Author Archives: Bodger

This morning.

Phoenix Park, Dublin.

Meanwhile…

Oh.

Meanwhile…

Ah.

Oh dear.

Garda operation begins to support Covid restrictions (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Looks fancy now, but wait until the weather turns.

Yesterday.

Seapoint, County Dublin.

Telly’s Lorraine Keane launches The FINISHED.ie Virtual HomeShow, showcasing the ‘great and the good of Irish homeware’.

With virtual stands, the HomeShow allows you to order a product in real time from the comfort of your own, er, home. Free to register and attend and starts online at 11am to 4pm on Saturday, November 21.

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

 

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly

This morning.

Via RTÉ:

Stephen Donnelly said this [Level 5] is a “pre-emptive strike” and while the hospital services are OK, if we do not move now these services will suffer.

The exit from Level 5 in December could be “region by region” depending on a range of factors, he said.

Meanwhile…

The Minister for Health said it was incorrect to say that contact tracing had fallen down, adding that in the last six weeks contact tracing teams have made 400% more calls than previously.

He said that for a short period last weekend there was a one-off situation where demand outstripped supply and a one-off operational decision was made to reset the system.

Hmm.

Moving to Level 5 a ‘pre-emptive strike’ – Donnelly (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

Yesterday: RSVP

Stop smiling.

Tonight.

Dublin city centre.

Hic.

RollingNews

Meanwhile….

Why is Paddy putting up with this?

Film at 11.

This evening.

On RTE’s Drivetime.

Journalist Sarah McInerney asked Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman about a report in the Irish Examiner that stated Mr O’Gorman proposed two amendments to the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records Bill 2020 which will be debated in the Dail this evening (link above)

From the interview:

Roderic O’Gorman: “Just first of all, Sarah, the Bill that I’m bringing forward does not seal the archive. The archive is the decision on the 30-year sealing of the archive was made when the Commission of Mother and Baby Homes was established in 2015.  What my Bill is trying to do is to take one really valuable piece of that archive, this database which can be used to help children or indeed mothers who were in Mother and Baby Homes to trace family relatives, to take that database out of the archive and give it to Tusla.

“I will be bringing forward two amendments. One of those amendments is to ensure that an entire copy of the archive remains in the archive. So a copy of the database will remain in the archive as well as one being moved to Tusla. That was one of the requests that were made of me.

“And the other amendment is to allow people who gave personal stories to the confidential committee, as part of the commission’s investigation, that they will have a period to indicate whether they want their names associated with their testimonies in the archive or whether they want their names redacted.

“So giving agency back to people, rather than making assumptions about what people want: actually ask them. For some people who, you know, don’t ever want to kind of the process of giving testimony was so difficult, they don’t want any association with what they said. For other people who want their stories and want their names very much associated with their own personal stories, it ensures that their names will be in the archive as well.”

Listen back in full here

Earlier:

Solicitor Simon McGarr (above) says the bill to seal Mother and Baby Home documents is impermissible under EU law

This afternoon.

Further to the progress through the Dáil today of a bill that would seal the records of the Mother Baby Home Commission for 30 years…

…solicitor and data privacy expert Simon McGarr writes (full article at link below):

‘It is critical that the state does not compound an administrative error being made by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters, in failing to take account of its duties under the Charter of Fundamental Rights and GDPR to set aside any national provision which would conflict with the rights of access and other data protection rights.

The Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 has been superseded by the GDPR and the Data Protection Act of 2018. Its provisions providing for secrecy cannot be applied by any emanation of the state where they conflict with either Article 15 rights of access or Article 18 rights of the data subject to restrict any proposed processing.

In addition, the proposal to ‘seal’ the archive of documents to be presented to the Minister for 30 years is simply impermissible under EU law. Even where national legislation allows for restrictions on data subjects’ rights, those restrictions must be tightly limited and necessary for an overriding purpose of national importance…

…This is not merely a matter of policy – though the moral case is unanswerable.

It is a matter of EU law, and a direct duty on Ireland and all the emanations of the state to uphold those rights.

…It would be a perverse legacy for the government to legislate to deprive people of data they so sorely wish to access about themselves and open Ireland up to the risk of fines on foot of enforcement by the European Commission in order to do so.’

Mother and Baby Home Commission records: An EU Law Perspective (Simon McGarr, Tuppenceworth.ie)

Update:

This afternoon.

Earlier: “I’m Not Sure They’ll Quell Discontent”

This morning/afternoon.

Newbridge, County Kildare.

Defiant ex-Debenhams workers (above) outside the back entrance to the Newbridge branch.

Earlier (top), gardai were at the scene as a truck from liquidator KPMG was prevented from leaving with stock. Similar action took place at a store in Blackrock, County Dublin.

The workers are still owed promised redundancy payments  Last week, the High Court granted KPMG an injunction preventing ‘actions interfering with efforts to remove stock’ from the former stores.

Earlier: Meanwhile, In Blackrock

RollingNews

Hardcore.

This afternoon.

More as we get it.

Download Bill here

From top: Bryan Dobson; HSE Specialist in Public Health Medicine Dr Sarah Doyle 

This lunchtime.

On RTÉ Radio One’s News At One.

Dr Sarah Doyle, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, spoke to Bryan Dobson about the contact-tracing controversy.

Thousands of people, who have tested positive for Covid-19 have recieved texts today telling them to carry out their own contact-tracing.

From their conversation:

Bryan Dobson: “Is it inevitable that infections will be missed as a result?”

Dr Sarah Doyle: “Well, I think that, and you’ve just mentioned Bryan, that people who may receive potentially shocking news and I would acknowledge that this will come as a shock to some people and then some people may take it somewhat in their stride, and it might be more difficult for others. And what I would say is to people to draw a breath, sit down, maybe have a chat with a friend and just reflect on what we’re asking people to do in this, is to identify their close contacts.

“Obviously, if they’re unwell, they would still need to phone their GP and make contact with them. And I guess what this is about and what contact tracing is about, and it’s a part of a number of different public health measures, to manage this pandemic. What it is about is identifying as many people at risk of spreading infection as possible and ensuring that they do…”

Dobson: “Yes…”

Doyle: “…what is needed to prevent the spread of infection. So…”

Dobson: “But do you…”

Doyle: “…those people who have had positive test results they now get a text message as soon as we have that result, they get that result…”

Dobson: “Yeah…but can you…”

Doyle: “… and from that point they should be self-isolating….”

Dobson: “OK…”

Doyle: “….and cutting down claims of transmission…”

Dobson: “Are you….”

Doyle: “…and…identifying close contacts. Acknowledging that obviously it is not…”

Dobson: “Doctor Doyle, it’s a straightforward question. Do you accept that infections will be missed as a result of this?”

Silence.

Dobson: “And I think we seem to have lost our link to Dr Sarah Doyle, of the HSE. No, she’s gone? Ok, well we’ll continue on this….”

Earlier: Trace The Blame

RollingNews

From top: Elephant and Rabbit toy shelves available from Flying Elephant; founders Max Fox (left) and Michael Keelan and Milo (foreground)

This afternoon.

Irish event industry supplier Flying Elephant Productions was one of the first to be hit by Covid-19. Sixty commissions for stages and sets for exhibitions and concerts were cancelled overnight, and all of their employees were sent home…

…Helen O’Dwyer writes:

Founders Michael Keelan and Max Fox took a breath, reimagined their whole business and pivoted quickly to launch the first Flying Elephant desk as a solution to remote working.

A desk that could be assembled in a minute or less, easy to store, well made, stylish, affordable from €149 and ideal for people working from home. An idea was born and the business, along with 17 jobs, was saved.

Now Flying Elephant is ready to take off again with an exciting NEW range of Christmas toys, gifts and an extended ‘Work from Home’ range which have been 100% Irish made with their signature finish, creative flair and distinctive Flying Elephant motif.

The Flying Elephant Online Christmas Shop is now OPEN

In fairness.

Flying Elephant Online Christmas Shop

Irish-made stocking fillers toto broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘Irish-Made Xmas Stocking Fillers’. No fee.