LAST UPDATE | 1 Feb 2022
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. CAMHS
In our main story this morning, Jane Moore reports that a mother who says her teenage son has been “let down constantly” by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) based in the Midlands has welcomed the announcement of a nationwide audit of the services.
The woman, whose son has been attending the service since 2013 claims that her son has been prescribed the wrong medication “many times” and that he has been admitted to A&E four times since November after saying he was going to take his own life.
Her husband quit his job last year to be at home with their son because his family do not deem it safe for him to be there alone.
It follows revelations contained in a report last week that 46 children suffered “significant harm” while attending the HSE-run South Kerry CAMHS.
2. Leaving Cert
Plans for Leaving Certificate examinations with “some elements of choice” are set to be brought to Cabinet today.
A debate has been simmering in recent weeks about what should happen with the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert exams this year.
Earlier this month, a survey was released by the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union that showed 68% of students want a ‘hybrid-model’ Leaving Cert used in 2022.
However, it’s understood that under plans to be considered by Cabinet, regular Leaving Certificate exams will take place, but will include “some elements of choice” on the papers.
3. Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said the gathering at the Department of Foreign Affairs was “a serious mistake that shouldn’t have happened” after a review published last night found that it was a “serious breach” of Covid guidelines.
The review into the gathering, conducted by Foreign Affairs Secretary General Joe Hackett, said it has “caused offence” and that then secretary general Niall Burgess was “largely responsible for facilitating the breach of social distance guidance that occurred”.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Coveney said the report is clear that “there was a serious breach of Covid guidelines at the time”, but he said it’s also important to “outline the context of what happened here”.
“This was not an organised gathering. This was people working in the workplace. But after the results of the vote came through from New York and Ireland was elected to the Security Council, people came together for a photograph in celebration for about a minute. That’s pretty clear in the report,” he said.
4. An Post
Back at home, An Post has announced that the price of stamps is set to rise from next month.
From 1 March, the price of a national letter stamp will increase to €1.25 from €1.10, while standard international stamps are set to rise to €2.20, up from €2.
According to An Post, the rise in stamp price is to bring Irish prices in line with other European postage rates, as well as due to the price inflation across transport, fuel and energy.
5. Stay in your lane
From today, there are new fines in place for drivers who park on footpaths, cycle lanes or bus lanes.
The new fixed-charge penalties, which were signed by Minister for Transport and the Environment Eamon Ryan, will increase fines from €40 to €80.
6. Partygate
In the UK, Boris Johnson has landed a temporary reprieve from any immediate threat to his leadership as Conservative MPs appeared to be satiated by promises to overhaul the operation of No 10 in response to the partygate saga.
The British Prime Minister faced angry backbenchers yesterday when he apologised in the Commons after senior official Sue Gray found “failures of leadership and judgment” as gatherings were held while England was under coronavirus restrictions in 2020 and 2021.
7. School admissions
Back at home, two educational groups that are set to appear before today’s Oireachtas Education Committee are against the removal of a clause that allows 25% of school places be reserved for children and grandchildren of past pupils.
A bill put forward by the Labour Party on the matter is up for discussion today, with five educational bodies set to appear before members.
8. Over-medicalisation
Health and social systems around the world are failing to give appropriate, compassionate care to people who are dying and their families, according to a new report.
A new Lancet Commission has said today’s current overemphasis on aggressive treatments to prolong life, vast global inequities in palliative care access, and high end-of-life medical costs have led millions of people to suffer unnecessarily at the end of life.
9. Digital Covid cert
As of today, new rules come into force for those using the EU Covid pass for travel across European Union countries – meaning you will need a booster dose to travel within the EU if it’s been more than nine months since you were considered ‘fully vaccinated’.
The rules now mean that if it has been more than nine months or more than 270 days since someone has received their second dose of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca, or their one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, they will need a booster dose to travel to an EU country from today.
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