theirishtimes--2020-09-01--Former GAA star charged in connection with ATM robberies

A former All Ireland club champion has appeared in court charged in relation to the theft and attempted theft of ATMs in Cavan and Monaghan last year .
Daniel O ’ Callaghan ( 30 ) appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with five offences relating to the theft of an ATM in Castleblayney , Co Monaghan , in April and the attempted theft of an ATM in Virginia , Co Cavan , in August .
Detective Garda Jim Matthews of Bailieborough Garda Station said that he arrested Mr O ’ Callaghan , of Monog Road , Crossmaglen , Co @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Cavan District Court .
Mr O ’ Callaghan , who has three All Ireland Club Championship medals for Crossmaglen Rangers , is charged with offences under Sections 72 and 73 of the Criminal Justice Act .
State solicitor Michael O ’ Donovan said he is charged with the attempted theft of the ATM at The Riverfront Hotel , Main Street , Virginia , Co Cavan , on August 14th , 2019 , for the benefit of , at the direction of , or in association with a criminal organisation .
Mr O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal damage and the theft of an ATM on Main Street , Castleblayney , Co Monaghan , on April 3rd , 2019 , both offences alleged being for the benefit of , at the direction of , or in association with a criminal organisation .
He is also accused of participating or contributing to the possession of cash intending to facilitate the commission by a criminal organisation or any of its members of a serious offence at Tullypole , Moynalty , Co Meath , on August 14th and August 20th .
Defence barrister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on “ quite strict bail for separate but related matters ” since January and that he had fully complied with all conditions , to which Det Garda Matthews agreed .
A bond of €1,000 cash and an independent surety of €20,000 was already in place , said Mr Lannon .
Four other men , including three brothers from Co Monaghan , have already been charged with involvement in the attempted thefts of the ATMs and have been granted bail by the Special Criminal Court .

The scene in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, where a digger was used to pull a cash machine from a wall during a theft
A former All Ireland club champion has appeared in court charged in relation to the theft and attempted theft of ATMs in Cavan and Monaghan last year.
Daniel O'Callaghan (30) appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with five offences relating to the theft of an ATM in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, in April and the attempted theft of an ATM in Virginia, Co Cavan, in August.
Detective Garda Jim Matthews of Bailieborough Garda Station said that he arrested Mr O'Callaghan, of Monog Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, on foot of a warrant at Cavan District Court.
Mr O’Callaghan, who has three All Ireland Club Championship medals for Crossmaglen Rangers, is charged with offences under Sections 72 and 73 of the Criminal Justice Act.
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State solicitor Michael O’Donovan said he is charged with the attempted theft of the ATM at The Riverfront Hotel, Main Street, Virginia, Co Cavan, on August 14th, 2019, for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organisation.
Mr O’Callaghan is also charged with the criminal damage and the theft of an ATM on Main Street, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, on April 3rd, 2019, both offences alleged being for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organisation.
He is also accused of participating or contributing to the possession of cash intending to facilitate the commission by a criminal organisation or any of its members of a serious offence at Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath, on August 14th and August 20th .
Defence barrister Seamus Lannon said his client was already on “quite strict bail for separate but related matters” since January and that he had fully complied with all conditions, to which Det Garda Matthews agreed.
A bond of €1,000 cash and an independent surety of €20,000 was already in place, said Mr Lannon.
Presiding judge Ms Justice Tara Burns remanded Mr O'Callaghan in custody until Monday.
Four other men, including three brothers from Co Monaghan, have already been charged with involvement in the attempted thefts of the ATMs and have been granted bail by the Special Criminal Court.


theirishtimes--2020-09-01--Children, health staff and at-risk groups to get free flu vaccines this autumn

Children aged between two and 12 , and healthcare workers and other at-risk groups , are to be provided with free flu vaccine doses this autumn , Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced .
The provision of special payments to GPs for Covid-19 consultations is to be extended , Mr Donnelly also said .
GPs will be paid €15 for administering the flu vaccine to adults and €20 for administering a nasal flu vaccine to children .
However , the Irish Medical Organisation ( IMO ) told its members that as part of the agreement with the Government there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for for every 10 adult patients vaccinated and €150 for every 10 children .
A €25 payment for triaging non-Covid patients which had been available to GPs will be ended from September 4th .
GPs will continue to receive the special payments until the end of December , but Mr Donnelly say he wants to continue the arrangement to March 31st .
The expansion of the flu vaccination programme , agreed by Cabinet on Tuesday , had been flagged previously .
Under the change , young children will have access to vaccination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the first time .
However , the doses will not be available under “ the end of October ” , according to Mr Donnelly .
Vaccines for adults in at-risk categories are subject to a “ short delay ” in delivery from the manufacturer but are likely to be available in “ about two weeks , ” he added .
“ This delay affects all customers across the world , not just Ireland .
It is caused by an administrative delay , and not by any issues in the manufacture or quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland will be in the first batch of vaccine released , Mr Donnelly said .
“ We know that early detection of Covid-19 cases is key in suppressing the disease in the community , even more so coming into winter , and so I ’ m glad this support will allow GPs to continue providing Covid-19 consultations free to their patients.
” Asked why the flu vaccine is not being provided to teenagers , aside from those in at-risk groups , the Department of Health said younger children were among the most at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s focus was on the most vulnerable groups , among which the campaign will have the greatest impact .
Mr Donnelly said he was “ glad this support will allow GPs to continue providing consultations free to their patients ” .
“ It ’ s very important that cost is not a barrier to anyone seeking testing , so I want to be clear that your telephone consultation with your GP to decide if you should be tested is free .
The Covid-19 test as well as any hospital treatment you may need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu vaccination programme will help protect society and the health service from any surge in Covid-19 cases occurring at the same time as a spike in flu infections , he said .
“ The health service is entering a challenging winter period , in the midst of a global pandemic .
It ’ s important that we make every effort collectively to limit the impact on the health service over the coming months .
“ Limiting that impact and protecting the most vulnerable people in our society means that everyone who can get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we are starting by making it accessible without charge to all in the at-risk groups .
GPs , pharmacists and their staff have worked incredibly hard to support and care for their patients during this pandemic .
The administration of the flu vaccine will be another crucial part of that work .
Under an agreement with the IMO last March , GPs were to be paid fees ranging from €25 to €75 depending on the particular service provided .
There has been controversy over additional charges being levied on out-of-hours patients for @ @ @

GPs will be paid €15 for administering the flu vaccine to adults and €20 for administering a nasal flu vaccine to children. Photograph: iStock
Children aged between two and 12, and healthcare workers and other at-risk groups, are to be provided with free flu vaccine doses this autumn, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced.
The provision of special payments to GPs for Covid-19 consultations is to be extended, Mr Donnelly also said.
GPs will be paid €15 for administering the flu vaccine to adults and €20 for administering a nasal flu vaccine to children.
However, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) told its members that as part of the agreement with the Government there would be an additional €100 bonus payment for for every 10 adult patients vaccinated and €150 for every 10 children.
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A €25 payment for triaging non-Covid patients which had been available to GPs will be ended from September 4th.
GPs will continue to receive the special payments until the end of December, but Mr Donnelly say he wants to continue the arrangement to March 31st.
The expansion of the flu vaccination programme, agreed by Cabinet on Tuesday, had been flagged previously.
Under the change, young children will have access to vaccination, using nasal spray rather than injection, for the first time. However, the doses will not be available under “the end of October”, according to Mr Donnelly.
‘Short delay’
Vaccines for adults in at-risk categories are subject to a “short delay” in delivery from the manufacturer but are likely to be available in “about two weeks,” he added.
"This delay affects all customers across the world, not just Ireland. It is caused by an administrative delay, and not by any issues in the manufacture or quality of the vaccine."
The doses for Ireland will be in the first batch of vaccine released, Mr Donnelly said.
“We know that early detection of Covid-19 cases is key in suppressing the disease in the community, even more so coming into winter, and so I’m glad this support will allow GPs to continue providing Covid-19 consultations free to their patients.”
Asked why the flu vaccine is not being provided to teenagers, aside from those in at-risk groups, the Department of Health said younger children were among the most at risk from influenza and the Minister’s focus was on the most vulnerable groups, among which the campaign will have the greatest impact.
Mr Donnelly said he was “glad this support will allow GPs to continue providing consultations free to their patients”.
“It’s very important that cost is not a barrier to anyone seeking testing, so I want to be clear that your telephone consultation with your GP to decide if you should be tested is free. The Covid-19 test as well as any hospital treatment you may need will also be free.”
Challenging period
The expanded flu vaccination programme will help protect society and the health service from any surge in Covid-19 cases occurring at the same time as a spike in flu infections, he said.
“The health service is entering a challenging winter period, in the midst of a global pandemic. It’s important that we make every effort collectively to limit the impact on the health service over the coming months.
“Limiting that impact and protecting the most vulnerable people in our society means that everyone who can get the flu vaccine should get it, and we are starting by making it accessible without charge to all in the at-risk groups. GPs, pharmacists and their staff have worked incredibly hard to support and care for their patients during this pandemic. The administration of the flu vaccine will be another crucial part of that work.
Under an agreement with the IMO last March, GPs were to be paid fees ranging from €25 to €75 depending on the particular service provided. There has been controversy over additional charges being levied on out-of-hours patients for Covid-19 consultations.


theirishtimes--2020-09-01--Damages case by Dunnes employee adjourned over Covid-19 restrictions

A Dunnes Stores worker who has sued for damages has had her case adjourned at the High Court because the courtroom assigned was over capacity according to Covid-19 guidelines .
Imelda Fay claims she suffered a crush injury while putting money in a safe .
Both sides in the case agreed they needed senior and junior counsel , solicitors and engineers to be in court , bringing the total number to 15 people , when the courtroom ’ s capacity had been assessed as 10 for Covid-19 purposes .
In her action , Ms Fay , a cash office assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coins totalling €6,500 fell on her leg at Dunnes ’ store in the St Stephen ’ s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin and she suffered a crush injury .
Ms Fay ( 57 ) , Kevin Street , Dublin 8 , has sued Dunnes Stores over the alleged inncident as she accessed the safe vault area in the store on December 1st , 2014 .
She claims she was transporting the bags of coins in a trolley when she slipped and fell on a ramp at the entrance to a safe .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was pinned down by the weight of the coins .
She was brought to hospital by ambulance .
She says she had to walk with the aid of crutches for several weeks and alleges she was unable to work until January 2015 .
Dunnes Stores denies the claims and pleads Ms Fay allegedly failed to carry out the task in an appropriate manner .
Her action , along with other High Court personal injury cases , was previously adjourned in March due to the country-wide lockdown resulting from the pandemic .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place aimed at having personal injury and other actions resume in line with Covid-19 guidelines .
Courtooms vary in size and all have been measured to accord with physical distancing requirements with a maximum capacity posted on the doors of all courtrooms .
On Tuesday , when Ms Fay ’ s case came for hearing before Mr Justice Michael Hanna , he was told there were 13 or 14 people in the courtroom when it was designated a maximum capacity of 10 .
The judge said public safety was paramount.He said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge of the personal injuries list , Mr Justice Kevin Cross .
At the outset , when informed the numbers were over the capacity according to Covid-19 guidelines , Mr Justice Hanna said he had to be strict about the numbers and told the legal teams they would have to choose who had to leave to bring the number down to 10 .
Following a brief adjournment , Richard Kean SC , for Ms Fay , said it was a unique experience for everybody and both sides needed their senior counsel , junior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case to be in court .
The case needed to be presented in the normal way in “ abnormal ” times , he said .
Both parties were in agreement the case could not proceed in the present circumstances and that about 15 people needed to be in court for the action , counsel said .
He asked that the case be adjourned back to the personal injuries list .

Both parties were in agreement the case could not proceed in the present circumstances and that about 15 people needed to be in court for the action. File Photograph: Collins Courts.
A Dunnes Stores worker who has sued for damages has had her case adjourned at the High Court because the courtroom assigned was over capacity according to Covid-19 guidelines.
Imelda Fay claims she suffered a crush injury while putting money in a safe.
Both sides in the case agreed they needed senior and junior counsel, solicitors and engineers to be in court, bringing the total number to 15 people, when the courtroom’s capacity had been assessed as 10 for Covid-19 purposes.
In her action, Ms Fay, a cash office assistant, claims a trolley containing bags of coins totalling €6,500 fell on her leg at Dunnes’ store in the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin and she suffered a crush injury.
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Ms Fay (57), Kevin Street, Dublin 8, has sued Dunnes Stores over the alleged inncident as she accessed the safe vault area in the store on December 1st, 2014. She claims she was transporting the bags of coins in a trolley when she slipped and fell on a ramp at the entrance to a safe. She claims the trolley fell on her leg which was pinned down by the weight of the coins.
She was brought to hospital by ambulance. She says she had to walk with the aid of crutches for several weeks and alleges she was unable to work until January 2015.
Dunnes Stores denies the claims and pleads Ms Fay allegedly failed to carry out the task in an appropriate manner.
Her action, along with other High Court personal injury cases, was previously adjourned in March due to the country-wide lockdown resulting from the pandemic.
A range of measures have been put in place aimed at having personal injury and other actions resume in line with Covid-19 guidelines. Courtooms vary in size and all have been measured to accord with physical distancing requirements with a maximum capacity posted on the doors of all courtrooms.
On Tuesday, when Ms Fay's case came for hearing before Mr Justice Michael Hanna, he was told there were 13 or 14 people in the courtroom when it was designated a maximum capacity of 10.
The judge said public safety was paramount.He said he would discuss the matter with the judge in charge of the personal injuries list, Mr Justice Kevin Cross.
At the outset, when informed the numbers were over the capacity according to Covid-19 guidelines, Mr Justice Hanna said he had to be strict about the numbers and told the legal teams they would have to choose who had to leave to bring the number down to 10.
Following a brief adjournment, Richard Kean SC, for Ms Fay, said it was a unique experience for everybody and both sides needed their senior counsel, junior counsel, solicitors and the engineers involved in the case to be in court. The case needed to be presented in the normal way in “abnormal” times, he said.
Both parties were in agreement the case could not proceed in the present circumstances and that about 15 people needed to be in court for the action, counsel said. He asked that the case be adjourned back to the personal injuries list.


theirishtimes--2020-09-01--Woman who won ‘dream’ Mayo cottage in a raffle is named

The Dublin-based woman who won the weekend charity raffle for a holiday cottage in Co Mayo has agreed to go public to ensure there is no absence of transparency surrounding her good fortune .
Michele Hallahan , who works in the sustainability area , told The Irish Times that while she initially wanted to remain anonymous she had subsequently agreed to be identified over concerns that staying out of the limelight might make some people doubt the legitimacy of the competition .
Ms Hallahan secured her “ dream home ” - a 150-year-old cottage , on the Mayo side of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after an investment of just €50 .
“ I bought five tickets a couple of weeks after reading about the cottage in The Irish Times earlier this summer but then I forgot about it completely , ” she said .
The postcard-pretty cottage was put up for raffle by the Canada-based Irish owners in June .
They wanted to do something significant after surviving Covid-19 earlier this year .
They initially thought the raffle might yield about €250,000 but just short of €1 million was raised with the money set to be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support staff .
Their decision to raise money for frontline healthcare workers , excluding doctor and nurses , sprang from a combination of their own recent experience of the virus , seeing friends and family around them affected by cancer , and a lifelong belief that support staff in hospitals do not get the recognition they deserve .
“ I am definitely going to keep it , it is my dream home , ” Ms Hallahan said .
“ I lived in the US for 20 years and always dreamed that I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Atlantic but this has come like a bolt out of the blue , ” she continued .
She expressed the hope that she would be able to travel from her Dublin home to the cottage a couple of times a month and would also be able to stay there for extended periods .
“ Like most people now I am working remotely so I will be able to do my job from anywhere , ” she said .
Her siblings can also look forward to getting keys to the new cottage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a holiday home , as will her friends .
“ It is just so brilliant , not only have I won but so much money was raised for charity and it is great so to see the health workers getting the recognition they deserve .
”

The Dublin-based woman who won the weekend charity raffle for a holiday cottage in Co Mayo has agreed to go public to ensure there is no absence of transparency surrounding her good fortune.
Michele Hallahan, who works in the sustainability area, told The Irish Times that while she initially wanted to remain anonymous she had subsequently agreed to be identified over concerns that staying out of the limelight might make some people doubt the legitimacy of the competition.
Kitchen.
The cottage was raffled by Covid-19 survivors who raised close to €1m for frontline healthcare support staff.
Ms Hallahan secured her "dream home" - a 150-year-old cottage, on the Mayo side of the Ox Mountains, near Foxford - after an investment of just €50. "I bought five tickets a couple of weeks after reading about the cottage in The Irish Times earlier this summer but then I forgot about it completely," she said.
The postcard-pretty cottage was put up for raffle by the Canada-based Irish owners in June. They wanted to do something significant after surviving Covid-19 earlier this year.
READ MORE
They initially thought the raffle might yield about €250,000 but just short of €1 million was raised with the money set to be used to fund educational bursaries for frontline healthcare support staff.
Living area.
Their decision to raise money for frontline healthcare workers, excluding doctor and nurses, sprang from a combination of their own recent experience of the virus, seeing friends and family around them affected by cancer, and a lifelong belief that support staff in hospitals do not get the recognition they deserve.
“I am definitely going to keep it, it is my dream home,” Ms Hallahan said. “I lived in the US for 20 years and always dreamed that I would own a cottage like this close to the Atlantic but this has come like a bolt out of the blue,” she continued.
She expressed the hope that she would be able to travel from her Dublin home to the cottage a couple of times a month and would also be able to stay there for extended periods. “Like most people now I am working remotely so I will be able to do my job from anywhere,” she said.
Her siblings can also look forward to getting keys to the new cottage and will be able to use it as a holiday home, as will her friends.
“It is just so brilliant, not only have I won but so much money was raised for charity and it is great so to see the health workers getting the recognition they deserve.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Schools face ‘chronic shortage’ of teachers in months ahead, unions warn

Schools are facing a chronic shortage of teachers due to absences as a result of illness and retirements in the months ahead , trade unions have warned .
Trade unions in the education field told the Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 on Wednesday that they had strong concerns about members with significant illnesses who had been told by the occupational health service that they must return to work in schools .
The committee heard that a new “ robust ” appeal system will now be put in place .
Unions warned that if teachers and other education personnel with existing conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forthcoming retirements and problems with recruitment , it could lead to serious staff shortages .
John Boyle , the general secretary of the primary teachers ’ union , INTO , said the new robust appeal mechanism was only announced last Friday .
He said there were members who had four or five consultants advising them against going back into the school building .
He said the occupational service on the other hand had “ a very high bar ” set by the Government about the definition of what constituted high risk .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be very clear there is a very significant number of these ( teachers at high risk ) .
There are also a large number of teachers expecting babies whose doctors are very concerned about their return to the workplace as well , ” he said .
“ The danger with this is that if the appeal mechanism is not working , We will have a lot of people declared sick by their GPs or their consultants .
They will not be returning .and in a case where a school has multiple absences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panels will not be able to fill the gaps.
” The general secretary of the Teachers ’ Union of Ireland ( TUI ) Michael Gillespie told the Oireachtas committee that in second level schools there were a lack of teachers in certain subjects and that recruitment was proving difficult .
He said in a month ’ s time delayed retirements were also going to hit the second level system and there would not be sufficient teachers to replace those who were leaving .
“ Both problems , the number of teachers who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly identified over the coming weeks who will not be able to teach in their schools plus the retirements that are coming mean that we in second level believe there will be a chronic shortage of teachers in some schools.
” He said more than likely the worst places affected will be schools in urban areas , particularly Dublin .
The general secretary of the ASTI Kieran Christie told the committee that schools advertising positions were getting few , if any , applicants .
He said “ the portents were not good ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews are taking place and lots of them have very few applicants and some people are telling us that in pinch subjects like languages and practical subjects they are not getting applicants at all .
That is something that can only get worse in the context of illnesses and retirements that are in line.
” Mr Christie said the ASTI was receiving a significant number of calls from teachers with illnesses include chronic kidney disease , cancer and serious heart disease .
“ Anxiety levels for this group are very high .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likes of these illnesses are being required to return to classrooms teaching sizeable groups , ” he said .
“ For the avoidance of doubt , ASTI is demanding that the Minister for Education make alternative arrangements , such as working from home , for teachers and students who are in the ‘ high risk ’ category.
” Mr Gillespie said TUI members would not accept any departure from the public health guidance , including the absolute necessity to maintain a physical distance of no less than one metre and preferably 2m , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had reports in recent days of schools that have not yet put the necessary measures in place , we reiterate again that the TUI will not permit non-compliance on this key issue.
” Andy Pike of the trade union Fórsa , which represents about 20,000 non-teaching staff in schools , said : “ We can state to the Committee that there are a significant number of staff today providing personal care to students without adequate personal protective equipment .
The equipment in question is in plentiful supply and is inexpensive , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Covid-19 costs less than 50 cent .
”

Teachers’ unions have warned that some schools face a shortage of teachers in the months ahead, owing to illness and upcoming retirements. Photograph: iStock
Schools are facing a chronic shortage of teachers due to absences as a result of illness and retirements in the months ahead, trade unions have warned.
Trade unions in the education field told the Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 on Wednesday that they had strong concerns about members with significant illnesses who had been told by the occupational health service that they must return to work in schools.
The committee heard that a new “robust” appeals system will now be put in place.
Unions warned that if teachers were unable to return to schools alongside forthcoming retirements and problems with recruitment, it could lead to serious staff shortages.
READ MORE
John Boyle, the general secretary of the primary teachers' union, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, said the new appeal mechanism was only announced last Friday.
He said there were members who had four or five consultants advising them against going back into the school building.
Multiple absences
The occupational service, on the other hand, had “a very high bar” set by the Government about the definition of what constituted high risk.
“The danger with this is that if the appeal mechanism is not working, we will have a lot of people declared sick by their GPs or their consultants . They will not be returning and in a case where a school has multiple absences, even the [new] supply panels will not be able to fill the gaps.”
Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) general secretary Michael Gillespie said there was a lack of teachers in certain subjects in secondary schools and recruitment was proving difficult.
He said in a month’s time delayed retirements were going to hit the second-level system and there would not be enough teachers to replace those leaving.
“Both problems, the number of teachers who are at very high risk who will be clearly identified over the coming weeks who will not be able to teach in their schools plus the retirements that are coming, mean that we in second level believe there will be a chronic shortage of teachers in some schools.”
He said more than likely the worst places affected will be schools in urban areas, particularly Dublin.
The general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), Kieran Christie, said schools advertising positions were getting few, if any, applicants. He said "the portents were not good".
Mr Christie said the ASTI was also receiving a significant number of calls from teachers with illnesses including chronic kidney disease, cancer and serious heart disease.
Health guidance
“For the avoidance of doubt, ASTI is demanding that the Minister for Education make alternative arrangements, such as working from home, for teachers and students who are in the ‘high risk’ category.”
Mr Gillespie said TUI members would not accept any departure from the public health guidance, including the necessity to maintain a physical distance of no less than 1m and preferably 2m in schools.
“Unfortunately, we have had reports in recent days of schools that have not yet put the necessary measures in place, we reiterate again that the TUI will not permit non-compliance on this key issue.”
At a later sitting of the committee, Minister for Education Norma Foley emphasised that the criteria being used to assess the health of teachers was the same as that used across the wider public service.
In relation to the new calculated grades process, she responded to claims that up to 20,000 students who have applied for college courses this year may be disadvantaged due to more generous grades being issued this year.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Man assaulted, shot in legs in North ‘paramilitary-style’ attack

The PSNI has appealed for public assistance over those responsible for a “ paramilitary-style ” beating and shooting in Bushmills on Tuesday night .
The suspected “ punishment ” attack happened on Ballyclough Road in the Co Antrim town around 10.40pm when a man was shot a number of times .
Det Insp Peter McKenna said the assault happened at the man ’ s home and involved a “ number of males wearing balaclavas and armed with crow bars ” .
He said the victim was “ then taken out into the garden and shot a number of times in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken to hospital following the incident and is currently receiving treatment for his injuries , ” he added .
Det Insp McKenna said enquiries were at a very early stage .
“ I would like to appeal to anyone who has information which may assist our investigation to contact police and tell us what you know , ” he said .
“ No one deserves to have this happen to them and there is absolutely no justification for an attack like this in our society .
We must all work together to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop this from happening to anyone else , ” he said .

The PSNI is investigating a ’paramilitary-style’ beating and shooting in Bushmills, Co Antrim
The PSNI has appealed for public assistance over those responsible for a "paramilitary-style" beating and shooting in Bushmills on Tuesday night.
The suspected "punishment" attack happened on Ballyclough Road in the Co Antrim town around 10.40pm when a man was shot a number of times.
Det Insp Peter McKenna said the assault happened at the man’s home and involved a “number of males wearing balaclavas and armed with crow bars”.
He said the victim was “then taken out into the garden and shot a number of times in both legs”.
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“The man was taken to hospital following the incident and is currently receiving treatment for his injuries,” he added.
Det Insp McKenna said enquiries were at a very early stage. “I would like to appeal to anyone who has information which may assist our investigation to contact police and tell us what you know,” he said.
“No one deserves to have this happen to them and there is absolutely no justification for an attack like this in our society. We must all work together to bring those responsible to justice and to stop this from happening to anyone else,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Flooding in west of country leads to school and road closures

Hundreds of students were sent home early from school on Wednesday morning in Clifden as flooding caused major disruptions in the Connemara area .
Heavy overnight rain in Galway which has continued throughout the morning has led to several roads being impassable , while rivers and streams have burst their banks amid fears that some small bridges might be washed away .
Secondary school students at Clifden Community School and pupils at Scoil Mhuire NS have been sent home early following Garda advice .
Residents in dwellings in Clifden Glen , on the Ballyconneely Road and close to the Station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire crews due to flooding .
There are no reports of injuries .
There were fears for the Dooneen Bridge in the town after the Owenglin River burst its banks .
The N59 between Galway and Clifden is flooded at a number of locations including Maam Cross , Recess and Kylemore Abbey .
Gardaí have warned motorists to avoid the area if possible as driving conditions are hazardous .
Senior assistant fire chief Anthony Travers said they had evacuated people from a number of dwellings in Clifden .
“ There is flooding at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It appears that the flooding was very sudden and severe , ” he told Galway Bay FM .
“ There are areas of flooding on the Galway to Clifden road and a number of diversions and road closures are in place and we urge drivers to be careful .
”

“Sudden and severe” flooding in Clifden, Co Galway early on Wednesday saw schools close early and houses evacuated as waters surged on the Owenglin River. Video: Michael Coyne (@coynesgastropub)
"Sudden and severe" flooding in Clifden, Co Galway, early on Wednesday saw schools close early and houses evacuated as waters surged on the Owenglin river.
Up to 50mm of rainfall was recorded in the Connemara area overnight on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning, as a weather system in the northwest pushed south, Galway County Council said in a statement.
Fire services evacuated people from 17 properties in Clifden after the town was significantly impacted by flooding amid the rainfall, including from residences close to the Station House Hotel. A holiday village was also evacuated. There were no reports of injuries.
Fiona Shanahan, whose house was flooded, said the water “literally came out of nowhere”. She was asleep upstairs in the home she shares with her son, his wife and three children, when a neighbour telephoned to alert them to the rising water levels.
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“At 6 o’clock there was nothing, the river was fine. By 7 o’clock the back yard was beginning to fill up with water … it came in downstairs, it came in the front door and the back door.
“We had to stay put. There was no way of getting out. The children were pretty freaked out,” she said.
Fiona Shanahan looks out from her house which was flooded in Clifden. Photograph: Joe O’Shaughnessy
Around 12 noon when the water subsided they were able to leave and are now staying with relatives and a neighbour but there remains, she said, a nine to ten foot hole in her front yard which resembles a swimming pool, carved out by the force of the roaring floodwaters.
“It was unbelievable the force of the water. It had some power. The noise from it was unreal. People locally are in shock. It’s an absolute blessing nobody was injured”.
Fiona, who is vice president of Connemara Rugby Club, lives just over the river from the Clifden Showgrounds on the Ballyconneely Road and has been there for 25 years. “Nobody can recall this ever happening before,” she added, mentioning her home was ironically called Waterfall House.
It is difficult to know yet why the flooding occurred, she says. “I’m sure there will be an explanation somewhere along the line”.
Senior assistant fire chief Anthony Travers told Galway Bay FM: "It appears that the flooding was very sudden and severe."
The rain was unexpected, with no weather warning for the deluge of rain in the area until 9am on Wednesday.
"For a lot of people the first they knew of it was when they woke up and the roads were like rivers. The Sky Road near where I live was just a torrent of water. It's the worst we have ever seen, really shocking," said local councillor Eileen Mannion. She said people might have been able to get sandbags if they knew of the situation in advance.
Hundreds of students were sent home early from school following Garda advice, including pupils at Clifden Community School and Scoil Mhuire NS.
Manager of the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden Brian Hughes said the situation was "much worse" than recent storms because it was affecting people's houses. "It's just terrible. Absolutely awful."
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr Hughes said: “We’ve never seen our local river flood like this ever. We’ve never seen it burst its banks. I’ve lived in Clifden my whole life, I’ve never seen the likes of this ever.”
Dramatic videos
Dramatic videos on social media showed wild and raging flows in the river. Several roads were impassable early on Wednesday as the N59 between Galway and Clifden was flooded at a number of locations, including Maam Cross, Recess and Kylemore Abbey.
Householders began returning to their dwellings in the afternoon as floodwaters receded as the tide went out, but the damage to property is estimated to run to thousands of euro.
While the waters began to recede on Wednesday afternoon, Galway County Council remained "on alert" on Wednesday night, as a yellow level rain warning remained in force until 9pm for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Cyclist dies after being struck by car in Dublin on Monday

The cyclist who was seriously injured when he was struck by a car in Dublin on Monday night has died .
Thiago Osorio Cortes ( 28 ) , from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil , was struck by a car at North Wall Quay at 10.30pm on Monday night .
Mr Cortes was taken by ambulance to the Mater hospital in serious condition , where he was later pronounced dead .
Gardaí said the car involved in the collision failed to remain at the scene and was later recovered at Castleforbes Square a short time later .
It is understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his bike for Deliveroo at the time of the collision .
The English Language Students ’ Union of Ireland ( ELSU ) has organised a vigil to take place at the spire on Wednesday evening , during which people are asked to bring candles and signs , to wear black or a Deliveroo uniform .
The union has also requested that attendees wear masks and observe social distancing rules .
According to the event page for the vigil on social media , Mr Cortes was married and leaves his wife , family and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the death of Mr Cortes was a “ tragedy and a terrible loss ” .
“ Our deepest condolences , thoughts , and prayers are with the family and friends of the rider .
We will do everything we can to ensure that the family of the rider is supported during this extremely difficult time , ” the spokeswoman added .
It is understood that Deliveroo is in touch with Mr Cortes ’ family and that the company provides insurance which will provide support for the family of the rider .
Gardaí @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident , particularly to anyone who was in the area of the North Wall Quay , North Wall Avenue , East Wall Road , Sheriff Street Upper , Castleforbes Road or Castleforbes Square between 10.15pm and 10.30pm on Monday night .
They are also appealing to road users with camera footage , such as a dash-cam , from the area at the time .
Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Store Street Garda station 01 6668000 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 .

Deliveroo riders held a vigil on Wednesday for their late colleague Thiago Cortes who was killed in Dublin on Monday night.The Brazilian had been working as a cycling courier for the food delivery company when he was struck by a car.
Thiago Osorio Cortes, the cyclist who died after he was struck by a car, was “very happy and always laughing”, his friends have said.
Mr Cortes (28), from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, was cycling on North Wall Quay in Dublin when he was struck by a car at about 10.30pm on Monday night. Mr Cortes was delivering food for Deliveroo at the time of the incident.
He was taken by ambulance to the Mater hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Gardaí are searching for four occupants of the car, which left the scene.
Deliveroo riders and cyclists hold a vigil on O’Connell Street in Dublin for Thiago Cortes (28). Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
More than 100 people attended a vigil in Dublin to commemorate Mr Cortes on Wednesday evening.
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Deliveroo delivers, motorcyclists and cyclists, many of them Brazilian, gathered at the Spire and on both sides of O’Connell Street to celebrate their friend.
Just before 6pm, representatives from unions and political parties marched up O’Connell Street in solidarity with Mr Cortes’s friends, while buses and cars honked their horns.
Attendees of the vigil held signs that called for justice for Mr Cortes, and said “immigrant lives matter”.
Many held flowers and candles, and offered solace to his fiancee, Theresa Dontas, as she embraced friends in tears. The crowd also partook in a communal prayer.
Deliveroo drivers wrote a letter, which they will distribute to houses while working, highlighting the dangers they face on the roads .
Always smiling
Gabriela Brito, a fellow Deliveroo driver, said Mr Cortes was “always smiling” while at work. “He was so friendly on the streets and would make jokes,” she said. Ms Brito said she hoped motorists realised their actions could pose a great danger to cyclists.
Ana Moreira, a close friend, said she was so sad because “now all of his dreams are gone”.
"He deserved better. It is so stupid that he is gone just because of these people. I hope we find out who did this," she said. "He knew a lot of people in Ireland, he was always minding others, always kidding ... He was always so happy."
A Deliveroo spokesman said his death was a “tragedy and a terrible loss”. “Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the rider. We will do everything we can to ensure that the family of the rider is supported during this extremely difficult time,” the spokeswoman added.
It is understood Deliveroo is in touch with Mr Cortes’s family and that the company provides insurance that will provide some support to them.
Mr Cortes has lived in Dublin for the past two years and was studying English. It is understood that he was saving money to study a master’s in business at the time of his death.
The car that struck Mr Cortes was recovered in Castleforbes Square a short time later by gardaí. The car was a light grey Ford Focus, which has a large dent on the roof and windscreen.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Trinity climbs nine places in latest world university rankings

Trinity College Dublin remains Ireland ’ s leading university after climbing nine places to 155th in the latest Times Higher Education world university rankings .
In all , the rankings bring mixed news for the nine Irish universities which feature in the top 1,000 .
Three slipped down ( UCD , NUI Galway and Maynooth Universiity ) , two climbed up ( Trinity and DCU ) and the remainder held onto their positions The RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is the second highest ranked Irish institution and held its ranking in the 201-250 category .
It is followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top-250 and into the 251-300 category NUI Galway , which slipped out of the top 251-300 and into the 301-350 category , is the fourth highest ranked Irish institution .
It is followed by UCC which remains in the 301-350 category .
Maynooth University , which slipped out of the 301-350 category into the 401-500 category , is in sixth place followed by DCU , which climbed up from the 601-800 category into the 501-600 .
University of Limerick , in eighth place , remains in the 501-600 category , while Technological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Times Higher Education rankings are based on five key indicators : teaching ; research ; citations ; international outlook ; and industry income .
Globally , the University of Oxford claimed the top spot for the fifth year in a row , followed by Stanford , Harvard and California Institute of Technology .
The US domination of the top-10 , however , masks its wider decline in the overall rankings .
China ’ s Tsinghua University has become the first ever Asian university to break into the top-20 since the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2011 .
The UK ’ s status is also under threat as as institutions from Asia continue to climb up the rankings .
Of the UK ’ s 20 highest ranked institutions last year , only five improved their position in the table and institutions outside of the top-200 showed signs of decline .
Trinity , meanwhile , said its result was helped by a strong performance in research , one of the main categories on which the overall score is based .
The college ’ s dean of research , Prof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see the college improve its position .
“ Excellence in research lies at the heart of our identity as a university and has a fundamental influence on our teaching , ” she said .
“ This speaks to the quality of our researchers , who are excelling in difficult times in which funding is harder to come by than ever.
” RCSI said it was happy to maintain is top-250 ranking for the fifth year in a row , despite a a 55 per cent increase universities assessed in this worldwide league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boosted by its strength in research with the impact of its publications in translational medicine and health sciences .
DCU said it was pleased to be one of just two Irish universities to climb in the rankings this year .
President of DCU , Prof Daire Keogh , said its improved performance demonstrated the progress it was making in advancing its reputation for world-class research .
“ The advance is a recognition of the hard work , excellence , and expertise of our staff and I want to congratulate them all on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .

Trinity College Dublin has climbed nine places and remains Ireland’s leading university in the latest Times Higher Education world university rankings. Photograph: iStock
Trinity College Dublin has climbed nine places and remains Ireland's leading university in the latest Times Higher Education world university rankings.
The university rose from 164th to 155th in the 2021 rankings.
In all, the rankings bring mixed news for the nine Irish universities which feature in the top 1,000.
Three slipped down (UCD, NUI Galway and Maynooth University), two climbed up (Trinity and DCU) and the remainder held onto their positions.
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The RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is the second highest ranked Irish institution and held its ranking in the 201-250 category.
It is followed by UCD, which fell out of the top-250 and into the 251-300 category.
NUI Galway, which slipped out of the top 251-300 and into the 301-350 category, is the fourth highest ranked Irish institution. It is followed by UCC which remains in the 301-350 category.
Maynooth University, which slipped out of the 301-350 category into the 401-500 category, is in sixth place followed by DCU, which climbed up from the 601-800 category into the 501-600.
University of Limerick, in eighth place, remains in the 501-600 category, while Technological University Dublin stays in the 801-1,000 category.
The Time Higher Education rankings are based on five key indicators: teaching; research; citations; international outlook; and industry income.
Globally, the University of Oxford has claimed the top spot for the fifth year in a row, followed by Stanford, Harvard and California Institute of Technology.
The US domination of the top-10, however, masks its wider decline in the overall rankings.
China’s Tsinghua University has become the first ever Asian university to break into the top 20 since the current methodology used in the rankings were launched in 2011.
The UK’s status is also under threat as as institutions from Asia continue to climb up the rankings.
Of the UK’s 20 highest ranked institutions last year, only five improved their position in the table and institutions outside of the top-200 show signs of decline.
Trinity said its result was helped by a strong performance in research, one of the main categories on which the overall score is based.
The college's dean of research, Prof Linda Doyle, said she was delighted to see the college improve its position.
“Excellence in research lies at the heart of our identity as a university and has a fundamental influence on our teaching,” she said.
“This speaks to the quality of our researchers, who are excelling in difficult times in which funding is harder to come by than ever.”
RCSI said it was happy to maintain is top-250 ranking for the fifth year in a row, despite a a 55 per cent increase universities assessed in this worldwide league table.
It said its performance was boosted by its strength in research with the impact of its publications in translational medicine and health sciences .
DCU said it was pleased to be one of just two Irish universities to climb in the rankings this year.
President of DCU, Prof Daire Keogh, said its improved performance demonstrated the progress it was making in advancing its reputation for world-class research.
“The advance is a recognition of the hard work, excellence, and expertise of our staff and I want to congratulate them all on this significant global affirmation of their work,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Sinead O’Connor plans training to become ‘death midwife’

Singer Sinead O ’ Connor has said she will start training to become a “ death midwife ” later this month .
Her decision was not Covid-related , she told RTÉ Radio ’ s Ryan Tubridy show on Wednesday , adding there were many personal reasons , including the death of a close friend five years ago that led to a greater interest in end-of-life care .
“ It ’ s not that I ’ m rushing to the front line , at all .
I ’ m learning how to use Word .
It ’ s that early in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ First I ’ ve got to find out if I can write an assignment and can I do the practical work ” and she ultimately wished to work in palliative care , she said .
The singer will start the online one-year diploma course on September 28th .
“ I had a whole year of shows booked , but they all got pulled because of Covid , and I wanted to do this course for a few years , but I never could find time free from touring , so I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m unemployed for the year .
“ It ’ s something I ’ ve wanted to do since I was a child , work in the area of palliative care , but when I was a child it was only the priests or nuns who did that , and God knows I didn ’ t want to be either of those , ” O ’ Connor said .
“ But there are also personal reasons , one of which is the first song I ever wrote in my life when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the desire was there from then .
“ A huge impetus for me was one of my best friends in the world died about five years ago , and he asked me one night would I sleep in the bed with him when he had found out he was dying , and I told him I would , but in the end I was too frightened and I didn ’ t , and I felt since then that I would never leave a person alone feeling frightened .
I let my friend down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the more personal reasons , ” she said .
“ I learned from that never to leave a person alone .
So my desire is to work with people who are particularly alone .
I didn ’ t leave him alone for days – there were other people in the house , but I didn ’ t get into the bed and snuggle with him like he wanted because I was frightened .
“ I was frightened of death and dying , of him dying .
I ’ m sure all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s someone that you are so closely attached to.
” O ’ Connor said it would take more training than just the one-year diploma .
“ Obviously it will take a few years , God knows you wouldn ’ t after one year be let loose on dying people .
You would need a lot of training .
I imagine it will be three or four years before I ’ m ready to do the work I want to do .
Which is more or less being a death midwife .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people called death midwives where they work with people who are frightened .
The first step in becoming a death midwife is getting a diploma .
”

Singer Sinead O’Connor has said she will start training to become a “death midwife” later this month.
Her decision was not Covid-related, she told RTÉ Radio’s Ryan Tubridy show on Wednesday, adding there were many personal reasons, including the death of a close friend five years ago that led to a greater interest in end-of-life care.
“It’s not that I’m rushing to the front line, at all. I’m learning how to use Word. It’s that early in the game,” she said.
“First I’ve got to find out if I can write an assignment and can I do the practical work” and she ultimately wished to work in palliative care, she said.
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The singer will start the online one-year diploma course on September 28th. “I had a whole year of shows booked, but they all got pulled because of Covid, and I wanted to do this course for a few years, but I never could find time free from touring, so I’m making use of the fact that I’m unemployed for the year.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a child, work in the area of palliative care, but when I was a child it was only the priests or nuns who did that, and God knows I didn’t want to be either of those,” O’Connor said.
“But there are also personal reasons, one of which is the first song I ever wrote in my life when I was 14 was exactly about this so the desire was there from then.
“A huge impetus for me was one of my best friends in the world died about five years ago, and he asked me one night would I sleep in the bed with him when he had found out he was dying, and I told him I would, but in the end I was too frightened and I didn’t, and I felt since then that I would never leave a person alone feeling frightened. I let my friend down very badly. That’s one of the more personal reasons,” she said.
“I learned from that never to leave a person alone. So my desire is to work with people who are particularly alone. I didn’t leave him alone for days – there were other people in the house, but I didn’t get into the bed and snuggle with him like he wanted because I was frightened.
“I was frightened of death and dying, of him dying. I’m sure all the training goes out the window when it’s someone that you are so closely attached to.”
O’Connor said it would take more training than just the one-year diploma. “Obviously it will take a few years, God knows you wouldn’t after one year be let loose on dying people. You would need a lot of training. I imagine it will be three or four years before I’m ready to do the work I want to do. Which is more or less being a death midwife.
“There’s a movement of these people called death midwives where they work with people who are frightened. The first step in becoming a death midwife is getting a diploma.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Most kids with health conditions should return to school - HSE

Most children with underlying health conditions , and those whose parents are extremely medically vulnerable , should return to school , according to new advice from the Health Service Executive .
It is now “ difficult to justify cocooning ” in most children with underlying condition , given current knowledge about Covid-19 , the HSE says .
“ Long-term cocooning of children with complex medical needs is likely to adversely affect them and may outweigh the potential risk of infection , ” according to the interim advice .
In relation to the school staff , the HSE is advising anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue working remotely .
This category includes the over-70s , transplant recipients and those with severe respiratory conditions including cystic fibrosis and severe asthma .
It also include people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy ; undergoing radiotherapy for lung cancer ; and people with leukaemia and other blood cancers “ who are at any stage of active treatment ” .
School staff facing or recovering from surgical treatments are being advised to cocoon for about two weeks .
However , people with a past history of cancer do not need to be excluded from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other significant complication , the interim advice states .
According to the HSE , children seem generally less likely to catch Covid-19 , and more likely than adults to have no symptoms or to have mild disease .
According to the advice , children with recent or ongoing cancer treatment , or any other profound immunodeficiency , should have their risk assessed by doctors “ and consideration given to the possible necessity of avoiding school ” .
A full return to school is recommended for the vast majority of children with cystic fibrosis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from what we know to date on children and coronavirus , children have rarely been the person who brought Covid-19 into a household when household spread has happened and children are not more likely than adults to spread infection to other people .
“ Schools are putting measures in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted to/within the school , such as hand hygiene regimes and cleaning measures within the school , reduced mixing between children and less objects going in and out of school .
”

It is now ‘difficult to justify cocooning’ in most children with underlying condition, given current knowledge about Covid-19, the HSE says. Photograph: iStock
Most children with underlying health conditions, and those whose parents are extremely medically vulnerable, should return to school, according to new advice from the Health Service Executive.
It is now “difficult to justify cocooning” in most children with underlying condition, given current knowledge about Covid-19, the HSE says.
“Long-term cocooning of children with complex medical needs is likely to adversely affect them and may outweigh the potential risk of infection,” according to the interim advice.
In relation to the school staff, the HSE is advising anyone in an extremely medically vulnerable category to continue working remotely. This category includes the over-70s, transplant recipients and those with severe respiratory conditions including cystic fibrosis and severe asthma.
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It also include people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy; undergoing radiotherapy for lung cancer; and people with leukaemia and other blood cancers “who are at any stage of active treatment”.
School staff facing or recovering from surgical treatments are being advised to cocoon for about two weeks.
However, people with a past history of cancer do not need to be excluded from the workforce, unless they have some other significant complication, the interim advice states.
According to the HSE, children seem generally less likely to catch Covid-19, and more likely than adults to have no symptoms or to have mild disease.
According to the advice, children with recent or ongoing cancer treatment, or any other profound immunodeficiency, should have their risk assessed by doctors “and consideration given to the possible necessity of avoiding school”.
A full return to school is recommended for the vast majority of children with cystic fibrosis.
“In terms of reassurance, from what we know to date on children and coronavirus, children have rarely been the person who brought Covid-19 into a household when household spread has happened and children are not more likely than adults to spread infection to other people.
“Schools are putting measures in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted to/within the school, such as hand hygiene regimes and cleaning measures within the school, reduced mixing between children and less objects going in and out of school.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Two people die in separate road incidents on Tuesday evening

Two people have died on the State ’ s roads following separate incidents on Tuesday evening .
In the first incident , a 19-year-old man was killed in a traffic collision involving two cars in Co Donegal .
Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene of the crash on the N56 at Creeslough at about 9.30pm .
Three young men were in the first car - a 19-year-old passenger who was killed , and a driver and second passenger in their 20s , who were both injured and taken to Letterkenny Hospital .
The driver of the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50s , was also injured and taken to hospital .
The scene of the collision is currently preserved for an examination by Garda forensic collision investigators .
The road is closed to traffic with local diversions in place , and the local coroner has been notified of the fatality .
Gardaí in Milford are appealing for witnesses to the collision to come forward , or anyone who might have camera or dash-cam footage from the route on Tuesday evening .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milford Garda station 074-9153060 or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
In Wexford , a pedestrian was killed on Tuesday evening after being hit by a car near New Ross .
Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene of the incident on the N25 at Portersland at about 9.50pm .
A male pedestrian ( 36 ) was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford , where he was later pronounced dead .
The driver of the car was uninjured .
The scene is being preserved and local diversions are in place .
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses - particularly those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along the route - to come forward .
Anyone with information is asked to contact New Ross Garda station on 051 426 030 or the Garda confidential line .

Gardaí have asked people with information to contact them at Milford. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty/File
Two people have died on the State’s roads following separate incidents on Tuesday evening.
In the first incident, a 19-year-old man was killed in a traffic collision involving two cars in Co Donegal. Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene of the crash on the N56 at Creeslough at about 9.30pm.
Three young men were in the first car - a 19-year-old passenger who was killed, and a driver and second passenger in their 20s, who were both injured and taken to Letterkenny Hospital.
The driver of the second car, a man in his late 50s, was also injured and taken to hospital.
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The scene of the collision is currently preserved for an examination by Garda forensic collision investigators. The road is closed to traffic with local diversions in place, and the local coroner has been notified of the fatality.
Gardaí in Milford are appealing for witnesses to the collision to come forward, or anyone who might have camera or dash-cam footage from the route on Tuesday evening. Anyone with information is asked to contact Milford Garda station 074-9153060 or the Garda Confidential Line (1800 666 111).
In Wexford, a pedestrian was killed on Tuesday evening after being hit by a car near New Ross.
Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene of the incident on the N25 at Portersland at about 9.50pm. A male pedestrian (36) was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford, where he was later pronounced dead. The driver of the car was uninjured.
The scene is being preserved and local diversions are in place.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses - particularly those who may have dash cam footage taken along the route - to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact New Ross Garda station on 051 426 030 or the Garda confidential line.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--One Dublin district accounts for 25% of mobile phone thefts

Gardaí are urging mobile phone users to download an app that helps to locate the device if it is stolen to help combat criminal activity .
The appeal follows the release of figures by the Garda Síochána Analysis Service which show that 11,488 mobile phones , valued at around €5 million , have been stolen since the beginning of 2019 .
Of those , only 1,176 have been recovered .
A quarter of the thefts ( 2,868 ) were in one Dublin district - Dublin South Central .
Some 16 per cent ( 1,869 ) were in Dublin North Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas accounted for 23 per cent of thefts .
In Limerick , there were 426 phones stolen , Kildare 398 , Cork city 368 and Galway 324 .
Crime prevention officer for the Meath Division , Sergeant Dean Kerins said , “ The price of mobile phones makes them a clear target for criminals , so let ’ s try and deter them by increasing phone security .
“ If you a have a smartphone , we recommend downloading a trusted location finder app so if it is lost or stolen , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back .
Some phones already have a feature like this already so have a look in the security settings on your phone .
“ We also highly recommend that you add a family member or friend as an emergency contact in your phone .
If we receive a lost or stolen phone , we will be able to contact that person .
Our property stores throughout the country receive a lot of stolen and lost phones that we can not trace the owners for .
Adding the emergency contact will help solve this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can take include enabling the PIN Security feature , keeping your phone locked at all times , and property-mark it with unique personal letters or numbers.
” He said : “ For those who do not own a smartphone , call * # 06 # on your keypad and note the IMEI number that comes up .
This is a 15 digit number that is unique to your phone .
If your phone is lost or stolen , call your service provider immediately so they can block the phone .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you should call gardaí immediately .
Do not follow the person via your tracking app ” , warned Sergeant Kerins .
Gardaí say the most common place for phones to be stolen is out in public or in a licensed premises .
They advise phone owners to : · Be wary of your surroundings and mind your property .
· Plan your night out , how are you getting there and how are you getting back ?
· Keep your phone out of public view .
· Don ’ t leave your phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dial * # 06 # and save a screenshot of your IMEI number .
Email the image to yourself .
· Keep your phone locked and enable as much security features as you can .
· Add a relative or friend as an emergency contact in your phone

People should “under no circumstances” ever take the law into their own hands and go in search of a stolen mobile phone, according to the Garda Sergeant charged with highlighting the prevalence of phone theft.
Crime prevention officer for the Meath Division, Sergeant Dean Kerins highlighted the danger of challenging criminals as figures revealing the scale phone thefts across the country were released.
Fresh data from the Garda Síochána Analysis Service showed that 11,488 mobile phones, valued at around €5 million, have been reported stolen since the beginning of 2019. Of those, only 1,176 have been recovered.
A quarter of the thefts (2,868) were in one Dublin district - Dublin South Central while 16 per cent (1,869) were in Dublin North Central, while the other four Dublin Metropolitan areas accounted for 23 per cent of thefts. In Limerick, there were 426 phones stolen, Kildare 398, Cork city 368 and Galway 324.
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Sergeant Kerins also said people needed to keep their guard up and ensure basic phone security features were enabled to keep financial and personal details secure.
While he urged urging mobile phone users to download a phone location app to help combat criminal activity, he said that he “could not stress it strongly enough that people should not go in search of a stolen mobile themselves. The reality is people can never know the danger that might lie behind a door their knock on”.
He said people able to use a “find my phone” app to track their stolen device to a particular location should report it to a local garda station. “We will take the details and follow up. It may be necessary to get a search warrant but that is what will be done,” he said.
Sergeant Kerins said that while most thefts have taken place in busy urban settings, no county was immune from the problem.
He said thieves were “opportunists and are always on the look out” and pointed out that phones left on bar counters or in cars were particularly vulnerable while criminals were also more than capable of snatching a phone from someone’s hand.
“It doesn’t matter if they can get €20 or €200 for a phone, they will take whatever they can,” he said.
He said there was a huge number of channels through which phones could be sold making them even more attractive for criminals.
As well as downloading a trusted location finder app, people needed to ensure phones were always pin protected and backed up. “The reality is that we all have our lives on our mobiles and while the device itself might only cost €100 it might have thousands of photographs, all our social media account and our financial information.”
He said family members or friends should be added as emergency contacts in people’s phone. “If we receive a lost or stolen phone, we will be able to contact that person. Our property stores throughout the country receive a lot of stolen and lost phones that we cannot trace the owners for. Adding the emergency contact will help solve this problem.”
The most common place for phones to be stolen is out in public or in a licensed premises
Sergeant Kerins said people should be wary of their surroundings and mind their property.
Amongst the other safety measures recommended are:
· Plan your night out, how are you getting there and how are you getting back?
· Avoid walking alone in dark places.
· Keep your phone out of public view.
· Don’t leave your phone on display in a vehicle.
· Dial *#06# and save a screenshot of your IMEI number. Email the image to yourself.
· Keep your phone locked and enable as much security features as you can.
· Download or activate a trusted find my phone app.
· Add a relative or friend as an emergency contact in your phone.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Coronavirus: Pregnant women in hospital less likely to show symptoms – study

Pregnant women in hospital with coronavirus are less likely to show symptoms and may have a greater risk risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit ( ICU ) than non-pregnant women of similar age , a study has found .
The analysis , which encompassed 77 studies conducted globally and was published in the British Medical Journal , looked at 11,432 pregnant women admitted to hospital and diagnosed as having suspected or confirmed of the illness , also known as Covid-19 .
It showed that pregnant women may be at increased risk of needing admission to an intensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age , as is the case with other respiratory viruses such as the flu .
This could be partially attributed to the understanding that a mother ’ s immune system is often compromised to protect the baby , and that the lungs and the cardiovascular system - the coronavirus ’ s attacking ground - are already under strain during pregnancy .
Compared with non-pregnant women of reproductive age , pregnant and recently pregnant women with Covid-19 were less likely to report symptoms of fever , the report said .
About two-thirds of non-pregnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms such as fever , cough , and difficulty breathing - but a large proportion of Covid-infected pregnant women may not present with symptoms , said study researcher Shakila Thangaratinam , a professor of maternal and perinatal health at the University of Birmingham .
About four out of every 100 pregnant women with Covid-19 appear to require intensive care , Prof Thangaratinam said .
“ The overall risk - the actual risk per se is low - but compared to women of reproductive age who are not pregnant , pregnant women appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The findings concerning intensive care largely come from a single study from a large US dataset , said Marian Knight , professor of maternal and child population health at the University of Oxford , who served as an adviser to the systematic review group .
The Covid-19 rate is not “ anywhere near ” the high mortality rate in pregnant women seen in the Sars and Mers outbreaks , Prof Thangaratinam added .
Only 73 pregnant women in the analysis with confirmed Covid-19 died from any cause .
However , a quarter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were admitted to a neonatal unit and were at increased risk of admission than those born to mothers without the virus - but there were “ negligible risks ” of stillbirth and newborn death rates , the researchers said .
In line with the general population , the risks of severe coronavirus rise in pregnant women with increasing age , high body mass index , and pre-existing conditions .
More data is needed in comparing pregnancy outcomes versus women who don ’ t have Covid-19 , Prof Thangaratinam highlighted .
“ Although 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks - which is considered a preterm birth - only 6 per cent actually went into labour preterm and delivered , which makes us think that could be other factors at play - such as hospital policies.
” How pregnant women and their unborn children are affected by Covid-19 is a persistent , wide-ranging question .
Typically , researchers will conduct systematic reviews integrating multiple studies to land on a consensus , but in the case of Covid-19 scientists have been inundated with data that often become obsolete within months of publication .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organisation - embarked on a project that regularly updates its findings as fresh data become available .
“ Other burning questions also need to be addressed , such as the impact of coronavirus in early pregnancy and on transmission from mother to baby in the womb , ” said Dr Edward Mullins , an NIHR academic clinical lecturer at Imperial College , who was not involved in the analysis .
– Guardian

Pregnant women in hospital with coronavirus are less likely to show symptoms and may have a greater risk risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) than non-pregnant women of similar age, a study has found.
The analysis, which encompassed 77 studies conducted globally and was published in the British Medical Journal, looked at 11,432 pregnant women admitted to hospital and diagnosed as having suspected or confirmed of the illness, also known as Covid-19.
It showed that pregnant women may be at increased risk of needing admission to an intensive care unit than non-pregnant women of similar age, as is the case with other respiratory viruses such as the flu. This could be partially attributed to the understanding that a mother’s immune system is often compromised to protect the baby, and that the lungs and the cardiovascular system - the coronavirus’s attacking ground - are already under strain during pregnancy.
Compared with non-pregnant women of reproductive age, pregnant and recently pregnant women with Covid-19 were less likely to report symptoms of fever, the report said.
READ MORE
About two-thirds of non-pregnant people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 report symptoms such as fever, cough, and difficulty breathing - but a large proportion of Covid-infected pregnant women may not present with symptoms, said study researcher Shakila Thangaratinam, a professor of maternal and perinatal health at the University of Birmingham.
About four out of every 100 pregnant women with Covid-19 appear to require intensive care, Prof Thangaratinam said. “The overall risk - the actual risk per se is low - but compared to women of reproductive age who are not pregnant, pregnant women appear to be admitted slightly more to ICUs.”
The findings concerning intensive care largely come from a single study from a large US dataset, said Marian Knight, professor of maternal and child population health at the University of Oxford, who served as an adviser to the systematic review group.
The Covid-19 rate is not “anywhere near” the high mortality rate in pregnant women seen in the Sars and Mers outbreaks, Prof Thangaratinam added. Only 73 pregnant women in the analysis with confirmed Covid-19 died from any cause.
However, a quarter of all babies born to mothers with Covid-19 were admitted to a neonatal unit and were at increased risk of admission than those born to mothers without the virus - but there were “negligible risks” of stillbirth and newborn death rates, the researchers said.
In line with the general population, the risks of severe coronavirus rise in pregnant women with increasing age, high body mass index, and pre-existing conditions.
More data is needed in comparing pregnancy outcomes versus women who don’t have Covid-19, Prof Thangaratinam highlighted. “Although 17 per cent of women delivered before 37 weeks - which is considered a preterm birth - only 6 per cent actually went into labour preterm and delivered, which makes us think that could be other factors at play - such as hospital policies.”
How pregnant women and their unborn children are affected by Covid-19 is a persistent, wide-ranging question. Typically, researchers will conduct systematic reviews integrating multiple studies to land on a consensus, but in the case of Covid-19 scientists have been inundated with data that often become obsolete within months of publication. So researchers - including scientists from the World Health Organisation - embarked on a project that regularly updates its findings as fresh data become available.
"Other burning questions also need to be addressed, such as the impact of coronavirus in early pregnancy and on transmission from mother to baby in the womb," said Dr Edward Mullins, an NIHR academic clinical lecturer at Imperial College, who was not involved in the analysis. – Guardian


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Blocking pub inspections to result in €2,500 fine

Denying entry to a garda trying to inspect a pub for compliance with Covid-19 regulations will result in a fine of up to €2,500 on conviction , under new laws published by the Government on Tuesday .
The Bill , which will be debated on Wednesday by the Dáil , details wide-reaching powers for gardaí to inspect licensed premises such as pubs and restaurants for their compliance with public health rules .
It gives members of the force powers to issue immediate closure orders on premises that do not comply with a direction to close , and exposes anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a similar fine and up to six months ’ imprisonment , if convicted .
The immediate closure orders will initially apply for the day on which the order is issued only , including any period after midnight that a premises is allowed to be open .
However , the legislation outlines that emergency closure orders served for failing to comply with more than one direction from a garda will apply for up to three days .
The longer closure period can only be imposed after an application to the District Court by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A garda of such a rank also has to approve an initial immediate closure order , but can do so without recourse to the courts .
The legislation also gives the gardaí powers to apply to the District Court for a temporary closure order if a premises fails to obey a compliance notice handed down alongside the immediate closure order .
Such an order carries stricter penalties , including the closure of a pub or restaurant for up to seven days for a first offence , and up to 30 days for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premises during an enforced closure could face a fine of €5,000 or one year in jail .
The legislation is time-bound until November 9th this year .
Elsewhere , vintners groups have written to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar , Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn to request a meeting on the protocols for pubs to reopen .
After a Cabinet meeting last week , Mr Varadkar said the Government intended to work with the State ’ s public health team to draft protocols which might allow pubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chief executive of the Licensed Vintners ’ Association , said he wanted the meeting to discuss the protocols mentioned by the Tánaiste .
“ What does he mean by that , what conditions need to be met to allow pubs reopen and when does he see those conditions being met.
” He said Dr Glynn “ needs to help us to understand the conditions that need to be met for pubs to reopen ” .
Pádraig Cribben , chief executive of the Vintners ’ Federation of Ireland , said he wanted an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reopening while Irish premises remained shut .
“ It ’ s the same science across Europe , but we ’ re interpreting it differently as far as the pubs are concerned , ” he said .

Publicans who reopen their premises during an enforced closure could face a fine of €5,000 or one year in jail. Photograph: Gareth Chaney Collins
Denying entry to a garda trying to inspect a pub for compliance with Covid-19 regulations will result in a fine of up to €2,500 on conviction, under new laws published by the Government on Tuesday.
The Bill, which will be debated on Wednesday by the Dáil, details wide-reaching powers for gardaí to inspect licensed premises such as pubs and restaurants for their compliance with public health rules.
It gives members of the force powers to issue immediate closure orders on premises that do not comply with a direction to close, and exposes anyone who refuses to comply with such an order to a similar fine and up to six months’ imprisonment, if convicted.
The immediate closure orders will initially apply for the day on which the order is issued only, including any period after midnight that a premises is allowed to be open. However, the legislation outlines that emergency closure orders served for failing to comply with more than one direction from a garda will apply for up to three days.
READ MORE
Closure orders
The longer closure period can only be imposed after an application to the District Court by a garda ranked superintendent or higher. A garda of such a rank also has to approve an initial immediate closure order, but can do so without recourse to the courts.
The legislation also gives the gardaí powers to apply to the District Court for a temporary closure order if a premises fails to obey a compliance notice handed down alongside the immediate closure order.
Such an order carries stricter penalties, including the closure of a pub or restaurant for up to seven days for a first offence, and up to 30 days for a second transgression. Publicans who reopen their premises during an enforced closure could face a fine of €5,000 or one year in jail. The legislation is time-bound until November 9th this year.
Protocols for opening
Elsewhere, vintners groups have written to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn to request a meeting on the protocols for pubs to reopen.
After a Cabinet meeting last week, Mr Varadkar said the Government intended to work with the State’s public health team to draft protocols which might allow pubs to reopen.
Donall O’Keeffe, chief executive of the Licensed Vintners’ Association, said he wanted the meeting to discuss the protocols mentioned by the Tánaiste. “What does he mean by that, what conditions need to be met to allow pubs reopen and when does he see those conditions being met.”
He said Dr Glynn “needs to help us to understand the conditions that need to be met for pubs to reopen”.
Pádraig Cribben, chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, said he wanted an explanation as to why pubs across Europe were reopening while Irish premises remained shut.
“It’s the same science across Europe, but we’re interpreting it differently as far as the pubs are concerned,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-09-02--Some school staff told to ‘reuse’ masks due to shortage, union claims

A significant number of staff in schools are providing personal care to students without adequate personal protective equipment , the country ’ s largest public service union will tell the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee on Wednesday .
Fórsa , which represents non-teaching staff including special needs assistants , will also say that in one school the isolation facility earmarked for students who may develop Covid-19 symptoms was part of the school secretary ’ s office separated by a Perspex screen .
It will also say its members in the education sector were reporting that a number of schools have either refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are requiring staff to reuse face masks contrary to HSE advice ” .
It intends to carry out a survey of members on the issue early next week .
The union also maintained that the use of isolation rooms for students exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 would “ without doubt be problematic ” .
The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland ( ASTI ) will tell the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee that the Department of Education appears “ to be doing little or no planning for the possibility that there might be individual or groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kieran Christie will say that controversy over large assemblies was due to a “ lack of clarity ” that left schools “ unsure should they follow advice [ from the department ] which was silent on the matter or Government advice that was well known ” .
In his opening statement , Mr Christie will tell the committee that the lack of guidance “ was an extraordinary omission given that we were in the middle of controversy on large congregations over in Clifden ” .
The union will say it has not received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a request for a meeting to discuss a range of concerns .
“ It is regrettable that those who are effectively making the decisions on these matters are refusing to meet representatives of those directly affected by them.
” It also has concerns over parts of the guidance for reopening schools , including issues around testing , the treatment of close contacts , contact tracing and policies around symptomatic children and staff .
Several unions , including the ASTI and the Teachers ’ Union of Ireland ( TUI ) , will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , for teachers and students in “ high risk ” categories .
“ The ASTI is receiving a significant number of calls from teachers whose illnesses include chronic kidney disease , cancer and serious heart disease ” .
It says asking teachers with these illnesses to teach sizeable groups is “ unconscionable ” .
The committee will also hear from the TUI , the National Parents Council , and the Irish National Teachers ’ Organisation on Wednesday .
The INTO said it was imperative that a review be undertaken , by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening of schools and identify improvements which may be necessary .
“ Unless we are vigilant and in a position to adapt quickly to changing circumstances , schools may risk a second period of enforced closure .
”

Fórsa members in the education sector were reporting that a number of schools have either refused to purchase personal protective equipment ‘or are requiring staff to reuse face masks contrary to HSE advice’. Photograph: iStock
A significant number of staff in schools are providing personal care to students without adequate personal protective equipment, the country's largest public service union will tell the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee on Wednesday.
Fórsa, which represents non-teaching staff including special needs assistants, will also say that in one school the isolation facility earmarked for students who may develop Covid-19 symptoms was part of the school secretary’s office separated by a Perspex screen.
It will also say its members in the education sector were reporting that a number of schools have either refused to purchase personal protective equipment “or are requiring staff to reuse face masks contrary to HSE advice”.
It intends to carry out a survey of members on the issue early next week.
READ MORE
The union also maintained that the use of isolation rooms for students exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 would “without doubt be problematic”.
The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) will tell the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee that the Department of Education appears "to be doing little or no planning for the possibility that there might be individual or groups of school closures".
General secretary Kieran Christie will say that controversy over large assemblies was due to a "lack of clarity" that left schools "unsure should they follow advice [from the department] which was silent on the matter or Government advice that was well known".
In his opening statement, Mr Christie will tell the committee that the lack of guidance “was an extraordinary omission given that we were in the middle of controversy on large congregations over in Clifden”. The union will say it has not received a response from the Minister for Health to a request for a meeting to discuss a range of concerns.
“It is regrettable that those who are effectively making the decisions on these matters are refusing to meet representatives of those directly affected by them.”
It also has concerns over parts of the guidance for reopening schools, including issues around testing, the treatment of close contacts, contact tracing and policies around symptomatic children and staff.
Several unions, including the ASTI and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), will also demand alternative arrangements, including working from home, for teachers and students in “high risk” categories. “The ASTI is receiving a significant number of calls from teachers whose illnesses include chronic kidney disease, cancer and serious heart disease”.
It says asking teachers with these illnesses to teach sizeable groups is “unconscionable”.
The committee will also hear from the TUI, the National Parents Council, and the Irish National Teachers' Organisation on Wednesday.
The INTO said it was imperative that a review be undertaken, by the end of September, to assess the reopening of schools and identify improvements which may be necessary.
“Unless we are vigilant and in a position to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, schools may risk a second period of enforced closure.”