Today, (Friday February 21st), marks the launch of a new Central Criminal Court protocol at the Criminal Courts of Justice, to expedite rape and murder cases, latter involving victims and defendants under 18 years of age.
The protocol was drafted by a working group established in April 2024, chaired by Judge Caroline Biggs. The work was undertaken under the aegis of the Criminal Justice Users’ group which is convened by Judge Paul McDermott. The aim of the protocol is to expedite rape and murder cases involving victims and defendants under 18 years of age. The protocol recognises children’s vulnerability and that delays in the criminal justice system can be detrimental to child victims and child defendants.
The protocol states that in cases involving rape or/and murder involving victims and defendants under 18 years of age reduced timelines for a case to go to trial should be adhered to. The expedited timeline would be 52 weeks approximately and apply to cases in the Central Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ).
As part of the protocol a ‘Court Accompaniment Support Worker’ will be provided for child offenders by the Youth Diversion Projects funded by the Department of Justice. The Court accompaniment is not an advocacy role, but they will explain in laypersons terms, to the young defendant what is happening at various stages of the court proceedings.
EPA Announce Funding Of €14.5m For New Research To Address Climate & Environmental Challenges.
EPA announces funding of €14.5 million for 25 new research projects to address climate and environmental challenges.
EPA funding is building essential research capacity in Ireland with 50 per cent of applications in 2024 submitted by researchers new to the EPA Research Programme.
The funding supports research in the areas of climate change, the natural environment, the green & circular economy and the environment & human health.
Reflecting the need for cross-sectoral research, the EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to co-fund a number of the research projects.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced new funding for environmental and climate research in Ireland, with funding of €14.5 million awarded for 25 new research projects. These innovative, policy-relevant projects will address key knowledge gaps and support the development of vital research capacity in strategically important areas.
The latest EPA Research Call garnered a strong response, with 50 per cent of successful lead researchers not having previously applied to the EPA for funding. This is a welcome and positive trend that reflects a broadening of the research base in Ireland relevant to environmental and climate issues.
Projects that will receive EPA funding this year include topics such as:
Attribution of weather events to climate change.
Exploring Irish people’s attitudes and values around climate change.
Investigating the risk of exposure to chemicals in foodstuffs.
Susceptibility and resistance of trees to diseases such as ash dieback.
Novel approaches to managing textile waste.
Mitigating the risks posed by electronic waste (WEEE).
Announcing the funding awards, Ms Laura Burke, EPA Director General said:“Our latest EPA State of the Environment Report highlights the scale of challenges facing Ireland and the need for determined action across climate, , sustainable consumption, biodiversity and pollution goals. This new EPA funding will help to build the vital research talent and knowledge needed in Ireland to respond to these challenges and achieve a healthier environment. I congratulate the successful research teams and look forward to seeing the positive impacts these projects will have on environmental protection in the years ahead.”
The latest EPA funding is significant in terms of further building the environmental research capacity in Ireland. It will support almost 200 research staff across 10 organisations, including funding for approximately 50 PhD and postgraduate students. Crucially, the EPA will provide hands-on support and training to the researchers to facilitate the uptake of the research outputs by policy makers and other users. Trinity College Dublin (TCD) received the highest number of successful research awards in 2024.
Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin, Prof. Sinéad Ryan, commented:“I offer my warm congratulations to our researchers and their teams on securing this EPA funding. This funding is a key enabler for research across a number of our disciplines with a focus in conservation, sustainability and/or climate adaptation. I commend our researchers for their vision and commitment to transformative research that addresses societal challenges, and I look forward to seeing these projects develop.”
Reflecting the importance of collaboration in addressing climate and environmental challenges, the EPA is working in partnership with Met Éireann and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to co-fund a number of the projects.
The list of Funding Awards made under the EPA Research Call 2024 is available on the EPA website with full project details in the EPA’s online Research Database.
The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The EPA Research Call 2025 will open for applications in April 2025. Details will be made available on the EPA website.
The Department of Agriculture have issued an order to house poultry flocks and other captive birds, same coming into effect from today, in an effort to protect them from Avian influenza.
This order follows five detections of Avian influenza virus; more commonly called bird flu, found in wild birds across Ireland since December 2024 last.
Detections have already been identified in counties Galway and Dublin last December, with three further cases pinpointed in January of this year in counties Donegal, Westmeath and Wexford.
Following these identified cases, the Department of Agriculture has announced this immediate housing order to protect poultry flocks and captive birds from mixing with wild birds, who may be infected by the virus.
All ready in Northern Ireland, 64,000 birds are set to be slaughtered at one commercial poultry unit, situated in Co. Tyrone, following the discovery of a suspected case.
According to the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre, [HPSC] Avian influenza or “bird flu” is a disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. It can affect all species of birds, some other animals (e.g. cats, horses) and can, although very rarely, infect humans. Only the virus types of the H5 and H7 types are known to cause the highly pathogenic (HPAI) form of the disease. The most well-known example is the avian influenza subtype H5N1 viruses, currently circulating in poultry in parts of Asia and north-east Africa, which have caused human disease and deaths since 1997. Other avian influenza subtypes, including H7N9 and H9N2, have also infected people. Some of these infections have been very severe and some have resulted in deaths, but many infections have been mild or even without symptoms in humans. To date, Hong Kong has reported 21 cases of H7N9 in humans, all traced to mainland China and involving contact with poultry.
Two old adages or statements expressing a general truth come to mind when we examine the tins of Chocolate Kimberley biscuits manufactured by Jacobs, (“Elite”) which were stacked high on our Supermarket shelves last Christmas 2024.
The adages are “A pig in a poke” and “Letting the cat out of the bag”.
Pics: G. Willoughby.
A “Pig in a Poke” refers to an item that is bought without first being inspected, and is therefore of unknown authenticity or quality. This idiom was attested as early as the year 1555, quote:- “I wyll neuer bye the pyg in the poke”. [I will never buy the pig in the poke.] “Thers many a foule pyg in a feyre cloke”. [There’s many a foul pig in a fair cloak.]
Most of our readers will be aware that a “poke” is a sack or a bag, (Same comes from the French word ‘poque’), but in the case of Jacob’s Chocolate Kimberley Biscuits, last Christmas this poke was a tin box.
In the 19th century farmers often substituted a cat for a suckling pig, when bringing it to market. When the buyer returned home to release the pig, he would discover this deception, hence the adage “Letting the cat out of the bag”. The Italian statement, expressing a general truth, is more relevant in this case, “Buying in a closed box”. [Note: Under common law, buyers have the right to inspect goods before any purchase takes place.] The ‘Jacob’s’ brand name is owned by the Jacob Fruitfield Food Group, with offices at Commercial House, Millbank Business Park, Lucan, Co. Dublin, and is part of Valeo Foods.
So let’s examine what appears to be not just deception but also evidence of company financial greed. When the lid of the tin box is opened the thermoformed plastic customized packaging within, appears to offer 30 individual Jacob’s Chocolate Kimberley biscuits, laid out in 10 separate sections; 3 deep. There is no numbering of the items contained on the box, displayed on the exterior, (even boxes of Lidl tissues state that 226 tissues are contained). Usually, when empty, both tin and packaging within, is dumped into recycling.
But take a closer look at the internal packaging. [See Images above]. Is same designed to delibertely deceive? Take a side-view look at the thermoformed plastic. In actual fact only 26 biscuits are to be found located within the tin container, where 4 others are delibertely excluded due to the deliberate design of the thermoformed customized plastic packaging within.
To add insult to injury, the Yuka Application(App) [which we have referred to previously] rates the product as BAD, granting it only 12 out of a possible 100. Yuka points out this product contains calcium carbonate, latter an additive extracted from limestone, which presents in the form of nanoparticles, tiny molecules that can penetrate into living cells and accumulate in the body and whose long-term effects are unknown.
Finally, note the shape of the tin container, its rounded corners prevents another 12 Kimberley biscuits from being inserted into the tin were it to be square. Retailers charge consumers €10 in November, for those shopping early for Christmas, and €8 the fortnight before Christmas to ensure the product, which has a shelf life of 6 months, is totally gone off their display units.
Fool me once, shame on thee; fool me twice, shame on me.
Today, February 11th, 2025, is ‘Safer Internet Day’ (SID). Safer Internet Day is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially for young people.
This year’s celebrations are based around the theme, “Prepare / Protect / Thrive: Navigating Algorithms and Influencers.”
This theme invites everyone to consider how algorithms and influencers shape lives.
For more information on helping children and young people to stay safe online, VISITHERE.
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