theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Coronavirus: HSE experts support the early reopening of schools

Schools in Ireland are not a high-risk setting for the transmission of coronavirus , and reopening classrooms should be considered as an early measure in lifting restrictions , according to the HSE ’ s public health experts .
In a new study on school-related cases , experts examined whether there was any evidence of transmission of the virus prior to the closure of schools on March 12th .
At the time there were three confirmed cases of coronavirus involving three students , and a further three among adults in school settings .
The research found there was no confirmed transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a total of 1,025 child and adult contacts in primary and secondary schools .
The finding are contained in a research paper published on Thursday in Eurosurveillance , a journal on infectious disease control .
The five authors are listed as being members of the HSE ’ s public health medicine section .
In its conclusion , the authors say the findings echo the experience of other countries where children have not emerged as considerable drivers of Covid-19 transmission .
“ These findings suggest that schools are not a high-risk setting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between staff and pupils , ” the study concludes .
“ Given the burden of school closure .
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reopening of schools should be considered as an early rather than a late measure in the lifting of restrictions.
” Minister for Education Joe McHugh , however , has said schools will remain closed until September and warned of “ massive ” logistical work in reopening them safely .
He said on Thursday that even if social distancing rules are relaxed from two to one metre , all children will still not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and online learning will continue .
The study ’ s findings say that while it is based on small numbers and provides limited evidence in relation to Covid-19 transmission in schools , it included all known cases with school attendance in the State .
The results also echo population screening studies in Iceland , Italy and Australia which identified very few cases of coronavirus transmission in schools .
The study says the three confirmed cases of students with the virus in Ireland included one in primary and two in secondary school .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other tutors who conducted educational sessions in schools of up to two hours long .
There were no confirmed cases out of the more than 1,000 contacts of these six cases .
They were exposed to the virus in class , sports lessons , music lessons and during a choir practice in a church .
The Irish Times is seeking the views of teachers and parents on `` remote learning '' .
To share your experiences of homeschooling in recent months , and your opinions on it continuing next year , click here @

‘Given the burden of school closure . . . reopening of schools should be considered as an early rather than a late measure in the lifting of restrictions,’ researchers have said. Photograph: iStock
Schools in Ireland are not a high-risk setting for the transmission of coronavirus, and reopening classrooms should be considered as an early measure in lifting restrictions, according to the HSE's public health experts.
In a new study on school-related cases, experts examined whether there was any evidence of transmission of the virus prior to the closure of schools on March 12th.
At the time there were three confirmed cases of coronavirus involving three students, and a further three among adults in school settings.
The research found there was no confirmed transmission of the virus from these six cases to a total of 1,025 child and adult contacts in primary and secondary schools.
READ MORE
The finding are contained in a research paper published on Thursday in Eurosurveillance, a journal on infectious disease control. The five authors are listed as being members of the HSE's public health medicine section.
In its conclusion, the authors say the findings echo the experience of other countries where children have not emerged as considerable drivers of Covid-19 transmission.
“These findings suggest that schools are not a high-risk setting for the transmission of Covid-19 between pupils or between staff and pupils,” the study concludes.
“Given the burden of school closure . . . reopening of schools should be considered as an early rather than a late measure in the lifting of restrictions.”
Logistical work
Minister for Education Joe McHugh, however, has said schools will remain closed until September and warned of “massive” logistical work in reopening them safely.
He said on Thursday that even if social distancing rules are relaxed from two to one metre, all children will still not be in a position to resume school full-time and online learning will continue.
The study’s findings say that while it is based on small numbers and provides limited evidence in relation to Covid-19 transmission in schools, it included all known cases with school attendance in the State.
The results also echo population screening studies in Iceland, Italy and Australia which identified very few cases of coronavirus transmission in schools.
The study says the three confirmed cases of students with the virus in Ireland included one in primary and two in secondary school.
The adult cases included a teacher and two other tutors who conducted educational sessions in schools of up to two hours long.
There were no confirmed cases out of the more than 1,000 contacts of these six cases. They were exposed to the virus in class, sports lessons, music lessons and during a choir practice in a church.
[ click here. ]


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Quarantine may be lifted for arrivals into Ireland from countries with low Covid-19 cases

The two-week quarantine period for people arriving into the State from abroad will be lifted for those coming from countries where the coronavirus has been controlled , under plans being considered by the Government .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told a private call with Fine Gael councillors earlier this week that he is examining lifting the current restrictions for countries which have a low number of Covid-19 cases and a low rate of reproduction .
At present , those arriving into Ireland are required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days and are required to complete a passenger locator form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Failure to fill in the form is an offence .
The Taoiseach told the call such changes may be made in “ months not weeks ” .
The current Government advice is for citizens to avoid all non-essential travel overseas and it is also expected this will be changed in line with alterations to quarantine rules to allow Irish citizens holiday abroad .
Countries across Europe are easing their own quarantine rules , or preparing to do so , in order to restart their tourism industries .
It is understood the changes could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no clarity on this at present .
A senior Government source said Mr Varadkar stressed the envisaged timetable is “ months not weeks ” , with everything depending on how the virus develops in the coming weeks .
Mr Varadkar also indicated easing the self-isolation rules for travel from the United Kingdom could be a problem , given its current , relatively higher rate of reproduction and number of cases .
Meanwhile , a further nine people with Covid-19 have died , bringing the death toll in the State to 1,639 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus is now 24,841 following the announcement of 46 new cases on Thursday .
Prof Philip Nolan , chairman of the National Public Health Emergency Team ’ s ( NPHET ) Irish epidemiological modelling advisory group , said that according to the most recent indicators the “ overall story ” is that the disease is stable and declining .
He said the situation was “ astonishingly stable ” as he credited the “ responsible behaviour ” of the public .
At the department ’ s daily evening Covid-19 briefing , senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with challenges in the nursing homes sector .
At a meeting of the Dáil ’ s Covid-19 committee earlier this week , the head of Nursing Homes Ireland , Tadhg Daly , said that key State organisations had left nursing homes and their residents “ isolated ” during the early stages of the pandemic .
But Dr Kathleen MacLellan , chair of NPHET ’ s vulnerable people subgroup , said on Thursday : “ I think it is very difficult to see how Nursing Homes Ireland can see themselves isolated from the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engagement with Nursing Homes Ireland in what I would say has been a very problem-solving way .
“ Every time an issue has come up we have worked with Nursing Homes Ireland to try and resolve that and it is very clear that we have seen the HSE response here .
”

The two-week quarantine period for people arriving into the State from abroad will be lifted for those coming from countries where the coronavirus has been controlled, under plans being considered by the Government.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told a private call with Fine Gael councillors earlier this week that he is examining lifting the current restrictions for countries which have a low number of Covid-19 cases and a low rate of reproduction.
At present, those arriving into Ireland are required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days and are required to complete a passenger locator form to show where there are staying. Failure to fill in the form is an offence.
The Taoiseach told the call such changes may be made in “months not weeks”.
READ MORE
The current Government advice is for citizens to avoid all non-essential travel overseas and it is also expected this will be changed in line with alterations to quarantine rules to allow Irish citizens holiday abroad.
Countries across Europe are easing their own quarantine rules, or preparing to do so, in order to restart their tourism industries.
It is understood the changes could apply from August or earlier, although there is no clarity on this at present.
A senior Government source said Mr Varadkar stressed the envisaged timetable is “months not weeks”, with everything depending on how the virus develops in the coming weeks.
Mr Varadkar also indicated easing the self-isolation rules for travel from the United Kingdom could be a problem, given its current, relatively higher rate of reproduction and number of cases.
Meanwhile, a further nine people with Covid-19 have died, bringing the death toll in the State to 1,639. The total number of confirmed cases of the virus is now 24,841 following the announcement of 46 new cases on Thursday.
Outbreak ‘stable’
Prof Philip Nolan, chairman of the National Public Health Emergency Team's (NPHET) Irish epidemiological modelling advisory group, said that according to the most recent indicators the "overall story" is that the disease is stable and declining.
He said the situation was “astonishingly stable” as he credited the “responsible behaviour” of the public.
At the department’s daily evening Covid-19 briefing, senior NPHET officials defended their response to dealing with challenges in the nursing homes sector.
At a meeting of the Dáil's Covid-19 committee earlier this week, the head of Nursing Homes Ireland, Tadhg Daly, said that key State organisations had left nursing homes and their residents "isolated" during the early stages of the pandemic.
But Dr Kathleen MacLellan, chair of NPHET’s vulnerable people subgroup, said on Thursday: “I think it is very difficult to see how Nursing Homes Ireland can see themselves isolated from the State. There is clear and significant ongoing engagement with Nursing Homes Ireland in what I would say has been a very problem-solving way.
“Every time an issue has come up we have worked with Nursing Homes Ireland to try and resolve that and it is very clear that we have seen the HSE response here.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-30--Pods of four and ‘tapered curriculum’ among suggestions for when schools reopen

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed yesterday that primary and secondary schools would reopen at the end of August .
Speaking to reporters , he said the Government realised it was not a “ no-risk scenario but we know it ’ s a low-risk scenario ” .
While it may not be possible for every pupil to attend every school for the whole day every day at the start of school terms , he said , the intention was to reopen schools as “ fully as possible ” .
Meanwhile , Department of Education officials are considering asking schools to keep groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other at all times as a way of getting around social-distancing requirements when they reopen in late August .
It is one option the department is examining as a way of ensuring as many students as possible can attend classes full-time , according to well-placed sources .
Minister for Education Joe McHugh warned earlier this week all students would not be able to attend school even if social-distancing requirements were to be reduced from two metres to one .
He said he would not accept a “ half-return ” with students attending school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option of allowing groups or classes to learn in a relatively normal classroom environment is likely to be attractive to policymakers .
Ireland has among the most overcrowded classes in Europe and will face major capacity problems if social-distancing rules are implemented .
There is also a shortage of qualified teachers .
Mr McHugh ’ s officials are examining the experiences of countries such as Germany , France , Denmark and Greece in reopening their schools , which will feed into a plan for Irish schools that will be drawn up within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students in pods or groups was discussed during a department meeting with primary school stakeholders earlier this week .
The Irish National Teachers ’ Organisation suggested the idea of “ pods ” of four children grouped together in a classroom .
Another issue explored in the talks were challenges for special classes and special schools , especially where children have underlying health conditions .
It is also understood the department is exploring the idea of a “ tapered curriculum ” when schools return .
This involves adapting the school curriculum in light of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elements of the junior cycle are also being curtailed , with incoming third-year students now required to complete a single classroom-based assessment in most subjects , rather than two .
Opposition parties , meanwhile , have criticised the Government over what they said were “ mixed messages ” over plans to reopen schools .

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that it is the Government's intention to open all schools at the beginning of the school year in August. However, the Taoiseach warned that every student may not "return every day for the full day." Video: RTÉ
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed yesterday that primary and secondary schools would reopen at the end of August.
Speaking to reporters, he said the Government realised it was not a “no-risk scenario but we know it’s a low-risk scenario”.
While it may not be possible for every pupil to attend every school for the whole day every day at the start of school terms, he said, the intention was to reopen schools as “fully as possible”.
Meanwhile, Department of Education officials are considering asking schools to keep groups of students or classes apart from each other at all times as a way of getting around social-distancing requirements when they reopen in late August.
READ MORE
It is one option the department is examining as a way of ensuring as many students as possible can attend classes full-time, according to well-placed sources.
Minister for Education Joe McHugh warned earlier this week all students would not be able to attend school even if social-distancing requirements were to be reduced from two metres to one. He said he would not accept a “half-return” with students attending school only some of the week.
The option of allowing groups or classes to learn in a relatively normal classroom environment is likely to be attractive to policymakers.
Ireland has among the most overcrowded classes in Europe and will face major capacity problems if social-distancing rules are implemented. There is also a shortage of qualified teachers.
Mr McHugh's officials are examining the experiences of countries such as Germany, France, Denmark and Greece in reopening their schools, which will feed into a plan for Irish schools that will be drawn up within the next fortnight.
Dividing students
The idea of dividing students in pods or groups was discussed during a department meeting with primary school stakeholders earlier this week.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation suggested the idea of “pods” of four children grouped together in a classroom.
Another issue explored in the talks were challenges for special classes and special schools, especially where children have underlying health conditions.
It is also understood the department is exploring the idea of a “tapered curriculum” when schools return.
This involves adapting the school curriculum in light of restrictions linked to the pandemic. Some elements of the junior cycle are also being curtailed, with incoming third-year students now required to complete a single classroom-based assessment in most subjects, rather than two.
Opposition parties, meanwhile, have criticised the Government over what they said were “mixed messages” over plans to reopen schools.


theirishtimes--2020-05-30--Covid-19: Pupils may be kept apart in groups and pods when schools reopen

Schools may be asked to keep groups of students or classes apart from each other at all times as a way of getting around social-distancing requirements when they reopen in late August .
On Friday , Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed primary and secondary schools would reopen at the end of August .
The idea is one option which Department of Education officials are considering as a way of ensuring as many students as possible can attend class full-time , according to well-placed sources .
Under current social-distancing rules , it estimates that smaller classrooms could only fit three or four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking to reporters , Mr Varadkar said the Government realised it was not a “ no-risk scenario but we know it ’ s a low-risk scenario ” .
While it may not be possible for every pupil to attend every school for the whole day every day at the start of school terms , he said the intention was to reopen schools as “ fully as possible ” .
The eligibility criteria for children returning to childcare at the end of June have been broadened to include those whose parents need the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Department of Children announced .
The initial roadmap suggested it would just be children of essential workers who could return to childcare on this date .
However the criteria now include the children of parents who need childcare for employment or education purposes .
These parents must have had their child in a facility prior to closure on March 12th , the department said .
However , if there are capacity issues , priority would be given to children of essential workers .
Meanwhile , the State has changed how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now disclosing the number of “ possible ” cases , along with those that have been confirmed or are regarded as having been probably caused by the virus .
This week , the Health Protection Surveillance Centre started publishing information on the number of “ possible ” Covid-19 fatalities in the overall number , putting this figure at 10 per cent of all deaths .
Previously , it only published a total aggregate figure for Covid-19 deaths in its daily reports that included both “ confirmed ” and “ probable ” cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This week , it began providing a more detailed breakdown of the overall death toll in three categories , providing separate figures for confirmed , probable and possible deaths .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the figures reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team every day have included “ possible ” cases in the probable figures and were all counted within the overall number of deaths announced each day .
The HPSC defines a possible case as one that meets the clinical criteria of a suspect case and no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been found .
The emergency team reported on Friday night that another six people had died with Covid-19 in the State , alongside a further 39 diagnoses of the disease .
In total , 1,645 Covid-19-related deaths have taken place in the State , with 24,876 cases now having been diagnosed .
Public health officials asked people to keep a record of who they meet over the bank holiday weekend , in order to aid contact tracing should they become infected with the virus as they will be “ out and about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , US president Donald Trump has said the US will be terminating its relationship with the World Health Organisation , claiming it failed to adequately respond to coronavirus because China has “ total control ” over the global organisation .

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that it is the Government's intention to open all schools at the beginning of the school year in August. However, the Taoiseach warned that every student may not "return every day for the full day." Video: RTÉ
Schools may be asked to keep groups of students or classes apart from each other at all times as a way of getting around social-distancing requirements when they reopen in late August.
On Friday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed primary and secondary schools would reopen at the end of August.
The idea is one option which Department of Education officials are considering as a way of ensuring as many students as possible can attend class full-time, according to well-placed sources.
Under current social-distancing rules, it estimates that smaller classrooms could only fit three or four pods of children, or 12-16 pupils.
READ MORE
Speaking to reporters, Mr Varadkar said the Government realised it was not a “no-risk scenario but we know it’s a low-risk scenario”.
While it may not be possible for every pupil to attend every school for the whole day every day at the start of school terms, he said the intention was to reopen schools as “fully as possible”.
The eligibility criteria for children returning to childcare at the end of June have been broadened to include those whose parents need the service to return to work or training, the Department of Children announced.
The initial roadmap suggested it would just be children of essential workers who could return to childcare on this date. However the criteria now include the children of parents who need childcare for employment or education purposes.
Fatality reporting
These parents must have had their child in a facility prior to closure on March 12th, the department said. However, if there are capacity issues, priority would be given to children of essential workers.
Meanwhile, the State has changed how it is publishing details of Covid-19 deaths and is now disclosing the number of “possible” cases, along with those that have been confirmed or are regarded as having been probably caused by the virus.
This week, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre started publishing information on the number of “possible” Covid-19 fatalities in the overall number, putting this figure at 10 per cent of all deaths.
Previously, it only published a total aggregate figure for Covid-19 deaths in its daily reports that included both “confirmed” and “probable” cases but without disclosing the numbers of each.
This week, it began providing a more detailed breakdown of the overall death toll in three categories, providing separate figures for confirmed, probable and possible deaths.
Bank holiday vigilance
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the figures reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team every day have included “possible” cases in the probable figures and were all counted within the overall number of deaths announced each day.
The HPSC defines a possible case as one that meets the clinical criteria of a suspect case and no alternative diagnosis, microbiological or non-infectious, has been found.
The emergency team reported on Friday night that another six people had died with Covid-19 in the State, alongside a further 39 diagnoses of the disease. In total, 1,645 Covid-19-related deaths have taken place in the State, with 24,876 cases now having been diagnosed.
Public health officials asked people to keep a record of who they meet over the bank holiday weekend, in order to aid contact tracing should they become infected with the virus as they will be “out and about” more with good weather forecast.
Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump has said the US will be terminating its relationship with the World Health Organisation, claiming it failed to adequately respond to coronavirus because China has "total control" over the global organisation.


theirishtimes--2020-05-30--Coronavirus: Health watchdog warned about danger to care homes in March

The State ’ s health watchdog warned the Department of Health and the HSE in late March about 212 residential care facilities for the elderly deemed “ at risk ” in the Covid-19 pandemic .
The Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) also told the department and the HSE at this time that there did not appear to be “ a national governance and aligned operational arrangements within the HSE to clearly articulate the national response and support for the residential sector ” .
Following up on questions asked at Tuesday ’ s Oireachtas committee , Hiqa told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday that on March 30th it sent the department and the HSE 12 “ attachments ” in which it named care facilities “ deemed to be at risk ” .
Mary Dunnion , Hiqa ’ s chief inspector , told Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall that it sent lists of care facilities to the department and the HSE in February and March that it would consider to be at high risk in a Covid-19 outbreak .
Hiqa provided further information to the committee on Friday , including correspondence dating back to March 30th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older person care facilities .
It withheld the names of the facilities in the information sent to the committee on Friday .
At the time of Hiqa ’ s correspondence , there were 38 Covid-19 clusters in residential care facilities , two weeks after the first cluster was identified in a residential care home .
The number of clusters in care facilities have since risen to 468 .
Nursing homes and residential care facilities have borne the brunt of the pandemic , accounting for 1,032 or almost 63 per cent of the 1,645 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a “ framework of information ” sent to the department and the HSE on March 30th , Hiqa named 212 elderly care homes that were “ non-compliant with more than one of the key regulations ” .
The regulator said the “ physical premises in which a nursing home is accommodated may significantly increase the risk by contributing to the spread or failing to contain Covid-19 ” .
“ Compliance with key regulations provides an insight into the number of centres that may be a concern , ” Hiqa said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older persons include those focused on infection control , residents ’ rights ( in the context of adequate personal space ) , access to belongings , risk management , end-of-life care and premises.
” A separate appendix listed the number of residents in each home and the non-compliant regulation “ which may potentially challenge a service to safely manage residents with Covid-19 ” .
The regulator said that at a regional level nursing homes “ require access to a single point of contact within the HSE to a support structure ” that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had a Covid-19 case , and provide access to personal protective equipment .
Elsewhere in the framework document , Hiqa said that most private nursing homes had reduced the number of residents in communal rooms to a maximum of four but more often three or less .
It said that many of the HSE-run or HSE-funded homes “ continue to have larger numbers of residents accommodated in one sleeping area ” .
An appendix , already sent to the department and the HSE earlier in March , sets out a list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant risk in the context of the spread and/or management of Covid-19 ” .
The chief inspector advised that “ at a minimum no further residents are admitted to these nursing homes ” .
Hiqa also raised concerns around staffing issues at nursing homes .
Separately , on Friday night the HSE said that the decision to limit Covid-19 testing at nursing homes and other care facilities as clusters spread in late March was due to reduced testing capacity .
The health service was responding to the emergence of a memo issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heads of its community healthcare organisations across the country at the time to avoid seeking tests for other care home residents if the facility already had a Covid-19 case .
The HSE ’ s national director for community operations , David Walsh , said in the memo that if a home had a confirmed Covid-19 case , it should be “ assumed that all residents presenting with symptoms are Covid positive ” and that “ multiple re-referrals ” for tests “ should be avoided ” .
A HSE spokeswoman said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health advice at that point in time ” and “ took into account the overall national capacity to analyse Covid-19 tests ” .
The public health advice “ evolved as the understanding of the disease developed and the national capacity to analyse Covid-19 tests increased ” .

Nursing homes and residential care facilities have borne the brunt of the pandemic, accounting for 1,032 or almost 63 per cent of the 1,645 deaths from the disease in the State. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA Wire
The State's health watchdog warned the Department of Health and the HSE in late March about 212 residential care facilities for the elderly deemed "at risk" in the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) also told the department and the HSE at this time that there did not appear to be “a national governance and aligned operational arrangements within the HSE to clearly articulate the national response and support for the residential sector”.
Following up on questions asked at Tuesday's Oireachtas committee, Hiqa told the committee in a letter sent on Friday that on March 30th it sent the department and the HSE 12 "attachments" in which it named care facilities "deemed to be at risk".
Mary Dunnion, Hiqa's chief inspector, told Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall that it sent lists of care facilities to the department and the HSE in February and March that it would consider to be at high risk in a Covid-19 outbreak.
READ MORE
Hiqa provided further information to the committee on Friday, including correspondence dating back to March 30th in which it identified “at-risk” older person care facilities.
It withheld the names of the facilities in the information sent to the committee on Friday.
At the time of Hiqa’s correspondence, there were 38 Covid-19 clusters in residential care facilities, two weeks after the first cluster was identified in a residential care home. The number of clusters in care facilities have since risen to 468.
Borne the brunt
Nursing homes and residential care facilities have borne the brunt of the pandemic, accounting for 1,032 or almost 63 per cent of the 1,645 deaths from the disease in the State.
In a “framework of information” sent to the department and the HSE on March 30th, Hiqa named 212 elderly care homes that were “non-compliant with more than one of the key regulations”.
The regulator said the “physical premises in which a nursing home is accommodated may significantly increase the risk by contributing to the spread or failing to contain Covid-19”.
“Compliance with key regulations provides an insight into the number of centres that may be a concern,” Hiqa said in its framework.
“Key regulations in older persons include those focused on infection control, residents’ rights (in the context of adequate personal space), access to belongings, risk management, end-of-life care and premises.”
A separate appendix listed the number of residents in each home and the non-compliant regulation “which may potentially challenge a service to safely manage residents with Covid-19”.
The regulator said that at a regional level nursing homes “require access to a single point of contact within the HSE to a support structure” that would provide advice on how to manage if it had a Covid-19 case, and provide access to personal protective equipment.
Elsewhere in the framework document, Hiqa said that most private nursing homes had reduced the number of residents in communal rooms to a maximum of four but more often three or less.
Sleeping area
It said that many of the HSE-run or HSE-funded homes “continue to have larger numbers of residents accommodated in one sleeping area”.
An appendix, already sent to the department and the HSE earlier in March, sets out a list of nursing homes “where the premises pose a significant risk in the context of the spread and/or management of Covid-19”.
The chief inspector advised that “at a minimum no further residents are admitted to these nursing homes”.
Hiqa also raised concerns around staffing issues at nursing homes.
Separately, on Friday night the HSE said that the decision to limit Covid-19 testing at nursing homes and other care facilities as clusters spread in late March was due to reduced testing capacity.
The health service was responding to the emergence of a memo issued by the HSE on March 21st instructing the heads of its community healthcare organisations across the country at the time to avoid seeking tests for other care home residents if the facility already had a Covid-19 case.
The HSE's national director for community operations, David Walsh, said in the memo that if a home had a confirmed Covid-19 case, it should be "assumed that all residents presenting with symptoms are Covid positive" and that "multiple re-referrals" for tests "should be avoided".
A HSE spokeswoman said that the direction in the memo “reflected the public health advice at that point in time” and “took into account the overall national capacity to analyse Covid-19 tests”.
The public health advice “evolved as the understanding of the disease developed and the national capacity to analyse Covid-19 tests increased”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Luke Kelly sculpture on Sheriff Street vandalised for fifth time

The sculpture of Luke Kelly on Sheriff Street in Dublin may have to be moved if vandalism continues , a local councillor has said .
Independent councillor Anthony Flynn has opposed the idea of moving the statue but , after it was vandalised for a fifth time on Friday , he said all options had to be on the table .
“ Although the Garda are monitoring the situation , we need to reflect and see if it ’ s worth having a statue there , or do we need to look at having it moved , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reassess it.
” Mr Flynn said he visited the statue on Friday and had spoken to gardaí in Store Street station about the situation .
“ It ’ s disgraceful and ridiculous where we see a statue of one of the most well-known people from the area is being vandalised continuously , ” he said .
“ We won ’ t continue to spend the money to remove the graffiti – it costs money every time for a specialised crew to come out and clean the graffiti.
” “ This is money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mr Flynn said , adding that budgets are likely to be under pressure due to the fallout from the pandemic .

The sculpture of Luke Kelly on Sheriff Street in Dublin may have to be moved if vandalism continues, a local councillor has said.
Independent councillor Anthony Flynn has opposed the idea of moving the statue but, after it was vandalised for a fifth time on Friday, he said all options had to be on the table.
“Although the Garda are monitoring the situation, we need to reflect and see if it’s worth having a statue there, or do we need to look at having it moved,” he said. “I think now we need to reassess it.”
Mr Flynn said he visited the statue on Friday and had spoken to gardaí in Store Street station about the situation. “It’s disgraceful and ridiculous where we see a statue of one of the most well-known people from the area is being vandalised continuously,” he said.
READ MORE
“We won’t continue to spend the money to remove the graffiti – it costs money every time for a specialised crew to come out and clean the graffiti.”
“This is money that could be diverted into community services,” Mr Flynn said, adding that budgets are likely to be under pressure due to the fallout from the pandemic. The sculpture of Luke Kelly on Sheriff Street in Dublin may have to be moved, local councillors have said, following another instance of it being vandalised. However, some locals are strongly opposed to any such move.
Independent councillor Anthony Flynn has opposed the idea of moving the statue. But after it was vandalised again on Friday, he said all options now had to be on the table.
“Although the Garda are monitoring the situation, we need to reflect and see if it’s worth having a statue there, or do we need to look at having it moved,” he said. “I think now we need to reassess it.”
Mr Flynn said he visited the statue on Friday and had spoken to gardaí in Store Street station about the situation.
“It’s disgraceful and ridiculous where we see a statue of one of the most well-known people from the area is being vandalised continuously,” he said.
“We won’t continue to spend the money to remove the graffiti – it costs money every time for a specialised crew to come out and clean the graffiti.”
Fine Gael councillor, Ray McAdam, said that, “sadly”, now is the time to relocate the statue.
“ For whatever reason, mindless idiots think it’s ok to desecrate this statue, this commemoration to a North Wall legend. Well it’s not, and while I am loath to relocate Luke, I do think that’s what now has to happen.”
Council officials, councillors, the sculptor, Vera Klute, and the Kelly family, should discuss an appropriate alternative location befitting for “a giant of Irish music,” he said.
Fianna Fáil Deputy Lord Mayor, Racheal Batten, also believes the statue should be moved.
“It costs a fortune to clean it up every time this happens,” she said. “It’s quite clearly the same people, because it’s the same thing every time.”
She believes the work should be move to another location that is still close to where the famous Dubliner grew up, and suggests a location near the shops at the Five Lamps might be suitable. “Somewhere with more people around, and more CCTV.”
However, local independent councillor Christy Burke also said it was important not to “bow to thuggery”.
Mr Burke said he has been talking to residents who live close to the site, and they are strongly opposed to it being moved.
“The headline would be, ‘Luke evicted from Sheriff Street’. It took thirteen years to get it where it is. We shouldn’t move it.”
The damage to the statue has already been cleaned off, he said, and there are plans being discussed to introduce additional lighting and CCTV monitoring.
The gardaí have appealed for anyone with information, no matter how trivial, to come forward.
" An Garda Síochána is actively investigating all incidents of criminal damage to the statue of Luke Kelly that have occurred over the last six months.
“With reference to two of these incidents, gardaí are pursuing a definite line of enquiry, with charges before the courts, imminent.
“For the outstanding cases we are still making enquiries, and we are seeking help from the public to come forward with any information, however trivial, that can assist us”.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Nurses demand inquiry into level of Covid-19 infection in health workers

Nurses have demanded the establishment of a rapid , independent inquiry into the high levels of coronavirus infection among healthcare workers .
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation ( INMO ) said that as of May 26th , 32 per cent of all coronavirus cases involved healthcare staff .
The union is to meet Minister for Health Simon Harris next week and will press for the Government to establish an inquiry into the issue .
It said figures released previously in April showed that nurses were the largest single group affected by coronavirus .
According to the union , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of healthcare workers who had contracted Covid-19 were nurses .
It said if this pattern had continued into May the figures would suggest that more than one in 10 Covid-19 cases in Ireland had been nurses .
The union said it had repeatedly called for the regular publication of detailed statistics on healthcare worker infection to better identify how the virus was being transmitted and to take steps to eliminate infection risk .
In a letter to HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry , the INMO wrote : “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detail available to date and therefore we advise that , at this stage , it is a matter of such concern that it warrants immediate independent scrutiny .
We will now seek that the Minister for Health establishes such a review.
” INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said on Friday that something was going wrong on the front lines as other countries were seeing far lower rates of infection among healthcare staff .
“ Healthcare workers make up a third of Covid-19 cases in Ireland .
This is an unacceptably high rate.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need clear data .
We have asked time and time again for the HSE to publish clear , detailed statistics on healthcare worker infection .
This could tell us which services are worst hit and where needs focused action .
“ We simply have not received a satisfactory response .
The State is asking our members to put their lives at risk to provide care .
The very least they can do is provide clear information to allay fears and resolve problems .
“ A culture of secrecy will only lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be meeting with the Minister for Health next week .
We will seek urgent , independent scrutiny of healthcare worker infection rates .
”

Nurses have demanded the establishment of a rapid, independent inquiry into the high levels of coronavirus infection among healthcare workers.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said that as of May 26th, 32 per cent of all coronavirus cases involved healthcare staff.
The union is to meet Minister for Health Simon Harris next week and will press for the Government to establish an inquiry into the issue.
It said figures released previously in April showed that nurses were the largest single group affected by coronavirus.
READ MORE
According to the union, the HSE had said in April that 35 per cent of healthcare workers who had contracted Covid-19 were nurses.
It said if this pattern had continued into May the figures would suggest that more than one in 10 Covid-19 cases in Ireland had been nurses.
The union said it had repeatedly called for the regular publication of detailed statistics on healthcare worker infection to better identify how the virus was being transmitted and to take steps to eliminate infection risk.
In a letter to HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry, the INMO wrote: "We are not satisfied with the level of detail available to date and therefore we advise that, at this stage, it is a matter of such concern that it warrants immediate independent scrutiny. We will now seek that the Minister for Health establishes such a review."
‘Unacceptably high’
INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said on Friday that something was going wrong on the front lines as other countries were seeing far lower rates of infection among healthcare staff.
“Healthcare workers make up a third of Covid-19 cases in Ireland. This is an unacceptably high rate.”
“To fix a problem, you need clear data. We have asked time and time again for the HSE to publish clear, detailed statistics on healthcare worker infection. This could tell us which services are worst hit and where needs focused action.
“We simply have not received a satisfactory response. The State is asking our members to put their lives at risk to provide care. The very least they can do is provide clear information to allay fears and resolve problems.
“A culture of secrecy will only lead to more unnecessary infections.
“The INMO will be meeting with the Minister for Health next week. We will seek urgent, independent scrutiny of healthcare worker infection rates.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Thinking Anew – Silver linings under the darkest of clouds

They say that every cloud has a silver lining , and that no matter how bad a situation maybe some good will come of it .
It is believed that the original thought comes from John Milton ’ s Comus : “ there does a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night ” .
A similar sentiment is found in the ancient poem we know as Psalm 84 : “ Who going through the vale of misery use it for a well and the pools are filled with water ” .
In other translations the vale of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baca , a waterless desert devoid of hope yet , according to the psalmist , a place of refreshment and renewal .
As we struggle through our current “ vale of misery ” the pain and loss that many are experiencing , especially the loss of loved ones , is horrendous .
A recent photo of a mother and her extremely sick , vulnerable child needing a Garda escort to keep them safe while walking in a Dublin park speaks for itself .
Yet on the broader front as we have come together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rediscovering a sense of community and our dependence on each other .
We had become an increasingly fractured society with many trapped in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth and power with little time for anything or anyone else .
And beneath this affluence was a growing underclass of people with insecure jobs , considered to be of little value .
An extreme example of this are care assistants in the healthcare system , many of them immigrants , deemed low skilled and paid accordingly .
But in recent weeks we have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they and others like them have in keeping us safe and well .
It will be interesting to see how long our respect and gratitude last beyond the present crisis .
Joe Biden said recently that hatred does not go away , it just hides .
The same can be said of greed and , sadly , it will again be a strong influence on the way people behave .
Jesus was aware of the danger when he warned his disciples : “ Be on your guard against all kinds of greed ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consist in the abundance of possessions.
” The lockdown is an opportunity to take stock and consider what really matters at a time when we are being reminded that the world is full of goodness if we look for it .
That will come as no surprise to people of faith who believe that all of us are made in the image of God and have the capacity “ to be the best that we can be ” .
This is often overlooked in religious thinking where there is an understandable focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our everyday lives is prompted and resourced by the Holy Spirit , as we are reminded in tomorrow ’ s readings for Pentecost when the followers of Jesus , the Easter people , are equipped to bring to the world the gospel of love and hope for the future .
In his book Paths in Spirituality , Prof John McQuarrie writes : “ From the beginning , God has been understood as God in the midst of men , God present and active in the world , God in his closeness to us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and histories of men .
The Spirit , in this sense , is not something other than God , but God in that manner of the divine being in which he comes closest , dwells with us , acts upon us.
” The Pentecostal Spirit should not be thought of as an intruder or as an occasional visitor ; the Spirit is evident throughout the biblical narrative of God ’ s engagement with humankind and is touching people ’ s lives right now , enabling them to be signs of hope , silver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the hymn reminds us , God ’ s spirit is more engaged with us than we realise : “ And every virtue we possess/ and every victory won , / And every thought of holiness , are his alone .
”

They say that every cloud has a silver lining, and that no matter how bad a situation maybe some good will come of it. It is believed that the original thought comes from John Milton’s Comus: “there does a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night”.
A similar sentiment is found in the ancient poem we know as Psalm 84: “Who going through the vale of misery use it for a well and the pools are filled with water”. In other translations the vale of misery is named as the Valley of Baca, a waterless desert devoid of hope yet, according to the psalmist, a place of refreshment and renewal.
As we struggle through our current “vale of misery” the pain and loss that many are experiencing, especially the loss of loved ones, is horrendous.
A recent photo of a mother and her extremely sick, vulnerable child needing a Garda escort to keep them safe while walking in a Dublin park speaks for itself.
READ MORE
Yet on the broader front as we have come together to meet the challenge, many are rediscovering a sense of community and our dependence on each other.
We had become an increasingly fractured society with many trapped in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth and power with little time for anything or anyone else. And beneath this affluence was a growing underclass of people with insecure jobs, considered to be of little value.
An extreme example of this are care assistants in the healthcare system, many of them immigrants, deemed low skilled and paid accordingly.
But in recent weeks we have been forced to recognise the vital role that they and others like them have in keeping us safe and well.
It will be interesting to see how long our respect and gratitude last beyond the present crisis.
Joe Biden said recently that hatred does not go away, it just hides. The same can be said of greed and, sadly, it will again be a strong influence on the way people behave. Jesus was aware of the danger when he warned his disciples: "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."
The lockdown is an opportunity to take stock and consider what really matters at a time when we are being reminded that the world is full of goodness if we look for it.
That will come as no surprise to people of faith who believe that all of us are made in the image of God and have the capacity “to be the best that we can be”. This is often overlooked in religious thinking where there is an understandable focus on sinfulness.
The good we encounter in our everyday lives is prompted and resourced by the Holy Spirit, as we are reminded in tomorrow’s readings for Pentecost when the followers of Jesus, the Easter people, are equipped to bring to the world the gospel of love and hope for the future.
In his book Paths in Spirituality, Prof John McQuarrie writes: “From the beginning, God has been understood as God in the midst of men, God present and active in the world, God in his closeness to us as a dynamic reality shaping the lives and histories of men. The Spirit, in this sense, is not something other than God, but God in that manner of the divine being in which he comes closest, dwells with us, acts upon us.”
The Pentecostal Spirit should not be thought of as an intruder or as an occasional visitor; the Spirit is evident throughout the biblical narrative of God’s engagement with humankind and is touching people’s lives right now, enabling them to be signs of hope, silver linings under the darkest of clouds. As the hymn reminds us, God’s spirit is more engaged with us than we realise: “And every virtue we possess/ and every victory won, / And every thought of holiness, are his alone.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--UL student accommodation refunds to cost about €3.45m

Students who vacated on-campus accommodation at the University of Limerick when the Covid-19 pandemic hit are to receive more than €3.4 million in rent refunds .
In a statement on Friday the university said Plassey Campus Centre ( PCC ) Ltd , the company which manages its on-campus accommodation , “ has approved the return of rental income to the students who left their accommodation on foot of the government ’ s decision to close the university campus in March ” .
The campus has over 2000 rooms and about 700 students remained on-campus during the lockdown .
All students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already left would be contacted by PCC to make arrangements for refunds on a case by case basis , a spokeswoman said .
They would be refunded rent from the date they vacated their accommodation to the end of their term .
The full amount would come to about €3.45 million .
Details of student accommodation provision for the 2020/2021 academic year is being finalised and would “ be based both on the nature of the academic offering and the public health advice ” said a spokeswoman .
“ In compliance with Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online , remote , blended and face to face learning as well as other forms of interactive engagement for 2020-21 .
“ Semester 1 of the academic year 20/21 will commence on September 28 for all students .
At this point , UL intends to offer students blended delivery of their academic programmes with some on campus face to face teaching as well as online teaching and learning.
” The feasibility of blended delivery of the education programmes is being explored , keeping in mind that the campus may have to close again @ @ @ @

All students due to check out or who have already left would be contacted by to make arrangements for refunds, a UL spokeswoman said.
Students who vacated on-campus accommodation at the University of Limerick when the Covid-19 pandemic hit are to receive more than €3.4 million in rent refunds.
In a statement on Friday the university said Plassey Campus Centre (PCC) Ltd, the company which manages its on-campus accommodation, “has approved the return of rental income to the students who left their accommodation on foot of the government’s decision to close the university campus in March”.
The campus has over 2000 rooms and about 700 students remained on-campus during the lockdown.
All students due to check out or who have already left would be contacted by PCC to make arrangements for refunds on a case by case basis, a spokeswoman said. They would be refunded rent from the date they vacated their accommodation to the end of their term. The full amount would come to about €3.45 million.
READ MORE
Details of student accommodation provision for the 2020/2021 academic year is being finalised and would “be based both on the nature of the academic offering and the public health advice” said a spokeswoman.
“In compliance with Government public health directives, UL will facilitate online, remote, blended and face to face learning as well as other forms of interactive engagement for 2020-21.
“Semester 1 of the academic year 20/21 will commence on September 28 for all students. At this point, UL intends to offer students blended delivery of their academic programmes with some on campus face to face teaching as well as online teaching and learning.”
The feasibility of blended delivery of the education programmes is being explored, keeping in mind that the campus may have to close again at any time.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Number of women dying by suicide increased by almost 50% last year

The number of women dying by suicide increased by almost 50 per cent last year compared with 2018 , new figures show .
The data from a Central Statistics Office ( CSO ) report published on Friday shows 104 females died by suicide in 2019 , compared with 70 the year before - an increase of 48.5 per cent .
CSO figures show 80 women also died in 2017 and 81 died in 2016 .
There were 421 deaths by suicide last year , of which 317 were among males - an increase of 12 per cent from 282 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year represents an almost 20 per cent increase on 2018 , when 352 were recorded .
That had represented a decline , after the 392 recorded in 2017 and 399 in 2016 .
The figures are contained in the CSO ’ s vital statistics report for 2019 , which shows the number of births has fallen by over 20 per cent in a decade , while the number of deaths has increased by almost eight per cent .
A total of 59,796 births were registered , a fall of two per cent on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a fall of 20.2 per cent since 2009 when there were 74,928 births .
The average age of first-time mothers continues to increase .
It was 31.3 years last year , up 0.2 years since 2018 .
The average age of mothers for all births has also increased steadily - from 31.3 in 2009 , to 32.9 in 2018 and hitting 33 for the first time last year .
A total of 864 teenagers had babies in 2019 and of these 21 were aged under 16 .
There were 4,612 births @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year and of these 360 were aged 45 and older .
And while the number of births outside marriage or civil partnership has fallen since 2009 , from 24,728 to 22,772 , as a proportion of all births they have increased significantly , from 33 per cent to 38.1 per cent .
Of these 22,772 births outside marriage last year , 59.4 per cent were to co-habiting couples , indicating a significant number being born to lone mothers .
As in previous years , the highest proportion of births outside marriage were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown .
The number of opposite sex marriages declined by almost ten per cent in the decade to 2019 , from 21,627 in 2009 , to 19,673 last year .
Same-sex marriage was introduced in 2015 , when 91 weddings took place .
There were 1,056 in 2016 and 640 last year .
A total of 31,134 people died last year , compared with 28,898 in 2009 .
The natural increase ( births minus deaths ) in 2019 was 28,662 , which was 4.1 per cent lower than in 2018 .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of those who died last year the highest proportion ( 10,946 ) were aged 85 or older .
Some 909 people died in accidents , including 90 in transport accidents , 223 in falls , 264 due to poisoning and 332 in ‘ other accidents ’ .
Among the 421 deaths by suicide were three in the five years to 14 years age-group , 90 among 35 to 44-year-olds and two among people aged 85 or older .
There were 17 homicides last year , according to the CSO , including one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four , three of young people aged between 15 and 24 .
The highest number was among 25- to 34-year-olds , where there were five .
For help call : Samaritans Free Call 116 123 or Pieta House 1800 247 247

There were 421 deaths by suicide last year of which 317 were among males and 104 among females.
The number of women dying by suicide increased by almost 50 per cent last year compared with 2018, new figures show.
The data from a Central Statistics Office (CSO) report published on Friday shows 104 females died by suicide in 2019, compared with 70 the year before - an increase of 48.5 per cent.
CSO figures show 80 women also died in 2017 and 81 died in 2016.
There were 421 deaths by suicide last year, of which 317 were among males - an increase of 12 per cent from 282 in 2018.
READ MORE
The number of suicides last year represents an almost 20 per cent increase on 2018, when 352 were recorded. That had represented a decline, after the 392 recorded in 2017 and 399 in 2016.
The figures are contained in the CSO’s vital statistics report for 2019, which shows the number of births has fallen by over 20 per cent in a decade, while the number of deaths has increased by almost eight per cent.
A total of 59,796 births were registered, a fall of two per cent on 2018 when 61,016 babies were born here, and a fall of 20.2 per cent since 2009 when there were 74,928 births.
The average age of first-time mothers continues to increase. It was 31.3 years last year, up 0.2 years since 2018.
The average age of mothers for all births has also increased steadily - from 31.3 in 2009, to 32.9 in 2018 and hitting 33 for the first time last year.
A total of 864 teenagers had babies in 2019 and of these 21 were aged under 16.
There were 4,612 births to mothers aged 40 and over last year and of these 360 were aged 45 and older.
And while the number of births outside marriage or civil partnership has fallen since 2009, from 24,728 to 22,772, as a proportion of all births they have increased significantly, from 33 per cent to 38.1 per cent.
Of these 22,772 births outside marriage last year, 59.4 per cent were to co-habiting couples, indicating a significant number being born to lone mothers.
As in previous years, the highest proportion of births outside marriage were in Limerick, and the fewest were in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.
The number of opposite sex marriages declined by almost ten per cent in the decade to 2019, from 21,627 in 2009, to 19,673 last year.
Same-sex marriage was introduced in 2015, when 91 weddings took place. There were 1,056 in 2016 and 640 last year.
A total of 31,134 people died last year, compared with 28,898 in 2009. The natural increase (births minus deaths) in 2019 was 28,662, which was 4.1 per cent lower than in 2018. A decade before the natural increase was 46,030.
Of those who died last year the highest proportion (10,946) were aged 85 or older. Some 909 people died in accidents, including 90 in transport accidents, 223 in falls, 264 due to poisoning and 332 in ‘other accidents’.
Among the 421 deaths by suicide were three in the five years to 14 years age-group, 90 among 35 to 44-year-olds and two among people aged 85 or older.
There were 17 homicides last year, according to the CSO, including one of a child aged between one and four, three of young people aged between 15 and 24. The highest number was among 25- to 34-year-olds, where there were five.
For help call: Samaritans Free Call 116 123 or Pieta House 1800 247 247


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Irish tourists excluded from visiting Greece and Croatia

Croatia and Greece have announced that they will be opening their countries to some foreign visitors for the tourist season , but Irish holidaymakers will not be allowed .
Greece , one of the most popular countries for Irish visitors , has announced that visitors will be allowed from 22 European countries and seven other countries , which have largely dealt with their Covid-19 problems .
They are Albania , Australia , Austria , North Macedonia , Bulgaria , Germany , Denmark , Switzerland , Estonia , Japan , Israel , China , Croatia , Cyprus , Latvia , Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Montenegro , Norway , South Korea , Hungary , Romania , Serbia , Slovakia , Slovenia , Czech Republic and Finland .
Neither the UK nor Ireland are included in the list though Greece attracts millions of visitors from both countries .
The current list was drawn up after a study of the epidemiological profile of the countries of origin of tourists .
From June 15th tourists will be allowed to fly into Athens and Thessaloniki airports and will be subject to random coronavirus tests , while hotels must observe restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation will be reviewed from July 1st with the possibility that both the UK and Ireland could be included in the next tranche of visitors allowed into the country .
Croatia , another country heavily dependent on tourism , is allowing visitors from 10 countries from June 15th .
They are Germany , Austria , Czech Republic , Slovakia , Poland , Hungary , Slovenia , Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania .
Veljko Ostojic , the head of the Croatian tourism association , said the “ crucial ” move demonstrated that “ Croatia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the European Union to send a clear message from the highest level that it is open to tourism ” .
“ As of now , 231 hotels and 86 campsites have opened , and all leading tourist firms have announced the opening of additional capacity in the coming days , ” said Mr Ostojic , adding that safety measures had been implemented according to World Health Organisation ( WHO ) advice .
The possibility of Irish people being able to travel abroad this summer has been heightened following comments by the UK health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a question as to whether or not the summer was “ cancelled ” , Mr Hancock said he was a “ little more optimistic ” that Britons might be able to enjoy a foreign holiday , which could also apply to potential Irish holidaymakers as well .
Mr Hancock told ITV ’ s This Morning programme that there might be the possibility of a tourist season this year after all .
“ I absolutely wouldn ’ t rule it out .
We ’ ve got to proceed cautiously .
We ’ ve seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of control and we have as a country managed to get it back under control , ” he said .

Greece, one of the most popular countries for Irish visitors, has announced that visitors will be allowed from 22 European countries and seven other countries, which have largely dealt with their Covid-19 problems. Photograph: iStock
Greece has announced it will be opening to some foreign visitors for the tourist season, but Irish holidaymakers will not be allowed for the moment.
Greece, one of the most popular countries for Irish visitors, has announced that visitors will be allowed from 22 European countries and seven other countries, which have largely dealt with their Covid-19 problems.
They are Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.
Neither the UK nor Ireland are included in the list though Greece attracts millions of visitors from both countries.
READ MORE
The current list was drawn up after a study of the epidemiological profile of the countries of origin of tourists.
From June 15th tourists will be allowed to fly into Athens and Thessaloniki airports and will be subject to random coronavirus tests, while hotels must observe restrictions on capacity and stringent hygiene rules.
The situation will be reviewed from July 1st with the possibility that both the UK and Ireland could be included in the next tranche of visitors allowed into the country.
‘Crucial move’
Croatia, another country heavily dependent on tourism, is allowing unrestricted access to visitors from 10 countries from June 15th. They are Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Citizens from other EU countries including Ireland may visit Croatia, but they will have to prove their reason for entering the country. If they are making a tourist visit, they will have to present the confirmation of accommodation that is booked.
Most hotels and tourist accommodation have reopened in the country and restaurants and cafes have been allowed to operate since May 11th.
Veljko Ostojic, the head of the Croatian tourism association, said the "crucial" move demonstrated that "Croatia is one of the first countries in the European Union to send a clear message from the highest level that it is open to tourism".
"As of now, 231 hotels and 86 campsites have opened, and all leading tourist firms have announced the opening of additional capacity in the coming days," said Mr Ostojic, adding that safety measures had been implemented according to World Health Organisation (WHO) advice.
Travel abroad
The possibility of Irish people being able to travel abroad this summer has been heightened following comments by the UK health secretary Matt Hancock.
In response to a question as to whether or not the summer was “cancelled”, Mr Hancock said he was a “little more optimistic” that Britons might be able to enjoy a foreign holiday.
The lifting of restrictions on foreign travel may apply to potential Irish holidaymakers as well.
Mr Hancock told ITV’s This Morning programme that there might be the possibility of a tourist season this year after all.
“I absolutely wouldn’t rule it out. We’ve got to proceed cautiously. We’ve seen what happens when this virus gets out of control and we have as a country managed to get it back under control,” he said.
Italy will be open to all foreign visitors from June 3rd. The country, which has had more than 31,000 deaths from Covid-19, saw a peak in infections in March.
France hopes to open its external borders on June 15th and is hoping to do so in coordination with the other EU27 states.
Spain: Currently all visitors entering Spain will have to self-isolate for 14 days, but the prime minister Pedro Sanchez has indicated that this will be lifted from July 1st and the country will then be open to foreign visitors.
Portugal: Portugal never closed its doors to tourist, but most hotels and restaurants were closed until this month.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Quarantine will cease within fortnight, Ryanair CEO claims

Ryanair chief executive Michael O ’ Leary has predicted Ireland ’ s quarantine of incoming passengers will be scrapped within two weeks as he rounded on the Government for following scientific advice that differs with several European countries .
Mr O ’ Leary accused the Government of mishandling the reopening of the economy , saying measures are being made up as they go along .
His comments follow remarks by the Taoiseach to Fine Gael councillors that the 14-day quarantine policy could be reconsidered in the coming months .
“ When Leo Varadkar says , oh we ’ ll review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months not weeks , you ’ re talking rubbish , ” Mr O ’ Leary said .
“ The French have lifted quarantine , the Spanish have lifted quarantine , the Portuguese have lifted quarantine , the Italians have lifted quarantine .
What science is the Taoiseach reading ?
” Mr O ’ Leary said chief medical officer Tony Holohan and Minister for Health Simon Harris would be crushed under a “ stampede ” of Irish families rushing to go on foreign holidays this summer .
“ They are booking in their thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ All they want to know is when can they fly and nobody ’ s worried about the Irish or the UK quarantine.
” He predicted the policy would be scrapped , possibly quietly , within two weeks and around the same time the UK ends its version .
“ When all of the medical experts across Europe , in Italy , Spain , Greece , Portugal , this week Germany , France , are all saying it ’ s safe to fly , no quarantine necessary , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ we need a quarantine ’ ?
” Mr O ’ Leary was also critical of the policies of the National Public Health Emergency Team under Dr Holohan and of the lack of media scrutiny .
“ When did he suddenly become infallible ?
He ’ s not the bloody pope .
And he keeps parroting on about the science this and the science that .
” Asked about Mr O ’ Leary ’ s criticism of the quarantine policy , Dr Holohan said he was not surprised given his role .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation when the disease conditions both here and other countries are such that we ’ ll be able to resume airline travel , but we don ’ t think it ’ s in the near term .
”

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary: Chief medical officer Tony Holohan and Minister for Health Simon Harris will be crushed under a “stampede” of Irish families rushing to go on foreign holidays. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has predicted Ireland's quarantine of incoming passengers will be scrapped within two weeks as he rounded on the Government for following scientific advice that differs with several European countries.
Mr O’Leary accused the Government of mishandling the reopening of the economy, saying measures are being made up as they go along.
His comments follow remarks by the Taoiseach to Fine Gael councillors that the 14-day quarantine policy could be reconsidered in the coming months.
"When Leo Varadkar says, oh we'll review the lifting of the quarantine but in months not weeks, you're talking rubbish," Mr O'Leary said.
READ MORE
“The French have lifted quarantine, the Spanish have lifted quarantine, the Portuguese have lifted quarantine, the Italians have lifted quarantine. What science is the Taoiseach reading?”
‘Stampede’ of families
Mr O'Leary said chief medical officer Tony Holohan and Minister for Health Simon Harris would be crushed under a "stampede" of Irish families rushing to go on foreign holidays this summer.
“They are booking in their thousands already over the last 10 days,” he said. “All they want to know is when can they fly and nobody’s worried about the Irish or the UK quarantine.”
He predicted the policy would be scrapped, possibly quietly, within two weeks and around the same time the UK ends its version.
"When all of the medical experts across Europe, in Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, this week Germany, France, are all saying it's safe to fly, no quarantine necessary, all quarantines abandoned, why is Ireland going 'we need a quarantine'?"
‘Science this, science that’
Mr O’Leary was also critical of the policies of the National Public Health Emergency Team under Dr Holohan and of the lack of media scrutiny.
“When did he suddenly become infallible? He’s not the bloody pope. And he keeps parroting on about the science this and the science that. ”
Asked about Mr O’Leary’s criticism of the quarantine policy , Dr Holohan said he was not surprised given his role.
“We do hope to be in a situation when the disease conditions both here and other countries are such that we’ll be able to resume airline travel, but we don’t think it’s in the near term.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Nearly 50 republicans and loyalists interned without trial to sue state

Nearly 50 republicans and loyalists interned without trial at the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland are to sue the British state , it emerged today .
They are taking legal action for alleged false imprisonment after the UK supreme court quashed Gerry Adams ’ s historic convictions for attempting to escape from jail .
Earlier this month justices ruled the former Sinn Fein President ’ s detention at the Maze Prison in the 1970s had been unlawful because the secretary of state at the time had not personally considered it .
Lawyers representing 30 ex-republican internees have now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of state , the Northern Ireland Office , PSNI and the ministry of defence .
The lawsuits allege false imprisonment , unlawful detention , assault , battery and trespass , around Interim Custody Orders ( ICO ) served between 1972 and 1975 .
Solicitor Kevin Winters , of KRW Law , confirmed the action follows Mr Adams successful appeal .
Similar actions already initiated by 19 former loyalist internees are also being stepped up on the back of the supreme court decision .
The elderly Protestants are suing the Northern Ireland Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State , alleging they were imprisoned without trial in a bid to “ even up the score ” .
“ From initial assessment on some of the papers it seems the necessary protocol was not in place , including , crucially , an absence of the signature of the Secretary of State on the ICOs , ” Mr Winters said , adding he expected the case to be heard later this year .

Nearly 50 republicans and loyalists interned without trial at the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland are to sue the British state, it emerged today.
They are taking legal action for alleged false imprisonment after the UK supreme court quashed Gerry Adams’s historic convictions for attempting to escape from jail.
Earlier this month justices ruled the former Sinn Fein President’s detention at the Maze Prison in the 1970s had been unlawful because the secretary of state at the time had not personally considered it.
Lawyers representing 30 ex-republican internees have now been instructed to issue proceedings against the secretary of state, the Northern Ireland Office, PSNI and the ministry of defence. The lawsuits allege false imprisonment, unlawful detention, assault, battery and trespass, around Interim Custody Orders (ICO) served between 1972 and 1975.
READ MORE
Solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, confirmed the action follows Mr Adams successful appeal.
Similar actions already initiated by 19 former loyalist internees are also being stepped up on the back of the supreme court decision. The elderly Protestants are suing the Northern Ireland Office, PSNI, ministry of defence and Secretary of State, alleging they were imprisoned without trial in a bid to “even up the score”.
“From initial assessment on some of the papers it seems the necessary protocol was not in place, including, crucially, an absence of the signature of the Secretary of State on the ICOs,” Mr Winters said, adding he expected the case to be heard later this year.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Wild salmon in two rivers reported to have symptoms of red skin disease

Wild salmon in two rivers along the west coast have displayed symptoms of a potentially deadly disease prompting the authorities to issue a warning against taking the possibly infected fish from the water .
In recent days Inland Fisheries Ireland ( IFI ) has received reports that individual fresh-run wild salmon have been found in the River Leannan in Donegal and the River Corrib in Galway displaying suspected signs of red skin disease ( RSD ) .
Low incidences of the disease were first documented in 2019 in several European salmon stocks and in the past few weeks suspected cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of returning salmon in Denmark , Norway and Scotland .
In Ireland last year suspected incidences of RSD were reported in 56 salmon from 17 rivers throughout the country .
The majority of these reports were in June and July with only single incidences reported prior to and after this time .
Salmon affected by RSD have a characteristic red-spotted rash on their underbelly and may appear lethargic or moribund .
The rash can either be localised or extend along some or most of the length of the fish .
As the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bleeding and skin ulcers can develop primarily along the belly area and extend to the head and tail .
Secondary fungal infection can further develop which may ultimately result in death of the salmon .
IFI staff are working with the Fish Health Unit in the Marine Institute and international colleagues to monitor and respond to the situation while working within the constraints imposed by Covid-19 restrictions .
As part of its monitoring programme , anglers and fishery owners are asked to report any cases of salmon with signs of RSD to IFI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease nationally .
Anglers who capture such salmon are advised to follow normal biosecurity procedures and disinfect tackle , waders and equipment .
Until the cause of the disease has been determined and the risk of spreading the disease established , affected salmon should not be removed from the water .
“ We are asking anglers and fishery owners to remain vigilant and report any catches of salmon with signs of this disease to us as soon as possible within the constraints imposed by the Covid-19 , ” said Dr Paddy Gargan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are asked to forward any reports of salmon with signs of RSD along with photographs and an estimate of fish weight to salmonhealth @ fisheriesireland.ie or by calling IFI ’ s 24 hour confidential hotline number on 1890 34 74 24 .

Wild salmon in two rivers along the west coast have displayed symptoms of a potentially deadly disease prompting the authorities to issue a warning against taking the possibly infected fish from the water.
In recent days Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has received reports that individual fresh-run wild salmon have been found in the River Leannan in Donegal and the River Corrib in Galway displaying suspected signs of red skin disease (RSD).
A salmon showing signs of red skin disease in 2019. Photograph: Inland Fisheries Ireland
Low incidences of the disease were first documented in 2019 in several European salmon stocks and in the past few weeks suspected cases have again been reported in small numbers of returning salmon in Denmark, Norway and Scotland.
In Ireland last year suspected incidences of RSD were reported in 56 salmon from 17 rivers throughout the country. The majority of these reports were in June and July with only single incidences reported prior to and after this time.
READ MORE
Salmon affected by RSD have a characteristic red-spotted rash on their underbelly and may appear lethargic or moribund. The rash can either be localised or extend along some or most of the length of the fish.
As the disease progresses, skin lesions, signs of bleeding and skin ulcers can develop primarily along the belly area and extend to the head and tail. Secondary fungal infection can further develop which may ultimately result in death of the salmon.
IFI staff are working with the Fish Health Unit in the Marine Institute and international colleagues to monitor and respond to the situation while working within the constraints imposed by Covid-19 restrictions.
As part of its monitoring programme, anglers and fishery owners are asked to report any cases of salmon with signs of RSD to IFI to help determine the occurrence of the disease nationally.
Anglers who capture such salmon are advised to follow normal biosecurity procedures and disinfect tackle, waders and equipment. Until the cause of the disease has been determined and the risk of spreading the disease established, affected salmon should not be removed from the water.
"We are asking anglers and fishery owners to remain vigilant and report any catches of salmon with signs of this disease to us as soon as possible within the constraints imposed by the Covid-19," said Dr Paddy Gargan, senior research officer at IFI.
Anglers are asked to forward any reports of salmon with signs of RSD along with photographs and an estimate of fish weight to salmonhealth@fisheriesireland.ie or by calling IFI’s 24 hour confidential hotline number on 1890 34 74 24.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Private hospital care expected to resume in July but bitterness over State deal remains

Hundreds of thousands of people covered by health insurance will once again be in a position to be treated in private hospitals from the beginning of July following the Government ’ s decision not to extend State control over these facilities .
The private hospital deal , though welcomed widely when announced at the end of March in the face of a potential surge in Covid-19 cases , has proved to be extremely costly and highly controversial .
It has left in its wake discommoded private patients , angry doctors , concerned health insurers and may well to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative body for private sector consultants .
At the end of March when the Government was looking to take over nearly 20 private hospitals , it was envisaging a scenario of the public system being overrun with thousands of Covid-19 patients seeking urgent care .
The Government ’ s new plan announced on Friday envisages not a sudden spike in cases which would dissipate , but rather an ongoing epidemic that will be around for the next six to 18 months with the occasional flare up .
The circumstances have changed since April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the agreement .
Under the agreement the State took over about 18 private hospitals including their staff , theatres and facilities .
However the deal did not encompass about 600 private sector consultants who have traditionally seen thousands of private patients in these facilities .
These doctors argued they had been shut out of the private hospitals , leaving their traditional patients to join public waiting lists .
The private doctors were offered temporary contracts to work in the State system .
About half did not sign up , fearful for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high-profile campaign for the initiative to scrapped .
The good problem for the Government was the private beds were really not needed after all as the much-feared surge never materialised .
The bad problem was that the bills kept mounting .
The HSE pointed to large numbers of day cases being treated and argued hospitals were getting busier .
The private consultants contended that the hospitals were on average two-thirds empty .
However the sums involved were enormous .
The Cabinet was told on Friday that the bill for three months could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed down at the height of the crisis .
The patients who would have been treated remain on growing waiting lists which were already extremely large .
And while numbers in the queue increase , due to social distancing , the numbers who can be physically treated each day will be reduced .
On the other hand , the private consultants maintain that their patients now potentially face their own private waiting lists .
For the health insurers , who have about 2.2 million people on their books , the private hospital agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebates and financial supports had to be quickly introduced .
However the concern at the top of the industry was if the private hospitals remained for a prolonged further period in State control , subscribers may have begun to question the relevance of having insurance in the first place at a time when thousands are likely to have lost their jobs .
The Government ’ s solution has been to opt for a halfway house .
Give back control of the private hospitals but negotiate a retainer that their capacity can be quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The State will also want ongoing access to private beds to deal with the growing waiting lists .
Things may begin to get back to some form of normality .
However a legacy of anger among doctors at the Department of Health remains .

Paul Reid, HSE chief executive: The HSE pointed to large numbers of day cases being treated and argued hospitals were getting busier. The private consultants contended that the private hospitals were on average two-thirds empty. Photograph: Photocalll Ireland/PA
Hundreds of thousands of people covered by health insurance will once again be in a position to be treated in private hospitals from the beginning of July following the Government’s decision not to extend State control over these facilities.
The private hospital deal, though welcomed widely when announced at the end of March in the face of a potential surge in Covid-19 cases, has proved to be extremely costly and highly controversial.
It has left in its wake discommoded private patients, angry doctors, concerned health insurers and may well to be the catalyst for the establishment of a new representative body for private sector consultants.
At the end of March when the Government was looking to take over nearly 20 private hospitals, it was envisaging a scenario of the public system being overrun with thousands of Covid-19 patients seeking urgent care.
READ MORE
The Government’s new plan announced on Friday envisages not a sudden spike in cases which would dissipate, but rather an ongoing epidemic that will be around for the next six to 18 months with the occasional flare up.
The circumstances have changed since April and so have the pressures on Ministers over the agreement.
Under the agreement the State took over about 18 private hospitals including their staff, theatres and facilities. However the deal did not encompass about 600 private sector consultants who have traditionally seen thousands of private patients in these facilities.
These doctors argued they had been shut out of the private hospitals, leaving their traditional patients to join public waiting lists .
The private doctors were offered temporary contracts to work in the State system. About half did not sign up, fearful for their patients and their businesses, they ran a high-profile campaign for the initiative to scrapped .
The good problem for the Government was the private beds were really not needed after all as the much-feared surge never materialised.
The bad problem was that the bills kept mounting.
The HSE pointed to large numbers of day cases being treated and argued hospitals were getting busier . The private consultants contended that the hospitals were on average two-thirds empty.
However the sums involved were enormous. The Cabinet was told on Friday that the bill for three months could be €338 million.
Waiting lists
Non-urgent care was closed down at the height of the crisis. The patients who would have been treated remain on growing waiting lists which were already extremely large .
And while numbers in the queue increase, due to social distancing , the numbers who can be physically treated each day will be reduced.
On the other hand, the private consultants maintain that their patients now potentially face their own private waiting lists.
For the health insurers, who have about 2.2 million people on their books, the private hospital agreement changed their business and a series of rebates and financial supports had to be quickly introduced.
However the concern at the top of the industry was if the private hospitals remained for a prolonged further period in State control, subscribers may have begun to question the relevance of having insurance in the first place at a time when thousands are likely to have lost their jobs.
The Government’s solution has been to opt for a halfway house. Give back control of the private hospitals but negotiate a retainer that their capacity can be quickly secured if a Covid surge does come. The State will also want ongoing access to private beds to deal with the growing waiting lists.
Things may begin to get back to some form of normality. However a legacy of anger among doctors at the Department of Health remains.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Galway shuts down popular tourist spots and beaches over Covid-19 concerns

Galway City Council is closing many of its best known attractions because of fears over the breach of social distancing @ @ @ @ @ the Blackrock Diving Tower and the car park at Ballyloughane Beach are among the places @ @ @ @ @ to the public over the bank holiday weekend .
The golf course in Salthill , @ @ @ @ @ Claddagh Basin and the car park at Silverstrand will also be closed to the public @ @ @ @ @ act after large crowds were observed congregating at the beaches in Salthill and around the @ @ @ @ @ weather and the end of the school year .
Many were meeting in groups of @ @ @ @ @ were not observing two metres social distancing as the Government has asked to combat Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ more than four people on who were congregating at the Spanish Arch over the last @ @ @ @ @ council chief executive Brendan McGrath said there will be a strong force of gardaí across @ @ @ @ @ holiday weekend and anybody drinking alcohol in public will have their drinks confiscated .

Galway City Council decided to act after large crowds were observed congregating at the beaches in Salthill and around the Claddagh to celebrate the good weather and the end of the school year.
Galway City Council is closing many of its best known attractions because of fears over the breach of social distancing guidelines.
Spanish Arch, the Blackrock Diving Tower and the car park at Ballyloughane Beach are among the places that will not be open to the public over the bank holiday weekend.
The golf course in Salthill, Lough Rusheen Park, the Claddagh Basin and the car park at Silverstrand will also be closed to the public.
The council decided to act after large crowds were observed congregating at the beaches in Salthill and around the Claddagh to celebrate the good weather and the end of the school year.
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Many were meeting in groups of greater than four people and were not observing two metres social distancing as the Government has asked to combat Covid-19.
Gardaí moved groups of more than four people on who were congregating at the Spanish Arch over the last number of days.
City council chief executive Brendan McGrath said there will be a strong force of gardaí across the city over the bank holiday weekend and anybody drinking alcohol in public will have their drinks confiscated.


theirishtimes--2020-05-29--Elderly woman living in squalor has capacity to make unwise decisions – court

A judge has refused to initiate a wardship inquiry in the case of an elderly woman living in “ squalor ” with no running water or electricity after a psychiatrist concluded she has capacity to make “ unwise ” decisions about her living conditions .
“ Eccentricity is not a basis for invoking the wardship jurisdiction , ” High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly said on Friday .
He was refusing to send a court appointed doctor to assess the woman ’ s capacity , not because he did not have great concern for her welfare , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone living in these conditions ” , but because there was no evidence at this stage to justify such a serious order .
The HSE could renew its application if the position changes , he added .
The case came before the judge after lawyers instructed by members of the woman ’ s family wrote to the wards of court office expressing concern her physical and mental health was deteriorating .
On Friday , Patricia Hill , for the HSE , asked the judge to direct a court appointed medical visitor to attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to assess her capacity .
Counsel said the woman is a vulnerable adult and , although a consultant psychiatrist who assessed her at her home less than two weeks ago concluded she has capacity , the HSE still had concerns and wanted another report from a medical visitor .
A social worker team leader with the HSE told the court the woman ’ s living conditions are squalid and her situation has prompted concerns among family , neighbours , her rural community , gardaí , social workers and others for some time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated area and shares her home with more than 20 cats , the court heard .
She walks a number of miles regularly to her local village to shop , collect her pension and attend Mass but has refused all offers of assistance from family and others .
She buys bottled water and sometimes prepared meals and her stove at home is malfunctioning , causing the house to be smoke filled , but she had refused to have it repaired .
She refuses to attend her GP ’ s surgery and the GP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the living conditions , the court heard .
The team leader said any attempt to forcibly remove the woman from home for a capacity assessment would distress her and be counterproductive .
Any such assessment would have to be carried out at the woman ’ s home , she believed .
The psychiatrist who assessed the woman at home had yet to provide his full report , but had concluded the woman has capacity to make unwise decisions about her living conditions , has no mental illness , a likely low IQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the view it would be “ inappropriate and inhumane ” to pursue wardship for her or detention under the Mental Health Act .
Mr Justice Kelly said he had no doubt the woman is a vulnerable person living in primitive conditions in an isolated area .
He noted the team leader , whom he commended for her support to the woman , had said she has lived independently , refusing all help and without formal supports , for years , but there are concerns whether her physical and mental health has deteriorated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ court to order a capacity assessment under the 1871 Lunacy Regulation Ireland Act and the power to do so had to be triggered with some element of medical evidence that a person lacks capacity , he said .
The existing evidence is the woman has capacity and has chosen for herself to live as she does , he concluded .

The existing evidence is the woman has capacity and has chosen for herself to live as she does, Mr Justice Peter Kelly concluded. Photograph: Aidan Crawley
A judge has refused to initiate a wardship inquiry in the case of an elderly woman living in “squalor” with no running water or electricity after a psychiatrist concluded she has capacity to make “unwise” decisions about her living conditions.
“Eccentricity is not a basis for invoking the wardship jurisdiction,” High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly said on Friday. He was refusing to send a court appointed doctor to assess the woman’s capacity, not because he did not have great concern for her welfare, “I do, anyone would in regard to someone living in these conditions”, but because there was no evidence at this stage to justify such a serious order.
The HSE could renew its application if the position changes, he added.
The case came before the judge after lawyers instructed by members of the woman’s family wrote to the wards of court office expressing concern her physical and mental health was deteriorating.
READ MORE
On Friday, Patricia Hill, for the HSE, asked the judge to direct a court appointed medical visitor to attend the woman, aged in her 70s, to assess her capacity. Counsel said the woman is a vulnerable adult and, although a consultant psychiatrist who assessed her at her home less than two weeks ago concluded she has capacity, the HSE still had concerns and wanted another report from a medical visitor.
A social worker team leader with the HSE told the court the woman’s living conditions are squalid and her situation has prompted concerns among family, neighbours, her rural community, gardaí, social workers and others for some time. The woman lives alone in an isolated area and shares her home with more than 20 cats, the court heard.
She walks a number of miles regularly to her local village to shop, collect her pension and attend Mass but has refused all offers of assistance from family and others. She buys bottled water and sometimes prepared meals and her stove at home is malfunctioning, causing the house to be smoke filled, but she had refused to have it repaired. She refuses to attend her GP’s surgery and the GP will not attend her at home because of the living conditions, the court heard. The team leader said any attempt to forcibly remove the woman from home for a capacity assessment would distress her and be counterproductive.
Any such assessment would have to be carried out at the woman’s home, she believed. The psychiatrist who assessed the woman at home had yet to provide his full report, but had concluded the woman has capacity to make unwise decisions about her living conditions, has no mental illness, a likely low IQ and is eccentric.
He also expressed the view it would be “inappropriate and inhumane” to pursue wardship for her or detention under the Mental Health Act.
Mr Justice Kelly said he had no doubt the woman is a vulnerable person living in primitive conditions in an isolated area.
He noted the team leader, whom he commended for her support to the woman, had said she has lived independently, refusing all help and without formal supports, for years, but there are concerns whether her physical and mental health has deteriorated. It is a serious thing for the court to order a capacity assessment under the 1871 Lunacy Regulation Ireland Act and the power to do so had to be triggered with some element of medical evidence that a person lacks capacity, he said.
The existing evidence is the woman has capacity and has chosen for herself to live as she does, he concluded.