theirishtimes--2020-03-09--Serving on an Irish jury: ‘It’s very daunting’

Type “ jury duty ” into a search engine and the list of related search terms includes “ excuse letter template ” , “ holiday booked ” and “ payment ” – suggesting the first thought for many when receiving a jury summons is not civic-minded .
Last year , roughly one-in-five people called for jury duty attended court .
Of the 42,840 people asked to serve on a jury , 29,682 were excused , while 4,248 were no shows .
A major report published last week found that judges were understanding of this reluctance to serve .
The “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence and the fact that jurors are out of pocket for parking , public transport and childcare costs were just some of the concerns expressed by the bench in the first study of its kind .
One judge described the indifference shown to jurors in Ireland as “ most unfair ” while another described the treatment of jurors as “ appalling ” .
Judges and Juries in Ireland : An Empirical Study , published by University College Dublin ’ s Sutherland school of law and launched by Chief Justice Frank Clarke , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 11 barristers .
The report focused on the experiences of judges in criminal trials , including the role played by juries .
But absent from the study was the voice of jurors themselves .
The Irish Times has spoken to more than a dozen adults who have served , or have avoided serving on a jury , in recent years .
All of their names have been changed to protect their anonymity because the law is unclear about whether jurors are permitted to speak about their experiences .
The establishment of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the UCD study ’ s key recommendations .
“ It ’ s very daunting , ” said Gloria ( 64 ) , who was called to determine whether a man was guilty of child abuse in Dublin several years ago .
“ Even though I hadn ’ t done anything wrong , I felt a bit intimidated being in that environment with all the pomp and ceremony and the wigs and gowns and the language itself , ” she said .
Brendan ( 69 ) , a part-time science teacher , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he was “ very apprehensive ” .
“ What if I make the wrong decision in either direction ?
What if I find somebody guilty and they are innocent ?
What if find somebody innocent and I ’ m wrong ?
He or she could go back out there and commit more heinous crimes , ” he said .
“ You get the letter , you try to get out of it , and then you realise you can ’ t .
So you go along , ” said Fiona ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rape-trial jury several years ago .
“ If it was my mother she would have been straight down to her GP to get a letter ” for an excuse not to serve , Fiona added .
James , who served on a murder-trial jury more than five years ago , said he looked at the list of exemptions and briefly considered coming up with an excuse , but was “ happy to take part , maybe out of curiosity more than anything ” .
Judges , lawyers , gardaí , soldiers , presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatically “ ineligible ” or “ disqualified ” from serving on a jury .
Priests , pilots , doctors , nurses , midwives , dentists , vets , TDs , Senators , port-workers and senior executives have a “ right of excusal ” not to serve .
Public servants , including teachers , lecturers and local authority staff can also be excused , depending on whether their functions can be filled by colleagues .
Given the size , experience and diversity of the public service in Ireland , it is “ remarkable ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and informed people are automatically excused from jury duty , according to a source who has studied the issue in academia .
The result is that juries are disproportionately young and old , “ white and grey haired ” , according to the source , who said there was no real data on the social make-up of juries in Ireland , “ none whatsoever ” .
“ They were ordinary Joe Soaps like myself , ” said Gloria , of her 11 fellow jurors .
“ There was one woman who kept saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I couldn ’ t understand why.
” Gloria said the woman would question the accuracy of transcripts of what had just been stated in court .
“ She ’ d say ‘ that ’ s not what was said ’ .
She needed a lot of clarity that girl.
” After 2½ weeks , and a couple of days of deliberations , the jury reached a majority guilty verdict .
Currently , there is no payment for jury service and expenses are not provided .
Judges told researchers that they considered jury service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurors should not be out of pocket .
Employers are obliged to pay staff serving on juries , but one judge described having to speak to employers directly , where the employers were not fully accommodating of their employees ’ jury duties .
There is no reimbursement for loss of earnings for the self-employed .
One judge said he frequently exempted self-employed people from serving because of the “ prohibitive ” financial burden .
Compensation schemes for jury service exist in most developed common law countries .
In Australia , jurors are given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel expenses and a subsistence allowance .
In the UK , jurors are given the return fares for public transport and a mileage rate where private transport is used .
Parking fees are reimbursed with prior permission .
In Scotland , childminding expenses may be reimbursed in certain circumstances .
In Holland , jurors are professional .
A banking trial there , for example , would probably be decided by six accountants .
James said he spent around €20-€25 a week on expenses for a three-week trial , “ but I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public transport options ” in Dublin .
He suggested giving jurors €5 per day for expenses .
It “ may not cover all costs for some but the gesture would certainly be appreciated.
” One judge recommended giving jurors €20 a day for expenses .
As well as the costs involved for those who perform jury service , there may be an “ emotional toll ” of having to listen to harrowing evidence , according to the report .
“ The reality is some people can have reactions and memories that they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman for the Courts Service .
“ If they found some evidence or aspect of the case distressing in the extreme , they can request a ( PTSD ) debriefing .
With the court ’ s permission and with the advice of the judiciary , the Court Service can seek a professional person like a psychiatrist or a counsellor for a juror to speak to .
It ’ s not commonplace , ” the spokesman added .
Although the experience of jurors has been considered in the design of modern courthouses , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is still only one single entrance to most courthouses that everybody must walk through – including accuser and accused .
Gloria recalled the intimidation she felt going in and out of the Court of Criminal Justice ( CCJ ) building every day , not from anybody involved in her trial , but from people involved in another trial .
“ Every day going in , there were these scumbags hanging around [ outside ] intimidating people .
They didn ’ t know what jury I was on but they were intimidating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those called for a particular trial are called out by the court registrar , lawyers for both the prosecution and defence can challenge up to seven people without reason , and as many as they want with reason .
All the legal teams know is the name and occupation of each potential juror .
“ If it ’ s a robbery in a shop , you don ’ t want people ( jurors ) who work in shops , ” said Michael O ’ Higgins SC , one of Ireland ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a break-in in a house , you don ’ t want property-holders.
” “ Accountants are unpopular because , rightly or wrongly , they ’ re perceived as being just numbers people who draw lines , ” said Mr O ’ Higgins .
“ Having said that , I ’ ve heard colleagues say they like having systems analysts on juries because , if you ’ re talking about procedural deficits ” in the prosecution ’ s case , accountants were “ receptive to the argument ” .
Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the dynamic of the group experience contributes to a verdict .
Juries don ’ t give reasons for their decisions and the Court of Appeal has had to quash several high profile jury verdicts in recent years for being “ perverse ” , inexplicable or against the weight of the evidence .
“ I think we all moan , ” said Fiona , “ but if you ’ re called , and you ’ re selected and you ’ re in that [ jury ] room – it sounds really corny – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sense of civic duty here .
A person ’ s future is at stake here , there are lots of different parties involved and you do have to take it seriously .
You get that sense from other juries as well , that they are engaged , they are there on time every day taking it seriously.
” “ I think the jury system should be retained as a civic duty , ” said James .
“ I know you can get very unlucky .
I work with people who have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obviously , it ’ s a different scenario but I think people , as much as they can , should try to serve.
” Dublin jurors reserve special mention for their court appointed jury minders , who are usually retired firemen , paramedics or other public servants .
Outside of Dublin and Cork , the role is still filled by gardaí .
Brendan said his jury minders were “ great , terrific .
Always good humoured and reassuring .
They were like the hospital porters or the people who wheel patients in and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
When the jury minders were first introduced in Dublin in 2009 , advertisements for the role stated that successful candidates would be “ diplomatic , organised , smart of appearance and with sound judgment ” .
Fiona said the jury minders were “ hugely important , they are the ones who calm you down when you ’ re brought into the room .
The jury minder explains to you , this is your room , this is how the day is going to go .
They take the phones off you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was explaining everything to us , calming things down , kind of assuring you.
” “ If it wasn ’ t for our minder , we would have been lost without him .
It ’ s such an important role .
I ’ ve been in court before for other stuff and you really don ’ t get to see the importance of their role .
”

Type “jury duty” into a search engine and the list of related search terms includes “excuse letter template”, “holiday booked” and “payment” – suggesting the first thought for many when receiving a jury summons is not civic-minded.
Last year, roughly one-in-five people called for jury duty attended court. Of the 42,840 people asked to serve on a jury, 29,682 were excused, while 4,248 were no shows.
A major report published last week found that judges were understanding of this reluctance to serve. The “emotional toll” of listening to harrowing evidence and the fact that jurors are out of pocket for parking, public transport and childcare costs were just some of the concerns expressed by the bench in the first study of its kind. One judge described the indifference shown to jurors in Ireland as “most unfair” while another described the treatment of jurors as “appalling”.
Judges and Juries in Ireland: An Empirical Study, published by University College Dublin's Sutherland school of law and launched by Chief Justice Frank Clarke, was based on interviews conducted with 22 judges and 11 barristers. The report focused on the experiences of judges in criminal trials, including the role played by juries. But absent from the study was the voice of jurors themselves.
READ MORE
The Irish Times has spoken to more than a dozen adults who have served, or have avoided serving on a jury, in recent years. All of their names have been changed to protect their anonymity because the law is unclear about whether jurors are permitted to speak about their experiences. The establishment of a committee to get feedback from jurors is one of the UCD study’s key recommendations.
Behind closed doors: serving on a jury is established as one of the key duties of the citizen. It is many people’s only contact with the courts and the justice system. Illustration: Eoin Coveney
‘Apprehensive’
“It’s very daunting,” said Gloria (64), who was called to determine whether a man was guilty of child abuse in Dublin several years ago.
What if I make the wrong decision in either direction? What if I find somebody guilty and they are innocent?
“Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I felt a bit intimidated being in that environment with all the pomp and ceremony and the wigs and gowns and the language itself,” she said.
Brendan (69), a part-time science teacher, who recently served on a Dublin jury, said he was “very apprehensive”.
“What if I make the wrong decision in either direction? What if I find somebody guilty and they are innocent? What if find somebody innocent and I’m wrong? He or she could go back out there and commit more heinous crimes,” he said.
“You get the letter, you try to get out of it, and then you realise you can’t. So you go along,” said Fiona (35), who served on a rape-trial jury several years ago. “If it was my mother she would have been straight down to her GP to get a letter” for an excuse not to serve, Fiona added.
James, who served on a murder-trial jury more than five years ago, said he looked at the list of exemptions and briefly considered coming up with an excuse, but was “happy to take part, maybe out of curiosity more than anything”.
Judges, lawyers, gardaí, soldiers, presidents, prison officers and former prisoners are automatically “ineligible” or “disqualified” from serving on a jury. Priests, pilots, doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, vets, TDs, Senators, port-workers and senior executives have a “right of excusal” not to serve. Public servants, including teachers, lecturers and local authority staff can also be excused, depending on whether their functions can be filled by colleagues.
Given the size, experience and diversity of the public service in Ireland, it is “remarkable” how many thousands of wise, educated and informed people are automatically excused from jury duty, according to a source who has studied the issue in academia.
The result is that juries are disproportionately young and old, “white and grey haired”, according to the source, who said there was no real data on the social make-up of juries in Ireland, “none whatsoever”.
“They were ordinary Joe Soaps like myself,” said Gloria, of her 11 fellow jurors.
“There was one woman who kept saying there wasn’t enough evidence and I couldn’t understand why.”
Gloria said the woman would question the accuracy of transcripts of what had just been stated in court. “She’d say ‘that’s not what was said’. She needed a lot of clarity that girl.” After 2½ weeks, and a couple of days of deliberations, the jury reached a majority guilty verdict.
Expenses
Currently, there is no payment for jury service and expenses are not provided. Judges told researchers that they considered jury service a civic duty but felt strongly that jurors should not be out of pocket.
Employers are obliged to pay staff serving on juries, but one judge described having to speak to employers directly, where the employers were not fully accommodating of their employees’ jury duties.
There is no reimbursement for loss of earnings for the self-employed. One judge said he frequently exempted self-employed people from serving because of the “prohibitive” financial burden.
Compensation schemes for jury service exist in most developed common law countries. In Australia, jurors are given a daily rate for attendance together with travel expenses and a subsistence allowance. In the UK, jurors are given the return fares for public transport and a mileage rate where private transport is used. Parking fees are reimbursed with prior permission. In Scotland, childminding expenses may be reimbursed in certain circumstances.
In Holland, jurors are professional. A banking trial there, for example, would probably be decided by six accountants.
If they found some evidence or aspect of the case distressing in the extreme, they can request a (PTSD) debriefing
James said he spent around €20-€25 a week on expenses for a three-week trial, “but I’m probably lucky in that there are good public transport options” in Dublin.
He suggested giving jurors €5 per day for expenses. It “may not cover all costs for some but the gesture would certainly be appreciated.” One judge recommended giving jurors €20 a day for expenses.
As well as the costs involved for those who perform jury service, there may be an “emotional toll” of having to listen to harrowing evidence, according to the report.
“The reality is some people can have reactions and memories that they need to talk about,” said a spokesman for the Courts Service. “If they found some evidence or aspect of the case distressing in the extreme, they can request a (PTSD) debriefing. With the court’s permission and with the advice of the judiciary, the Court Service can seek a professional person like a psychiatrist or a counsellor for a juror to speak to. It’s not commonplace,” the spokesman added.
Intimidation
Although the experience of jurors has been considered in the design of modern courthouses, with secure and segregated access routes to courtrooms, there is still only one single entrance to most courthouses that everybody must walk through – including accuser and accused.
Gloria recalled the intimidation she felt going in and out of the Court of Criminal Justice (CCJ) building every day, not from anybody involved in her trial, but from people involved in another trial. “Every day going in, there were these scumbags hanging around [outside] intimidating people. They didn’t know what jury I was on but they were intimidating everybody going in.”
As the names of those called for a particular trial are called out by the court registrar, lawyers for both the prosecution and defence can challenge up to seven people without reason, and as many as they want with reason. All the legal teams know is the name and occupation of each potential juror.
"If it's a robbery in a shop, you don't want people (jurors) who work in shops," said Michael O'Higgins SC, one of Ireland's leading criminal defence barristers. "If it's a break-in in a house, you don't want property-holders."
I work with people who have been in on cases for several months. Obviously, it's a different scenario but I think people, as much as they can, should try to serve
“Accountants are unpopular because, rightly or wrongly, they’re perceived as being just numbers people who draw lines,” said Mr O’Higgins. “Having said that, I’ve heard colleagues say they like having systems analysts on juries because, if you’re talking about procedural deficits” in the prosecution’s case, accountants were “receptive to the argument”.
Unfortunately, there is no real way of knowing how the dynamic of the group experience contributes to a verdict. Juries don’t give reasons for their decisions and the Court of Appeal has had to quash several high profile jury verdicts in recent years for being “perverse”, inexplicable or against the weight of the evidence.
“I think we all moan,” said Fiona, “but if you’re called, and you’re selected and you’re in that [jury] room – it sounds really corny – but you do feel that there is a sense of civic duty here. A person’s future is at stake here, there are lots of different parties involved and you do have to take it seriously. You get that sense from other juries as well, that they are engaged, they are there on time every day taking it seriously.”
“I think the jury system should be retained as a civic duty,” said James. “I know you can get very unlucky. I work with people who have been in on cases for several months. Obviously, it’s a different scenario but I think people, as much as they can, should try to serve.”
Jury minders
Dublin jurors reserve special mention for their court appointed jury minders, who are usually retired firemen, paramedics or other public servants. Outside of Dublin and Cork, the role is still filled by gardaí.
Brendan said his jury minders were “great, terrific. Always good humoured and reassuring. They were like the hospital porters or the people who wheel patients in and out of the operating theatre making jokes”.
When the jury minders were first introduced in Dublin in 2009, advertisements for the role stated that successful candidates would be “diplomatic, organised, smart of appearance and with sound judgment”.
Fiona said the jury minders were “hugely important, they are the ones who calm you down when you’re brought into the room. The jury minder explains to you, this is your room, this is how the day is going to go. They take the phones off you and put them in a press. He was explaining everything to us, calming things down, kind of assuring you.”
“If it wasn’t for our minder, we would have been lost without him. It’s such an important role. I’ve been in court before for other stuff and you really don’t get to see the importance of their role.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--Thousands of students apply for hardship funds to help pay for rising rents

Thousands of students have applied for hardship funding from colleges amid a backdrop of unrest in universities over hikes to on-campus rents .
Latest figures indicate that at least 14,000 students have applied for funding totalling €9 million from the Student Assistance Fund in the current academic year .
This fund provides financial support to those experiencing financial difficulties while attending college .
While a detailed breakdown of expenditure is not available for the current year , education sources in individual colleges say the funding in many cases has been heavily oversubscribed .
The funding may be used for rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as travel , food , childcare and medical costs .
Increases in student accommodation rents have sparked protests across campuses including University College Dublin ( UCD ) , University College Cork ( UCC ) and NUI Galway over recent weeks , Joanna Siewierska , president of UCD Students ’ Union , said these increases were heaping pressure on student groups who are already underrepresented in higher education , such as those from disadvantaged areas .
“ Rent and transport costs are the biggest financial issues affecting students , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the students ’ union with sleeping bags because they can ’ t afford a place to rent , or students sleeping in cars or Dublin Airport .
“ There are also students on a regular basis looking for food vouchers because they can ’ t afford to eat.
” She said the issues affected a broad spectrum of students , ranging from asylum seekers , domestic students and even international students .
“ There is a view out there that international students are wealthy or cash-cows for universities , but many have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re then limited in being able to work to make money , ” she said .
A spokeswoman for the Higher Education Authority ( HEA ) said part of the Student Assistance Fund has been ring-fenced for under-represented students and part-time students who are lone parents .
Funding is administered at a local level by each institution , subject to HEA guidelines .
A detailed analysis of the Student Assistance Fund published in recent years found that the bulk of funding was paid out between October and December .
It found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with a spike in demand at the beginning of the academic year .
The fund has been fully spent in recent years , with about 80 per cent of students who applied receiving assistance of some kind .
It found the average payments were between €500 and €999 .
Protests over rental increases in colleges , meanwhile , have been continuing in recent weeks .
The Union of Students in Ireland ( USI ) has encouraged students to continue picketing and camping out until all institutions agree to reverse the rental increases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outgoing Government for contracting private developers to build high-cost , luxury student accommodation blocks as a solution to the housing crisis among students .
UCD students kicked off a series of protests earlier this month after the university ’ s decision to increase on-campus accommodation rents by 12 per cent over the next three years .
They subsequently erected tents on campus , a move replicated in NUI Galway and UCC where students have been protesting by sleeping out on campus and occupying parts of the college .
Rents are set to climb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galway by 4 per cent and 3 per cent next year , respectively .

UCD students continue a series of direct actions opposing on-campus rent increases by storming a private campus clubhouse for staff, alumni and visiting guests. Video: Kathleen Harris
Thousands of students have applied for hardship funding from colleges amid a backdrop of unrest in universities over hikes to on-campus rents.
Latest figures indicate that at least 14,000 students have applied for funding totalling €9 million from the Student Assistance Fund in the current academic year.
This fund provides financial support to those experiencing financial difficulties while attending college.
While a detailed breakdown of expenditure is not available for the current year, education sources in individual colleges say the funding in many cases has been heavily oversubscribed.
READ MORE
The funding may be used for rent, heating and lighting bills, as well as travel, food, childcare and medical costs.
Increases in student accommodation rents have sparked protests across campuses including University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC) and NUI Galway over recent weeks,
Joanna Siewierska, president of UCD Students' Union, said these increases were heaping pressure on student groups who are already underrepresented in higher education, such as those from disadvantaged areas.
“Rent and transport costs are the biggest financial issues affecting students,” she said.
“We have had students arriving into the students’ union with sleeping bags because they can’t afford a place to rent, or students sleeping in cars or Dublin Airport.
“There are also students on a regular basis looking for food vouchers because they can’t afford to eat.”
International students
She said the issues affected a broad spectrum of students, ranging from asylum seekers, domestic students and even international students.
“There is a view out there that international students are wealthy or cash-cows for universities, but many have taken out big loans to study here and they’re then limited in being able to work to make money,” she said.
A spokeswoman for the Higher Education Authority (HEA) said part of the Student Assistance Fund has been ring-fenced for under-represented students and part-time students who are lone parents.
Funding is administered at a local level by each institution, subject to HEA guidelines.
A detailed analysis of the Student Assistance Fund published in recent years found that the bulk of funding was paid out between October and December.
It found it was helping on average 14,000 students, with a spike in demand at the beginning of the academic year.
The fund has been fully spent in recent years, with about 80 per cent of students who applied receiving assistance of some kind. It found the average payments were between €500 and €999.
Rent protests
Protests over rental increases in colleges, meanwhile, have been continuing in recent weeks.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has encouraged students to continue picketing and camping out until all institutions agree to reverse the rental increases.
USI president Lorna Fitzpatrick criticised the outgoing Government for contracting private developers to build high-cost, luxury student accommodation blocks as a solution to the housing crisis among students.
UCD students kicked off a series of protests earlier this month after the university’s decision to increase on-campus accommodation rents by 12 per cent over the next three years.
They subsequently erected tents on campus, a move replicated in NUI Galway and UCC where students have been protesting by sleeping out on campus and occupying parts of the college. Rents are set to climb at on-campus accommodation at UCC and NUI Galway by 3 per cent and 4 per cent next year, respectively.*
* This article has been amended to correct an error


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--People with disabilities faced ‘enormous barriers’ to voting in general election

People with disabilities faced “ enormous barriers ” to voting in last month ’ s general election , an equality campaigner has said .
Vivian Rath , member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Authority ’ s disability advisory forum , had an “ avalanche ” of responses after tweeting about his experience voting in Kilmuckridge , Co Wexford .
Mr Rath , who uses a mobility scooter , tweeted : “ No accessible ( lower ) polling booth available .
Despite a request to the Returning Officer .
@ wexfordcoco So , I voted in the side hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want # RightsNotFavours.
” He says he had not been able to vote secretly last year in the local and European elections as he could not reach the polling booth .
A wheel-chair accessible pooling booth should be available in every station .
Though he was facilitated with a table it was positioned in full view of other voters coming into the station .
“ So my right to a secret ballot was not vindicated , ” he says .
He raised this , he says , with the county ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no reply .
Last month again there was no accessible booth .
He was provided with a table again , this time in a side hallway .
Among the responses to his tweet were : “ The string on the pencil was too short for me to put the ballot paper on my lap .
I was supported to have easier access door opened and ballot paper brought to me .
Room for improvement , ” said one .
“ Voted in my car Viv , ” tweeted another .
“ # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and people with disabilities !
Some confusion among the # Deaf community on who to vote for , due to lack of access to # IrishSignLanguage , ” tweeted one .
A visually impaired voter tweeted : “ I attempted with my companion to affix a Braille template to the ballot paper .
Because the template came rolled up in its box it was crumpled .
It was also 30cm in length .
I opted to have my companion complete the ballot paper with me .
Not a successful means of giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ní Fhlatharta of Disabled Women Ireland are now collating preliminary results from an online survey of people ’ s voting experiences .
Of those who responded one in every two disabled people faced barriers to voting in the general election , says Mr Rath .
“ Those barriers included lack of easy-to-read , independent or candidates ’ information leading up to the election , inaccessible polling booths , not being able to get into the polling station and difficulties with the tactile voting template for the visually impaired .
“ All adult citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with disabilities are routinely being denied that or face enormous barriers .
This is widespread.
” He called for an electoral commission , which is due to be established , to examine the barriers faced by people with disabilities .
A spokesman for the Department of Housing and Local Government said a group established in 2018 was “ working on improving accessibility to polling stations for voters with physical disabilities , particularly wheelchair users , with the goal of all polling stations being fully accessible as soon as possible ” .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages from The Irish Times .

Vivian Rath, from Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford, outside St Joseph’s NS which is his polling station during election. Photograph: Patrick Browne
People with disabilities faced “enormous barriers” to voting in last month’s general election, an equality campaigner has said.
Vivian Rath, member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Authority's disability advisory forum, had an "avalanche" of responses after tweeting about his experience voting in Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford.
Mr Rath, who uses a mobility scooter, tweeted: “No accessible (lower) polling booth available. Despite a request to the Returning Officer. @wexfordcoco So, I voted in the side hall. #GE2020 Staff were lovely but I want #RightsNotFavours.”
He says he had not been able to vote secretly last year in the local and European elections as he could not reach the polling booth. A wheel-chair accessible pooling booth should be available in every station.
READ MORE
Though he was facilitated with a table it was positioned in full view of other voters coming into the station.
‘No reply’
"So my right to a secret ballot was not vindicated," he says. He raised this, he says, with the county's returning officer Marie Garahy, but has had no reply.
Last month again there was no accessible booth. He was provided with a table again, this time in a side hallway.
Among the responses to his tweet were: “The string on the pencil was too short for me to put the ballot paper on my lap. I was supported to have easier access door opened and ballot paper brought to me. Room for improvement,” said one.
“Voted in my car Viv,” tweeted another.
“#GE2020 is a joke for #Deaf people and people with disabilities! Some confusion among the #Deaf community on who to vote for, due to lack of access to #IrishSignLanguage,” tweeted one.
A visually impaired voter tweeted: “I attempted with my companion to affix a Braille template to the ballot paper. Because the template came rolled up in its box it was crumpled. It was also 30cm in length. I opted to have my companion complete the ballot paper with me. Not a successful means of giving me secrecy.”
Mr Rath and Maria Ní Fhlatharta of Disabled Women Ireland are now collating preliminary results from an online survey of people's voting experiences.
Of those who responded one in every two disabled people faced barriers to voting in the general election, says Mr Rath.
Difficulties
“Those barriers included lack of easy-to-read, independent or candidates’ information leading up to the election, inaccessible polling booths, not being able to get into the polling station and difficulties with the tactile voting template for the visually impaired.
“All adult citizens have a right to vote, but people with disabilities are routinely being denied that or face enormous barriers. This is widespread.”
He called for an electoral commission, which is due to be established, to examine the barriers faced by people with disabilities.
A spokesman for the Department of Housing and Local Government said a group established in 2018 was “working on improving accessibility to polling stations for voters with physical disabilities, particularly wheelchair users, with the goal of all polling stations being fully accessible as soon as possible”.
The Wexford returning officer didn’t return messages from The Irish Times.


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--More than 20 gardaí to be told they face inquiry into alleged liquor law abuses

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission ( Gsoc ) is set to notify more than 20 members of the force that they are under investigation as part of a major inquiry into alleged systematic flouting of the liquor licensing laws .
The allegations have been made by a member of the Garda who has made a protected disclosure setting out his claims dating from 2012 .
The Garda member , who is currently on sick leave from the force , has also posted blogs about what he claims happened in Co Kerry for many years .
The garda claimed that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licences , sometimes until 6am .
He claimed in 2012 some 30 of the town ’ s 130 premises did not have liquor licences .
He further claimed when alleged licensing breaches were investigated , flaws were deliberately inserted in the investigation files and that some false records were kept .
He also alleged Garda vehicles were used to carry patrons home from some premises and that gardaí received gifts .
He has further alleged , because of the failure of the premises to apply for licences or late licences , significant amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the State for the licences was lost .
“ It is important to mention that the majority of publicans did keep a good house and abided fully with their obligations under licensing laws .
There were others however , who it appeared no law applied to , ” he wrote .
It emerged in recent months that Gsoc was investigating the claims made in the protected disclosure and had informed the complainant of that last June .
The Irish Times now understands that investigation has progressed to the next stage , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in the wider Kerry division at the time are now under investigation .
Gsoc is examining the conduct of 21 Garda members , some of whom are no longer based in the Kerry division , who are now due to be informed formally by the oversight body that they are being investigated .
No allegations of wrongdoing have been proven against any of the members whose conduct is now being investigated .
When contacted by The Irish Times for comment , neither Gsoc nor Garda Headquarters would make any comment .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclosure worked in Kerry for six years and has claimed when he came forward with his allegations he was ostracised within the force .

It is alleged that some premises in Killarney openly served alcohol without licences, sometimes until 6am. Photograph: Thinkstock
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) is set to notify more than 20 members of the force that they are under investigation as part of a major inquiry into alleged systematic flouting of the liquor licensing laws.
The allegations have been made by a member of the Garda who has made a protected disclosure setting out his claims dating from 2012. The Garda member, who is currently on sick leave from the force, has also posted blogs about what he claims happened in Co Kerry for many years.
The garda claimed that some premises in Killarney openly served alcohol without licences, sometimes until 6am. He claimed in 2012 some 30 of the town’s 130 premises did not have liquor licences. He further claimed when alleged licensing breaches were investigated, flaws were deliberately inserted in the investigation files and that some false records were kept.
He also alleged Garda vehicles were used to carry patrons home from some premises and that gardaí received gifts.
READ MORE
Protected disclosure
He has further alleged, because of the failure of the premises to apply for licences or late licences, significant amounts of money that should have been paid to the State for the licences was lost.
“It is important to mention that the majority of publicans did keep a good house and abided fully with their obligations under licensing laws. There were others however, who it appeared no law applied to,” he wrote.
It emerged in recent months that Gsoc was investigating the claims made in the protected disclosure and had informed the complainant of that last June.
The Irish Times now understands that investigation has progressed to the next stage, and allegations against specific Garda members who were based in the wider Kerry division at the time are now under investigation. Gsoc is examining the conduct of 21 Garda members, some of whom are no longer based in the Kerry division, who are now due to be informed formally by the oversight body that they are being investigated.
No allegations of wrongdoing have been proven against any of the members whose conduct is now being investigated.
When contacted by The Irish Times for comment, neither Gsoc nor Garda Headquarters would make any comment.
The Garda member who has made the protected disclosure worked in Kerry for six years and has claimed when he came forward with his allegations he was ostracised within the force.


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--Snobbery at the heart of two-tier education system for school-leavers

It ’ s CAO season and tens of thousands of school-leavers are choosing their higher education courses .
Chances are that most will never stop to think about apprenticeships , traineeships or post-Leaving Cert courses as options .
That ’ s partly because they don ’ t feature in the CAO system , which is operated by universities and institutes of technology .
For many students – and parents – securing a higher education course is the only measure of success .
Further education is still seen in the eyes of many as a “ second best ” choice for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points to make it to college .
But there is mounting evidence to show that this snobbery at the heart our education system isn ’ t meeting the needs of students – or , indeed , the economy as a whole .
Latest data from the Higher Education Authority shows a significant minority of school-leavers are dropping out of their courses .
Young men with low CAO points are a particular risk , especially those in demanding courses such as computing and engineering .
For example , some engineering and computing courses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in excess of 80 per cent .
At the same time , the latest research shows Irish workers are among the most overqualified in Europe for the jobs in which they are working .
This raises questions about the adequacy of career guidance and students ’ prior knowledge of these courses .
But it also raises major questions about the fractured , two-tier nature of our education and training system for school-leavers .
Further education , potentially , offers many solutions to these problems by providing a more hands-on learning environment which gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sooner or pursue further study .
However , the ad hoc links between further and higher education , combined with a sense among students that choosing a course is a once in a lifetime decision , means it is bypassed all too often .
A draft Department of Education consultation paper on a “ tertiary education system for Ireland ” – to be published soon – seeks to address many of these concerns .
It acknowledges criticism that too many learners are being encouraged into higher rather than further or vocational education and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs or are overqualified for the work they do .
It also notes that , internationally , there is a growing recognition that university credentials may be “ over-emphasised in comparison to other post-secondary options ” .
The draft consultation paper notes that our education system is going to face major challenges over the coming years , such as demographic bulges , changing skills requirements and technological disruption .
If we are to meet them head on , it says , we will need a much more cohesive system where further and higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how do we achieve this ?
One option under consideration , according to the draft paper , is boosting the visibility of the further education sector with a new enhanced CAO system .
This could manage students ’ applications for all types of courses ranging from apprenticeships to degree courses .
Another is ensuring both sectors are much more closely aligned , so a student could start a course in a further education college and progress seamlessly to a higher education institute .
It also acknowledges that trying to achieve this would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations reform is just one of them .
For example , staff terms and conditions vary widely across the different sectors .
Both sectors are also overseen by different bodies – Solas and the Higher Education Authority – which will need to be addressed .
Any major changes , it seems likely , will not happen soon – though time may not be something the education system has on its side .
According to the OECD , three major trends look set to change the nature of work : globalisation , technological change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and training system , these trends could make it much harder to upskill workers and meet skills gaps .
There is no doubt that our education system has been very successful until now for our society and economy .
Given the demands of growing student numbers and lifelong learning needs , both sectors will have to work together if future education and training needs are to be met .

Apprenticeships and traineeships don’t feature as part of the CAO system, meaning many school-leavers don’t see them as an option
It’s CAO season and tens of thousands of school-leavers are choosing their higher education courses.
Chances are that most will never stop to think about apprenticeships, traineeships or post-Leaving Cert courses as options.
That’s partly because they don’t feature in the CAO system, which is operated by universities and institutes of technology.
For many students – and parents – securing a higher education course is the only measure of success.
READ MORE
Further education is still seen in the eyes of many as a “second best” choice for school-leavers who don’t get enough points to make it to college.
Some engineering and computing courses in institutes of technology have recorded drop-out rates in excess of 80 per cent
But there is mounting evidence to show that this snobbery at the heart our education system isn’t meeting the needs of students – or, indeed, the economy as a whole.
Latest data from the Higher Education Authority shows a significant minority of school-leavers are dropping out of their courses.
Young men with low CAO points are a particular risk, especially those in demanding courses such as computing and engineering.
For example, some engineering and computing courses in institutes of technology have recorded drop-out rates in excess of 80 per cent.
At the same time, the latest research shows Irish workers are among the most overqualified in Europe for the jobs in which they are working.
This raises questions about the adequacy of career guidance and students’ prior knowledge of these courses.
But it also raises major questions about the fractured, two-tier nature of our education and training system for school-leavers.
Our education system is going to face major challenges over the coming years, such as demographic bulges, changing skills requirements and technological disruption
Further education, potentially, offers many solutions to these problems by providing a more hands-on learning environment which gives students a choice to go into workforce sooner or pursue further study.
However, the ad hoc links between further and higher education, combined with a sense among students that choosing a course is a once in a lifetime decision, means it is bypassed all too often.
A draft Department of Education consultation paper on a “tertiary education system for Ireland” – to be published soon – seeks to address many of these concerns.
It acknowledges criticism that too many learners are being encouraged into higher rather than further or vocational education and that many graduates end up in low-skilled jobs or are overqualified for the work they do.
It also notes that, internationally, there is a growing recognition that university credentials may be “over-emphasised in comparison to other post-secondary options”.
The draft consultation paper notes that our education system is going to face major challenges over the coming years, such as demographic bulges, changing skills requirements and technological disruption.
If we are to meet them head on, it says, we will need a much more cohesive system where further and higher education are more closely aligned.
So, how do we achieve this?
One option under consideration, according to the draft paper, is boosting the visibility of the further education sector with a new enhanced CAO system.
This could manage students’ applications for all types of courses ranging from apprenticeships to degree courses.
Both sectors will have to work together if future education and training needs are to be met
Another is ensuring both sectors are much more closely aligned, so a student could start a course in a further education college and progress seamlessly to a higher education institute.
It also acknowledges that trying to achieve this would involve tackling some considerable barriers.
Industrial relations reform is just one of them. For example, staff terms and conditions vary widely across the different sectors.
Both sectors are also overseen by different bodies – Solas and the Higher Education Authority – which will need to be addressed.
Any major changes, it seems likely, will not happen soon – though time may not be something the education system has on its side.
According to the OECD, three major trends look set to change the nature of work: globalisation, technological change and demographics.
Without a fit-for-purpose education and training system, these trends could make it much harder to upskill workers and meet skills gaps.
There is no doubt that our education system has been very successful until now for our society and economy.
Given the demands of growing student numbers and lifelong learning needs, both sectors will have to work together if future education and training needs are to be met.


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--CAO may be expanded to include further education courses

A new CAO system that would allow school leavers to apply for both university and further education courses is under consideration by the Department of Education .
The proposal is contained in a draft departmental consultation paper , seen by The Irish Times , which acknowledges criticism that too many students are choosing higher education over options such as apprenticeships and further education courses .
Some 64 per cent of Irish school leavers currently progress to higher education , which is the highest proportion in the European Union .
The paper proposes breaking down barriers between higher and further education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to transfer seamlessly from a course in a post-Leaving Cert college to university .
It is part of a broader vision aimed at tackling what some see as a status problem with further education , which leads many school leavers to regard it as a “ second-best ” choice .
The draft consultation paper , A Tertiary Education System for Ireland , is due to be published shortly .
It acknowledges criticism that “ too many learners are being encouraged into higher rather than further/vocational education ” and that some graduates are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also notes that , internationally , there is a growing recognition that university credentials may be “ overemphasised in comparison to other post-secondary options ” .
The CAO system currently only offers students course choices in higher education institutions .
The draft paper says there could be scope for a new enhanced CAO system to manage students ’ applications for courses at all levels or an entirely new centralised system could be created .
The CAO , a not-for-profit company that manages applications on behalf of third-level colleges , declined to comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draft report notes that , unlike most developed countries , demographic trends indicate the number of schools leavers is set to grow significantly in Ireland over the coming years .
It says a more “ unified ” education system is needed to ensure the needs of school leavers and employers are met .
However , it says higher education will still need a distinct , high-quality research system .
The draft paper says a “ good education system should meet the needs of all students ” who should not have to “ think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education and higher education ” .
One major challenge to greater integration identified in the report is potential reform to staff terms and conditions to ensure there is a more access to courses year-round , as well as evening courses and online delivery .
This has been a particular issue in the further education sector , where most post-Leaving Cert colleges are closed to trainees during summer months .
The consultation paper says the proposals are being published as a “ stimulus for interested individuals and institutions ” to provide their views .

A new CAO system that would allow school leavers to apply for both university and further education courses is under consideration by the Department of Education.
The proposal is contained in a draft departmental consultation paper, seen by The Irish Times, which acknowledges criticism that too many students are choosing higher education over options such as apprenticeships and further education courses.
Some 64 per cent of Irish school leavers currently progress to higher education, which is the highest proportion in the European Union.
The paper proposes breaking down barriers between higher and further education and allowing a student, for example, to transfer seamlessly from a course in a post-Leaving Cert college to university.
READ MORE
It is part of a broader vision aimed at tackling what some see as a status problem with further education, which leads many school leavers to regard it as a “second-best” choice.
The draft consultation paper, A Tertiary Education System for Ireland, is due to be published shortly.
It acknowledges criticism that “too many learners are being encouraged into higher rather than further/vocational education” and that some graduates are ending up in low-skilled jobs.
In some individual courses, only a handful of students are making it to the end.
It also notes that, internationally, there is a growing recognition that university credentials may be “overemphasised in comparison to other post-secondary options”.
The CAO system currently only offers students course choices in higher education institutions.
Centralised system
The draft paper says there could be scope for a new enhanced CAO system to manage students’ applications for courses at all levels or an entirely new centralised system could be created.
The CAO, a not-for-profit company that manages applications on behalf of third-level colleges, declined to comment on the report’s proposals.
The draft report notes that, unlike most developed countries, demographic trends indicate the number of schools leavers is set to grow significantly in Ireland over the coming years.
It says a more “unified” education system is needed to ensure the needs of school leavers and employers are met. However, it says higher education will still need a distinct, high-quality research system.
The draft paper says a “good education system should meet the needs of all students” who should not have to “think in terms of artificially selecting between further education and higher education”.
One major challenge to greater integration identified in the report is potential reform to staff terms and conditions to ensure there is a more access to courses year-round, as well as evening courses and online delivery.
This has been a particular issue in the further education sector, where most post-Leaving Cert colleges are closed to trainees during summer months.
The consultation paper says the proposals are being published as a “stimulus for interested individuals and institutions” to provide their views.


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--Coronavirus: Pressure builds to limit mass gatherings

The first meeting of a Cabinet committee on the coronavirus will take place at Government Buildings on Monday as Ireland comes under pressure to follow a number of other European countries in limiting large public gatherings .
The French government announced on Sunday it was banning all gatherings of more than 1,000 people in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 , a move that casts doubt on whether the Six Nations rugby finale between France and Ireland in Paris next Saturday will go ahead .
Germany ’ s health minister has recommended a similar ban on gatherings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not yet government policy , while Italy has put almost a quarter of the country in lockdown due to the rapid spread of the disease .
Officials and medical staff were on Sunday updating briefings for Ministers and senior civil servants ahead of Monday ’ s Cabinet subcommittee meeting .
Members of the committee – chaired by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and including Tánaiste Simon Coveney , Minister for Health Simon Harris , Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Transport Shane Ross – will be briefed on the latest infection statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and infectious diseases experts .
While there are no plans to postpone the St Patrick ’ s Day festival and parade , officials said on Sunday that European developments – including the new measures in Italy and crowd controls elsewhere – would be discussed by Ministers on Monday .
Opposition parties are due to be briefed after the meeting .
The number of cases of Covid-19 in the Republic climbed to 21 over the weekend , with two cases identified on Sunday – in the south and the east – said to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the south who contracted the coronavirus is linked to the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork , while a female in the east also tested positive for the virus , with a risk assessment under way , the HSE said .
A man , also from the east , who had travelled from Italy , became the 19th confirmed case on Saturday .
In Northern Ireland , the number of confirmed cases rose by three to seven .
The Department of Foreign Affairs has also updated its travel advice covering Italy and is warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy , including both Milan and Venice , after the government there put almost a quarter of the country in lockdown due to the rapid spread of the disease .
The number of people who have died from the coronavirus in Italy jumped by 133 to 366 between Saturday and Sunday with total number of infections climbing 25 per cent from 5,883 to 7,375 .
The sharp rise in cases prompted unprecedented restrictions signed into law by prime minister Giuseppe Conte .
The measures , which will remain in force until April 3rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave Lombardy , Italy ’ s richest region , and 14 provinces in four other regions , including Venice , Modena and Parma .
Mr Conte said nobody would be allowed to move in or out of these areas , or within them , unless they had proven , work-related reasons for doing so , or health issues .
“ We are facing a national emergency ... We have to limit the spread of the virus and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed , ” he said .
While the number of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are growing they could climb rapidly in the days ahead , with HSE chief executive Paul Reid saying he could not dispute reported projections that up to 1.9 million people in Ireland could contract Covid-19 .
He was responding to a report in the Sunday Business Post that said health authorities here were forecasting about 40 per cent of the population could become sick as a result of the virus .
Minister for Health Simon Harris said it was highly likely the country would see many more cases and he said people could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by practising hand hygiene and coughing etiquette .
He stressed that “ everything that can be done is being done ” in relation to the coronavirus outbreak .
Mr Harris said he hoped to have clarity about the modelling projections on the potential extent of the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland following a meeting of health experts on Tuesday .
Recruitment restrictions in place in the health service have also been lifted , and the HSE has said there will be “ no barriers to the recruitment of the workforce that is required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Covid-19 ” outbreak .
“ The HSE are also expediting all other avenues in terms of those on panels and awaiting appointment , those who have left the service for reasons of retirement , career break , secondments etc are also being identified and contacted , ” a spokeswoman said .
Siptu said on Sunday the move would apply not only to nurses but also other essential grades in the health service .

The first meeting of a Cabinet committee on the coronavirus will take place at Government Buildings on Monday as Ireland comes under pressure to follow a number of other European countries in limiting large public gatherings.
The French government announced on Sunday it was banning all gatherings of more than 1,000 people in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, a move that casts doubt on whether the Six Nations rugby finale between France and Ireland in Paris next Saturday will go ahead.
Germany's health minister has recommended a similar ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people, although it is not yet government policy, while Italy has put almost a quarter of the country in lockdown due to the rapid spread of the disease.
Officials and medical staff were on Sunday updating briefings for Ministers and senior civil servants ahead of Monday’s Cabinet subcommittee meeting.
READ MORE
Members of the committee – chaired by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and including Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Minister for Health Simon Harris, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Transport Shane Ross – will be briefed on the latest infection statistics and projections for future infections by public health and infectious diseases experts.
While there are no plans to postpone the St Patrick’s Day festival and parade, officials said on Sunday that European developments – including the new measures in Italy and crowd controls elsewhere – would be discussed by Ministers on Monday.
Opposition parties are due to be briefed after the meeting.
The number of cases of Covid-19 in the Republic climbed to 21 over the weekend, with two cases identified on Sunday – in the south and the east – said to be community transmissions.
A male in the south who contracted the coronavirus is linked to the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork, while a female in the east also tested positive for the virus, with a risk assessment under way, the HSE said.
A man, also from the east, who had travelled from Italy, became the 19th confirmed case on Saturday.
In Northern Ireland, the number of confirmed cases rose by three to seven.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has also updated its travel advice covering Italy and is warning against non-essential travel to regions of northern Italy, including both Milan and Venice, after the government there put almost a quarter of the country in lockdown due to the rapid spread of the disease.
Italian surge
The number of people who have died from the coronavirus in Italy jumped by 133 to 366 between Saturday and Sunday with total number of infections climbing 25 per cent from 5,883 to 7,375.
The sharp rise in cases prompted unprecedented restrictions signed into law by prime minister Giuseppe Conte. The measures, which will remain in force until April 3rd, say people should not enter or leave Lombardy, Italy's richest region, and 14 provinces in four other regions, including Venice, Modena and Parma.
Mr Conte said nobody would be allowed to move in or out of these areas, or within them, unless they had proven, work-related reasons for doing so, or health issues.
“We are facing a national emergency... We have to limit the spread of the virus and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed,” he said.
While the number of cases in the Republic remains low, fears are growing they could climb rapidly in the days ahead, with HSE chief executive Paul Reid saying he could not dispute reported projections that up to 1.9 million people in Ireland could contract Covid-19.
He was responding to a report in the Sunday Business Post that said health authorities here were forecasting about 40 per cent of the population could become sick as a result of the virus.
Coughing etiquette
Minister for Health Simon Harris said it was highly likely the country would see many more cases and he said people could help slow the spread of the virus by practising hand hygiene and coughing etiquette.
He stressed that “everything that can be done is being done” in relation to the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Harris said he hoped to have clarity about the modelling projections on the potential extent of the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland following a meeting of health experts on Tuesday.
Recruitment restrictions in place in the health service have also been lifted, and the HSE has said there will be “no barriers to the recruitment of the workforce that is required to support our critical clinical services during the Covid-19” outbreak.
“The HSE are also expediting all other avenues in terms of those on panels and awaiting appointment, those who have left the service for reasons of retirement, career break, secondments etc are also being identified and contacted,” a spokeswoman said.
Siptu said on Sunday the move would apply not only to nurses but also other essential grades in the health service.


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--Homeless charity helps more than 300 people exit direct provision

Homeless charity Depaul has said it helped more than 300 people exit direct provision centres last year .
Through a new initiative established by the Department of Justice , Depaul has been providing support to accommodation centres around Ireland .
It works with families and individuals who have been granted legal status to remain in Ireland .
It said it helped 328 people exit direct provision centres , including 168 adults and 160 children .
In total , it worked with over 700 people , including 392 adults and 328 children .
Currently there are 5,645 people residing in 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Reception Centre , Balseskin .
An additional 1,633 people are staying in emergency accommodation .
At present there are over 1,024 people residing in accommodation centres with some form of status .
Depaul CEO David Carroll said : “ This initiative is so important as it mitigates the risk of people ending up in homeless services once they have been granted the legal right to stay in Ireland .
“ There are challenges in sourcing accommodation for everyone in the current housing market , but those leaving accommodation centres face particular challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forms and being aware of their rights.
” Sibusiso Lowrene , a single mother with two young children , was supported in moving out of direct provision and into the community in Dublin .
She came to Ireland in February 2016 after fleeing her home country of Zimbabwe due to conflict .
“ We are happy now , ” she said .
“ When we first came to Ireland my kids were telling me ‘ Mammy , let ’ s go back ’ .
This is painful .
Living in direct provision was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need to be patient , one day things will change .
They didn ’ t understand at the time .
“ I am working as a carer now and I am really happy to be contributing and being a part of the community .
“ Depaul showed me I can still do more than what I was expecting .
I just want the best life for my kids .
“ To go to school and have their own families and not to live the life I lived .
I know they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Sibusiso Lowrene, a single mother with two young children, was supported in moving out of direct provision
Homeless charity Depaul has said it helped more than 300 people exit direct provision centres last year.
Through a new initiative established by the Department of Justice, Depaul has been providing support to accommodation centres around Ireland. It works with families and individuals who have been granted legal status to remain in Ireland.
It said it helped 328 people exit direct provision centres, including 168 adults and 160 children. In total, it worked with over 700 people, including 392 adults and 328 children.
Currently there are 5,645 people residing in 36 accommodation centres throughout Ireland, excluding the National Reception Centre, Balseskin. An additional 1,633 people are staying in emergency accommodation.
READ MORE
At present there are over 1,024 people residing in accommodation centres with some form of status.
Depaul CEO David Carroll said: "This initiative is so important as it mitigates the risk of people ending up in homeless services once they have been granted the legal right to stay in Ireland.
Language difficulties
“There are challenges in sourcing accommodation for everyone in the current housing market, but those leaving accommodation centres face particular challenges including language difficulties, issues filling out forms and being aware of their rights.”
Sibusiso Lowrene, a single mother with two young children, was supported in moving out of direct provision and into the community in Dublin. She came to Ireland in February 2016 after fleeing her home country of Zimbabwe due to conflict.
“We are happy now,” she said. “When we first came to Ireland my kids were telling me ‘Mammy, let’s go back’. This is painful. Living in direct provision was a real challenge. I told them you need to be patient, one day things will change. They didn’t understand at the time.
“I am working as a carer now and I am really happy to be contributing and being a part of the community.
“Depaul showed me I can still do more than what I was expecting. I just want the best life for my kids.
“To go to school and have their own families and not to live the life I lived. I know they are here and they are free.”


theirishtimes--2020-03-09--Cashless world: Will we be richer or poorer for it?

How long could we last without money ?
That was the question Pricewatch asked itself at the start of February .
To be clear we weren ’ t asking how long we could go without buying something but how long it would take before we needed to handle cold , hard cash – and not just because we heard that the coronavirus could live on currency .
The answer was : a lot longer than we thought .
Using a Leap card we were able to access public transport and our Dublin Bikes account without needing cash , while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cab without ever stopping at an ATM .
A Bleeper Bike account could be activated with our phone .
And when we paid for diesel for the car we used plastic .
A big weekend shop was done with a debit card , while lunchtime sandwiches , bin tags from Centra and wine from the local off-licence were bought with a simple tap .
Lotto tickets were bought through the app , and even transferring money to someone else was almost effortless and instant thanks the Revolut app , which facilitates peer-to-peer money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to use Apple Pay to cover transactions when we couldn ’ t be bothered taking out our wallet .
Days turned into weeks and still there was no actual money in sight .
At the time of writing Pricewatch had gone more than 30 days without seeing so much as a€5 note .
That tells us that cash is no longer king , at least not in our world .
But we are not alone , and the shift from physical money to its virtual equivalent appears to have reached a tipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late last month .
The research from One4All revealed that half of Irish adults now use digital banking or contactless transactions more than they use legal tender .
The study said that two out of three of Irish adults use digital payments multiple times a week , with one in four using mobile phones for payments while 43 per cent of people now believe cash is on the way out .
It revealed that Irish adults now carry an average of just €32 with one in 10 respondents saying they never carry cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 67 per cent of millennials – the cohort aged 18-37 – expect all retailers , shops and bars to accept digital or contactless payments .
Millennials are the also demographic most likely to pay for things using contactless or digital with 57 per cent saying they favoured such methods over cash .
People living in Connacht and Ulster were less likely to use digital banking or make contactless payments compared with people in other regions – the absence of good-quality broadband in some parts of rural Ireland may at least partly explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there said they made a contactless or digital payment at least once a day .
In Dublin the percentage who use such payment methods daily climbed to 34 per cent .
While a cashless society has many advantages , it also has major downsides .
It leaves a spender ’ s fingerprints everywhere .
If you pay with cash , you can remain anonymous and untraceable and spend freely , safe in the knowledge that the only person who knows what you are doing with your own money is you .
Cash also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy and who they choose to spend their money with .
It is not that long ago since both Visa and MasterCard decided to block all donations to Wikileaks , robbing people who believed in what that site was doing of a way to make donations .
The same companies – or other companies – could , at least theoretically , decide that they would stop people subscribing to The Irish Times or to Netflix or whatever , and there is little consumers could do to stop that .
The move away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market , with all the major ones here selling off cash-dispensing machines , which are costly to maintain and to secure .
The ATM network here will almost certainly end up in the hands of other businesses , which will be able to charge more for the service , penalising those who have not gone digital .
Other issues are the absence of quality broadband in many parts of the country and the reliance on banks .
In recent months both Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank suffered brief outages .
And of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A third survey published by the Dublin Mint Office last year found that 67 per cent of people would not like to do away with notes and coins , while 88 per cent said they reckoned a cashless society would leave some people behind , including older people , the homeless or small businesses that rely on cash transactions .
But the pace of change is only accelerating .
Research firm GlobalData suggests that over the next 10 years cashless payments will become even more prevalent .
It has found that Finland is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cashless society followed by South Korea , Norway , Sweden and China .
A separate report from Deloitte , published last year , has said that at least one Nordic country will be “ de facto ” cashless by 2025 .
Ireland is also well advanced in the race to remove money with the GlobalData report placing the country eighth overall in terms of electronic transactions , and top of the pile when it came to frequency of use of cards .
Payments on Visa cards – debit , credit and prepaid – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumer spending and , according to Banking & Payments Federation Ireland ’ s most recent data , consumers here made almost 1.5 million contactless payments a day in the third quarter of 2019 .
Contactless payments make up over half of all face-to-face transactions made with a Visa card , and Ireland now ranks 10th among EU members for the number of digital transactions per capita .
“ Digital payments are increasing in popularity , and we expect the trend to continue , ” says Philip Konopik , Visa ’ s general manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this growth as the contactless terminals roll out across Ireland , which not only support transactions made by physical payment cards but also with devices like smartphones or smartwatches .
A number of businesses are also embracing the trend by going completely cashless , accepting only digital payments made with a card or mobile device .
“ All the signs point to an increasingly digital future , but in Ireland , we are quite far from a cashless society in reality .
For example , there ’ s still over 30 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland compared with just 2 per cent in Sweden .
We will continue to see a preference towards digital payments , but ultimately it ’ s about facilitating more choice in how consumers pay for goods and services.
” The change has affected charities , too , as people carry less cash .
That has prompted some to move into the digital sphere .
Before Christmas , St Vincent de Paul launched a “ tap to donate ” initiative , which allows people to tap their debit or credit cards or their phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to donate to the charity .
Its fundraising team has given 80 tap-to-donate machines to [ branches ] across its eight regions in Ireland , and it is said to be an “ ongoing strategic roll-out to facilitate donor choice ” and a move to “ future-proof an important revenue stream , with more and more people not carrying cash ” .
This is particularly true with supermarket or shopping centre collections , where SVP volunteers are frequently told “ Sorry no money , just a card ” .
“ In the short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total donations to increase significantly through the use of the tap-to-donate machines , ” says Nichola Mullen , SVP ’ s head of fundraising .
“ It is early days in our use of the units , but anecdotal evidence suggests there is an overall slight increase in donations at events where the machines have been used , and that about a third of donors opted to use the machines .
She said there was a cost to the charity whether machines or traditional buckets were used , but over time the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The machines also provide additional security and reduce the level of cash which has to be held.
” The development agency Trócaire has also rolled out new “ cashless ” Trócaire boxes , which are available in 10 Supermacs outlets across Ireland .
The initiative , in collaboration with Visa , is the first nationwide retail tap-to-donate rollout in Ireland .
The traditional Trócaire Box is Ireland ’ s largest annual fundraising campaign and raises about €5 million in cash donations each year .
About 30 per cent of all public donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of the Lent campaign each year , so the overseas development agency has looked to incorporate a cashless approach into its fundraising approach in order to maintain critical income for the organisation .
With the popularity of contactless payments continuing to rise and to ensure that Trócaire can raise the largest amount of donations possible , the overseas development agency has partnered with Visa to develop its tap-to-donate box to provide an alternative to cash donations .
“ We have always received a strong proportion of our support in cash donations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boxes are in homes and schools across Ireland , ” says Trócaire chief executive Caoimhe de Barra .
“ As Ireland changes and embraces contactless payments , charities have to keep up with donor behaviour.
” I never have cash on me and I ’ d happily live in a card-only/digital payments world .
Only problem is , sometimes it doesn ’ t feel like you ’ re “ really ” spending money , in the same way it does when you ’ re handing over actual cash for payment .
Jen Hogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totally in control of MY money , although cashless might not be as bad now as more ways to pay with bitcoin & always age old things of value such as gold/diamonds etc .
Elaine Campbell I spent five days in Sweden last summer and have no idea what their currency looks like : it was card all the way .
James Gaffney I can ’ t get over the number of people saying they rarely have cash .
Do none of them give to charity collectors ?
I use both cash and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some money to throw into buckets .
Vivienne Kelly-Keane I live in Amsterdam , and it is very rare to pay anything with cash here .
Mary Johnson I went back to cash last year and saved a fortune .
Coronavirus will , however , make me use the card a little more for small purchases , though , as I don ’ t want to handle lots of cash & tapping seems more hygienic ( that may be just in my head ) but cash all the way for saving .
Deborah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card purchases allows banks to know your spending habits , thus enabling them to sell your private business .
Cash is king .
– Willie Holmes I never have it .
Unless I have to take a taxi in Dublin , and then it ’ s the bane of my life trying to find an ATM ( usually late at night , in heels ) .
Elaine Lavery Spent two weeks in Vancouver and BC last summer .
Used only cards , added tips at the machine .
Worked really well .
Eibhlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time I used cash anywhere ...
Probably weeks ago .
Jade Wilson Use cash all the time .
No , not happy to have a world w/o cash because it offers basic , essential privacy .
A world of cards/digital means govt & corporations can profile you in minute detail & understand your movements & actions , including personal health info , finances , etc .
Karlin Lillington A banker ’ s dream world is a world without cash .
They charge you to lodge money to your account , they charge you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you every time you use your card to spend your own money .
The only way to avoid them is to use cash for everything , which I do .
Conor Murphy Hate cards , am still old school “ If you don ’ t have it , don ’ t spend it ” Irish & loathe algorithms that map spending patterns .
Enjoy the fact that no one west of Berlin can calculate change , yet kids in Lebanon can work out USD and Lebanese pound LBP exchange rates at 7 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost completely devoid of cash actually like ?
Paddy Reynolds has been living in a world free of money for almost four years since he moved to Finland with his Finnish wife and young baby .
“ I honestly can ’ t remember the last time I used cash , ” he says .
“ It is a real rarity and it is almost frowned upon among Finnish people .
They will pass comment if they see you with money .
I have no idea when I last went to an ATM .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their bank details when it comes to dealing with the health service or with the social welfare people , and then they just tap their cards everywhere .
Almost every – shop , pub , cafe , whatever – has a terminal to tap .
It ’ s not like Ireland , where some pubs only accept cash .
“ Sometimes people use cash in flea markets or when buying things second-hand on Facebook , but that ’ s really it , ” He says .
He accepts that digital-only transactions leave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know that everything leaves a footprint , but they probably know where I am anyway because they can track it on my phone , so I ’ m not overly bothered by that .
I don ’ t think I have anything to hide.
” He is the public relations officer for the Helsinki GAA team , which uses a contactless machine to fund-raise and sell T-shirts .
“ I don ’ t see many charity collectors on the street , and we don ’ t have the same level of homelessness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t see as many people looking for change.
” When pressed about the a State or bank ’ s ability to control a person ’ s spending in a digital world , he concedes it could be an issue .
“ I would be a bit concerned that a bank or a government could control what I spend or could pay too much attention to where I ’ m buying my coffee or what type of camera equipment I am buying .
That is none of their business – it ’ @ @ @ @ @

How long could we last without money? That was the question Pricewatch asked itself at the start of February.
To be clear we weren’t asking how long we could go without buying something but how long it would take before we needed to handle cold, hard cash – and not just because we heard that the coronavirus could live on currency.
The answer was: a lot longer than we thought. Using a Leap card we were able to access public transport and our Dublin Bikes account without needing cash, while the FreeNow app meant we could hail a cab without ever stopping at an ATM. A Bleeper Bike account could be activated with our phone. And when we paid for diesel for the car we used plastic.
A big weekend shop was done with a debit card, while lunchtime sandwiches, bin tags from Centra and wine from the local off-licence were bought with a simple tap. Lotto tickets were bought through the app, and even transferring money to someone else was almost effortless and instant thanks the Revolut app, which facilitates peer-to-peer money exchanges.
READ MORE
The Revolut app also allowed us to use Apple Pay to cover transactions when we couldn’t be bothered taking out our wallet.
Days turned into weeks and still there was no actual money in sight. At the time of writing Pricewatch had gone more than 30 days without seeing so much as a€5 note.
Cash dethroned
That tells us that cash is no longer king, at least not in our world. But we are not alone, and the shift from physical money to its virtual equivalent appears to have reached a tipping point, according to a survey published late last month.
The research from One4All revealed that half of Irish adults now use digital banking or contactless transactions more than they use legal tender.
The study said that two out of three of Irish adults use digital payments multiple times a week, with one in four using mobile phones for payments while 43 per cent of people now believe cash is on the way out.
It revealed that Irish adults now carry an average of just €32 with one in 10 respondents saying they never carry cash at all.
The survey results showed that 67 per cent of millennials – the cohort aged 18-37 – expect all retailers, shops and bars to accept digital or contactless payments. Millennials are the also demographic most likely to pay for things using contactless or digital with 57 per cent saying they favoured such methods over cash.
People living in Connacht and Ulster were less likely to use digital banking or make contactless payments compared with people in other regions – the absence of good-quality broadband in some parts of rural Ireland may at least partly explain why only 22 per cent of respondents there said they made a contactless or digital payment at least once a day. In Dublin the percentage who use such payment methods daily climbed to 34 per cent.
While a cashless society has many advantages, it also has major downsides. It leaves a spender’s fingerprints everywhere. If you pay with cash, you can remain anonymous and untraceable and spend freely, safe in the knowledge that the only person who knows what you are doing with your own money is you.
Cash also keeps consumers in control of what they buy and who they choose to spend their money with. It is not that long ago since both Visa and MasterCard decided to block all donations to Wikileaks, robbing people who believed in what that site was doing of a way to make donations.
The same companies – or other companies – could , at least theoretically, decide that they would stop people subscribing to The Irish Times or to Netflix or whatever, and there is little consumers could do to stop that.
Obsolete ATMs
The move away from cash has seen banks exit the ATM market, with all the major ones here selling off cash-dispensing machines, which are costly to maintain and to secure. The ATM network here will almost certainly end up in the hands of other businesses, which will be able to charge more for the service, penalising those who have not gone digital.
Other issues are the absence of quality broadband in many parts of the country and the reliance on banks. In recent months both Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank suffered brief outages.
And of course some people just prefer cash. A third survey published by the Dublin Mint Office last year found that 67 per cent of people would not like to do away with notes and coins, while 88 per cent said they reckoned a cashless society would leave some people behind, including older people, the homeless or small businesses that rely on cash transactions.
But the pace of change is only accelerating. Research firm GlobalData suggests that over the next 10 years cashless payments will become even more prevalent. It has found that Finland is the furthest along the road to a cashless society followed by South Korea, Norway, Sweden and China.
A separate report from Deloitte, published last year, has said that at least one Nordic country will be “de facto” cashless by 2025.
Ireland is also well advanced in the race to remove money with the GlobalData report placing the country eighth overall in terms of electronic transactions, and top of the pile when it came to frequency of use of cards.
Payments on Visa cards – debit, credit and prepaid – account for over a third of Irish consumer spending and, according to Banking & Payments Federation Ireland’s most recent data, consumers here made almost 1.5 million contactless payments a day in the third quarter of 2019.
Rise of contactless
Contactless payments make up over half of all face-to-face transactions made with a Visa card, and Ireland now ranks 10th among EU members for the number of digital transactions per capita.
“Digital payments are increasing in popularity, and we expect the trend to continue,” says Philip Konopik, Visa’s general manager in Ireland. “Technology is driving this growth as the contactless terminals roll out across Ireland, which not only support transactions made by physical payment cards but also with devices like smartphones or smartwatches. A number of businesses are also embracing the trend by going completely cashless, accepting only digital payments made with a card or mobile device.
“All the signs point to an increasingly digital future, but in Ireland, we are quite far from a cashless society in reality. For example, there’s still over 30 per cent of personal consumer expenditure in cash in Ireland compared with just 2 per cent in Sweden. We will continue to see a preference towards digital payments, but ultimately it’s about facilitating more choice in how consumers pay for goods and services.”
The change has affected charities, too, as people carry less cash. That has prompted some to move into the digital sphere.
Before Christmas, St Vincent de Paul launched a “tap to donate” initiative, which allows people to tap their debit or credit cards or their phones and watches on devices held by collectors to donate to the charity.
Its fundraising team has given 80 tap-to-donate machines to [branches] across its eight regions in Ireland, and it is said to be an “ongoing strategic roll-out to facilitate donor choice” and a move to “future-proof an important revenue stream, with more and more people not carrying cash”.
This is particularly true with supermarket or shopping centre collections, where SVP volunteers are frequently told “Sorry no money, just a card”.
“In the short term, we don’t expect total donations to increase significantly through the use of the tap-to-donate machines,” says Nichola Mullen, SVP’s head of fundraising. “It is early days in our use of the units, but anecdotal evidence suggests there is an overall slight increase in donations at events where the machines have been used, and that about a third of donors opted to use the machines.
She said there was a cost to the charity whether machines or traditional buckets were used, but over time the cost of the machines would be recouped. “The machines also provide additional security and reduce the level of cash which has to be held.”
The development agency Trócaire has also rolled out new “cashless” Trócaire boxes, which are available in 10 Supermacs outlets across Ireland. The initiative, in collaboration with Visa, is the first nationwide retail tap-to-donate rollout in Ireland.
Lent bonanza
The traditional Trócaire Box is Ireland’s largest annual fundraising campaign and raises about €5 million in cash donations each year. About 30 per cent of all public donations to Trócaire are made during the six weeks of the Lent campaign each year, so the overseas development agency has looked to incorporate a cashless approach into its fundraising approach in order to maintain critical income for the organisation.
With the popularity of contactless payments continuing to rise and to ensure that Trócaire can raise the largest amount of donations possible, the overseas development agency has partnered with Visa to develop its tap-to-donate box to provide an alternative to cash donations.
“We have always received a strong proportion of our support in cash donations, particular during Lent, when our Trócaire boxes are in homes and schools across Ireland,” says Trócaire chief executive Caoimhe de Barra. “As Ireland changes and embraces contactless payments, charities have to keep up with donor behaviour.”
READERS’ VIEWS
I never have cash on me and I'd happily live in a card-only/digital payments world. Only problem is, sometimes it doesn't feel like you're "really" spending money, in the same way it does when you're handing over actual cash for payment. Jen Hogan
I would NEVER trust the bank being totally in control of MY money, although cashless might not be as bad now as more ways to pay with bitcoin & always age old things of value such as gold/diamonds etc. Elaine Campbell
I spent five days in Sweden last summer and have no idea what their currency looks like: it was card all the way. James Gaffney
I can't get over the number of people saying they rarely have cash. Do none of them give to charity collectors? I use both cash and card but I try to always have some money to throw into buckets. Vivienne Kelly-Keane
I live in Amsterdam, and it is very rare to pay anything with cash here. Mary Johnson
I went back to cash last year and saved a fortune. Coronavirus will, however, make me use the card a little more for small purchases, though, as I don't want to handle lots of cash & tapping seems more hygienic (that may be just in my head) but cash all the way for saving. Deborah Curran
Cash keeps your buying private, card purchases allows banks to know your spending habits, thus enabling them to sell your private business. Cash is king. – Willie Holmes
I never have it. Unless I have to take a taxi in Dublin, and then it's the bane of my life trying to find an ATM (usually late at night, in heels). Elaine Lavery
Spent two weeks in Vancouver and BC last summer. Used only cards, added tips at the machine. Worked really well. Eibhlin McGarry
Don't remember the last time I used cash anywhere ... Probably weeks ago. Jade Wilson
Use cash all the time. No, not happy to have a world w/o cash because it offers basic, essential privacy. A world of cards/digital means govt & corporations can profile you in minute detail & understand your movements & actions, including personal health info, finances, etc. Karlin Lillington
A banker's dream world is a world without cash. They charge you to lodge money to your account, they charge you for having your account, they charge you every time you use your card to spend your own money. The only way to avoid them is to use cash for everything, which I do. Conor Murphy
Hate cards, am still old school "If you don't have it, don't spend it" Irish & loathe algorithms that map spending patterns. Enjoy the fact that no one west of Berlin can calculate change, yet kids in Lebanon can work out USD and Lebanese pound LBP exchange rates at 7 years old.Shelley Deane
CASHLESS FINLAND: WHAT’S IT LIKE?
So what is a world almost completely devoid of cash actually like? Paddy Reynolds has been living in a world free of money for almost four years since he moved to Finland with his Finnish wife and young baby.
“I honestly can’t remember the last time I used cash,” he says. “It is a real rarity and it is almost frowned upon among Finnish people. They will pass comment if they see you with money. I have no idea when I last went to an ATM.
“People here are more comfortable giving their bank details when it comes to dealing with the health service or with the social welfare people, and then they just tap their cards everywhere. Almost every – shop, pub, cafe, whatever – has a terminal to tap. It’s not like Ireland, where some pubs only accept cash.
“Sometimes people use cash in flea markets or when buying things second-hand on Facebook, but that’s really it,” He says.
He accepts that digital-only transactions leave a trail of spending data behind. “I know that everything leaves a footprint, but they probably know where I am anyway because they can track it on my phone, so I’m not overly bothered by that. I don’t think I have anything to hide.”
He is the public relations officer for the Helsinki GAA team, which uses a contactless machine to fund-raise and sell T-shirts. “I don’t see many charity collectors on the street, and we don’t have the same level of homelessness that exists in Ireland, so you don’t see as many people looking for change.”
When pressed about the a State or bank’s ability to control a person’s spending in a digital world, he concedes it could be an issue. “I would be a bit concerned that a bank or a government could control what I spend or could pay too much attention to where I’m buying my coffee or what type of camera equipment I am buying. That is none of their business – it’s my money.”