theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Covid-19: Ireland will need to sharpen its focus in the fight against the virus

The rule of marathon-running , it is said , is that the first half lasts 20 miles – and the second , six-and-a-bit .
It ’ s a little like that with the Covid-19 epidemic ; having put in the hard yards over long stretches , we find we ’ re only halfway on at best and the road ahead looks like a long slog .
Ireland ’ s plan to escape the lockdown – described by officials who designed it as cautious and conservative – cleaves to the best international advice .
But it is also the product of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the start of this month , with too many cases and deaths occurring each day , and too much of the virus circulating in ways we knew too little about .
Moreover , it takes account of the frailties in the system that have hindered , and may continue to hinder , our effectiveness in hunting down remaining cases so the virus does not make a return .
These include the supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers , which is still a source of complaint for many on health ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in testing capacity , that system still does not inspire confidence , with reported average turnaround times in the community of three to four days and continuing anecdotal reports of much longer waits – 12 days , in the case of one person who contacted me yesterday .
The hospital system , where samples from healthcare workers are tested , works faster , but here too delays are reported .
An effective system for tracking the virus will require the results of tests to be provided much quicker – at most 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and contacts put into isolation .
The same applies to contact tracing , where only a fraction of the number of staff trained for this work are being used .
This is despite it taking an average of six days to complete contact tracing for each case .
In the run-up to the first loosening of restrictions on May 18th , some hard decisions will have to be made on travel into the country .
We got it wrong on foreign travel ; allowing Italian rugby fans into the State , and Cheltenham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to implement either a travel ban or a mandatory quarantine to help stop cases being imported .
These are harsh measures , but if they had been implemented earlier , we might be almost ready to lift them now , as other countries are .
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil during the week that making it mandatory for visitors to fill in forms to self-isolate for 14 days was “ not good for tourism ” .
Yet it is hard to see what tourism is likely to happen for months to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a greater or an earlier loosening of internal restrictions , as scientists try to juggle the loosening of different measures in such a way as not to set off a second wave of the virus .
The challenge posed by unrestricted travel across the Border with Northern Ireland would remain , but at least the approaches for the two jurisdictions appear to be converging .
The lockdown was a one-size-fits-all response to an imminent crisis ; what is needed now is greater nimbleness , flexibility and targeting .
Not all measures had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , as a study published last week by the University of East Anglia suggested .
Banning mass gatherings , closing pubs and restaurants and shutting schools had the most impact , while stay-at-home policies and blanket business closure were far less effective , it found .
After the initial restrictions , many of the measures we subsequently introduced effectively doubled down on the broad mass of people who were already adhering to the “ new normal ” .
As we went on to find out , a huge number of virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare workers , residential care settings , meat factories , marginalised groups .
Up to now , the system has been slow to identify and target these areas with approaches tailored to the needs of those affected .

The supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers remains a source of complaint for many on health’s front line. File photograph: The Irish Times
The rule of marathon-running, it is said, is that the first half lasts 20 miles – and the second, six-and-a-bit.
It’s a little like that with the Covid-19 epidemic; having put in the hard yards over long stretches, we find we’re only halfway on at best and the road ahead looks like a long slog.
Ireland’s plan to escape the lockdown – described by officials who designed it as cautious and conservative – cleaves to the best international advice.
But it is also the product of the situation the country found itself in at the start of this month, with too many cases and deaths occurring each day, and too much of the virus circulating in ways we knew too little about.
READ MORE
Moreover, it takes account of the frailties in the system that have hindered, and may continue to hinder, our effectiveness in hunting down remaining cases so the virus does not make a return.
These include the supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, which is still a source of complaint for many on health’s front line.
Despite an increase in testing capacity, that system still does not inspire confidence, with reported average turnaround times in the community of three to four days and continuing anecdotal reports of much longer waits – 12 days, in the case of one person who contacted me yesterday. The hospital system, where samples from healthcare workers are tested, works faster, but here too delays are reported.
An effective system for tracking the virus will require the results of tests to be provided much quicker – at most 24 hours – so that cases can be identified and contacts put into isolation.
The same applies to contact tracing, where only a fraction of the number of staff trained for this work are being used. This is despite it taking an average of six days to complete contact tracing for each case.
In the run-up to the first loosening of restrictions on May 18th, some hard decisions will have to be made on travel into the country. We got it wrong on foreign travel; allowing Italian rugby fans into the State, and Cheltenham fans out of it, and failing to implement either a travel ban or a mandatory quarantine to help stop cases being imported.
These are harsh measures, but if they had been implemented earlier, we might be almost ready to lift them now, as other countries are.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil during the week that making it mandatory for visitors to fill in forms to self-isolate for 14 days was "not good for tourism". Yet it is hard to see what tourism is likely to happen for months to come.
Tougher restrictions on travel might allow for a greater or an earlier loosening of internal restrictions, as scientists try to juggle the loosening of different measures in such a way as not to set off a second wave of the virus.
The challenge posed by unrestricted travel across the Border with Northern Ireland would remain, but at least the approaches for the two jurisdictions appear to be converging.
The lockdown was a one-size-fits-all response to an imminent crisis; what is needed now is greater nimbleness, flexibility and targeting.
Not all measures had the same impact in terms of curbing the virus, as a study published last week by the University of East Anglia suggested. Banning mass gatherings, closing pubs and restaurants and shutting schools had the most impact, while stay-at-home policies and blanket business closure were far less effective, it found.
After the initial restrictions, many of the measures we subsequently introduced effectively doubled down on the broad mass of people who were already adhering to the “new normal”.
As we went on to find out, a huge number of virus cases are concentrated in specific areas – healthcare workers, residential care settings, meat factories, marginalised groups. Up to now, the system has been slow to identify and target these areas with approaches tailored to the needs of those affected.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Government fears lawsuits over ‘calculated grades’ as Leaving Cert postponed

The Government is concerned over its exposure to legal action by students who may miss out on college places following its decision to replace the Leaving Cert with a system of “ calculated grades ” .
Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced on Friday that the exams will not go ahead this summer for the first time in almost 100 years .
Instead , students will have the option of receiving grades calculated by teachers based on their school work or going on to sit written exams in late 2020 or early 2021 , subject to public health advice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ legal vulnerabilities ” with the new plan , while the Attorney General is understood to have briefed Ministers on areas of concern .
These are understood to relate to students ’ legitimate expectations to be able to sit an exam , as well as their right to take up a college place after sitting the Leaving Cert .
Under the plan , students who undertake the written exams will not be able to take up their college places in the coming academic year and will have to wait until next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is strong public health advice to show it is not safe to proceed with the exams may offer protection against any litigation .
The Cabinet also heard concerns from a large number of Ministers over the impact on students who are forced to wait until later in the year to sit the exam .
There were also fears about impartiality and the impact on those from disadvantaged backgrounds .
One Cabinet source said there was a “ substantial body of opposition ” and “ a lot of reservations expressed ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The discussion was robust .
It was a different atmosphere to the usual meetings , ” a senior source said .
Meanwhile , the executive committees of the two secondary teachers ’ unions met on Friday night to discuss the plans .
The Teachers ’ Union of Ireland ( TUI ) executive committee is understood to be prepared to accept the plan , while the Association of Secondary Teachers ’ Ireland ( ASTI ) was still debating the matter late on Friday .
Sources said that while there were deep reservations , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no viable alternative .
School principals , meanwhile , said they were prepared to support the move given that there was no “ perfect solution ” , while students ’ representatives said the move finally gave exam candidates much-needed clarity .

The Leaving Certificate Exam has been postponed and pupils will be offered the option of receiving calculated grades, Minister for Education Joe McHugh has announced. Video: RTE News Now
The Government is concerned over its exposure to legal action by students who may miss out on college places following its decision to replace the Leaving Cert with a system of “calculated grades”.
Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced on Friday that the exams will not go ahead this summer for the first time in almost 100 years.
Instead, students will have the option of receiving grades calculated by teachers based on their school work or going on to sit written exams in late 2020 or early 2021, subject to public health advice.
However, Mr McHugh has admitted there are “legal vulnerabilities” with the new plan, while the Attorney General is understood to have briefed Ministers on areas of concern.
READ MORE
These are understood to relate to students’ legitimate expectations to be able to sit an exam, as well as their right to take up a college place after sitting the Leaving Cert.
Under the plan, students who undertake the written exams will not be able to take up their college places in the coming academic year and will have to wait until next year.
Protection
However, Ministers believe the fact there is strong public health advice to show it is not safe to proceed with the exams may offer protection against any litigation.
The Cabinet also heard concerns from a large number of Ministers over the impact on students who are forced to wait until later in the year to sit the exam.
There were also fears about impartiality and the impact on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
One Cabinet source said there was a “substantial body of opposition” and “a lot of reservations expressed” and “some very strong resistance”.
“The discussion was robust. It was a different atmosphere to the usual meetings,” a senior source said.
Meanwhile, the executive committees of the two secondary teachers’ unions met on Friday night to discuss the plans.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) executive committee is understood to be prepared to accept the plan, while the Association of Secondary Teachers' Ireland (ASTI) was still debating the matter late on Friday. Sources said that while there were deep reservations , there was also a recognition that there was no viable alternative.
School principals, meanwhile, said they were prepared to support the move given that there was no “perfect solution”, while students’ representatives said the move finally gave exam candidates much-needed clarity.


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Woman homeless for 11 years finally gets a home of her own

Homeless for 11 years , and having slept on the streets , various hostels and in a woods , Anne Marie McEneaney never thought she would have a place to call her own .
Last week she got the key to her own door , due , in part , to an increase in market availability as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
The 29-year-old , who suffers from mental health conditions and is a former drug-user , said that living on the streets was incredibly tough .
“ I ’ ve slept on the streets of Dublin on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a cardboard box in the middle of the street .
You ’ re woken up by six in the morning by security , and if you ’ re lucky you might get up before they start splashing the water all over the place .
“ You have to have a weapon on you at all times , but if you ’ re caught with the weapon on you you ’ re going to have a charge sheet .
Then you have the problem of where will you go and get money.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t believe them ” when she was told she would get her own home .
“ I was told that so many times over the years , I didn ’ t believe it .
Now I have a two-bedroom apartment .
I never thought I ’ d have my own home.
” Pat Doyle , chief executive of the Peter McVerry Trust , said it is “ absolutely ” easier to get access to accommodation for homeless people since the pandemic brought the country to a halt .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of landlords don ’ t want to go to the market , they don ’ t want to put ads out and have people queueing down the road looking at apartments , so they ’ re happier to work with an agency like us to see if we can fill in the vacancy quickly.
” Mr Doyle said that in the month of April alone his charity has been able to house 20 individuals in long-term residencies .
“ We ’ ve had more offers of late than we had in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When there ’ s a buoyant market , and there ’ s lots of competition , the most vulnerable get dropped to the bottom of the market , such as homeless people .
“ But at the moment everything is grinding to a halt so we are constantly getting offers of apartments , hotels , different types of accommodation , some of which we never would have got access to before.
” The most recent homeless figures also show that there was a decrease in the number of people in emergency accommodation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
In total there were 9,907 homeless people , which is just under 4 per cent lower year-on-year , and 241 people fewer than February .
Neil Moore ( 40 ) , another individual who just secured his own home , said he was “ nearly crying ” when he was told he no longer had to live in hostels .
“ I have COPD [ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ] , asthma , sleep apnoea and am diabetic , so I am particularly vulnerable to the virus , ” Mr Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe it when I was told I could move into my own place .
I ’ ve never owned my own home , and it just feels amazing .
I can even have my young lad over every second week.
” Ms McEneaney said that unlike most people coronavirus wasn ’ t her biggest concern , and that having her own place has given her a sense of relief she never thought she would have .
“ Coronavirus isn ’ t a big deal to me .
I know that sounds mad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is you die .
Considering the life that I ’ ve had , apart from now , I ’ m not afraid of dying .
My husband died in 2018 , so I really don ’ t have much to live for , only for this [ apartment ] now .
“ I ’ ve had the highest standards of support .
It was all done for me , and now I have a bed to sleep in at night and I have a roof over my head .
”

Homeless for 11 years, and having slept on the streets, various hostels and in a woods, Anne Marie McEneaney never thought she would have a place to call her own.
Last week she got the key to her own door, due, in part, to an increase in market availability as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 29-year-old, who suffers from mental health conditions and is a former drug-user, said that living on the streets was incredibly tough.
“I’ve slept on the streets of Dublin on my own. I’ve slept in a cardboard box in the middle of the street. You’re woken up by six in the morning by security, and if you’re lucky you might get up before they start splashing the water all over the place.
READ MORE
“You have to have a weapon on you at all times, but if you’re caught with the weapon on you you’re going to have a charge sheet. Then you have the problem of where will you go and get money.”
She said that she “actually just didn’t believe them” when she was told she would get her own home.
“I was told that so many times over the years, I didn’t believe it. Now I have a two-bedroom apartment. I never thought I’d have my own home.”
Pat Doyle, chief executive of the Peter McVerry Trust, said it is "absolutely" easier to get access to accommodation for homeless people since the pandemic brought the country to a halt.
“It’s actually a good opportunity now because a lot of landlords don’t want to go to the market, they don’t want to put ads out and have people queueing down the road looking at apartments, so they’re happier to work with an agency like us to see if we can fill in the vacancy quickly.”
Mr Doyle said that in the month of April alone his charity has been able to house 20 individuals in long-term residencies.
“We’ve had more offers of late than we had in the months leading up to it. When there’s a buoyant market, and there’s lots of competition, the most vulnerable get dropped to the bottom of the market, such as homeless people.
“But at the moment everything is grinding to a halt so we are constantly getting offers of apartments, hotels, different types of accommodation, some of which we never would have got access to before.”
Hostels
The most recent homeless figures also show that there was a decrease in the number of people in emergency accommodation in March, when compared to the previous month. In total there were 9,907 homeless people, which is just under 4 per cent lower year-on-year, and 241 people fewer than February.
Neil Moore (40), another individual who just secured his own home, said he was "nearly crying" when he was told he no longer had to live in hostels.
“I have COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], asthma, sleep apnoea and am diabetic, so I am particularly vulnerable to the virus,” Mr Moore said. “I couldn’t believe it when I was told I could move into my own place. I’ve never owned my own home, and it just feels amazing. I can even have my young lad over every second week.”
Ms McEneaney said that unlike most people coronavirus wasn’t her biggest concern, and that having her own place has given her a sense of relief she never thought she would have.
Neil Moore: said he was “nearly crying” when he was told he no longer had to live in hostels
"Coronavirus isn't a big deal to me. I know that sounds mad, but the worst thing that can happen is you die. Considering the life that I've had, apart from now, I'm not afraid of dying. My husband died in 2018, so I really don't have much to live for, only for this [apartment] now.
“I’ve had the highest standards of support. It was all done for me, and now I have a bed to sleep in at night and I have a roof over my head.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-09--Covid-19: Aran islanders face uncertain future amid fallout from pandemic

“ It is almost at the moment as if the island is grieving , ” says PJ O ’ Flaherty as we sit on the stone wall outside Joe Watty ’ s , his pub and restaurant on the rising edge of Kilronan village .
Below , the Atlantic sparkles .
It ’ s been a dreamtime April on the Aran Islands : the narrow roads hot with heat , the hedgerows in bloom and the shallow waters giving an absurdly gorgeous display of peacock aquamarine .
The whole place is Instagram heaven .
But there are no people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The local community voted to shut itself down in mid-March , just before the Government announcement .
They know they did the right thing .
So far , there hasn ’ t been a single case of corona virus on any of the three islands .
O ’ Flaherty spent St Patrick ’ s Day downloading forms .
“ For the Covid allowance thing .
One of the most depressing days of my life.
” The bar was shuttered that day and outside a low grey rain battered the island so you could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But , funny , that day ” , he marvels , “ was the last bad day we had .
Thank God .
The weather has helped us to get through this mentally.
” In normal times , O ’ Flaherty would be recovering from a hectic May bank holiday weekend .
It ’ s easy to call up the scene in sunshine : the viewing deck crowded , the giant parasol raised , music playing , the beer taps busy and seafood aromas .
Joe Watty ’ s employs 21 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flaherty is island-born .
“ Just up the road there , ” he says with a flick of his head .
Visitor numbers to the Aran have gone from 25,000 to 300,000 since the early 1980s .
“ I think this is the third recession , ” he says brightly .
But this one feels different .
Officially , Irish islands are slated to reopen on August 10th , but across the Aran Islands , questions abound .
Will they ?
And if so , how ?
Anyone who wants to visit Aran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Inishmore to give their name and explain why .
Then the ferry service or Aer Arann will take your booking .
There were just two of us on the morning flight , an eight-minute hop from the airstrip on Rossaveal .
First , the pilot went to Inishmaan to drop off post and parcels .
Even if you have been here before , Aran is still a jolt : it is just an hour outside Galway city , but is entirely its own world .
IPhone clocks show the same hour as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From the air , on a cloudless day , the three islands are postcard-pretty .
On a normal May morning tourist buses , bike-hire sheds and bed and breakfast houses would be in full swing , but , even as the pilot banks to land , the island has a shuttered feel to it .
There is nobody on the pier .
Almost all of the fishing boats are tied .
For years , local fishermen have concentrated on fishing in inshore waters for lobster and crab and velvet crab .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fishing was disrupted by treacherous weather in January and February .
It coincided with worsening reports from China .
“ The biggest market for brown crab in Ireland is the Chinese market , ” says Michael Gill , an islander and former teacher .
“ That died overnight .
Then the restaurants in Italy and Spain began to close .
So it has gone from €23 per kilogram of lobster to €8 a kilogram.
” The collapse has been catastrophic .
“ Fishermen can not fish themselves out of this and they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Gill , who as a member of NIFA fisheries group is lobbying for a full fishing ban and compensation for fishermen .
“ We had a meeting last week and I was absolutely shocked how deeply some of the members are [ in debt ] , with loans for big boats , equipment , buying a few hundred lobster pots .
And they are stuck now.
” The concerns are shared across the island .
When Gill taught in school , 80 per cent of his students came from fishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from families that depend on tourism .
The last decade has been good .
Indeed , the local population has never been as imaginative or self-regenerative .
Cathy Ní Ghoill works in the local community development office , a small but dynamic operation that deals with everything from administration , recycling , parks , even a start-up seaweed firm .
She is a perfect example of an islander who assumed she would never make her life on the island but did .
“ Never thought I ’ d come back to Aran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I got so seasick .
“ When I was a kid our service was the State service run by CIE .
So to this day if I get a whiff of Fanta orange or Dairy Milk , I am brought back to that ferry , ” she says .
Part of the island ’ s 1970s and 1980s generation , one that can remember hair-raising ferry trips , she witnessed the radical changes made to transport links with the mainland .
A ferry trip that called to all three islands to load @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because the ferry went twice-weekly only , a trip to Galway meant a three-day stay .
When she went to college , she met with astonishment when she told fellow students that she was from Aran .
“ Do ye have a television ?
Do ye have running water ?
” she remembered being asked .
“ The perception was that we were so backward .
To be quite honest we were far from it .
Tourism meant we met people from everywhere .
And people from the island travel .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 11 years .
My dad was in England .
” It was her Dad ’ s sudden death that brought her home .
Her then boyfriend moved out with her .
They married .
They never left .
“ You have a quality of life here that you don ’ t have on the mainland .
At Christmas , for instance , it is unique .
But island life is challenging .
It is a battle to preserve what we have .
The world has opened up so much more for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of life and it is trying to merge the old with the new .
And probably until the internet , some people were coming on the boat and expecting a land stuck in time – thatched cottages and shawls and bare feet and pampooties .
Now , sure , you Google before you go anywhere .
But cycle two kilometres out of Kilronan and that Aran is still there.
” The number of tourists expecting Synge ’ s vision of the Aran Islands is falling .
Today , visitors want the authentic sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conveniences .
People want escapism , but also wifi .
If anything , access to the island had become too easy .
Indeed , many visitors are coming for day trips , all signs of a contemporary “ I was there ” urge to tick things off on holiday .
However , Aran ’ s very point is the opposite .
In reply , local businesses came up with their own slogan : “ One day is never enough ” .
It had begun to work .
But now their rooms will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people who are already stressing a little .
Some of us have got the three-month mortgage break but that will end , ” says Clodagh Ní Ghoill , who runs Árd Einne House and is heavily involved in the Aran Islands Business Network .
“ They will have to look at the VAT rate , for instance ; they were looking at city hotel prices when they set those .
They weren ’ t looking at the small B & Bs and the little bus driver .
“ You can spend as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourism , but if you are competing against a different market while being taxed to the hilt ... is it worth doing it ?
And the cost of living is 25 per cent more expensive because we have to cargo everything to the island.
” Dr Marion Broderick has lived and worked as a general practitioner on Aran for almost four decades .
It doesn ’ t take much to imagine the dedication .
She is forthright and carries a fearless air , but is candid about her worries over coronavirus .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I am scared of this , ” she tells me in the community office .
“ We haven ’ t had a single case and as far as I ’ m concerned that is because we introduced our lockdown on tourism just in time .
A vote was taken locally and it was 94 per cent in favour and I was so proud of our community for that.
” Eventually , a case is inevitable , she concedes .
Her fear is that a sudden surge of visitors will come as restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fine August and nobody goes on foreign holidays .
Once the ferries open , the islands could be susceptible to a sudden spike in cases of the virus .
“ Transport to mainland hospitals is just not as straightforward for us , ” she points out .
“ It would involve rescue helicopters.
” There is an obvious anxiety among local businesses to salvage something from the year ; the last of August and the usual numbers in September would be something .
But that comes with uncertainty as to how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ferries ?
What about local buses and bike hires ?
Or the numbers that could be in the local pubs ?
Aran offers remoteness .
But it ’ s a personal tourist experience , too .
“ Our tourism is going to be totally different , ” predicts Clodagh Ní Ghoill .
“ It is not going to be like last year .
It is going to involve a new set of procedures and we need to know how to implement a plan to bring visitors on to the island and feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the mainland .
If we are lucky we will get three weeks in August of a season.
” There ’ s a kind of fatalism that it is going to be one of those rare , heaven-sent Irish summers .
PJ O Flaherty would love to see Joe Watty ’ s full of people again at some stage this season .
But safety is paramount .
“ There is going to come a point when we have to open to the world again .
I am not going to be the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen .
There will be a dawning on the community as a whole.
” Half of his staff are from mainland Europe and are due to arrive in the coming weeks .
“ Good staff aren ’ t easy to get .
We feel an obligation to them .
And the dilemma we face is , for instance , even if we can open up on June 29th , for instance , if the ferries are not allowed to carry people until August 10th , then there is no point in opening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we barely have enough to cover the electricity and pay the few staff we have.
” One tour operator that usually brings hundreds each year has cancelled for the summer .
They rebooked for next year but then cancelled again .
“ They can ’ t get guaranteed flights , ” he shrugs .
All is guesswork .
In his younger years , O ’ Flaherty played music professionally and travelled around Europe .
Much as he loves the island , he has always needed to escape it for a while too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ me .
It ’ s the fishbowl syndrome , I suppose.
” But the place has a magnetic draw .
At Christmas , the island population can swell to 1,500 .
And it ’ s the off-season that is the real appeal of living here : the island theirs alone and restful and the off-season months a chance to slow down and reflect and enjoy the raw magic of living on the edge of Europe .
They have coped with the worst Atlantic bursts of temper over the century .
This storm is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fearful it will have a longer effect than people originally thought , ” says O ’ Flaherty .
“ This thing of apportioning blame that it came from China or whatever – something like this was going to happen anyway .
This is our war .
And the thing is your sibling or parent could be your worst enemy .
That is the frightening thing about it.
” Everyone shares Marion Broderick ’ s belief that all of the Aran islands must have an agreed plan to reopen .
On its busiest day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from the island .
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Aer Arann landing .
When funding was under threat a few years ago , the islanders successfully lobbied against it .
That small plane represents a bridge as tangible as the Golden Gate to many locals who simply won ’ t travel by boat .
Cathy Ní Ghoill had people on the phone in tears , wondering what they would do .
The fear of travelling by boat – of the water – is one of the realities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have hit families on the island .
Respect for the ocean can tip easily into fear .
“ Then why live on an island , you might ask .
Well , it ’ s where they are from.
” The future of the place felt under threat during that time .
Some promised they would leave .
“ There was a tangible fear then that if the government could remove such a vital service to save two million a year , then what was our future ?
” They coped then and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
But sometimes , on Aran , it is difficult not to feel forgotten .
“ A bit of our ancestry comes in here , ” says Ní Ghoill .
“ We are resilient .
We can get isolated in winter time so ... but we are worried .
Banks don ’ t care .
They will want their money .
There is no fall-back .
Our livelihood has been put to sleep .
And we like to be independent on Aran .
That is what motivates us .
”

"It is almost at the moment as if the island is grieving," says PJ O'Flaherty as we sit on the stone wall outside Joe Watty's, his pub and restaurant on the rising edge of Kilronan village. Below, the Atlantic sparkles. It's been a dreamtime April on the Aran Islands: the narrow roads hot with heat, the hedgerows in bloom and the shallow waters giving an absurdly gorgeous display of peacock aquamarine. The whole place is Instagram heaven. But there are no people.
The absence of visitors is striking. The local community voted to shut itself down in mid-March, just before the Government announcement. They know they did the right thing. So far, there hasn’t been a single case of corona virus on any of the three islands.
O’Flaherty spent St Patrick’s Day downloading forms. “For the Covid allowance thing. One of the most depressing days of my life.” The bar was shuttered that day and outside a low grey rain battered the island so you could see nothing. “It was dismal. But, funny, that day”, he marvels, “was the last bad day we had. Thank God. The weather has helped us to get through this mentally.”
In normal times, O'Flaherty would be recovering from a hectic May bank holiday weekend. It's easy to call up the scene in sunshine: the viewing deck crowded, the giant parasol raised, music playing, the beer taps busy and seafood aromas. Joe Watty's employs 21 people during the tourist season. O'Flaherty is island-born. "Just up the road there," he says with a flick of his head. Visitor numbers to the Aran have gone from 25,000 to 300,000 since the early 1980s. "I think this is the third recession," he says brightly. But this one feels different. Officially, Irish islands are slated to reopen on August 10th, but across the Aran Islands, questions abound. Will they? And if so, how?
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Anyone who wants to visit Aran now must first call the Garda station on Inishmore to give their name and explain why. Then the ferry service or Aer Arann will take your booking. There were just two of us on the morning flight, an eight-minute hop from the airstrip on Rossaveal. First, the pilot went to Inishmaan to drop off post and parcels. Even if you have been here before, Aran is still a jolt: it is just an hour outside Galway city, but is entirely its own world. IPhone clocks show the same hour as the mainland, but time feels different. From the air, on a cloudless day, the three islands are postcard-pretty. On a normal May morning tourist buses, bike-hire sheds and bed and breakfast houses would be in full swing, but, even as the pilot banks to land, the island has a shuttered feel to it. There is nobody on the pier. Almost all of the fishing boats are tied. For years, local fishermen have concentrated on fishing in inshore waters for lobster and crab and velvet crab. Even as the Covid-19 crisis sharpened globally, fishing was disrupted by treacherous weather in January and February. It coincided with worsening reports from China.
"The biggest market for brown crab in Ireland is the Chinese market," says Michael Gill, an islander and former teacher. "That died overnight. Then the restaurants in Italy and Spain began to close. So it has gone from €23 per kilogram of lobster to €8 a kilogram."
Catastrophic
The collapse has been catastrophic.
“Fishermen cannot fish themselves out of this and they cannot borrow their way out of this,” says Gill, who as a member of NIFA fisheries group is lobbying for a full fishing ban and compensation for fishermen.
“We had a meeting last week and I was absolutely shocked how deeply some of the members are [in debt], with loans for big boats, equipment, buying a few hundred lobster pots. And they are stuck now.”
The concerns are shared across the island. When Gill taught in school, 80 per cent of his students came from fishing households. Now, the majority come from families that depend on tourism.
The last decade has been good. Indeed, the local population has never been as imaginative or self-regenerative.
Clodagh Ní Ghoill, of the Aran Islands Business Network. Photograph: Andrew Downes
You have a quality of life here that you don't have on the mainland. At Christmas, for instance, it is unique
Cathy Ní Ghoill works in the local community development office, a small but dynamic operation that deals with everything from administration, recycling, parks, even a start-up seaweed firm.
She is a perfect example of an islander who assumed she would never make her life on the island but did. “Never thought I’d come back to Aran. Didn’t want to. Mainly because I got so seasick.
“When I was a kid our service was the State service run by CIE. So to this day if I get a whiff of Fanta orange or Dairy Milk, I am brought back to that ferry,” she says.
Part of the island’s 1970s and 1980s generation, one that can remember hair-raising ferry trips, she witnessed the radical changes made to transport links with the mainland.
A ferry trip that called to all three islands to load and unload cargo could take seven hours. Because the ferry went twice-weekly only, a trip to Galway meant a three-day stay.
When she went to college, she met with astonishment when she told fellow students that she was from Aran. “Do ye have a television? Do ye have running water?” she remembered being asked.
"The perception was that we were so backward. To be quite honest we were far from it. Tourism meant we met people from everywhere. And people from the island travel. My mam worked and lived in the States for 11 years. My dad was in England. "
It was her Dad’s sudden death that brought her home. Her then boyfriend moved out with her. They married. They never left.
"You have a quality of life here that you don't have on the mainland. At Christmas, for instance, it is unique. But island life is challenging. It is a battle to preserve what we have. The world has opened up so much more for us. But it is a unique way of life and it is trying to merge the old with the new. And probably until the internet, some people were coming on the boat and expecting a land stuck in time – thatched cottages and shawls and bare feet and pampooties. Now, sure, you Google before you go anywhere. But cycle two kilometres out of Kilronan and that Aran is still there."
Escapism
The number of tourists expecting Synge’s vision of the Aran Islands is falling. Today, visitors want the authentic sense of island life, but also modern conveniences. People want escapism, but also wifi.
If anything, access to the island had become too easy. Indeed, many visitors are coming for day trips, all signs of a contemporary “I was there” urge to tick things off on holiday.
However, Aran’s very point is the opposite. In reply, local businesses came up with their own slogan: “One day is never enough”. It had begun to work. But now their rooms will be empty until August.
“There are some people who are already stressing a little. Some of us have got the three-month mortgage break but that will end,” says Clodagh Ní Ghoill, who runs Árd Einne House and is heavily involved in the Aran Islands Business Network.
“They will have to look at the VAT rate, for instance; they were looking at city hotel prices when they set those. They weren’t looking at the small B&Bs and the little bus driver.
“You can spend as much money as you like promoting island tourism, but if you are competing against a different market while being taxed to the hilt... is it worth doing it? And the cost of living is 25 per cent more expensive because we have to cargo everything to the island.”
Dr Marion Broderick has lived and worked as a general practitioner on Aran for almost four decades. It doesn't take much to imagine the dedication. She is forthright and carries a fearless air, but is candid about her worries over coronavirus. "I'm not scared of much but I am scared of this," she tells me in the community office.
“We haven’t had a single case and as far as I’m concerned that is because we introduced our lockdown on tourism just in time. A vote was taken locally and it was 94 per cent in favour and I was so proud of our community for that.”
Eventually, a case is inevitable, she concedes. Her fear is that a sudden surge of visitors will come as restrictions are relaxed, especially if there is a fine August and nobody goes on foreign holidays.
Once the ferries open, the islands could be susceptible to a sudden spike in cases of the virus. “Transport to mainland hospitals is just not as straightforward for us,” she points out. “It would involve rescue helicopters.”
There is an obvious anxiety among local businesses to salvage something from the year; the last of August and the usual numbers in September would be something. But that comes with uncertainty as to how to proceed safely.
Michael Gill on Inishmor, Aran Islands. Photograph: Andrew Downes
There is going to come a point when we have to open to the world again
How many could travel on ferries? What about local buses and bike hires? Or the numbers that could be in the local pubs? Aran offers remoteness. But it’s a personal tourist experience, too.
“Our tourism is going to be totally different,” predicts Clodagh Ní Ghoill.
“It is not going to be like last year. It is going to involve a new set of procedures and we need to know how to implement a plan to bring visitors on to the island and feel safe. It also depends on behaviour on the mainland. If we are lucky we will get three weeks in August of a season.”
Fatalism
There’s a kind of fatalism that it is going to be one of those rare, heaven-sent Irish summers. PJ O Flaherty would love to see Joe Watty’s full of people again at some stage this season. But safety is paramount.
“There is going to come a point when we have to open to the world again. I am not going to be the one to say when that is going to happen. There will be a dawning on the community as a whole.”
Half of his staff are from mainland Europe and are due to arrive in the coming weeks. "Good staff aren't easy to get. We feel an obligation to them. And the dilemma we face is, for instance, even if we can open up on June 29th, for instance, if the ferries are not allowed to carry people until August 10th, then there is no point in opening. And, then, in the winter we barely have enough to cover the electricity and pay the few staff we have."
One tour operator that usually brings hundreds each year has cancelled for the summer. They rebooked for next year but then cancelled again. “They can’t get guaranteed flights,” he shrugs. All is guesswork.
In his younger years, O’Flaherty played music professionally and travelled around Europe. Much as he loves the island, he has always needed to escape it for a while too. “That’s just part of me. It’s the fishbowl syndrome, I suppose.”
But the place has a magnetic draw. At Christmas, the island population can swell to 1,500. And it’s the off-season that is the real appeal of living here: the island theirs alone and restful and the off-season months a chance to slow down and reflect and enjoy the raw magic of living on the edge of Europe. They have coped with the worst Atlantic bursts of temper over the century. This storm is a trickier read.
“I am fearful it will have a longer effect than people originally thought,” says O’Flaherty. “This thing of apportioning blame that it came from China or whatever – something like this was going to happen anyway. This is our war. And the thing is your sibling or parent could be your worst enemy. That is the frightening thing about it.”
Everyone shares Marion Broderick’s belief that all of the Aran islands must have an agreed plan to reopen.
On its busiest day, Aer Arann operated 38 flights to and from the island. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Aer Arann landing. When funding was under threat a few years ago, the islanders successfully lobbied against it. That small plane represents a bridge as tangible as the Golden Gate to many locals who simply won't travel by boat. Cathy Ní Ghoill had people on the phone in tears, wondering what they would do. The fear of travelling by boat – of the water – is one of the realities and contradictions of island life. Sea tragedies have hit families on the island. Respect for the ocean can tip easily into fear.
“Then why live on an island, you might ask. Well, it’s where they are from.”
The future of the place felt under threat during that time. Some promised they would leave. “There was a tangible fear then that if the government could remove such a vital service to save two million a year, then what was our future?”
They coped then and they will cope with this strange, silent summer. But sometimes, on Aran, it is difficult not to feel forgotten.
“A bit of our ancestry comes in here,” says Ní Ghoill.
“We are resilient. We can get isolated in winter time so... but we are worried. Banks don’t care. They will want their money. There is no fall-back. Our livelihood has been put to sleep. And we like to be independent on Aran. That is what motivates us.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Thinking Anew – ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’

‘ Naked I came from my mother ’ s womb , and naked will I return .
The Lord gives , and the Lord takes away , blessed be the name of the Lord.
” These are the words of freedom which begin our online Zoom liturgy on Thursdays , “ Evensong for Corona-tide ” .
We can ’ t really remind ourselves often enough of the truth of these words .
We are all going to die , and in the meantime any control we feel we have over our lives is an illusion .
Those of us who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this than those of us who are poor .
Blessed are the poor !
Blessed be the name of the Lord !
God is all we have and all we need and our Christian lives consist in trying ( often unsuccessfully ) to live in the light of this .
So would anyone out there choose to have their faith put to the test ?
Not me , thank you very much !
My preference is to be comfortable , for my health to be good , my relationships affirming , my family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to get into my bed at night and feel that I am safe .
I love that we are free in this country to worship God “ without fear , holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our lives ” , as we pray in the Benedictus at every Morning Prayer .
All these blessings are God-given , part of the delight of being human .
Yet I also know that should any or all of the above gifts from God disappear , overnight , my status as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the very slightest .
His love for me would be just as strong and faithful and ravishing and sufficient .
I believe this and my hope is that I would continue to bless the name of the Lord whatever happens .
Yet I find I shrink away from the prospect of this being tested .
Jesus understands this reluctance of course , which is why , in the prayer he taught us , one of the lines specifies “ Deliver us from the time of trial ” .
None of us knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are down .
Jesus himself in the Garden of Gethsemene found himself longing for his cup of testing to be averted .
Our gospel reading tomorrow from John 14 is the exquisitely comforting passage where Jesus assures us that in his Father ’ s dwelling there are many mansions .
He has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us .
“ My Father has room for all of us , ” Jesus insists .
“ I wouldn ’ t tell you this if it weren ’ t true .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
True to form , Thomas anxiously seeks clarification .
“ Actually we do not know the way ” , he explains to Jesus , “ and will you also let us know where the road leads ?
” The reply from Jesus concentrates and simplifies .
Even as the mystery deepens , the directions are clarified : “ I am the way , and the truth , and the life , ” and then , to Philip , ” Have I been with you all this time and you still do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen the Father.
” So there we have it .
Jesus himself is the two ends and the middle of it .
The bonds of love and trust between him and his people are eternal , unchanging .
To love Jesus is to love God .
The anthem we play each week at our Corona-tide Evensong is Charles Wood ’ s hushed , tender setting of St Francis Xavier ’ s famous prayer “ My God , I love thee ” .
It is my own prayer for this dystopian season .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bones our relationship with God .
Our love for God is not because of the hope of heaven or the fear of hell .
It is , rather , a simple response to the love that has been shown to us , in Christ .
Why wouldn ’ t we love him ?
“ So would I love thee , dearest Lord , and in thy praise will sing , solely because thou art my God and my most loving King.
” The Lord gives , and the Lord takes away , blessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @

‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked will I return. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” These are the words of freedom which begin our online Zoom liturgy on Thursdays, “Evensong for Corona-tide”.
We can’t really remind ourselves often enough of the truth of these words. We are all going to die, and in the meantime any control we feel we have over our lives is an illusion. Those of us who are rich find it harder to accept this than those of us who are poor. Blessed are the poor! Blessed be the name of the Lord! God is all we have and all we need and our Christian lives consist in trying (often unsuccessfully) to live in the light of this.
So would anyone out there choose to have their faith put to the test?
Not me, thank you very much! My preference is to be comfortable, for my health to be good, my relationships affirming, my family far from danger. I love to be able to get into my bed at night and feel that I am safe. I love that we are free in this country to worship God “without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our lives”, as we pray in the Benedictus at every Morning Prayer.
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All these blessings are God-given, part of the delight of being human.
Yet I also know that should any or all of the above gifts from God disappear, overnight, my status as his beloved child would not be diminished in the very slightest.
His love for me would be just as strong and faithful and ravishing and sufficient. I believe this and my hope is that I would continue to bless the name of the Lord whatever happens. Yet I find I shrink away from the prospect of this being tested.
Jesus understands this reluctance of course, which is why, in the prayer he taught us, one of the lines specifies “Deliver us from the time of trial”.
None of us knows how we will respond when the chips are down. Jesus himself in the Garden of Gethsemene found himself longing for his cup of testing to be averted.
Our gospel reading tomorrow from John 14 is the exquisitely comforting passage where Jesus assures us that in his Father’s dwelling there are many mansions.
He has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us. “My Father has room for all of us,” Jesus insists. “I wouldn’t tell you this if it weren’t true. And you know how to get there”.
True to form, Thomas anxiously seeks clarification. “Actually we do not know the way”, he explains to Jesus, “and will you also let us know where the road leads?”
The reply from Jesus concentrates and simplifies. Even as the mystery deepens, the directions are clarified: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” and then, to Philip,”Have I been with you all this time and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
So there we have it. Jesus himself is the two ends and the middle of it. The bonds of love and trust between him and his people are eternal, unchanging. To love Jesus is to love God.
The anthem we play each week at our Corona-tide Evensong is Charles Wood’s hushed, tender setting of St Francis Xavier’s famous prayer “My God, I love thee”.
It is my own prayer for this dystopian season. Intentionally it strips back to the bare bones our relationship with God.
Our love for God is not because of the hope of heaven or the fear of hell. It is, rather, a simple response to the love that has been shown to us, in Christ. Why wouldn’t we love him?
“So would I love thee, dearest Lord, and in thy praise will sing, solely because thou art my God and my most loving King.”
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Shop assistant prays for teenager who hit her with metal bar during robbery, court told

A shop assistant who was badly shaken when a teenager hit her with a metal bar while robbing the shop where she worked has been praying for the young man ’ s rehabilitation , a court has heard .
Barrister for Dylan Barry ( 19 ) , Sinead Behan BL told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the woman had conveyed a message to Barry ’ s family that she was praying for him after he hit her during an early morning robbery .
Det Garda Gary Purtill had told the court how Barry and a co-accused , Adrian Cummins ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Mourne Avenue in the Glen in Cork around 6.40am on February 28th last and stolen car keys .
They made off in the homeowner ’ s jeep .
Cummins drove them first to Whitechurch and then to Grenagh where Barry went into the local Costcutters shop and joined a queue at the till to buy some confectionery .
However when the shop assistant opened the till , Barry produced a metal baton and struck the woman on the arm .
He managed to grab € 45 in cash from the till only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a customer .
While they were able to detain Barry until the gardaí arrived , Cummins took off in the stolen jeep , crashing it at Ballymorisheen in Grenagh .
He then made his way to a farmer ’ s yard where he tried to hotwire three cars in a shed .
The farmer discovered Cummins trying to ram the shed door and he detained him until gardaí arrived .
But officers had to wait for both defendants to sober up before they could question them as they were very intoxicated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the money stolen by Barry was recovered .
Cummins caused €12,000 worth of damage to the stolen jeep which was a write off as well as over €2,000 in damage to the cars that he tried to hotwire .
Barry , from Kilnap Place , Farranree in Cork , had no previous convictions .
Cummins , from Sunview Court , Sunvalley Drive , Fairhill in Cork , had a number of minor convictions for public order offences and road traffic matters .
Defence barristers , Sinead Behan BL and John Devlin BL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They pointed out that by pleading guilty to all offences , they had spared the state the expense of a trial and they should be given credit for that .
Barry had pleaded guilty to one count of burglary , one of robbery and one of unlawful use of a car .
Cummins had pleaded guilty to ten offences including two counts of burglary , one of robbery and four of criminal damage .
Judge Helen Boyle said the early pleas were to their credit .
She noted Barry had no previous convictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She sentenced both accused to two years in jail but suspended the final 12 months in the case of Barry , leaving him with a year to serve , and the final six months in the case of Cummins , leaving him with 18 months to serve .

A shop assistant who was badly shaken when a teenager hit her with a metal bar while robbing the shop where she worked has been praying for the young man’s rehabilitation, a court has heard.
Barrister for Dylan Barry (19), Sinead Behan BL told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the woman had conveyed a message to Barry's family that she was praying for him after he hit her during an early morning robbery.
Det Garda Gary Purtill had told the court how Barry and a co-accused, Adrian Cummins (22) had broken into a house on Mourne Avenue in the Glen in Cork around 6.40am on February 28th last and stolen car keys.
They made off in the homeowner's jeep. Cummins drove them first to Whitechurch and then to Grenagh where Barry went into the local Costcutters shop and joined a queue at the till to buy some confectionery.
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However when the shop assistant opened the till, Barry produced a metal baton and struck the woman on the arm. He managed to grab € 45 in cash from the till only to be apprehended by the store manager and a customer.
While they were able to detain Barry until the gardaí arrived, Cummins took off in the stolen jeep, crashing it at Ballymorisheen in Grenagh. He then made his way to a farmer’s yard where he tried to hotwire three cars in a shed.
The farmer discovered Cummins trying to ram the shed door and he detained him until gardaí arrived. But officers had to wait for both defendants to sober up before they could question them as they were very intoxicated, the court heard.
Det Garda Purtill said the money stolen by Barry was recovered. Cummins caused €12,000 worth of damage to the stolen jeep which was a write off as well as over €2,000 in damage to the cars that he tried to hotwire.
Barry, from Kilnap Place, Farranree in Cork, had no previous convictions. Cummins, from Sunview Court, Sunvalley Drive, Fairhill in Cork, had a number of minor convictions for public order offences and road traffic matters.
Defence barristers, Sinead Behan BL and John Devlin BL asked for leniency for their clients. They pointed out that by pleading guilty to all offences, they had spared the state the expense of a trial and they should be given credit for that.
Barry had pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, one of robbery and one of unlawful use of a car. Cummins had pleaded guilty to ten offences including two counts of burglary, one of robbery and four of criminal damage.
Judge Helen Boyle said the early pleas were to their credit. She noted Barry had no previous convictions while Cummins had only minor previous convictions.
She sentenced both accused to two years in jail but suspended the final 12 months in the case of Barry, leaving him with a year to serve, and the final six months in the case of Cummins, leaving him with 18 months to serve.


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Credit notes to customers who have to cancel their holidays will be Government backed

Holidaymakers who have had to cancel their holidays because of Covid-19 will receive a Government-backed credit note for the value of their holiday .
The credit note will be available in the event that a tour operator does not have the cash to offer a full refund to customers .
The offer has been made because of fears that many tour operators will not be able to refund customers in full for holidays booked in March , April or May .
The vouchers will be State-guaranteed in the event that the travel agent or tour operator becomes insolvent and can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refund credit note will be to the value of all of the refund due or part of the refund alongside part cash .
It will be issued with a future redeemable date , and on that date it can be exchanged for its cash value , or can be used to book a replacement holiday .
Minister for Transport Shane Ross said people who have had to cancel bookings because of Covid-19 travel are entitled to a full refund , but many travel agents and tour operators are having severe cash flow problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of them will be able to meet all of their current cash refund obligations and at the same time be able to stay in business , ” he explained .
“ The Government has therefore agreed to back a new refund credit note that travel agents and tour operators can offer their customers .
“ These are very difficult days for our tourism industry and for the many travel agencies and tour operators who have seen their businesses face near collapse in recent months .
However , it is also financially challenging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entitled to a refund of their investment .
“ The refund credit note aims to strike a balance between preventing sector-wide bankruptcy ( with associated immediate job losses ) and consumer rights.
” Irish Travel Agents Association chief executive Pat Dawson welcomed the Government move .
He said travel agents are the worst affected of all businesses because of Covid-19 .
Many have had no bookings since February 28th and are unlikely to get any more bookings this year .
Many are waiting themselves to get money back from airlines , hotels and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It gives the travel agent some breathing space to get back in business , but that ’ s going to take longer than any other business in the country , ” he said .
Mr Dawson stressed that the move will give reassurance to customers as the credit note is Government-backed .
“ We are satisfied that the customer is protected .
”

Minister for Transport Shane Ross said many travel agents and tour operators are having severe cash flow problems. Photograph: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
Holidaymakers who have had to cancel their holidays because of Covid-19 will receive a Government-backed credit note for the value of their holiday.
The credit note will be available in the event that a tour operator does not have the cash to offer a full refund to customers.
The offer has been made because of fears that many tour operators will not be able to refund customers in full for holidays booked in March, April or May.
The vouchers will be State-guaranteed in the event that the travel agent or tour operator becomes insolvent and cannot pay back their customers.
READ MORE
The refund credit note will be to the value of all of the refund due or part of the refund alongside part cash.
It will be issued with a future redeemable date, and on that date it can be exchanged for its cash value, or can be used to book a replacement holiday.
Minister for Transport Shane Ross said people who have had to cancel bookings because of Covid-19 travel are entitled to a full refund, but many travel agents and tour operators are having severe cash flow problems.
“It is not clear that all of them will be able to meet all of their current cash refund obligations and at the same time be able to stay in business,” he explained.
“The Government has therefore agreed to back a new refund credit note that travel agents and tour operators can offer their customers.
“These are very difficult days for our tourism industry and for the many travel agencies and tour operators who have seen their businesses face near collapse in recent months. However, it is also financially challenging for people who booked holidays and are entitled to a refund of their investment.
“The refund credit note aims to strike a balance between preventing sector-wide bankruptcy (with associated immediate job losses) and consumer rights.”
Irish Travel Agents Association chief executive Pat Dawson welcomed the Government move. He said travel agents are the worst affected of all businesses because of Covid-19. Many have had no bookings since February 28th and are unlikely to get any more bookings this year.
Many are waiting themselves to get money back from airlines, hotels and travel operators, he added.
“It gives the travel agent some breathing space to get back in business, but that’s going to take longer than any other business in the country,” he said.
Mr Dawson stressed that the move will give reassurance to customers as the credit note is Government-backed.
“We are satisfied that the customer is protected.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Family of Army officer forced to retire 50 years ago welcome new review

The family of former Irish Army officer Donal de Róiste have welcomed the news that the Government is to hold a review into the circumstances surrounding his forced retirement from the Defence Forces more than 50 years ago .
Mr de Róiste ’ s sister Adi Roche said that confirmation by the Minister with Responsibility for Defence , Paul Kehoe , that he has asked the Attorney General to nominate someone to carry out a review is most welcome .
“ I rang Donal to tell him the news and it ’ s very heartening for us as a family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elated we are by this news – it ’ s the strongest sign of light at the end of the tunnel for us in over 50 years .
“ Donal is just too emotional today to talk about what it means to him , but for us as a family , it ’ s the biggest move in the case in 50 years and now we are just praying and hoping for a good outcome in Donal ’ s favour.
” A former lieutenant in the Irish Army , Mr de Róiste , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then president Éamon de Valera , acting on the advice of the government with effect from June 27th , 1969 in accordance with the Defence Acts 1954 , Mr de Róiste was never officially told the grounds for his forced retirement but his maternal uncle , Patrick Murphy , who was an assistant secretary in the Department of Defence in 1969 , told him it was because of links with subversives .
Patrick Murphy told Mr de Róiste that “ they have a picture of you on the firing party for an IRA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Róiste asked his uncle if he had seen such a photograph , his uncle told him that he had not .
In 2010 , minister of State at the Department of Defence Pat Carey told the Seanad that in 1969 a report had been received by the director of military intelligence that Lt de Róiste had been seen in the company of an IRA splinter group .
The group included a man who was on remand for offences related to an incident in which gardaí were fired upon , and Lt de Róiste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an auction of surplus military vehicles in Dublin in April 1969 .
Mr de Róiste , who has always protested his innocence , moved to the United States in 1971 where he married Leah Martin , with whom he had two children , Dara and Sinead , but he returned to Ireland in 1987 after they divorced .
“ After I was retired , I became a pariah .
.
.
my potential as a human being was destroyed during the course of interrogation and by the false labelling of me as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday Independent in 2010 .
Some eight years earlier , then minister for defence Michael Smith ordered a review of documentation in Mr de Róiste ’ s case by the judge advocate general , who is the principal judicial officer in the Irish Defence Forces .
However , the report of the judge advocate general was quashed by the High Court in 2005 after Mr de Róiste took legal action over the report and the court found that he had not been afforded fair procedures in the review .
In 2010 , Seanad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provision that the government would ask the judge advocate general to select a nominee to carry out another review of the documentation on Mr de Róiste ’ s file .
According to a statement from the Department of Defence , the terms of reference were not acceptable to Mr de Róiste but now , after several attempts , revised terms of reference have been agreed that are acceptable to all parties .
On foot of agreement , the Government has now authorised a review of the circumstances of Mr de Róiste ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee of the Attorney General and completed within three months of their appointment .
Ms Roche , who saw the matter of her brother ’ s forced retirement from the Defence Forces become an issue during her presidential bid in 1997 , said the family had never given up lobbying various governments and presidents .
She paid special tribute to President Michael D Higgins for his support and said she and her siblings hoped her brother ’ s name will be finally cleared as it had caused deep hurt to the family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christina .
“ We have received support from so many people over the years and we have never given up hope , and we are doing this in honour of our parents who sadly didn ’ t live to see the day that their son will hopefully finally get justice .
“ We want Donal to be able to live his life as a free man with his good character restored so he can live as a person of integrity , great intellect and wonderful humanity , free of the shackles which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Donal de Róiste: The former lieutenant in the Irish Army, now aged 75, was retired in 1969 by then president Éamon de Valera. Photograph: Jim Walpole
The family of former Irish Army officer Donal de Róiste have welcomed the news that the Government is to hold a review into the circumstances surrounding his forced retirement from the Defence Forces more than 50 years ago.
Mr de Róiste's sister Adi Roche said that confirmation by the Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, that he has asked the Attorney General to nominate someone to carry out a review is most welcome.
“I rang Donal to tell him the news and it’s very heartening for us as a family. We really are encouraged and quietly elated we are by this news – it’s the strongest sign of light at the end of the tunnel for us in over 50 years.
“Donal is just too emotional today to talk about what it means to him, but for us as a family, it’s the biggest move in the case in 50 years and now we are just praying and hoping for a good outcome in Donal’s favour.”
READ MORE
A former lieutenant in the Irish Army, Mr de Róiste, now aged 75, was retired by then president Éamon de Valera, acting on the advice of the government with effect from June 27th, 1969 in accordance with the Defence Acts 1954,
Mr de Róiste was never officially told the grounds for his forced retirement but his maternal uncle, Patrick Murphy, who was an assistant secretary in the Department of Defence in 1969, told him it was because of links with subversives.
After I was retired, I became a pariah . . . my potential as a human being was destroyed
Patrick Murphy told Mr de Róiste that “they have a picture of you on the firing party for an IRA funeral”, but when Mr de Róiste asked his uncle if he had seen such a photograph, his uncle told him that he had not.
In 2010, minister of State at the Department of Defence Pat Carey told the Seanad that in 1969 a report had been received by the director of military intelligence that Lt de Róiste had been seen in the company of an IRA splinter group.
Remand
The group included a man who was on remand for offences related to an incident in which gardaí were fired upon, and Lt de Róiste was later seen talking to this man at an auction of surplus military vehicles in Dublin in April 1969.
Mr de Róiste, who has always protested his innocence, moved to the United States in 1971 where he married Leah Martin, with whom he had two children, Dara and Sinead, but he returned to Ireland in 1987 after they divorced.
“After I was retired, I became a pariah . . . my potential as a human being was destroyed during the course of interrogation and by the false labelling of me as a terrorist,” he told the Sunday Independent in 2010.
Some eight years earlier, then minister for defence Michael Smith ordered a review of documentation in Mr de Róiste's case by the judge advocate general, who is the principal judicial officer in the Irish Defence Forces.
However, the report of the judge advocate general was quashed by the High Court in 2005 after Mr de Róiste took legal action over the report and the court found that he had not been afforded fair procedures in the review.
In 2010, Seanad Éireann adopted a resolution which included a provision that the government would ask the judge advocate general to select a nominee to carry out another review of the documentation on Mr de Róiste’s file.
According to a statement from the Department of Defence, the terms of reference were not acceptable to Mr de Róiste but now, after several attempts, revised terms of reference have been agreed that are acceptable to all parties.
Nominee
On foot of agreement, the Government has now authorised a review of the circumstances of Mr de Róiste’s retirement to be carried out by a nominee of the Attorney General and completed within three months of their appointment.
Ms Roche, who saw the matter of her brother's forced retirement from the Defence Forces become an issue during her presidential bid in 1997, said the family had never given up lobbying various governments and presidents.
We want Donal to be able to live his life as a free man with his good character restored
She paid special tribute to President Michael D Higgins for his support and said she and her siblings hoped her brother's name will be finally cleared as it had caused deep hurt to the family, including her late parents, Sean and Christina.
“We have received support from so many people over the years and we have never given up hope, and we are doing this in honour of our parents who sadly didn’t live to see the day that their son will hopefully finally get justice.
“We want Donal to be able to live his life as a free man with his good character restored so he can live as a person of integrity, great intellect and wonderful humanity, free of the shackles which have marred his life for 51 years.”


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Guarded welcome by unions and third-level institutions to new LC arrangements

The two main secondary teachers ’ unions will meet on Friday evening to discuss the cancellation of the Leaving Certificate written examinations this summer .
Both the ASTI and the TUI emphasised that they had preferred that the written examinations go ahead in late July or August , but only if it was safe to do so , and the health and safety of students came first .
The executive committees of both unions will meet separately on Friday evening to discuss Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh announcement “ and will not be commenting further at this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Deputy Principals ( NAPD ) said the alternative to the written exams as proposed by the Government is a “ far from ideal solution and not without its challenges ” , but it “ at least provides clarity for students ” .
NAPD director Clive Byrne said the last couple of weeks have been times of “ great stress and uncertainty for students and their families ” .
He added : “ We recognise that there is no perfect solution to the challenges we currently face .
Therefore , whilst we appreciate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far from an ideal situation and not without its challenges , we hope it will provide much needed clarity for our students.
” The Irish Universities ’ Association ( IUA ) said the Government ’ s approach is the “ best way to proceed , and that it now provides certainty to students in terms of ensuring state certification for the end of their senior cycle education , and allows them to make plans for third level or other progression opportunities ” .
The universities will use the calculated grades for third-level admissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Applications Office ( CAO ) to ensure a timely processing of these grades .
It anticipates that 25,000 new students will pass into Irish universities this autumn as originally planned .
The IUA added : “ We look forward to early confirmation by the Department of Education and Skills of the date by which the calculated grades will be made available to the CAO , so that new university students can begin their studies as soon as possible in the new academic year.
” University College Dublin ( UCD ) deputy president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ireland ’ s biggest , will make offers for over 4,000 places within four weeks of the results .
“ Even though cancelling the Leaving Certificate and allocating of grades without final State exams is unprecedented , this decision means that third level institutions can make offers to students based on these results through the normal CAO process and students will progress accordingly , ” he said .
“ Because of the previous expectation that the Leaving Certificate results would be well into autumn , we had been preparing for a much-delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Minister ’ s announcement today , we anticipate that our academic year for first years will open closer to normal start date.
” The Technological Higher Education Association , on behalf of the Institutes of Technology in Ireland , said the announcement “ brings certainty to the process and also allows our institutions to plan toward welcoming new students into the next academic year ” .
Technological University Dublin ( TU Dublin ) president Professor David FitzPatrick has welcomed the announcement saying that it took the decision that the academic year will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lectures commencing in the third week of September .
“ We are delighted now that our incoming CAO applicants will be able to join us earlier in the academic year than expected .
This means they will have more time to take part in orientation and to prepare to make the transition into their university lives , ” he said .
The Irish Second-Level Students ’ Union ( ISSU ) welcomed the clarity surrounding the examination intentions , citing Friday ’ s announcement as a “ great relief to many students ” whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been at “ an all-time high ” .
The Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools , ( ACCS ) Education and Training Boards Ireland ( ETBI ) and Joint Managerial Body ( JMB ) supported the announcement by the minister and said the holding of examinations is now “ not feasible ” .
In a joint statement , they welcomed the calculated grades model as a “ means of allowing students to conclude their studies in schools and to continue on their respective paths as well as the provision that candidates who remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grade will have the opportunity to appeal or sit an examination at a later date ” .
Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín raised concerns that students who opt to sit the Leaving Cert exams in November may not gain entry to third level institutions this year as the results will not be available until the New Year .
“ This is a significant penalty for those who feel that they have not been treated fairly , ” he said .

The two main secondary teachers’ unions will meet on Friday evening to discuss the cancellation of the Leaving Certificate written examinations this summer.
Both the ASTI and the TUI emphasised that they had preferred that the written examinations go ahead in late July or August, but only if it was safe to do so, and the health and safety of students came first.
The executive committees of both unions will meet separately on Friday evening to discuss Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh announcement “and will not be commenting further at this point”.
The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) said the alternative to the written exams as proposed by the Government is a “far from ideal solution and not without its challenges”, but it “at least provides clarity for students”.
READ MORE
NAPD director Clive Byrne said the last couple of weeks have been times of "great stress and uncertainty for students and their families".
He added: “We recognise that there is no perfect solution to the challenges we currently face. Therefore, whilst we appreciate that this alternative arrangement announced today is far from an ideal situation and not without its challenges, we hope it will provide much needed clarity for our students.”
Central Applications Office
The Irish Universities’ Association (IUA) said the Government’s approach is the “best way to proceed, and that it now provides certainty to students in terms of ensuring state certification for the end of their senior cycle education, and allows them to make plans for third level or other progression opportunities”.
The universities will use the calculated grades for third-level admissions purposes and will work with the Central Applications Office (CAO) to ensure a timely processing of these grades.
It anticipates that 25,000 new students will pass into Irish universities this autumn as originally planned.
The IUA added: "We look forward to early confirmation by the Department of Education and Skills of the date by which the calculated grades will be made available to the CAO, so that new university students can begin their studies as soon as possible in the new academic year."
Universities
University College Dublin (UCD) deputy president and registrar Professor Mark Rogers said the university, Ireland's biggest, will make offers for over 4,000 places within four weeks of the results.
“Even though cancelling the Leaving Certificate and allocating of grades without final State exams is unprecedented, this decision means that third level institutions can make offers to students based on these results through the normal CAO process and students will progress accordingly,” he said.
“Because of the previous expectation that the Leaving Certificate results would be well into autumn, we had been preparing for a much-delayed entry for our first years. With the Minister’s announcement today, we anticipate that our academic year for first years will open closer to normal start date.”
The Technological Higher Education Association, on behalf of the Institutes of Technology in Ireland, said the announcement "brings certainty to the process and also allows our institutions to plan toward welcoming new students into the next academic year".
Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) president Professor David FitzPatrick has welcomed the announcement saying that it took the decision that the academic year will commence as usual on September 1st with lectures commencing in the third week of September.
“We are delighted now that our incoming CAO applicants will be able to join us earlier in the academic year than expected. This means they will have more time to take part in orientation and to prepare to make the transition into their university lives,” he said.
Students’ union
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) welcomed the clarity surrounding the examination intentions, citing Friday’s announcement as a “great relief to many students” whose well-being, anxiety and stress levels have been at “an all-time high”.
The Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools, (ACCS) Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) and Joint Managerial Body (JMB) supported the announcement by the minister and said the holding of examinations is now “not feasible”.
In a joint statement, they welcomed the calculated grades model as a “means of allowing students to conclude their studies in schools and to continue on their respective paths as well as the provision that candidates who remain unhappy with the outcome of the calculated grade will have the opportunity to appeal or sit an examination at a later date”.
Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín raised concerns that students who opt to sit the Leaving Cert exams in November may not gain entry to third level institutions this year as the results will not be available until the New Year.
“This is a significant penalty for those who feel that they have not been treated fairly,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Covid-19: Garda response to protests may be seen as ‘inconsistent’- Policing Authority

The Garda ’ s response to different sets of people protesting about different issues during the Covid-19 policing operation might be seen as “ inconsistent ” and “ unfair ” , the Policing Authority has said .
It added it planned to study the issue and report on it in the future .
The Policing Authority did not specifically reference a protest by Debenhams workers and an unrelated protest by supporters of journalists Gemma O ’ Doherty and John Waters but the Irish Times understands it was referring to those protests .
Debenhams workers were protesting outside the store in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month after they lost their jobs .
Gardaí quickly moved in and dispersed them ; breaking up their protest on the basis they had made a non-essential journey to be there .
However , the supporters of Ms O ’ Doherty and Mr Waters have been able to congregate in numbers without social distancing when the two journalists have appeared in the Four Courts , Dublin , as part of their legal challenge to the legality of the Covid-19 lock-down measures .
“ There is an inescapable risk that ( Garda ) engagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uneven , inconsistent or even unfair , particularly where circumstances that may be different can appear to the public to be the same , ” the Policing Authority said of how different sets of protestors were being managed from a policing perspective .
“ While we have observed a level of co-ordination , internal review and reflection , in some of these matters , Garda investigations are ongoing and once further information is received , we will consider and report as appropriate.
” The Policing Authority made its remarks in its latest weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policing operation .
It is also tracking and reporting on how often the force was using the new powers conferred on it to respond to those not complying with the public health restrictions in place to combat the spread of the virus .
Between April 8th and 11th , the first three days of the new Garda powers , ten arrests were carried out under those new powers .
From April 12th to 18th some 37 arrests were made and from April 19th to 25th a total of 45 arrests were made .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 2nd some 47 arrests were made .
In a further 22 cases , during the week ending May 2nd , confirmation was awaited to determine if action had been taken by gardaí against people under the new Garda powers , or under conventional laws .
Authority interim chairman Bob Collins said he and his colleagues on the Garda watchdog agency were “ appalled by the number of threats to spit at Garda members and by the occasions when such threats have been carried out ” .
Mr Collins said the authority accepted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide protective equipment to members of the force .
“ But it reiterates its strong view that there should be an unambiguous commitment to use these devices only for the duration of the current emergency , ” he said .
“ That commitment should be wholly independent of whatever review is undertaken in September , ” he added , of proposals the continued use of the hoods post-Covid-19 be reviewed with a view to retaining them .
During a meeting last week between the Policing Authority and Mr Harris and his senior officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member Vicky Conway said concerns had been expressed about armed gardaí manning checkpoints where compliance among the public with the health restrictions in place was being checked .
The authority notes in its report issued on Friday that Mr Harris had explained to it armed gardaí were being used because a major policing operation was underway and every resource at his disposal had to be used .
Echoing the views express by Ms Conway last week , the authority ’ s report expressed concern that this practice of using armed gardaí for regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become normalised .
“ Concern remains that this type of activity would become routine , rather than exceptional , ” the authority notes in its report .
The authority also believed the Garda should devise ways of recording the ethnicity of suspects and victims it dealt with , especially to determine the ethnic breakdown of people on whom spit hoods were used and the ethnicity of domestic violence victims the Garda was regularly in contact with .
It said without the ethnicity information being recorded for review it was impossible to determine if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being reached by gardaí working to combat domestic violence .
Furthermore , it was impossible to determine any ethnicity-based patterns around how spit hoods were being used .

The Garda’s response to different sets of people protesting about different issues during the Covid-19 policing operation might be seen as “inconsistent” and “unfair”, the Policing Authority has said. It added it planned to study the issue and report on it in the future.
The Policing Authority did not specifically reference a protest by Debenhams workers and an unrelated protest by supporters of journalists Gemma O'Doherty and John Waters but the Irish Times understands it was referring to those protests.
Debenhams workers were protesting outside the store in Dublin’s north inner city last month after they lost their jobs. Gardaí quickly moved in and dispersed them; breaking up their protest on the basis they had made a non-essential journey to be there.
However, the supporters of Ms O’Doherty and Mr Waters have been able to congregate in numbers without social distancing when the two journalists have appeared in the Four Courts, Dublin, as part of their legal challenge to the legality of the Covid-19 lock-down measures.
READ MORE
‘Inescapable risk’
“There is an inescapable risk that (Garda) engagement in particular instances will be perceived as uneven, inconsistent or even unfair, particularly where circumstances that may be different can appear to the public to be the same,” the Policing Authority said of how different sets of protestors were being managed from a policing perspective.
“While we have observed a level of co-ordination, internal review and reflection, in some of these matters, Garda investigations are ongoing and once further information is received, we will consider and report as appropriate.”
The Policing Authority made its remarks in its latest weekly report about the Garda’s Covid-19 policing operation. It is also tracking and reporting on how often the force was using the new powers conferred on it to respond to those not complying with the public health restrictions in place to combat the spread of the virus.
Between April 8th and 11th, the first three days of the new Garda powers, ten arrests were carried out under those new powers. From April 12th to 18th some 37 arrests were made and from April 19th to 25th a total of 45 arrests were made. In the period from April 26th to May 2nd some 47 arrests were made. In a further 22 cases, during the week ending May 2nd, confirmation was awaited to determine if action had been taken by gardaí against people under the new Garda powers, or under conventional laws.
Threats
Authority interim chairman Bob Collins said he and his colleagues on the Garda watchdog agency were “appalled by the number of threats to spit at Garda members and by the occasions when such threats have been carried out”.
Mr Collins said the authority accepted Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was obliged to provide protective equipment to members of the force.
“But it reiterates its strong view that there should be an unambiguous commitment to use these devices only for the duration of the current emergency,” he said.
“That commitment should be wholly independent of whatever review is undertaken in September,” he added, of proposals the continued use of the hoods post-Covid-19 be reviewed with a view to retaining them.
During a meeting last week between the Policing Authority and Mr Harris and his senior officers, conducted via video link, authority member Vicky Conway said concerns had been expressed about armed gardaí manning checkpoints where compliance among the public with the health restrictions in place was being checked.
The authority notes in its report issued on Friday that Mr Harris had explained to it armed gardaí were being used because a major policing operation was underway and every resource at his disposal had to be used.
Echoing the views express by Ms Conway last week, the authority’s report expressed concern that this practice of using armed gardaí for regular policing tasks in the community should not become normalised.
“Concern remains that this type of activity would become routine, rather than exceptional,” the authority notes in its report.
The authority also believed the Garda should devise ways of recording the ethnicity of suspects and victims it dealt with, especially to determine the ethnic breakdown of people on whom spit hoods were used and the ethnicity of domestic violence victims the Garda was regularly in contact with.
It said without the ethnicity information being recorded for review it was impossible to determine if domestic violence victims within ethnic minority groups were being reached by gardaí working to combat domestic violence. Furthermore, it was impossible to determine any ethnicity-based patterns around how spit hoods were being used.


theirishtimes--2020-05-08--Northern Ireland: Journalists warned of loyalist threats against them

Loyalist terrorists in Northern Ireland have issued threats against journalists working for two Belfast-based newspapers , the owners have said .
A number of reporters working for the Sunday Life and Sunday World were visited by police officers in the early hours of Friday morning with warnings of imminent attacks by the South East Antrim UDA – a breakaway UDA group .
At least one journalist was told of a planned under-car booby trap attack and the warnings also said journalists at the two Sunday titles – both owned by Independent News and Media ( INM ) – were at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just weeks after the first anniversary of the New IRA murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry .
The PSNI is taking the threat seriously and officers have been in contact with the journalists .
Police have confirmed they are in receipt of information that indicates a planned and co-ordinated campaign of intimidation .
Peter Vandermeersch , publisher at INM , said : “ We will , of course , work with the police to ensure our staff ’ s safety .
“ Threats against journalists should not be tolerated in any free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany and an important element in that victory was ensuring freedom of speech for subsequent generations .
“ It is depressing that thugs still believe they can silence the press through intimidation .
“ The Sunday World and Sunday Life will continue to publish stories that shed light in dark corners.
” The loyalist terror gang continues to be involved in criminality and has been linked to several murders in recent years .
The gang has murdered three people in the past three years .
Members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked to the murder of Glenn Quinn , 47 , in January who was found in his flat in Carrickfergus .
It is understood the threat has been linked to the papers ’ coverage of the murders and paramilitary activities .
Séamus Dooley , National Union of Journalists assistant general secretary , expressed grave concern at what he described as another attempt to intimidate and silence journalists in Northern Ireland .
He said : “ This threat is being taken seriously by the PSNI , by the company and by the staff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will be viewed with great concern by all journalists in Northern Ireland .
“ Free press is a corner stone of democracy and it is essential that journalists are allowed to work without fear or intimidation .
“ The threat comes in the week in which we celebrate World Press Freedom day and it is a stark reminder of the intimidation that workers throughout the world face from those who fear the consequences of journalism.
” In 2001 Sunday World reporter Martin O ’ Hagan was murdered by the Loyalist Volunteer Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group targeted the journalist as he walked home with his wife .
No one has ever been convicted of his murder .
– PA

PSNI officers have warned a number of reporters of threats against them
Loyalist terrorists in Northern Ireland have issued threats against journalists working for two Belfast-based newspapers, the owners have said.
A number of reporters working for the Sunday Life and Sunday World were visited by police officers in the early hours of Friday morning with warnings of imminent attacks by the South East Antrim UDA – a breakaway UDA group.
At least one journalist was told of a planned under-car booby trap attack and the warnings also said journalists at the two Sunday titles – both owned by Independent News and Media (INM) – were at risk of attack.
The development comes just weeks after the first anniversary of the New IRA murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry.
READ MORE
The PSNI is taking the threat seriously and officers have been in contact with the journalists.
Police have confirmed they are in receipt of information that indicates a planned and co-ordinated campaign of intimidation.
Sunday World reporter Martin O’Hagan who was shot dead in 2001
Peter Vandermeersch, publisher at INM, said: "We will, of course, work with the police to ensure our staff's safety.
“Threats against journalists should not be tolerated in any free society.
"Today marks the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany and an important element in that victory was ensuring freedom of speech for subsequent generations.
“It is depressing that thugs still believe they can silence the press through intimidation.
“The Sunday World and Sunday Life will continue to publish stories that shed light in dark corners.”
The loyalist terror gang continues to be involved in criminality and has been linked to several murders in recent years.
The gang has murdered three people in the past three years.
Members of the South East Antrim UDA have been linked to the murder of Glenn Quinn, 47, in January who was found in his flat in Carrickfergus.
It is understood the threat has been linked to the papers’ coverage of the murders and paramilitary activities.
Séamus Dooley, National Union of Journalists assistant general secretary, expressed grave concern at what he described as another attempt to intimidate and silence journalists in Northern Ireland.
He said: “This threat is being taken seriously by the PSNI, by the company and by the staff.
“This is an extremely worrying development and will be viewed with great concern by all journalists in Northern Ireland.
“Free press is a corner stone of democracy and it is essential that journalists are allowed to work without fear or intimidation.
“The threat comes in the week in which we celebrate World Press Freedom day and it is a stark reminder of the intimidation that workers throughout the world face from those who fear the consequences of journalism.”
In 2001 Sunday World reporter Martin O'Hagan was murdered by the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) paramilitaries.
The loyalist group targeted the journalist as he walked home with his wife. No one has ever been convicted of his murder. – PA