Covid latest
Ireland has been ranked as the best place to be during Covid, according to Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking.
It comes as the HSE has warned parents not to name children with Covid in WhatsApp groups.
A further 1,499 Covid-19 cases were confirmed in the State on Tuesday, with 300 coronavirus patients in hospital including 63 in intensive care units.
In Northern Ireland, there have been fiery exchanges between politicians over a vaccine passport scheme.
Today in the courts
A woman who has pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity told gardaí that she killed a man to “protect Prince William” and cut off his genitals after he died “to protect women”, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Meanwhile, a man has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering a woman at a Dublin apartment complex in the summer of 2019.
It comes as a businessman has been fined €1,200 for employing foreign nationals without work permits after a Garda blitz on a number of takeaways in Donegal.
Residency for Afghan nationals
The Cabinet has approved plans to give up to 500 Afghans temporary residency rights in the State.
Ministers considered a special-admission programme for family members of an estimated 1,200 Afghans living in Ireland which would see up to 500 of them brought to the State.
Under the terms of the programme, the Afghan nationals can apply for temporary residency if they are in Afghanistan or a neighbouring country, having fled.
The Government has meanwhile been urged to expand the country’s refugee programme to allow more Afghan human rights workers into Ireland.
A meeting of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee heard from Front Line Defenders, a human rights organisation based in Ireland, who said situation on the ground in Afghanistan is “dire”.
Glenisk factory devastated
A major fire that ripped through a yoghurt manufacturing factory has been described as “devastating” for its owners, workforce and suppliers.
The managing director of Glenisk yoghurt, Vincent Cleary, has said the company will regroup and rebuild to become operational as quickly as possible following the fire on Monday.
The fire broke out at Glenisk’s organic yoghurt factory on Monday in Killeigh, near Tullamore in Offaly.
Mr Cleary said tears were shed during the night and described the factory as a burnt out shell this morning. It was still uncertain what exactly had happened on Monday, he said.
However, he said he would be meeting with line managers on Tuesday to “make a list” to get back to work, adding he wanted all the staff to “buy into” whatever plans are developed.
Baby organs incinerated
The Taoiseach has condemned the incineration of baby organs by a Cork hospital without the knowledge or consent of their bereaved parents, describing the incident as “cruel and unacceptable”.
An investigation is under way at Cork University Maternity Hospital after it emerged the organs of 18 babies were sent to Belgium for incineration in late March and early April 2020, without the knowledge of their bereaved parents.
A Cork couple has spoken of the trauma of learning that their baby’s organs were incinerated abroad without their knowledge or consent.
According to RTÉ, the incident came to light in May of last year when Cork couple Leona Bermingham and Glenn Callanan received a phone call from the hospital regarding their late son, Lee.
Ireland to donate Covid-9 vaccines to Uganda
Ireland is to donate 335,500 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Uganda, the Minister for Health has said.
The doses, delivery of which is to be completed this week, is in addition to one million vaccines Ireland has already committed to donating through the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Covax programme.
Ireland will also donate all the consumables necessary to support the administration of the vaccines in Uganda.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: “The donation represents the next step in Ireland’s continued commitment to vaccine solidarity.
“Universal and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines is a priority for Ireland.
“This donation of vaccines builds on the recent Government commitment to contribute one million Covid-19 vaccines to the Covax global vaccine initiative.
“I wish to express my thanks to the HSE for the significant logistical planning to facilitate the delivery of these much needed doses to the people of Uganda.”
