theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Incoming passengers not monitored over compliance, says department

Passengers arriving from abroad into Ireland are not being monitored to ensure compliance with advice to restrict movement for 14 days , the Department of Health has said .
The State introduced new electronic passenger locator forms for air and sea passengers in mid-August and set up a new call centre to contact passengers .
However , the department confirmed yesterday the 14-day travel restriction has the status of an advisory and is not mandatory .
This means follow-up calls to passengers can not be used to monitor if people are actually at the location they stated on their forms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 passenger locator forms were submitted , of which 121,230 were completed online .
Passengers were required to provide contact details as well as the address where they are staying for the following 14 days .
A total of 34,439 contacts were made by phone in this period , to about 20 per cent of all incoming passengers .
However , in response to a query , the department said the engagement with passengers was “ not conducted for the purpose of monitoring or enforcement of restricted movement ” .
It said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the address details on the form remain current ” .
The department said the main purpose of the form was to target public health messages to arriving passengers through SMS and email .
“ The form may also be used for the purpose of contact tracing ” if there is a suspected case on an airplane or ferry .
It said that more than 262,000 public health messages were sent by text in September .
Social Democrats co-leader Róisin Shortall said the authorities seemed to be seriously underestimating the cases associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example this week where more than 30 cases of the virus originated with just one couple travelling .
“ With high numbers continuing to arrive into Ireland from non-green list countries , there would appear to be a good probability that they are bringing imported cases of the virus into the country which then spread throughout the community .
“ The news that the Department of Health is not interested in monitoring passengers ’ adherence to public health guidelines or enforcing restricted movements , as well as the fact that there are no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Without any idea of where people are going during the initial 14-day period , there is no way to trace the spread of cases related to foreign travel , ” she said .

Social Democrats co-leader Róisin Shortall says the authorities here seemed to be seriously underestimating the cases associated with travel. Photograph: Alan Betson
Passengers arriving from abroad into Ireland are not being monitored to ensure compliance with advice to restrict movement for 14 days, the Department of Health has said.
The State introduced new electronic passenger locator forms for air and sea passengers in mid-August and set up a new call centre to contact passengers.
However, the department confirmed yesterday the 14-day travel restriction has the status of an advisory and is not mandatory. This means follow-up calls to passengers cannot be used to monitor if people are actually at the location they stated on their forms
During the month of September, 186,769 Covid-19 passenger locator forms were submitted, of which 121,230 were completed online.
READ MORE
Address
Passengers were required to provide contact details as well as the address where they are staying for the following 14 days.
A total of 34,439 contacts were made by phone in this period, to about 20 per cent of all incoming passengers.
However, in response to a query, the department said the engagement with passengers was “not conducted for the purpose of monitoring or enforcement of restricted movement”.
It said the phone calls were made “to verify that the address details on the form remain current”.
Contact tracing
The department said the main purpose of the form was to target public health messages to arriving passengers through SMS and email. “The form may also be used for the purpose of contact tracing” if there is a suspected case on an airplane or ferry.
It said that more than 262,000 public health messages were sent by text in September.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisin Shortall said the authorities seemed to be seriously underestimating the cases associated with travel.
She said there was one example this week where more than 30 cases of the virus originated with just one couple travelling.
“With high numbers continuing to arrive into Ireland from non-green list countries, there would appear to be a good probability that they are bringing imported cases of the virus into the country which then spread throughout the community.
‘Quite shocking’
“The news that the Department of Health is not interested in monitoring passengers’ adherence to public health guidelines or enforcing restricted movements, as well as the fact that there are no testing requirements, is quite shocking.
“Without any idea of where people are going during the initial 14-day period, there is no way to trace the spread of cases related to foreign travel,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Thinking Anew – Ruthless greed threatens our world

The Season of Creation is a time set aside each year for Christians to reflect on their relationship with their Creator and the created order .
It began on September 1st and ends tomorrow , the Feast of St Francis of Assisi .
It originated in 1989 when the Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I of the Orthodox Church proclaimed September 1st as a day of prayer for creation , and today it involves 2.2 billion Christians of many traditions .
The recent BBC television documentary Extinction presented by Sir David Attenborough warned that our planet is in real danger .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have declined by 60 per cent ; insects , on which three-quarters of our food supplies depend , by 10 per cent .
The situation “ threatens our ability to feed ourselves , control our climate and puts us at greater risk of pandemic diseases ” .
Attenborough sees the challenge as a moral one , stating bluntly that we are responsible .
According to a recent UN report , “ The world has failed to meet a single target to stem the destruction of wildlife and life-sustaining ecosystems .
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From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international community did not fully achieve any of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets agreed in Japan in 2010 to slow the loss of the natural world .
It is the second consecutive decade that governments have failed to meet targets.
” Martin Palmer , adviser on religion to the World Wide Fund for Nature , believes that faith communities , Christians and others , are well placed to play a major role in rescuing the planet , “ given that they own or manage 50 per cent of the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinics and 14 per cent of the investment market.
” He says that religious people can make a huge contribution , given their resources .
Making a contribution , however , is not an option .
It has been an obligation in the Judeo/Christian tradition from earliest times , as we see from an examination of one of tomorrow ’ s readings .
Exodus chapter 20 lists the 10 commandments , including the familiar words : “ Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy ” .
However , an expanded and probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in chapter 23 reads : “ Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce , but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow , that the poor of your people may eat ; and what they leave , the beasts of the field may eat .
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Six days you shall do your work , and on the seventh day you shall rest , that your ox and your donkey may rest , and the son of your female servant and the stranger may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care for the land , care for the poor and their animals , and finally yourselves and your family .
The same priorities are emphasised in the gospel , where Jesus condemns ruthless greed and the neglect of others .
The Greek word used , pleonexia , often translated “ covetousness ” , means wanting more and more .
Add to that a feeling of entitlement and we have a good understanding of the thinking that has us where we are today .
In his book Living Faithfully , Bishop John Pritchard writes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chief engineer comes to see the captain at a very smart table and tells him the ship has hit an iceberg , the damage isn ’ t repairable and they will sink in a fairly short time .
The idea is so far-fetched that people at the table simply laugh and carry on as if nothing has happened .
Is that too dramatic a way of representing our current attitude to what ’ s happening to our planet because of climate change and environmental damage ?
Many scientists and pundits are telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this issue .
Young people seem to have got the message more than their elders – they see it as a new moral imperative .
Unfortunately , it ’ s their elders who are in charge of the ship.
” The young deserve better , as this old saying attributed to Native Americans reminds us : We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors , we borrow it from our children .

The Season of Creation is a time set aside each year for Christians to reflect on their relationship with their Creator and the created order. It began on September 1st and ends tomorrow, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. It originated in 1989 when the Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I of the Orthodox Church proclaimed September 1st as a day of prayer for creation, and today it involves 2.2 billion Christians of many traditions.
The recent BBC television documentary Extinction presented by Sir David Attenborough warned that our planet is in real danger. Since 1970, birds, mammals and reptiles have declined by 60 per cent; insects, on which three-quarters of our food supplies depend, by 10 per cent. The situation "threatens our ability to feed ourselves, control our climate and puts us at greater risk of pandemic diseases".
Attenborough sees the challenge as a moral one, stating bluntly that we are responsible. According to a recent UN report, "The world has failed to meet a single target to stem the destruction of wildlife and life-sustaining ecosystems . . . From tackling pollution to protecting coral reefs, the international community did not fully achieve any of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets agreed in Japan in 2010 to slow the loss of the natural world. It is the second consecutive decade that governments have failed to meet targets."
Martin Palmer, adviser on religion to the World Wide Fund for Nature, believes that faith communities, Christians and others, are well placed to play a major role in rescuing the planet, "given that they own or manage 50 per cent of the world's schools, a third of hospitals and clinics and 14 per cent of the investment market." He says that religious people can make a huge contribution, given their resources.
READ MORE
Making a contribution, however, is not an option. It has been an obligation in the Judeo/Christian tradition from earliest times, as we see from an examination of one of tomorrow’s readings.
Exodus chapter 20 lists the 10 commandments, including the familiar words: “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy”.
However, an expanded and probably older version of the same commandment found in chapter 23 reads: “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat . . . Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.”
Note the priorities: care for the land, care for the poor and their animals, and finally yourselves and your family.
The same priorities are emphasised in the gospel, where Jesus condemns ruthless greed and the neglect of others. The Greek word used, pleonexia, often translated “covetousness”, means wanting more and more. Add to that a feeling of entitlement and we have a good understanding of the thinking that has us where we are today.
In his book Living Faithfully, Bishop John Pritchard writes: "In the film Titanic, the chief engineer comes to see the captain at a very smart table and tells him the ship has hit an iceberg, the damage isn't repairable and they will sink in a fairly short time. The idea is so far-fetched that people at the table simply laugh and carry on as if nothing has happened. Is that too dramatic a way of representing our current attitude to what's happening to our planet because of climate change and environmental damage? Many scientists and pundits are telling us there's a fierce urgency about this issue. Young people seem to have got the message more than their elders – they see it as a new moral imperative. Unfortunately, it's their elders who are in charge of the ship."
The young deserve better, as this old saying attributed to Native Americans reminds us: We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Waiting game for students as review into grading gets under way

Students affected by errors in the awarding of Leaving Cert grades will not find out until the end of next week whether they will be able to take up higher-preference college courses on foot of any upgrades , according to well-placed sources .
Minister for Education Norma Foley has estimated that about 6,500 students were awarded grades which were lower than they should have received due to coding errors in the calculated grades process .
The majority of students will be moved up a single grade , which at higher level is the equivalent of about 10 CAO points .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday that a similar number of students may have been awarded higher grades in error .
These students will not be downgraded .
A US firm – ETS Educational Testing Service – has been hired to review aspects of the coding .
A spokesman said when this work is completed , the Department of Education will commence work to finalise students ’ results and they will be issued to students “ as soon as possible thereafter ” .
Sources said these results are likely to be issued shortly and revised CAO results may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of next week .
The Department of Higher Education , headed by Simon Harris , has been in talks with the third level sector over funding up to 1,000 additional higher education places .
While officials are hopeful that students who qualify for higher-preference courses will be able to take up their courses this year , they have acknowledged it may not be possible for some high-demand courses such as medicine and dentistry .
Meanwhile Ms Foley ’ s department has defended its decision to hire Canadian firm Polymetrika , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ error which resulted in wrong grades being issued .
It has been paid a total of €163,000 by the Department of Education without a tendering process .
The department said a full procurement process did not take place on the basis that there was “ insufficient time ” to do so .
The registered address for Polymetrika International Inc – 150 Hinchey Avenue – is a residential home in Ottawa , according to company records .
It is unclear how many employees the firm has , though only two were listed on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : chief executive Dr Fernando Cartwright and chief operations officer Holly Cartwright .
In a statement , a department spokesman said Polymetrika has recognised expertise in what is a “ highly technical and specialised field ” .
It said its principal , Mr Cartwright , is a former senior researcher at the Canadian Council for Learning and also worked with Statistics Canada .
The spokesman said Mr Cartwright has worked in Ireland in the past and has an established relationship both with the Educational Research Centre and the Department of Education and Skills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish education system .

The registered address for Polymetrika International Inc is a residential home in Ottawa, according to company records. Photograph: Aedan Helmer
Students affected by errors in the awarding of Leaving Cert grades will not find out until the end of next week whether they will be able to take up higher-preference college courses on foot of any upgrades, according to well-placed sources.
Minister for Education Norma Foley has estimated that about 6,500 students were awarded grades which were lower than they should have received due to coding errors in the calculated grades process.
The majority of students will be moved up a single grade, which at higher level is the equivalent of about 10 CAO points.
Ms Foley said in the Dáil on Thursday that a similar number of students may have been awarded higher grades in error. These students will not be downgraded.
READ MORE
A US firm – ETS Educational Testing Service – has been hired to review aspects of the coding.
A spokesman said when this work is completed, the Department of Education will commence work to finalise students’ results and they will be issued to students “as soon as possible thereafter”.
Results
Sources said these results are likely to be issued shortly and revised CAO results may be offered, where applicable, towards the end of next week.
The Department of Higher Education, headed by Simon Harris, has been in talks with the third level sector over funding up to 1,000 additional higher education places.
While officials are hopeful that students who qualify for higher-preference courses will be able to take up their courses this year, they have acknowledged it may not be possible for some high-demand courses such as medicine and dentistry.
Meanwhile Ms Foley's department has defended its decision to hire Canadian firm Polymetrika, which she said was responsible for the coding error which resulted in wrong grades being issued.
It has been paid a total of €163,000 by the Department of Education without a tendering process.
Procurement
The department said a full procurement process did not take place on the basis that there was “insufficient time” to do so.
The registered address for Polymetrika International Inc – 150 Hinchey Avenue – is a residential home in Ottawa, according to company records.
It is unclear how many employees the firm has, though only two were listed on the LinkedIn social media platform earlier this week: chief executive Dr Fernando Cartwright and chief operations officer Holly Cartwright.
In a statement, a department spokesman said Polymetrika has recognised expertise in what is a “highly technical and specialised field”.
It said its principal, Mr Cartwright, is a former senior researcher at the Canadian Council for Learning and also worked with Statistics Canada.
The spokesman said Mr Cartwright has worked in Ireland in the past and has an established relationship both with the Educational Research Centre and the Department of Education and Skills, and has an understanding of the Irish education system.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Séamus Woulfe on Golfgate: ‘Jesus, they’re really scraping the barrel here’

Séamus Woulfe drove back to rejoin his family on holiday in Donegal after attending the Oireachtas Golf Society outing and dinner in Clifden on August 20th .
“ Before I went to bed that night I was back to my news addiction , and I flicked on the news headlines on , I know I shouldn ’ t , on the Examiner newspaper and I was astonished to see that they had as a lead story something about Dara Calleary attending a golf dinner .
“ I said , ‘ This is the greatest load of rubbish ever now ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re really scraping the barrel here during the silly season in August , ” Woulfe told former Supreme Court Chief Justice Ms Susan Denham .
By the following day , according to a transcript of the meeting released yesterday , he was astonished to see the controversy claiming the short-lived ministerial career of Dara Calleary .
“ I was absolutely dumbfounded and shocked , ” the Supreme Court judge told Ms Justice Denham as part of her review of his attendance at the dinner .
He had driven to Galway on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspapers the following morning , partly because he was on holiday .
He had not learned of a Government decision taken the day before to change the rules on indoor gatherings , he says .
The former attorney general explained to Ms Justice Denham how Covid-19 recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team go to Government for a decision , with some of them subsequently ending up as statutory instruments .
A Government decision on new Covid-19 powers could not come into effect immediately .
So although the decision on gatherings was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not come into effect by the time it was held .
Mr Justice Woulfe said that he spoke to one or two people after Mr Calleary ’ s resignation and decided he would make an apology for attending the dinner “ because one or two other people had apologised , for any unintentional breach of any guidelines on my part .
Now I was a bit hesitant about doing it because I wasn ’ t sure what I was apologising for ” .
“ I was getting journalists ringing me , texting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resign before they knew any of the facts on that Friday morning.
” The rules concerning gatherings did not change until August 31st , he said : “ So there ’ s so much misrepresentation and false reporting all around.
” “ I was probably to some extent in a state of shock on that Friday morning .
But the apology was genuine and I repeat it here again , for the record.
” He said that what had happened in the wake of the dinner “ seems to have been what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] a tank of petrol on a small flame by forcing Dara Calleary to resign summarily without any chance to check the facts on Thursday morning , that seems to have ignited the whole maelstrom.
” He said he could not understand why the “ poor man ” was not given at least 24 hours .
“ Does our Constitution not mean anything ?
Are politicians totally devoid of constitutional rights ?
” Pointing to the febrile atmosphere of the time , he said : “ My understanding is now , and from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I ’ ve read , there was mass confusion , if not chaos in Government this week .
And you ’ ve got to factor in August , people on holidays , the Attorney General perhaps in Kerry or wherever on holidays .
”

Séamus Woulfe drove back to rejoin his family on holiday in Donegal after attending the Oireachtas Golf Society outing and dinner in Clifden on August 20th.
“Before I went to bed that night I was back to my news addiction, and I flicked on the news headlines on, I know I shouldn’t, on the Examiner newspaper and I was astonished to see that they had as a lead story something about Dara Calleary attending a golf dinner.
"I said, 'This is the greatest load of rubbish ever now'. I thought, 'Jesus, they're really scraping the barrel here during the silly season in August," Woulfe told former Supreme Court Chief Justice Ms Susan Denham.
By the following day, according to a transcript of the meeting released yesterday, he was astonished to see the controversy claiming the short-lived ministerial career of Dara Calleary.
READ MORE
“I was absolutely dumbfounded and shocked,” the Supreme Court judge told Ms Justice Denham as part of her review of his attendance at the dinner.
He had driven to Galway on August 18th and had not read the newspapers the following morning, partly because he was on holiday. He had not learned of a Government decision taken the day before to change the rules on indoor gatherings, he says.
The former attorney general explained to Ms Justice Denham how Covid-19 recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team go to Government for a decision, with some of them subsequently ending up as statutory instruments.
A Government decision on new Covid-19 powers could not come into effect immediately. So although the decision on gatherings was announced prior to the dinner, it had not come into effect by the time it was held.
Apology conundrum
Mr Justice Woulfe said that he spoke to one or two people after Mr Calleary’s resignation and decided he would make an apology for attending the dinner “because one or two other people had apologised, for any unintentional breach of any guidelines on my part. Now I was a bit hesitant about doing it because I wasn’t sure what I was apologising for”.
“I was getting journalists ringing me, texting me, people calling for me to resign before they knew any of the facts on that Friday morning.”
The rules concerning gatherings did not change until August 31st, he said: “So there’s so much misrepresentation and false reporting all around.”
“I was probably to some extent in a state of shock on that Friday morning. But the apology was genuine and I repeat it here again, for the record.”
He said that what had happened in the wake of the dinner “seems to have been what I would describe as the throwing [of] a tank of petrol on a small flame by forcing Dara Calleary to resign summarily without any chance to check the facts on Thursday morning, that seems to have ignited the whole maelstrom.”
He said he could not understand why the “poor man” was not given at least 24 hours. “Does our Constitution not mean anything? Are politicians totally devoid of constitutional rights?”
Pointing to the febrile atmosphere of the time, he said: “My understanding is now, and from what I’ve heard and everything that I’ve read, there was mass confusion, if not chaos in Government this week. And you’ve got to factor in August, people on holidays, the Attorney General perhaps in Kerry or wherever on holidays.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Online abuse of female public figures having ‘devastating impact’

Europe-wide legislation is urgently needed to tackle the rise in online threats of physical and sexual violence female politicians and public figures are suffering , a discussion on cyber abuse has heard .
Social media companies should be held “ criminally responsible ” for failing to take action against algorithms that “ reward misogyny ” , Friday ’ s webinar , hosted by the National Women ’ s Council of Ireland ( NWCI ) , was told .
Campaigner and businesswoman Gina Miller , who has become a hate figure for many Brexit supporters , said there had been an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent years and that multinational companies must be subject to legal repercussions if online harassment continues .
Social media platforms have “ a duty of care and responsibility ” to their users , she said .
“ Why should they be able to profit and become billionaires while so many in society are being victimised ?
” she asked .
“ There has to be a legislative and financial burden on these platforms .
It ’ s time for short , sharp shock – they ’ ll feel it in their pockets.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galway found that 96 per cent of Irish female Oireachtas members and councillors surveyed had received online “ hate mail ” while nearly three-quarters had been threatened with physical violence via social media .
Nearly 40 per cent of participants in the ongoing study have been threatened with rape or sexual violence , while one in five said they were worried about their family ’ s safety .
A fifth of respondents said they had considered quitting politics because of the abuse , while some said social media companies and gardaí did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found online abuse was having a “ chilling effect on women sustaining political careers ” and called for greater action “ against algorithms that reward misogyny ” .
Tom Felle , head of journalism and communications at NUIG , who co-authored the report , said social media companies should be held “ criminally responsible ” and face “ fines running into the millions ” if they failed to act against threats of violence .
Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh acknowledged that while men also experience online abuse , it is “ disproportionately focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She echoed calls for legislation to tackle the problem , adding that female journalists also suffered high levels of online harassment .
Ms Walsh also said the State ’ s proposed hate crime legislation did not sufficiently address the issue of online hatred and discrimination .
Dublin lord mayor Hazel Chu agreed that Irish hate crime legislation must be applicable in online forums and admitted considering leaving politics because of the “ surreal and frightening ” abuse she and her family had been subjected to in recent years .
Ms Chu detailed receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deportation , adding that some people had called for her young daughter to be deported “ like all other Chinese babies ” .
Cyber abuse does “ not stop online ” and abusers eventually feel “ emboldened ” to “ show up on your doorstep ” , she said .
“ You wonder whether it ’ s worth it .
‘ Did I really go into public office and serve the public to deal with this crap ?
’ ” Colm O ’ Gorman of Amnesty International Ireland said targeted online harassment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women of colour “ disproportionately targeted ” .
He warned online harassment was being accepted as “ the new norm ” and that people risked losing sight of its “ devastating impact ” on people ’ s lives .
Social media companies should be responding to this “ grave online violent abuse against women ” with the same urgency with which they responded to coronavirus misinformation , he said .

Lord mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu: ‘You wonder whether it’s worth it. Did I really go into public office and serve the public to deal with this crap?’ Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Europe-wide legislation is urgently needed to tackle the rise in online threats of physical and sexual violence female politicians and public figures are suffering, a discussion on cyber abuse has heard.
Social media companies should be held "criminally responsible" for failing to take action against algorithms that "reward misogyny", Friday's webinar, hosted by the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI), was told.
Campaigner and businesswoman Gina Miller, who has become a hate figure for many Brexit supporters, said there had been an “avalanche of abuse” against women in recent years and that multinational companies must be subject to legal repercussions if online harassment continues.
Social media platforms have “a duty of care and responsibility” to their users, she said. “Why should they be able to profit and become billionaires while so many in society are being victimised?” she asked. “There has to be a legislative and financial burden on these platforms. It’s time for short, sharp shock – they’ll feel it in their pockets.”
READ MORE
Research being carried out by NUI Galway found that 96 per cent of Irish female Oireachtas members and councillors surveyed had received online “hate mail” while nearly three-quarters had been threatened with physical violence via social media.
Nearly 40 per cent of participants in the ongoing study have been threatened with rape or sexual violence, while one in five said they were worried about their family’s safety.
A fifth of respondents said they had considered quitting politics because of the abuse, while some said social media companies and gardaí did not take the threats seriously. The report found online abuse was having a “chilling effect on women sustaining political careers” and called for greater action “against algorithms that reward misogyny”.
Hate crime law
Tom Felle, head of journalism and communications at NUIG, who co-authored the report, said social media companies should be held “criminally responsible” and face “fines running into the millions” if they failed to act against threats of violence.
Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh acknowledged that while men also experience online abuse, it is “disproportionately focused on women and young girls”. She echoed calls for legislation to tackle the problem, adding that female journalists also suffered high levels of online harassment.
Ms Walsh also said the State’s proposed hate crime legislation did not sufficiently address the issue of online hatred and discrimination.
Dublin lord mayor Hazel Chu agreed that Irish hate crime legislation must be applicable in online forums and admitted considering leaving politics because of the “surreal and frightening” abuse she and her family had been subjected to in recent years. Ms Chu detailed receiving threats of torture and calls for her deportation, adding that some people had called for her young daughter to be deported “like all other Chinese babies”. Cyber abuse does “not stop online” and abusers eventually feel “emboldened” to “show up on your doorstep”, she said.
“You wonder whether it’s worth it. ‘Did I really go into public office and serve the public to deal with this crap?’ ”
Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty International Ireland said targeted online harassment was “directly silencing women”, with women of colour “disproportionately targeted”.
He warned online harassment was being accepted as “the new norm” and that people risked losing sight of its “devastating impact” on people’s lives. Social media companies should be responding to this “grave online violent abuse against women” with the same urgency with which they responded to coronavirus misinformation, he said.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Council to take legal action over O’Rahilly house demolition

Dublin City Council is to take legal action over the demolition of The O ’ Rahilly house earlier this week .
The property at 40 Herbert Park , Ballsbridge , in Dublin was the former home of The O ’ Rahilly , the only leader to have been killed fighting during the 1916 Rising .
Derryroe Ltd , a company owned by the McSharry and Kennedy families , who own the Herbert Park Hotel , last May applied to An Bord Pleanála to develop 105 apartments on the site .
The development was approved by the board on September 8th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , local residents , 1916 relatives and the O ’ Rahilly ’ s grandson Proinsias Ó Rathaille .
The approval from the board was subject to an eight-week period before works could begin , to allow for any legal challenges to the decision .
Despite this , on early on Tuesday , September 29th , the property was demolished , to sharp criticism from TDs and councillors , including Taoiseach Micheál Martin .
On Friday the council issued an enforcement notice over the demolition of the property .
The council said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires the cessation of all works pursuant to the permission on site , until all precommencement conditions and associated submissions have been considered and determined by Dublin City Council .
” It said the penalties for non-compliance include fines or potential imprisonment .
Several days after the apartment development was approved councillors voted for the building to be added to the record of protected structures , due to its historical significance .
Sinn Féin councillor Mícheál Mac Donncha had initially proposed the motion for the property to be given protected status in April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , council officials must inspect the site to determine whether to recommend it be placed on the list of protected structures .
The council first wrote to the developer seeking access to the site on April 28th .
Legal firm McCann Fitzgerald wrote to the council on July 1st , on behalf of Derryroe Ltd , requesting council chief executive Owen Keegan confirm within two weeks that the council would not pursue the protected structure process .
The council responded to assert its entitlement to undertake the assessment of the property as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several days before An Bord Pleanála approved the development , the council sent a second letter seeking permission to inspect the property to assess whether it might be deemed suitable for protected structure status .
On September 14th the developer issued a commencement notice for the demolition of the Ballsbridge house .
The council ’ s report said this notice was validated by its building control office “ on the basis of information inputted by the developer ” .
The report noted that “ this does not allow the developer to carry out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relevant planning conditions as set out in the ABP grant of permission ” .
McCann Fitzgerald , lawyers for Derryroe Ltd , have been contacted for comment .

Oliver Devlin, former chairman of Clonoe O’Rahillys GFC in Co Tyrone, and committee members joined Proinsias Ó Rathaille (left) of the 1916 Relatives Alliance, at 40 Herbert Park in August to lay a wreath. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Dublin City Council is to take legal action over the demolition of The O'Rahilly house earlier this week.
The property at 40 Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, in Dublin was the former home of The O'Rahilly, the only leader to have been killed fighting during the 1916 Rising.
Derryroe Ltd, a company owned by the McSharry and Kennedy families, who own the Herbert Park Hotel, last May applied to An Bord Pleanála to develop 105 apartments on the site.
The development was approved by the board on September 8th, despite objections from Dublin city councillors, local residents, 1916 relatives and the O’Rahilly’s grandson Proinsias Ó Rathaille.
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The approval from the board was subject to an eight-week period before works could begin, to allow for any legal challenges to the decision.
Despite this, on early on Tuesday, September 29th, the property was demolished, to sharp criticism from TDs and councillors, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Enforcement notice
On Friday the council issued an enforcement notice over the demolition of the property.
The council said in a statement that the notice "broadly speaking requires the cessation of all works pursuant to the permission on site, until all precommencement conditions and associated submissions have been considered and determined by Dublin City Council. " It said the penalties for non-compliance include fines or potential imprisonment.
Several days after the apartment development was approved councillors voted for the building to be added to the record of protected structures, due to its historical significance.
Sinn Féin councillor Mícheál Mac Donncha had initially proposed the motion for the property to be given protected status in April 2020.
As part of this process, council officials must inspect the site to determine whether to recommend it be placed on the list of protected structures. The council first wrote to the developer seeking access to the site on April 28th.
Legal firm McCann Fitzgerald wrote to the council on July 1st, on behalf of Derryroe Ltd, requesting council chief executive Owen Keegan confirm within two weeks that the council would not pursue the protected structure process.
The council responded to assert its entitlement to undertake the assessment of the property as a protected structure.
Inspect property
On September 2nd, several days before An Bord Pleanála approved the development, the council sent a second letter seeking permission to inspect the property to assess whether it might be deemed suitable for protected structure status. On September 14th the developer issued a commencement notice for the demolition of the Ballsbridge house.
The council’s report said this notice was validated by its building control office “on the basis of information inputted by the developer”.
The report noted that “this does not allow the developer to carry out works in the absence of complying with relevant planning conditions as set out in the ABP grant of permission”.
McCann Fitzgerald, lawyers for Derryroe Ltd, have been contacted for comment.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Man charged over largest cash seizure in history of the State

A 46-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged in connection with the seizure of the largest ever sum of cash in the history of the State .
Darren Hoey of Oak Drive , Ballacollig , Mountmellick , Co Laois , was brought before Fermoy District Court in Co Cork on Friday evening .
He was charged with two offences following the seizure on Thursday of almost €3.7 million by gardaí investigating criminal activity .
Mr Hoey was charged with possessing €3 million in cash , knowing , believing , or being reckless as to whether it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lisselton , Co Kerry , on September 30th .
Mr Hoey was also charged with possessing €694,845 in cash , knowing , believing , or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime at Oak Drive , Ballacollig , Mountmellick , also on September 30th .
Det Garda Liam Brennan of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence of arresting Mr Hoey at Tralee Garda station in Co Kerry at 3.35pm on Friday for the purpose of charging with the two offences .
He told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges , which are contrary to the Criminal Justice ( Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act ) 2010 , to Mr Hoey at 4.10pm , the accused made no reply to either charge .
Defence solicitor Kieran O ’ Keeffe said his client was making no application for bail at this point and was consenting to a remand in custody without prejudice to any future bail application .
Mr O ’ Keeffe said Mr Hoey was also reserving his position with regard to making any application for free legal aid in respect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted Mr O ’ Keeffe ’ s submissions .
Insp Tony Sullivan applied to have Mr Hoey remanded in custody to appear again at Tralee District Court on October 7th .
Judge Sheridan granted the application and remanded him in Cork Prison to appear in Tralee on that date .
Mr Hoey wore a Covid face covering in court and did not speak other than to confirm his identity during the brief hearing , which was held amid tight security .

Darren Hoey was brought before Fermoy District Court in Co Cork on Friday evening. Photograph: Google Street View
A 46-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged in connection with the seizure of the largest ever sum of cash in the history of the State.
Darren Hoey of Oak Drive, Ballacollig, Mountmellick, Co Laois, was brought before Fermoy District Court in Co Cork on Friday evening. He was charged with two offences following the seizure on Thursday of almost €3.7 million by gardaí investigating criminal activity.
Mr Hoey was charged with possessing €3 million in cash, knowing, believing, or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime at Farranstack, Lisselton, Co Kerry, on September 30th.
Mr Hoey was also charged with possessing €694,845 in cash, knowing, believing, or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime at Oak Drive, Ballacollig, Mountmellick, also on September 30th.
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Det Garda Liam Brennan of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence of arresting Mr Hoey at Tralee Garda station in Co Kerry at 3.35pm on Friday for the purpose of charging with the two offences.
He told the court how when he put the two charges, which are contrary to the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act) 2010, to Mr Hoey at 4.10pm, the accused made no reply to either charge.
Remand in custody
Defence solicitor Kieran O’Keeffe said his client was making no application for bail at this point and was consenting to a remand in custody without prejudice to any future bail application.
Mr O'Keeffe said Mr Hoey was also reserving his position with regard to making any application for free legal aid in respect of the two charges. Judge Brian Sheridan noted Mr O'Keeffe's submissions.
Insp Tony Sullivan applied to have Mr Hoey remanded in custody to appear again at Tralee District Court on October 7th. Judge Sheridan granted the application and remanded him in Cork Prison to appear in Tralee on that date.
Mr Hoey wore a Covid face covering in court and did not speak other than to confirm his identity during the brief hearing, which was held amid tight security.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Corporate relations manager settles case against UCD over neck injury

A corporate relations manager who claimed she injured her neck as she attempted to pick up a box of information leaflets at an event in Budapest to promote UCD has settled her High Court action on undisclosed terms .
Jacqueline Ashmore had told the court she felt “ overwhelming and extreme pain ” in her neck when she lifted the box eight inches from the ground at the UCD stand at the Hungarian university four years ago .
“ Something awful had happened , there was this horrendous pain .
I knew it was the box .
It was like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I thought I was going to vomit , ” she said .
The 57-year old woman who had worked for UCD for 24 years and whose case included a claim for loss of earnings and pension totalling over €700,000 had to stand in the witness box at times as she gave her evidence to the court .
She claimed she has been left with complex pain syndrome , has pain in her neck and down one side of her body and has a condition which means her neck is tilted to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ashmore ’ s counsel Diarmuid P O ’ Donovan SC told Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy the case had settled and could be struck out .
Earlier under crossexamination from Sara Moorhead SC , for UCD , Ms Ashmore was asked about complaints of pain from before the Budapest accident for which investigations had taken place at Beaumont Hospital .
Ms Ashmore said she had gone to hospital with symptoms but she was not diagnosed with any illness .
Asked how did she reconcile giving instructions that she had no ill health before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not stop her going to work .
“ I was having investigations but it did not stop my life , ” she said .
She added : “ There is no doubt in my mind when I lifted that box I felt that pain .
I have no doubt it was the box It is the only reason I have not worked.
” Ms Ashmore ( 57 ) from Santry , Dublin had sued her employer UCD as a result of the accident on November 16th 2012 when she was working as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Budapest , Hungary on behalf of UCD .
She claimed a box full of material was provided which was too heavy for her and allegedly caused injury .
She had further claimed failure to adequately or at all notify her of the weight of the box and to provide her with any or any adequate training in the manual handling of loads .
UCD denied the claims and alleged contributory negligence on Ms Ashmore ’ s part in failing to take account of any hazard represented by the weight or size of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was failure to simply remove the brochures from the box without having to lift the box .

A corporate relations manager who claimed she injured her neck as she attempted to pick up a box of information leaflets at an event in Budapest to promote UCD has settled her High Court action on undisclosed terms.
Jacqueline Ashmore had told the court she felt “overwhelming and extreme pain” in her neck when she lifted the box eight inches from the ground at the UCD stand at the Hungarian university four years ago.
“Something awful had happened, there was this horrendous pain. I knew it was the box. It was like somebody had stabbed me in the neck. I thought I was going to vomit,” she said.
The 57-year old woman who had worked for UCD for 24 years and whose case included a claim for loss of earnings and pension totalling over €700,000 had to stand in the witness box at times as she gave her evidence to the court. She claimed she has been left with complex pain syndrome, has pain in her neck and down one side of her body and has a condition which means her neck is tilted to the right.
READ MORE
On Friday afternoon, Ms Ashmore’s counsel Diarmuid P O’Donovan SC told Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy the case had settled and could be struck out.
Earlier under crossexamination from Sara Moorhead SC, for UCD, Ms Ashmore was asked about complaints of pain from before the Budapest accident for which investigations had taken place at Beaumont Hospital. Ms Ashmore said she had gone to hospital with symptoms but she was not diagnosed with any illness.
Asked how did she reconcile giving instructions that she had no ill health before the accident , Ms Ashmore said it did not stop her going to work . “I was having investigations but it did not stop my life,” she said.
She added: “There is no doubt in my mind when I lifted that box I felt that pain. I have no doubt it was the box It is the only reason I have not worked.”
Ms Ashmore (57) from Santry, Dublin had sued her employer UCD as a result of the accident on November 16th 2012 when she was working as a corporate relations manager and attended Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary on behalf of UCD.
She claimed a box full of material was provided which was too heavy for her and allegedly caused injury. She had further claimed failure to adequately or at all notify her of the weight of the box and to provide her with any or any adequate training in the manual handling of loads.
UCD denied the claims and alleged contributory negligence on Ms Ashmore’s part in failing to take account of any hazard represented by the weight or size of the box.
It had further claimed there was failure to simply remove the brochures from the box without having to lift the box.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Gardaí shut down 35 house parties in Limerick, arrest 5 people

Gardaí have shut down 35 student house parties and arrested five people as part of a policing plan around Freshers Week at the University of Limerick .
A Limerick joint policing committee meeting heard that 35 off-campus house parties have been shut down in the Castletroy area since last Sunday over coronavirus concerns .
More than 30 people were in attendance at each of the parties , gardaí said .
They issued 70 fines , including 45 for alcohol consumption and 25 for illegal parking .
Five people were arrested for public order/trespass .
Two of these were charged by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardaí conducted a total of 52 extra patrols in the area , which also resulted in three minor drug seizures .
Thirty antisocial behaviour order warning notices were issued during the week-long operation .
The head of the Limerick Garda Division , chief superintendent Gerry Roche said gardaí were working closely with UL in specifically focussing on house parties .
A spokesman for Ms Mey said she and “ members of UL ’ s senior leadership have engaged in nightly walking tours of local residential estates in conjunction with An Garda Síochána @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done to engage with students , educate them about public health guidelines and to stress a co-operative approach in protecting the community surrounding the campus in light of the situation with Covid-19.
” When asked if any house parties had been discovered on the University of Limerick campus , a UL spokesman replied : “ Nothing has been reported at this time.
” Ms Mey ’ s spokesman reminded students that action can be taken against them .
“ There is no set sanction within the code of conduct for any offence but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include monetary , academic , suspension and expulsion.
” During the first week of term , UL has “ not yet processed any complaints that involve UL students who may have been in breach of the University ’ s code of conduct ” , the spokesman said .

More than 30 people were in attendance at each of the parties, gardaí said.
Gardaí have shut down 35 student house parties and arrested five people as part of a policing plan around Freshers Week at the University of Limerick.
A Limerick joint policing committee meeting heard that 35 off-campus house parties have been shut down in the Castletroy area since last Sunday over coronavirus concerns.
More than 30 people were in attendance at each of the parties, gardaí said. They issued 70 fines, including 45 for alcohol consumption and 25 for illegal parking.
Five people were arrested for public order/trespass. Two of these were charged by gardaí and three were given a caution.
READ MORE
Gardaí conducted a total of 52 extra patrols in the area, which also resulted in three minor drug seizures.
Thirty antisocial behaviour order warning notices were issued during the week-long operation.
The head of the Limerick Garda Division, chief superintendent Gerry Roche said gardaí were working closely with UL in specifically focussing on house parties .
Henry Street Garda Station superintendent Brian Sugrue said UL president Kerstin Mey had accompanied gardaí.
A spokesman for Prof Mey said she and "members of UL's senior leadership have engaged in nightly walking tours of local residential estates in conjunction with An Garda Síochána this week.
“This is being done to engage with students, educate them about public health guidelines and to stress a co-operative approach in protecting the community surrounding the campus in light of the situation with Covid-19.”
When asked if any house parties had been discovered on the University of Limerick campus, a UL spokesman replied: "Nothing has been reported at this time."
Prof Mey’s spokesman reminded students that action can be taken against them.
“There is no set sanction within the code of conduct for any offence but penalties allowed within the code of conduct include monetary, academic, suspension and expulsion.”
During the first week of term, UL has “not yet processed any complaints that involve UL students who may have been in breach of the University’s code of conduct”, the spokesman said.


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Covid-19: World in ‘for a hell of a ride’ in coming months, Dr Mike Ryan says

An estimated 750 million , or 10 per cent of the world ’ s population , have been infected by Covid-19 , World Health Organisation ( WHO ) official Dr Mike Ryan has said .
The Irish-born executive director of the WHO ’ s health emergencies programme said he was worried for the fate of the 90 per cent of people who have not had the disease .
He estimated 10 per cent as “ our best guess ” in relation to the global rate of infection to date and those who have antibodies for the virus .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion left .
Therein lies our problem , ” he told webinar hosted by the Royal Irish Academy ( RIA ) entitled Learning from Pandemics : a Century of Experience .
Dr Ryan predicted the world is in “ for a hell of a ride for the next eight or nine months ” as it awaits a vaccine , but he cautioned that a vaccine will “ not be a silver bullet , but an additional tool that should be added to a comprehensive strategy to fight this disease ” .
He stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world had been “ unprecedented ” .
However , he criticised the lack of a global response to plans to raise some €25.6 billion ( US $ 32 billion ) for the Covid-19 accelerator programme to produce diagnostic tools and vaccines when they are available to deal with the virus .
Just €3.24 billion has been raised to date .
“ For $ 32 billion we can develop a vaccine equitably for everyone in the world .
Compare that to the trillions of dollars poured into economic mitigation .
We are 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like you wouldn ’ t believe .
Yet the cavalry isn ’ t coming in terms of funding .
Governance and global leadership has been a major issue in this response.
” He exempted German chancellor Angela Merkel and New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden from the criticism .
“ Some of the best political leadership I have seen in the last nine months have come from women .
We need to think and reflect on that and what is that leadership style that brings society together during a crisis.
” Dr Ryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complacent of infectious diseases ” and associated them with poorer countries .
Africa was perceived to be doing better as a result of the pandemic both because it had a much younger age profile , but also because African countries are used to epidemics and know how to manage them by dealing with them at a community level first instead of looking for medical solutions .
Even during recent Ebola epidemics life continued on as normal in west Africa , he explained .
“ I wonder what would happen if there were 2,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he asked .
“ If you look at any metric of resilience , the industrial world has not demonstrated a lot of that over the last couple of months whereas African countries because of dint of the crisis they face day-to-day , they just get on with it .
I know that sounds simplistic , but that is why they have been perceived to have done better.
” Dr Ryan said a lot of lessons that could have been learned from the Sars ( severe acute respiratory syndrome ) outbreak 10 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It should have scared us a hell of a lot more into putting in place the systems that address those issues all the way along from the animal kingdom right to how we deal with epidemics as they occur , ” he said .
Dr Ryan said he was “ somewhat cynical or at least depressed at the prospect of whether the world will wake up and we will actually see that epidemics are yet another consequence of our poor planetary and ecosystem management .
“ In the end we will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He pointed out that health reports on the threat of emerging diseases from 1993 which were ignored by countries .
“ We have put almost no defence up against the Earth-killing things that are there such as climate change and infectious diseases .
”

An estimated 750 million, or 10 per cent of the world's population, have been infected by Covid-19, World Health Organisation (WHO) official Dr Mike Ryan has said.
The Irish-born executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme said he was worried for the fate of the 90 per cent of people who have not had the disease.
He estimated 10 per cent as “our best guess” in relation to the global rate of infection to date and those who have antibodies for the virus.
"The problem is there is more than six billion left. Therein lies our problem," he told webinar hosted by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) entitled Learning from Pandemics: a Century of Experience.
READ MORE
Dr Ryan predicted the world is in “for a hell of a ride for the next eight or nine months” as it awaits a vaccine, but he cautioned that a vaccine will “not be a silver bullet, but an additional tool that should be added to a comprehensive strategy to fight this disease”.
He stressed though that the response to Covid-19 around the world had been “unprecedented”.
However, he criticised the lack of a global response to plans to raise some €25.6 billion (US$32 billion) for the Covid-19 accelerator programme to produce diagnostic tools and vaccines when they are available to deal with the virus. Just €3.24 billion has been raised to date.
"For $32 billion we can develop a vaccine equitably for everyone in the world. Compare that to the trillions of dollars poured into economic mitigation. We are 10 per cent funded for a Marshall Plan like you wouldn't believe. Yet the cavalry isn't coming in terms of funding. Governance and global leadership has been a major issue in this response."
Female leaders
He exempted German chancellor Angela Merkel and New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden from the criticism.
“Some of the best political leadership I have seen in the last nine months have come from women. We need to think and reflect on that and what is that leadership style that brings society together during a crisis.”
Dr Ryan said developed countries had become “entirely complacent of infectious diseases” and associated them with poorer countries.
Africa was perceived to be doing better as a result of the pandemic both because it had a much younger age profile, but also because African countries are used to epidemics and know how to manage them by dealing with them at a community level first instead of looking for medical solutions. Even during recent Ebola epidemics life continued on as normal in west Africa, he explained.
“I wonder what would happen if there were 2,500 cases of Ebola in New York?” he asked.
“If you look at any metric of resilience, the industrial world has not demonstrated a lot of that over the last couple of months whereas African countries because of dint of the crisis they face day-to-day, they just get on with it. I know that sounds simplistic, but that is why they have been perceived to have done better.”
Lessons not learned
Dr Ryan said a lot of lessons that could have been learned from the Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak 10 years ago, but they were not.
“It should have scared us a hell of a lot more into putting in place the systems that address those issues all the way along from the animal kingdom right to how we deal with epidemics as they occur,” he said.
Dr Ryan said he was “somewhat cynical or at least depressed at the prospect of whether the world will wake up and we will actually see that epidemics are yet another consequence of our poor planetary and ecosystem management.
“In the end we will be putting out these fires again and again.”
He pointed out that health reports on the threat of emerging diseases from 1993 which were ignored by countries.
“We have put almost no defence up against the Earth-killing things that are there such as climate change and infectious diseases.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-02--Kinahan gang suspected to be behind attacks on houses seized by Cab

Gardaí suspect a series of arson attacks on houses in Dublin seized from men linked to the Kinahan cartel has been organised by members of the cartel who have fled abroad in a bid to escape further investigation .
All the attacks , both in recent days and last year , were under investigation and gardaí say they appeared to be organised .
They suspect the attacks have all been ordered , and paid for , by gang leader Liam Byrne or men close to him .
The Criminal Assets Bureau ( Cab ) has previously told the High Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in the UK , was a “ trusted lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan and the Kinahan organised crime group ” .
Gardaí believe the attacks on the houses seized by the Cab were designed to discourage other people from moving into them and to cost the State money before they could be sold or occupied .
The latest arson attacks occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning when two properties were set alight within minutes in Crumlin and Clondalkin .
Both properties were extensively damaged and the attacks follow an arson attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car was driven into the house through the living room wall and window before the fire .
In the first of this week ’ s attacks , a house on Kildare Road , Crumlin , seized from criminal Sean McGovern was set on fire through the roof just after midnight on Wednesday .
Gardaí believe two men were involved and that they targeted the roof because the house was very securely boarded up with iron plates over the windows and doors .
A second house was then targeted on Rowlagh Park , Clondalkin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday morning , again through the roof of the boarded up house .
That property was seized by the Cab from Kenneth Carpenter , though he was ordered by the High Court in December , 2018 , to leave the property .
Carpenter is linked to members of the Kinahan cartel .
His house was seized by the Cab after the bureau told the court Carpenter was active in the sale and supply of drugs , has a number of previous convictions for drugs offences and associates with known criminals in south and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for €317,000 in 2017 and had been renovated extensively , with a mortgage of €284,500 outstanding on it when it was seized .
During a search at the property before it was seized a bullet proof vest was found along with €20,000 in cash .
Sean McGovern , from whom the house in Crumlin was seized , was described by the Cab when it pursued him through the courts as a senior manager within the “ Byrne organised crime group ” in Dublin , which is the Irish section of the Kinahan cartel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Byrne ( 40 ) .
McGovern ’ s home was one of the assets seized under the Cab ’ s Operation Lamp , which targeted Liam Byrne and his close associates in 2018 .
Like many of the other gang members , McGovern has now left Ireland and gardaí believe he has lived for a period in Dubai .
He was also injured in the gun attack on a boxing match weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in north Dublin in 2016 that sharply escalated the Kinahan-Hutch feud .
The house seized from him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of Thursday morning was due to return to Dublin City Council housing stock after being sold by the Cab to the council .
In August when the property on Grange View Road , Clondalkin , seized from Liam Byrne was set on fire it was the second time it had been vandalised .
The same property was attacked in March , 2019 , when another house on Kildare Road , Crumlin , was also targeted by arsonists .
During the attack on the house in Clondalkin last year the windows were smashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smashed .
The house was also flooded as a result of water pipes and sanitary ware being removed or damaged .

Gardaí say a series of attacks on seized property appears to be organised. File photograph: An Garda Síochána
Gardaí suspect a series of arson attacks on houses in Dublin seized from men linked to the Kinahan cartel has been organised by members of the cartel who have fled abroad in a bid to escape further investigation.
All the attacks, both in recent days and last year, were under investigation and gardaí say they appeared to be organised. They suspect the attacks have all been ordered, and paid for, by gang leader Liam Byrne or men close to him.
The Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) has previously told the High Court in evidence that Liam Byrne, now living in the UK, was a “trusted lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan and the Kinahan organised crime group”.
Gardaí believe the attacks on the houses seized by the Cab were designed to discourage other people from moving into them and to cost the State money before they could be sold or occupied.
READ MORE
The latest arson attacks occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning when two properties were set alight within minutes in Crumlin and Clondalkin.
Both properties were extensively damaged and the attacks follow an arson attack on another property in Clondalkin when a car was driven into the house through the living room wall and window before the fire.
Crumlin
In the first of this week’s attacks, a house on Kildare Road, Crumlin, seized from criminal Sean McGovern was set on fire through the roof just after midnight on Wednesday.
Gardaí believe two men were involved and that they targeted the roof because the house was very securely boarded up with iron plates over the windows and doors.
A second house was then targeted on Rowlagh Park, Clondalkin, just into the early hours of Thursday morning, again through the roof of the boarded up house. *
The house was purchased for €317,000 in 2017 and had been renovated extensively, with a mortgage of €284,500 outstanding on it when it was seized.
During a search at the property before it was seized a bullet proof vest was found along with €20,000 in cash.
Sean McGovern, from whom the house in Crumlin was seized, was described by the Cab when it pursued him through the courts as a senior manager within the “Byrne organised crime group” in Dublin, which is the Irish section of the Kinahan cartel and was led by Crumlin man Liam Byrne (40).
McGovern’s home was one of the assets seized under the Cab’s Operation Lamp, which targeted Liam Byrne and his close associates in 2018.
Like many of the other gang members, McGovern has now left Ireland and gardaí believe he has lived for a period in Dubai. He was also injured in the gun attack on a boxing match weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in north Dublin in 2016 that sharply escalated the Kinahan-Hutch feud.
Housing stock
The house seized from him and which was targeted in the early hours of Thursday morning was due to return to Dublin City Council housing stock after being sold by the Cab to the council.
In August when the property on Grange View Road, Clondalkin, seized from Liam Byrne was set on fire it was the second time it had been vandalised. The same property was attacked in March, 2019, when another house on Kildare Road, Crumlin, was also targeted by arsonists.
During the attack on the house in Clondalkin last year the windows were smashed while fixtures and fittings were removed or smashed. The house was also flooded as a result of water pipes and sanitary ware being removed or damaged.
* This article was amended on October 12th, 2020


theirishtimes--2020-10-03--‘Serious deterioration’ in Ireland’s protected marine habitats, report finds

Some of Ireland ’ s most important protected marine habitats are experiencing “ serious deterioration , and in some cases outright destruction ” , a report by the Irish Wildlife Trust report has found .
The scale of damage prompted the environmental group to lodge a complaint with the European Commission because of “ a more blatant than usual violation ” of the EU Habitats Directive .
The report highlights environmental damage at four locations in particular - Roaringwater Bay ; Kenmare Bay ; Blacksod Bay and Lough Swilly , which are all special areas of conservation ( SACs ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s failure to manage and successfully protect its inshore network of marine protected areas ( MPAs ) .
The evidence it cites comes from National Parks & Wildlife Service ( NPWS ) surveys , which show the extent of deterioration in protected areas .
Special areas of conservation designated under the Habitats Directive are supposed to be safe havens for a host of marine animals and plants .
“ In direct breach of this directive , Ireland has allowed the destruction of incredibly rare reefs and significant declines in carbon-sequestering seagrass meadows inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Blacksod Bay , Co Mayo , a reef of the rare worm Serpula vermicularis was “ completely destroyed by benthic dredging ” , while in Roaringwater Bay , Co Cork , rare beds of the calcifying algae maërl were negatively impacted by mussel aquaculture lines , with shellfish excrement fouling a reef .
In Lough Swilly , the now rare native oyster is threatened by the spread of the invasive Pacific oyster which escaped from local oyster farms .
A stretch of Kenmare Bay three decades ago was “ full of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , it notes ; today it was described as “ underwater desert ” .
“ Many other estuaries and bays around the Irish coast are facing similar threats in addition to existing pressures from agriculture and sewage pollution and climate change .
This mismanagement of Irish resources impacts both land and sea , ” the Irish Wildlife Trust warns .
Nearly half of all habitats surveyed by the NPWS in recent years have declined in status with 85 per cent in an inadequate condition .
The directive requires any significant pressures on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habitats and species reach “ favourable conservation status ” .
This has not been achieved for most Irish special areas of conservation , which is among the reasons why the EU Commission referred Ireland to the European Court of Justice in July .
IWT project officer Regina Classen said the Government needs to put processes in place that allow stakeholders , including environmental NGOs , to assist government agencies with the development of site-specific conservation management plans that are promptly implemented and strictly enforced.
” These plans will need to ensure no human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside MPAs , she said .
“ The focus now must be on restoration , and in some cases no-take zones are needed to ensure full protection.
” While the NPWS ’ s role is to conserve and restore the natural environment and develop these management plans , the IWT has repeatedly lamented insufficient resourcing of the agency .
The IWT said it hoped this could be addressed in the budget .
The Programme for Government commits to protecting 30 per cent of Ireland ’ s seas in line with scientific advice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , “ only a meagre 2.4 per cent of Irish waters are nominally protected ” , Ms Classen added , “ Our report shows that even this tiny area affords no practical protection against destructive human activities .
”

Some of Ireland’s most important protected marine habitats are experiencing “serious deterioration and in some cases outright destruction”, a report by the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) report has found.
The scale of damage prompted the environmental group to lodge a complaint with the European Commission because of "a more blatant than usual violation" of the EU Habitats Directive.
The report highlights environmental damage at four locations in particular - Roaringwater Bay in Co Cork, Kenmare Bay in Co Kerry, Blacksod Bay in Co Mayo and Lough Swilly in Co Donegal, which are all special areas of conservation (SACs).
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 3 Kenmare Bay: Once ‘full of life with plentiful fish and kelp forests’; now described as an ‘underwater desert’
The report also outlines Ireland’s failure to manage and successfully protect its inshore network of marine protected areas (MPAs). The evidence it cites comes from National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) surveys, which show the extent of deterioration in protected areas.
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Special areas of conservation designated under the habitats directive are supposed to be safe havens for a host of marine animals and plants. "In direct breach of this directive, Ireland has allowed the destruction of incredibly rare reefs and significant declines in carbon-sequestering seagrass meadows inside these SACs," the report concludes.
In Blacksod Bay, a reef of the rare worm Serpula vermicularis was “completely destroyed by benthic dredging”, while in Roaringwater Bay, rare beds of the calcifying algae maërl were negatively impacted by mussel aquaculture lines, with shellfish excrement fouling a reef.
In Lough Swilly, the now rare native oyster is threatened by the spread of the invasive Pacific oyster which escaped from local oyster farms. A stretch of Kenmare Bay three decades ago was “full of life with plentiful fish and kelp forests”, it notes; today it was described as “underwater desert”.
“Many other estuaries and bays around the Irish coast are facing similar threats in addition to existing pressures from agriculture and sewage pollution and climate change. This mismanagement of Irish resources impacts both land and sea,” the IWT warns. Nearly half of all habitats surveyed by the NPWS in recent years have declined in status with 85 per cent in an inadequate condition.
The directive requires any significant pressures on a protected site be removed to enable habitats and species reach “favourable conservation status”. This has not been achieved for most Irish special areas of conservation, which is among the reasons why the EU Commission referred Ireland to the European Court of Justice in July.
IWT project officer Regina Classen said the Government needs to put processes in place that allow stakeholders, including environmental NGOs, to assist government agencies with the development of site-specific conservation management plans that are promptly implemented and strictly enforced."
These plans will need to ensure no human activity can harm protected habitats or species inside MPAs, she said. “The focus now must be on restoration, and in some cases no-take zones are needed to ensure full protection.”
While the NPWS’s role is to conserve and restore the natural environment and develop these management plans, the IWT has repeatedly lamented insufficient resourcing of the agency. The IWT said it hoped this could be addressed in the budget.
The Programme for Government commits to protecting 30 per cent of Ireland’s seas in line with scientific advice and the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy. However, “only a meagre 2.4 per cent of Irish waters are nominally protected”, Ms Classen said. “Our report shows that even this tiny area affords no practical protection against destructive human activities.”
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage said it will give careful consideration to the report by the Irish Wildlife Trust.
“Responsibility for nature conservation, and marine conservation also, spans across a number of Government departments and agencies,” it noted.
The National Parks & Wildlife Service (which has recently moved to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage), is in regular contact with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine which regulates fisheries and aquaculture. “Some of the specific elements in the IWT report are already under active review by the Departments at this time,” it confirmed.
The Programme for Government commits to “review the remit, status and funding of the NPWS, to ensure that it is playing an effective role in delivering its overall mandate and enforcement role in the protection of wildlife”, a spokeswoman said.
Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan added: “I have commenced work on framing this review and am currently considering the structure and terms of reference for the review. This will include consultation with representative groups for farming and fishing and nature conservation.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-03--Irish climate scientist appointed to senior UN role

Irish climate expert Dr Tara Shine has been appointed to a senior UN role with a brief to improve co-ordination between climate scientists and policymakers in meeting key Paris Agreement targets on containing global temperature rise .
Dr Shine has been appointed co-facilitator of the Structured Expert Dialogue under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change .
This will feed into the second periodic review of the long-term goal to hold global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels , and preferrably 1.5 degrees .
It will assess progress towards the goal and identify challenges and opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an international climate change negotiator and adviser to governments and world leaders on environmental policy .
She was special adviser to the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice group and to The Elders , before setting up Change by Degrees , a sustainability consultancy based in Kinsale , Co Cork .
Minister for Climate Action Eamon Ryan said her appointment was “ recognition of her wealth of experience and engagement as an environmental scientist , international climate change negotiator and adviser to governments and world leaders on environmental and climate policy – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also reflected Ireland ’ s commitment to a science-based approach to climate decision making , and need to continually engage with other countries on the shared global climate challenge , he said .
“ It is fundamental that we listen to the scientific evidence and what is it telling us about the future of our planet.
” Dr Shine , who is chair of the International Institute for Environment and Development , said she looked forward to co-facilitating dialogue between scientists and policy makers .
“ Our work together will assess the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the opportunities we have today to provide a safe climate system for future generations .
”

Dr Tara Shine has worked as an international climate change negotiator and was special adviser to the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice group before setting up sustainability consultancy based in Co Cork. Photograph: John Allen
Irish climate expert Dr Tara Shine has been appointed to a senior UN role with a brief to improve co-ordination between climate scientists and policymakers in meeting key Paris Agreement targets on containing global temperature rise.
Dr Shine has been appointed co-facilitator of the Structured Expert Dialogue under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
This will feed into the second periodic review of the long-term goal to hold global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, and preferrably 1.5 degrees.
It will assess progress towards the goal and identify challenges and opportunities for achieving it.
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She has worked as an international climate change negotiator and adviser to governments and world leaders on environmental policy.
She was special adviser to the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice group and to The Elders, before setting up Change by Degrees, a sustainability consultancy based in Kinsale, Co Cork.
Minister for Climate Action Eamon Ryan said her appointment was "recognition of her wealth of experience and engagement as an environmental scientist, international climate change negotiator and adviser to governments and world leaders on environmental and climate policy – and matters of climate justice".
It also reflected Ireland’s commitment to a science-based approach to climate decision making, and need to continually engage with other countries on the shared global climate challenge, he said.
“It is fundamental that we listen to the scientific evidence and what is it telling us about the future of our planet.”
Dr Shine, who is chair of the International Institute for Environment and Development, said she looked forward to co-facilitating dialogue between scientists and policy makers.
“Our work together will assess the progress made to achieve the 1.5-degree goal and the opportunities we have today to provide a safe climate system for future generations.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-03--NPHET warns of 1,300 daily Covid-19 cases by end of month if trends continue

There could be 1,200 to 1,300 cases each day and 400 people in hospital by the end of this month based on current projections , Prof Philip Nolan has warned .
Prof Nolan , the chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) epidemiological modelling advisory group , said case numbers have been growing by an average of 4 per cent per day since hitting a daily low of nine cases on June 23rd .
Since then numbers have grown from 12 cases on July 1st , 40 cases on August 1st , 131 cases on September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This has been reflected in a rise of hospitalisations from 12 on August 3rd to 121 on October 1st .
The latest NPHET figures , released on Friday , showed there was one death and 470 reported cases .
A total of 117 people are in hospital and 21 in intensive care units .
Almost 87,000 tests were carried out last week and the positivity rate was 3.2 per cent .
Prof Nolan suggested that restrictions put in place in Dublin and Donegal “ may be starting ” to work as the restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he added “ the virus is spreading at a nearly constant rate throughout the rest of the country ” .
Prof Nolan explained that the “ epidemic , measured in detected cases and hospitalisations , has been growing exponentially , at the same rate , since July .
We have , collectively , had too many social contacts .
The virus is transmitting , and cases and hospitalisations growing ” .
He alluded to the fact that deaths remain relatively low compared to the spring time by stressing that mortality with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly greater than influenza .
The only way to protect the vulnerable is to greatly reduce the level of circulating virus in the community ” .
In his Twitter thread , he concluded : “ We should not ignore or dismiss the rising numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections .
We monitor hospitalisations , intensive care admissions , and with great sadness , deaths , and we know where these numbers will go if we do not suppress transmission of the virus .
“ This is not meant to scare people .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it ’ s not inevitable .
On the contrary , if we redouble our efforts to minimise our social contacts , keep our distance when with others , and stay home if feeling unwell , we can beat this.
” On Friday the acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said the rise in the number of cases is a “ matter of serious concern ” which is why NPHET is recommending that no more than two households should meet up at any given time .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is underway across Europe , as he expressed sympathies to US president Donald Trump and his wife Melania after the couple tested positive .
“ May I say as a preface to this , to wish President Trump and his wife Melania the very best in terms of wishing them a speedy recovery , ” Mr Martin said on the sidelines of a summit of the 27 European Union leaders in Brussels .
“ It ’ s difficult for them to have tested positive for Covid-19 and we wish them a speedy recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very present prevalence of this virus.
” Mr Trump ’ s challenger Democratic candidate Joe Biden announced on Friday evening that he and his wife Dr Jill Biden had tested negative .
Mr Trump and Mr Biden held a socially-distanced debate on Tuesday .
The 27 EU leaders met to discuss the severe economic impact of the pandemic among other issues , in a summit that had been delayed by a week because its chair European Council president Charles Michel was forced to go into quarantine after exposure to the virus .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on increased co-ordination in procuring and distributing vaccines currently under development , and on a system of classifying risk in different countries that would bring travel rules across the EU into line .
“ Today in the European Council it ’ s very , very clear that a second wave is on the way across Europe , ” Mr Martin warned , describing a “ very similar pattern , younger people being infected first , then a higher incidence among the broader population ” .
“ There ’ s a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Covid-19 and also the duration this will continue , ” he added .
“ The story in Ireland is not unique , it ’ s quite similar to the pattern across Europe .
It calls for increased coordination on a number of fronts.
” Almost 1,000 people in Northern Ireland tested positive for coronavirus on Friday in what is the largest daily increase since the pandemic began .

Hundreds of protesters have gathered in Dublin City centre as part of an anti-government protest organised by a group called 'Yellow Vest Ireland'. Video: Nick Bradshaw
Ten more people in the State with coronavirus have died, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed, while there are 613 new confirmed cases of the virus.
Eight of the 10 deaths reported today were from prior to September 2020.
It brings to 1,810 the number of Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic of Ireland.
Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: ‘The numbers being reported today and over the past week represent a significant escalation in the profile of Covid-19 in Ireland.’ Photograph: Collins
Hospital Report
We should not ignore or dismiss the rising numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections. We monitor hospitalisations, intensive care admissions, and with great sadness, deaths, and we know where these numbers will go if we do not suppress transmission of the virus. 1/9 pic.twitter.com/ys2YirPyLW — Professor Philip Nolan (@President_MU) October 2, 2020
The new cases means there there has been 37,668 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic.
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Of the latest cases notified, 315 are men and 294 are women, 68 per cent are under 45 years of age, and 30 per cent are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case.
Meanwhile, 58 cases have been identified as due to community transmission.
In a breakdown by county, there are 224 new cases in Dublin, 58 in Donegal, 46 in Cork, 44 in Kildare, 31 in Limerick, 28 in Laois, 21 in Kerry, 19 in Galway, 17 in Clare, 13 in Meath, 12 in Louth, and 12 in Monaghan.
The remainder are in Offaly, Tipperary, Wicklow, Cavan, Wexford, Carlow, Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo , Kilkenny and Westmeath, and with another seven cases in three counties.
Identify contacts
The HSE said it is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: "The numbers being reported today and over the past week represent a significant escalation in the profile of Covid-19 in Ireland.
Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: ‘The numbers being reported today and over the past week represent a significant escalation in the profile of Covid-19 in Ireland.’ Photograph: Collins
“For those aged 70+ and those who are medically vulnerable to Covid-19, it is strongly recommended that you should limit the number of people you meet to a very small core group of family members, carers or friends, for short periods of time, while remaining physically distant.
“We need to work together once again to make a significant impact on the number of cases in the community, and ultimately to reduce the number of people getting sick, being admitted to hospital and critical care, while protecting non-Covid healthcare services. I urge people in every county to follow the public health advice to stop the further spread of COVID-19.”
Earlier, Prof Philip Nolan warned there could be 1,200 to 1,300 cases each day and 400 people in hospital by the end of this month based on current projections.
Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group. Photograph: Colin Keegan/ Collins
Prof Nolan, chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) epidemiological modelling advisory group, said case numbers have been growing by an average of 4 per cent per day since hitting a daily low of nine cases on June 23rd.
Since then numbers have grown from 12 cases on July 1st, 40 cases on August 1st, 131 cases on September 1st and 470 cases on Friday.
This has been reflected in a rise of hospitalisations from 12 on August 3rd to 121 on October 1st.
Almost Covid-19 87,000 tests were carried out last week and the positivity rate was 3.2 per cent.
Prof Nolan suggested that restrictions put in place in Dublin and Donegal “may be starting” to work as the restrictions in Kildare, Laois and Offaly worked, but he added “the virus is spreading at a nearly constant rate throughout the rest of the country”.
Prof Nolan explained that the “epidemic, measured in detected cases and hospitalisations, has been growing exponentially, at the same rate, since July. We have, collectively, had too many social contacts. The virus is transmitting, and cases and hospitalisations growing”.
He alluded to the fact that deaths remain relatively low compared to the spring time by stressing that mortality with the virus “is not negligible and significantly greater than influenza. The only way to protect the vulnerable is to greatly reduce the level of circulating virus in the community”.
In his Twitter thread, he concluded: “We should not ignore or dismiss the rising numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections. We monitor hospitalisations, intensive care admissions, and with great sadness, deaths, and we know where these numbers will go if we do not suppress transmission of the virus.
“This is not meant to scare people. It’s asking us to be honest with ourselves. And it’s not inevitable. On the contrary, if we redouble our efforts to minimise our social contacts, keep our distance when with others, and stay home if feeling unwell, we can beat this.”
‘Serious concern’
Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is under way across Europe, as he expressed sympathies to US president Donald Trump and his wife Melania after the couple tested positive.
"May I say as a preface to this, to wish President Trump and his wife Melania the very best in terms of wishing them a speedy recovery," Mr Martin said on the sidelines of a summit of the 27 European Union leaders in Brussels.
“It’s difficult for them to have tested positive for Covid-19 and we wish them a speedy recovery. It reminds us all of the very present prevalence of this virus.”
Mr Trump's challenger Democratic candidate Joe Biden announced on Friday evening that he and his wife Dr Jill Biden had tested negative. Mr Trump and Mr Biden held a socially-distanced debate on Tuesday.
The 27 EU leaders met to discuss the severe economic impact of the pandemic among other issues, in a summit that had been delayed by a week because its chair European Council president Charles Michel was forced to go into quarantine after exposure to the virus.
Mr Martin said the leaders had agreed to work on increased co-ordination in procuring and distributing vaccines currently under development, and on a system of classifying risk in different countries that would bring travel rules across the EU into line.
“Today in the European Council it’s very, very clear that a second wave is on the way across Europe,” Mr Martin warned, describing a “very similar pattern, younger people being infected first, then a higher incidence among the broader population”.
“There’s a lot of concern about the health and economic impact of Covid-19 and also the duration this will continue,” he added.
“The story in Ireland is not unique, it’s quite similar to the pattern across Europe. It calls for increased coordination on a number of fronts.”
Almost 1,000 people in Northern Ireland tested positive for coronavirus on Friday in what is the largest daily increase since the pandemic began.


theirishtimes--2020-10-03--‘I want to forgive them,’ says father of boy (15) racially abused and assaulted in Crumlin

The father of a 15-year-old boy who was physically assaulted and racially abused by a group of men in Crumlin last week has said he forgives the attackers and does not want to encourage further division in the community .
Gardaí are investigating after Seán Munnelly was attacked by three men in Eamonn Ceannt Park in Crumlin in the early afternoon of Monday , September 21st .
The 15-year-old was brought to Crumlin children ’ s hospital where he was treated for punches to his face and kicks to his head .
Seán returned to school last Monday after taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuries , his father Thierry told The Irish Times .
Describing his son as a “ quiet ” and “ gifted ” teenage boy who loves building computers , Thierry said the family “ couldn ’ t comprehend ” why an adult man would attack Seán .
He said his son was hanging out in the park when the three adults started shouting at the group .
“ The boys got a shock but whatever Seán said back meant they gave him a dig in the head .
He can ’ t really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was completely random with racial slurs .
“ His 14-year-old friend tried to stop the men and another friend got pushed up against a wall .
None of his friends gave up on my son and they stood by him.
” Thierry rushed to to the park after receiving a call about the attack and found his son severely beaten up .
“ He was trying not to cry but you could see he was bawling inside .
I ’ ve gone through some crazy things in my life but when it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you just want to take away their pain.
” Thierry , who is a teacher and community worker in Crumlin , believes he once worked with one of the young men who attacked his son .
However , he is keen to highlight that he only wants to forgive the men for what they did .
“ I know my son will forgive them , that ’ s what he ’ s like .
And I want to forgive them too .
We should embrace diversity and not encourage division.
” Thierry recalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is originally from Burkina Faso , often got “ looks ” bringing up a mixed race family in Crumlin but that Ireland “ is gradually changing ” when it comes to embracing its more diverse population .
“ My kids ain ’ t black , they ain ’ t white , they ’ re the best of both , they ’ re mixed race .
And Ireland has a huge community of mixed race kids .
“ They have had the ‘ n ’ word thrown at them and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need to educate people to have a different mindset .
You ’ re not born to hate.
” Thierry says his son ’ s physical injuries are healing quickly and that he ’ s happy to be back in school and building computers with his friends .
He hopes Seán , who was diagnosed with “ gifted intelligence ” at a young age , can return to the DCU Centre for Talented Youth where he has attended classes before .
“ For my kid to have friends who are geeky in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seán is a forgiving guy so I hope we can all move forward.
” Thierry plans to use his own experiences of the barriers he encountered through life to help educate young people in Crumlin to create a more inclusive community .
“ I want the situation to get better , I don ’ t want to get bitter .
I want healing in our neighbourhood .
”

The father of a 15-year-old boy who was physically assaulted and racially abused by a group of men in Crumlin last week has said he forgives the attackers and does not want to encourage further division in the community.
Gardaí are investigating after Seán Munnelly was attacked by three men in Eamonn Ceannt Park in Crumlin in the early afternoon of Monday, September 21st.
The 15-year-old was brought to Crumlin children’s hospital where he was treated for punches to his face and kicks to his head. Seán returned to school last Monday after taking a week off to recover from his injuries, his father Thierry told The Irish Times.
Describing his son as a “quiet” and “gifted” teenage boy who loves building computers, Thierry said the family “couldn’t comprehend” why an adult man would attack Seán.
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He said his son was hanging out in the park when the three adults started shouting at the group.
“The boys got a shock but whatever Seán said back meant they gave him a dig in the head. He can’t really remember what happened after that. It was completely random with racial slurs.
“His 14-year-old friend tried to stop the men and another friend got pushed up against a wall. None of his friends gave up on my son and they stood by him.”
Thierry rushed to to the park after receiving a call about the attack and found his son severely beaten up. “He was trying not to cry but you could see he was bawling inside. I’ve gone through some crazy things in my life but when it’s someone you love in trouble, you just want to take away their pain.”
Embracing diversity
Thierry, who is a teacher and community worker in Crumlin, believes he once worked with one of the young men who attacked his son. However, he is keen to highlight that he only wants to forgive the men for what they did.
“I know my son will forgive them, that’s what he’s like. And I want to forgive them too. We should embrace diversity and not encourage division.”
Thierry recalls how he and his wife Sylvie, who is originally from Burkina Faso, often got "looks" bringing up a mixed race family in Crumlin but that Ireland "is gradually changing" when it comes to embracing its more diverse population.
“My kids ain’t black, they ain’t white, they’re the best of both, they’re mixed race. And Ireland has a huge community of mixed race kids.
“They have had the ‘n’ word thrown at them and that’s crazy, it isn’t right. We need to educate people to have a different mindset. You’re not born to hate.”
Thierry says his son’s physical injuries are healing quickly and that he’s happy to be back in school and building computers with his friends. He hopes Seán, who was diagnosed with “gifted intelligence” at a young age, can return to the DCU Centre for Talented Youth where he has attended classes before. “For my kid to have friends who are geeky in a good way gives me comfort. Seán is a forgiving guy so I hope we can all move forward.”
Thierry plans to use his own experiences of the barriers he encountered through life to help educate young people in Crumlin to create a more inclusive community. “I want the situation to get better, I don’t want to get bitter. I want healing in our neighbourhood.”