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- 70 Gardaí attested at Templemore today
- Newest members join the force 100 years after the first ever Gardaí.
- Minister encourages people interested in joining An Garda Síochána to apply before upcoming deadline.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has welcomed the attestation of 70 members of An Garda Síochána at the Garda Training College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, today.
The Minister said: “I wish to congratulate our newest members of An Garda Síochána. It is always a proud day when recruits join the ranks of An Garda Síochána, but this is a special year. We are 100 years on from the establishment of our police service when the very first members of An Garda Síochána, led by the first Garda Commissioner, Michael Staines, passed out at a ceremony in Dublin’s RDS on 21 February 1922.
The men and women whose attestations have taken place today carry on the fine work of those very first recruits, in protecting communities and citizens all over the country.”
Today’s attestations bring the total number of members of Garda rank to 11,773. A further 158 trainees are currently in training.
There is currently a recruitment competition underway for applications to join An Garda Síochána. Budget 2022 has provided for the recruitment of up to 800 Gardaí and 400 Garda staff this year and many of those recruited will be drawn from this competition.
The Minister added:
“There has never been a better time to join the Gardaí as we work towards a policing service for the future that is valued for the essential public service it provides. Both the Government and the Garda Commissioner are committed to increasing diversity within An Garda Síochána and ensuring that all communities can see themselves reflected in our police service.
The deadline for the recruitment campaign is next Wednesday, March 16th. I urge anyone interested, particularly members of new Irish communities, women and people from minority groups to consider a career in An Garda Síochána.”
The newly attested members have now completed their training and will be placed in Garda Divisions throughout the country.
  
In the Irish Republic, the number of people with Covid-19 in hospital has risen to alarmingly to the highest level in more than seven weeks.
The Republic’s Department of Health has confirmed that it has been notified of 9,186 cases confirmed by PCR tests, with an additional 6,752 people registering a positive antigen test result through the HSE portal yesterday ; altogether a total of 15,938 or an increase of 4,256 within the past 24 hours.
There were 907 patients currently suffering from the virus in the republic’s hospitals, as of this morning, with numbers increased by 30 on the same time yesterday. Of these, there were 37 patients with Covid receiving treatment in intensive care units, a decrease of 4 on the same time yesterday.
The Republic’s seven-day positivity rate has now increased, up to 34.1%, from a rate of 30.4% last Friday and 27.9% 14 days ago.
Sadly, 21 deaths have been confirmed, bringing the total number of Covid-19-related deaths in the Republic of Ireland, since the start of the pandemic, to 6,599.
In Northern Ireland today, a further 2,270 cases of coronavirus were reported, down from 2,602 cases reported yesterday.
There are 467 patients with Covid-19 in northern hospitals, down from 483 on yesterday, with 1 Covid patient receiving intensive care.
Sadly, 1 more Covid-19-related death has also been reported in Northern Ireland today, bringing their death toll, since the start of the pandemic, to 3,246.
Abroad.
Covid-19 infections have also risen in the UK, with infection levels in Scotland rising each week for some 6 weeks in a row. Across the UK as a whole, 2.6 million people were estimated to have contracted coronavirus last week, up from 2.4 million.
As of March 9th 2022, mainland China had reported 112,385 cases with confirmed symptoms, including local ones and those arriving from outside the mainland. Chinese Health authorities reported 31,402 new cases today, and 180 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Like it or like it not, time to put those masks back on while in public places.
The Workplace Relations Commission heard that a Co. Tipperary mushroom producer, Stablefield Ltd, with a registered office at Killeaton, Clogheen, Co Tipperary, allegedly paid a female Romanian mushroom picker just €4.06 per hour, despite the national minimum wage being between €8.65 and €9.15 per hour.
A State workplace watchdog has now ordered Stablefield Ltd to pay the former employee and harvest manager Ana Lacramioara Manciu, €15,058 in arrears, following the company’s failure to pay her the national minimum wage over a 12 month period, between September 2015 and September 2016. (During this period, the national minimum wage in July 2011 was set at €8.65 and had increased to €9.15 by January 1st, 2016.)
In her findings, Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator, Úna Glazier Farmer, a qualified Barrister-at-Law, stated that she accepted Ana Lacramioara Manciu’s undisputed evidence in its entirety and that her complaint was well founded.
Ana Lacramioara Manciu provided evidence of working 14 and 15 hour days but only getting paid for 6.58 hours and 6.77 hours on particular days by the firm Stablefield Ltd.
Ana Lacramioara Manciu alleged that Stablefield Ltd falsified her working hours and the Workplace Relations adjudicator agreed that Stablefield Ltd sought to take advantage of Lacramioara Manciu, who was not fully familiar with her employment rights, following her arrival here in Ireland with her husband.
Úna Glazier Farmer (WRC) adjudicator stated that Ana Lacramioara Manciu gave her evidence with exceptional detail and clarity, despite the passage of time in the case and was clear as to dates, times and events in her reference to all supporting evidence.
In her findings, Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator, Úna Glazier Farmer stated that she accepted Lacramioara Manciu’s undisputed evidence in its entirety and that her complaint is well founded.
The Commission adjudicator agreed that it appeared it was the clear intention of the company to deceive the complainant by underpaying her significantly less than the national minimum wage, which she regarded as a most heinous breach of employment rights.
Úna Glazier Farmer has also awarded Ana Lacramioara Manciu €2,000 in expenses in connection with the dispute, latter brought under Section 24 of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000.
A male aged in his 30s, has been arrested and detained by Gardaí, following a search of a property in Tipperary Town undertaken earlier today.
Cannabis with an approximate street value of €3,500 was seized, together with €4,450 in cash.
We understand that the initial search was undertaken by members from Tipperary Town Drugs Unit, assisted by the Cork Garda Dog Unit and the Divisional Crime Task Force.
We also understand that the suspected dealer has since been released and a file will now be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP).
- The “Clear Air Together Citizen Science Project”, led by the EPA and the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, has worked with 1000 Dublin citizen scientists, to measure air pollution from traffic in their local areas.
- The results clearly show that higher nitrogen dioxide levels are linked with higher traffic volumes.
- The results will be used by the EPA to to support air quality modelling in Dublin and will be used by Dublin local authorities to support air quality management.
- None of the results indicate a breach of EU air quality limit (40 µg/m3).
- Clean Air Together is moving to Cork in late 2022.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit, this evening hosted a webinar with the citizen scientists of the Clean Air Together project, to present the results of the study.
During October 2021, these citizen scientists measured levels of the harmful air pollutant, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). The information gathered by them will now be used by the EPA to assist with air quality modelling and forecasting.
Commenting on the project, Mr Andy Fanning, Programme Manager in EPA, said: “Clean Air Together is a real success story for Citizen Science, with almost one thousand residents in Dublin measuring the levels of air pollution in their local areas. While the EPA has fixed air pollution monitoring sites in Dublin, this project has given us data about many areas that we are currently unable to monitor. This is the first time such a study has been run in Ireland and we are thrilled to see the level of interest. Unfortunately, we had to turn some people away and very much hope we can find ways to work with them again in the future. We simply couldn’t have completed this project without Dublin’s citizen scientists”.
Results showed that, while NO2 levels across Dublin city and county were generally good, higher levels were found near busy roads. This is not unexpected, as NO2 comes mainly from traffic. None of the levels reported in this project exceeded the EU annual average limit (40 µg/m3), but it should be noted that lower levels of NO2, are better for everyone’s health. All results are available on the Clean Air Together project site, HERE.
Ms Sabrina Moore, Clean Air Together project manager An Taisce’s Environmental Education Unit added: “The level of interest in this project shows people’s growing awareness of the importance of good air quality in their city, and a genuine interest in helping to protect their environment. So, what can we all do for our air quality? Where possible we should try to limit our personal car use by using public transport more often, or by walking or cycling. Continued investments in these infrastructures will make these choices easier. By shifting our behaviour we can make a difference and ensure that air quality is healthier across the city”.
For further information contact: Emily Williamson, EPA Media Relations Office 053-9170770 (24 hours) or media@epa.ie
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