theirishtimes--2020-11-08--Coronavirus: 542 new cases and two further deaths reported by Nphet

The deaths of another two patients with Covid-19 have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team .
This brings to 1,947 the total number of virus-related deaths in the pandemic .
Nphet also reported 542 confirmed cases of the disease on Sunday , bringing to 65,394 the total number of cases in the Republic .
Of the new cases , 181 are in Dublin , 59 in Donegal , 50 in Limerick , 36 in Cork , 25 in Kildare , with the remaining 191 cases are spread across 20 other counties .
The median age of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are under 45 .
On Sunday afternoon , 283 patients with Covid-19 were hospitalised , of which 39 were in ICU .
There have been 13 additional hospitalisations in the last 24 hours .
The 14-day incidence of the virus nationally is 175.5 cases per 100,000 people .
Donegal has the highest county incidence at 295.2 and Leitrim has the lowest at 34.3 .
Earlier on Sunday , Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has declined to be drawn on the like guidance to deal with Covid-19 over the Christmas period and festive holiday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had yet to make decisions on “ future public health guidance because we continue to be so focused on the implementation of current public health guidance .
“ There are many signs that because of the continued efforts of the public combined with overall good public health decisions that we are seeing signs of reduction the spread of the disease again , ” he said , as Ireland joins the EU traffic lights system for international travel .
Asked on RTÉ ’ s This Week programme about reported warnings by Professor Philip Nolan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Nphet ) of a third wave of the virus if people have significant get-togethers at Christmas , the Minister said “ we need to continue to focus to implement this phase ” before looking at future phases .
He said they had to “ recognise the value of what we can achieve if we get the spread of this disease down to a low and stable place because that has a really big impact on the future development of the disease and in turn future public health decisions ” .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) on Saturday .
There has been a total of 1,945 Covid-19 related deaths and a total of 64,855 confirmed cases of in the State .
Of the cases notified on Saturday ; 155 are men / 177 are women , 64 per cent are under 45 years of age There were 72 in Dublin , 41 in Donegal , 26 in Mayo , 25 in Cork , 23 in Kerry , and the remaining 148 cases are spread across 19 other counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 patients are hospitalised , of which 40 are in ICU .
23 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours .

There has been a total of 1,945 Covid-19 related deaths and a total of 64,855 confirmed cases of in the State.
The deaths of another two patients with Covid-19 have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team. This brings to 1,947 the total number of virus-related deaths in the pandemic.
Nphet also reported 542 confirmed cases of the disease on Sunday, bringing to 65,394 the total number of cases in the Republic.
Of the new cases, 181 are in Dublin, 59 in Donegal, 50 in Limerick, 36 in Cork, 25 in Kildare, with the remaining 191 cases are spread across 20 other counties.
The median age of cases is 35 years and 64 per cent are under 45.
READ MORE
On Sunday afternoon, 283 patients with Covid-19 were hospitalised, of which 39 were in ICU. There have been 13 additional hospitalisations in the last 24 hours.
The 14-day incidence of the virus nationally is 175.5 cases per 100,000 people. Donegal has the highest county incidence at 295.2 and Leitrim has the lowest at 34.3.
Earlier on Sunday, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has declined to be drawn on the like guidance to deal with Covid-19 over the Christmas period and festive holiday get-togethers.
Mr Donohoe said the Government had yet to make decisions on “future public health guidance because we continue to be so focused on the implementation of current public health guidance.
"There are many signs that because of the continued efforts of the public combined with overall good public health decisions that we are seeing signs of reduction the spread of the disease again," he said, as Ireland joins the EU traffic lights system for international travel.
Asked on RTÉ’s This Week programme about reported warnings by Professor Philip Nolan of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) of a third wave of the virus if people have significant get-togethers at Christmas, the Minister said “we need to continue to focus to implement this phase” before looking at future phases.
He said they had to “recognise the value of what we can achieve if we get the spread of this disease down to a low and stable place because that has a really big impact on the future development of the disease and in turn future public health decisions”.
There were five further deaths and 335 new cases reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) on Saturday.
There has been a total of 1,945 Covid-19 related deaths and a total of 64,855 confirmed cases of in the State.
Of the cases notified on Saturday; 155 are men / 177 are women, 64 per cent are under 45 years of age
There were 72 in Dublin, 41 in Donegal, 26 in Mayo, 25 in Cork, 23 in Kerry, and the remaining 148 cases are spread across 19 other counties.
As of 2pm on Saturday 284 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 40 are in ICU. 23 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.


theirishtimes--2020-11-08--Defence Force officers’ representative group elects new president

The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers ( Raco ) has elected Commandant Luke Foley as its new president .
Comdt @ @ @ @ @ Defence Forces in 2002 , replaces Comdt Shane Keogh and will serve in the position @ @ @ @ @ is the representative organisation for Defence Forces officer He previously served on Raco ’ s @ @ @ @ @ vice-president and acting president before being elected president by members on Tuesday .
Comdt Foley @ @ @ @ @ Defence Forces ’ logistics and human resources departments as well as the personal staff officer @ @ @ @ @ Brigade .
The Dublin man currently commands the 2 Brigade training centre and has completed @ @ @ @ @ .

The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco) has elected Commandant Luke Foley as its new president.
Comdt Foley, who joined the Defence Forces in 2002, replaces Comdt Shane Keogh and will serve in the position for two years.
Raco is the representative organisation for Defence Forces officer
He previously served on Raco’s National Executive and as its vice-president and acting president before being elected president by members on Tuesday.
READ MORE
Comdt Foley has previously served in the Defence Forces’ logistics and human resources departments as well as the personal staff officer of the commander of 2 Brigade.
The Dublin man currently commands the 2 Brigade training centre and has completed a masters in International Relations.


theirishtimes--2020-11-08--Minister says Covid-19 tests for air travel should be in place by December 1st

Covid-19 testing measures which could enable people to travel in and out of Irish airports by Christmas should be in place by December 1st , the Minister for Transport has said .
Eamon Ryan said testing capacity would be introduced at airports and ports by early December but cautioned that “ now was not the time ” to make a call on whether Irish people living abroad should come home for Christmas .
From Monday , the State will become part of the EU traffic-light system for international travel which refers to regions rather than individual countries .
Under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can enter the State without restricting their movements or undergoing testing .
Greenland is currently the only green country on the list .
Mr Ryan told RTÉ Radio on Saturday with Katie Hannon that Irish measures around international travel were in line with other countries and that Ireland was now “ deliberately following the European approach ” .
Asked whether spare testing capacity could be moved to airports to be used on people arriving into the country , Mr Ryan said the Government did not want to “ impinge on the capability ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management needs .
The Minister said the Government was working with Dublin Airport Authority to develop testing capacity but that it “ isn ’ t something you can just switch on overnight ” .
However , when asked if testing infrastructure would be in place at airports by December 1st , Mr Ryan replied it would before warning that the Government would not yet make a call on whether people should travel home for Christmas .
“ We ’ ll make that call in early December , not now , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RocDoc announced it was opening two Covid-19 testing centres , at Cork and Shannon Airports , from November 12th .
The company said it would allow for test results within just a few hours under pre-departure tests for passengers flying out of the airport in accordance with the EU ’ s traffic-light system .
Prices for the service start at €149 per test .
Speaking also on Saturday with Katie Hannon , Dr Cillian de Gascún , director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory , said it was “ far too early ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether people should travel home to be with their families at Christmas .
Dr de Gascún said the Government hoped to see virus levels drop internationally before making a decision given that many people would be travelling from continental Europe and the US .
A situation where people must limit their close contacts to a small group of people may also be considered over the Christmas period , he said .
Asked whether the State might introduce rapid testing at ports , Dr De Gascún said preliminary research into the fast acting tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PCR testing system which is currently used to detect the virus .
He added that rapid testing “ isn ’ t a silver bullet ” but one component among a variety of measures needed while living with Covid-19 .
Dr De Gascún urged people to continue to avoid non-essential international travel as Ireland enters the European traffic light system .
Under Level 5 of the Government ’ s Covid-19 framework , in place until December 1st , residents in Ireland are advised against non-essential international travel .
Under the EU traffic light system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have taken the standard PCR Covid-19 test up to three days before travel and have a negative result do not need to restrict their movements upon arrival in their destination .
Norway , Finland , parts of Greece and the Azores are currently classified as orange regions .
Passengers who arrive from red regions , which accounts for most of Europe at present , must restrict their movement for 14 days .
Essential workers , including healthcare workers and transport workers along with those travelling for “ imperative business or family reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from restricting their movements .
Students who travel abroad on a daily basis , diplomats , NGO staff , passengers in transit , seafarers and journalists , when performing their duties , are also exempt .
A statement from the Department of Transport said “ further intensive work ” was under way to develop an approach for people arriving from red regions and that these plans would be considered by Government on Tuesday .
The department noted that passengers arriving from Denmark must take additional precautions aimed at limiting the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected to mink farms and restrict their movements for 14 days upon arrival in Ireland .
Even those undertaking an “ essential ” journey must quarantine for a fortnight upon arrival in Ireland , said the department .

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan says now is ‘not the time’ to make a call on whether Irish people living abroad should come home for Christmas. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
From Monday, the State is part of the EU traffic-light system for international travel which refers to regions rather than individual countries.
Under the system, those arriving from green regions can enter the State without restricting their movements or undergoing testing.
Greenland is currently the only green country on the list.
Under the EU traffic light system, passengers arriving from an orange region who have taken the standard PCR Covid-19 test up to three days before travel and have a negative result do not need to restrict their movements upon arrival in their destination. Norway, Finland, parts of Greece and the Azores are currently classified as orange regions.
READ MORE
Passengers who arrive from red regions, which accounts for most of Europe at present, must restrict their movement for 14 days.
The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has also said that Covid-19 testing measures which could enable people to travel in and out of Irish airports over Christmas should be in place by December 1st.
He said testing capacity would be introduced at airports and ports but cautioned that “now was not the time” to make a call on whether Irish people living abroad should plan to come home for Christmas.
Mr Ryan told RTÉ Radio’s Saturday with Katie Hannon that Ireland was now “deliberately following the European approach”.
Asked whether spare testing capacity could be moved to airports for people arriving into the country, Mr Ryan said the Government did not want to “impinge on the capability” of the HSE to cover domestic health management needs.
The Minister said the Government was working with Dublin Airport Authority to develop testing capacity but that it “isn’t something you can just switch on overnight”.
However, when asked if testing infrastructure would be in place at airports by December 1st, Mr Ryan replied it would, before warning that the Government would not yet make a call on whether people should travel home for Christmas. “We’ll make that call in early December, not now,” he said.
On Sunday, Irish healthcare company RocDoc announced it was opening two Covid-19 testing centres, at Cork and Shannon Airports, from November 12th.
Test results
The company said it would allow for test results within just a few hours under pre-departure tests for passengers flying out of the airport in accordance with the EU’s traffic-light system.
Prices for the service start at €149 per test.
Dr Cillian de Gascún, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said over the weekend it was “far too early” to make a definitive decision as to whether people should travel home to be with their families at Christmas.
Dr de Gascún said the Government hoped to see virus levels drop internationally before making a decision given that many people would be travelling from continental Europe and the US.
A situation where people must limit their close contacts to a small group of people may also be considered over the Christmas period, he said.
Asked whether the State might introduce rapid testing at ports, Dr De Gascún said preliminary research into the fast acting tests showed they were not as reliable as PCR testing system which is currently used to detect the virus.
He added that rapid testing “isn’t a silver bullet” but one component among a variety of measures needed while living with Covid-19.
Dr De Gascún urged people to continue to avoid non-essential international travel as Ireland enters the European traffic light system. Under Level 5 of the Government’s Covid-19 framework, in place until December 1st, residents in Ireland are advised against non-essential international travel.
Traffic-light system
Under the EU traffic light system essential workers, including healthcare workers and transport workers along with those travelling for “imperative business or family reasons” and medical reasons, are exempt from restricting their movements. Students who travel abroad on a daily basis, diplomats, NGO staff, passengers in transit, seafarers and journalists, when performing their duties, are also exempt.
A statement from the Department of Transport said “further intensive work” was under way to develop an approach for people arriving from red regions and that these plans would be considered by Government on Tuesday.
The department noted that passengers arriving from Denmark must take additional precautions aimed at limiting the spread of the newly discovered Covid-19 variant which has been connected to mink farms and restrict their movements for 14 days upon arrival in Ireland.
Even those undertaking an “essential” journey must quarantine for a fortnight upon arrival in Ireland, said the department.


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--Two Limerick men fail to have murder convictions overturned

Two Limerick men who murdered a man at a house party using a screwdriver and a knife have failed in their attempt to have their convictions overturned on appeal .
Dylan Hayes ( 25 ) with a last address at The Crescent , Kilteragh , Dooradoyle , Co Limerick and Gerard Hogan ( 37 ) with a last address at Raheen Square , Ballinacurra Weston , Co Limerick were both found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of the murder of Shane Murphy at The Grove , Pallasgreen , Co Limerick on April 30th , 2015 .
Mr Murphy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart , with multiple penetrating injuries to the trunk and upper arms also contributing to his death .
In May 2017 , trial judge Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence on both men .
Evidence was given during the case that Hayes had confronted Mr Murphy at a house party in Pallasgreen , asking him : “ Did you call me a junkie ?
” Hayes believed the deceased had been talking about him , saying he was doing heroin , or “ goofing off ” , at the house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hayes told gardaí that Mr Murphy responded : “ Yeah , I did .
What are you going to do about it ?
” It was at this point , according to Hayes ’ s statements to gardaí , that he went to the kitchen , grabbed a knife and came back to the sitting room where he began stabbing Mr Murphy repeatedly in the chest , stomach , arms and legs .
Deputy State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan said one of the stab wounds pierced Mr Murphy ’ s heart while others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Defensive wounds to his hands suggested that he had tried to protect himself as Hayes wielded the knife .
The prosecution case in relation to Hogan was that he was involved in a joint enterprise with Hayes to murder Mr Murphy .
One witness at the house said she saw Hogan attack and stab Mr Murphy with Hayes .
She also said that Hogan and Hayes were saying “ get him , get him ” as they “ egged ” each other on .
Delivering his charge , Mr Justice McCarthy told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused men guilty of murder if the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that they had formed a joint intention to kill or cause serious injury to Mr Murphy .
Hayes ’ barrister Mark Nicholas SC argued before the appellate court last May that the judge ’ s charge on provocation was deficient as the jury was not properly instructed .
Mr Nicholas said there was no explanation by the judge to the jurors of the requirement to assess the accused ’ s actions subjectively as well as in a clear and usable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Bowman SC appealed his client ’ s conviction on a number of grounds .
Mr Bowman said the prosecution had relied upon both words spoken and acts carried out by Hogan including attacking the deceased with a screwdriver .
It was open to the jury to conclude that Hogan did not stab the deceased as the pathologist testified that the injuries to Mr Murphy were caused by a knife and not a screwdriver , he said .
If the jury so concluded then they needed to be directed specifically as to whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributed to Hogan as encouragement to the co-accused , he said , and also whether the words amounted to a communication of an intent to kill or cause serious harm .
Furthermore , Mr Bowman submitted that the trial judge had also refused a defence requisition to charge the jury in relation to the ability of a party to withdraw from a common design or joint enterprise .
In a judgement returned electronically on Monday , President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham , who sat with Ms Justice Isobel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said nothing that the trial judge said in relation to the issue of provocation could be seen as putting the jury wrong and his treatment of the issue was , in the circumstances of the case , adequate .
Mr Justice Birmingham said when the trial judge ’ s charge was viewed as a whole , it did not appear objectionable .
“ It repeatedly emphasised that all matters required to be proved had to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt , obviously this included that the words were spoken by Gerard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ” the co-accused and so this ground of appeal fails ” , explained the judge .
The President said the three-judge Court of Appeal agreed with the trial judge that there was insufficient , if any , evidence in the case suggesting a withdrawal from a joint enterprise which would have required or justified a charge directed to this issue .
The Court was satisfied that the ground of appeal must fail , he added .
In summary , Mr Justice Birmingham highlighted that the three-judge panel had not been persuaded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either appellant and would accordingly dismiss the appeal .
Last May , Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions ( DPP ) , Orla Crowe SC , argued in her submissions that four persons present in the house had witnessed the murder and each of them had implicated both appellants in the attack on Mr Murphy .
One of these witnesses had given very clear evidence to the trial of a physical and verbal engagement by both defendants on the deceased , she said , and pointed out that this went to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She added that “ science ” had not removed Hogan from the physical attack on Mr Murphy .
Regarding the charge of provocation , the barrister said the trial judge had given a very clear outline to the jury of the defence of provocation and made it entirely clear that the test was subjective .
The jurors could not have been under any misconception in relation to the law , she submitted .
Ms Crowe explained that Mr Bowman , for Hogan , had suggested that his client had either not fully participated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but she said this had not been borne out by the witnesses who heard and saw what was happening in the room at the time .
She emphasised that this was a “ classic case ” of joint enterprise and common design and there was no evidence in the case that Hogan had withdrawn from the joint enterprise .

Shane Murphy died from a stab wound to the heart, with multiple penetrating injuries to the trunk and upper arms also contributing to his death.
Two Limerick men who murdered a man at a house party using a screwdriver and a knife have failed in their attempt to have their convictions overturned on appeal.
Dylan Hayes (25) with a last address at The Crescent, Kilteragh, Dooradoyle, Co Limerick and Gerard Hogan (37) with a last address at Raheen Square, Ballinacurra Weston, Co Limerick were both found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of the murder of Shane Murphy at The Grove, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick on April 30th, 2015. Mr Murphy died from a stab wound to the heart, with multiple penetrating injuries to the trunk and upper arms also contributing to his death.
In May 2017, trial judge Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence on both men. Evidence was given during the case that Hayes had confronted Mr Murphy at a house party in Pallasgreen, asking him: “Did you call me a junkie?” Hayes believed the deceased had been talking about him, saying he was doing heroin, or “goofing off”, at the house in Pallasgreen earlier the same week.
Hayes told gardaí that Mr Murphy responded: “Yeah, I did. What are you going to do about it?” It was at this point, according to Hayes’s statements to gardaí, that he went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and came back to the sitting room where he began stabbing Mr Murphy repeatedly in the chest, stomach, arms and legs.
READ MORE
Deputy State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan said one of the stab wounds pierced Mr Murphy’s heart while others had damaged both lungs and the liver. Defensive wounds to his hands suggested that he had tried to protect himself as Hayes wielded the knife.
The prosecution case in relation to Hogan was that he was involved in a joint enterprise with Hayes to murder Mr Murphy. One witness at the house said she saw Hogan attack and stab Mr Murphy with Hayes. She also said that Hogan and Hayes were saying “get him, get him” as they “egged” each other on.
Delivering his charge, Mr Justice McCarthy told the jury that they could find the accused men guilty of murder if the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that they had formed a joint intention to kill or cause serious injury to Mr Murphy.
Hayes’ barrister Mark Nicholas SC argued before the appellate court last May that the judge’s charge on provocation was deficient as the jury was not properly instructed. Mr Nicholas said there was no explanation by the judge to the jurors of the requirement to assess the accused’s actions subjectively as well as in a clear and usable form.
Hogan’s lawyer, Michael Bowman SC appealed his client’s conviction on a number of grounds. Mr Bowman said the prosecution had relied upon both words spoken and acts carried out by Hogan including attacking the deceased with a screwdriver. It was open to the jury to conclude that Hogan did not stab the deceased as the pathologist testified that the injuries to Mr Murphy were caused by a knife and not a screwdriver, he said. If the jury so concluded then they needed to be directed specifically as to whether they could rely on words which were attributed to Hogan as encouragement to the co-accused, he said, and also whether the words amounted to a communication of an intent to kill or cause serious harm.
Furthermore, Mr Bowman submitted that the trial judge had also refused a defence requisition to charge the jury in relation to the ability of a party to withdraw from a common design or joint enterprise.
In a judgement returned electronically on Monday, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham, who sat with Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, said nothing that the trial judge said in relation to the issue of provocation could be seen as putting the jury wrong and his treatment of the issue was, in the circumstances of the case, adequate.
Mr Justice Birmingham said when the trial judge’s charge was viewed as a whole, it did not appear objectionable. “It repeatedly emphasised that all matters required to be proved had to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, obviously this included that the words were spoken by Gerard Hogan with the intention of “egging on” the co-accused and so this ground of appeal fails”, explained the judge.
The President said the three-judge Court of Appeal agreed with the trial judge that there was insufficient, if any, evidence in the case suggesting a withdrawal from a joint enterprise which would have required or justified a charge directed to this issue. The Court was satisfied that the ground of appeal must fail, he added.
In summary, Mr Justice Birmingham highlighted that the three-judge panel had not been persuaded to uphold any ground of appeal advanced by either appellant and would accordingly dismiss the appeal.
Last May, Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Orla Crowe SC, argued in her submissions that four persons present in the house had witnessed the murder and each of them had implicated both appellants in the attack on Mr Murphy. One of these witnesses had given very clear evidence to the trial of a physical and verbal engagement by both defendants on the deceased, she said, and pointed out that this went to the common design element of the offence. She added that “science” had not removed Hogan from the physical attack on Mr Murphy.
Regarding the charge of provocation, the barrister said the trial judge had given a very clear outline to the jury of the defence of provocation and made it entirely clear that the test was subjective. The jurors could not have been under any misconception in relation to the law, she submitted.
Ms Crowe explained that Mr Bowman, for Hogan, had suggested that his client had either not fully participated in the attack or withdrawn from it but she said this had not been borne out by the witnesses who heard and saw what was happening in the room at the time. She emphasised that this was a “classic case” of joint enterprise and common design and there was no evidence in the case that Hogan had withdrawn from the joint enterprise.


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--Man charged with murdering brother remanded in custody

A 47-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with murdering his brother at their home in Dublin last week .
Gary Murtagh was arrested after the body of Paul Murtagh ( 42 ) was found at their family home at Auburn Street , Phibsborough , on the city ’ s northside at about 2pm on Friday .
Gary Murtaghwas detained at Mountjoy Garda station for questioning , and on Saturday evening he was charged with murder .
He was held in Garda custody pending his appearance before Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Judge Smyth that Mr Murtagh “ made no reply to the charge after caution , and was handed a true copy of the charge ” .
The district court can not grant bail in a murder case and a remand in custody was sought .
Judge Smyth acceded to defence solicitor Matthew de Courcy ’ s request for the case to be listed for a videolink appearance at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday morning .
Mr Murtagh , who has not yet indicated how he will plead , looked ahead and sat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tan jacket and blue jeans , and wearing a plaster cast on his left arm , he did not address the court .
Mr de Courcy said his client was a suitable candidate and the judge noted there was no Garda objection .
The solicitor asked the judge to recommend , “ appropriate medical care , in relation to his physical injury , and also his mental health ” .
He had a broken hand and had been seen by a doctor on Sunday , the court heard .
The judge agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail application in a murder case must be made before the High Court .
A book of evidence has yet to be completed before he can be returned for trial .

Gary Murtagh appeared before Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court on Monday.
A 47-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with murdering his brother at their home in Dublin last week.
Gary Murtagh was arrested after the body of Paul Murtagh (42) was found at their family home at Auburn Street, Phibsborough, on the city’s northside at about 2pm on Friday.
Gary Murtaghwas detained at Mountjoy Garda station for questioning, and on Saturday evening he was charged with murder.
He was held in Garda custody pending his appearance before Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court on Monday.
READ MORE
Detective Sergeant Enda O’Sullivan told Judge Smyth that Mr Murtagh “made no reply to the charge after caution, and was handed a true copy of the charge”.
The district court cannot grant bail in a murder case and a remand in custody was sought.
Judge Smyth acceded to defence solicitor Matthew de Courcy’s request for the case to be listed for a videolink appearance at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday morning.
Mr Murtagh, who has not yet indicated how he will plead, looked ahead and sat motionless during the hearing. Dressed in a tan jacket and blue jeans, and wearing a plaster cast on his left arm, he did not address the court.
A legal aid application was successful.
Mr de Courcy said his client was a suitable candidate and the judge noted there was no Garda objection.
The solicitor asked the judge to recommend, “appropriate medical care, in relation to his physical injury, and also his mental health”.
He had a broken hand and had been seen by a doctor on Sunday, the court heard.
The judge agreed to make the recommendation sought.
A bail application in a murder case must be made before the High Court. A book of evidence has yet to be completed before he can be returned for trial.


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--Three sushi businesses operating from bedroom ordered to close

Three online sushi takeaway services operating from the bedroom of a suburban house in Santry , north Co Dublin , have been told to close by HSE , the Food Safety Authority of Ireland ( FSAI ) has reported .
Health inspectors found the unregistered sushi operation producing raw fish with cooked rice , without any hygiene or temperature controls .
It was being sold as takeaway food under three separate businesses advertised online .
Chief executive of the FSAI Dr Pamela Byrne said the operation was “ totally unacceptable and poses a very serious risk to consumers ’ health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product because it contains raw fish which must be kept chilled to reduce the growth of dangerous bacteria , the FSAI said .
It said cooked rice , which is a ready-to-eat product , must also be kept chilled .
But the bedroom-based operation traded online under three different names , without a food safety management system or monitoring of “ the cold chain ” and “ no evidence of traceability of raw ingredients ” health inspectors found .
The inspectors also found breaches of food safety controls and record keeping as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distributed in an unsatisfactory and unclean environment .
The three online takeaway services closed were listed as : The closure orders were served on Johnathan Barbosa in respect of Koi Sushi takeaway ; Bruno Barbosa in respect of Nagoya Sushi and Paulo Ricardo Barbosa of Kyoto Sushi , all at the same suburban house at 1 Shanvarna Road , Santry , Dublin 9 .
Overall , HSE environmental health officers made five closure orders during the month , citing a range of issues from a live rodent being observed running across a rear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout food preparation and storage areas ; rodent droppings and gnawed foodstuffs , all of which posed “ a serious risk of contamination ” the authority said .
In addition to the three takeaway sushi services , the FSAI also reported the HSE had served closure orders on : Health inspectors said the premises occupied by The Funky Skunk ( Cork ) Limited at Unit 6 & 7 Collomane , Bantry , Co Cork and name trading as TFS Wholesale displayed “ the presence of a live rodent plus evidence of extensive rodent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a grave and immediate danger to public health ” In relation to Speedos Restaurant in Cork city , the health inspectors said there was evidence of recent rodent activity and droppings which posed a risk to food contamination and human health .
Dr Byrne said she was particularly concerned at the “ online unregistered and unsupervised food businesses selling a range of sushi products from the bedroom of a house ” .
She said running a food business that has not been registered and is therefore not supervised , “ is totally unacceptable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumers ’ health ” .
The FSAI operates an online complaint form at fsai.ie

Sushi is a very high-risk product because it contains raw fish which must be kept chilled to reduce the growth of dangerous bacteria, the FSAI said. Photograph: iStock
Three online sushi takeaway services operating from the bedroom of a suburban house in Santry, north Co Dublin, have been told to close after a joint operation between the HSE and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Health inspectors discovered the three unregistered sushi takeaways advertising online and staged an immediate inspection.
The premises which turned out to be a house in a suburban estate, produced raw fish with cooked rice, without any hygiene or temperature controls.
A picutre from inside the businesses operating under the names Koi Sushi, Nagoya Sushi and Kyoto Sushi at 1 Shanvarna Road, Santry, Dublin 9. Photograph: FSAI
It was being sold as takeaway food under three separate businesses advertised online.
READ MORE
Chief executive of the FSAI Dr Pamela Byrne said the operation was “totally unacceptable and poses a very serious risk to consumers’ health”.
Sushi is a very high-risk product because it contains raw fish which must be kept chilled to reduce the growth of dangerous bacteria, the FSAI said.
It said cooked rice, which is a ready-to-eat product, must also be kept chilled. But the bedroom-based operation traded online under three different names, without a food safety management system or monitoring of “the cold chain” and “no evidence of traceability of raw ingredients” the health inspectors found.
The inspectors also found breaches of food safety controls and record keeping as well as food being produced, processed and distributed in an unsatisfactory and unclean environment.
The three online takeaway services closed were listed as:
* Koi Sushi (Takeaway), 1 Shanvarna Road, Santry, Dublin 9
* Nagoya Sushi (Takeaway), 1 Shanvarna Road, Santry, Dublin 9
* Kyoto Sushi (Takeaway), 1 Shanvarna Road, Santry, Dublin 9
The closure orders were served on Johnathan Barbosa in respect of Koi Sushi takeaway; Bruno Barbosa in respect of Nagoya Sushi and Paulo Ricardo Barbosa of Kyoto Sushi, all at the same suburban house at 1 Shanvarna Road, Santry, Dublin 9.
Separately, HSE environmental health officers made five closure orders during the month, citing a range of issues from a live rodent being observed running across a rear wall; evidence of extensive rodent activity throughout food preparation and storage areas and rodent droppings and gnawed foodstuffs, all of which posed “a serious risk of contamination”, the authority said.
In addition to the three takeaway sushi services, the FSAI also reported the HSE had served closure orders on TFS Wholesale, Unit 6 & 7 Colomane, Bantry, Co Cork and Speedos (Restaurant/ Café), 8 Tuckey Street, Cork city.
Health inspectors said the premises occupied by The Funky Skunk (Cork) Limited at Unit 6 & 7 Colomane, Bantry, Co Cork and trading as TFS Wholesale displayed “the presence of a live rodent plus evidence of extensive rodent droppings and activity” which “posed a grave and immediate danger to public health”.
In relation to Speedos Restaurant in Cork city, the health inspectors said there was evidence of recent rodent activity and droppings which posed a risk to food contamination and human health.
The FSAI operates an online complaint form at fsai.ie


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--Public must still limit contacts when Level 5 lifts, HSE chief says

The public will still have to limit their contacts when Level 5 restrictions are lifted on December 1st , director general of the HSE Paul Reid has said .
Mr Reid said Christmas was an important time for families and for Irish society , but it was important to be honest with people about the level of contacts they could have , he said .
The deaths of another two patients with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) at its briefing on Sunday .
This brings to 1,947 the total number of virus-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported 542 confirmed cases of the disease , bringing to 65,394 the total number of cases in the Republic .
The 14-day incidence of the virus nationally is 175.5 cases per 100,000 people .
Donegal has the highest county incidence at 295.2 and Leitrim has the lowest at 34.3 .
In Europe , only Norway , Finland , Estonia and Latvia currently have lower incidence figures than Ireland , according to the European Centre for Disease Control .
While the trends were good in Ireland with numbers coming down , the country had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the economy opened up in June and July , Mr Reid told Newstalk Breakfast .
Because restrictions were lifted in the summer there were “ massive rises ” in cases again in August , September and October .
Mr Reid said it was important for people to continue to reduce the number of contacts they have and the number of households they visit .
“ Christmas is a very important time for families , it ’ s a very important time for Irish society , it ’ s hugely valued by everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people good hope and encouragement that the actions they ’ re taking now does merit us all having a reasonable Christmas .
“ But I think we equally have to be honest with people and just say as well that if we manage to work through December and throughout Christmas by carrying on the behaviours that we ’ re doing at the moment , and it ’ s really about reducing our contacts , it ’ s a really big important factor that we don ’ t end up in the same position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr Reid defended the contact tracking system .
He acknowledged that it had been overwhelmed one weekend last month when people who tested positive were being asked to do their own contact tracing .
“ It did happen , it shouldn ’ t have happened , it did happen , ” he said .
Ireland remains one of the few countries still systematically testing close contacts on day zero and day seven , he pointed out .
There will now be a permanent workforce on swabbing and contact tracing and if necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We also have significant extra capacity now - we now have about 126,000 on the island capacity of lab testing , ” he said .
With regard to nursing homes , Mr Reid said that the HSE , the Health Information and Quality Authority ( Hiqa ) and the Department of Health were in close , regular contact and could mobilise into any nursing homes should a situation arise .
Mr Reid also said the HSE was working very closely with unions to ensure healthcare workers were protected .
When asked about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from Covid-19 , Mr Reid said : “ One of the hardest things I ’ ve done in my professional career is talking to some families who have lost loved ones in the health service through Covid .
It is a very tough period for people when that happens , absolutely , for families.
” There had been significant investment in PPE and the current stock would last through the winter , he said .
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally said Christmas was going to pose “ huge difficulties ” this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was that people would want to travel home while the virus was still in circulation , he said .
Level 5 restriction were working to bring down the number of cases , but it was going to be very difficult to get people to observe social distancing .
“ People need to stick to social distancing , ” he advised .
Speaking on RTÉ ’ s Today with Claire Byrne show , Dr Scally also called for more attention to be paid to the issue of ventilation at home and in the workplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland from Denmark should be completely restricted until the current outbreak connected to mink was under control .
This was a really important issue as the virus had changed “ along the way ” via transmission from human to animal and back to human again .
He was concerned that this could have an impact on vaccines being developed .
“ We can ’ t really play catch up with this virus.
” Dr Scally also called for a better system of managed isolation , the current system ( voluntary isolation ) was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was no magic bullet when it came to dealing with Covid-19 , he said .
The test and tracing system in the UK , particularly in England was a shambles .
It had a very poor success rate and was “ not doing the job.
” He called for an integrated system across the island of Ireland .
The situation , both North and South , would have been better if both system had “ worked in train.
” The issue of movement across the Border was always going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of data and the lack of transparency with the figures in Northern Ireland was also a problem .
Meanwhile , almost 200,000 users of the HSE ’ s Covid-19 tracker app have not supplied a contact phone number to facilitate tracking in event of being identified as a close contact .
However , the HSE said when someone receives a close contact alert they can enter the number at this stage and request a call back from contact tracing .
They can also ring the HSE to arrange a call back .

Paul Reid ‘We do need to give people good hope and encouragement that the actions they’re taking now does merit us all having a reasonable Christmas.’ Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
The public will still have to limit their contacts when Level 5 restrictions are lifted on December 1st, director general of the HSE Paul Reid has said.
Mr Reid said Christmas was an important time for families and for Irish society, but it was important to be honest with people about the level of contacts they could have, he said.
The 14-day incidence of the virus nationally is 175.5 cases per 100,000 people. Donegal has the highest county incidence at 295.2 and Leitrim has the lowest at 34.3.
Hospital Report
In Europe, only Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia currently have lower incidence figures than Ireland, according to the European Centre for Disease Control.
READ MORE
While the trends were good in Ireland with numbers coming down, the country had to learn from what happened when society and the economy opened up in June and July, Mr Reid told Newstalk Breakfast.
Because restrictions were lifted in the summer there were “massive rises” in cases again in August, September and October.
Mr Reid said it was important for people to continue to reduce the number of contacts they have and the number of households they visit.
“Christmas is a very important time for families, it’s a very important time for Irish society, it’s hugely valued by everybody. And we do need to give people good hope and encouragement that the actions they’re taking now does merit us all having a reasonable Christmas.
“But I think we equally have to be honest with people and just say as well that if we manage to work through December and throughout Christmas by carrying on the behaviours that we’re doing at the moment, and it’s really about reducing our contacts, it’s a really big important factor that we don’t end up in the same position heading into January, February or March.”
Contact tracing
Mr Reid defended the contact tracking system. He acknowledged that it had been overwhelmed one weekend last month when people who tested positive were being asked to do their own contact tracing. “It did happen, it shouldn’t have happened, it did happen,” he said.
Ireland remains one of the few countries still systematically testing close contacts on day zero and day seven, he pointed out. There will now be a permanent workforce on swabbing and contact tracing and if necessary significant numbers could be deployed.
“We also have significant extra capacity now - we now have about 126,000 on the island capacity of lab testing,” he said.
Nursing homes
With regard to nursing homes , Mr Reid said that the HSE, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa)and the Department of Health were in close, regular contact and could mobilise into any nursing homes should a situation arise.
Mr Reid also said the HSE was working very closely with unions to ensure healthcare workers were protected.
When asked about the numbers of health care workers who had died from Covid-19, Mr Reid said:
“One of the hardest things I’ve done in my professional career is talking to some families who have lost loved ones in the health service through Covid. It is a very tough period for people when that happens, absolutely, for families.”
There had been significant investment in PPE and the current stock would last through the winter, he said.
Travel from Denmark
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally said Christmas was going to pose "huge difficulties" this year because of restrictions. The problem was that people would want to travel home while the virus was still in circulation, he said.
Level 5 restriction were working to bring down the number of cases, but it was going to be very difficult to get people to observe social distancing. “People need to stick to social distancing,” he advised.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne show, Dr Scally also called for more attention to be paid to the issue of ventilation at home and in the workplace.
Dr Scally said that travel into Ireland from Denmark should be completely restricted until the current outbreak connected to mink was under control. This was a really important issue as the virus had changed “along the way” via transmission from human to animal and back to human again. He was concerned that this could have an impact on vaccines being developed.
“We can’t really play catch up with this virus.”
Dr Scally also called for a better system of managed isolation, the current system (voluntary isolation) was not working very well, he said.
There was no magic bullet when it came to dealing with Covid-19, he said. The test and tracing system in the UK, particularly in England was a shambles. It had a very poor success rate and was “not doing the job.”
He called for an integrated system across the island of Ireland. The situation, both North and South, would have been better if both system had “worked in train.”
The issue of movement across the Border was always going to be a problem, he said. The lack of data and the lack of transparency with the figures in Northern Ireland was also a problem.
Tracker app
Meanwhile, almost 200,000 users of the HSE's Covid-19 tracker app have not supplied a contact phone number to facilitate tracking in event of being identified as a close contact.
However, the HSE said when someone receives a close contact alert they can enter the number at this stage and request a call back from contact tracing. They can also ring the HSE to arrange a call back.


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--EU defence plan to present Ireland with ‘significant’ costs

A planned new €5 billion EU defence and security initiative is likely to have “ significant cost implications for the exchequer ” , a Department of Public Expenditure review has found .
The spending review also notes that Britain ’ s exit from the EU “ could have unforeseen ramifications for defence expenditure ” .
It says that “ even in the absence of any expansion of the common costs for EU missions , the loss of the United Kingdom as a contributor means that remaining states , including Ireland , may have to contribute more if the level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
The review warns that should recruitment and retention difficulties in the Defence Forces continue , “ despite the measures to increase pay and allowances on foot of the 2019 Public Sector Pay Commission report , there may be limits on the number of personnel available for overseas duty ” .
The review says the total direct cost of participation in overseas peace support missions by the Irish Defence Forces in 2018 was €53.1 million .
This included pay for the personnel concerned , overseas allowances and a number of non-pay costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The department review concludes that the overall exchequer cost of Ireland ’ s financial contribution to international operations will increase from 2021 with the introduction of the European Peace Facility .
It described this initiative as an off-budget €5 billion EU fund that would both finance missions on an ongoing basis and maintain a contingency fund for emergency deployments .
“ These costs , however , arise through European Union membership and participation in EU common security and defence policy rather than having a link to Defence Forces ’ participation in specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the potential new costs would be offset by the ending of contributions to existing arrangements which are expected to form part of the proposed new arrangement .
On foot of queries regarding the findings of the spending review , the Department of Public Expenditure said the costs were not known at this stage .
“ The €5 billion ceiling agreed for the European Peace Facility represents a significant increase on previous common foreign and security policy spending .
The scale of Ireland ’ s contribution to the European Peace Facility will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income ( GNI ) distribution key .
“ As far as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is aware , the key used to calculate this level of contribution has not yet been decided and , as such , the amount of additional spending envisioned for Ireland , for 2021 and in subsequent years , is unclear.
” The spending review says that given the scale of the proposed new European peace facility , “ there are likely to be significant cost implications for the exchequer arising , although some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the African Peace Facility and Athena .
It should be noted that these costs will arise in the normal course as a result of EU membership and participation in EU common security and defence policy rather than any link to participation in peacekeeping operations.
” The review says that the Athena mechanism was the current off-budget EU instrument whereby EU member states could bypass the treaty on the European Union restrictions on expenditure of a military nature and finance security and defence operations led by the EU .
It says the existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are funded in this way .
In April 2019 , then minister of State with responsibility for defence Paul Kehoe told the Dáil that , under the proposals , the European Peace Facility “ would be used to fund infrastructure and equipment for the training and capacity building of security and military forces in fragile and conflict states so that they can better provide their own security .
“ The most controversial aspect of the proposal is the suggestion that this could include funding for some lethal equipment , most likely small arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The aim of the European Peace Facility is to give the EU the capability to contribute to the financing of global military peace support operations led by international partners such as the African Union .
This financing would assist in building the capacities of partner countries ’ armed forces to preserve peace , prevent conflict and address security challenges .
”

A member of the Irish Army Ranger Wing in Goz Beida in eastern Chad: The exchequer cost of Ireland’s financial contribution to international operations will rise from 2021 with the introduction of the European Peace Facility. Photograph: Aidan Crawley
A planned new €5 billion EU defence and security initiative is likely to have “significant cost implications for the exchequer”, a Department of Public Expenditure review has found.
The spending review also notes that Britain’s exit from the EU “could have unforeseen ramifications for defence expenditure”.
It says that “even in the absence of any expansion of the common costs for EU missions, the loss of the United Kingdom as a contributor means that remaining states, including Ireland, may have to contribute more if the level of funding is expected to remain the same”.
The review warns that should recruitment and retention difficulties in the Defence Forces continue, “despite the measures to increase pay and allowances on foot of the 2019 Public Sector Pay Commission report, there may be limits on the number of personnel available for overseas duty”.
READ MORE
The review says the total direct cost of participation in overseas peace support missions by the Irish Defence Forces in 2018 was €53.1 million. This included pay for the personnel concerned, overseas allowances and a number of non-pay costs, including overseas sustainment and operational costs.
The department review concludes that the overall exchequer cost of Ireland’s financial contribution to international operations will increase from 2021 with the introduction of the European Peace Facility. It described this initiative as an off-budget €5 billion EU fund that would both finance missions on an ongoing basis and maintain a contingency fund for emergency deployments.
‘Peacekeeping missions’
“These costs, however, arise through European Union membership and participation in EU common security and defence policy rather than having a link to Defence Forces’ participation in specific overseas peacekeeping missions.”
The review suggests some of the potential new costs would be offset by the ending of contributions to existing arrangements which are expected to form part of the proposed new arrangement.
On foot of queries regarding the findings of the spending review, the Department of Public Expenditure said the costs were not known at this stage.
“The €5 billion ceiling agreed for the European Peace Facility represents a significant increase on previous common foreign and security policy spending. The scale of Ireland’s contribution to the European Peace Facility will be assessed based on a gross national income (GNI) distribution key.
“As far as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is aware, the key used to calculate this level of contribution has not yet been decided and, as such, the amount of additional spending envisioned for Ireland, for 2021 and in subsequent years, is unclear.”
The spending review says that given the scale of the proposed new European peace facility, “there are likely to be significant cost implications for the exchequer arising, although some of the costs will be offset by existing contributions to the African Peace Facility and Athena. It should be noted that these costs will arise in the normal course as a result of EU membership and participation in EU common security and defence policy rather than any link to participation in peacekeeping operations.”
‘Infrastructure and equipment’
The review says that the Athena mechanism was the current off-budget EU instrument whereby EU member states could bypass the treaty on the European Union restrictions on expenditure of a military nature and finance security and defence operations led by the EU. It says the existing EU military missions in Mali and Bosnia are funded in this way.
In April 2019, then minister of State with responsibility for defence Paul Kehoe told the Dáil that, under the proposals, the European Peace Facility “would be used to fund infrastructure and equipment for the training and capacity building of security and military forces in fragile and conflict states so that they can better provide their own security.
“The most controversial aspect of the proposal is the suggestion that this could include funding for some lethal equipment, most likely small arms and weapons,” he said.
“The aim of the European Peace Facility is to give the EU the capability to contribute to the financing of global military peace support operations led by international partners such as the African Union. This financing would assist in building the capacities of partner countries’ armed forces to preserve peace, prevent conflict and address security challenges.”


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--Covid app clocks up 1.3m users, alerting 463 close contacts last week

Almost 200,000 users of the Health Service Executive ’ s Covid-19 tracker app have not supplied a contact phone number to facilitate tracking in event of being identified as a close contact .
However , the Health Service Executive said when someone receives a close contact alert they can enter the number at this stage and request a call back from contact tracing .
They can also ring the HSE to arrange a call back .
The app has clocked up 1.32 million active users since it was launched last July .
The HSE said that in the past week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact alert and requested a call back from contract tracers .
Anyone who looked for a call back received one , though the HSE said there may have been some people who didn ’ t pick up when rung a number of times .
Figures are not yet available for the proportion of people who have tested positive for the virus and who had the app installed .
The average length of contact tracing calls is not recorded , but a HSE spokeswoman said the first call , informing a confirmed case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes or more .
The second , to gather details of the person ’ s close contacts , takes about 20-25 minutes .
The third , to the close contacts , takes about 15-30 minutes for each call .
Since last month , text messages are sent to cases and contacts , and the HSE says further technology enhancements will be brought on stream to support contact tracing .
The deaths of another two patients with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) at its briefing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total number of virus-related deaths in the pandemic .
Nphet also reported 542 confirmed cases of the disease , bringing to 65,394 the total number of cases in the Republic .
Of the new cases , 181 are in Dublin , 59 in Donegal , 50 in Limerick , 36 in Cork , 25 in Kildare , with the remaining 191 cases spread across 20 other counties .
The median age of cases is 35 and 64 per cent are under 45 .
On Sunday afternoon , 283 patients with Covid-19 were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
Of these , 39 were in ICU , down one from the previous day .
There have been 13 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours .
The 14-day incidence of the virus nationally is 175.5 cases per 100,000 people .
Donegal has the highest county incidence at 295.2 and Leitrim has the lowest at 34.3 .
In Europe , only Norway , Finland , Estonia and Latvia currently have lower incidence figures than Ireland , according to the European Centre for Disease Control .
In Northern Ireland , there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday , bringing the death toll there to 781 , while an additional 420 cases were recorded , bringing the total number to 42,917 .

Almost 200,000 users of the Health Service Executive’s Covid-19 tracker app have not supplied a contact phone number to facilitate tracking in event of being identified as a close contact.
However, the Health Service Executive said when someone receives a close contact alert they can enter the number at this stage and request a call back from contact tracing. They can also ring the HSE to arrange a call back.
The app has clocked up 1.32 million active users since it was launched last July. The HSE said that in the past week, 463 people have received a close contact alert and requested a call back from contract tracers. Anyone who looked for a call back received one, though the HSE said there may have been some people who didn’t pick up when rung a number of times.
Figures are not yet available for the proportion of people who have tested positive for the virus and who had the app installed.
READ MORE
The average length of contact tracing calls is not recorded, but a HSE spokeswoman said the first call, informing a confirmed case of the test result, can take 45 minutes or more. The second, to gather details of the person’s close contacts, takes about 20-25 minutes. The third, to the close contacts, takes about 15-30 minutes for each call.
Since last month, text messages are sent to cases and contacts, and the HSE says further technology enhancements will be brought on stream to support contact tracing.
Reported cases
The deaths of another two patients with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) at its briefing on Sunday. This brings to 1,947 the total number of virus-related deaths in the pandemic.
Nphet also reported 542 confirmed cases of the disease, bringing to 65,394 the total number of cases in the Republic.
Of the new cases, 181 are in Dublin, 59 in Donegal, 50 in Limerick, 36 in Cork, 25 in Kildare, with the remaining 191 cases spread across 20 other counties. The median age of cases is 35 and 64 per cent are under 45.
On Sunday afternoon, 283 patients with Covid-19 were in hospital, up four on the previous day. Of these, 39 were in ICU, down one from the previous day. There have been 13 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
The 14-day incidence of the virus nationally is 175.5 cases per 100,000 people. Donegal has the highest county incidence at 295.2 and Leitrim has the lowest at 34.3.
In Europe, only Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia currently have lower incidence figures than Ireland, according to the European Centre for Disease Control.
In Northern Ireland, there were seven further deaths related to Covid-19 recorded on Sunday, bringing the death toll there to 781, while an additional 420 cases were recorded, bringing the total number to 42,917.


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--Number of cash seizures by Garda now at unprecedented levels

The number of cash seizures being made by the Garda has surged to unprecedented levels as many cash-based businesses that criminals normally use to hide or launder drug money have been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic .
So far this year gardaí have seized €16.35 million in cash , mostly from drugs gangs , which is more than double the amount seized in recent years .
In 2019 , €7.44 million in cash was seized by gardaí , while the figure for 2018 was €7.19 million .
Garda sources have told The Irish Times that criminals were now being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drug dealing and that these large sums of money were being found when those dealers ’ homes were raided by gardaí looking for drugs and guns .
Garda officers working in specialist units that combat organised crime said criminals have used a wide variety and mostly cash-based businesses to launder their money .
These included pubs , nightclubs , casinos , tanning salons , fast food outlets , dry cleaners , construction companies , car garages and a range of retail outlets , among others .
However , many of these have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
And for those businesses that have remained open , the flow of cash through them has slowed as more people have switched to card payments , and away from cash , as a precaution against contracting Covid-19 .
“ It ’ s meant the opportunity to quickly put money into a cash business to get rid of it and launder it is either gone for these guys or the amount they can get rid of is much lower , ” said one Garda source .
“ So they are having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re finding more and more of it during searches.
” Gardaí pointed to the fact there had been repeated cash seizures – of between €10,000 and €30,000 – in the same regional towns since the start of the pandemic .
This , they said , underlined the value of controlling even a small part of the drugs trade in relatively small towns .
The total €16.35 million in cash in the first 10 months of this year only includes cash being found during searches , mostly targeting drugs and guns .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it does not include any money being frozen in bank accounts by the Criminal Assets Bureau or other units such as the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau .
The Irish Times is aware of 59 significant cash seizures , totalling €9.6 million , since mid-March when lockdown measures were first introduced .
However , there were also a much larger number of seizures of smaller amounts during that period , which brings the total cash seized to date this year to over €16 million .
Almost €7.8 million of this total was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crime Bureau ( DOCB ) .
That was more than double the €3.44 million it seized in 2017 , the previous record year .
Assistant Commissioner John O ’ Driscoll , head of the Garda ’ s organised and serious crime section , said his personnel , including the DOCB , were determined to deprive gangs of money , drugs and guns , from which they derived power .
“ The motivation for the criminal activity engaged in by organised criminal gangs is financial gain , from which they derive their ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said , adding the large amount of cash seized this year showed gardaí were enjoying significant success .
In some Garda searches in recent months , gardaí discovered both cash and drugs with a combined value of more than €1 million in the same location .
Last month , gardaí carrying out a search in Thurles , Co Tipperary , found €647,500 of suspected cocaine and approximately €370,000 in cash .
In the same month , gardaí seized approximately €958,800 of drugs – MDMA , cocaine and cannabis – as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with ammunition and silencers in the same search operation in Co Meath .
Further significant cash finds have been made by gardaí this month and on Saturday an estimated €110,000 in cash and a vehicle were seized in Coolock , north Dublin .
Despite such seizures , Garda officers believe the drugs trade is proving resilient .
A very significant portion of it is conducted by drug users ordering narcotics from their local dealers over the phone and having them home delivered or arranging to collect them at a meeting point .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of retail ’ s “ click and collect ” , a business that has grown exponentially since mass mobile phone use began in the 1990s .
When the first Covid-19 lockdown began in March , the streets of large towns and cities became relatively deserted as people stayed home and retail and other businesses closed .
That meant drug dealing on the streets was much easier for gardaí to spot .
At the same time , the Garda ’ s presence on the streets was dramatically increased for the pandemic policing operation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sale or supply ” increased by 35 per cent in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period last year .
The number of “ possession of drugs for personal use ” has increased by 2 per cent at a time when other offences associated with the night-time economy – drink driving , assaults and public order – have plummeted .
Senior Garda officers have also pointed to the series of multimillion euro drugs seizures in the last six months as evidence of continued high demand for drugs and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ import very large quantities of drugs from abroad .

Cash and drugs seized during a search in Thurles, Co Tipperary, last month. Photograph: An Garda Síochána
The number of cash seizures being made by the Garda has surged to unprecedented levels as many cash-based businesses that criminals normally use to hide or launder drug money have been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
So far this year gardaí have seized €16.35 million in cash, mostly from drugs gangs, which is more than double the amount seized in recent years.
In 2019, €7.44 million in cash was seized by gardaí, while the figure for 2018 was €7.19 million.
Cash, drugs and firearms seized during a search in Co Meath last month. Photograph: An Garda Síochána
Garda sources have told The Irish Times that criminals were now being forced to “hoard” the proceeds of drug dealing and that these large sums of money were being found when those dealers’ homes were raided by gardaí looking for drugs and guns.
READ MORE
Garda officers working in specialist units that combat organised crime said criminals have used a wide variety and mostly cash-based businesses to launder their money. These included pubs, nightclubs, casinos, tanning salons, fast food outlets, dry cleaners, construction companies, car garages and a range of retail outlets, among others.
However, many of these have been closed for very long periods during the pandemic. And for those businesses that have remained open, the flow of cash through them has slowed as more people have switched to card payments, and away from cash, as a precaution against contracting Covid-19.
“It’s meant the opportunity to quickly put money into a cash business to get rid of it and launder it is either gone for these guys or the amount they can get rid of is much lower,” said one Garda source. “So they are having to hoard the money now and we’re finding more and more of it during searches.”
Small towns
Gardaí pointed to the fact there had been repeated cash seizures – of between €10,000 and €30,000 – in the same regional towns since the start of the pandemic. This, they said, underlined the value of controlling even a small part of the drugs trade in relatively small towns.
The total €16.35 million in cash in the first 10 months of this year only includes cash being found during searches, mostly targeting drugs and guns. As with the figures for the other years, it does not include any money being frozen in bank accounts by the Criminal Assets Bureau or other units such as the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau.
The Irish Times is aware of 59 significant cash seizures, totalling €9.6 million, since mid-March when lockdown measures were first introduced. However, there were also a much larger number of seizures of smaller amounts during that period, which brings the total cash seized to date this year to over €16 million.
Almost €7.8 million of this total was found during operations by Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB). That was more than double the €3.44 million it seized in 2017, the previous record year.
Cash and drugs seized during a search in Thurles, Co Tipperary, last month. Photograph: An Garda Síochána
Motivation
Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, head of the Garda’s organised and serious crime section, said his personnel, including the DOCB, were determined to deprive gangs of money, drugs and guns, from which they derived power.
“The motivation for the criminal activity engaged in by organised criminal gangs is financial gain, from which they derive their ability to intimidate and inflict harm on communities,” he said, adding the large amount of cash seized this year showed gardaí were enjoying significant success.
In some Garda searches in recent months, gardaí discovered both cash and drugs with a combined value of more than €1 million in the same location.
Last month, gardaí carrying out a search in Thurles, Co Tipperary, found €647,500 of suspected cocaine and approximately €370,000 in cash. In the same month, gardaí seized approximately €958,800 of drugs – MDMA, cocaine and cannabis – as well as €489,120 in cash and three firearms with ammunition and silencers in the same search operation in Co Meath.
Further significant cash finds have been made by gardaí this month and on Saturday an estimated €110,000 in cash and a vehicle were seized in Coolock, north Dublin.
Despite such seizures, Garda officers believe the drugs trade is proving resilient.
Ordering narcotics
A very significant portion of it is conducted by drug users ordering narcotics from their local dealers over the phone and having them home delivered or arranging to collect them at a meeting point.
This is the drug trade’s equivalent of retail’s “click and collect”, a business that has grown exponentially since mass mobile phone use began in the 1990s.
When the first Covid-19 lockdown began in March, the streets of large towns and cities became relatively deserted as people stayed home and retail and other businesses closed. That meant drug dealing on the streets was much easier for gardaí to spot. At the same time, the Garda’s presence on the streets was dramatically increased for the pandemic policing operation.
Cases of “possession of drugs for sale or supply” increased by 35 per cent in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period last year. The number of “possession of drugs for personal use” has increased by 2 per cent at a time when other offences associated with the night-time economy – drink driving, assaults and public order – have plummeted.
Senior Garda officers have also pointed to the series of multimillion euro drugs seizures in the last six months as evidence of continued high demand for drugs and the ability of gangs to raise money to import very large quantities of drugs from abroad.


theirishtimes--2020-11-09--The life of a Supreme Court judge: ‘The law is above you’

The transition to being a judge from working as a barrister can be difficult , Mr Justice Peter Charleton of the Supreme Court has said .
During an interview with The Irish Times to mark the publication of a new edition of a textbook on criminal law and evidence , he also spoke about what it is like to be appointed a judge .
The controversy involving fellow Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe wasn ’ t discussed but Mr Justice Charlton , when asked about being a judge , observed that it changes one ’ s professional relationship with others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends .
You don ’ t lose your friends [ when you become a judge ] .
Some of your friends will be lawyers , and you see them , but you don ’ t stop on the corridor [ of the Four Courts ] and talk to them.
” Judges can not give the impression that they are friendly with a litigant , or someone who might be appearing and doing a case before them , he said .
“ There are some people in life who like to go out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few pals , or some people who like to play a game of tennis with some people that they know .
I would be one of the people who would play tennis with some people that I know .
“ And then there are others who like the whole notion of being part of a group , and I am not sure that would be so much me , so no , it wasn ’ t difficult [ for me ] .
” Appointed to the High Court in 2006 , Mr Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court since 2014 .
“ The whole notion of being a judge , one thing that always struck me , you know , what was it like during the grim times in 2008 onwards , when house prices in this country were a third or less than people had paid for them two years earlier , where people were crushed by debt , where you had to make decrees enforcing a debt ?
What ’ s it like when somebody gets found guilty , and you have the job of sentencing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the answer is , when you go into a court and you walk up , the first thing that certainly I notice , the harp is there above my head .
It is not me that makes the decision , it is the law that makes the decision .
I apply the law and I go home with a clear conscience.
” Sending people to jail can be difficult , but judges are there to do their best , he said .
“ You are there to serve the people .
You are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law is above you.
” One of the developments that assists judges these days is that of sentencing bands , or ranges within which judges are expected to locate a crime before the court , for the purposes of deciding on a sentence .
“ There has been a lot of public controversy about sentencing guidelines , sentencing bands , and what doesn ’ t seem to be noticed is that we have them .
Starting with a case in 2007 called WD , which was a rape case that happened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Central Criminal Court case , he explained , he and his then judicial assistant got all the written rape decisions that were available and put them into piles on a table , with one pile for cases that had resulted in lenient sentences , another pile for ordinary sentences , and another for severe , and so on .
Working in this way , he devised a series of categories of seriousness ( “ rape is always serious ” ) of rape cases , and outlined the bands within which the sentences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had fallen .
A judge now locates a case as lying within a band , and then applies the circumstances of the particular case before the court when arriving at a final sentencing decision .
This method of working has been approved by higher courts , and similar exercises have been conducted for other types of crimes , such as manslaughter , child defilement , aggravated burglary etc .
Manuals setting out these sentencing bands are available to judges and to legal practitioners .
Although the method is rooted in the sentences handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not mean that sentencing practice does not change over time .
For instance , “ it is possible to get a suspended sentence for rape , but it hasn ’ t happened in the past 10 years ” save in one case that doesn ’ t really qualify , Mr Justice Charleton said .
The judge was being interviewed to mark the publication of Charleton and McDermott ’ s Criminal Law and Evidence , a fully rewritten new version of a highly regarded work he was a co-author of in 1999 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who also worked on the first edition , was the practitioner and commentator Paul Anthony McDermott SC , who died in Christmas 2019 .
The other authors of the book are Ciara Herlihy and Stephen Byrne BL .
The book is “ about three quarters of a million words ” in length .
The Supreme Court judge feels that this jurisdiction should do more to set out in law ( codify ) identical definitions of key concepts such as intention , recklessness and possession , to be applied across different pieces of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sexual offences , “ there has been lots of reform in that , and I can ’ t say that any of it is other than sensible , but the problem now is that you have got lots and lots of acts.
” If all this legislation was consolidated in one act , as has been done with the Criminal Justice ( Theft and Fraud Offences ) Act , 2001 , then the same definitions of key concepts could apply to all the varying offences of this category of crime , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are variations between acts .
“ Why can ’ t we pull them together and codify things ?
” It would be a massive task to try to do this across the whole of criminal law , but it could be done progressively by area of law .
“ By the inch , it ’ s a cinch , ” as he notes in his foreword .
Charleton and McDermott ’ s Criminal Law and Evidence is published by Bloomsbury Professional .

Mr Justice Peter Charleton: ‘When you go into a court and you walk up, the first thing that certainly I notice, the harp is there above my head.’ Photograph: Alan Betson
The transition to being a judge from working as a barrister can be difficult, Mr Justice Peter Charleton of the Supreme Court has said.
During an interview with The Irish Times to mark the publication of a new edition of a textbook on criminal law and evidence, he also spoke about what it is like to be appointed a judge.
The controversy involving fellow Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe wasn’t discussed but Mr Justice Charlton, when asked about being a judge, observed that it changes one’s professional relationship with others.
“Well, you have your friends. You don’t lose your friends [when you become a judge]. Some of your friends will be lawyers, and you see them, but you don’t stop on the corridor [of the Four Courts] and talk to them.”
READ MORE
Judges cannot give the impression that they are friendly with a litigant, or someone who might be appearing and doing a case before them, he said.
“There are some people in life who like to go out and play a game of golf with a few pals, or some people who like to play a game of tennis with some people that they know. I would be one of the people who would play tennis with some people that I know.
“And then there are others who like the whole notion of being part of a group, and I am not sure that would be so much me, so no, it wasn’t difficult [for me].”
Appointed to the High Court in 2006, Mr Justice Charleton has been a member of the Supreme Court since 2014.
“The whole notion of being a judge, one thing that always struck me, you know, what was it like during the grim times in 2008 onwards, when house prices in this country were a third or less than people had paid for them two years earlier, where people were crushed by debt, where you had to make decrees enforcing a debt? What’s it like when somebody gets found guilty, and you have the job of sentencing that person?
Clear conscience
“Well, I think the answer is, when you go into a court and you walk up, the first thing that certainly I notice, the harp is there above my head. It is not me that makes the decision, it is the law that makes the decision. I apply the law and I go home with a clear conscience.”
Sending people to jail can be difficult, but judges are there to do their best, he said. “You are there to serve the people. You are there to serve the law, and the law is above you.”
One of the developments that assists judges these days is that of sentencing bands, or ranges within which judges are expected to locate a crime before the court, for the purposes of deciding on a sentence.
“There has been a lot of public controversy about sentencing guidelines, sentencing bands, and what doesn’t seem to be noticed is that we have them. Starting with a case in 2007 called WD, which was a rape case that happened to be a decision of mine.”
In that Central Criminal Court case, he explained, he and his then judicial assistant got all the written rape decisions that were available and put them into piles on a table, with one pile for cases that had resulted in lenient sentences, another pile for ordinary sentences, and another for severe, and so on.
Working in this way, he devised a series of categories of seriousness (“rape is always serious”) of rape cases, and outlined the bands within which the sentences given previously in each category of rape had fallen.
A judge now locates a case as lying within a band, and then applies the circumstances of the particular case before the court when arriving at a final sentencing decision.
This method of working has been approved by higher courts, and similar exercises have been conducted for other types of crimes, such as manslaughter, child defilement, aggravated burglary etc. Manuals setting out these sentencing bands are available to judges and to legal practitioners.
Although the method is rooted in the sentences handed down in previous cases, that does not mean that sentencing practice does not change over time.
For instance, “it is possible to get a suspended sentence for rape, but it hasn’t happened in the past 10 years” save in one case that doesn’t really qualify, Mr Justice Charleton said.
Highly regarded
The judge was being interviewed to mark the publication of Charleton and McDermott's Criminal Law and Evidence, a fully rewritten new version of a highly regarded work he was a co-author of in 1999.
The new work's second lead author, who also worked on the first edition, was the practitioner and commentator Paul Anthony McDermott SC, who died in Christmas 2019. The other authors of the book are Ciara Herlihy and Stephen Byrne BL. The book is "about three quarters of a million words" in length.
The Supreme Court judge feels that this jurisdiction should do more to set out in law (codify) identical definitions of key concepts such as intention, recklessness and possession, to be applied across different pieces of legislation.
For instance, in relation to sexual offences, “there has been lots of reform in that, and I can’t say that any of it is other than sensible, but the problem now is that you have got lots and lots of acts.”
If all this legislation was consolidated in one act, as has been done with the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, then the same definitions of key concepts could apply to all the varying offences of this category of crime, rather than having the current situation where there are variations between acts. “Why can’t we pull them together and codify things?”
It would be a massive task to try to do this across the whole of criminal law, but it could be done progressively by area of law. “By the inch, it’s a cinch,” as he notes in his foreword.
Charleton and McDermott’s Criminal Law and Evidence is published by Bloomsbury Professional.


theirishtimes--2020-11-10--Shopping online: Three in four admit failure to protect themselves

Almost one in five people who shop online say they would follow a link if it promised them a great deal while three quarters admit they have sometimes failed to take the necessary steps to protect themselves when shopping on the internet .
The survey published on Tuesday by Ulster Bank also found more than 30 per cent of people have never changed their online passwords while 22 per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 have shared their online banking pin with someone else either verbally , online or over the phone .
The survey found that 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would move money from their account to keep it safe from fraud if asked by someone claiming to be from their bank even though a bank would never contact a customer with a request of that nature .
The risky behaviour and the worrying lack of awareness of the level of fraudulent activity on the internet comes as the survey points to a surge in online shopping as a result of Covid-19 retail restrictions and an increased emphasis being placed social distancing and avoiding large crowds .
All told , 47 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more online now than before the start of the coronavirus crisis .
The survey of 927 online shoppers by Ulster Bank shows an increased awareness when it comes to safely buying goods online with 75 per cent of those surveyed saying they felt they had taken all necessary precautions to shop safely online .
“ Black Friday gets bigger every year , which unfortunately gives criminals even more opportunities to target people online when they ’ re browsing for deals , ” said Ulster Bank ’ s Community Protection Advisor Denise Cusack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US and falls on the day after Thanksgiving , traditionally kick-starting the Christmas shopping season in the US .
Many retailers offer bargains and discounts .
“ Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated and will stop at nothing to part people from their money and their personal information.
” She said awareness programmes were vital and added that while it was encouraging that over two-thirds of people said they would not be embarrassed to tell their friends and family they had been the victim of fraud , there was more work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best advice she could give to people was “ to really think before you click and make sure that you and your money are safe ” .
The survey found two thirds of respondents shop online once a month or more often , with those aged 18-24 significantly more likely to shop online with this frequency at 84 per cent , falling to 44 per cent among those aged over-65 .
With Christmas just over six weeks away , a quarter of those who took part said they had started their festive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent claiming it was complete .
Meanwhile , the Garda has said that from the start of the year until the end of last month a total of 489 online shopping frauds were reported to the authorities with average loss put at €2,306 per incident , representing an overall loss of €1,127,972 .
In a release , the garda said that among the steps people need to follow to keep themselves safe online are to only buy from trusted sources and to ensure data transfer is secure .
People were warned to never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or other messaging methods and to never send money to someone that is not known to them or a recognised seller .

The survey points to a surge in online shopping as a result of Covid-19 retail restrictions and an increased emphasis being placed social distancing and avoiding large crowds.
Almost one in five people who shop online say they would follow a link if it promised them a great deal without taking tthe necessary steps to protect themselves new research suggests.
The survey published on Tuesday by Ulster Bank also found more than 30 per cent of people have never changed their online passwords while 22 per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 have shared their online banking pin with someone else either verbally, online or over the phone.
The survey found that 36 per cent of the same cohort said they would move money from their account to keep it safe from fraud if asked by someone claiming to be from their bank even though a bank would never contact a customer with a request of that nature.
The risky behaviour and the worrying lack of awareness of the level of fraudulent activity on the internet comes as the survey points to a surge in online shopping as a result of Covid-19 retail restrictions and an increased emphasis being placed social distancing and avoiding large crowds.
READ MORE
All told, 47 per cent of respondents said they were shopping more online now than before the start of the coronavirus crisis.
The survey of 927 online shoppers by Ulster Bank shows an increased awareness when it comes to safely buying goods online with 75 per cent of those surveyed saying they felt they had taken all necessary precautions to shop safely online.
"Black Friday gets bigger every year, which unfortunately gives criminals even more opportunities to target people online when they're browsing for deals," said Ulster Bank's Community Protection Advisor Denise Cusack.
Black Friday was invented in the 1930s in the US and falls on the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally kick-starting the Christmas shopping season in the US. Many retailers offer bargains and discounts.
“Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated and will stop at nothing to part people from their money and their personal information.”
She said awareness programmes were vital and added that while it was encouraging that over two-thirds of people said they would not be embarrassed to tell their friends and family they had been the victim of fraud, there was more work to do in other areas.
She said the best advice she could give to people was “to really think before you click and make sure that you and your money are safe”.
The survey found two thirds of respondents shop online once a month or more often, with those aged 18-24 significantly more likely to shop online with this frequency at 84 per cent, falling to 44 per cent among those aged over-65.
With Christmas just over six weeks away, a quarter of those who took part said they had started their festive shopping earlier this year with 9 per cent claiming it was complete.
Meanwhile, the Garda has said that from the start of the year until the end of last month a total of 489 online shopping frauds were reported to the authorities with average loss put at €2,306 per incident, representing an overall loss of €1,127,972.
In a release, the garda said that among the steps people need to follow to keep themselves safe online are to only buy from trusted sources and to ensure data transfer is secure. People were warned to never send card details by email, text or other messaging methods and to never send money to someone that is not known to them or a recognised seller.