote to say he was “ concerned ” by comments Mr Varadkar made about the proposed construction of the €23 million facility , due to begin later this year or in early 2021 according to the council .
Mr Varadkar said last December that local authorities could invest more money in inspecting rental properties rather than white-water rafting .
In a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act , Mr Keegan said he was “ surprised ” to hear the Taoiseach ’ s comments in the Dáil in relation to the proposed facility .
“ I am concerned that your comments might be interpreted as indicating that local authorities should avoid exciting and ambitious projects in their efforts to promote economic and community development , ” Mr Keegan said .
“ I hope , given the positive impact this project will have in terms of urban renewal , tourism , sport , community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially the safety of emergency service personnel , it will have your support.
” Mr Keegan also wrote to Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and Minister for Sport Shane Ross to outline the various functions of the facility .
Dublin city councillors voted to approve plans to build a white-water rafting facility at George ’ s Dock , beside the CHQ building , last December .
During Leaders ’ Questions that month [ December ] , Mr Varadkar was asked about figures from St Vincent de Paul which showed about 144,000 people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damp walls or floors .
Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin said the Government should introduce recommendations made by his party in 2017 to ensure that all private rental properties were fully inspected .
Mr Varadkar said money was being provided for inspections from central government .
“ But it would be helpful that those parties that control local authorities now that could help to contribute to the cost of that should do so rather than cutting the local property tax or investing in white-water rafting , ” he said .
Mr Keegan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the project could be categorised into five themes : swift-water rescue training ; community and physical regeneration ; tourist destination ; sport and leisure ; education and skills .
“ The facility will play a key role in community development in the northeast inner city area , which is still experiencing significant levels of deprivation with certain groups lacking soft skills , such as confidence , leadership , teamwork , self-esteem , ” Mr Keegan said .
“ The white-water facility has the potential to help address the skills deficit of certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them gain social confidence and integrate better into the workplace and wider society.
” Mr Keegan said the project had been subject to “ significant negative media coverage ” but that he believed “ much of this coverage has been ill informed ” .
The facility is due to be used for elite slalom squad training , national and international white-water kayaking events , canoe polo and water polo matches , and for tourist and recreational rafting .
It will also be used by the fire brigade and other emergency services and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with incidents in fast-moving waters , including floods .

Comments made by Leo Varadkar about a proposed white-water rafting facility at George's Dock were surprising and concerning, the chief executive of Dublin City Council said in a letter to the Taoiseach.
Owen Keegan wrote to say he was "concerned" by comments Mr Varadkar made about the proposed construction of the €23 million facility, due to begin later this year or in early 2021 according to the council.
Mr Varadkar said last December that local authorities could invest more money in inspecting rental properties rather than white-water rafting.
In a letter sent days later, released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Keegan said he was “surprised” to hear the Taoiseach’s comments in the Dáil in relation to the proposed facility.
READ MORE
“I am concerned that your comments might be interpreted as indicating that local authorities should avoid exciting and ambitious projects in their efforts to promote economic and community development,” Mr Keegan said.
“I hope, given the positive impact this project will have in terms of urban renewal, tourism, sport, community development in the northeast inner city and especially the safety of emergency service personnel, it will have your support.”
Mr Keegan also wrote to Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and Minister for Sport Shane Ross to outline the various functions of the facility.
Dublin city councillors voted to approve plans to build a white-water rafting facility at George’s Dock, beside the CHQ building, last December.
Inspections
During Leaders’ Questions that month [December], Mr Varadkar was asked about figures from St Vincent de Paul which showed about 144,000 people are living in homes with leaking roofs, damp walls or floors.
Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin said the Government should introduce recommendations made by his party in 2017 to ensure that all private rental properties were fully inspected.
Mr Varadkar said money was being provided for inspections from central government.
“But it would be helpful that those parties that control local authorities now that could help to contribute to the cost of that should do so rather than cutting the local property tax or investing in white-water rafting,” he said.
Mr Keegan said in the letter the objectives developed for the project could be categorised into five themes: swift-water rescue training; community and physical regeneration; tourist destination; sport and leisure; education and skills.
“The facility will play a key role in community development in the northeast inner city area, which is still experiencing significant levels of deprivation with certain groups lacking soft skills, such as confidence, leadership, teamwork, self-esteem,” Mr Keegan said.
“The white-water facility has the potential to help address the skills deficit of certain vulnerable groups in the community, help them gain social confidence and integrate better into the workplace and wider society.”
Mr Keegan said the project had been subject to “significant negative media coverage” but that he believed “much of this coverage has been ill informed”.
The facility is due to be used for elite slalom squad training, national and international white-water kayaking events, canoe polo and water polo matches, and for tourist and recreational rafting.
It will also be used by the fire brigade and other emergency services and local authority staff for rescue training to deal with incidents in fast-moving waters, including floods.


theirishtimes--2020-02-18--Fraudsters target abuse survivors using fake ‘State’ redress operation

Survivors of institutional abuse have been targeted by financial fraudsters impersonating Caranua – the State agency responsible for the administration of redress payments to the survivors of abuse .
In at least two incidents last month , letters were sent to survivors which purported to be from the agency .
The letters stated that if the survivor sent their bank details to a particular address , Caranua would lodge a sum of money into their bank account .
In the first instance , the survivor was deceased .
Their family contacted Caranua , which advised them that it would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lump sums in survivors ’ accounts .
Due to the seriousness of the incident , the agency contacted survivor support groups in the UK and Ireland and asked them to make survivors aware not to respond to similar letters if they received them .
On January 24th , Caranua was contacted by a relative of a second survivor who had received a similar letter .
Again , the person ’ s family was told that the letter was not genuine .
The incidents were referred to the redress unit in the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made to An Garda , Caranua said , as to do so would be a matter for the individuals concerned .
A spokeswoman for Caranua said it had conducted an internal review of the two individual cases and “ could not find any obvious linkages and the individuals concerned were from two different geographic locations within Ireland ” .
It is not clear how the senders of the fraudulent letters were able to establish the identities of the survivors or link them to specific physical addresses in order to send the letters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Caranua said it was happy that its systems for storing data were secure .
“ Caranua operates with a maintained secure ICT firewall , which provides a total security suite that includes intrusion prevention , anti-spyware and gateway anti-virus .
In addition , all laptops are encrypted and removable media devices are blocked so information can not be downloaded by a third party , ” a spokeswoman for the agency said .
The spokeswoman said the agency ’ s understanding is that in the first instance no banking information was sent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unable to confirm this fact .
Caranua is responsible for a fund of €110 million , which it administers on behalf of the State to support the health , housing and other needs of the survivors of institutions run by religious orders in the State .
Some €92.8 million has been spent as of the end of last month .
It has made payments on 55,311 survivors of institutional abuse since it was established .
In a statement , a spokesman for the Department of Education said that while Caranua is operationally independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developments in this matter and the actions it has taken .
“ The department would urge anyone who has received a letter claiming to come from Caranua and seeking bank details etc to report the matter immediately to Caranua .
”

The fraudulent letters stated that if the survivor sent their bank details, Caranua would lodge a sum of money into their bank account.
Survivors of institutional abuse have been targeted by financial fraudsters impersonating Caranua – the State agency responsible for the administration of redress payments to the survivors of abuse.
In at least two incidents last month, letters were sent to survivors which purported to be from the agency. The letters stated that if the survivor sent their bank details to a particular address, Caranua would lodge a sum of money into their bank account.
In the first instance, the survivor was deceased. Their family contacted Caranua, which advised them that it would not request this information and does not deposit lump sums in survivors’ accounts.
Due to the seriousness of the incident, the agency contacted survivor support groups in the UK and Ireland and asked them to make survivors aware not to respond to similar letters if they received them. On January 24th, Caranua was contacted by a relative of a second survivor who had received a similar letter. Again, the person's family was told that the letter was not genuine.
READ MORE
‘Different locations’
The incidents were referred to the redress unit in the Department of Education. However, no referral has been made to An Garda, Caranua said, as to do so would be a matter for the individuals concerned.
A spokeswoman for Caranua said it had conducted an internal review of the two individual cases and “could not find any obvious linkages and the individuals concerned were from two different geographic locations within Ireland”.
It is not clear how the senders of the fraudulent letters were able to establish the identities of the survivors or link them to specific physical addresses in order to send the letters to them. In response to queries, Caranua said it was happy that its systems for storing data were secure.
“Caranua operates with a maintained secure ICT firewall, which provides a total security suite that includes intrusion prevention, anti-spyware and gateway anti-virus. In addition, all laptops are encrypted and removable media devices are blocked so information cannot be downloaded by a third party,” a spokeswoman for the agency said.
Fund administration
The spokeswoman said the agency’s understanding is that in the first instance no banking information was sent, but in the second case it was unable to confirm this fact.
Caranua is responsible for a fund of €110 million, which it administers on behalf of the State to support the health, housing and other needs of the survivors of institutions run by religious orders in the State. Some €92.8 million has been spent as of the end of last month. It has made payments on 55,311 survivors of institutional abuse since it was established.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Department of Education said that while Caranua is operationally independent, it has been kept aware of developments in this matter and the actions it has taken.
“The department would urge anyone who has received a letter claiming to come from Caranua and seeking bank details etc to report the matter immediately to Caranua.”