Daily Archives: March 24, 2020

This afternoon.

The Government announces that the Covid Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be increased from €203 per week to €350 per week.

More as we get it.

Previously:  €203 A Week For Up To Six Weeks

UPDATE:

Via Colin Coyle

UPDATE:

https://twitter.com/aoifegracemoore/status/1242444786445017091


Tandem Felix – Now I’m A Drip

Fancy a ride on the carousel?

Join Tandem Felix singer David Tapley as he goes for a spin in Bray for the new video from last year’s Rom-Com album.

Criminally overlooked by the Choice Prize, Tandem Felix delivered one of the best Irish records of 2019.

Nick says: Horsin’ around.

Tandem Felix

Today’s Irish Times

In today’s Irish Times.

Susie O’Connor writes:

“If we were to look at new ministers joining the Cabinet, who will leave? I would argue to change our Ministers for Health and Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs would be unhelpful to say the least. Even if they remain under the D’Hondt system, replacing the Minister for Finance with his experience of leading through financial recovery is a poor move.

“Moving further through the Cabinet, is it appropriate to change the Ministers for Business and Social Protection who are at the rapidly evolving frontline? And if the crisis deepens in relation to social order, will inexperienced ministers for justice and defence add value?

“Yes, there are constitutional questions relating to this, but if Covid-19 had hit six weeks earlier they would not arise. Extraordinary times need exceptional measures.”

The newspaper describes Ms O’Connor as “a business adviser with Genesis Management Consulting and a former government special adviser to Charlie Flanagan”.

According to her LinkedIn page, Ms O’Connor was a special advisor at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for two years, from 2014 to 2016; was a policy and communications advisor at Fine Gael for a year, from 2011 to 2012; involved in the operations and logistics of former Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s “winning General Election tour” in February 2011; and CEO of Young Fine Gael and a Fine Gael National Youth Officer for eight years, from 2003 to 2011.

Ms O’Connor was also the campaign manager of RTÉ journalist George Lee when he won a seat in the Dublin South by-election in June 2009.

She might be a little biased.

Coronavirus crisis is no time for rookie ministers (Susie O’Connor, The Irish Times)

This afternoon.

Grafton Street, Dublin 2.

Sophia writes:

Weir & Sons has made the difficult decision to close its doors and move to appointment only for the first time in 151 years.

Customers can still shop online on the Weir & Sons website where business is operating as usual. The decision was made with the safety of all staff and the well-being of customers in mind during the COVID-19 period.

Rollingnews

Here’s How.

The current affairs podcast hosted by William Campbell (right) meets Peter Boland (left), director of the Alliance for Insurance Reform.

William writes:

Peter speaks for an alliance of businesses about insurance costs. Are they paying way over a fair price? And, if so why?  And who is pocketing the money?  I ask the questions … and try to keep the Covid crisis in perspective.

Listen here

Here’s How

Behold: the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters – proof that the longer you stare at the sky, the more insanely detailed it becomes. To wit:

 Long duration camera exposures reveal an intricate network of interwoven interstellar dust and gas that was previously invisible not only to the eye but to lower exposure images. In the featured wide and deep mosaic, the dust stands out spectacularly, with the familiar Pleaides star cluster visible as the blue patch near the top of the image. Blue is the color of the Pleiades’ most massive stars, whose distinctive light reflects from nearby fine dust. On the upper left is the Hyades star cluster surrounding the bright, orange, foreground-star Aldebaran. Red glowing emission nebula highlight the bottom of the image, including the curving vertical red ribbon known as the Eridanus Loop. The pervasive dust clouds appear typically in light brown and are dotted with unrelated stars.

(image: Hirofumi Okubo)

apod

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell (centre) in Monday’s virtual meeting

This afternoon.

Via RTÉ’s live tracker feed on the coronavirus…

The European Union’s decision-making process is being sorely tested by videoconferencing during the coronavirus pandemic, EU officials say,with one calling it a “catastrophe“.

A virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers yesterday was punctuated by technical problems, speakers who were unsure if they could be heard and a lack of translators.

“These video conferences don’t work very well, there are tech problems and the ‘Hello, can you hear me?‘ interruptions,” said a senior diplomat present at the video link.

“So people read out their prepared notes mostly. There is little scope for actual negotiations.”

“It’s a testing time for Europe. There are no summits, no ministerial meetings, less visibility,” the diplomat said.

Any excuse.

Live Covid-19: Range of non-essential services to close (RTÉ)

Previously: The Skype Is Falling