Author Archives: Bodger

Yesterday evening.

At the daily Department of Health press briefing, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan was questioned at length by Irish Independent Political Editor Philip Ryan.

It followed a report by Mr Ryan on Tuesday that health officials had advised that people aged over-70 should continue cocooning in their homes until August. Mr Ryan reported that this advice was overruled by the Cabinet.

Mr Holohan has denied there was any such overruling and has previously said the report was inaccurate.

At the end of their exchange, Mr Holohan said:

“You’ve pointed to textual changes and you’ve placed an incorrect interpretation on them. That’s not the same as saying our advice was not accepted. It was accepted, it’s in the document, it’s clearly set out. And I don’t have a reservation about that.”

Meanwhile...

Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan (top) and Jemima Burke (in black polo and checked skirt) at yesterday’s press briefing; the late Sally Maaz

At the same briefing yesterday, and immediately after Mr Ryan’s exchange with Mr Holohan…

A woman who introduced herself as “Jemima Burke from Western News” had the following exchange with Mr Holohan about the death of Sally Maaz, a 17-year-old pupil of Ballyhaunis Community School.

Jemima Burke: “Jemima Burke, Western News,  Mr Holohan, in your statement today, you say we have to adapt to our behaviours in order to live safely with Covid-19.

“However there have been serious concerns raised over the safety of hospital wards at this time. Especially with the past few days. Sally Maaz was a 17-year-old Leaving Cert student who died in Mayo University Hospital on the 24th April. Her family have just released a statement around the circumstances of her death.

“The Maaz parents state that Sally Maaz was admitted to the Covid-19 hospital ward in Mayo University Hospital, although she was tested, she was admitted to the Covid-19 ward in that hospital, although she had tested negative twice for Coronavirus and had multiple health conditions, including a congenital heart defect.

“She died just days after being admitted. Her family were not permitted to visit her over a five-day period and eventually when she was finally tested positive after being in that ward, her parents were rang and told that she was given a few days to live.

“My question to you today is: can you confirm are hospital patients who have not tested positive for Covid-19, are they admitted to Covid-19 wards?”

Tony Holohan: “So I’m not going to comment on any individual case. I’m  going to take the opportunity and you’re asking about a child to say, I’m not going to comment and discuss in public…”

Burke: “Her parents have released a statement around the circumstances of her death…”

Holohan: “I understand that and I don’t think you will reasonably expect me to comment on any of the circumstances around…I don’t have all the details in relation to it. This is a terrible tragedy for the family concerned. I’m not going to compound it by anything I would say.

“There are clear procedures in place to try to, in the hospital system, provide adequate and appropriate protection for people, separation of people in terms of risk of Covid…”

Ms Burke went on to question Mr Holohan at length, without giving him a chance to reply, before she was asked to leave.

Related: Mayo student’s parents raise questions over circumstances surrounding death (The Irish Times)

Pics: Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Video: Subprime

Property developer Johnny Ronan in Capetown, South Africa

Last night.

Following on from the circulation of a video of property developer Johnny Ronan in Capetown, South Africa…

Tom Lyons, in The Currency, reports:

Johnny Ronan, one of Ireland’s most successful property developers, has apologised after a video went viral in recent days showing him joking with friends three months ago about Covid-19.

The video spread unexpectedly on Whatsapp this week before leaking onto other social media. At the time it was made by double Olympic cyclist Philip Cassidy on February 29, it had been shared only to a small group of friends before somehow it spread more widely.

Cassidy is a friend of Ronan, who is also a keen cyclist, and they were on a cycling trip together in February in Cape Town, South Africa prior to Covid-19 reaching Ireland.

“I’m sorry”: Apology as 3-month old video of developer Ronan joking about Covid-19 goes viral (The Currency)

Yesterday: We’re Back Baby

[click to enlarge]

Early 1960s.

Two rarely-seen images of views from the top of Nelson’s Pillar, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 prior to its destruction at the hands of Horatio-hating republicans.

Name those jammers, anyone?

Pics Clarence W. Sorensen via University of Wisconsin

Capetown, South Africa

Sun-grizzled property developer Johnny Ronan self isolates.

What a complete and utter character.

Previously…

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Meanwhile…

Minister for Education Joe McHugh has concluded discussions with parents, teachers, school managers and students over plans to hold the Leaving Cert at the end of July.

A “plan B” option of awarding grades to students, in the event that the exams being cancelled was one of the items on the agenda.

The practicalities of running the exams in the context of social distancing and public health advice were also discussed….

Leaving Cert: No decision on exams following meeting (irish Times)

Not for the likes of you.

This afternoon.

Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2

Fintan Warfield tweetz:

Lunchtime thought: It is something else that Fitzwilliam Square is a private garden with access only for those with a key.

FIGHT!

Fitzwilliam Square?

This morning.

On RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe (above) was interviewed by Bryan Dobson. It followed his department saying that it expected Ireland to run a deficit of at least 7.5 per cent or €23 billion this year.

They had this exchange:

Bryan Dobson: “The supports that are available to people who are losing their jobs or are on short time payment, the pandemic payment, unemployment payment. And the wage subsidy – more than a million people now receiving some sort of payment from the State and it expires in the middle of next month. Will it be extended?”

Paschal Donohoe: “Well, we’re going to be dealing with this now across the next few weeks, Bryan. And then we’ll be in a position to outline a pathway for both of those payments. They are going to continue in a form but the level of those payments and how they will be made available to the economy is something that the Government will make a decision on soon.

“The reason why we need to be careful about these payments is two-fold. The first one is they’re working, they’re working keeping people in a job or if you have lost a job, they’re working in helping our citizens cope with huge change in living standards that nobody was expecting.

“The second reason we have to take care with their future is because of their cost. They are costing many hundreds of millions of euros per week and what I and the Government will aim to do is change those payments in a way that is affordable but also makes sense for our citizens.”

Hmm.

Listen back in full here

Rollingnews

RTÉ website this afternoon

Um.

Via RTÉ

Speaking to RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke programme, Danielle Kennedy said hairdressers are being offered up to €200 for a haircut from clients, compared to the regular price of €40-€50 before Covid-19.

She said the black market has “erupted” since the Government’s announcement that salons will not reopen until the 20 July.

“It erupted even further since the announcement that we aren’t going to open until the 20th July. People just aren’t prepared to wait that long for a haircut.

“Roughly €150 to €200 for a haircut compared to €40 to €50, so three and four times the normal price to get it done.

“It’s putting salons under an awful lot of pressure because there is a fear that the owners are going to crumble and will just try and look after their clients.”

Black market in haircuts has ‘erupted’ under lockdown (RTÉ)