Author Archives: Bodger

This afternoon.

Pat writes:

Above is a letter from HSE to my elderly mother with ALL the underlying issues that carry risk for Covid19.

They are threatening her with taking away her carer. She has had cancer, heart surgery and has diabetes, arthritis and other issues. With no family nearby.”

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile, in his address to the nation on St Patrick’s night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said:

“At a certain point we will advise the elderly and people who have a long-term illness to stay at home for several weeks. We’re putting in place the systems to ensure that if you are one of them, you will have food, supplies and are checked on. We call it cocooning and it will save many lives, particularly the lives of the most vulnerable, the most precious in our society.

“I know it’s going to be very difficult to stay apart from our loved ones. Most grandparents just want to give their grandkids a hug and a kiss around about now. But, as hard as it is, we need to keep our physical distance to stop the virus.”

Previously: “This Is The Calm Before The Storm”

Minister for Education Joe McHugh

This morning.

The Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced that Leaving Cert students studying languages will receive full marks for the oral section of exams that were due to be held in Irish and modern European languages.

The oral exams were due to begin on March 23 but have now been cancelled.

Students will also get full marks for their oral exams in Leaving Cert Irish and French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Japanese; practical performance tests in Leaving Cert Music; practical performance tests in Junior Cert Music and Home Economics.

Journalist Richard Chambers, of Virgin Media News, asked Mr McHugh, in light of the move, if students will still be able to change their exam level, lending to gaining more points, and he said no, explaining:

“To be very clear, we’re going to get rid of all that excitement around that. That won’t happen because you’re correct in saying, on the morning of the exam, people can make the change. Normally I think it’s about 10% go from higher to lower and there is a small cohort that go from ordinary level to higher level, but the people made the decision.

“The CAO has that decision, that’s the one that stays, where they’ve indicated their preference for higher or ordinary, that’s the one that sticks. So that option is not there.”

Watch the press conference back in full here

Earlier: He Brought You The Gathering

EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier

This morning.

The EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, 69, has announced, via Twitter, that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

Coronavirus live news: EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tests positive (The Guardian)

John Concannon (left) and chief medical officer Tony Holohan

This morning.

“Communications guru” John Concannon, formerly of the Strategic Communications Unit, Creative Ireland, The Gathering, Discover Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Way, and Fáilte Ireland, begins his new role of managing the State’s communication on Covid-19.

Meanwhile….

https://twitter.com/JCGalway/status/1240392532649037825

What are they building?

Anyone?

Related: Taoiseach appoints communications guru to manage coronavirus information campaign (Fionnan Sheahan, Irish Independent)

UPDATE:

Ah here.

This morning.

BBC News.

Bob Geldof said he doesn’t have the coronavirus but will self-isolate anyway apart from a pre-planned family gathering.

What a complete character.

Meanwhile…

This morning.

In Ballincollig, Co Cork.

Ballincollig Credit Union tweetz:

“Each Friday going forward, we are prioritising time in our office for elderly and vulnerable members from 9.30am to 11.00am. We ask that the rest of our members would respect this allocated time. Thank you for your continued support.”

Previously: Nan’s Gone To Iceland [Updated]

UPDATE:

Meanwhile…

Via Lidl

Um.

This afternoon.

Emergency legislation – The Health Preservation and other Emergency Measures Bill – will be passed in the Dáil.

The title of the bill states:

“An Act, to make exceptional provision, in the public interest and having regard to the manifest and grave risk to human life and public health posed by the spread of Covid-19 and in order to mitigate, where practicable, the effect of the spread of Covid-19, to amend the Health Act 1947 to make provision for the Minister for Health to make regulations prohibiting or restricting the holding of certain events, access to certain premises and to provide for enforcement measures; to provide for powers for certain medical officers of health to order, in certain circumstances, the detention of persons who are suspected to be possible sources of infection of Covid-19 and to provide for enforcement measures in that regard; and to confer on the Minister for Health the power to designate areas as areas of infection of Covid-19 and to provide for related matters; to amend and extend the Social Welfare Acts to provide for amendments in relation to entitlement to illness benefit for persons who have been diagnosed with, or are a probable source of infection of, Covid19; and to provide for amendments in relation to jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance to mitigate the economic effects of the spread of Covid-19; and to provide for related matters.”

The bill can be read in full here

Reduced Dáil gathering to pass emergency legislation (RTÉ)

UPDATE:

UPDATE:

UPDATE:

Advertisements for property to let

This afternoon.

The Irish Property Rights’ Association released the following statement:

“Stephen Faughnan, Chairman of the Irish Property Owners’ Association, has stated that all tenants who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of losing their jobs should be afforded access to the existing HAP scheme.

“He stated that the Government need to put the resources and structures in place to deal with the likely requirement for this support and that the IPOA’s members are happy to work with tenants who need to move to the HAP system.

“This will necessitate cutting through the red tape that currently exists with the HAP system to ensure that tenants and landlords don’t suffer irreversible hardship from the C-19 crisis.”

Anyone?

Via Paul O’Donoghue

Rollingnews