theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Taxi industry ‘will not cope’ with Christmas rush after driver exodus

People dining out in the run up to Christmas face being stranded on the streets because the taxi industry can not cope with demand after an exodus of thousands of drivers during the pandemic , it has been warned .
After reports of cab shortages in central Dublin on the first night pubs and restaurants reopened after six weeks of lockdown , Vinny Kearns , chief executive of NXT , one of the country ’ s largest taxi firms , said availability would only deteriorate in the coming weeks .
“ The situation is going to get worse , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Mr Kearns , secretary general of the Taxi Dispatch Operator Representative Association , said “ thousands ” of taxi drivers had left the trade to take up delivery and courier jobs .
“ They were in dire straits during the lockdowns , with finance companies beating down their doors for missed payments on cars and the like , ” he said .
“ I know so many people in the industry – and there are about 20 per cent of drivers who have HGV licences as well – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wholesalers .
“ A lot of drivers who haven ’ t got that licence are driving for courier companies who are out the door looking for more drivers .
The courier companies are actually calling up taxi drivers , knowing that they know their way around , offering them work.
” Mr Kearns said the hike in demand for delivered goods during the restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus , coupled with a collapse in demand for taxis with shops , pubs and restaurants shuttered , had forced as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
Many were finding working conditions better , more lucrative and more secure elsewhere , he added .
“ Taxi drivers who for the past eight months could not go out and earn 50 quid for 12 hours during the day , are now driving vans and trucks , ” said Mr Kearns , a former vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers Union .
“ They are not coming back .
They are quite happy and have as much work as they want .
They are sitting down to their dinner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have to work weekends – for a taxi driver that ’ s heaven .
“ There are thousands of taxi drivers , and I mean thousands , who have left the industry , who will never come back to the industry , who will never drive a taxi again.
” In September , hundreds of taxi drivers protested in Dublin city centre , calling for more financial supports from the Government , with drivers saying they were struggling to survive with as little as just 20 per cent of their usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four main driver unions , the National Private Hire & Taxi Association , the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation , the Taxi Alliance of Ireland and Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann .
While drivers can avail of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment , Mr Kearns said access to the supplement was too little and came too late for drivers under pressure to cover large insurance premiums , car repayments , fuel and maintenance costs .
“ There is nothing that can be done about this short term , because it ’ s been left too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taxi drivers have left by now and they won ’ t be coming back .
There will be a grave impact over Christmas.
” Mr Kearns said people trying to hail a taxi after a night out over the festive period “ won ’ t be able to get one from here on in ” .
“ Getting out shouldn ’ t be too much bother , but definitely – considering public transport is operating at reduced capacity – the taxi industry will not be able to cope with after pub closing hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he added .
“ People will have to plan their night .
Anyone who thinks they can walk out of a pub and grab a taxi – that is not going to be the case .
Definitely not in a city centre .
“ People who are waiting on the streets will be left waiting .
People who have booked might have delays , but will get home.
” CASE STUDY : ‘ I can ’ t see me ever going back to driving a taxi ’ “ I was born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murphy , a taxi driver for 35 years , whose father was a secretary of the Irish Taxi Driver Federation .
“ I was the youngest taxi driver in Dublin when I started out at the age of 19.
” Now aged 54 , Murphy is giving up on the trade as a result of the pandemic to retrain as a driving instructor .
“ I had a romantic notion at the start of the outbreak of just taking a guilt free month off work , ” he says .
“ I stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the credit union , everything , to take a month out .
The weather was good .
“ But then one month turned into two months , turned into three .
Drivers were only turning 40 or 50 quid a day .
When it became four months I knew it was not sustainable.
” The Dundrum-based driver has two children , one in final year at college , the other sitting the Junior Cert next year .
He says mounting bills forced him to turn to his teenage apprenticeship training in stone masonry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – to get by while studying for his driving instructor exams .
While there will be demand over the coming weeks for taxis , Murphy thinks it wouldn ’ t pay to renew his taxi insurance policy – he was quoted €1,700 – which expired last month .
“ After Christmas there is going to be nothing again , ” he says .
“ Everybody is already talking about going into another lockdown in the new year .
“ I ’ m more than three decades in the taxi business , I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine one in three are going out of the business.
” Murphy says he felt there was “ no help from the Government ” for the taxi industry compared with the financial packages given to other industries .
“ I wish they had done more for the drivers to be honest , ” he adds .
“ I ’ m lucky because I have something I can turn my hand to .
There are drivers out there who don ’ t have anything they can turn their hand to , and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for.
” For now , he is hoping to qualify as a driving instructor by next March .
“ I can ’ t see me ever going back to driving a taxi .
”

After reports of cab shortages in central Dublin on the first night pubs and restaurants reopened after six weeks of lockdown, an industry representative said availability would only deteriorate in the coming weeks. File photograph: Alan Betson
People dining out in the run up to Christmas face being stranded on the streets because the taxi industry cannot cope with demand after an exodus of thousands of drivers during the pandemic, it has been warned.
After reports of cab shortages in central Dublin on the first night pubs and restaurants reopened after six weeks of lockdown, Vinny Kearns, chief executive of NXT, one of the country's largest taxi firms, said availability would only deteriorate in the coming weeks.
“The situation is going to get worse, not better, right up to Christmas Eve,” he said.
Mr Kearns, secretary general of the Taxi Dispatch Operator Representative Association, said “thousands” of taxi drivers had left the trade to take up delivery and courier jobs.
READ MORE
“They were in dire straits during the lockdowns, with finance companies beating down their doors for missed payments on cars and the like,” he said.
“I know so many people in the industry – and there are about 20 per cent of drivers who have HGV licences as well – that are now driving for supermarkets and wholesalers.
“A lot of drivers who haven’t got that licence are driving for courier companies who are out the door looking for more drivers. The courier companies are actually calling up taxi drivers, knowing that they know their way around, offering them work.”
Mr Kearns said the hike in demand for delivered goods during the restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, coupled with a collapse in demand for taxis with shops, pubs and restaurants shuttered, had forced as much as one-fifth of drivers to take up other work.
Many were finding working conditions better, more lucrative and more secure elsewhere, he added.
"Taxi drivers who for the past eight months could not go out and earn 50 quid for 12 hours during the day, are now driving vans and trucks," said Mr Kearns, a former vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers Union.
“They are not coming back. They are quite happy and have as much work as they want. They are sitting down to their dinner, finished work at 6pm. Many don’t have to work weekends – for a taxi driver that’s heaven.
“There are thousands of taxi drivers, and I mean thousands, who have left the industry, who will never come back to the industry, who will never drive a taxi again.”
In September, hundreds of taxi drivers protested in Dublin city centre, calling for more financial supports from the Government, with drivers saying they were struggling to survive with as little as just 20 per cent of their usual trade.
The demonstration was backed by four main driver unions, the National Private Hire & Taxi Association, the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation, the Taxi Alliance of Ireland and Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann.
While drivers can avail of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Mr Kearns said access to the supplement was too little and came too late for drivers under pressure to cover large insurance premiums, car repayments, fuel and maintenance costs.
“There is nothing that can be done about this short term, because it’s been left too late,” he warned.
“Taxi drivers have left by now and they won’t be coming back. There will be a grave impact over Christmas.”
Mr Kearns said people trying to hail a taxi after a night out over the festive period “won’t be able to get one from here on in”.
“Getting out shouldn’t be too much bother, but definitely – considering public transport is operating at reduced capacity – the taxi industry will not be able to cope with after pub closing hours on busy nights from now to Christmas,” he added.
“People will have to plan their night. Anyone who thinks they can walk out of a pub and grab a taxi – that is not going to be the case. Definitely not in a city centre.
“People who are waiting on the streets will be left waiting. People who have booked might have delays, but will get home.”
Long-time taxi driver Dave Murphy using his skills as a stone mason
CASE STUDY: ‘I can’t see me ever going back to driving a taxi’
“I was born into the business,” says Dave Murphy, a taxi driver for 35 years, whose father was a secretary of the Irish Taxi Driver Federation.
“I was the youngest taxi driver in Dublin when I started out at the age of 19.”
Now aged 54, Murphy is giving up on the trade as a result of the pandemic to retrain as a driving instructor.
“I had a romantic notion at the start of the outbreak of just taking a guilt free month off work,” he says.
“I stopped the mortgage, the car repayments, the credit union, everything, to take a month out. The weather was good.
“But then one month turned into two months, turned into three. Drivers were only turning 40 or 50 quid a day. When it became four months I knew it was not sustainable.”
The Dundrum-based driver has two children, one in final year at college, the other sitting the Junior Cert next year. He says mounting bills forced him to turn to his teenage apprenticeship training in stone masonry – he carves headstones and makes patios – to get by while studying for his driving instructor exams.
While there will be demand over the coming weeks for taxis, Murphy thinks it wouldn’t pay to renew his taxi insurance policy – he was quoted €1,700 – which expired last month.
“After Christmas there is going to be nothing again,” he says.
“Everybody is already talking about going into another lockdown in the new year.
“I’m more than three decades in the taxi business, I know a lot of drivers. I would imagine one in three are going out of the business.”
Murphy says he felt there was “no help from the Government” for the taxi industry compared with the financial packages given to other industries.
“I wish they had done more for the drivers to be honest,” he adds.
“I’m lucky because I have something I can turn my hand to. There are drivers out there who don’t have anything they can turn their hand to, and it’s those guys I feel most sorry for.”
For now, he is hoping to qualify as a driving instructor by next March.
“I can’t see me ever going back to driving a taxi.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Garda seriously injured in hit-and-run on M1 motorway

A garda is in hospital with serious injuries after being knocked down by a car on the M1 motorway in Co Louth .
At 1.45pm gardaí from the Dundalk road policing unit pulled a car over along the northbound carriageway of the M1 , near Junction 20 , while conducting speed checks .
The car initially stopped , but then accelerated and fled the scene , hitting a garda in the process .
The garda had been walking over to the vehicle from their patrol car to speak to the driver .
The injured officer was taken by ambulance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Garda spokesman described the officer ’ s injuries as serious , but they were not thought to be life threatening .
The driver of the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run has not yet been located .
Gardaí in Dundalk are appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward , or road users with dashcam footage along the M1 route at the time of the hit and run on Saturday afternoon .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dundalk Garda station ( 042 ) 938 8400 , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The car initially stopped, but then accelerated and fled the scene, hitting a garda in the process. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
A garda is in hospital with serious injuries after being knocked down by a car on the M1 motorway in Co Louth.
At 1.45pm gardaí from the Dundalk road policing unit pulled a car over along the northbound carriageway of the M1, near Junction 20, while conducting speed checks.
The car initially stopped, but then accelerated and fled the scene, hitting a garda in the process. The garda had been walking over to the vehicle from their patrol car to speak to the driver.
The injured officer was taken by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.
READ MORE
A Garda spokesman described the officer’s injuries as serious, but they were not thought to be life threatening. The driver of the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run has not yet been located.
Gardaí in Dundalk are appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward, or road users with dashcam footage along the M1 route at the time of the hit and run on Saturday afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dundalk Garda station (042) 938 8400, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Women ‘left in poverty’ due to welfare system built around ‘male breadwinner’

The setup of Ireland ’ s tax and social welfare systems around the concept of the “ male breadwinner ” was more likely to leave women in poverty when they became pensioners , the Citizens ’ Assembly has heard .
The forum of 100 people met remotely on Saturday to continue discussion around gender inequality and work , with presentations from a number of academics .
Chair of the assembly , Dr Catherine Day , a former secretary general of the European Commission , said some laws and policy “ still bear the stamp of yesterday ’ s Ireland ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women .
“ In the vast majority of cases the man was the breadwinner and had a stay-at-home wife , who had no independent income and whose years of family care were never economically valued , ” she said .
Women were left in poverty later in life in some cases where they had left school early , took multiple career breaks , or predominantly worked part-time due to other caring responsibilities , she said .
A woman in this situation “ may end up a very poor pensioner at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly if she is separated , divorced or widowed , ” Ms Day said .
Prof Mary Murphy , from Maynooth University , said there were up to 100,000 “ invisible women ” in the social welfare system .
This was in part due to the “ male breadwinner structure ” of the social protection system , where some benefits were means tested as a household .
“ Women who are qualified adults in the social welfare system , with no social insurance record in their own right , no PRSI , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into pension poverty , ” Prof Murphy said .
“ It is those invisible women who are dependent in a family welfare system , who are dependent on their spouse , ” she said .
The alternative was a culture where care responsibilities for children or elderly relatives were more evenly balanced between both partners in a household , she said .
This would mean moves towards better recognition of part-time work in the labour market , to allow “ both adults work less than full-time , and both adults share care more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the moment flexible employment is really flexible employment from the perspective of the employer.
” The assembly also heard from Dr Adele Whelan , of the Economic and Social Research Institute ( ESRI ) , who has studied the gender gap in retirement income .
Dr Whelan said research showed on average women had a weekly pension income of €280 , compared with €433 a week among men .
This gap was primarily due to the fact men were more likely to have a private or occupational pension in retirement .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 55 per cent of men had a private pension , compared with 28 per cent of women , she said .
Reasons for this included the fact women were more likely to have had shorter careers , worked part-time , and had more career interruptions , due to children or other caring responsibilities , she said .
The Citizens ’ Assembly on gender equality was set up last year , and its recommendations will come before the Dáil once it is finished in early 2021 .
The model was first used to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws , with the assembly recommending the repeal of the constitutional ban on abortion .

Citizens’ Assembly chair Dr Catherine Day said women were left in poverty later in life in some cases where they had left school early, took multiple career breaks, or predominantly worked part-time due to other caring responsibilities. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The setup of Ireland's tax and social welfare systems around the concept of the "male breadwinner" was more likely to leave women in poverty when they became pensioners, the Citizens' Assembly has heard.
The forum of 100 people met remotely on Saturday to continue discussion around gender inequality and work, with presentations from a number of academics.
Chair of the assembly, Dr Catherine Day, a former secretary general of the European Commission, said some laws and policy "still bear the stamp of yesterday's Ireland" when it came to the role of women.
“In the vast majority of cases the man was the breadwinner and had a stay-at-home wife, who had no independent income and whose years of family care were never economically valued,” she said.
READ MORE
Women were left in poverty later in life in some cases where they had left school early, took multiple career breaks, or predominantly worked part-time due to other caring responsibilities, she said.
A woman in this situation “may end up a very poor pensioner at the end of her lifetime of working and caring, particularly if she is separated, divorced or widowed,” Ms Day said.
Prof Mary Murphy, from Maynooth University, said there were up to 100,000 "invisible women" in the social welfare system.
This was in part due to the “male breadwinner structure” of the social protection system, where some benefits were means tested as a household.
“Women who are qualified adults in the social welfare system, with no social insurance record in their own right, no PRSI, no employment supports, and that leads them into pension poverty,” Prof Murphy said.
“It is those invisible women who are dependent in a family welfare system, who are dependent on their spouse,” she said.
The alternative was a culture where care responsibilities for children or elderly relatives were more evenly balanced between both partners in a household, she said.
This would mean moves towards better recognition of part-time work in the labour market, to allow “both adults work less than full-time, and both adults share care more equally,” she said.
“At the moment flexible employment is really flexible employment from the perspective of the employer.”
The assembly also heard from Dr Adele Whelan, of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), who has studied the gender gap in retirement income.
Dr Whelan said research showed on average women had a weekly pension income of €280, compared with €433 a week among men.
This gap was primarily due to the fact men were more likely to have a private or occupational pension in retirement. In a sample studied by the ESRI, 55 per cent of men had a private pension, compared with 28 per cent of women, she said.
Reasons for this included the fact women were more likely to have had shorter careers, worked part-time, and had more career interruptions, due to children or other caring responsibilities, she said.
The Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality was set up last year, and its recommendations will come before the Dáil once it is finished in early 2021.
The model was first used to discuss proposed changes to Ireland’s abortion laws, with the assembly recommending the repeal of the constitutional ban on abortion.


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Man and woman arrested after gardaí find €53,000 worth of drugs

A man and woman have been arrested after gardai discovered €53,000 worth of drugs at a property in Dublin .
@ @ @ @ @ the Ringsend area as part of an ongoing intelligence-led operation targeting drugs distribution networks .
@ @ @ @ @ and the divisional drugs unit discovered illegal drugs , including diazepam pills , valued at @ @ @ @ @ on Friday .
The drugs will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis .
@ @ @ @ @ both aged in their 20s , were arrested and are currently detained at Irishtown garda @ @

Gardai, Revenue Customs Service and the divisional drugs unit discovered illegal drugs, including diazepam pills, valued at €47,000 and cannabis worth €6,000 on Friday. Photograph: Garda/Facebook
A man and woman have been arrested after gardai discovered €53,000 worth of drugs at a property in Dublin.
Gardaí searched the house in the Ringsend area as part of an ongoing intelligence-led operation targeting drugs distribution networks.
Gardai, Revenue Customs Service and the divisional drugs unit discovered illegal drugs, including diazepam pills, valued at €47,000 and cannabis worth €6,000 on Friday.
The drugs will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.
READ MORE
The man and woman, both aged in their 20s, were arrested and are currently detained at Irishtown garda station.
Gardai say investigations are ongoing.–PA


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Warning issued for fog and freezing fog across the State

A fog warning for the whole country has been issued by Met Éireann .
The alert is from just after midnight on Sunday until Monday morning .
Meteorologists say the yellow level warning is for dense fog with a risk of freezing fog in places .
It comes as the cold spell of weather continues with subzero temperatures as low as -3 degrees Celsius foreast for night .
The northern half of the country will be the coldest with widespread frost overnight .
Fog will linger into Sunday and through the day in some areas but it will be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fog clears .
Highest tempratures will be 2 to 5 degrees but it will stay around freezing in areas where the fog persists .
Meanwhile gardaí have urged all road users to take extra care in the cold conditions after dealing with drivers stuck on snowy roads in the Wicklow Mountains .
“ Wicklow Roads Policing Unit at the Sally Gap yesterday evening helping some motorists who were having difficulty on the treacherous roads , ” the Garda said on Twitter .
“ An Garda Síochána would like to remind all road users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become colder and more unpredictable ” .
According to the AA Roadwatch , when driving in fog motorists should use dipped headlights at all times as well as windscreen wipers and demisters , familiarsie themselves with fog lights and know how to switch on and off when appropriate , be able to stop within their range of visibility and maintain a greater distance from car in front .

The yellow level warning is for dense fog with a risk of freezing fog in places. Photograph: iStock
A fog warning for the whole country has been issued by Met Éireann.
The alert is from just after midnight on Sunday until Monday morning.
Meteorologists say the yellow level warning is for dense fog with a risk of freezing fog in places.
Wicklow Roads Policing Unit at the Sally Gap yesterday evening helping some motorists who were having difficulty on the treacherous roads.
An Garda Síochána would like to remind all road users to take extra care as weather conditions become colder and more unpredictable. pic.twitter.com/Uwk52zcExw — An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) December 5, 2020
It comes as the cold spell of weather continues with subzero temperatures as low as -3 degrees Celsius foreast for night. The northern half of the country will be the coldest with widespread frost overnight.
READ MORE
Fog will linger into Sunday and through the day in some areas but it will be a mainly dry day with sunsine when the fog clears. Highest tempratures will be 2 to 5 degrees but it will stay around freezing in areas where the fog persists.
Meanwhile gardaí have urged all road users to take extra care in the cold conditions after dealing with drivers stuck on snowy roads in the Wicklow Mountains.
“ Wicklow Roads Policing Unit at the Sally Gap yesterday evening helping some motorists who were having difficulty on the treacherous roads,” the Garda said on Twitter.
“An Garda Síochána would like to remind all road users to take extra care as weather conditions become colder and more unpredictable”.
According to the AA Roadwatch, when driving in fog motorists should use dipped headlights at all times as well as windscreen wipers and demisters, familiarsie themselves with fog lights and know how to switch on and off when appropriate, be able to stop within their range of visibility and maintain a greater distance from car in front.


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Coronavirus: 13 further deaths and 456 new cases reported in the State

There were 456 new cases of Covid-19 and 13 further deaths reported in the State on Saturday .
The high number of daily confirmed cases is due to an IT issue which led to an underreporting of the number of new cases in recent days .
This meant a cohort of confirmed cases from recent days were only added to the national total on Saturday .
The technical issue arose on Thursday and has now been resolved , and the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) said the lag in uploading the case numbers had no impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact tracing .
There have now been a total of 2,099 deaths linked to Covid-19 in the State , and 73,948 confirmed cases .
Of the 456 reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre ( HPSC ) on Saturday , 219 were men , and 235 were women .
The median age of the cases was 39 , and 59 per cent were under 45 years of age .
A total of 197 were in Dublin , 37 in Donegal , 33 in Limerick , 21 in Louth , and 20 in Kilkenny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across 21 other counties .
There were 231 Covid-19 patients in hospital as of 2pm on Saturday , with five admitted in the past 24 hours .
Some 28 patients are in intensive care .
The national 14-day incidence rate is 80.9 , with 3,850 cases in the two weeks up to December 4th .
Donegal continues to have the highest incidence in the country , with 219.9 cases per 100,000 population .
Louth has the second highest incidence rate at 160.6 , followed by Kilkenny ( 159.2 ) , Limerick ( 147.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leitrim has the lowest incidence rate of the virus at 12.5 per 100,000 .
It comes as restaurants and gastropubs open for their first Saturday night in for indoor dining in two months following the lifting of Level 5 restrictions with reports of a surge of bookings and limited availability .
Indoor dining resumed on Friday with strong trade .
It was also the first Saturday since non-essential shops reopened and there were crowds and queues on many shopping streets and at shopping centres .
As part of the reopening the Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverings on crowded streets .
Gardaí in Dublin on Saturday said they were “ conducting high visibility patrols across the city to ensure everyone feels safe this Christmas ” .
On Friday assistant chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn urged people heading out this weekend to make every effort to keep safe .
“ Plan ahead , meet outside where possible and keep your contacts to a minimum .
Avoid crowded or poorly ventilated spaces and leave if your environment doesn ’ t feel safe.
” The chair of the Nphet modelling group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social contact in workplaces , hospitality and private gatherings “ seeded ” the second wave of Covid-19 cases across the country .
Prof Philip Nolan wrote on Twitter that household outbreaks were an effect not a cause .
“ They are driven by the level of disease in the community .
They are frequently a dead end for viral transmission .
The virus gets in from the community , transmits within the home , but often does not get out and spread further.
” Meanwhile , seven further coronavirus-related deaths were reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday .
The department also recorded 451 positive Covid-19 tests bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 54,628 .
The total number of people to have died with the virus is 1,039 , according to the department .
The first 25,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine arrived in the country on Friday ahead of the beginning of the vaccination programme next week .
It is understood the first recipient will be a vaccinator who is also involved in the administration of the vaccine rollout .
They are to receive the jab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine will initially be used to inoculate the teams of more than 800 vaccinators followed by priority groups , beginning with frontline health and social care workers .
– Additional reporting : PA

No matter how bad other aspects of the pandemic got, there was always comfort to be had from examining the way deaths have fallen away since people got jabbed. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
There were 456 new cases of Covid-19 and 13 further deaths reported in the State on Saturday. The high number of daily confirmed cases is due to an IT issue which led to an underreporting of the number of new cases in recent days. This meant a cohort of confirmed cases from recent days were only added to the national total on Saturday.
The technical issue arose on Thursday and has now been resolved, and the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) said the lag in uploading the case numbers had no impact on the management of the cases, or contact tracing.
There have now been a total of 2,099 deaths linked to Covid-19 in the State, and 73,948 confirmed cases.
While it’s difficult to show cause and effect, there is a clear pattern over time in the nature of cases and outbreaks in the second wave in Ireland. It suggests that social contact in workplaces, hospitality and private social gatherings seeded the second wave. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/nR9CfZG00H — Professor Philip Nolan (@President_MU) December 5, 2020
Of the 456 reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on Saturday, 219 were men, and 235 were women.
READ MORE
The median age of the cases was 39, and 59 per cent were under 45 years of age.
A total of 197 were in Dublin, 37 in Donegal, 33 in Limerick, 21 in Louth, and 20 in Kilkenny. The remaining 148 cases were spread across 21 other counties.
There were 231 Covid-19 patients in hospital as of 2pm on Saturday, with five admitted in the past 24 hours. Some 28 patients are in intensive care.
The national 14-day incidence rate is 80.9, with 3,850 cases in the two weeks up to December 4th.
Donegal continues to have the highest incidence in the country, with 219.9 cases per 100,000 population. Louth has the second highest incidence rate at 160.6, followed by Kilkenny (159.2), Limerick (147.8), and Monaghan (122.2). Leitrim has the lowest incidence rate of the virus at 12.5 per 100,000.
Reopening
It comes as restaurants and gastropubs open for their first Saturday night in for indoor dining in two months following the lifting of Level 5 restrictions with reports of a surge of bookings and limited availability. Indoor dining resumed on Friday with strong trade.
It was also the first Saturday since non-essential shops reopened and there were crowds and queues on many shopping streets and at shopping centres. As part of the reopening the Government has advised the public to wear face coverings on crowded streets. Gardaí in Dublin on Saturday said they were “conducting high visibility patrols across the city to ensure everyone feels safe this Christmas”.
On Friday assistant chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn urged people heading out this weekend to make every effort to keep safe. “Plan ahead, meet outside where possible and keep your contacts to a minimum. Avoid crowded or poorly ventilated spaces and leave if your environment doesn’t feel safe.”
The chair of the Nphet modelling group said on Saturday that the data suggested social contact in workplaces, hospitality and private gatherings “seeded” the second wave of Covid-19 cases across the country.
Prof Philip Nolan wrote on Twitter that household outbreaks were an effect not a cause.
“They are driven by the level of disease in the community. They are frequently a dead end for viral transmission. The virus gets in from the community, transmits within the home, but often does not get out and spread further.”
Northern Ireland
Meanwhile, seven further coronavirus-related deaths were reported by Northern Ireland's Department of Health on Saturday.
The department also recorded 451 positive Covid-19 tests bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 54,628. The total number of people to have died with the virus is 1,039, according to the department.
The first 25,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine arrived in the country on Friday ahead of the beginning of the vaccination programme next week.
It is understood the first recipient will be a vaccinator who is also involved in the administration of the vaccine rollout. They are to receive the jab on Tuesday morning.
The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine will initially be used to inoculate the teams of more than 800 vaccinators followed by priority groups, beginning with frontline health and social care workers. – Additional reporting: PA


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Operation Season’s Greetings to target cross-Border crime

Police in Northern Ireland and the Republic are carrying out a cross-Border operation targeting criminals and drink-drivers over the Christmas period .
Operation Season ’ s Greetings will see PSNI officers across Border counties working alongside Garda colleagues .
A man was arrested on drugs and motoring charges on Saturday as part of the operation which will take place day and night over the coming weeks .
The 29-year-old was arrested after he failed to stop for police at the Fermanagh/Cavan border on Saturday morning .
Following the arrest , police searched a house in the Fermanagh area and seized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £23,000 ( €25,500 ) .
PSNI Chief Superintendent Andy Freeburn said Operation Season ’ s Greetings aims to prevent crime as well as drink- and drug-driving .
“ We very much appreciate that things are very different for all of us this year with the current pandemic , however our commitment to building safe communities remains , ” Mr Freeburn added .
“ Police officers from departments across the service will be providing visible and accessible policing to local communities and businesses right across the area .
“ We will also be working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running joint operations to help deliver safer streets for shopping and socialising , as the Health Protection Regulations permit , safer roads and public transport , safer homes for those at risk of domestic abuse and safer businesses .
“ There will be an increased police presence , with authorised checkpoints as part of our anti-drink and drug-drive part of the operation , but we will aim to keep any disruption to a minimum by regularly moving across the area.
” Mr Freeburn said officers would be carrying out beat patrols as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses .
“ Our ultimate aim is to keep everyone safe but also deny criminals the use of our road network , ” he added .
“ We will also continue our four Es approach to the Health Protection Regulations of engage , explain , encourage and , as a last resort , enforce , to those who recklessly ignore the rules.
” – PA

The car which was stopped by officers following a pursuit which began at the Fermanagh/Cavan border onn Saturday. Photograph: PSNI
Police in Northern Ireland and the Republic are carrying out a cross-Border operation targeting criminals and drink-drivers over the Christmas period.
Operation Season’s Greetings will see PSNI officers across Border counties working alongside Garda colleagues.
A man was arrested on drugs and motoring charges on Saturday as part of the operation which will take place day and night over the coming weeks.
The 29-year-old was arrested after he failed to stop for police at the Fermanagh/Cavan border on Saturday morning. Following the arrest, police searched a house in the Fermanagh area and seized drugs with an estimated street value of £23,000 (€25,500).
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Drugs seized from a property in Fermanagh on Saturday. Photograph: PSNI
PSNI Chief Superintendent Andy Freeburn said Operation Season’s Greetings aims to prevent crime as well as drink- and drug-driving.
“We very much appreciate that things are very different for all of us this year with the current pandemic, however our commitment to building safe communities remains,” Mr Freeburn added.
“Police officers from departments across the service will be providing visible and accessible policing to local communities and businesses right across the area.
“We will also be working in partnership with An Garda Síochána, running joint operations to help deliver safer streets for shopping and socialising, as the Health Protection Regulations permit, safer roads and public transport, safer homes for those at risk of domestic abuse and safer businesses.
“There will be an increased police presence, with authorised checkpoints as part of our anti-drink and drug-drive part of the operation, but we will aim to keep any disruption to a minimum by regularly moving across the area.”
Mr Freeburn said officers would be carrying out beat patrols as well as providing crime prevention advice to local businesses.
“Our ultimate aim is to keep everyone safe but also deny criminals the use of our road network,” he added.
“We will also continue our four Es approach to the Health Protection Regulations of engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce, to those who recklessly ignore the rules.” – PA


theirishtimes--2020-12-06--Arlene Foster seeks ‘fresh examination’ from Taoiseach of IRA collusions claims

The North ’ s First Minister has written to the Taoiseach requesting a “ fresh examination ” into allegations of collusion between the Irish state and the IRA .
Arlene Foster said there were “ many unanswered questions regarding the role of the Irish state in arming and assisting the IRA in its campaign of terror during the Troubles ” and these must be investigated afresh “ if we are all to get to the truth of what happened in our shared past.
” These issues were “ the responsibility of your administration and with which your Government can assist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also requested a meeting with Micheál Martin “ in the near future.
” In the letter , which has been seen by The Irish Times , Ms Foster said she was writing in the “ context of the hurt experienced by many innocent victims ” who had contacted her in regard to two particular issues – the “ publicity ” surrounding the UK government ’ s decision not to immediately order a public inquiry which would investigate allegations of collusion in the murder of Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane in 1980 , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Laois-Offaly , Brian Stanley .
Mr Stanley ’ s tweet referred to the Kilmichael Ambush in 1920 – when 17 British soldiers and 3 IRA members were killed –- and Narrow Water , near Warrenpoint in Co Down , which killed 18 soldiers , claiming they were “ the 2 IRA operations that taught the elite of d British army and the establishment the cost of occupying Ireland .
Pity for everyone they were such slow learners ” .
Mr Stanley later deleted the tweet and apologised , describing it as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who previously complained to the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil about Mr Stanley ’ s tweet , described it in the letter as “ disgraceful ” , and said she wanted to thank the Taoiseach for his “ swift condemnation ” of the social media post , which “ caused very considerable offence in Northern Ireland and beyond .
“ I have had a number of people contact me from the Republic indicating that Mr Stanley ’ s views in no way represented their views and he should not be seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The DUP leader raised a number of other Troubles-era killings where there have been allegations of collusion by the Irish state , including the murders of RUC officers Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan as they crossed the Border following a meeting with garda in Dundalk in 1989 .
The Smithwich Inquiry found gardaí leaked information to the IRA about two RUC officers .
Ms Foster said the tribunal had reported in December 2013 but claimed “ to date no further action has been taken.
” She also cited the 1976 Kingsmill massacre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed by the IRA , as well as the murder of Ian Sproule in Castlederg , Co Tyrone in 1991 , and claimed that the Minister for Foreign Affairs , Simon Coveney , had met with families but nothing had been done .
“ I believe strongly that if your Government wants to play its role in getting to the truth and thereby assisting reconciliation , then it should seek to urgently assist in the above cases and supply the necessary documentation , as well as examining the recommendations of , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Smithwick Tribunal , ” Ms Foster wrote .
Last week both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs spoke of their disappointment at the British government ’ s decision not to immediately order a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane .
The Irish government ’ s position , Mr Coveney said , remained “ that only through a full and independent public inquiry will a satisfactory resolution to this case be found.
” Speaking in the Dáil ahead of the decision , the Taoiseach said the Irish government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Weston Park agreement in 2001 when both governments agreed to told public inquiries .
It had also followed through on its commitments and established the Smithwick Tribunal irrespective of where it would lead , he said .
Meanwhile the organisers of a meeting about legacy issues at Lambeth Palace in London last month have defended the event after it was condemned as a “ secret talks ” process which excluded victims .
The former President of the Methodist church , the Reverend Harold Good , and Derry ’ City Centre Manager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to host a “ seminar ” at which Professor Kieran McEvoy from Queen ’ s University , Belfast , could present a research paper which “ reviewed all of the options , that have been placed in the public domain , on how to deal with the past.
” It had previously been presented to the Victim and Survivors Forum .
Political parties were not invited , the organisers said .
Among those who attended were representatives from the Irish and British governments , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray and the loyalist Winston Irvine .
The Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said he was “ especially concerned - and not a little angry – that the representatives of political unionism and the representatives of the victims of terrorism have been excluded from the room where these talks have been taking place.
” Kenny Donaldson , from Innocent Victims United , said it was “ shameful ” that victims had been excluded .
The Northern Ireland Office said the UK government was “ listening to people from all communities , victims and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed with our Irish partners to seek a way forward for everyone .
“ We are not engaged in ‘ secret talks ’ with anyone .
”

The North’s First Minister has written to the Taoiseach requesting a “fresh examination” into allegations of collusion between the Irish state and the IRA. File Photograph: Julien Behal Photography
The North’s First Minister has written to the Taoiseach requesting a “fresh examination” into allegations of collusion between the Irish state and the IRA.
Arlene Foster said there were "many unanswered questions regarding the role of the Irish state in arming and assisting the IRA in its campaign of terror during the Troubles" and these must be investigated afresh "if we are all to get to the truth of what happened in our shared past."
These issues were “the responsibility of your administration and with which your Government can assist,” Ms Foster said.
She also requested a meeting with Micheál Martin “in the near future.”
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The Taoiseach told RTÉ on Sunday evening that his office had been in touch with that of the First Minister and they had “agreed to meet and discuss the specific issues that the First Minister has raised.
"The Irish Government has stepped up to the plate in relation to these issues. We initiated the Smithwick Inquiry into alleged collusion involving An Garda Síochána in relation to the murder of members of the RUC," he said.
“The British government did not follow through with the Finucane inquiry, and in our view they should have. That was part of an agreement between Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern at the time at Weston Park.
“So, we are always open to uncovering the true stories and we have nothing to hide from our perspective as the Irish Government.
“I believe people who lost loved ones in unacceptable circumstances deserve all the answers they can possibly get in relation to atrocities carried out by the Provisional IRA or indeed by others as well, and by the security services,” he said.
In the letter, which has been seen by The Irish Times, Ms Foster said she was writing in the "context of the hurt experienced by many innocent victims" who had contacted her in regard to two particular issues – the "publicity" surrounding the UK government's decision not to immediately order a public inquiry which would investigate allegations of collusion in the murder of Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane in 1980, and a controversial tweet by the Sinn Féin TD for Laois-Offaly, Brian Stanley.
Mr Stanley's tweet referred to the Kilmichael Ambush in 1920 – when 17 British soldiers and 3 IRA members were killed –- and Narrow Water, near Warrenpoint in Co Down, which killed 18 soldiers, claiming they were "the 2 IRA operations that taught the elite of [the] British army and the establishment the cost of occupying Ireland. Pity for everyone they were such slow learners".
Mr Stanley later deleted the tweet and apologised, describing it as “inappropriate and insensitive”.
Ms Foster, who previously complained to the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil about Mr Stanley's tweet, described it in the letter as "disgraceful", and said she wanted to thank the Taoiseach for his "swift condemnation" of the social media post, which "caused very considerable offence in Northern Ireland and beyond.
“I have had a number of people contact me from the Republic indicating that Mr Stanley’s views in no way represented their views and he should not be seen as speaking for them,” she said.
The DUP leader raised a number of other Troubles-era killings where there have been allegations of collusion by the Irish state, including the murders of RUC officers Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan as they crossed the Border following a meeting with garda in Dundalk in 1989.
The Smithwich Inquiry found gardaí leaked information to the IRA about two RUC officers. Ms Foster said the tribunal had reported in December 2013 but claimed “to date no further action has been taken.”
She also cited the 1976 Kingsmill massacre, in which ten Protestant workmen were killed by the IRA, as well as the murder of Ian Sproule in Castlederg, Co Tyrone in 1991, and claimed that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, had met with families but nothing had been done.
“I believe strongly that if your Government wants to play its role in getting to the truth and thereby assisting reconciliation, then it should seek to urgently assist in the above cases and supply the necessary documentation, as well as examining the recommendations of, and the new evidence that came to light in, the Smithwick Tribunal,” Ms Foster wrote.
Last week both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs spoke of their disappointment at the British government’s decision not to immediately order a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane.
The Irish government’s position, Mr Coveney said, remained “that only through a full and independent public inquiry will a satisfactory resolution to this case be found.”
Speaking in the Dáil ahead of the decision, the Taoiseach said the Irish Government had followed through on its commitment in the Weston Park agreement in 2001 when both governments agreed to told public inquiries. It had also followed through on its commitments and established the Smithwick Tribunal irrespective of where it would lead, he said.
Meanwhile the organisers of a meeting about legacy issues at Lambeth Palace in London last month have defended the event after it was condemned as a “secret talks” process which excluded victims.
The former President of the Methodist church, the Reverend Harold Good, and Derry' City Centre Manager, Jim Roddy, said in a statement that they had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to host a "seminar" at which Professor Kieran McEvoy from Queen's University, Belfast, could present a research paper which "reviewed all of the options, that have been placed in the public domain, on how to deal with the past."
It had previously been presented to the Victim and Survivors Forum.
Political parties were not invited, the organisers said. Among those who attended were representatives from the Irish and British governments, the Sinn Féin official and senior republican Sean Murray and the loyalist Winston Irvine.
The Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said he was "especially concerned - and not a little angry – that the representatives of political unionism and the representatives of the victims of terrorism have been excluded from the room where these talks have been taking place."
Kenny Donaldson, from Innocent Victims United, said it was "shameful" that victims had been excluded.
The Northern Ireland Office said the UK government was “listening to people from all communities, victims and survivors regarding legacy issues, and is committed with our Irish partners to seek a way forward for everyone.
“We are not engaged in ‘secret talks’ with anyone.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-06--Easing restrictions means virus will circulate more widely, warns Scally

The easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland will lead to a wide circulation of the virus , a leading epidemiologist has warned .
Dr Gabriel Scally said coronavirus cases were still high and that the Executive ’ s decision to end the circuit-breaker was setting the scene for a “ very bad January and February ” .
Non-essential retailers can reopen next Friday following the two-week lockdown .
Dr Scally , of the Royal Society of Medicine , said : “ The cases in Northern Ireland is still well above the level it was a couple of months ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s not coming down that fast .
“ There ’ s still a lot of the virus circulating and I think the lifting of these restrictions can have only one effect – it can only make the virus circulate even more widely .
“ I think with Christmas coming up , people will see this as permission to do lots of things they haven ’ t been able to do and a lot of those situations , whether it be restaurants , or whether it be a lot of crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed the virus and the numbers will go up .
“ There is no doubt about it .
That will turn into hospital admissions and that will turn into deaths.
” He said the decision to lift restriction was “ not wise ” , particularly when a vaccine was being deployed .
Businesses such as restaurants , cafes and hotels can also resume trading then but must be closed at 11pm each day .
Pubs that do not serve food will have to remain closed .
Guidance about social distancing within cafes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metres , the Stormont Executive has decided .
“ I think people need to really understand that just because the Northern Ireland Executive says you can do something , it doesn ’ t mean it is a good idea to do it , ” Dr Scally added .
“ I think a lot of people , particularly those with underlying conditions , will be very cautious .
“ We haven ’ t come through these last nine months to let this virus run rampant just because Christmas is coming.
” He was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing system , describing it as a “ major failure ” .
The epidemiologist said that Government initiatives to spend money in the hospitality sector drove people out of their homes and into restaurants , which he said was “ perfect for spreading ” .
He was also critical of the travel restrictions in and out of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland .
“ That ability of the virus to move with people across borders , in and out of ports and airports , in restaurants and in all sorts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad autumn , ” Dr Scally added .
“ My worry is there is more virus around now than there was during the summer and we are setting the scene for a very bad January and February.
” He also warned of multi-generational mixing around Christmas time .
He urged people to “ save up their hugs ” for Easter when the vaccine had been administered .
– PA

Robin Swann on Sunday said there were ‘a number of crucial days left’ of the current lockdown measures and people needed to stay at home and minimise their contacts in order to ‘fully maximise the benefit from these’. Photograph: David Young/PA Wire
The North’s health minister has warned he will not hesitate to immediately recommend a further tightening of restrictions if the number of coronavirus cases rises and threatens to overwhelm the health service.
The current “circuit-breaker” lockdown restrictions are due to be eased on Friday, and the First Minister, Arlene Foster, said last week that there would be no new restrictions before Christmas.
Robin Swann on Sunday said there were “a number of crucial days left” of the current lockdown measures and people needed to stay at home and minimise their contacts in order to “fully maximise the benefit from these”.
With the first Covid-19 vaccinations due to be given in Northern Ireland this week, Mr Swann said people were entering the festive season "with hopes and fears co-existing side by side" and while there was "great optimism" because of the vaccine, there were also fears it might lead to people letting their guard down.
READ MORE
“While we are entering a new phase, the pandemic is far from over. This is a time for maximum self-discipline – a time for us all to be ultra-vigilant,” he warned.
Earlier on Sunday, Department of Health said another 11 people have died with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland and a further 419 people tested positive for the virus.
Easing restrictions means virus will circulate more widely, warns Dr Gabriel Scally. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell
‘No doubt’
Leading epidemiologist Dr Gabriel Scally warned that the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland will lead to a wide circulation of the virus.
Dr Scally said coronavirus cases were still high and that the Executive’s decision to end the circuit-breaker was setting the scene for a “very bad January and February”.
Non-essential retailers can reopen next Friday following the two-week lockdown.
Dr Scally, of the Royal Society of Medicine, said: “The cases in Northern Ireland is still well above the level it was a couple of months ago and it’s coming down, but it’s not coming down that fast.
“There’s still a lot of the virus circulating and I think the lifting of these restrictions can have only one effect – it can only make the virus circulate even more widely.
“I think with Christmas coming up, people will see this as permission to do lots of things they haven’t been able to do and a lot of those situations, whether it be restaurants, or whether it be a lot of crowds shopping – all of that will just feed the virus and the numbers will go up.
“There is no doubt about it. That will turn into hospital admissions and that will turn into deaths.”
He said the decision to lift restriction was “not wise”, particularly when a vaccine was being deployed.
Trading
Businesses such as restaurants, cafes and hotels can also resume trading then but must be closed at 11pm each day.
Pubs that do not serve food will have to remain closed.
Guidance about social distancing within cafes and restaurants is to be set at two metres, the Stormont Executive has decided.
“I think people need to really understand that just because the Northern Ireland Executive says you can do something, it doesn’t mean it is a good idea to do it,” Dr Scally added.
“I think a lot of people, particularly those with underlying conditions, will be very cautious.
“We haven’t come through these last nine months to let this virus run rampant just because Christmas is coming.”
He was also critical of Northern Ireland’s contact tracing system, describing it as a “major failure”.
Initiatives
The epidemiologist said that Government initiatives to spend money in the hospitality sector drove people out of their homes and into restaurants, which he said was “perfect for spreading”.
He was also critical of the travel restrictions in and out of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
“That ability of the virus to move with people across borders, in and out of ports and airports, in restaurants and in all sorts of ways set the scene for a really bad autumn,” Dr Scally added.
“My worry is there is more virus around now than there was during the summer and we are setting the scene for a very bad January and February.”
He also warned of multigenerational mixing around Christmas time.
He urged people to “save up their hugs” for Easter when the vaccine had been administered. –Additional reporting agencies


theirishtimes--2020-12-06--Night out after lockdown: ‘It feels like a normal Saturday but we all know it’s not’

By 8.30pm on Saturday night , long queues formed outside gastropubs in Dublin city centre for the second night of their reopening after lockdown .
Popular venues Pygmalion , No Name Bar and Capitol Lounge were fully booked out for the evening and most people queued in the hope of a walk-in table becoming available .
In the queue for Capitol Lounge , Kate Carter ( 21 ) from Dundrum said she and her friends had just left their first bar after exceeding the time limit and were hoping the group of six could stay in the next bar until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just delighted to be out .
I ’ ve been off work during the restrictions and haven ’ t been able to do anything .
I was someone who would go out three nights a week before , so being able to go out for the first time in two months is unreal , ” she said .
Capitol isn ’ t Ms Carter ’ s go-to spot but her favourite places are still closed or booked out , she said .
“ The €9 euro meal rule is annoying , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they couldn ’ t go in unless they spent €39 per person .
“ So it ’ s definitely not the same as a normal night out , ” Ms Carter added .
Rachel Sullivan ( 21 ) from south Dublin agreed .
“ It ’ s a different vibe from before .
When I ’ m coming out now I feel nervous .
It ’ s really busy so it feels like a normal Saturday night but we all know it ’ s not .
We have in the back of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
At another city centre pub gardaí asked people in the queue to disperse as groups of mostly five and six people congregated on the corner without social distancing .
Several people in the queue had been there for over an hour hoping to get a table .
Inside the bar , €9 euro meal rule was applied sparingly as menus were only provided when asked and most tables drank without meals .
Unlike those in the long pub queues , Joey Cook from Walkinstown and his friends preferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the atmosphere ” .
“ You wouldn ’ t see everyone out on the streets like this any other Christmas , it ’ s a bit more mad .
There are more people drinking on the street than in the pub , so we left the Hairy Lemon and got take away pints from the International .
Now we ’ re on the float , ” he said .
Mr Cook ’ s friend , Dara Murphy , chimed in : “ The good weather helps .
If it was raining , nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 21 ) said he and his friends appreciate being out now more than ever .
“ We took everything for granted before this .
Now we ’ re just happy to be out at all.
” Over on South William Street , one of the areas that attracted criticism during Level 5 due to photos on social media of large crowds drinking takeaway pints outside , there was a substantial Garda presence at 11pm .
Every bar on the street was at its reduced capacity .
Hugo , a barista at Metro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually busier than this time last year.
” “ I think people have just been home for so long that everyone wants to be out for the first weekend of reopening , ” he said .
Hugo said customers were respectful and compliant of the rules .
“ People are queuing outside until we have space and wearing their masks until they ’ re seated at their table .
Everyone has been really nice and it ’ s just good to be back , ” he said .
A bar owner further up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges was getting staff to return to work and feared some bar workers “ preferred to stay on the Covid payment ” .
Last orders were taken and pub goers heading home flooded the streets by 11.30pm .
Clodagh Ellis ( 23 ) and her friends Sophie and Aoife were heading home from The Woollen Mills where they had food and a few drinks .
The three friends said they felt safe and comfortable because they were seated in their own booth and had hand sanitiser at their table .
Aoife said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night out , if it was safe ” and said it was weird to be going home so early .
“ I hate going home at half 11 when my parents are still up .
I miss going home after 3am and eating McDonald ’ s with my eyes closed .
I feel like we ’ re missing out on our twenties , ” she said .
By midnight , one popular taxi app had crashed for some revellers trying to get home and some competed with each other in trying to convince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fare was the one worth taking .

By 8.30pm on Saturday night, long queues formed outside gastropubs in Dublin city centre for the second night of their reopening after lockdown.
Popular venues Pygmalion, No Name Bar and Capitol Lounge were fully booked out for the evening and most people queued in the hope of a walk-in table becoming available.
In the queue for Capitol Lounge, Kate Carter (21) from Dundrum said she and her friends had just left their first bar after exceeding the time limit and were hoping the group of six could stay in the next bar until closing time.
“I’m just delighted to be out. I’ve been off work during the restrictions and haven’t been able to do anything. I was someone who would go out three nights a week before, so being able to go out for the first time in two months is unreal,” she said.
READ MORE
Capitol isn’t Ms Carter’s go-to spot but her favourite places are still closed or booked out, she said. “The €9 euro meal rule is annoying,” she said. One restaurant told her group they couldn’t go in unless they spent €39 per person. “So it’s definitely not the same as a normal night out,” Ms Carter added.
Rachel Sullivan (21) from south Dublin agreed. “It’s a different vibe from before. When I’m coming out now I feel nervous. It’s really busy so it feels like a normal Saturday night but we all know it’s not. We have in the back of our minds that we have to be careful,” she said.
At another city centre pub gardaí asked people in the queue to disperse as groups of mostly five and six people congregated on the corner without social distancing. Several people in the queue had been there for over an hour hoping to get a table. Inside the bar,€9 euro meal rule was applied sparingly as menus were only provided when asked and most tables drank without meals.
Limits on bookings contributed to some of the crowds congregating outside venues as people queued around doorways for walk-in tables, while others bought takeaway pints and drank on the street instead.
Joey Cook, Dara Murphy and friends in Dublin city centre on Saturday night. Photograph: Jade Wilson
Street atmosphere
Unlike those in the long pub queues, Joey Cook from Walkinstown and his friends preferred to drink on the street “for the atmosphere”.
“You wouldn’t see everyone out on the streets like this any other Christmas, it’s a bit more mad. There are more people drinking on the street than in the pub, so we left the Hairy Lemon and got take away pints from the International. Now we’re on the float,” he said.
Mr Cook’s friend, Dara Murphy, chimed in: “The good weather helps. If it was raining, nobody would be out here.” Mr Murphy (21) said he and his friends appreciate being out now more than ever. “We took everything for granted before this. Now we’re just happy to be out at all.”
Over on South William Street , one of the areas that attracted criticism during Level 5 due to photos on social media of large crowds drinking takeaway pints outside, there was a substantial Garda presence at 11pm. Every bar on the street was at its reduced capacity.
Hugo, a barista at Metro Café, said the bistro was “actually busier than this time last year.”
“I think people have just been home for so long that everyone wants to be out for the first weekend of reopening,” he said. Hugo said customers were respectful and compliant of the rules.
“People are queuing outside until we have space and wearing their masks until they’re seated at their table. Everyone has been really nice and it’s just good to be back,” he said.
A bar owner further up the street said one of the main challenges was getting staff to return to work and feared some bar workers “preferred to stay on the Covid payment”.
Last orders were taken and pub goers heading home flooded the streets by 11.30pm. Clodagh Ellis (23) and her friends Sophie and Aoife were heading home from The Woollen Mills where they had food and a few drinks.
The three friends said they felt safe and comfortable because they were seated in their own booth and had hand sanitiser at their table. Aoife said she would have loved “a proper wild night out, if it was safe” and said it was weird to be going home so early.
“I hate going home at half 11 when my parents are still up. I miss going home after 3am and eating McDonald’s with my eyes closed. I feel like we’re missing out on our twenties,” she said.
By midnight, one popular taxi app had crashed for some revellers trying to get home and some competed with each other in trying to convince taxi drivers on Dame Street that their fare was the one worth taking.


theirishtimes--2020-12-06--Man and woman in their 60s die in Co Dublin house fire

A man and woman in their 60s have died in a Co Dublin house fire on Saturday night .
Gardaí were alerted to the blaze at about 10.30pm at Beach Park , Portmarnock .
The fire was brought under control by Dublin Fire Brigade .
The bodies were discovered by firefighters inside the house and they were pronounced dead a short time later .
Dublin Fire Brigade said its firefighters attended a “ well developed house fire ” .
It said “ crews in breathing apparatus fought the fire and sadly , the remains of two people were discovered.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children are adults , were the only people in the house at the time of the fire .
They have lived in the house for many years .
One neighbour who has lived in the area since the mid-1980s said the whole area was in shock and got upset when asked how it felt to witness the fire on Saturday night .
“ The smoke came right down the road , ” he said .
A woman who lives locally on Strand Road described the community as “ very tight knit ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened ” .
“ I was out walking last night and saw the fire brigade but presumed they were heading to Malahide , ” she told The Irish Times .
“ Nothing like this has ever happened in the area , ” added the woman who has lived in Portmarnock for over a decade Another woman said she had been out walking on Saturday night when she saw the fire in the house and called the fire brigade at 9.45pm .
Another man , who went to school with the couple ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early as 9.30pm .
Passers by described how the surrounding streets filled with smoke while flames billowed out the windows on Saturday night .
James , who lives on the adjoining street , said he could see the flames and smoke “ belching out ” from the house from his own upstairs window .
“ It ’ s very sad for everyone involved , “ he said .
“ We ’ ve been in the area over 30 years and it ’ s devastating , I ’ ve never seen anything like it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly after 11am on Sunday .
The scene has been preserved as gardaí start an investigation into the cause of the fire .
The bodies will be taken to the Dublin City Mortuary here a postmortem will be conducted by the State Pathologist .
Results of the postmortem and a technical examination of the scene will determine the course of the Garda investigation .
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses of the fire .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Malahide Garda station on 01-6664600 , the Garda confidential line 1800-666111 or any @ @ @

The scene of a house fire in Beach Park, Portmarnock, Co Dublin, where two people died. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
A man and a woman in their late 60s died in a house fire in Portmarnock on Saturday night.
They have been named locally at Michael and Beatrice Hurley. They had lived in the house in Beach Park for around four decades and their children were raised there.
Dublin Fire Brigade was called to the blaze at 9.45pm on Saturday while gardaí said they were alerted at around 10.30pm.
Locals living in the estate described how the surrounding streets filled with smoke while flames billowed out the windows of the house.
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The fire was eventually brought under control by fire brigade crew who used breathing apparatus to fight the blaze and the bodies of a man and woman were found inside the house. The couple was pronounced dead a short time later.
Their bodies remained at the scene overnight and were removed by ambulance shortly after 1.30pm on Sunday. They were taken to the Dublin City Mortuary where a postmortem was due to be conducted by the State Pathologist.
The results of the postmortem and a technical examination of the scene will determine the course of the Garda investigation.
The man and woman were the only people in the house at the time of the blaze. The surrounding properties did not appear to have been damaged in the fire.
One neighbour who has lived in the area since the mid-1980s said the whole area was in shock and got upset when asked how it felt to witness the fire on Saturday night. “The smoke came right down the road,” he said.
One man, who lives on the adjoining street, said he could see the flames and smoke “belching out” from the house from his own upstairs window. “It’s very sad for everyone involved, “ he said.
Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Fingal, who visited the scene, said “it’s really sad at any time of the year but it is especially sad at Christmas”.
Ms O’Reilly said the community was “united in offering support” to the family at this time.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses of the fire. Anyone with information is asked to contact Malahide Garda station on 01-6664600, the Garda confidential line 1800-666111 or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-12-07--Eir complaints: ‘Words like fiasco and farce don’t come close’

We have two fresh nightmares before Christmas involving Eir .
A reader called Tom wrote to us on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ .
Tom snr , we were told , “ has been a very loyal Eir @ @ @ @ @ years ” .
He recently retired “ and as a way of saving some money @ @ @ @ @ that he change to a residential account ” , Tom jnr says .
They cancelled @ @ @ @ @ a new service from an Eir rep , “ who was adamant ” high-speed broadband @ @ @ @ @ Dublin 24 address .

We have two fresh nightmares before Christmas involving Eir. A reader called Tom wrote to us on behalf of his father, also Tom. Tom snr, we were told, “has been a very loyal Eir business account holder for many years”.
He recently retired “and as a way of saving some money for him, I suggested that he change to a residential account”, Tom jnr says. They cancelled the business account and ordered a new service from an Eir rep, “who was adamant” high-speed broadband could be provided at his Dublin 24 address.
“It was explained that the house is on its own grounds and that we were doubtful high-speed broadband could be easily supplied. The charge was to be €100 plus €50 for installation/activation.
They were stood up by the installer on the first date. When he did appear, he said a cable would have to go across the road and the order would have to be cancelled and reordered. They tried this and were told their line had been “reclassified” to a high-speed connection.
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More call-backs were promised but never came. “In his desperation to get an installation, bearing in mind his age, location and that he now had no landline and only a mobile in an area of fringe coverage, dad succeeded in placing another order.”
A modem was delivered on November 16th, and he was given an installation date of a week later. On installation day, Tom snr got a message to say it was happening, and a subsequent one to say his order had been cancelled. “All we ever wanted to do was switch from business to residential,” Tom jnr writes. “The man had a working system, he does not require high-speed broadband. He was happy with the service he had, except the cost. Words like ‘fiasco’ and ‘farce’ don’t come close to describing what we have encountered in the last five weeks.”
Dying handset
Last April, Gerry Lawless noticed that his Eir handset was not holding its charge for long and the battery would die after three or four minutes. "This didn't worry me unduly as I didn't use the landline often. However, on May 24th I received a text message on my mobile from friends in Galway informing me that a mutual friend in Canada had been trying unsuccessfully to phone me from Canada for several days."
Gerry checked and found his landline had no dial tone and he could neither make nor receive calls. He logged two faults – a failing handset and no landline – with Eir online. He heard nothing back.
Then in June a bill arrived for €96.23, of which €58.52 was an advance payment for the landline.” There were more back-and-forths, and then he “perhaps foolishly” decided not to pay the bill until Eir restored his service.
In August he got another bill for €182.55. “I again tried ringing Eir several times but gave up after waiting unanswered for 30 to 40 minutes.” A month later another bill “threatening ‘suspension of all services’ unless the outstanding bill of €182.55 was paid within seven days”.
Cue more back-and-forth but no resolution. In September another letter came stating his account “was sent for termination”. More back-and-forth and more letdowns followed.
Then in the middle of October, he received another bill from Eir, now for €268.82, and again he made several efforts to call but no answer. A final bill came days later, which was reduced to €207.57 A few days later he rang Eir again “and spent a long time with an agent who again promised that he would sort out everything and that Eir would be in contact within 10 days. He got another “final bill” on November 9th. He had still not heard back from the company despite many promises.
“Please, can you help? What began as a request for a new handset and repair to my landline has now gone on for almost six months. I would really like to have a working landline over the winter months.
Eir’s responses
We got in touch with Eir’s communications department. This is the response: “We have conducted a full review of the issues and we would like to apologise to both customers for the poor care experience they have had. In Gerry’s case, we have resolved the balance issue and we have an engineer working to repair the fault on the line. In Tom’s case, we have an engineer with him today to manage the installation and we will ensure the resolution is closed off quickly.


theirishtimes--2020-12-07--Scottish and Orange: ‘In Scotland there’s a hatred of anything unionist’

Jim McHarg has always been struck by the similarity between Scotland and Northern Ireland .
“ It ’ s the same kind of idea of small towns and villages , and the Ulster Scots link is obviously there.
” This is most evident , he says , in the “ mentality and the friendliness of the people from Northern Ireland and Scotland ...
I think they ’ ve got the same kind of humanity.
” It is no coincidence that the first Orange lodge in Scotland was established here around 1800 .
“ Regiments who were serving and fighting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” McHarg says .
“ They were probably mixing with people who were members of the Orange Order for the reasons it was there , to protect land , property and Protestant life – that ’ s the way they saw it , anyway – and they liked it.
” Today McHarg is grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland ; he emphasises church , charity work and camaraderie and says the focus of his tenure is about inclusivity and challenging perceptions .
“ People who don ’ t know us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we hate everybody , we hate Catholics .
“ If we ’ re confident in ourselves as to why we exist , we shouldn ’ t have a problem taking questions and saying to people , ‘ This is who we are .
Give us a chance ’ .
” But perhaps inevitably , these questions of identity are much to the fore in contemporary Scotland as the country heads towards elections in May .
Since June , opinion polls have shown a consistent majority of about 54 per cent in favour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be dominated by the prospect of a second independence referendum as well as the outworkings of Brexit and Covid-19 .
Here McHarg is clear : he is “ equally proud ” to be both Scottish and British , and argues that for many Scots there is no contradiction between the two .
“ I think it ’ s one and the same thing.
” Scotland “ will be better and stronger as part of the union , ” he says .
He points to the Westminster-funded job retention “ furlough ” scheme , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracts on the Clyde .
“ The United Kingdom being together is better than being apart and being split , and I might see it through rose-tinted glasses , blue glasses , Orange glasses , whatever ... but how anyone can think this country would have survived the pandemic is beyond me.
” He fears Scotland is also becoming a divided country .
“ The way I see it , there ’ s a hatred , certainly a dislike , of anything unionist.
” The solution is to “ choose the unionist candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of winning in your area , ” McHarg says .
He is a Tory but he has voted Labour – and even canvassed for a Labour candidate – in the past in order to seek victory for the pro-union candidate .
The problem in Scotland , he says , is that there are too many unionist parties – the Conservatives , Labour and the Liberal Democrats – which risks splitting the vote .
“ I would wish that the Scottish unionist people would ... use their votes , lend their votes to whichever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning ] .
” This must also be bolstered by the UK government : “ Boris Johnson and the parliamentarians [ in Westminster ] have to start talking up the union , what it ’ s done for people , what it will do for them if they remain part of the union.
” This may prove a hard sell , not least because of Johnson ’ s unpopularity north of the border , and the question of how damaging the fallout from Brexit will be still hangs very much in the balance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU on the basis that “ being part of something bigger was safer and stronger ” ; however , he emphasises “ I didn ’ t give my vote to [ the Scottish first minister ] Nicola Sturgeon to say that because I voted to remain in the EU , it meant I wanted independence , but she ’ s using that .
I wish I hadn ’ t. ” Of the union as a whole , he is relatively unconcerned about the potential implication of “ paperwork ” at an Irish sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me is that the government we have want a UK , so I don ’ t see them selling Northern Ireland out.
” That said , if there were to be an independent Scotland , “ the Kingdom is no longer the same United Kingdom , so it will make it easier to come back for a Border poll [ in Northern Ireland ] , and if Northern Ireland went it would make it easier for Nicola [ Sturgeon ] .
” Though he is “ always worried ” about the union , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m pretty confident we ’ re going to get the message out better .
”

‘People who don’t know us ... think we are a sectarian organisation and we hate everybody, we hate Catholics.’ Photograph: Sion Touhig/Getty
Jim McHarg has always been struck by the similarity between Scotland and Northern Ireland. "It's the same kind of idea of small towns and villages, and the Ulster Scots link is obviously there."
This is most evident, he says, in the "mentality and the friendliness of the people from Northern Ireland and Scotland ... I think they've got the same kind of humanity."
It is no coincidence that the first Orange lodge in Scotland was established here around 1800. “Regiments who were serving and fighting in Ireland brought the warrants from there,” McHarg says. “They were probably mixing with people who were members of the Orange Order for the reasons it was there, to protect land, property and Protestant life – that’s the way they saw it, anyway – and they liked it.”
Today McHarg is grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland; he emphasises church, charity work and camaraderie and says the focus of his tenure is about inclusivity and challenging perceptions.
READ MORE
“People who don’t know us ... think we are a sectarian organisation and we hate everybody, we hate Catholics.
“If we’re confident in ourselves as to why we exist, we shouldn’t have a problem taking questions and saying to people, ‘This is who we are. Give us a chance’.”
But perhaps inevitably, these questions of identity are much to the fore in contemporary Scotland as the country heads towards elections in May. Since June, opinion polls have shown a consistent majority of about 54 per cent in favour of independence, and the elections will be dominated by the prospect of a second independence referendum as well as the outworkings of Brexit and Covid-19.
Here McHarg is clear: he is “equally proud” to be both Scottish and British, and argues that for many Scots there is no contradiction between the two. “I think it’s one and the same thing.”
Stronger in union
Scotland “will be better and stronger as part of the union,” he says. He points to the Westminster-funded job retention “furlough” scheme, and the jobs created by new ship-building contracts on the Clyde.
"The United Kingdom being together is better than being apart and being split, and I might see it through rose-tinted glasses, blue glasses, Orange glasses, whatever ... but how anyone can think this country would have survived the pandemic is beyond me."
He fears Scotland is also becoming a divided country. “The way I see it, there’s a hatred, certainly a dislike, of anything unionist.”
The solution is to "choose the unionist candidate that's got the best chance of winning in your area," McHarg says. He is a Tory but he has voted Labour – and even canvassed for a Labour candidate – in the past in order to seek victory for the pro-union candidate.
The problem in Scotland, he says, is that there are too many unionist parties – the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats – which risks splitting the vote. “I would wish that the Scottish unionist people would ... use their votes, lend their votes to whichever party [has the best chance of winning].”
This must also be bolstered by the UK government: "Boris Johnson and the parliamentarians [in Westminster] have to start talking up the union, what it's done for people, what it will do for them if they remain part of the union."
This may prove a hard sell, not least because of Johnson’s unpopularity north of the border, and the question of how damaging the fallout from Brexit will be still hangs very much in the balance.
Voted Remain
McHarg voted to remain in the EU on the basis that "being part of something bigger was safer and stronger"; however, he emphasises "I didn't give my vote to [the Scottish first minister] Nicola Sturgeon to say that because I voted to remain in the EU, it meant I wanted independence, but she's using that. I wish I hadn't."
Of the union as a whole, he is relatively unconcerned about the potential implication of “paperwork” at an Irish sea border. “The important thing for me is that the government we have want a UK, so I don’t see them selling Northern Ireland out.”
That said, if there were to be an independent Scotland, “the Kingdom is no longer the same United Kingdom, so it will make it easier to come back for a Border poll [in Northern Ireland], and if Northern Ireland went it would make it easier for Nicola [Sturgeon].”
Though he is “always worried” about the union, he believes “it will survive. I’m pretty confident we’re going to get the message out better.”