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LAST UPDATE | 14 Oct 2020
CABINET IS MEETING this evening to discuss the possibility of implementing Level 4 restrictions in border counties in response to the situation in the North.
Level 4 is being considered for Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan in the wake of Northern Ireland’s decision to impose new restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, which include closures of schools, pubs and restaurants.
The meeting is due to start around now with an announcement expected later this evening.
It is understood that a planned approach for the border counties was discussed last night at a senior level, with a high-level civil service committee also meeting earlier today to discuss the prospect.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said that schools across the country will remain open despite ongoing concerns about the rise in Covid-19 cases.
The Stormont Executive has decided to close schools, pubs and restaurants for a number of weeks to curb the spread of the virus north of the border.
Pubs and restaurants in the region are set to close for four weeks from Friday, while schools will close for two weeks until 2 November from Monday (though this will coincide with a week off for mid-term).
“It was the right move by the Executive in my mind to bring in restrictions. We are watching the situation right across the country, including the border counties, NPHET are looking at it on a daily basis, I’m looking at it, government is looking at it on a daily basis,” Donnelly said.
The Government here also discussed the possibility of extending the October mid-term break last week, but speaking this afternoon, Donnelly said that schools south of the border would not be closing at present.
“The decision as of now is that the schools remain open, much to the annoyance of my three children who on a daily basis are trying to get me to reconsider that with colleagues,” he said.
“But certainly as of the weekend and as of right now, the plan is for the normal [mid-term] break to happen.”
He added that positivity rates demonstrate that schools are relatively safe compared to other settings.
I am in favour of keeping the school open. I received a comprehensive report looking at the positivity rates in schools versus the community and the information I’ve been given is that schools are safe within the context of a world where we have Covid.
The minister also addressed plans about whether the Government would consider whether to introduce further restrictions border counties.
Latest figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) show that Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan have the highest 14-day incidence of Covid-19 per 100,000 population in the country, at 412.2, 354.9 and 312.8 respectively.
Ahead of this evening’s meeting of Cabinet, Donnelly said that the Government remains conscious of the Northern Ireland Executive’s introduction of new restrictions today.
“I think it’s the right decision. We’ve been in very close contact with our colleagues in the North at a political level, at CMO level and at an official level, an at a clinical level,” he said.
“The situation is of concern. Their case numbers are several times per day what we’re seeing when you adjust to population.
“As to what might happen here, that’s under consideration on a daily basis as it always has been. It’s something that NPHET are looking at on a daily basis and something I will continue to discuss with Cabinet colleagues.”
Donnelly added that he did not want to speculate about what may be decided at Cabinet.
“I don’t want to preempt anything in terms of what may or may not happen with Levels, I don’t think that’s useful,” he said.
NPHET is not scheduled to meet until tomorrow.
Off licences
As part of the new restrictions in Northern Ireland, off-licences are set to close from 8pm compared to 10pm in the Republic.
The Health Minister said it would not be appropriate for people to travel to go to the off-licence.
“Level 3 in this country says stay in your county except for work, education and essential purposes. I think you’d be hard pressed explaining that a trip to the offy between 8pm and 10pm across the border counts as an essential trip,” he said.
Asked however whether this advice extends to people in the six counties, Donnelly said it does not.
“That is a matter for people living in the six counties, it is a matter for the Executive,” he said.
- With reporting by Christina Finn and Rónán Duffy
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The report suggests the reason for the continued practice was linked to the “unswervingly Catholic ethos” of the hospital at the time. The hospital had an absolute ban on artificial contraception, even when it became both legal and broadly accepted in other hospitals.
The amount of damage ‘Catholic ethos’ has done to vulnerable communities here is almost incalculable.
There is still a ban on the prescription of contraception in hospitals with a catholic ethos.
The list of tertiary hospitals without a catholic ethos is pretty short.
It is ironic that the Catholic hierarchy are swanning around the RDS preaching redemption whilst these women are in chronic pain as a result of their policies.
And yet no sign of any apology, not a peep out of them. Disgusting.
I find this article very difficult to read . I suffer from chronic pain , but the pain and upset that was done to these women …on purpose, is deplorable. All thanks to religious ”values” where they preach that the family is all important. Yet they damaged irreparably ,one of the life and care givers in these families. Episiotomies were bad enough but ffs this is nightmarish. Some hospitals were against the epidural due to the ”ethos” of the same hospital until relatively recently…
I hope these women get satisfaction or acknowledgement of some sort or other and as another poster has said , there the good old catholic church are having a conference a few km’s away from these ladies ,enough said .
The ”unswervingly Catholic ethos” of the hospital at the time resulted in these women being mutilated and maimed for life. The unswervingly Catholic ethos of the country at the time also resulted in children being tortured, raped, buggered and incarcerated.
The legacy of this Institution is appalling and while the current consensus seems to indicate a less ”spiritual” attachment to the regime and a selective rejection of it’s dogma 84% of the Irish people are happy to associate themselves with, what now appears to be considered, it’s cultural legacy! Unbelievable!!
What will it take to remove the ‘ethos’ excuse in hospitals and schools that has caused so much damage to the people who these facilities were set-up to help and protect? Not one state school or hospital in the UK or France has this requirement and it does not impact one way or the other on the delivery of services. Doctors have their own ethos to apply to, teachers who complete a HDip could also fulfil an oath to protect and educate children, and that should be the end of it – remove these parasite from their only vestige of control, and let people decide their belief based on their belief, not access to service.
The list of tertiary hospitals WITHOUT a catholic ethos is pretty short. Within the catholic hospitals the prescription of contraception is technically not allowed.
this procedure was used on me in castlepollard and here in uk a couple of doctors commented while i was in labour but i never fully understood till i looked it up today and yes it fits with my constant aches and pains ..running the loo .. i had pre enclampsia and went blind as the supposed nurse smith came towards me i was 16 yrs old been in labor since friday mornng its now monday afternoon .. then i go blind .. 24 hrs later i come round .. in chronic pain and hips killing .. other girls never mentioned anything to me .. its been in my head for years that my pelvic bone area is in 2 halves almost as it moves if i say try and move something with my foot as leverage i cannot it feels like its come apart …ive had those suspisions for years and what with the doctors comments it all adds up
whoever made these decisions and for whatever reasons is almost certainly never going to be fully understood . the important thing now is that all of the incredibly brave women who endured this barbaric procedure , including my own lovely mom ,are treated with the dignity and respect that they so deserve . the government need to stand up and look after the ladies now . give them access to their medical files, redress through the courts and proper medical care .
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