theirishtimes--2020-02-04--School buildings and the election: ‘Our children are the future’

Mary Healy , a mother of two , says it was “ one of the happiest days of my life ” when she heard a new primary school would be built close to her home .
That was five years ago , and today there is still no sign of a permanent building for the school .
Pelletstown Educate Together National School operates out of what used to be the “ marketing suite ” for an apartment complex , which has been leased from a property developer .
Parents , pupils and teachers still don ’ t know if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary location near Ashtown in Dublin this summer .
“ It ’ s a huge election issue among parents here , ” says Healy , who lives in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar ’ s Dublin West constituency .
“ This area has grown very fast , but the infrastructure for education isn ’ t here .
It ’ s been a case of ‘ build , build , build ’ , but there ’ s a real lack of thought when it comes to schools .
It ’ s an afterthought .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary school .
And there ’ s no provision for a secondary school .
.
.
It ’ s a source of huge uncertainty.
” Healy ’ s experience is replicated in many other fast-growing communities around the country .
While housing and health have dominated the election campaign , at a local level , education is emerging as a key political issue , especially in the commuter belt .
Staff , pupils and parents at dozens of schools have been hanging on for years for proper buildings .
In frustration , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the run-up to polling day in an attempt to make an impression on candidates .
The latest figures indicate that more than 300 schools nationally are waiting for new buildings .
Hundreds more require extensions or refurbishment .
All this comes at a time when a demographic bulge is working its way through and heaping pressure on an over-stretched education system .
The Department of Education says record levels of funding have been going towards school buildings , with €620 million allocated for this year .
It estimates that construction on about 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , delivering more than 30,000 places for pupils .
However , Educate Together , the school patron body , says too many new schools are obliged to work in buildings that are unsuitable , in locations that are often outside their catchment areas .
For example , of the 12 schools it opened last year , all were in temporary buildings .
“ Educate Together is calling on all candidates and parties to commit to supporting legislation that all new housing estates must have schools ready for the families who move in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their constituency opens on time and in modern , safe facilities , ” Educate Together said .
In Bray , Co Wicklow , years of delays in securing a permanent home for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School has become a hotly debated topic .
In 2016 the department announced the school ’ s new home would be on a gleaming new campus co-located with Bray Institute of Further Education .
Four years on , the school is still on a temporary site that has no play area or sports hall – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curriculum .
Jonathan Browner , the school ’ s principal , says the school is still waiting for a clear sign as to when it will have a permanent home .
The uncertainty is particularly tough on its students with autism spectrum disorder , who thrive on routine .
In the meantime , the school is due to leave its current temporary building this summer and move to yet another non-permanent premises in the town .
Over at Stepaside Secondary School in south Co Dublin , students and staff find themselves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established four years ago in prefabs located in the local rugby club ’ s car park .
Its current temporary home is in spare classrooms at the local primary school .
It is due to outgrow this shortly and move to another set of prefabs this summer .
School officials are worried that it will have to “ massively ” reduce its planned student numbers if it does not move to a permanent home soon .
During the election , students , teachers , parents and local politicians have been marching to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be to highlight their concerns over the delay .
At Coláiste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole , Co Wicklow , parents say long delays in expanding the school mean almost 60 children are without a secondary school place for the coming school year .
While it was built for 580 pupils , it accommodates 800 .
The additional 220 students are educated in single-storey prefabs ; it says double-storey structures are needed urgently to expand the capacity to a 1,000-pupil school .
Parents , pupils , staff and local politicians held a silent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of local children last Saturday .
Back at Pelletstown , staff say the school ’ s temporary setting , cramped conditions and uncertain future pose problems every day .
There is no school assembly , says the principal , Caitríona Ní Cheallaigh , because there is nowhere to fit the pupils .
Some classes for special needs pupils take place in corridors .
There is no gym either , so sport and PE are off the agenda when it rains .
In the meantime , the school has been told to vacate its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have no clarity on where it will be located , ” says Ní Cheallaigh .
The school is carrying out a “ build-watch ” awareness walk , where staff and pupils walk from the school ’ s current site to the two possible locations where it could be in September .
“ It always seems to be far down the list of priorities – but it shouldn ’ t be , ” says Healy .
“ Our children are the future .
They need to be valued , and need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why it ’ s a big voting issue here .
”

Mary Healy, a mother of two, says it was “one of the happiest days of my life” when she heard a new primary school would be built close to her home.
That was five years ago, and today there is still no sign of a permanent building for the school.
Pelletstown Educate Together National School operates out of what used to be the "marketing suite" for an apartment complex, which has been leased from a property developer.
Parents, pupils and teachers still don't know if the school will have to move to another temporary location near Ashtown in Dublin this summer.
READ MORE
"It's a huge election issue among parents here," says Healy, who lives in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's Dublin West constituency.
“This area has grown very fast, but the infrastructure for education isn’t here. It’s been a case of ‘build, build, build’, but there’s a real lack of thought when it comes to schools. It’s an afterthought. So, we still don’t have a primary school. And there’s no provision for a secondary school . . . It’s a source of huge uncertainty.”
Healy’s experience is replicated in many other fast-growing communities around the country. While housing and health have dominated the election campaign, at a local level, education is emerging as a key political issue, especially in the commuter belt.
Staff, pupils and parents at dozens of schools have been hanging on for years for proper buildings. In frustration, many are now taking part in protests in the run-up to polling day in an attempt to make an impression on candidates.
The latest figures indicate that more than 300 schools nationally are waiting for new buildings. Hundreds more require extensions or refurbishment.
Demographic bulge
All this comes at a time when a demographic bulge is working its way through and heaping pressure on an over-stretched education system.
The Department of Education says record levels of funding have been going towards school buildings, with €620 million allocated for this year.
It estimates that construction on about 60 large-scale school building projects will begin this year, delivering more than 30,000 places for pupils.
However, Educate Together, the school patron body, says too many new schools are obliged to work in buildings that are unsuitable, in locations that are often outside their catchment areas. For example, of the 12 schools it opened last year, all were in temporary buildings.
The school is on a temporary site that has no play area or sports hall – even though PE is a core part of the curriculum
“Educate Together is calling on all candidates and parties to commit to supporting legislation that all new housing estates must have schools ready for the families who move in and to ensure that any new school in their constituency opens on time and in modern, safe facilities,” Educate Together said.
In Bray, Co Wicklow, years of delays in securing a permanent home for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School has become a hotly debated topic. In 2016 the department announced the school's new home would be on a gleaming new campus co-located with Bray Institute of Further Education.
Four years on, the school is still on a temporary site that has no play area or sports hall – even though PE is core part of the curriculum.
Jonathan Browner, the school's principal, says the school is still waiting for a clear sign as to when it will have a permanent home. The uncertainty is particularly tough on its students with autism spectrum disorder, who thrive on routine.
In the meantime, the school is due to leave its current temporary building this summer and move to yet another non-permanent premises in the town.
Over at Stepaside Secondary School in south Co Dublin, students and staff find themselves in a similar situation. The school was established four years ago in prefabs located in the local rugby club's car park.
Spare classrooms
Its current temporary home is in spare classrooms at the local primary school. It is due to outgrow this shortly and move to another set of prefabs this summer.
School officials are worried that it will have to “massively” reduce its planned student numbers if it does not move to a permanent home soon. During the election, students, teachers, parents and local politicians have been marching to the site where its permanent home is meant to be to highlight their concerns over the delay.
At Coláiste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, parents say long delays in expanding the school mean almost 60 children are without a secondary school place for the coming school year.
Staff say the school's temporary setting, cramped conditions and uncertain future pose problems every day
While it was built for 580 pupils, it accommodates 800. The additional 220 students are educated in single-storey prefabs; it says double-storey structures are needed urgently to expand the capacity to a 1,000-pupil school.
Parents, pupils, staff and local politicians held a silent protest to highlight the “neglect” of local children last Saturday.
Back at Pelletstown, staff say the school’s temporary setting, cramped conditions and uncertain future pose problems every day.
There is no school assembly, says the principal, Caitríona Ní Cheallaigh, because there is nowhere to fit the pupils.
Some classes for special needs pupils take place in corridors . There is no gym either, so sport and PE are off the agenda when it rains.
In the meantime, the school has been told to vacate its current temporary home on June 26th.
“We have no clarity on where it will be located,” says Ní Cheallaigh.
The school is carrying out a “build-watch” awareness walk, where staff and pupils walk from the school’s current site to the two possible locations where it could be in September.
“It always seems to be far down the list of priorities – but it shouldn’t be,” says Healy. “Our children are the future. They need to be valued, and need to feel that way. That’s why it’s a big voting issue here.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Covid-19: Shipping line Stena vows to keep supply lines open

One of Europe ’ s largest ferry companies has said it could continue to run freight-only services to Ireland in a worst-case staffing scenario .
On Monday , Stena Line said it would continue its normal UK and Ireland operations but because of “ daily changes in prevailing circumstances and Government advice , sailing schedules are naturally under constant review ” .
The shipping line said “ now , more than ever , freight supply lines are vital to help keep the supermarkets stocked and ensure critical medicines and medical equipment are delivered .
We will do everything within our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open and functioning.
” A spokesman for the operator told The Irish Times the company had been carrying out “ muster tests ” to assess various levels of on-board crewing with which it could operate in different scenarios .
Crew levels are designed with safety in mind and directly proportionate to the number of passengers .
To date , not a single Stena Line employee in Europe has been infected with the coronavirus and the spokesman said that even in the event staff numbers were depleted dramatically , freight-only services could be maintained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes to keep the supply lines open ; people don ’ t have to worry , ” he said .
Freight capacity on Stena Line vessels have increased in the last two weeks , a development believed to be linked to consumer stockpiling .
Two weeks ago the company reduced sick-pay entitlements but has still registered record staff turnout .
As a consequence of recent disruption , Stena has lost 80 per cent of traveller traffic and fears an impact to its freight activity .
The company has already been confirmed as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures aboard ship .
These include giving truck drivers their own cabins , the use of electrostatic fog machines for deep cleaning , daily crew briefings and contactless thermometers for anyone showing Covid-19 symptoms .
The company runs 11 ships in the Irish Sea and carries about 300,000 freight units to the Republic annually .

Stena runs 11 ships in the Irish Sea and carries some 300,000 containers to the Republic annually.
One of Europe's largest ferry companies has said it could continue to run freight-only services to Ireland in a worst-case staffing scenario.
On Monday, Stena Line said it would continue its normal UK and Ireland operations but because of “daily changes in prevailing circumstances and Government advice, sailing schedules are naturally under constant review”.
The shipping line said “now, more than ever, freight supply lines are vital to help keep the supermarkets stocked and ensure critical medicines and medical equipment are delivered. We will do everything within our means to keep these important logistics routes open and functioning.”
A spokesman for the operator told The Irish Times the company had been carrying out “muster tests” to assess various levels of on-board crewing with which it could operate in different scenarios.
READ MORE
Crew levels are designed with safety in mind and directly proportionate to the number of passengers.
To date, not a single Stena Line employee in Europe has been infected with the coronavirus and the spokesman said that even in the event staff numbers were depleted dramatically, freight-only services could be maintained.
“We will do whatever it takes to keep the supply lines open; people don’t have to worry,” he said.
Consumer stockpiling
Freight capacity on Stena Line vessels have increased in the last two weeks, a development believed to be linked to consumer stockpiling.
Two weeks ago the company reduced sick-pay entitlements but has still registered record staff turnout.
As a consequence of recent disruption, Stena has lost 80 per cent of traveller traffic and fears an impact to its freight activity.
The company has already been confirmed as an essential service and is ensuring strict safety measures aboard ship. These include giving truck drivers their own cabins, the use of electrostatic fog machines for deep cleaning, daily crew briefings and contactless thermometers for anyone showing Covid-19 symptoms.
The company runs 11 ships in the Irish Sea and carries about 300,000 freight units to the Republic annually.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Total of  Covid-19 diagnoses increases by 295 to 2,910

Eight more patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have died , the National Public Health Emergency Team reported on Monday evening .
Six of the eight deaths were in the east , one was in the south and one was in the west .
The patients included five women and three men ; they had a median age of 86 .
Six of the eight patients had underlying conditions .
The number of newly confirmed cases was 295 .
There are now 2,910 cases of coronavirus in the Republic , and a total of 54 deaths .
An analysis of cases up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women as men are affected by the virus ( 49 per cent of cases against 50 per cent ) .
There are 111 clusters involving 428 cases .
The median age of confirmed cases is 47 years .
One in four cases have required hospitalisation , while 84 of the 2,475 cases under analysis were admitted to ICU .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said : “ We are beginning to see encouraging signs in our efforts to flatten the curve .
However , we can not become complacent as we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admissions every day ” .
Dr Holohan said the measures introduced enjoy widespread public acceptance , with 89 per cent of people surveyed say they were happy with the measures and 94 per cent expressing confidence they would be able to adhere with them .
Prof Philip Nolan , chair of a group carrying out epidemiological modelling for NPHET said Ireland was “ not on the track ” of an unmitigated epidemic .
“ The model reveals that before restrictions were in place , daily growth rate of confirmed cases was at 33 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent days to around 15 per cent .
But it is still growing and needs to fall further.
” Previous estimates of 15,000 people being infected by the end of this month were based on what an “ unmitigated epidemic ” would look like , according to Prof Nolan , absent the measures introduced by Government .
While there were 2,910 cases today , he said , in an unmitigated scenario there would be 3,000 cases today and a total of 15,000 .
“ It takes time to see the impact of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be another 7-10 days before we have a reliable picture of how effective our collective efforts have been.
” Officials again acknowledged there are delays in the time it take to test people , and for samples to be processed , but they were unable to say how long the backlog was , and whether large test centres which closed over equipment shortages would re-open .
HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said shortage of testing kit stock had led to delays but this was being replenished on Monday .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reagent used in tests but the HSE was pursuing a number of supply options .
Asked whether any samples had expired due to the delays , Dr Henry said he was not aware of any expired tests at this stage .

Dr Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, addresses a briefing at the Department of Health. Photograph: Tom Honan
Eight more patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have died, the National Public Health Emergency Team reported on Monday evening.
Six of the eight deaths were in the east, one was in the south and one was in the west.
The patients included five women and three men; they had a median age of 86.
Six of the eight patients had underlying conditions.
READ MORE
The number of newly confirmed cases was 295.
There are now 2,910 cases of coronavirus in the Republic, and a total of 54 deaths.
An analysis of cases up to last Saturday show almost as many women as men are affected by the virus (49 per cent of cases against 50 per cent). There are 111 clusters involving 428 cases.
The median age of confirmed cases is 47 years.
One in four cases have required hospitalisation, while 84 of the 2,475 cases under analysis were admitted to ICU.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said: "We are beginning to see encouraging signs in our efforts to flatten the curve. However, we cannot become complacent as we are still seeing new cases and more ICU admissions every day".
Dr Holohan said the measures introduced enjoy widespread public acceptance, with 89 per cent of people surveyed say they were happy with the measures and 94 per cent expressing confidence they would be able to adhere with them.
Prof Philip Nolan, chair of a group carrying out epidemiological modelling for NPHET said Ireland was "not on the track" of an unmitigated epidemic.
“The model reveals that before restrictions were in place, daily growth rate of confirmed cases was at 33 per cent. This has fallen in recent days to around 15 per cent. But it is still growing and needs to fall further.”
Previous estimates of 15,000 people being infected by the end of this month were based on what an “unmitigated epidemic” would look like, according to Prof Nolan, absent the measures introduced by Government.
While there were 2,910 cases today, he said, in an unmitigated scenario there would be 3,000 cases today and a total of 15,000.
“It takes time to see the impact of our efforts in the numbers. It will be another 7-10 days before we have a reliable picture of how effective our collective efforts have been.”
Officials again acknowledged there are delays in the time it take to test people, and for samples to be processed, but they were unable to say how long the backlog was, and whether large test centres which closed over equipment shortages would re-open.
HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said shortage of testing kit stock had led to delays but this was being replenished on Monday . There was a lot of global competition for the reagent used in tests but the HSE was pursuing a number of supply options.
Asked whether any samples had expired due to the delays, Dr Henry said he was not aware of any expired tests at this stage.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--‘No evidence’ to support wearing of surgical masks by healthcare workers

There is no evidence to support the wearing of surgical masks by healthcare workers for close patient encounters and staff meetings , according to new official guidance .
The guidance was issued by Health Service Executive clinical lead on infection control Prof Martin Cormican in response to moves towards routine wearing of face masks by a number of hospitals .
One Dublin hospital last week advised staff they should wear surgical masks for all patient encounters and meetings between staff where social distancing of at two metres can not be maintained .
The stated aim of the guidance , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to prevent the spread of Covid-19 from mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic healthcare workers to patients and colleagues .
The recommendation is to use three masks a day if working a 12-hour shift and two for shorter shifts .
However , Prof Cormican said the recommendation “ is not supported by evidence and is not consistent with national guidance ” .
“ The basis for the recommendation is problematic in that it may suggest that the risk from mildly symptomatic healthcare workers attending work can be managed by mask use .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to promote poor practice in relation to use of masks and thereby increase risk for patients and colleagues.
” “ If a hospital recommends adoption of a measure that is not supported by evidence or consensus of expert opinion it has a responsibility to ensure that the measure does not expose staff to increased risk.
” According to Prof Cormican , safe mask use means masks are tied appropriately and removed and discarded any time a person takes a toilet break , answers the phone or uncovers their mouth to eat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This can not be accomplished with the number of masks proposed in the recommendation above.
” While acknowledging many staff are fearful for their own health and the wearing of masks provides “ a sense of security for many people ” Prof Cormican said the recommendation to use three , or two , masks during a shift is “ likely to be counterproductive ” .
The World Health Organisation , he pointed out , said mask-wearing by asymptomatic people was not recommended as it caused unnecessary cost and “ creates a false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the WHO mission to China found asymptomatic transmission of the virus was “ relatively rare and does not appear to be a major driver of transmission ” .
“ There is some uncertainty regarding the extent to which infected but asymptomatic people may disperse infectious droplets but in so far as it occurs , it is likely to be very much less than those who are symptomatic .
“ Even if the hypothesis that transmission from truly asymptomatic healthcare workers in the healthcare setting is significant is accepted , there is no evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is effective in reducing this beyond what is achieved by standard precautions ( hand hygiene , respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette and environmental cleaning ) and minimising interpersonal interaction .
”

The WHO said mask-wearing by asymptomatic people was not recommended as it caused unnecessary cost and “creates a false sense of security”. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
There is no evidence to support the wearing of surgical masks by healthcare workers for close patient encounters and staff meetings, according to new official guidance.
The guidance was issued by Health Service Executive clinical lead on infection control Prof Martin Cormican in response to moves towards routine wearing of face masks by a number of hospitals.
One Dublin hospital last week advised staff they should wear surgical masks for all patient encounters and meetings between staff where social distancing of at two metres cannot be maintained.
The stated aim of the guidance, which has been adopted by other hospitals, is to prevent the spread of Covid-19 from mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic healthcare workers to patients and colleagues. The recommendation is to use three masks a day if working a 12-hour shift and two for shorter shifts.
READ MORE
However, Prof Cormican said the recommendation “is not supported by evidence and is not consistent with national guidance”.
“The basis for the recommendation is problematic in that it may suggest that the risk from mildly symptomatic healthcare workers attending work can be managed by mask use.
“The recommendation is problematic because it can be expected to promote poor practice in relation to use of masks and thereby increase risk for patients and colleagues.”
“If a hospital recommends adoption of a measure that is not supported by evidence or consensus of expert opinion it has a responsibility to ensure that the measure does not expose staff to increased risk.”
According to Prof Cormican, safe mask use means masks are tied appropriately and removed and discarded any time a person takes a toilet break, answers the phone or uncovers their mouth to eat, drink or for any other reason.
“This cannot be accomplished with the number of masks proposed in the recommendation above.”
Sense of security
While acknowledging many staff are fearful for their own health and the wearing of masks provides “a sense of security for many people” Prof Cormican said the recommendation to use three, or two, masks during a shift is “likely to be counterproductive”.
The World Health Organisation, he pointed out, said mask-wearing by asymptomatic people was not recommended as it caused unnecessary cost and "creates a false sense of security".
Meanwhile, the WHO mission to China found asymptomatic transmission of the virus was "relatively rare and does not appear to be a major driver of transmission".
“There is some uncertainty regarding the extent to which infected but asymptomatic people may disperse infectious droplets but in so far as it occurs, it is likely to be very much less than those who are symptomatic.
“Even if the hypothesis that transmission from truly asymptomatic healthcare workers in the healthcare setting is significant is accepted, there is no evidence that the universal use of surgical masks is effective in reducing this beyond what is achieved by standard precautions (hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette and environmental cleaning) and minimising interpersonal interaction.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Quinn Industrial Holdings lays off 600 staff temporarily

About 600 staff at Quinn Industrial Holdings ( QIH ) on the Fermanagh/Cavan border have been furloughed or laid off temporarily as a result of the coronavirus outbreak .
The company directors are to take a 50 per cent pay cut .
Employees at Quinn Packaging – which supplies packaging to the food sector and is therefore deemed an essential business – and a small number of employees who are able to work from home are unaffected .
QIH , which manufactures building products and consumer packaging , employs about 830 people in Ballyconnell , Co Cavan , and Derrylin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a company spokesman said that following the announcements by the Irish and British governments last week of new restrictions designed to slow the spread of coronavirus , QIH had “ closed and/or substantially scaled back all operations that require physical attendance at work and which were not included in the published list of essential business ” .
As a result , the spokesman said , about 600 staff would be “ furloughed or placed on temporary layoff and paid in accordance with the relevant Government support scheme applicable to their roles ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very challenging disruption for staff and their families but it is necessary and unavoidable if we are to protect one another from this global pandemic and safeguard the lives of the most vulnerable in our community , ” the spokesman said .
Last year one of QIH ’ s directors , Kevin Lunney , was abducted and left with life-changing injuries as part of an ongoing campaign of violence and threats against the company ’ s executives .
The business was founded many years ago by Northern Ireland businessman Seán Quinn , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decade ago .

About 600 staff at Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) on the Fermanagh/Cavan border have been furloughed or laid off temporarily as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The company directors are to take a 50 per cent pay cut. Employees at Quinn Packaging – which supplies packaging to the food sector and is therefore deemed an essential business – and a small number of employees who are able to work from home are unaffected.
QIH, which manufactures building products and consumer packaging, employs about 830 people in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, and Derrylin, Co Fermanagh.
In a statement, a company spokesman said that following the announcements by the Irish and British governments last week of new restrictions designed to slow the spread of coronavirus, QIH had “closed and/or substantially scaled back all operations that require physical attendance at work and which were not included in the published list of essential business”.
READ MORE
Temporary layoffs
As a result, the spokesman said, about 600 staff would be “furloughed or placed on temporary layoff and paid in accordance with the relevant Government support scheme applicable to their roles”.
“QIH recognises this is a very challenging disruption for staff and their families but it is necessary and unavoidable if we are to protect one another from this global pandemic and safeguard the lives of the most vulnerable in our community,” the spokesman said.
Last year one of QIH's directors, Kevin Lunney, was abducted and left with life-changing injuries as part of an ongoing campaign of violence and threats against the company's executives. The business was founded many years ago by Northern Ireland businessman Seán Quinn, who went bankrupt following the financial crash of a decade ago.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Covid-19: Foster and O’Neill united in struggle to save lives

The North ’ s First and Deputy First ministers admitted on Monday to a “ difference of emphasis ” on tackling the coronavirus crisis , but said the Executive ’ s “ common purpose ” is to save lives .
The DUP ’ s Arlene Foster and Michelle O ’ Neill of Sinn Féin rejected any suggestion of discord and said differing views were to be expected in a five-party Executive .
On Monday Northern Ireland recorded another coronavirus fatality , bringing the North ’ s death toll to 22 .
A further 123 infections were also identified , bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Executive Ministers are due to meet the Irish Government in a North-South meeting later on Tuesday .
There have been tensions within the North ’ s Executive over whether to follow the guidance from the UK government , or to adopt an all-island approach and policies more in line with those of the Irish Government .
Ms O ’ Neill expressed “ concerns around protection for staff with [ personal protection equipment ] PPE .
I have concerns around the level of testing , that we ’ re not doing enough in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said she would continue to raise such concerns .
But , she added , “ this isn ’ t an orange and green issue .
This isn ’ t a Dublin versus London [ issue ] , it ’ s not even about the DUP versus Sinn Féin .
This is about me standing up for the views that I have heard from those people who work on the front line and I will continue to do that.
” There have also been differences between the parties over which firms should remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business forum aimed at resolving the issue , and chaired by the Labour Relations Agency , held its first meeting on Monday .
Mrs Foster said it had been a “ very good meeting ” and the outcome of its discussions would be presented to the Executive for consideration .
“ None of these issues are easy , we know that .
.
.
but we need everyone to be on the same page as to what is expected in the workplace , ” she added .
The Police Service of Northern Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been diagnosed with the virus and several other officers and staff are self-isolating as a precaution .
The police service said there had been some issues with people driving to parks and beaches over the weekend , but the “ vast majority ” of people are complying with restrictions .
Chief Constable Simon Byrne told BBC Radio Ulster that there had been “ a few occasions over the weekend where we have stepped up patrols in some of our beauty spots where we have had to advise people to go home ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ really responsible and co-operative ” .
Meanwhile , the band Snow Patrol and The Lightbody Foundation – the charity founded by the band ’ s singer Gary Lightbody – have announced they are to donate £150,000 ( €169,000 ) to food banks in Northern Ireland .

First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill rejected any suggestion of disunity. File photograph: PA
The North’s First and Deputy First ministers admitted on Monday to a “difference of emphasis” on tackling the coronavirus crisis, but said the Executive’s “common purpose” is to save lives.
The DUP's Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Féin rejected any suggestion of discord and said differing views were to be expected in a five-party Executive.
On Monday Northern Ireland recorded another coronavirus fatality, bringing the North's death toll to 22. A further 123 infections were also identified, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 533.
Executive Ministers are due to meet the Irish Government in a North-South meeting later on Tuesday.
READ MORE
There have been tensions within the North’s Executive over whether to follow the guidance from the UK government, or to adopt an all-island approach and policies more in line with those of the Irish Government.
Ms O’Neill expressed “concerns around protection for staff with [personal protection equipment] PPE. I have concerns around the level of testing, that we’re not doing enough in terms of community testing”. And she said she would continue to raise such concerns.
But, she added, “this isn’t an orange and green issue. This isn’t a Dublin versus London [issue], it’s not even about the DUP versus Sinn Féin. This is about me standing up for the views that I have heard from those people who work on the front line and I will continue to do that.”
There have also been differences between the parties over which firms should remain open and which should close.
A business forum aimed at resolving the issue, and chaired by the Labour Relations Agency, held its first meeting on Monday.
Mrs Foster said it had been a “very good meeting” and the outcome of its discussions would be presented to the Executive for consideration.
“None of these issues are easy, we know that . . . but we need everyone to be on the same page as to what is expected in the workplace,” she added.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland revealed that two of its members have been diagnosed with the virus and several other officers and staff are self-isolating as a precaution.
The police service said there had been some issues with people driving to parks and beaches over the weekend, but the “vast majority” of people are complying with restrictions.
Chief Constable Simon Byrne told BBC Radio Ulster that there had been "a few occasions over the weekend where we have stepped up patrols in some of our beauty spots where we have had to advise people to go home". But in general people had been "really responsible and co-operative".
Meanwhile, the band Snow Patrol and The Lightbody Foundation – the charity founded by the band's singer Gary Lightbody – have announced they are to donate £150,000 (€169,000) to food banks in Northern Ireland.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Nursing homes await support to protect residents

New recommendations on how to deal with the coronavirus crisis in the hundreds of nursing homes around the State will be issued by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Tuesday .
The news came after figures released on Monday showed there were 22 clusters of coronavirus infections in nursing homes as of Friday , a sharp increase on the four clusters that had been recorded just five days earlier .
All but two of the outbreaks have occurred in nursing homes in the east of the country .
The remaining two are in the northeast .
Minister for Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday with representatives of Nursing Homes Ireland , the body that acts for the operators of private and voluntary nursing homes .
Speaking afterwards , Mr Harris said the clusters in the homes were a cause for concern .
Private and voluntary nursing homes , as well as those run by the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) , look after some 29,000 elderly and vulnerable people .
Chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland Tadhg Daly said the operators he represents were “ on the front line ” in the State ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told Mr Harris the sector needed timely access to personal protection equipment , and testing for the virus within nursing homes .
The other issues raised at the meeting were the need for enhanced staffing , and new financial arrangements for the operators of the homes .
Mr Daly has said the sector is concerned about staff being attracted into taking up positions with the HSE and leaving .
He also said the increased costs to the homes of addressing the crisis could be in the hundreds of millions of euro .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressing the protection equipment and staffing issues and “ to bring forward a package of financial supports for nursing homes before the end of the week ” .
Each member in Mr Daly ’ s organisation negotiates its own budgetary arrangements with the State .
A spokeswoman for the HSE said it was preparing for the expected surge in Covid-19 by ensuring nursing homes were supported by way of clinical guidance , personal protection equipment provision and other additional measures “ in the event of significant or large outbreaks of Covid-19 in individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing home sector is one of the responsibilities of the HSE ’ s nine Area Crisis Management Teams ( ACMTs ) in place around the State , charged with managing Covid-19-related problems .
One nursing home operator who spoke to The Irish Times said that her concerns included having access to an adequate supply of oxygen for the residents in her facility , should they need it as a result of becoming infected with Covid-19 .

Chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland Tadhg Daly: the sector needs access to personal protection equipment and testing for the virus within nursing homes. Photograph: Bryan James Brophy
New recommendations on how to deal with the coronavirus crisis in the hundreds of nursing homes around the State will be issued by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Tuesday.
The news came after figures released on Monday showed there were 22 clusters of coronavirus infections in nursing homes as of Friday, a sharp increase on the four clusters that had been recorded just five days earlier. All but two of the outbreaks have occurred in nursing homes in the east of the country. The remaining two are in the northeast.
Minister for Health Simon Harris met for over an hour on Monday with representatives of Nursing Homes Ireland, the body that acts for the operators of private and voluntary nursing homes. Speaking afterwards, Mr Harris said the clusters in the homes were a cause for concern.
Elderly and vulnerable
Private and voluntary nursing homes, as well as those run by the Health Service Executive (HSE), look after some 29,000 elderly and vulnerable people.
READ MORE
Chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland Tadhg Daly said the operators he represents were "on the front line" in the State's response to Covid-19.
He said he told Mr Harris the sector needed timely access to personal protection equipment, and testing for the virus within nursing homes.
The other issues raised at the meeting were the need for enhanced staffing, and new financial arrangements for the operators of the homes.
Mr Daly has said the sector is concerned about staff being attracted into taking up positions with the HSE and leaving. He also said the increased costs to the homes of addressing the crisis could be in the hundreds of millions of euro.
He said Mr Harris committed to immediately addressing the protection equipment and staffing issues and “to bring forward a package of financial supports for nursing homes before the end of the week”. Each member in Mr Daly’s organisation negotiates its own budgetary arrangements with the State.
Outbreaks in homes
A spokeswoman for the HSE said it was preparing for the expected surge in Covid-19 by ensuring nursing homes were supported by way of clinical guidance, personal protection equipment provision and other additional measures “in the event of significant or large outbreaks of Covid-19 in individual nursing homes”.
Support for the nursing home sector is one of the responsibilities of the HSE's nine Area Crisis Management Teams (ACMTs) in place around the State, charged with managing Covid-19-related problems. One nursing home operator who spoke to The Irish Times said that her concerns included having access to an adequate supply of oxygen for the residents in her facility, should they need it as a result of becoming infected with Covid-19.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Covid-19: Teachers may be redeployed outside education sector

Teachers may be redeployed to work outside the education sector as part of the Government ’ s efforts to deal with coronavirus .
In a circular to school managers on March 27th , the Department of Education said under overall Government guidance all public servants who were not medically advised to self-isolate “ must be available to carry out work either to deliver services within their own sector [ as a priority ] or for temporary assignment within the wider public service .
Employers will be asked to determine which of their employees will provide educational services to their pupils.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any employee who is not required to be retained in providing educational services will , therefore , be available to be assigned on a temporary basis to support delivery of other essential public services .
“ This temporary assignment will be managed on a structured , centralised basis through this Department and the Public Appointments Service .
Further details on the practical arrangements for this will be advised to employers shortly.
” On March 23rd , the trade union Fórsa said it had been advised that special needs assistants could be redeployed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s contact tracing service for those potentially affected by coronavirus .
On March 27th , the Department of Public Expenditure issued overall guidelines to the public service .
These indicated that where there were limited opportunities for remote working in an employee ’ s current role , organisations should seek to identify any staff suitable to be redeployed under the Government ’ s temporary assignment scheme to apply during the coronavirus pandemic .

The circular to school managers said any employee not needed in educational services “will, therefore, be available to be assigned on a temporary basis to support delivery of other essential public services.” Photograph: Getty Images
Teachers may be redeployed to work outside the education sector as part of the Government’s efforts to deal with coronavirus.
In a circular to school managers on March 27th, the Department of Education said under overall Government guidance all public servants who were not medically advised to self-isolate “must be available to carry out work either to deliver services within their own sector [as a priority] or for temporary assignment within the wider public service. Employers will be asked to determine which of their employees will provide educational services to their pupils.”
The circular also noted that “any employee who is not required to be retained in providing educational services will, therefore, be available to be assigned on a temporary basis to support delivery of other essential public services.
“This temporary assignment will be managed on a structured, centralised basis through this Department and the Public Appointments Service. Further details on the practical arrangements for this will be advised to employers shortly.”
READ MORE
On March 23rd, the trade union Fórsa said it had been advised that special needs assistants could be redeployed, most likely to the Health Service Executive’s contact tracing service for those potentially affected by coronavirus.
On March 27th, the Department of Public Expenditure issued overall guidelines to the public service. These indicated that where there were limited opportunities for remote working in an employee’s current role, organisations should seek to identify any staff suitable to be redeployed under the Government’s temporary assignment scheme to apply during the coronavirus pandemic.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: ‘Loss of freedom . . . quite a shock at the beginning’

Brendan Butler ( 77 ) and Breda ( 72 ) were surviving day three of “ the Cocoon ” on Monday despite a feeling of being “ hemmed in ” in their north Co Dublin home .
The cocooning had “ only really hit ” , said Brendan .
“ It was a bit of a novelty on Sunday .
Then we were hoping to go for a walk , but were not allowed , ” he said .
The “ the loss of freedom ” was felt keenly , he said .
Regularly , they walked “ a mile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a major feature most days , with an espresso on the way home.
” A retired secondary school teacher , he felt lucky to be a good reader and had “ just begun a course in painting , with a lot of canvasses to do ” .
Breda too , a retired physiotherapist , is a reader and had just finished Sineád Gleeson ’ s Constellations .
But the stay-at-home directive had come as “ quite a shock at the beginning ” .
It had made her realise how much time she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ there was lots to do , no hurry , loads of time , so it ’ s not getting done ” .
However she would ’ t be doing any gardening , apart from “ holding the ladder while Brendan trims the hedge ” .
A son of theirs had brought over a consignment of food , as most of their five children live in Dublin and a daughter in Guatemala .
The biggest “ loss ” was their grandchildren , aged 2 to 13 .
She and Brendan were babysitters three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when that too was stopped .
“ It was a big loss , ” she said , and wondered whether the two year old would recognise her when all this was over .
But there was social media and she was used to getting to see them on Zoom .

Brendan and Breda Butler safely indoors in their home in Malahide, Co Dublin: they will take refuge in reading. Photograph: Tom Honan
Brendan Butler (77) and Breda (72) were surviving day three of "the Cocoon" on Monday despite a feeling of being "hemmed in" in their north Co Dublin home.
The cocooning had “only really hit”, said Brendan. “It was a bit of a novelty on Sunday. Then we were hoping to go for a walk, but were not allowed,” he said.
The "the loss of freedom" was felt keenly, he said. Regularly, they walked "a mile and a half around Malahide. It was a major feature most days, with an espresso on the way home."
A retired secondary school teacher, he felt lucky to be a good reader and had “just begun a course in painting, with a lot of canvasses to do”.
READ MORE
Breda too, a retired physiotherapist, is a reader and had just finished Sineád Gleeson’s Constellations.
‘No hurry’
But the stay-at-home directive had come as “quite a shock at the beginning”. It had made her realise how much time she spent out of the house. But “there was lots to do, no hurry, loads of time, so it’s not getting done”.
However she wouldn’t be doing any gardening, apart from “holding the ladder while Brendan trims the hedge”.
A son of theirs had brought over a consignment of food, as most of their five children live in Dublin and a daughter in Guatemala.
The biggest “loss” was their grandchildren, aged 2 to 13. She and Brendan were babysitters three days a week up to recently, when that too was stopped. “It was a big loss,” she said, and wondered whether the two year old would recognise her when all this was over. But there was social media and she was used to getting to see them on Zoom.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Backing firms on paying wages to cost State €3.7bn, says Donohoe

The Government subsidy scheme to support companies paying employee wages could cost as much as €3.7 billion for three months , Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said .
As of Sunday , 14,300 companies have signed up to the income-subsidy scheme .
And the number people being supported through it will become clear later this week .
“ The modelling that we have done in relation to it indicated that we believe the cost of this could be approximately €300 million per week with a likely cost of between €3.5 and 3.7 billion over a three-month period , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The whole point of the scheme is that we will pay wages for a period of time up to a certain level .
And by providing the subsidy directly to the employer for that time period , hopefully , give them a fighting chance of emerging from this crisis at the other end.
” However , Mr Donohoe said the cost of the State “ leasing ” the use of 19 private hospitals to help with anticipated demand on intensive care beds was not yet clear .
“ When we are in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use we will be making of the beds and the facilities of course we will be in a position then to be clear on what the cost is going to be , ” he said .
He described it as a partnership between the private and public sector in order to deal with the crisis .
Asked about his position on insurance companies not paying out to clients hit by the virus outbreak , he replied “ now should not be the time to reinterpret insurance contracts in such a way that only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he accepted these are unique circumstances but that he wanted to see insurers being more aware of the consequences of their decisions on companies .
The Minister has been in touch with Insurance Ireland on this point and is awaiting a response .
“ We do need a viable insurance sector , absolutely .
It is a really , really critical part of our economy as an employer alone , ” he said .
“ But all that being said , if we don ’ t ensure that across this crisis , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way of helping the cost of insurance be managed in as fair a way possible it will be an impediment to companies reopening .
”

The Minister for Finance said the point of ‘the scheme is that we will pay wages for a period of time up to a certain level’.
The Government subsidy scheme to support companies paying employee wages could cost as much as €3.7 billion for three months, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said.
As of Sunday, 14,300 companies have signed up to the income-subsidy scheme. And the number people being supported through it will become clear later this week.
"The modelling that we have done in relation to it indicated that we believe the cost of this could be approximately €300 million per week with a likely cost of between €3.5 and 3.7 billion over a three-month period," Mr Donohoe told RTÉ radio.
“The whole point of the scheme is that we will pay wages for a period of time up to a certain level. And by providing the subsidy directly to the employer for that time period, hopefully, give them a fighting chance of emerging from this crisis at the other end.”
READ MORE
However, Mr Donohoe said the cost of the State “leasing” the use of 19 private hospitals to help with anticipated demand on intensive care beds was not yet clear.
“When we are in a position to be clearer regarding how much use we will be making of the beds and the facilities of course we will be in a position then to be clear on what the cost is going to be,” he said.
He described it as a partnership between the private and public sector in order to deal with the crisis.
What about insurance companies?
Asked about his position on insurance companies not paying out to clients hit by the virus outbreak, he replied “now should not be the time to reinterpret insurance contracts in such a way that only favours the company”.
He said he accepted these are unique circumstances but that he wanted to see insurers being more aware of the consequences of their decisions on companies. The Minister has been in touch with Insurance Ireland on this point and is awaiting a response.
“We do need a viable insurance sector, absolutely. It is a really, really critical part of our economy as an employer alone,” he said. “But all that being said, if we don’t ensure that across this crisis, that if we can’t find a way of helping the cost of insurance be managed in as fair a way possible it will be an impediment to companies reopening.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Eight further deaths from Covid-19 reported, 295 new cases detected

Eight more patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have died , the National Public Health Emergency Team reported on Monday evening .
Six of the eight deaths were in the east , one was in the south and one was in the west .
The patients included five women and three men ; they had a median age of 86 Six of the eight patients had underlying conditions .
The number of newly confirmed cases was 295 .
There are now 2,910 cases of coronavirus in the Republic , and a total of 54 deaths .
The patients included five women and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age of 86 .
Six of the eight patients had underlying conditions .
An analysis of cases up to last Saturday show almost as many women as men are affected by the virus ( 49 per cent of cases against 50 per cent ) .
There are 111 clusters involving 428 cases .
The median age of confirmed cases is 47 years .
One in four cases have required hospitalisation , while 84 of the 2,475 cases under analysis were admitted to ICU .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our efforts to flatten the curve .
However , we can not become complacent as we are still seeing new cases and more ICU admissions every day ” .
Dr Holohan said the measures introduced enjoy widespread public acceptance , with 89 per cent of people surveyed say they were happy with the measures and 94 per cent expressing confidence they would be able to adhere with them .
Earlier , Taoiseach Leo Varadkar signalled that additional restrictions could be applied to people travelling into Ireland from abroad amid concern about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaking at Government Buildings on Monday , Mr Varadkar said the Government had no plans to close the borders , but the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) was considering further restrictions on inward bound travellers .
“ We ’ re not going to close our borders .
We need to enable our citizens to come home .
They might be family or friends , they might also be healthcare workers who volunteer to come back and work in the health service , ” Mr Varadkar said .
“ We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need to be able to export medicines to other parts of the world that they need .
“ But the National Public Health Emergency Team last week and this week will examine whether there are additional restrictions or controls that we could apply to people coming into the country that would reduce the risk of imported cases of coronavirus resulting in community transmission here .
“ That is being examined at the moment , and we should be able to do something the next couple of days.
” His comments come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious diseases experts said the Government should consider closing the country ’ s borders to prevent new coronavirus infections coming into the State .
Dr Paddy Mallon , a consultant at St Vincent ’ s University Hospital in Dublin and professor of microbial diseases at UCD , said a major risk to the State was more new Covid-19 infections coming in .
“ We should be looking seriously over the next week at protecting our borders and stopping new infections coming in because it will give us the ability to control the infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government has reached an agreement with private hospitals for the temporary use of their premises during the crisis .
Mr Varadkar said the move did not represent the nationalisation of private hospitals , but rather a partnership between public and private hospitals .
He said that the move would free up 2,000 beds across 19 hospitals , including nine labs , 47 ICU beds and 194 ventilators .
Under the agreement the HSE has secured 100 per cent of the capacity in those private hospitals .
All patients will be treated as public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their operating costs .
Mr Varadkar said it was not possible at this time to indicate a precise cost for the move , but said independent accountants would examine the issue .
The agreement is in place for three months , with an option to extend that afterwards .
Mr Varadkar also moved to clarify that childminders in the home were considered essential workers .
“ There is no such thing as no risk .
People who are working in the retail sector , distribution and the health service are all taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work .
“ We do have a lot of people who are working in our health service , working in transport logistics , working in medical devices and all those areas that we need ticking over , and they are often reliant on a childminder coming into their home , and we would encourage those childminders who are available and willing to work to continue to do so.
” Mr Varadkar said there is also some evidence of a slowdown in the rate of increase in new cases of Covid-19 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judgement on that .
Minister for Health Simon Harris also moved to reassure the public on the quality of imported personal protective equipment ( PPE ) after the Netherlands joined Spain in withdrawing coronavirus equipment bought from Chinese suppliers after finding it defective .
In the Netherlands , the ministry of health issued a recall of hundreds of thousands of face masks that had been distributed to hospitals after finding flaws that prevented them acting as effective barriers against the virus .
Mr Harris said before PPE is purchased the HSE must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO standards , and then once the PPE arrives it is inspected .

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the move to take over the private hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic did not represent the nationalisation of private hospitals. Video: RTÉ
Eight more patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have died, the National Public Health Emergency Team reported on Monday evening.
Six of the eight deaths were in the east, one was in the south and one was in the west. The patients included five women and three men; they had a median age of 86 Six of the eight patients had underlying conditions.
The number of newly confirmed cases was 295, the highest daily number so far. There are now 2,910 cases of coronavirus in the Republic, and a total of 54 deaths.
The chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan at a press briefing at the Department of Health in Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan
The patients included five women and three men; they had a median age of 86.
READ MORE
Six of the eight patients had underlying conditions.
An analysis of cases up to last Saturday show almost as many women as men are affected by the virus (49 per cent of cases against 50 per cent). There are 111 clusters involving 428 cases.
The median age of confirmed cases is 47 years.
One in four cases have required hospitalisation, while 84 of the 2,475 cases under analysis were admitted to ICU.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “We are beginning to see encouraging signs in our efforts to flatten the curve. However, we cannot become complacent as we are still seeing new cases and more ICU admissions every day”.
Dr Holohan said the measures introduced enjoy widespread public acceptance, with 89 per cent of people surveyed say they were happy with the measures and 94 per cent expressing confidence they would be able to adhere with them.
Restrictions
Earlier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar signalled that additional restrictions could be applied to people travelling into Ireland from abroad amid concern about a potential new wave of coronavirus cases.
Speaking at Government Buildings on Monday, Mr Varadkar said the Government had no plans to close the borders, but the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) was considering further restrictions on inward bound travellers.
“We’re not going to close our borders. We need to enable our citizens to come home. They might be family or friends, they might also be healthcare workers who volunteer to come back and work in the health service,” Mr Varadkar said.
“We need to import things like PPE from China. We need to be able to export medicines to other parts of the world that they need.
“But the National Public Health Emergency Team last week and this week will examine whether there are additional restrictions or controls that we could apply to people coming into the country that would reduce the risk of imported cases of coronavirus resulting in community transmission here.
“That is being examined at the moment, and we should be able to do something the next couple of days.”
His comments come after one of Ireland’s leading infectious diseases experts said the Government should consider closing the country’s borders to prevent new coronavirus infections coming into the State.
Dr Paddy Mallon, a consultant at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin and professor of microbial diseases at UCD, said a major risk to the State was more new Covid-19 infections coming in.
“We should be looking seriously over the next week at protecting our borders and stopping new infections coming in because it will give us the ability to control the infections that we have.”
Private hospitals
Meanwhile, the Government has reached an agreement with private hospitals for the temporary use of their premises during the crisis.
Mr Varadkar said the move did not represent the nationalisation of private hospitals, but rather a partnership between public and private hospitals.
He said that the move would free up 2,000 beds across 19 hospitals, including nine labs, 47 ICU beds and 194 ventilators.
Under the agreement the HSE has secured 100 per cent of the capacity in those private hospitals. All patients will be treated as public patients. The hospitals will be reimbursed for their operating costs.
Mr Varadkar said it was not possible at this time to indicate a precise cost for the move, but said independent accountants would examine the issue.
The agreement is in place for three months, with an option to extend that afterwards.
In a statement the te Private Hospitals Association said they “taking this unprecedented step in the national interest and view the move as a critical contribution in the overall strategic management of the pandemic in Ireland.”
“This action on behalf of private hospitals enables the HSE on a temporary and not-for-profit basis, access to the existing bed capacity, high quality equipment and the services of clinicians and health care professionals working in the private hospital system.”
Childminders
Mr Varadkar also moved to clarify that childminders in the home were considered essential workers.
“There is no such thing as no risk. People who are working in the retail sector, distribution and the health service are all taking a certain degree of risk in continuing to work.
“We do have a lot of people who are working in our health service, working in transport logistics, working in medical devices and all those areas that we need ticking over, and they are often reliant on a childminder coming into their home, and we would encourage those childminders who are available and willing to work to continue to do so.”
Mr Varadkar said there is also some evidence of a slowdown in the rate of increase in new cases of Covid-19, but it was too soon to make any judgement on that.
Minister for Health Simon Harris also moved to reassure the public on the quality of imported personal protective equipment (PPE) after the Netherlands joined Spain in withdrawing coronavirus equipment bought from Chinese suppliers after finding it defective.
In the Netherlands, the ministry of health issued a recall of hundreds of thousands of face masks that had been distributed to hospitals after finding flaws that prevented them acting as effective barriers against the virus.
Mr Harris said before PPE is purchased the HSE must be satisfied that it is in line with WHO standards, and then once the PPE arrives it is inspected.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Analysis: Testing failings mean we do not know exactly where the virus is circulating

The next two weeks will be make-or-break ones in Ireland ’ s struggle to stop the spread of coronavirus .
Over this time cases will soar and deaths will multiply – we know this already as the virus is transmitting in the community and has probably already infected many of its future victims .
The difference between success and failure will be measured by the health system ’ s ability to cope with the surge that is coming .
If this is kept within the capacity of our hospitals , and specifically the capacity of our intensive care units ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been given the best possible shot at surviving this virus .
If it far exceeds the capacity we have ramped up in recent weeks , scores of patients will die because they were unable to get the treatment they needed .
Meanwhile , non-Covid-19 patients who require urgent medical attention will have worse outcomes , including death , because the hospitals are clogged .
Among the casualties of such a system overload will be healthcare workers , forced to work in overcrowded conditions or who are unable to access protective equipment .
Given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprising the Government last week opted for a third set of restrictive measures , amounting to a lockdown in all but name .
Among the justifications for these measures were that ICU cases were increasing , that clusters had emerged in nursing homes , and the disease was circulating in the community .
These are all valid concerns but they go back to a common cause ; we simply don ’ t know with sufficient accuracy where this disease is circulating .
And the reason we don ’ t know is because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First we were too restrictive with testing , denying people tests simply because they had not been abroad .
Then we were too liberal , and the system was flooded by the “ worried well ” .
So we changed the criteria again , and thousands had their tests cancelled .
All along the process has been marred by delays in getting a test , having it processed and reported back .
These delays were understandable , but still reduce the likelihood of compliance , and are likely to lead to more false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us last Friday not to go more than 2km from our house , and not at all if we are over 70 , is because we can ’ t say with certainty where the disease is .
And if we can ’ t do that , the most effective way of stopping it spreading is to lock everyone in - virtually .
These are draconian measures .
They are most likely to be heeded by that part of the population already doing everything it can to maintain social distancing .
The public will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but for how long ?
And while the population is told to stay close to home , there was little mention of travel across international borders , particularly our border with the UK .
This is hard to understand .
We are still importing cases .
The UK was the country from which we imported the largest number of cases , with 23 confirmed last week .
These figures might seem small but they are huge underestimates because so little testing is being done .
However , on Monday Taoiseach Leo Varadkar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to travellers from abroad .
Iceland , in contrast , started screening high-risk or sick people long before it had a positive test , and has now tested over 3 per cent of the population .
On the face of it Iceland has a high rate of cases , but only because it has tested so widely .
It knows better than most countries where the chains of transmission are , including asymptomatic cases .
There is no lockdown , and its schools remain open .
Our best hope now is that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hospitals , we use the next two weeks to get the testing and contact tracing systems properly up and running .

First we were too restrictive with testing, denying people tests if they had not been abroad. Then we were too liberal, and the system was flooded by the “worried well”. Photograph: Getty Images
The next two weeks will be make-or-break ones in Ireland’s struggle to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Over this time cases will soar and deaths will multiply – we know this already as the virus is transmitting in the community and has probably already infected many of its future victims.
The difference between success and failure will be measured by the health system’s ability to cope with the surge that is coming. If this is kept within the capacity of our hospitals, and specifically the capacity of our intensive care units (ICUs), then patients will have been given the best possible shot at surviving this virus.
If it far exceeds the capacity we have ramped up in recent weeks, scores of patients will die because they were unable to get the treatment they needed.
READ MORE
Meanwhile, non-Covid-19 patients who require urgent medical attention will have worse outcomes, including death, because the hospitals are clogged.
Among the casualties of such a system overload will be healthcare workers, forced to work in overcrowded conditions or who are unable to access protective equipment.
Given the enormous stakes it was not entirely surprising the Government last week opted for a third set of restrictive measures, amounting to a lockdown in all but name.
Among the justifications for these measures were that ICU cases were increasing, that clusters had emerged in nursing homes, and the disease was circulating in the community.
These are all valid concerns but they go back to a common cause; we simply don’t know with sufficient accuracy where this disease is circulating. And the reason we don’t know is because of the failures of our testing system.
Criteria
First we were too restrictive with testing, denying people tests simply because they had not been abroad.
Then we were too liberal, and the system was flooded by the “worried well”. So we changed the criteria again, and thousands had their tests cancelled.
All along the process has been marred by delays in getting a test, having it processed and reported back. These delays were understandable, but still reduce the likelihood of compliance, and are likely to lead to more false negatives.
So the reason Ministers told us last Friday not to go more than 2km from our house, and not at all if we are over 70, is because we can’t say with certainty where the disease is.
And if we can’t do that, the most effective way of stopping it spreading is to lock everyone in - virtually.
These are draconian measures. They are most likely to be heeded by that part of the population already doing everything it can to maintain social distancing. The public will buy into them for the most part, but for how long?
And while the population is told to stay close to home, there was little mention of travel across international borders, particularly our border with the UK.
This is hard to understand. We are still importing cases. The UK was the country from which we imported the largest number of cases, with 23 confirmed last week. These figures might seem small but they are huge underestimates because so little testing is being done. However, on Monday Taoiseach Leo Varadkar signalled additional restrictions could soon be applied to travellers from abroad.
Screening
Iceland, in contrast, started screening high-risk or sick people long before it had a positive test, and has now tested over 3 per cent of the population. On the face of it Iceland has a high rate of cases, but only because it has tested so widely. It knows better than most countries where the chains of transmission are, including asymptomatic cases. There is no lockdown, and its schools remain open.
Our best hope now is that while frontline staff are coping with the surge in hospitals, we use the next two weeks to get the testing and contact tracing systems properly up and running.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Strained fire service spends seven hours battling Killarney gorse fire

Landowners have been urged not to start any gorse fires as they are diverting firefighters away from house fires , car crashes and other life threatening emergencies during the coronavirus pandemic .
Kerry ’ s chief fire officer Andrew Macilwraith said the service and its 100-plus firefighters were already under strain from provisions linked to the pandemic .
Mr Macilwraith said the service has attempted to lessen the number of firefighters in vehicles so as to limit the need for self-isolation should one of them test positive for the virus .
He said the current spate of gorse fires is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There are two aspects to fighting gorse fires - one is that when our brigade is taken away from their station and has to go up a mountain to fight a fire with their equipment , they are away from their base and take longer to respond , ” he said .
“ The second aspect is that if they are out for seven hours fighting a gorse fire as happened in the National Park in Killarney last night , they are clearly exhausted when they return to their base .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ try and get some rest when a call comes in that there ’ s been a serious road collision so they respond , but it ’ s not ideal to have people heading out exhausted to a serious incident.
” Mr Macilwraith said the service was called out to 13 gorse and bog fires on Saturday , which meant six of its 10 brigades were dealing with the issue and unavailable in the event of another emergency arising .
“ People need to be aware that if they start burning gorse now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time when they have a lot of other things to do but if a brigade has to self-isolate , our numbers will be reduced.
” Mr Macilwraith said the gorse fire at the Killarney National Park on Sunday night saw around 20 firefighters from Killarney and Kenmare spending more than seven hours extinguishing the blaze , which spread across 150 acres .
He said the fire was possibly started by somebody throwing away a lit cigarette butt and that nobody should be burning gorse in the national park or anywhere else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People should not be burning gorse from March to August .
Even though the ground may still be wet underfoot , gorse and vegetation dries out very quickly in the sunshine so the vegetation is very flammable at the moment , ” he said .
“ We have enough demands being put us on the moment without having to deal with fires that could be avoided if people heeded our advice.
” Minister for Heritage Josepha Madigan condemned those who started the fire in Killarney National Park as “ reckless and irresponsible ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law will apply ” if they are caught .
“ This is a despicable and heinous crime at the best of times but more especially now .
It is a malign act which has diverted emergency services at this critical time in our country , ” she said .
“ It is illegal to burn land at this moment and those that do face penalties .
It is now prime season for nesting birds , breeding mammals and regeneration of growth and habitats after the winter.
” Ms Madigan said the cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be following up with gardaí and Kerry Fire Services to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the blaze .
“ I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Kerry Fire Service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service staff in Killarney who worked tirelessly through the night to quench the fire in the Dinis region of the park .
”

A file photograph of Killarney National Park in Co Kerry where fire officers spent seven hours battling a gorse fire on Sunday night. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times.
Landowners have been urged not to start any gorse fires as they are diverting firefighters away from house fires, car crashes and other life threatening emergencies during the coronavirus pandemic.
Kerry's chief fire officer Andrew Macilwraith said the service and its 100-plus firefighters were already under strain from provisions linked to the pandemic.
Mr Macilwraith said the service has attempted to lessen the number of firefighters in vehicles so as to limit the need for self-isolation should one of them test positive for the virus.
He said the current spate of gorse fires is putting a huge strain on the service.
READ MORE
“There are two aspects to fighting gorse fires - one is that when our brigade is taken away from their station and has to go up a mountain to fight a fire with their equipment, they are away from their base and take longer to respond,” he said.
"The second aspect is that if they are out for seven hours fighting a gorse fire as happened in the National Park in Killarney last night, they are clearly exhausted when they return to their base.
“They might be just about to try and get some rest when a call comes in that there’s been a serious road collision so they respond, but it’s not ideal to have people heading out exhausted to a serious incident.”
Mr Macilwraith said the service was called out to 13 gorse and bog fires on Saturday, which meant six of its 10 brigades were dealing with the issue and unavailable in the event of another emergency arising.
“People need to be aware that if they start burning gorse now, they are drawing on the emergency services at a time when they have a lot of other things to do but if a brigade has to self-isolate, our numbers will be reduced.”
Mr Macilwraith said the gorse fire at the Killarney National Park on Sunday night saw around 20 firefighters from Killarney and Kenmare spending more than seven hours extinguishing the blaze, which spread across 150 acres.
He said the fire was possibly started by somebody throwing away a lit cigarette butt and that nobody should be burning gorse in the national park or anywhere else at this time of year.
“People should not be burning gorse from March to August. Even though the ground may still be wet underfoot, gorse and vegetation dries out very quickly in the sunshine so the vegetation is very flammable at the moment,” he said.
“We have enough demands being put us on the moment without having to deal with fires that could be avoided if people heeded our advice.”
Minister for Heritage Josepha Madigan condemned those who started the fire in Killarney National Park as “reckless and irresponsible” and said “the full rigour of the law will apply” if they are caught.
“This is a despicable and heinous crime at the best of times but more especially now. It is a malign act which has diverted emergency services at this critical time in our country,” she said.
“It is illegal to burn land at this moment and those that do face penalties. It is now prime season for nesting birds, breeding mammals and regeneration of growth and habitats after the winter.”
Ms Madigan said the cause of the fire is still under investigation and the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be following up with gardaí and Kerry Fire Services to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Kerry Fire Service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service staff in Killarney who worked tirelessly through the night to quench the fire in the Dinis region of the park."


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Irish citizens trapped in  Peru arrive back in Ireland

A 17-hour bus journey to Peru ’ s capital Lima in a rush to board a flight back to Ireland ended a honeymoon like no other for Neil Cooney ( 34 ) and his wife Kath ( 32 ) .
The pair were among more than 100 Irish citizens repatriated on an emergency flight from Peru to London and then Dublin organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs .
The entire trip took “ roughly 40 hours ” Mr Cooney said , as he arrived at a near-empty arrivals gate in Dublin Airport on Monday afternoon .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South America , we were in Peru for three weeks .
.
.
we had just over six months planned so we cut short three months , ” he said .
Peru was put into a national lockdown on March 16th , with military and police patrolling the streets to enforce a ban on non-essential travel outdoors and a strict 8pm curfew , in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
The newlywed couple ’ s flight from Arequipa , in the south of Peru , up to Lima was one of several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They estimate they spent about €7,500 on cancelled flights and accommodation , which they hope travel insurance will cover .
They were among a bus load of Irish citizens who had to take a 17-hour trip by road from Arequipa to Lima , to make the flight leaving on Sunday .
Mr Cooney said it was “ good to be back ” on Irish soil , as “ there was just a lot of uncertainty and we just did not know how it was going to escalate in Peru ” .
His parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wife at the arrivals gate , and have sealed off an area in the back of their van to bring the pair home to Mullingar , where they will self-isolate for two weeks in a makeshift bed-sit in a business unit the family own .
Philippa Henderson ( 29 ) was one of the first through the arrival gates , and her mother Anita rushed to greet her before the pair stopped short of each other , unable to embrace after five months apart due to social distancing requirements .
Ms Henderson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backpacking across Central America .
Following the announcement of an imminent lockdown she made her way to Lima , but was unable to book on to any commercial flights home .
“ I was really scared I ’ d be stuck there for months , ” she said .
She said it was “ amazing ” to see her mother after months of travelling .
“ I really want to give her a big hug but I can ’ t , I ’ m really sad , but I ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll give her a hug if I ’ ve no symptoms , ” she said .
Ciara O ’ Leary ( 27 ) , from Artane , north Dublin , was one of five young women who had been travelling since January .
“ We started in Brazil and planned to go to Mexico and over to Asia , but obviously got stopped in Peru , ” she said .
During the lockdown there were military troops stationed outside their tourist hostel most of the time .
The worst thing was the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen , “ or if we were to get sick of what would happen ” , she said .
Fiona Feeney ( 29 ) and Colleen Kehoe ( 30 ) had been travelling for six months and arrived in Lima the night the national lockdown was announced .
“ We got to Lima maybe at 8pm and we walked into the Irish pub and the president was just announcing a lockdown .
We tried that night to get home , the airport was just carnage , ” Ms Feeney said .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not get seats on any of the flights out of the country .
Prices “ were going up by the minute , we tried to book so many flights but they were just cancelled or full ” , Ms Kehoe said .
The pair had planned to keep travelling until June , but like most of the Irish citizens on board the rescue flight back to Dublin , now they are just happy to be home .

Neil Cooney and his wife Kath Cooney from Mullingar after their arrival from Peru. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
A 17-hour bus journey to Peru's capital Lima in a rush to board a flight back to Ireland ended a honeymoon like no other for Neil Cooney (34) and his wife Kath (32).
The pair were among more than 100 Irish citizens repatriated on an emergency flight from Peru to London and then Dublin organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The entire trip took "roughly 40 hours" Mr Cooney said, as he arrived at a near-empty arrivals gate in Dublin Airport on Monday afternoon.
“We’ve been on our honeymoon since Christmas in South America, we were in Peru for three weeks . . . we had just over six months planned so we cut short three months,” he said.
READ MORE
Peru was put into a national lockdown on March 16th, with military and police patrolling the streets to enforce a ban on non-essential travel outdoors and a strict 8pm curfew, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The newlywed couple’s flight from Arequipa, in the south of Peru, up to Lima was one of several flights they booked that were cancelled. They estimate they spent about €7,500 on cancelled flights and accommodation, which they hope travel insurance will cover.
Philippa Henderson from west Cork and her mother Anita Henderson after she arrived back from Peru. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times.
Sarah McKernan from Dublin is hugged by her father, Robert McKernan, after coming back from Peru. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times.
(Left to right): Ciara O’Leary, Fiona O’Brien and Michelle Daly – all from Dublin – after they arrived back from Peru. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
They were among a bus load of Irish citizens who had to take a 17-hour trip by road from Arequipa to Lima, to make the flight leaving on Sunday.
Mr Cooney said it was “good to be back” on Irish soil, as “there was just a lot of uncertainty and we just did not know how it was going to escalate in Peru”.
His parents Nancy and Nicholas Cooney greeted him and his wife at the arrivals gate, and have sealed off an area in the back of their van to bring the pair home to Mullingar, where they will self-isolate for two weeks in a makeshift bed-sit in a business unit the family own.
Philippa Henderson (29) was one of the first through the arrival gates, and her mother Anita rushed to greet her before the pair stopped short of each other, unable to embrace after five months apart due to social distancing requirements.
Ms Henderson is from west Cork and had been backpacking across Central America. Following the announcement of an imminent lockdown she made her way to Lima, but was unable to book on to any commercial flights home. "I was really scared I'd be stuck there for months," she said.
She said it was “amazing” to see her mother after months of travelling. “I really want to give her a big hug but I can’t, I’m really sad, but I’ve got to wait two weeks and then I’ll give her a hug if I’ve no symptoms,” she said.
Ciara O'Leary (27), from Artane, north Dublin, was one of five young women who had been travelling since January. "We started in Brazil and planned to go to Mexico and over to Asia, but obviously got stopped in Peru," she said.
During the lockdown there were military troops stationed outside their tourist hostel most of the time. The worst thing was the “uncertainty” of not knowing what would happen, “or if we were to get sick of what would happen”, she said.
Fiona Feeney (29) and Colleen Kehoe (30) had been travelling for six months and arrived in Lima the night the national lockdown was announced.
“We got to Lima maybe at 8pm and we walked into the Irish pub and the president was just announcing a lockdown. We tried that night to get home, the airport was just carnage,” Ms Feeney said.
The two women, originally from Galway, could not get seats on any of the flights out of the country. Prices “were going up by the minute, we tried to book so many flights but they were just cancelled or full”, Ms Kehoe said.
The pair had planned to keep travelling until June, but like most of the Irish citizens on board the rescue flight back to Dublin, now they are just happy to be home.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy tests positive for coronavirus

RTÉ broadcaster Ryan Tubridy has tested positive for coronavirus , RTÉ has confirmed .
The Late Late Show presenter has been self-isolating after developing a “ persistent cough ” and was unable to present the show last week .
RTE haid he was doing well at home and hoped to be back to work soon .
Miriam O ’ Callaghan stood in for Tubridy on last week ’ s show , which paid tribute to the men and women of Ireland ’ s front line services .
Tubridy has been absent from his RTÉ Radio 1 morning programme , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Like so many other people in Ireland , I tested positive but I was in the very fortunate position to have a very unintrusive experience , which I now have come to the end of , ” Tubridy said in a statement issued by RTÉ .
“ While I ’ ve been at home watching television and listening to the radio , I have been bowled over by the extraordinary work of our front line heroes and their families who continue to make Ireland a healthier and safer place .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really soon , ” he said .
Oliver Callan will continue to host The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ Radio 1 .
Plans for this Friday ’ s Late Late Show will be issued in the coming days .

RTÉ broadcaster Ryan Tubridy has tested positive for coronavirus, RTÉ has confirmed.
The Late Late Show presenter has been self-isolating after developing a “persistent cough” and was unable to present the show last week. RTE haid he was doing well at home and hoped to be back to work soon.
Miriam O’Callaghan stood in for Tubridy on last week’s show, which paid tribute to the men and women of Ireland’s front line services.
Tubridy has been absent from his RTÉ Radio 1 morning programme, where Oliver Callan has been the stand-in presenter.
READ MORE
“Like so many other people in Ireland, I tested positive but I was in the very fortunate position to have a very unintrusive experience, which I now have come to the end of,” Tubridy said in a statement issued by RTÉ.
“While I’ve been at home watching television and listening to the radio, I have been bowled over by the extraordinary work of our front line heroes and their families who continue to make Ireland a healthier and safer place. I look forward to being back to work really soon,” he said.
Oliver Callan will continue to host The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ Radio 1. Plans for this Friday’s Late Late Show will be issued in the coming days.


theirishtimes--2020-03-30--Man challenges bail refusal after arrest over social distancing row

A man has brought a High Court challenge after he was arrested following a row about social distancing with a woman in a bank queue .
Marko Topol allegedly told the woman he had coronavirus and would cough on her .
Mr Topol , a chef from Croatia , is challenging the decision to refuse him bail over what he felt was doing nothing more than becoming involved in an argument .
He was in the queue last Friday when an argument over social distancing allegedly developed between him and the woman , who accused him of being too close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her he had the virus and would cough on her , at which point she left the bank .
He told his solicitor he did not tell her he had coronavirus or any other illness and he had not threatened to cough on her anything similar .
A short time later , a garda arrived and arrested Mr Topol for alleged threatening behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace .
He was brought before Dublin District Court that evening and Judge Miriam Walsh refused bail after a prosecuting garda objected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Topol , who says he has never been in trouble before and works in a well-known restaurant , has been in Cloverhill remand prison since Friday .
A High Court judicial review application seeking to quash the refusal of bail was adjourned until Tuesday to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions ( DPP ) contact the garda involved .
Mr Justice Denis McDonald said , while mindful Mr Topol was innocent until proven guilty , having regard to the significance of the offence and that public order must be maintained at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given time to address the claims made on Mr Topol ’ s behalf .
Michael Kelleher , for the accused , said in an affidavit that his client , whom he described as upset and afraid following his arrest , says the allegation against him is false and he was “ unwavering in this ” .
Breach of the peace is not a serious charge but it appeared the district court was taking a very hard line with cases connected to the virus , he said .
“ The presumption of innocence can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency , ” he said .
This was particularly so in circumstances where Mr Kelleher said he believes the State prisons are having difficulty implementing Government safety guidelines such as social distancing .
Mr Justice McDonald , after hearing submissions on behalf of Mr Topol and the DPP , said he appreciated the State had very little time to investigate what transpired and must be given an opportunity to do so .
He would resume the hearing on Tuesday .
Earlier , when granting leave for Mr Topol ’ s judicial review , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making his remarks generally and they were not related to Mr Topol , said it is “ of great concern ” that some people are threatening assault by coughing .
He said he wondered whether , in such cases , more serious charges need to be advanced than public order offences .

A man has brought a High Court challenge after he was arrested following a row about social distancing with a woman in a bank queue. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times.
A man has brought a High Court challenge after he was arrested following a row about social distancing with a woman in a bank queue.
Marko Topol allegedly told the woman he had coronavirus and would cough on her.
Mr Topol, a chef from Croatia, is challenging the decision to refuse him bail over what he felt was doing nothing more than becoming involved in an argument.
He was in the queue last Friday when an argument over social distancing allegedly developed between him and the woman, who accused him of being too close to her.
READ MORE
She claimed he told her he had the virus and would cough on her, at which point she left the bank.
He told his solicitor he did not tell her he had coronavirus or any other illness and he had not threatened to cough on her anything similar.
A short time later, a garda arrived and arrested Mr Topol for alleged threatening behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace. He was brought before Dublin District Court that evening and Judge Miriam Walsh refused bail after a prosecuting garda objected because of the seriousness of the charge.
Mr Topol, who says he has never been in trouble before and works in a well-known restaurant, has been in Cloverhill remand prison since Friday.
A High Court judicial review application seeking to quash the refusal of bail was adjourned until Tuesday to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) contact the garda involved.
Significant offence
Mr Justice Denis McDonald said, while mindful Mr Topol was innocent until proven guilty, having regard to the significance of the offence and that public order must be maintained at this time, the State must be given time to address the claims made on Mr Topol’s behalf.
Michael Kelleher, for the accused, said in an affidavit that his client, whom he described as upset and afraid following his arrest, says the allegation against him is false and he was “unwavering in this”.
Breach of the peace is not a serious charge but it appeared the district court was taking a very hard line with cases connected to the virus, he said.
“The presumption of innocence cannot be discarded because of the current emergency,” he said.
This was particularly so in circumstances where Mr Kelleher said he believes the State prisons are having difficulty implementing Government safety guidelines such as social distancing.
Mr Justice McDonald, after hearing submissions on behalf of Mr Topol and the DPP, said he appreciated the State had very little time to investigate what transpired and must be given an opportunity to do so. He would resume the hearing on Tuesday.
Earlier, when granting leave for Mr Topol’s judicial review, the judge, while stressing he was making his remarks generally and they were not related to Mr Topol, said it is “of great concern” that some people are threatening assault by coughing. He said he wondered whether, in such cases, more serious charges need to be advanced than public order offences.