theirishtimes--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: Nursing home deaths not all showing in fatality data

The alleged under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths has been raised as an issue in many countries , prompting questions about how accurate Irish mortality figures are .
The issue is of crucial importance because death rates are one of the best ways of measuring how well a country is doing in limiting the damage wrought by coronavirus .
Another way is to measure the number of tests carried out , but in Ireland this process has been subject to long delays and is therefore unreliable as a measure of performance in an Irish context .
Ireland currently ranks 12th in Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just below Sweden .
Much has been made of Ireland ’ s much lower death rate relative to the UK ; however , both countries compare poorly to best-in-class performers such as Austria or Iceland .
Different countries collect data in different ways , all of them subject to shortcomings , it has to be noted , so comparisons carry caveats .
There are two main sets of issues relating to the possible under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths .
The first relates to the location of death and has grown in importance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nursing homes and other residential centres .
Many of these locations , be they hospitals or other residential locations , have well-worn but differing reporting and surveillance mechanisms for deaths , particularly those associated with a disease outbreak .
While in some other countries deaths outside hospitals were or are not being recorded , it does appear as a rule that deaths here are being logged regardless of whether they happen in a hospital , nursing home or other location .
In residential locations , this happens as a consequence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks of the disease .
By Monday , Ireland had recorded 406 deaths , of which 266 had occurred in a hospital environment .
Some 222 deaths , including 187 associated with nursing homes , were linked to other residential sites .
The numbers don ’ t add up because some nursing home patients were transferred to hospital before dying and so may have been counted in both nursing home and hospital categories .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan cautioned this is the “ best understanding ” of public health officials “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carries a “ small health warning ” .
The figures refer to registered deaths of patients in community settings , he said .
The second issue relates to how a death is recorded on a death certificate .
Many older people dying with Covid-19 also have underlying conditions and it is no easy task to determine what they died of , as opposed to what they died with .
Some years ago , there was controversy when a whistleblower alleged a hospital was failing to record the CPE superbug as a cause of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Obviously , it would be of concern if something similar were to happen with coronavirus .
This seems highly unlikely in hospitals but what about other locations that attracted less attention in the early stages of the pandemic and where a realisation of the dangers posed by the virus was slower to sink in ?
“ What I couldn ’ t assure you is that every person who dies has a test for this particular illness or even with the symptoms associated with this illness , ” Dr Holohan told The Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ index of suspicion ” for the disease would be “ a good deal higher ” than would normally be the case for flu , he added .
However , in explaining the process followed , Dr Holohan added : “ So what we ’ re [ doing ] here is identifying the deaths in individuals where there is a laboratory confirmation of Covid-19.
” “ We try to give as comprehensive a number as we possibly can , ” he later added .
But what about suspected cases ?
People who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry , the doctor filling out a death cert “ will give his or her best opinion of the cause of death in the context of a new illness which is lab-confirmed ” .
From this it is clear our official figures are based entirely on laboratory-tested cases .
Eventually , when death certs are filed within the required three-month period , further cases will be logged that add to the figures .
The Coroners Service has instructed doctors to swab test deceased patients with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Covid-19 , but this has not been happening all the time , internal correspondence appears to show .
As a result , there is likely to be some level of under-reporting of deaths .
This situation arises with surveillance of many other infectious diseases .
Over time , public health officials get around these shortcomings by calculating the excess deaths that have occurred , but this will not be calculable for some time .

The Coroners Service has instructed doctors to swab test deceased patients with respiratory failure or “circumstantial suspicion” for Covid-19, but this has not been happening all the time.
The alleged under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths has been raised as an issue in many countries, prompting questions about how accurate Irish mortality figures are.
The issue is of crucial importance because death rates are one of the best ways of measuring how well a country is doing in limiting the damage wrought by coronavirus.
Another way is to measure the number of tests carried out, but in Ireland this process has been subject to long delays and is therefore unreliable as a measure of performance in an Irish context.
Ireland currently ranks 12th in Europe for Covid-19 deaths per million of population, just below Sweden. Much has been made of Ireland's much lower death rate relative to the UK; however, both countries compare poorly to best-in-class performers such as Austria or Iceland.
READ MORE
Different countries collect data in different ways, all of them subject to shortcomings, it has to be noted, so comparisons carry caveats.
There are two main sets of issues relating to the possible under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths. The first relates to the location of death and has grown in importance with the rise in clusters of the disease in nursing homes and other residential centres.
Many of these locations, be they hospitals or other residential locations, have well-worn but differing reporting and surveillance mechanisms for deaths, particularly those associated with a disease outbreak.
While in some other countries deaths outside hospitals were or are not being recorded, it does appear as a rule that deaths here are being logged regardless of whether they happen in a hospital, nursing home or other location.
Residential locations
In residential locations, this happens as a consequence of the investigation by public health officials of local outbreaks of the disease. By Monday, Ireland had recorded 406 deaths, of which 266 had occurred in a hospital environment. Some 222 deaths, including 187 associated with nursing homes, were linked to other residential sites.
The numbers don’t add up because some nursing home patients were transferred to hospital before dying and so may have been counted in both nursing home and hospital categories.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan cautioned this is the "best understanding" of public health officials "at this moment in time" but carries a "small health warning". The figures refer to registered deaths of patients in community settings, he said.
The second issue relates to how a death is recorded on a death certificate. Many older people dying with Covid-19 also have underlying conditions and it is no easy task to determine what they died of, as opposed to what they died with.
Some years ago, there was controversy when a whistleblower alleged a hospital was failing to record the CPE superbug as a cause of death for elderly patients who had died. Obviously, it would be of concern if something similar were to happen with coronavirus.
‘Index of suspicion’
This seems highly unlikely in hospitals but what about other locations that attracted less attention in the early stages of the pandemic and where a realisation of the dangers posed by the virus was slower to sink in?
“What I couldn’t assure you is that every person who dies has a test for this particular illness or even with the symptoms associated with this illness,” Dr Holohan told The Irish Times on Monday.
Clinically, the “index of suspicion” for the disease would be “a good deal higher” than would normally be the case for flu, he added.
However, in explaining the process followed, Dr Holohan added: “So what we’re [doing] here is identifying the deaths in individuals where there is a laboratory confirmation of Covid-19.”
“We try to give as comprehensive a number as we possibly can,” he later added.
But what about suspected cases? People who had not been tested before they died?
According to HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry, the doctor filling out a death cert "will give his or her best opinion of the cause of death in the context of a new illness which is lab-confirmed".
From this it is clear our official figures are based entirely on laboratory-tested cases. Eventually, when death certs are filed within the required three-month period, further cases will be logged that add to the figures.
The Coroners Service has instructed doctors to swab test deceased patients with respiratory failure or “circumstantial suspicion” for Covid-19, but this has not been happening all the time, internal correspondence appears to show.
As a result, there is likely to be some level of under-reporting of deaths.
This situation arises with surveillance of many other infectious diseases. Over time, public health officials get around these shortcomings by calculating the excess deaths that have occurred, but this will not be calculable for some time.


theirishtimes--2020-04-16--Coroner warns medical staff of legal requirement to record all Covid-19 deaths

Not all Covid-19 deaths are being reported as required by law , the Dublin Coroner has warned .
As a result Dr Myra Cullinane has written to medical staff in hospitals and other locations who are responsible for completing death certificates saying they must comply with the requirement to report “ any death in the context of proven or suspected ” Covid-19 to her office .
Her warning comes amid concern over possible under-reporting of deaths from the virus , particularly outside hospitals .
Analyses of online death notices in recent weeks have suggested a level of excess mortality not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RTÉ News reported on Wednesday night that nine residents in the Maryborough Centre , St Fintan ’ s Hospital , Portlaoise , Co Laois , died over the bank holiday weekend .
Eight of the residents at the psychiatric centre , aged between 66 and 84 years , had tested positive for Covid-19 .
The remaining 17 residents are being managed as though they had the virus , the HSE has said .
Two healthcare workers at St Luke ’ s General Hospital in Co Kilkenny died from Covid-19 in 24 hours .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man in his forties were both working at the hospital when they became ill. A spokeswoman for the Ireland East Hospital Group , which manages St Luke ’ s , confirmed the deaths and said the group was “ deeply saddened ” about what had happened .
“ We send our condolences to their families , friends and colleagues , ” she said .
In her letter , Dr Cullinane reminds medical staff of the requirement under the Coroners Acts to report virus deaths .
She adds : “ It has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not taking place in all cases.
” “ I have experience of excellent compliance to date and am aware that this is an extremely difficult time for front-line medical staff , however , full compliance with reporting to the coroner is essential as it is providing essential information to public health authorities.
” Asked on Wednesday night whether he was aware of problems over the non-reporting of Covid-19 deaths , chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he was not “ but I ’ m not saying there aren ’ t logjams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting .
“ We ’ re trying to dig into that so we can free up any challenges there might be , so we can get good real-time information about mortality.
” The Coroners Service has advised that deceased patients with respiratory failure and suspected Covid-19 be swab tested so that positive cases can be reported .
The deaths of another 38 patients was announced by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Wednesday night , the second highest daily total so far .
There have now been 444 confirmed deaths related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported deaths include that of a 23-year-old , the youngest person with Covid-19 to die during the current outbreak .
Some 657 new cases of the disease were reported by Irish laboratories on Wednesday as well as 411 processed in a German lab .
The new cases , the highest daily total so far , brings the total number of confirmed cases to 12,547 .
Dr Holohan said the increase in cases in recent days was more likely to be related to an increase in testing rather than a change in the underlying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of patients admitted to intensive care fell for a second day , to 158 , well within the capacity of the system to treat seriously ill patients .
Some 290 deaths of the 444 deaths were associated with residential settings , including 245 in nursing homes .
Dr Holohan admitted the nursing home and other residential sectors continued to pose a challenge .
He said these sectors were now a priority area for Irish public health officials .
Defending the emergency team ’ s response to nursing home outbreaks , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prepare before cases occurred here and the response had been stepped up as challenges were identified .
Northern Ireland on Wednesday extended its Covid-19 restrictions for another three weeks .

Not all Covid-19 deaths are being reported as required by law, the Dublin Coroner has warned.
As a result Dr Myra Cullinane has written to medical staff in hospitals and other locations who are responsible for completing death certificates saying they must comply with the requirement to report “any death in the context of proven or suspected” Covid-19 to her office.
Her warning comes amid concern over possible under-reporting of deaths from the virus, particularly outside hospitals. Analyses of online death notices in recent weeks have suggested a level of excess mortality not captured in official figures.
Separately, RTÉ News reported on Wednesday night that nine residents in the Maryborough Centre, St Fintan’s Hospital, Portlaoise, Co Laois, died over the bank holiday weekend. Eight of the residents at the psychiatric centre, aged between 66 and 84 years, had tested positive for Covid-19. The remaining 17 residents are being managed as though they had the virus, the HSE has said.
READ MORE
Healthcare workers
Two healthcare workers at St Luke’s General Hospital in Co Kilkenny died from Covid-19 in 24 hours.
A woman aged in her fifties and a man in his forties were both working at the hospital when they became ill. A spokeswoman for the Ireland East Hospital Group, which manages St Luke’s, confirmed the deaths and said the group was “deeply saddened” about what had happened.
“We send our condolences to their families, friends and colleagues,” she said.
In her letter, Dr Cullinane reminds medical staff of the requirement under the Coroners Acts to report virus deaths. She adds: “It has been drawn to my attention that such reporting is not taking place in all cases.”
“I have experience of excellent compliance to date and am aware that this is an extremely difficult time for front-line medical staff, however, full compliance with reporting to the coroner is essential as it is providing essential information to public health authorities.”
Asked on Wednesday night whether he was aware of problems over the non-reporting of Covid-19 deaths, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he was not “but I’m not saying there aren’t logjams or other problems in the system of reporting.
“We’re trying to dig into that so we can free up any challenges there might be, so we can get good real-time information about mortality.”
The Coroners Service has advised that deceased patients with respiratory failure and suspected Covid-19 be swab tested so that positive cases can be reported. The deaths of another 38 patients was announced by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Wednesday night, the second highest daily total so far.
There have now been 444 confirmed deaths related to Covid-19 in the Republic. The newly reported deaths include that of a 23-year-old, the youngest person with Covid-19 to die during the current outbreak.
Some 657 new cases of the disease were reported by Irish laboratories on Wednesday as well as 411 processed in a German lab. The new cases, the highest daily total so far, brings the total number of confirmed cases to 12,547. Dr Holohan said the increase in cases in recent days was more likely to be related to an increase in testing rather than a change in the underlying pattern of disease.
Encouragingly, the number of patients admitted to intensive care fell for a second day, to 158, well within the capacity of the system to treat seriously ill patients.
Some 290 deaths of the 444 deaths were associated with residential settings, including 245 in nursing homes. Dr Holohan admitted the nursing home and other residential sectors continued to pose a challenge.
Priority area
He said these sectors were now a priority area for Irish public health officials. Defending the emergency team’s response to nursing home outbreaks, he said work had been ongoing for many weeks to prepare before cases occurred here and the response had been stepped up as challenges were identified.
Northern Ireland on Wednesday extended its Covid-19 restrictions for another three weeks.


theirishtimes--2020-04-16--Viruses hijack living host cells, and then replicate themselves

You must all be tired of hearing about coronavirus disease Covid-19 ( acronym for Co – corona , vi – virus , d – disease , 19 – 2019 , the year the disease was first detected ) .
Nevertheless , I thought readers would be interested in knowing more about viruses .
Life is divided into six kingdoms – animals , plants , bacteria , archaea ( bacteria-like organisms living in extreme conditions ) , protists ( eg amoebae ) and fungi .
The fundamental unit of each lifeform is the cell .
Every cell is surrounded by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divide into two daughter cells .
Viruses are not included in the six kingdoms of life because they are not cells .
In a strict sense they are not alive , dependent on hijacking living host cells within which they replicate themselves .
Viruses are unique .
They are both the smallest and the most abundant biological organisms , outnumbering all other biological entities put together .
They are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth .
A typical virus is about one hundredth the size of a bacterium , which in turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an animal cell .
Viruses have a simple structure composed of protein and genetic material ( RNA or DNA ) .
The genetic material carries coded information that allows the virus to replicate itself , and sits inside a protective coat of protein molecules called the nucleocapsid .
Viruses fall into three structural categories – spherical , rod-shaped and complex ( generally combining spherical and rod ) .
Animal viruses are also enclosed in a membrane “ envelope ” derived from the host cell .
.
Viruses infect organisms in each of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own genetic material into host cells ’ genetic material and directing the cells to use this information to make many copies of the virus .
These virus copies then escape from the host cell , often killing the cell in the process .
Virus infections sicken us by killing cells or disrupting cell function .
Coronaviruses are spherical enveloped viruses with surface projections giving each virus the appearance of a crown ( “ corona ” ) .
Four coronaviruses circulate in humans every year , mainly causing colds .
The virus that causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus family called severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 ( SARS-COV-2 ) .
Specific proteins on the virus envelope recognise and dock with receptors on the outside of the host cell .
The virus then enters the host cell .
Viruses cause many diseases in humans , including common colds , influenza and chickenpox , and more serious diseases like rabies , Ebola and Aids .
Some viruses have a narrow host range , others a wider range –the smallpox virus only infects humans but the rabies virus can infect several species @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ie can transfer to people from animals .
It is thought SARS-COV-2 that causes Covid-19 originated in bats .
We are advised to wash our hands in warm soapy water or alcohol-based sanitisers to protect ourselves from Covid-19 .
The basis for this protection is that soap and alcohol disrupt the fatty envelope around the virus , preventing it from docking with host cells .
We are also told to protect ourselves by maintaining a distance of two metres between ourselves and the nearest person .
Coronaviruses spread from person to person when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Respiratory droplets can land in your mouth or eye or nose .
Studies show that influenza can spread up to 1.8 metres , and this is why we are asked to stay two metres apart .
What about medicines to fight off viruses ?
Antibiotics don ’ t work because they are designed to fight bacteria .
A bacterium is a cell with a complex biochemistry ( metabolism ) .
Antibiotics are designed to disrupt this metabolism , thereby inactivating the bacterium .
A virus hijacks the metabolism of the host cell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cell itself , and has no target for an antibiotic to attack .
A number of anti-viral drugs known to inhibit coronavirus replication in cells are now in trial .
And , of course , we hope a vaccine will soon be available that will confer immunity against this virus .
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at University College Cork

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, ie can transfer to people from animals. It is thought SARS-COV-2 that causes Covid-19 originated in bats. Photograph: Getty Images
You must all be tired of hearing about coronavirus disease Covid-19 (acronym for Co – corona, vi – virus, d – disease, 19 – 2019, the year the disease was first detected). Nevertheless, I thought readers would be interested in knowing more about viruses.
Life is divided into six kingdoms – animals, plants, bacteria, archaea (bacteria-like organisms living in extreme conditions), protists (eg amoebae) and fungi. The fundamental unit of each lifeform is the cell. Every cell is surrounded by a fatty membrane, and can grow and divide into two daughter cells.
Viruses are not included in the six kingdoms of life because they are not cells. In a strict sense they are not alive, dependent on hijacking living host cells within which they replicate themselves.
Viruses are unique. They are both the smallest and the most abundant biological organisms, outnumbering all other biological entities put together. They are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth. A typical virus is about one hundredth the size of a bacterium, which in turn is about one twentieth the size of an animal cell.
READ MORE
Viruses have a simple structure composed of protein and genetic material (RNA or DNA). The genetic material carries coded information that allows the virus to replicate itself, and sits inside a protective coat of protein molecules called the nucleocapsid.
Viruses fall into three structural categories – spherical, rod-shaped and complex (generally combining spherical and rod). Animal viruses are also enclosed in a membrane “envelope” derived from the host cell. .
Viruses infect organisms in each of the six kingdoms of life, inserting their own genetic material into host cells’ genetic material and directing the cells to use this information to make many copies of the virus. These virus copies then escape from the host cell, often killing the cell in the process. Virus infections sicken us by killing cells or disrupting cell function.
Surface projections
Coronaviruses are spherical enveloped viruses with surface projections giving each virus the appearance of a crown (“corona”). Four coronaviruses circulate in humans every year, mainly causing colds.
The virus that causes Covid-19 is a new member of the coronavirus family called severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-COV-2). Specific proteins on the virus envelope recognise and dock with receptors on the outside of the host cell. The virus then enters the host cell.
Viruses cause many diseases in humans, including common colds, influenza and chickenpox, and more serious diseases like rabies, Ebola and Aids.
Some viruses have a narrow host range, others a wider range –the smallpox virus only infects humans but the rabies virus can infect several species of mammals.
Viruses fall into three structural categories – spherical, rod-shaped and complex (generally combining spherical and rod). Animal viruses are also enclosed in a membrane “envelope” derived from the host cell
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, ie can transfer to people from animals. It is thought SARS-COV-2 that causes Covid-19 originated in bats.
We are advised to wash our hands in warm soapy water or alcohol-based sanitisers to protect ourselves from Covid-19. The basis for this protection is that soap and alcohol disrupt the fatty envelope around the virus, preventing it from docking with host cells.
We are also told to protect ourselves by maintaining a distance of two metres between ourselves and the nearest person. Coronaviruses spread from person to person when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes. Respiratory droplets can land in your mouth or eye or nose. Studies show that influenza can spread up to 1.8 metres, and this is why we are asked to stay two metres apart.
Biochemistry
What about medicines to fight off viruses?
Antibiotics don’t work because they are designed to fight bacteria. A bacterium is a cell with a complex biochemistry (metabolism). Antibiotics are designed to disrupt this metabolism, thereby inactivating the bacterium.
A virus hijacks the metabolism of the host cell to replicate itself. It is not a cell itself, and has no target for an antibiotic to attack.
A number of anti-viral drugs known to inhibit coronavirus replication in cells are now in trial. And, of course, we hope a vaccine will soon be available that will confer immunity against this virus.
William Reville is an emeritus professor of biochemistry at University College Cork


theirishtimes--2020-04-16--Domestic abuse victims urged to contact services that remain open

Just as domestic abuse victims are being urged to contact services that remain open during the coronavirus outbreak , concerns have emerged that many trapped in their homes are less able to do so .
Efforts are being made to assist them by publicising the ongoing availability of domestic violence services amid the Covid-19 restrictions .
On Wednesday , radio , TV and social media ads developed by the Department of Justice and Equality with the collaboration of frontline services highlighted continuing supports for victims .
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre ( DRCC ) said it had seen no notable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now more “ intense ” .
“ Are we hearing about it ?
We are not , ” the organisation ’ s chief executive Noeline Blackwell said of any rise in domestic abuse experience .
“ The volume of calls to our helpline has not increased but what has increased is the intensity of the calls and the sense of isolation that people are reporting.
” Although the DRCC deals primarily with sexual violence , much of the contact it receives is from related domestic abuse .
Ms Blackwell said that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned any actual rise in incidents of abuse may not translate into calls given the restriction in opportunity to make a phone call .
Contacts to its helpline vary hugely but can typically last between 10 and 25 minutes .
Ms Blackwell said that whether due to looking after children , being under increased “ monitoring ” in the home or a general lack of privacy , opportunities may be severely curtailed .
“ This is actually happening with all the help lines as I understand it , in that they are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be .
The same thing happens every Christmas.
” It is a concern shared by Women ’ s Aid , whose chief executive Sarah Benson said her team has heard recent reports of women going outside to their car or garden shed to make contact .
This week , the National Women ’ s Council of Ireland highlighted that internationally it is too early to see the full impact of the pandemic on gender violence from official statistics .
The same applies in Ireland where Garda figures on domestic callouts , court data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to charity help lines have yet to emerge .
However there are anecdotal indicators .
Ms Benson said her organisation had received reports of men using the coronavirus as just “ another tool in a repertoire of behaviour ” with examples of some coughing on their victims or refusing to wash their hands even when a partner has an underlying health condition .
Some cases of controlling behaviour have escalated to violence .
Women ’ s Aid has had a “ sustained demand ” for its services , boosted significantly by a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ webchat service , negating the need for audible conversation , has also seen a jump in use in recent weeks .
“ What our team are reporting to us , ” Ms Benson said , “ is that there is always stress and anxiety and fear but the level of anxiety and stress with such a pressure cooker .
.
.
is absolutely having a really exasperating impact on people who are walking on eggshells.
” According to the BBC , France initially reported a sharp drop in calls to the national helpline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse had gone up by a third .
In Spain , another country where severe restrictions were introduced , there was an 18 per cent increase in calls in the first two weeks .
Here , gardaí have specified the priority nature of abuse complaints and the courts continue to process cases under domestic violence law .
The district court is hearing new applications for protection orders , dealing with threats of violence or putting people in fear ; and interim barring orders temporarily removing an individual from a home .
In cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violence are adjourned , interim protective orders are being extended as a tie-over .
However , Ms Benson said she was concerned about a relative lack of legal activity , not because of a drop in demand , but because of difficulties in leaving a domestic setting to pursue a court remedy .
One well-placed legal source said there was no indication of any increase in such court applications but that family law in general was markedly down due to public restrictions .
Jennifer Cuffe , a barrister working in the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no noticeable change in activity other than an emphasis on processing emergency cases .
She said those who needed various orders the most were often those who feared most for their safety – a factor likely to be exasperated by the current lockdown conditions .
“ There is always a lot of domestic violence cases , sadly , and there continues to be , ” she said .

Women’s Aid team has heard reports of women going outside to their car or garden shed to make contact due to a lack of privacy during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Just as domestic abuse victims are being urged to contact services that remain open during the coronavirus outbreak, concerns have emerged that many trapped in their homes are less able to do so.
Efforts are being made to assist them by publicising the ongoing availability of domestic violence services amid the Covid-19 restrictions. On Wednesday, radio, TV and social media ads developed by the Department of Justice and Equality with the collaboration of frontline services highlighted continuing supports for victims.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) said it had seen no notable increase in calls but those coming through are now more "intense".
"Are we hearing about it? We are not," the organisation's chief executive Noeline Blackwell said of any rise in domestic abuse experience.
READ MORE
“The volume of calls to our helpline has not increased but what has increased is the intensity of the calls and the sense of isolation that people are reporting.”
Although the DRCC deals primarily with sexual violence, much of the contact it receives is from related domestic abuse.
Ms Blackwell said that, along with other charities, it is concerned any actual rise in incidents of abuse may not translate into calls given the restriction in opportunity to make a phone call.
Contacts to its helpline vary hugely but can typically last between 10 and 25 minutes. Ms Blackwell said that whether due to looking after children, being under increased “monitoring” in the home or a general lack of privacy, opportunities may be severely curtailed.
Cars and sheds
“This is actually happening with all the help lines as I understand it, in that they are not as busy as people feel they should be. The same thing happens every Christmas.”
It is a concern shared by Women's Aid, whose chief executive Sarah Benson said her team has heard recent reports of women going outside to their car or garden shed to make contact.
This week, the National Women's Council of Ireland highlighted that internationally it is too early to see the full impact of the pandemic on gender violence from official statistics. The same applies in Ireland where Garda figures on domestic callouts, court data on applications and the level of calls to charity help lines have yet to emerge.
However there are anecdotal indicators. Ms Benson said her organisation had received reports of men using the coronavirus as just “another tool in a repertoire of behaviour” with examples of some coughing on their victims or refusing to wash their hands even when a partner has an underlying health condition. Some cases of controlling behaviour have escalated to violence.
Women’s Aid has had a “sustained demand” for its services, boosted significantly by a recent Late Late Show appearance. Their new webchat service, negating the need for audible conversation, has also seen a jump in use in recent weeks.
“What our team are reporting to us,” Ms Benson said, “is that there is always stress and anxiety and fear but the level of anxiety and stress with such a pressure cooker . . . is absolutely having a really exasperating impact on people who are walking on eggshells.”
Protection orders
According to the BBC, France initially reported a sharp drop in calls to the national helpline but within a week reports of domestic abuse had gone up by a third. In Spain, another country where severe restrictions were introduced, there was an 18 per cent increase in calls in the first two weeks.
Here, gardaí have specified the priority nature of abuse complaints and the courts continue to process cases under domestic violence law.
The district court is hearing new applications for protection orders, dealing with threats of violence or putting people in fear; and interim barring orders temporarily removing an individual from a home. In cases where safety order hearings dealing with threats of violence are adjourned, interim protective orders are being extended as a tie-over.
However, Ms Benson said she was concerned about a relative lack of legal activity, not because of a drop in demand, but because of difficulties in leaving a domestic setting to pursue a court remedy.
One well-placed legal source said there was no indication of any increase in such court applications but that family law in general was markedly down due to public restrictions.
Jennifer Cuffe, a barrister working in the family law court in Dublin, also said there was no noticeable change in activity other than an emphasis on processing emergency cases.
She said those who needed various orders the most were often those who feared most for their safety – a factor likely to be exasperated by the current lockdown conditions.
“There is always a lot of domestic violence cases, sadly, and there continues to be,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: What does exponential growth mean?

In its initial stages , the coronavirus pandemic grew at an exponential rate .
What does this mean ?
The number of infected people in a country is growing exponentially if it increases by a fixed multiple R each day : if N people are infected today , then R times N are infected tomorrow .
The size of the growth-rate R determines how rapidly the virus is spreading .
An example should make this clear .
Suppose that , on day zero , there is one infected person ; one is enough to start an epidemic !
We assume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is infective for just one day .
Suppose each infected person transmits the virus to two others and then recovers .
After one day , there are two infected people , after two days there are four , after three days eight , with the number doubling each day .
That is exponential growth , with a doubling time of one day .
From the initial case , the daily infection numbers continue with two , four , eight , 16 and 32 .
The numbers are small , but not for long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the 20th term is about a million .
Under these ( highly simplified ) conditions , the entire population of Ireland has been infected within 22 days .
Some of us recall school mathematics lessons on geometric series .
Each term of such a series is multiplied by a number R to get the next term .
We may even remember a formula for the sum of the first N terms of the series ; it involves R raised to the power N , that is , R multiplied by itself N @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series grow exponentially ; the power N to which the growth-rate R is raised is called the exponent .
If each term is double the one before ( so that R = 2 ) and the first term is 1 , then the 10th term is about a thousand and the 20th about a million .
Of course , exponential growth can not continue indefinitely .
Since the population is finite , and the vast majority of people recover , the graph of the number of infected people is bell-shaped , growing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the growth-rate R , related to what epidemiologists call R-naught – the basic reproduction number – can be reduced , the bell-shaped curve can be flattened and extended so we can buy time by reducing the peak burden on the health service , and save lives .
Legend has it that , long ago in the Gupta Empire , a great but greedy mathematician , Grababundel , presented to the Maharaja a new board game that he had devised , called Chaturanga – we call it chess .
The Maharaja was so pleased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , expecting that he would ask for the hand of the crown princess .
But no !
Grabundel said simply : “ Give me one grain of rice for the first square on the board , two for the second , four for the third , and so on ; doubling each time until the 64th square.
” This is exponential growth with a vengeance : the total amount of rice is about 18 million million million grains .
If a grain is spherical with radius 2mm , the packing density is 3/4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conical heap of height H and radius H , the total volume of the heap is about 800 cubic kilometres and the height of the cone is 9.3 km , higher than Mount Everest ( 8,848 m ) .
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at University College Dublin school of mathematics & statistics – he blogs at thatsmaths.com

Since the population is finite, and the vast majority of people recover, the graph of the number of infected people is bell-shaped, growing to a maximum and then declining
In its initial stages, the coronavirus pandemic grew at an exponential rate. What does this mean? The number of infected people in a country is growing exponentially if it increases by a fixed multiple R each day: if N people are infected today, then R times N are infected tomorrow. The size of the growth-rate R determines how rapidly the virus is spreading. An example should make this clear.
Suppose that, on day zero, there is one infected person; one is enough to start an epidemic! We assume, for simplicity, that an individual is infective for just one day. Suppose each infected person transmits the virus to two others and then recovers. After one day, there are two infected people, after two days there are four, after three days eight, with the number doubling each day. That is exponential growth, with a doubling time of one day.
From the initial case, the daily infection numbers continue with two, four, eight, 16 and 32. The numbers are small, but not for long. The 10th term is about 1,000 and the 20th term is about a million. Under these (highly simplified) conditions, the entire population of Ireland has been infected within 22 days.
Geometric series
Some of us recall school mathematics lessons on geometric series. Each term of such a series is multiplied by a number R to get the next term. We may even remember a formula for the sum of the first N terms of the series; it involves R raised to the power N, that is, R multiplied by itself N times.
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The terms of a geometric series grow exponentially; the power N to which the growth-rate R is raised is called the exponent. If each term is double the one before (so that R = 2) and the first term is 1, then the 10th term is about a thousand and the 20th about a million.
Of course, exponential growth cannot continue indefinitely. Since the population is finite, and the vast majority of people recover, the graph of the number of infected people is bell-shaped, growing to a maximum and then declining.
If the growth-rate R, related to what epidemiologists call R-naught – the basic reproduction number – can be reduced, the bell-shaped curve can be flattened and extended so we can buy time by reducing the peak burden on the health service, and save lives.
The origin of chess
Legend has it that, long ago in the Gupta Empire, a great but greedy mathematician, Grababundel, presented to the Maharaja a new board game that he had devised, called Chaturanga – we call it chess.
The Maharaja was so pleased he asked Grababundel to name his reward, expecting that he would ask for the hand of the crown princess. But no! Grabundel said simply: “Give me one grain of rice for the first square on the board, two for the second, four for the third, and so on; doubling each time until the 64th square.”
This is exponential growth with a vengeance: the total amount of rice is about 18 million million million grains. If a grain is spherical with radius 2mm, the packing density is 3/4, and the rice is stacked in a conical heap of height H and radius H, the total volume of the heap is about 800 cubic kilometres and the height of the cone is 9.3 km, higher than Mount Everest (8,848 m).
Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at University College Dublin school of mathematics & statistics – he blogs at thatsmaths.com


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--Man in critical condition following stabbing in Dublin

A man is fighting for his life following a stabbing in Dublin on Wednesday night .
Gardaí were alerted to @ @ @ @ @ at Ballybough House in the inner city just before 10pm .
When they arrived on @ @ @ @ @ , who is his early twenties , was discovered in a green area beside a @ @ @ @ @ injuries were described as “ life threatening ” by a Garda spokesman .
He has @ @ @ @ @ department of the Mater hospital .
No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing @ @ @ @ @ preserved and gardaí are conducting searches of the area .
No weapon has been recovered @ @ @ @ @ witnesses or anyone with information to come forward .

The scene has been preserved and gardaí are conducting searches. Photograph: Google Street
A 20 year old man stabbed to death in north inner city Dublin last night has been named locally as Glen Osborne.
The man, from Taafe Place Ballybough died shortly after he was stabbed once in the upper body outside Ballybough House just before 10pm. A 16-year-old boy, who is understood to be from the same area, has been arrested and is in Garda custody.
Gardaí believe the stabbing a occurred following a confrontation involving several youths in a carpark outside the flats complex.
Mr Osborne and his partner were expecting their first child in a few months. He worked in a retail outlet in the city centre.
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Paramedics attempted to revive him at the scene of the stabbing before bringing him to the Mater Hospital where he died a short time later. The 16-year-old boy was arrested in the early hours of this morning and remains in garda custody in Mountjoy Garda Station where he can be questioned for up to 24 hours.
Gardaí have launched a murder enquiry and have established an incident room at the station.
Searches and door to door inquiries were ongoing in the area today and some evidence has been recovered.
The scene of the fatal stabbing is overlooked by many flats and gardaí are eager to speak to any occupants with relevant information.
The scene has been preserved for technical and forensic examination.
The office of the State Pathologist has been notified and a post mortem is to take place shortly.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--Two healthcare workers at Kilkenny hospital die of Covid-19

Two healthcare workers at a Kilkenny hospital have died from Covid-19 in the space of 24 hours .
A woman in her 50s and a man in his 40s both fell ill while working at St Luke ’ s General Hospital .
The woman was a member of the household staff , while the man was a healthcare assistant .
The woman and man were tested for Covid-19 and found to have contracted the virus .
The woman died in the hospital on Wednesday and the man died at his home on Tuesday .
A spokeswoman for the Ireland East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s , confirmed the deaths to The Irish Times on Wednesday night , and said the group was “ deeply saddened ” about what had happened .
“ We send our condolences to their families , friends and colleagues , ” she said .
“ We have no further comment to make.
” It is understood that staff at St Luke ’ s were deeply shocked by the deaths .
A moment of reflection was held on Wednesday to remember the man and woman and a guard of honour was formed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 38 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 - including a 23-year-old - were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Wednesday , bringing the total to 444 .
It is understood that three healthcare workers have died as a result of Covid-19 since the pandemic reached the State .
Of the 12,547 coronavirus cases confirmed to date , 2,872 cases are associated with healthcare workers .

Eight residents in a Co Laois psychiatric centre have died from Covid-19 since the weekend.
The HSE has confirmed that nine residents in the Maryborough Centre, St Fintan's Hospital, Portlaoise, Co Laois, died over the bank holiday weekend.
Eight of the residents, aged between 66 and 84 years, had tested positive for Covid-19. The 17 residents who remain living at the facility are being managed “as if Covid-19 positive regardless of test results or the presence of symptoms”, the HSE said.
“The HSE would like to express its sincere sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased,” it added.
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“Staff at the centre are in contact with the families of the deceased and are available for support and advice.”
The Maryborough Centre for Psychiatry of Old Age is a recently refurbished unit with multiple occupancy rooms and is registered with the Mental Health Commission for 28 beds.
The HSE said while a number of staff at the Maryborough Centre are currently on sick leave “the current compliment of staff is sufficient to manage the centre”.
“A number of additional staff were redeployed to the Maryborough Centre in the week prior to Easter weekend following the diagnosis of Covid-19 in the resident group and to support their greater care needs,” it said.
Dr Siobhán Ní Bhriain, the HSE’s National Lead for Integrated Care, said that the patients at the Maryborough centre were cared for by two consultants and a palliative care support team.
Efforts were made to identify which patients had the virus and those who did not so they could be separated, she explained to RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland.
The type of care at the centre was called ‘cohorting’ she said which meant there were a number of beds in one room.
If a patient was suspected of having Covid-19 they would be isolated and nursed separately, she said. This could be “very difficult” in some situations.
The 17 remaining patients in the centre are being closely monitored, said Dr Ní Bhriain.
Dr Colm Henry, chief clinical officer at the HSE, said the virus was particularly lethal in settings with older people and that people who are older can present atypically with just “subtle signs or subtle changes” if they have the disease.
“It is more difficult to detect in older, frailer people and therefore those signs that might be seen in younger people in the community where illness is much more obvious, where a fever is much more obvious, and a cough is much more disruptive…is not so apparent in a residential care setting.
“What we need to do now is redouble our efforts to bring in timely, rapid testing for staff and residents in nursing home facilities,” he said.
He agreed that the virus is far more likely to spread in facilities where residents share rooms.
“If we were designing a type of care that was suitable for pandemic management we wouldn’t start here…we certainly would have a single room occupancy everywhere,” he said.
“But we don’t so what we have to do in this pandemic management is work with the tried and tested clinicians who are taking care of these patients.”
Separately, two healthcare workers at a Kilkenny hospital - a woman in her 50s and a man in his 40s - fell ill while working at St Luke’s General Hospital and have died. The woman was a member of the household staff, while the man was a healthcare assistant.
The woman and man were tested for Covid-19 and found to have contracted the virus. The woman died in the hospital on Wednesday and the man died at his home on Tuesday.
A woman in her 50s and a man in his 40s both fell ill while working at St Luke’s General Hospital.
A spokeswoman for the Ireland East Hospital Group, which manages St Luke's, confirmed the deaths to The Irish Times on Wednesday night, and said the group was "deeply saddened" about what had happened.
“We send our condolences to their families, friends and colleagues,” she said. “We have no further comment to make.”
It is understood that staff at St Luke’s were deeply shocked by the deaths. A moment of reflection was held on Wednesday to remember the man and woman and a guard of honour was formed at the hospital.
‘We have to get it lower’
The deaths of another 38 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 - including a 23-year-old - were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Wednesday, bringing the total to 444. It is understood that three healthcare workers have died as a result of Covid-19 since the pandemic reached the State.
Of the 12,547 coronavirus cases confirmed to date, 2,872 cases are associated with healthcare workers.
Meanwhile, Professor Liam Glynn of the Medical school at the University of Limerick and a GP in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, who has been mapping the progress of the Covid-19 virus, has said that while there has been some stabilising of the number of deaths, there are still a significant number of new cases every day.
“This is still a big number, we have to get it lower,” he told Newstalk Breakfast on Thursday.
The expansion of care into assessment centres means that GPs are now “stepping into the fire,” he said.
If the government had not acted when it did and how it did and if the public had not responded then the situation would have been far worse with many more deaths, he said.
The numbers have to be suppressed so that the health service is not overloaded, he added.
While a five per cent growth rate (down from 30 per cent at one stage), might seem low, he said, it was still “a big number” and 20 per cent of those people would have to be hospitalised and five per cent would need ventilators.
“We all need to get used to the changes, to the physical and social distancing measures until immunity is gained and that will either be through getting the virus and recovering or through a vaccine,” he added.


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--Former Defence Forces chief of staff dies of Covid-19

Former chief of staff of the Defence Forces , retired Lieut Gen James Parker , has died as a result of Covid-19 .
Lieut Gen Parker , who was 91 , had been in a nursing home since August but was recently taken home to be cared for by family .
He was admitted to Naas General Hospital last week after his breathing deteriorated and died on Tuesday , a day before his 92nd birthday .
Ordinarily Lieut Gen Parker would receive a State funeral , however this can not go ahead due to the coronavirus restrictions .
Lieut Gen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cork in 1929 .
He joined the Defence Forces as a cadet in 1948 as part of the 21st cadet class .
He rose through the officer ranks and was appointed chief of staff of the Defence Forces in 1989 .
His tenure as head of the military coincided with the latter stages of the Troubles , a largescale modernisation programme for the Defence Forces and the deployment of Irish troops to 16 countries on peacekeeping and observer missions .
During his 44-year career , Lieut Gen Parker served on missions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in various countries in the Middle-East .
He served initially in the general training depot as a second lieutenant before moving to the 4th Infantry Battalion .
He went on to serve as an instructor in the cadet school , the infantry school and the command and staff college .
He was then appointed as commander of the 3rd Infantry Battalion before he was promoted to colonel and director of the Reserve Defence Forces .
He later served as executive officer of both the Western and Curragh Command .
Sent to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a platoon commander and an intelligence officer with the 35th Infantry Battalion which was sent to the Congo in 1961 as part of a UN peacekeeping mission .
His battalion was one of the first contingents of Irish UN peacekeepers to serve abroad .
It was the battalion ’ s A company which was involved in the Siege of Jadotville which saw a small number of Irish soldiers fight off thousands of mercenaries in September 1961 .
He also completed two tours of duty as chief military observer with the United Nations Military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 1988 then Colonel Parker was promoted to brigadier general and the next year to major general and adjutant general of the Defence Forces , responsible for administration and discipline .
In October 1989 he was promoted to lieutant general and appointed as chief of staff , the most senior post in the Defence Forces , below only the president who is nominally its commander .
Lieut Gen Parker retired in 1992 on age grounds and lived in Kildare with his now deceased wife Breeda .
In his retirement , he became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vincent De Paul charity .
The Parkers had five sons and one daughter .
“ He was a very loving family man , a very keen golfer and a great gardener , ” his son and former Air Corps pilot Ciaran Parker recalled on Wednesday .
His family thanked the staff of Craddock House Nursing Home and Naas Hospital for their care of Lieut Gen Parker .
A small family funeral is to take place with a memorial mass planned for a later date .
Friends who wish to leave condolences can @ @ @ @ @

Lieut Gen James Parker, DSM, retired chief of staff of the Defence Forces who served from 1989-1992. Photograph : Bill Power
Former chief of staff of the Defence Forces, retired Lieut Gen James Parker, has died as a result of Covid-19.
Lieut Gen Parker, who was 91, had been in a nursing home since August but was recently taken home to be cared for by family. He was admitted to Naas General Hospital last week after his breathing deteriorated and died on Tuesday, a day before his 92nd birthday.
Ordinarily Lieut Gen Parker would receive a State funeral, however this cannot go ahead due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Lieut Gen Parker was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork in 1929. He joined the Defence Forces as a cadet in 1948 as part of the 21st cadet class. He rose through the officer ranks and was appointed chief of staff of the Defence Forces in 1989.
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His tenure as head of the military coincided with the latter stages of the Troubles, a largescale modernisation programme for the Defence Forces and the deployment of Irish troops to 16 countries on peacekeeping and observer missions.
During his 44-year career, Lieut Gen Parker served on missions in the Congo, Egypt, Cyprus, India/Pakistan and in various countries in the Middle-East.
He served initially in the general training depot as a second lieutenant before moving to the 4th Infantry Battalion. He went on to serve as an instructor in the cadet school, the infantry school and the command and staff college.
He was then appointed as commander of the 3rd Infantry Battalion before he was promoted to colonel and director of the Reserve Defence Forces. He later served as executive officer of both the Western and Curragh Command.
Sent to the Congo
His first overseas posting was as a platoon commander and an intelligence officer with the 35th Infantry Battalion which was sent to the Congo in 1961 as part of a UN peacekeeping mission.
His battalion was one of the first contingents of Irish UN peacekeepers to serve abroad. It was the battalion’s A company which was involved in the Siege of Jadotville which saw a small number of Irish soldiers fight off thousands of mercenaries in September 1961.
He also completed two tours of duty as chief military observer with the United Nations Military Observer Group India and Pakistan between 1987-1989.
In 1988 then Colonel Parker was promoted to brigadier general and the next year to major general and adjutant general of the Defence Forces, responsible for administration and discipline.
In October 1989 he was promoted to lieutant general and appointed as chief of staff, the most senior post in the Defence Forces, below only the president who is nominally its commander.
Lieut Gen Parker retired in 1992 on age grounds and lived in Kildare with his now deceased wife Breeda.
In his retirement, he became an expert beekeeper and worked extensively with the Vincent De Paul charity.
The Parkers had five sons and one daughter.
"He was a very loving family man, a very keen golfer and a great gardener," his son and former Air Corps pilot Ciaran Parker recalled on Wednesday. His family thanked the staff of Craddock House Nursing Home and Naas Hospital for their care of Lieut Gen Parker.
A small family funeral is to take place with a memorial mass planned for a later date. Friends who wish to leave condolences can do so on rip.ie.


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--English language students in ‘precarious situation’ as courses stall

More than 1,000 foreign language students have been left thousands of euro out of pocket following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic , with many living in overcrowded settings and no means of securing an income , according to an online survey .
The research , carried out by an English language teacher in Dublin , indicates some schools are offering credits rather than refunds and recommending students take their courses at a later date .
Visa restrictions mean most of these students would have to reapply and pay for permission to remain in the country in order to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students who responded to the survey had not secured a PPS number before the crisis and a third had not yet received their Irish Residence Permit ( IRP ) .
Only 31 per cent had a job before Covid-19 , and nearly all respondents have now lost these jobs .
Some 93 per cent of respondents said they had not received a refund on their English language course .
Most students paid an average of €2,600 for their course although some claimed to have spent up to €15,000 on their studies .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrowed a lot of money in order to be able to come here to learn English and develop professionally , ” says Fiachra Ó Luain who conducted the online survey with data analyst Hervé Lannou .
“ Schools should be forced to reimburse students who paid for courses and are now unable to avail of them.
” Mr Ó Luain says teachers at one Dublin school were offered about €200 a week to conduct online courses with students during the pandemic even though fees were collected from students ahead of the Covid-19 outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel reassured by support from the unions , said Mr Ó Luain .
Meanwhile students , many of whom speak limited English , are “ freaking out ” , he said .
Some students who worked before the crisis do not qualify for the Covid-19 employment support payment because they earned cash in hand and have no proof of employment , said Mr Ó Luain .
Nearly 20 per cent of those surveyed can not claim the benefit because they do not have a PPS number .
The survey also found students are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people while some landlords are rejecting tenants ’ requests for rent reduction during the pandemic .
Nearly half of the students surveyed were unaware of the temporary ban on evictions and rent increases during the public health crisis .
Nearly two-thirds of respondents were Brazilian with Mexicans , Chileans , Bolivians , Argentines , Hondurans and Cost Ricans also taking part in the survey .
In an email to Government Ministers sent by MEP Clare Daly and seen by The Irish Times , Ms Daly warned that English language students had been left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precarious situation ” that poses a risk to general public health .
Ms Daly called for the appointment of a task force to reach out to young students and take “ corrective action ” .
People Before Profit ’ s Richard Boyd Barrett , who has raised the challenges facing foreign students on a number of occasions since the crisis hit , warned the Government had been far too slow in taking measures to protect this vulnerable group .
A dedicated portal should be set up where students with limited English can get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The Department of Social Protection has been the most responsive but it remains to be seen whether students will be able to access the support that ’ s available , ” he told The Irish Times .
“ This is a public health and safety issue .
I ’ d urge the Government to respond much more quickly and comprehensively to the plight of these vulnerable people.
” Some 20,000 English language students from outside the European Economic Area registered to study in Ireland last year , according to the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Stamp 2 ” permission which allows students to work for up to 20 hours per week during term time and 40 hours outside term time .
Under the recently introduced Covid-19 regulations , foreign students may work up to 40 hours per week while their college is closed during the pandemic .
This work permission is “ subject to the need for the service in which they are employed as being regarded as essential in the current environment ” , said a justice spokesman .
Permission to work is also conditional on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option is made available by the language school .
Students who can prove they lost their employment due to the coronavirus pandemic can apply for the Government ’ s unemployment payment , he added .

More than 1,000 foreign language students have been left thousands of euro out of pocket following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many living in overcrowded settings and no means of securing an income, according to an online survey.
The research, carried out by an English language teacher in Dublin, indicates some schools are offering credits rather than refunds and recommending students take their courses at a later date. Visa restrictions mean most of these students would have to reapply and pay for permission to remain in the country in order to continue their studies.
Nearly two-thirds of 1,032 students who responded to the survey had not secured a PPS number before the crisis and a third had not yet received their Irish Residence Permit (IRP). Only 31 per cent had a job before Covid-19, and nearly all respondents have now lost these jobs.
Some 93 per cent of respondents said they had not received a refund on their English language course. Most students paid an average of €2,600 for their course although some claimed to have spent up to €15,000 on their studies.
READ MORE
“Many have invested their entire savings or borrowed a lot of money in order to be able to come here to learn English and develop professionally,” says Fiachra Ó Luain who conducted the online survey with data analyst Hervé Lannou. “Schools should be forced to reimburse students who paid for courses and are now unable to avail of them.”
Mr Ó Luain says teachers at one Dublin school were offered about €200 a week to conduct online courses with students during the pandemic even though fees were collected from students ahead of the Covid-19 outbreak. Teachers are stressed and exhausted but feel reassured by support from the unions, said Mr Ó Luain. Meanwhile students, many of whom speak limited English, are “freaking out”, he said.
Proof of employment
Some students who worked before the crisis do not qualify for the Covid-19 employment support payment because they earned cash in hand and have no proof of employment, said Mr Ó Luain. Nearly 20 per cent of those surveyed cannot claim the benefit because they do not have a PPS number.
The survey also found students are living in houses with up to 24 people while some landlords are rejecting tenants’ requests for rent reduction during the pandemic. Nearly half of the students surveyed were unaware of the temporary ban on evictions and rent increases during the public health crisis.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents were Brazilian with Mexicans, Chileans, Bolivians, Argentines, Hondurans and Cost Ricans also taking part in the survey.
In an email to Government Ministers sent by MEP Clare Daly and seen by The Irish Times, Ms Daly warned that English language students had been left “isolated” and in a “precarious situation” that poses a risk to general public health.
Ms Daly called for the appointment of a task force to reach out to young students and take “corrective action”.
People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett, who has raised the challenges facing foreign students on a number of occasions since the crisis hit, warned the Government had been far too slow in taking measures to protect this vulnerable group. A dedicated portal should be set up where students with limited English can get in touch for support, he said.
‘Vulnerable people’
"The Department of Social Protection has been the most responsive but it remains to be seen whether students will be able to access the support that's available," he told The Irish Times. "This is a public health and safety issue. I'd urge the Government to respond much more quickly and comprehensively to the plight of these vulnerable people."
Some 20,000 English language students from outside the European Economic Area registered to study in Ireland last year, according to the Department of Justice. Most of these have "Stamp 2" permission which allows students to work for up to 20 hours per week during term time and 40 hours outside term time. Under the recently introduced Covid-19 regulations, foreign students may work up to 40 hours per week while their college is closed during the pandemic.
This work permission is “subject to the need for the service in which they are employed as being regarded as essential in the current environment”, said a justice spokesman. Permission to work is also conditional on students completing their course online if the option is made available by the language school.
Students who can prove they lost their employment due to the coronavirus pandemic can apply for the Government’s unemployment payment, he added.


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--Man charged with ill-treating and assaulting his baby daughter in Ennis

A man has appeared in court charged with assaulting , ill-treating and neglecting his three-and-a-half-month-old baby daughter at several locations across Ennis town centre last weekend .
At Ennis District Court on Wednesday , the man appeared via video link from a prison concerning the alleged offence which took place last Friday night and early Saturday morning .
In the case , the man is charged with wilfully assaulting , ill-treating and neglecting his three-and-a-half month old daughter in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering and injury to the baby ’ s health and seriously affect her well being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offence at several locations across Ennis over a four- hour period from shortly after 10pm on Friday , April 10th to shortly after 2am , Saturday , April 11th .
The alleged assault , ill-treatment and neglect of the baby is alleged to have occurred at six locations across Ennis .
Members of the Garda Armed Response Unit along with trained negotiators were called in to defuse the situation last Saturday night and the man was arrested and the baby was returned into the arms of her mother shortly after 2am .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 246 of the Children ’ s Act 2001 and if the case goes before the circuit court , a judge can impose a prison term up to seven years in jail if the man is convicted of the offence .
The man is also charged with the assault causing harm of his partner and the child ’ s mother on Friday , April 10th at an address in Ennis prior to the alleged assault of the baby .
The man first appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at the weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was remanded in custody to appear before Ennis District Court on Wednesday .
In court on Wednesday , Sgt Aiden Lonergan stated there are “ serious undertones ” to the offences before the court and asked that the case be adjourned to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions provide directions in the case .
Solicitor for the accused man , Daragh Hassett stated that Judge Mary Larkin in the special court on Sunday directed that a psychiatric assessment be carried out on the man while in prison .
Mr Hassett stated it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecution and defence , that the assessment be complete for the next court date .
Judge Patrick Durcan stated this was a matter for Mr Hassett to follow up with the prison authorities on behalf of his client .
Judge Durcan directed that reporting restrictions be imposed in the case and that the name and address of the accused and injured parties not be disclosed .
Judge Durcan remanded the accused man in custody to appear before Ennis District Court for May 6th .

A man has appeared in court charged with assaulting, ill-treating and neglecting his three-and-a-half-month-old baby daughter at several locations across Ennis town centre last weekend.
At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, the man appeared via video link from a prison concerning the alleged offence which took place last Friday night and early Saturday morning.
In the case, the man is charged with wilfully assaulting, ill-treating and neglecting his three-and-a-half month old daughter in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering and injury to the baby’s health and seriously affect her well being.
The man is accused of the offence at several locations across Ennis over a four- hour period from shortly after 10pm on Friday, April 10th to shortly after 2am, Saturday, April 11th.
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The alleged assault, ill-treatment and neglect of the baby is alleged to have occurred at six locations across Ennis.
Members of the Garda Armed Response Unit along with trained negotiators were called in to defuse the situation last Saturday night and the man was arrested and the baby was returned into the arms of her mother shortly after 2am.
The child assault/ill-treatment charge is contrary to Section 246 of the Children’s Act 2001 and if the case goes before the circuit court, a judge can impose a prison term up to seven years in jail if the man is convicted of the offence.
The man is also charged with the assault causing harm of his partner and the child’s mother on Friday, April 10th at an address in Ennis prior to the alleged assault of the baby.
The man first appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at the weekend concerning the two alleged offences and he was remanded in custody to appear before Ennis District Court on Wednesday.
In court on Wednesday, Sgt Aiden Lonergan stated there are “serious undertones” to the offences before the court and asked that the case be adjourned to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions provide directions in the case.
Solicitor for the accused man, Daragh Hassett stated that Judge Mary Larkin in the special court on Sunday directed that a psychiatric assessment be carried out on the man while in prison.
Mr Hassett stated it would be beneficial to all parties, the prosecution and defence, that the assessment be complete for the next court date.
Judge Patrick Durcan stated this was a matter for Mr Hassett to follow up with the prison authorities on behalf of his client.
Judge Durcan directed that reporting restrictions be imposed in the case and that the name and address of the accused and injured parties not be disclosed.
Judge Durcan remanded the accused man in custody to appear before Ennis District Court for May 6th.


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--One in five secondary school pupils lack reliable broadband

One in five secondary school children do not have reliable broadband and face major challenges with remote learning , a new survey indicates .
The poll of more than 3,600 parents was carried out by the National Parents Council post-primary earlier this month .
While the vast majority of students are in contact with teachers and receiving assignments , the findings indicate at least 15 per cent of young people are not receiving any feedback .
The vast majority of students are using a combination of text books and digital tools to learn and complete assignments .
School email is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with text messaging services and WhatsApp also commonly used .
However , up to 20 per cent of parents surveyed say do not have reliable broadband available in their household .
In addition , some 30 per cent say they experience issues with connectivity such as poor speeds and intermittent service .
“ Broadband at the moment is very slow and breaks down quite frequently as we live in a rural area and infrastructure in the area is not capable of providing a full service as everyone is on internet , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commented : “ Sometimes the broadband strength is too weak so my son walks up the road where he can get a 4G signal and sends the work on his phone.
” Primary and secondary schools across the country closed last month as part of the Government ’ s effort to curb the spread of coronavirus , also known as Covid-19 .
Most parents ( 79 per cent ) said no difficulties had arisen in communication with schools .
Where there were difficulties , most reported that these issues had since been addressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have unlimited access to their devices ( 80 per cent ) .
Of those with limited access , most still used their devices for more than five hours per day .
In unprompted comments , many parents said they felt students with additional needs such as dyslexia were suffering from a lack of structure , routine and support .
Some also felt the volume of work being sent to their children was overwhelming , with children spending up to five or six hours on homework .
However , others were very complimentary and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredible ” supports .
In its recommendations , the council calls for efforts to be placed into ensuring that all students have the means necessary to work efficiently at home , including appropriate devices and broadband coverage .
It also highlights the need for individualised supports for students with special or additional needs to ensure that they are not disproportionately affected by school closures .
Responding to the survey , Fianna Fáil ’ s education spokesman Thomas Byrne called for increased supports for pupils home-schooling without access to broadband .
“ The ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unplanned migration to distance learning , ” he said .
“ While it is welcome that this survey indicates that the vast majority of students are in contact with teachers , and that our education system is responding to this new way of working , it also indicates a number of areas in which we need to urgently improve .
”

One in five secondary school children do not have reliable broadband and face major challenges with remote learning, a new survey indicates. Photograph: iStock
One in five secondary school children do not have reliable broadband and face major challenges with remote learning, a new survey indicates.
The poll of more than 3,600 parents was carried out by the National Parents Council post-primary earlier this month.
While the vast majority of students are in contact with teachers and receiving assignments, the findings indicate at least 15 per cent of young people are not receiving any feedback.
The vast majority of students are using a combination of text books and digital tools to learn and complete assignments.
READ MORE
School email is the most popular mechanism of communication, with text messaging services and WhatsApp also commonly used.
Reliable
However, up to 20 per cent of parents surveyed say do not have reliable broadband available in their household.
In addition, some 30 per cent say they experience issues with connectivity such as poor speeds and intermittent service.
“Broadband at the moment is very slow and breaks down quite frequently as we live in a rural area and infrastructure in the area is not capable of providing a full service as everyone is on internet,” said one parent who was surveyed.
Another commented: “Sometimes the broadband strength is too weak so my son walks up the road where he can get a 4G signal and sends the work on his phone.”
Primary and secondary schools across the country closed last month as part of the Government’s effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, also known as Covid-19.
Most parents (79 per cent) said no difficulties had arisen in communication with schools. Where there were difficulties, most reported that these issues had since been addressed.
Parents also indicated that most students have unlimited access to their devices (80 per cent).
Of those with limited access, most still used their devices for more than five hours per day.
In unprompted comments, many parents said they felt students with additional needs such as dyslexia were suffering from a lack of structure, routine and support.
Overwhelming
Some also felt the volume of work being sent to their children was overwhelming, with children spending up to five or six hours on homework.
However, others were very complimentary and said schools and teachers had provided “incredible” supports.
In its recommendations, the council calls for efforts to be placed into ensuring that all students have the means necessary to work efficiently at home, including appropriate devices and broadband coverage.
It also highlights the need for individualised supports for students with special or additional needs to ensure that they are not disproportionately affected by school closures.
Responding to the survey, Fianna Fáil's education spokesman Thomas Byrne called for increased supports for pupils home-schooling without access to broadband.
“The ongoing school closures have resulted in a large-scale unplanned migration to distance learning,” he said.
“While it is welcome that this survey indicates that the vast majority of students are in contact with teachers, and that our education system is responding to this new way of working, it also indicates a number of areas in which we need to urgently improve.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--Woman jailed for 14 months after running car over garda’s leg

A Co Clare mother of two with 79 convictions was jailed for 14 months , Wednesday , for having driven directly at a garda and running her car over his right leg , a court heard .
Amanda Hayes ( 30 ) , with an address at Inis Ealga , Shannon , Co Clare , was also given a four-year driving ban at Limerick District Court .
Reading his victim impact statement in court , Garda Ferdia O ’ Halloran said one of the tyres of Ms Hayes ’ s car collided with his lower leg , calf and shin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his right knee to “ rupture ” .
“ Both my legs had to be operated on , ” he said , explaining that surgeons took a graft from a ligament from his left leg and attached it to his right knee , which was bound with “ four screws ” .
Garda O ’ Halloran said he was concerned the injury could affect his “ future career ” in the force .
He said he is continuing to suffer physically , emotionally , and financially .
“ I ’ ve been out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay and because of the actions of [ the accused ] I ’ ll be out of work for over a year at least , ” he told the court .
“ I ’ ve had to take out a loan to cover my expenses .
I honestly don ’ t know when I will get back to normal.
” Using crutches to help him walk to the witness box , Garda O ’ Halloran said he had “ not been able to walk properly ” since the incident on July 29th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ ve been left with “ little or no stability in my leg ” .
He recalled “ collapsing to the floor in agony ” after attempting to put a spoon in a dishwasher , following the incident .
He said he is no longer able to play sport or go hillclimbing , which he enjoyed on a weekly basis prior to the incident .
He complained of not being able to sleep properly due to a “ constant ache ” in his leg , and that he has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged the incident took place on Dock Road , Limerick , at around 3.45pm , and that gardaí pursued Ms Hayes after her vehicle was observed by officers “ acting suspiciously ” .
Ms Hayes pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving ; one count of endangerment to Garda O ’ Halloran ; as well as driving without insurance , tax , or a licence .
Gardaí first spotted the car at Rosbrien on the M20 driving dangerously .
Sergeant Sean Murray , prosecuting , said the car “ nearly collided ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motorway , after it “ swerved ” .
Gardai observed the car “ weaving in and out of traffic ” on Shannon Bridge , Limerick city ; crossing over a continuous white line , grass margins , and a hatched line .
At several stages the car swerved dangerously towards oncoming traffic causing other road users to break suddenly .
Garda O ’ Halloran , who was travelling on a pedal cycle on Dock Rock stopped Ms Hayes ’ s car after responding to a radio call for assistance from his colleagues who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray told the court : “ Ms Hayes looked at him as he walked to her car , and suddenly she turned the car right and drove directly towards Garda O ’ Halloran who wasn ’ t lucky enough to get out of her way.
” Sgt Murray relayed a litany of Ms Hayes ’ s past crimes , which included theft , burglary , escaping custody , making a false report to gardaí , as well as other road traffic offences .
Ms Hayes ’ s solicitor , Darrach McCarthy , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s evidence that the accused drove “ directly towards ” him .
He said Ms Hayes was under the influence of intoxicants at the time .
He said she “ lost her mother in a road traffic incident a couple of years ago ” and that this “ compounded her shock ” at the serious nature of Gda O ’ Halloran ’ s injuries .
Leave to appeal the sentence was granted .

Garda Ferdia O’Halloran said one of the tyres of Ms Hayes’s car collided with his lower leg, calf and shin bone, resulting in a ligament in his right knee to “rupture”. Photograph Liam Burke/Press 22
A Co Clare mother of two with 79 convictions was jailed for 14 months, Wednesday, for having driven directly at a garda and running her car over his right leg, a court heard.
Amanda Hayes (30), with an address at Inis Ealga, Shannon, Co Clare, was also given a four-year driving ban at Limerick District Court.
Reading his victim impact statement in court, Garda Ferdia O’Halloran said one of the tyres of Ms Hayes’s car collided with his lower leg, calf and shin bone, resulting in a ligament in his right knee to “rupture”.
“Both my legs had to be operated on,” he said, explaining that surgeons took a graft from a ligament from his left leg and attached it to his right knee, which was bound with “four screws”.
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Garda O’Halloran said he was concerned the injury could affect his “future career” in the force.
He said he is continuing to suffer physically, emotionally, and financially.
“I’ve been out of work for 35 weeks on basic pay and because of the actions of [the accused] I’ll be out of work for over a year at least,” he told the court.
“I’ve had to take out a loan to cover my expenses. I honestly don’t know when I will get back to normal.”
Using crutches to help him walk to the witness box, Garda O’Halloran said he had “not been able to walk properly” since the incident on July 29th, 2019, at Dock Road, Limerick.
“I’ve been left with “little or no stability in my leg”.
He recalled “collapsing to the floor in agony” after attempting to put a spoon in a dishwasher, following the incident.
He said he is no longer able to play sport or go hillclimbing, which he enjoyed on a weekly basis prior to the incident.
He complained of not being able to sleep properly due to a “constant ache” in his leg, and that he has to wear a leg brace.
The State alleged the incident took place on Dock Road, Limerick, at around 3.45pm, and that gardaí pursued Ms Hayes after her vehicle was observed by officers “acting suspiciously”.
Ms Hayes pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving; one count of endangerment to Garda O’Halloran; as well as driving without insurance, tax, or a licence.
Gardaí first spotted the car at Rosbrien on the M20 driving dangerously.
Sergeant Sean Murray, prosecuting, said the car “nearly collided” with a central crash barrier on the motorway, after it “swerved”.
Gardai observed the car “weaving in and out of traffic” on Shannon Bridge, Limerick city; crossing over a continuous white line, grass margins, and a hatched line.
At several stages the car swerved dangerously towards oncoming traffic causing other road users to break suddenly.
Garda O’Halloran, who was travelling on a pedal cycle on Dock Rock stopped Ms Hayes’s car after responding to a radio call for assistance from his colleagues who were involved in the pursuit.
Sergeant Murray told the court: “Ms Hayes looked at him as he walked to her car, and suddenly she turned the car right and drove directly towards Garda O’Halloran who wasn’t lucky enough to get out of her way.”
Sgt Murray relayed a litany of Ms Hayes’s past crimes, which included theft, burglary, escaping custody, making a false report to gardaí, as well as other road traffic offences.
Ms Hayes’s solicitor, Darrach McCarthy, said he accepted Garda O’Halloran’s evidence that the accused drove “directly towards” him.
He said Ms Hayes was under the influence of intoxicants at the time. He said she “lost her mother in a road traffic incident a couple of years ago” and that this “compounded her shock” at the serious nature of Gda O’Halloran’s injuries.
Leave to appeal the sentence was granted.


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--Gardaí intercept car transporting guns and cocaine

Gangland criminals were attempting to move firearms and cocaine with a street value of €500,000 from one safehouse to another when they were caught by gardaí at a routine Covid-19 checkpoint .
The criminals had put the drugs into pizza boxes for transportation by car across Dublin city .
Searches of properties linked to the three people arrested continued on Wednesday , including the search of a property on Sean McDermott Street in the north inner city .
Gardaí are still trying to establish why the guns and drugs were being moved .
The three suspects under arrest are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were working on the orders of others .
One line of inquiry is that the owners of the guns and drugs were worried the items might be uncovered due to an increase in anti-gangland operations which began several weeks ago .
Drugs and organised crime units have been ordered to monitor and target known serious criminals who may seek to exploit the coronavirus crisis .
“ Each of the bureaus with special crime operations is targeting particular criminals and OCGs [ organised crime gangs ] and will continue to do so until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Assistant Commissioner John O Driscoll said recently .
The seizure , which is one of the largest drug finds so far this year , was made following a dramatic chase through Dublin city centre in the early hours of Tuesday morning .
Gardaí operating a checkpoint on Phibsborough Road had attempted to stop the car at about 4am to inquire where the occupants were travelling to .
The car sped off and gardaí from Dublin ’ s Road Policing Unit began a “ managed containment operation ” and pursued the vehicle into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car was wrecked when it crashed into a wall on Essex Quay .
Gardaí arrived on the scene moments later and saw one man throwing something into the river Liffey .
The Garda Sub-Aqua Unit was called in on Tuesday morning to search the river .
It found a package containing two working handguns in good condition .
In the car , gardaí found another package containing 8kg of cocaine , worth about €500,000 , as well as a small amount of cannabis .
The three occupants of the car , two men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scene .
A garda spokesman said on Wednesday they remained in custody in three different Garda stations .
They can be held for up to seven days for questioning .
There have been several major drug and firearms finds by gardaí manning checkpoints to enforce the movement restrictions in place to stem the spread of coronavirus .
Last Saturday , gardaí on a Covid-19 patrol in Kilmihil , Co Clare , caught a youth in possession of an unlicensed rifle .
On April 5th , gardaí on routine patrol in Limerick city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to the seizure of a firearm and a pipebomb .
A similar patrol stop in the Ballynanty area of Limerick late last month lead to a car chase and another firearm being recovered .
“ We are very mindful that the threat from organised crime carries on and indeed it ’ s only a matter of time before they try to exploit the situation , particularly people ’ s fears , ” Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told new Garda recruits recently .
“ We want to be able to combat that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ done through the week – we ’ ve seized drugs , we ’ ve seized firearms .
So that work carries on .
”

Last Saturday, gardaí on a Covid-19 patrol in Kilmihil, Co Clare, caught a youth in possession of an unlicensed rifle. Photograph: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Gangland criminals were attempting to move firearms and cocaine with a street value of €500,000 from one safehouse to another when they were caught by gardaí at a routine Covid-19 checkpoint.
The criminals had put the drugs into pizza boxes for transportation by car across Dublin city. Searches of properties linked to the three people arrested continued on Wednesday, including the search of a property on Sean McDermott Street in the north inner city.
Gardaí are still trying to establish why the guns and drugs were being moved. The three suspects under arrest are not major gangland figures and gardaí believe they were working on the orders of others. One line of inquiry is that the owners of the guns and drugs were worried the items might be uncovered due to an increase in anti-gangland operations which began several weeks ago. Drugs and organised crime units have been ordered to monitor and target known serious criminals who may seek to exploit the coronavirus crisis.
"Each of the bureaus with special crime operations is targeting particular criminals and OCGs [organised crime gangs] and will continue to do so until the virus no longer represents a problem,"Assistant Commissioner John O Driscoll said recently.
READ MORE
Car chase
The seizure, which is one of the largest drug finds so far this year, was made following a dramatic chase through Dublin city centre in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Gardaí operating a checkpoint on Phibsborough Road had attempted to stop the car at about 4am to inquire where the occupants were travelling to. The car sped off and gardaí from Dublin’s Road Policing Unit began a “managed containment operation” and pursued the vehicle into the city centre.
At 4.30am the car was wrecked when it crashed into a wall on Essex Quay. Gardaí arrived on the scene moments later and saw one man throwing something into the river Liffey.
The Garda Sub-Aqua Unit was called in on Tuesday morning to search the river. It found a package containing two working handguns in good condition. In the car, gardaí found another package containing 8kg of cocaine, worth about €500,000, as well as a small amount of cannabis.
The three occupants of the car, two men and one woman, were arrested at the scene. A garda spokesman said on Wednesday they remained in custody in three different Garda stations. They can be held for up to seven days for questioning.
Unlicensed rifle
There have been several major drug and firearms finds by gardaí manning checkpoints to enforce the movement restrictions in place to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Last Saturday, gardaí on a Covid-19 patrol in Kilmihil, Co Clare, caught a youth in possession of an unlicensed rifle. On April 5th, gardaí on routine patrol in Limerick city stopped and searched a car, which led to the seizure of a firearm and a pipebomb. A similar patrol stop in the Ballynanty area of Limerick late last month lead to a car chase and another firearm being recovered.
"We are very mindful that the threat from organised crime carries on and indeed it's only a matter of time before they try to exploit the situation, particularly people's fears," Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told new Garda recruits recently.
“We want to be able to combat that. You see from the work we have done through the week – we’ve seized drugs, we’ve seized firearms. So that work carries on.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-15--Trainee takes action to prevent Garda dispensing with her services

A trainee garda has launched a High Court action aimed at preventing the Garda Commissioner from dispensing with her services .
The action has been brought by Emma Roche , who claims the decision to end her time as a member of An Garda Síochána arises out of her failure to pass a component of a physical examination known as a beep test .
The test comprises two shuttle runs 20 metres apart before a beep sound is given .
She says that she failed to pass this particular test on a number of occasions between late 2017 and 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correspondence from the Garda Commissioner that a decision had been taken to dispense with her services as a member of An Garda Síochána .
She appealed that decision through the Garda Representative Association .
However she claims while her probationary period was extended she was informed that her time with the gardaí would end on April 10th last .
She claims the decision is unfair , and seeks to challenge it in High Court proceedings .
She has passed all other requirements and says she was sworn as fully attested member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
Ms Roche , who had been stationed at Mountjoy Garda Station in Dublin now seeks an injunction preventing the Garda Commissioner from dispensing with her services as a member of An Garda Síochána .
Last weekend Ms Roche , represented by John Temple BL instructed by solicitor Ciaran Mulholland , secured permission from the High Court to serve short notice of her injunction proceedings against the Garda Commissioner .
The application , which is opposed by the Garda Commissioner , was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Mark Sanfey on Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was his client ’ s case that the decision has already been made before her lawyers came to court that her services have been dispensed with .
In reply Mr Temple said his client disputes that claim , and said Ms Roche was informed last January that she had until April 24th next to obtain the fitness requirements .
The judge adjourned the matter to a date later this month to allow the parties put their arguments in written form .

A trainee garda has launched a High Court action aimed at preventing the Garda Commissioner from dispensing with her services.
The action has been brought by Emma Roche, who claims the decision to end her time as a member of An Garda Síochána arises out of her failure to pass a component of a physical examination known as a beep test.
The test comprises two shuttle runs 20 metres apart before a beep sound is given. She says that she failed to pass this particular test on a number of occasions between late 2017 and 2019.
Last October she was notified in correspondence from the Garda Commissioner that a decision had been taken to dispense with her services as a member of An Garda Síochána.
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She appealed that decision through the Garda Representative Association.
However she claims while her probationary period was extended she was informed that her time with the gardaí would end on April 10th last.
She claims the decision is unfair, and seeks to challenge it in High Court proceedings.
She has passed all other requirements and says she was sworn as fully attested member of the gardaí following a ceremony at Templemore in 2017.
Ms Roche, who had been stationed at Mountjoy Garda Station in Dublin now seeks an injunction preventing the Garda Commissioner from dispensing with her services as a member of An Garda Síochána.
Last weekend Ms Roche, represented by John Temple BL instructed by solicitor Ciaran Mulholland, secured permission from the High Court to serve short notice of her injunction proceedings against the Garda Commissioner.
The application, which is opposed by the Garda Commissioner, was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Mark Sanfey on Wednesday.
Martin Fitzgerald BL for the commissioner said that it was his client’s case that the decision has already been made before her lawyers came to court that her services have been dispensed with.
In reply Mr Temple said his client disputes that claim, and said Ms Roche was informed last January that she had until April 24th next to obtain the fitness requirements.
The judge adjourned the matter to a date later this month to allow the parties put their arguments in written form.