theirishtimes--2020-02-05--Jury in O’Connor trial views CCTV footage for a second day

A 22-year-old woman appeared to view Anime cartoons on her laptop and apply for a job in Primark on the night she is alleged to have disguised herself as her grandmother as a “ ruse ” to conceal her death , a trial has heard .
The jury also watched CCTV footage of murder accused Kieran Greene purchasing items in various DIY stores in the days after retired hospital worker Patricia O ’ Connor ’ s death .
The trial has heard that gardai watched a total of 343 hours of footage covering the front and back of the deceased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captured on a neighbour ’ s camera over a two-week period in 2017 .
Father-of-three Mr Greene ( 34 ) has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia O ’ Connor ( 61 ) at her home in Mountainview Park , Rathfarnham , Dublin 14 on May 29th , 2017 .
The deceased ’ s daughter Louise O ’ Connor ( 41 ) and granddaughter Stephanie O ’ Connor ( 22 ) , both of Millmount Court , Dundrum Road , Dublin 14 , and Louise O ’ Connor ’ s ex-partner Keith Johnston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tallaght , Dublin 24 are all charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene , knowing or believing him to have committed an arrestable offence , to wit the murder of Mrs O ’ Connor on May 29th , 2017 .
The trial has heard that the body of Mrs O ’ Connor was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine different locations over a 30km range in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th , 2017 .
Former Depute State Pathologist , Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mrs O ’ Connor ’ s head was struck a minimum of three blows with a solid implement and the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head .
It is the prosecution ’ s case that at no point in time in CCTV footage can Stephanie O ’ Connor be seen as herself leaving Mountainview Park on the night of May 29 and that , in order to cover up the alleged murder , she dressed up as her grandmother as “ a ruse ” to pretend that Mrs O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house .
Detective Garda Gary Collins told Garnet Orange SC , for Stephanie O ’ Connor , that a laptop computer was seized during a search of Mountainview on June 21st , 2017 .
Mr Orange said the laptop belonged to Stephanie and the witness agreed that it had been widely used by a number of people in the house .
Det Garda Collins said everything from the hard drive of the laptop was copied for him and he used this data to focus particularly on the night of May 29th , 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the laptop , one from Stephanie O ’ Connor and the other belonged to another family member , he said .
The platforms frequently used on this laptop included Anime cartoons websites and YouTube , he said .
Det Garda Collins agreed that the laptop “ went quiet ” on the evening of May 29 at 6.07pm and it was next used at 9.40pm .
The witness agreed it had been “ dormant ” in between these times .
Det Garda Collins agreed with Mr Orange that the laptop was “ revived ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cartoons being viewed .
After 11.05pm , there was a search for job opportunities at Primark in Dundrum and Dropbox was signed into four minutes later , said Mr Orange .
The witness further agreed with Mr Orange that it would appear a CV was downloaded from a Dropbox account at 11.08pm and the person involved appeared to be Stephanie O ’ Connor .
The CV was sent to Primark at 11.09pm .
The trial has heard that a female , not identified to the jury , can be seen leaving the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9.34pm and walking quickly down the driveway with a suitcase in her hand .
Evidence has also been given that at 10.05pm , a female with a suitcase appears at the left-hand side of the house and goes in the back door .
She closes the back door a minute later .
It is the prosecution ’ s case that Mrs O ’ Connor was already lying dead in a shallow grave in Wexford but not yet dismembered when Mr Johnston assisted Mr Greene in purchasing various DIY items .
It is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnston began redecorating the bathroom at Mountainview Park in order to destroy or conceal any evidence relating to the alleged murder of Mrs O ’ Connor .
The trial has heard that while in custody , Mr Greene changed his account of killing and dismembering his partner ’ s mother , six months after he was charged with her murder .
Evidence has been given that Mr Greene walked into Rathfarnham Garda Station on June 12th , 2017 and told a detective that he had done “ something terrible ” and dismembered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own .
However , the accused man told gardaí on December 9th that he had taken “ the rap ” and felt he was being set-up , as his girlfriend Louise O ’ Connor subsequently started going back out with her ex-boyfriend Keith Johnston .

A 22-year-old woman appeared to view Anime cartoons on her laptop and apply for a job in Primark on the night she is alleged to have disguised herself as her grandmother as a “ruse” to conceal her death, a trial has heard.
The jury also watched CCTV footage of murder accused Kieran Greene purchasing items in various DIY stores in the days after retired hospital worker Patricia O'Connor's death.
The trial has heard that gardai watched a total of 343 hours of footage covering the front and back of the deceased's Rathfarnham home, which was captured on a neighbour's camera over a two-week period in 2017.
Father-of-three Mr Greene (34) has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia O’Connor (61) at her home in Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 on May 29th, 2017.
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The deceased's daughter Louise O'Connor (41) and granddaughter Stephanie O'Connor (22), both of Millmount Court, Dundrum Road, Dublin 14, and Louise O'Connor's ex-partner Keith Johnston (43), of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin 24 are all charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene, knowing or believing him to have committed an arrestable offence, to wit the murder of Mrs O'Connor on May 29th, 2017.
The trial has heard that the body of Mrs O’Connor was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine different locations over a 30km range in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th, 2017.
Former Depute State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, has given evidence that Mrs O'Connor's head was struck a minimum of three blows with a solid implement and the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
It is the prosecution’s case that at no point in time in CCTV footage can Stephanie O’Connor be seen as herself leaving Mountainview Park on the night of May 29 and that, in order to cover up the alleged murder, she dressed up as her grandmother as “a ruse” to pretend that Mrs O’Connor had stormed out of the house.
Detective Garda Gary Collins told Garnet Orange SC, for Stephanie O’Connor, that a laptop computer was seized during a search of Mountainview on June 21st, 2017. Mr Orange said the laptop belonged to Stephanie and the witness agreed that it had been widely used by a number of people in the house.
Det Garda Collins said everything from the hard drive of the laptop was copied for him and he used this data to focus particularly on the night of May 29th, 2017. Two email accounts were associated with the laptop, one from Stephanie O’Connor and the other belonged to another family member, he said.
The platforms frequently used on this laptop included Anime cartoons websites and YouTube, he said. Det Garda Collins agreed that the laptop “went quiet” on the evening of May 29 at 6.07pm and it was next used at 9.40pm . The witness agreed it had been “dormant” in between these times.
Det Garda Collins agreed with Mr Orange that the laptop was “revived” again at 10.10pm with YouTube and Anime cartoons being viewed. After 11.05pm, there was a search for job opportunities at Primark in Dundrum and Dropbox was signed into four minutes later, said Mr Orange.
The witness further agreed with Mr Orange that it would appear a CV was downloaded from a Dropbox account at 11.08pm and the person involved appeared to be Stephanie O’Connor. The CV was sent to Primark at 11.09pm.
The trial has heard that a female, not identified to the jury, can be seen leaving the front of the house in CCTV footage at 9.34pm and walking quickly down the driveway with a suitcase in her hand.
Evidence has also been given that at 10.05pm, a female with a suitcase appears at the left-hand side of the house and goes in the back door. She closes the back door a minute later.
It is the prosecution’s case that Mrs O’Connor was already lying dead in a shallow grave in Wexford but not yet dismembered when Mr Johnston assisted Mr Greene in purchasing various DIY items.
It is also the State’s contention that Mr Johnston began redecorating the bathroom at Mountainview Park in order to destroy or conceal any evidence relating to the alleged murder of Mrs O’Connor.
The trial has heard that while in custody, Mr Greene changed his account of killing and dismembering his partner’s mother, six months after he was charged with her murder.
Evidence has been given that Mr Greene walked into Rathfarnham Garda Station on June 12th, 2017 and told a detective that he had done “something terrible” and dismembered the body of Mrs O’Connor on his own.
However, the accused man told gardaí on December 9th that he had taken “the rap” and felt he was being set-up, as his girlfriend Louise O’Connor subsequently started going back out with her ex-boyfriend Keith Johnston.


theirishtimes--2020-02-05--Gardaí seize €400,000 during gang ‘handover’ near Rosslare

Gardaí have arrested two men at a suspected drug money handover between a member of an eastern European gang operating in the Republic and an Irishman involved in the transportation of cattle overseas .
Some €400,000 in cash was seized at the scene of the handover which was under surveillance by members of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau ( GNDOCB ) .
Following the arrests of the men in Co Wexford on Tuesday follow-up searches were underway at addresses in counties Dublin and Meath .
Gardaí believe the cash seized was owned by an eastern European gang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic .
They also suspect the cattle truck driver was collecting the money to bring it out of the country to members of the gang abroad .
Gardaí had placed the suspects under surveillance .
When the two men met to carry out the money handover detectives moved in and arrested them while also seizing the money .
The Irish man arrested is 50 years old while the other suspect being questioned , and who is alleged to have brought the money to the scene , is a 35-year-old Polish national .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation by members of a special task force at the crime scene , which was on a lay-by on the N25 , near Rosslare .
“ This [ operation ] led to the discovery and seizure of an estimated €400,000 in cash and the arrest of two males , one Irish national aged 50 and the other a Polish national aged 35 , arising from suspicion of their involvement in an offence of money laundering , ” it said .
“ The two arrested men are currently being detained at Wexford Garda station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Criminal Justice Act .
“ Investigating officers have undertaken a number of related searches , in Swords , County Dublin and Trim , County Meath .
” Assistant Commissioner John O ’ Driscoll of Special Crime Operations said the arrests and seizure of the money were part of a wider targeting of organised gangs .
“ Removing the proceeds of crime from those involved in serious and organised crime is a particular priority of the Garda Síochána , in its attempt to dismantle organised crime groups that operate at an international level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant seizure of cash by the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau follows closely after another seizure of a substantial quantity of cash , last week , bringing the total amount of cash seized by that bureau , so far in 2020 , to about €1 million .
”

The operation took place on a lay-by on the N25, near Rosslare port. File photograph: Alan Betson
Gardaí have arrested two men at a suspected drug money handover between a member of an eastern European gang operating in the Republic and an Irishman involved in the transportation of cattle overseas.
Some €400,000 in cash was seized at the scene of the handover which was under surveillance by members of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB).
Following the arrests of the men in Co Wexford on Tuesday follow-up searches were underway at addresses in counties Dublin and Meath.
Gardaí believe the cash seized was owned by an eastern European gang involved in the drugs trade in the Republic. They also suspect the cattle truck driver was collecting the money to bring it out of the country to members of the gang abroad.
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Surveillance
Gardaí had placed the suspects under surveillance. When the two men met to carry out the money handover detectives moved in and arrested them while also seizing the money.
The Irish man arrested is 50 years old while the other suspect being questioned, and who is alleged to have brought the money to the scene, is a 35-year-old Polish national.
The Garda said GNDOCB was assisted in the operation by members of a special task force at the crime scene, which was on a lay-by on the N25, near Rosslare.
“This [operation] led to the discovery and seizure of an estimated €400,000 in cash and the arrest of two males, one Irish national aged 50 and the other a Polish national aged 35, arising from suspicion of their involvement in an offence of money laundering,” it said.
“The two arrested men are currently being detained at Wexford Garda station under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
"Investigating officers have undertaken a number of related searches, in Swords, County Dublin and Trim, County Meath. "
Organised gangs
Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll of Special Crime Operations said the arrests and seizure of the money were part of a wider targeting of organised gangs.
"Removing the proceeds of crime from those involved in serious and organised crime is a particular priority of the Garda Síochána, in its attempt to dismantle organised crime groups that operate at an international level," he said.
“This significant seizure of cash by the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau follows closely after another seizure of a substantial quantity of cash, last week, bringing the total amount of cash seized by that bureau, so far in 2020, to about €1 million.”


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--McDonald’s should do more to fight Irish obesity, says expert

McDonalds is making calories “ almost invisible ” on their menu boards and needs to do more to help tackle an obesity crisis in Ireland , one of the country ’ s leading obesity experts has said .
Donal O ’ Shea , the Health Service Executive ’ s clinical lead for obesity , said the fast food chain was taking a lead in the industry by introducing lower-calorie meals but added that it was “ disguising ” the calorie content of most of its range .
“ I think McDonalds lead these kind of initiatives , in fairness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fast food industry is about , which is selling their main products 90 per cent of the time and really disguising the calorie content as best they can , even though they will flagship initiatives like this , ” he said .
Last month , McDonalds launched a lower calorie “ Meals Under ” range , saying it strongly believed in “ providing our customers with transparent nutritional information in order to help them understand what they are consuming and make informed choices ” .
But Prof O ’ Shea said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try find out how many calories are in your Big Mac or Grand Big Mac , even though they say they put them beside the price , look at the colour – they make them almost invisible .
“ We know that making people aware of calories is important .
We know putting them beside the price in the same size as the price and the same font and as remarkable a colour is important.
” Prof O ’ Shea said customers adding options like a sugar sweetened drink or smoothie to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content very quickly .
This can mean a children ’ s meal – “ which is often a snack for a child ” – of up to 700 or 800 kilo calories , he told Newstalk ’ s Breakfast show .
“ That is way beyond what it should be .
We need more and more awareness of that in the middle of the obesity crisis we are in , ” he said .
Prof O ’ Shea said McDonalds is “ in the lead in raising calorie awareness but it still isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” while the likes of “ Burger King and places that refuse to post calories ” also need to act .
“ You are going to struggle with your weight if you are having fast food two to three times a week , which is what lots of people are doing , ” he added .

McDonalds is making calories “almost invisible” on their menu boards and needs to do more to help tackle an obesity crisis in Ireland, one of the country’s leading obesity experts has said.
Donal O’Shea, the Health Service Executive’s clinical lead for obesity, said the fast food chain was taking a lead in the industry by introducing lower-calorie meals but added that it was “disguising” the calorie content of most of its range.
“I think McDonalds lead these kind of initiatives, in fairness to them, but they do disguise what the fast food industry is about, which is selling their main products 90 per cent of the time and really disguising the calorie content as best they can, even though they will flagship initiatives like this,” he said.
Last month, McDonalds launched a lower calorie “Meals Under” range, saying it strongly believed in “providing our customers with transparent nutritional information in order to help them understand what they are consuming and make informed choices”.
READ MORE
But Prof O’Shea said : “If you go into McDonalds and try find out how many calories are in your Big Mac or Grand Big Mac, even though they say they put them beside the price, look at the colour – they make them almost invisible.
“We know that making people aware of calories is important. We know putting them beside the price in the same size as the price and the same font and as remarkable a colour is important.”
Prof O’Shea said customers adding options like a sugar sweetened drink or smoothie to their meal can also bulk up the calorie content very quickly.
This can mean a children’s meal – “which is often a snack for a child” – of up to 700 or 800 kilo calories, he told Newstalk’s Breakfast show.
“That is way beyond what it should be. We need more and more awareness of that in the middle of the obesity crisis we are in,” he said.
Prof O’Shea said McDonalds is “in the lead in raising calorie awareness but it still isn’t where it needs to be” while the likes of “Burger King and places that refuse to post calories” also need to act.
“You are going to struggle with your weight if you are having fast food two to three times a week, which is what lots of people are doing,” he added.


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--First signs of cancer can be spotted decades before diagnosis, study finds

The first signs of cancer can appear years if not decades before diagnosis , scientists have said , raising hopes for new tests that would help detect the disease much earlier .
One of the biggest international studies into the causes of cancer has found genetic mutations that drive the disease begin to occur long before any other signs begin to surface .
Researchers believe their findings could open the doors to quicker and more effective methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment .
Clemency Jolly , from the Francis Crick Institute and one of the researchers involved in the research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary is how some of the genetic changes appear to have occurred many years before diagnosis , long before any other signs that a cancer may develop , and perhaps even in apparently normal tissue.
” Dr Lincoln Stein , from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Canada , who was also involved in the research , said : “ With the knowledge we have gained about the origins and evolution of tumours , we can develop new tools and therapies to detect cancer earlier , develop more targeted therapies and treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer cases are diagnosed in Ireland every year , , with the disease causing 0ver 9,000 deaths annually .
An international team of researchers , looked at the genetic material , or genome , of tumours .
Their work , as part of the global Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project , involved creating the most comprehensive map on whole cancer genomes to date .
The team analysed and sequenced nearly 2,700 whole genomes of cancer samples and mapped mutations in 38 different types of tumours .
While human cells undergo billions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , called driver mutations , give rise to cancer .
The researchers looked at how many times a single change , or driver mutation , had been replicated and copied across chromosomes .
Using what they describe as a “ carbon dating method ” , they were able to determine the order in which the mutations happened and the relative timing between them .
The team found that these mutations occurred “ particularly early ” in ovarian cancer as well as two types of brain tumours , glioblastoma and medulloblastoma .
Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crick Institute and one of the researchers involved in the Pan-Cancer project , said : “ We ’ ve developed the first timelines of genetic mutations across the spectrum of cancer types .
“ For more than 30 cancers , we now know what specific genetic changes are likely to happen , and when these are likely to take place .
“ Unlocking these patterns means it should now be possible to develop new diagnostic tests , that pick up signs of cancer much earlier.
” The comprehensive analysis is detailed in six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a wider collection of 22 papers published in other Nature Research journals .
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute , the Francis Crick Institute , the European Bioinformatics Institute , and the universities of Oxford , Glasgow and East Anglia were part of the project involving 1,300 scientists and clinicians from 37 countries .
Professor Peter Johnson , NHS national clinical director for cancer , said : “ The earliest possible detection of cancer remains the best chance of surviving the disease .
“ Finding ways to turn research like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinic , could revolutionise when and how we diagnose cancer in the future.
” –PA

Researchers believe their findings could open the doors to quicker and more effective methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The first signs of cancer can appear years if not decades before diagnosis, scientists have said, raising hopes for new tests that would help detect the disease much earlier.
One of the biggest international studies into the causes of cancer has found genetic mutations that drive the disease begin to occur long before any other signs begin to surface.
Researchers believe their findings could open the doors to quicker and more effective methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Clemency Jolly, from the Francis Crick Institute and one of the researchers involved in the research, said: “What’s extraordinary is how some of the genetic changes appear to have occurred many years before diagnosis, long before any other signs that a cancer may develop, and perhaps even in apparently normal tissue.”
READ MORE
Dr Lincoln Stein, from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Canada, who was also involved in the research, said: “With the knowledge we have gained about the origins and evolution of tumours, we can develop new tools and therapies to detect cancer earlier, develop more targeted therapies and treat patients more successfully.”
Around 40,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed in Ireland every year, , with the disease causing 0ver 9,000 deaths annually.
An international team of researchers, looked at the genetic material, or genome, of tumours.
Their work, as part of the global Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project, involved creating the most comprehensive map on whole cancer genomes to date.
The team analysed and sequenced nearly 2,700 whole genomes of cancer samples and mapped mutations in 38 different types of tumours.
While human cells undergo billions of mutations, only a small number of them, called driver mutations, give rise to cancer.
The researchers looked at how many times a single change, or driver mutation, had been replicated and copied across chromosomes.
Using what they describe as a “carbon dating method”, they were able to determine the order in which the mutations happened and the relative timing between them.
The team found that these mutations occurred “particularly early” in ovarian cancer as well as two types of brain tumours, glioblastoma and medulloblastoma.
Dr Peter Van Loo, from the Francis Crick Institute and one of the researchers involved in the Pan-Cancer project, said: “We’ve developed the first timelines of genetic mutations across the spectrum of cancer types.
“For more than 30 cancers, we now know what specific genetic changes are likely to happen, and when these are likely to take place.
“Unlocking these patterns means it should now be possible to develop new diagnostic tests, that pick up signs of cancer much earlier.”
The comprehensive analysis is detailed in six papers published in Nature and is as part of a wider collection of 22 papers published in other Nature Research journals.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the Francis Crick Institute, the European Bioinformatics Institute, and the universities of Oxford, Glasgow and East Anglia were part of the project involving 1,300 scientists and clinicians from 37 countries.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “The earliest possible detection of cancer remains the best chance of surviving the disease .
“Finding ways to turn research like this into tests we can use in the clinic, could revolutionise when and how we diagnose cancer in the future.” –PA


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--Woman released following questioning over Cork death

A woman has been released without charge following questioning over the death of a homeless man in Cork .
Gardaí will prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions .
The woman ( 37 ) was arrested in Cork city on Wednesday morning for questioning about the death of former chef Timmy Hourihane .
Mr Hourihane died at Cork University Hospital in the early hours of October 13th after being found with serious head and body injuries on a green area in the Mardyke .
He had been found by firefighters who were called to deal with a blaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of tents pitched in the area by homeless people .
The woman was brought to the Bridewell Garda station .
Gardaí released her without charge shortly before midnight on Wednesday and investigators will now include her memos of interview in a file for the DPP .
Two men were arrested and questioned about the killing in December.Both were released without charge .
A Garda spokesman said memos of interviews with both men would be included in the file on Mr Hourihane ’ s murder being prepared for the DPP .
Mr Hourihane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the streets of Cork , availing of services from a number of charities including Cork Simon , the St Vincent De Paul and Cork Penny Dinners .
A former chef who worked with the Hilton Group in the UK , Mr Hourihane returned to Ireland following the break -up of his marriage but he lapsed into alcoholism following the death of his partner , Michael , from cancer in Cork .
A native of the Sheep ’ s Head Peninsula in West Cork , Mr Hourihane is survived by his 83-year-old mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his sisters , Annemarie , Catherine , Nuala and Margaret and his son , Elliott ( 23 ) , who lives in the UK .

A former chef who worked with the Hilton Group in the UK, Timmy Hourihane returned to Ireland following the break-up of his marriage
A woman has been released without charge following questioning over the death of a homeless man in Cork. Gardaí will prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The woman (37) was arrested in Cork city on Wednesday morning for questioning about the death of former chef Timmy Hourihane.
Mr Hourihane died at Cork University Hospital in the early hours of October 13th after being found with serious head and body injuries on a green area in the Mardyke.
He had been found by firefighters who were called to deal with a blaze at his tent which was among a number of tents pitched in the area by homeless people.
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The woman was brought to the Bridewell Garda station. Gardaí released her without charge shortly before midnight on Wednesday and investigators will now include her memos of interview in a file for the DPP.
Two men were arrested and questioned about the killing in December.Both were released without charge. A Garda spokesman said memos of interviews with both men would be included in the file on Mr Hourihane’s murder being prepared for the DPP.
Mr Hourihane was a familiar figure among the homeless on the streets of Cork, availing of services from a number of charities including Cork Simon, the St Vincent De Paul and Cork Penny Dinners.
A former chef who worked with the Hilton Group in the UK, Mr Hourihane returned to Ireland following the break -up of his marriage but he lapsed into alcoholism following the death of his partner, Michael, from cancer in Cork.
A native of the Sheep’s Head Peninsula in West Cork, Mr Hourihane is survived by his 83-year-old mother, Cathy, his brother, Denis, his sisters, Annemarie, Catherine, Nuala and Margaret and his son, Elliott (23), who lives in the UK.


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--Using maths to reduce aircraft noise

Using maths to reduce aircraft noise

If you have ever tried to sleep under a flightpath near an airport , you will know how serious the problem of aircraft noise can be .
It is among the loudest sounds produced by human activities .
Aviation noise covers a broad range of frequencies , extending well beyond the range of hearing .
The problem has become more severe as aircraft engines have become more powerful .
Sources of noise include jet exhausts , which is dominant during take-off ; engine noise , important during the in-flight phase ; and airframe noise , important during landing .
Airframe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wingtips or landing gear .
Researchers have to consider all these sources , and also allow for noise-cancellation mechanisms .
For supersonic flight , the problem is complicated by shock waves or sonic booms .
However , with the withdrawal of Concorde from service , this is no longer an issue for civilian flight .
The British applied mathematician James Lighthill initiated the field of aero-acoustics .
His starting point was the Navier-Stokes equation , the basic equation of fluid flow first formulated rigorously by Sligo-born mathematician and physicist George Gabriel Stokes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equation that act as sources of sound waves .
He was then able to calculate the sound field generated by the airflow .
By means of an elegant qualitative argument , Lighthill showed how the noise intensity changes with the speed of the aircraft .
For subsonic flight , the power of the propagating sound varies as the eighth power of the jet speed .
This mathematical result has major engineering consequences .
It implies that a 10 per cent increase in speed gives rise to more than double the sound energy radiated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit the velocity of the exhaust gases as much as is feasible .
In pure turbojets , all the air in the exhaust passes through the compressor and exits at high velocity .
The result is severe noise due to the jet .
The requirement to limit noise was one of the factors leading to the development of high-bypass turbofan engines to replace the older turbojets .
In these more modern engines , only some of the ingested air passes through the compressors and combustion chambers ; the remainder is propelled through surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the compressor .
The large diameter of turbofan engines enables the mass-flow and thrust to be maintained at much lower exhaust speeds and therefore greatly reduced noise production .
In much of computational fluid dynamics , the fluid is treated as incompressible and pressure fluctuations are balanced by changes in fluid velocity .
This effectively filters out the sound waves , so it is inadequate for aero-acoustics .
Following Lighthill ’ s work , the discipline of computational aero-acoustics emerged .
This allows for the imbalances that produce sound waves .
Although the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny fraction of total energy , they are responsible for all the problems arising from aircraft noise .
Very substantial noise reductions have been achieved by engineering innovations based on computational aero-acoustics .
There are many unsolved problems , and research is worldwide , at universities , government laboratories and commercial aviation companies .
Computational aero-acoustics is now a dominant tool in airframe and aero-engine development , and the design process is intensely mathematical in character .
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics – he blogs at @

The requirement to limit noise was one of the factors leading to the development of high-bypass turbofan engines to replace older turbojets.
If you have ever tried to sleep under a flightpath near an airport, you will know how serious the problem of aircraft noise can be. It is among the loudest sounds produced by human activities.
Aviation noise covers a broad range of frequencies, extending well beyond the range of hearing. The problem has become more severe as aircraft engines have become more powerful.
Sources of noise include jet exhausts, which is dominant during take-off; engine noise, important during the in-flight phase; and airframe noise, important during landing. Airframe noise may be generated by the flaps, wingtips or landing gear.
Researchers have to consider all these sources, and also allow for noise-cancellation mechanisms. For supersonic flight, the problem is complicated by shock waves or sonic booms. However, with the withdrawal of Concorde from service, this is no longer an issue for civilian flight.
READ MORE
Power law
The British applied mathematician James Lighthill initiated the field of aero-acoustics. His starting point was the Navier-Stokes equation, the basic equation of fluid flow first formulated rigorously by Sligo-born mathematician and physicist George Gabriel Stokes.
Lighthill isolated the terms of the equation that act as sources of sound waves. He was then able to calculate the sound field generated by the airflow.
By means of an elegant qualitative argument, Lighthill showed how the noise intensity changes with the speed of the aircraft. For subsonic flight, the power of the propagating sound varies as the eighth power of the jet speed.
This mathematical result has major engineering consequences. It implies that a 10 per cent increase in speed gives rise to more than double the sound energy radiated. Thus, it is vital to limit the velocity of the exhaust gases as much as is feasible.
Quieter engines
In pure turbojets, all the air in the exhaust passes through the compressor and exits at high velocity. The result is severe noise due to the jet. The requirement to limit noise was one of the factors leading to the development of high-bypass turbofan engines to replace the older turbojets.
In these more modern engines, only some of the ingested air passes through the compressors and combustion chambers; the remainder is propelled through surrounding channels by a large fan driven by the compressor. The large diameter of turbofan engines enables the mass-flow and thrust to be maintained at much lower exhaust speeds and therefore greatly reduced noise production.
In much of computational fluid dynamics, the fluid is treated as incompressible and pressure fluctuations are balanced by changes in fluid velocity. This effectively filters out the sound waves, so it is inadequate for aero-acoustics. Following Lighthill’s work, the discipline of computational aero-acoustics emerged. This allows for the imbalances that produce sound waves.
Although the energy of these waves is only a tiny fraction of total energy, they are responsible for all the problems arising from aircraft noise. Very substantial noise reductions have been achieved by engineering innovations based on computational aero-acoustics.
There are many unsolved problems, and research is worldwide, at universities, government laboratories and commercial aviation companies. Computational aero-acoustics is now a dominant tool in airframe and aero-engine development, and the design process is intensely mathematical in character.
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics – he blogs at thatsmaths.com


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--Other parties pressure Sinn Féin  over comments on Paul Quinn murder

Sinn Féin is being pressured by other political parties in the final days of the election campaign over comments made by one of its senior figures about the murder of 21-year-old Paul Quinn almost 13 years ago .
Conor Murphy , the Sinn Féin Finance Minister , yesterday retracted and apologised for comments he made claiming that Mr Quinn had been involved in criminality and smuggling .
Breege Quinn , Mr Quinn ’ s mother , has reiterated her call for Mr Murphy to resign but Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Mr Murphy said he will not do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Co Armagh , was brutally beaten to death by up to 10 men in a barn in Co Monaghan on October 20th , 2007 .
His family has always held the IRA responsible .
Ms McDonald also suggested that Mr Murphy meet the Quinn family but Mrs Quinn said the Newry and Armagh MLA must first give “ the names of the IRA that he spoke to in Cullyhanna ” to the Police Service of Northern Ireland .
Both Ms McDonald and Mr Murphy said he had already met the PSNI on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If they feel they have anything helpful to add to their inquiries , I will happily meet them at any stage , ” Mr Murphy said .
Ms McDonald said she was wrong to say in a number of broadcast appearances earlier this week that Mr Murphy did not make the comments linking Mr Quinn to criminality .
However , she was read a direct quote from Mr Murphy in 2007 during the RTÉ Prime Time leaders ’ debate earlier this week .
Mr Murphy had said : “ Paul Quinn was involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone accepts that.
” Ms McDonald said this was an “ honest mistake ” and that her “ recollection had been that the commentary was about the criminality up around the Border region and smuggling ” .
Gerry Adams , the former Sinn Féin leader , made similar comments but Ms McDonald said the Quinn family had only specifically raised those made by Mr Murphy .
Mr Murphy said he very much regretted the comment , adding : “ I apologise for those remarks and I unreservedly withdraw them.
” “ When people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me ’ a whole machine is put into operation to undermine that person ’ s credibility , that person ’ s bona fides , ” he told The Irish Times .
Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar said Ms Quinn is entitled to “ answers , truth and justice ” about the murder of her son .
Separately , DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson criticised Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for displaying “ something of a double standard ” by insisting Northern Irish enter government with Sinn Féin in the North while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Republic .
Some political parties will begin to wrap up their campaigns today ahead of polling day on Saturday .
Fine Gael has issued candidates with leaflets to be sent to voters claiming it is the only party which will keep Sinn Féin out of government .

Stephen and Breege Quinn at the graveside of their murdered son Paul Quinn at St Patrick’s Church Cullyhanna Co. Armagh. Mr Quinn’s mother, has reiterated her call for Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy to resign. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA
Sinn Féin is being pressured by other political parties in the final days of the election campaign over comments made by one of its senior figures about the murder of 21-year-old Paul Quinn almost 13 years ago.
Conor Murphy, the Sinn Féin Finance Minister, yesterday retracted and apologised for comments he made claiming that Mr Quinn had been involved in criminality and smuggling.
Breege Quinn, Mr Quinn's mother, has reiterated her call for Mr Murphy to resign but Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Mr Murphy said he will not do so.
The Quinn family have lived through a tortuous period of grief at the tragic loss & murder of their son compounded by the slur, alienated by the Republican movement. If the Quinn family say Conor Murphy should resign, he shouldn’t have time to get his coat. — Paul Frew (@paulfrewDUP) February 5, 2020
Mr Quinn, from Cullyhanna, Co Armagh, was brutally beaten to death by up to 10 men in a barn in Co Monaghan on October 20th, 2007. His family has always held the IRA responsible.
READ MORE
Ms McDonald also suggested that Mr Murphy meet the Quinn family but Mrs Quinn said the Newry and Armagh MLA must first give "the names of the IRA that he spoke to in Cullyhanna" to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Both Ms McDonald and Mr Murphy said he had already met the PSNI on Mr Quinn’s murder.
“If they feel they have anything helpful to add to their inquiries, I will happily meet them at any stage,” Mr Murphy said.
Wrong to say
Ms McDonald said she was wrong to say in a number of broadcast appearances earlier this week that Mr Murphy did not make the comments linking Mr Quinn to criminality.
However, she was read a direct quote from Mr Murphy in 2007 during the RTÉ Prime Time leaders' debate earlier this week. Mr Murphy had said: "Paul Quinn was involved in smuggling and criminality. I think everyone accepts that."
Ms McDonald said this was an “honest mistake” and that her “recollection had been that the commentary was about the criminality up around the Border region and smuggling”.
Gerry Adams, the former Sinn Féin leader, made similar comments but Ms McDonald said the Quinn family had only specifically raised those made by Mr Murphy.
Regretted the comment
Mr Murphy said he very much regretted the comment, adding: “I apologise for those remarks and I unreservedly withdraw them.”
Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin said Sinn Féin isolates and smears victims.
“When people come forward to say ‘this happened to me’ a whole machine is put into operation to undermine that person’s credibility, that person’s bona fides,” he told The Irish Times.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin said Sinn Féin had "demonised" victims.
Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar said Ms Quinn is entitled to "answers, truth and justice" about the murder of her son.
Separately, DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson criticised Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for displaying “something of a double standard” by insisting Northern Irish enter government with Sinn Féin in the North while ruling out a coalition with the party in the Republic.
Some political parties will begin to wrap up their campaigns today ahead of polling day on Saturday. Fine Gael has issued candidates with leaflets to be sent to voters claiming it is the only party which will keep Sinn Féin out of government.


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--Dead white men: What have they ever done for us?

About one year ago a Twitter post dismissed something I wrote as a “ typical contribution from an old white man ” .
This got me pondering the “ dead white men ” syndrome – the charge made loudly by some campus activists that the western world exclusively celebrates white civilisation ; a history mainly enacted by dead white men .
What about the achievements of other civilisations , they ask ?
What about the exploitative nature of white civilisation ?
What about the contributions made by women ?
These questions are worth pondering but we must be fair-minded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving due credit to impetus towards improvement .
In the present context , “ white ” specifies light-skinned people of European descent .
It contrasts with black people and other “ persons of colour ” .
However , these visible differences between people reflect little more than how our ancestors adapted to exposure to the sun .
All humans are closely related – all are descended from Africans – and the concept of race has no genetic or scientific basis .
But , of course , there are cultural variations among humans across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 16th-century Europe , and its classical achievements were largely made by dead white European men , including Nicolaus Copernicus ( 1473-1543 ) , Isaac Newton ( 1642-1727 ) , Charles Darwin ( 1809- 1882 ) , Albert Einstein ( 1879-1955 ) , and so on .
Science has been hugely successful in uncovering the natural mechanisms that underpin the natural world .
Science has shown us how the universe began , how the elements form in stars , how life began on Earth and evolved from its simple beginnings , and much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now runs on science-based technology .
Until recent times the ridiculously stupid notion that women ’ s minds were unsuited to science and mathematics held sway , largely excluding women from science .
Nevertheless , some women broke through this barrier , notably two famous female scientists : Marie Curie ( 1867-1934 ) , the Polish-born physicist and chemist who discovered the elements radium and polonium and won two Nobel Prizes , one for physics ( 1903 ) and one for chemistry ( 1911 ) .
And Barbara McClintock ( 1902-1992 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genes can jump about in the genome .
She was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine .
The historical barriers excluding women from science have been dismantled , and women nowadays enrol on science degree programmes as freely as men .
Those who criticise our educational system for concentrating so heavily on the “ western canon ” , including – in addition to science – philosophy ( Aristotle , Burke ) ; music ( Bach , Beethoven ) ; literature ( Chaucer , Shakespeare ) and the visual arts ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling great shame about the many serious flaws that also existed in European civilisation ; slavery , oppression of the poor and of women , promotion of white supremacy and more .
But such faults existed in all civilisations .
For example , the Arab slave trade out of Africa both predated and outlasted the European slave trade according to George Pavlu in The New African Magazine , and slavery continues today in several regions of the world .
Western critics who obsess about historical European faults also seem reluctant to acknowledge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as modern science , the Renaissance , and Enlightenment values .
Modern humans first emerged about 200,000 years ago in Africa and have been evolving/developing ever since .
Human societies didn ’ t spring into existence complete with laws and codes of practice protecting human rights and specifying ethical behaviour .
So , all we can reasonably hope for at any stage of human development is that we struggle to improve ourselves .
And we have improved .
For example , although Europe established a cruel slave trade in the 1400s , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of course , exposure to the achievements of other civilisations should be included in our educational syllabuses , but what is wrong with European students , Chinese students , Muslim students , and so on , primarily studying the classics of their own traditions ?
How else can people appreciate how their own culture developed to the present day ?
And this doesn ’ t seriously limit anyone ’ s horizons because the best of all classical learning produced knowledge of universal application .
For example , the objective knowledge produced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have universal application for all people .
In summary , while acknowledging historical faults , we still have good reason to be proud of our European heritage .
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC

About one year ago a Twitter post dismissed something I wrote as a “typical contribution from an old white man”. This got me pondering the “dead white men” syndrome – the charge made loudly by some campus activists that the western world exclusively celebrates white civilisation; a history mainly enacted by dead white men.
What about the achievements of other civilisations, they ask? What about the exploitative nature of white civilisation? What about the contributions made by women? These questions are worth pondering but we must be fair-minded, judging the past in historical context and giving due credit to impetus towards improvement.
In the present context, “white” specifies light-skinned people of European descent. It contrasts with black people and other “persons of colour”. However, these visible differences between people reflect little more than how our ancestors adapted to exposure to the sun.
All humans are closely related – all are descended from Africans – and the concept of race has no genetic or scientific basis. But, of course, there are cultural variations among humans across the world.
READ MORE
Modern science uniquely arose in 16th-century Europe, and its classical achievements were largely made by dead white European men, including Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), Isaac Newton (1642-1727), Charles Darwin (1809- 1882), Albert Einstein (1879-1955), and so on.
Science has been hugely successful in uncovering the natural mechanisms that underpin the natural world. Science has shown us how the universe began, how the elements form in stars, how life began on Earth and evolved from its simple beginnings, and much more. And the entire modern world now runs on science-based technology.
Women’s minds
Until recent times the ridiculously stupid notion that women's minds were unsuited to science and mathematics held sway, largely excluding women from science. Nevertheless, some women broke through this barrier, notably two famous female scientists: Marie Curie (1867-1934), the Polish-born physicist and chemist who discovered the elements radium and polonium and won two Nobel Prizes, one for physics (1903) and one for chemistry (1911). And Barbara McClintock (1902-1992), an American geneticist who discovered that some genes can jump about in the genome. She was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
The historical barriers excluding women from science have been dismantled, and women nowadays enrol on science degree programmes as freely as men.
Those who criticise our educational system for concentrating so heavily on the “western canon”, including – in addition to science – philosophy (Aristotle, Burke); music (Bach, Beethoven); literature (Chaucer, Shakespeare) and the visual arts (Michelangelo, Picasso), profess to feeling great shame about the many serious flaws that also existed in European civilisation; slavery, oppression of the poor and of women, promotion of white supremacy and more.
But such faults existed in all civilisations. For example, the Arab slave trade out of Africa both predated and outlasted the European slave trade according to George Pavlu in The New African Magazine, and slavery continues today in several regions of the world. Western critics who obsess about historical European faults also seem reluctant to acknowledge the many great achievements of European civilisation such as modern science, the Renaissance, and Enlightenment values.
Ethical behaviour
Modern humans first emerged about 200,000 years ago in Africa and have been evolving/developing ever since. Human societies didn’t spring into existence complete with laws and codes of practice protecting human rights and specifying ethical behaviour.
So, all we can reasonably hope for at any stage of human development is that we struggle to improve ourselves. And we have improved. For example, although Europe established a cruel slave trade in the 1400s, it subsequently outlawed slavery in the early 1800s.
Of course, exposure to the achievements of other civilisations should be included in our educational syllabuses, but what is wrong with European students, Chinese students, Muslim students, and so on, primarily studying the classics of their own traditions? How else can people appreciate how their own culture developed to the present day? And this doesn’t seriously limit anyone’s horizons because the best of all classical learning produced knowledge of universal application. For example, the objective knowledge produced by modern science and the insights of Shakespeare have universal application for all people.
In summary, while acknowledging historical faults, we still have good reason to be proud of our European heritage.
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--McDonald calls false recounting of Murphy’s comments ‘honest mistake’

Mary Lou McDonald has said it was an “ honest mistake ” on her part to say that Conor Murphy , the Sinn Féin finance spokesman in Northern Ireland , did not link the murdered 21-year-old Paul Quinn with criminality .
Mr Quinn , from Cullyhanna , Co Armagh , was killed on October 20th , 2007 , and his mother , Breege Quinn , had called on Mr Murphy to apologise for linking her son to crime .
Earlier this week Ms McDonald said she did not believe Mr Murphy made such comments but a quote from him was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Time leaders ’ debate on Tuesday , highlighting how Mr Murphy had said Mr Quinn was involved in crime and smuggling .
Mr Murphy had said : “ Paul Quinn was involved in smuggling and criminality .
I think everyone accepts that.
” Speaking yesterday in Dublin , Ms McDonald said Mr Murphy did not mislead her on the comments he made in 2007 .
“ No , he didn ’ t , ” she said .
“ These comments were made more than a decade ago.
” She said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programme “ that I had the full content of what had been said ” .
“ It was an honest mistake on my part .
My recollection had been that the commentary was about the criminality up around the Border region and smuggling and so on , which is a reality .
“ I hadn ’ t recalled that the questions or the remarks were quite so pointed , so I understand fully why the Quinn family felt aggrieved by these comments and I am glad that they have been withdrawn and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter should have been cleared up earlier but said Mr Murphy would not resign , as Mrs Quinn had also called for .
“ We are only after getting the powersharing government back up and running , ” Ms McDonald told the media outside Sinn Féin headquarters on Dublin ’ s Parnell Square .
“ We have to make a success of this .
I believe everyone is determined to do so , so Conor won ’ t be stepping down .
“ He has made an apology .
It is sincerely made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Quinn family will get some measure of comfort from that but ultimately the issue here is that those who carried out this murder are actually brought to justice .
“ Now an apology has been made , the remarks are withdrawn and I am just very glad that Breege Quinn takes comfort from that .
“ I am a mother myself .
I can ’ t imagine the trauma of losing her son in such a brutal way and I would be no different to Breege Quinn , God forbid , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would campaign endlessly to ensure your son was respected and that those who were responsible for his death were brought to justice.
” On whether Mr Murphy would make a statement to An Garda Síochána or the Police Service of Northern Ireland , Ms McDonald said on Wednesday : “ Conor met with the PSNI and An Garda Síochána at the time and let me repeat that anybody with any information needs to bring that information forward about those who did carry out this act .
“ That is the important thing here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The family are in trauma .
It is for the Garda and the PSNI to bring justice into the equation , and I very much hope that happens .
”

Mary Lou McDonald has said it was an "honest mistake" on her part to say that Conor Murphy, the Sinn Féin finance spokesman in Northern Ireland, did not link the murdered 21-year-old Paul Quinn with criminality.
Mr Quinn, from Cullyhanna, Co Armagh, was killed on October 20th, 2007, and his mother, Breege Quinn, had called on Mr Murphy to apologise for linking her son to crime.
Earlier this week Ms McDonald said she did not believe Mr Murphy made such comments but a quote from him was read back to her during the RTÉ Prime Time leaders' debate on Tuesday, highlighting how Mr Murphy had said Mr Quinn was involved in crime and smuggling.
Mr Murphy had said: “Paul Quinn was involved in smuggling and criminality. I think everyone accepts that.”
READ MORE
Speaking yesterday in Dublin, Ms McDonald said Mr Murphy did not mislead her on the comments he made in 2007.
“No, he didn’t,” she said. “These comments were made more than a decade ago.” She said it was only when she saw a BBC Spotlight programme “that I had the full content of what had been said”.
“It was an honest mistake on my part. My recollection had been that the commentary was about the criminality up around the Border region and smuggling and so on, which is a reality.
“I hadn’t recalled that the questions or the remarks were quite so pointed, so I understand fully why the Quinn family felt aggrieved by these comments and I am glad that they have been withdrawn and there is an apology.”
No resignation
She said the matter should have been cleared up earlier but said Mr Murphy would not resign, as Mrs Quinn had also called for.
“We are only after getting the powersharing government back up and running,” Ms McDonald told the media outside Sinn Féin headquarters on Dublin’s Parnell Square. “We have to make a success of this. I believe everyone is determined to do so, so Conor won’t be stepping down.
“He has made an apology. It is sincerely made and I hope and I trust that the Quinn family will get some measure of comfort from that but ultimately the issue here is that those who carried out this murder are actually brought to justice.
“Now an apology has been made, the remarks are withdrawn and I am just very glad that Breege Quinn takes comfort from that.
“I am a mother myself. I can’t imagine the trauma of losing her son in such a brutal way and I would be no different to Breege Quinn, God forbid, if I was in that situation. You would campaign endlessly to ensure your son was respected and that those who were responsible for his death were brought to justice.”
On whether Mr Murphy would make a statement to An Garda Síochána or the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Ms McDonald said on Wednesday: "Conor met with the PSNI and An Garda Síochána at the time and let me repeat that anybody with any information needs to bring that information forward about those who did carry out this act.
“That is the important thing here and this matter has caused huge grief. The family are in trauma. It is for the Garda and the PSNI to bring justice into the equation, and I very much hope that happens.”


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--Solar Orbiter to shed new light on the sun

The sun makes life on Earth possible but , despite this life-sustaining role , scientists know surprisingly little about our nearest star .
The €1.35 billion Solar Orbiter – a joint European Space Agency and Nasa mission – is due to launch from Cape Canaveral shortly , with a very significant Irish input , and plans to change all that .
One mystery Orbiter scientists will seek to answer is why the surface temperature of the sun is 5,500 degrees , while the temperature of its enveloping corona – the layer of blistering , hot plasma gas that begins about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for millions of kilometres into space – is thought to be 2 million degrees .
That ’ s not the only question that scientists will be seeking answers to .
There is also the question of how the solar wind from the sun is produced .
This wind is a stream of electrically-charged particles spat out from the upper atmosphere of the sun .
The particles hurtle across space , and slam into Earth ’ s atmosphere causing a number of notable effects , including the northern and southern lights .
Prof Peter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies , is co-investigator on the Solar Telescope Imaging X-Rays ( Stix ) instrument .
This is one of six scientific instruments which will observe the sun and send imagery to Earth .
Four other instruments will measure the solar wind including electrical and magnetic fields associated with it .
“ It will fly past Venus , fly past Mercury and go into the inner solar system , ” says Gallagher , who formerly worked at Nasa and Trinity College Dublin .
“ It will have cameras that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sun and also it will have these in-situ detectors that will basically ‘ taste ’ the solar wind as it goes past .
“ It will tell us about the nature of the solar wind , it will tell us where the solar wind comes from .
It will help us understand these explosions called solar flares and solar storms on the surface of the sun .
It will be the highest resolution pictures we have ever had of the surface of the sun.
” There is another solar probe that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s expected that two solar probes jointly observing the sun will revolutionise solar science .
“ Nasa launched a spacecraft about two years ago called the Parker Solar Probe – so we will have two spacecraft in the inner solar system , ” Gallagher says .
“ Parker will be even closer , but it doesn ’ t have the cameras .
It is making measurements as it flies through the solar wind , whereas we will be taking images .
The combination of the two is really going to transform our view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interacts with the whole solar system.
” Two Irish companies , Enbio and Captec , between them won €3.1 million in industrial contracts for Orbiter .
Enbio is based at Dublin City University ’ s Alpha Innovation Campus and Captec in Malahide , Co Dublin .
Orbiter will go three-quarters of the way to the Sun , and within 43 millionkm of the solar surface , where it could be subject to temperatures of 500 degrees .
The spacecraft and its instruments need an effective heat shield to survive such conditions , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to find a new material .
This is where Enbio came in .
It began began life in 2006 with a technology that put synthetic bone on to metal implants for the healthcare sector .
The technology used grit to blast off the oxide layers on the surface of metals such as titanium , and allowing another material to replace that layer .
“ It started out as an orthopaedic business where we were trying to coat hips , knees , dental implants – anything that needed to be fixed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fixation , ” says chief executive John O ’ Donoghue .
“ We went to ESA and immediately they were interested in our material , but they didn ’ t know for what .
They were having difficulty with the thermal protection for their solar orbiter .
They were struggling to find something to protect the heat shield and not add weight.
” Enbio had the surface coating technology , but needed a new , light material that could be coated on to the heat shield .
O ’ Donoghue came up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in all the prehistoric art that had gone on I knew that charred bone was used as well as charcoal in cave paintings by prehistoric man , ” he says .
To test his idea he needed to source some crushed bone .
“ I found a company called Ebonex in America , ” recalls O ’ Donoghue .
“ They had done work with Nasa on one of the Voyager missions and they knew what we were trying to do .
We got some of their powder – and it worked first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the right material to solve the heat shield problem .
“ We quickly became ‘ mission critical ’ ” , he says .
Another critical part of Orbiter mission , as with any space mission , is its software .
Individual instruments on board Orbiter have their own software .
These must be checked to ensure they meet the mission ’ s requirements , and all the software must be rigorously tested so it all works together seamlessly .
On Orbiter , this is the job of Captec .
The family-owned company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent space missions including the Rosetta mission that landed on a comet in 2014 ; the BepiColombo mission to Mercury in 2018 and the European Juice mission to Jupiter ’ s moons in 2017 .
“ We are independent checkers of all the on-board software , ” says Richard Cluff , project manager of Captec ’ s Solar Orbiter work .
Cluff says his team checks “ all the software on board that manages communication with ground or controls all the thrusters and actuators on board to keep the spacecraft the right way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and all the thermal systems ” .
“ There are seven or eight different software packages on board that run these different systems , ” says Cluff .
“ We report problems with specifications and find problems and inconsistencies or things missing or that don ’ t match up with what is needed.
” The Irish involvement in the Orbiter mission is something of a coup for the small but active space industry here , and a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the solar scientists that are involved to get a chance to study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research and innovation have played a vital role in the development of the Solar Orbiter , ” says Gallagher .
“ It is a testament to the calibre of researchers working in Ireland that we have such strong Irish involvement in this project.
” Gallagher began studying the sun in 1995 , adding that Orbiter was a “ once in a lifetime ” opportunity for solar physicists .
That ’ s because it might find answers to puzzling questions such as why the atmosphere of the sun is hotter than its surface – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As you move away from the surface of the sun it gets hotter , ” says Gallagher .
“ It ’ s weird .
This is the most embarrassing question in solar physics and the most challenging question.
” Gallagher says he will be very nervous when watching the launch of Orbiter .
“ My group alone has been working on this for 10 years .
Enterprise Ireland and ESA have provided us with about €900,000 .
If it blows up all of that is gone.
” The launch of Solar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10th at 4:03am Irish time ) can be watched live via EST television at esa.int/esatv

Graphic representation of the Solar Orbiter in flight. Two Irish companies, Enbio and Captec, between them won €3.1 million in industrial contracts for Orbiter
The sun makes life on Earth possible but, despite this life-sustaining role, scientists know surprisingly little about our nearest star. The €1.35 billion Solar Orbiter – a joint European Space Agency and Nasa mission – is due to launch from Cape Canaveral shortly, with a very significant Irish input, and plans to change all that.
One mystery Orbiter scientists will seek to answer is why the surface temperature of the sun is 5,500 degrees, while the temperature of its enveloping corona – the layer of blistering, hot plasma gas that begins about 2,000km off the solar surface and extends for millions of kilometres into space – is thought to be 2 million degrees.
That’s not the only question that scientists will be seeking answers to. There is also the question of how the solar wind from the sun is produced. This wind is a stream of electrically-charged particles spat out from the upper atmosphere of the sun. The particles hurtle across space, and slam into Earth’s atmosphere causing a number of notable effects, including the northern and southern lights.
Prof Peter Gallagher, head of astrophysics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, is co-investigator on the Solar Telescope Imaging X-Rays (Stix) instrument. This is one of six scientific instruments which will observe the sun and send imagery to Earth. Four other instruments will measure the solar wind including electrical and magnetic fields associated with it.
READ MORE
"It will fly past Venus, fly past Mercury and go into the inner solar system," says Gallagher, who formerly worked at Nasa and Trinity College Dublin.
“It will have cameras that are going to take photographs or images of the sun and also it will have these in-situ detectors that will basically ‘taste’ the solar wind as it goes past.
“It will tell us about the nature of the solar wind, it will tell us where the solar wind comes from. It will help us understand these explosions called solar flares and solar storms on the surface of the sun. It will be the highest resolution pictures we have ever had of the surface of the sun.”
There is another solar probe that is being deployed by Nasa. It’s expected that two solar probes jointly observing the sun will revolutionise solar science.
"Nasa launched a spacecraft about two years ago called the Parker Solar Probe – so we will have two spacecraft in the inner solar system," Gallagher says. "Parker will be even closer, but it doesn't have the cameras. It is making measurements as it flies through the solar wind, whereas we will be taking images. The combination of the two is really going to transform our view of the Sun and the way it interacts with the whole solar system."
Irish companies
Two Irish companies, Enbio and Captec, between them won €3.1 million in industrial contracts for Orbiter. Enbio is based at Dublin City University's Alpha Innovation Campus and Captec in Malahide, Co Dublin.
Orbiter will go three-quarters of the way to the Sun, and within 43 millionkm of the solar surface, where it could be subject to temperatures of 500 degrees. The spacecraft and its instruments need an effective heat shield to survive such conditions, and it had to be light. ESA needed to find a new material.
This is where Enbio came in. It began began life in 2006 with a technology that put synthetic bone on to metal implants for the healthcare sector. The technology used grit to blast off the oxide layers on the surface of metals such as titanium, and allowing another material to replace that layer.
“It started out as an orthopaedic business where we were trying to coat hips, knees, dental implants – anything that needed to be fixed in the skeleton for orthopaedic purposes to get better fixation,” says chief executive John O’Donoghue.
“We went to ESA and immediately they were interested in our material, but they didn’t know for what. They were having difficulty with the thermal protection for their solar orbiter. They were struggling to find something to protect the heat shield and not add weight.”
Heat shield
Enbio had the surface coating technology, but needed a new, light material that could be coated on to the heat shield. O’Donoghue came up with an idea.
“Having been interested in all the prehistoric art that had gone on I knew that charred bone was used as well as charcoal in cave paintings by prehistoric man,” he says.
To test his idea he needed to source some crushed bone. "I found a company called Ebonex in America," recalls O'Donoghue. "They had done work with Nasa on one of the Voyager missions and they knew what we were trying to do. We got some of their powder – and it worked first time."
Enbio now had the technology and the right material to solve the heat shield problem. “We quickly became ‘mission critical’”, he says.
Another critical part of Orbiter mission, as with any space mission, is its software. Individual instruments on board Orbiter have their own software. These must be checked to ensure they meet the mission’s requirements, and all the software must be rigorously tested so it all works together seamlessly.
On Orbiter, this is the job of Captec. The family-owned company has been involved in many high-profile, recent space missions including the Rosetta mission that landed on a comet in 2014; the BepiColombo mission to Mercury in 2018 and the European Juice mission to Jupiter's moons in 2017.
‘Independent checkers’
"We are independent checkers of all the on-board software," says Richard Cluff, project manager of Captec's Solar Orbiter work. Cluff says his team checks "all the software on board that manages communication with ground or controls all the thrusters and actuators on board to keep the spacecraft the right way up, and controls all the instruments – and all the thermal systems".
“There are seven or eight different software packages on board that run these different systems,” says Cluff. “We report problems with specifications and find problems and inconsistencies or things missing or that don’t match up with what is needed.”
The Irish involvement in the Orbiter mission is something of a coup for the small but active space industry here, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the solar scientists that are involved to get a chance to study the Sun close up.
"Irish research and innovation have played a vital role in the development of the Solar Orbiter," says Gallagher. "It is a testament to the calibre of researchers working in Ireland that we have such strong Irish involvement in this project."
Puzzling questions
Gallagher began studying the sun in 1995, adding that Orbiter was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for solar physicists. That’s because it might find answers to puzzling questions such as why the atmosphere of the sun is hotter than its surface – apparently breaking the usual rules of science.
“As you move away from the surface of the sun it gets hotter,” says Gallagher. “It’s weird. This is the most embarrassing question in solar physics and the most challenging question.”
Gallagher says he will be very nervous when watching the launch of Orbiter. "My group alone has been working on this for 10 years. Enterprise Ireland and ESA have provided us with about €900,000. If it blows up all of that is gone."
The launch of Solar Orbiter (scheduled for Monday, February 10th at 4:03am Irish time) can be watched live via EST television at esa.int/esatv


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--Trial over death of Irish man Michael Dwyer collapses in Bolivia

The criminal trial that followed the police raid in Bolivia which left Irish man Michael Dwyer dead has collapsed after prosecutors dropped all charges against the 39 accused .
Mr Dwyer ( 24 ) was killed alongside two others in a raid by an elite police unit on the hotel where he was staying in the city of Santa Cruz on April 16th , 2009 .
Two other men were detained .
Judge Sixto Fernández said on Tuesday that all 39 accused were “ declared absolved ” after public prosecutors and the interior ministry told the court they were withdrawing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused who were present at the hearing , many of whom spent years in jail on remand in violation of the Bolivian constitution , held an emotional celebration in the courtroom with family members .
The Bolivian government claims Mr Dwyer was part of a terrorist group that planned to assassinate President Evo Morales and foment separatist tensions in the east of the South American country .
Mr Dwyer told his family in Co Tipperary he went to Bolivia to do a bodyguard training course .
Bolivian authorities had always used the ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave the Irish Government to participate in an international investigation into Mr Dwyer ’ s death .
His family says it has gathered evidence which proves he was summarily executed by police .
A separate case it has taken against Bolivia is proceeding at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights .
In 2015 the two men arrested in the police operation , Hungarian Elod Toaso and Bolivian-Croatian Mario Tadic , pleaded guilty to complicity in armed insurrection in return for sentences of time already served .
But after leaving Bolivia they said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to get out of jail and denied any involvement in terrorism .
Both men and four others who took similar plea-bargain deals were among those absolved on Tuesday .
Explaining why it was dropping charges , prosecutors pointed to the 12-year sentence for corruption and extortion against Marcelo Soza , the original prosecutor in charge of the case .
Since he fled into exile in Brazil he has claimed the case he built against the men was manipulated at the direction of senior officials in the Morales administration .
Prosecutors also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former interior minister Carlos Romero had sought to manipulate one of the trial ’ s judges .
Mr Romero is under arrest on other unrelated corruption charges .
The collapse of the terrorism case comes three months after Mr Morales went into exile after nearly 14 years in power .
He fled amidst widespread unrest following revelations electoral authorities under his command had interfered in his bid to secure an unconstitutional fourth term in office .
Lawyers for the 39 accused in the terrorism case had long maintained that the only reason the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of the country ’ s constitution and international human rights treaties signed by Bolivia , was due to political pressure from the Morales administration .
Bolivia is due to hold fresh elections for a new president and national assembly in May .

The criminal trial that followed the police raid in Bolivia which left Irish man Michael Dwyer dead has collapsed after prosecutors dropped all charges against the 39 accused.
Mr Dwyer (24) was killed alongside two others in a raid by an elite police unit on the hotel where he was staying in the city of Santa Cruz on April 16th, 2009. Two other men were detained.
Judge Sixto Fernández said on Tuesday that all 39 accused were “declared absolved” after public prosecutors and the interior ministry told the court they were withdrawing terrorism-related charges against them.
The 27 accused who were present at the hearing, many of whom spent years in jail on remand in violation of the Bolivian constitution, held an emotional celebration in the courtroom with family members.
READ MORE
The Bolivian government claims Mr Dwyer was part of a terrorist group that planned to assassinate President Evo Morales and foment separatist tensions in the east of the South American country. Mr Dwyer told his family in Co Tipperary he went to Bolivia to do a bodyguard training course.
Bolivian authorities had always used the ongoing trial to stall on a commitment it gave the Irish Government to participate in an international investigation into Mr Dwyer’s death.
His family says it has gathered evidence which proves he was summarily executed by police. A separate case it has taken against Bolivia is proceeding at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
In 2015 the two men arrested in the police operation, Hungarian Elod Toaso and Bolivian-Croatian Mario Tadic, pleaded guilty to complicity in armed insurrection in return for sentences of time already served. But after leaving Bolivia they said they had only agreed to the plea deal in order to get out of jail and denied any involvement in terrorism.
Both men and four others who took similar plea-bargain deals were among those absolved on Tuesday.
Corruption charges
Explaining why it was dropping charges, prosecutors pointed to the 12-year sentence for corruption and extortion against Marcelo Soza, the original prosecutor in charge of the case.
Since he fled into exile in Brazil he has claimed the case he built against the men was manipulated at the direction of senior officials in the Morales administration.
Prosecutors also pointed to accusations that Mr Morales’ former interior minister Carlos Romero had sought to manipulate one of the trial’s judges. Mr Romero is under arrest on other unrelated corruption charges.
The collapse of the terrorism case comes three months after Mr Morales went into exile after nearly 14 years in power. He fled amidst widespread unrest following revelations electoral authorities under his command had interfered in his bid to secure an unconstitutional fourth term in office.
Lawyers for the 39 accused in the terrorism case had long maintained that the only reason the case had continued so long, in violation of the country’s constitution and international human rights treaties signed by Bolivia, was due to political pressure from the Morales administration.
Bolivia is due to hold fresh elections for a new president and national assembly in May.


theirishtimes--2020-02-06--Health: What the different party manifestos say

Health is supposed to be one of the key battlegrounds in the election campaign , but there is a large degree of unanimity in the different party manifestos on the issue .
All parties , for example , support Sláintecare as the way forward ; some more explicitly than others .
All parties also agree a massive expansion in funding and staffing is needed over the coming five years , notwithstanding that our health spending is already relatively high by international standards .
They want to spend more on hospitals , but also more on primary care and GPs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patient charges .
A number of the manifestos say they are costed , but there ’ s nothing that wouldn ’ t fit on the back of an envelope .
Here ’ s how the manifestos measure up on the main issues in health : The big plan for the future Everyone agrees the health service needs to be got back on course , and Sláintecare is seen as the road-map for this .
Fine Gael is fully backing the plan , with a proposal to spend €5 billion a year extra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which barely mentions Sláintecare in its manifesto , believes an extra €2 billion a year will suffice for its proposals for the future .
It wants to double spending on the National Treatment Purchase Fund to €200 million but since much of this money will be spent on private medicine , critics have questioned whether the proposal sits well with Sláintecare ’ s intention of taking private medicine out of the public system .
Fine Gael , in contrast , is explicit in saying public-only doctor contracts will be the norm in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onboard for Sláintecare as part of its plan to create “ an Irish national health service ” .
It pledges to spend an additional €4.5 billion , and €1.58 billion for capital spending , “ over and above what has already been committed for the period including for demographics ” .
The Social Democrats , the spiritual parents of Sláintecare , promise it will “ turn our healthcare system around ” but they do not say how much they plan to spend on it while the Greens say they will “ adequately ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties believe extra staffing will alleviate the waiting list problem .
Fianna Fáil says it will apply a four-hour target for emergency department waits , and will ensure consultants are present in emergency departments on a 24-hour basis .
Anyone waiting over six months for a procedure will be able to apply for funding , it says .
The Social Democrats are promising to abolish home care waiting lists through increased investment in home care packages and step-down facilities .
People Before Profit is promising to guarantee access to healthcare within 18 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
Fine Gael says it will recruit thousands of extra staff – 1,000 consultants over 10 years , 5,000 nurses and 3,840 primary care workers .
Fianna Fáil wants to take on 1,000 consultants , 4,000 nurses , 200 ambulance staff , 300 practice nurses and 350 public health nurses .
Sinn Féin says it will recruit another 2,500 nurses , 1,000 consultants , 1,500 staff for primary care centres and 1,000 practice , community and public health nurses .
Nobody is too clear on where these staff are going to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places is being promised by both Fine Gael ( to 300 a year , from 217 this autumn ) and Fianna Fáil ( to 274 ) .
With Sláintecare stressing the need for more services to be delivered in the community , Fianna Fáil and Aontú both say they will devote 10 per cent of health spending to primary care - about three times the current level .
The Social Democrats promise a “ massive investment ” in new primary care staff , and an expansion of diagnostic services With the population rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expansion in services .
Fianna Fáil is planning four new elective hospitals ( Fine Gael will manage with three ) and will spend an extra €200 million on Fair Deal .
Fine Gael says it will fund an additional one million home care hours for every year it is in office .
Sinn Féin plans to deliver an additional 12 million home help hours over the five years , and to increase the number of nursing beds by 1,250 .
The Social Democrats say they will increase investment in mental health .
Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick , and the parties know it .
Fianna Fáil ( and PBP ) will abolish hospital car parking charges , while Fine Gael is proposing to limit them to €10 a day .
Fianna Fáil also wants to abolish prescription charges and reduce the drug payment scheme threshold to €100 , while Fine Gael says it will “ further reduce ” prescription charges .
Fine Gael wants to abolish inpatient charges for children and give medical cards to people with terminal illnesses .
Labour says it will halve hospital in- and outpatient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuous ” treatment a “ waiver ” for parking .
Sinn Féin triumphs in the giveaway stakes with a promise to abolish prescription charges and to roll out “ free prescription medicines for all ” .
ED and inpatients charges will also go , as will hospital car parking charges , the party says .
It will also give medical cards to all cancer patients .
Free GP care - currently provided to under-6s and over 70s – has been a cornerstone of Fine Gael ’ s health policy in recent years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to under-18s ( as does Labour ) , and those on a carer ’ s grant .
It also wants to introduce free dental care for under-16s , a measure that is being as vociferously opposed by dentists as free GP care has been criticised by family doctors .
Fianna Fáil says it will expand free GP care “ on the basis of means ” while Sinn Féin is promising “ free GP care for all ” over a term of government , starting with two free visits for everybody not covered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in year one .
Fine Gael says it will introduce a no-fault vaccination compensation scheme , set up a national medicines agency and offer free contraception for women , starting with 17-25 year-olds .
Labour and Sinn Féin want exclusion zones introduced near maternity hospitals to ensure “ safe access ” to abortion service .
Sinn Féin is promising free contraception , free sanitary products for some groups of women , free universal counselling services and three cycle of IVF for couples trying to start a family .
Labour will ensure forthcoming legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrogacy ; it is also promising improved access to health services for people who are transgender .
Aontú wants legislation requiring the administration of pain relief to “ preborn babies ” undergoing a termination , as well as a legal ban on abortion on the grounds of disability or gender .
The Greens , in their single-page health document ( mental health gets another page ) , says children should be required to do half an hour of exercise every day , there should be more showers in workplaces and Vat should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PBP is proposing to abolish the HSE and replace it with “ democratically elected community health councils ” .

All the parties want to spend more on hospitals, but also more on primary care and GPs. And they want to cut a variety of patient charges. Photograph: PA
Health is supposed to be one of the key battlegrounds in the election campaign, but there is a large degree of unanimity in the different party manifestos on the issue.
All parties, for example, support Sláintecare as the way forward; some more explicitly than others. All parties also agree a massive expansion in funding and staffing is needed over the coming five years, notwithstanding that our health spending is already relatively high by international standards.
They want to spend more on hospitals, but also more on primary care and GPs. And they want to cut a variety of patient charges.
A number of the manifestos say they are costed, but there’s nothing that wouldn’t fit on the back of an envelope.
READ MORE
Here’s how the manifestos measure up on the main issues in health:
The big plan for the future
Everyone agrees the health service needs to be got back on course, and Sláintecare is seen as the road-map for this. Fine Gael is fully backing the plan, with a proposal to spend €5 billion a year extra on health by 2025.
Fianna Fáil, which barely mentions Sláintecare in its manifesto, believes an extra €2 billion a year will suffice for its proposals for the future. It wants to double spending on the National Treatment Purchase Fund to €200 million but since much of this money will be spent on private medicine, critics have questioned whether the proposal sits well with Sláintecare's intention of taking private medicine out of the public system. Fine Gael, in contrast, is explicit in saying public-only doctor contracts will be the norm in the future.
Both parties propose creating 2,600 extra hospital beds.
Sinn Féin is fully onboard for Sláintecare as part of its plan to create “an Irish national health service”. It pledges to spend an additional €4.5 billion, and €1.58 billion for capital spending, “over and above what has already been committed for the period including for demographics”.
The Social Democrats, the spiritual parents of Sláintecare, promise it will "turn our healthcare system around" but they do not say how much they plan to spend on it while the Greens say they will "adequately" fund it.
Waiting lists
Generally speaking, the parties believe extra staffing will alleviate the waiting list problem. Fianna Fáil says it will apply a four-hour target for emergency department waits, and will ensure consultants are present in emergency departments on a 24-hour basis. Anyone waiting over six months for a procedure will be able to apply for funding, it says.
The Social Democrats are promising to abolish home care waiting lists through increased investment in home care packages and step-down facilities.
People Before Profit is promising to guarantee access to healthcare within 18 weeks and to emergency department treatment within four hours.
Staffing
Fine Gael says it will recruit thousands of extra staff – 1,000 consultants over 10 years, 5,000 nurses and 3,840 primary care workers.
Fianna Fáil wants to take on 1,000 consultants, 4,000 nurses, 200 ambulance staff, 300 practice nurses and 350 public health nurses.
Sinn Féin says it will recruit another 2,500 nurses, 1,000 consultants, 1,500 staff for primary care centres and 1,000 practice, community and public health nurses.
Nobody is too clear on where these staff are going to come from.
General Practice
An increase in GP training places is being promised by both Fine Gael (to 300 a year, from 217 this autumn) and Fianna Fáil (to 274).
With Sláintecare stressing the need for more services to be delivered in the community, Fianna Fáil and Aontú both say they will devote 10 per cent of health spending to primary care - about three times the current level.
The Social Democrats promise a “massive investment” in new primary care staff, and an expansion of diagnostic services
Expansion plans
With the population rising and ageing, all parties support an expansion in services. Fianna Fáil is planning four new elective hospitals (Fine Gael will manage with three) and will spend an extra €200 million on Fair Deal.
Fine Gael says it will fund an additional one million home care hours for every year it is in office.
Sinn Féin plans to deliver an additional 12 million home help hours over the five years, and to increase the number of nursing beds by 1,250.
The Social Democrats say they will increase investment in mental health.
Patient charges
Nobody likes having to pay when someone is sick, and the parties know it.
Fianna Fáil (and PBP) will abolish hospital car parking charges, while Fine Gael is proposing to limit them to €10 a day.
Fianna Fáil also wants to abolish prescription charges and reduce the drug payment scheme threshold to €100, while Fine Gael says it will “further reduce” prescription charges.
Fine Gael wants to abolish inpatient charges for children and give medical cards to people with terminal illnesses. Labour says it will halve hospital in- and outpatient charges and will give patients on "continuous" treatment a "waiver" for parking.
Sinn Féin triumphs in the giveaway stakes with a promise to abolish prescription charges and to roll out “free prescription medicines for all”. ED and inpatients charges will also go, as will hospital car parking charges, the party says. It will also give medical cards to all cancer patients.
Universal access
Free GP care - currently provided to under-6s and over 70s – has been a cornerstone of Fine Gael’s health policy in recent years. Now it says it wants to extend it to under-18s (as does Labour), and those on a carer’s grant. It also wants to introduce free dental care for under-16s, a measure that is being as vociferously opposed by dentists as free GP care has been criticised by family doctors.
Fianna Fáil says it will expand free GP care “on the basis of means” while Sinn Féin is promising “free GP care for all” over a term of government, starting with two free visits for everybody not covered by a medical or GP visit card in year one.
Other
Fine Gael says it will introduce a no-fault vaccination compensation scheme, set up a national medicines agency and offer free contraception for women, starting with 17-25 year-olds.
Labour and Sinn Féin want exclusion zones introduced near maternity hospitals to ensure “safe access” to abortion service.
Sinn Féin is promising free contraception, free sanitary products for some groups of women, free universal counselling services and three cycle of IVF for couples trying to start a family.
Labour will ensure forthcoming legislation will deal with the issue of international surrogacy; it is also promising improved access to health services for people who are transgender.
Aontú wants legislation requiring the administration of pain relief to “preborn babies” undergoing a termination, as well as a legal ban on abortion on the grounds of disability or gender.
The Greens, in their single-page health document (mental health gets another page), says children should be required to do half an hour of exercise every day, there should be more showers in workplaces and Vat should be removed from sunscreen and reproductive goods.
PBP is proposing to abolish the HSE and replace it with “democratically elected community health councils”.