theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Man freed after purging contempt over controversial Roscommon farm

One of three men jailed for refusing to comply with court orders to stay away from a controversial Co Roscommon farm has been released from Mountjoy Prison after purging his contempt .
Colm Granahan was released from custody on Tuesday evening after he purged his contempt before Ms Justice Niamh Hyland and agreed to comply with court orders to stay away from a farm in Falsk , Strokestown , Co Roscommon .
After agreeing to abide by the orders Mr Granahan ( 61 ) was immediately released from custody and walked from the Four Courts .
Michael Anthony McGann , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Mr Granahan from Ballina , Co Mayo were jailed by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds last month after they refused to give undertakings to stay away from the farm .
Both Mr McGann , from Strokestown Co Roscommon , and Mr Taylor remain in custody at Mountjoy .
The farm , owned by Mr McGann , was the scene of a controversial eviction in 2018 .
KBC bank obtained a repossession order against the property .
KBC was unable to secure the property and returned to court and obtained orders in October 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
KBC then brought contempt proceedings against the three men over their refusal to comply with that order .
Earlier this month Ms Justice Reynolds said in a written judgment that she was “ making an order for the indefinite detention of the three men , until such time that they purge their contempt .
The judge said that it was “ manifestly clear ” that the three men ’ s actions amount to a “ flagrant , deliberate and contrived breach of a court order made last year preventing anyone from trespassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking possession of the property .
The judge said that evidence was given to the court that the men were present on the property despite that they were not entitled to be there .
The judge also noted that there was “ an ongoing social media campaign , ” in respect of the property , “ orchestrated solely for the purposes of undermining the authority of the court.
” That campaign also called into question the court ’ s authority , and invited people to attend at the farm in order to frustrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that it was “ at all times open ” to the three to purge their contempt and undertake not to trespass upon .
enter , attend at or obstruct KBC bank from taking possession of the property .
All three had been given opportunities by the court to purge their contempt , but had “ demonstrated an unwillingness to do so.
” They were all brought before the court in late November following their arrest by gardaí .
Earlier this week a separate application , challenging the legality of McGann ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Justice Mark Heslin .
The judge said the application brought seeking an inquiry under Article 40 of the constitution into Mr McGann ’ s detention was “ wholly without merit.
” The contempt proceedings are due to be mentioned before the High Court in January .

The farm in Falsk, Strokestown, Co Roscommon was the scene of a controversial eviction in 2018. KBC bank obtained a repossession order against the property. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
One of three men jailed for refusing to comply with court orders to stay away from a controversial Co Roscommon farm has been released from Mountjoy Prison after purging his contempt.
Colm Granahan was released from custody on Tuesday evening after he purged his contempt before Ms Justice Niamh Hyland and agreed to comply with court orders to stay away from a farm in Falsk, Strokestown, Co Roscommon.
After agreeing to abide by the orders Mr Granahan (61) was immediately released from custody and walked from the Four Courts.
Michael Anthony McGann, retired garda Kevin Taylor from Longford along with Mr Granahan from Ballina, Co Mayo were jailed by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds last month after they refused to give undertakings to stay away from the farm.
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Both Mr McGann, from Strokestown Co Roscommon, and Mr Taylor remain in custody at Mountjoy.
The farm, owned by Mr McGann, was the scene of a controversial eviction in 2018. KBC bank obtained a repossession order against the property.
KBC was unable to secure the property and returned to court and obtained orders in October 2019 granting it vacant possession of the property.
KBC then brought contempt proceedings against the three men over their refusal to comply with that order.
Earlier this month Ms Justice Reynolds said in a written judgment that she was “making an order for the indefinite detention of the three men, until such time that they purge their contempt.
The judge said that it was “manifestly clear” that the three men’s actions amount to a “flagrant, deliberate and contrived breach of a court order made last year preventing anyone from trespassing on the farm or impeding KBC from taking possession of the property.
The judge said that evidence was given to the court that the men were present on the property despite that they were not entitled to be there.
The judge also noted that there was “an ongoing social media campaign,” in respect of the property, “orchestrated solely for the purposes of undermining the authority of the court.”
That campaign also called into question the court's authority, and invited people to attend at the farm in order to frustrate the High Court order.
The judge added that it was “at all times open” to the three to purge their contempt and undertake not to trespass upon. enter, attend at or obstruct KBC bank from taking possession of the property.
All three had been given opportunities by the court to purge their contempt, but had “demonstrated an unwillingness to do so.”
They were all brought before the court in late November following their arrest by gardaí.
Earlier this week a separate application, challenging the legality of McGann's detention for contempt, was dismissed by Mr Justice Mark Heslin.
The judge said the application brought seeking an inquiry under Article 40 of the constitution into Mr McGann’s detention was “wholly without merit.”
The contempt proceedings are due to be mentioned before the High Court in January.


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Nine people arrested by gardaí on foot of European arrest warrants

Nine people have been arrested by gardaí this week on foot of European arrest warrants .
The seven men and two women , aged 28 to 63 , were all arrested between Monday , December 21st , and Wednesday , December 23rd as part of a co-ordinated effort from gardaí attached to the Garda Extradition Unit and Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation .
Local members across the country also assisted with the arrests .
Any EU country may issue a European arrest warrant to seek the return of a person who is wanted in that country for a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acted upon this week were for people wanted in the UK .
Det Supt Michael J Mullen of the Garda Extradition Unit said the “ significant ” number of arrests represents An Garda Síochána ’ s “ ongoing commitment to ensuring persons wanted on international arrest warrants are brought to justice ” .
Among those arrested was a 63-year-old man in Longford wanted for sexual offences in the UK .
Also wanted in the UK was a 32-year-old man in Dublin for participating in a criminal organisation and fraud offences ; a 46-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and criminal damage ; a 42-year-old woman in Dundalk , Co Louth , for drugs offences ; a 35-year-old woman in Mullingar , Co Westmeath for immigration offences ; a 43-year-old man in Galway for perjury and perverting the course of justice ; and a 28-year-old man in Dublin for assault and drugs offences .
Wanted in Poland was a 52-year old man in Wexford for fraud offences and a 39-year-old man in Naas , Co Kildare , for false imprisonment and drugs offences .
Each of those arrested appeared before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reappear before the High Court on January 8th , a Garda spokeswoman said .

Operation was part of a co-ordinated effort from gardaí attached to the Garda Extradition Unit and Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Photograph: iStock
Nine people have been arrested by gardaí this week on foot of European arrest warrants.
The seven men and two women, aged 28 to 63, were all arrested between Monday, December 21st, and Wednesday, December 23rd as part of a co-ordinated effort from gardaí attached to the Garda Extradition Unit and Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Local members across the country also assisted with the arrests.
Any EU country may issue a European arrest warrant to seek the return of a person who is wanted in that country for a crime. The majority of the arrest warrants acted upon this week were for people wanted in the UK.
Det Supt Michael J Mullen of the Garda Extradition Unit said the "significant" number of arrests represents An Garda Síochána's "ongoing commitment to ensuring persons wanted on international arrest warrants are brought to justice".
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Among those arrested was a 63-year-old man in Longford wanted for sexual offences in the UK. Also wanted in the UK was a 32-year-old man in Dublin for participating in a criminal organisation and fraud offences; a 46-year-old man in Dublin for hi-jacking, assault, and criminal damage; a 42-year-old woman in Dundalk, Co Louth, for drugs offences; a 35-year-old woman in Mullingar, Co Westmeath for immigration offences; a 43-year-old man in Galway for perjury and perverting the course of justice; and a 28-year-old man in Dublin for assault and drugs offences.
Wanted in Poland was a 52-year old man in Wexford for fraud offences and a 39-year-old man in Naas, Co Kildare, for false imprisonment and drugs offences.
Each of those arrested appeared before the High Court and are currently remanded to reappear before the High Court on January 8th, a Garda spokeswoman said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Cork boy who asks for a vaccine for Santa gets reply from Pfizer boss

A six-year-old boy from Cork who wrote to Pfizer to ask if they could send Covid vaccines to Santa Claus and his elves has received a reply from Pfizer in Ringaskiddy and also the pharmaceutical giant ’ s American chief executive .
Callum Thornhill from Glanmire wrote the letter in early November after he heard on the radio that a vaccine was being developed .
His mother Paula Linehan said she did not expect a reply and it has made her son ’ s Christmas .
“ He heard about the vaccine when we were driving to school one morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter to Pfizer and then he arrived home that afternoon and wrote it , ” Ms Linehan told the Irish Examiner .
She explained to Callum that the company was very busy developing the vaccine so they might not have time to write back , but she assured him they would get in touch with Santa .
About two weeks after Callum sent the letter , a package arrived , addressed to him .
“ I had no idea what it was , I was thinking his dad ordered something .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ringaskiddy ] with a little gift of an art pack.
” This letter thanked Callum for his kind words of encouragement in relation to developing a vaccine .
It also said all children were on Santa ’ s “ good ” list this year as they had sanitised their hands and been very helpful at home .
“ They also said thank you for being so considerate and asking for Santa , and they told him they had been in contact with him , the elves and Mrs Claus , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christmas Eve as usual and they were safe and well , ” says Ms Linehan .
The American CEO of Pfizer , Albert Bourla , then posted about Callum ’ s letter on LinkedIn , as well as sending Ms Linehan a letter via registered post .
Mr Bourla thanked Callum and said the letters from children like him “ remind us of why the work we do everyday is so important ” .
- The Examiner

A six-year-old boy from Cork who wrote to Pfizer to ask if they could send Covid vaccines to Santa Claus and his elves has received a reply from Pfizer in Ringaskiddy and also the pharmaceutical giant’s American chief executive.
Callum Thornhill from Glanmire wrote the letter in early November after he heard on the radio that a vaccine was being developed.
His mother Paula Linehan said she did not expect a reply and it has made her son’s Christmas.
“He heard about the vaccine when we were driving to school one morning. He said we should write a letter to Pfizer and then he arrived home that afternoon and wrote it,” Ms Linehan told the Irish Examiner.
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She explained to Callum that the company was very busy developing the vaccine so they might not have time to write back, but she assured him they would get in touch with Santa.
About two weeks after Callum sent the letter, a package arrived, addressed to him.
“I had no idea what it was, I was thinking his dad ordered something. But it was a letter back from Pfizer [in Ringaskiddy] with a little gift of an art pack.”
This letter thanked Callum for his kind words of encouragement in relation to developing a vaccine.
It also said all children were on Santa’s “good” list this year as they had sanitised their hands and been very helpful at home.
“They also said thank you for being so considerate and asking for Santa, and they told him they had been in contact with him, the elves and Mrs Claus, and they were all set to deliver presents on Christmas Eve as usual and they were safe and well,” says Ms Linehan.
The American CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, then posted about Callum’s letter on LinkedIn, as well as sending Ms Linehan a letter via registered post.
Mr Bourla thanked Callum and said the letters from children like him “remind us of why the work we do everyday is so important”. - The Examiner


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Government set to reject call to shut non-essential retail from St Stephen’s Day

The Government looks set to reject a request from public health officials to shut non-essential retail from St Stephen ’ s Day , as part of a move to Level 5 lockdown for six weeks in a bid to control the “ frightening ” spread of Covid-19 in the State .
Government sources confirmed that the recommendation to shut retail had been made in a letter sent by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) following its meeting on Wednesday .
On Thursday , Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney , said the Cabinet would consider Nphet ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 29th .
The data to date had shown that non-essential retail was not affecting the spread of the virus , said Mr Coveney , but the Cabinet would consider Nphet ‘ s advice , he told RTÉ Radio ’ s Morning Ireland .
Mr Coveney went on to reject a suggestion that the decision to relax restrictions at the start of December had been a mistake .
He said evidence and data on the virus changed all the time and the easing at the start of the month had been made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under published Level 5 plans from the Government , a move to full Level 5 restrictions as recommended by Nphet would rule out visits to private homes or gardens from Saturday , however this was due to be the case a week later on January 1st .
The Government decided on Tuesday to keep non-essential retail open after Christmas although the traditional post-Christmas sales will not proceed .
Under new restrictions agreed by the Cabinet the hospitality sector will close at 3pm .
It comes as preliminary data showed the presence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State , Dr Cillian de Gascun of the National Virus Reference Laboratory has said .
News about the strain of the virus , which is thought to be far more infectious , being present in the State came as 938 further cases and 13 more deaths were reported on Wednesday .
Prof de Gascun said the variant may be present in around 10 per cent of the swabs analysed , but that this needed further validation .
However , senior members of Nphet said on Wednesday night that they did not believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that since restrictions were changed at the beginning of December , “ the level of social contact that has happened , in particular around hospitality , has led to a very significant increase in the transmission of this infection.
” Despite the presence of the UK variant , he said : “ We don ’ t think that ’ s been an important part of transmission in this country , we ’ ve seen a significant amount of social engagement that can explain this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Gascun said the results suggested that the variant is likely concentrated in the east of the country .
“ Given the timing , it probably wouldn ’ t in and of itself account for the significant increase in case numbers that we found , ” he said .
He estimated that the UK variant had been in the country since the second week of December , at least , and may have been introduced in late November Dr Holohan said “ every form of discretionary socialisation really has to stop if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppressing this kind of level of transmission ” .
He said there was a “ clear temporal association ” between the opening of hospitality and a very significant increase in the spread of the disease .
Prof Nolan said the relaxation of December 1st caused an increase in cases , but the relaxation of restrictions on hospitality “ coincides with a very rapid acceleration in the level of disease ” .
Asked why data does not reflect outbreaks in hospitality settings , Dr Ronan Glynn , the deputy chief medical officer said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the source of infection was unknown in 3,000 cases .
The briefing heard that instances of transmission that occurred in hospitality settings are likely to be recorded sometimes as being managed in family homes , due to how contact tracing takes place .
Dr Holohan said “ we now have a level of disease in the population that ’ s simply not in control , we have to re-establish control of this infection , drive down the levels if we ’ re going to continue to assure ourselves that we can maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henry , HSE chief clinical officer , said recent days had seen “ extraordinary growth in infection beyond what our extreme versions of modelling would have predicted.
” “ We are deteriorating at a more rapid pace , in seven days , than any other country in Europe , ” he said .
The rate at which the virus was spreading had reached a “ frightening level , ” he said .

A total of 922 new cases of Covid-19 and eight coronavirus-related deaths have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) on Thursday.
It brings to 83,073 the total of cases of the infection and 2,192 the number of Covid-19-related deaths reported so far in 2020.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the Republic of Ireland now had the fastest growing incidence rate in the European Union. "Unfortunately, none of the indicators of this disease are showing encouraging signs," he said.
Of the 922 new cases reported on Thursday, 438 were men and 477 were women. The median age of positive cases was 33, with 68 per cent of the cases under 45 years of age.
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Some 337 cases, more than a third of the daily total, were located in Dublin. This was followed by 73 in Cork, 70 in Limerick, 56 in Wexford and 43 in Galway. The remaining 343 cases were spread across all other counties.
There were 255 patients with Covid-19 in hospital as of 8am on Thursday, with 37 admissions in the past 24 hours. Twenty-two Covid-19 patients are currently in intensive care.
“This Christmas, the best present you can give your loved ones is to strictly adhere to the public health advice,” Dr Holohan said.
“Make your Christmas safe, meaningful and memorable for the right reasons. Stay home, stay safe and stay well. Limit contact as much as you can and ensure you and your loved ones have a happy and safe Christmas,” he said.
Cillian De Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, also on Thursday said whole genome sequencing had confirmed the highly transmissible UK Covid-19 variant was now present in Ireland.
“Samples tested were from last weekend, so acquisition of infection likely around December 12th-14th,” he said on Twitter.
During the previous six-week lockdown, Ireland had one of the lowest rates of the virus in the EU, but recent weeks have seen a sharp increase in cases, which led the Government to reintroduce Level 5 restrictions in recent days.
The Government looks set to reject a request from public health officials to shut non-essential retail from St Stephen’s Day, as part of a move to Level 5 lockdown for six weeks in a bid to control the “frightening” spread of Covid-19 in the State.
Government sources confirmed that the recommendation to shut retail had been made in a letter sent by Nphet following its meeting on Wednesday.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said the Cabinet would consider Nphet's advice when it meets on December 29th.
Non-essential retail
The data to date had shown that non-essential retail was not affecting the spread of the virus, said Mr Coveney, but the Cabinet would consider Nphet's advice, he told RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland.
Mr Coveney went on to reject a suggestion that the decision to relax restrictions at the start of December had been a mistake.
He said evidence and data on the virus changed all the time and the easing at the start of the month had been made in the context of advice from Nphet.
Under published Level 5 plans from the Government, a move to full Level 5 restrictions as recommended by Nphet would rule out visits to private homes or gardens from Saturday, but this was due to be the case a week later, on January 1st.
The Government decided on Tuesday to keep non-essential retail open after Christmas, although the traditional post-Christmas sales will not proceed.
Under new restrictions agreed by the Cabinet, the hospitality sector will close at 3pm today.
It comes as preliminary data showed the presence of the new UK variant of coronavirus in the State, Dr Cillian de Gascun of the National Virus Reference Laboratory said.
Prof de Gascun said the variant may be present in about 10 per cent of swabs analysed, but that this needed further validation.
Christmas shoppers are seen on Grafton Street in Dublin city centre.Photo:Gareth Chaney/Collins
However, senior members of Nphet said on Wednesday night they did not believe the UK variant is currently substantially driving infection here.
Dr Holohan said that since restrictions were changed at the beginning of December, “the level of social contact that has happened, in particular around hospitality, has led to a very significant increase in the transmission of this infection.”
Despite the presence of the UK variant, he said: “We don’t think that’s been an important part of transmission in this country – we’ve seen a significant amount of social engagement that can explain this extent of really worrying numbers.”
Dr de Gascun said the results suggested the variant is likely concentrated in the east of the country.
“Given the timing, it probably wouldn’t in and of itself account for the significant increase in case numbers that we found,” he said. He estimated that the UK variant had been in the country since the second week of December, at least, and may have been introduced in late November.
Dr Holohan said “every form of discretionary socialisation really has to stop if we’re to have a chance of suppressing this kind of level of transmission”. He said there was a “clear temporal association” between the opening of hospitality and a very significant increase in the spread of the disease.
‘Very rapid acceleration’
Prof Nolan said the relaxation of December 1st caused an increase in cases, but the relaxation of restrictions on hospitality "coincides with a very rapid acceleration in the level of disease".
Asked why data does not reflect outbreaks in hospitality settings, Dr Ronan Glynn, the deputy chief medical officer, said that of 7,000 cases in the last fortnight, the source of infection was unknown in 3,000 cases. The briefing heard that instances of transmission that occurred in hospitality settings are likely to be recorded sometimes as being managed in family homes, due to how contact tracing takes place.
Dr Holohan said: “We now have a level of disease in the population that’s simply not in control, we have to re-establish control of this infection, drive down the levels if we’re going to continue to assure ourselves that we can maintain these essential public services.”
Dr Colm Henry, HSE chief clinical officer, said recent days had seen "extraordinary growth in infection beyond what our extreme versions of modelling would have predicted".
"We are deteriorating at a more rapid pace, in seven days, than any other country in Europe, " he said. The rate at which the virus was spreading had reached a "frightening level".


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Message from Irish Times Editor: Thank you for your loyalty and trust in the darkest of times

In looking forward to 2020 last December , I was predicting a busy year with Brexit , the general election at home and the presidential election in the United States top of the news agenda .
Not a lot more needed to be said or so it seemed .
As events unfolded , however , perhaps a set of Tarot cards may have been more accurate .
Together we have faced the most difficult of years , so much of it so bad for so many that it is hard , and maybe even inappropriate , to identify positives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times by you our readers – even in the worst times – was exactly that : a huge positive .
With our office closed and working from home , like so many others , we have tried to put our best foot forward ; to provide the reliable and trustworthy journalism sought by you and , across the range of what we do via so many forms of media , to help shine some light in the dark .
Your response has been evident in a rise in traffic to our website and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales of the Weekend edition .
Less measurable but equally heartening is the sense that when you as readers , users , viewers , listeners and customers – all part of The Irish Times audience now – re-examined your priorities in troubled times , you saw a place for us in your lives .
At the end of such a year , I want to acknowledge the huge commitment of my colleagues who have done so much to make this possible : every section and every department , those front of house and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their kitchens , bedrooms and attics , those out and about as essential workers and those who kept the print plant moving in Citywest and the lights turned on in Tara Street .
In an organisation of very diverse individuals , it was the ultimate team effort .
As we continue to grapple with the pandemic and so many other uncertainties , I hesitate to try my hand at more forecasting .
But it seems reasonable to hope that in due course 2021 will bring better times .
With that in mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your continuing support for The Irish Times and to wish you and your families as happy a Christmas as the circumstances permit .
Best wishes , Paul O'Neill Editor

In looking forward to 2020 last December, I was predicting a busy year with Brexit, the general election at home and the presidential election in the United States top of the news agenda. Not a lot more needed to be said or so it seemed. As events unfolded, however, perhaps a set of Tarot cards may have been more accurate.
Together we have faced the most difficult of years, so much of it so bad for so many that it is hard, and maybe even inappropriate, to identify positives. Yet the loyalty shown to The Irish Times by you our readers – even in the worst times – was exactly that: a huge positive.
With our office closed and working from home, like so many others, we have tried to put our best foot forward; to provide the reliable and trustworthy journalism sought by you and, across the range of what we do via so many forms of media, to help shine some light in the dark.
Your response has been evident in a rise in traffic to our website and in digital subscriptions, and in increased sales of the Weekend edition. Less measurable but equally heartening is the sense that when you as readers, users, viewers, listeners and customers – all part of The Irish Times audience now – re-examined your priorities in troubled times, you saw a place for us in your lives.
READ MORE
Irish Times Editor Paul O’Neill
At the end of such a year, I want to acknowledge the huge commitment of my colleagues who have done so much to make this possible: every section and every department, those front of house and behind the scenes, those who laboured from their kitchens, bedrooms and attics, those out and about as essential workers and those who kept the print plant moving in Citywest and the lights turned on in Tara Street. In an organisation of very diverse individuals, it was the ultimate team effort.
As we continue to grapple with the pandemic and so many other uncertainties, I hesitate to try my hand at more forecasting. But it seems reasonable to hope that in due course 2021 will bring better times.
With that in mind, I want to thank you for your continuing support for The Irish Times and to wish you and your families as happy a Christmas as the circumstances permit.
Best wishes,
Paul O'Neill
Editor


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Variety is the spice of life: understanding how plants reproduce

You find out the hard way that buying a holly sapling for your garden is a game of Christmas Russian roulette .
There is a 50 per cent chance of getting a female which , if pollinated , produces festive red berries .
The other 50 per cent of the time you get a male which produces tiny white flowers in September that provide pollen but no berries at Christmas .
The European holly ( ilex aquifolium ) is one of the 6 per cent of flowering plants that are dioecious and have male and female functions in separate individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reproduce as hermaphrodites through both male ( pollen ) and female ( ovule ) functions on the same plant .
Plants have very complicated sex lives .
Male and female functions are distributed in many different ways within and between plants in a population .
Individual flowers can be male , female or hermaphrodite .
Whole plants can have a sliding scale of male and female functions and those functions may be sequential in time .
A plant that starts out as a male pollen producer for years can suddenly become a female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , talking about “ the birds and the bees ” when dealing with plants is tricky .
It takes a few years before holly trees get big enough to produce flowers which can be sexed .
To ensure you get a good berry crop you should buy a few different plants of the same variety and keep your fingers crossed .
Once you have a female holly , and hopefully a male somewhere within pollinating distance , you are reliant on the local pollinators to do their job and bring the pollen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bees are good pollinators of holly and can travel several hundred metres between plants .
However , the female holly needs a bee to have visited a male first to pick up the pollen needed .
This highlights a fundamental problem for plants : they can not actively find their own mate and have to rely on wind , water or the coercion of animals to move pollen around for them .
The ability of all plants in a population to produce seeds and mate with any other plant in the population is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than separate sexes .
However , being a hermaphrodite does not necessarily mean that you can mate with yourself ( termed self-compatibility ) .
If a species is self-incompatible individual plants still have to find another mate but the chances of finding a partner are higher if all plants in the population can act as both males and females .
There are some wacky mating systems in plants such as the ribwort plantain ( plantago lanceolata ) where populations include plants that act as females , with no pollen-producing flowers , and plants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same flowers .
Ribwort plantain is wind pollinated so relies on capturing pollen drifting in air currents to fertilise its ovules .
This may be a reasonable strategy in big populations but when a female is isolated and pollen is hard to come by , it can be risky to be female .
The ultimate in avoiding pollination problems are plants , such as dandelions , which do not normally need another mate and produce seeds on their own .
The ability to reproduce clonally by seed is termed apomixis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attached to its fluffy parachute , is an exact clone of its mother .
While there are advantages to not having to find a mate , there are also downsides .
Inbreeding depression through mating with oneself or a close relative can reduce the quality of the offspring because it can result in multiple copies of damaging mutations at a particular location in the genome .
In clonal plants , mutations can arise which can doom a whole lineage to extinction or the environment can change making a previously successful clonal genotype no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even dandelions have some residual sexuality where occasional sexual events bring variety back into the genome .
It seems that variety is the spice of life when it comes to plant sex .
Yvonne Buckley is an ecologist , Irish Research Council laureate and professor of zoology at Trinity College Dublin

The European holly (ilex aquifolium) is one of the 6 per cent of flowering plants that are dioecious and have male and female functions in separate individuals. Photograph: Getty Images/iStock
You find out the hard way that buying a holly sapling for your garden is a game of Christmas Russian roulette. There is a 50 per cent chance of getting a female which, if pollinated, produces festive red berries. The other 50 per cent of the time you get a male which produces tiny white flowers in September that provide pollen but no berries at Christmas.
The European holly (ilex aquifolium) is one of the 6 per cent of flowering plants that are dioecious and have male and female functions in separate individuals. The vast majority of plant species reproduce as hermaphrodites through both male (pollen) and female (ovule) functions on the same plant.
Plants have very complicated sex lives. Male and female functions are distributed in many different ways within and between plants in a population. Individual flowers can be male, female or hermaphrodite.
Whole plants can have a sliding scale of male and female functions and those functions may be sequential in time. A plant that starts out as a male pollen producer for years can suddenly become a female seed producer if circumstances change. So, talking about “the birds and the bees” when dealing with plants is tricky.
READ MORE
Pollinators
It takes a few years before holly trees get big enough to produce flowers which can be sexed. To ensure you get a good berry crop you should buy a few different plants of the same variety and keep your fingers crossed. Once you have a female holly, and hopefully a male somewhere within pollinating distance, you are reliant on the local pollinators to do their job and bring the pollen to the female.
Luckily several species of bees are good pollinators of holly and can travel several hundred metres between plants. However, the female holly needs a bee to have visited a male first to pick up the pollen needed. This highlights a fundamental problem for plants: they cannot actively find their own mate and have to rely on wind, water or the coercion of animals to move pollen around for them.
The ability of all plants in a population to produce seeds and mate with any other plant in the population is why hermaphrodite plant species are more common than separate sexes. However, being a hermaphrodite does not necessarily mean that you can mate with yourself (termed self-compatibility). If a species is self-incompatible individual plants still have to find another mate but the chances of finding a partner are higher if all plants in the population can act as both males and females.
Mating systems
There are some wacky mating systems in plants such as the ribwort plantain (plantago lanceolata) where populations include plants that act as females, with no pollen-producing flowers, and plants which have both male and female functions in the same flowers. Ribwort plantain is wind pollinated so relies on capturing pollen drifting in air currents to fertilise its ovules. This may be a reasonable strategy in big populations but when a female is isolated and pollen is hard to come by, it can be risky to be female.
The ultimate in avoiding pollination problems are plants, such as dandelions, which do not normally need another mate and produce seeds on their own. The ability to reproduce clonally by seed is termed apomixis.
Usually, each tiny dandelion seed, attached to its fluffy parachute, is an exact clone of its mother. While there are advantages to not having to find a mate, there are also downsides. Inbreeding depression through mating with oneself or a close relative can reduce the quality of the offspring because it can result in multiple copies of damaging mutations at a particular location in the genome.
In clonal plants, mutations can arise which can doom a whole lineage to extinction or the environment can change making a previously successful clonal genotype no longer suited to those conditions.
So, even dandelions have some residual sexuality where occasional sexual events bring variety back into the genome. It seems that variety is the spice of life when it comes to plant sex.
Yvonne Buckley is an ecologist, Irish Research Council laureate and professor of zoology at Trinity College Dublin


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--‘When engineers design a product, we need to consider ways it could fail’

What is your PhD about ?
It is on the physical properties and endurance of 3D-printed metals .
I am doing my PhD as part of the Advanced Metallics Systems Centre for Doctoral Training programme ( CDT ) , in conjunction with I-Form , the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing .
This is collaborative programme between UCD , Dublin City University , Manchester University and the University of Sheffield .
The goal is to address a shortage of engineers with skills in metallurgy in Ireland and the UK .
Every student in the CDT works with an industrial partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I am working with a company that produces biomedical devices in Ireland .
Using metal additive manufacturing , or 3D printing , you can produce complicated solid structures by fusing metal powders one layer at a time .
I am studying the material properties and failure mechanisms of titanium alloys manufactured in this way .
How did you become interested in additive manufacturing ?
I remember being impressed when I first saw a 3D printer suitable for printing with plastic materials in an electronics store in Germany 10 years ago .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I was introduced to the concept of metal additive manufacturing .
It seemed like something from a science fiction movie .
What personally drew me in to additive manufacturing is the fact that we are still trying to figure out what the best applications are and how to get the most out of this technology .
What would you like people to know about your area of research ?
When engineers design a product , we need to consider any possible ways in which the product can fail .
One such failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a material is stressed repetitively .
Maybe you are wondering why your phone charger stopped working ?
Fatigue could be responsible for this by causing the wire to break after being bent back and forth too often .
All metals suffer from fatigue , and engineers have developed standards and protocols for dealing with this issue , but 3D-printed metals have been found not to conform to these standards .
If we can better understand the failure mechanisms of additively manufactured metals , then this technology can be used in more innovative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the challenges of being a PhD student ?
Being a PhD student is a balancing act .
There is an endless number of things you could do on a day-to-day basis , but it is important to focus on only the most relevant tasks at hand .
Good organisation and time management are critical .
But you also need to maintain a work-life balance because there is nothing preventing you from working through the weekends .
And what do you like about it ?
What I enjoy most about doing a PhD is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedule your tasks as you see fit , and it is very enjoyable to share moments of triumph with your supervisor when an experiment you planned together goes well .
There is a great sense of achievement when you work hard on setting up a piece of equipment and then others look to you when they are trying to use it .
Teaching bachelor or master ’ s students in labs is also something I very much enjoy doing .
And what do you do in your spare time ?
I like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or going for walks with my girlfriend and our little Jack Russell .
I like to partake in a regular poker game together with some of my friends from secondary school .
I ’ m also a hobby coder , which gave me something to do during the lockdown .

‘Using metal additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, you can produce complicated solid structures by fusing metal powders one layer at a time.’
What is your PhD about?
It is on the physical properties and endurance of 3D-printed metals. I am doing my PhD as part of the Advanced Metallics Systems Centre for Doctoral Training programme (CDT), in conjunction with I-Form, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing. This is collaborative programme between UCD, Dublin City University, Manchester University and the University of Sheffield. The goal is to address a shortage of engineers with skills in metallurgy in Ireland and the UK.
Every student in the CDT works with an industrial partner, trying to solve a metallurgy-related problem. I am working with a company that produces biomedical devices in Ireland.
Using metal additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, you can produce complicated solid structures by fusing metal powders one layer at a time. I am studying the material properties and failure mechanisms of titanium alloys manufactured in this way.
READ MORE
How did you become interested in additive manufacturing?
I remember being impressed when I first saw a 3D printer suitable for printing with plastic materials in an electronics store in Germany 10 years ago. It wasn't until my Masters studies that I was introduced to the concept of metal additive manufacturing.
It seemed like something from a science fiction movie. What personally drew me in to additive manufacturing is the fact that we are still trying to figure out what the best applications are and how to get the most out of this technology.
What would you like people to know about your area of research?
When engineers design a product, we need to consider any possible ways in which the product can fail. One such failure mechanism is called fatigue; this is when a material is stressed repetitively. Maybe you are wondering why your phone charger stopped working?
Fatigue could be responsible for this by causing the wire to break after being bent back and forth too often. All metals suffer from fatigue, and engineers have developed standards and protocols for dealing with this issue, but 3D-printed metals have been found not to conform to these standards.
If we can better understand the failure mechanisms of additively manufactured metals, then this technology can be used in more innovative products in the future.
What are the challenges of being a PhD student?
Being a PhD student is a balancing act. There is an endless number of things you could do on a day-to-day basis, but it is important to focus on only the most relevant tasks at hand. Good organisation and time management are critical. But you also need to maintain a work-life balance because there is nothing preventing you from working through the weekends.
And what do you like about it?
What I enjoy most about doing a PhD is the freedom it provides. You can schedule your tasks as you see fit, and it is very enjoyable to share moments of triumph with your supervisor when an experiment you planned together goes well.
There is a great sense of achievement when you work hard on setting up a piece of equipment and then others look to you when they are trying to use it. Teaching bachelor or master’s students in labs is also something I very much enjoy doing.
And what do you do in your spare time?
I like to stay fit by running, cycling, or going for walks with my girlfriend and our little Jack Russell. I like to partake in a regular poker game together with some of my friends from secondary school. I'm also a hobby coder, which gave me something to do during the lockdown.


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--The sperm race: How an Irish firm is finding the strongest swimmers

Every year roughly a million fertility treatment cycles are carried out in the EU and the US , and two-thirds of them fail .
Fertility problems affect one in six couples and treatment costs about €5,000 for a single cycle in Europe – and twice that or more in the US .
It takes an average of three cycles for a couple to conceive .
When the treatments fail , those involved pay a heavy emotional and financial price .
“ Infertility is often wrongly seen as predominantly a female problem .
But in up to 50 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major contributing factor , ” says reproductive specialist Dr Sean Fair , who is also the driving force behind a new technology that dramatically improves sperm selection and increases the chances of a successful pregnancy .
Sperm is produced in the hundreds of millions , which suggests that a reasonable proportion will successfully make it up the female reproductive tract .
This is not the case .
Even in men considered to have robust fertility levels , only 4-8 per cent of their sperm have what is considered the “ normal ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fertilise an egg .
“ In a fertility clinic setting , most eggs are fertilised by an intra cytoplasmic sperm injection .
This involves the embryologist selecting a sperm and injecting it directly into the egg , ” Fair says .
“ An experienced embryologist will select the best sperm available with a normal shape but they have no information about its DNA integrity – which can fragment – as the only test available to check it would destroy the sperm .
We know that high sperm DNA fragmentation leads to lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miscarriage , so the selection of sperm with the best DNA integrity is crucial.
” Fair ’ s background is in animal science , and he has been researching for the past 15 years how sperm interact with the female reproductive tract .
Although much of his professional life has been spent on animal reproduction , he says there are close parallels with humans and it was a small step to transfer what he knew in one context to another .
“ I ’ m guessing that not a lot of people know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge of animal reproductive science for probably 40 years now , and there is a huge reservoir of knowledge here on the subject , ” says Fair .
“ I felt there was significant potential to apply what we already knew about animals to humans given the mammalian similarities and I spoke to numerous fertility specialists who immediately identified with the science and saw it as a significant step forward in helping couples to overcome their infertility problems.
” In August his research took a giant step towards commercialisation with the formation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to market .
The company ’ s co-founder is embryologist Declan Keane ( also founder of the ReproMed fertility group ) , and NeoMimix will be spun out from the University of Limerick , where Fair is based at the Bernal Institute .
Market launch has been set for 2023 .
“ We knew from looking at how sperm progress up the female reproductive tract in farm animals that they swim up small grooves along the edges of the cervix against outward-moving mucus .
I discussed replicating this process in the lab with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this led to our first basic prototype , which allowed us to see the sperm swimming against a fluid flow , ” says Fair .
“ What ’ s developed from there is NeoMimix ’ s proprietary technology , which works by naturally stimulating the sperm to swim in microchannels against an active fluid flow .
In other words , it ’ s exactly how sperm naturally orientate and swim up the female reproductive tract against an outward flow of mucus produced under the influence of oestrogen around the time of ovulation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about half the time it takes with current methods , and environmentally what we ’ re doing is also a step forward , as our technology requires the use of a single disc , not multiple test tubes that have to be discarded after use.
” NeoMimix ’ s microfluidics-based technology comprises a small reusable control unit and a disposable plastic disc with multiple tiny channels that act like the grooves of the cervix .
The sperm sample is placed on the disc and the system then mimics the way the female body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short , it ’ s all about survival of the fittest , and what ’ s left at the end of the process is an elite group of super swimmers .
The embryologist then works with this elite cohort alone to fertilise the egg , thereby enhancing the potential for pregnancy and reducing the number of IVF cycles a couple has to go through .
Shaun Rogers is an embryology clinical scientist at the Gennet City fertility clinic in London , which is part of Europe ’ s third-largest provider of IVF .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the field and is encouraged by what he has seen and heard so far about the NeoMimix technology .
“ There have been big advances in fertility treatment in the last 10 years but a lot of it has been focused on the embryo and improving the implant potential , ” says Rogers .
“ The preparation of sperm samples has received less attention so there have been fewer big developments , which is why what NeoMimix is doing is particularly relevant .
There are significant advantages to a sperm sorting system that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work with.
” “ In my experience the ideas with the best potential usually come from the field rather than from a research company working in isolation , ” says Rogers .
“ In the case of NeoMimix you have an approach that combines the best of both worlds : the experience of a reproductive biologist who has worked in the field for over 30 years and the rigorous approach of an academic researcher at the leading edge .
Putting the two together gives the best chance of producing something that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advantages of NeoMimix ’ s system will become obvious to the infertility community once the company breaks cover and begins actively demonstrating its technology .
“ Currently , our ‘ competition ’ and the industry norm is a method called density gradient centrifugation .
This is where sperm are spun in a centrifuge at high speed and forced through silica nanoparticles .
More dense sperm are pushed to the bottom , ” Fair says .
“ This technique is rudimentary and not very selective .
In addition , the centrifugation process stresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and silica nanoparticles can get stuck to it and then need to be washed off by further centrifugations , which is far from ideal.
” Component parts for NeoMimix ’ s technology will be made in Sligo and Shannon , and its potential customers are fertility clinics worldwide .
Its addressable market is estimated at €280 million , and Fair says the company intends to develop its microfluidics platform into a total embryo culture system that will open up a potential market of €23 billion .
Between now and the product launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the device has to go through US and EU regulatory processes and the company is about to embark on a €2 million fundraising round to build out its team and proceed to market .
Investment in the technology to date is about €700,000 , which has come from Enterprise Ireland , UL and the EU ’ s EIT Health innovation network .

Every year roughly a million fertility treatment cycles are carried out in the EU and the US, and two-thirds of them fail. Fertility problems affect one in six couples and treatment costs about €5,000 for a single cycle in Europe – and twice that or more in the US.
It takes an average of three cycles for a couple to conceive. When the treatments fail, those involved pay a heavy emotional and financial price.
"Infertility is often wrongly seen as predominantly a female problem. But in up to 50 per cent of cases, issues with the sperm are a major contributing factor," says reproductive specialist Dr Sean Fair, who is also the driving force behind a new technology that dramatically improves sperm selection and increases the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Sperm is produced in the hundreds of millions, which suggests that a reasonable proportion will successfully make it up the female reproductive tract. This is not the case. Even in men considered to have robust fertility levels, only 4-8 per cent of their sperm have what is considered the “normal” shape required to go the full distance and fertilise an egg.
READ MORE
“In a fertility clinic setting, most eggs are fertilised by an intra cytoplasmic sperm injection. This involves the embryologist selecting a sperm and injecting it directly into the egg,” Fair says.
“An experienced embryologist will select the best sperm available with a normal shape but they have no information about its DNA integrity – which can fragment – as the only test available to check it would destroy the sperm. We know that high sperm DNA fragmentation leads to lower fertilisation rates and doubles the risk of miscarriage, so the selection of sperm with the best DNA integrity is crucial.”
Fair’s background is in animal science, and he has been researching for the past 15 years how sperm interact with the female reproductive tract. Although much of his professional life has been spent on animal reproduction, he says there are close parallels with humans and it was a small step to transfer what he knew in one context to another.
"I'm guessing that not a lot of people know that Ireland has been at the leading edge of animal reproductive science for probably 40 years now, and there is a huge reservoir of knowledge here on the subject," says Fair. "I felt there was significant potential to apply what we already knew about animals to humans given the mammalian similarities and I spoke to numerous fertility specialists who immediately identified with the science and saw it as a significant step forward in helping couples to overcome their infertility problems."
NeoMimix’s microfluidics-based technology comprises a small reusable control unit and a disposable plastic disc with multiple tiny channels that act like the grooves of the cervix
Market launch
In August his research took a giant step towards commercialisation with the formation of NeoMimix, which will take the technology to market. The company's co-founder is embryologist Declan Keane (also founder of the ReproMed fertility group), and NeoMimix will be spun out from the University of Limerick, where Fair is based at the Bernal Institute. Market launch has been set for 2023.
“We knew from looking at how sperm progress up the female reproductive tract in farm animals that they swim up small grooves along the edges of the cervix against outward-moving mucus. I discussed replicating this process in the lab with my engineering and product design teams and this led to our first basic prototype, which allowed us to see the sperm swimming against a fluid flow,” says Fair.
“What’s developed from there is NeoMimix’s proprietary technology, which works by naturally stimulating the sperm to swim in microchannels against an active fluid flow. In other words, it’s exactly how sperm naturally orientate and swim up the female reproductive tract against an outward flow of mucus produced under the influence of oestrogen around the time of ovulation.
We can complete the selection process in about half the time it takes with current methods, and environmentally what we’re doing is also a step forward, as our technology requires the use of a single disc, not multiple test tubes that have to be discarded after use.”
NeoMimix’s microfluidics-based technology comprises a small reusable control unit and a disposable plastic disc with multiple tiny channels that act like the grooves of the cervix. The sperm sample is placed on the disc and the system then mimics the way the female body naturally conducts its selection process. In short, it’s all about survival of the fittest, and what’s left at the end of the process is an elite group of super swimmers.
The embryologist then works with this elite cohort alone to fertilise the egg, thereby enhancing the potential for pregnancy and reducing the number of IVF cycles a couple has to go through.
Sperm sorting
Shaun Rogers is an embryology clinical scientist at the Gennet City fertility clinic in London, which is part of Europe's third-largest provider of IVF. He has spent almost three decades in the field and is encouraged by what he has seen and heard so far about the NeoMimix technology.
“There have been big advances in fertility treatment in the last 10 years but a lot of it has been focused on the embryo and improving the implant potential,” says Rogers. “The preparation of sperm samples has received less attention so there have been fewer big developments, which is why what NeoMimix is doing is particularly relevant. There are significant advantages to a sperm sorting system that will give us a better functional population to work with.”
“In my experience the ideas with the best potential usually come from the field rather than from a research company working in isolation,” says Rogers. “In the case of NeoMimix you have an approach that combines the best of both worlds: the experience of a reproductive biologist who has worked in the field for over 30 years and the rigorous approach of an academic researcher at the leading edge. Putting the two together gives the best chance of producing something that’s different and ground-breaking.”
NeoMimix co-founders Dr Sean Fair and Declan Keane
Fair says the advantages of NeoMimix’s system will become obvious to the infertility community once the company breaks cover and begins actively demonstrating its technology. “Currently, our ‘competition’ and the industry norm is a method called density gradient centrifugation.
This is where sperm are spun in a centrifuge at high speed and forced through silica nanoparticles. More dense sperm are pushed to the bottom,” Fair says. “This technique is rudimentary and not very selective. In addition, the centrifugation process stresses the sperm (our technology does not) and silica nanoparticles can get stuck to it and then need to be washed off by further centrifugations, which is far from ideal.”
Component parts for NeoMimix’s technology will be made in Sligo and Shannon, and its potential customers are fertility clinics worldwide. Its addressable market is estimated at €280 million, and Fair says the company intends to develop its microfluidics platform into a total embryo culture system that will open up a potential market of €23 billion.
Between now and the product launch in roughly two years' time, the device has to go through US and EU regulatory processes and the company is about to embark on a €2 million fundraising round to build out its team and proceed to market. Investment in the technology to date is about €700,000, which has come from Enterprise Ireland, UL and the EU's EIT Health innovation network.


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--December Dublin city traffic hit highest levels since pandemic began

Traffic and footfall in Dublin city this month reached the highest levels since the coronavirus pandemic began , according to new figures from Dublin City Council .
Although people were still being encouraged to work from home , traffic volumes in the city centre had by the middle of December reached 86 per cent of pre-Covid levels , a higher figure than any time since restrictions were first introduced last March .
The number of vehicles travelling in and out of the city began to drop rapidly from the first week in March , hitting a low at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on travel were introduced .
At that point , when travel was restricted to 2km except for essential reasons and most businesses were closed , traffic volumes fell to just over a third of their normal levels .
Despite no change to the restrictions over the following month , traffic crept back to more than 40 per cent of normal levels at the start of May .
As travel and business restrictions eased in the summer , traffic increased .
At the end of the first week in June , it was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volumes and by the end of the month it had hit 75 per cent and by July it reached 80 per cent .
There was a levelling off for the following months , until Level 5 restrictions were introduced at the end of October and traffic levels fell back to 60 per cent of normal levels .
However , the move from Level 5 to Level 3 at the start of December saw an increase in city traffic of about 18 per cent , the council said .
The number of pedestrians in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last March , with automatic footfall counters , which operate on a 24-hour basis in the area between Stephen ’ s Green and Henry Street , showing an 80 per cent drop in people in the city .
However , by the middle of December this had reached a high of 60 per cent of pre-Covid levels .
The effect of the lifting of restrictions was particularly striking on Henry Street where footfall since early December was higher than in previous Decembers , the council said .
Footfall has also increased in Grafton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent , it said .
Cycling numbers , which are also continuously monitored by automatic counters , are at about 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels with this holding steady since the start of June , when the council ’ s measures to protect cycle lanes from encroachment by cars became prevalent across the city .
Commuter cycling remains low .
During the peak morning time of 7am to 10am , cycling numbers are about 35 per cent of pre-Covid levels , but off-peak cycling numbers are exceeding 2019 figures .

Traffic and footfall in Dublin city this month reached the highest levels since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to new figures from Dublin City Council.
Although people were still being encouraged to work from home, traffic volumes in the city centre had by the middle of December reached 86 per cent of pre-Covid levels, a higher figure than any time since restrictions were first introduced last March.
The number of vehicles travelling in and out of the city began to drop rapidly from the first week in March, hitting a low at the end of the month when strict Covid-19 restrictions on travel were introduced.
At that point, when travel was restricted to 2km except for essential reasons and most businesses were closed, traffic volumes fell to just over a third of their normal levels. Despite no change to the restrictions over the following month, traffic crept back to more than 40 per cent of normal levels at the start of May.
READ MORE
As travel and business restrictions eased in the summer, traffic increased. At the end of the first week in June, it was at about 60 per cent of its pre-pandemic volumes and by the end of the month it had hit 75 per cent and by July it reached 80 per cent.
There was a levelling off for the following months, until Level 5 restrictions were introduced at the end of October and traffic levels fell back to 60 per cent of normal levels. However, the move from Level 5 to Level 3 at the start of December saw an increase in city traffic of about 18 per cent, the council said.
Footfall counters
The number of pedestrians in the city centre fell even more sharply last March, with automatic footfall counters, which operate on a 24-hour basis in the area between Stephen's Green and Henry Street, showing an 80 per cent drop in people in the city.
However, by the middle of December this had reached a high of 60 per cent of pre-Covid levels. The effect of the lifting of restrictions was particularly striking on Henry Street where footfall since early December was higher than in previous Decembers, the council said. Footfall has also increased in Grafton Street, though not to the same extent, it said.
Cycling numbers, which are also continuously monitored by automatic counters, are at about 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels with this holding steady since the start of June, when the council’s measures to protect cycle lanes from encroachment by cars became prevalent across the city.
Commuter cycling remains low. During the peak morning time of 7am to 10am, cycling numbers are about 35 per cent of pre-Covid levels, but off-peak cycling numbers are exceeding 2019 figures.


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Covid-19: Government urged to begin six-week lockdown on St Stephen’s Day

The Government has been told to institute a six-week Level 5 lockdown starting on St Stephen ’ s Day , as public health officials said data indicates a new variant first detected in the UK of Covid-19 is present in Ireland .
Such a move , which would come into effect at midnight , would entail a closure of non-essential retail , which the Government decided to keep open earlier this week .
Under Level 5 , household visits are also banned .
Amid deepening concern over the new variant and the level of disease in the State , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) warned on Wednesday that , as the country enters the Christmas period , it is “ being hit very hard by a rapidly escalating and rapidly transmitting virus ” .
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the situation was “ very sobering ” .
He told The Irish Times that new variants of the virus from South Africa and the UK , combined with a rapid rise in infection rates across all age groups , meant “ it ’ s the most serious situation since I became health Minister ” .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ think very carefully ” about meeting vulnerable relatives on Christmas , especially if they had been socialising .
In a letter sent to Mr Donnelly on Wednesday evening , chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned of serious concerns about protecting the healthcare system .
Earlier , HSE chief executive Paul Reid said the country is facing “ very serious and dangerous ” levels of Covid-19 infection , which threatens to have a “ major impact ” on the hospital system .
Dr Cillian De Gascun , the chair of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring of samples taken last weekend suggested the UK variant may be present in about 10 per cent of swabs analysed .
However , Dr Holohan said the rise in cases could not be attributed to the presence in Ireland of the new variant , which early studies suggest is more infectious .
He said that since restrictions were changed at the beginning of December , “ the level of social contact that has happened , in particular around hospitality , has led to a very significant increase in the transmission of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every form of discretionary socialisation really has to stop if we ’ re to have a chance of suppressing this kind of level of transmission ” .
He said there was a “ clear temporal association ” between the opening of hospitality and a very significant increase in the spread of the disease .
The chair of Nphet ’ s epidemiological advisory group Prof Philip Nolan said the relaxation of December 1st caused an increase in cases , but the relaxation of restrictions on hospitality “ coincides with a very rapid acceleration in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R number , an estimate of how quickly the virus is moving through the population , is currently estimated between 1.5 and 1.8 , Prof Nolan said .
If it could be brought down to 1.4 , there would be 1,100 cases per day by January 4th , and 1,600 by January 18th .
If it could be forced to 1.1 , those numbers would be 1,000 and 1,200 respectively , but even if it came down to 1.0 , he said case numbers of around 1,000 per day would continue .
Prof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current measures would be sufficient to drive the number below 1 .
“ Given the nature of the measures and our experience to date , I ’ m not confident that they alone are sufficient , particularly given where we ’ re starting from.
” There is deep and grave concern among senior Government sources over the potential impact of the variant , despite the Nphet view that it has not yet substantially driven infection here .
While Government is anxious to protect schools , the economy and other essential services , senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be examined in the New Year .
Asked about the reopening of schools in January , Dr Holohan said “ we are not raising any issue about that at this point in time ” .
However , citing previous closure of healthcare and the impact on nursing homes , he warned that high levels of community transmission “ represent a risk to all the things that happen in society ” .
In Northern Ireland , the first case of the new variant of coronavirus was confirmed on Wednesday night .
The North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis indicated the variant was likely to have been present in Northern Ireland “ for a period of time ” .
“ This new variant had been detected in increasing numbers in the southeast of England .
It is increasingly likely that it is also established across other regions of the UK and in the Republic of Ireland , ” the department said in a statement .

Dr Cillian De Gascun, the chair of the Covid-19 expert advisory group, said monitoring of samples taken last weekend suggested the UK variant may be present in about 10 per cent of swabs analysed. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
The Government has been told to institute a six-week Level 5 lockdown starting on St Stephen’s Day, as public health officials said data indicates a new variant first detected in the UK of Covid-19 is present in Ireland.
Such a move, which would come into effect at midnight, would entail a closure of non-essential retail, which the Government decided to keep open earlier this week. Under Level 5, household visits are also banned.
Amid deepening concern over the new variant and the level of disease in the State, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) warned on Wednesday that, as the country enters the Christmas period, it is “being hit very hard by a rapidly escalating and rapidly transmitting virus”.
Hospital Report
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the situation was “very sobering”. He told The Irish Times that new variants of the virus from South Africa and the UK, combined with a rapid rise in infection rates across all age groups, meant “it’s the most serious situation since I became health Minister”.
READ MORE
Every form of discretionary socialisation really has to stop if we're to have a chance of suppressing this kind of level of transmission
He said people should exercise “great caution” and “think very carefully” about meeting vulnerable relatives on Christmas, especially if they had been socialising.
In a letter sent to Mr Donnelly on Wednesday evening, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned of serious concerns about protecting the healthcare system.
‘Major impact’
Earlier, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said the country is facing “very serious and dangerous” levels of Covid-19 infection, which threatens to have a “major impact” on the hospital system.
Dr Cillian De Gascun, the chair of the Covid-19 expert advisory group, said monitoring of samples taken last weekend suggested the UK variant may be present in about 10 per cent of swabs analysed.
However, Dr Holohan said the rise in cases could not be attributed to the presence in Ireland of the new variant, which early studies suggest is more infectious. He said that since restrictions were changed at the beginning of December, “the level of social contact that has happened, in particular around hospitality, has led to a very significant increase in the transmission of this infection”.
Dr Holohan said “every form of discretionary socialisation really has to stop if we’re to have a chance of suppressing this kind of level of transmission”. He said there was a “clear temporal association” between the opening of hospitality and a very significant increase in the spread of the disease.
The chair of Nphet’s epidemiological advisory group Prof Philip Nolan said the relaxation of December 1st caused an increase in cases, but the relaxation of restrictions on hospitality “coincides with a very rapid acceleration in the level of disease”.
The R number, an estimate of how quickly the virus is moving through the population, is currently estimated between 1.5 and 1.8, Prof Nolan said. If it could be brought down to 1.4, there would be 1,100 cases per day by January 4th, and 1,600 by January 18th. If it could be forced to 1.1, those numbers would be 1,000 and 1,200 respectively, but even if it came down to 1.0, he said case numbers of around 1,000 per day would continue.
Not sufficient
Prof Nolan said he did not believe the current measures would be sufficient to drive the number below 1. “Given the nature of the measures and our experience to date, I’m not confident that they alone are sufficient, particularly given where we’re starting from.”
There is deep and grave concern among senior Government sources over the potential impact of the variant, despite the Nphet view that it has not yet substantially driven infection here. While Government is anxious to protect schools, the economy and other essential services, senior sources fear that March-style restrictions may need to be examined in the New Year.
Asked about the reopening of schools in January, Dr Holohan said “we are not raising any issue about that at this point in time”. However, citing previous closure of healthcare and the impact on nursing homes, he warned that high levels of community transmission “represent a risk to all the things that happen in society”.
In Northern Ireland, the first case of the new variant of coronavirus was confirmed on Wednesday night.
The North’s Department of Health said its analysis indicated the variant was likely to have been present in Northern Ireland “for a period of time”.
“This new variant had been detected in increasing numbers in the southeast of England. It is increasingly likely that it is also established across other regions of the UK and in the Republic of Ireland,” the department said in a statement.


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Post-Brexit deal welcomed in NI amid concerns over future outside EU

Business leaders have welcomed the EU-UK Brexit deal agreed on Christmas Eve , while highlighting the new barriers to business that will be imposed as a result of exiting the European Union .
The director general of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce , John McGrane , said businesses in Ireland and across the UK now could “ breathe a collective sigh of relief ” .
“ The new trade agreement will help to protect nearly €90 billion in trade across the Irish Sea and sustain 400,000 jobs on these islands , ” he said .
Mr McGrane added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the free trade of goods , businesses were still confronted with increased costs , delays and disruption in sectors such as financial services .
“ This will add new costs to businesses at a time when they are looking to recover from the ever-growing impacts of Covid-19 , ” he said .
“ It is also clear that many businesses need more time to adapt to this new regime , and so reasonable grace periods for implementation are now necessary .
In any event , new customs and regulatory requirements leading to possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Aodhan Connolly , director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium , hoped the deal would “ protect consumers across the UK from billions in import tariffs on everyday goods ” .
“ For Northern Ireland it also means a reduction in new customs frictions between GB and NI , ” he said .
Mr Connolly said the deal and the new UK Trader Scheme , which should mean that 98 per cent of trade between Britain and Northern Ireland was tariff-free , and assistance in covering the cost of export health certificates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the business community and families across Northern Ireland ” .
“ But even with a deal , retailers face a very different retail landscape from January 1st , with many new checks and costs .
The result will be rising costs for businesses – some of which may impact consumers , ” he added .
In a statement , Manufacturing NI said while “ everyone is exhausted by the last four and a half years ” , the “ work can ’ t end ” with the deal .
“ In less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in how businesses here buy from Britain , ” it said .
“ Despite some easement created by this deal , there will still be significant new complexities and costs , and without the detail , systems and processes , our firms are not ready .
As a result the start of 2021 is going to be very difficult , ” it added .
Manufacturing NI said the deal came with a significant cost .
“ It is the first trade deal in history which makes doing business more , not less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customs border between Britain and the EU and with Northern Ireland.
” Dawn McLaughlin , president of the Londonderry Chamber , said a deal was always “ paramount ” for businesses in Northern Ireland .
“ While it has come at the last possible moment , companies across the country will be relieved to have some certainty and clarity going into 2021 , ” she said .
“ A no-deal , cliff-edge situation on December 31st was unthinkable for businesses in the northwest and would have done untold damage to our regional economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this at least will be avoided , ” she added .
Ms McLaughlin said the British government must now make clear to businesses what they must do to prepare for the incoming changes .
She said : “ The work does not end here .
It must support business organisations to help and advise local companies , take a pragmatic and flexible approach during the first few months of 2021 , and provide the necessary funding that will support businesses to keep trading across the UK and Europe in future .
”

A shopper wears a protective face covering in Belfast city centre on Christmas Eve, on the day a post-Brexit deal was struck between and UK and EU. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty
Business leaders have welcomed the EU-UK Brexit deal agreed on Christmas Eve, while highlighting the new barriers to business that will be imposed as a result of exiting the European Union.
The director general of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, John McGrane, said businesses in Ireland and across the UK now could "breathe a collective sigh of relief".
“The new trade agreement will help to protect nearly €90 billion in trade across the Irish Sea and sustain 400,000 jobs on these islands,” he said.
Mr McGrane added, however, that while the agreement protected the free trade of goods, businesses were still confronted with increased costs, delays and disruption in sectors such as financial services.
READ MORE
“This will add new costs to businesses at a time when they are looking to recover from the ever-growing impacts of Covid-19,” he said.
“It is also clear that many businesses need more time to adapt to this new regime, and so reasonable grace periods for implementation are now necessary. In any event, new customs and regulatory requirements leading to possible delays will mean businesses will need help.”
Aodhan Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, hoped the deal would "protect consumers across the UK from billions in import tariffs on everyday goods".
Customs frictions
“For Northern Ireland it also means a reduction in new customs frictions between GB and NI,” he said.
Mr Connolly said the deal and the new UK Trader Scheme, which should mean that 98 per cent of trade between Britain and Northern Ireland was tariff-free, and assistance in covering the cost of export health certificates, were “welcome Christmas presents for the business community and families across Northern Ireland”.
“But even with a deal, retailers face a very different retail landscape from January 1st, with many new checks and costs. The result will be rising costs for businesses – some of which may impact consumers,” he added.
In a statement, Manufacturing NI said while “everyone is exhausted by the last four and a half years”, the “work can’t end” with the deal.
“In less than eight days there will be a fundamental change in how businesses here buy from Britain,” it said.
‘Very difficult’
“Despite some easement created by this deal, there will still be significant new complexities and costs, and without the detail, systems and processes, our firms are not ready. As a result the start of 2021 is going to be very difficult,” it added.
Manufacturing NI said the deal came with a significant cost. “It is the first trade deal in history which makes doing business more, not less, difficult, and enforces a full customs border between Britain and the EU and with Northern Ireland.”
Dawn McLaughlin, president of the Londonderry Chamber, said a deal was always “paramount” for businesses in Northern Ireland.
“While it has come at the last possible moment, companies across the country will be relieved to have some certainty and clarity going into 2021,” she said.
“A no-deal, cliff-edge situation on December 31st was unthinkable for businesses in the northwest and would have done untold damage to our regional economy, so it is a relief that this at least will be avoided,” she added.
Ms McLaughlin said the British government must now make clear to businesses what they must do to prepare for the incoming changes. She said: "The work does not end here. It must support business organisations to help and advise local companies, take a pragmatic and flexible approach during the first few months of 2021, and provide the necessary funding that will support businesses to keep trading across the UK and Europe in future."


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--New Ross electoral area sees Covid-19 rate up over 1,000% in a week

The electoral area of New Ross in Co Wexford has seen its 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 increase by more than 1,000 per cent in the space of just one week .
New data published on the Government ’ s Covid-19 data hub shows the New Ross local electoral area has the highest 14-day incidence rate in the State .
It now has 659.7 cases per 100,000 people , up from 57.7 a week ago .
The area added 183 Covid-19 cases in the fortnight leading to December 21st , more than any other local electoral area in the Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus stands at 138.2 cases per 100,000 population , and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said the Republic of Ireland now has the fastest growing incidence rate in the European Union .
Carndonagh in Donegal , which previously had the highest rate of the virus , has seen its incidence rate drop from 795.8 per 100,000 population to 619 .
Buncrana , also in Donegal , has the third-highest rate , at 523.1 .
The latest figures show the 14-day incidence rate of the disease up to December 21st .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate ( 462.2 ) , followed by Kenmare in Co Kerry ( 438.9 ) and Ballybay-Clones in Co Monaghan ( 365.1 ) .
Of the 10 local electoral areas with the highest rates of Covid-19 , eight are in Border counties .
Meanwhile , nine counties had fewer than five cases over the two-week period .
Manorhamilton and Ballinamore in Co Leitrim , Athlone and Roscommon in Co Roscommon , Kilrush and Killaloe in Co Clare , Belmullet in Co Mayo , Cahir in Co Tipperary , and Carrickmacross-Castleblayney in Co Monaghan each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks leading to December 21st .

New Ross, Co Wexford: Data on the Government’s Covid-19 data hub shows the New Ross local electoral area has the highest 14-day incidence rate in the State. File photograph: Google Street View
The electoral area of New Ross in Co Wexford has seen its 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 increase by more than 1,000 per cent in the space of just one week.
New data published on the Government’s Covid-19 data hub shows the New Ross local electoral area has the highest 14-day incidence rate in the State. It now has 659.7 cases per 100,000 people, up from 57.7 a week ago. The area added 183 Covid-19 cases in the fortnight leading to December 21st, more than any other local electoral area in the Republic.
Nationally, the incidence rate of the virus stands at 138.2 cases per 100,000 population, and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said the Republic of Ireland now has the fastest growing incidence rate in the European Union.
Hospital Report
Carndonagh in Donegal, which previously had the highest rate of the virus, has seen its incidence rate drop from 795.8 per 100,000 population to 619. Buncrana, also in Donegal, has the third-highest rate, at 523.1. The latest figures show the 14-day incidence rate of the disease up to December 21st.
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Castlecomer in Co Kilkenny has the fourth-highest rate (462.2), followed by Kenmare in Co Kerry (438.9) and Ballybay-Clones in Co Monaghan (365.1).
Of the 10 local electoral areas with the highest rates of Covid-19, eight are in Border counties.
Meanwhile, nine counties had fewer than five cases over the two-week period. Manorhamilton and Ballinamore in Co Leitrim, Athlone and Roscommon in Co Roscommon, Kilrush and Killaloe in Co Clare, Belmullet in Co Mayo, Cahir in Co Tipperary, and Carrickmacross-Castleblayney in Co Monaghan each had fewer than five cases in the two weeks leading to December 21st.


theirishtimes--2020-12-24--Northern Executive welcomes Brexit deal despite parties’ opposing positions

The North ’ s First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O ’ Neill while holding opposing positions on Brexit have welcomed the Christmas Eve deal struck between the European Union and the British Government on the UK quitting the EU .
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said leaving the EU raised questions about the North ’ s union with Britain .
Ms Foster in a jointly issued statement with Ms O ’ Neill said on Thursday that the Northern Executive had been united in supporting the need for a trading deal .
“ I welcome the successful conclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is the start of a new era in the relationship between the UK and the EU and in Northern Ireland we will want to maximise the opportunities the new arrangements provide for our local economy , ” added Ms Foster .
Ms O ’ Neill said while she had distinctly different political positions with Ms Foster on leaving the EU , they were agreed that it was in no-one ’ s interests to leave the EU without a deal .
“ Therefore this announcement is good news which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ As an Executive we will now need to consider the detail of the agreement because there will be many questions on what the agreement means for businesses and citizens and it is important they get that clarity , ” said Ms O ’ Neill .
In a separate statement , as DUP leader and First Minister , Ms Foster said that given the Northern Ireland protocol which keeps Northern Ireland in the EU single market – a protocol which other unionists said created an Irish Sea border - a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ most favourable outcome for Northern Ireland ” .
“ Moving forward , we will continue to work to seize the opportunities and address the challenges which arise from the United Kingdom ’ s exit from the European Union , ” she said .
The SDLP ’ s Mr Eastwood said the changes the island of Ireland now faced were “ fundamental ” .
Brexit raised questions about a united Ireland , he intimated .
He said , “ It is time for an honest conversation that begins with the truth that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future of another is called into question .
The SDLP will not shy away from the difficult conversations because we know we must lead our communities again through this time of new challenges as we have done before , together and in partnership.
“ Mr Eastwood said the deal would “ not undo the enormous damage caused by Brexit to people , businesses and communities in Northern Ireland ” .
“ This entire Brexit fantasy is a future that people here do not want and did not vote for , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the electorate in the North voted to remain in the EU .
“ A deal is better than no-deal , but the best deal will always remain being at the heart of the European Union .
That is what our people voted for in 2016 , we all deserve a future that is no longer limited to the least worst option , ” he said .
“ There will be no celebrating a deal that ultimately diminishes what we ’ ve worked so hard for over the last 50 years , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party leader Steve Aiken said while the deal might bring some certainty to businesses “ the benefits bring little to celebrate as we remain under the unequal and massively bureaucratic protocol , with the imposition of an Irish Sea border just days away ” .
“ No amount of spin from Boris Johnson or those who facilitated and cleared the path for him can hide that fact , ” he said .
Alliance Brexit spokesman Stephen Farry said Northern Ireland faced “ consequences and loss of opportunities ” regardless of the Brexit deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a good or sensible Brexit , ” he said .
“ All versions of Brexit will leave Northern Ireland in a worse situation than before and will see the loss of a broad range of opportunities and benefits .
These include the loss of freedom of movement and impact on the service economy , ” added the North Down MP .
Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis said the deal was “ excellent news ” for Northern Ireland and Britain .
“ These decisions deliver on our commitments to Northern Ireland , ensuring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain and Ireland will be preserved , while protecting the Belfast ( Good Friday ) Agreement and the hard won gains of the peace process , ” he said .
“ Northern Ireland is uniquely placed to benefit and prosper from this deal , making it an even more attractive place to invest , trade and do business , ” added Mr Lewis .

Arlene Foster (L) in a jointly issued statement with Michelle O’Neill (R) said on Thursday that the Northern Executive had been united in supporting the need for a trading deal. File photograph: Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA Wire
The North's First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill while holding opposing positions on Brexit have welcomed the Christmas Eve deal struck between the European Union and the British Government on the UK quitting the EU.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said leaving the EU raised questions about the North's union with Britain.
Ms Foster in a jointly issued statement with Ms O’Neill said on Thursday that the Northern Executive had been united in supporting the need for a trading deal.
A deal is better than no deal but we shouldn't have to settle for a future that is limited to the least worst option.
It's time to have an open conversation about a future that meets the needs, hopes and ambitions of our people. https://t.co/ocLE8MBp2I — Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) December 24, 2020
“A sensible trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union was always the most favourable outcome for Northern Ireland.”
Full statement https://t.co/oaD9V7aKVl — Arlene Foster #We’llMeetAgain (@DUPleader) December 24, 2020
We voted against Brexit, it is being foisted upon us against our will. Todays deal will be welcomed across the island. The Good Friday Agreement has been protected, there will be no hardening of the border and protections for the all-island economy are in place. — Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) December 24, 2020
“I welcome the successful conclusion of these negotiations,” she said.
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"This is the start of a new era in the relationship between the UK and the EU and in Northern Ireland we will want to maximise the opportunities the new arrangements provide for our local economy," added Ms Foster.
Ms O’Neill said while she had distinctly different political positions with Ms Foster on leaving the EU, they were agreed that it was in no-one’s interests to leave the EU without a deal.
“Therefore this announcement is good news which will be welcomed across the whole island,” she said.
“As an Executive we will now need to consider the detail of the agreement because there will be many questions on what the agreement means for businesses and citizens and it is important they get that clarity,” said Ms O’Neill.
In a separate statement, as DUP leader and First Minister, Ms Foster said that given the Northern Ireland protocol which keeps Northern Ireland in the EU single market – a protocol which other unionists said created an Irish Sea border - a "sensible deal" was always the "most favourable outcome for Northern Ireland".
“Moving forward, we will continue to work to seize the opportunities and address the challenges which arise from the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union,” she said.
‘Brexit fantasy’
The SDLP’s Mr Eastwood said the changes the island of Ireland now faced were “fundamental”. Brexit raised questions about a united Ireland, he intimated.
He said, “It is time for an honest conversation that begins with the truth that while the UK leaves one union, the future of another is called into question. The SDLP will not shy away from the difficult conversations because we know we must lead our communities again through this time of new challenges as we have done before, together and in partnership.“
Mr Eastwood said the deal would “not undo the enormous damage caused by Brexit to people, businesses and communities in Northern Ireland”.
“This entire Brexit fantasy is a future that people here do not want and did not vote for,” he said in referring to how 56 per cent of the electorate in the North voted to remain in the EU.
“A deal is better than no-deal, but the best deal will always remain being at the heart of the European Union. That is what our people voted for in 2016, we all deserve a future that is no longer limited to the least worst option,” he said.
“There will be no celebrating a deal that ultimately diminishes what we’ve worked so hard for over the last 50 years,” said Mr Eastwood.
The Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken said while the deal might bring some certainty to businesses "the benefits bring little to celebrate as we remain under the unequal and massively bureaucratic protocol, with the imposition of an Irish Sea border just days away".
"No amount of spin from Boris Johnson or those who facilitated and cleared the path for him can hide that fact," he said.
Alliance Brexit spokesman Stephen Farry said Northern Ireland faced "consequences and loss of opportunities" regardless of the Brexit deal.
“There is no such thing as a good or sensible Brexit,” he said.
“All versions of Brexit will leave Northern Ireland in a worse situation than before and will see the loss of a broad range of opportunities and benefits. These include the loss of freedom of movement and impact on the service economy,” added the North Down MP.
Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis said the deal was "excellent news" for Northern Ireland and Britain.
"These decisions deliver on our commitments to Northern Ireland, ensuring that existing economic and social links with Great Britain and Ireland will be preserved, while protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and the hard won gains of the peace process," he said.
“Northern Ireland is uniquely placed to benefit and prosper from this deal, making it an even more attractive place to invest, trade and do business,” added Mr Lewis.