Author Archives: Bodger

This morning.

Christmas is uncancelled!

Kate Allen writes:

One of Irelands most creative marketing and event agencies, ThinkNBlink has launched SantaOnline – a new way, in these Covid times, for families and companies to still enjoy the annual tradition of meeting Santa.

SantaOnline is a magical online experience, creating an intimate space where children and families can chat live with Santa from the comfort of their own home.

SantaOnline even delivers an appropriately-aged, wrapped gift for every child booked in to talk to Santa…

SantaOnline

Irish-made Xmas stuff to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘Irish-Made Xmas Stuff’. No fee.

Meanwhile….

Fianna Fail TD Jim O’Callaghan

This morning

on Newstalk, Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan discussed the possibility of the country moving to Level 5 with host Pat Kenny…

“First of all it [the recommendation to move to Level 5] is advice. It’s on a decision by NPHET and any decision made in respect of this shall be made by Government.

However, I’m concerned that the manner by which we’re doing business at present, it’s not a good idea for the people of Ireland to hear, late on a Sunday evening, a leak from NPHET indicating that there’s a recommendation that the country’s going to go to Level 5, that we shouldn’t be doing business that way.

“NPHET’s job is to advise the Minister for Health. It’s job is to coordinate the health sector response to Covid. But it’s not an independent entity and it’s a group that advises the minister and it’s Government and politicians that will make decisions as to whether or not this country moves to a different level.

“Obviously the advice given by NPHET should be considered by Government and I know that the three leaders of the parties in Government are meeting NPHET today but I would be asking them what’s the reason for the inconsistency in the NPHET’s approach?

“They met last Thursday, there was no recommendation in respect of this. I’m also concerned that if Government are to go to Level 5, it would be completely disproportionate at this stage.

That we’ve to look to see where we are in terms of this pandemic. And I know what [Infectious disease expert] Porfessor Sam McConkey says, you know, we have to look ahead but in terms of assessing a pandemic, the primary way to do it, is you assess it by a number of steps and you assess it by a number of hospitalisations.

“To date, 1,810 people in the country have died of or with Covid and only 47 of them have been recorded as dying since the first of August so the terrible time for this country in terms of our failing in respect of Covid was the nursing home fiasco that happened in March, April and May when significant numbers of people died.

“The numbers are much lower now in terms of death.

“When you look at hospitalisations, Pat, back in mid-April, there were 881 people in hospital in this country who tested positive for Covid and on a particular day, the 15th of April, there were 155 people in intensive care. Today, there are 134 people in hospital and 21 in intensive care, so we’re nowhere near where we were in mid-April.

“If we go to Level 5 now, where do we go after that?

“Like the reality is, we had the lockdown, it reduces the numbers, we can’t eliminate this virus, and if people tell you ‘we’re going to get it to zero, we’re going to eliminate it from Ireland in the same way that St Patrick got rid of the snakes, they’re fooling you and they’re fooling the public.”

Rollingnews

Earlier: What’s Going On?

Dr. Mary Favier, President of the Irish College of General Practitioners.

This morning.

On RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, RTE’s Science Correspondent George Lee said there were serious questions for NPHET in light of their reported recommendation that the entire country move to Level 5 of the Covid-19 restrictions.

His appearance followed that of Dr Mary Favier who told journalist Audrey Carville that, if the Covid-19 trajectory continues as it currently stands, Ireland will see 1,500 to 2,000 cases per day in November.

However, Mr Lee said that, a letter from NPHET last Thursday shows that NPHET, at that point did not support a move to Level 3 nationally – nevermind the reported move to Level 5.

He also pointed that there are, as of 8am this morning, 141 patients with Covid in hospitals, 21 of whom are in ICU beds and that there are only 39 ICU beds currently available.

Rollingnews

This afternoon/evening.

Grafton Street, Dublin 2.

A sit-in during this afternoon’s march against Covid restrictions.

Rollingnews

Earlier….

This afternoon

Custom House Quay, Dublin 1.

Marchers assemble for a rally against Covid measures and restrictions.

Rollingnews

Dr Marcus De Brun

This morning/afternoon.

Family GP Dr Marcus De Brun, under formal investigation by the Medical Council for speaking out about Covid-19 restrictions and the nursing home scandal, withdraws from Twitter having “said all I can”.

Previously: Doctor In The House

Marcus De Brun on Broadsheet

This morning.

The Junction of Northumberland Road and Haddington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

The scene of a collision involving a bus and a car last night at around 10.40pm. RTÉ reports that two male bus passengers are in a serious condition.

Eight in hospital after car and bus collision in Dublin (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

Minister for Finance Pascahal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath following behind

This afternoon.

Department of Finance.

Latest exchequer figures reveal the year-on-year decline in the overall tax take to be just just 3% so far this year.

Via RTÉ:

The Department of Finance had forecast in April that State revenues would fall by 16% this year due to the pandemic disruption.

But a strong pre-crisis start to the year, better than expected income tax take since and a surge in corporate tax receipts meant revenues were little changed in the first six months.

An unprecedented level of stimulus to soften the economic hit pushed Government spending up 24.9% year-on-year in the first nine months and the Exchequer deficit to €9.4 billion, today’s figures show

Minister for Finance Pacschal Donohoe said:

“They show that although receipts are better than previously expected, much of the over-performance relates to corporation taxes – a revenue stream we cannot rely on over the medium-term.”

Exchequer deficit reaches €9.4 billion in September (RTÉ)

RollingNews

At 2pm.

The Custom House Quay, Dublin 1.

For those opposed to the government’s response to the rona.

Previously: Neither Left Nor Right

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Dublin city centre.

Meanwhile…

Um.

This afternoon.

Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin.

Entrepreneur Martin O’Byrne (above) outside his The PPE Shop, the first dedicated personal protective equipment outlet in Ireland.

It occupies the former premises of the Blacktie dress hire shop.

Mmf.

RollingNews

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP

This afternoon.

Further to a late night tweet from his account mentioning a newspaper photograph of former Green Party candidate Saoirse McHugh skinny dipping….

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP writes:

The Directorate-General for Security and Safety of the European Parliament (DG SAFE) are assisting me with a police investigation into the unauthorised use of my Twitter account which took place from a location in Belgium.

A Parliamentary assistant of mine along with an appointed investigator from DG SAFE met with the Belgian Police on Wednesday morning.

I have now established that my Twitter account had been logged into on a third party app called Tweetcaster.

This app allowed an individual to tweet from my account using an old password. This app was used twice to access my Twitter account from Belgium on September 28. The same day that an unauthorised tweet was posted and then deleted from my account.

At the time the tweet was posted and then deleted I was in Ireland and have been since March of this year due to Covid 19 restrictions.

The police have been provided with the Belgian IP address associated with the use of my account on the Tweetcaster app on that day. They are now working with me to establish the exact location and identity of the individual who has carried out this malicious act of vandalism on my good name.

Previously: Hacked

Rollingnews