theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Planned hate speech laws will contain higher bar for prosecution

The Government ’ s planned hate speech laws will contain a significantly higher bar for prosecution compared to similar laws that have led to controversial court cases in the UK .
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will on Thursday produce draft legislative proposals to greatly strengthen the State ’ s ability to tackle hate speech levelled against minorities .
The planned Bill will also contain stronger sentences for existing crimes , where it can be shown that the alleged offender was motivated by hate for an ethnic , or religious group .
Preparing the draft , Department of Justice officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the UK where similar legislation has been the subject of intense debate in recent years .
Given fears about the rights to free speech , it will contain several safeguards to ensure the laws do not unnecessarily impinge on the constitutional right to freedom of expression .
Chief among these is a recommendation of protections for “ contributions to literary , artistic , political , scientific or academic discourse , and fair and accurate reporting ” , the report states .
Furthermore , unlike in the UK , the test for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subjective .
There , speech can be treated as hateful if another member of the public believes it to be hateful .
However under the Irish proposals , specific and pre-existing guidelines will be used to determine if speech is hateful , not just whether the alleged victim felt they were the victim of a hate attack .
A person may be prosecuted for deliberately taking part in hate speech and for recklessly taking part in hate speech , for example where inciting hatred was not their main goal but they knew it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who negligently , without intent , engages in hate speech will not have committed an offence .
“ Thresholds for criminal incitement to hatred should be high , for example incitement to harm or unlawful discrimination ” , the report states .
However it will not be required to show that someone was influenced by the speech “ or persuaded to act upon it.
” Prosecutions should “ always be the measure of last resort ” , it says .
“ There is no doubt that criminal legislation alone will not solve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not suitable for dealing with many of the milder forms , which although harmful and far-reaching in their negative effects , do not reach the threshold for criminal prosecution.
” Instead education and awareness will be key , says the department .
Protected categories will include people of different ethnic backgrounds , religions and sexual orientations .
It will also include transgender people and people with a disability .
Travellers will be explicitly included as a protected group .
“ It was widely recognised by contributors to our consultation that Travellers are relentlessly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant portion of this is dismissed by mainstream opinion as if it were unintentional , or defended as if it were accurate.
” During the consultation process , 4,000 submissions were received with some arguing that socio-economic status , employment and homelessness should be included as protected categories .
These suggestions have not been followed .
The Government is concerned that debate on the proposed Bill will be hijacked by far-right , anti-immigration or anti-LGBT elements , who argue that the State is trying to reduce their rights .
Many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists , including several well-known far-right individuals .
Nineteen per cent of the submissions came from the US , UK and Canada .

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to produce draft legislation to strengthen State’s ability to tackle hate speech levelled against minorities. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
The Government’s planned hate speech laws will contain a significantly higher bar for prosecution compared to similar laws that have led to controversial court cases in the UK.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will on Thursday produce draft legislative proposals to greatly strengthen the State’s ability to tackle hate speech levelled against minorities.
The planned Bill will also contain stronger sentences for existing crimes, where it can be shown that the alleged offender was motivated by hate for an ethnic, or religious group.
Preparing the draft, Department of Justice officials examined hate speech laws in other countries, including the UK where similar legislation has been the subject of intense debate in recent years.
READ MORE
Given fears about the rights to free speech, it will contain several safeguards to ensure the laws do not unnecessarily impinge on the constitutional right to freedom of expression. Chief among these is a recommendation of protections for “contributions to literary, artistic, political, scientific or academic discourse, and fair and accurate reporting”, the report states.
Furthermore, unlike in the UK, the test for hate speech will be objective rather than subjective. There, speech can be treated as hateful if another member of the public believes it to be hateful. However under the Irish proposals, specific and pre-existing guidelines will be used to determine if speech is hateful, not just whether the alleged victim felt they were the victim of a hate attack.
A person may be prosecuted for deliberately taking part in hate speech and for recklessly taking part in hate speech, for example where inciting hatred was not their main goal but they knew it was a likely outcome.
However someone who negligently, without intent, engages in hate speech will not have committed an offence.
“Thresholds for criminal incitement to hatred should be high, for example incitement to harm or unlawful discrimination”, the report states. However it will not be required to show that someone was influenced by the speech “or persuaded to act upon it.”
Education
Prosecutions should “always be the measure of last resort”, it says.
“There is no doubt that criminal legislation alone will not solve the problem of hate speech, and is not suitable for dealing with many of the milder forms, which although harmful and far-reaching in their negative effects, do not reach the threshold for criminal prosecution.”
Instead education and awareness will be key, says the department. Protected categories will include people of different ethnic backgrounds, religions and sexual orientations. It will also include transgender people and people with a disability.
Travellers will be explicitly included as a protected group.
“It was widely recognised by contributors to our consultation that Travellers are relentlessly targeted by hate speech, and that a significant portion of this is dismissed by mainstream opinion as if it were unintentional, or defended as if it were accurate.”
During the consultation process, 4,000 submissions were received with some arguing that socio-economic status, employment and homelessness should be included as protected categories. These suggestions have not been followed.
The Government is concerned that debate on the proposed Bill will be hijacked by far-right, anti-immigration or anti-LGBT elements, who argue that the State is trying to reduce their rights.
Many of the submissions to the department came from such activists, including several well-known far-right individuals. Nineteen per cent of the submissions came from the US, UK and Canada.


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Government must walk a tightrope on hate speech plans

The large scar on Bilal Ahmed ’ s hand required thirty stitches to close up .
Ten months on from the attack , it still causes him pain .
The stabbing was the culmination of years of harassment and often racist abuse from Christy Griffin who lived in an apartment near the takeaway on Clanbrassil Street and who was angry over the noise made by its customers at night .
“ I went 20 or 30 times to Garda station because it was just too much , ” recalled Ahmed who is from Punjab in Pakistan and has been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 2017 , Griffin entered Chicken Hut , punched Ahmed and smashed up the premises with a hockey stick .
He later told arresting gardaí : “ F**k those P**i c**ts .They will never make it to court .
I will make sure of that… you wait and see.
” Griffin was released on bail and the abuse continued .
In February 2020 , he waited for Ahmed to close up the restaurant before attacking with him with a knife and stabbing him in the hand .
“ It was a racist attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case reached court two months ago Judge Karen O ’ Connor seemed to agree , noting Griffin ’ s “ disgusting racist and abusive ” remarks to gardaí .
She imposed a six-year sentence but suspended half of it and ordered Griffin to take part anti-racism education .
For Ahmed , the sentence was not nearly enough .
“ I complained so many times about him .
I know he received six years but he will only be in jail for three.
” Ahmed says only “ about 2 per cent of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still feels less safe here after the attack .
Judge O ’ Connor was constrained in sentencing Griffin because , unlike many European countries , Ireland does not have any hate crime laws .
At best , judges can take racist motives into account when sentencing but this is an informal and ill-defined process .
A broad-ranging piece of Government legislation due to be introduced next year aims to change that .
Under the plan , details of which are due to be announced today , crimes such as criminal damage and assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are found to have a bigoted element , including racism , homophobia , transphobia or anti-disability sentiment .
It will be a high bar to prove a hate crime and juries will be able to downgrade one to an ordinary crime if they feel the hate element was not proven .
For example , if someone is accused of a racist assault , a jury might decide an assault happened , but that it was not racist .
This part of the Bill is likely to be relatively uncontroversial .
The second part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is sure to generate significantly more debate .
The existing Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 is to be repealed in its entirety .
The Department of Justice has come to the conclusion that it is almost entirely ineffective .
Between 2000 and 2017 there were only 44 prosecutions , but just five convictions .
One of the failed prosecutions examined by the department was against a man who set up a Facebook page suggesting Traveller babies be used for medical testing , or as animal feed .
A judge ruled the comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the page attracting more than 600 fans .
The new legislation aims to be much more robust , particularly when it comes to the internet .
Hate speech directed at an individual or group will become a crime whether it is shouted in the street or tweeted online .
It will also be a separate offence to distribute or share hate speech , meaning retweeting or sharing something on social media could form an offence .
During a public consultation last year , the department received many submissions expressing legitimate concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech and debate .
Officials are eager to avoid a situation where the Bill becomes part of the broader culture wars that have engulfed the United States and United Kingdom .
To this end they have studied equivalent legislation in the UK and examples of what were seen by many as prosecutorial overreach .
For example , in 2017 a 19-year-old UK woman was prosecuted for posting the lyrics of a rap song which contained the n-word to social media as part of a tribute to a deceased friend .
Such prosecutions will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test of hate speech will be based around the motivation of the speaker .
Intentionally or recklessly engaging in hate speech might be a crime .
Doing it inadvertently would not .
The legislation will also protect debates on controversial issues which may cause offence to some people or groups .
This includes debates on issues like immigration and allowing trans teenagers to begin gender reassignment .
“ The new legislation should contain robust safeguards for freedom of expression , such as protections for reasonable and genuine contributions to literary , artistic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fair and accurate reporting , ” the report states .
Much has to happen before the Bill becomes law .
It faces a lengthy journey through the Oireachtas and because of its significance , it is likely to go before the justice committee .
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is aware she has a tightrope to walk between protecting minorities and protecting free speech .
She is also aware the Bill will be used as a rallying cry for far-right and racist groups worried the law will stifle their activities .
Such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It will be the Government ’ s challenge to ensure they do not hijack the debate entirely .

Bilal Ahmed shows scars from a knife wound he sustained in a racial attack outside his takeaway on Clanbrassil Street in Dublin. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell
The large scar on Bilal Ahmed’s hand required thirty stitches to close up. Ten months on from the attack, it still causes him pain.
The stabbing was the culmination of years of harassment and often racist abuse from Christy Griffin who lived in an apartment near the takeaway on Clanbrassil Street and who was angry over the noise made by its customers at night.
"I went 20 or 30 times to Garda station because it was just too much," recalled Ahmed who is from Punjab in Pakistan and has been in Ireland 17 years.
One night in April 2017, Griffin entered Chicken Hut, punched Ahmed and smashed up the premises with a hockey stick. He later told arresting gardaí: “F**k those P**i c**ts .They will never make it to court. I will make sure of that… you wait and see.”
READ MORE
Griffin was released on bail and the abuse continued. In February 2020, he waited for Ahmed to close up the restaurant before attacking with him with a knife and stabbing him in the hand.
Anti-racism education
“It was a racist attack,” says Ahmed. When the case reached court two months ago Judge Karen O’Connor seemed to agree, noting Griffin’s “disgusting racist and abusive” remarks to gardaí. She imposed a six-year sentence but suspended half of it and ordered Griffin to take part anti-racism education.
For Ahmed, the sentence was not nearly enough. “I complained so many times about him. I know he received six years but he will only be in jail for three.”
Ahmed says only “about 2 per cent of people are Irish racist”. But he still feels less safe here after the attack.
Judge O’Connor was constrained in sentencing Griffin because, unlike many European countries, Ireland does not have any hate crime laws. At best, judges can take racist motives into account when sentencing but this is an informal and ill-defined process.
A broad-ranging piece of Government legislation due to be introduced next year aims to change that. Under the plan, details of which are due to be announced today, crimes such as criminal damage and assault will attract significantly tougher punishments if they are found to have a bigoted element, including racism, homophobia, transphobia or anti-disability sentiment.
It will be a high bar to prove a hate crime and juries will be able to downgrade one to an ordinary crime if they feel the hate element was not proven. For example, if someone is accused of a racist assault, a jury might decide an assault happened, but that it was not racist.
This part of the Bill is likely to be relatively uncontroversial. The second part, which will deal with hate speech, is sure to generate significantly more debate.
The existing Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 is to be repealed in its entirety. The Department of Justice has come to the conclusion that it is almost entirely ineffective. Between 2000 and 2017 there were only 44 prosecutions, but just five convictions.
One of the failed prosecutions examined by the department was against a man who set up a Facebook page suggesting Traveller babies be used for medical testing, or as animal feed. A judge ruled the comments did not amount to incitement, despite the page attracting more than 600 fans.
The new legislation aims to be much more robust, particularly when it comes to the internet.
Hate speech directed at an individual or group will become a crime whether it is shouted in the street or tweeted online. It will also be a separate offence to distribute or share hate speech, meaning retweeting or sharing something on social media could form an offence.
During a public consultation last year, the department received many submissions expressing legitimate concerns about the impact of such laws on freedom of speech and debate.
Prosecuted
Officials are eager to avoid a situation where the Bill becomes part of the broader culture wars that have engulfed the United States and United Kingdom. To this end they have studied equivalent legislation in the UK and examples of what were seen by many as prosecutorial overreach.
For example, in 2017 a 19-year-old UK woman was prosecuted for posting the lyrics of a rap song which contained the n-word to social media as part of a tribute to a deceased friend.
Such prosecutions will be unlikely to happen here as the test of hate speech will be based around the motivation of the speaker. Intentionally or recklessly engaging in hate speech might be a crime. Doing it inadvertently would not.
The legislation will also protect debates on controversial issues which may cause offence to some people or groups. This includes debates on issues like immigration and allowing trans teenagers to begin gender reassignment.
“The new legislation should contain robust safeguards for freedom of expression, such as protections for reasonable and genuine contributions to literary, artistic, political, scientific or academic discourse, and fair and accurate reporting,” the report states.
Much has to happen before the Bill becomes law. It faces a lengthy journey through the Oireachtas and because of its significance, it is likely to go before the justice committee.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is aware she has a tightrope to walk between protecting minorities and protecting free speech.
She is also aware the Bill will be used as a rallying cry for far-right and racist groups worried the law will stifle their activities. Such groups have already starting protesting the issue. It will be the Government’s challenge to ensure they do not hijack the debate entirely.


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Obesity and Covid: the unanswered questions

There is compelling evidence that Covid-19 is strongly linked with obesity or being overweight , but behind that headline lie many unanswered questions .
Estimating obesity in individuals admitted as emergency cases is challenging given that treatment is a far higher priority than weight and height assessment .
This has led most studies to use surrogate data for this critically important end point .
In one large UK inter-hospital study , for example , obesity was based solely on the opinion of the nursing staff , in another no data was given on how obesity was measured and in yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on only 50 per cent of subjects included in the final study .
In UK Biobank studies – a large-scale biomedical database and research resource enabling new scientific discoveries to improve public health – weight and height were directly measured but this data was collected in the period 2006-2010 and it is highly questionable if these measurements were applicable a decade and a half later .
Accepting all these limitations , the evidence for a link between obesity and Covid is substantial .
A second key question is whether obesity increases the initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data shows among people who are tested positive for Covid-19 , significantly more are overweight ( albeit based on 16-year-old data on weight/height ) compared with those with a negative test .
But that raises the question of why people would seek a test .
It may be because of a close contact with an infected person or it might be because they are experiencing symptoms .
But what about 80 per cent of infected people whom the WHO say suffer only mild symptoms or are asymptomatic ?
To really gain a handle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obesity , we would need to start off with a cohort who , at the outset , are confirmed as Covid-free and who are followed up to identify new cases .
Recently , a consortium of scientists from Harvard , MIT , the Broad Institute and Boston ’ s leading hospitals followed 4,500 employees of a space exploration company across several sites in the US .
Over a three-month period , 322 confirmed new cases were detected .
Among these there was no evidence that obesity was related to the risk of catching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , necessarily so with generally low infection rates and it is not representative of US demographic patterns .
But it does raise the question of whether the immune system of the obese is such that they are more likely to be infected .
However , the study then showed that once infected , obesity dramatically heightened the severity of Covid complications .
A similar finding is seen for many infectious diseases , including the seasonal flu , and the past H1N1 swine flu , where obesity greatly increases the severity of symptoms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line of immune defence mechanisms against viruses and tumours are two types of immune cells – natural killer ( NK ) and T cells – and their functionality is greatly diminished in obesity .
Obesity is also associated with chronic inflammation , which means the immune system is always “ activated ” with elevated levels of cytokines , even in the absence of invading pathogens such as viruses or bacteria .
This apparent paradox of heightened cytokine-led inflammation and suppressed NK and T cell activity is seen in other conditions such as sepsis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the immune system , so when a virus or bacteria comes along , immune cells are unable to respond quickly and effectively , allowing the virus to replicate vigorously in the lungs and other organs .
Covid has been associated with a “ cytokine storm ” , a sudden rapid inflammation where immune cells produce so many cytokines that they attack the body ’ s own cells , creating a form of acute auto-immune disease .
Thus , while we know the immune system is critical for protecting us from Covid , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a key question that remains is : do patients with obesity have an underactive or overactive response to Covid ?
Both scenarios could cause increased severity in symptoms , but treatment options would be very different depending on which scenario holds true .
This is now an area funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland in the Lynch immunology lab at Trinity College Dublin .
The link between obesity and the risk of Covid complications is confounded by age and ethnicity , much as is the diabetes-obesity link .
The risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body weight but particularly so among younger age groups .
The same pattern is seen with the obesity-Covid link .
The UK Biobank studies show there is only a minor rise in hospitalisation rates from normal weight to morbid obesity .
However , among those who are hospitalised , the risk of death soars in those under 70 .
With morbid obesity ( BMI > 35 ) , the risk of death was 5 times higher in those below 70 years of age compared with those above 70 .
Of course , age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid complications , partly due to an altered immune function and partly to underlying medical conditions .
Ethnicity also muddies the water .
Asians have the highest level of sensitivity to weight-induced diabetes , followed by those of African or Caribbean ethnicity , with white people well below both these groups .
Again , UK Biobank studies show a similar pattern to this with weight-induced Covid complications .
Interestingly these UK Biobank studies break whites into two groups : “ Irish whites ” and “ other whites ” .
And it appears there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of developing Covid among Irish white people compared with other white people .
Is it due to an older Irish generation who emigrated to the UK for manual work or is it the high representation of Irish healthcare staff in the UK NHS ?
The data simply can not yet explain this .
The relationship between ethnicity and obesity-related Covid complications is confounded and complicated by socio-economic factors .
Epidemiologists statistically control for many standard confounding factors such as income and educational attainment .
But there are many other factors that might predispose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which are rarely considered : emotional insecurity , major life events , financial and employment uncertainty and many other social factors .
And then there are the biological factors such as suboptimal maternal nutrition during the first 1,000 days covering conception to a child ’ s second birthday leading to heightened risk of several diseases including obesity and diabetes later in adult life .
There is a wealth of unanswered questions in this obesity-induced Covid conundrum , but the bottom line remains : obesity is a huge public health problem that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortality than Covid .
But then , there are votes in Covid ; not so in obesity .
Mike Gibney is emeritus professor of food and health at University College Dublin and Lydia Lynch is an associate professor in immunology at Trinity College Dublin

There is compelling evidence that Covid-19 is strongly linked with obesity or being overweight, but behind that headline lie many unanswered questions.
Estimating obesity in individuals admitted as emergency cases is challenging given that treatment is a far higher priority than weight and height assessment. This has led most studies to use surrogate data for this critically important end point.
In one large UK inter-hospital study, for example, obesity was based solely on the opinion of the nursing staff, in another no data was given on how obesity was measured and in yet another, surrogate obesity data was available on only 50 per cent of subjects included in the final study.
Covid-19 spike protein. Image created by Nexu Science Communication
In UK Biobank studies – a large-scale biomedical database and research resource enabling new scientific discoveries to improve public health – weight and height were directly measured but this data was collected in the period 2006-2010 and it is highly questionable if these measurements were applicable a decade and a half later. Accepting all these limitations, the evidence for a link between obesity and Covid is substantial.
READ MORE
A second key question is whether obesity increases the initial risk of infection. The UK Biobank data shows among people who are tested positive for Covid-19, significantly more are overweight (albeit based on 16-year-old data on weight/height) compared with those with a negative test.
But that raises the question of why people would seek a test. It may be because of a close contact with an infected person or it might be because they are experiencing symptoms. But what about 80 per cent of infected people whom the WHO say suffer only mild symptoms or are asymptomatic?
To really gain a handle on the likelihood of initial infection and obesity, we would need to start off with a cohort who, at the outset, are confirmed as Covid-free and who are followed up to identify new cases. Recently, a consortium of scientists from Harvard, MIT, the Broad Institute and Boston's leading hospitals followed 4,500 employees of a space exploration company across several sites in the US.
Over a three-month period, 322 confirmed new cases were detected. Among these there was no evidence that obesity was related to the risk of catching Covid. The sample size is small, necessarily so with generally low infection rates and it is not representative of US demographic patterns. But it does raise the question of whether the immune system of the obese is such that they are more likely to be infected.
However, the study then showed that once infected, obesity dramatically heightened the severity of Covid complications. A similar finding is seen for many infectious diseases, including the seasonal flu, and the past H1N1 swine flu, where obesity greatly increases the severity of symptoms and risk of death.
Inhibited cells
Among the first line of immune defence mechanisms against viruses and tumours are two types of immune cells – natural killer (NK) and T cells – and their functionality is greatly diminished in obesity. Obesity is also associated with chronic inflammation, which means the immune system is always “activated” with elevated levels of cytokines, even in the absence of invading pathogens such as viruses or bacteria.
This apparent paradox of heightened cytokine-led inflammation and suppressed NK and T cell activity is seen in other conditions such as sepsis and ageing. This constant inflammation exhausts the immune system, so when a virus or bacteria comes along, immune cells are unable to respond quickly and effectively, allowing the virus to replicate vigorously in the lungs and other organs.
Covid has been associated with a “cytokine storm”, a sudden rapid inflammation where immune cells produce so many cytokines that they attack the body’s own cells, creating a form of acute auto-immune disease. Thus, while we know the immune system is critical for protecting us from Covid, and the immune system is dysfunctional in obesity, a key question that remains is: do patients with obesity have an underactive or overactive response to Covid?
Both scenarios could cause increased severity in symptoms, but treatment options would be very different depending on which scenario holds true. This is now an area funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland in the Lynch immunology lab at Trinity College Dublin.
The link between obesity and the risk of Covid complications is confounded by age and ethnicity, much as is the diabetes-obesity link. The risk of developing type-2 diabetes rises dramatically with increasing body weight but particularly so among younger age groups.
The same pattern is seen with the obesity-Covid link. The UK Biobank studies show there is only a minor rise in hospitalisation rates from normal weight to morbid obesity. However, among those who are hospitalised, the risk of death soars in those under 70. With morbid obesity (BMI>35), the risk of death was 5 times higher in those below 70 years of age compared with those above 70. Of course, age itself is a big risk factor for Covid complications, partly due to an altered immune function and partly to underlying medical conditions.
Irish risk
Ethnicity also muddies the water. Asians have the highest level of sensitivity to weight-induced diabetes, followed by those of African or Caribbean ethnicity, with white people well below both these groups. Again, UK Biobank studies show a similar pattern to this with weight-induced Covid complications.
Interestingly these UK Biobank studies break whites into two groups: “Irish whites” and “other whites”. And it appears there was a 40 per cent higher risk of developing Covid among Irish white people compared with other white people. Is it due to an older Irish generation who emigrated to the UK for manual work or is it the high representation of Irish healthcare staff in the UK NHS? The data simply cannot yet explain this.
The relationship between ethnicity and obesity-related Covid complications is confounded and complicated by socio-economic factors. Epidemiologists statistically control for many standard confounding factors such as income and educational attainment. But there are many other factors that might predispose to obesity and thus to Covid complications, which are rarely considered: emotional insecurity, major life events, financial and employment uncertainty and many other social factors.
And then there are the biological factors such as suboptimal maternal nutrition during the first 1,000 days covering conception to a child’s second birthday leading to heightened risk of several diseases including obesity and diabetes later in adult life.
There is a wealth of unanswered questions in this obesity-induced Covid conundrum, but the bottom line remains: obesity is a huge public health problem that in time will cause far more morbidity and mortality than Covid. But then, there are votes in Covid; not so in obesity.
Mike Gibney is emeritus professor of food and health at University College Dublin and Lydia Lynch is an associate professor in immunology at Trinity College Dublin


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Covid-19 restrictions to ease despite rising infection cases

Covid-19 restrictions will be eased from Friday despite growing concern over infection numbers on both sides of the Border ahead of the Christmas holidays .
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said he expected the R number , a key indicator of the spread of the disease , would on Thursday be confirmed as having risen above 1 .
This means that each infected person is passing Covid-19 on to at least one other .
“ It ’ s a concern .
The numbers today were high , ” he said after 431 new cases and six deaths were confirmed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as anticipated , that cases are on the rise in the Republic.
” However , he said the plans to allow people to travel outside their county and gather in other people ’ s homes from Friday would still go ahead .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said there were “ significant and concerning indicators that this disease is moving in the wrong direction ” .
He said the rise in cases and the proportion of tests coming back positive were “ troubling trends ” given the State was “ heading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inter-generational mixing ” .
“ This is an ideal opportunity for the virus to spread and impact on those most vulnerable to its severest effects , ” he said .
Senior public health sources expressed concern at more than 400 daily cases having been reported for a second time since Sunday .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) has previously advised that a three-week intervention would be needed when case numbers “ approach 400 per day ” , although much depends on the rate of growth of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ of course ” be concern , but that Ireland was still performing well compared with other European countries .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told Wednesday night ’ s Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting there was a need to “ keep an eye ” on infections here and that he was concerned about the levels being seen in Northern Ireland .
Weekly meetings of Cabinet and senior officials on Brexit and Covid-19 would continue over the Christmas period , he said .
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly spoke to his Stormont counterpart Robin Swann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donnelly said if Northern Ireland requested help , “ this would of course be provided ” .
A North South Ministerial Council meeting will take place on Friday .
The North ’ s lockdown ended last Friday with retail and much of the hospitality sector allowed to reopen , with further relaxations to come for the period from December 23rd to December 27th .
However , a total of 457 patients were on Wednesday receiving treatment for Covid-19 in the North ’ s hospitals , with 32 people in intensive care and 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 510 cases were reported on Wednesday .
Mr Swann said a series of “ decisive ” and “ robust ” interventions would be proposed to try to deal with heavy demands on the health service .
Nphet recommended against non-essential travel to and from Northern Ireland , and may repeat the warning after its meeting on Thursday .
The number of people seeking beds in Irish hospitals has been rising , with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation ’ s trolley watch survey on Wednesday counting 293 people in emergency departments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday was 316 , the worst level of overcrowding seen since the start of the pandemic .
Anne O ’ Connor , HSE chief operations officer , said the health service was “ not in terrible trouble ” but that an increase in Covid-19 cases would translate into “ issues in our hospitals ” and then in critical care .
“ There is no doubt our system will be under pressure in January , ” she told RTÉ ’ s News at One .

Covid-19 restrictions will be eased from Friday despite growing concern over infection numbers on both sides of the Border ahead of the Christmas holidays.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said he expected the R number, a key indicator of the spread of the disease, would on Thursday be confirmed as having risen above 1. This means that each infected person is passing Covid-19 on to at least one other.
“It’s a concern. The numbers today were high,” he said after 431 new cases and six deaths were confirmed. “The lead indicators we have suggest, as anticipated, that cases are on the rise in the Republic.”
Hospital Report
However, he said the plans to allow people to travel outside their county and gather in other people’s homes from Friday would still go ahead.
READ MORE
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said there were "significant and concerning indicators that this disease is moving in the wrong direction".
He said the rise in cases and the proportion of tests coming back positive were “troubling trends” given the State was “heading into a period of potential widespread inter-household and inter-generational mixing”.
“This is an ideal opportunity for the virus to spread and impact on those most vulnerable to its severest effects,” he said.
Senior public health sources expressed concern at more than 400 daily cases having been reported for a second time since Sunday. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has previously advised that a three-week intervention would be needed when case numbers “approach 400 per day”, although much depends on the rate of growth of the disease.
A Government source said there would "of course" be concern, but that Ireland was still performing well compared with other European countries.
Northern Ireland
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told Wednesday night's Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting there was a need to "keep an eye" on infections here and that he was concerned about the levels being seen in Northern Ireland.
Weekly meetings of Cabinet and senior officials on Brexit and Covid-19 would continue over the Christmas period, he said.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly spoke to his Stormont counterpart Robin Swann on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for Mr Donnelly said if Northern Ireland requested help, "this would of course be provided".
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly says the lead indicators suggest, as anticipated, that cases are on the rise in the Republic. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
A North South Ministerial Council meeting will take place on Friday.
The North’s lockdown ended last Friday with retail and much of the hospitality sector allowed to reopen, with further relaxations to come for the period from December 23rd to December 27th.
However, a total of 457 patients were on Wednesday receiving treatment for Covid-19 in the North’s hospitals, with 32 people in intensive care and 25 on ventilators. Eight more Covid-19 deaths and 510 cases were reported on Wednesday.
Interventions
Mr Swann said a series of “decisive” and “robust” interventions would be proposed to try to deal with heavy demands on the health service.
Nphet recommended against non-essential travel to and from Northern Ireland, and may repeat the warning after its meeting on Thursday.
The number of people seeking beds in Irish hospitals has been rising, with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s trolley watch survey on Wednesday counting 293 people in emergency departments and in wards awaiting admission. The figure on Tuesday was 316, the worst level of overcrowding seen since the start of the pandemic.
Anne O’Connor, HSE chief operations officer, said the health service was “not in terrible trouble” but that an increase in Covid-19 cases would translate into “issues in our hospitals” and then in critical care.
“There is no doubt our system will be under pressure in January,” she told RTÉ’s News at One.


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Can breathing pure oxygen under pressure reverse ageing?

It appears that major effects of ageing at the cellular level and at the level of human cognition can be reversed by breathing pure oxygen while sitting in a pressurised chamber .
Some very exciting research was recently published by Yafit Hachmo and others in the journal Ageing during November , and by Amir Hadanny and others published in same journal last July .
Prof Shai Efrati of Tel Aviv University , leader of this research , was interviewed about his work in the the Timesof Israel .
The genetic material DNA , present in every human cell , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes .
Each chromosome is essentially a long coiled-up strand of DNA .
Cells grow and divide and before each division the chromosomes duplicate themselves and identical copies of the chromosomes are handed on to each daughter cell .
The long string of DNA in each chromosome is capped at both ends by structures called telomeres .
Telomeres are analogous to the metal caps located at each end of a shoelace .
The function of these caps is to prevent the laces from fraying and this is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time a chromosome duplicates itself the long DNA string shortens at its telomere ends .
After many cell divisions the telomeres disappear and chromosomes are no longer able to duplicate themselves – the cell becomes senescent and dies .
Telomeres are essential to normal cell functioning and the shortening of telomeres is associated with ageing .
Telomeres can be visualised as clocks that measure biological ageing in cells .
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy ( HBOT ) is a medical treatment used to treat decompression sickness , carbon monoxide poisoning , delayed radiation injury , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which tissues are starved of oxygen .
The therapy involves breathing pure oxygen through a mask while sitting in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at air pressures 1.5 to three times normal atmospheric pressure .
The goal is to fill the blood with enough oxygen to repair tissues .
The recent studies published in Ageing were designed to determine if HBOT can reverse major indicators of ageing – shortening of telomeres , appearance of senescent cells and decline in cognitive functioning .
Thirty-five healthy adults over 64 years of age were administered HBOT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental atmosphere over one atmosphere .
The HBOT treatment was carried out for 60 days , five days a week in individual 90 minute sessions .
Participants were asked to remove their masks for five minutes every 20 minutes , thereby bringing their oxygen levels back to normal .
The body interprets the fluctuating oxygen content as lack of oxygen ( hypoxia ) and turns on mechanisms that enhance cell regeneration .
Telomere lengths , measured in blood cells , increased on average by 20 per cent over this 60-day HBOT treatment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 37 per cent .
It also triggered significant improvements in cognitive function – improvement in attention , information processing speed and executive functions and MRI brain scans before and after treatment showed associated enhancement of cerebral blood flow .
Taken at face value , the combined effect of the lengthened telomeres , decreased numbers of senescent cells , improved cognition and cerebral blood flow indicates a 25-year reduction in the biological age of recipients of the HBOT treatment .
Of course , much research must now be carried out to tease out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the work must be repeated with much bigger patient numbers and under more tightly controlled circumstances .
For example , the control group in the cognitive performance part of the study was given no exercises during the 60 day treatment as opposed to the HBOT-group who had an intense programme of daily meetings .
These meetings and social interactions may have contributed to their cognitive improvement .
Other studies have shown high intensity endurance exercise lengthens telomeres , but not to the same extent demonstrated by HBOT .
Will telomere lengthening in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons to think so , but only time will tell .
There is a distinct correlation across species between rates of telomere shortening and longevity – ( Kurt Whittemore and others , Proc .
Natl .
Academy Sciences US , July 23rd , 2019 ) .
This work from Israel is undoubtedly exciting , encouraging hopes that treatments will emerge to significantly slow down ageing .
• William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC

It appears that major effects of ageing at the cellular level and at the level of human cognition can be reversed by breathing pure oxygen while sitting in a pressurised chamber. Some very exciting research was recently published by Yafit Hachmo and others in the journal Ageing during November, and by Amir Hadanny and others published in same journal last July. Prof Shai Efrati of Tel Aviv University, leader of this research, was interviewed about his work in the the Timesof Israel.
The genetic material DNA, present in every human cell, is located in structures called chromosomes and each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each chromosome is essentially a long coiled-up strand of DNA. Cells grow and divide and before each division the chromosomes duplicate themselves and identical copies of the chromosomes are handed on to each daughter cell. The long string of DNA in each chromosome is capped at both ends by structures called telomeres.
Telomeres are analogous to the metal caps located at each end of a shoelace. The function of these caps is to prevent the laces from fraying and this is also the function of the telomere. Each time a chromosome duplicates itself the long DNA string shortens at its telomere ends. After many cell divisions the telomeres disappear and chromosomes are no longer able to duplicate themselves – the cell becomes senescent and dies. Telomeres are essential to normal cell functioning and the shortening of telomeres is associated with ageing. Telomeres can be visualised as clocks that measure biological ageing in cells.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment used to treat decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, delayed radiation injury, diabetic wounds, gangrene and other infections in which tissues are starved of oxygen. The therapy involves breathing pure oxygen through a mask while sitting in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at air pressures 1.5 to three times normal atmospheric pressure. The goal is to fill the blood with enough oxygen to repair tissues. The recent studies published in Ageing were designed to determine if HBOT can reverse major indicators of ageing – shortening of telomeres, appearance of senescent cells and decline in cognitive functioning.
READ MORE
Thirty-five healthy adults over 64 years of age were administered HBOT using 100 per cent oxygen in an environmental atmosphere over one atmosphere. The HBOT treatment was carried out for 60 days, five days a week in individual 90 minute sessions. Participants were asked to remove their masks for five minutes every 20 minutes, thereby bringing their oxygen levels back to normal. The body interprets the fluctuating oxygen content as lack of oxygen (hypoxia) and turns on mechanisms that enhance cell regeneration.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy treats decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, delayed radiation injury, diabetic wounds, gangrene and other infections in which tissues are starved of oxygen.
Telomere lengths, measured in blood cells, increased on average by 20 per cent over this 60-day HBOT treatment and numbers of senescent cells reduced by up to 37 per cent. It also triggered significant improvements in cognitive function – improvement in attention, information processing speed and executive functions and MRI brain scans before and after treatment showed associated enhancement of cerebral blood flow. Taken at face value, the combined effect of the lengthened telomeres, decreased numbers of senescent cells, improved cognition and cerebral blood flow indicates a 25-year reduction in the biological age of recipients of the HBOT treatment.
Cognitive improvement
Of course, much research must now be carried out to tease out the significance of this work. First, the work must be repeated with much bigger patient numbers and under more tightly controlled circumstances. For example, the control group in the cognitive performance part of the study was given no exercises during the 60 day treatment as opposed to the HBOT-group who had an intense programme of daily meetings. These meetings and social interactions may have contributed to their cognitive improvement.
Other studies have shown high intensity endurance exercise lengthens telomeres, but not to the same extent demonstrated by HBOT. Will telomere lengthening in adults enhance longevity? There are good reasons to think so, but only time will tell. There is a distinct correlation across species between rates of telomere shortening and longevity – (Kurt Whittemore and others, Proc. Natl. Academy Sciences US, July 23rd, 2019).
This work from Israel is undoubtedly exciting, encouraging hopes that treatments will emerge to significantly slow down ageing.


theirishtimes--2020-12-17--Dog with untreated tumours abandoned outside sanctuary

Dublin-based Dogs Trust Ireland has released a disturbing video of a dog being abandoned , tied to a gatepost outside the Dogs Trust sanctuary in the middle of the night .
The female Rottweiler is clearly affectionate in the video , out walking with two unidentified people .
They calmly approach the main gates of the compound in Finglas before dropping the dog ’ s lead over a metal barrier .
The charity has been working in Ireland since 2005 and its mission is to bring an end to the destruction of stray and abandoned dogs through a national responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dog is distracted , sniffing out her surroundings , as the two turn and walk away , before breaking into a trot when they get to the corner of the road .
The video cuts to a scene seven hours and 39 minutes later by which time the Rottweiler is lying on the cement ground , still tethered to the metal post .
As staff arrive for work in the dark , the displays her affectionate tendencies show and she gives them a great welcome .
Eimear Cassidy , assistant operations manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just before 7.30am when she found the dog , since named Beau , attached to the gates .
“ She was immediately friendly and very pleased to see me , which made it even more upsetting when I reviewed the CCTV footage and saw she had been abandoned just before midnight ” .
Cassidy admits she “ burst into tears when I realised , she had spent over seven hours in the cold , on her own , just lying there , especially given the fact that we have an emergency number stuck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no “ happily ever after ” ending to report , at least as yet .
As Cassidy said : “ It wasn ’ t until I took her indoors into the light , that I saw the tumours hanging from her undercarriage and that her head was tilted to one side.
” Upon veterinary examination , it was discovered that Beau had a chronic ear condition that appeared , like her tumours , to be untreated , leaving her in enormous discomfort and causing her head tilt .
In order to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the charity has sent off samples from Beau ’ s various tumours for laboratory analysis to see if and how they can be treated , but they are worried about her prognosis .
Becky Bristow , executive director with the trust said everyone was very saddened by what happened to Beau .
She appealed to anybody who is having difficulties with their dog to please contact the centre .
“ We are not here to judge you and we will do our upmost to help you , whatever your circumstances are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beau happening in the future , ” she said .
Given the number of complicated veterinary cases that have arrived into the care of the charity over the past number of months , Dogs Trust said it fears its vets bills will be higher in 2021 and they will be relying on the generosity of the public to help them care for abandoned dogs .
They have set up a sponsorship programme online seeking help with the 138 dogs currently in care .
Beau is not available for adoption as her prognosis is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her health is ascertained through the outcome of tests .

CCTV has captured a female Rottweiler, who was later found to be in need of medical attention for tumours and an ear condition, being abandoned in the middle of the night at Dog Trust Ireland's rehoming centre in Finglas, Dublin.
Dublin-based Dogs Trust Ireland has released a disturbing video of a dog being abandoned, tied to a gatepost outside the Dogs Trust sanctuary in the middle of the night.
The female Rottweiler is clearly affectionate in the video, out walking with two unidentified people. They calmly approach the main gates of the compound in Finglas before dropping the dog’s lead over a metal barrier.
The charity has been working in Ireland since 2005 and its mission is to bring an end to the destruction of stray and abandoned dogs through a national responsible dog ownership campaign.
The video shows the dog is distracted, sniffing out her surroundings, as the two turn and walk away, before breaking into a trot when they get to the corner of the road.
READ MORE
The video cuts to a scene seven hours and 39 minutes later by which time the Rottweiler is lying on the cement ground, still tethered to the metal post. As staff arrive for work in the dark, the displays her affectionate tendencies show and she gives them a great welcome.
Eimear Cassidy, assistant operations manager with Dogs Trust Ireland said it was just before 7.30am when she found the dog, since named Beau, attached to the gates.
“She was immediately friendly and very pleased to see me, which made it even more upsetting when I reviewed the CCTV footage and saw she had been abandoned just before midnight”.
Cassidy admits she “burst into tears when I realised, she had spent over seven hours in the cold, on her own, just lying there, especially given the fact that we have an emergency number stuck to the gate”.
Tumours
Sadly there is no “happily ever after” ending to report, at least as yet. As Cassidy said: “It wasn’t until I took her indoors into the light, that I saw the tumours hanging from her undercarriage and that her head was tilted to one side.”
Upon veterinary examination, it was discovered that Beau had a chronic ear condition that appeared, like her tumours, to be untreated, leaving her in enormous discomfort and causing her head tilt.
In order to decide on the best course of veterinary treatment, the charity has sent off samples from Beau’s various tumours for laboratory analysis to see if and how they can be treated, but they are worried about her prognosis.
Becky Bristow, executive director with the trust said everyone was very saddened by what happened to Beau.
She appealed to anybody who is having difficulties with their dog to please contact the centre. “We are not here to judge you and we will do our upmost to help you, whatever your circumstances are, because we want to avoid cases like Beau happening in the future,” she said.
Given the number of complicated veterinary cases that have arrived into the care of the charity over the past number of months, Dogs Trust said it fears its vets bills will be higher in 2021 and they will be relying on the generosity of the public to help them care for abandoned dogs .
They have set up a sponsorship programme online seeking help with the 138 dogs currently in care.
Beau is not available for adoption as her prognosis is uncertain at the moment until more information on her health is ascertained through the outcome of tests.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Student nurses to engage with reviews into pay and conditions

Student nurses and midwives are to engage with two independently-verified reviews of their remuneration and conditions that have been established by the Government .
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation ( INMO ) said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly had proposed the reviews and that the details of how they would operate had been finalised on Wednesday .
The INMO said the first review would focus on short-term matters and would report back to the Minister by the end of the month with the recommendations to be implemented in January .
It said education expert Prof Tom Collins had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review .
The union said the second review would look at longer-term issues and would take place in January and February , with a view to its findings being implemented for the academic year starting in September .
There has been major political controversy about pay and working conditions for student nurses and midwives over recent weeks .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil on Tuesday that a student nurse on a clinical placement was a full-time student .
“ If a nurse is asked to do work for a roster , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for such a roster.
” Fourth year student nurses and midwives on rostered work placements are paid the equivalent of an annual salary of €21,749 in most disciplines , but this rises to the equivalent of €22,229 for those specialising in psychiatric nursing .
Students in other years of their studies recive an accommodation allowance of up to €50.79 per week , which is paid where it is consdiered necessary for a student to obtain accommodation away from their normal place of residence .
They also receive a refund of their travel expenses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of receipts .
The INMO said the feedback from its student members was “ cautiously in favour of guarded engagement ” with the reviews .
The organisation and the student nurses and midwives would “ feed into the review and reserve a final judgement until the outcomes are published ” , it said .
Phil Ní Sheaghdha , the INMO general secretary , said student nurses and midwives “ are doing incredible work on the frontlines during this pandemic ” and have overwhelming public support .
“ Over 70,000 people have pledged their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is clear that the public understand that valuing our student nurses and midwives means fair payments and conditions when working in the frontline during a pandemic , ” she said .
“ Our student members have rightly given a cautious response to the Minister ’ s proposed reviews .
The rapid timeline for implementation is very welcome , but ultimately the reviews ’ actual proposals will determine our student members ’ response .
”

Phil Ní Sheaghdha, the INMO general secretary, said student nurses and midwives ‘are doing incredible work on the frontlines during this pandemic’ and have overwhelming public support.
Student nurses and midwives are to engage with two independently-verified reviews of their remuneration and conditions that have been established by the Government.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly had proposed the reviews and that the details of how they would operate had been finalised on Wednesday.
The INMO said the first review would focus on short-term matters and would report back to the Minister by the end of the month with the recommendations to be implemented in January. It said education expert Prof Tom Collins had been appointed as the independent chair of this review.
The union said the second review would look at longer-term issues and would take place in January and February, with a view to its findings being implemented for the academic year starting in September.
READ MORE
There has been major political controversy about pay and working conditions for student nurses and midwives over recent weeks. Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil on Tuesday that a student nurse on a clinical placement was a full-time student.
“If a nurse is asked to do work for a roster, that nurse should be paid by the employer for such a roster.”
Equivalent salary
Fourth year student nurses and midwives on rostered work placements are paid the equivalent of an annual salary of €21,749 in most disciplines, but this rises to the equivalent of €22,229 for those specialising in psychiatric nursing.
Students in other years of their studies recive an accommodation allowance of up to €50.79 per week, which is paid where it is consdiered necessary for a student to obtain accommodation away from their normal place of residence. They also receive a refund of their travel expenses, with both paid on the production of receipts.
The INMO said the feedback from its student members was “cautiously in favour of guarded engagement” with the reviews. The organisation and the student nurses and midwives would “ feed into the review and reserve a final judgement until the outcomes are published”, it said.
Phil Ní Sheaghdha, the INMO general secretary, said student nurses and midwives “are doing incredible work on the frontlines during this pandemic” and have overwhelming public support.
“Over 70,000 people have pledged their support to students via a petition. It is clear that the public understand that valuing our student nurses and midwives means fair payments and conditions when working in the frontline during a pandemic,” she said.
“Our student members have rightly given a cautious response to the Minister’s proposed reviews. The rapid timeline for implementation is very welcome, but ultimately the reviews’ actual proposals will determine our student members’ response.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Likely to be second quarter of 2021 before differences from vaccine seen – Varadkar

It is likely to be the second quarter of next year before people start to see the differences from Covid-19 vaccine rollout , Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told a meeting of his parliamentary party .
However the Tánaiste told Fine Gael colleagues that there is a real possibility of vaccinations beginning in the State before the New Year , with nursing home residents and healthcare workers , in contact with patients , the first to receive immunisation .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told his party meeting on Wednesday night that a small volume of vaccine could be available in December .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounds to be “ more hopeful ” about Brexit this week , and that there is a pathway on the outstanding issue of the level playing field which has held up a trade deal .
Speaking to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting he said that the issues of fisheries is “ challenging ” , and warned that the country and economy would take an “ enormous hit ” if there is a no deal Brexit .
The issue of CETA , the EU-Canada trade deal , was discussed at both party meetings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fáil ’ s identity is as a “ party of multilateralism and trade ” .
He argued that the party had opened up the country under Sean Lemass .
Two Green deputies have indicated they may not vote with the Government on the matter , and argued that support for the deal was ruled out during negotiations on the Programme for Government .
Mr Varadkar said the Government had to sign off on the CETA trade agreement with Canada , and argued that the programme for government states it would support new and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like CETA benefit the country ’ s enterprise , investment and business .
John McGuinness raised the issue of CETA as well , and told Fianna Fáil colleagues that he welcomed the postponement of the vote , which would give TDs and the public more time to debate the deal .
John Lahart told the meeting that it would enable the party to convey the benefits of the deal .
Mr Lahart also raised the issue of “ not standing idly by ” if the North needed medics to assist with Covid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gave an update on talks over improved allowances for student nurses .
He said there had been good progress on Wednesday evening over two reviews that are underway .
Michael McGrath , the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform , gave the Fianna Fáil meeting a briefing on the new public pay deal , saying the deal would increase the cost of the public pay bill by four per cent over three calendar years .
He said the deal regularised many of the changes and efficiencies that became practice during Covid .

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told Fine Gael colleagues there is a real possibility of vaccinations beginning in the State before the New Year. Photograph: Julien Behal
It is likely to be the second quarter of next year before people start to see the differences from Covid-19 vaccine rollout, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told a meeting of his parliamentary party .
However the Tánaiste told Fine Gael colleagues that there is a real possibility of vaccinations beginning in the State before the New Year, with nursing home residents and healthcare workers, in contact with patients, the first to receive immunisation.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told his party meeting on Wednesday night that a small volume of vaccine could be available in December.
Hospital Report
The Taoiseach also said there were are grounds to be “more hopeful” about Brexit this week, and that there is a pathway on the outstanding issue of the level playing field which has held up a trade deal.
READ MORE
Speaking to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting he said that the issues of fisheries is "challenging", and warned that the country and economy would take an "enormous hit" if there is a no deal Brexit.
The issue of CETA, the EU-Canada trade deal, was discussed at both party meetings , with the Taoiseach saying that Fianna Fáil's identity is as a "party of multilateralism and trade". He argued that the party had opened up the country under Sean Lemass. Two Green deputies have indicated they may not vote with the Government on the matter, and argued that support for the deal was ruled out during negotiations on the Programme for Government.
Mr Varadkar said the Government had to sign off on the CETA trade agreement with Canada, and argued that the programme for government states it would support new and existing trade deals. He said agreements like CETA benefit the country’s enterprise, investment and business.
John McGuinness raised the issue of CETA as well, and told Fianna Fáil colleagues that he welcomed the postponement of the vote, which would give TDs and the public more time to debate the deal. John Lahart told the meeting that it would enable the party to convey the benefits of the deal. Mr Lahart also raised the issue of "not standing idly by" if the North needed medics to assist with Covid.
Stephen Donnelly, the Minister for Health, gave an update on talks over improved allowances for student nurses. He said there had been good progress on Wednesday evening over two reviews that are underway.
Michael McGrath, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, gave the Fianna Fáil meeting a briefing on the new public pay deal, saying the deal would increase the cost of the public pay bill by four per cent over three calendar years. He said the deal regularised many of the changes and efficiencies that became practice during Covid.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Cross-Border health treatment in North to continue in new year despite Brexit

A cross-Border health initiative that allows patients to travel to the North for treatment will continue “ on an administrative ” basis into the new year despite Brexit , the Dáil has been told .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was hoped to underpin ongoing cross-Border healthcare with legislation after the end of the Brexit transition period at the end of this year to create a more permanent arrangement.Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was hoped to underpin ongoing cross-Border healthcare with legislation after the end of the Brexit transition period He was responding to a question from Independent TD Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Michael Healy-Rae arranges buses for people to travel to the North for procedures including cataract , hip and knee operations .
Under an EU directive eligible patients can seek treatment in other member states where there is availability , with such treatment for Irish patients then reimbursed by the HSE .
The directive comes to an end in relation to the UK at the end of the month with its formal departure from the EU , and the Taoiseach told the Dáil on Wednesday that “ we have to develop a scheme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exit .
Two private hospitals in the North provide the services for cross-Border patients .
The type of scheme in mind “ will provide that Irish residents can continue to access services provided by private health service providers in the UK post the end of the transition period .
“ We will continue on an administrative basis and then underpin it with legislation , ” the Taoiseach said .
Earlier Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Taoiseach of being “ afraid to do the right thing ” to create affordable homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upset developers and landlords ” .
Ms McDonald said the Government ’ s promise to address the housing crisis “ has fallen flat ” .
Accusing the Taoiseach of being in an “ ideological cul-de-sac ” , she said the Government puts €1 billion into the pockets of landlords by subsidising social housing tenants in the rental market .
Ms McDonald questioned the Taoiseach about the absence of the Government ’ s “ long-promised affordable housing plan ” , first pledged for publication in September by Minister for Housing Darragh O ’ Brien @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sky high , houses remain unaffordable and the council waiting lists still heave with applicants waiting for years on end .
“ At the sharpest end of this crisis , the number of people using homeless services has increased and we know that the true level of those experiencing homelessness is at least 20 per cent greater than official Government figures would show.
” But the Taoiseach said Mr O ’ Brien had hit the ground running and had brought 2,500 “ void ” or empty houses back into use .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year and 9,500 of them will be overseen by local authorities , while the remainder will be leased out .

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was hoped to underpin ongoing cross-Border healthcare with legislation after the end of the Brexit transition period. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto
A cross-Border health initiative that allows patients to travel to the North for treatment will continue "on an administrative" basis into the new year despite Brexit, the Dáil has been told.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was hoped to underpin ongoing cross-Border healthcare with legislation after the end of the Brexit transition period at the end of this year to create a more permanent arrangement.Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was hoped to underpin ongoing cross-Border healthcare with legislation after the end of the Brexit transition period
He was responding to a question from Independent TD Michael Collins, who with Kerry TDs Danny and Michael Healy-Rae arranges buses for people to travel to the North for procedures including cataract, hip and knee operations.
Under an EU directive eligible patients can seek treatment in other member states where there is availability, with such treatment for Irish patients then reimbursed by the HSE. The directive comes to an end in relation to the UK at the end of the month with its formal departure from the EU, and the Taoiseach told the Dáil on Wednesday that “we have to develop a scheme unilaterally” following the UK’s exit.
READ MORE
Two private hospitals in the North provide the services for cross-Border patients. The type of scheme in mind “will provide that Irish residents can continue to access services provided by private health service providers in the UK post the end of the transition period.
“We will continue on an administrative basis and then underpin it with legislation,” the Taoiseach said.
Affordable housing
Earlier Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Taoiseach of being “afraid to do the right thing” to create affordable homes because “he does not want to upset developers and landlords”.
Ms McDonald said the Government’s promise to address the housing crisis “has fallen flat”.
Accusing the Taoiseach of being in an “ideological cul-de-sac”, she said the Government puts €1 billion into the pockets of landlords by subsidising social housing tenants in the rental market.
Ms McDonald questioned the Taoiseach about the absence of the Government’s “long-promised affordable housing plan”, first pledged for publication in September by Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien.
She said that “rents remain sky high, houses remain unaffordable and the council waiting lists still heave with applicants waiting for years on end.
“At the sharpest end of this crisis, the number of people using homeless services has increased and we know that the true level of those experiencing homelessness is at least 20 per cent greater than official Government figures would show.”
But the Taoiseach said Mr O’Brien had hit the ground running and had brought 2,500 “void” or empty houses back into use.
He said 12,750 social homes will be built next year and 9,500 of them will be overseen by local authorities, while the remainder will be leased out.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Woman killed in hit and run incident in Co Galway

A woman in her 50s was killed during a hit and run incident in Co Galway on Wednesday .
The incident occurred on the R336 Barna to Spiddal Road in Furbo .
Gardaí attended the scene shortly after 7.30pm .
The woman , a pedestrian , was discovered with serious injuries .
It is believed she was struck by a vehicle which failed to remain at the scene .
The woman was then taken to Galway University Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later .
A postmortem is set to place at a later date .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technical examination by forensic collision investigators will take place on Thursday morning .
Gardaí at Salthill are appealing for any witnesses or for anyone with information to come forward .
Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage ( including dash-cam ) who were travelling in the Furbo area from 7pm to 7.30pm to make this footage available to gardaí .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Salthill Garda Station on 91 514720 .
Separately , a man has died in a road crash near Crosshaven , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70s was the only occupant of the car which crashed n the R612 at Aghamarta at about 4.20pm on Wednesday .
He was taken to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later .
No other injuries were reported .
The road was closed on Wednesday evening closed and technical examination was taking place .
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward and have urged any road users with camera footage who were travelling in the area at the time to make the video available to gardaí .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carrigaline Garda station on 021-4919370 , the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 , or any Garda station

The man was taken to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Photograph: Google Street View
A woman in her 50s was killed during a hit and run incident in Co Galway on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on the R336 Barna to Spiddal Road in Furbo. Gardaí attended the scene shortly after 7.30pm.
The woman, a pedestrian, was discovered with serious injuries. It is believed she was struck by a vehicle which failed to remain at the scene.
The woman was then taken to Galway University Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later. A postmortem is set to place at a later date.
READ MORE
The road will remain closed overnight and a technical examination by forensic collision investigators will take place on Thursday morning.
Gardaí at Salthill are appealing for any witnesses or for anyone with information to come forward.
Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the Furbo area from 7pm to 7.30pm to make this footage available to gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Salthill Garda Station on 91 514720.
Separately, a man has died in a road crash near Crosshaven, Co Cork.
The driver in his 70s was the only occupant of the car which crashed n the R612 at Aghamarta at about 4.20pm on Wednesday.
He was taken to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
No other injuries were reported.
The road was closed on Wednesday evening closed and technical examination was taking place.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward and have urged any road users with camera footage who were travelling in the area at the time to make the video available to gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Carrigaline Garda station on 021-4919370, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Kangaroos can learn to communicate with humans, Irish-led research says

Kangaroos can learn to communicate with humans , by using their gaze to “ point ” and ask for help , researchers said in a study published on Wednesday .
The study involved 11 kangaroos that lived in captivity but had not been domesticated .
Ten of the 11 marsupials intently gazed at researchers when they were unable to open a box with food , according to the report .
Nine alternately looked at the human and at the container , as a way of pointing or gesturing towards the object .
“ We interpreted this as a deliberate form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Alan McElligott , the Irish researcher who led the study , told Reuters in a call from Hong Kong .
“ Wild species are not really expected to behave as those subjects were , and that ’ s why it is surprising.
” The findings challenge the notion that only domesticated animals such as dogs , horses or goats communicate with humans , and suggest many more animals could grasp how to convey meaning to humans , the paper asserts .
“ We ’ ve previously thought only domesticated animals try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But kangaroos do it too , ” concluded co-researcher Alexandra Green from the University of Sydney .
“ It ’ s more likely to be a learned behaviour when the environment is right.
” – Reuters

Handout photo issued by the University of Sydney of a kangaroo interacting with a human. Photograph: Dr Alexandra Green/University of Sydney/PA Wire
Kangaroos can learn to communicate with humans, by using their gaze to “point” and ask for help, researchers said in a study published on Wednesday.
The study involved 11 kangaroos that lived in captivity but had not been domesticated. Ten of the 11 marsupials intently gazed at researchers when they were unable to open a box with food, according to the report. Nine alternately looked at the human and at the container, as a way of pointing or gesturing towards the object.
"We interpreted this as a deliberate form of communication, a request for help," Alan McElligott, the Irish researcher who led the study, told Reuters in a call from Hong Kong.
“Wild species are not really expected to behave as those subjects were, and that’s why it is surprising.”
READ MORE
The findings challenge the notion that only domesticated animals such as dogs, horses or goats communicate with humans, and suggest many more animals could grasp how to convey meaning to humans, the paper asserts.
"We've previously thought only domesticated animals try to ask for help with a problem. But kangaroos do it too," concluded co-researcher Alexandra Green from the University of Sydney.
“It’s more likely to be a learned behaviour when the environment is right.” – Reuters


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Phibsborough residents and businesses seek change to BusConnects plans for village

Residents and businesses in Dublin ’ s Phibsborough are asking the National Transport Authority ( NTA ) to remove traffic lanes proposed for the village as part of the BusConnects programme .
Submissions on the final plans for the creation of 16 continuous bus corridors across Dublin city under the BusConnects programme must be made to the NTA by Wednesday .
While segregated cycle paths are to be provided along most routes in the programme , for the Phibsborough route the NTA is proposing to divert cyclists away from the village by creating a bypass at the Royal Canal down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the North Circular Road to head south on Royal Canal Bank .
Cyclists not taking the bypass and choosing to travel through the village on Phibsborough Road would have to share the bus lane .
A bus lane and a general traffic lane would be maintained in each direction on Phibsborough Road through the village at Doyle ’ s Corner under the plan .
However , local residents and business group Beyond the Junction , formed in response to the NTA ’ s proposals , said the plan prioritises people travelling through Phibsborough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We strongly disagree with keeping two general lanes for motor traffic , not least because there simply isn ’ t room for them without sacrificing cyclist safety , bus lane flow and footpath size , ” the group ’ s submission to the NTA said .
The group proposes removing one of the four traffic lanes to create space for cycle lanes , wider footpaths , “ parklets ” – small seating areas – and loading bays .
This would require cars approaching the Doyle ’ s Corner crossroads to share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given priority at the traffic lights to allow them to travel through the junction first .
Under the group ’ s proposals , the same system would apply on the North Circular Road , which will not have a BusConnects corridor , where it runs through Doyle ’ s Corner .
Phibsborough has low levels of car ownership and is well served by public transport , including the Luas , the group said .
“ It is therefore extremely disappointing ( and contrary to the objectives of BusConnects ) to see that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , instead of encouraging a safe , continuous cycle route on the main road .
Phibsborough village had deteriorated because of the sheer volumes of cars going through it : it will continue to do so if the road capacity for motor traffic is not reduced.
” The coronavirus pandemic had seen a shift to people shopping in their local areas , it said .
“ We don ’ t think the plan was good before Covid-19 – it is now outdated with the pandemic and its impacts on travelling and working habits.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ south side of the city in relation to the BusConnects plans for Dolphin ’ s Barn .
Former Dublin City Council planner Kieran Rose said the number of traffic lanes in the area at its South Circular Road junction would increase under the NTA ’ s plans .
“ This will be very damaging I think to [ the ] environmental quality of the village , making it more traffic-dominated and further severing it from its environs to the east.
” The project could also hamper the city council ’ s plans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It seems to me that these National Transport Authority/BusConnects proposals are based on a similar ideology that sees inner city residential streets as ‘ arterial routes ’ where through traffic is prioritised over the interests of residents and pedestrians.
” The NTA intends to lodge an application to An Bord Pleanála for the corridors next March .

Residents and businesses in Dublin's Phibsborough are asking the National Transport Authority (NTA) to remove traffic lanes proposed for the village as part of the BusConnects programme.
Submissions on the final plans for the creation of 16 continuous bus corridors across Dublin city under the BusConnects programme must be made to the NTA by Wednesday.
While segregated cycle paths are to be provided along most routes in the programme, for the Phibsborough route the NTA is proposing to divert cyclists away from the village by creating a bypass at the Royal Canal down the side of Mountjoy Prison and underneath the North Circular Road to head south on Royal Canal Bank.
Cyclists not taking the bypass and choosing to travel through the village on Phibsborough Road would have to share the bus lane. A bus lane and a general traffic lane would be maintained in each direction on Phibsborough Road through the village at Doyle’s Corner under the plan.
READ MORE
However, local residents and business group Beyond the Junction, formed in response to the NTA’s proposals, said the plan prioritises people travelling through Phibsborough over people who live and work there.
“We strongly disagree with keeping two general lanes for motor traffic, not least because there simply isn’t room for them without sacrificing cyclist safety, bus lane flow and footpath size,” the group’s submission to the NTA said.
The group proposes removing one of the four traffic lanes to create space for cycle lanes, wider footpaths, “parklets” – small seating areas – and loading bays. This would require cars approaching the Doyle’s Corner crossroads to share the bus lane, but buses would be given priority at the traffic lights to allow them to travel through the junction first.
Under the group’s proposals, the same system would apply on the North Circular Road, which will not have a BusConnects corridor, where it runs through Doyle’s Corner.
‘Extremely disappointing’
Phibsborough has low levels of car ownership and is well served by public transport, including the Luas, the group said. "It is therefore extremely disappointing (and contrary to the objectives of BusConnects) to see that the plan prioritises people travelling by car, instead of encouraging a safe, continuous cycle route on the main road. Phibsborough village had deteriorated because of the sheer volumes of cars going through it: it will continue to do so if the road capacity for motor traffic is not reduced."
The coronavirus pandemic had seen a shift to people shopping in their local areas, it said. “We don’t think the plan was good before Covid-19 – it is now outdated with the pandemic and its impacts on travelling and working habits.”
Concerns have also emerged on the south side of the city in relation to the BusConnects plans for Dolphin's Barn. Former Dublin City Council planner Kieran Rose said the number of traffic lanes in the area at its South Circular Road junction would increase under the NTA's plans.
“This will be very damaging I think to [the] environmental quality of the village, making it more traffic-dominated and further severing it from its environs to the east.”
The project could also hamper the city council’s plans for a village environmental improvement scheme, he said.
“It seems to me that these National Transport Authority/BusConnects proposals are based on a similar ideology that sees inner city residential streets as ‘arterial routes’ where through traffic is prioritised over the interests of residents and pedestrians.”
The NTA intends to lodge an application to An Bord Pleanála for the corridors next March.


theirishtimes--2020-12-16--Trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr adjourned for almost six months

The trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr , who is accused of setting up an employee to be taken prisoner by a gang , has been adjourned at the Special Criminal Court for almost six months .
This is the second adjournment in the trial , with the case previously adjourned for several weeks on November 19th after the defence requested time to view newly disclosed CCTV footage .
Last month , Shane Costelloe SC on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions , submitted that gardaí had only become aware that a significant proportion of CCTV footage retained on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State .
The defence said it amounted to 12 days of CCTV footage and the case should not proceed until they had an opportunity to view the material .
The three-judge court ruled that the trial would be adjourned until December 15th .
When the trial re-commenced on Tuesday before the non-jury court , defence counsel Bernard Condon SC said there had been delays in serving the defence with the newly disclosed CCTV footage and he asked for a further adjournment to view the material , which was acceded to .
Furthermore , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant piece ” of CCTV footage was only served on the defence last week despite the cross-examination of Martin Byrne having concluded .
The court ruled that Mr Condon would be given another opportunity to put further questions to Martin Byrne when he is brought back to the jurisdiction in June .
Following evidence from two Garda witnesses on Wednesday , Mr Costelloe informed the three-judge court that this was as far as the State could take the case and two more weeks were required to complete the trial .
Judge Sinéad Ní @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case had originally been listed for three weeks , when it began on October 23rd .
Counsel and the three-judge panel went through the Special Criminal Court ’ s diary as well as the barristers ’ schedules over the coming months and the next available date suitable to all parties was June 2nd .
Mr Justice Alexander Owens presiding , sitting with Judge Ní Chulacháin and Judge James Faughnan adjourned the trial until June 2nd .
It is listed for mention at the beginning of January .
Martin Byrne ( 53 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a couple of feet away ” when he was taken prisoner by the gang of men , which included former INLA man Dessie O ’ Hare and former republican paramilitary Declan Duffy , after a meeting at a warehouse at Keatings Park in west Dublin .
In his evidence , Mr Byrne said that he believed Mr Mansfield Jnr had set him up .
Martin Byrne is now in the Witness Protection Programme along with his wife Lisa Byrne and their son Brandon Byrne ( 24 ) .
Mr Mansfield Jnr ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garters Lane , Saggart , Co Dublin , is accused of conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne on a date unknown between January 1st , 2015 and June 30th , 2015 , both dates inclusive .
He is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy recorded CCTV footage , with the alleged intention of perverting the course of public justice in relation to the false imprisonment of Martin Byrne at Finnstown House Hotel , Newcastle Road , Lucan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and June 12th , 2015 .
The accused has pleaded not guilty to both counts .

Jim Mansfield Jnr pictured leaving the Criminal Courts of Justice on Parkgate Street in Dublin on Wednesday. Photograph: Collins Courts
The trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr, who is accused of setting up an employee to be taken prisoner by a gang, has been adjourned at the Special Criminal Court for almost six months.
This is the second adjournment in the trial, with the case previously adjourned for several weeks on November 19th after the defence requested time to view newly disclosed CCTV footage.
Last month, Shane Costelloe SC on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, submitted that gardaí had only become aware that a significant proportion of CCTV footage retained on a harddrive had never been disclosed to the State.
The defence said it amounted to 12 days of CCTV footage and the case should not proceed until they had an opportunity to view the material. The three-judge court ruled that the trial would be adjourned until December 15th.
READ MORE
When the trial re-commenced on Tuesday before the non-jury court, defence counsel Bernard Condon SC said there had been delays in serving the defence with the newly disclosed CCTV footage and he asked for a further adjournment to view the material, which was acceded to.
Significant piece
Furthermore, Mr Condon said a "a very significant piece" of CCTV footage was only served on the defence last week despite the cross-examination of Martin Byrne having concluded.
The court ruled that Mr Condon would be given another opportunity to put further questions to Martin Byrne when he is brought back to the jurisdiction in June.
Following evidence from two Garda witnesses on Wednesday, Mr Costelloe informed the three-judge court that this was as far as the State could take the case and two more weeks were required to complete the trial.
Judge Sinéad Ní Chulacháin reminded counsel for both sides that the case had originally been listed for three weeks, when it began on October 23rd.
Counsel and the three-judge panel went through the Special Criminal Court’s diary as well as the barristers’ schedules over the coming months and the next available date suitable to all parties was June 2nd.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens presiding, sitting with Judge Ní Chulacháin and Judge James Faughnan adjourned the trial until June 2nd. It is listed for mention at the beginning of January.
Martin Byrne (53) has testified that Mr Mansfield Jnr was "a couple of feet away" when he was taken prisoner by the gang of men, which included former INLA man Dessie O'Hare and former republican paramilitary Declan Duffy, after a meeting at a warehouse at Keatings Park in west Dublin. In his evidence, Mr Byrne said that he believed Mr Mansfield Jnr had set him up.
Martin Byrne is now in the Witness Protection Programme along with his wife Lisa Byrne and their son Brandon Byrne (24).
Mr Mansfield Jnr (53), of Tasaggart House, Garters Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin, is accused of conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne on a date unknown between January 1st, 2015 and June 30th, 2015, both dates inclusive.
He is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy recorded CCTV footage, with the alleged intention of perverting the course of public justice in relation to the false imprisonment of Martin Byrne at Finnstown House Hotel, Newcastle Road, Lucan, Co Dublin between June 9th, 2015 and June 12th, 2015.
The accused has pleaded not guilty to both counts.