theirishtimes--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: Four new cases but no deaths reported for second day in a row

Ireland is in an “ almost uniquely good ” position in relation to Covid-19 but could end up “ back where we were months ago ” if we make the wrong choices , public health officials have warned .
In contrast , if we make the right choices , we can hope to keep the disease under control , acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said .
Dr Glynn said he was very concerned about the scenes of crowded outdoor drinking seen outside some Dublin pubs over the weekend .
“ We ’ ve come through a very difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority followed public health advice while punitive measures were put in place .
“ What we ’ re asking people to do now is straightforward , and that is to follow public health advice , physically distance and not go into environments putting themselves at risk.
” He said he was asking the public to do this for healthcare workers “ who have just come through this but are exhausted and not ready for another wave ” , for children who want to go to school in the autumn and for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
No new deaths of people diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team for the second day in a row .
This leaves at 1,741 the total number of deaths from the disease in the Republic .
Nphet also reported another four new confirmed cases of the virus at its briefing on Monday , bringing the total number of cases to 25,531 .
Commenting on the latest figures , Dr Glynn said “ at present things are very good ” but officials would be scrutinising not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures for hospitalisations and ICU admissions , but the speed with which they are changing .
He again urged people to avoid non-essential foreign travel for now and to consider staying at home , “ where we have a full understanding of the disease ” , this summer .
The 14-day incidence of the disease in Ireland now stands at 2.96 cases per 100,000 of population , he said .
Of the 141 cases that have occurred in the past 14 days , the median age was 37 years , much lower than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Dr Glynn .
Men accounted for 45 per cent of cases and women for 55 per cent .
Two-thirds of cases were aged under 45 , and 41 per cent had underlying conditions .
Some 41 per cent of cases involved healthcare workers .
Twenty counties recorded new cases .
Dublin recorded 58 additional cases , or 41 per cent and Kildare 24 .
Sligo recorded 18 cases , most of them linked to a travel-related cluster .
A further 21 cases occurred in three other counties .
Over the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded among vulnerable groups or in meat or poultry plants , Dr Glynn said .
Dr Glynn urged people not to risk going into environments that feel unsafe .
He also urged people identified as contacts of confirmed cases to take up the offer of their own test , after new figures show that 35 per cent of those identified as contacts between mid-May and the end of June did not do so .
Meanwhile , research conducted for the Department of Health shows people think there will be a second wave , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
Some 41 per cent of people believe the worst of the pandemic is over while 32 per cent believe it is yet to come .
Asked about charges imposed by some private hospitals for Covid-19 tests , Dr Glynn said it was not acceptable that anyone should be precluded from important treatment because they can ’ t afford a test .
Meanwhile , research conducted for the Department of Health found 74 per cent of people think that there will be a second wave - up 20 per cent in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people believe the worst of the pandemic is over while 32 per cent believe it is yet to come .
Asked about charges imposed by some private hospitals for Covid-19 tests , Dr Glynn said it was not acceptable that anyone should be precluded from important treatment because they can ’ t afford a test .

Dr Ronan Glynn, acting Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health urged people not to risk going into environments that feel unsafe. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
Ireland is in an “almost uniquely good” position in relation to Covid-19 but could end up “back where we were months ago” if we make the wrong choices, public health officials have warned.
In contrast, if we make the right choices, we can hope to keep the disease under control, acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said.
Dr Glynn said he was very concerned about the scenes of crowded outdoor drinking seen outside some Dublin pubs over the weekend.
“We’ve come through a very difficult phase for the country, when the vast majority followed public health advice while punitive measures were put in place.
READ MORE
“What we’re asking people to do now is straightforward, and that is to follow public health advice, physically distance and not go into environments putting themselves at risk.”
He said he was asking the public to do this for healthcare workers “who have just come through this but are exhausted and not ready for another wave”, for children who want to go to school in the autumn and for the sick and vulnerable who are most at risk.
No new deaths of people diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team for the second day in a row. This leaves at 1,741 the total number of deaths from the disease in the Republic.
Nphet also reported another four new confirmed cases of the virus at its briefing on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 25,531.
Commenting on the latest figures, Dr Glynn said “at present things are very good” but officials would be scrutinising not just the daily case numbers, along with figures for hospitalisations and ICU admissions, but the speed with which they are changing.
He again urged people to avoid non-essential foreign travel for now and to consider staying at home, “where we have a full understanding of the disease”, this summer.
The 14-day incidence of the disease in Ireland now stands at 2.96 cases per 100,000 of population, he said.
Of the 141 cases that have occurred in the past 14 days, the median age was 37 years, much lower than the overall figure for all cases, according to Dr Glynn. Men accounted for 45 per cent of cases and women for 55 per cent.
Two-thirds of cases were aged under 45, and 41 per cent had underlying conditions. Some 41 per cent of cases involved healthcare workers.
Twenty counties recorded new cases. Dublin recorded 58 additional cases, or 41 per cent and Kildare 24.
Sligo recorded 18 cases, most of them linked to a travel-related cluster.
A further 21 cases occurred in three other counties.
Over the week to Saturday, no new cases were recorded among vulnerable groups or in meat or poultry plants, Dr Glynn said.
Dr Glynn urged people not to risk going into environments that feel unsafe.
He also urged people identified as contacts of confirmed cases to take up the offer of their own test, after new figures show that 35 per cent of those identified as contacts between mid-May and the end of June did not do so.
Meanwhile, research conducted for the Department of Health shows people think there will be a second wave, up 20 per cent in the past month.
Some 41 per cent of people believe the worst of the pandemic is over while 32 per cent believe it is yet to come.
Asked about charges imposed by some private hospitals for Covid-19 tests, Dr Glynn said it was not acceptable that anyone should be precluded from important treatment because they can’t afford a test.
Meanwhile, research conducted for the Department of Health found 74 per cent of people think that there will be a second wave - up 20 per cent in the past month.
Some 41 per cent of people believe the worst of the pandemic is over while 32 per cent believe it is yet to come.
Asked about charges imposed by some private hospitals for Covid-19 tests, Dr Glynn said it was not acceptable that anyone should be precluded from important treatment because they can’t afford a test.


theirishtimes--2020-07-06--Mayo a winner as €2.8m jackpot sold in lucky store

Mayo may not have got a cabinet minister in the new Government , but it does have Ireland ’ s latest lottery winner .
There was one winner of the €2,824,437 jackpot which was sold last week at Murphy ’ s newsagents on the Main Street in Ballinarobe .
This is the third Lotto jackpot winning ticket sold at the store , owned by Martin Murphy .
The shop has served customers in Ballinrobe for more than 116 years .
The first winner sold by Murphy ’ s was in 1989 when a jackpot of £175,493 Irish Punts was won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that occasion , Martin hit the headlines when he sold a winning ticket worth over €6.3 million to his brother-in-law Ger Murphy .
Martin Murphy said everybody in the town is “ ecstatically excited ” about the win and that someone among them is almost €3 million richer .
“ You wouldn ’ t believe the excitement which is coursing through Ballinrobe town right now .
It really is such a satisfying feeling knowing that we sold them the winning ticket , ” he said .
This is the 59th Lotto jackpot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inception of the Lotto game in 1988 .
These 59 jackpots total €106,548,931 .
In 2020 , almost €73 million has been won in prizes in the Lotto game across Ireland , which includes 12 new millionaires which have been created in the Lotto and Lotto Plus games .

A lucky shopkeeper in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo is incredibly celebrating his third Lotto jackpot win. Photograph: Mac Innes
Mayo may not have got a cabinet minister in the new Government, but it does have Ireland's latest lottery winner.
There was one winner of the €2,824,437 jackpot which was sold last week at Murphy’s newsagents on the Main Street in Ballinarobe.
This is the third Lotto jackpot winning ticket sold at the store, owned by Martin Murphy. The shop has served customers in Ballinrobe for more than 116 years.
The first winner sold by Murphy’s was in 1989 when a jackpot of £175,493 Irish Punts was won and then again in 2015.
READ MORE
On that occasion, Martin hit the headlines when he sold a winning ticket worth over €6.3 million to his brother-in-law Ger Murphy.
Martin Murphy said everybody in the town is “ecstatically excited” about the win and that someone among them is almost €3 million richer.
“You wouldn’t believe the excitement which is coursing through Ballinrobe town right now. It really is such a satisfying feeling knowing that we sold them the winning ticket,” he said.
This is the 59th Lotto jackpot to be won in Co. Mayo since the inception of the Lotto game in 1988. These 59 jackpots total €106,548,931.
In 2020, almost €73 million has been won in prizes in the Lotto game across Ireland, which includes 12 new millionaires which have been created in the Lotto and Lotto Plus games.


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Online visa renewal system extended to all foreign nationals in Dublin

All foreign nationals living in Dublin who need to renew their permission to reside here can now complete the process online and no longer have to appear in person at the registration office , the Department of Justice has said .
The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service ( INIS ) office , which was closed in March as part of Covid-19 restrictions , will re-open on July 20th for those registering with the authorities for the first time , the department added .
The Government announced the launch of new online renewal system in mid-June but stated at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students based in Dublin and not by other foreign nationals .
The system , which was piloted among 3,500 students in 2019 , has now been extended to all foreign nationals seeking renewal in the capital but remains unavailable to people living elsewhere in the country .
The department said the Garda National and Immigration Bureau ( GNIB ) would continue to process renewal applications outside Dublin in Garda stations and that it was examining how best to re-open registration offices while adhering to public health guidelines .
The new online system will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to students and those with “ urgent need to travel and who require an immigration residence permit ( IRP ) card before they travel ” , said the department .
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the new system would make visa renewals “ easier and quicker ” and meant people no longer had to attend an appointment in the city centre .
First time registrations must be done in person with immigration officials as a photograph and fingerprints need to be taken , said the department .
Once it re-opens , Burgh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their first time registrations cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions , said the minister , adding that the INIS would contact people directly about new appointments .
Under the new online system , applicants must complete their renewal form online , upload copies of supporting documents , pay the applicable fee and then submit their passport and current Irish Residence Permit ( IRP card ) by post .
Previously , foreign nationals had to secure an appointment online and then present in person at the INIS office on Burgh ’ s Quay to renew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly criticised in recent years for its poor online appointment system which has seen numerous unregulated operators block booking slots which they then sell on at a profit .
Before the pandemic , applicants said it had become near impossible to secure a slot on the Government website with many handing over sensitive personal data to third parties in order to get an appointment before their visa expired .
The launch of the online visa renewal system comes more than 18 months after the department of justice first committed to replacing the old @ @

Once it re-opens, Burgh Quay will initially prioritise people who had their first time registrations for permission to reside in Ireland cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions. File photograph: Nick Bradshaw
All foreign nationals living in Dublin who need to renew their permission to reside here can now complete the process online and no longer have to appear in person at the registration office, the Department of Justice has said.
The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) office, which was closed in March as part of Covid-19 restrictions, will re-open on July 20th for those registering with the authorities for the first time, the department added.
The Government announced the launch of new online renewal system in mid-June but stated at the time that it could only be used by students based in Dublin and not by other foreign nationals.
The system, which was piloted among 3,500 students in 2019, has now been extended to all foreign nationals seeking renewal in the capital but remains unavailable to people living elsewhere in the country.
READ MORE
The department said the Garda National and Immigration Bureau (GNIB) would continue to process renewal applications outside Dublin in Garda stations and that it was examining how best to re-open registration offices while adhering to public health guidelines.
The new online system will initially be made available between July 7th-20th to students and those with “urgent need to travel and who require an immigration residence permit (IRP) card before they travel”, said the department.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the new system would make visa renewals “easier and quicker” and meant people no longer had to attend an appointment in the city centre.
First time registrations must be done in person with immigration officials as a photograph and fingerprints need to be taken, said the department.
Once it re-opens, Burgh Quay will initially prioritise people who had their first time registrations cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions, said the minister, adding that the INIS would contact people directly about new appointments.
Under the new online system, applicants must complete their renewal form online, upload copies of supporting documents, pay the applicable fee and then submit their passport and current Irish Residence Permit (IRP card) by post.
Previously, foreign nationals had to secure an appointment online and then present in person at the INIS office on Burgh’s Quay to renew their papers. The Government has been repeatedly criticised in recent years for its poor online appointment system which has seen numerous unregulated operators block booking slots which they then sell on at a profit.
Before the pandemic, applicants said it had become near impossible to secure a slot on the Government website with many handing over sensitive personal data to third parties in order to get an appointment before their visa expired.
The launch of the online visa renewal system comes more than 18 months after the department of justice first committed to replacing the old system.


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Coronavirus: HSE reports 300,000 downloads of new contact-tracing app since launch

About 300,000 people downloaded the new Covid-19 tracker app within hours of it going live , the HSE has said .
The app , developed by Waterford company Nearform , is primarily used for contact tracing , checking on symptoms daily and providing updates on Covid-19 in Ireland .
HSE chief executive Paul Reid said securing such a take-up over Tuesday morning was a phenomenal achievement .
Speaking at the launch of the new app , Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said it would enhance existing contact tracing measures .
The Minister said it was not a “ silver bullet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and important new tool in the fight against coronavirus .
Mr Donnelly said great progress had been made by the Irish people in suppressing the virus .
However , he said Covid-19 had not gone away and the situation internationally was very volatile .
He said it was entirely possible there would be many more outbreaks in Ireland .
The Minister urged people to download the app .
“ If you do , you are protecting yourself .
You are protecting your family .
You are protecting your friends .
You are protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if they download the app , they are protecting you and your family.
” Mr Donnelly said the app ’ s role in testing and contact tracing would be vital to the continued momentum of the reopening of Irish society and business .
“ Together we have made a huge collective effort in recent months to limit the spread of Covid-19 .
As we ease restrictions , many important aspects of Irish life are returning , and we are able to access more services and to meet more people .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow us to speed up reporting and tracing from the first onset of the symptoms of Covid-19 , ” he said .
Mr Reid said use of the new app could see a reduction from days to hours in the time required to trace close contacts of someone who tested positive .
“ Importantly , it can help to identify close contacts who are not known to each other ” , he said , adding every additional contact that could be traced will improve existing contact tracing operations .
“ By downloading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people in a shorter time period and to provide the right advice and access to testing .
This will increase our capacity to suppress the virus.
” Department of Health acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said the app was integral to contact tracing .
He said the new technology could lead to some people being asked to undertake more than one Covid-19 test .
The app requires the latest versions of both Apple and Google ’ s software , which include the exposure notification tool upon which the app is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use contact tracing , you will need to enable bluetooth ; location services are not essential , and both Apple and Google previously said there would be no sharing of location data with the Covid tracker software .
After installing it on both iOS and Android , neither required access to my location data , nor did they appear on the list of apps that had used location services in recent days .
You will also be asked to allow the app to send you notifications .
For the app to be effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it requires other people to also download and use it , which is why the HSE is keen to have as many people as possible share the app .
The app also asks for permission to collect app metrics , or data on how the app is being used .
According to the terms and conditions , that includes if the app on your phone is being used , if exposure notification services have been turned on and if the app has received any exposure notifications .
None of the permissions are essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so you can refuse consent in the first instance or go back and disable them in the in-app settings .

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has urged all members of the public to download the new Covid-19 contact-tracing app in order to protect themselves and others. Video: RTÉ
About 725,000 people downloaded the new Covid-19 tracker app within hours of it going live, the HSE has said.
The app, developed by Waterford company Nearform, is primarily used for contact tracing, checking on symptoms daily and providing updates on Covid-19 in Ireland.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid said securing such a take-up was a phenomenal achievement.
Speaking at the launch of the new app, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said it would enhance existing contact tracing measures.
READ MORE
The Minister said it was not a “silver bullet” but would be a very powerful and important new tool in the fight against coronavirus.
Mr Donnelly said great progress had been made by the Irish people in suppressing the virus. However, he said Covid-19 had not gone away and the situation internationally was very volatile. He said it was entirely possible there would be many more outbreaks in Ireland.
The Minister urged people to download the app. “If you do, you are protecting yourself. You are protecting your family. You are protecting your friends . You are protecting many people you do not know. And if they download the app, they are protecting you and your family.”
Mr Donnelly said the app’s role in testing and contact tracing would be vital to the continued momentum of the reopening of Irish society and business.
“Together we have made a huge collective effort in recent months to limit the spread of Covid-19. As we ease restrictions, many important aspects of Irish life are returning, and we are able to access more services and to meet more people.
“The introduction of the Covid tracker app will allow us to speed up reporting and tracing from the first onset of the symptoms of Covid-19,” he said.
As of 8.30pm on Tuesday the HSE said 725,426 people have now downloaded the Covid tracker app, a HSE spokesman has said.
‘Misleading’
Mr Donnelly said the idea that 60 per cent of a population would need to download it to make the app effective was a “bit misleading”. It was based, he said, on a UK study which said that would be the case where no other forms of contact tracing were in operation.
“We are at over 600,000 already. That in and of itself is going to make a difference,” he told RTÉ Six One News of the take-up rate.
“If enough of us do it, it really is going to help in terms of getting the schools back open; making sure people can continue to go back to work; getting the hospitals and the healthcare system back up and going.”
He said when “inevitable” outbreaks occur, the app will “seriously increase our ability to react”.
The Minister also said that while the app only works on relatively new smartphones, there are ample numbers of those to make it effective so long as enough people participate.
On the issue of foreign travel he said the Government was asking people who have non-essential trips booked before July 20th not to go and for anyone after that date planning on going to a country not on a forthcoming “green list” of approved locations, to also cancel.
Reduction
Mr Reid said use of the new app could see a reduction from days to hours in the time required to trace close contacts of someone who tested positive.
“Importantly, it can help to identify close contacts who are not known to each other”, he said, adding every additional contact that could be traced will improve existing contact tracing operations.
“By downloading the app you are helping us to reach more people in a shorter time period and to provide the right advice and access to testing. This will increase our capacity to suppress the virus.”
Department of Health acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said the app was integral to contact tracing.
He said the new technology could lead to some people being asked to undertake more than one Covid-19 test.
On Tuesday evening Dr Glynn said: “As of 5pm this evening, the Covid Tracker App had approximately 545,000 downloads. This is one more example of the solidarity and collective spirit that has characterised the Irish public’s response to Covid-19 to date.
“The app is an important tool to support our contact tracing systems. It has the potential to reduce the time that people are active in the community with infection, which will have a significant impact on the transmission of the disease.
“The more people who download and use this app, the more effective it will be. It is a further opportunity for us to play our part in the response to Covid-19.”
The app requires the latest versions of both Apple and Google’s software, which include the exposure notification tool upon which the app is built.
If you are going to use contact tracing, you will need to enable bluetooth; location services are not essential, and both Apple and Google previously said there would be no sharing of location data with the Covid tracker software.
Location services
After installing it on both iOS and Android, neither required access to my location data, nor did they appear on the list of apps that had used location services in recent days. You will also be asked to allow the app to send you notifications.
For the app to be effective as a way of tracing contacts, it requires other people to also download and use it, which is why the HSE is keen to have as many people as possible share the app.
The app also asks for permission to collect app metrics, or data on how the app is being used.
According to the terms and conditions, that includes if the app on your phone is being used, if exposure notification services have been turned on and if the app has received any exposure notifications.
None of the permissions are essential to the working of the app, so you can refuse consent in the first instance or go back and disable them in the in-app settings.


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Healy-Rae suggests different rules for pubs in rural Ireland

Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has said that people in rural Ireland are genuinely afraid they will be made to pay for the social distancing breaches in pubs in Dublin last weekend .
There was a good case to be made for different rules for pubs in rural and urban parts of the country , he told Newstalk ’ s Pat Kenny Show .
“ If you were a small publican in a rural location who was desperately looking forward to turning on the light , maybe lighting a little fire in the corner and dusting down the cobwebs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward to that and now they are afraid .
“ They are genuinely afraid that because of what happened in Dublin and because there was so many people out on the streets and they were nearly up on top of each other ’ s backs , that we are going to pay a high price for that - and we don ’ t want that to happen.
” There would be more people going into pubs in urban areas , he said , plus there was the issue of pubs and restaurants located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they came out onto the street , were “ spinning over on each other.
” Mr Healy-Rae said he did not want publicans in Kerry , Cork or Clare to have to pay the price for what happened in Dublin .
“ So , I would be pleading with the Taoiseach to act sensibly in reacting to what happened and not overreact to it .
I don ’ t want a resurgence of this pandemic , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t want more people to get sick and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our part and play our role .
We can ’ t be blaming the businesses .
It is up to ourselves as individuals to act responsibly .
It is up to each one of us .
You can ’ t be relying on the State or the Department of Health or anyone else to be doing everything for us .
“ It is up to ourselves to police ourselves and act responsibly .
”

Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae believes there is a good case to be made for different rules for pubs in rural and urban parts of the country. File photograph: Collins
Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has said that people in rural Ireland are genuinely afraid they will be made to pay for the social distancing breaches in pubs in Dublin last weekend.
There was a good case to be made for different rules for pubs in rural and urban parts of the country, he told Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show.
“If you were a small publican in a rural location who was desperately looking forward to turning on the light, maybe lighting a little fire in the corner and dusting down the cobwebs and opening the doors. They were looking forward to that and now they are afraid.
“They are genuinely afraid that because of what happened in Dublin and because there was so many people out on the streets and they were nearly up on top of each other’s backs, that we are going to pay a high price for that - and we don’t want that to happen.”
READ MORE
There would be more people going into pubs in urban areas, he said, plus there was the issue of pubs and restaurants located near each other where customers, when they came out onto the street, were “spinning over on each other.”
Mr Healy-Rae said he did not want publicans in Kerry, Cork or Clare to have to pay the price for what happened in Dublin.
“So, I would be pleading with the Taoiseach to act sensibly in reacting to what happened and not overreact to it. I don’t want a resurgence of this pandemic,” he said.
"We don't want more people to get sick and all we all have to do is play our part and play our role. We can't be blaming the businesses. It is up to ourselves as individuals to act responsibly. It is up to each one of us. You can't be relying on the State or the Department of Health or anyone else to be doing everything for us.
“It is up to ourselves to police ourselves and act responsibly.”


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Ryan says Government considering targeted Covid-19 testing at airports

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said that the Government will look at targeted Covid-19 testing at airports .
The Minister acknowledged that temperature tests do not always catch the virus , but he felt that mandatory quarantine would not be feasible .
Speaking on RTÉ radio ’ s Today with Sarah McInerney show , the Green Party leader said that the current system of self-isolation was working and it had managed to flatten the curve “ We have to keep monitoring and we have to keep vigilant as numbers flying continue to increase.
” Mr Ryan said it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations .
While such restrictions had worked in New Zealand , they would not work here as Ireland shares a land border with another country .
“ We ’ re saying if you come into the country , you have to self isolate.
” The Minister pointed out that the mechanism for tracking people in self isolation is going to change from a paper-based system to an electronic system using email and texts to keep in touch with people who have arrived in the country .
However , he said it was better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abiding by this request .
That response from the public was , he said , what was going to win the battle against the virus , rather than policing .
“ We have to work together.
” The priority should be on trying to restore the Irish tourism industry and to protect jobs , he said .
When asked about compensation for people who had to cancel their holidays , Mr Ryan said that if the trip was booked through a travel agent there was a guarantee of compensation if the holiday was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cabinet colleague , Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen , Mr Ryan said he wanted to give Mr Cowen the courtesy of reply which he would do through his statement to the Dáil on Tuesday evening .
It was revealed earlier this week that Mr Cowen served a three-month disqualification from driving after he was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol in September 2016 .
Mr Ryan acknowledged that while every one made mistakes , they could sometimes damage one ’ s opinion of the person .
On the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Ryan said he had the experience to lead the party for the next five years , but if he was not chosen as the next leader he would focus on his ministerial office and would serve under Catherine Martin in any capacity .

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan believes the current system of self isolation for people entering Ireland is working. File photograph: Alan Betson
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said that the Government will look at targeted Covid-19 testing at airports.
The Minister acknowledged that temperature tests do not always catch the virus, but he felt that mandatory quarantine would not be feasible.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Sarah McInerney show, the Green Party leader said that the current system of self-isolation was working and it had managed to flatten the curve
“We have to keep monitoring and we have to keep vigilant as numbers flying continue to increase.”
READ MORE
Mr Ryan said it would not be practical to impose mandatory quarantine regulations. While such restrictions had worked in New Zealand, they would not work here as Ireland shares a land border with another country.
“We’re saying if you come into the country, you have to self isolate.”
The Minister pointed out that the mechanism for tracking people in self isolation is going to change from a paper-based system to an electronic system using email and texts to keep in touch with people who have arrived in the country.
However, he said it was better to stay home and most people were abiding by this request. That response from the public was, he said, what was going to win the battle against the virus, rather than policing. “We have to work together.”
The priority should be on trying to restore the Irish tourism industry and to protect jobs, he said.
When asked about compensation for people who had to cancel their holidays, Mr Ryan said that if the trip was booked through a travel agent there was a guarantee of compensation if the holiday was cancelled.
When asked about his opinion of Cabinet colleague, Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen, Mr Ryan said he wanted to give Mr Cowen the courtesy of reply which he would do through his statement to the Dáil on Tuesday evening.
It was revealed earlier this week that Mr Cowen served a three-month disqualification from driving after he was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol in September 2016.
Mr Ryan acknowledged that while every one made mistakes, they could sometimes damage one’s opinion of the person.
On the issue of leadership of the Green Party, Mr Ryan said he had the experience to lead the party for the next five years, but if he was not chosen as the next leader he would focus on his ministerial office and would serve under Catherine Martin in any capacity.


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Gsoc rules out investigating Cork shooting incident

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission ( Gsoc ) has ruled out investigating a shooting incident in Co Cork over the weekend .
Gsoc confirmed it looked at the circumstances surrounding the decision by members of the Armed Support Unit ( ASU ) in Cork to discharge their firearms when allegedly confronted by a suspect firing at them on the main Cork-Dublin Road in the early hours of Saturday morning .
The Garda Ombudsman had been notified by Garda management officers had discharged their firearms at the suspect .
A 21-year-old man was arrested by members of the ASU after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co Cork .
“ Gsoc have examined the circumstances surrounding this notification and determined that an investigation under Section 102 ( 4 ) of the Garda Síochána Act , 2005 in public interest is not necessary , ” Gsoc said in a statement .
It said that Section 102 ( 4 ) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for the commission to investigate , if it believes it is in the public interest , any matter that appears to indicate a Garda may have committed an offence or behaved in a manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect appeared in court on Monday .

The Garda Ombudsman had been notified by Garda management officers had discharged their firearms at the suspect. File photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) has ruled out investigating a shooting incident in Co Cork over the weekend.
Gsoc confirmed it looked at the circumstances surrounding the decision by members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) in Cork to discharge their firearms when allegedly confronted by a suspect firing at them on the main Cork-Dublin Road in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The Garda Ombudsman had been notified by Garda management officers had discharged their firearms at the suspect.
A 21-year-old man was arrested by members of the ASU after he was tasered at Ballinahina, Rathcormac, Co Cork.
READ MORE
“Gsoc have examined the circumstances surrounding this notification and determined that an investigation under Section 102(4) of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005 in public interest is not necessary,” Gsoc said in a statement.
It said that Section 102(4) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for the commission to investigate, if it believes it is in the public interest, any matter that appears to indicate a Garda may have committed an offence or behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings.
The suspect appeared in court on Monday.


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Temple Bar publicans ‘appalled’ by Dame Lane scenes

Pubs in Dublin ’ s Temple Bar may not open as planned on July 20th because of fears of a repeat of the scenes at nearby Dame Lane last Saturday .
Very few pubs in Temple Bar have opened since all licenced premises shut on March 15th .
Temple Bar company chief executive Martin Harte said the area ’ s publicans were “ appalled ” by the scenes of hundreds of people drinking in public in a narrow allyway in Dame Lane which is close to , but not a part of Temple Bar .
The short clip , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowded together without observing social distancing on Saturday night .
It prompted Taoiseach Micheál Martin to state that plans to allow all pubs to open from July 20th may have to be reviewed .
Mr Harte estimated that only one and possibly two of Temple Bar ’ s 30 pubs have reopened , yet he maintained some people had sought to link the scenes in Dame Lane with Temple Bar .
“ To have a stupid scene like that from the first weekend is appalling .
I haven ’ t heard from any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appalled .
They were annoyed about what happened .
Dublin city does not need this , ” he said .
He said it may be “ at least the end of July and it could take longer ” before Temple Bar pubs open .
Publicans had sought international advice from China which suggested that they should not reopen until they felt it was safe to do so .
“ People are very concerned over the changing nature of guidelines , ” he said .
“ Six weeks ago there was a lot more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out from Government in terms of when you could open .
“ And then it got a little bit confused .
I think that people are genuinely concerned that if they do open , a story is going to run like the one with Dame Lane .
“ Most of the publicans in Temple Bar think it has to open safely because of its brand and they don ’ t want what happened in Dame Lane to reverberate across social media for them .
“ It has happened in the past , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen in the future .
They don ’ t want to open quickly to be closed down again .
It could damage the city economy which could have serious repercussions for the future.
” Mr Harte said they have studied the example of Hong Kong and how it was able to reopen following the pandemic .
He said the city , which is going through tumultuous political unrest at the moment , was chosen because its dense city streets are similar to Temple Bar .

Pubs in Dublin's Temple Bar may not open as planned on July 20th because of fears of a repeat of the scenes at nearby Dame Lane last Saturday.
Very few pubs in Temple Bar have opened since all licenced premises shut on March 15th.
Temple Bar company chief executive Martin Harte said the area's publicans were "appalled" by the scenes of hundreds of people drinking in public in a narrow allyway in Dame Lane which is close to, but not a part of Temple Bar.
The short clip, which was uploaded to Twitter, showed people crowded together without observing social distancing on Saturday night.
READ MORE
It prompted Taoiseach Micheál Martin to state that plans to allow all pubs to open from July 20th may have to be reviewed.
Mr Harte estimated that only one and possibly two of Temple Bar’s 30 pubs have reopened, yet he maintained some people had sought to link the scenes in Dame Lane with Temple Bar.
“To have a stupid scene like that from the first weekend is appalling. I haven’t heard from any Temple Bar publican who wasn’t appalled. They were annoyed about what happened. Dublin city does not need this,” he said.
He said it may be "at least the end of July and it could take longer" before Temple Bar pubs open. Publicans had sought international advice from China which suggested that they should not reopen until they felt it was safe to do so.
“People are very concerned over the changing nature of guidelines,” he said.
“Six weeks ago there was a lot more consistency about the messages that were coming out from Government in terms of when you could open.
“And then it got a little bit confused. I think that people are genuinely concerned that if they do open, a story is going to run like the one with Dame Lane.
“Most of the publicans in Temple Bar think it has to open safely because of its brand and they don’t want what happened in Dame Lane to reverberate across social media for them.
“It has happened in the past, but they don’t want it to happen in the future. They don’t want to open quickly to be closed down again. It could damage the city economy which could have serious repercussions for the future.”
Mr Harte said they have studied the example of Hong Kong and how it was able to reopen following the pandemic.
He said the city, which is going through tumultuous political unrest at the moment, was chosen because its dense city streets are similar to Temple Bar.


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Northern parties to press for apology from O’Neill over Storey funeral

The North ’ s Assembly will debate a motion on Tuesday calling on the Deputy First Minister to apologise for her actions at the funeral of former IRA member Bobby Storey .
The other parties in the Northern Executive have accused Michelle O ’ Neill of breaching the coronavirus regulations and social distancing guidelines at the funeral , which she denies .
On Monday , Belfast City Council apologised to eight families who were not allowed to attend the cremation of their loved ones on the same day 30 people were present at a cremation service for Mr Storey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ error of judgment ” and it was in the process of contacting the families affected .
“ We are deeply sorry for how this error will have affected them and any hurt and distress caused , ” it said in a statement .
A woman whose mother was one of the eight people cremated on the same day as Mr Storey told the BBC , “ obviously we ’ re not all equal in death after all ” .
The North ’ s First Minister , Arlene Foster , said Belfast City Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer ” and the DUP intended to pursue the matter through its councillors .
Brought before the Assembly to answer an urgent question from Traditional Unionist Voice ( TUV ) leader Jim Allister , Ms O ’ Neill reiterated her apology to grieving families who had been hurt by her presence at the funeral .
“ I would never compound any family ’ s grief , and I ’ ve said that I ’ m sorry for that , ” she said .
She also said the Police Service of Northern Ireland ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her as part of their investigation .
The motion , which is signed by representatives from the other four parties in the Executive – the DUP , SDLP , Ulster Unionists and Alliance – calls on both Ms O ’ Neill and Minister for Finance Conor Murphy to apologise for their actions “ which have caused immense hurt ” .
It acknowledges the “ immense sacrifices ” made by the public during the pandemic and expresses “ disappointment in the actions of those in ministerial office who breached public guidance and failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked of others ” .
The debate , which will take place on Tuesday evening , is scheduled to last about 1½ hours , but MLAs can not force an apology or impose other sanctions .
Under changes to the coronavirus regulations which came into effect at 11pm on June 29th , the number of people allowed to gather outdoors increased from 10 to 30 .
The City of Belfast Crematorium , which is located in Roselawn Cemetery and is operated by Belfast City Council , had been closed to mourners since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 10 people were allowed to attend burials , but nobody could be present at a service after a cremation .
The change in the regulations meant up to 30 people could be present at an outdoor committal service following the cremation of a loved one .
The council said an “ operational decision was made that for cremations the new procedures would apply from the cremation of Bobby Storey on the afternoon of Tuesday , June 30th , onwards ” .
This meant that Mr Storey ’ s was the only one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place at Roselawn on June 29th which had mourners in attendance .
However , of the four burial services which took place in Roselawn on Tuesday , all had up to 30 people present .

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill (right) among those attending the funeral of former leading IRA figure Bobby Storey in west Belfast. Photograph: PA
The North's Assembly will debate a motion on Tuesday calling on the Deputy First Minister to apologise for her actions at the funeral of former IRA member Bobby Storey.
The other parties in the Northern Executive have accused Michelle O’Neill of breaching the coronavirus regulations and social distancing guidelines at the funeral, which she denies.
On Monday, Belfast City Council apologised to eight families who were not allowed to attend the cremation of their loved ones on the same day 30 people were present at a cremation service for Mr Storey.
The council said it was an “error of judgment” and it was in the process of contacting the families affected. “We are deeply sorry for how this error will have affected them and any hurt and distress caused,” it said in a statement.
READ MORE
A woman whose mother was one of the eight people cremated on the same day as Mr Storey told the BBC, “obviously we’re not all equal in death after all”.
‘Questions to answer’
The North's First Minister, Arlene Foster, said Belfast City Council had "a lot of questions to answer" and the DUP intended to pursue the matter through its councillors.
Brought before the Assembly to answer an urgent question from Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, Ms O'Neill reiterated her apology to grieving families who had been hurt by her presence at the funeral.
“I would never compound any family’s grief, and I’ve said that I’m sorry for that,” she said.
She also said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had not spoken directly to her as part of their investigation.
The motion, which is signed by representatives from the other four parties in the Executive – the DUP, SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance – calls on both Ms O'Neill and Minister for Finance Conor Murphy to apologise for their actions "which have caused immense hurt".
‘Breached public guidance’
It acknowledges the “immense sacrifices” made by the public during the pandemic and expresses “disappointment in the actions of those in ministerial office who breached public guidance and failed to share in the sacrifice that we have asked of others”.
The debate, which will take place on Tuesday evening, is scheduled to last about 1½ hours, but MLAs cannot force an apology or impose other sanctions.
Under changes to the coronavirus regulations which came into effect at 11pm on June 29th, the number of people allowed to gather outdoors increased from 10 to 30.
The City of Belfast Crematorium, which is located in Roselawn Cemetery and is operated by Belfast City Council, had been closed to mourners since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Up to 10 people were allowed to attend burials, but nobody could be present at a service after a cremation.
The change in the regulations meant up to 30 people could be present at an outdoor committal service following the cremation of a loved one.
The council said an “operational decision was made that for cremations the new procedures would apply from the cremation of Bobby Storey on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 30th, onwards”.
This meant that Mr Storey’s was the only one of the nine cremation services which took place at Roselawn on June 29th which had mourners in attendance.
However, of the four burial services which took place in Roselawn on Tuesday, all had up to 30 people present.


theirishtimes--2020-07-07--Certain pubs are ‘blatantly breaching’ Covid-19 regulations, gardaí  warn Government

Gardaí have warned Ministers that a number of pubs are “ blatantly breaching ” Covid-19 public health guidance but carrying out thousands of checks will become a significant drain on the resources of the force .
The Cabinet considered a report on compliance from gardaí and health officials on Monday which warned that officers experienced a “ challenging ” weekend particularly in relation to pubs in Dublin city centre where there was no physical distancing .
A senior source said gardaí had advised that while there was generally good compliance , some pubs were “ blatantly breaching guidelines and did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given a chance to do so ” .
Gardaí may now consider appealing any application by these premises to renew their licence in September .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that plans to reopen the remaining pubs on July 20th may not go ahead .
“ Nothing can be guaranteed .
If this behaviour is to continue , we will have to seriously review it .
We want pubs to open safely but we can ’ t be blind to what is going on right now .
We are not happy with what transpired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said after the Cabinet meeting .
Mr Martin said the Government was worried about the contents of the briefing from senior officers .
The Cabinet also agreed to extend the current advice to the public to avoid all non-essential travel until July 20th .
A “ green list ” will be published at the time but travellers have been warned they may still have to quarantine upon their return if there is a spike of cases in the country visited .
Some 17 per cent of new cases of Covid-19 are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a sharp increase in footfall in Dublin Airport .
The Department of Health will examine proposals for testing at entry points to the State and the Government will seek to outsource a call centre to check on passengers returning to the State who are advised to self-quarantine .
A Covid-19 tracking app will be launched on Tuesday morning after the Cabinet approved its use .
In drawing up the “ green list ” , the Government will analyse the number of new Covid cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the preceding 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14-day incidence of the disease in Ireland currently stands at 2.96 cases per 100,000 of population , according to acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn .
This compares to an average incidence of 13.1 across Europe , where rates vary between zero and 143 , according to the European Centre of Disease Control .
Just a handful of European countries would make it on to a green list if the strict criterion limited it to countries with a lower incidence than Ireland .
Ireland was in an “ almost uniquely good ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up “ back where we were months ago ” if we made the wrong choices , Dr Glynn warned last night .
In contrast , if we make the right choices , we can hope to keep the disease under control .
The decision to defer the publication of a green list to July 20th left Ireland with a few weeks to see what happened in other countries , he said .
While it was “ not unexpected ” that large clusters would occur , the test was whether countries managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of countries recently had problems and this gives us a little more time to see if they can get on top of those problems and close them down.
” With global trends changing rapidly – and 200,000 new cases a day reported over the weekend – Ireland “ needs to see where this goes ” .
“ The global situation could get worse over the week or two , in which case we ’ ll have to think over who is or not on the green list.
” No new deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Public Health Emergency Team for the second day in a row , the first time this has happened since March 21st .
The team reported another four new confirmed cases .

Gardaí may now consider appealing any application by these premises to renew their licence in September. File photograph: Getty
Gardaí have warned Ministers that a number of pubs are “blatantly breaching” Covid-19 public health guidance but carrying out thousands of checks will become a significant drain on the resources of the force.
The Cabinet considered a report on compliance from gardaí and health officials on Monday which warned that officers experienced a “challenging” weekend particularly in relation to pubs in Dublin city centre where there was no physical distancing.
A senior source said gardaí had advised that while there was generally good compliance, some pubs were “blatantly breaching guidelines and did not rectify the issue when they were given a chance to do so”.
Gardaí may now consider appealing any application by these premises to renew their licence in September.
READ MORE
Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that plans to reopen the remaining pubs on July 20th may not go ahead.
“Nothing can be guaranteed. If this behaviour is to continue, we will have to seriously review it. We want pubs to open safely but we can’t be blind to what is going on right now. We are not happy with what transpired in certain locations over the weekend,” he said after the Cabinet meeting.
Mr Martin said the Government was worried about the contents of the briefing from senior officers.
‘Green list’
The Cabinet also agreed to extend the current advice to the public to avoid all non-essential travel until July 20th. A “green list” will be published at the time but travellers have been warned they may still have to quarantine upon their return if there is a spike of cases in the country visited. Some 17 per cent of new cases of Covid-19 are now linked to foreign travel while there has been a sharp increase in footfall in Dublin Airport.
The Department of Health will examine proposals for testing at entry points to the State and the Government will seek to outsource a call centre to check on passengers returning to the State who are advised to self-quarantine.
A Covid-19 tracking app will be launched on Tuesday morning after the Cabinet approved its use. In drawing up the “green list”, the Government will analyse the number of new Covid cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the preceding 14 days in a given country.
The 14-day incidence of the disease in Ireland currently stands at 2.96 cases per 100,000 of population, according to acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn.
Control of disease
This compares to an average incidence of 13.1 across Europe, where rates vary between zero and 143, according to the European Centre of Disease Control. Just a handful of European countries would make it on to a green list if the strict criterion limited it to countries with a lower incidence than Ireland.
Ireland was in an “almost uniquely good” position in relation to Covid-19 but could end up “back where we were months ago” if we made the wrong choices, Dr Glynn warned last night. In contrast, if we make the right choices, we can hope to keep the disease under control.
The decision to defer the publication of a green list to July 20th left Ireland with a few weeks to see what happened in other countries, he said.
While it was “not unexpected” that large clusters would occur, the test was whether countries managed to control these outbreaks quickly.
“A number of countries recently had problems and this gives us a little more time to see if they can get on top of those problems and close them down.”
With global trends changing rapidly – and 200,000 new cases a day reported over the weekend – Ireland “needs to see where this goes”.
“The global situation could get worse over the week or two, in which case we’ll have to think over who is or not on the green list.”
No new deaths of people diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team for the second day in a row, the first time this has happened since March 21st. The team reported another four new confirmed cases.


theirishtimes--2020-07-08--How fraudsters used lockdown to lure Irish victims into boats and caravans scam

With three decades in construction under his belt and his family almost reared , Philip Doyle dared to dream a little during the lockdown period .
A recreational diver in his spare time and already part-owner of a small boat , he decided he would invest in a larger vessel of his own .
It would be nothing fancy ; a power boat with a small cab to sleep in overnight so he could sail it from place to place and stay out for a few days .
Enough for a bit of fishing or diving by day , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evening .
He would even bring his dogs along .
But in the space of three days in early May his dream turned to dust .
The married father of four from Bray , Co Wicklow , fell victim to a very polished scam .
“ I felt like a fool , to be straight with you ; no two ways about it , ” he says when asked about realising the 6.5m Quicksilver power boat he had paid just over €13,000 for only existed in a photograph .
“ It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll have to put that back a few years.
” He contacted the Garda immediately , and was happy with its response , while also contacting the banks .
However , he later learned that other Irish people had fallen victim to the same scam over the following two months and felt “ very disheartened ” at that news .
At least 12 Irish victims have lost a total of €83,000 after they paid it to the same fraudulent boat sales site Mr Doyle used and another seemingly related site selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are many more victims , including one in Sweden who has lost €20,000 .
The websites offered to deliver boats , caravans and campers to clients in Ireland who were unable to go to the United Kingdom to collect them due to coronavirus travel restrictions .
Because of that offer , the sites drew in a lot of Irish victims .
Those taken in by the scam are convinced the two websites , which appeared on the internet in March and April , are being run by the same people because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caroline Keane , from Co Waterford , transferred €6,000 towards the purchase of a camper van on April 9th .
The married mother of two grown-up children , who was buying the camper van from her husband ’ s voluntary redundancy money , was the first victim identified by The Irish Times .
Another victim , in the southeast , paid £7,200 ( €8,000 ) last month in part payment for a non-existent caravan .
Preferring not to be named , he told The Irish Times that he was buying a caravan so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday , isolated from other people during the coronavirus crisis .
“ It ’ s nightmare .
I was half-hoping my local bank manager would reimburse me but he ’ s having none of it , ” he said , “ My bank manager is a young fella with no experience ; he ’ s only throwing a snowball somebody else is making , he ’ s not allowed make his own decisions.
” The scams are known as “ authorised push payment ” ( APP ) fraud , where a victim is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretences , from their bank account into an account controlled by fraudsters .
It has been soaring in recent years , prompting banks in the UK to set up a scheme in May 2019 to protect their customers .
Banks in the UK have since then agreed to cover victims of such frauds but Irish banks have yet to follow suit .
The UK scheme only applies to transfers between UK accounts , meaning people transferring funds from Ireland are not covered for compensation .
The Irish victims paid for “ phantom ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid for camper vans and caravans which they had seen online on a second fraudulent website , caravan2009.co.uk .
There is a real company called Island Boats Ltd based in Middlesex , and islandboats.co.uk is not its website .
Instead , it has traded properly and legally for more than 20 years , with a strong reputation in the field .
Meanwhile , the second company victim , Nottingham-based Caravan 2009 Limited has traded properly for more than a decade , selling caravanning accessories .
This company , which sells caravan accessories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a website .
There is no allegation of any wrongdoing against either company .
Indeed , they are victims , too , since their company identities have been stolen .
The fraudsters created the islandboats.co.uk site to offer all kinds of second-hand boats for sale ; from £43,000 ( €47,930 ) speedboats to cheaper ribs ( rigid inflatable boats ) and creakier vessels dating back to the 1970s for less than £3,000 ( €3,345 ) .
Victims came across the fake websites as they browsed for boats , caravans and campervans .
Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ descriptions .
When customers rang , their calls were answered promptly and politely by people .
The calls were not answered by people with British accents , although callers believed that they were speaking with people who were based in Britain .
Emails were replied to by people with British-sounding names , both promptly and politely .
So audacious were the fraudsters that they encouraged potential clients to check up on their reputations by consulting Companies House record .
Of course , when they did so the records they found were for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 .
The two genuine companies have long trading histories at fixed addresses , had always filed accounts on time , and had no judgments against them .
There was much to offer reassurance , nothing to offer doubt .
However , the companies ’ identities had been stolen .
The fraudsters had simply copied the identities of the two legitimate companies and set up two websites under their names before heading out on a campaign of fraud .
Sylvester Hiemstra ( 51 ) , a Donegal-based married father of two , ditched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once the virus struck .
Instead , he went looking for a boat to use for family cruises and for fishing when he went to his mobile home in Downings , Co Donegal .
By day , Mr Hiemstra works providing security infrastructure in the telecommunications sector in Ireland and is the son of a retired police officer .
He always believed , he said , that he would be “ the last person you ’ d think would be scammed ” .
But he was taken in by islandboats.co.uk ’ s slick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over €6,100 for a 5.7m Fletcher Farrow boat , especially since he had found no negative reviews of the site anywhere .
He even showed the site to sailing friends , and others in security .
Everyone thought it seemed genuine , especially when backed by the company filings he had found .
So he paid over his money on Friday , June 11th , and the site continued to reply to him by email .
Four days later Mr Hiemstra found a warning about islandboats.co.uk on the customer review site , Trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island Boats company had had its details copied for use by fraudsters on a fake website .
“ I had a knot in my stomach , ” said Mr Hiemstra , realising he had been scammed .
“ You get this feeling come over you and you think : ‘ How am I going to explain this to my wife and kids , that I ’ ve just thrown €6,100 into a hole ?
’ You feel a sense of uselessness , it ’ s hard to describe.
” Once the money had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the HSBC bank account set up by the fraudsters , communication stopped .
He has since learned that when people like him paid for their boats , and the money arrived in the HSBC account in the UK , those accounts were immediately emptied by the fraudsters .
It meant by the time the victims in Ireland realised they had been scammed , their money was gone .
For every victim a different HSBC account was used .
Mr Hiemstra said the banks and law enforcement in Ireland and England moved much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him its investigations into his case would take up to 45 days .
Like others , Mr Hiemstra wonders how fraudsters could set up multiple accounts using the hijacked identities of legitimate businesses .
Meanwhile , another victim , Wexford-based Fran Morrison ( 33 ) chipped in with a friend to buy a 1990 Bayliner speedboat for “ something different to do for the summer seeing as we can ’ t go away anywhere ” .
His wife has cystic fibrosis , and the speedboat was something they were hoping to enjoy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fee was transferred , he was assured the boat would be delivered on May 29th .
The date came and went without delivery .
He reported it to gardaí , and one garda rang a UK phone number of the islandboats.co.uk website and spoke directly with someone claiming to be from the site , who reassured the garda that the boat would be delivered within days .
Mr Morrison believes that was a stalling tactic designed to hold law enforcement in Ireland at bay , thus buying more time so more people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and make purchases or pay deposits .
Eventually Mr Morrison contacted Action Fraud UK himself , Thames Valley Police and HSBC and reported the crime .
So did many others .
Mr Morrison even tracked down the accountant for the legitimate Island Boats Ltd who confirmed that the company had had its details hijacked and that many people , mostly Irish , had been scammed .
Mr Morrison investigated further and discovered the boat he thought he was buying had been recently sold legitimately by its owner on another website .
The fraudsters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that advert and put it onto their bogus site .
The previous owner of the boat told Mr Morrison that he was the fifth person – four Irish and one Maltese – to contact him and explain how they had been duped out of their money after seeing his old advert on islandboats.co.uk .
Limerick man Darragh McCormack is the only person who transferred money to islandboats.co.uk that managed to get it back .
He transferred €11,500 for a Coastline 6m rib and a Dell Quay 560 Fisherman Pilothouse Boat .
The 32-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an experienced sailor with Foynes Yacht Club .
He was Dublin Bay Mermaid national champion in 2018 and 2019 and was Irish Cruiser Racing Association Class 4 champion in 2017 .
“ I ’ d never bought boats online before and I ’ ll never do it again .
You ’ d really want to be looking into the eyes of the fella you ’ re buying off , ” he said .
Like others , he had opted for an online purchase because of travel restrictions .
Many other victims said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for sale were “ a bit cheaper than normal ” Mr McCormack felt the coronavirus crisis , Brexit and the devaluing British pound were all plausible reasons for the price falls , as has been the case with second-hand cars for sale in Britain .
“ The people at the website stopped communicating with me for a few days after I said I ’ d paid the money and that ’ s when I thought something was up so I got onto the bank to stop the money , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer more slowly than other victims ’ banks .
The money did not leave his account for several days and while it was gone from his account by the time he raised the alarm with his bank “ it hadn ’ t cleared on the other end ” , with HSBC in the UK .
“ If they had continued to reply to me after I made the transfer , they probably would have got my money off me , ” he said of the people he had been dealing with in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legitimate Island Boats Ltd company , said he was horrified that fraudsters had hijacked his company ’ s name .
One Irish victim had even tracked down his accountant ’ s home in England and called to it .
Island Boats Ltd had never been his sole earner , he said , as it was a small company that had only ever sold one model of boat ; a Polish-built Suncamper .
And he had even stopped selling that in recent years as parity between the pound and euro made it financially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) the issue “ all kicked off in about late May or early June ” when people , mostly Irish , began contacting his wife through social media because she was recorded as company secretary in official records .
He immediately contacted Action Fraud UK , Companies House and HSBC .
“ The whole thing is quite upsetting .
Someone ’ s done a fraudulent misrepresentation of my company and they ’ re stealing money from other people .
I ’ m upset for them and for me .
It ’ s my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m just absolutely perplexed that somebody can open all of these bank accounts using my company name , ” Mr Walters adds .
Speaking for Caravan 2009 , Katey Tebbutt said the company has never had a website and has never sold caravans .
Instead , it sells end-of-line caravan accessories on behalf of a larger parent company .
She said her company was contacted by victims , starting in April , but had to tell people they had no association whatever with the site .
“ It ’ s disgusting really , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we got was from a little old man and many of the victims seem to be older people .
We ’ ve even had a court summons , ” she said , though her company had nothing to do with the fraud .
They also raised the alarm with HSBC , UK police and Action Fraud UK .
The fraudulent site – which Ms Tebbutt believed it may have been run via Norway – is no longer “ live ” in the UK or Ireland but she feared it may still be accessible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not reply to a request for comment .
However , senior Garda sources confirmed to The Irish Times multiple victims had made complaints to the force about islandboats.co.uk and caravan2009.co.uk .
Those complaints were under investigation and the Garda was in contact with Interpol and Action Fraud UK .
HSBC UK said it “ sympathises with people who fall victim to scams ” and it knew how “ traumatic ” the experience was .
“ These scammers are unscrupulous criminals who use a range of sophisticated techniques for their own financial gain without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We adhere to best practice standards to prevent financial crime and where a report of a potentially fraudulent payment or scam is received we take action immediately.
” While caravan2009.co.uk is no longer online , the other fraudulent site islandboats.co.uk was still operating this week .

With three decades in construction under his belt and his family almost reared, Philip Doyle dared to dream a little during the lockdown period. A recreational diver in his spare time and already part-owner of a small boat, he decided he would invest in a larger vessel of his own.
It would be nothing fancy; a power boat with a small cab to sleep in overnight so he could sail it from place to place and stay out for a few days. Enough for a bit of fishing or diving by day, and comfortable enough for a few beers in the evening. He would even bring his dogs along.
But in the space of three days in early May his dream turned to dust. The married father of four from Bray, Co Wicklow, fell victim to a very polished scam.
“I felt like a fool, to be straight with you; no two ways about it,” he says when asked about realising the 6.5m Quicksilver power boat he had paid just over €13,000 for only existed in a photograph. “It was nice little dream I had, but I’ll have to put that back a few years.”
READ MORE
Islandboats.co.uk fooled many Irish victims with its well-designed website
He contacted the Garda immediately, and was happy with its response, while also contacting the banks. However, he later learned that other Irish people had fallen victim to the same scam over the following two months and felt “very disheartened” at that news.
At least 12 Irish victims have lost a total of €83,000 after they paid it to the same fraudulent boat sales site Mr Doyle used and another seemingly related site selling caravans and camper vans. However, there are many more victims, including one in Sweden who has lost €20,000.
The websites offered to deliver boats, caravans and campers to clients in Ireland who were unable to go to the United Kingdom to collect them due to coronavirus travel restrictions. Because of that offer, the sites drew in a lot of Irish victims. Those taken in by the scam are convinced the two websites, which appeared on the internet in March and April, are being run by the same people because of their identical layout and modus operandi.
Caroline Keane, from Co Waterford, transferred €6,000 towards the purchase of a camper van on April 9th. The married mother of two grown-up children, who was buying the camper van from her husband’s voluntary redundancy money, was the first victim identified by The Irish Times.
Another victim, in the southeast, paid £7,200 (€8,000) last month in part payment for a non-existent caravan. Preferring not to be named, he told The Irish Times that he was buying a caravan so his sister with late-stage cancer could safely holiday, isolated from other people during the coronavirus crisis.
“It’s nightmare. I was half-hoping my local bank manager would reimburse me but he’s having none of it,” he said, “My bank manager is a young fella with no experience; he’s only throwing a snowball somebody else is making, he’s not allowed make his own decisions.”
The scams are known as “authorised push payment” (APP) fraud, where a victim is persuaded to transfer money, under false pretences, from their bank account into an account controlled by fraudsters. It has been soaring in recent years, prompting banks in the UK to set up a scheme in May 2019 to protect their customers.
Banks in the UK have since then agreed to cover victims of such frauds but Irish banks have yet to follow suit. The UK scheme only applies to transfers between UK accounts, meaning people transferring funds from Ireland are not covered for compensation.
The Irish victims paid for “phantom” boats advertised on islandboats.co.uk, while others paid for camper vans and caravans which they had seen online on a second fraudulent website, caravan2009.co.uk.
There is a real company called Island Boats Ltd based in Middlesex, and islandboats.co.uk is not its website. Instead, it has traded properly and legally for more than 20 years, with a strong reputation in the field.
Stolen company identities
Meanwhile, the second company victim, Nottingham-based Caravan 2009 Limited has traded properly for more than a decade, selling caravanning accessories. This company, which sells caravan accessories, and not caravans, has never had a website.
There is no allegation of any wrongdoing against either company. Indeed, they are victims, too, since their company identities have been stolen.
The fraudsters created the islandboats.co.uk site to offer all kinds of second-hand boats for sale; from £43,000 (€47,930) speedboats to cheaper ribs (rigid inflatable boats) and creakier vessels dating back to the 1970s for less than £3,000 (€3,345).
A screengrab from the fraudulent website islandboats.co.uk, which is still operating
Victims came across the fake websites as they browsed for boats, caravans and campervans. Every advert is packed with photographs and detailed descriptions. When customers rang, their calls were answered promptly and politely by people.
The calls were not answered by people with British accents, although callers believed that they were speaking with people who were based in Britain. Emails were replied to by people with British-sounding names, both promptly and politely.
So audacious were the fraudsters that they encouraged potential clients to check up on their reputations by consulting Companies House record. Of course, when they did so the records they found were for the real companies, Island Boats and Caravans 2009.
The two genuine companies have long trading histories at fixed addresses, had always filed accounts on time, and had no judgments against them. There was much to offer reassurance, nothing to offer doubt.
However, the companies’ identities had been stolen. The fraudsters had simply copied the identities of the two legitimate companies and set up two websites under their names before heading out on a campaign of fraud.
"You get this feeling come over you and you think: 'How am I going to explain this to my wife and kids, that I've just thrown €6,100 into a hole?'
Sylvester Hiemstra (51), a Donegal-based married father of two, ditched plans for a foreign holiday this year once the virus struck. Instead, he went looking for a boat to use for family cruises and for fishing when he went to his mobile home in Downings, Co Donegal.
An invoice to Sylvester Hiemstra from Island Boats
By day, Mr Hiemstra works providing security infrastructure in the telecommunications sector in Ireland and is the son of a retired police officer. He always believed, he said, that he would be “the last person you’d think would be scammed”.
But he was taken in by islandboats.co.uk’s slick website and professional-sounding customer service, paying over €6,100 for a 5.7m Fletcher Farrow boat, especially since he had found no negative reviews of the site anywhere.
He even showed the site to sailing friends, and others in security. Everyone thought it seemed genuine, especially when backed by the company filings he had found. So he paid over his money on Friday, June 11th, and the site continued to reply to him by email.
Four days later Mr Hiemstra found a warning about islandboats.co.uk on the customer review site, Trust Pilot, which warned that the legitimate Island Boats company had had its details copied for use by fraudsters on a fake website.
“I had a knot in my stomach,” said Mr Hiemstra, realising he had been scammed. “You get this feeling come over you and you think: ‘How am I going to explain this to my wife and kids, that I’ve just thrown €6,100 into a hole?’ You feel a sense of uselessness, it’s hard to describe.”
Once the money had been transferred to, and taken from the HSBC bank account set up by the fraudsters, communication stopped.
He has since learned that when people like him paid for their boats, and the money arrived in the HSBC account in the UK, those accounts were immediately emptied by the fraudsters. It meant by the time the victims in Ireland realised they had been scammed, their money was gone. For every victim a different HSBC account was used.
Mr Hiemstra said the banks and law enforcement in Ireland and England moved much more slowly than the fraudsters. HSBC told him its investigations into his case would take up to 45 days. Like others, Mr Hiemstra wonders how fraudsters could set up multiple accounts using the hijacked identities of legitimate businesses.
Meanwhile, another victim, Wexford-based Fran Morrison (33) chipped in with a friend to buy a 1990 Bayliner speedboat for “something different to do for the summer seeing as we can’t go away anywhere”.
His wife has cystic fibrosis, and the speedboat was something they were hoping to enjoy in the months ahead. Once his €5,050 fee was transferred, he was assured the boat would be delivered on May 29th. The date came and went without delivery.
He reported it to gardaí, and one garda rang a UK phone number of the islandboats.co.uk website and spoke directly with someone claiming to be from the site, who reassured the garda that the boat would be delivered within days.
Mr Morrison believes that was a stalling tactic designed to hold law enforcement in Ireland at bay, thus buying more time so more people in Ireland would continue to find the website and make purchases or pay deposits.
Eventually Mr Morrison contacted Action Fraud UK himself, Thames Valley Police and HSBC and reported the crime. So did many others. Mr Morrison even tracked down the accountant for the legitimate Island Boats Ltd who confirmed that the company had had its details hijacked and that many people, mostly Irish, had been scammed.
Mr Morrison investigated further and discovered the boat he thought he was buying had been recently sold legitimately by its owner on another website. The fraudsters who set up islandboats.co.uk had simply stolen that advert and put it onto their bogus site.
Wexford-based Fran Morrison, victim of the Island Boats scam. He lost €5,050 when he and a friend went in on a boat together
The previous owner of the boat told Mr Morrison that he was the fifth person – four Irish and one Maltese – to contact him and explain how they had been duped out of their money after seeing his old advert on islandboats.co.uk.
Limerick man Darragh McCormack is the only person who transferred money to islandboats.co.uk that managed to get it back. He transferred €11,500 for a Coastline 6m rib and a Dell Quay 560 Fisherman Pilothouse Boat.
The 32-year-old from Ardagh, Co Limerick, is an experienced sailor with Foynes Yacht Club. He was Dublin Bay Mermaid national champion in 2018 and 2019 and was Irish Cruiser Racing Association Class 4 champion in 2017.
“I’d never bought boats online before and I’ll never do it again. You’d really want to be looking into the eyes of the fella you’re buying off,” he said. Like others, he had opted for an online purchase because of travel restrictions. Many other victims said the same.
Raised the alarm
While the boats being offered for sale were “a bit cheaper than normal” Mr McCormack felt the coronavirus crisis, Brexit and the devaluing British pound were all plausible reasons for the price falls, as has been the case with second-hand cars for sale in Britain.
“The people at the website stopped communicating with me for a few days after I said I’d paid the money and that’s when I thought something was up so I got onto the bank to stop the money,” he said.
He believed his bank had made the transfer more slowly than other victims’ banks. The money did not leave his account for several days and while it was gone from his account by the time he raised the alarm with his bank “it hadn’t cleared on the other end”, with HSBC in the UK.
“If they had continued to reply to me after I made the transfer, they probably would have got my money off me,” he said of the people he had been dealing with in the website.
I'm just absolutely perplexed that somebody can open all of these bank accounts using my company name
Carl Walters, who owns the legitimate Island Boats Ltd company, said he was horrified that fraudsters had hijacked his company’s name. One Irish victim had even tracked down his accountant’s home in England and called to it.
Island Boats Ltd had never been his sole earner, he said, as it was a small company that had only ever sold one model of boat; a Polish-built Suncamper. And he had even stopped selling that in recent years as parity between the pound and euro made it financially unattractive.
For Mr Walters (70) the issue “all kicked off in about late May or early June” when people, mostly Irish, began contacting his wife through social media because she was recorded as company secretary in official records. He immediately contacted Action Fraud UK, Companies House and HSBC.
“The whole thing is quite upsetting. Someone’s done a fraudulent misrepresentation of my company and they’re stealing money from other people. I’m upset for them and for me. It’s my name they are using. I’m just absolutely perplexed that somebody can open all of these bank accounts using my company name,” Mr Walters adds.
Speaking for Caravan 2009, Katey Tebbutt said the company has never had a website and has never sold caravans. Instead, it sells end-of-line caravan accessories on behalf of a larger parent company.
‘Disgusting’
She said her company was contacted by victims, starting in April, but had to tell people they had no association whatever with the site.
“It’s disgusting really, quite upsetting. One of the calls we got was from a little old man and many of the victims seem to be older people. We’ve even had a court summons,” she said, though her company had nothing to do with the fraud.
They also raised the alarm with HSBC, UK police and Action Fraud UK. The fraudulent site – which Ms Tebbutt believed it may have been run via Norway – is no longer “live” in the UK or Ireland but she feared it may still be accessible in some countries.
Garda Headquarters did not reply to a request for comment. However, senior Garda sources confirmed to The Irish Times multiple victims had made complaints to the force about islandboats.co.uk and caravan2009.co.uk. Those complaints were under investigation and the Garda was in contact with Interpol and Action Fraud UK.
HSBC UK said it “sympathises with people who fall victim to scams” and it knew how “traumatic” the experience was.
“These scammers are unscrupulous criminals who use a range of sophisticated techniques for their own financial gain without care for the individuals they target. We adhere to best practice standards to prevent financial crime and where a report of a potentially fraudulent payment or scam is received we take action immediately.”
While caravan2009.co.uk is no longer online, the other fraudulent site islandboats.co.uk was still operating this week.


theirishtimes--2020-07-08--More than 700,000 sign up for Covid-19 tracker app

More than 720,000 people have signed up for the new Covid tracker app aimed at helping to identify close contacts of people who test positive for Covid-19 .
The app , launched on Tuesday by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly , has so far been taken up by 15 per cent of the population and 23 per cent of all those over 16 years with smartphones , a Health Service Executive spokesman said .
While data on the download performance of apps on their debut is not publicly available , Australia ’ s CovidSafe app racked up two million downloads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to about 8 per cent of the population .
And in Britain , the self-reporting app for those with symptoms of the virus had 750,000 downloads in its first 24 hours .
HSE chief executive Paul Reid said use of the app in Ireland could see a reduction in the time required to trace close contacts of someone who tested positive from days to hours .
He also said the app cost about €850,000 to develop with an annual running cost of €350,000-€400,000 .
Meanwhile , concerns have been raised with the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of individuals who may have encountered people with Covid-19 are not engaging with the contact-tracing process .
At a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) last month , officials were told that despite multiple attempts over a period of days to phone or text the close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases , a proportion are not engaging with the system .
“ The NPHET was advised that a proportion of the people who are identified as close contacts of confirmed cases do not complete the full contract-tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
The HSE said its contact management programme takes “ an active approach ” and makes “ multiple attempts to contact the close contacts over multiple days ” .
“ This includes text messages , phone calls , and leaving voicemails ; however , it is not always possible to make contact with these individuals.
” The HSE also said it would undertake a further analysis looking at the number of close contacts identified per case and the proportion of those who are contacted and then tested for a first and second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would examine international experience around how to improve contact tracing .

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has urged all members of the public to download the new Covid-19 contact-tracing app in order to protect themselves and others. Video: RTÉ
More than 720,000 people have signed up for the new Covid tracker app aimed at helping to identify close contacts of people who test positive for Covid-19.
The app, launched on Tuesday by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, has so far been taken up by 15 per cent of the population and 23 per cent of all those over 16 years with smartphones, a Health Service Executive spokesman said.
While data on the download performance of apps on their debut is not publicly available, Australia’s CovidSafe app racked up two million downloads in its first 24 hours – equivalent to about 8 per cent of the population. And in Britain, the self-reporting app for those with symptoms of the virus had 750,000 downloads in its first 24 hours.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid said use of the app in Ireland could see a reduction in the time required to trace close contacts of someone who tested positive from days to hours.
READ MORE
He also said the app cost about €850,000 to develop with an annual running cost of €350,000-€400,000.
Concerns
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised with the State’s public-health team that a significant number of individuals who may have encountered people with Covid-19 are not engaging with the contact-tracing process.
At a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) last month, officials were told that despite multiple attempts over a period of days to phone or text the close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases, a proportion are not engaging with the system.
“The NPHET was advised that a proportion of the people who are identified as close contacts of confirmed cases do not complete the full contract-tracing process,” minutes of the meeting state.
The HSE said its contact management programme takes “an active approach” and makes “multiple attempts to contact the close contacts over multiple days”.
“This includes text messages, phone calls, and leaving voicemails; however, it is not always possible to make contact with these individuals.”
The HSE also said it would undertake a further analysis looking at the number of close contacts identified per case and the proportion of those who are contacted and then tested for a first and second time. The HSE also said it would examine international experience around how to improve contact tracing.


theirishtimes--2020-07-08--Syrian refused bank account among cases fought by Irish rights group

A refugee who was refused a bank account because he was Syrian , and a woman who was denied dental treatment because she was HIV positive , are among the cases the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission ( IHREC ) dealt with last year .
Its annual report , published on Wednesday , details some of the 46 completed cases in which it provided legal advice or assistance to people or groups of people whose rights , under equality and human rights legislation , had been violated .
During 2019 the commission had 2,165 public queries – a 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief commissioner Dr Frank Conaty said the ongoing Covid-19 crisis had highlighted “ in the starkest terms , existing inequalities in our society ” .
Those who had been hit the hardest were those most likely to seek the commission ’ s help in addressing discrimination and disadvantage , he said .
“ These include older people , women and children , members of the Traveller and Roma communities , homeless people , vulnerable migrants – including those living in direct provision centres – and people with disabilities , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ national response to the longer term , it was “ more important than ever that human rights and equality principles are built into the recovery , ” he added .
The commission provided legal advice in 25 cases , covering employment , access to services and human rights issues last year .
It legally represented 41 people , in 21 cases , including five under the Employment Equality Acts .
All five of these were on the grounds of the person ’ s disability and included a man who was dismissed from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had dyspraxia , and another where a man had an offer of employment withdrawn after he disclosed he had a HIV diagnosis .
In the former the man was found to have been discriminated against when dismissed by Sky Handling Partner Ltd , at the Workplace Relations Commission ( WRC ) and the company was ordered to pay him €15,000 .
The second case was resolved through mediation .
A total of 12 people were legally represented by the commission in cases under the Equal Status Act , relating to the access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these was the case of a bank refusing to open an account for a Syrian refugee because of his nationality .
The WRC ordered the bank to pay the man €4,000 in compensation and to engage directly with the commission to ensure something similar never happened again .
In another case a bank refused to allow a refugee , who was already a customer , apply for a credit card due to his nationality .
The case was resolved through mediation .
Six cases involved tenants and , variously , landlords , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a letting agent .
Three of these were due to the landlord or letting agent refusing to accept the Housing Assistance Payment ( HAP ) .
The WRC ruled against this discrimination in each of these cases that came before it .
A woman who was refused dental treatment , after she had informed the dental clinic in advance of her HIV status , received €10,000 compensation after mediation .
The clinic apologised , made the payment and provided equality , diversity and HIV training to its employees .
Two cases were taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were refused service in pubs .
In another case , a Roma family with five children brought judicial review proceedings against Dublin City Council as they had been removed from the housing list .
The council said they were not entitled to housing supports as they “ did not have right of residence ” .
However , they did as they were EU nationals .
“ The case was settled and DCC reinstated the complainants onto the social housing list , backdated to the date of their original application and with homeless priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @

During 2019 the Irish Human Rights and Equality commission had 2,165 public queries – a 27 per cent increase on 2018
A refugee who was refused a bank account because he was Syrian, and a woman who was denied dental treatment because she was HIV positive, are among the cases the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) dealt with last year.
Its annual report, published on Wednesday, details some of the 46 completed cases in which it provided legal advice or assistance to people or groups of people whose rights, under equality and human rights legislation, had been violated.
During 2019 the commission had 2,165 public queries – a 27 per cent increase on 2018.
Acting chief commissioner Dr Frank Conaty said the ongoing Covid-19 crisis had highlighted "in the starkest terms, existing inequalities in our society".
READ MORE
Those who had been hit the hardest were those most likely to seek the commission’s help in addressing discrimination and disadvantage, he said.
"These include older people, women and children, members of the Traveller and Roma communities, homeless people, vulnerable migrants – including those living in direct provision centres – and people with disabilities," he said.
Moving from the emergency phase of the national response to the longer term, it was “more important than ever that human rights and equality principles are built into the recovery,” he added.
Employment
The commission provided legal advice in 25 cases, covering employment, access to services and human rights issues last year.
It legally represented 41 people, in 21 cases, including five under the Employment Equality Acts. All five of these were on the grounds of the person’s disability and included a man who was dismissed from his job as an aircraft service agent because he had dyspraxia, and another where a man had an offer of employment withdrawn after he disclosed he had a HIV diagnosis.
In the former the man was found to have been discriminated against when dismissed by Sky Handling Partner Ltd, at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the company was ordered to pay him €15,000. The second case was resolved through mediation.
A total of 12 people were legally represented by the commission in cases under the Equal Status Act, relating to the access of services, last year. Among these was the case of a bank refusing to open an account for a Syrian refugee because of his nationality.
The WRC ordered the bank to pay the man €4,000 in compensation and to engage directly with the commission to ensure something similar never happened again.
In another case a bank refused to allow a refugee, who was already a customer, apply for a credit card due to his nationality. The case was resolved through mediation.
Landlords
Six cases involved tenants and, variously, landlords, a local authority, an accommodation provider and a letting agent.
Three of these were due to the landlord or letting agent refusing to accept the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The WRC ruled against this discrimination in each of these cases that came before it.
A woman who was refused dental treatment, after she had informed the dental clinic in advance of her HIV status, received €10,000 compensation after mediation.
The clinic apologised, made the payment and provided equality, diversity and HIV training to its employees.
Two cases were taken under the Intoxicating Liquor Act where people were refused service in pubs.
In another case, a Roma family with five children brought judicial review proceedings against Dublin City Council as they had been removed from the housing list. The council said they were not entitled to housing supports as they "did not have right of residence". However, they did as they were EU nationals.
“The case was settled and DCC reinstated the complainants onto the social housing list, backdated to the date of their original application and with homeless priority,” according to the report.