Author Archives: Bodger

Kungstradgarden, Stockholm, Sweden yesterday

in Sweden, there are no enforced lockdowns, the economy remains open, and citizens are free to travel and enjoy the attractions..

However, it’s not business as usual, as Philip O’Connor, in Stockholm, Sweden, writes (full column at link below):

Sweden’s decision not to lock down its society has put it in the global spotlight.

Commentators and journalists are asking, not unreasonably, what the Swedes know that virtually every other country doesn’t, but to describe the situation in the Scandinavian nation of ten million as “business as usual” is not accurate; Sweden’s lockdown is imposed not on the state level, but at the individual, and the effect has been felt on every aspect of life.

While Norway and Denmark closed schools and in some cases closed borders, and insisted on quarantining those who had been abroad, Sweden took a much more low-key approach.

First, gatherings of over 500 people were banned, binning the possibility of ice hockey playoffs or starting the sports leagues that were due to get under way in the spring.

Workers who could were instructed to work from home, and those who don’t enjoy that luxury were told to stay at home if they displayed any symptoms whatsoever.

As the disease gradually spreads and the death toll rises, so too do the demands for individual responsibility; the size of gatherings has been cut from 500 to 50 and commuters have been asked not to use public transport at peak times.

Table service in bars has become the norm, and fast-food restaurants have taken to taping off seats and tables so that people do not sit too close together. S

hops have been told to restrict the numbers on their premises and that queues should be controlled to enable people to keep their distance.

But still some activities go on. In Vasaparken, not far from the Spice Of India Restaurant, the winter ice is long gone, and swarms of kids of all ages play football on the artificial turf at lunchtime, watched by teachers and youth workers in fluorescent vests….(more below)

Genius Or Gamble? Inside Sweden’s Covid-19 Crisis (Philip O’Connor, Our Man In Sweden)

Getty

 

Yesterday.

Professor Martin Cormican, National Lead for Infection Control and Antimicrobial Resistance, HSE, displaying some of the PPE equipment sourced from China, at a HSE briefing in Dublin.

With Just 10 per cent of the total €200 million order having arrived. Professor Cormican stated that only 65 per cent of the first batch has met the required standard.

Good times.

Meanwhile.

This morning

A shipment of five million pieces of personal protection equipment (PPE) is believed to have been delivered to Northern Ireland, according to the NI secretary.

Brandon Lewis said the PPE consignment should have arrived at approximately 07:00 BST on Monday morning.

He said it would be delivered to the health services “in the course of the day”.

It would help ensure sure staff had the “protection they need”, he added.

Coronavirus: Millions of PPE items ‘arrive in Northern Ireland’ (BBC)

Rollingnews

Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan at a press conference in Government Buildings earlier today

This evening.

On RTÉ’s Drivetime.

Broadcaster Mary Wilson interviewed Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan.

Ms Wilson asked the Fine Gael TD about the “shame on you” comment she made in the Dáil yesterday, and her refusal to respond to any concerns raised by TDs – including a concern about 79 people testing positive for coronavirus in one nursing home.

Ms Madigan, who was opposed to yesterday’s Dáil sitting because of social distancing protocols, attended a press conference this afternoon in Government Buildings to announce a string of artistic initiatives.

Ms Wilson asked her what was the difference between attending Leinster House yesterday and the press conference today. She said there was a “big difference” between them.

They had this exchange.

Mary Wilson: “You had no problem, minister, straying from home today to come and announce your support for the arts community. Yesterday it was about not straying…”

Talk over each other

Wilson: “….and attend a press conference and attend a press conference, presumably involving some officials and advisors on your side. We had the Arts Council and Creative Ireland represented, there was more of the media present. So what was the difference between that and Leinster House?”

Josepha Madigan: “There’s a very big difference. There were only four of us there today, all of us coming in from Dublin. Everybody in the Dáil comes, as you know, we represent the entire country. It’s something that I really think, if we’re trying to give the message of the public health guidelines asking people to wash their hands, asking people to social distance, asking people to follow all those guidelines like, you know, using good cough and sneeze etiquette and all of these things.

“We need to demonstrate that ourselves. And I felt very much yesterday that the public representatives, who wanted the Dáil to sit were the public representatives that just want to grandstand.”

Wilson: “The questions were legitimate weren’t they, minister?”

Madigan: “Oh absolutely. All questions are legitimate…”

Wilson: “So was it fair to say ‘shame on you’?”

Madigan: “And all questions should be answered. Yes, I do think that. And Minister Harris took a note of all their concerns and he will be coming back, as I said, to Deputy [Stephen] Donnelly yesterday with that in relation to it.”

Listen back in full here.

Earlier: A Refusal To Hold Themselves Accountable [Updated]

The Shining

Rollingnews

Oh dear.

More as they get it.

Previously: ‘Let’s Make Labour Sexy Again’

Alan Kelly on Broadsheet

Update:

Tonight.

Meanwhile...

This morning [Saturday].

The UK Labour Party has also a new leader.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (top) at a press briefing in Government Buildings last night

Last night.

During a press briefing in Government Buildings.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he had “heard stories of people who had asked their employers to lay them off because they’d be better off” on the €350-per-week Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment than working 20 hours a week for €11 per hour.

“Do the maths, yourself,” he told journalists.

This is the full exchange Mr Varadkar had with a journalist about the matter.

Journalist: “Just in relation to…I think we saw 280,000 people or so applying for the PUP and having it accepted. I’ve seen some reports of people who perhaps, have got this payment, who didn’t have a job beforehand.

“I’ve even saw reports of somebody in Australia who’s received this payment. Are you are worried about people who are receiving this payment who haven’t, who aren’t entitled to it?”

Leo Varadkar: “Well, certainly, I certainly would be worried if anyone would receive the payment who’s not entitled to it and that would go for any payment that the Government gives.

“A lot of our response was a response that was an emergency response that we wanted to make sure that what we did for people who lose their jobs, for people who are self-employed whose businesses close, for businesses that needed to keep on workers but who couldn’t afford to pay them. We wanted to make sure that whatever we did got money to companies and to people quickly.

“And also was easy to administer. So you’ll see, in contrast you’ll see, in other jurisdictions, in the UK for example, the money that self-employed are getting, they won’t get until June. Whereas self-employed people in Ireland are already in receipt of the payment if they need it.

“And not all of them but a lot of them. And again we want to make sure that companies were getting the money right away. And they are.

“But inevitably the perfect is the enemy of the good and what we did was good, I think, in terms of supporting people’s incomes and supporting business. It’s not perfect and there are going to be loads of anomalies.

“And I know one of the anomalies has arisen is that there are people who are working part-time, for example, who were earning less than €350 a week who lost their jobs and now, actually, might be slightly better off. And then there are other people who are getting the payment but are losing more, if you like.

“But it was always going to be the case that when we acted quickly, as we did, that anomalies would arise. And we’ll try and deal with them as we go along. But our main objective was to make sure that nobody was going to run out of cash.

“That people had a safely net for them. And in having a much generous safety net than is the case in other jurisdictions, again for example, north of the border, people are applying for Universal Credit and it’s about hundred pounds a week. Contrast that with €350 a week here. You know, we didn’t want to overcorrect the other way, where we’d be leaving people short. So there will be some people who’ll actually end up better off as a result.

“But they will be small in number and that was price worth paying to make sure that the vast majority of people had a decent proportion of their incomes protected.

“And, you know, I have heard stories of people who have asked their employers to lay them off because they’d be better off on the €350 payment than maybe working 20 hours a week for €11. You know, do the maths, yourself.

“And I would just say to anyone who is thinking of that, we are all in this together and nobody, in any walk of life, should seek to be better off, or seek to make profit out of this crisis.”

Anyone?

Watch back in full here

Previously: Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All on Broadsheet

Director of Creative Ireland Tania Banotti, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan in Government Buildings today

This afternoon.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan attended a press conference to announce a range of artistic initiatives.

During the briefing, Harry McGee, of The Irish Times, asked Mr Donohoe about a nursing home which has seen a considerable number of positive Covid-9 cases. Mr McGee also asked the minister about the number of people who have recovered from the virus.

Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly raised concerns about the home with Ms Madigan in the Dáil yesterday, telling her that that 70 out of 200 members of staff at one nursing home had tested positive for Covid-19 and that 19 of the home’s 100 residents had also tested positive.

However, Ms Madigan did not respond to Mr Donnelly’s concerns as the Minister for Health Simon Harris was not present. Instead she took notes and said Mr Harris would respond accordingly.

From this morning’s briefing.

Harry McGee: “To Minister Donohoe, in relation to some of the detail that has been given out in relation to the Covid-19 crisis, the nursing home issue, in particular, there’s quite a lot of clusters. And there’s been a bit of a lack of clarity in relation to the information being given.

“Stephen Donnelly, from Fianna Fáil yesterday, was talking about a cluster of 79 at least in one nursing home. We know there’s quite a lot of nursing homes affected but there’s been very little information in relation to the detail about that.

“And also there’s a great sparsity in relation to the detail about those who’ve recovered from Covid-19 in Ireland, compared to other countries and perhaps you could address those issues if you would?”

Paschal Donohoe: [after giving a response to nursing homes in general] “In relation to the question that you put to me about a particular nursing home, that Deputy Donnelly raised yesterday, I’m afraid I don’t have information in relation to that nursing home. Maybe that’s something that our colleagues in NPHET [National Public Health Emergency Team] can deal with across today on one of the press briefings that might take place later on today.

“In relation to your second question about data in relation to citizens who thankfully have recovered from Covid-19. Again, from being involved in discussion on that issue across yesterday, I think an important consideration from our public health officials is to have a wide enough data set, of enough citizens who have recovered from Covid-19 to allow them then to issue conclusions in relation to it.

“And the sense I got yesterday from a discussion on this issue is that we are looking to have a wide enough cohort of citizens who have recovered from Covid-19, who have exited, for example, our ICU facilities. To have that cohort wide enough to then allow us to draw conclusions from it.

“An my understanding, Harry, is that we’re a little bit off, being able to form conclusions that we think are reliable enough to be able to talk to you, and therefore the country, about.”

Watch back in full here.

EARLIER:

From top: Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, Fine Gael TD Josepha Madigan; Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly; tweet from Socialist TD Mick Barry

Yesterday afternoon.

Minister for Finance and Fine Gael TD Paschal Donohoe only answered pre-submitted questions from journalists at a press briefing in Government Buildings.

The journalists weren’t allowed to ask follow-up questions.

Also yesterday afternoon, in the Dáil, Fine Gael TD and Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan refused to answer a single question that TDs raised about health matters concerning Covid-19, after castigating the TDs who called for the Dáil to sit with reduced numbers.

Among the contributions from TDs was that of Fianna Fáil Stephen Donnelly who told the Dáil that he was told that out of 200 members of staff at one nursing home, 70 had tested positive for Covid-19 and that 19 of the home’s 100 residents had also tested positive.

After the TDs raised their concerns, acting chairman John Lahart told the Dáil: “The Minister for Health departed the chamber to attend a briefing of all party and group leaders on Covid-19. The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will conclude the debate for the Government.”

However, instead of answering any of the questions, Ms Madigan told those present that she had taken notes and that Mr Harris would get back to them.

Of the press briefing with Mr Donohoe, Miriam Lord, in The Irish Times, reports:

“Having asked them [journalists] to attend (a small number, in accordance with the necessary restrictions), they were then asked to pre-submit their questions. These were read out by Paschal Donohoe’s press aide, who then replied as the mute hacks looked on.

“Disgracefully, they were not allowed to ask follow-up questions, so Paschal could effectively say what he liked without being challenged. Microphones were not provided because of hygiene issues. The reporters could have been heard without them, but they weren’t given the chance. This doesn’t even happen in the White House. But it happens here, in Government Buildings. And Hungary.

“A trivial thing to worry about in the current, terrible scheme of things. Or is it?”

Meanwhile, in the Dáil, the Heath Minister Simon Harris addressed those present after which Ms Madigan listened to questions from other TDs.

Apart from Mr Donnelly’s questions, other contributions included concerns about coronavirus test numbers, GP concerns, social welfare payments for people over the age of 66, concerns about people in direct provision, personal protective equipment, student nurses, people in receipt of medicinal cannabis, domestic violence issues and mental health services.

After hearing the contributions, this is what the Dáil heard:

Joespha Madigan: “I thank the deputies for their contributions. However, the members here today who have insisted on this Dáil sitting have shown a complete disregard for our national fight to contain Covid-19. Shame on you.

“They have forced us to stray from home rather than stay at home, which is completely contrary to public health guidelines and nothing to do with any public representative shirking his or her responsibilities.

“As the Minister, Deputy Harris, said, there is no reason we could not have done this remotely. We have already seen the European Parliament achieve that. As he said, with a little ingenuity, it could be achieved. I just wanted to say that at the outset.

“We are learning more about Covid-19 but there is much we do not know. In particular, we do not know how long this public health emergency is going to last. As the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, said earlier, many lives have already been cruelly taken by this virus. I would like to express my condolences to all of those who have been bereaved.”

Later.

Ms Madigan had this exchange with Mr Donnelly:

Stephen Donnelly: “My understanding was that the wrap-up would include answers to questions raised by the House. In the time left, will the Minister actually address any of the questions we have come here to ask?”

Madigan: “I think the Chairman made very clear that the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, is with the Taoiseach at present…”

Donnelly: “Deputy Madigan has been here.”

Madigan: “…and with all the leaders of Opposition parties and groups. He has been giving them a briefing on Covid-19 since about 3.30pm.”

Donnelly: “Is Deputy Madigan going to answer anything that has been raised?”

John Lahart: “One speaker, please.”

Madigan: “As Deputy Donnelly knows, the Minister, Deputy Harris, was here. He was here when Deputy Donnelly spoke and he was here for every other speaker except for a few. I have taken notes of those concerns for him. He has taken detailed notes of all the Members’ concerns and I am satisfied that he will get back to them with comprehensive responses on everything.”

Donnelly: “Is Deputy Madigan going to address them?”

Madigan: “It is a bit opportunistic, when the Minister is in a very important meeting…”

Donnelly: “I am not having a go at the Minister for Health. I am asking if a Government Minister is going to answer any of the questions raised by the Parliament.”

Madigan: “He will come back with answers to all the Members’ concerns.”

Donnelly: “Is Deputy Madigan going to answer any of them?”

Madigan: “I can only go that far. With respect, I am not the Minister for Health and he cannot bilocate. Deputy Donnelly can appreciate that.

Donnelly: “Deputy Madigan is not answering anything that has been raised.”

Ms Madigan then went on to acknowledge “the incredible response” of the frontline staff across departments and agencies, in the health sector and in social welfare and other sectors.

Read the debate in full here or watch in back in full here

Yesterday: Coronafurious

UPDATE:

Meanwhile…

From top  Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan at a press briefing today; ‘Shine Your Light’ tweet this afternoon

This afternoon.

At a press briefing in Government Buildings currently ongoing.

Fine Gael TD and Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan said the Government was asking the people and artists of Ireland to “shine a light” on Easter Saturday “to remind us that love and hope are always with us”.

The minister added that RTÉ has a “big range of activity planned to support this idea” which is being supported by the Government, Creative Ireland and the Arts Council.

Ms Madigan also told those present at the briefing that the Government will also be working with Facebook to support a new online initiative for artists, Ireland Performs, while Arts Council chairman Kevin Rafter announced a €1million fund for new online art projects.

Ms Madigan clarified that there will be 334 awards from the €1million, equalling to approximately €3,000 per artist.

In respect of the “shine a light” idea, Ms Madigan said:

“Shine a light for our frontline staff, our healthcare workers, the people who are keeping us going through these dark times. We will be lighting up public buildings around the country and in our embassies around the world.

“Our peacekeepers in the Middle East will also be shining their light.

“I’m inviting everybody here today to join in and be part of the light, to be the light in the darkness.

“It can be the light of the smallest candle or the lighting up of a ten-storey building. So let’s shine a light together for the people whom we love, people whom we now know are sick, our grannies, granddads we cannot see, or our friends we cannot visit these holidays.

“So shine a light for whoever is your heart.”

Complete and utter, putrid-smelling Concannonballs.

FIGHT!

Watch the briefing live here

Earlier: A Refusal To Hold Themselves Accountable

Rollingnews