theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Unions quit Low Pay Commission over proposed minimum wage increase

The trade union movement has walked out of the Low Pay Commission , saying it was not prepared to sign up to a proposed increase of 10 cent per hour in the national minimum wage .
The commission was established by the Government in 2015 to advise and make recommendations to Ministers on the national minimum wage .
It has an independent chairman appointed by the Government and involves trade unions , employers and campaign groups .
The withdrawal on Tuesday evening by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions ( Ictu ) raises questions about its future .
Last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase of 30 cent to the minimum wage for adults , bringing the rate to €10.10 per hour .
Earlier this summer , it deferred making a recommendation to the Government on a new rate for the national minimum wage until September .
It is understood there was strong disagreement between members on the issue at the time .
On Tuesday evening , the general secretary of Ictu Patricia King said : “ We could not in conscience be party to any recommendation that did not afford the lowest paid workers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two per cent similar to other sectors in our economy.
” About 340,000 staff across the public service are set to receive a two per cent pay rise in October .
Workers in the construction sector are scheduled to receive a 2.7 per cent pay increase in October also .
Ms King said it had become clear to her and the other trade union representative on the commission , Gerry Light of the Mandate union , “ that other members of the commission were not prepared to propose an increase for 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent .
“ If we have learned anything as a society in this pandemic it is that we must value work and those who carry it out .
We must make work pay .
“ Many of the workers on the minimum wage form part of the cadre of essential workers who have helped keep our economy going through this Covid-19 pandemic .
It is therefore completely unacceptable that they and other workers who are the lowest paid in this state would not be afforded decency and fairness by receiving a modest minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minimum Wage .
“ The lowest paid in our society suffered disproportionately during the last recession and we won ’ t be party to a process that leaves them behind .
“ Therefore it is with regret , but with clarity that we can no longer be part of this Low Pay Commission .
There can be no going back to the old ways where the lowest paid are left behind .
We will continue to campaign through other fora for a just increase , ” Ms King said .

The trade union movement has walked out of the Low Pay Commission, saying it was not prepared to sign up to a proposed increase of 10 cent per hour in the national minimum wage.
The commission was established by the Government in 2015 to advise and make recommendations to Ministers on the national minimum wage. It has an independent chairman appointed by the Government and involves trade unions, employers and campaign groups.
The withdrawal on Tuesday evening by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) raises questions about its future.
Last year, the Low Pay Commission recommended an increase of 30 cent to the minimum wage for adults, bringing the rate to €10.10 per hour. Earlier this summer, it deferred making a recommendation to the Government on a new rate for the national minimum wage until September.
READ MORE
It is understood there was strong disagreement between members on the issue at the time.
On Tuesday evening, the general secretary of Ictu Patricia King said: "We could not in conscience be party to any recommendation that did not afford the lowest paid workers in the Republic of Ireland an increase in excess of two per cent similar to other sectors in our economy."
About 340,000 staff across the public service are set to receive a two per cent pay rise in October. Workers in the construction sector are scheduled to receive a 2.7 per cent pay increase in October also.
Ms King said it had become clear to her and the other trade union representative on the commission, Gerry Light of the Mandate union, "that other members of the commission were not prepared to propose an increase for 2021 beyond one per cent ie. 10 cent.
“If we have learned anything as a society in this pandemic it is that we must value work and those who carry it out. We must make work pay.
“Many of the workers on the minimum wage form part of the cadre of essential workers who have helped keep our economy going through this Covid-19 pandemic. It is therefore completely unacceptable that they and other workers who are the lowest paid in this state would not be afforded decency and fairness by receiving a modest minimum two per cent increase in the National Minimum Wage.
“The lowest paid in our society suffered disproportionately during the last recession and we won’t be party to a process that leaves them behind.
“Therefore it is with regret, but with clarity that we can no longer be part of this Low Pay Commission. There can be no going back to the old ways where the lowest paid are left behind. We will continue to campaign through other fora for a just increase,” Ms King said .


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--NI Assembly passes motion rejecting Internal Market Bill

The North ’ s Assembly has passed a motion rejecting the UK government ’ s Internal Market Bill and any claim it is necessary to protect the Belfast Agreement .
The SDLP motion also described a trade deal between the UK and the EU as “ critical in protecting the interests of everyone living in Northern Ireland ” .
It was approved by the SDLP , Sinn Féin and Alliance Party , but opposed by the DUP and Ulster Unionists .
The Internal Market Bill , which is making its way through the UK House of Commons , threatens to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland .
The UK government has claimed the Bill is necessary to protect peace in the North .
Proposing the motion on Tuesday , the SDLP MLA Matthew O ’ Toole called on assembly members to “ make clear this bill does not have our consent ” .
“ Let us be clear that this Assembly rejects the Internal Market Bill , upholds the principles which have underpinned our institutions and affirms that commitments made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be the plaything of demagogues , ” he said .
However , DUP MLA Paul Givan said his party was objecting to the motion “ because it is flawed in its content ” .
He said that while a UK-EU trade deal was critical , there was a “ huge question mark ” over whether it could be sealed by January 1st .
“ So what else can the government of the United Kingdom do but make preparation in the event of the European Union continuing to be intransigent , continuing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready for an eventuality that doesn ’ t do the harm to its people , or at least mitigates that harm ?
” , he said .
Businesses and consumers , he said , needed certainty , and the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol “ hands the leverage to the European Union for them to use us as a pawn in a much bigger plaything ” .
The Republic of Ireland , he said , was “ the predatory neighbour when it comes to commercial activities ” , against which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , in regard to corporation tax and ports and airports , there would be “ nothing stopping the Republic of Ireland using European institutions to frustrate those economic opportunities.
” UUP leader Steve Aiken said that too often in the Brexit debate “ it sounds like Boris bashing turns into Brit-bashing , and that is not something that I think it conducive or helpful for the people of Northern Ireland.
” He proposed that MLAs write as an Assembly to the UK government and to the EU ’ s chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say to them that we have real , significant concerns about Northern Ireland being used as a political football ” .
Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson said the Bill was a “ clear attack on our power-sharing arrangements ” and a “ clear attempt ” to give priority to the British internal market ahead of the future priorities of the devolved administration .
While the “ shameful attack by the British government has rightly been condemned around the world ” , she said , “ we do have another option ” .
Sinn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all those parties who are committed to the return of the North to the EU to discuss the scope for the development of an agreed position.
” Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said it was a “ matter of deep concern that legislation is being passed in our national parliament that undermines an international agreement signed less than a year ago and adds further unease about businesses and people in Northern Ireland ” .

UUP leader Steve Aiken said that too often in the Brexit debate ‘it sounds like Boris bashing turns into Brit-bashing, and that is not something that I think it conducive or helpful for the people of Northern Ireland’. File photograph: Niall Carson/PA.
The North's Assembly has passed a motion rejecting the UK government's Internal Market Bill and any claim it is necessary to protect the Belfast Agreement.
The SDLP motion also described a trade deal between the UK and the EU as “critical in protecting the interests of everyone living in Northern Ireland”.
It was approved by the SDLP, Sinn Féin and Alliance Party, but opposed by the DUP and Ulster Unionists.
The Internal Market Bill, which is making its way through the UK House of Commons, threatens to override parts of the Northern Ireland protocol, the part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. The UK government has claimed the Bill is necessary to protect peace in the North.
READ MORE
Proposing the motion on Tuesday, the SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole called on assembly members to “make clear this bill does not have our consent”.
“Let us be clear that this Assembly rejects the Internal Market Bill, upholds the principles which have underpinned our institutions and affirms that commitments made in peace agreements and international treaties should not be the plaything of demagogues,” he said.
‘Flawed’
However, DUP MLA Paul Givan said his party was objecting to the motion "because it is flawed in its content". He said that while a UK-EU trade deal was critical, there was a "huge question mark" over whether it could be sealed by January 1st.
"So what else can the government of the United Kingdom do but make preparation in the event of the European Union continuing to be intransigent, continuing to threaten and bully, but to be ready for an eventuality that doesn't do the harm to its people, or at least mitigates that harm?", he said.
Businesses and consumers, he said, needed certainty, and the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol "hands the leverage to the European Union for them to use us as a pawn in a much bigger plaything".
The Republic of Ireland, he said, was “the predatory neighbour when it comes to commercial activities”, against which the Bill was a necessary protection.
Otherwise, he said, in regard to corporation tax and ports and airports, there would be “nothing stopping the Republic of Ireland using European institutions to frustrate those economic opportunities.”
‘Brit-bashing’
UUP leader Steve Aiken said that too often in the Brexit debate "it sounds like Boris bashing turns into Brit-bashing, and that is not something that I think it conducive or helpful for the people of Northern Ireland."
He proposed that MLAs write as an Assembly to the UK government and to the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, “and say to them that we have real, significant concerns about Northern Ireland being used as a political football”.
Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson said the Bill was a "clear attack on our power-sharing arrangements" and a "clear attempt" to give priority to the British internal market ahead of the future priorities of the devolved administration.
While the “shameful attack by the British government has rightly been condemned around the world”, she said, “we do have another option”.
Sinn Féin, she said, “invites all those parties who are committed to the return of the North to the EU to discuss the scope for the development of an agreed position.”
Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said it was a "matter of deep concern that legislation is being passed in our national parliament that undermines an international agreement signed less than a year ago and adds further unease about businesses and people in Northern Ireland".


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Q&A: How do new Covid-19 restrictions in the UK differ from Ireland?

The UK has imposed a raft of new coronavirus restrictions for England that could last up to six months as deaths from Covid-19 are starting to increase for the first time since April .
British prime minister Boris Johnson has said the country was at a “ perilous turning point.
” Similar restrictions are being applied in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , though Northern Ireland and Scotland have gone further on restrictions to stem the spread of the virus .
This means that there are varying Covid-19 public health restrictions applying across the United Kingdom and in different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What are the main measures announced for England ?
Pubs , bars and restaurants are being forced to close at 10pm from Thursday and will be restricted to table service only .
Table bookings are limited to six people and groups can not mingle .
People are being advised to work from home , where possible , and face masks are being made compulsory for bar staff , non-seated customers , shop staff and waiters .
The number of guests permitted at a wedding has been reduced from 30 to 15 and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor team sports has been limited to six .
The UK government ’ s plan to allow spectators at sporting events has been postponed .
Six people from multiple households are permitted to meet indoors in England , whereas no social visits to private homes are permitted in Northern Ireland where you will not be able to meet anyone you don ’ t live with inside your home .
In England , six people from multiple households can meet outdoors ; in Northern Ireland , six people from two households are permitted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people can meet outdoors in a public space .
Are there any exceptions in Northern Ireland ?
Yes , one household can “ bubble ” with another , which means the two can have close physical contact .
This allow two households to help adults living alone or single parents with children .
Other exemptions include for care responsibilities , including childcare , building work , legal or medical visits , a funeral or where people are operating a business from home .
The Northern Ireland Executive has not announced a curfew on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open in the North on Wednesday as it has been imposed in England but the measure is due to be considered by the Executive on Thursday .
What is happening in Scotland that is different to England ?
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has , like in Northern Ireland , announced a ban on meeting inside other people ’ s homes and has permitted up to six people from two households to meet outdoors , including in private gardens , though young people aged 12 to 18 are exempt and can meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Scottish government is not applying any limit on the number of children under 12 who can meet or play together outdoors .
How do the UK measures differ from the approach here ?
It depends on whether you are living inside or outside Dublin , which is on the more restrictive Level 3 measures compared with Level 2 for the rest of the country .
In Dublin , a maximum of six people from one other household can visit your home or garden , which is not as restrictive as Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , up to six visitors from two or three households or another household can visit indoors or in a private garden .
How does the approach to pubs differ ?
Unlike in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK where pubs can remain open with restrictions , wet pubs were not allowed to reopen in Dublin as proposed on September 21st and indoor dining was banned in food pubs , cafes and restaurants in Dublin due to rising coronavirus infections .
Outside of Dublin , wet pubs were permitted to reopen but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited to six from no more than three households .
Food-serving pubs , cafes and restaurants , including hotel restaurants and bars , can reopen with protective measures in place .
In Dublin , numbers at weddings are limited to 25 and to 50 in the rest of the country .
The number of wedding guests in Northern Ireland can be a multiple of that based on a risk assessment on the size of the function room while adhering to social distancing guidelines , public health advice and industry guidance .
Is Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response ?
It is a bit of a mixture .
On household restrictions , it is closer to the Irish Government ’ s measures and goes further than the restrictions applying in Dublin , whereas on social activities , the North ’ s response is closer to the British approach .

A TV screen in St Stephen’s Tavern displays a feed of British prime minister Boris Johnson making a statement in Parliament in London on Tuesday. From Thursday, hospitality venues across England will have to close by 10 pm. Photograph: Bloomberg
The UK has imposed a raft of new coronavirus restrictions for England that could last up to six months as deaths from Covid-19 are starting to increase for the first time since April.
British prime minister Boris Johnson has said the country was at a “perilous turning point.”
Similar restrictions are being applied in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, though Northern Ireland and Scotland have gone further on restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.
Hospital Report
This means that there are varying Covid-19 public health restrictions applying across the United Kingdom and in different parts of the island of Ireland.
READ MORE
What are the main measures announced for England?
Pubs, bars and restaurants are being forced to close at 10pm from Thursday and will be restricted to table service only. Table bookings are limited to six people and groups cannot mingle.
People are being advised to work from home, where possible, and face masks are being made compulsory for bar staff, non-seated customers, shop staff and waiters.
The number of guests permitted at a wedding has been reduced from 30 to 15 and the number of people allowed to participate in indoor team sports has been limited to six. The UK government’s plan to allow spectators at sporting events has been postponed.
How do Northern Ireland’s restrictions differ?
Six people from multiple households are permitted to meet indoors in England, whereas no social visits to private homes are permitted in Northern Ireland where you will not be able to meet anyone you don’t live with inside your home. In England, six people from multiple households can meet outdoors; in Northern Ireland, six people from two households are permitted in a private garden but up to 15 people can meet outdoors in a public space.
Are there any exceptions in Northern Ireland?
Yes, one household can “bubble” with another, which means the two can have close physical contact. This allow two households to help adults living alone or single parents with children.
Other exemptions include for care responsibilities, including childcare, building work, legal or medical visits, a funeral or where people are operating a business from home.
The Northern Ireland Executive has not announced a curfew on so-called wet pubs, which are due to open in the North on Wednesday as it has been imposed in England but the measure is due to be considered by the Executive on Thursday.
What is happening in Scotland that is different to England?
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has, like in Northern Ireland, announced a ban on meeting inside other people’s homes and has permitted up to six people from two households to meet outdoors, including in private gardens, though young people aged 12 to 18 are exempt and can meet outdoors in groups of up to six. The Scottish government is not applying any limit on the number of children under 12 who can meet or play together outdoors.
How do the UK measures differ from the approach here?
It depends on whether you are living inside or outside Dublin, which is on the more restrictive Level 3 measures compared with Level 2 for the rest of the country.
In Dublin, a maximum of six people from one other household can visit your home or garden, which is not as restrictive as Northern Ireland’s measure. Outside Dublin, up to six visitors from two or three households or another household can visit indoors or in a private garden.
How does the approach to pubs differ?
Unlike in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK where pubs can remain open with restrictions, wet pubs were not allowed to reopen in Dublin as proposed on September 21st and indoor dining was banned in food pubs, cafes and restaurants in Dublin due to rising coronavirus infections. Outside of Dublin, wet pubs were permitted to reopen but with table service and groups of people limited to six from no more than three households. Food-serving pubs, cafes and restaurants, including hotel restaurants and bars, can reopen with protective measures in place.
What about weddings?
In Dublin, numbers at weddings are limited to 25 and to 50 in the rest of the country. The number of wedding guests in Northern Ireland can be a multiple of that based on a risk assessment on the size of the function room while adhering to social distancing guidelines, public health advice and industry guidance.
Is Northern Ireland closer to the British or Irish response?
It is a bit of a mixture. On household restrictions, it is closer to the Irish Government’s measures and goes further than the restrictions applying in Dublin, whereas on social activities, the North’s response is closer to the British approach.


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Scrapping court oath would ‘materially increase’ false evidence, judge says

A High Court judge has said the oath “ still has a powerful role in bringing out the truth ” and that while scrapping it “ makes academic sense ” , it “ would materially increase the amount of false evidence in practice ” .
Mr Justice Richard Humphreys said “ would that it were not so but it would be wishful thinking to ignore the reality ” .
He said the need for an oath is “ considerably greater ” in the international protection context “ where credibility as such looms large and where the nature of events being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances often eludes direct proof or disproof ” .
He made the comments in a judgment dismissing a challenge by an Albanian woman and her Irish born son to deportation orders on grounds including they were entitled to a rehearing of their protection applications before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal ( IPAT ) because an oath was not administered at the original hearing .
Katherine McGillicuddy , for the Minister for Justice , argued they were legally represented at the hearing , had not indicated they wished to provide sworn or affirmed evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hearing .
Mr Justice Humphreys said the applicants and their lawyers were aware of the oath issue before the IPAT decision but did not do anything and rather waited to see if they would get a positive outcome which was “ a classic form of acquiescence ” .
Assuming it was legitimate not to raise the point about the oath at that hearing , it is not quite as legitimate , when one gets a negative decision , to then “ cry foul ” and say there is a serious problem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act 2015 enables rather than mandates administration of the oath , administration of an oath in line with religious beliefs of each witness should be the “ default position ” of the tribunal for consistency reasons and to ensure evidence to the tribunal is offered “ with due solemnity and seriousness ” .
Affirmation arises only if the oath is contrary to a witness ’ religious beliefs or they have no religious beliefs .
Taking evidence without an oath or affirmation should only be in the limited circumstances set out in the IPAT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The tribunal is fully entitled to view refusal to take an oath , where the conditions for affirmation are not satisfied , as being in and of itself undermining of the credibility of the account offered , all other things being equal , he said .
That was common sense as someone who hesitates about swearing to the truth of something “ is giving you important information about the reliability of their account , all other things being equal ” .
The Covid-19 emergency has necessitated remote hearings involving alternatives to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ statement of truth ” , he said .
While the ongoing secularisation of society makes oaths , with their emphasis on religious belief , look like a “ pre-Enlightenment anachronism and an embarrassment ” , the “ unfortunate reality is that the oath still has a powerful role in bringing out the truth ” , he said .
There are people , Irish and non-Irish , who “ are relatively untroubled about the theoretical civil and criminal consequences of lies to a court or tribunal but who nonetheless hesitate if asked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to such lies ” .
“ The rational , bureaucratic mind fails to appreciate that merely stiffening the criminal penalties for perjury has no effect whatsoever on that viewpoint , ” the judge said .
The existence of such witnesses has been illustrated from experience since the IPAT began to administer oaths in recent years and was reinforced by the experience in the High Court asylum list , he said .
In other findings , he said the fact the judicial review application was brought outside the limit provided for , and without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no explanation for that , was “ fatal ” to it .
The request to the IPAT to rehear the appeal was misconceived as the 2015 Act gave no authority to set aside an IPAT decision in full or to hold a full rehearing after the tribunal ’ s decision has been made , he held .

A High Court judge has said the oath ‘still has a powerful role in bringing out the truth’ in legal proceedings. File photograph: Matt Kavanagh/The Irish Times.
A High Court judge has said the oath “still has a powerful role in bringing out the truth” and that while scrapping it “makes academic sense”, it “would materially increase the amount of false evidence in practice”.
Mr Justice Richard Humphreys said “would that it were not so but it would be wishful thinking to ignore the reality” .
He said the need for an oath is “considerably greater” in the international protection context “where credibility as such looms large and where the nature of events being attested to in faraway locations and unusual circumstances often eludes direct proof or disproof”.
He made the comments in a judgment dismissing a challenge by an Albanian woman and her Irish born son to deportation orders on grounds including they were entitled to a rehearing of their protection applications before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) because an oath was not administered at the original hearing.
READ MORE
Katherine McGillicuddy, for the Minister for Justice, argued they were legally represented at the hearing, had not indicated they wished to provide sworn or affirmed evidence and thus acquiesced in the conduct of the hearing.
Mr Justice Humphreys said the applicants and their lawyers were aware of the oath issue before the IPAT decision but did not do anything and rather waited to see if they would get a positive outcome which was “a classic form of acquiescence”.
‘Cry foul’
Assuming it was legitimate not to raise the point about the oath at that hearing, it is not quite as legitimate, when one gets a negative decision, to then “cry foul” and say there is a serious problem, he said.
While the International Protection Act 2015 enables rather than mandates administration of the oath, administration of an oath in line with religious beliefs of each witness should be the “default position” of the tribunal for consistency reasons and to ensure evidence to the tribunal is offered “with due solemnity and seriousness”.
Affirmation arises only if the oath is contrary to a witness’ religious beliefs or they have no religious beliefs. Taking evidence without an oath or affirmation should only be in the limited circumstances set out in the IPAT chairperson’s guidelines, he added.
The tribunal is fully entitled to view refusal to take an oath, where the conditions for affirmation are not satisfied, as being in and of itself undermining of the credibility of the account offered, all other things being equal, he said.
That was common sense as someone who hesitates about swearing to the truth of something “is giving you important information about the reliability of their account, all other things being equal”.
Secularisation
The Covid-19 emergency has necessitated remote hearings involving alternatives to the oath or affirmation, in particular a “statement of truth”, he said.
While the ongoing secularisation of society makes oaths, with their emphasis on religious belief, look like a “pre-Enlightenment anachronism and an embarrassment”, the “unfortunate reality is that the oath still has a powerful role in bringing out the truth”, he said.
There are people, Irish and non-Irish, who “are relatively untroubled about the theoretical civil and criminal consequences of lies to a court or tribunal but who nonetheless hesitate if asked to call down their deity as a witness to such lies”.
“The rational, bureaucratic mind fails to appreciate that merely stiffening the criminal penalties for perjury has no effect whatsoever on that viewpoint,” the judge said.
The existence of such witnesses has been illustrated from experience since the IPAT began to administer oaths in recent years and was reinforced by the experience in the High Court asylum list, he said.
In other findings, he said the fact the judicial review application was brought outside the limit provided for, and without an extension of time being sought and no explanation for that, was “fatal” to it.
The request to the IPAT to rehear the appeal was misconceived as the 2015 Act gave no authority to set aside an IPAT decision in full or to hold a full rehearing after the tribunal’s decision has been made, he held.


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Leaving Cert students to get access to ‘highly sensitive’ class rankings from Monday

Thousands of Leaving Cert students are due to have online access to class rankings which their teachers ’ assigned them from next Monday .
Students had been due to receive the information on September 14th , a week after receiving their calculated grades .
However , teachers ’ unions objected on the basis that the data was “ highly sensitive ” and would allow students to see if they had been ranked last in a subject an individual class .
The unions also argued that their members had a “ clear understanding ” the information would only be revealed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ application request .
A spokesman for the Department of Education said it had sought legal advice on the issue of making class rank orders available to students .
On foot of this , he said the department was now putting in place a system to allow students to gain access to their class rank information through the calculated grades student portal .
It is planned that this information will be available to students from next Monday , September 28th .
Under the calculated grades process , teachers were required to award estimated percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order of expected achievement .
While the marks awarded were changed by the department ’ s standardisation process in many cases , the ranking given to a student was not changed .
For example , students who were given an estimated H1 grade by their teachers were much more likely to be downgraded in the standardisation process if their class ranking was outside the cohort of top performing students in a class .
Class ranking information is also likely to be relied on in evidence in any future legal actions relating to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is understood to have briefed teachers ’ union this week that it was planning to released the information from next week .
Under data protection legislation , students are entitled to access any data which has been compiled about them and retained by schools in relation to the calculated grades process .
Some teachers in rural areas , in particular , have expressed concern about how class ranking information will be received by neighbours , relations or friends of students in their classes .

Thousands of Leaving Cert students are due to have access to class rankings which their teachers’ assigned them online from next Monday. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
Thousands of Leaving Cert students are due to have online access to class rankings which their teachers’ assigned them from next Monday.
Students had been due to receive the information on September 14th, a week after receiving their calculated grades.
However, teachers’ unions objected on the basis that the data was “highly sensitive” and would allow students to see if they had been ranked last in a subject an individual class.
The unions also argued that their members had a “clear understanding” the information would only be revealed to students under an appeal process or data application request.
READ MORE
A spokesman for the Department of Education said it had sought legal advice on the issue of making class rank orders available to students.
On foot of this, he said the department was now putting in place a system to allow students to gain access to their class rank information through the calculated grades student portal.
It is planned that this information will be available to students from next Monday, September 28th.
Under the calculated grades process, teachers were required to award estimated percentage marks to their students and rank them in order of expected achievement.
While the marks awarded were changed by the department’s standardisation process in many cases, the ranking given to a student was not changed.
This class ranking data played a crucial role in determining a student’s final grade.
For example, students who were given an estimated H1 grade by their teachers were much more likely to be downgraded in the standardisation process if their class ranking was outside the cohort of top performing students in a class.
Class ranking information is also likely to be relied on in evidence in any future legal actions relating to the calculated grades process.
The department is understood to have briefed teachers’ union this week that it was planning to released the information from next week.
Under data protection legislation, students are entitled to access any data which has been compiled about them and retained by schools in relation to the calculated grades process.
Some teachers in rural areas, in particular, have expressed concern about how class ranking information will be received by neighbours, relations or friends of students in their classes.


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Homeless man died after being stabbed 183 times in Dublin park, trial hears

A young man has denied murdering a homeless man with cerebral palsy who was found dead with 183 stab wounds in a Dublin park two years ago .
Opening the case for the prosecution , Pauline Whalley SC told a Central Criminal Court jury that the prosecution will show that Philip Dunbar ( 20 ) stabbed Adam ‘ Floater ’ Muldoon and then went to a friend ’ s house where he admitted to the stabbing .
Mr Dunbar , of Glenshane Drive , Tallaght , Dublin 24 , has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Muldoon at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 22nd or June 23rd , 2018 .
Ms Whalley said Mr Muldoon was 23-years-old and lived as a homeless person in the Glenshane area of Tallaght before he died .
He had a difficult early life , she said , and was supported by the local community who fed him and gave him clothes .
He had cerebral palsy and sometimes used a walking stick or Zimmer frame .
The court heard Mr Muldoon knew the accused , who was 17 at the time , as Mr Dunbar also lived in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel said , had been a lovely summer ’ s day and a number of young people had gathered that evening in the Glenshane area and were “ doing the things young people do ” .
They ordered pizza and some were smoking “ weed ” while others were drinking .
A row later developed , Ms Whalley said , and Mr Muldoon and the accused went into Butler Park , an area within Jobstown Park .
Counsel said that in the park the accused stabbed Mr Muldoon 183 times causing his death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report would show that many of the wounds were superficial but three major blood vessels in the neck were severed causing injuries that would have been immediately fatal .
Other wounds , she said , had penetrated the liver and lungs and there were defensive wounds to his hands .
Mr Muldoon ’ s body was discovered the following morning by a dog walker and a garda investigation began .
Ms Whalley said that following the stabbing the accused went to a friend ’ s house where he admitted that he had “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Counsel told the jury that they must be “ cold and surgical ” when they consider their verdict having heard the evidence at the end of the trial .
She said that Mr Muldoon died in a “ really awful way ” but they must put aside any sympathy for the deceased or his family .
She also said that they might look at the accused and think , “ he looks so young and innocent , he couldn ’ t be guilty of this crime ” .
However , she told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women they must behave like judges and be cold and impartial in their consideration of the facts .
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Paul McDermott .

A young man has denied murdering a homeless man with cerebral palsy who was found dead with 183 stab wounds in a Dublin park two years ago.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Pauline Whalley SC told a Central Criminal Court jury that the prosecution will show that Philip Dunbar (20) stabbed Adam ‘Floater’ Muldoon and then went to a friend’s house where he admitted to the stabbing.
Mr Dunbar, of Glenshane Drive, Tallaght, Dublin 24, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Muldoon at Butler Park in Jobstown Park, Tallaght on June 22nd or June 23rd, 2018.
Ms Whalley said Mr Muldoon was 23-years-old and lived as a homeless person in the Glenshane area of Tallaght before he died. He had a difficult early life, she said, and was supported by the local community who fed him and gave him clothes. He had cerebral palsy and sometimes used a walking stick or Zimmer frame.
READ MORE
The court heard Mr Muldoon knew the accused, who was 17 at the time, as Mr Dunbar also lived in Glenshane.
June 22nd, 2018, counsel said, had been a lovely summer’s day and a number of young people had gathered that evening in the Glenshane area and were “doing the things young people do”.
They ordered pizza and some were smoking “weed” while others were drinking.
A row later developed, Ms Whalley said, and Mr Muldoon and the accused went into Butler Park, an area within Jobstown Park.
Fatal injuries
Counsel said that in the park the accused stabbed Mr Muldoon 183 times causing his death. She said a pathologist’s report would show that many of the wounds were superficial but three major blood vessels in the neck were severed causing injuries that would have been immediately fatal.
Other wounds, she said, had penetrated the liver and lungs and there were defensive wounds to his hands.
Mr Muldoon’s body was discovered the following morning by a dog walker and a garda investigation began.
Ms Whalley said that following the stabbing the accused went to a friend’s house where he admitted that he had “stabbed Floater” a number of times.
Counsel told the jury that they must be “cold and surgical” when they consider their verdict having heard the evidence at the end of the trial.
She said that Mr Muldoon died in a “really awful way” but they must put aside any sympathy for the deceased or his family. She also said that they might look at the accused and think, “he looks so young and innocent, he couldn’t be guilty of this crime”.
However, she told the jury of six men and six women they must behave like judges and be cold and impartial in their consideration of the facts.
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Paul McDermott.


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Council policing meeting suspended as email error leads to no Garda appearance

A meeting of the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee was suspended after an error inputting an incorrect email address led @ @ @ @ @ Síochána appearing .
The committee was due to discuss a report on day services for @ @ @ @ @ during Halloween and recent breaches of public health guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ .
A Dublin City Council official said there was an error with the email address @ @ @ @ @ she was in the process of trying to reschedule the meeting for next week .
@ @ @ @ @ s online Zoom meeting , Fine Gael councillor Ray McAdam said that in his 11 @ @ @ @ @ had never had a situation where he attended either a local or city-wide joint policing @ @ @ @ @ present .
Labour councillor Joe Costello said that holding a joint policing committee meeting with @ @ @ @ @ Siochána present was “ a contradiction in terms .
”

A meeting of the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee was suspended after an error inputting an incorrect email address led to nobody from An Garda Síochána appearing. File image: Niall Carson/PA Wire.
A meeting of the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee was suspended after an error inputting an incorrect email address led to nobody from An Garda Síochána appearing.
The committee was due to discuss a report on day services for the homeless, safety measures during Halloween and recent breaches of public health guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 but had to be postponed.
A Dublin City Council official said there was an error with the email address for the Garda and that she was in the process of trying to reschedule the meeting for next week.
Speaking during the council’s online Zoom meeting, Fine Gael councillor Ray McAdam said that in his 11 years on the council he had never had a situation where he attended either a local or city-wide joint policing committee meeting with no Garda present.
READ MORE
Labour councillor Joe Costello said that holding a joint policing committee meeting with no member of An Garda Siochána present was “a contradiction in terms.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Unions warn of potential industrial action at Section 39 agencies

Trade unions have warned of potential further industrial action over pay restoration in State-funded organisations providing health and social services .
A group of trade unions including Fórsa , Siptu , the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Unite , who represent staff in what are known as Section 39 bodies , are to meet on Thursday to consider their next moves after “ unsatisfactory ” talks with the Department of Health and the HSE on Tuesday .
Staff in Section 39 organisations are seeking the restoration of pay which was cut following the economic crash nearly a decade ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organisations were urged to cut staff pay in line with reductions in remuneration to public servants during the austerity years , Section 39 personnel involved have not seen pay restoration , unlike direct State employees .
More than 1,000 staff in a number of Section 39 organisations staged a 24-hour stoppage last February over pay restoration .
However , the campaign was effectively suspended for a period as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic .
There are about 300 Section 39 organisations across the country which provide services on foot of grants paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached two years ago for the restoration of pay in an initial 50 of these bodies .
A spokesman for Fórsa said unions had anticipated that on Tuesday , the Department of Health and the HSE would produce data on the cost of restoring pay for workers in the remaining 250 organisations .
Some sources have previously estimated that this could cost up to €7 million .
This data would then have to be forwarded to the Department of Public Expenditure .
However , a spokesman for Fórsa said that at the talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HSE said they were only just commencing this process of collecting the data required .
Fórsa said the position of the Department of Health and the HSE was “ disgraceful ” , that they were “ dragging their feet ” and that the process of finding a resolution could , as a result , be delayed for months .
The Fórsa spokesman said the unions would meet on Thursday and would look at a number of options available , which included a potential resumption of their campaign of industrial action .
Siptu public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kane said : “ Siptu representatives have been left utterly frustrated by the lack of progress made today at the WRC .
“ The lack of urgency to resolve this issue for Section 39 workers , the same workers have also stepped up and continued to provide frontline social and health services to the most vulnerable people in our society throughout the Covid-19 crisis , is absolutely unacceptable.
” “ Siptu representatives have consulted widely with our members across the public service , they are full square behind our members working in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reality is that our members in the public service have no intention of leaving essential section 39 workers behind.
” In a statement , the Department of Health said it “ remains committed to the WRC process in relation to pay restoration for the remaining Section 39 bodies .
“ The HSE are currently carrying out a detailed costing exercise in this regard .
The Department have been liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on this and consultation will take place when the full details of the costs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 in July , the Department of Health said in October 2018 , a deal was reached at the Workplace Relations Commission ( WRC ) on pay restoration for staff in 50 Section 39 organisations on a pilot basis .
It said this process commenced in April 2019 with further payments due in October 2020 and October 2021 as appropriate .
However , it indicated that there had been no developments in relation to staff in about 250 other Section 39 organisations .

Staff in Section 39 organisations are seeking the restoration of pay which was cut following the economic crash nearly a decade ago.
Trade unions have warned of potential further industrial action over pay restoration in State-funded organisations providing health and social services.
A group of trade unions including Fórsa, Siptu, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Unite, who represent staff in what are known as Section 39 bodies, are to meet on Thursday to consider their next moves after "unsatisfactory" talks with the Department of Health and the HSE on Tuesday.
Staff in Section 39 organisations are seeking the restoration of pay which was cut following the economic crash nearly a decade ago.
Unions argue that while Section 39 organisations were urged to cut staff pay in line with reductions in remuneration to public servants during the austerity years, Section 39 personnel involved have not seen pay restoration, unlike direct State employees.
READ MORE
More than 1,000 staff in a number of Section 39 organisations staged a 24-hour stoppage last February over pay restoration. However, the campaign was effectively suspended for a period as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
There are about 300 Section 39 organisations across the country which provide services on foot of grants paid by the HSE. A deal was reached two years ago for the restoration of pay in an initial 50 of these bodies .
A spokesman for Fórsa said unions had anticipated that on Tuesday, the Department of Health and the HSE would produce data on the cost of restoring pay for workers in the remaining 250 organisations.
Some sources have previously estimated that this could cost up to €7 million.
This data would then have to be forwarded to the Department of Public Expenditure.
However, a spokesman for Fórsa said that at the talks, the Department of Health and the HSE said they were only just commencing this process of collecting the data required.
Fórsa said the position of the Department of Health and the HSE was “disgraceful”, that they were “dragging their feet” and that the process of finding a resolution could, as a result, be delayed for months.
The Fórsa spokesman said the unions would meet on Thursday and would look at a number of options available, which included a potential resumption of their campaign of industrial action.
Siptu public administration and community divisional organiser, Adrian Kane said: “Siptu representatives have been left utterly frustrated by the lack of progress made today at the WRC.
“The lack of urgency to resolve this issue for Section 39 workers, the same workers have also stepped up and continued to provide frontline social and health services to the most vulnerable people in our society throughout the Covid-19 crisis, is absolutely unacceptable.”
“Siptu representatives have consulted widely with our members across the public service, they are full square behind our members working in the community sector campaigning for pay justice and the reality is that our members in the public service have no intention of leaving essential section 39 workers behind.”
In a statement, the Department of Health said it “remains committed to the WRC process in relation to pay restoration for the remaining Section 39 bodies.
“The HSE are currently carrying out a detailed costing exercise in this regard. The Department have been liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on this and consultation will take place when the full details of the costs are available.”
In a note to the Oireachtas committee on Covid-19 in July, the Department of Health said in October 2018, a deal was reached at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on pay restoration for staff in 50 Section 39 organisations on a pilot basis. It said this process commenced in April 2019 with further payments due in October 2020 and October 2021 as appropriate.
However, it indicated that there had been no developments in relation to staff in about 250 other Section 39 organisations .


theirishtimes--2020-09-22--Independent inquiry to be held into 1976 death of Seamus Ludlow

An independent cross-Border investigation will be carried out into the murder of a man in Co Louth nearly 45 years ago .
Seamus Ludlow ( 47 ) , a forestry worker , was shot on his way home from a pub in Dundalk , Co Louth on May 2nd , 1976 .
His family have campaigned for decades to find the truth of the events surrounding his death .
They say he was an innocent victim of a loyalist death squad comprising Red Hand Commando operatives and two members of the Ulster Defence Regiment ( UDR ) who travelled from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solicitor Gavin Booth said the investigation will be led by Jon Boutcher , a former police chief in England .
Speaking at the Lisdoo Arms , where Mr Ludlow was last seen alive , Mr Booth also revealed that a witness has come forward with “ significant information ” in the last two weeks .
“ Seamus was a quiet man , ” he said .
“ He was a family man and occasionally visited pubs in Dundalk and was known for his charitable work here .
“ He was not political and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the North and worked full time and was a devoted family man.
” Mr Booth said the Police Service of Northern Ireland ( PSNI ) and An Garda Síochána would cooperate with the investigation .
The Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) in 1979 provided gardaí the names of four loyalists it suspected of being involved in Mr Ludlow ’ s killing but the information was not pursued at the time .
This included members of the Red Hand Commando and the British Army ’ s UDR .
In 1998 , four suspects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two of them allegedly made confessions about their involvement in the murder .
The family also claims gardaí were complicit in spreading false rumours that Mr Ludlow was killed for being an IRA informant , and that documents about the case , two bullets and some of Mr Ludlow ’ s clothing have been lost by State agencies .
An Oireachtas committee recommended more than a decade ago that two commissions of investigation be held into the murder and subsequent events , after a judge-led report criticised the original botched garda investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
Mr Booth said it is a police investigation and where evidence becomes available , arrests can be made .
“ He ( Mr Boutcher ) should also have the ability , where evidence exists , to chase that down and prepare files for either prosecution services North and South , ” he added .
He also said the new evidence that has emerged in recent weeks is being considered by Mr Boutcher ’ s team .
“ It ’ s quite large in volume and it ’ s an independent witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re hoping that that will form part of the investigation and play a major part in uncovering what happened.
” Michael Donegan , Mr Ludlow ’ s nephew , said that after after almost 45 years the family was pleased to “ finally have a police team that wants to find the answers that we have been looking for ” .
“ The story that is in the public domain is not the true story , there is a different one we want to find and allow us to find closure , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put people in jail , I have no sympathy for the killers but they are old men and putting them in jail for two years is not going to bring Seamus back.
” - PA

Solicitor Gavin Booth (left) and Seamus Ludlow’s relatives Michael Donegan and Eileen Boland speak to the media at the Lisdoo Arms in Dundalk, Co Louth on Tuesday. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA.
An independent cross-Border investigation will be carried out into the murder of a man in Co Louth nearly 45 years ago.
Seamus Ludlow (47), a forestry worker, was shot on his way home from a pub in Dundalk, Co Louth on May 2nd, 1976.
His family have campaigned for decades to find the truth of the events surrounding his death. They say he was an innocent victim of a loyalist death squad comprising Red Hand Commando operatives and two members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) who travelled from the North to commit murder.
Family solicitor Gavin Booth said the investigation will be led by Jon Boutcher, a former police chief in England.
READ MORE
Speaking at the Lisdoo Arms, where Mr Ludlow was last seen alive, Mr Booth also revealed that a witness has come forward with “significant information” in the last two weeks.
“Seamus was a quiet man,” he said. “He was a family man and occasionally visited pubs in Dundalk and was known for his charitable work here.
“He was not political and was not interested in the conflict in the North and worked full time and was a devoted family man.”
Mr Booth said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and An Garda Síochána would cooperate with the investigation.
Loyalist suspects
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in 1979 provided gardaí the names of four loyalists it suspected of being involved in Mr Ludlow’s killing but the information was not pursued at the time. This included members of the Red Hand Commando and the British Army’s UDR.
In 1998, four suspects were arrested and questioned by the RUC and two of them allegedly made confessions about their involvement in the murder.
The family also claims gardaí were complicit in spreading false rumours that Mr Ludlow was killed for being an IRA informant, and that documents about the case, two bullets and some of Mr Ludlow’s clothing have been lost by State agencies.
An Oireachtas committee recommended more than a decade ago that two commissions of investigation be held into the murder and subsequent events, after a judge-led report criticised the original botched garda investigation. Neither of the recommendations were followed up.
Mr Booth said it is a police investigation and where evidence becomes available, arrests can be made.
“He (Mr Boutcher) should also have the ability, where evidence exists, to chase that down and prepare files for either prosecution services North and South,” he added.
Independent witness
He also said the new evidence that has emerged in recent weeks is being considered by Mr Boutcher’s team.
“It’s quite large in volume and it’s an independent witness that has come forward and we’re hoping that that will form part of the investigation and play a major part in uncovering what happened.”
Michael Donegan, Mr Ludlow’s nephew, said that after after almost 45 years the family was pleased to “finally have a police team that wants to find the answers that we have been looking for”.
“The story that is in the public domain is not the true story, there is a different one we want to find and allow us to find closure,” he said.
“This is not to put people in jail, I have no sympathy for the killers but they are old men and putting them in jail for two years is not going to bring Seamus back.” - PA


theirishtimes--2020-09-23--Covid-19 infection rate falls in Dublin for first time in two weeks

The 14-day incidence rate of coronavirus infections across Dublin has fallen for the first time in two weeks , according to the latest figures published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre .
The rate of Covid-19 infections over the period fell marginally in Dublin , from 138 cases per 100,000 at midnight on Sunday to 136.9 at midnight on Monday - three days after the new Level 3 restrictions were introduced in the county , while the rest of the country remained on Level 2 .
This is the first time that the infection rate in Dublin has fallen since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidence rate of the disease fell below the 200 cases per 100,000 mark in Dublin North West , declining to 196.9 case from 204.7 in the 24-hour period .
Likewise , the rate in Dublin South East fell to 143.9 cases per 100,000 from 150.4 .
The rate in Dublin West continued to rise , however , increasing to 148.1 cases per 100,000 from 140.3 .
While the incidence rate in Dublin declined slightly in the latest figures , the national average continues to rise , reflecting an increase in the infections outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections over the past 14 days stood at 70.7 cases per 100,000 , up from 70.4 for 24 hours earlier .
Infectious diseases expert Professor Sam McConkey highlighted the importance of people following the public health advice , saying that if cases continued to rise Dublin could need to go to Level 4 or even Level 5 Prof McConkey , who is head of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ( RCSI ) , said this was the time to take action .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the less duration and the less restrictive those measures will have to be , ” he told Newstalk .
The rate of Covid-19 cases had gone up in four or five counties to almost the same level as Dublin and action was required now , he added .
“ Unfortunately , if the number of cases continues to rise , whether in Dublin or in those counties , then unfortunately the only sensible thing to do is to go up to Level 4 or even Level 5 .
”

Prof Philip Nolan, chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, issued stark warnings about the impact of rising rates of infection over recent weeks. Photograph: Colin Keegan/ Collins Dublin
Rising coronavirus infections among older people was a “grave concern” as four times more people aged over 65 have caught the disease than five weeks ago, State health officials have said.
Prof Philip Nolan, chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, issued stark warnings about the impact of rising rates of infection over recent weeks.
“If we are starting to suppress the virus again, it is essential that we maintain this effort: limit our social contacts, limit mixing between households. The next 10 days are critical," he told journalists at a briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team.
Hospital Report
“This week, we are, unfortunately, seeing continuing increases in all metrics of the disease,” he added.
READ MORE
He said that it was “worrying” to report one to two admissions every day of people with Covid-19 to intensive care units and seven new admissions to hospital on average over the past week. There were 95 people in hospital with Covid-19 on Wednesday and 16 in ICU units.
The majority of people admitted to ICU were under 65 and “quite a few are young,” he said.
There has also been an increase in deaths this month as a result of the increase in infections with one to three deaths per day on average being reported of the past two weeks.
“We started to mix more than was safe and in an unsafe manner going back several weeks now and the transmissions that occurred then are catching up on us now,” said Prof Nolan.
NPHET reported two more deaths from Covid-19, bringing the death toll to 1,794, and 234 new cases of the disease, bringing the total number of known cases to 33,675.
Some 68 per cent of the new cases were in people under the age of 45.
There were 103 new cases in Dublin - or 44 per cent of new cases announced yesterday - 30 in Donegal, 22 in Galway, 21 in Cork, 13 in Wicklow, 12 in Louth, nine Kildare and eight in Meath.
Stabilisation
Prof Nolan said that it was “too early” to say the spread of the disease had stabilised with the 14-day cumulative infection rate not rising as fast as it has over the past week.
It would be another several days ”or perhaps another week” before it could be seen whether the additional restrictions announced for Dublin last week were having any effect, he said.
NPHET will meet on Thursday but the State’s acting chief medical officer Dr Glynn would not speculate on whether public health officials would recommend moving other counties where infections were high up to the Level 3 public restrictions currently imposed on Dublin.
“We are moving into a second chapter, particularly difficult time for the country because everyone is sick and tired of this at this stage and the idea of restricting measures, decreasing our social contacts is frankly a horrible one for people,” said Dr Glynn.
He raised specific warnings about increasing infection rates in Donegal, Louth and Waterford along with parts of north Wicklow and east Kildare that border Dublin.
“If we all cut our contacts by half, we will have an enormous impact on the spread of this disease across the country,” he said.
Prof Nolan said that the incidence rate in Dublin remains three to four times higher than the rest of the country but it is growing at approximately the same rate across the country.
“The rest of the country may be a week or two behind where Dublin is but it will catch up unless behaviours across the entire country change,” he said.
Dr Glynn said that the country was facing a “significant challenge” with the reopening of third-level institutions as public health officials dismissed the view of Sweden’s former chief epidemiologist Dr Johan Giesecke at the Oireachtas Covid-19 that there should be “controlled spread” among the under 60s and a “tolerable spread” of the virus in the over 60s.
HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said it was not possible to keep nursing homes and congregated older settings completely immune from a virus openly spreading through the community. It also ignored the long-term effect of Covid-19 on infected younger people, he said.
Prof Nolan said that it would also result in the deaths of some younger people.
Incidence rate
Earlier, it emerged the 14-day incidence rate of coronavirus infections across Dublin has fallen for the first time in two weeks, according to the latest figures published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
The rate of Covid-19 infections over the period fell marginally in Dublin, from 138 cases per 100,000 at midnight on Sunday to 136.9 at midnight on Monday - three days after the new Level 3 restrictions were introduced in the county, while the rest of the country remained on Level 2.
This is the first time that the infection rate in Dublin has fallen since September 8th.
Within Dublin, the incidence rate of the disease fell below the 200 cases per 100,000 mark in Dublin North West, declining to 196.9 case from 204.7 in the 24-hour period.
Likewise, the rate in Dublin South East fell to 143.9 cases per 100,000 from 150.4. The rate in Dublin West continued to rise, however, increasing to 148.1 cases per 100,000 from 140.3.
While the incidence rate in Dublin declined slightly in the latest figures, the national average continues to rise, reflecting an increase in the infections outside the capital.
The national rate of infections over the past 14 days stood at 70.7 cases per 100,000, up from 70.4 for 24 hours earlier.
Infectious diseases expert Professor Sam McConkey highlighted the importance of people following the public health advice, saying that if cases continued to rise Dublin could need to go to Level 4 or even Level 5
Prof McConkey, who is head of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), said this was the time to take action.
“The earlier we do it, the less duration and the less restrictive those measures will have to be,” he told Newstalk.
The rate of Covid-19 cases had gone up in four or five counties to almost the same level as Dublin and action was required now, he added.
“Unfortunately, if the number of cases continues to rise, whether in Dublin or in those counties, then unfortunately the only sensible thing to do is to go up to Level 4 or even Level 5.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-23--Belevedere College student and St Kilian’s German school take Leaving Cert cases

A High Court judge has said a “ lead ” case concerning standardisation of 2020 Leaving Cert grades will be heard next month , only if lawyers agree which of three separate cases brought over standardisation will be that lead case .
One of the cases is by Freddy Sherry , a Leaving Cert student at Dublin ’ s Belvedere College .
He claims the Minister for Education ’ s “ interference ” last August with the work of the Independent Steering Committee on Calculated Grades , directing it not to rely on previous school data or schools historic records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him being unfairly downgraded by 55 points in his Leaving Cert this year .
A second case is by the Board of Management of St Kilian ’ s German school in Dublin and eight of its students , who claim the standardisation model lead to an “ extraordinary ” downgrading of results in German and other subjects there .
Aine Finnegan , from Fairview in Dublin , claims in the third action the standardisation process meant she unfairly missed out on a place in Medicine in Trinity College Dublin by two points .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Justice Charles Meenan on Wednesday , he was asked to fix a hearing date in late October .
The judge said an October hearing date was entirely dependent on a lead case being identified .
Unless the sides reached agreement by next week on which of the cases should be a lead case , he would not fix a hearing date in this law term , which runs to December 21st , he stressed .
Brian Kennedy SC , for the Minister for Education and Skills , the Minister for Further and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the cases involved a “ systemic ” challenge to the calculated grades process and his side would need at least four weeks to prepare opposition papers .
Feichin McDonagh SC , with Micheál P. O ’ Higgins SC and Brendan Hennessy BL , for the applicants , said the cases were not a systemic attack on the calculated grades but concerned a Ministerial decision last August to “ interfere ” in that process in response to some criticism in public discourse .
In the case by Mr Sherry , of Newtown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while Belvedere College does not have “ formal streaming ” of classes , he says he was in the “ faster moving ” Leaving Cert classes in four subjects as well as being in the only class in Latin .
As a result , expected the students in most of his classes would have had a high number of H1 and H2 grades .
He had studied consistently for his Leaving Cert until May 8th when the cancellation of the exam and its replacement with a calculated grades system was announced .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ published on May 20th for students and schools which explicitly stated the standardisation process would combine the school sourced grades and the respondents school sourced data at school and national level to ensure the calculated grades reflected standards properly aligned across schools and with a national standard .
Contrary to the express representations by the respondents , the process has not relied on previous school data or historical data on a national level during the standardisation process and that was announced by the Minister at a press conference on September 1st 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers ’ estimated CAO points total of 542 for him was reduced to 487 under the process .
His first course choice was pharmacy in TCD , he had decided not to take up a CAO offer of Chemical Sciences with Medicinal Chemistry in the Technical University of Dublin and may now may have to sit the Leaving Cert exam in November .
In the St Kilian ’ s case , it is claimed the school consistently achieves a high number of H1s and H2s in Leaving Certificate German .
It is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Calculated Grades actually received by students of St Kilian ’ s , its principal Alice Lynch said in an affidavit .
One student had had the school ’ s estimated mark of 90 per cent for her reduced to a H3 while another student was downgraded from a H2 to H4 and was refused a CAO place since he did not have the H3 German requirement for the course in TCD .
The calculated grade system was “ inherently flawed ” and failed to take into account the proven level of German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school .
In her action , Ms Finnegan , who studied for her Leaving Cert at the fee-paying Institute of Education in Dublin , missed out on a place in Medicine at TCD by two points after three of her calculated grades were reduced , also alleges unfairness in the process .
Joe Jeffers BL , for TCD , told the court the college could not give an assurance , as sought by her lawyers , to hold a place for her on the course pending the outcome of her action .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TCD about that matter .
Earlier on Wednesday , a fourth case , by Martha Woods , who got 613 points in the 2019 Leaving Certificate , was withdrawn .
Ms Woods , Murragh , Enniskeane , Co Cork , had said the points for dentistry in UCC rose this year from 590 points to 613 , the final applicants for that course all had 613 points , places were allocated by random selection and she failed to get a place .
Because she has since got a place in the UCC Dentistry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

St Kilian’s German school in Dublin took a case claiming the standardisation model lead to an “extraordinary” downgrading of results in German and other subjects there.
A High Court judge has said a "lead" case concerning standardisation of 2020 Leaving Cert grades will be heard next month, only if lawyers agree which of three separate cases brought over standardisation will be that lead case.
One of the cases is by Freddy Sherry, a Leaving Cert student at Dublin's Belvedere College. He claims the Minister for Education's "interference" last August with the work of the Independent Steering Committee on Calculated Grades, directing it not to rely on previous school data or schools historic records in the standardisation process, lead to him being unfairly downgraded by 55 points in his Leaving Cert this year.
A second case is by the Board of Management of St Kilian’s German school in Dublin and eight of its students, who claim the standardisation model lead to an “extraordinary” downgrading of results in German and other subjects there.
Aine Finnegan, from Fairview in Dublin, claims in the third action the standardisation process meant she unfairly missed out on a place in Medicine in Trinity College Dublin by two points.
READ MORE
When all three cases were mentioned before Mr Justice Charles Meenan on Wednesday, he was asked to fix a hearing date in late October.
The judge said an October hearing date was entirely dependent on a lead case being identified. Unless the sides reached agreement by next week on which of the cases should be a lead case, he would not fix a hearing date in this law term, which runs to December 21st, he stressed.
Brian Kennedy SC, for the Minister for Education and Skills, the Minister for Further and Higher Education and the State, earlier said the cases involved a "systemic" challenge to the calculated grades process and his side would need at least four weeks to prepare opposition papers.
Feichin McDonagh SC, with Micheál P. O’Higgins SC and Brendan Hennessy BL, for the applicants, said the cases were not a systemic attack on the calculated grades but concerned a Ministerial decision last August to “interfere” in that process in response to some criticism in public discourse.
In the case by Mr Sherry, of Newtown, Celbridge, Co Kildare, he said, while Belvedere College does not have "formal streaming" of classes, he says he was in the "faster moving" Leaving Cert classes in four subjects as well as being in the only class in Latin. As a result, expected the students in most of his classes would have had a high number of H1 and H2 grades.
He had studied consistently for his Leaving Cert until May 8th when the cancellation of the exam and its replacement with a calculated grades system was announced.
He had relied on the respondents guidelines published on May 20th for students and schools which explicitly stated the standardisation process would combine the school sourced grades and the respondents school sourced data at school and national level to ensure the calculated grades reflected standards properly aligned across schools and with a national standard.
Contrary to the express representations by the respondents, the process has not relied on previous school data or historical data on a national level during the standardisation process and that was announced by the Minister at a press conference on September 1st 2020.
He was “hugely disappointed” his teachers’ estimated CAO points total of 542 for him was reduced to 487 under the process.
His first course choice was pharmacy in TCD, he had decided not to take up a CAO offer of Chemical Sciences with Medicinal Chemistry in the Technical University of Dublin and may now may have to sit the Leaving Cert exam in November.
H1s in German
In the St Kilian’s case, it is claimed the school consistently achieves a high number of H1s and H2s in Leaving Certificate German.
It is “impossible to reconcile” that background with the Calculated Grades actually received by students of St Kilian’s, its principal Alice Lynch said in an affidavit.
One student had had the school’s estimated mark of 90 per cent for her reduced to a H3 while another student was downgraded from a H2 to H4 and was refused a CAO place since he did not have the H3 German requirement for the course in TCD.
The calculated grade system was “inherently flawed” and failed to take into account the proven level of German academic attainment for the students in the school.
In her action, Ms Finnegan, who studied for her Leaving Cert at the fee-paying Institute of Education in Dublin, missed out on a place in Medicine at TCD by two points after three of her calculated grades were reduced, also alleges unfairness in the process.
Joe Jeffers BL, for TCD, told the court the college could not give an assurance, as sought by her lawyers, to hold a place for her on the course pending the outcome of her action. Mr McDonagh said his side would correspond with TCD about that matter.
Earlier on Wednesday, a fourth case, by Martha Woods, who got 613 points in the 2019 Leaving Certificate, was withdrawn. Ms Woods, Murragh, Enniskeane, Co Cork, had said the points for dentistry in UCC rose this year from 590 points to 613, the final applicants for that course all had 613 points, places were allocated by random selection and she failed to get a place. Because she has since got a place in the UCC Dentistry course, that case is not proceeding.


theirishtimes--2020-09-23--Release of class rankings a ‘breach of trust’, says teachers’ union

The Department of Education ’ s decision to allow thousands of Leaving Cert students to have online access to class rankings which their teachers assigned them from next week has been described as a “ flagrant breach of trust ” by the Teachers ’ Union of Ireland ( TUI ) .
Students had been due to receive the information on September 14th , a week after receiving their calculated grades but teachers ’ unions had objected on the basis that the data was “ highly sensitive ” and would allow students to see where they had been ranked in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it had sought legal advice on the issue of making class rank orders available to students and was now putting in place a system to allow students to gain access to their class rank information through the calculated grades student portal .
It is planned that this information will be available to students from next Monday , September 28th .
The TUI , one of two unions representing second-level teachers , said it engaged in the calculated grades process on “ a good faith , once-off basis and sought and received certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assurance was that the student ranking provided by a school would only be available to a student in response to a data access request .
“ Ranking students in such a manner runs completely counter to the values of inclusive teaching and was only agreed upon on the understanding that it was to improve the accuracy of the data collected and would not be released in the manner now planned , ” the union said in a statement .
“ The departure from this agreed position is a fundamental breach of trust by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the student/teacher relationship .
“ Release of class rankings in such a manner also has the potential to be extremely damaging for more vulnerable students , reinforcing stereotyping and stigmatisation , embedding disadvantage and serving absolutely no useful practical or moral purpose.
” The TUI also said that the proposed manner of release could result in “ the personal data of many students being inferred or deduced and circulated without their knowledge ” .
“ This flagrant breach of trust by the Department is deeply disappointing and shows scant regard for vulnerable students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaboration extremely difficult , ” it added .
Under the calculated grades process , teachers were required to award estimated percentage marks to their students and rank them in order of expected achievement .
While the marks awarded were changed by the department ’ s standardisation process in many cases , the ranking given to a student was not changed .
This class ranking data played a crucial role in determining a student ’ s final grade .
For example , students who were given an estimated H1 grade by their teachers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the standardisation process if their class ranking was outside the cohort of top performing students in a class .
Class ranking information is also likely to be relied on in evidence in any future legal actions relating to the calculated grades process .
The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland ( ASTI ) , which also represents post-primary school teachers , said its understanding throughout the calculated grades process was that students would be entitled to submit a data access request under data protection legislation and that the school ’ s mark and ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those who requested it .
“ This has been a challenging year for Leaving Cert 2020 students and our hope is that these students can move on with their lives , ” a spokeswoman for the ASTI said .
Minister for Education Norma Foley defended the decision to allow students more immediate access to their class ranking , saying if they had to pursue the information through a data request it would take a considerable amount of time .
It was entirely up to the student if they wanted to access the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own rank order , Ms Foley told RTÉ Radio ’ s Today with Claire Byrne .
There was a legal requirement that the students had access to the information , she added .
With regard to concerns raised by the ASTI about the safety of teachers from Covid , Ms Foley said that a phenomenal amount of work had been done by school committees and that everything had been underpinned by public health advice , influenced by the World Health Organisation , the European Centre for Disease Control and the Irish public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to schools were adjudicated by public health experts , she said .
“ We want the entire school community to be safe.
” Ms Foley said “ all the experts say that schools are the safest places ” but it was understandable that there was a degree of fear and anxiousness .
“ I have a fear every day about the consequences of practices.
” The ASTI has decided to ballot for industrial action over concerns it has over the safety of staff and students .
It has cited a number of issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , testing and testing turnaround times , and resources to facilitate remote teaching and learning .

Minister for Education Norma Foley said there was a legal requirement that the students had access to the information. Photograph: Dara MacDónaill/The Irish Times
The Department of Education’s decision to allow thousands of Leaving Cert students to have online access to class rankings which their teachers assigned them from next week has been described as a “flagrant breach of trust” by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI).
Students had been due to receive the information on September 14th, a week after receiving their calculated grades but teachers’ unions had objected on the basis that the data was “highly sensitive” and would allow students to see where they had been ranked in a subject in each class.
The department said it had sought legal advice on the issue of making class rank orders available to students and was now putting in place a system to allow students to gain access to their class rank information through the calculated grades student portal. It is planned that this information will be available to students from next Monday, September 28th.
The TUI, one of two unions representing second-level teachers, said it engaged in the calculated grades process on “a good faith, once-off basis and sought and received certain assurances”.
READ MORE
It said one such assurance was that the student ranking provided by a school would only be available to a student in response to a data access request.
“Ranking students in such a manner runs completely counter to the values of inclusive teaching and was only agreed upon on the understanding that it was to improve the accuracy of the data collected and would not be released in the manner now planned,” the union said in a statement.
“The departure from this agreed position is a fundamental breach of trust by the Department and is profoundly damaging to the student/teacher relationship.
“Release of class rankings in such a manner also has the potential to be extremely damaging for more vulnerable students, reinforcing stereotyping and stigmatisation, embedding disadvantage and serving absolutely no useful practical or moral purpose.”
The TUI also said that the proposed manner of release could result in “the personal data of many students being inferred or deduced and circulated without their knowledge”.
“This flagrant breach of trust by the Department is deeply disappointing and shows scant regard for vulnerable students. It will also make future trust-based collaboration extremely difficult,” it added.
Under the calculated grades process, teachers were required to award estimated percentage marks to their students and rank them in order of expected achievement. While the marks awarded were changed by the department’s standardisation process in many cases, the ranking given to a student was not changed. This class ranking data played a crucial role in determining a student’s final grade.
For example, students who were given an estimated H1 grade by their teachers were much more likely to be downgraded in the standardisation process if their class ranking was outside the cohort of top performing students in a class. Class ranking information is also likely to be relied on in evidence in any future legal actions relating to the calculated grades process.
The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), which also represents post-primary school teachers, said its understanding throughout the calculated grades process was that students would be entitled to submit a data access request under data protection legislation and that the school’s mark and ranking for the individual would be made available to those who requested it.
“This has been a challenging year for Leaving Cert 2020 students and our hope is that these students can move on with their lives,” a spokeswoman for the ASTI said.
Minister for Education Norma Foley defended the decision to allow students more immediate access to their class ranking, saying if they had to pursue the information through a data request it would take a considerable amount of time.
It was entirely up to the student if they wanted to access the information, but they could access only their own rank order, Ms Foley told RTÉ Radio’s Today with Claire Byrne.
There was a legal requirement that the students had access to the information, she added.
With regard to concerns raised by the ASTI about the safety of teachers from Covid, Ms Foley said that a phenomenal amount of work had been done by school committees and that everything had been underpinned by public health advice, influenced by the World Health Organisation, the European Centre for Disease Control and the Irish public health authorities. All decisions in relation to schools were adjudicated by public health experts, she said. “We want the entire school community to be safe.”
Ms Foley said “all the experts say that schools are the safest places” but it was understandable that there was a degree of fear and anxiousness. “I have a fear every day about the consequences of practices.”
The ASTI has decided to ballot for industrial action over concerns it has over the safety of staff and students.
It has cited a number of issues including physical distancing in schools, provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and testing turnaround times,and resources to facilitate remote teaching and learning.


theirishtimes--2020-09-23--Elderly man dies after being hit by truck in north Cork

An elderly man has died after being fatally injured while crossing the main Cork-Limerick Road through Charleville in north Cork @ @ @ @ @ , understood to be in his 80s and from Charleville , was crossing Main Street @ @ @ @ @ 11am when he was injured by a truck going through the town .
The emergency @ @ @ @ @ and fire brigade personnel were quickly on the scene worked to try and save the @ @ @ @ @ dead at the scene .
Gardaí have cordoned off the scene and put diversions in @ @ @ @ @ requested the services of a Forensic Crash Investigator to examine the scene of the accident @ @ @ @ @ also begun examining CCTV footage from business premises in the town to see if any @ @ @ @ @ incident .
And they have appealed to any witnesses including motorists who might have dash-cam @ @ @ @ @ Charleville Garda Station on 063-21770 .

The emergency services were alerted and paramedics and fire brigade personnel were quickly on the scene
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses following the death of an elderly man on the main Cork-Limerick Road through Charleville on Wednesday.
The man, named locally as Eddie Goggin (83) from Beech Avenue, Brindle Hill in Charleville, was crossing Main Street in the town just before 11am on Wednesday when he was struck by a truck.
Mr Goggin was crossing through the traffic which was stopped and less than 20 yards from a pedestrian crossing when the traffic began to move off and he was fatally injured.
The emergency services were alerted and paramedics and personnel from Charleville Fire Brigade were quickly on the scene and worked to save Mr Goggin but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Gardaí cordoned off the scene as the body of Mr Goggin, who is survived by his wife and adult children, was removed to Cork University Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The road was closed and diversions were put in place for over eight hours as a Garda forensic crash investigator carried out a technical examination of the scene to try to establish what happened.
The driver of the truck, a 58-year-old man from the northside of Cork city, was not injured in the collision but was badly shaken and was treated at the scene by paramedics for shock.
Gardaí from Charleville began harvesting CCTV footage from business premises in the centre of town and examining the footage to see if any of their cameras captured the incident.
And they have also appealed to any witnesses including motorists on Main Street who might have dash cam footage to contact them at Charleville Garda Station on 063-21770.


theirishtimes--2020-09-23--Defence seeks to prevent garda accused of threating to kill wife being named

A defence application to prevent the media publishing the name of a garda who is facing trial for allegedly threatening to kill his wife has been adjourned to be dealt with by the trial judge .
The Dublin-based officer ( 43 ) is charged with threatening to kill or cause serious harm to his then wife on dates in October 2012 .
He is also charged with coercing her at the same address outside Dublin on the same dates .
At a District Court hearing last July , Judge Paula Murphy made a temporary gagging order preventing the publication of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murphy said she was restricting the reporting until such time that the full facts of the issue were put before the circuit court .
That same month , Breffni Gordon BL , defending , told Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he was asking the court to restrict the publication of his client ’ s name until the trial when the “ the matter can be thoroughly explored ” by the trial judge .
He said there had been some reporting of the matter to date .
He said his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions imposed by Judge Murphy .
Judge Greally heard some argument on the matter and adjourned the case for mention to Wednesday for a full hearing .
Dean Kelly BL , prosecuting , told Judge Elma Sheahan on Wednesday that the State is now not opposed to the application regarding the publication of the garda ’ s name to be held over to be argued before the trial judge if necessary .
A trial date has been set for April 4th , 2022 with a pre-trial date set for December 16th , 2021 @

A defence application to prevent the media publishing the name of a garda who is facing trial for allegedly threatening to kill his wife has been adjourned to be dealt with by the trial judge.
The Dublin-based officer (43) is charged with threatening to kill or cause serious harm to his then wife on dates in October 2012. He is also charged with coercing her at the same address outside Dublin on the same dates.
At a District Court hearing last July, Judge Paula Murphy made a temporary gagging order preventing the publication of the defendant’s name. Judge Murphy said she was restricting the reporting until such time that the full facts of the issue were put before the circuit court.
That same month, Breffni Gordon BL, defending, told Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he was asking the court to restrict the publication of his client’s name until the trial when the “the matter can be thoroughly explored” by the trial judge.
READ MORE
He said there had been some reporting of the matter to date. He said his application was for the continuation of the restrictions imposed by Judge Murphy.
Judge Greally heard some argument on the matter and adjourned the case for mention to Wednesday for a full hearing.
Dean Kelly BL, prosecuting, told Judge Elma Sheahan on Wednesday that the State is now not opposed to the application regarding the publication of the garda’s name to be held over to be argued before the trial judge if necessary.
A trial date has been set for April 4th, 2022 with a pre-trial date set for December 16th, 2021.