theirishtimes--2020-07-11--The declining choughs of Dursey island need decision makers’ help

At the far end of Dursey island , Co Cork , the choughs are gathering in new families to probe the ground for grubs , stabbing the wind-shorn grass with their sharp vermilion beaks .
As Ireland ’ s rarest and liveliest crow and a showpiece of the Wild Atlantic Way , their future is a test of care for biodiversity , a word mentioned 50 times in the new programme for government .
But how well placed are Ministers from the Green Party to secure such hard-won coalition pledges ?
The venerable cable-car that links the mainland to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attracts some 20,000 visitors a year .
A €7 million tourist development by Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland promises a new two-way cable car and a mainland visitor centre and restaurant that will boost the visitor numbers to 80,000 .
The project has objections from BirdWatch Ireland , An Taisce and Friends of the Irish Environment , the project is now before An Bord Pleanála .
The island ’ s choughs have declined to some 10 breeding pairs , part of a substantial drop in the Special Protection Area for birds that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beara peninsula .
The project ecologist for Cork County Council , Dr Paul Murphy , found the decline still unexplained but agreed that “ the potential impact of human disturbance as a result of increased visitor numbers can not be ruled out ” .
This now concerns An Bord Pleanála .
Last month , as detailed by Friends of the Irish Environment , it wrote to Cork County Council to question if proposed mitigation measures would be enough to cope with “ potential likely significant effects ” on the choughs and their foraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitor limits and a 50m “ buffer zone ” along well-marked paths supplied with “ educational ” signs .
But most island visitors are drawn naturally to Crow Head at the island ’ s wilder western end .
This is the hot spot for the choughs , especially around the end of June .
It ’ s here , too , that visitors spill out across the open land .
They risk invading the crucial “ flushing distance ” of the crows , put at some 31m , at which they lift and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the end of this month , An Bord Pleanála seeks clearer proposals for managing the numbers and behaviour of visitors .
It may then decide to seek further public consultation .
The Special Protection Area for the island and mainland cliffs was defined by the National Parks and Wildlife Service ( NPWS ) under EU nature conservation directives .
The objecting NGOs criticised the NPWS for failure to carry out a crucial census of the choughs or to prepare a management plan .
The latter failure is common to the scores of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible .
While sharply critical , the NGOs have also pointed to the agency ’ s lack of adequate funding and resources .
Such opinion , pressed by the Greens , resulted in the new Government commitment “ to review the remit , status and funding ” of the NPWS “ to ensure that it is playing an effective role in delivering its overall mandate and enforcement role in the protection of wildlife ” .
Before the change of government , the NPWS was held in the Department of Culture , Heritage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was minister .
Now the portmanteau office has changed to the Department of Media , Tourism , Arts , Culture , Sport and the Gaeltacht , of which Catherine Martin , deputy leader of the Greens , is Minister .
Heritage , however , has gone , and with it the NPWS , to the new Department of Housing , Local Government and Heritage , of which Fianna Fáil ’ s Darragh O ’ Brien is Minister .
The subsequent appointment of the Greens ’ Malcolm Noonan as the Minister of State for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismay of NGOs .
But it left them questions on the urgency of NPWS reform and the ultimate power of the agency ’ s enforcement role .
The NPWS was established in 2003 , succeeding the brief and controversial life of Dúchas , the Heritage Service .
Dúchas , with national monuments as well as wildlife in its brief , took its public outreach seriously , introducing a fleet of smart little vans to bear its name .
But it upset a lot of people with its assertiveness and planning appeals , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in reorganisation .
An editorial in this newspaper saw this as “ a step backwards into an uncaring past ” .
The new present , when able to take its mind off Covid-19 , is certainly less uncaring , and the Government programme has promised to “ progress the establishment of a citizen ’ s assembly on biodiversity ” .
Urgent attention to the NPWS , and an independence like that of the Environment Protection Agency , has been urged by NGO leaders .
Like the glossy black choughs of Dursey Island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

At the far end of Dursey island, Co Cork, the choughs are gathering in new families to probe the ground for grubs, stabbing the wind-shorn grass with their sharp vermilion beaks.
As Ireland’s rarest and liveliest crow and a showpiece of the Wild Atlantic Way, their future is a test of care for biodiversity, a word mentioned 50 times in the new programme for government. But how well placed are Ministers from the Green Party to secure such hard-won coalition pledges?
The venerable cable-car that links the mainland to this sparsely inhabited island holds six people but attracts some 20,000 visitors a year. A €7 million tourist development by Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland promises a new two-way cable car and a mainland visitor centre and restaurant that will boost the visitor numbers to 80,000.
The project has objections from BirdWatch Ireland, An Taisce and Friends of the Irish Environment, the project is now before An Bord Pleanála.
READ MORE
The island’s choughs have declined to some 10 breeding pairs, part of a substantial drop in the Special Protection Area for birds that covers Dursey and the cliffs of the Beara peninsula.
The project ecologist for Cork County Council, Dr Paul Murphy, found the decline still unexplained but agreed that "the potential impact of human disturbance as a result of increased visitor numbers cannot be ruled out".
Most island visitors are drawn naturally to Crow Head at the island's wilder western end. This is the hot spot for the choughs
This now concerns An Bord Pleanála. Last month, as detailed by Friends of the Irish Environment, it wrote to Cork County Council to question if proposed mitigation measures would be enough to cope with “potential likely significant effects” on the choughs and their foraging grounds.
The present proposals include peak visitor limits and a 50m "buffer zone" along well-marked paths supplied with "educational" signs. But most island visitors are drawn naturally to Crow Head at the island's wilder western end.
This is the hot spot for the choughs, especially around the end of June. It’s here, too, that visitors spill out across the open land. They risk invading the crucial “flushing distance” of the crows, put at some 31m, at which they lift and fly away.
No census
In the response requested by the end of this month, An Bord Pleanála seeks clearer proposals for managing the numbers and behaviour of visitors. It may then decide to seek further public consultation.
The Special Protection Area for the island and mainland cliffs was defined by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) under EU nature conservation directives. The objecting NGOs criticised the NPWS for failure to carry out a crucial census of the choughs or to prepare a management plan.
The latter failure is common to the scores of conservation areas for which the NPWS is responsible. While sharply critical, the NGOs have also pointed to the agency’s lack of adequate funding and resources.
The Government programme has promised to "progress the establishment of a citizen's assembly on biodiversity"
Such opinion, pressed by the Greens, resulted in the new Government commitment "to review the remit, status and funding" of the NPWS "to ensure that it is playing an effective role in delivering its overall mandate and enforcement role in the protection of wildlife".
Before the change of government, the NPWS was held in the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, of which Josepha Madigan was minister. Now the portmanteau office has changed to the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, of which Catherine Martin, deputy leader of the Greens, is Minister.
Heritage, however, has gone, and with it the NPWS, to the new Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, of which Fianna Fáil's Darragh O'Brien is Minister.
Death of Dúchas
The subsequent appointment of the Greens' Malcolm Noonan as the Minister of State for Heritage did something to disarm the vocal dismay of NGOs. But it left them questions on the urgency of NPWS reform and the ultimate power of the agency's enforcement role. The NPWS was established in 2003, succeeding the brief and controversial life of Dúchas, the Heritage Service.
Dúchas, with national monuments as well as wildlife in its brief, took its public outreach seriously, introducing a fleet of smart little vans to bear its name. But it upset a lot of people with its assertiveness and planning appeals, and its brave new public identity was snuffed out in reorganisation. An editorial in this newspaper saw this as “a step backwards into an uncaring past”.
The new present, when able to take its mind off Covid-19, is certainly less uncaring, and the Government programme has promised to “progress the establishment of a citizen’s assembly on biodiversity”. Urgent attention to the NPWS, and an independence like that of the Environment Protection Agency, has been urged by NGO leaders.
Like the glossy black choughs of Dursey Island, they need to keep prodding away.


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--What is this bird? It crashed into my kitchen window. Readers’ Nature queries

This bird is recovering after crashing into the kitchen window .
The beak and tail are long .
– Valerie Collins from Killorglin , Co Kerry .
It ’ s a juvenile yellow wagtail .
They are fairly rare around the country but established in south Kerry .
I have noticed these fellows in my garden in the last two to three years .
They act like horse flies and persistently give a bad bite .
– John Moore from Boyle , Co Roscommon The twin-lobed deerfly is not as well known as the cleg and the other horseflies – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant first appeared in my garden last year .
The Clontarf Garden Society identified it as stinker plant/voodoo lily .
– Ann Charles from Mount Prospect , Dublin 3 The voodoo lily is noted for the rotten smell from its large flower .
I saw these caterpillars on what looks like ragwort leaves ; what are they ?
–Kay Moran from Ballyvaughan , Co Clare They are the caterpillars of the lovely blue and pink cinnabar moth .
I found this in Corcagh Park , Clondalkin .
It looks like a cross between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garrett ( 7 ) from Dún Laoghaire , Co Dublin It ’ s one of the four stages of the larva of the 7-spot ladybird , called an instar .
I found this lovely moth hiding in the garden .
It was about 3 inches long .
– Patrick O ’ Donnell from Ashford , Co Wicklow The male ghost swift moth is named for its ghost-like , hovering flight , rising and falling slowly over vegetation at dusk .
There were several requests for the identification of the six-spot burnet moth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Macetown , Co Meath .
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn , Louisburgh , Co Mayo , F28 F978 , or by email at viney @ anu.ie .
Include a postal address , please .

This bird is recovering after crashing into the kitchen window. The beak and tail are long. – Valerie Collins from Killorglin, Co Kerry.
It's a juvenile yellow wagtail. They are fairly rare around the country but established in south Kerry.
Twin Lobed Deerfly
I have noticed these fellows in my garden in the last two to three years. They act like horse flies and persistently give a bad bite. – John Moore from Boyle, Co Roscommon
The twin-lobed deerfly is not as well known as the cleg and the other horseflies – but is just as voracious.
Voodoo Lily
This plant first appeared in my garden last year. The Clontarf Garden Society identified it as stinker plant/voodoo lily. – Ann Charles from Mount Prospect, Dublin 3
The voodoo lily is noted for the rotten smell from its large flower.
Caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth
I saw these caterpillars on what looks like ragwort leaves; what are they? –Kay Moran from Ballyvaughan, Co Clare
They are the caterpillars of the lovely blue and pink cinnabar moth.
READ MORE
Larva of the 7-spot ladybird, called an Instar
I found this in Corcagh Park, Clondalkin. It looks like a cross between a few different bugs. – Anna Garrett (7) from Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin
It's one of the four stages of the larva of the 7-spot ladybird, called an instar.
Male Ghost Swift Moth
I found this lovely moth hiding in the garden. It was about 3 inches long. – Patrick O'Donnell from Ashford, Co Wicklow
The male ghost swift moth is named for its ghost-like, hovering flight, rising and falling slowly over vegetation at dusk.
Burnet moth
There were several requests for the identification of the six-spot burnet moth. This photo was sent by Denise Kilcoyne from Macetown, Co Meath.
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Include a postal address ,please.


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Many politicians remaining silent over online personal abuse

Online attacks on politicians are nothing new .
But while newly appointed Green Party Minister for Children Roderic O ’ Gorman – who was this week ’ s target – chose to speak out , many politicians prefer to stay silent .
Before the attacks on O ’ Gorman , The Irish Times had asked each of the State ’ s 160 TDs and 60 Senators about their online experiences .
Sixty responded .
More than half ( 31 ) said they had received online threats of physical violence .
Seven said family members had faced online physical threats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ respondents ( 17 ) said they had reported threats of violence to An Garda Síochána .
Twelve – four men and eight women – have received harassing or intimidatory sexual material online .
Five , including four of the women , made reports to gardaí .
No female politician would speak on the record about this .
O ’ Gorman came under sustained attack for being pictured alongside British LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell at Dublin ’ s Pride march two years ago .
In a 1997 letter to the Guardian , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had made a “ conscious choice ” to have sex with an adult when they were under the age of 13 .
“ While it may be impossible to condone paedophilia , it is time society acknowledged the truth that not all sex involving children is unwanted , abusive and harmful , ” wrote the British campaigner .
Since then , Tatchell has claimed that the letter was edited and said sex with children was “ impossible to condone ” .
“ This means I condemn it , ” he tweeted last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with children.
” O ’ Gorman moved quickly to speak out , saying he had only met Tatchell once – at the march .
He blamed “ anonymous , far-right Twitter accounts ” for playing on genuine concerns .
This did not stop the attacks against him , however , where he was accused of endangering the rights of children and supporting paedophilia , and called upon to resign .
While the scale of the attack that O ’ Gorman was subjected to this week was particularly strong , every member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former Fine Gael Roscommon-Galway TD Eugene Murphy was at the receiving end last year of posts on a Facebook community page , where supporters of an elderly farmer campaigned against what they believed was his unfair treatment regarding a relative ’ s estate .
Murphy was attacked , even though he knew next to nothing about the matter .
“ Boycott Eugene Murphy , turn ur back on him in public , roar at his wife , blackball his children , all of which are LEGAL .
I think it ’ s amazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s cars are damaged , ” a post on the page said .
It then went on to outline how Murphy ’ s car might be damaged .
“ I ’ m not suggesting U put on disposable rubber gloves , or that u fill a balloon full of brake fluid , Or that U tie it off at the top or that U put little pin pricks into the top of the filled balloon , ” it said .
The politician , who lost his Dáil seat but has since won a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter to gardaí , but did not press the complaint after learning that the person behind the Facebook post was a man with young children .
The page has been taken down by Facebook .
“ It had a very worrying toll on my family .
I would never be worried about the individuals like that .
I call them cowards .
But I would be worried about the knock-on effects on your family who are put into sleepless nights worrying about you until you are home safe , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse is commonplace .
“ Because I am a gay man , I am now used to homophobic abuse , ” Byrne told The Irish Times .
“ The abuse directed at Roderic O ’ Gorman , it ’ s sad , but it doesn ’ t surprise me.
” Earlier this year Byrne , who ran unsuccessfully for the Dáil in February ’ s general election , was attacked on Facebook by a man who , according to his page , is in his 70s , lives in Dublin , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boy ignored my correspondence about the trouble he would be in if he supported Fianna Fáil going into coalition with the enemy of the Irish people , Fine Gael , ” the individual wrote on Facebook .
After Byrne appeared on local radio in Wexford to discuss government formation the man commented : “ Of course we all know what Malcolm Byrne wants , he wants to be as close as possible to Cleo Varadkar .
Ooops.
” Campaigns such as the one launched against O ’ Gorman this week may be initiated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Byrne says , but , the problem is that other people read what was is alleged online and some believe it .
Because of his experiences , Byrne argues that Irish politicians should stop making “ sneering ” references to the “ mainstream media .
Using the phrase is part of “ a very dangerous political playbook ” .
“ It ’ s used by Trump , It ’ s used by [ Hungarian prime minister Viktor ] Orban .
It ’ s used by [ Filipino president Rodrigo ] Duterte .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ essentially want to undermine democracy , and it ’ s about questioning trusted news sources.
” Byrne believes social media companies should do more to clamp down on abuse .
In particular , he has a problem with the way Twitter allows people set up anonymous accounts .
The politicians who responded to The Irish Times survey were invited to make confidential comments if they wished .
A number raised the scale of the aggressive online activity that comes from supporters of Sinn Féin ( the so-called Shinnerbots ) .
“ All political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters that it is not okay to direct personal abuse at political opponents , ” Byrne said when interviewed by The Irish Times .
But he believes there is a particular problem with supporters of Sinn Féin .
“ I would love to hear Mary Lou McDonald say to the Shinnerbots , folks , engage in the issues , stop attacking the individuals .
“ Every political leader needs to do it , but Sinn Féin supporters tend to be a lot more targeted with their abuse against individuals .
Not all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representatives who will take on some of their supporters – but it is a problem that is out there.
” Newly elected Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond is a frequent recipient of attention : “ Hopefully it ’ ll be your funeral in a few weeks , ” said one Tweet directed at him two weeks ago , after Richmond had criticised the arrangements for the funeral of IRA member Bobby Storey in Belfast .
Richmond , and others on Twitter , quickly took exception to the comment , and the account was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar name has since been opened , and an apology to Richmond posted on it .
“ Hi Neale .
Apologies for my earlier comment .
It was not thought through .
I didn ’ t mean any malice in it and I assure you nothing like this will ever happen again.
” It appears the account belongs to a male from Dundalk in his late teens .
Richmond is a TD for the Rathdown constituency in Dublin , and a member of the Church of Ireland .
He is quite critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and of dissident republicans , and gets a lot of personalised abuse in response .
“ Shinnerbots are alive and well and some of them cross the line and can make really , really obscene comments , ” he said .
However the abuse he receives comes from across the political spectrum .
It includes the “ Brexiteer fringe , and they sort of morph into the alt-right ” .
He gets sectarian abuse , much of it from Northern Ireland and Scotland , and gets called a “ West Brit ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said he is not surprised that the abuse comes from both the left and the right .
“ For me politics is a circle , not a line , and the further right and further left you go , they start to meet.
” He blocks or mutes abusive posters .
So far , he has muted 5,700 Twitter accounts , and blocked 141 .
Muting stops a person ’ s posts appearing in your timeline .
Blocking a person prevents them communicating with you .
While he can not see such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I have often gotten a phone call from my sister to ask if I am alright , because somebody has said nasty things about me , and I haven ’ t seen it.
” Politicians should be more careful with their own language , he said .
Donald Trump , former deputy prime minister of Italy Matteo Salvini and French nationalist leader Marine Le Pen , “ fuel the Twitter abuse of their followers with their use of language ” .
“ It is when politicians feed into that , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it is quite worrying .
And we can ’ t forget what happened four years ago to poor [ murdered English politician ] Jo Cox .
That is always at the back of a lot of people ’ s minds.
” However , the experience of Roderic O ’ Gorman this week had one good outcome , since politicians from all parties rallied round against “ what was clearly an orchestrated and nasty campaign , and said ‘ this isn ’ t on ’ ” .
Asked to comment on the views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a problem with the level of online aggression that came from supporters of Sinn Féin , a spokesman for the party said personal attacks directed at politicians , or anyone else , on social media , are not acceptable .
“ Indeed on Thursday , former Fianna Fáil TD Declan Breathnach apologised unreservedly and retracted what he admitted were ‘ unfounded and damaging accusations ’ made on Twitter against Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald that were , in his own words , an ‘ unjustified attack on her reputation ’ .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to everyone that it is incumbent on all who engage on social media to conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful.
” A number of Sinn Féin politicians were among the confidential respondents who told The Irish Times that they had received online threats of physical violence , as well as unwanted sexual material .
A spokeswoman for Facebook said it acknowledges that its platform “ can be misused ” and that it has a responsibility to tackle that abuse .
“ We don ’ t allow hate speech , bullying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual activity and we remove this type of content when we are made aware of it.
” Unlike other platforms , she said , Facebook does not allow for anonymous accounts and is based on a “ real name culture ” .
“ Every day , we prevent millions of attempts to create fake accounts and we remove fake profiles that are reported to us .
We ’ re continuing to develop technology such as the comment filter and invest in expertise to better prevent the intimidation of public figures on our platform.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had “ zero-tolerance ” policies on threats of violence , abuse and harassment , and hateful conduct .
When accounts that violate these rules are identified , it takes “ enforcement action ” .
“ The ability to speak anonymously or using a pseudonym has been a core tenet of our service since its inception , ” she said .
“ In some parts of the world , people ’ s lives would be at risk if they were not able to post anonymously.
” The company is in regular communication with Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including safety , she said .
“ More than one in two of the tweets we take action on for abuse are now proactively surfaced using technology , rather than relying on reports to Twitter .
”

Online attacks on politicians are nothing new. But while newly appointed Green Party Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman – who was this week’s target – chose to speak out, many politicians prefer to stay silent.
Before the attacks on O’Gorman, The Irish Times had asked each of the State’s 160 TDs and 60 Senators about their online experiences. Sixty responded. More than half (31) said they had received online threats of physical violence.
Seven said family members had faced online physical threats. Slightly more than a quarter of the respondents (17) said they had reported threats of violence to An Garda Síochána.
Twelve – four men and eight women – have received harassing or intimidatory sexual material online. Five, including four of the women, made reports to gardaí. No female politician would speak on the record about this.
READ MORE
O’Gorman came under sustained attack for being pictured alongside British LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell at Dublin’s Pride march two years ago.
In a 1997 letter to the Guardian, Mr Tatchell wrote that some of his friends had made a “conscious choice” to have sex with an adult when they were under the age of 13.
“While it may be impossible to condone paedophilia, it is time society acknowledged the truth that not all sex involving children is unwanted, abusive and harmful,” wrote the British campaigner.
Since then, Tatchell has claimed that the letter was edited and said sex with children was “impossible to condone”.
“This means I condemn it,” he tweeted last week. “I oppose adults having sex with children.”
O’Gorman moved quickly to speak out, saying he had only met Tatchell once – at the march. He blamed “anonymous, far-right Twitter accounts” for playing on genuine concerns.
Supporting paedophilia
This did not stop the attacks against him, however, where he was accused of endangering the rights of children and supporting paedophilia, and called upon to resign.
While the scale of the attack that O’Gorman was subjected to this week was particularly strong, every member of the Oireachtas has their story to tell.
Former Fine Gael Roscommon-Galway TD Eugene Murphy was at the receiving end last year of posts on a Facebook community page, where supporters of an elderly farmer campaigned against what they believed was his unfair treatment regarding a relative’s estate.
Murphy was attacked, even though he knew next to nothing about the matter.
“Boycott Eugene Murphy, turn ur back on him in public, roar at his wife, blackball his children, all of which are LEGAL. I think it’s amazing too how the likes of Murphy’s cars are damaged,” a post on the page said.
Damaged
It then went on to outline how Murphy’s car might be damaged. “I’m not suggesting U put on disposable rubber gloves, or that u fill a balloon full of brake fluid, Or that U tie it off at the top or that U put little pin pricks into the top of the filled balloon,” it said.
The politician, who lost his Dáil seat but has since won a place in the Seanad, reported the matter to gardaí, but did not press the complaint after learning that the person behind the Facebook post was a man with young children. The page has been taken down by Facebook.
“It had a very worrying toll on my family. I would never be worried about the individuals like that. I call them cowards. But I would be worried about the knock-on effects on your family who are put into sleepless nights worrying about you until you are home safe,” he said.
For Wexford politician Malcolm Byrne, online abuse is commonplace. “Because I am a gay man, I am now used to homophobic abuse,” Byrne told The Irish Times. “The abuse directed at Roderic O’Gorman, it’s sad, but it doesn’t surprise me.”
Earlier this year Byrne, who ran unsuccessfully for the Dáil in February’s general election, was attacked on Facebook by a man who, according to his page, is in his 70s, lives in Dublin, and has connections with Wexford.
“This gay boy ignored my correspondence about the trouble he would be in if he supported Fianna Fáil going into coalition with the enemy of the Irish people, Fine Gael,” the individual wrote on Facebook.
After Byrne appeared on local radio in Wexford to discuss government formation the man commented: “Of course we all know what Malcolm Byrne wants, he wants to be as close as possible to Cleo Varadkar. Ooops.”
Campaigns such as the one launched against O’Gorman this week may be initiated by people with extremist or obnoxious views, Byrne says, but, the problem is that other people read what was is alleged online and some believe it.
‘Very dangerous’
Because of his experiences, Byrne argues that Irish politicians should stop making “sneering”references to the “mainstream media. Using the phrase is part of “a very dangerous political playbook”.
“It’s used by Trump, It’s used by [Hungarian prime minister Viktor] Orban. It’s used by [Filipino president Rodrigo] Duterte. It is being used by people who essentially want to undermine democracy, and it’s about questioning trusted news sources.”
Byrne believes social media companies should do more to clamp down on abuse. In particular, he has a problem with the way Twitter allows people set up anonymous accounts.
The politicians who responded to The Irish Times survey were invited to make confidential comments if they wished. A number raised the scale of the aggressive online activity that comes from supporters of Sinn Féin (the so-called Shinnerbots).
“All political leaders have a responsibility to tell their supporters that it is not okay to direct personal abuse at political opponents,” Byrne said when interviewed by The Irish Times.
But he believes there is a particular problem with supporters of Sinn Féin.
“I would love to hear Mary Lou McDonald say to the Shinnerbots, folks, engage in the issues, stop attacking the individuals.
“Every political leader needs to do it, but Sinn Féin supporters tend to be a lot more targeted with their abuse against individuals. Not all of them – and there are Sinn Féin representatives who will take on some of their supporters – but it is a problem that is out there.”
Newly elected Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond is a frequent recipient of attention: “Hopefully it’ll be your funeral in a few weeks,” said one Tweet directed at him two weeks ago, after Richmond had criticised the arrangements for the funeral of IRA member Bobby Storey in Belfast.
Account closed
Richmond, and others on Twitter, quickly took exception to the comment, and the account was soon closed. A new account with a similar name has since been opened, and an apology to Richmond posted on it.
“Hi Neale. Apologies for my earlier comment. It was not thought through. I didn’t mean any malice in it and I assure you nothing like this will ever happen again.”
It appears the account belongs to a male from Dundalk in his late teens.
Richmond is a TD for the Rathdown constituency in Dublin, and a member of the Church of Ireland. He is quite critical, he said, of Sinn Féin and of dissident republicans, and gets a lot of personalised abuse in response.
“Shinnerbots are alive and well and some of them cross the line and can make really, really obscene comments,” he said.
However the abuse he receives comes from across the political spectrum. It includes the “Brexiteer fringe, and they sort of morph into the alt-right”.
He gets sectarian abuse, much of it from Northern Ireland and Scotland, and gets called a “West Brit”, a term he “loathes”.
He said he is not surprised that the abuse comes from both the left and the right.
“For me politics is a circle, not a line, and the further right and further left you go, they start to meet.”
He blocks or mutes abusive posters. So far, he has muted 5,700 Twitter accounts, and blocked 141. Muting stops a person’s posts appearing in your timeline. Blocking a person prevents them communicating with you.
While he cannot see such posts, others, however, can: “I have often gotten a phone call from my sister to ask if I am alright, because somebody has said nasty things about me, and I haven’t seen it.”
Politicians should be more careful with their own language, he said. Donald Trump, former deputy prime minister of Italy Matteo Salvini and French nationalist leader Marine Le Pen, “fuel the Twitter abuse of their followers with their use of language”.
“It is when politicians feed into that, or try to tap into that atmosphere, that it is quite worrying. And we can’t forget what happened four years ago to poor [murdered English politician] Jo Cox. That is always at the back of a lot of people’s minds.”
‘Nasty campaign’
However, the experience of Roderic O’Gorman this week had one good outcome, since politicians from all parties rallied round against “what was clearly an orchestrated and nasty campaign, and said ‘this isn’t on’”.
Asked to comment on the views of politicians from other parties that there was a problem with the level of online aggression that came from supporters of Sinn Féin, a spokesman for the party said personal attacks directed at politicians, or anyone else, on social media, are not acceptable.
“Indeed on Thursday, former Fianna Fáil TD Declan Breathnach apologised unreservedly and retracted what he admitted were ‘unfounded and damaging accusations’ made on Twitter against Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald that were, in his own words, an ‘unjustified attack on her reputation’.
“That should serve as a reminder to everyone that it is incumbent on all who engage on social media to conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful.”
A number of Sinn Féin politicians were among the confidential respondents who told The Irish Times that they had received online threats of physical violence, as well as unwanted sexual material.
A spokeswoman for Facebook said it acknowledges that its platform “can be misused” and that it has a responsibility to tackle that abuse.
“We don’t allow hate speech, bullying, direct threats, nudity or content involving sexual activity and we remove this type of content when we are made aware of it.”
Unlike other platforms, she said, Facebook does not allow for anonymous accounts and is based on a “real name culture”.
“Every day, we prevent millions of attempts to create fake accounts and we remove fake profiles that are reported to us. We’re continuing to develop technology such as the comment filter and invest in expertise to better prevent the intimidation of public figures on our platform.”
Hateful conduct
A spokeswoman for Twitter said it had “zero-tolerance” policies on threats of violence, abuse and harassment, and hateful conduct. When accounts that violate these rules are identified, it takes “enforcement action”.
“The ability to speak anonymously or using a pseudonym has been a core tenet of our service since its inception,” she said.
“In some parts of the world, people’s lives would be at risk if they were not able to post anonymously.”
The company is in regular communication with Irish political parties on a range of issues, including safety, she said.
“More than one in two of the tweets we take action on for abuse are now proactively surfaced using technology, rather than relying on reports to Twitter.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Man (60s) killed as other driver ‘leaves scene’ of two-car crash

A man in his 60s died in a two-car collision on the N7 outside Nenagh , Co Tipperary on Saturday afternoon .
Gardaí at Nenagh are investigating the incident which occurred at approximately 12.50pm at Ballyhiskey , Carrigatoher .
The driver of one of the cars involved failed to remain at the scene , gardaí said .
The driver of the other car , a man in his 60s , was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where he was later pronounced dead .
The front seat passenger and only other occupant of this vehicle , a woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University Hospital Limerick , where her injuries are reported to be non-life threatening .
Forensic collision investigators were at the scene and the road remained closed on Saturday evening , with local diversions are in place .
Gardaí at Nenagh are appealing for any witnesses to the collision to come forward .
Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage , including dash-cam , who were travelling on the N7 roadway between Nenagh and Birdhill between 12.30pm and 1.15pm , to make this footage available to the Garda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact Nenagh Garda Station on ( 067 ) 31333 , the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 , or any Garda Station .

The road was closed as forensic collision investigators examined the scene. File image: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
A man in his 30s has been arrested by gardaí as part of an investigation into a fatal road traffic collision on the N7 outside Nenagh, Co Tipperary on Saturday.
The man was arrested on Sunday morning, Sunday, and was being detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Nenagh Garda Station.
Investigating gardaí are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the two-car collision, which occurred at approximately 12.50pm at Ballyhiskey, Carrigatoher.
The driver of one of the cars involved failed to remain at the scene, gardaí said.
READ MORE
The driver of the other car, a man in his 60s, was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where he was later pronounced dead. The front seat passenger and only other occupant of this vehicle, a woman in her 60s, was also taken to University Hospital Limerick, where her injuries are reported to be non-life threatening.
Gardaí at Nenagh are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. They are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, who were travelling on the N7 roadway between Nenagh and Birdhill between 12.30pm and 1.15pm, to make this footage available to the Garda.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station on (067) 31333, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--English police chief to oversee Storey funeral investigation

A senior officer from the Cumbria Constabulary in England has been appointed to oversee an investigation by police in Northern Ireland into potential breaches of coronavirus regulations at the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey .
Hundreds turned out for the funeral of the IRA veteran in west Belfast on June 30th despite restrictions placed on the numbers that can attend outdoor gatherings .
Sinn Féin ’ s deputy first minister Michelle O ’ Neill and finance minister Conor Murphy have been criticised for taking part in the funeral .
Last week , PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversee and direct the police investigation .
Chair of the national police chiefs ’ council Martin Hewitt has now nominated Cumbria deputy chief constable Mark Webster for the task .
The investigation will also review events leading up to the date of the funeral .
Meanwhile , the North ’ s Police Ombudsman is considering a complaint from a member of the public regarding PSNI action leading up to the funeral .
The PSNI said in a statement : “ Until a conclusion is reached on both matters , the Police Service of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment.
” The row has caused a rift in the Stormont Assembly .
First minister Arlene Foster has pressed Sinn Féin , her party ’ s partners in government , for a “ recognition that the credibility of messaging was damaged ” .
Ms Foster and Ms O ’ Neill have not appeared together since the row .
MLAs passed a motion last week urging Ms O ’ Neill to apologise for attending the funeral during the pandemic .
The resolution was backed by the DUP , UUP , SDLP and Alliance — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect .

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, and deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill attending the funeral of former IRA ‘enforcer’ Bobby Storey in west Belfast. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
A senior officer from the Cumbria Constabulary in England has been appointed to oversee an investigation by police in Northern Ireland into potential breaches of coronavirus regulations at the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey.
Hundreds turned out for the funeral of the IRA veteran in west Belfast on June 30th despite restrictions placed on the numbers that can attend outdoor gatherings.
Sinn Féin’s deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill and finance minister Conor Murphy have been criticised for taking part in the funeral.
Last week, PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne said he had requested an external senior officer to oversee and direct the police investigation.
READ MORE
Chair of the national police chiefs’ council Martin Hewitt has now nominated Cumbria deputy chief constable Mark Webster for the task.
The investigation will also review events leading up to the date of the funeral.
Meanwhile, the North’s Police Ombudsman is considering a complaint from a member of the public regarding PSNI action leading up to the funeral.
The PSNI said in a statement: “Until a conclusion is reached on both matters, the Police Service of Northern Ireland will be making no further comment.”
The row has caused a rift in the Stormont Assembly.
First minister Arlene Foster has pressed Sinn Féin, her party’s partners in government, for a “recognition that the credibility of messaging was damaged”.
Ms Foster and Ms O’Neill have not appeared together since the row.
MLAs passed a motion last week urging Ms O’Neill to apologise for attending the funeral during the pandemic.
The resolution was backed by the DUP, UUP, SDLP and Alliance — but does not have any practical legal effect.
Ms O’Neill has apologised “for grieving families experiencing more hurt”. - PA


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Two injured after plane crash lands in Galway

A small plane has crash-landed in a field in Co Galway .
The incident happened around lunch time and emergency @ @ @ @ @ It is believed two people were on board the Cessna plane when it came down @ @ @ @ @ in Co Galway .
One of the people on board was airlifted to University College @ @ @ @ @ by ambulance to the same hospital in Galway city .
Fire crews who arrived at @ @ @ @ @ the aircraft and secured the site .
The aircraft landed upright and did not ignite @ @ @ @ @ a man and woman were on board and were injured .
Gardai at Athenry attended @ @ @ @ @ Accident Investigation Unit has been alerted .

A small plane has crash-landed in a field in Co Galway.
The incident happened around lunch time and emergency services attended the scene.
It is believed two people were on board the Cessna plane when it came down in a field in Killimordaly in Co Galway.
One of the people on board was airlifted to University College Hospital and another was taken by ambulance to the same hospital in Galway city.
READ MORE
Fire crews who arrived at the scene sprayed foam on the aircraft and secured the site.
The aircraft landed upright and did not ignite.
It is understood that a man and woman were on board and were injured.
Gardai at Athenry attended the scene and the Air Accident Investigation Unit has been alerted.
More to follow...


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Two men charged in relation to Cork’s largest ever heroin seizure

Two men have been remanded on bail after they were charged in connection with the largest ever heroin seizure in Cork where gardaí found three kilos of the drug with a street value of €425,000 .
Derek Keenan ( 42 ) and Anthony Cuthbert ( 57 ) were brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court today following the drug seizure on Thursday night by the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad .
Mr Keenan of Harbour View Road , Knocknaheeny was charged with possession of heroin and possession of heroin for sale or supply at Harbour View Road , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from St Finbarr ’ s Road , Greenmount was also charged with the same two offences of possession of heroin and possession of heroin for sale or supply at the same place on the same date .
Det Garda Michael Walsh and Det Garda Pat O ’ Sullivan gave evidence of arrest , charge and caution in relation to both accused at the special sitting at the Anglesea Street Courthouse in Cork .
Insp Pat Murphy said gardaí had no objection to both accused being granted bail once they complied with a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing on .
He said gardaí would require Mr Keenan to reside at his stated address in Knocknaheeny , keep a 9pm to 6am curfew there and sign on daily at Gurranebraher Garda Station .
And he said gardaí would require Mr Cuthbert to reside at his stated address in Greenmount , keep a 9pm to 6am curfew there and sign on daily at the Bridewell Garda Station .
He also said gardaí were seeking both men to surrender their passports and not apply for any travel documents and provide gardaí with mobile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day .
Solicitor for Mr Keenan , Diarmuid Kelleher confirmed his client was willing to abide by the bail terms sought by gardaí and solicitor Joe Cuddigan for Mr Cuthbert also confirmed the same for his client .
Judge Con O ’ Leary granted the state application for a eight week adjournment and he remanded both accused on bail to appear again at Cork District Court on September 9th for the DPP ’ s directions .

Two men have been remanded on bail after they were charged in connection with the largest ever heroin seizure in Cork.
Two men have been remanded on bail after they were charged in connection with the largest ever heroin seizure in Cork where gardaí found three kilos of the drug with a street value of €425,000.
Derek Keenan (42) and Anthony Cuthbert (57) were brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court today following the drug seizure on Thursday night by the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad.
Mr Keenan of Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny was charged with possession of heroin and possession of heroin for sale or supply at Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny on July 9th.
Mr Cuthbert from St Finbarr's Road, Greenmount was also charged with the same two offences of possession of heroin and possession of heroin for sale or supply at the same place on the same date.
READ MORE
Det Garda Michael Walsh and Det Garda Pat O'Sullivan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to both accused at the special sitting at the Anglesea Street Courthouse in Cork.
Insp Pat Murphy said gardaí had no objection to both accused being granted bail once they complied with a number of conditions including ones regarding residency and signing on.
He said gardaí would require Mr Keenan to reside at his stated address in Knocknaheeny, keep a 9pm to 6am curfew there and sign on daily at Gurranebraher Garda Station.
And he said gardaí would require Mr Cuthbert to reside at his stated address in Greenmount, keep a 9pm to 6am curfew there and sign on daily at the Bridewell Garda Station.
He also said gardaí were seeking both men to surrender their passports and not apply for any travel documents and provide gardaí with mobile phone numbers and be contactable 24 hours a day.
Solicitor for Mr Keenan, Diarmuid Kelleher confirmed his client was willing to abide by the bail terms sought by gardaí and solicitor Joe Cuddigan for Mr Cuthbert also confirmed the same for his client.
Judge Con O’Leary granted the state application for a eight week adjournment and he remanded both accused on bail to appear again at Cork District Court on September 9th for the DPP’s directions.
Meanwhile a woman in her 30s, arrested in Knocknaheeny on Friday and detained at the Bridewell Garda Station under drug trafficking legislation as part of the same investigation, has been released without charge and a file will now be prepared on her involvement in the matter for the DPP.


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Coronavirus: Two more deaths confirmed amid concern over new clusters

Two additional deaths from Covid-19 and 23 new confirmed cases of the disease were reported by Department of Health on Saturday .
It brings the death toll from the disease in the State to 1,746 and the total number of known cases of infection to 25,611 .
The Department of Health said the State had now carried out more than 500,000 Covid-19 tests .
The figure as of Saturday at 3pm was 500,578 .
Almost 9,000 were carried out on Friday and 46,255 over the last week .
Currently there are 10 Covid-19 patients in intensive care and 13 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The figures come amid concern over an increase in Covid-19 clusters following the easing of the lockdown .
A cluster of Covid-19 cases among a large group of young people who “ partied ” in rented accommodation in Killarney last weekend is being investigated by public health , GPs have been told .
Over 30 people travelled from “ different parts of the country ” to Killarney and stayed a number of days together , according to a letter sent to general practitioners throughout the region on Friday .
The National Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases were increasingly occurring among young people and giving rise to clusters of the disease across the State .
Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said a “ good number ” of recent cases were related to travel , and to “ groups having met up ” .
A cluster is defined by health authorities as two cases or more from the same location .
Meanwhile , calls have been made for additional Garda resources to police the use of mandatory face coverings on public transport from Monday after bus and rail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for enforcement of the new measure .
When a passenger is not wearing a face covering , drivers can refuse the person access to the train or bus .
A passenger must comply with these requests or with a refusal of entry .
Failure to comply is an offence .
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the wearing of masks on public transport “ is a sign of solidarity to your friends and family , your health service and their staff who continue to be at the frontline of this crisis and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue in our efforts to suppress this disease.
” The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said there had generally speaking been a good level of compliance on public transport with the wearing of mask , but making it mandatory will make it safer for everyone .
Minister of State for Trade Robert Troy said he couldn ’ t say whether additional staff would be required to police the regulations but he would discuss the matter with Cabinet colleagues .
Asked on RTÉ Radio ’ s Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra who would enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers had the right to ask someone to leave the bus if they were not complying with the regulations and if that person refused to leave the bus the Garda could be called .
“ The bus driver can ring the gardaí to come and enforce somebody to get off public transport if they refuse to get off it , ” Mr Troy said .
The Fianna Fáil TD said the guidance was clear and he criticised those who were “ trying to bring ambiguity ” to it .
However , Sinn Féin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ clear guidance ” on how the measure was going to work , who would police it , whether there would be spot checks , and whether the Garda had been given the proper resources .
“ The drivers don ’ t police the law .
That ’ s like saying the shopkeeper is there to police someone who is robbing their shop .
That ’ s not the case.
” The National Bus and Rail Union ( NBRU ) has welcomed the new regulations , which it said it had been seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general secretary Dermot O ’ Leary said his members would not be policing the mandatory wearing of face coverings .
He pointed to the case of a French bus driver who died after being attacked by passengers who allegedly refused to wear face masks .
Under the new rules , gardaí can be called to enforce if someone fails to wear a face covering .
If they continue not to co-operate , they can face arrest and prosecution , with a penalty for a conviction of up to €2,500 fine and/or six months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a face covering , the director of the national virus reference laboratory Dr Cillian de Gascun said a scarf covering the face was acceptable as “ a short term fix ” but less effective than a face mask .
Meanwhile , there is growing concern that many tourists arriving into Ireland are not complying with the recommended 14-day quarantine .
Dr de Gascun said the introduction of a mandatory quarantine would be a Government decision but “ we would prefer not to make things mandatory if we can ” .
He said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseas , in essence , that while we want them to visit the country at some point in time we don ’ t want that time to be now .
But if they do choose to come at this point in time then they are required to restrict their movements for 14 days.
” He said testing at airports was not an effective measure as it generated a lot of false positives that were very resource intensive .
“ The problem with testing at airports is that it gives you information at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single point of time over a 14 day period .
So the problem is it doesn ’ t actually give you any reassurance that a person doesn ’ t have the virus on board at the point in time .
If I am infected today the virus is not going to be detectable in my respiratory tract for probably 4 to 5 days on average .
”

Two additional deaths from Covid-19 and 23 new confirmed cases of the disease were reported by Department of Health on Saturday.
It brings the death toll from the disease in the State to 1,746 and the total number of known cases of infection to 25,611.
The Department of Health said the State had now carried out more than 500,000 Covid-19 tests. The figure as of Saturday at 3pm was 500,578.
Almost 9,000 were carried out on Friday and 46,255 over the last week.
READ MORE
Currently there are 10 Covid-19 patients in intensive care and 13 in hospital as a result of the disease.
The figures come amid concern over an increase in Covid-19 clusters following the easing of the lockdown.
A cluster of Covid-19 cases among a large group of young people who "partied" in rented accommodation in Killarney last weekend is being investigated by public health, GPs have been told.
Over 30 people travelled from “different parts of the country” to Killarney and stayed a number of days together, according to a letter sent to general practitioners throughout the region on Friday.
The National Public Health Emergency Team said on Thursday that cases were increasingly occurring among young people and giving rise to clusters of the disease across the State.
Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said a “good number” of recent cases were related to travel, and to “groups having met up”.
A cluster is defined by health authorities as two cases or more from the same location.
Meanwhile, calls have been made for additional Garda resources to police the use of mandatory face coverings on public transport from Monday after bus and rail drivers said they would not be responsible for enforcement of the new measure.
When a passenger is not wearing a face covering, drivers can refuse the person access to the train or bus. A passenger must comply with these requests or with a refusal of entry. Failure to comply is an offence.
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the wearing of masks on public transport "is a sign of solidarity to your friends and family, your health service and their staff who continue to be at the frontline of this crisis and solidarity to your country as we all continue in our efforts to suppress this disease."
The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said there had generally speaking been a good level of compliance on public transport with the wearing of mask, but making it mandatory will make it safer for everyone.
Minister of State for Trade Robert Troy said he couldn't say whether additional staff would be required to police the regulations but he would discuss the matter with Cabinet colleagues.
Asked on RTÉ Radio's Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra who would enforce the new measure, Mr Troy said drivers had the right to ask someone to leave the bus if they were not complying with the regulations and if that person refused to leave the bus the Garda could be called.
“The bus driver can ring the gardaí to come and enforce somebody to get off public transport if they refuse to get off it,” Mr Troy said.
The Fianna Fáil TD said the guidance was clear and he criticised those who were "trying to bring ambiguity" to it.
However, Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said the public needed "clear guidance" on how the measure was going to work, who would police it, whether there would be spot checks, and whether the Garda had been given the proper resources.
“The drivers don’t police the law. That’s like saying the shopkeeper is there to police someone who is robbing their shop. That’s not the case.”
Confusion surrounding enforcement would undermine the public health measure, Mr Doherty added.
The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) has welcomed the new regulations, which it said it had been seeking for some time.
However, NBRU general secretary Dermot O’Leary said his members would not be policing the mandatory wearing of face coverings. He pointed to the case of a French bus driver who died after being attacked by passengers who allegedly refused to wear face masks.
Under the new rules, gardaí can be called to enforce if someone fails to wear a face covering. If they continue not to co-operate, they can face arrest and prosecution, with a penalty for a conviction of up to €2,500 fine and/or six months in jail.
As to what constitutes a face covering, the director of the national virus reference laboratory Dr Cillian de Gascun said a scarf covering the face was acceptable as “a short term fix” but less effective than a face mask.
Meanwhile, there is growing concern that many tourists arriving into Ireland are not complying with the recommended 14-day quarantine.
Dr de Gascun said the introduction of a mandatory quarantine would be a Government decision but “we would prefer not to make things mandatory if we can”.
He said: “We are also telling people from overseas, in essence, that while we want them to visit the country at some point in time we don’t want that time to be now. But if they do choose to come at this point in time then they are required to restrict their movements for 14 days.”
He said testing at airports was not an effective measure as it generated a lot of false positives that were very resource intensive.
“The problem with testing at airports is that it gives you information at a single point in time, and a single point of time over a 14 day period. So the problem is it doesn’t actually give you any reassurance that a person doesn’t have the virus on board at the point in time. If I am infected today the virus is not going to be detectable in my respiratory tract for probably 4 to 5 days on average.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--FF, FG should know Greens willing to walk away from government – Catherine Martin

Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin has said it is important that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael know that the party is willing to walk away from government .
Addressing an online party “ hustings ” where she is challenging the leadership of Eamon Ryan , Ms Martin said she believed she had shown the other parties during the negotiations over the programme for government , in which she was one of the party ’ s negotiators , “ how hard a deal maker ” she was .
She told party members she believed it should seek to renegotiate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the position of Taoiseach is due to move to Fine Gael .
There is no provision in the programme for its renegotiation .
Responding to a question about how the party could ensure that the Green Party ’ s priorities were delivered , Ms Martin said the other parties in the coalition had to believe there was credible belief that the Green Party would walk away if its policies were not being delivered .
She said she did not mean that she would be constantly threatening to end the coalition arrangement .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Green Party ’ s priorities were delivered was to “ stand your ground rather than walking away ” .
What happened at Cabinet was heavily influenced by the work that was done before an issue came to Cabinet , he said .
“ You need to work not just with the other parties , but also with the public servants.
” The state was facing into what was probably its most difficult year in living memory , with the Covid-19 crisis and Brexit , and while this created huge challenges , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things differently.
” Mr Ryan said he would like to see the party ’ s membership increase to 5,000 , and for it to grow its representation on local councils to 100 .
The different party “ teams ” , such as its membership , HQ operation , and its parliamentary party , had to be united so the party could best perform the role it was now playing .
He believed he had the experience to get that right .
Ms Martin said that the party had to appeal to people ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and not scare them with “ apocalyptic visions ” .
Social justice must come hand in hand with climate justice .
Experience should not be put on a pedestal , she said .
It could be “ a disguise for more of the same , or we know better.
” New , calculated risk takers were not “ the slaves of experience ” .
She said she believed she could instil a new unity in the party which had for too long “ been largely led by the mind ” .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the heart .
“ I do feel that now is the time for change , ” Ms Martin said .
A new leader was needed “ to ensure the same mistakes ” are not made as were made the last time the party was in government .
Mr Ryan said he believed the leadership contest was not getting in the way of settling into being in government , but rather was a useful part of that process .
“ I think the public are with us .
I think the Irish public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader said he came from a “ hard core green tradition ” and was an idealist .
However politics was also about practical matters .
Retrofitting buildings could create 30,000 well paid jobs , and contribute to the issue of social justice , he said .
The development of a national land use plan , addressing such issues as water quality , forestry and bogs , would be “ crucial ” in terms of advancing the Green Party agenda .
Transport would be another priority , he said .
The event was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being arranged .
Votes have to be returned by July 22nd , and the outcome is expected to be announced on July 23rd .

Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin has said it is important that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael know that the party is willing to walk away from government. Photograph: : Brian Lawless/PA
Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin has said it is important that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael know that the party is willing to walk away from government.
Addressing an online party "hustings" where she is challenging the leadership of Eamon Ryan, Ms Martin said she believed she had shown the other parties during the negotiations over the programme for government, in which she was one of the party's negotiators, "how hard a deal maker" she was.
She told party members she believed it should seek to renegotiate the programme for government in 2022, when the position of Taoiseach is due to move to Fine Gael. There is no provision in the programme for its renegotiation.
Responding to a question about how the party could ensure that the Green Party’s priorities were delivered, Ms Martin said the other parties in the coalition had to believe there was credible belief that the Green Party would walk away if its policies were not being delivered.
READ MORE
She said she did not mean that she would be constantly threatening to end the coalition arrangement.
Mr Ryan said the way to ensure that the Green Party’s priorities were delivered was to “stand your ground rather than walking away”.
What happened at Cabinet was heavily influenced by the work that was done before an issue came to Cabinet, he said.
“You need to work not just with the other parties, but also with the public servants.”
The state was facing into what was probably its most difficult year in living memory, with the Covid-19 crisis and Brexit, and while this created huge challenges, it also created the opportunity “to do things differently.”
Mr Ryan said he would like to see the party’s membership increase to 5,000, and for it to grow its representation on local councils to 100.
The different party “teams”, such as its membership, HQ operation, and its parliamentary party, had to be united so the party could best perform the role it was now playing. He believed he had the experience to get that right.
Ms Martin said that the party had to appeal to people’s hearts as well as their heads, and not scare them with “apocalyptic visions”. Social justice must come hand in hand with climate justice.
Experience should not be put on a pedestal, she said. It could be “a disguise for more of the same, or we know better.” New, calculated risk takers were not “the slaves of experience”.
She said she believed she could instil a new unity in the party which had for too long “been largely led by the mind”. She wants the party to be more led by the heart.
“I do feel that now is the time for change,” Ms Martin said. A new leader was needed “to ensure the same mistakes” are not made as were made the last time the party was in government.
Mr Ryan said he believed the leadership contest was not getting in the way of settling into being in government, but rather was a useful part of that process. “I think the public are with us. I think the Irish public wants to go green.”
The party leader said he came from a “hard core green tradition” and was an idealist. However politics was also about practical matters.
Retrofitting buildings could create 30,000 well paid jobs, and contribute to the issue of social justice, he said. The development of a national land use plan, addressing such issues as water quality, forestry and bogs, would be “crucial” in terms of advancing the Green Party agenda. Transport would be another priority, he said.
The event was the second of three online hustings that are being arranged. Votes have to be returned by July 22nd, and the outcome is expected to be announced on July 23rd.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Taoiseach warns against being ‘overly judgemental’ of SF funeral attendance

The Taoiseach has warned against being “ overly judgemental ” of the actions of the North ’ s deputy first minister and other senior Sinn Féin figures at the funeral of former of IRA member Bobby Storey .
In an interview with the BBC ’ s Sunday Politics programme , Micheál Martin - who in the past has been an outspoken opponent of the party ’ s links to the IRA - avoided criticising their presence at the funeral , instead saying that while he fully understood people ’ s “ anger and frustration ” at the turnout , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall perspective on this is to ensure this doesn ’ t damage or undermine the institutions within the North.
” The attendance of Ms O ’ Neill and other senior party figures at Mr Storey ’ s funeral on June 30th , which appeared to break both the coronavirus regulations and social distancing guidelines , prompted the most significant fall-out in the Northern Executive since the restoration of the Assembly in January .
Asked if he thought Michelle O ’ Neill had been right to attend Mr Storey ’ s funeral , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a wish and a desire to attend a funeral , albeit we ’ re all subject to social distancing , we ’ re all subject to very significant restrictions on funerals , ” adding that he had lost “ good friends whose funerals I was not in a position to attend.
” However he said “ we have to be careful of not being overly judgemental of people ’ s behaviour , we all have to strive to do the right thing in respect of the public health advice.
” If and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I think people should put their hands up and say , okay , I understand the anger , I understand where you ’ re coming from in having a problem with what I did , and I think we all learn lessons then from that and then we have to move on.
” Mr Martin is due to make his first visit to the North as Taoiseach on Thursday .
The first minister , Arlene Foster , confirmed on Sunday that she and Ms O ’ Neill would welcome the Taoiseach to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the joint status of their office .
Joint media briefings by the first and deputy first ministers , which became an almost daily occurrence during the coronavirus crisis , have not taken place since Mr Storey ’ s funeral , though business has continued in the Northern Executive .
“ The issue around delivering a message on the coronavirus regulations , ” Ms Foster told the BBC ’ s Sunday Politics Show , had been “ damaged ” by the actions of the deputy first minister and other senior members of Sinn Féin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us all to try and rebuild that credibility , and Sinn Féin of course have a major role in that , so it ’ s important we don ’ t get distracted by looking at who ’ s standing beside who but actually do the job of work of government and providing leadership , ” she said .
While Ms Foster accepted there were now some “ real challenges ” and would be difficult to overcome these , “ we have to work together because we ’ re in a mandatory coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition so therefore we have to work through the difficulties that are there.
” She and the deputy first minister , she said , looked forward to having a conversation with the Taoiseach on Thursday , and they hoped it would be “ productive.
” Among the issues they expect to discuss is the scheduling of a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council .
Asked for her reaction to the Taoiseach ’ s comment that he wanted to “ turbocharge ” cross-border relations and institutions , Ms Foster replied that she didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language she would use , but said it was “ important that we have a mature relationship , a relationship that is of benefit to both parts of the island of Ireland , but we will be talking about how we as part of the United Kingdom can do that with our neighbours in the Republic of Ireland.
” She did not see the Taoiseach ’ s shared island unit , she said , as a threat to unionism , because “ in the past we have heard from governments in the Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is about a shared island , and if there ’ s a recognition that there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland then I think that ’ s a positive step.
” For his part , the Taoiseach said he was looking forward to working with Ms Foster , and said he believed he had a “ sense of how , from a political perspective , that I can approach the relationship in a respectful way and understanding the challenges Arlene faces obviously as first minister .
“ Likewise I hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neill better , I ’ ve already spoken to Michelle , and notwithstanding the political competition or rivalry within the Republic , I ’ ve made it very clear that will not interfere with my approach as Taoiseach in terms of the implementation of the Good Friday [ BELFAST ] Agreement and in terms of the working out of the various activities and initiatives that we would like to undertake together.
” Challenged on comments by the former senator Ian Marshall , a Northern unionist who said he was “ astonished ” at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seanad and dismissed Mr Martin ’ s commitment to a “ shared island ” as a “ farce ” , the Taoiseach said he thought it was an “ unfair ” and a “ disproportionate ” comment .
“ Having a senator in itself isn ’ t the be all and end all in terms of having a relationship with Northern Ireland , ” he said , adding that he thought Mr Marshall had made a “ very constructive contribution ” and there was “ no issue at all with Ian Marshall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said there had been “ political circumstances prevailing on this , particularly between the parties that came together to form a government and ultimately those are the realities that all of us have to deal with , but of course engagement with Northern Ireland and with unionism is far wider than that , and will be.
” Asked if his party ’ s relationship with the SDLP would undermine the Irish government ’ s role as an “ honest broker ” in Northern politics , he said he had made it “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government and as co-guarantor of the Good Friday [ BELFAST ] Agreement I will play this down the middle , very honestly , in terms of my discussion and my negotiations , and in my view both are not mutually exclusive at all .
“ I think successive parties in the Republic in government have distinguished and made that differentiation , ” he said , adding that he would “ continue that tradition of honest objective leadership in respect of the North.
” Mr Martin said he continued to criticise demands for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be unnecessarily divisive , I think it speaks to some sort of majoritarian principle which on its own is never going to allow us to share the island in peace and harmony together in the future.
” While it was “ easy to call for a Border poll , its easy to call for things , ” he said , “ I want to move beyond the slogans , the catch-cries , the demands and the calls and rather get something more substantial , more substance , around these issues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what some people are calling for and then perhaps to look at practical pragmatic ways of moving forward .
”

The Taoiseach has warned against being "overly judgemental" of the actions of the North's deputy first minister and other senior Sinn Féin figures at the funeral of former of IRA member Bobby Storey.
In an interview with the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Micheál Martin - who in the past has been an outspoken opponent of the party's links to the IRA - avoided criticising their presence at the funeral, instead saying that while he fully understood people's "anger and frustration" at the turnout, as co-guarantor of the Belfast Agreement his "overall perspective on this is to ensure this doesn't damage or undermine the institutions within the North."
The attendance of Ms O’Neill and other senior party figures at Mr Storey’s funeral on June 30th, which appeared to break both the coronavirus regulations and social distancing guidelines, prompted the most significant fall-out in the Northern Executive since the restoration of the Assembly in January.
Asked if he thought Michelle O’Neill had been right to attend Mr Storey’s funeral, he said he could “understand why people have a wish and a desire to attend a funeral, albeit we’re all subject to social distancing, we’re all subject to very significant restrictions on funerals,” adding that he had lost “good friends whose funerals I was not in a position to attend.”
READ MORE
Judgemental
However he said “we have to be careful of not being overly judgemental of people’s behaviour, we all have to strive to do the right thing in respect of the public health advice.”
If and when breaches occur, he said, “I think people should put their hands up and say, okay, I understand the anger, I understand where you’re coming from in having a problem with what I did, and I think we all learn lessons then from that and then we have to move on.”
Mr Martin is due to make his first visit to the North as Taoiseach on Thursday. The first minister, Arlene Foster, confirmed on Sunday that she and Ms O'Neill would welcome the Taoiseach to Northern Ireland together, in accordance with the joint status of their office.
Joint media briefings by the first and deputy first ministers, which became an almost daily occurrence during the coronavirus crisis, have not taken place since Mr Storey’s funeral, though business has continued in the Northern Executive.
“The issue around delivering a message on the coronavirus regulations,” Ms Foster told the BBC’s Sunday Politics Show, had been “damaged” by the actions of the deputy first minister and other senior members of Sinn Féin.
“It’s now up to us all to try and rebuild that credibility, and Sinn Féin of course have a major role in that, so it’s important we don’t get distracted by looking at who’s standing beside who but actually do the job of work of government and providing leadership,” she said.
Challenges
While Ms Foster accepted there were now some “real challenges” and would be difficult to overcome these, “we have to work together because we’re in a mandatory coalition and there are five parties within that coalition so therefore we have to work through the difficulties that are there.”
She and the deputy first minister, she said, looked forward to having a conversation with the Taoiseach on Thursday, and they hoped it would be "productive." Among the issues they expect to discuss is the scheduling of a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council.
Asked for her reaction to the Taoiseach's comment that he wanted to "turbocharge" cross-border relations and institutions, Ms Foster replied that she didn't know if that would be language she would use, but said it was "important that we have a mature relationship, a relationship that is of benefit to both parts of the island of Ireland, but we will be talking about how we as part of the United Kingdom can do that with our neighbours in the Republic of Ireland."
She did not see the Taoiseach’s shared island unit, she said, as a threat to unionism, because “in the past we have heard from governments in the Republic of Ireland talking about Irish unity, this is about a shared island, and if there’s a recognition that there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland then I think that’s a positive step.”
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said his ‘overall perspective on this is to ensure this doesn’t damage or undermine the institutions within the North’. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire
For his part, the Taoiseach said he was looking forward to working with Ms Foster, and said he believed he had a “sense of how, from a political perspective, that I can approach the relationship in a respectful way and understanding the challenges Arlene faces obviously as first minister.
“Likewise I hope to get to know Michelle O’Neill better, I’ve already spoken to Michelle, and notwithstanding the political competition or rivalry within the Republic, I’ve made it very clear that will not interfere with my approach as Taoiseach in terms of the implementation of the Good Friday [BELFAST]Agreement and in terms of the working out of the various activities and initiatives that we would like to undertake together.”
A broker in the North
Challenged on comments by the former senator Ian Marshall, a Northern unionist who said he was "astonished" at the lack of unionists appointed to the Seanad and dismissed Mr Martin's commitment to a "shared island" as a "farce", the Taoiseach said he thought it was an "unfair" and a "disproportionate" comment.
"Having a senator in itself isn't the be all and end all in terms of having a relationship with Northern Ireland, " he said, adding that he thought Mr Marshall had made a "very constructive contribution" and there was "no issue at all with Ian Marshall, I have to stress that."
However he said there had been “political circumstances prevailing on this, particularly between the parties that came together to form a government and ultimately those are the realities that all of us have to deal with, but of course engagement with Northern Ireland and with unionism is far wider than that, and will be.”
Asked if his party’s relationship with the SDLP would undermine the Irish government’s role as an “honest broker” in Northern politics, he said he had made it “very clear that as the as head of government and as co-guarantor of the Good Friday [BELFAST]Agreement I will play this down the middle, very honestly, in terms of my discussion and my negotiations, and in my view both are not mutually exclusive at all.
“I think successive parties in the Republic in government have distinguished and made that differentiation,” he said, adding that he would “continue that tradition of honest objective leadership in respect of the North.”
Border poll
Mr Martin said he continued to criticise demands for a border poll “because I think it would be unnecessarily divisive, I think it speaks to some sort of majoritarian principle which on its own is never going to allow us to share the island in peace and harmony together in the future.”
While it was “easy to call for a Border poll, its easy to call for things,” he said, “I want to move beyond the slogans, the catch-cries, the demands and the calls and rather get something more substantial, more substance, around these issues, an greater understanding of the implications of what some people are calling for and then perhaps to look at practical pragmatic ways of moving forward.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Gardaí seek public help over missing woman in Gorey, Co Wexford

Gardaí in Co Wexford are appealing for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of a woman who went missing in the @ @ @ @ @ .
Deirdre Redmond ( 50 ) has short red/dark hair , is approximately 5ft 6in @ @ @ @ @ build .
When last seen she was wearing a purple top and dark jeans .
@ @ @ @ @ her house in Gorey at approximately 2pm on Saturday .
Her family are concerned for @ @ @ @ @ Garda assistance in tracing her .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gorey Garda @ @ @ @ @ 943 0690 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 .

The family of Deirdre Redmond (50) are concerned for her wellbeing and have sought Garda assistance in tracing her. Photograph: An Garda Síochána
Gardaí in Co Wexford are appealing for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of a woman who went missing in the Gorey area on Saturday afternoon.
Deirdre Redmond (50) has short red/dark hair, is approximately 5ft 6in in height and of slim build. When last seen she was wearing a purple top and dark jeans. She was last seen leaving her house in Gorey at approximately 2pm on Saturday.
Her family are concerned for her wellbeing and have sought Garda assistance in tracing her.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gorey Garda Station on (053) 943 0690 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Dublin has crowd-free weekend as pubs long for July 20th restart

A week is a long time in the life of Dublin ’ s Dame Lane .
The street was near deserted on Saturday night , seven days after large crowds were witnessed drinking in close proximity in scenes that caused serious alarm among public health officials .
It even prompted Taoiseach Micheál Martin to suggest the July 20th date for the reopening of all pubs could be postponed after those serving a “ substantial meal ” were permitted to take in customers again .
It was the same story across the city this weekend : busy but nothing like it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Temple Bar was shut but for a few pubs and there were roadworks in the central square .
There were pockets of liveliness around especially on Camden Street , but the new normal looks nothing like the old normal .
At Dame Lane , a few punters pulled on cigarettes outside J.T Pims which was open on Saturday , but wasn ’ t the previous weekend .
Manager Daire McLoughlin said his premises only opened on Tuesday .
“ It ’ s clear want to people get out and socialise , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
We are all very conscious of what happened , ” he said .
“ It wasn ’ t the pubs .
It was mostly people with bags of cans .
Once people think there is a bit of craic on , everyone is going to immediately converge .
It goes to show you that everybody is itching to go out.
” Inside J.T Pims there are hand sanitisers and a one way system in and out .
“ We are not going to be breaking records any time soon , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
Staff are delighted to be working .
They are fully trained up and it ’ s great to see the wood taken down from the window , ” Mr McLoughlin adds .
Nearby , the Mercantile Hotel was closed as was the Stag ’ s Head where two men sat on beer barrels outside smoking cigarettes.Though the Stag ’ s Head has a restaurant licence , it opted not to open on June 20th .
At the other end of Dame Lane , on the other side of South Great George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pub , The George , remains closed , but a small crowd of smokers had gathered outside Berlin , another bar .
One bar worker in the area , who asked not be named , said gardaí were to blame for the scenes in Dame Lane by not moving on the crowd quickly enough but they were out in force on Friday and Saturday to ensure there was no repeat .
At the Trinity Street side of the Dame Lane , the Bankers pub had a sign up saying there was no carry-out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement was the reason why there had been no repeat of the scenes of the previous Saturday .
“ It was disappointing .
Dame Lane is a very popular area any time of the year .
It was always going to be a bit of a target.
” All the tables looked occupied , but he said they were only operating at a third of capacity .
Everybody was asked to leave their mobile number for contact tracing later .
On Saturday three men entered the pub and were abusive to staff when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were told to leave .
He was hopeful that pubs would be allowed to open up on July 20th as they used to do .
“ It is a big ask to tell people that they have to have a meal .
We find ourselves saying ‘ No ’ to a lot of people .
We are in the hospitality business , not the enforcement business , ” he said .
The Cabinet is due to meet this week to make a final decision on whether the July 20th reopening date for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ahead , following input from the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .

A week is a long time in the life of Dublin's Dame Lane. The street was near deserted on Saturday night, seven days after large crowds were witnessed drinking in close proximity in scenes that caused serious alarm among public health officials.
It even prompted Taoiseach Micheál Martin to suggest the July 20th date for the reopening of all pubs could be postponed after those serving a “substantial meal” were permitted to take in customers again.
It was the same story across the city this weekend: busy but nothing like it would be on a normal Saturday night.
Temple Bar was shut but for a few pubs and there were roadworks in the central square. There were pockets of liveliness around especially on Camden Street, but the new normal looks nothing like the old normal.
READ MORE
At Dame Lane, a few punters pulled on cigarettes outside J.T Pims which was open on Saturday, but wasn’t the previous weekend.
Manager Daire McLoughlin said his premises only opened on Tuesday.
“It’s clear people want to get out and socialise, but people have to do it the right way. We are all very conscious of what happened,” he said.
“It wasn’t the pubs. It was mostly people with bags of cans. Once people think there is a bit of craic on, everyone is going to immediately converge. It goes to show you that everybody is itching to go out.”
Dublin’s Dame Lane and Dame Court area on Saturday night. Photograph: Ronan McGreevy
Inside JT Pims there are hand sanitisers and a one way system in and out.
“We are not going to be breaking records any time soon, but it is just good to be open again. Staff are delighted to be working. They are fully trained up and it’s great to see the wood taken down from the window,” Mr McLoughlin adds.
Nearby, the Mercantile Hotel was closed as was the Stag’s Head where two men sat on beer barrels outside smoking cigarettes.Though the Stag’s Head has a restaurant licence, it opted not to open on June 20th.
At the other end of Dame Lane, on the other side of South Great George's Street, its most famous pub, The George, remains closed, but a small crowd of smokers had gathered outside Berlin, another bar.
One bar worker in the area, who asked not be named, said gardaí were to blame for the scenes in Dame Lane by not moving on the crowd quickly enough but they were out in force on Friday and Saturday to ensure there was no repeat.
At the Trinity Street side of the Dame Lane, the Bankers pub had a sign up saying there was no carry-out drink.
Owner Alan Campbell agreed Garda enforcement was the reason why there had been no repeat of the scenes of the previous Saturday.
“It was disappointing. Dame Lane is a very popular area any time of the year. It was always going to be a bit of a target.”
All the tables looked occupied, but he said they were only operating at a third of capacity. Everybody was asked to leave their mobile number for contact tracing later.
On Saturday three men entered the pub and were abusive to staff when told they must eat a meal so they were told to leave. He was hopeful that pubs would be allowed to open up on July 20th as they used to do.
Owner of Bankers pub Alan Campbell: ‘Dame Lane is a very popular area any time of the year. It was always going to be a bit of a target.’ Photograph: Ronan McGreevy
“It is a big ask to tell people that they have to have a meal. We find ourselves saying ‘No’ to a lot of people. We are in the hospitality business, not the enforcement business,” he said.
The Cabinet is due to meet this week to make a final decision on whether the July 20th reopening date for pubs that do not serve food will go ahead, following input from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Bonfires lit in loyalist areas of North despite Covid-19 restrictions

Bonfires have been lit in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland as the annual July tradition took place amid coronavirus restrictions .
While there were fewer fires than usual , significant crowds did gather at several of the bonfires that went ahead .
In north Belfast , there was a second night of sporadic disorder close to a community interface as police came under attack from petrol bombers in the nationalist New Lodge close to a bonfire in the loyalist Tiger ’ s Bay area .
Ahead of the Eleventh Night fires , politicians and community leaders had urged people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations that limit outdoor gatherings to no more than 30 people .
Crowds well in excess of 30 were witnessed at a number of fires that were lit late on Saturday night .
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said crews responded to 24 bonfire related incidents between 6pm on Saturday and 1am on Sunday — a 29.5 per cent decrease compared to 2019 .
The spokesman added that no attacks on personnel or appliances were reported .
Bonfires are torched in loyalist communities across the region every July 11th to usher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loyal order parading season , the Twelfth of July .
While the majority pass off without incident , some are the source of community tension , with authorities previously having intervened to remove towering pyres on health and safety grounds .
Many of the fires were cancelled during the Covid-19 lockdown , with a number of sites cleared of wood by the local authorities .
However , the recent easing of restrictions in Northern Ireland led to some reversing the decision to cancel .
Some bonfire builders also appear to have been motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw hundreds of republicans acting in alleged variance with the regulations to gather in west Belfast last month for the funeral of IRA veteran Bobby Storey .
The Orange Order has cancelled its plans for traditional mass Twelfth of July parades and demonstrations , which were scheduled to take place on Monday July 13th due to the fact the 12th falls on a Sunday .
Some loyalist bands are planning to take part in localised events in Monday , urging people to stay in their homes while they parade past .

Crowds watch on at the Ballycraigy estate 11th night bonfire in Co Antrim. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.
Bonfires have been lit in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland as the annual July tradition took place amid coronavirus restrictions.
While there were fewer fires than usual, significant crowds did gather at several of the bonfires that went ahead.
In north Belfast, there was a second night of sporadic disorder close to a community interface as police came under attack from petrol bombers in the nationalist New Lodge close to a bonfire in the loyalist Tiger's Bay area.
Dancing at the Ballycraigy estate in Antrim on the 11th night bonfire. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.
Ahead of the Eleventh Night fires, politicians and community leaders had urged people to avoid mass gatherings and stick to Covid-19 regulations that limit outdoor gatherings to no more than 30 people.
READ MORE
Crowds well in excess of 30 were witnessed at a number of fires that were lit late on Saturday night.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said crews responded to 24 bonfire related incidents between 6pm on Saturday and 1am on Sunday — a 29.5 per cent decrease compared to 2019.
The spokesman added that no attacks on personnel or appliances were reported.
Bonfires are torched in loyalist communities across the region every July 11th to usher in the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season, the Twelfth of July.
While the majority pass off without incident, some are the source of community tension, with authorities previously having intervened to remove towering pyres on health and safety grounds.
Many of the fires were cancelled during the Covid-19 lockdown, with a number of sites cleared of wood by the local authorities.
However, the recent easing of restrictions in Northern Ireland led to some reversing the decision to cancel.
Some bonfire builders also appear to have been motivated amid loyalist anger over a controversy that saw hundreds of republicans acting in alleged variance with the regulations to gather in west Belfast last month for the funeral of IRA veteran Bobby Storey.
The Orange Order has cancelled its plans for traditional mass Twelfth of July parades and demonstrations, which were scheduled to take place on Monday July 13th due to the fact the 12th falls on a Sunday.
Some loyalist bands are planning to take part in localised events on Monday, urging people to stay in their homes while they parade past.
-PA


theirishtimes--2020-07-12--Cocaine valued at €1.2m seized in Co Meath

Gardaí have seized cocaine valued at €1.2 million during a stop and search operation in Co Meath .
Members of @ @ @ @ @ Organised Crime Bureau ( GNDOCB ) supported by the Garda National Crime and Security Intelligence @ @ @ @ @ the M3 near Ashbourne on Saturday .
The intelligence-led operation was undertaken with the assistance @ @ @ @ @ .
It resulted in the discovery and seizure of a quantity of cocaine with an @ @ @ @ @ .
Two men , aged 35 and 62 years , were arrested and detained on @ @ @ @ @ 2 of the Criminal Justice ( Drug Trafficking ) Act , 1996 , at Ashbourne @ @ @ @ @ Superintendent Angela Willis , who is head of the bureau at GNDOCB , said , @ @ @ @ @ committed to continuing to disrupt the activities of organised criminals supplying drugs to our communities @ @ @ @ @ substantial quantity of cocaine today is another example of our relentless efforts to disrupt this @ @ @ @ @ keep people safe .
”

A quantity of cocaine seized by the Garda in Co Meath on Saturday. Photograph: An Garda Síochána
Gardaí have seized cocaine valued at €1.2 million during a stop and search operation in Co Meath.
Members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) supported by the Garda National Crime and Security Intelligence Service intercepted two vehicles on the M3 near Ashbourne on Saturday.
The intelligence-led operation was undertaken with the assistance of the Revenue Customs Service.
It resulted in the discovery and seizure of a quantity of cocaine with an estimated street value of €1.2m.
READ MORE
Two men, aged 35 and 62 years, were arrested and detained on Saturday night, under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at Ashbourne Garda Station.
Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Willis, who is head of the bureau at GNDOCB, said, “An Garda Síochána is committed to continuing to disrupt the activities of organised criminals supplying drugs to our communities. This seizure of a substantial quantity of cocaine today is another example of our relentless efforts to disrupt this supply, enabling us to keep people safe.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-11--Coronavirus: Number of tests carried out in State exceeds 500,000