NIAC is a group of Irish medical experts meet to consider new evidence about vaccines and provide advice to the Chief Medical Officer,the Department of Health and the state.
The HSE has advised that all AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination clinics planned for tomorrow should be cancelled.The latest advice also states: Those aged 60 and older should receive their second dose 12 weeks later as scheduled. Those aged under 60 years with a very high risk or high-risk medical condition should receive their second dose 12 weeks later as scheduled. Those aged under 60 years without a very high risk or high-risk medical condition should have the scheduled interval between doses extended to 16 weeks to allow further assessment of the benefits and risks as more evidence becomes available.
Professor Karina Butler, Chair of National Immunisation Advisory Committee, says we must balance the significant benefits of a national vaccination programme with the very rare risk of reported blood clot events linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF COVID-19 VACCINE ASTRAZENECA®NIAC 19.03.2021
Request for National Immunisation Advisory Committee advice On 14 March 2021, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended the temporary deferral of the administration of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca®.
This document presents updated evidence relating to the safe use of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca® and provide sadvice in respect of the use of this vaccine in Ireland.Background The decision to temporarily defer administration of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca® followed notification by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) ofa new safety alert from the Norwegian Medicines Agency on Saturday 13 March 2021. The alert related to four reports of serious, rare thromboembolic (clotting) events, including some complicated by thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) in adults under 65 years of age after vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca®.
NIAC,after discussion with representatives from the HPRA,Health Service Executive (HSE) and Department of Health (DOH),reviewed this new information in light of an ongoing investigation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) into earlier reports from Austria and Denmark of serious, complicated thromboembolic events following vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca®. On 11 March 2021the EMA stated that “there is currently noindication that vaccination has caused these conditions”and that “the vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing”.
On 14 March 2021the NIAC recommended temporary deferral of the administration of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca® based on the additional events from Norway reported after the initiation of the EMA review,pending receipt of further evidence and the conclusion of the EMA review. To date, no reports of serious clotting events associated with low platelets have been notified to the HPRA. Over 129,000doses of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca® have been given in Ireland.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1 The administration of the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca® should be recommenced for use in all those aged 18 and over.
Recommendation 2 Healthcare professionals and vaccine recipients should be informed that very rare, complicated thromboembolic events have been reported in a small number of people who have recently received COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca®.
Recommendation 3 Healthcare professionals should be alert to the signs and symptoms of thromboembolism and/or thrombocytopenia and report any suspected adverse reactions to the Health Products Regulatory Authority.
Recommendation 4 Recipients of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca® should be advisedto seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling and/or persistent abdominal pain within weeks of vaccination. Additionally, anyone with neurological symptoms including severe or persistent headaches (particularly 3 or more days after vaccination) or blurred vision, or who develop petechiae or ecchymoses beyond the site of vaccination,should seek prompt medical attention. These rare events have usually occurred within 14 days of the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca®.
Recommendation 5 Healthcare professionals should seek early expert advice from the National Coagulation Centre about the specialised testing and treatment options for patients presenting with thromboembolic events that are associated with thrombocytopenia, (including Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)or Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST))occurring within weeks following vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca®.
As our people envisage their emergence from the destructive and debilitating, all-enveloping fog that is the pandemic of COVID-19, as our planet wounded, and in peril from what was a discarded respect for balance, between what might be consumed for the necessities of life and the very capacity of the planet to renew itself, even survive, what then might be an appropriate message from Ireland on the Feast Day of the Patron, Patrick, all of us on the island of Ireland, and Irish people everywhere and those who came to be in the country, might share?
Perhaps, in the special circumstances of this year, we should give the day back to the story of Saint Patrick, that powerful mythic source upon which our National Day, which we offer to the world every year on the 17th of March, is based.
Patrick arrived in Ireland as a slave, escaped and returned. He is of the stock of our early foundational Irish migrants, which anticipates our monastic messengers, our nineteenth-century emigration prior to the Great Famine, and the haemorrhage of our people who managed to flee for survival in post-Famine times.
In 1901, of all the Irish born on the island of Ireland, a majority lived outside of the island of Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day, then, must always be a special day for recalling our migrant history and learning from it, be a source of our ethics and of our policy at home and abroad.
When in so many places, in so many different circumstances, voices of invocation by Irish people sing out on Saint Patrick’s Day, they are placing their invocation alongside the invocations and prayers of migrant communities everywhere who have, over generations, sought to collectively transcend present circumstances.
The messenger, of that invocation to a power beyond the self, to a spirit that informed nature, was, for us Irish, Saint Patrick, a migrant carrying to us the message of another compassionate migrant which could be placed, with respect, alongside other sources of the spirit.
All sources of transcendence and the spirit beyond the misery of the self are important. Our Patron Patrick saw the necessity of placing his message alongside respect for nature, with its right and promise of renewal that was there in indigenous forms of spirituality.
On Saint Patrick’s Day 2021, we have been reminded of our shared vulnerability, our interdependence, the need for an understanding that can fly past borders. In the message we have received from COVID, surely there is the undeniable insight that we must all, and together, exit the fog of not only the pandemic but all of the hubris, the arrogance, the vanities of assuming the right to dominate, to impose, to exclude; strategies of life which have left us such a legacy of lost communality and a planet in danger.
We have had the opportunity, since last year in particular, then, to examine the assumptions that have brought upon us less than the best of ourselves. There is much to be discarded, and we should do so without unnecessary recrimination. Surely we do not need to make war to find peace; and then when we discover a remedy, an insight of science for the avoidance or cure of disease, it must be for the sharing, rather than the hoarding as a commodity for use in aggressive trade competition.
There will be a capacity for joy in our exit from COVID-19, but that joy should be informed by our reflection on the new values we will invoke and practice as we set out on the new journey we undertake together.
Out of COVID we must globally share that which we need for a shared journey. Trust in words is fading. That trust must be restored.
In this year, no doubt, there will be pain. While there will be a recall of journeys remembered, there will be the disappointment of journeys anticipated but now, necessarily, postponed. Our hearts must be with those many for whom a technological alternative is an insufficient substitute for touch or intimacy.
Invocation to our Patron, our transcendent rivulet of hope, will be empowered in a different way this year. We can learn from it all as we always do, and when in years to come we parade again and gather in celebration, make a new invocation, no longer needing to be consumed in our consumption, we will recall how we made Saint Patrick’s Day 2021 the beginning of a new journey, one we are happy to share with the whole world and all of its people, and one that helped renew a respect for Mother Earth to which we all belong, and of which our Saints Patrick and Brigid left us such insights and enduring wisdom.
When in the future we recall Saint Patrick’s Day 2021, let us have returned with even more energy to music as we lift the glass slowly, and replenish it even slower. Music and creativity were our resource in the pandemic, and in the music of the heart is rehearsed that for which words are insufficient, feídearachtaí ag heitheamh dúinn – forms of renewal, possibilities rehearsed, journeys to wonder and new places.
“We make an affirmation. The stuff of hope beckons. Out of the darkness we step, And blink into the new light.” [1]
On behalf of the people of Ireland, I extend a hand of friendship across the globe to all those who are Irish by birth, descent or association, and to all those who have assisted our Irish people, especially over the past year.
I wish you, and all those who form part of the Irish family, and its friends in the families of the world, a happy and peaceful Saint Patrick’s Day.
The highlight of the day was when 500 drones lit up Dublin sky.Created by St. Patrick’s Festival, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council and delivered in collaboration with Intel and Actavo Events, Orchestra of Light was pre-recorded in Dublin in early March. The film features a dazzling performance by Intel® Drone Light Shows, Intel’s first ever Drone Light Show in Ireland.
Although St. Patrick’s Day public celebrations in Ireland and around the world will not take place this year, Orchestra of Light invites audiences to enjoy a spectacular world-class event from the comfort and safety of their kitchens and living rooms.
In this cutting-edge display, drones blur the boundaries between technology and art as they light up the sky above Ireland’s capital city, illuminating some of Dublin’s most well-known landmarks such as the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the Convention Centre Dublin. A series of animations designed by St. Patrick’s Festival and Aiden Grennelle tell a powerful story of love, hope and home, while celtic knots, musical instruments and Irish dance represent the world-wide reach and love of Irish culture, celebrated by millions each year on 17 March.
The short film is produced by ShinAwiL and scored by Irish composer Eimear Noone and her husband Craig Stuart Garfinkle. Along with RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the duo has collaborated with Irish band Picture This on the score, which features an orchestral remix of the band’s latest single ‘Things Are Different’. The piece uses new Intel Drone Light Show Premium technology to deliver dazzling 3D animations and vivid colours in their first ever public performance in EMEA.
A group of Bhangra dancers in Ireland have given the traditional Punjabi dance an Irish twist, to celebrate their two cultures on St Patrick’s Day | https://bit.ly/3lpDlfJ
A group of Bhangra dancers in Ireland have given the traditional Punjabi dance an Irish twist, to celebrate their two cultures on St Patrick's Day | https://t.co/4hI4MQqXydpic.twitter.com/dO0OqOkJgM
The year 2020 was a reckoning. A reckoning for a world faced with what Prince Harry described as “a global crisis of hate, a global crisis of misinformation and a global health crisis.” It was also a reckoning for Harry and Meghan. Could they prove their working model and create the “progressive new roles’’ that they had envisioned? Because regardless of the agreements from the Sandringham Summit, that’s exactly what they were doing — carving out a new role. But instead of doing it within the institution, Harry and Meghan were challenged to create a role outside of it. Most importantly, would they find the “more peaceful life” they sought across the pond?………
Purchasing a home and settling into Montecito seemed to represent not just a physical relocation for Harry and Meghan but a spiritual move as well. Yes, the family that had moved four times in just over a year was happy to finally be in their forever home, but when Meghan told Emily Ramshaw, CEO of The 19th*, “It’s good to be home,” her words went bone deep. The self-described “Cali girl” had experienced a death by a thousand cuts; nitpicked by a British press whose map of southern California seemed bizarrely confined to two cities, Hollywood and Compton……………..
With 5,000 miles between her and the noise from the Royal Rota, the press pack that covers the royals, Meghan appeared reinvigorated. She was once again comfortable in her own skin. As she told Ellen McGirt, Senior Editor of FORTUNE, “You just focus on living a purpose-driven life, and you focus on knowing what your own moral compass is.” The distance wasn’t enough to silence her critics. However, without exclusive access, her work could be viewed free from the filter of a biased U.K. tabloid press. The Duchess, who had chosen a songbird and quills for her coat of arms to represent the power of communication, was ready to spread her wings and sing again…………..
Meghan’s speech to the graduating class of her high school alma mater, Immaculate Heart, remains the first and only time a senior member of the royal family has uttered the phrase Black Lives Matter. “The only wrong thing to say is to say nothing,” Meghan asserted. It was a stark contrast to the royal family’s tenet of ”never complain, never explain,” which she and Harry had found so frustratingly outdated……
At the Diana Awards, Prince Harry answered that question with a resounding ‘yes’. Drawing upon the memory of his mother, he called for an end to institutional racism. “Like many of you, she never took the easy route. Or the popular one. Or the comfortable one. But, she stood for something. And, she stood up for people who needed it,” he recalled. Harry and Meghan appear committed to following the same path, as harrowing as it may be….
Compassion and empathy are the superpowers that enable Harry and Meghan to connect with people from all walks of life. Within the royal family, their willingness to set aside the British stiff upper lip made them an anomaly. Now, they have turned their vulnerability into their strength…….
read full article online…
Comment: Beautifully written and explains everything clearly. They did no wrong. Yet the haters criticize them. Keep going they will always have critics. I think these two can achieve anything.
Imagine a society founded on a class structure with the (white) British royal family at the top as determined by birth and by blood. A biracial woman enters the top of the pyramid by marriage, negating both the birth and blood requirements society had previously been told were preconditions. Because she lacks those prerequisites, she’s considered unworthy. Because she’s proud of her own heritage and regards herself as equal to others at the top of the pyramid, she’s considered ungrateful……..
After years of being told that she was unworthy and ungrateful, the newlywed took the crier’s advice and returned from whence she came. Despite one tattler’s audacious cautions not to force her husband to “choose between you and us.” He did in fact choose his wife, just as he did the day he married her, much to their chagrin………
Still, that wasn’t enough. For society to maintain order, she must be reclassified and her elite status conferred by marriage removed. But, the society is trapped in a conundrum. Her husband and their children are at the top of the pyramid by birth and by blood. Removing titles, military honors, and patronages won’t remove her from the top of the pyramid. The only thing that will reclassify her is to remove her from her husband…and the society has been working diligently, though unsuccessfully, to that end since the day they learned that Harry and Meghan were a couple……….
Comment: Why can’t people just celebrate their love? Who has the right to judge them or judge anyone? When Princess Diana died people cried and said they felt guilty for buying all the media magazines and newspapers that fed the media frenzy. History does indeed repeat itself. The media turned on Harry’s new bride, the beautiful Meghan. Harry was not playing that game that killed his mum. He took his wife, Meghan and son, Archie, to the USA. Meghan and Harry are my generation’s social media influencers leading the people in a charitable and modern way. What a huge loss they are to the royal family. They could reach people the royals could not. Princes and peasants both love them equally. People say the monarchy will not last, too inflexible and old fashioned. Harry and his wife would have carried them.
In the midst of this saga Netflix made a series of movies on The Royal Family. The treatment of Princess Diana was so bad, it hurt to watch. Old wounds were reopened the public were fuming once again, a nation divided.Who would have thought that the late Princess Diana would vindicate her son’s escape with his beautiful wife to a foreign land where she would not be hated for the colour of our skin or ambition. I read all the papers and articles they did nothing wrong. Please we have suffered enough with the Covid virus. We need no more bashing. Less hate, more love needed. If you can’t say anything nice about them, say nothing. After all the so called royal experts never even met them and they claim to know what they are thinking. I think not.
They are so in love and after a tough Megxit and miscarriage they are expecting their rainbow baby. They have secured deals with Spotify and Netflix, their future looks bright. They show us love conquers all. Every woman deserves her prince and love and romance are still alive. He walked away from riches and privilege for love. No privileges were ever worth destroying his wife and by God the media tried. Day after day false and nasty stories were published designed to turn the public against her. She has taken legal battles against these papers to clear her good name and won. You can’t keep a good woman down.They showed you do not need a title to do good. You can be of service to your state in many ways. I look forward to seeing what this dynamic duo can create together, exciting times ahead. Anything is possible!!
…..A retrospective audit of cervical cancer screenings showed that 221 women’s smear test readings missed abnormalities, leading to the development of cervical cancer. The results of the audit were not disclosed to 162 of these women, 20 of whom have since died.
Following this revelation, a number of women and their families began litigation, and an investigation was issued by the Department of Health. In this article I will discuss the findings of the Scally Report and the Phelan v HSE case to analyse the legal responsibilities and failures of those involved in the CervicalCheck scandal………
In 2011 CervicalCheck issued an audit of screening results. The purpose of the audit was primarily to be used by the laboratories for educational purposes.8 In his report, Dr. Scally said that;
‘The CervicalCheck audit was established with laudable aims but planning, governance and documentation appear to have been inadequate. There was little or no anticipation of the challenges which would arise when results were reviewed. Participating laboratories were not given a specification of how to undertake reviews and did not do so consistently. Analysis of the results was sporadic and informal. A trend was identified regarding reviews at Quest but no adequate steps appear to have been taken to define whether this represented a genuine issue and, if so, what actions should be taken to resolve it.’………..
Vicky Phelan& Jim Phelan v HSE & CPL Inc
Correspondence showing an example of such a dispute has been made public through the case brought by one woman affected by the audit. Vicky Phelan began litigation after it became apparent her 2011 smear test result was incorrect. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014, but was not informed of the review or audit until 2017.15
Ms. Phelan’s claims for aggravated and exemplary damages against the HSE were denied and the case struck out.
A settlement was made without admission of liability for €2.5 million against Clinical Pathology Laboratories Inc, the US firm which had carried out the test for HPV………….
If You Are Worried You May Have Cancer Please Get Tested
Cancers which are found early are the most easily treated. It makes sense to know how your body normally looks and feels. The most common symptom of cervical cancer is bleeding from the vagina at times other than when you are having a period. You may experience:
• Bleeding between periods • Bleeding after or during sex • Bleeding at any time after the menopause • A vaginal discharge that smells unpleasant • Discomfort or pain during sex
My Comment: ( I hope this reports helps them. The state, the father of the children, the nuns, their parents and society in general failed them. It was so wrong. They committed no crime but fell in love or were victims of incest or rape. They were shamed but they should have no guilt or shame. Ireland failed you and we are sorry. It was kept a secret. Forced to work long hours, hard work with little food and no love. No compassion or pain relief given during childbirth and their babies adopted. The nuns treated them like slaves. They never told them the state paid for their keep, shame on them. I hope the state delivers on their promises to them and wish them every happiness in the future. May it bring closure to them. They were wronged by so many and lived through hell. They emerged strong women and testified to make their voices heard. You have given all the dead kids and women a voice. You have made Ireland and the church face a painful reality. This will never happen again because of your bravery. The state has offered a heart felt apology live on national tv and from the Dail and that does not happen too often. They have given all survivors a medical card and are going to do DNA testing on corpses buried so family can identify their own and bury them. They have promised to release adoptive babies records and a lot more. This is a win. )
Apology Read From The Dail and shown live on RTE News.
“It is the duty of a republic to be willing to hold itself to account. To be willing to confront hard truths – and accept parts of our history which are deeply uncomfortable.This detailed and highly painful report is a moment for us as a society to recognise a profound failure of empathy, understanding and basic humanity over a very lengthy period.Its production has been possible because of the depth of courage shown by all those who shared their personal experiences with the Commission.
The report gives survivors what they have been denied for so long: their voice, their individuality, their right to be acknowledged.
Before going into detail about the report it is important to say that it would not have been possible without the steady determination of the former residents, their advocates and researchers who campaigned with them.
I particularly want to acknowledge the critical part played by Catherine Corless whose work at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home site led directly to the establishment of the Commission.
On behalf of the government I want to thank the three Commissioners – the Chair, Judge Yvonne Murphy, Professor Mary Daly, and Dr William Duncan – and their team.
Their Report reveals the dominant role of the churches and their moral code and lays bare the failures of the State.
They have produced the definitive account of how this country responded to the particular needs of single women and their children at a time when they most needed support and protection.
This should have been forthcoming from the fathers of their children, their family and friends, their community and their State, but so often it was not.
The often painful and distressing testimony of many survivors is presented in detail in the report of the confidential committee prepared by the Commission.
Reading the Commission’s findings and the report of the confidential committee the most striking thing is the shame felt by women who became pregnant outside of marriage and the stigma that was so cruelly attached to their children.
Testimonies from the women speak of the pressure to make sure that no one in their locality would find out about their pregnancy.
One speaks of not being allowed to return to school after becoming pregnant because it would bring shame on the school.
Extracts from witness accounts shine a light on the attitudes that women encountered:
“I was treated like a second class citizen by my family, society had an obsession with hiding everything”
“Nobody will want you now” said the mother of a witness, 14-years old when it was discovered that she was pregnant.
“Get her put away!” were the words of a father of a 19-year old when told of her pregnancy.
In the earlier decades covered by the report, witness testimony describes how a dearth of sex education often left young women confused and unaware of how and why they had even become pregnant. Some of these pregnancies were as a result of rape and/or incest.
Children born outside of marriage were stigmatised and were treated as outcasts in school and in wider society. Some children who were subsequently boarded-out experienced heartbreaking exploitation, neglect and abuse within the families and communities in which they were placed. This was unforgiveable.
The sense of abandonment felt by many of these children is palpable in the witness accounts. The circumstances of their birth, the arrangements for their early care, the stigma they experienced and the continuing lack of birth information, is a terrible burden in their lives.
Many women, children and fathers left these shores to escape this unfair judgement and life-long prejudice and because they thought it was the only way to protect their families’ reputations.
While many have built good lives for themselves, many did not overcome the impact which these formative experiences had on their lives and may have suffered and struggled with many serious personal problems.
One of the clearest messages of the testimonies in this report is how this treatment of women and children is something which was the direct result of how the State, and how we as a society acted.
The Report presents us with profound questions.
We embraced a perverse religious morality and control, judgementalism and moral certainty, but shunned our daughters.
We honoured piety, but failed to show even basic kindness to those who needed it most.
We had a completely warped attitude to sexuality and intimacy, and young mothers and their sons and daughters were forced to pay a terrible price for that dysfunction.
To confront the dark and shameful reality which is detailed in this report we must acknowledge it as part of our national history.
And for the women and children who were treated so cruelly we must do what we can, to show our deep remorse, understanding and support.
And so, on behalf of the Government, the State and its citizens, I apologise for the profound generational wrong visited upon Irish mothers and their children who ended up in a Mother and Baby Home or a County Home.
As the Commission says plainly – “they should not have been there”.
I apologise for the shame and stigma which they were subjected to and which, for some, remains a burden to this day.
In apologising, I want to emphasise that each of you were in an institution because of the wrongs of others. Each of you is blameless, each of you did nothing wrong and has nothing to be ashamed of.
Each of you deserved so much better.
The lack of respect for your fundamental dignity and rights as mothers and children who spent time in these institutions is humbly acknowledged and deeply regretted.
The Irish State, as the main funding authority for the majority of these institutions, had the ultimate ability to exert control over these institutions, in addition to its duty of care to protect citizens with a robust regulatory and inspection regime.
This authority was not exerted and the State’s duty of care was not upheld.
The State failed you, the mothers and children in these homes.
The report brings a considerable amount of previously unknown information into the public domain.
It has exposed the truth, once hidden, to reveal significant failures of the State, the Churches and of society.
Women were admitted to mother and baby homes and county homes because no supports were forthcoming from any other quarter.
They were forced to leave home, and seek a place where they could stay without having to pay.
Many were destitute.
In the personal testimonies of how many women ended up in these institutions, the Priest, the Doctor and the Nun loom large.
The sense of oppression, even at this distance, is overwhelming.
Women, terrified by the consequences of their pregnancy becoming known to their family and neighbours entered mother and baby homes to protect their secret.
And the pressure to maintain this secret added insult to injury and was a large part of the mother’s trauma.
Conditions in the homes varied. Before the 1960s living conditions in many private Irish households were generally poor. In the congregated settings of Mother and Baby Homes poor sanitary conditions had much more serious consequences for disease and infection control.
County homes as well as Kilrush and Tuam are identified as having appalling conditions. Conditions in other mother and baby homes were better and improved over time.
Many of the women suffered emotional abuse and were often subject to denigration and derogatory remarks from the religious, with little kindness shown, especially when giving birth.
The overall picture is of a hard, cold and uncaring environment.
One of the most disquieting features of the report is that up until 1960 mother and baby homes appear to have significantly reduced the prospects of survival of children.
The death rate among infants in mother and baby homes was almost twice that of the national average for children born outside of marriage. A total of about 9,000 children died in the institutions under investigation – about 15% of all the children who were in their care.
It is deeply distressing to note that the very high mortality rates were known to local and national authorities at the time and were recorded in official publications.
However, there is little or no evidence of State intervention in response to these chilling statistics. In fact, a number of reports actually identifying the problems were not acted on.
I know it will be a disappointment that the report does not answer all the deeply personal questions on the burial arrangements for many of the children who died in these institutions – in many cases the burial location remains unknown.
There are no records for a number of the large institutions where significant numbers of infants are known to have died – including Tuam, Bessborough, Castlepollard and Sean Ross. While this is difficult, options for dignified remembrance and memorialisation will be implemented where this is not already the case.
While women may not have been strictly legally forced to enter these homes, the fact is that most had no alternative, especially those who did not have the support of their family or independent financial means.
Overall, the Commission concludes that Ireland was a cold and harsh environment for the majority of its residents during the earlier half of the period under investigation.
It was especially cold and harsh for women. All women suffered serious discrimination. Women who gave birth outside marriage were subject to particularly harsh treatment.
Emerging from the survivor stories are the horrific accounts of rape, either perpetrated within families or by someone within a woman’s community. This led ultimately to entry into a Mother and Baby Home where the woman bore a social stigma but there was no accountability for the men responsible, and the agencies of the State showed little or no interest in addressing these crimes.
The Commission acknowledges the additional impact which a lack of knowledge and understanding had on the treatment and outcomes of mothers and children with different racial and cultural heritage, those who faced mental health challenges, or those with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Such discriminatory attitudes exacerbated the shame and stigma felt by some of our most vulnerable citizens, especially where opportunities for non-institutional placement of children were restricted by an unjust belief that they were unsuitable for placement with families.
While context is essential to our proper understanding of this chapter of our history, it does not lessen what happened or diminish the responsibility of Church and State for the failures laid bare in what we have learned.
For much of the period covered by the Commission, women as a group and regardless of age or class were systematically discriminated against in relation to employment, family law, and social welfare, solely because of their gender.
Children were similarly unequal, and none more so than those who were cruelly labelled ‘illegitimate’.
I share deeply the Commission’s unequivocal view, that the existence of the status of “illegitimacy” until 1987 in this country “was an egregious breach of human rights”. This was a huge injustice and blighted the lives of many.
It is a sad truth that the history of human kind, even to today, has largely been defined by a failure to acknowledge and vindicate the rights and status of women and the labelling of those who failed to conform to social norms.
We cannot account for what happened elsewhere, but we can and must do so for what happened in our country.
An apology on its own is not enough.
We, collectively in this House, will be judged by our actions. Actions always speak louder than words.
The Government accepts and will respond to all of the recommendations made by the Commission, and this response will centre on four pillars of Recognition, Remembrance, Records and Restorative Recognition.
Recognition begins with this apology and will be followed by commitments to national and local memorialisation and commemoration.
The views and wishes of former residents will be paramount and all commemoration will be led by them.
A broad suite of memorialisation, educational and research commitments will support national reflection and enduring remembrance. Future generations will learn of Mother and Baby Homes and of the experiences of former residents, particularly as told through their own words.
With regard to records, the Government is committed to introducing information and tracing legislation as a priority.
Access to one’s own identity is a basic right.
We will also be advancing a range of related actions to support access to personal information and to ensure appropriate and sensitive archiving of institutional records.
Finally, turning to Restorative Recognition.
Similar to the Magdalenes, an enhanced medical card will be given to former residents of a Mother and Baby Home or County Home.
This is in addition to counselling, which is immediately available to all former residents, and patient liaison support services, which will be available to all former residents.
The Government will also design a scheme of Restorative Recognition for former residents and an Interdepartmental Group will report back to Government on this as soon as possible.
All of these commitments will be advanced in a survivor-centred manner, with ongoing communication and engagement as plans are developed and implemented.
As a nation, it is important to understand and accept the failings of our past; important but not sufficient. We must also learn from them.
We have adopted national and international laws which oblige us to follow a different, more humane and right-based approach.
There is in place and being further developed a wide range of social services completely absent for much of our history.
Under Minister O’Gorman, we have a Government Department dedicated to children, to equality and to working across Government and society to promote and uphold the rights of all people.
The Citizens’ Assembly is examining further measures to address structural inequalities in relation to gender. It is looking in particular at how we can support and respond to the needs of those with caring responsibilities.
Through our laws and policies, our systems, structures and services, our actions and our words, we must always seek to create a more just society, grounded in respect, diversity, tolerance and equality.
Continued investment in education, especially for those at the margins and the most vulnerable, is the surest way of making sure that we do not repeat the past.
Similarly, we must learn the lesson that institutionalisation, creates power structures and abuses of power and must never again be an option for our country.
Throughout this report former residents talk of a feeling of shame for the situation they found themselves in.
The shame was not theirs – it was ours.
It was our shame that we did not show them the respect and compassion which we as a country owed them.
It remains our shame.
I want to reassure survivors, their families and the country, that this Government is determined to act on all the recommendations of the Report and to deliver the legislative change necessary to at least start to heal the wounds that endure”. Micheal Martin, Dail Eireann, Dublin, 13/01/2022
David John Moore Cornwell, better known by his pen name John le Carré, was a British author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and 1960s, he worked for both the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence ServiceM15 and M16.
His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), became an international best-seller and remains one of his best-known works.
Most of le Carré’s books are spy stories set during the Cold War (1945–91) and portray British Intelligence agents as unheroic political functionaries aware of the moral ambiguity of their work and engaged more in psychological than physical drama
George Smiley and related novels
Call for the Dead (1961), OCLC 751303381 A Murder of Quality (1962), OCLC 777015390 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), OCLC 561198531 The Looking Glass War (1965), OCLC 752987890 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), ISBN 0-143-12093-X The Honourable Schoolboy (1977), ISBN 0-143-11973-7 Smiley’s People (1979), ISBN 0-340-99439-8 The Russia House (1989), ISBN 0-743-46466-4 The Secret Pilgrim (1990), ISBN 0-345-50442-9 A Legacy of Spies (2017), ISBN 978-0-735-22511-4[52]
George Smiley collections
The Incongruous Spy (1964), containing Call for the Dead and A Murder of Quality, OCLC 851437951 The Quest for Karla (1982), containing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People (republished in 1995 as Smiley Versus Karla in the UK; and John Le Carré: Three Complete Novels in the U.S.), ISBN 0-394-52848-4
Semi-autobiographical
The Naïve and Sentimental Lover (1971), ISBN 0-143-11975-3 A Perfect Spy (1986), ISBN 0-143-11976-1
Standalone
A Small Town in Germany (1968), ISBN 0-143-12260-6 The Little Drummer Girl (1983), ISBN 0-143-11974-5 The Night Manager (1993), ISBN 0-345-38576-4 Our Game (1995), ISBN 0-345-40000-3 The Tailor of Panama (1996), ISBN 0-345-42043-8 Single & Single (1999), ISBN 0-743-45806-0 The Constant Gardener (2001), ISBN 0-743-28720-7 Absolute Friends (2003), ISBN 0-670-04489-X The Mission Song (2006), ISBN 0-340-92199-4 A Most Wanted Man (2008), ISBN 1-416-59609-7 Our Kind of Traitor (2010), ISBN 0-143-11972-9 A Delicate Truth (2013), ISBN 0-143-12531-1 Agent Running in the Field (2019), ISBN 1984878875
Awards and honours
1963, British Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold[61] 1964, Somerset Maugham Award for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold[62] 1965, Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold[63] 1977, British Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger for The Honourable Schoolboy[61] 1977, James Tait Black Memorial Prize Fiction Award for The Honourable Schoolboy[64] 1983, Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize for The Little Drummer Girl[65] 1984, Honorary Fellow Lincoln College, Oxford[46] 1984, Mystery Writers of America Edgar Grand Master[63] 1988, Crime Writers Association Diamond Dagger Lifetime Achievement Award[66] 1988, The Malaparte Prize, Italy[46] 1990, Honorary degree, University of Exeter[67] 1990, Helmerich Award of the Tulsa Library Trust.[68] 1996, Honorary degree, University of St. Andrews[69] 1997, Honorary degree, University of Southampton[70] 1998, Honorary degree, University of Bath[55] 2005, Crime Writers Association Dagger of Daggers for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold[71] 2005, Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, France[46] 2008, honorary doctorate, University of Bern[72] 2011, Goethe Medal of the Goethe Institute[73] 20 June 2012 awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) from the University of Oxford[74] 2019, Olof Palme Prize[75]
1.Minimise your in person contacts. Be selective who you allow into your house. If you are meeting up with friends or family you have the option to do it in a controlled area like a cafe or somewhere outside your home.
2. This Christmas you need to prioritize the traditions that matter most to you. When visiting another house please wear a face covering and wash hands regularly. Use liquid hand wash with a dispenser and dry hands with kitchen roll and then throw away. Do not share hand towels.
3. Do your Christmas shop early and safely, avoid crowds indoors and outside. Wear a mask. Shop online or late at night. Many shops are offering late nights openings.Do your gift shopping and shipping early.
4.If you feel unwell, don’t risk it – stay home and contact your doctor
5. When visiting a relative’s house keep fresh air circulating. Keep window open and sit granny/grandad or sick person by window, 2m away from others. Add another heater if need be to keep her/him warm.
6. Two other households may be able to gather this Christmas. Keep 2m apart, wear masks, wash your hands regularly, keep windows open. When coughing and sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue. Do not sleep over.If you are having Christmas dinner together please be careful. Do not share food from your plate, dinner ware, glasses or cutlery. It would be best to use paper plates, cups and napkins etc. One use and throw away thus not spreading infection.
7.Prepare food in other room by one. Another cook food in kitchen.
8.When spending time with friends and family this festive season, try to spend time outdoors when possible. Limit the amount of time you spend together Do not travel to Ireland from abroad this year only, stay at home. Zoom and chat. Select a family member in Ireland to visit the relatives, just for this weird year with the Covid virus. Make sure these people are comfortable with you visiting before you land at their doorstep.
9. Plan ahead— Plan how you will spend your Christmas Day and who you will be in contact with. Keep your guest list short and try to ensure that you limit your close contacts in the days and weeks beforehand Remember – every contact counts!
10. On arrival — Try encourage guests to use hand sanitiser or to wash their hands when they arrive at your home or do so when you arrive at someone else’s home.
11.Limit contact — Try to avoid hugs, kisses and handshakes as people arrive Don’t share items like crockery and glassware. Avoid sharing food and buffet style set ups. Do not give too much alcohol. People are less likely to adhere to social distancing and public health advice when drunk. Give a little extra space. Try to allow extra space at the dinner table Extra distance between settings will make sure everyone is comfortable and keeps safe People from the same households should sit together
President Biden quotes Irish Poet Seamus Heaney from his play The Cure Of Troy.
“History says, don’t hope On this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up, And hope and history rhyme.” – Seamus Heaney
Us Irish are thrilled. Our pride and joy is best described by Seamus Heaney.
“Human beings suffer, They torture one another, They get hurt and get hard. No poem or play or song Can fully right a wrong Inflicted and endured.
The innocent in gaols Beat on their bars together. A hunger-striker’s father Stands in the graveyard dumb. The police widow in veils Faints at the funeral home.
History says, don’t hope On this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up, And hope and history rhyme.
So hope for a great sea-change On the far side of revenge. Believe that further shore Is reachable from here. Believe in miracle And cures and healing wells.
Call miracle self-healing: The utter, self-revealing Double-take of feeling. If there’s fire on the mountain Or lightning and storm And a god speaks from the sky
That means someone is hearing The outcry and the birth-cry Of new life at its term.” ― Seamus Heaney
“Behaviour that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere.”, Beowulf ― Seamus Heaney,
“It is difficult at times to repress the thought that history is about as instructive as an abattoir; that Tacitus was right and that peace is merely the desolation left behind after the decisive operations of merciless power.” ― Seamus Heaney,
“I shall gain glory or die.” ― Seamus Heaney, Beowulf
“If you have the words, there’s always a chance that you’ll find the way.” ― Seamus Heaney
“Only the very stupid or the very deprived can any longer help knowing that the documents of civilization have been written in blood and tears, blood and tears no less real for being very remote.” ― Seamus Heaney,
HOPE
So hope for a great sea-change On the far side of revenge. Believe that further shore Is reachable from here. Believe in miracles And cures and healing wells.” ― Seamus Heaney
Tomorrow, when the latest Deathometer of COVID is announced in sonorous tones, Whilst all the bodies still mount and curl towards the middle of the curve Heaped one atop and alongside the other My sister will be among those numbers, among the throwaway lines Among the platitudes and lowered eyes, an older person with underlying health conditions, A pitiful way to lay rest the bare bones of a life.
My sister is not a statistic
Her underlying conditions were Love Kindness Belief in the essential goodness of mankind Uproarious laughter Forgiveness Compassion A storyteller A survivor A comforter A force of nature And so much more
My sister is not a statistic
She died without the soft touch of a loved one’s hand Without the feathered kiss upon her forehead Without the muted murmur of familiar family voices gathered around her bed, Without the gentle roar of laughter that comes with memories recalled Evoked from a time that already seems distant, when we were connected by the simplicity of touch, of voice, of presence.
My sister is not a statistic
She was a woman who spanned the seven ages. A mother A grandmother A great grandmother A sister A Friend An aunt A carer A giver
My sister is not a statistic
And so, she joins the mounting thousands
They are not statistics on the Deathometer of COVID
They are the wives, mothers, children, fathers, sisters, brothers, The layers of all our loved ones If she could, believe me when I say, she would hold every last one of your loved ones, croon to and comfort them and say – you were loved. Whilst we who have been left behind mourn deep, keening the loss, the injustice, the rage. One day we will smile and laugh again,
we will remember with joy that, once, we shared a life, we knew joy and survived sadness.
Everything is Going to be All Right By Derek Mahon
How should I not be glad to contemplate the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window and a high tide reflected on the ceiling? There will be dying, there will be dying, but there is no need to go into that. The poems flow from the hand unbidden and the hidden source is the watchful heart. The sun rises in spite of everything and the far cities are beautiful and bright. I lie here in a riot of sunlight watching the day break and the clouds flying. Everything is going to be all right.
How many hearts need to shatter before we turn the page and start a new chapter… slavery was abolished they printed it in the news. But the headlines I’m reading show that’s far from the truth…
Because people are still captive to their skin colour of which none of us can choose. how much more blood needs to be spilled, will smith said racisms not getting worse it’s just getting filmed, that because this is not the first time a black person has been killed…it’s happened over and over and over again, they say repetition it’s like the definition of insanity so what is that saying? This world is broken and it needs to change…
This has been happening since the begging of the age since Abel and Cain, they even killed Jesus when He came… If I could take off my skin and leave it at the door. And you couldn’t see colour anymore. Would hearts be worth fighting for? I understand that the thought that may cross some minds…
The thought of I don’t need this in my life… But if you live in this age and time, then you can’t not fight it shouldn’t be a privilege to have skin that is white, And I recognise that if any one of us stays silent then we all loose the fight. Because ignoring it is as bad as condoning, looking away is the same, cos at the end of the day when a god calls your name what will you say, God I chose to look away, cos that probably won’t cut it on judgement day.
And choosing not to take par is a choice, but It will result in more broken heart if you don’t use your voice…so I’m calling on every colour to make some noise in the direction of racism, now is not the time to be afraid or complacent, now is the time to stand on the same side as this statement black lives matter.
Raise your hands to God and wave them like a banner, in surrender to Him because we cannot win this fight separate Him…. who was killed, 3 nails and a ham hammer, He’s more relatable than you might imagine… Our god is a god colour – born in the Middle East, He was not white as many believe. Jesus, son of God. They called Him the King of peace, something we know little about but desperately need. This cannot become another forgotten headline, this is the point where we need to rise and draw the line. So what does change look like in your mind?
I believe the answers are in the word of God and they have been there this whole time I may be wrong, but I don’t think it’s a lack of answers or not knowing what to do.. but a lack of action, and application of the truth. Jesus said this, a new commandment I give to you, Love one another I have loved you..
If you are a believer then, this is the truth, and it’s this truth that we need to choose, The bible says God made from one man every nation, There is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female so what do you see? I believe God was painting a picture of unity. We need not look at ourselves to find the answers but we must be compelled to take our chances on the God of love…
Peace and a sound mind… and to some this may or may not sound fine, but if you don’t believe in Jesus then tell me do you believe in Love, because they are one in the same, and for this reason Jesus came, to heal our brokenness and set the captives free,. We only need reminisce on our history to see that racism never ends happily… We all know of a great man that once spoke of a dream, Let this generation be the one where that dream is finally seen.
Wow, powerful words, music and dance, the 4 minute dance is brilliant.I wanted it to go on for much longer. It will be like Riverdance people will speak about it for years. It would be a great play. It tells the story of Covid virus and the black people’s struggle against police injustice and brute force in which black people die. Hence, the slogan black lives matter, we want no more unjust deaths.
“As the world watched on, another Black life gone, leaving what we thought we knew in tatters”
“Why did it take a virus to bring the people back together?”
“Because sometimes you have to get sick, my boy, before you start feeling better”.
Started a war screaming “Peace” at the same time All the corruption, injustice, the same crimes Always a problem if we do or don’t fight And we die, we don’t have the same rights What is a gun to a man that surrenders? What’s it gonna take for someone to defend us? If we all agree that we’re equal as people Then why can’t we see what is evil? I can’t breathe You’re taking my life from me I can’t breathe Will anyone fight for me? Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh How do we cope when we don’t love each other? Where is the hope and the empathy? How do we judge off the color? The structure was made to make us the enemy Prayin’ for change ’cause the pain makes you tender All of the names you refuse to remember Were somebody’s brother or friend Son to a mother that’s…
Covid World Cases
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
Date: 21/8/2020
The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 213 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances. The day is reset after midnight GMT+0.
Cronavirus Cases: 22,830,518
Deaths: 796,251
Recovered: 15,496,338Active Cases: 6,532,767 Currently Infected Patients
Closed Cases: 16,289,312 Cases which had an outcome:
15,493,061 (95%) Recovered / Discharged
796,251 (5%)Deaths
Museums, galleries, and libraries around the country can open their doors to the public from today as further easing of coronavirus restrictions takes place.
The Taoiseach has confirmed that Ireland will join the EU's digital green certificate system, opening up the prospect of foreign travel by the end of the summer.
Gardaí in Cork have arrested eight people, including a teenage boy, after at least one shot was fired in an estate at Mahon in the city earlier this evening.
To make up the difference between the new 15.25 ounce to the old 18.25 ounce boxed cake mix required in many recipes, just add 6 tablespoons or 3 ounces to your 15.25 dry mix. -- posted by gailanng
This quick and delicious Asian salad dressing delivers a touch of tang and a bit of sweet. Made with ginger and lime for an extra kick, it's equally great for dressing leafy green, chopped vegie or noodle salads. -- posted by Mawthook
Who knew how fast you can make nachos in the air fryer. I'll never put them in the oven again. I used more beans than the recipe calls for, and you really don't want too much salsa in one spot or it will be too soggy. Better to evenly distribute...Recipe courtesy of Everyday Family Cooking. -- posted by AmyZoe
This enchilada sauce has a deep, rich chili flavor. It's so good sometimes I think I could drink it! And you'll love how easy it is to make. Make this and you'll never need another recipe for enchilada sauce. -- posted by Clever Cooking
We love everything pumpkin, and I'm always collecting pumpkin recipes. I'm fortunate to get a lot of fresh sugar pumpkins in the fall, which I cook and freeze for use throughout the colder months. This cake is a wonderful use for that pumpkin! You can dust this with confectioners sugar, frost it with cream cheese frosting, top it with whipped cream […]
TL;DR: As of May 10, you can pay what you want for the Hardcore Game Developer Certification Bundle. Learning to develop your own games isn’t just a way to dive deeper into your gaming obsession. It could potentially guide you to a new career path. With this nine-course Hardcore Game Developer Bundle, you’ll be well on your way toward becoming a multi-platfo […]
TL;DR: Scrivener 3 for Mac is on sale for £21.54 as of May 10, saving you 38% on list price. It’s hard enough getting your fleeting thoughts down before they’re gone from your mind forever. You’re already battling writer’s block and procrastination on a daily basis. You don’t need your word processing app holding you back and complicating matters. So, close […]
If you’ve shopped online at all in the last few years, you’ve probably heard of (or even come across) ‘cashback rewards’, where you are given a cash reward for making a purchase through a particular site. Well, now, American Express has launched the first proper Cashback Credit Card in the Australian market, which gives its customers a percentage cashback […]
Two-factor authentication should be your default setting for all the online spaces where you dwell. And for PlayStation owners specifically, setting that up is as easy as it could be. Sony's two-step verification (2SV), as the company calls it, can be switched on from your console, web browser, or the PS App. It's a similar process no matter where […]
SpaceX is making good on its reusable rocket claims. Early Sunday morning, the tenth launch of a Falcon 9 rocket sent 60 Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida. It's the first of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets to be used this many times. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter Saturday — before appearing on Saturday Night Live — that this was the co […]
It doesn't matter who you are. There's simply no way of getting around the fact that everyone needs to use email at some point in their lives. Just because that's true, however, doesn't mean you need to stick with an inferior email app on your iPhone if you don't want to. Starting with the release of iOS 14 in 2020, Apple finally did […]
Cryptocurrencies, Mars colonization, and an unpronounceable child's name may have dominated Elon Musk's first Saturday Night Live appearance, but the Tesla CEO's influence on electric vehicles was clear from the ads that popped up during the late-night program. Musk is known for "reinventing" electric vehicles as a more mainstream al […]
If you use the world's most popular mobile operating system and have been jonesing to get in on the Clubhouse action, today is your lucky day. That's because Clubhouse, the voice-based social network that's exploded in popularity over the past several months, is finally rolling out on Android starting Sunday in a beta state. It'll just be […]
Cryptocurrency: Where the rules are made up and the points don't matter. That's the impression one could reasonably arrive at after what happened to Dogecoin following Elon Musk's Saturday Night Live appearance, anyway. The Tesla CEO's hosting gig included a sketch where he joked about the meme-based cryptocurrency being a "hustle […]
Chad! Pete Davidson's lovably terrible recurring character returned on the latest Saturday Night Live as a Mars astronaut. Host Elon Musk, playing himself, rushes to mission control when NASA's Mars mission goes horribly off the rails. Sacrifice will be necessary to save the crew, and a hero soon emerges in Chad. Musical guest Miley Cyrus also pops […]
