theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Leaving Cert: Teachers advised to ‘destroy’ documents relating to students’ grades

Teachers are being advised to “ securely destroy ” any supporting documentation they generate in reaching a decision on a students ’ grades .
This may include drafts of forms , personal notes or emails in which teachers discuss a student ’ s estimated percentage mark or class ranking in a particular subject .
Instead , schools have been directed to retain only the final forms submitted to the Department of Education which record students ’ final estimated marks and class rankings .
The department says this is because the scope of any appeal to a student ’ s grade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional judgments of teachers or the school .
Appeals to grades will be limited to data-entry checks to ensure there were no administrative errors .
The move means that if a student makes a request for data access or appeals their result , the only documents they will have access to will be the school ’ s estimated percentage mark and individual ranking in the class .
Thousands of Leaving Cert students , meanwhile , have until 10pm on Thursday , May 28th , to register to receive their calculated grade .
Students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confirm the level at which they intended to sit each of their subjects .
Candidates will have the option of confirming the level or changing to a lower level .
Once the department has received all the necessary data from schools , students will be asked to opt in through the portal to indicate if they wish to receive calculated grades .
Separately , the department has confirmed it may not be possible to award calculated grades to students in some circumstances .
These cases relate to students taking subjects outside school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on which to base a grade .
They include repeat students , native language speakers who were due to sit an exam in that subject , students home schooling and students taking a subject outside of school .
A spokesman said that in these circumstances candidates will have the option to sit the Leaving Cert written examinations at a later date when it is safe to hold them .
It is estimated that thousands of students in schools take subjects outside school , such as minority languages or subjects which are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no record yet , however , of how many of these students do not have tutors or evidence of their learning achievement .
There are also about 2,800 Leaving Cert students who are “ external ” candidates this year and are not attending regular schools .
Similarly , there is no reliable data yet on how many of these students do not have tutors or evidence of their learning achievement .
“ If a student is not connected to a school and is studying independently , the department will consider these students on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be flexible in accepting estimated marks and rankings , ” a spokesman said .
“ Every effort will be made to provide an estimated mark provided there is sufficient credible evidence of the student ’ s achievement.
” Sinn Féin education spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has called for a “ plan B ” for students who are unable to get a calculated grade .
“ I have been contacted by many people who are in this situation and they are concerned .
As of yet the reality is these students have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ My concern is that students will be expected to wait to take the written Leaving Cert or the subject of their choosing in late autumn or winter , too late for this year ’ s third-level admissions.
” Meanwhile , English language students who are stuck in Ireland because of Covid-19 will be allowed to remain as long as they re-enrol in an online study course for the remainder of the academic year .
Students who left the State before completion of their studies due to Covid-19 may return and resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced by the Department of Justice .
Language students , whose visas were due to expire between May 20th and July 20th have had their visas extended by two months .

Sinn Féin education spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has called for a ‘plan B’ for any students unable to get a calculated grade. Photograph: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision
Teachers are being advised to “securely destroy” any supporting documentation they generate in reaching a decision on a students’ grades.
This may include drafts of forms, personal notes or emails in which teachers discuss a student’s estimated percentage mark or class ranking in a particular subject.
Instead, schools have been directed to retain only the final forms submitted to the Department of Education which record students’ final estimated marks and class rankings.
The department says this is because the scope of any appeal to a student’s grade will not encompass reopening or challenging the professional judgments of teachers or the school.
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Appeals to grades will be limited to data-entry checks to ensure there were no administrative errors.
The move means that if a student makes a request for data access or appeals their result, the only documents they will have access to will be the school’s estimated percentage mark and individual ranking in the class.
Thousands of Leaving Cert students, meanwhile, have until 10pm on Thursday,May 28th, to register to receive their calculated grade.
Students – where relevant – are also required to confirm the level at which they intended to sit each of their subjects.
Candidates will have the option of confirming the level or changing to a lower level.
Opt in
Once the department has received all the necessary data from schools, students will be asked to opt in through the portal to indicate if they wish to receive calculated grades.
Separately, the department has confirmed it may not be possible to award calculated grades to students in some circumstances.
These cases relate to students taking subjects outside school where there is no “satisfactory evidence” on which to base a grade.
They include repeat students, native language speakers who were due to sit an exam in that subject, students home schooling and students taking a subject outside of school.
A spokesman said that in these circumstances candidates will have the option to sit the Leaving Cert written examinations at a later date when it is safe to hold them.
It is estimated that thousands of students in schools take subjects outside school, such as minority languages or subjects which are not offered in their schools.
There are no record yet, however, of how many of these students do not have tutors or evidence of their learning achievement.
‘External’ candidates
There are also about 2,800 Leaving Cert students who are “external” candidates this year and are not attending regular schools.
Similarly, there is no reliable data yet on how many of these students do not have tutors or evidence of their learning achievement.
“If a student is not connected to a school and is studying independently, the department will consider these students on a case by case basis and will be flexible in accepting estimated marks and rankings,” a spokesman said.
“Every effort will be made to provide an estimated mark provided there is sufficient credible evidence of the student’s achievement.”
Sinn Féin education spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has called for a “plan B” for students who are unable to get a calculated grade.
“I have been contacted by many people who are in this situation and they are concerned. As of yet the reality is these students have not gotten any substantive reassurance from the Minister.
“My concern is that students will be expected to wait to take the written Leaving Cert or the subject of their choosing in late autumn or winter, too late for this year’s third-level admissions.”
Online study course
Meanwhile, English language students who are stuck in Ireland because of Covid-19 will be allowed to remain as long as they re-enrol in an online study course for the remainder of the academic year.
Students who left the State before completion of their studies due to Covid-19 may return and resume their studies, according to new measures introduced by the Department of Justice.
Language students, whose visas were due to expire between May 20th and July 20th have had their visas extended by two months.


theirishtimes--2020-05-27--Children’s hospital sees increase in trampoline injuries and household falls

Usually springtime would see a rise in injuries from contact sports such as GAA or rugby training but in recent weeks the children ’ s hospital in Crumlin has seen more children presenting with head injuries from household falls or trampoline use .
There was also a surge at the hospital in April of young children presenting with accidental ingestions of medicines and household items .
“ We noticed the spike in those ingestions really from the day the schools closed , ” said Dr Carol Blackburn , consultant in paediatric emergency medicine at Children ’ s Health Ireland in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a change in the types of injuries or illnesses among children who go to hospital .
“ It ’ s understandable : everyone is at home trying to work and look after children at the same time .
Those numbers have settled a bit now but we are still up on the baseline.
” The number of children in hospitals , meanwhile , dropped by nearly 60 per cent in some areas at the height of the coronavirus pandemic , with many families reluctant to visit healthcare settings because of the risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alan Finan , consultant paediatrician at Cavan General Hospital .
The number of children presenting with respiratory viruses , which are common during the winter months , also significantly dropped following Taoiseach Leo Varadkar ’ s decision to close all schools and creches in mid-March , said Dr Finan .
“ We found general paediatric illnesses reduced by probably 50-60 per cent starting the third week of March , it was quite a dramatic fall , ” Dr Finan told The Irish Times .
“ Our interpretation is primarily that kids haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or creche and so haven ’ t been sharing the normal viruses.
” Doctors were concerned that some children who needed medical assessments were being kept home because of the perceived risk of the disease in hospitals , said Dr Finan .
“ I had a couple of cases where kids were due blood tests and clinical examinations and the parents cancelled .
I had to phone them to persuade them to come in .
In most instances they agreed but in a couple of cases they didn ’ t. ” Hospitals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus , said Dr Finan .
“ When we ’ re seeing a child face to face we ’ re very mindful of that risk and careful about using PPE [ personal protective equipment ] and maintaining physical distancing between patients in waiting rooms .
“ The level of risk of people coming to a hospital is actually very low in terms of Covid-19 .
I think they ’ re probably at more risk in the supermarket than in here.
” Like in other hospitals , doctors in Cavan have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even though speaking over Zoom is not the same as carrying out an assessment in person , Dr Finan says the online alternative has been important in maintaining contact with patients .
However , telephone clinics are not a long-term solution , he adds .
“ If you don ’ t see patients face to face there will be things missed .
It ’ s important we get back to seeing patients in person.
” Crumlin hospital did not witness the same dramatic drop in attendances as Cavan given that it was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which temporarily relocated its paediatric services to Crumlin and Temple Street for the duration of the pandemic , said Dr Blackburn .
The virus , however , has not been a major issue in Crumlin , she says .
“ Those children who did test positive did not require ICU treatment , we ’ ve been fortunate with that.
” Like Dr Finan , she says the number of children attending hospitals has started heading back towards normal levels .
However , Dr Blackburn urged parents to consider bringing children with less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blanchardstown .

Usually springtime would see a rise in injuries from contact sports such as GAA or rugby training but in recent weeks the children's hospital in Crumlin has seen more children presenting with head injuries from household falls or trampoline use.
There was also a surge at the hospital in April of young children presenting with accidental ingestions of medicines and household items.
"We noticed the spike in those ingestions really from the day the schools closed," said Dr Carol Blackburn, consultant in paediatric emergency medicine at Children's Health Ireland in Crumlin, who says there has been a change in the types of injuries or illnesses among children who go to hospital. "It's understandable: everyone is at home trying to work and look after children at the same time. Those numbers have settled a bit now but we are still up on the baseline."
Dr Blackman told RTÉ Radio’s News at One that while injuries from organised sports injuries are down, the hospital has been experiencing an increase in injuries from domestic environments such as falls in the home, trampolines or falls off bicycles.
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“We have seen an increase [in trampoline injuries], it’s part of an overall picture, we’re doing research here looking at the change in the origin of the injuries that we’re seeing at the moment from March to May this year at a time of Covid compared to previous years.
“While it’s hard to have absolute numbers because it’s still a work in progress we saw well over 80 trampoline injuries in April which would be up on a similar period last year. About 10 per cent of the injuries that we’re seeing at the moment are actually due to trampoline related injuries. They tend to be a combination of things - they could be as serious as an elbow fracture or more minor strain type injuries as well.
“But overall we’re busy, proportionately we’re seeing the same kinds of numbers of injuries.
“We had been concerned that parents were keeping their children at home for fear of coming to a hospital that might be perceived as somewhere they might pick up Covid, but we did issue appeals that we were open for business.
“During a time when attendances dropped off we were still seeing the same proportion of children with high acuity illnesses in that time. So it wasn’t our experience that children with serious illness stayed away.”
Risk
The number of children in hospitals, meanwhile, dropped by nearly 60 per cent in some areas at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, with many families reluctant to visit healthcare settings because of the risk of contracting the virus, according to Dr Alan Finan, consultant paediatrician at Cavan General Hospital.
The number of children presenting with respiratory viruses, which are common during the winter months, also significantly dropped following Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s decision to close all schools and creches in mid-March, said Dr Finan.
“We found general paediatric illnesses reduced by probably 50-60 per cent starting the third week of March, it was quite a dramatic fall,” Dr Finan told The Irish Times. “Our interpretation is primarily that kids haven’t been at school or play group or creche and so haven’t been sharing the normal viruses.”
Doctors were concerned that some children who needed medical assessments were being kept home because of the perceived risk of the disease in hospitals, said Dr Finan. “I had a couple of cases where kids were due blood tests and clinical examinations and the parents cancelled. I had to phone them to persuade them to come in. In most instances they agreed but in a couple of cases they didn’t.”
Hospitals are taking every possible precaution to avoid the spread of the virus, said Dr Finan. “When we’re seeing a child face to face we’re very mindful of that risk and careful about using PPE [personal protective equipment] and maintaining physical distancing between patients in waiting rooms.
Dramatic drop
“The level of risk of people coming to a hospital is actually very low in terms of Covid-19. I think they’re probably at more risk in the supermarket than in here.”
Like in other hospitals, doctors in Cavan have been conducting online clinics since March. Even though speaking over Zoom is not the same as carrying out an assessment in person, Dr Finan says the online alternative has been important in maintaining contact with patients.
However, telephone clinics are not a long-term solution, he adds. “If you don’t see patients face to face there will be things missed. It’s important we get back to seeing patients in person.”
Crumlin hospital did not witness the same dramatic drop in attendances as Cavan given that it was also dealing with additional patients from Tallaght hospital, which temporarily relocated its paediatric services to Crumlin and Temple Street for the duration of the pandemic, said Dr Blackburn.
The virus, however, has not been a major issue in Crumlin, she says. “Those children who did test positive did not require ICU treatment, we’ve been fortunate with that.”
Like Dr Finan, she says the number of children attending hospitals has started heading back towards normal levels. However, Dr Blackburn urged parents to consider bringing children with less urgent or acute injuries to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Officers told to prepare to deploy to DRC as fears grow for Irish contingent

The Defence Forces has ordered officers to prepare to deploy to a troubled region of the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) at short notice , raising further concerns about troop safety .
Two Irish officers are currently assigned to the city of Goma in the east of the country as part of the Monusco UN mission .
The security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks due to political instability and the coronavirus pandemic , leading to other EU countries to pull their peacekeepers out of the area .
Earlier this month , the Defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns for the officers ’ safety and has recommended they be evacuated as a matter of urgency .
The Government agreed but declined to send the Ministerial Air Transport Service , commonly known as the Government jet , to the DRC due to concerns about its range .
Other options which explored were chartering an aircraft or having the officers fly home commercially .
This week the Defence Forces issued an order that the officers originally assigned to replace those in the DRC should be ready to deploy at minimum notice , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission due to the security situation .
“ It is increasingly looking like they want to rotate the Irish contingent , not evacuate it , ” a military source said .
The order states that the replacement officers must be ready to spend 14 days in quarantine at a military training installation in Ireland before flying out , as per UN guidelines .
If a rotation does go ahead , three officers will fly out and the two officers , a captain and a lieutenant colonel , will fly home , most likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons behind .
“ Instead of having two officers in harm ’ s way , we will now have three .
As usual none of it makes any sense , ” the source said .
The Irish contingent live in a private apartment in Goma rather than in a secure compound , raising concerns for their safety .
Ireland is campaigning for a seat on the UN security council , with the vote scheduled for June 17th .
Some senior officers and retired personnel have expressed the view the Government is reluctant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damages Ireland ’ s chances of a seat .
“ PR is now the driving factor , ” said Independent TD and former Army Ranger Wing deputy commander Cathal Berry .
“ And that ’ s a very dangerous place to be.
” A Defence Forces spokesman said there is “ no change ” to Ireland ’ s commitment to the DRC mission but that any deployment must be guided by UN protocols , access to the mission area and the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic .
The dilemma has highlighted the Defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repatriating troops at short notice .
More than 300 troops serving on the Unifil mission in Lebanon are not able to rotate home until the end of June in part due to a lack of long-range transport options .
The Department of Defence said there is a requirement to extract the officers for a medical assessment as they are now past their initial six month deployment period .
It did not mention concerns about the security situation .
“ Both the Department and the Defence Forces are considering all available options to secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earliest possible opportunity .
However , there are a number of complexities that remain to be worked through , such as the transport of their weapons and ammunition.
” Returning the officers safely and quickly “ takes precedence over any other secondary issue , ” it said .
The subject was discussed at a online seminar organised by the Slándáil National Security Summit on Tuesday .
Slovakian ambassador to Ireland Igor Pokojny described how his country ’ s airlift programme was vital , not just for moving troops but for evacuating civilians from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could take part in a pooled air transport programme with other European countries to reduce cost .

The Government jet, at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. The Government declined to send the jet to the DRC due to concerns about its range. File photograph: Alan Betson
The Defence Forces has ordered officers to prepare to deploy to a troubled region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at short notice, raising further concerns about troop safety.
Two Irish officers are currently assigned to the city of Goma in the east of the country as part of the Monusco UN mission.
The security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks due to political instability and the coronavirus pandemic, leading to other EU countries to pull their peacekeepers out of the area.
Earlier this month, the Defence Forces General Staff advised the Government about concerns for the officers' safety and has recommended they be evacuated as a matter of urgency. The Government agreed but declined to send the Ministerial Air Transport Service, commonly known as the Government jet, to the DRC due to concerns about its range.
READ MORE
Other options which explored were chartering an aircraft or having the officers fly home commercially.
Confusion
This week the Defence Forces issued an order that the officers originally assigned to replace those in the DRC should be ready to deploy at minimum notice, leading to confusion about plans to drawdown the mission due to the security situation.
“It is increasingly looking like they want to rotate the Irish contingent, not evacuate it,” a military source said.
The order states that the replacement officers must be ready to spend 14 days in quarantine at a military training installation in Ireland before flying out, as per UN guidelines.
If a rotation does go ahead, three officers will fly out and the two officers, a captain and a lieutenant colonel, will fly home, most likely on a commercial flight after leaving their weapons behind.
“Instead of having two officers in harm’s way, we will now have three. As usual none of it makes any sense,” the source said.
The Irish contingent live in a private apartment in Goma rather than in a secure compound, raising concerns for their safety.
Ireland is campaigning for a seat on the UN security council, with the vote scheduled for June 17th. Some senior officers and retired personnel have expressed the view the Government is reluctant to draw down the mission in case it damages Ireland’s chances of a seat.
"PR is now the driving factor," said Independent TD and former Army Ranger Wing deputy commander Cathal Berry. "And that's a very dangerous place to be."
A Defence Forces spokesman said there is “no change” to Ireland’s commitment to the DRC mission but that any deployment must be guided by UN protocols, access to the mission area and the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Transport options
The dilemma has highlighted the Defence Forces' lack of aircraft capable of repatriating troops at short notice. More than 300 troops serving on the Unifil mission in Lebanon are not able to rotate home until the end of June in part due to a lack of long-range transport options.
The Department of Defence said there is a requirement to extract the officers for a medical assessment as they are now past their initial six month deployment period.
It did not mention concerns about the security situation.
“Both the Department and the Defence Forces are considering all available options to secure the return of these personnel at the earliest possible opportunity. However, there are a number of complexities that remain to be worked through, such as the transport of their weapons and ammunition.”
Returning the officers safely and quickly “takes precedence over any other secondary issue,” it said.
The subject was discussed at a online seminar organised by the Slándáil National Security Summit on Tuesday.
Slovakian ambassador to Ireland Igor Pokojny described how his country's airlift programme was vital, not just for moving troops but for evacuating civilians from disaster areas. Other speakers suggested Ireland could take part in a pooled air transport programme with other European countries to reduce cost.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Greens push overhaul of property tax, higher carbon tax in government talks

An overhaul of property tax and higher levels of carbon tax than already envisaged are among the proposals tabled by the Green Party in government formation talks .
It is also calling for a wealth tax , an 80 per cent windfall tax on the sale of rezoned land and other taxation moves to encourage efforts to tackle climate change .
Negotiating teams from Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael and the Greens continued their talks on Tuesday with a focus on finance policies .
The Greens are said to have put forward a detailed set of tax policy proposals such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replace the current local property tax .
However , other sources said the establishment of a site-value tax is being dealt with under the set of negotiations on housing.It would be a charge on the value of the site where a property is located rather than on the value of a property itself .
It would likely mean higher property tax for those living in areas that are well serviced by public facilities , such as cities and towns with good transport links , relative to those in rural areas whose actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has previously said a site-value tax would be used to encourage denser housing development .
The Greens ’ election manifesto says a site-value tax “ is a recurring annual tax on the value of a site excluding the value of any improvements or properties ” .
The Greens are also understood to favour a higher level of carbon tax than initially envisaged under government policy .
The last budget under the Fine Gael-Independent minority government , underpinned by Fianna Fáil , envisaged carbon tax rising to €80 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want this increased to €100 .
Sources also said that the Greens want an 80 per cent windfall tax on the sale of rezoned land , as well as VAT reductions on products that are more energy efficient , as well as a wealth tax on assets .
The Green Party manifesto said it would “ pursue a wealth tax on individuals holding assets over €10 million ” .
It is understood that potentially contentious issues , such as how to deal with the State deficit after the Covid-19 virus and the planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key point of debate in the general election , have not yet been fully resolved .
One sources suggest that there is general agreement that the deficit would be mostly reduced through economic growth .
How to address the Green Party ’ s central demand – reducing Ireland ’ s annual carbon emissions by an average of 7 per cent – has also yet to be dealt with in detail , it is understood .
The Fine Gael submission is said to have referenced spending and taxation measures in its plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a €30 billion deficit this year , although there is no further detail .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin have said there will be no return to austerity and no increases in income tax or USC as the country emerges from the Covid-19 crisis .
Both Mr Varadkar and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe last week warned of the need to limit borrowing and control the budget deficit once the Covid-19 crisis passes .
Mr Varadkar warned that Ireland can not “ borrow cheaply forever ” , and suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy a plan for deficit reduction would be required .

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan: he has said a site-value tax would be used to encourage denser housing development
An overhaul of property tax and higher levels of carbon tax than already envisaged are among the proposals tabled by the Green Party in government formation talks.
It is also calling for a wealth tax, an 80 per cent windfall tax on the sale of rezoned land and other taxation moves to encourage efforts to tackle climate change.
Negotiating teams from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens continued their talks on Tuesday with a focus on finance policies.
The Greens are said to have put forward a detailed set of tax policy proposals such as the establishment of a site-value tax to replace the current local property tax.
READ MORE
However, other sources said the establishment of a site-value tax is being dealt with under the set of negotiations on housing.It would be a charge on the value of the site where a property is located rather than on the value of a property itself.
It would likely mean higher property tax for those living in areas that are well serviced by public facilities, such as cities and towns with good transport links, relative to those in rural areas whose actual homes may be of higher value.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has previously said a site-value tax would be used to encourage denser housing development. The Greens' election manifesto says a site-value tax "is a recurring annual tax on the value of a site excluding the value of any improvements or properties".
Carbon tax
The Greens are also understood to favour a higher level of carbon tax than initially envisaged under government policy. The last budget under the Fine Gael-Independent minority government, underpinned by Fianna Fáil, envisaged carbon tax rising to €80 per tonne by 2030, but the Greens want this increased to €100.
Sources also said that the Greens want an 80 per cent windfall tax on the sale of rezoned land, as well as VAT reductions on products that are more energy efficient, as well as a wealth tax on assets. The Green Party manifesto said it would “pursue a wealth tax on individuals holding assets over €10 million”.
It is understood that potentially contentious issues, such as how to deal with the State deficit after the Covid-19 virus and the planned increase in the State pension age, a key point of debate in the general election, have not yet been fully resolved.
One sources suggest that there is general agreement that the deficit would be mostly reduced through economic growth.
How to address the Green Party’s central demand – reducing Ireland’s annual carbon emissions by an average of 7 per cent – has also yet to be dealt with in detail, it is understood.
The Fine Gael submission is said to have referenced spending and taxation measures in its plans to deal with what is expected to be a €30 billion deficit this year, although there is no further detail.
Income tax
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin have said there will be no return to austerity and no increases in income tax or USC as the country emerges from the Covid-19 crisis.
Both Mr Varadkar and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe last week warned of the need to limit borrowing and control the budget deficit once the Covid-19 crisis passes.
Mr Varadkar warned that Ireland cannot "borrow cheaply forever", and suggested that once sustained growth returned to the economy a plan for deficit reduction would be required.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Timeline: How Covid-19 crisis in nursing homes unfolds in correspondence

Hundreds of pages of correspondence between the Department of Health and nursing homes ’ organisations earlier this year have been released and have highlight how the Covid-19 crisis in elderly care homes unfolded .
The following is a timeline : The head of Nursing Homes Ireland ( NHI ) writes to senior officials in the Department of Health seeking “ urgent ” guidance for the sector after the first confirmed case of coronavirus on the island of Ireland .
Mr Daly notes a statement from the HSE that there was an adequate stock of personal protective equipment but said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member homes.
” Officials respond and say they will follow the queries up .
Mr Daly again writes to senior officials in the Department of Health and asks for an “ express commitment ” that the needs of the private and voluntary nursing home sector are addressed by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .
The department says the sector will be “ encompassed ” within the scope of the work of a team assessing the needs of vulnerable people .
Mr Daly tells the HSE about “ increasing queries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate discharges from acute hospitals to nursing homes.
” He says there is an “ immediate requirement on the HSE to outline the procedures for discharge.
” He says that communication is important or “ this may get out of control.
” Mr Daly writes to the secretary general of the Department of Health Jim Breslin and Minister for Health Simon Harris raising concerns that workers from the nursing homes sector are being recruited to tackle Covid 19 elsewhere in the health service .
This would be at the “ severe detriment ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would “ threaten the capacity ” of nursing homes to “ meet their care needs during a period of a health emergency and will present as a move that will endanger older people.
” On the same day , Mr Daly again asks the department for guidance on admissions from hospitals .
Guidance on the transfer of patients between facilities is issued but by March 12 the NHI calls for more stringent measures , clarity around PPE and raise concerns about contingency arrangements should staff become ill. Mr Daly says that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for nursing homes on places such as the HSPC website .
After an announcement that schools and colleges will close , Mr Daly seeks clarity from the department about how nursing homes will maintain staffing levels .
In a letter to Kathleen McLellan , the chair of the vulnerable person ’ s sub-group on NPHET , Mr Daly says the recently issued HSE guidance contains “ no practical guidance to nursing homes on how to reduce the risk of transmission ” and says “ no information ” has been provided in relation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving constant queries from nursing homes with regard to how they can access such equipment and no assurance is coming from our health services in this regard.
” He requests “ immediate engagement.
” He is told by Ms McLellan that “ work is going ” on guidance .
NHI reports to health officials that its members can not get access to PPE .
Mr Daly writes to Minister Harris with a plea to “ desist targeting the recruitment of staff from the private and voluntary nursing home sector.
” While Mr Daly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engagement , he says there are “ pressing issues ” .
He says there are now confirmed cases of Covid-19 among nursing home residents and yet the provision of PPE is “ challenging to say the least.
” Delays in testing also have “ cataclysmic consequences ” .
He requests a urgent meeting with the department and the next day also requests an urgent meeting in a email to Minister Harris .
The NHI makes a submission on funding needed for the sector and again requests a meeting with Mr Harris .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff in the sector were withdrawing applications for jobs after the Goverment ’ s weekly pandemic payment of €350 was announced .
A meeting was held with Mr Harris on March 30th and communications continue throughout April and May .

During a committee held in the Dáil chamber TDs heard of how staff found working in nursing homes 'horific' during the Covid-19 outbreak. Video: Oireachtas TV
Hundreds of pages of correspondence between the Department of Health and nursing homes' organisations earlier this year have been released and have highlight how the Covid-19 crisis in elderly care homes unfolded. The following is a timeline :
February 28th
The head of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) writes to senior officials in the Department of Health seeking “urgent” guidance for the sector after the first confirmed case of coronavirus on the island of Ireland. Mr Daly notes a statement from the HSE that there was an adequate stock of personal protective equipment (PPE) but said “this is not the case for our member homes.” Officials respond and say they will follow the queries up.
March 4th
Mr Daly again writes to senior officials in the Department of Health and asks for an "express commitment" that the needs of the private and voluntary nursing home sector are addressed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). The department says the sector will be "encompassed" within the scope of the work of a team assessing the needs of vulnerable people.
March 6th
Mr Daly tells the HSE about “increasing queries from members” about “safe and appropriate discharges from acute hospitals to nursing homes.” He says there is an “immediate requirement on the HSE to outline the procedures for discharge.” He says that communication is important or “this may get out of control.”
READ MORE
March 9th
Mr Daly writes to the secretary general of the Department of Health Jim Breslin and Minister for Health Simon Harris raising concerns that workers from the nursing homes sector are being recruited to tackle Covid-19 elsewhere in the health service. This would be at the “severe detriment” of people in the nursing home sector and would “threaten the capacity” of nursing homes to “meet their care needs during a period of a health emergency and will present as a move that will endanger older people.” On the same day, Mr Daly again asks the department for guidance on admissions from hospitals.
March 10th
Guidance on the transfer of patients between facilities is issued but by March 12th the NHI calls for more stringent measures, clarity around PPE and raise concerns about contingency arrangements should staff become ill. Mr Daly says that there is “no specific practical guidance” for nursing homes on places such as the HSPC website.
March 12th
After an announcement that schools and colleges will close, Mr Daly seeks clarity from the department about how nursing homes will maintain staffing levels.
March 13th
In a letter to Kathleen McLellan, the chair of the vulnerable person’s sub-group on NPHET, Mr Daly says the recently issued HSE guidance contains “no practical guidance to nursing homes on how to reduce the risk of transmission” and says “no information” has been provided in relation to personal protective equipment. “We are receiving constant queries from nursing homes with regard to how they can access such equipment and no assurance is coming from our health services in this regard.” He requests “immediate engagement.” He is told by Ms McLellan that “work is going” on guidance.
March 15th
NHI reports to health officials that its members cannot get access to PPE.
March 17th
Mr Daly writes to Minister Harris with a plea to “desist targeting the recruitment of staff from the private and voluntary nursing home sector.”
March 18th
While Mr Daly praises the “round the clock” engagement, he says there are “pressing issues”. He says there are now confirmed cases of Covid-19 among nursing home residents and yet the provision of PPE is “challenging to say the least.” Delays in testing also have “cataclysmic consequences”. He requests a urgent meeting with the department and the next day also requests an urgent meeting in a email to Minister Harris.
March 24th
The NHI makes a submission on funding needed for the sector and again requests a meeting with Mr Harris. The next day the NHI report that some staff in the sector were withdrawing applications for jobs after the Goverment’s weekly pandemic payment of €350 was announced.
March 30th
A meeting was held with Mr Harris on March 30th and communications continue throughout April and May.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--University of Limerick to refund students living in campus accommodation

University of Limerick ’ s governing body has recommended that its students living in campus accommodation should be refunded because of the Covid-19 pandemic .
Thousands of students had to leave their accommodation in March and have not been able to return to the university since .
There are almost 3,000 beds in on-campus facilities .
However to date , they have been required to pay full fees for their time at the university ’ s accommodation even while not living there .
The university was only one of the seven in the State that did not issue pro-rata refunds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Students normally pay up front for accommodation .
Speaking in the Dáil last month , the Minister for Education Joe McHugh said UL had a “ moral duty or obligation to refund those students who are not in their private rental accommodation today , who were not there last week or the week before and who will not be there next week .
There is a duty to look at some form of pro-rata reimbursement.
” Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara , who raised the subject in the Dáil , said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to maintain pressure on privately owned student accommodation providers to offer refunds to students in light of the closure of third level institutes in mid-March .
“ When universities and colleges began giving lectures and tutorials remotely , it became clear that students who could do so would leave student accommodation to return home to their families , ” he said .
“ I contacted UL in early April and was advised that the matter of refunds to student residents was at that time under serious review by the UL governing authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governing body will come as a welcome relief to students and their parents .
”

University of Limerick’s governing body has recommended that its students living in campus accommodation should be refunded because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thousands of students had to leave their accommodation in March and have not been able to return to the university since. There are almost 3,000 beds in on-campus facilities. However to date, they have been required to pay full fees for their time at the university’s accommodation even while not living there.
The university was only one of the seven in the State that did not issue pro-rata refunds to students who vacated their student accommodation. Students normally pay up front for accommodation.
Speaking in the Dáil last month, the Minister for Education Joe McHugh said UL had a “moral duty or obligation to refund those students who are not in their private rental accommodation today, who were not there last week or the week before and who will not be there next week. There is a duty to look at some form of pro-rata reimbursement.”
READ MORE
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara, who raised the subject in the Dáil, said he welcomed the decision and that he would continue to maintain pressure on privately owned student accommodation providers to offer refunds to students in light of the closure of third level institutes in mid-March.
“When universities and colleges began giving lectures and tutorials remotely, it became clear that students who could do so would leave student accommodation to return home to their families,” he said.
“I contacted UL in early April and was advised that the matter of refunds to student residents was at that time under serious review by the UL governing authority. Today’s decision by the governing body will come as a welcome relief to students and their parents.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Residents can return to Belfast nursing home after change of management

A new provider is to take over the short-term running of a Belfast care home which was ordered to close last week amid ongoing concerns relating in part to the home ’ s management of the coronavirus outbreak .
The change of management means residents at Clifton Nursing Home in north Belfast will now be able to stay at the facility if they wish .
A number of elderly residents were moved out of the home on Friday due to “ ongoing concerns ” relating partly to the management of a coronavirus outbreak .
Nine residents with coronavirus have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but have recovered .
Runwood Homes , which operated the facility , said in a statement on Tuesday evening that agreement had been reached with Healthcare Ireland to receive management of the service .
“ We are contented with this positive decision enabling the residents to remain in their current , familiar living environment , with the same staff , ensuring continuity of care , which should remain a priority following the departure of our management , ” a spokeswoman said .
Healthcare Ireland , which owns and operates 14 nursing homes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the home in the short term .
It had been in negotiations with the North ’ s Department of Health , the health minister ’ s office , the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority ( RQIA ) since the end of last week .
Minister for Health Robin Swann defended his department ’ s handling of the situation at the home at the Northern Executive ’ s daily coronavirus briefing on Tuesday , saying that “ we weren ’ t slow to move ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Swann welcomed the decision by Healthcare Ireland to provide an interim management arrangement at Clifton Nursing Home .
“ I sincerely hope the serious concerns at the home will be systematically addressed.
” The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said it understood “ this is a very difficult and upsetting time for residents and their families and for that , we are deeply sorry .
“ We want to assure families that the care being provided in Clifton Nursing Home is safe today , ” a spokeswoman said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing advice and has a team of senior nurses , multidisciplinary staff and an infection prevention and control team overseeing care .
“ The trust will continue to review the residents ’ needs , with the full involvement of their families to inform ongoing care.
” Clifton Nursing Home was inspected by the RQIA on May 15th .
It identified “ deficits ” in relation to the robustness of infection prevention and control practices and was concerned that these issues were due to “ the lack of governance , oversight and leadership , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff at risk of harm.
” Staff had expressed concern about management , and the RQIA was concerned that the home ’ s management arrangements had been depleted , it said .
“ Therefore RQIA were not assured of the robustness of oversight and support for the management and staff team working in the home.
” In a statement on Tuesday , Runwood Homes said it was “ disconcerting that the [ Belfast ] Health and Social Care Trust were unwilling to continue supporting the team at Clifton Nursing Home , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improvements.
” The home , it said , had experienced increasing levels of staff sickness due to coronavirus , which had been “ further accentuated by external agency and trust staff unwilling to work due to the national threat of the virus ’ transmission rate.
” This greatly affected the home ’ s “ ability to fully function to the expected standards of the group and learnings have been made ” .
Mr Swann said on Tuesday that 5,603 care home residents and 5,854 staff had been tested for coronavirus to date .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ care homes in the North , and outbreaks have ended in 41 homes .
There are 483 care homes in Northern Ireland , caring for a maximum of around 16,000 residents .

A number of elderly residents were moved out of Clifton Nursing Home in Belfast on Friday due to “ongoing concerns”. Photograph: Google Streetview
A new provider is to take over the short-term running of a Belfast care home which was ordered to close last week amid ongoing concerns relating in part to the home's management of the coronavirus outbreak.
The change of management means residents at Clifton Nursing Home in north Belfast will now be able to stay at the facility if they wish.
A number of elderly residents were moved out of the home on Friday due to “ongoing concerns” relating partly to the management of a coronavirus outbreak.
Nine residents with coronavirus have died, and 20 others contracted the virus but have recovered.
READ MORE
Runwood Homes, which operated the facility, said in a statement on Tuesday evening that agreement had been reached with Healthcare Ireland to receive management of the service.
“We are contented with this positive decision enabling the residents to remain in their current, familiar living environment, with the same staff, ensuring continuity of care, which should remain a priority following the departure of our management,” a spokeswoman said.
Healthcare Ireland, which owns and operates 14 nursing homes in Northern Ireland, will take over management of the home in the short term.
It had been in negotiations with the North’s Department of Health, the health minister’s office, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) since the end of last week.
Minister for Health Robin Swann defended his department's handling of the situation at the home at the Northern Executive's daily coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, saying that "we weren't slow to move" when they became aware of its seriousness.
Mr Swann welcomed the decision by Healthcare Ireland to provide an interim management arrangement at Clifton Nursing Home. “I sincerely hope the serious concerns at the home will be systematically addressed.”
The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said it understood “this is a very difficult and upsetting time for residents and their families and for that, we are deeply sorry.
“We want to assure families that the care being provided in Clifton Nursing Home is safe today,” a spokeswoman said.
She said the trust was “currently providing ongoing advice and has a team of senior nurses, multidisciplinary staff and an infection prevention and control team overseeing care.
“The trust will continue to review the residents’ needs, with the full involvement of their families to inform ongoing care.”
Inspected
Clifton Nursing Home was inspected by the RQIA on May 15th. It identified “deficits” in relation to the robustness of infection prevention and control practices and was concerned that these issues were due to “the lack of governance, oversight and leadership, which had the potential to place patients and staff at risk of harm.”
Staff had expressed concern about management, and the RQIA was concerned that the home’s management arrangements had been depleted, it said. “Therefore RQIA were not assured of the robustness of oversight and support for the management and staff team working in the home.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Runwood Homes said it was “disconcerting that the [Belfast] Health and Social Care Trust were unwilling to continue supporting the team at Clifton Nursing Home, and work in partnership to implement the required improvements.”
The home, it said, had experienced increasing levels of staff sickness due to coronavirus, which had been “further accentuated by external agency and trust staff unwilling to work due to the national threat of the virus’ transmission rate.”
This greatly affected the home’s “ability to fully function to the expected standards of the group and learnings have been made”.
Mr Swann said on Tuesday that 5,603 care home residents and 5,854 staff had been tested for coronavirus to date.
There are outbreaks of coronavirus in 69 care homes in the North, and outbreaks have ended in 41 homes.
There are 483 care homes in Northern Ireland, caring for a maximum of around 16,000 residents.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Many Leaving Cert students likely to defer college places this year, says report

Significant numbers of Leaving Cert students are likely to defer taking up college places this year because of disruption linked to the coronavirus pandemic , according to an unpublished Higher Education Authority ( HEA ) report .
The fact that most lectures will take place online , along with changed economic conditions facing families and inability of students to secure summer work , may make it less attractive for many students to go to college in the coming year .
Universities , in particular , are also facing a drop of up to 80 per cent in new international students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students .
The HEA report also indicated that numbers in universities may end up being capped in the coming year and they would be prevented from recruiting students from institutes of technology .
The sector is also facing a major challenge in adapting college lecture halls to meet social-distancing requirements .
By way of illustration , the report cites how a 500-seater lecture hall would be reduced to 50 participants ( or 10 per cent capacity ) in a 2m social distancing scenario .
The findings are contained in a HEA report dated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus on publicly-funded higher education institutions .
Overall , the report highlighted the “ immense ” financial consequences facing the sector which are estimated to amount to at least €500 million shortfall in total this year and next .
The HEA report said significant Government intervention in the form of a financial support package is required to support institutions through this crisis .
“ It is vitally important for Ireland that we have a strong , well-resourced higher education system to meet the evolving social and economic challenges faced in Ireland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well placed to play a pivotal role in our economic recovery , ” the report said .
“ The recovery of the Irish knowledge-based economy is dependent on the delivery of highly skilled graduates.
” A leaked Department of Education discussion document , however , indicated there is resistance within Government to a bailout package for the sector .
This document said the HEA report on the financial challenge facing the sector “ does not provide the level of granularity required ” to make an informed and evidenced-based funding and budgetary decisions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of not concentrating Government ’ s fiscal firepower where it can be most effective in pre-empting failures and maintaining employment levels , ” it said .
It said it was “ clearly stated ” in discussions that there is “ no commitment or expectation of additional funding for the education sector at the present time ” .
“ Pending future decision-making by Government in respect of all of these issues , all additional costs/offsetting of revenue losses would need to be met from within existing budgetary allocations and through cost-saving measures/prioritisation of expenditure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The document said discussions between HEA and the department have identified a number of institutes and universities which would have “ potential cash flow issues ” owing to projected loss of revenues .
It said more detailed information is required to assess the financial health of the institutions .
These investigations should examine “ what is the base line funding needs to ensure the viability of each institute for the coming academic year in the first instance ” .
Pending completion of this , the document said that the Department of Education should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to enable any “ necessary crisis liquidity response ” .
The document also noted that the nature of some of the State support being sought by the HEA and the university sector relate to commercial and “ non-core activities ” .
However , it stated that universities are autonomous institutions with freedom to undertake a wide range of commercial activities which fall outside areas of core State provision .
Any move to use public funding to replace this could result in university balance sheets being moved onto the State ’ s balance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could results in a “ quite fundamental change in the relationship between the university sector and the State ” .

Significant numbers of Leaving Cert students are likely to defer taking up college places this year because of disruption linked to the coronavirus pandemic
Significant numbers of Leaving Cert students are likely to defer taking up college places this year because of disruption linked to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an unpublished Higher Education Authority (HEA) report.
The fact that most lectures will take place online, along with changed economic conditions facing families and inability of students to secure summer work, may make it less attractive for many students to go to college in the coming year.
Universities, in particular, are also facing a drop of up to 80 per cent in new international students and 20 per cent in existing international students.
The HEA report also indicated that numbers in universities may end up being capped in the coming year and they would be prevented from recruiting students from institutes of technology.
READ MORE
The sector is also facing a major challenge in adapting college lecture halls to meet social-distancing requirements.
By way of illustration, the report cites how a 500-seater lecture hall would be reduced to 50 participants (or 10 per cent capacity) in a 2m social distancing scenario.
Financial consequences
The findings are contained in a HEA report dated May 2020 into the financial implications of the virus on publicly-funded higher education institutions.
Overall, the report highlighted the “immense” financial consequences facing the sector which are estimated to amount to at least €500 million shortfall in total this year and next.
The HEA report said significant Government intervention in the form of a financial support package is required to support institutions through this crisis.
"It is vitally important for Ireland that we have a strong, well-resourced higher education system to meet the evolving social and economic challenges faced in Ireland and internationally and our higher education institutions are well placed to play a pivotal role in our economic recovery," the report said.
“The recovery of the Irish knowledge-based economy is dependent on the delivery of highly skilled graduates.”
A leaked Department of Education discussion document, however, indicated there is resistance within Government to a bailout package for the sector.
This document said the HEA report on the financial challenge facing the sector “does not provide the level of granularity required” to make an informed and evidenced-based funding and budgetary decisions.
“Additionally, this runs the risk of not concentrating Government’s fiscal firepower where it can be most effective in pre-empting failures and maintaining employment levels,” it said.
It said it was “clearly stated” in discussions that there is “no commitment or expectation of additional funding for the education sector at the present time”.
“Pending future decision-making by Government in respect of all of these issues, all additional costs/offsetting of revenue losses would need to be met from within existing budgetary allocations and through cost-saving measures/prioritisation of expenditure,” the discussion document stated.
The document said discussions between HEA and the department have identified a number of institutes and universities which would have “potential cash flow issues” owing to projected loss of revenues.
It said more detailed information is required to assess the financial health of the institutions.
Contingency funding
These investigations should examine “what is the base line funding needs to ensure the viability of each institute for the coming academic year in the first instance”.
Pending completion of this, the document said that the Department of Education should ensure it has contingency funding available to it to enable any “necessary crisis liquidity response”.
The document also noted that the nature of some of the State support being sought by the HEA and the university sector relate to commercial and “non-core activities”.
However, it stated that universities are autonomous institutions with freedom to undertake a wide range of commercial activities which fall outside areas of core State provision.
Any move to use public funding to replace this could result in university balance sheets being moved onto the State’s balance sheet. This, it said, could results in a “quite fundamental change in the relationship between the university sector and the State”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Ana Kriégel killer suffers minor injuries in assault

One of the teens convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Ana Kriégel has suffered minor injuries during an assault in the Oberstown Child Detention facility .
The 15-year-old , known publicly as Boy A , was attacked by two other teenage boys as he was watching television in the common area of his housing unit .
Boy A , along with his co-accused Boy B , became the youngest person ever convicted of murder in the State after being found guilty of the murder and aggravated sexual assault of Ana in an abandoned farmhouse in Lucan on May 14th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a term of life imprisonment which will be reviewed after he serves twelve years .
Boy B was jailed for 15 years for Ana ’ s murder with a review after eight years .
He is appealing his conviction .
Tensions were high when both boys were sent to Oberstown after they were convicted in June 2019 .
A small number of other children engaged in occasional scuffles with the boys but sources said this soon calmed down .
It is not know what lead to the assault over the weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff member intervened .
Boy A was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalisation .
A Garda spokesman said members from Balbriggan are investigating an alleged assault which occurred at the facility on Sunday .
Sources say there has been increased tensions among detainees since the start of the coronavirus pandemic due in part to a complete ban on face-to face visits from families .
Boys A and B are already among the longest serving detainees in the facility .
The vast majority of teens there serve sentences of less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate units which each hold up to eight teenagers .
According to the latest figures there are 50 boys and one girl currently in detention in Oberstown .
Although they had been good friends at the time of the murder , Boy A and Boy B are housed separately at the request of Boy B who has said he is scared of the other teen .

One of the teens convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Ana Kriégel has suffered minor injuries during an assault in the Oberstown Child Detention facility.
The 15-year-old, known publicly as Boy A, was attacked by two other teenage boys as he was watching television in the common area of his housing unit.
Boy A, along with his co-accused Boy B, became the youngest person ever convicted of murder in the State after being found guilty of the murder and aggravated sexual assault of Ana in an abandoned farmhouse in Lucan on May 14th, 2018.
Last November he was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment which will be reviewed after he serves twelve years. Boy B was jailed for 15 years for Ana’s murder with a review after eight years. He is appealing his conviction.
READ MORE
Tensions were high when both boys were sent to Oberstown after they were convicted in June 2019. A small number of other children engaged in occasional scuffles with the boys but sources said this soon calmed down.
It is not known what led to the assault over the weekend. The incident came to end when a staff member intervened. Boy A was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalisation.
A Garda spokesman said members from Balbriggan are investigating an alleged assault which occurred at the facility on Sunday.
Sources say there has been increased tensions among detainees since the start of the coronavirus pandemic due in part to a complete ban on face-to face visits from families.
Boys A and B are already among the longest serving detainees in the facility. The vast majority of teens there serve sentences of less than a year.
Detainees are housed in separate units which each hold up to eight teenagers. According to the latest figures there are 50 boys and one girl currently in detention in Oberstown.
Although they had been good friends at the time of the murder, Boy A and Boy B are housed separately at the request of Boy B who has said he is scared of the other teen.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Taoiseach confirms creation of new Munster Technological University

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced the creation of the Munster Technological University involving Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee and has hailed it as an important day for the south west .
Mr Varadkar , Minister for Education Joe McHugh and Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O ’ Connor confirmed that the CIT and ITT consortium had been successful in its application for university status .
“ The Government has a very clear ambition to expand and consolidate higher education facilities , to boost economic development across the country and to attract research funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Technological universities are central to delivering on this .
The establishment of the Munster Technological University will stimulate a more balanced growth of population and employment across Ireland .
“ It will make it easier to secure foreign direct investment and provide quality jobs in the region .
This new TU [ technical university ] in Munster will be a driver of regional development , and it will help to make higher education more accessible .
Mr McHugh said the development of the new university from these two institutes would bring enormous benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both institutions ’ communities and stakeholders and to the region .
“ Both institutes have worked hard and overcome challenges to meet the conditions stipulated so that it is possible to announce this decision , and subject to the relevant Oireachtas process , proceed to award TU status.
” Ms Mitchell O ’ Connor , who piloted the Technological Universities 2018 Act through the Oireachtas , said the plan to merge CIT and ITT into a technological university has received endorsement from the Higher Education Authority .
The new Munster Technological University will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 , after a draft ministerial order has been approved by both the Dáil and Seanad which will also see the dissolution of both Cork IT and IT Tralee .
The new university will cater for 18,000 students spread across five campuses at CIT Bishopstown , IT Tralee , CIT School of Music , CIT Crawford College of Art and Design and the National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy .
The confirmation was welcomed by Bob Savage , Chair of CIT ’ s governing body and Lionel Alexander , Chair of ITT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : “ This is a monumental day for both CIT and ITT .
Acting together , CIT and ITT have built on our individual strengths , our extensive experience and passion for education and entrepreneurship to create MTU .
“ Our collective staff , students , and stakeholders have been instrumental in bringing us to this day .
Together , we now look forward to the future and the creation of MTU in 2021 - a new university for a new era.
” Mr Alexander said : “ The two institutes share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to serve the needs of our communities , and a vision of higher education provision that is innovative , responsive and entrepreneurial.
” The new creation of the MTU , which will have over 2,000 staff and offer more than 140 courses and programmes , has also been warmly welcomed by both CIT President Dr Barry O ’ Connor and ITT President , Dr Brendan O ’ Donnell .

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: ‘The establishment of the Munster Technological University will stimulate a more balanced growth of population and employment across Ireland.’ Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced the creation of the Munster Technological University involving Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee and has hailed it as an important day for the south west.
Mr Varadkar, Minister for Education Joe McHugh and Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O'Connor confirmed that the CIT and ITT consortium had been successful in its application for university status.
“The Government has a very clear ambition to expand and consolidate higher education facilities, to boost economic development across the country and to attract research funding,” said Mr Varadkar.
"Technological universities are central to delivering on this. The establishment of the Munster Technological University will stimulate a more balanced growth of population and employment across Ireland.
READ MORE
“It will make it easier to secure foreign direct investment and provide quality jobs in the region. This new TU [technical university] in Munster will be a driver of regional development, and it will help to make higher education more accessible.
Mr McHugh said the development of the new university from these two institutes would bring enormous benefit to the higher education landscape, to both institutions’ communities and stakeholders and to the region.
"Both institutes have worked hard and overcome challenges to meet the conditions stipulated so that it is possible to announce this decision, and subject to the relevant Oireachtas process, proceed to award TU status."
Ms Mitchell O'Connor, who piloted the Technological Universities 2018 Act through the Oireachtas, said the plan to merge CIT and ITT into a technological university has received endorsement from the Higher Education Authority.
The new Munster Technological University will come into effect on January 1st, 2021, after a draft ministerial order has been approved by both the Dáil and Seanad which will also see the dissolution of both Cork IT and IT Tralee.
The new university will cater for 18,000 students spread across five campuses at CIT Bishopstown, IT Tralee, CIT School of Music, CIT Crawford College of Art and Design and the National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy.
The confirmation was welcomed by Bob Savage, Chair of CIT’s governing body and Lionel Alexander, Chair of ITT’s governing body.
Mr Savage said: “This is a monumental day for both CIT and ITT. Acting together, CIT and ITT have built on our individual strengths, our extensive experience and passion for education and entrepreneurship to create MTU.
“Our collective staff, students, and stakeholders have been instrumental in bringing us to this day. Together, we now look forward to the future and the creation of MTU in 2021 - a new university for a new era.”
Mr Alexander said: “The two institutes share an ethos of excellence, an ambition to serve the needs of our communities, and a vision of higher education provision that is innovative, responsive and entrepreneurial.”
The new creation of the MTU, which will have over 2,000 staff and offer more than 140 courses and programmes, has also been warmly welcomed by both CIT President Dr Barry O’Connor and ITT President, Dr Brendan O’Donnell.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Just a quarter of suspected Covid-19 breaches have been charged

The Director of Public Prosecutions ( DPP ) has directed charges against only a quarter of those suspected of breaching the coronavirus movement restrictions .
Since April 8th , gardaí have initiated enforcement proceedings 263 times , mostly involving people who have been found engaging in non-essential travel and refused garda directions to comply with the regulations or to supply their names and address .
During the same period , the DPP has directed charges be brought in 66 incidents , or 25 per cent .
The Garda must consult with the DPP before bringing charges under the legislation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ DPP in some cases and the proportion of those charged with an offence is expected to increase as the backlog is cleared .
However , it is understood that in a significant number of cases the DPP has been reluctant to recommend charges .
These include cases where the exact breaches of the regulations are open to doubt .
For example , if a person arrested by gardaí is feasibly arguing their journey is essential , the DPP is unlikely to recommend charges , even if that argument is not accepted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The DPP has also declined to recommend charges in cases where it is not clear that the Garda gave the suspect enough opportunity to comply with the regulations .
Gardaí have been instructed to take a graduated approach to policing the Covid-19 legislation known as the “ four Es ” - engage , explain , encourage and , as a last resort , enforce .
There has also been some confusion in the Garda and the DPP ’ s office about “ grey areas ” in what constitutes an essential journey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand a number of incidents are still the subject of legal clarification , ” Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said earlier this month .
Ireland is not the only country experiencing difficulties in prosecuting people in breach of movement restrictions .
This month it was reported in the UK that all 44 prosecutions brought under its Coronavirus Act 2020 had been dropped as the suspects had been incorrectly charged .
In Ireland , judges have been taking a tough line with the small number of people convicted of breaching the regulations , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months in prison .
Breaches of the Health ( Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest ) Act 2020 carry a penalty of up to six months in prisons and a €2,500 fine .
The latest figures were released by the Garda on Tuesday along with a statement from Commissioner Drew Harris that there continues to be “ very good co-operation ” from the public .
“ We also remind people , particularly coming up to the bank holiday weekend , about not travelling to holiday homes or making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The slight easing of movement restrictions last week coincided with an apparent drop off in Garda enforcement actions .
Gardaí arrested or took the names and addresses of 22 people in the last week for breaching the regulations , compared to 49 the week before and 53 the previous week .
Of the 263 enforcement actions , two related to detentions of people at risk of spreading Covid-19 , the disease caused by coronavirus , at the direction of a medical professional .
There have now been 80 incidents of alleged coughing or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last week ) while members have deployed spit-hoods 60 times , an increase of three in the last week .
“ These disgraceful spitting and coughing attacks on gardaí while simply carrying out their lawful duties remains a serious concern for the organisation .
These are a significant health and safety risk to our members in the current environment .
We must protect them from such attacks , ” said Mr Harris .
Separately , figures from the Department of Justice show the courts have returned eight people to prison for allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the pandemic .
Since the start of the crisis in March the Irish Prison Service has released 572 prisoners on full or reviewable temporary release , according to the Department of Justice , bringing the prison population to its lowest level in many months .
The prison system is currently at 86 per cent capacity compared to 93 per cent capacity in January .
The Dóchas Centre , a women ’ s prison in the Mountjoy complex , has dropped from 100 per cent capacity to just 71 per cent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ population is currently out on temporary release .
The number who had returned to prison having allegedly committed further offences represents one per cent of those granted temporary release .
It is understood most have returned on relatively minor charges such as theft and breaching the terms of their release .

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed charges against only a quarter of those suspected of breaching the coronavirus movement restrictions.
Since April 8th, gardaí have initiated enforcement proceedings 263 times, mostly involving people who have been found engaging in non-essential travel and refused garda directions to comply with the regulations or to supply their names and address.
During the same period, the DPP has directed charges be brought in 66 incidents, or 25 per cent.
The Garda must consult with the DPP before bringing charges under the legislation.
READ MORE
Gardaí are still awaiting direction from the DPP in some cases and the proportion of those charged with an offence is expected to increase as the backlog is cleared.
However, it is understood that in a significant number of cases the DPP has been reluctant to recommend charges. These include cases where the exact breaches of the regulations are open to doubt.
For example, if a person arrested by gardaí is feasibly arguing their journey is essential, the DPP is unlikely to recommend charges, even if that argument is not accepted by the arresting garda, legal and Garda sources said.
The DPP has also declined to recommend charges in cases where it is not clear that the Garda gave the suspect enough opportunity to comply with the regulations. Gardaí have been instructed to take a graduated approach to policing the Covid-19 legislation known as the “four Es” - engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce.
There has also been some confusion in the Garda and the DPP's office about "grey areas" in what constitutes an essential journey, one source said. "I understand a number of incidents are still the subject of legal clarification," Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said earlier this month.
Ireland is not the only country experiencing difficulties in prosecuting people in breach of movement restrictions. This month it was reported in the UK that all 44 prosecutions brought under its Coronavirus Act 2020 had been dropped as the suspects had been incorrectly charged.
In Ireland, judges have been taking a tough line with the small number of people convicted of breaching the regulations, with offenders receiving terms of up to three months in prison.
Breaches of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 carry a penalty of up to six months in prisons and a €2,500 fine.
The latest figures were released by the Garda on Tuesday along with a statement from Commissioner Drew Harris that there continues to be "very good co-operation" from the public.
“We also remind people, particularly coming up to the bank holiday weekend, about not travelling to holiday homes or making non-essential journeys,” he said.
The slight easing of movement restrictions last week coincided with an apparent drop off in Garda enforcement actions. Gardaí arrested or took the names and addresses of 22 people in the last week for breaching the regulations, compared to 49 the week before and 53 the previous week.
Of the 263 enforcement actions, two related to detentions of people at risk of spreading Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, at the direction of a medical professional.
There have now been 80 incidents of alleged coughing or spitting at gardaí (up ten over the last week) while members have deployed spit-hoods 60 times, an increase of three in the last week.
"These disgraceful spitting and coughing attacks on gardaí while simply carrying out their lawful duties remains a serious concern for the organisation. These are a significant health and safety risk to our members in the current environment. We must protect them from such attacks," said Mr Harris.
Separately, figures from the Department of Justice show the courts have returned eight people to prison for allegedly committing further offences while on temporary release due to the pandemic.
Since the start of the crisis in March the Irish Prison Service has released 572 prisoners on full or reviewable temporary release, according to the Department of Justice, bringing the prison population to its lowest level in many months. The prison system is currently at 86 per cent capacity compared to 93 per cent capacity in January.
The Dóchas Centre, a women’s prison in the Mountjoy complex, has dropped from 100 per cent capacity to just 71 per cent. Just under 40 per cent of its population is currently out on temporary release.
The number who had returned to prison having allegedly committed further offences represents one per cent of those granted temporary release. It is understood most have returned on relatively minor charges such as theft and breaching the terms of their release.


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--University of Limerick head resigns over personal Covid-19 health concerns

University of Limerick president Dr Des Fitzgerald is to step down from the role after just three years in charge because of personal health concerns related to Covid-19 .
A source within the university said the 67-year-old former heart surgeon was advised that the duties of being president , including meeting large groups of people , was “ not the sensible thing to do ” and he risked serious illness if he contracted the virus .
A statement from the university said he had taken the decision to resign “ in the context of Covid 19 ” .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister for health Mary Harney , Dr Fitzgerald said Covid-19 “ will directly impact my ability to serve the university and limit my ability to fully engage once we get our community back onto the campus ” .
Dr Fitzgerald was appointed as UL president in late 2016 and commenced his term of office in early 2017 .
Prior to his appointment , he was vice president for research and vice-president for Health Affairs at UCD .
Dr Fitzgerald warned that the Covid-19 crisis would shape the future of the university sector for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid 19 will force universities across the world to re-examine both their business and academic models .
Significant changes and investment will be required to support the sector .
“ We also agreed an ambitious strategic plan for the university which in the context of Covid-19 will require some further review , but which remains an important vision of what UL can become in the years ahead .
“ I am particularly proud of UL ’ s response to the Covid-19 crisis , in recognising its gravity early , in rapidly and successfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against the pandemic in our community .
“ The university ’ s management showed great foresight in moving quickly and the academic and support staff have shown great skill in bringing a difficult year for them and our students to a successful end.
” He said it was vital that the new government protected the university sector in Ireland as it would play a crucial role in the economy ’ s recovery .
Meanwhile , the university ’ s governing body has recommended that students living in campus accommodation should be refunded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of students had to leave their accommodation in March and have not been able to return to the university since .
There are almost 3,000 beds in on-campus facilities .
However , they have been required to pay full fees for their time at the university ’ s accommodation even while not living there .
The university was only one of the seven in the State that did not issue pro-rata refunds to students who vacated their student accommodation .
Students normally pay up front for accommodation .
Speaking in the Dáil last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said ULhad a “ moral duty or obligation to refund those students who are not in their private rental accommodation today , who were not there last week or the week before and who will not be there next week .
There is a duty to look at some form of pro-rata reimbursement.
” Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara , who raised the subject in the Dáil , said he welcomed the decision and that he would continue to maintain pressure on privately owned student accommodation providers to offer refunds to students in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutes in mid-March .
“ When universities and colleges began giving lectures and tutorials remotely , it became clear that students who could do so would leave student accommodation to return home to their families , ” he said .
“ I contacted UL in early April and was advised that the matter of refunds to student residents was at that time under serious review by the UL governing authority .
Today ’ s decision by the governing body will come as a welcome relief to students and their parents .
”

Des Fitzgerald who will step down as president of the University of Limerick. Photograph: Alan Place
University of Limerick president Dr Des Fitzgerald is to step down from the role after just three years in charge because of personal health concerns related to Covid-19.
A source within the university said the 67-year-old former heart surgeon was advised that the duties of being president, including meeting large groups of people, was “not the sensible thing to do” and he risked serious illness if he contracted the virus.
A statement from the university said he had taken the decision to resign “in the context of Covid 19”.
In a letter to UL chancellor, the former minister for health Mary Harney, Dr Fitzgerald said Covid-19 "will directly impact my ability to serve the university and limit my ability to fully engage once we get our community back onto the campus".
READ MORE
Dr Fitzgerald was appointed as UL president in late 2016 and commenced his term of office in early 2017. Prior to his appointment, he was vice president for research and vice-president for Health Affairs at UCD.
Dr Fitzgerald warned that the Covid-19 crisis would shape the future of the university sector for the next decade and beyond: “Covid 19 will force universities across the world to re-examine both their business and academic models. Significant changes and investment will be required to support the sector.
“We also agreed an ambitious strategic plan for the university which in the context of Covid-19 will require some further review, but which remains an important vision of what UL can become in the years ahead.
“I am particularly proud of UL’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, in recognising its gravity early, in rapidly and successfully moving online and in contributing to the fight against the pandemic in our community.
“The university’s management showed great foresight in moving quickly and the academic and support staff have shown great skill in bringing a difficult year for them and our students to a successful end.”
He said it was vital that the new government protected the university sector in Ireland as it would play a crucial role in the economy's recovery.
Meanwhile, the university’s governing body has recommended that students living in campus accommodation should be refunded because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thousands of students had to leave their accommodation in March and have not been able to return to the university since. There are almost 3,000 beds in on-campus facilities. However, they have been required to pay full fees for their time at the university’s accommodation even while not living there.
The university was only one of the seven in the State that did not issue pro-rata refunds to students who vacated their student accommodation. Students normally pay up front for accommodation.
A subsidiary company - Plassey Campus Centre (PCC) - manages on campus accommodation.
Speaking in the Dáil last month, Minister for Education Joe McHugh said ULhad a “moral duty or obligation to refund those students who are not in their private rental accommodation today, who were not there last week or the week before and who will not be there next week. There is a duty to look at some form of pro-rata reimbursement.”
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara, who raised the subject in the Dáil, said he welcomed the decision and that he would continue to maintain pressure on privately owned student accommodation providers to offer refunds to students in light of the closure of third level institutes in mid-March.
“When universities and colleges began giving lectures and tutorials remotely, it became clear that students who could do so would leave student accommodation to return home to their families,” he said.
“I contacted UL in early April and was advised that the matter of refunds to student residents was at that time under serious review by the UL governing authority. Today’s decision by the governing body will come as a welcome relief to students and their parents.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-26--Over 3,600 people waiting two years for citizenship application to be processed

Over 3,600 people have been waiting more than two years for their application for Irish citizenship to be processed , according to data released by the Department of Justice .
More than 20 per cent ( 3,629 ) of the 17,954 citizenship applications currently being processed have been going through the system for longer than 24 months , Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said in response to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Cian O ’ Callaghan .
The department has also confirmed that citizenship ceremonies scheduled to take place in Killarney , Co Kerry , in July have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It said officials were working to find an alternative means of conducting the ceremonies while fully complying with public health guidelines .
The last citizenship ceremonies , held in early March , saw 5,000 people from 135 countries welcomed as Irish citizens .
The department has been working since last December to reduce a backlog of 20,500 people waiting to be sworn in as Irish citizens by a judge .
Citizenship ceremonies were put on hold for five months last year after High Court judge Mr Justice Max Barrett ruled that any person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day outside Ireland in the year before applying .
In November , the Court of Appeal overturned the ruling that applicants for Irish citizenship needed unbroken residence for an entire year in Ireland .
A total of 3,545 applications for citizenship have been processed so far this year , up from 3,401 during the same time period last year , according to the department .
The highest number of applications for citizenship currently being processed come from Pakistanis , followed by people from the UK , Poland , Nigeria and Romania .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of confusion around how long an application for Irish citizenship should take .
Waiting two years for a decision on an application was “ an unacceptable delay ” which created anxiety .
“ This is a particular issue in the context of Brexit as there is a significant number of UK citizens living in Ireland long-term who are hoping to have their applications successfully processed by the end of the year .
“ The lack of information for individuals is compounding the problem – people simply do not know how long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not get any updates on their applications.
” A department spokesman said while most straightforward applications should be processed within six months , other applications could take a “ significant length of time to complete ” .
He said incorrectly completed applications , failure to provide the required documentation and issues with good character checks could all cause delays in the process .
He said Mr Flanagan “ fully appreciates and shares the concerns of all applications regarding a timeline for completion of applications ” and looked forward to resuming normal customer @ @ @ @ @ @

Over 3,600 people have been waiting more than two years for their application for Irish citizenship to be processed, according to data released by the Department of Justice.
More than 20 per cent (3,629) of the 17,954 citizenship applications currently being processed have been going through the system for longer than 24 months, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said in response to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan.
The department has also confirmed that citizenship ceremonies scheduled to take place in Killarney, Co Kerry, in July have been postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
It said officials were working to find an alternative means of conducting the ceremonies while fully complying with public health guidelines.
READ MORE
The last citizenship ceremonies, held in early March, saw 5,000 people from 135 countries welcomed as Irish citizens.
The department has been working since last December to reduce a backlog of 20,500 people waiting to be sworn in as Irish citizens by a judge. Citizenship ceremonies were put on hold for five months last year after High Court judge Mr Justice Max Barrett ruled that any person applying for Irish citizenship could not spend a day outside Ireland in the year before applying.
In November, the Court of Appeal overturned the ruling that applicants for Irish citizenship needed unbroken residence for an entire year in Ireland.
A total of 3,545 applications for citizenship have been processed so far this year, up from 3,401 during the same time period last year, according to the department.
The highest number of applications for citizenship currently being processed come from Pakistanis, followed by people from the UK, Poland, Nigeria and Romania.
Confusion
Mr O’Callaghan said there was a lot of confusion around how long an application for Irish citizenship should take. Waiting two years for a decision on an application was “an unacceptable delay” which created anxiety.
“This is a particular issue in the context of Brexit as there is a significant number of UK citizens living in Ireland long-term who are hoping to have their applications successfully processed by the end of the year.
“The lack of information for individuals is compounding the problem – people simply do not know how long they will be left waiting, and cannot get any updates on their applications.”
A department spokesman said while most straightforward applications should be processed within six months, other applications could take a “significant length of time to complete”.
He said incorrectly completed applications, failure to provide the required documentation and issues with good character checks could all cause delays in the process.
He said Mr Flanagan “fully appreciates and shares the concerns of all applications regarding a timeline for completion of applications” and looked forward to resuming normal customer service once restrictions were eased.