theirishtimes--2020-09-25--‘Be open minded, adaptable and learn from the people around you’

What did you study and when did you graduate ?
I first studied English and History in the University of Limerick and received an Honours degree in 2011 .
I then decided to go down the business route and did the Qualified Financial Advisor exams in University College Dublin in 2014 .
Following this roundabout route , I then became interested in the area of corporate governance and company law and joined Grant Thornton where I did the Certificate in Company Secretarial Law and Practice , and I have since gone on to enrol in the Masters in Corporate Governance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
What attracted you to your current role ?
I was attracted to Grant Thornton ’ s global reputation as a passionate , collaborative and grounded firm with a diverse client base and their strong presence in the Irish market .
The firm ’ s dedicated trainee programmes carved out a clear path in how I can upskill as a company secretarial professional .
Corporate Governance appealed to me as it is ever evolving , and there are ongoing opportunities to grow and get involved with new projects .
What did you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Initially , I found it challenging to strike a work/life balance .
I worked long hours and was quite drained by the weekend .
However , this changed since joining GT because of the firm ’ s emphasis on employee wellness through the sports and social clubs , wellness weeks , time management trainings and the general fun and energetic atmosphere .
Do you have any mentors ?
If so , what is their value to you ?
Fortunately , I work for a firm that encourages a gender balance across all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner and closely with female directors , associate directors and management .
Seeing their career progression and how they are encouraged , empowered and supported in their professional development has been a big inspiration to me .
I am challenged and encouraged by these women and because of Grant Thornton ’ s open door policy I can rely on their support .
The Chartered Governance Institute run a mentorship programme that connects recent graduates with experienced professionals in the industry- this is something I am keen to get involved with .
What is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since you joined the workforce ?
If I keep the company ’ s goals , strategies , culture and values as my priority , then my personal professional goals will be met by doing so .
Don ’ t just look for what a company can do for you , look to what you can bring to the role and stay on top of your development and naturally you will grow within the company .
How has Covid-19 affected your working life ?
It is a very sad time for many families in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have lost their loved ones .
I have been keeping myself busy and getting involved with the various GT initiatives during this time , from online personal training sessions with my team or virtual charity fundraising activities .
I am lucky that I could continue to work from home and remain busy and engaged .
Due to technology I have been in constant contact with my colleagues through video chat and we have even managed some fun coffee Skype chats too .
What is one piece of advice you would offer new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and learn from the people around you and always be open to new experiences .
Broaden your understanding of the bigger picture of whatever process you are involved in and don ’ t ever stop learning .
Also , don ’ t be afraid to show some personality !

Karen Begg: “Broaden your understanding of the bigger picture of whatever process you are involved in and don’t ever stop learning”
What did you study and when did you graduate?
I first studied English and History in the University of Limerick and received an Honours degree in 2011. I then decided to go down the business route and did the Qualified Financial Advisor exams in University College Dublin in 2014. Following this roundabout route, I then became interested in the area of corporate governance and company law and joined Grant Thornton where I did the Certificate in Company Secretarial Law and Practice, and I have since gone on to enrol in the Masters in Corporate Governance and am now heading into my second year.
What attracted you to your current role?
I was attracted to Grant Thornton’s global reputation as a passionate, collaborative and grounded firm with a diverse client base and their strong presence in the Irish market. The firm’s dedicated trainee programmes carved out a clear path in how I can upskill as a company secretarial professional. Corporate Governance appealed to me as it is ever evolving, and there are ongoing opportunities to grow and get involved with new projects.
READ MORE
What did you find most challenging about the working world?
Initially, I found it challenging to strike a work/life balance. I worked long hours and was quite drained by the weekend. However, this changed since joining GT because of the firm’s emphasis on employee wellness through the sports and social clubs, wellness weeks, time management trainings and the general fun and energetic atmosphere.
Do you have any mentors? If so, what is their value to you?
Fortunately, I work for a firm that encourages a gender balance across all levels. I work for a female partner and closely with female directors, associate directors and management. Seeing their career progression and how they are encouraged, empowered and supported in their professional development has been a big inspiration to me. I am challenged and encouraged by these women and because of Grant Thornton's open door policy I can rely on their support. The Chartered Governance Institute run a mentorship programme that connects recent graduates with experienced professionals in the industry- this is something I am keen to get involved with.
What is the most valuable thing you have learned since you joined the workforce?
If I keep the company’s goals, strategies, culture and values as my priority, then my personal professional goals will be met by doing so. Don’t just look for what a company can do for you, look to what you can bring to the role and stay on top of your development and naturally you will grow within the company.
How has Covid-19 affected your working life?
It is a very sad time for many families in the country and my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I have been keeping myself busy and getting involved with the various GT initiatives during this time, from online personal training sessions with my team or virtual charity fundraising activities. I am lucky that I could continue to work from home and remain busy and engaged. Due to technology I have been in constant contact with my colleagues through video chat and we have even managed some fun coffee Skype chats too.
What is one piece of advice you would offer new graduates?
Be open minded, adaptable and learn from the people around you and always be open to new experiences. Broaden your understanding of the bigger picture of whatever process you are involved in and don’t ever stop learning. Also, don’t be afraid to show some personality!
Jenna Clarke-Molloy


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Air pollutants exceeded WHO guidelines at 33 locations in Ireland in 2019

Ireland ’ s biggest source of air pollution is the burning of solid fuel in residential properties , and this is also the main contributor to an estimated 1,300 premature deaths a year , the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) has said .
In its air quality report for 2019 , it says while air quality in Ireland is generally good and compares favourably with many of our European neighbours , “ there are worrying localised issues ” arising from burning solid fuel to heat buildings and traffic in large urban areas .
EPA monitoring shows in urban areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is increasing with the EU limit value for this pollutant exceeded at one Dublin traffic monitoring location – at St John ’ s Road West .
The EPA report warns “ these types of exceedances will continue unless we curb our reliance on fossil fuel powered transport , particularly diesel cars ” .
“ Levels of fine particulate matter ( fine particles ) in our air are also of growing concern , with an estimated 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland linked to this pollutant , ” it adds .
The main threat comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solid fuel burning .
World Health Organisation guideline values for air quality were exceeded at 33 EPA monitoring stations , “ mostly due to the levels of fine particles in our air ” .
Levels are particularly high during the winter months when elevated use of solid fuels such as coal , turf and wet wood impacts negatively on air quality , especially in towns and villages .
The report notes “ any movement towards cleaner modes of home heating fuels will have a subsequent improvement on air quality ” .
Initial studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March to May of 2020 , indicate levels of NO2dropped dramatically , especially in urban areas .
Levels of particulate matter did not decrease similarly , the EPA confirmed .
Dr Ciara McMahon , director of its office of radiation protection and environmental monitoring , said Ireland was renowned for its countryside and clean fresh air , “ but we can no longer take this for granted ” .
“ Poor air quality impacts people ’ s health and quality of life , so it is now time to tackle the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality – transport emissions in large urban areas and emissions from burning of solid fuels in our cities , towns and villages , ” she added .
“ Choices we make affect the levels of pollution in the air we breathe , which in turn affects the health of our lungs , heart and other organs .
We need to decarbonise our public transport system and in general reduce our reliance on diesel and petrol-powered vehicles .
Moving to cleaner ways of heating our homes will also significantly improve air quality across Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report backs the introduction of a national smoky coal ban and urges a review of “ the feasibility of a wider smoky fuel ban for towns and cities ” .
It lists solutions including more energy-efficient buildings , district heating systems , restrictions on solid fuel use , updating of old heating systems and creation of low-emission zones .
EPA air quality manager Patrick Kenny said that due to continuing negative impacts of air pollutants on people ’ s health and emission impacts at a local level , monitoring under the national ambient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 more stations were installed in 2019 bringing the total to 84 .
The EPA provides the air quality index for health and real-time results online .
The air quality report is available at www.epa.ie

Initial studies of the impact of the coronavirus restrictions in March to May of 2020 indicate levels of NO2 dropped dramatically, especially in urban areas. Photograph: Getty Images
Ireland’s biggest source of air pollution is the burning of solid fuel in residential properties, and this is also the main contributor to an estimated 1,300 premature deaths a year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said.
In its air quality report for 2019, it says while air quality in Ireland is generally good and compares favourably with many of our European neighbours, "there are worrying localised issues" arising from burning solid fuel to heat buildings and traffic in large urban areas.
EPA monitoring shows in urban areas traffic-related nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution is increasing with the EU limit value for this pollutant exceeded at one Dublin traffic monitoring location – at St John’s Road West. The EPA report warns “these types of exceedances will continue unless we curb our reliance on fossil fuel powered transport, particularly diesel cars”.
Growing concern
“Levels of fine particulate matter (fine particles) in our air are also of growing concern, with an estimated 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland linked to this pollutant,” it adds. The main threat comes in the form of PM2.5 arising from solid fuel burning.
READ MORE
World Health Organisation guideline values for air quality were exceeded at 33 EPA monitoring stations, “mostly due to the levels of fine particles in our air”. Levels are particularly high during the winter months when elevated use of solid fuels such as coal, turf and wet wood impacts negatively on air quality, especially in towns and villages.
The report notes “any movement towards cleaner modes of home heating fuels will have a subsequent improvement on air quality”.
Initial studies of the impact of the coronavirus restrictions in March to May of 2020, indicate levels of NO2 dropped dramatically, especially in urban areas. Levels of particulate matter did not decrease similarly, the EPA confirmed.
Dr Ciara McMahon, director of its office of radiation protection and environmental monitoring, said Ireland was renowned for its countryside and clean fresh air, “but we can no longer take this for granted”.
“Poor air quality impacts people’s health and quality of life, so it is now time to tackle the two key issues that impact negatively on air quality – transport emissions in large urban areas and emissions from burning of solid fuels in our cities, towns and villages,” she added.
Lung health
“Choices we make affect the levels of pollution in the air we breathe, which in turn affects the health of our lungs, heart and other organs. We need to decarbonise our public transport system and in general reduce our reliance on diesel and petrol-powered vehicles. Moving to cleaner ways of heating our homes will also significantly improve air quality across Ireland,” Dr McMahon added.
The report backs the introduction of a national smoky coal ban and urges a review of “the feasibility of a wider smoky fuel ban for towns and cities”.
It lists solutions including more energy-efficient buildings, district heating systems, restrictions on solid fuel use, updating of old heating systems and creation of low-emission zones.
EPA air quality manager Patrick Kenny said that due to continuing negative impacts of air pollutants on people's health and emission impacts at a local level, monitoring under the national ambient air quality monitoring programme was expanded – 24 more stations were installed in 2019 bringing the total to 84.
The EPA provides the air quality index for health and real-time results online.
The air quality report is available at www.epa.ie


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Time to choose: job or internship?

Time to choose: job or internship?

A job or an internship ?
The choice is narrowing .
In recent years , with the economy close to full employment , graduates took up internships as a way of gaining much-needed experience , but often had the option of walking straight into a job in industries with staff shortages .
This year , Covid-19 means fewer internships are available .
“ A lot of companies say that they are not doing them this year , ” says Ruairi Kavanagh , editor of gradireland.com .
“ We have seen internships – which are a vital part of the transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where possible , done online , but it ’ s not what the student or the employer really wants from the experience.
” Internships have come a long way from when companies used them as a way of accessing cheap or free labour , and those who attempt to exploit graduates by not paying them may face more than a social media backlash : unpaid internships are illegal .
Dr Laura Bambrick , head of social policy and employment affairs at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions , advises graduates not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sign away your right to be paid at least the €10.10 per hour minimum wage , ” she says .
“ These days , the vast majority of internships are paid , ” says Kavanagh .
“ Of the companies we surveyed this year , only 2 per cent used unpaid internships .
They are still out there , particularly in media jobs , while some non-profits will occasionally hire volunteers as interns , but we do not accept unpaid internships on our site.
” Lisa* applied for more than 30 positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a master ’ s but many of applications didn ’ t even garner a rejection email , ” she says .
“ Every open vacancy seems to get hundreds of applications from graduates as well as recently unemployed or furloughed people .
I got offered an unpaid internship with a great organisation .
But it ’ s unsustainable past October as it ’ s eating into any savings I have .
So it ’ s a constant calculus of weighing up the benefit of increased experience versus finding any work that will pay.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows that the most common pay band for interns is between €1,400-€1,800 per month , while no company paid less than €1,000 per month .
Most internships are proper programmes and viewed as part of a vital talent pipeline .
“ Our survey found that 28 per cent of employers recruit graduates from those who previously interned , ” says Kavanagh .
“ A structured internship will take you through rotations and show you as many aspects of the business as possible .
They are usually closer to six months in duration and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , they will want you to be delivering something for the company .
They are quite structured in terms of learning outputs and a graduate should leave with a solid grasp of what the company does.
” Graduates on courses where work experience is built in may have a head start in securing one of these scarce internships that provide valuable work experience .
Iseult Kelly is the industry engagement co-ordinator for the School of Computer Science at TU Dublin .
“ We ’ ve had 80 students from four courses on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen more companies hiring than last year , ” she says .
“ They ’ re all paid at least the minimum wage .
Everywhere has an IT department and interns can work remotely .
Companies hire interns as a long-term investment , not because they need a hand .
Bar one or two of our interns who worked in areas like the travel industry , most have maintained their internships through the pandemic.
” At NUI Galway , head of careers Josephine Walsh says their interns are also seeing positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,300 students on internships as part of their programme , in areas as diverse as finance , law and engineering .
Our master ’ s in human-resource management had over 20 students on placement and most of these were made permanent.
” NUI Galway had 700 students on placement at the time of lockdown .
“ Most of them moved to remote working and only about 10 per cent had their employment terminated , ” says Walsh .
“ It won ’ t be as easy to place students as it was , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing okay : you can ’ t stay in business unless you can figure out how to have people working from home.
” Kavanagh says that graduates who secure virtual internships see benefits , and advises those on a job hunt to also stay connected through webinars .
“ They may have a block of training in the morning and be set tasks in the afternoon .
You do miss the face-to-face , but a structured internship in the time of Covid can still give you a good sense of working life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your network – even if it is digital.
” * Name has been changed * See gradireland.com/internships for details of internships Hashtag Media are recruiting interns .
“ We hired in the past year and that progressed to full-time work , ” says Pamela Finn of Hashtag Media .
“ The internships are remote – we have always worked remotely , since long before Covid .
We average about two applications per day , and our internships are paid .
Humour in our line of work makes applicants stand out – that and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

A job or an internship? The choice is narrowing. In recent years, with the economy close to full employment, graduates took up internships as a way of gaining much-needed experience, but often had the option of walking straight into a job in industries with staff shortages.
This year, Covid-19 means fewer internships are available. "A lot of companies say that they are not doing them this year," says Ruairi Kavanagh, editor of gradireland.com. "We have seen internships – which are a vital part of the transition to the workplace – either cancelled or, where possible, done online, but it's not what the student or the employer really wants from the experience."
Internships have come a long way from when companies used them as a way of accessing cheap or free labour, and those who attempt to exploit graduates by not paying them may face more than a social media backlash: unpaid internships are illegal.
Dr Laura Bambrick, head of social policy and employment affairs at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, advises graduates not to work for free. "You cannot sign away your right to be paid at least the €10.10 per hour minimum wage," she says.
READ MORE
“These days, the vast majority of internships are paid,” says Kavanagh. “Of the companies we surveyed this year, only 2 per cent used unpaid internships. They are still out there, particularly in media jobs, while some non-profits will occasionally hire volunteers as interns, but we do not accept unpaid internships on our site.”
Lisa* applied for more than 30 positions over the summer. “I have a master’s but many of applications didn’t even garner a rejection email,” she says. “Every open vacancy seems to get hundreds of applications from graduates as well as recently unemployed or furloughed people. I got offered an unpaid internship with a great organisation. But it’s unsustainable past October as it’s eating into any savings I have. So it’s a constant calculus of weighing up the benefit of increased experience versus finding any work that will pay.”
Information from gradireland.com’s survey shows that the most common pay band for interns is between €1,400-€1,800 per month, while no company paid less than €1,000 per month.
Most internships are proper programmes and viewed as part of a vital talent pipeline. “Our survey found that 28 per cent of employers recruit graduates from those who previously interned,” says Kavanagh. “A structured internship will take you through rotations and show you as many aspects of the business as possible. They are usually closer to six months in duration and, for perhaps four of those six months, they will want you to be delivering something for the company. They are quite structured in terms of learning outputs and a graduate should leave with a solid grasp of what the company does.”
Graduates on courses where work experience is built in may have a head start in securing one of these scarce internships that provide valuable work experience.
Iseult Kelly is the industry engagement co-ordinator for the School of Computer Science at TU Dublin. "We've had 80 students from four courses on industry or work placement, and we've seen more companies hiring than last year," she says. "They're all paid at least the minimum wage. Everywhere has an IT department and interns can work remotely. Companies hire interns as a long-term investment, not because they need a hand. Bar one or two of our interns who worked in areas like the travel industry, most have maintained their internships through the pandemic."
Positive outcomes
At NUI Galway, head of careers Josephine Walsh says their interns are also seeing positive outcomes. "We've placed 1,300 students on internships as part of their programme, in areas as diverse as finance, law and engineering. Our master's in human-resource management had over 20 students on placement and most of these were made permanent."
NUI Galway had 700 students on placement at the time of lockdown. “Most of them moved to remote working and only about 10 per cent had their employment terminated,” says Walsh. “It won’t be as easy to place students as it was, but a lot of companies are still doing okay: you can’t stay in business unless you can figure out how to have people working from home.”
Kavanagh says that graduates who secure virtual internships see benefits, and advises those on a job hunt to also stay connected through webinars. “They may have a block of training in the morning and be set tasks in the afternoon. You do miss the face-to-face, but a structured internship in the time of Covid can still give you a good sense of working life. Take any chance you have to build your network – even if it is digital.”
* Name has been changed
* See gradireland.com/internships for details of internships
A paid media internship opportunity
Hashtag Media are recruiting interns. "We hired in the past year and that progressed to full-time work," says Pamela Finn of Hashtag Media. "The internships are remote – we have always worked remotely, since long before Covid. We average about two applications per day, and our internships are paid. Humour in our line of work makes applicants stand out – that and seeing their creative work and words."
[ HashtagMedia.ie ]


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Sorting out your life? There’s an app for that

Your college days are behind you .
The big bad world is calling – and what a world that the class of 2020 is graduating into .
Getting a job , getting a place to live – or staying at home because of the difficulty securing decent and affordable accommodation – and simply learning how to properly be an adult alone can be tricky enough at the best of times , but throw in a global pandemic and it becomes even more challenging .
Graduates are already tech-savvy and will be familiar with study apps such as Quizlet and Coursera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Can technology really help you with your finances , mental health , further study , work and life management ?
We put together a list of some of the most useful apps and tech tools for graduates .
In all those career talks and childhood dreams of being a doctor/vet/teacher/chef , nobody tells you a bleak truth : life is full of very boring and relentless administration .
We ’ re sorry to pile on the misery , but making appointments , paying bills , being on hold to an underpaid and badly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing your banking , getting things for the house and filing your taxes can drain your life force .
Thankfully , there ’ s an app for that .
This journalist likes lists , and since pen and paper went extinct I like to keep them on my phone .
The app 24me is a personal assistant that brings together your calendar , notes and to-do list with a smart and sleek design .
It ’ s even useful for paying bills .
Free and premium versions are available on Apple and Android @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evernote is a free app that you can use for writing and easily categorising your notes , organising your receipts , bookmarking articles that you want to read later , making to-do lists , saving voice memos and more .
It ’ s easily searchable and there ’ s a desktop app so that you can use it on your computer as well as your phone .
With GoodNotes , you can use the Apple pencil to handwrite notes which convert to text and , the more you use it , the smarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IFTTT – short for “ if this , then that ” – connects more than 600 different apps including Google Drive , Instagram and Gmail – and can automate web-application tasks , among other functions .
Or of course , run from life admin and consequences by wasting time on Twitter , TikTok and Instagram .
You can ’ t have missed the talk about “ the end of the office ” and whether or not we ’ ll all work from home forever .
If you ’ re a recent graduate who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an office environment , this conversation might feel a bit bemusing : it ’ s all relatively new to you anyway .
If the pandemic had happened even a decade ago , our choices would have been bleak : go to the office and risk catching the virus or stay home and watch greater pandemonium unfold .
Technology , however , has not only enabled us to work together or made the workplace a bit different – it has changed it , fundamentally , forever .
So what tech tools do graduates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job ?
Many offices are now using Microsoft Teams for remote meetings , calls , chats and conferences .
The software connects small teams or up to 10,000 staff across the world , and allows workers to access , share and edit word documents , Excel files and PowerPoint presentations .
Within a few weeks of lockdown , we started hearing a lot about Zoom , the video-conferencing software that we used to keep in touch with family and friends , work colleagues and bosses and attend online conferences and seminars .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many of the earlier security and encryption concerns , which saw hackers hijack meetings , have been addressed .
Google Hangouts also allows for video and voice calls and helps team members stay in touch , and it ’ s free to use .
Google Drive and Google documents , meanwhile , are great for sharing and editing documents .
Trello is phenomenally useful and easy for managing projects and tasks , and for keeping track of where you ’ re at .
It uses boards , lists and cards to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your projects , and it ’ s great for collaboration .
You may already be familiar with Slack , which a growing number of workplaces use for colleagues for chat rooms to work on projects , direct message each other , cut down on email and , often , just to share memes .
The first few months after college are stressful enough but ... well , you know this bit about a global pandemic , etc , etc .
Minding your mental health is really important , and while a meditation app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depression , it can be a useful aid through some challenging times .
Headspace , available on iOs and Android , is the most familiar , but it only offers 10 minutes of meditation over 10 days before monthly or annual charges kick in .
Buddhify is a cheaper option , costing just €5.49 to download .
Insight Timer is loaded with content and guided meditations , with additional premium options .
Meanwhile , with a lot of people still avoiding gyms , apps can be a useful way of getting exercise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Run !
, which combines a cardio routine with a zombie storyline : it ’ s certainly different from the usual couch-to-5K apps ( free to download , in-app purchases ) .
On YouTube , Yoga with Adriene has kept a lot of people who are confined to small spaces fit and healthy over the past six months .
Beans on toast or pasta and sauce might have been fine in your student days , but if you haven ’ t learned to cook adult human food , Allrecipes .
com '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the web and contains meals to suit all budgets .
Miss-south.com writes about the joys of slow cooking .
Finally , culinary star Jack Monroe ’ s recipes at CookingOnABootstrap.com show how to put together a top-quality meal using simple ingredients for next to nothing .
Monroe has lived in poverty and knows what it ’ s like to be broke , so there ’ s nothing inaccessible about her food .
You can also sign up to receive email notifications of her blog .

Apps can help with making appointments, paying bills, doing your banking and other life-administration chores.
Your college days are behind you. The big bad world is calling – and what a world that the class of 2020 is graduating into.
Getting a job, getting a place to live – or staying at home because of the difficulty securing decent and affordable accommodation – and simply learning how to properly be an adult alone can be tricky enough at the best of times, but throw in a global pandemic and it becomes even more challenging.
Graduates are already tech-savvy and will be familiar with study apps such as Quizlet and Coursera. But what about life apps? Can technology really help you with your finances, mental health, further study, work and life management?
We put together a list of some of the most useful apps and tech tools for graduates.
READ MORE
Life administration
In all those career talks and childhood dreams of being a doctor/vet/teacher/chef, nobody tells you a bleak truth: life is full of very boring and relentless administration. We’re sorry to pile on the misery, but making appointments, paying bills, being on hold to an underpaid and badly treated customer service agent for hours, doing your banking, getting things for the house and filing your taxes can drain your life force.
Thankfully, there’s an app for that.
This journalist likes lists, and since pen and paper went extinct I like to keep them on my phone.
The app 24me is a personal assistant that brings together your calendar, notes and to-do list with a smart and sleek design. It's even useful for paying bills. Free and premium versions are available on Apple and Android.
For the disorganised among us, Evernote is a free app that you can use for writing and easily categorising your notes, organising your receipts, bookmarking articles that you want to read later, making to-do lists, saving voice memos and more. It's easily searchable and there's a desktop app so that you can use it on your computer as well as your phone.
With GoodNotes, you can use the Apple pencil to handwrite notes which convert to text and, the more you use it, the smarter it becomes at recognising your handwriting.
IFTTT – short for "if this, then that" – connects more than 600 different apps including Google Drive, Instagram and Gmail – and can automate web-application tasks, among other functions.
Or of course, run from life admin and consequences by wasting time on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
Work
You can’t have missed the talk about “the end of the office” and whether or not we’ll all work from home forever. If you’re a recent graduate who has never adjusted to spending your days in an office environment, this conversation might feel a bit bemusing: it’s all relatively new to you anyway.
If the pandemic had happened even a decade ago, our choices would have been bleak: go to the office and risk catching the virus or stay home and watch greater pandemonium unfold. Technology, however, has not only enabled us to work together or made the workplace a bit different – it has changed it, fundamentally, forever.
So what tech tools do graduates need to know about before you start a job?
Many offices are now using Microsoft Teams for remote meetings, calls, chats and conferences. The software connects small teams or up to 10,000 staff across the world, and allows workers to access, share and edit word documents, Excel files and PowerPoint presentations.
Within a few weeks of lockdown, we started hearing a lot about Zoom, the video-conferencing software that we used to keep in touch with family and friends, work colleagues and bosses and attend online conferences and seminars. Calls are free up to 40 minutes. Many of the earlier security and encryption concerns, which saw hackers hijack meetings, have been addressed. Google Hangouts also allows for video and voice calls and helps team members stay in touch, and it's free to use. Google Drive and Google documents, meanwhile, are great for sharing and editing documents.
Trello is phenomenally useful and easy for managing projects and tasks, and for keeping track of where you're at. It uses boards, lists and cards to help you and your team organise and prioritise your projects, and it's great for collaboration.
You may already be familiar with Slack, which a growing number of workplaces use for colleagues for chat rooms to work on projects, direct message each other, cut down on email and, often, just to share memes.
Health and lifestyle
The first few months after college are stressful enough but... well, you know this bit about a global pandemic, etc, etc. Minding your mental health is really important, and while a meditation app won't fix your anxiety or depression, it can be a useful aid through some challenging times. Headspace, available on iOs and Android, is the most familiar, but it only offers 10 minutes of meditation over 10 days before monthly or annual charges kick in. Buddhify is a cheaper option, costing just €5.49 to download. Insight Timer is loaded with content and guided meditations, with additional premium options.
Meanwhile, with a lot of people still avoiding gyms, apps can be a useful way of getting exercise. For our money, we like Zombies, Run!, which combines a cardio routine with a zombie storyline: it's certainly different from the usual couch-to-5K apps (free to download, in-app purchases). On YouTube, Yoga with Adriene has kept a lot of people who are confined to small spaces fit and healthy over the past six months.
Beans on toast or pasta and sauce might have been fine in your student days, but if you haven't learned to cook adult human food, Allrecipes. com">Allrecipes.com aggregates different recipes from across the web and contains meals to suit all budgets. Miss-south.com writes about the joys of slow cooking. Finally, culinary star Jack Monroe's recipes at CookingOnABootstrap.com show how to put together a top-quality meal using simple ingredients for next to nothing. Monroe has lived in poverty and knows what it's like to be broke, so there's nothing inaccessible about her food. You can also sign up to receive email notifications of her blog.


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--UN and UK to host climate event on Paris Agreement anniversary

The United Nations has announced plans to gather “ the world ’ s most ambitious climate leaders ” in December on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement in an effort rebuild global momentum in tackling global warming .
The announcement was made by UN secretary-general António Guterres at a Climate Week event he hosted in New York on Thursday – it is coinciding with the UN General Assembly .
It comes in the wake of announcements from China and the European Union scaling up ambition .
While the world remains off-track to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send a resounding signal that decarbonisation of the global economy is increasingly irreversible and offers huge advantages to those who move decisively ” , Mr Guterres said .
“ We have champions and solutions all around us , in every city , corporation and country .
But the climate emergency is fully upon us , and we have no time to waste .
The answer to our existential crisis is swift , decisive , scaled-up action and solidarity among nations , ” he added .
Recent data shows greenhouse gas concentrations and global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate impacts from unprecedented wildfires , hurricanes , air pollution , droughts and floods which was destroying lives , jobs and businesses , he noted .
In light of this , the secretary-general and UK prime minister Boris Johnson will co-host a landmark global event convening global leaders on December 12th this year to rally much greater climate action and ambition .
The UN ’ s annual climate negotiations , known as COP26 , are due to be staged in Glasgow in November 2021 after being postponed due to Covid-19 .
National governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and high-quality climate plans , as well as Covid recovery plans , new finance commitments and measures to build resilience that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and the driving forward the agreed UN sustainable development goals .
The event will bring leaders from across all levels of government , as well as the private sector and civil society , to present new measures boosting ambition and action , Mr Guterres said .
China ’ s leader Xi Jinping this week committed to speeding up reductions in emissions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carbon neutrality by 2060 .
If China achieves its goal by 2060 , it could lower global warming projections by 0.2-0.3 degrees , the single biggest reduction measured since countries signed the Paris Agreement , according to Climate Action Tracker .
“ This would mean that China , responsible for a quarter of the world ’ s greenhouse gas emissions , would phase out any conventional use of coal , oil and gas by the middle of the century ; unthinkable a few years ago , ” Prof Niklas Höhne of New Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carbon Research Yuan Lin said : “ China ’ s new climate commitments came just days after the EU Commission ’ s proposal of raising the block ’ s 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 55 per cent , showing that China is willing to contribute more to solve the global climate emergency.
” However , Mr Yuan said it was still unclear what “ carbon-neutral ” would mean , how it related to the global net-zero target in the Paris Agreement , what types of greenhouse gases were involved , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offsetting would be included .
“ We expect more information to be revealed in China ’ s 14th five-year plan , which will include detailed development targets from 2021 to 2025.
” With two of the top-three emitters in the world now committing to carbon neutrality by mid-century , this could be the start of a broader “ race towards zero ” and more countries committing to higher emission reduction targets , he predicted .
These commitments from China and the EU could also raise pressure on other large emitters and benefit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

UN secretary-general António Guterres: “The climate emergency is fully upon us, and we have no time to waste.” Photograph: Eskinder Debebe
The United Nations has announced plans to gather "the world's most ambitious climate leaders" in December on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement in an effort rebuild global momentum in tackling global warming.
The announcement was made by UN secretary-general António Guterres at a Climate Week event he hosted in New York on Thursday – it is coinciding with the UN General Assembly. It comes in the wake of announcements from China and the European Union scaling up ambition.
While the world remains off-track to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, this week’s announcements “send a resounding signal that decarbonisation of the global economy is increasingly irreversible and offers huge advantages to those who move decisively”, Mr Guterres said.
“We have champions and solutions all around us, in every city, corporation and country. But the climate emergency is fully upon us, and we have no time to waste. The answer to our existential crisis is swift, decisive, scaled-up action and solidarity among nations,” he added.
READ MORE
Recent data shows greenhouse gas concentrations and global temperatures reaching record levels, and worsening climate impacts from unprecedented wildfires, hurricanes, air pollution, droughts and floods which was destroying lives, jobs and businesses, he noted.
Action and ambition
In light of this, the secretary-general and UK prime minister Boris Johnson will co-host a landmark global event convening global leaders on December 12th this year to rally much greater climate action and ambition. The UN's annual climate negotiations, known as COP26, are due to be staged in Glasgow in November 2021 after being postponed due to Covid-19.
National governments will be invited to present more ambitious and high-quality climate plans, as well as Covid recovery plans, new finance commitments and measures to build resilience that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and the driving forward the agreed UN sustainable development goals.
The event will bring leaders from across all levels of government, as well as the private sector and civil society, to present new measures boosting ambition and action, Mr Guterres said.
China’s leader Xi Jinping this week committed to speeding up reductions in emissions in the world’s most-polluting nation and reach carbon neutrality by 2060.
Previously ‘unthinkable’
If China achieves its goal by 2060, it could lower global warming projections by 0.2-0.3 degrees, the single biggest reduction measured since countries signed the Paris Agreement, according to Climate Action Tracker.
"This would mean that China, responsible for a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, would phase out any conventional use of coal, oil and gas by the middle of the century; unthinkable a few years ago," Prof Niklas Höhne of New Climate Institute said.
Senior analyst at Refinitiv Carbon Research Yuan Lin said: “China’s new climate commitments came just days after the EU Commission’s proposal of raising the block’s 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 55 per cent, showing that China is willing to contribute more to solve the global climate emergency.”
However, Mr Yuan said it was still unclear what “carbon-neutral” would mean, how it related to the global net-zero target in the Paris Agreement, what types of greenhouse gases were involved, and what types of carbon removal and potential offsetting would be included. “We expect more information to be revealed in China’s 14th five-year plan, which will include detailed development targets from 2021 to 2025.”
With two of the top-three emitters in the world now committing to carbon neutrality by mid-century, this could be the start of a broader “race towards zero” and more countries committing to higher emission reduction targets, he predicted. These commitments from China and the EU could also raise pressure on other large emitters and benefit the climate negotiations at COP26, he believed.


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Man found guilty of murder of Ciara Glennon and second woman in 1990s

A 51-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of Irishwoman Ciara Glennon and another young woman over 20 years ago after Australia ’ s longest-running and most expensive criminal investigation .
Bradley Robert Edwards , a former technician from Western Australia , was found guilty of the murders of Ms Glennon and Jane Rimmer but acquitted of the murder of Sarah Spiers in what became known as the Claremont serial killings case .
These refer to the deaths of Ms Rimmer ( 23 ) , Ms Glennon ( 27 ) , and Ms Spiers ( 18 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women went missing after nights out at the Claremont entertainment district in Perth ’ s eponymous western suburb .
Ms Glennon , whose family was originally from Westport , Co Mayo was celebrating St Patrick ’ s Day with friends in Perth on March 14th , 1997 when she went missing .
The bodies of Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon were found dumped in bushland at opposite ends of Perth .
Ms Spiers was never found and is presumed dead .
Edwards was arrested in 2016 and charged with wilfully murdering the three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assaulting an 18-year-old woman during a break-in at her Huntingdale home in February 1988 , and abducting and raping a 17-year-old girl in February 1995 in Claremont .
The lengthy judge-only trial ran from November 2019 to June 2020 in the Western Australia supreme court .
The case against Edwards rested on “ four key planks of evidence ” , the prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo SC told the court .
The first was a surprise confession from Edwards before the trial began last October .
Edwards pleaded guilty to abducting and raping the 17-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rowe Park after a night out in Claremont in 1995 .
He bound and drove her to Karrakatta cemetery , where he raped her twice before dumping her naked in bushland .
Edwards also confessed to breaking into the home of the 18-year-old woman - who he said he knew - and assaulting her in 1988 .
The prosecution also pointed to the fact Edwards ’ DNA was found under Ms Glennon ’ s left thumb and middle fingernail during testing in 2008 .
Edwards admitted it was his DNA , but said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had got there .
Further evidence came from 98 critical fibres found on the bodies of Ms Rimmer , Ms Glennon and the 17-year-old rape survivor .
Fabric fibres found on the three women were manufactured in the unique colour “ Telstra navy ” , and matched the pants Edwards would have worn in the 90s as a technician with the Australian mobile phone company Telstra .
Finally , fibres found in Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon ’ s hair matched the seat insert and carpet fabric used in a 1996 VS Holden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of car that Edwards drove around the time of their murders .
During the trial , the international fibre expert Ray Palmer told the court it was “ highly unlikely ” these fibres got there by chance .
Edwards had a history of violence .
As a 21-year-old he had grabbed and tried to force a dishcloth into the mouth of a 40-year-old social worker while working as a Telecom technician at Hollywood hospital .
A court-ordered psychological report at the time said Edwards had been in distress that week after his de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Several witnesses testified to seeing a man matching Edwards ’ description driving a Telstra vehicle slowly around Claremont and a nearby suburb late at night in the mid-1990s , offering lifts to other women .
Witnesses also said they heard a series of high-pitched screams in the Mosman Park area the night of Ms Spiers ’ murder , and two of those witnesses saw a car that looked similar to Edwards ’ .
Unlike the prosecution who called hundreds of witnesses , including Edwards ’ ex-wives and former colleagues , the defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify in his own defence .
The defence ’ s case rested on casting doubt over the DNA fragments found under Ms Glennon ’ s fingernails that tie her back to Edwards .
Edwards ’ barrister , Paul Yovich SC , argued there was a “ fraction of a nanogram ” of DNA found under her fingernails , which could have got there via a chance encounter at the pub she was at the night she disappeared .
- Guardian News and Media

Irishwoman Ciara Glennon was killed after socialising in Perth on St Patrick’s Day in 1997. Photograph: PerthNow
A 51-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of Irishwoman Ciara Glennon and another young woman over 20 years ago after Australia’s longest-running and most expensive criminal investigation.
Bradley Robert Edwards, a former technician from Western Australia, was found guilty of the murders of Ms Glennon and Jane Rimmer but acquitted of the murder of Sarah Spiers in what became known as the Claremont serial killings case.
These refer to the deaths of Ms Rimmer (23), Ms Glennon (27), and Ms Spiers (18), between 1996 and 1997. All three women went missing after nights out at the Claremont entertainment district in Perth’s eponymous western suburb.
Ms Glennon, whose family was originally from Westport, Co Mayo was celebrating St Patrick’s Day with friends in Perth on March 14th, 1997 when she went missing.
READ MORE
The bodies of Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon were found dumped in bushland at opposite ends of Perth. Ms Spiers was never found and is presumed dead.
Justice Stephen Hall delivered his long-anticipated verdicts on Thursday.
Arrest
Edwards was arrested in 2016 and charged with wilfully murdering the three women, as well as for indecently assaulting an 18-year-old woman during a break-in at her Huntingdale home in February 1988, and abducting and raping a 17-year-old girl in February 1995 in Claremont.
The lengthy judge-only trial ran from November 2019 to June 2020 in the Western Australia supreme court.
The case against Edwards rested on “four key planks of evidence”, the prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo SC told the court.
The first was a surprise confession from Edwards before the trial began last October. Edwards pleaded guilty to abducting and raping the 17-year-old girl while she was walking alone through Rowe Park after a night out in Claremont in 1995. He bound and drove her to Karrakatta cemetery, where he raped her twice before dumping her naked in bushland.
Edwards also confessed to breaking into the home of the 18-year-old woman - who he said he knew - and assaulting her in 1988.
DNA
The prosecution also pointed to the fact Edwards’ DNA was found under Ms Glennon’s left thumb and middle fingernail during testing in 2008. Edwards admitted it was his DNA, but said he didn’t know how it had got there.
Further evidence came from 98 critical fibres found on the bodies of Ms Rimmer, Ms Glennon and the 17-year-old rape survivor.
Fabric fibres found on the three women were manufactured in the unique colour “Telstra navy”, and matched the pants Edwards would have worn in the 1990s as a technician with the Australian mobile phone company Telstra.
Finally, fibres found in Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon’s hair matched the seat insert and carpet fabric used in a 1996 VS Holden Commodore, the same make and model of car that Edwards drove around the time of their murders.
During the trial, the international fibre expert Ray Palmer told the court it was “highly unlikely” these fibres got there by chance.
History of violence
Edwards had a history of violence. As a 21-year-old he had grabbed and tried to force a dishcloth into the mouth of a 40-year-old social worker while working as a Telecom technician at Hollywood hospital. A court-ordered psychological report at the time said Edwards had been in distress that week after his de facto wife confessed to cheating on him.
Several witnesses testified to seeing a man matching Edwards’ description driving a Telstra vehicle slowly around Claremont and a nearby suburb late at night in the mid-1990s, offering lifts to other women. Witnesses also said they heard a series of high-pitched screams in the Mosman Park area the night of Ms Spiers’ murder, and two of those witnesses saw a car that looked similar to Edwards’.
Unlike the prosecution who called hundreds of witnesses, including Edwards’ ex-wives and former colleagues, the defence called none. Edwards also did not testify in his own defence.
The defence’s case rested on casting doubt over the DNA fragments found under Ms Glennon’s fingernails that tie her back to Edwards.
Edwards’ barrister, Paul Yovich SC, argued there was a “fraction of a nanogram” of DNA found under her fingernails, which could have got there via a chance encounter at the pub she was at the night she disappeared. - Guardian


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Traffic figures for Dublin ‘slightly down’ on pre-Level 3 restrictions

Traffic volumes on main roads around Dublin are “ slightly down ” on pre-Level 3 Covid restrictions introduced in the Capital last week , according to a traffic analysis from Transport Infrastructure Ireland .
From Saturday new , Level 3 restrictions for Dublin stipulate domestic travel should be confined within Co Dublin , with exceptions only for essential purposes , work and education .
The subsequent analysis , compiled by Transport Infrastructure Ireland ( TII ) from vehicle counters set in the roads , shows weekday car traffic volumes fell by between 4 per cent and 8 per cent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to volumes one week ago .
The fall is considerably less than the 70 per cent fall in traffic observed by the CSO during the initial lockdown ban on all non-essential travel , which began in March .
But in its analysis of the traffic volumes on radial and arterial roads around the capital , counted on Wednesday this week , TII said levels were “ slightly down ” when compared with the previous Wednesday , before the Level 3 restrictions were introduced .
The analysis found car traffic : – fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swords and Dublin Airport – fell 6 per cent on the M4 at Celbridge-Maynooth – fell 7 per cent on the M11 at Bray and – fell 8 per cent on the N7 at Citywest – fell 4 per cent on the M50 between the N3 ( Navan ) and N4 ( Galway ) roads TII said the fall of about 4 per cent was consistent with the reduced level of car traffic recorded on other radial routes out of Dublin .
In a conclusion the roads authority said the decreases “ may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions introduced at the weekend ” .
TII said September was traditionally a very busy month for the State ’ s roads .
Therefore while volumes of traffic on many arterial routes out of Dublin last Thursday and Friday were in excess of average daily traffic levels in 2019 , it could be misleading to compare daily traffic figures for this September , with annual averages for last year .
A spokesman said many busy days throughout September or October this year would exceed annual averages for traffic volumes in 2019 .
Overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down by between 18 per cent and 28 per cent of the volumes of one year ago , according to TII ’ s analysis of a sample basket of counters .
TII said following the 70 per cent drop in volumes of cars on the State ’ s roads in March this year , numbers had risen again to about 90 per cent of last year ’ s levels in the first three weeks of September .
It said the slight fall back in those levels this week , was likely due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the regional cities the change in car traffic volumes on Wednesday as compared with Wednesday 16th September is as follows : – M7 Limerick up 3 per cent – N40 Cork up 0 per cent – M9 Waterford 0 per cent – N6 Bóthar na dTreabh Galway down 3 per cent Numbers of passenger journeys on subsidised public transport , which includes Dublin Bus , Dart and Irish Rail , fell from 470,702 passengers on Friday September 18th before the Dublin restrictions , to 355,242 on Monday after the restrictions .
Overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million a day in March to between 50,000 and 100,000 in April , according to figures from the National Transport Authority .
By April and early May , Luas usage had shrunk to as low as 3 and 4 per cent of its late February level .
On March 10th , it had almost 142,000 passenger journeys compared to just under 5,500 on April 18th ( a Tuesday and Saturday respectively ) .

TII said the decreases ‘may reflect the impact of the Level 3 restrictions introduced at the weekend’. File photograph: iStock
Traffic volumes on main roads around Dublin are “slightly down” on pre-Level 3 Covid restrictions introduced in the Capital last week, according to a traffic analysis from Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
From Saturday new, Level 3 restrictions for Dublin stipulate domestic travel should be confined within Co Dublin, with exceptions only for essential purposes, work and education.
The subsequent analysis, compiled by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) from vehicle counters set in the roads, shows weekday car traffic volumes fell by between 4 per cent and 8 per cent in the early days of this week, compared to volumes one week ago.
The fall is considerably less than the 70 per cent fall in traffic observed by the CSO during the initial lockdown ban on all non-essential travel, which began in March.
READ MORE
But in its analysis of the traffic volumes on radial and arterial roads around the capital, counted on Wednesday this week, TII said levels were “slightly down” when compared with the previous Wednesday, before the Level 3 restrictions were introduced.
The analysis found car traffic:
– fell 4 per cent on the M1 between Swords and Dublin Airport
– fell 6 per cent on the M4 at Celbridge-Maynooth
– fell 7 per cent on the M11 at Bray and
– fell 8 per cent on the N7 at Citywest
– fell 4 per cent on the M50 between the N3 (Navan) and N4 (Galway) roads
Busy month
TII said the fall of about 4 per cent was consistent with the reduced level of car traffic recorded on other radial routes out of Dublin.
In a conclusion the roads authority said the decreases “may reflect the impact of the Level 3 restrictions introduced at the weekend”.
TII said September was traditionally a very busy month for the State’s roads. Therefore while volumes of traffic on many arterial routes out of Dublin last Thursday and Friday were in excess of average daily traffic levels in 2019, it could be misleading to compare daily traffic figures for this September, with annual averages for last year.
A spokesman said many busy days throughout September or October this year would exceed annual averages for traffic volumes in 2019.
Overall, car traffic this week is typically down by between 18 per cent and 28 per cent of the volumes of one year ago, according to TII’s analysis of a sample basket of counters.
TII said following the 70 per cent drop in volumes of cars on the State’s roads in March this year, numbers had risen again to about 90 per cent of last year’s levels in the first three weeks of September. It said the slight fall back in those levels this week, was likely due to the new restrictions.
Regional changes
In the case of the regional cities the change in car traffic volumes on Wednesday as compared with Wednesday 16th September is as follows:
– M7 Limerick up 3 per cent
– N40 Cork up 0 per cent
– M9 Waterford 0 per cent
– N6 Bóthar na dTreabh Galway down 3 per cent
Numbers of passenger journeys on subsidised public transport, which includes Dublin Bus, Dart and Irish Rail, fell from 470,702 passengers on Friday September 18th before the Dublin restrictions, to 355,242 on Monday after the restrictions.
Overall public transport journeys numbered just under one million a day in March to between 50,000 and 100,000 in April, according to figures from the National Transport Authority. By April and early May, Luas usage had shrunk to as low as 3 and 4 per cent of its late February level. On March 10th, it had almost 142,000 passenger journeys compared to just under 5,500 on April 18th (a Tuesday and Saturday respectively).


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--No deadline set for restoration of Shelbourne Four statues

No date has been set for the restoration of the Shelbourne Hotel statues because of the delicate nature of the worked needed to be done to them .
Dublin City Council has confirmed that it has received notice from the Shelbourne Hotel that it intends to reinstate the four statues to their plinth at the entrance to the hotel .
The statues were removed in July in the mistaken belief that two of them were representations of slave women .
The hotel St Stephen ’ s Green in Dublin is owned by US multinational property company Kennedy Wilson and operated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a number of public complaints , the city council served an enforcement notice on the hotel alleging a breach of planning permission .
The council sent an enforcement letter on July 29th giving hotel management four weeks to respond to the claims of an alleged planning breach .
Hotel management were granted another four-week extension to respond to the allegation .
On Wednesday hotel management wrote to the council stating its intention to restore the statues .
The council stated : “ A submission was received from the owner ’ s architectural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicating their intent to refurbish the statues and reinstate them in due course .
This will take time due to the delicate conservation works required.
” A spokeswoman for the council confirmed that no deadline has been given for the restoration “ due to the delicate nature of the conservation work required ” .
Kennedy Wilson commissioned University College Dublin art historian Professor Paula Murphy to examine the statues .
An expert on sculpture , she has concluded that they are not depictions of slaves .
The statues will be restored to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are layers of paint that have to be removed .
Their restoration will include a plaque explaining their backgrounds .
The decision to restore the statues has been welcomed by the former attorney general and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell who was one of those who objected to their removal in the first place .
Mr McDowell said he was “ very pleased that common sense and the law have prevailed in relation to the Shelbourne Four ” .
He added : “ Our architectural and cultural heritage can not become hostage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideological impressions on a flawed understanding of historical facts .
“ People are free to choose to become “ woke ” but they may not impose their opinions on others .
Nor is our history and culture subject to excisions in the pursuit of political correctness or ideological conformity .
“ Our monuments and our preserved structures are worthy of conservation even if they reflect ideas and people with different ideas from those of some or even most of the present generation .
“ The Shelbourne Four were not slaves , did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any cause for offence to the great majority of reasonable people.
” The Dublin Civic Trust has also welcomed the restoration , tweeting : “ Sanity prevails .
In addition to cleaning , paint analysis would yield instructive clues to the statues ’ original decorative finish.
” The art historian Kyle Leyden who uncovered the original catalogue which demonstrated that two of the statues were not representations of slave women , said there may still be issues around them .
He told Morning Ireland : “ Firstly , there can be no doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 19th century artistic fetishisation of the culture of the East as licentious and sexualised .
“ Secondly , regardless of how true the slave identification actually was , the fact that there ’ s clearly a very widely held misconception that they might have been slaves might in itself be enough to justify a call for their removal.
” UCC colonial historian Dr Donal Hassett welcomed the proposal by the hotel to include a plaque putting the statues in their historical context .
“ Hopefully the plaque to accompany them will acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he tweeted .
“ A chance for a reset- time now for a reflective discussion on all sides of colonialism within Irish heritage “ We need a greater diversity in these discussions .
It can ’ t just be left to experts from academia and heritage sector .
Heritage always means different things to different people and this needs to be acknowledged .
”

The statues were removed in July in the mistaken belief that two of them were representations of slave women. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/The Irish Times
No date has been set for the restoration of the Shelbourne Hotel statues because of the delicate nature of the worked needed to be done to them.
Dublin City Council has confirmed that it has received notice from the Shelbourne Hotel that it intends to reinstate the four statues to their plinth at the entrance to the hotel.
The statues were removed in July in the mistaken belief that two of them were representations of slave women.
The hotel St Stephen's Green in Dublin is owned by US multinational property company Kennedy Wilson and operated by the Marriott Group.
READ MORE
In response to a number of public complaints, the city council served an enforcement notice on the hotel alleging a breach of planning permission.
The council sent an enforcement letter on July 29th giving hotel management four weeks to respond to the claims of an alleged planning breach. Hotel management were granted another four-week extension to respond to the allegation.
On Wednesday hotel management wrote to the council stating its intention to restore the statues.
The council stated: “A submission was received from the owner’s architectural advisors on the 23rd of September 2020 indicating their intent to refurbish the statues and reinstate them in due course. This will take time due to the delicate conservation works required.”
Welcome decision
A spokeswoman for the council confirmed that no deadline has been given for the restoration “due to the delicate nature of the conservation work required”.
Kennedy Wilson commissioned University College Dublin art historian Professor Paula Murphy to examine the statues. An expert on sculpture, she has concluded that they are not depictions of slaves.
The statues will be restored to their plinths once they are cleaned, as there are layers of paint that have to be removed. Their restoration will include a plaque explaining their backgrounds.
The decision to restore the statues has been welcomed by the former attorney general and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell who was one of those who objected to their removal in the first place.
Mr McDowell said he was “very pleased that common sense and the law have prevailed in relation to the Shelbourne Four”.
He added: “Our architectural and cultural heritage cannot become hostage to the sensibilities of people who form ideological impressions on a flawed understanding of historical facts.
“People are free to choose to become “woke” but they may not impose their opinions on others. Nor is our history and culture subject to excisions in the pursuit of political correctness or ideological conformity.
“Our monuments and our preserved structures are worthy of conservation even if they reflect ideas and people with different ideas from those of some or even most of the present generation.
“The Shelbourne Four were not slaves, did not demean women, and did not give any cause for offence to the great majority of reasonable people.”
‘Sanity prevails’
The Dublin Civic Trust has also welcomed the restoration, tweeting: "Sanity prevails. In addition to cleaning, paint analysis would yield instructive clues to the statues' original decorative finish."
The art historian Kyle Leyden who uncovered the original catalogue which demonstrated that two of the statues were not representations of slave women, said there may still be issues around them.
He told Morning Ireland: "Firstly, there can be no doubt that they formed part of what became a 19th century artistic fetishisation of the culture of the East as licentious and sexualised.
“Secondly, regardless of how true the slave identification actually was, the fact that there’s clearly a very widely held misconception that they might have been slaves might in itself be enough to justify a call for their removal.”
UCC colonial historian Dr Donal Hassett welcomed the proposal by the hotel to include a plaque putting the statues in their historical context.
“Hopefully the plaque to accompany them will acknowledge their connection to cultural project of imperialism,” he tweeted.
“A chance for a reset- time now for a reflective discussion on all sides of colonialism within Irish heritage
“We need a greater diversity in these discussions. It can’t just be left to experts from academia and heritage sector. Heritage always means different things to different people and this needs to be acknowledged.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--People leaving Catholic church because they are tired of ‘little old men’ - McAleese

Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese has said people are leaving the Catholic church “ in droves ” because they are tired of “ little old men , trying to beat the drum of obedience ” .
In an interview with BBC Radio 4 ’ s Women ’ s Hour on Thursday , Ms McAleese , who is a licensed canon lawyer as well as a civil lawyer , said she is a person of faith but is also “ a person with a thinking brain ” .
McAleese said she studied canon law to have “ credibility ” when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoken about misogyny in the Catholic church , but admitted that nothing she had ever said had changed anything .
She attributed this lack of progress to the church ’ s hierarchy , which she described as a “ small , self-serving hermetically-sealed group of men ” .
“ I am ignored completely by the church ’ s hierarchy .
Utterly , absolutely ignored .
But that ’ s okay because they ’ re only a tiny proportion of the church .
They ’ re desperately powerful , yes , and they make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church is 1.2 billion people which is why I stay.
” She said the church is the biggest NGO in the world , hugely influential and a permanent representative at the UN .
“ No other faith system has that power and influence in the world , ” she added .
Ms McAleese said she remained in the church in the hope that one day , her “ tiny little voice will sometime permeate upwards ” and create change .
“ The truth of the matter is , people are walking away in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old men , trying to beat the drum of obedience , being obedient to teaching that is long past its sell-by date and needs to be revised , needs to be critiqued , ” she said .
“ We belong to a church that is wonderful at talking out to the world from its moral pulpit .
Wonderful for example on climate change ... Pope Francis on migrants .
Excellent .
On outreach to the poor .
Excellent .
She added : “ On women , atrocious .
Women in the Church , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are abused , very weak and lacking in credibility still .
”

The Catholic church ‘is 1.2 billion people which is why I stay’, former president Mary McAleese told BBC 4 Woman’s Hour programme. File photograph: James Forde for The Irish Times
Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese has said people are leaving the Catholic church "in droves" because they are tired of "little old men, trying to beat the drum of obedience".
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour on Thursday, Ms McAleese, who is a licensed canon lawyer as well as a civil lawyer, said she is a person of faith but is also “a person with a thinking brain”.
McAleese said she studied canon law to have “credibility” when criticising the church. She has openly spoken about misogyny in the Catholic church, but admitted that nothing she had ever said had changed anything .
She attributed this lack of progress to the church’s hierarchy, which she described as a “ small, self-serving hermetically-sealed group of men”.
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“I am ignored completely by the church’s hierarchy. Utterly, absolutely ignored. But that’s okay because they’re only a tiny proportion of the church. They’re desperately powerful, yes, and they make the rules, yes, but the church is 1.2 billion people which is why I stay.”
She said the church is the biggest NGO in the world, hugely influential and a permanent representative at the UN.
“No other faith system has that power and influence in the world,” she added.
Ms McAleese said she remained in the church in the hope that one day, her “tiny little voice will sometime permeate upwards” and create change.
“The truth of the matter is, people are walking away in droves. They are tired of these old men, trying to beat the drum of obedience, being obedient to teaching that is long past its sell-by date and needs to be revised, needs to be critiqued,” she said.
"We belong to a church that is wonderful at talking out to the world from its moral pulpit. Wonderful for example on climate change...Pope Francis on migrants. Excellent. On outreach to the poor. Excellent.
She added: “On women, atrocious. Women in the Church, atrocious. On protections for children who are abused, very weak and lacking in credibility still.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Ban on evictions should be reintroduced for six months, says housing charity

A ban on evictions should be reintroduced for at least six months with a view to a further six-month extension based on Covid-19 restrictions in place , the housing charity Threshold has said .
In its pre-Budget submission , the charity has also called for €20 million to be allocated to a rent arrears fund to help tenants in financial difficulty .
It has recommended that 20 per cent of the homeless budget be allocated for homeless prevention , a reintroduction of the ban on temporary rent increases and the allocation of funding to hold a referendum on the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flexibility introduced into the rent supplement and the housing assistance payment ( HAP ) scheme to be permanently retained and measures to avoid tenancy termination on grounds of sale .
Rental protections were introduced earlier this year including a ban on eviction notices and rent increases .
However , these measures ended last month and were replaced by new rental laws .
The Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill , which came into effect last month , extends a ban on evictions until January for those unable to pay their rent because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ self-declaration ” to the Residential Tenancies Board .
For all other tenants in rental accommodation the Covid-19 ban on evictions and rent freezes ended and normal rules apply .
Threshold said there is a need to extend the moratorium on evictions “ for at least six months with a view to a further six-month extension based on the Covid-19 restrictive measures in place ” .
“ This is vital to ensuring that all people have a home where they can live safely and securely , ” it said .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homelessness and a 21 per cent drop in child homelessness between March and July of this year , the charity said .
“ Unfortunately , there was little change for adults without children , with homeless rates remaining almost unchanged among this cohort , ” it added .
“ This points to the dearth of suitable housing for single adults and couples without dependants.
” Aideen Hayden , chairperson of Threshold , said it is “ concerned ” about the long-term impact of the Covid-19 crisis on private renters .
“ The potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real risk and may result in significant levels of evictions , ” she said .
“ Legislative measures introduced to protect those with rent arrears will have little impact without suitable debt measures and binding agreements to resolve that debt .
“ There is a risk that without robust measures to resolve the debt these evictions will merely be delayed .
We find ourselves at an unprecedented point in our social and economic history with the impacts of Covid-19 having far-reaching implications for all aspects of our lives , including the ways in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are accessed .
“ This critical juncture poses huge challenges but also presents us with opportunities for taking stock and re-casting the development and delivery of key services , such as housing.
” Threshold has also called on the Government to provide the necessary resources for local authorities and approved housing bodies to build 75,000 homes over the next five years .
It said a pilot scheme should be established to repurpose unused purpose-built student accommodation as housing for “ key workers ” in light of the “ reduced need for student accommodation @ @

In its pre-Budget submission, the charity has also called for €20 million to be allocated to a rent arrears fund to help tenants in financial difficulty. Photograph: iStock
A ban on evictions should be reintroduced for at least six months with a view to a further six-month extension based on Covid-19 restrictions in place, the housing charity Threshold has said.
In its pre-Budget submission, the charity has also called for €20 million to be allocated to a rent arrears fund to help tenants in financial difficulty. It has recommended that 20 per cent of the homeless budget be allocated for homeless prevention, a reintroduction of the ban on temporary rent increases and the allocation of funding to hold a referendum on the right to housing.
The charity also wants flexibility introduced into the rent supplement and the housing assistance payment (HAP) scheme to be permanently retained and measures to avoid tenancy termination on grounds of sale.
Rental protections were introduced earlier this year including a ban on eviction notices and rent increases. However, these measures ended last month and were replaced by new rental laws.
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Safety and security
The Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill, which came into effect last month, extends a ban on evictions until January for those unable to pay their rent because of the Covid-19 pandemic so long as they make a “self-declaration” to the Residential Tenancies Board.
For all other tenants in rental accommodation the Covid-19 ban on evictions and rent freezes ended and normal rules apply. Threshold said there is a need to extend the moratorium on evictions “for at least six months with a view to a further six-month extension based on the Covid-19 restrictive measures in place”.
“This is vital to ensuring that all people have a home where they can live safely and securely,” it said. There was a 23 per cent drop in family homelessness and a 21 per cent drop in child homelessness between March and July of this year, the charity said. “Unfortunately, there was little change for adults without children, with homeless rates remaining almost unchanged among this cohort,” it added. “This points to the dearth of suitable housing for single adults and couples without dependants.”
Concern
Aideen Hayden, chairperson of Threshold, said it is “concerned” about the long-term impact of the Covid-19 crisis on private renters. “The potential for long-term indebtedness amongst tenants is a real risk and may result in significant levels of evictions,” she said.
“Legislative measures introduced to protect those with rent arrears will have little impact without suitable debt measures and binding agreements to resolve that debt.
“There is a risk that without robust measures to resolve the debt these evictions will merely be delayed. We find ourselves at an unprecedented point in our social and economic history with the impacts of Covid-19 having far-reaching implications for all aspects of our lives, including the ways in which services are delivered and critical goods are accessed.
“This critical juncture poses huge challenges but also presents us with opportunities for taking stock and re-casting the development and delivery of key services, such as housing.”
Threshold has also called on the Government to provide the necessary resources for local authorities and approved housing bodies to build 75,000 homes over the next five years. It said a pilot scheme should be established to repurpose unused purpose-built student accommodation as housing for “key workers” in light of the “reduced need for student accommodation”.


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Mother refused meaningful access to teenage daughter in ‘profoundly sad’ case

A High Court judge has upheld orders refusing a mother , who has serious alcohol and other problems , meaningful access to her teenage daughter whom she has not seen in more than a year .
In what he described as a “ profoundly sad ” case , Mr Justice Max Barrett directed the mother may only send cards , notes and small gifts on the girl ’ s birthday and at Christmas , plus a weekly “ general ” text to her which can not be sent if the mother is under the influence of alcohol at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot of reports from a psychotherapist that this form of access was in the girl ’ s best interests , including her mental health , and the evidence in the case .
The woman has also not seen her older daughter , now aged 18 , for well over a year but she was not subject of Thursday ’ s judgment .
In an unusual move , the judge attached a letter addressed directly to the woman and her former husband , the father of both girls , at the end of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said much of his judgment “ might seem like legal jargon ” and wanted to identify the key points affecting them .
He told the woman , on condition she undertakes to the court not to ring the younger daughter , referred to as X , and stay away from her school , as well as stay away from her former husband ( who has since remarried ) , his wife and both children , she could send cards , short notes and small gifts to X at Christmas and birthdays , addressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely by him until X wishes to receive them .
The woman will also be allowed to send a “ general ” text message weekly to X , for as long as X wished that , which must not pressurise the girl .
No text could be sent under the influence of alcohol and her ex-husband may periodically cast an eye over the texts .
The judge suggested the woman give the keenest consideration to seeking further treatment , including residential treatment , for her relationship with alcohol .
In his remarks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father should facilitate the mother ’ s limited access as that was deemed in X ’ s best interests .
He asked him to keep safe any cards , notes or gifts addressed to him but intended for X , should X ever ask for those .
He said the woman is entitled to see X ’ s medical and school reports and the father should forward those to her without her having to ask him for them .
The judgment concerned the woman ’ s appeal against a Circuit Court judgment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since divorced .
The man said there had been serious difficulties in their marriage for some years due to the woman ’ s misuse of alcohol and resulting behaviour .
The Circuit Court had granted the father sole custody of both girls and the mother ’ s High Court appeal mainly centred on access to them .
Mr Justice Barrett said the High Court hearing was a “ deeply trying one ” in which the mother “ repeatedly and genuinely cried ” and insisted the person depicted in the pleadings is not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person who has always worked hard until , latterly , her life has “ nose-dived ” .
The court accepted the person in the pleadings may well not be her as she once was and that “ drink changes a person ” .
Regrettably , the facts as recounted by her ex-husband and their children “ ring true ” , the court had to act on what had historically occurred over a prolonged timeframe and some of that was most unpleasant for the man and children .
They and other witnesses had told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of “ coaching ” .
The evidence included the woman once crashed her car , in which X was a passenger , into a wall and was taken from her workplace a number of times by emergency services due to alcohol .
The older daughter , in an interview when aged 16 , had depicted a home environment in which her mother had a heavy drinking problem , presenting drunk at home and at work , being very controlling and hitting that girl often .
X was aged 10 when first interviewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother being drunk every night , assaulting her paternal grandmother and repeatedly hitting her older sister .
X also said she had been the recipient of “ excessive ” phone texts after her parents broke up .
In a later interview , X spoke of being afraid of her mother , fearful she might come to her school or home and described contact from her mother as “ too much ” .
The judge noted the psychotherapist considered the children were now in a stable home with their father and stepmother and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , appropriate for her age , and was clear she did not wish to see her mother at this time .

A High Court judge has upheld orders refusing a mother, who has serious alcohol and other problems, meaningful access to her teenage daughter whom she has not seen in more than a year.
In what he described as a “profoundly sad” case, Mr Justice Max Barrett directed the mother may only send cards, notes and small gifts on the girl’s birthday and at Christmas, plus a weekly “general” text to her which cannot be sent if the mother is under the influence of alcohol at the time.
That limited access was ordered on foot of reports from a psychotherapist that this form of access was in the girl’s best interests, including her mental health, and the evidence in the case.
The woman has also not seen her older daughter, now aged 18, for well over a year but she was not subject of Thursday’s judgment.
READ MORE
In an unusual move, the judge attached a letter addressed directly to the woman and her former husband, the father of both girls, at the end of his judgment.
In that letter, he said much of his judgment “might seem like legal jargon” and wanted to identify the key points affecting them.
Remarried
He told the woman, on condition she undertakes to the court not to ring the younger daughter, referred to as X, and stay away from her school, as well as stay away from her former husband (who has since remarried), his wife and both children, she could send cards, short notes and small gifts to X at Christmas and birthdays, addressed to her ex-husband and to be kept safely by him until X wishes to receive them.
The woman will also be allowed to send a “general” text message weekly to X, for as long as X wished that, which must not pressurise the girl. No text could be sent under the influence of alcohol and her ex-husband may periodically cast an eye over the texts.
The judge suggested the woman give the keenest consideration to seeking further treatment, including residential treatment, for her relationship with alcohol.
In his remarks to the father, the judge said the father should facilitate the mother’s limited access as that was deemed in X’s best interests. He asked him to keep safe any cards, notes or gifts addressed to him but intended for X, should X ever ask for those. He said the woman is entitled to see X’s medical and school reports and the father should forward those to her without her having to ask him for them.
The judgment concerned the woman’s appeal against a Circuit Court judgment in judicial separation proceedings involving the couple, since divorced. The man said there had been serious difficulties in their marriage for some years due to the woman’s misuse of alcohol and resulting behaviour.
The Circuit Court had granted the father sole custody of both girls and the mother’s High Court appeal mainly centred on access to them.
Mr Justice Barrett said the High Court hearing was a “deeply trying one” in which the mother “repeatedly and genuinely cried” and insisted the person depicted in the pleadings is not the real her, she is a good person who has always worked hard until, latterly, her life has “nose-dived”.
The court accepted the person in the pleadings may well not be her as she once was and that “drink changes a person”.
Regrettably, the facts as recounted by her ex-husband and their children “ring true”, the court had to act on what had historically occurred over a prolonged timeframe and some of that was most unpleasant for the man and children. They and other witnesses had told a consistent tale and there was no evidence of “coaching”.
Crashed car
The evidence included the woman once crashed her car, in which X was a passenger, into a wall and was taken from her workplace a number of times by emergency services due to alcohol.
The older daughter, in an interview when aged 16, had depicted a home environment in which her mother had a heavy drinking problem, presenting drunk at home and at work, being very controlling and hitting that girl often. X was aged 10 when first interviewed by the psychotherapist and told of her mother being drunk every night, assaulting her paternal grandmother and repeatedly hitting her older sister. X also said she had been the recipient of “excessive” phone texts after her parents broke up.
In a later interview, X spoke of being afraid of her mother, fearful she might come to her school or home and described contact from her mother as “too much”.
The judge noted the psychotherapist considered the children were now in a stable home with their father and stepmother and had concluded X had formed a free view, appropriate for her age, and was clear she did not wish to see her mother at this time.


theirishtimes--2020-09-24--Covid-19 Q&A: How are we doing now and is there any good news?

So how are we doing overall ?
Like many other European countries , Ireland is experiencing another rapid increase in Covid-19 cases .
There has been a slight slowdown in recent days but it is too soon to know whether this is a definite trend .
And where are the problem areas ?
Most attention has focused on Dublin and Donegal , now both on Level 3 of the Government ’ s framework plan , compared to level 2 in the rest of the country .
The rate of infections in the capital is currently so high that Germany has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 14-day incidence of the virus in Donegal has more than doubled in a week , to 122.5 per 100,000 people .
That ’ s not far behind Dublin ’ s incidence of 140.3 .
Dr Ronan Glynn said the 14-day rate in Lifford and Stranorlar was 336 per 100,000 people ; Letterkenny at 81 per 100,000 and the west of Donegal at 92 per 100,000 .
Case numbers in Louth are climbing more slowly , but have broken the 100 mark ( 106.3 cases per 100,000 of population ) and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dundalk/Carlingford seems to be the hot-spot within the country .
Waterford , which for months had the lowest virus rates in the country , saw cases soar after a meat plant outbreak last month .
Case numbers dropped slightly in recent days , giving rise to hope that the surge there may be over .
Is there any good news in this ?
There is some .
Cases in Limerick , Leitrim and Tipperary have fallen in recent days , with public health officials giving the credit to greater adherence by their populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also remember that case numbers aren ’ t everything .
They ’ re also not comparable to the figures from the first surge , as we ’ re testing more now and therefore picking up a greater proportion of infections .
They ’ re also milder cases than before , because most are among the young .
But aren ’ t more patients ending up in hospital ?
Correct .
The number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital has increased four-fold in a month , albeit from a low level - from 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising at a similar rate , to 16 .
One in four ICU admissions recently are aged under 45 ; it is not known how many of these had underlying conditions .
Treatment options for hospitalised patients have improved since the early days of the pandemic but some at least will have poor outcomes .
You may well ask .
One reason is that more older and vulnerable people are getting infected , even if most cases are in the young .
About half of those admitted to hospital in recent weeks were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials say it is impossible to stop the virus leaking into nursing homes and other vulnerable areas when rates of transmission increase in the general population .
Nonetheless , European figures point to Ireland having one of the highest rates of infections among older age groups at present .
What happens now ?
There has been speculation about other counties being put on level 3 , or even Dublin being moved to level 4 .
There have also been calls for a more granular approach , so the worst-affected parts of counties could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome is further extension ( s ) of current restrictions , just as the national lockdown in the spring , and Kildare ’ s lockdown , were “ rolled over ” .
Sub-county changes seem unlikely at this stage .
The Government ’ s framework plan set out a long list of criteria for triggering a change of level , beginning with incidence rates .
Ultimately , the approach is formulated , not by an algorithm , but by officials on the National Public Health Emergency Team .
NPHET recommends ; the Government @ @

The 14-day incidence of the virus in Donegal has more than doubled in a week, to 122.5 per 100,000 people.
So how are we doing overall?
Like many other European countries, Ireland is experiencing another rapid increase in Covid-19 cases. There has been a slight slowdown in recent days but it is too soon to know whether this is a definite trend.
And where are the problem areas?
Hospital Report
Most attention has focused on Dublin and Donegal, now both on Level 3 of the Government's framework plan, compared to level 2 in the rest of the country. The rate of infections in the capital is currently so high that Germany has declared it a risk area for travellers.
The 14-day incidence of the virus in Donegal has more than doubled in a week to surpasse Dublin's. Dr Ronan Glynn said the 14-day rate in Lifford and Stranorlar was 336 per 100,000 people; Letterkenny at 81 per 100,000 and the west of Donegal at 92 per 100,000.
Case numbers in Louth are climbing more slowly, but have broken the 100 mark (106.3 cases per 100,000 of population) and so the country is attracting specific warnings. Dundalk/Carlingford seems to be the hot-spot within the country.
READ MORE
Waterford, which for months had the lowest virus rates in the country, saw cases soar after a meat plant outbreak last month. Case numbers dropped slightly in recent days, giving rise to hope that the surge there may be over.
Is there any good news in this?
There is some. Cases in Limerick, Leitrim and Tipperary have fallen in recent days, with public health officials giving the credit to greater adherence by their populations to the new restrictions.
We should also remember that case numbers aren’t everything. They’re also not comparable to the figures from the first surge, as we’re testing more now and therefore picking up a greater proportion of infections. They’re also milder cases than before, because most are among the young.
But aren’t more patients ending up in hospital?
Correct. The number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital has increased four-fold in a month, albeit from a low level - from 20 to 88. ICU admissions are also rising at a similar rate, to 16. One in four ICU admissions recently are aged under 45; it is not known how many of these had underlying conditions.
Treatment options for hospitalised patients have improved since the early days of the pandemic but some at least will have poor outcomes.
Why are hospital numbers rising?
You may well ask. One reason is that more older and vulnerable people are getting infected, even if most cases are in the young. About half of those admitted to hospital in recent weeks were aged 65 or older. Public health officials say it is impossible to stop the virus leaking into nursing homes and other vulnerable areas when rates of transmission increase in the general population. Nonetheless, European figures point to Ireland having one of the highest rates of infections among older age groups at present.
What happens now?
There has been speculation about other counties being put on level 3, or even Dublin being moved to level 4. There have also been calls for a more granular approach, so the worst-affected parts of counties could face added restrictions. A more likely outcome is further extension(s) of current restrictions, just as the national lockdown in the spring, and Kildare’s lockdown, were “rolled over”. Sub-county changes seem unlikely at this stage.
The Government’s framework plan set out a long list of criteria for triggering a change of level, beginning with incidence rates. Ultimately, the approach is formulated, not by an algorithm, but by officials on the National Public Health Emergency Team. NPHET recommends; the Government decides.