Restrictions decision
The Taoiseach has said the continued use of Covid certificates and mask wearing was “certainly on the agenda” as the Government is set to decide on lifting further restrictions amid rising hospital admissions.
With lobby groups calling for clarity on how the final public health measures will be eased in the Republic, Micheál Martin said things had changed dramatically in the past week.
He said the challenge posed by the virus was that the situation was always changing.
School guidelines
The principal of a primary school in Wexford has said that CO2 monitors are not a sufficient measure to combat Covid-19 in schools and warned that HSE guidelines are not strong enough to prevent transmission within classrooms and schools.
Speaking to RTÉ radio’s News at One, Vickey Barron of the CBS primary school said that under HSE guidelines asymptomatic children were allowed to go to school even if they were close contacts.
However, a number of children in her school were found to be positive despite not having any symptoms.
“There are now 34 positive cases in the school,” she said.
Uninvited person
Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister has revealed that she once had to remove an uninvited person from her home, as MLAs called for an end to abuse of elected representatives.
Michelle O’Neill said no politician should face abuse or threats for carrying out work on behalf of their constituents.
The North’s political leaders paid tribute to murdered British MP David Amess at the start of business at Stormont on Monday.
DUP First Minister Paul Givan said the Conservative MP was “brutally killed when serving his community”.
Laois man jailed
A man who raped his niece on multiple occasions while she babysat his children has been jailed for 10 years.
The man (54), who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, began sexually abusing his niece when she was 15-years-old.
The Central Criminal Court heard the victim became pregnant as a result of the rapes and gave birth to a child.
The Laois man was convicted following a trial for four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault at an address in Co Laois on unknown dates between June 1st, 2004 and March 31st, 2005. He has no previous convictions and continues to deny the offences.
High Court ruling
A High Court judge has ruled the HSE has “disproportionately and unlawfully interfered” with the constitutional and human rights of an autistic girl who has spent 54 days in a room off the emergency department of a general hospital.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is not to blame in any way for the HSE's "mess" in this matter, Mr Justice Max Barrett said.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, the judge concluded the 17-year-old’s continuing stay in a general hospital is “not in her best interests and is detrimental to her welfare”..
