Information relating to TUS campus closures as a result of the Storm Barra Red and Orange warnings.
The Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) will close three of its six campuses this evening from 10:00pm and they will remain closed tomorrow Tuesday, December 7th, 2021, on the advice of the Department of Further and Higher Education.
The LSAD, Clare Street Campus, Limerick; Moylish Campus, Limerick; and the Ennis Campus, Co. Clare will close this evening and remain closed until Wednesday December 8th, as a result of the Red Alert and Orange warning from Met Éireann.
Athlone, Clonmel and Thurles campuses will remain open, but staff and students are asked not to travel from ared or amber area, to attend these campuses. This includes those who have assessments and exams. Contingencies will be put in place for those who cannot travel.
Staff and student are advised to follow the TUS social media channels for any updates or changes to this information.
EPA calls for urgent action to address Ireland’s rising waste volumes and falling recycling rates.
Waste Recycling Station
Waste generation in Ireland increased significantly in 2019.
Municipal waste increased by 6% to 3.1 million tonnes,
packaging waste increased by 11% to 1.1 million tonnes,
hazardous waste increased by 10% to 0.6 million tonnes and
construction waste increased by 2.6 million tonnes to 8.8 million tonnes.
Ireland’s recycling rates for municipal waste and packaging waste have declined, with more waste being sent for energy recovery. Ireland faces a widening gap to meet ambitious new EU recycling targets from 2025 onwards.
To address Ireland’s rising waste volumes and falling recycling rates, we need to transform existing business models into circular ones, that promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling. Circularity roadmaps are needed for key economic sectors, including the construction, manufacturing and food processing sectors, supported by clear policy, legislation, and national targets.
Waste generation in Ireland continues to rise while recycling rates are falling, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Waste Statistics Summary Report for 2019, which publishes the most recent official data on waste generation and management in Ireland. The report reveals some worrying trends. Waste generation in Ireland increased significantly in 2019. Municipal waste increased by 6% to 3.1 million tonnes, packaging waste increased by 11% to 1.1 million tonnes and hazardous waste increased by 10% to 0.6 million tonnes. Ms Sharon Finegan, (Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability), said, “A circular economy is one that is based on less waste and more reuse of materials; these trends show Ireland is going in the wrong direction. Our rising levels of waste are unsustainable and need to stop. Systemic change is needed across all economic sectors to shift the focus to designing out waste and promoting reuse and recycling.”
The past decade in Ireland has seen dramatic changes in waste management. Only 15% of municipal waste was landfilled in 2019, compared with 61% a decade earlier. There has been a significant increase in the share of municipal waste sent for incineration with energy recovery over the same period, from 4% in 2009 to 46% in 2019. Ireland’s recycling rates for municipal and packaging waste have been in gradual decline for a number years, as efforts to improve recycling have been outstripped by the growth in waste being generated and the amount being sent for energy recovery. Our recycling rate for municipal waste has fallen from 41% in 2016 to 37% in 2019, while the recycling rate for packaging waste has declined from 70% in 2013 to 62% in 2019. The trends show that Ireland is facing a widening gap to meet ambitious new EU recycling targets from 2025 onwards.
Commenting on the trends, Dr Tara Higgins, (EPA Senior Scientist) said, “Ireland’s declining recycling rates are a significant cause for concern. Recent moves to allow soft plastics such as films and wraps into our recycling bins, continued expansion of brown bin services to households, new requirements for all packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2030 and a levy on waste recovery are among the suite of measures needed to increase recycling and close the gap to new EU recycling targets”.
Ireland also continues to have some significant waste infrastructure deficits and relies on export for a number of key waste streams, including municipal, packaging and hazardous waste. These trends point to the need for expansion of Ireland’s waste treatment and recycling capacity in order to extract the maximum value from waste materials here in Ireland and reduce the emissions associated with transporting waste over long distances.
The Department of Health has confirmed 5,419 new cases of Covid-19 within the past 24 hours here in the Irish Republic.
There remain 528 people in hospital who have tested positive for the virus, down 17 on yesterday’s figures and of these 110 remain in ICU’s, down seven on yesterday.
While the new variant Omicron has now been detected in some 38 countries including Ireland, to date there are no reported deaths so far according to the World Health Organisation,(WHO).
The Health Amendment Bill, which includes a return of Mandatory Hotel Quarantine has passed all stages in the Dáil tonight.
NPHET has advised the Government that cultural, entertainment, community and sporting events should operate at 50% capacity over the coming weeks, while indoor hospitality should be brought back to where it stood before October 22nd last; nightclubs will close, with restrictions remaining in place until January 9th at least. Covid passes will be required for gyms, leisure centres, hotel bars and restaurants. Accepting NPHET’s recommendations Mr Martin has stated that he understood the frustration felt by people with the reintroduction of these restrictions. With the level of disease in the community still a concern, a limit is expected to be recommended on household gatherings. However, An Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin has stated that NPHET acknowledge that there was a need for flexibility on household visits.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is to be reinstated for all those who lose jobs as a result of restrictions announced tonight.
Elsewhere Belgium has tightened its coronavirus restrictions for the third consecutive week today to fight one of Europe’s worst spikes of Covid-19 cases. With cases among children rising, mask mandates will apply to children from age six. Primary schools will shut for Christmas holidays a week earlier and secondary schools will shift to a hybrid system, with half of classes operating from home.
A further 1,908 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Northern Ireland today down from the 2,272 cases reported yesterday.
There remain 326 patients with Covid-19 in northern hospitals, up 2 on yesterday, with 30 patients with Covid-19 remaining in hospital intensive care units. Sadly 4 Covid-19-related deaths have also been reported in Northern Ireland today.
Please do continue to listen to science and do keep yourself and your family safe by regularly washing your hands; wearing a mask when appropriate, and cut down on unnecessary social contacts.
Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee announces details of funding for organisations supporting victims of abuse and crime to mark 16 days of activism against gender based violence
18 organisations are to receive funding this year primarily for regional based domestic abuse services.
Move will fill gaps in supports identified in areas of the country and for categories of victims
Announcement coincides with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
€4.9m in extra 2022 funds for organisations supporting victims of crime also open for applications
To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has confirmed details of extra funding for areas of the country or categories of victims not currently fully covered by support services for victims.
As part of Minister McEntee’s ‘Supporting a Victim’s Journey Plan’ to help victims and vulnerable witnesses, a mapping exercise was undertaken to identify gaps in funding and how to address them. A number of organisations were identified where additional funding would allow them to provide further services and to increase the geographical spread of support to victims of crime.
Minister McEntee said, “I’m delighted to be able to confirm these details as we mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and start the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. In general terms the funding will increase these organisations ability to supports victims especially given the rise in those seeking help. This will be done primarily by increasing phone line hours, emotional support, and increased court accompaniment. Most of the funding gaps identified called for increases to regional-based domestic abuse services so the geographical spread of support will be increased. Tackling domestic, sexual and gender based crime is a priority for me and the Government. I am leading work on a new whole of government plan to tackle these awful crimes. This new plan will be the most ambitious to date and will be published early next year”.
Among the 18 organisations receiving a total of €445,000 in funding this year are Victim Support at Court, Lifeline Inishowen, Longford Women’s Link, Immigrant Council of Ireland and Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
Ms Noeline Blackwell of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said, “We will use this funding for a comprehensive information and awareness drive about accompaniment and support services. We aim to build a set of resources which would allow anyone needing it to independently find information and guidance on what various aspects of court accompaniment mean, what services are provided, what a victim or the supporter of a victim should know.”
The extra funding is being provided in 2021. This is separate from increased funding recently announced under Budget 2022 for combatting domestic, sexual and gender based violence and for supporting victims of crime, which includes:
An additional €2.4m for specific awareness raising and training programmes on domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV) bringing to €5.35m the funding available for combatting domestic sexual and gender based violence.
An additional €1.1m will be used to begin putting in place a legal advice and legal aid service in court for victims of sexual violence.
An additional €1 million is being provided under the Garda Vote to provide accommodation for Divisional Protective Service Units.
The Budget 2022 allocation also includes €4.9m to support Victims of Crime.
The Department of Justice has invited applications for this funding from registered charities, voluntary community groups and other bodies which provide support services or assistance for victims of crime generally, including provision of support, information and advice on the rights of victims, and court and other accompaniment.
Minister McEntee added, “The objective is to ensure that all of these services are available to all victims who need them, to a consistently high standard and throughout the State”.
Applicants for funding must be civil society organisations and preferably a registered charity and must be returned by 5:00pm on December 6th 2021.
The Department of Health has confirmed 5,634 new cases of Covid-19, in the past 24 hours, within the Irish Republic.
There remain 684 people in our hospitals with the disease, same an increase of 16 patients based on yesterday’s figures. There are now 126 patients being treated in ICU, same up a further 1 since yesterday.
In Northern Ireland, a further 1,469 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed today, up from 1,406 on yesterday’s reported figures.
Sadly, 3 more Covid-19-related deaths have also been reported in Northern Ireland today.
There are currently 378 Covid inpatients in northern hospitals, with 36 of these being treated in intensive care units (ICUs), up from 35 on yesterday.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan has warned that we should be aware that every 1000 cases of Covid-19 will lead to 20 – 25 people being placed in hospital and between 2 – 3 people requiring critical care in our ICUs. He further stated that we also should be aware that since June of this year (2021), that 1 in every 4 people who had Covid-19 and sought critical care in our hospitals, have now sadly died.
The Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann has tested positive for Covid-19. Mr Seán Ó Feargháil received the results of his PCR test at the weekend and will now isolate at home until November 29th in accordance with laid down public health guidelines. During his absence from the Dáil, Leas-Cheann Comhairle Ms Catherine Connolly and other temporary chairpersons will take over his duties.
Minister for Education Ms Norma Foley is understood to be meeting tomorrow with senior officials from all of Ireland’s teacher educational facilities, with a view to establishing whether final-year students, latter training to be teachers, can play a greater role in supporting our schools during this current pandemic crisis.
Meanwhile, the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation (HABIC) is calling for all customers to please continue to adhere to HSE public health guidelines, as the industry enters into one of the busiest periods of the year, coming up to Christmas.
The German Health Minister Herr Jens Spahn has urged citizens to get vaccinated. Herr Spahn, in blaming the contagious Delta variant; stated that probably by the end of this winter, pretty much everyone in Germany will be either “vaccinated, cured or dead”. His warning comes as Germany attempts to contain a record rise in coronavirus infections over recent weeks, with like Ireland, their hospitals sounding alarm bells due to their swollen intensive care units.
Prime Minister Ms Jacinda Ardern has stated that New Zealand will adopt a new system of living with the coronavirus from December 3rd, which will end tough restrictions and allow businesses to operate in its biggest city Auckland, which has been in lock-down for over 90 days.
Continue to listen to scienceanddo continue to keep yourself and your family safe by regularly washing your hands; wearing a mask when appropriate and cutting down on your social contacts.
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