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Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

How much has the Garda Band cost the Irish taxpayer over the past three years? It's the week in numbers

Plus: The top 10 trending searches in Ireland for all of 2016.

EVERY WEEK, TheJournal.ie offers a selection of statistics and numerical nuggets to help you digest the week that has just passed.

20: The number of years Bobby Kerr has been involved with coffee chain Insomnia. He announced this week he would be leaving the business to focus on other interests.

€5.5 million: The amount of money the Garda Band has cost the Irish taxpayer over the past three years.

449: The capacity in millilitres of a typical wine glass in England – compared to 66ml in 1700.

12: The number of weeks legal abortion should be allowed to take place up to, as recommended this week by the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment.

2: The number of Dublin city councillors who voted against stripping Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi of the Freedom of the City this week.

10: Here are the top 10 trending searches in Ireland for all of 2017 – with Hurricane Ophelia coming out on top.

40%: The percentage decline in the number of this species of gull since the 1970s.

5%: The percentage that Ireland’s unemployment is expected to fall to in 2018, according to the ESRI.

843: The number of drink driving cases dealt with by the poor box in 2015, prompting concerns around how such cases are handled by the courts.

695: The number of people who died in 2015 as a result of overdoses, trauma or medical causes linked to drug use.

Read: Like our weekly numerical breakdown? Check out more >

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22 Comments
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    Mute Richard Griffin
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:38 PM

    Wear a mask no problem, avoid pubs no problem, no crowds ok. Visiting my family will continue no matter what. I’ve hit my breaking point. Anyone else?

    521
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    Mute Optimus Prime
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:40 PM

    @Richard Griffin: the true meaning of Christmas about to become clearer right? Family Time.

    109
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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:01 PM

    @Richard Griffin: the same. Reasonable measures yes, the remaining excesses , no.

    103
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    Mute Darren Anthony Corr
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:48 PM

    @Isabel Oliveira:
    Could not agree more.
    Proper hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing a mask etc all good, all needed.

    Everything else = Nonsense of the highest order. Stopped going into shops that just accept cards now, and will continue to do so when the pandemic ends. I have a bank card, it’s just the principle, my elderly family members don’t. That’s just one example of excess.

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    Mute Madethyme
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    Sep 15th 2020, 4:02 PM

    @Darren Anthony Corr: yes i am the exact same! Lots of small shops here where i am refusing to except cash! Lots of people i know too are staying away from these shops! Madness!

    38
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    Mute Paul Dolan
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:03 PM

    @Richard Griffin: Spot on Richard. Common sense at all times and everyone should be ok

    13
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    Mute Darren Anthony Corr
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:22 PM

    @Madethyme:
    Here where I am, Argos has a person at the door asking you what your looking for and won’t let you in until you tell them. The person at the door doesn’t even get the item you want for you, so I don’t get what that’s about?

    Then Power City here has a massive outlet store, very easily to social distance. But you walk in and can’t look at anything in store, you have to go to a hatch and shout about 12 feet across the floor to some disinterested staff member about what your looking for and then they get it. And not accepting cash.
    Two examples of stores I will not visit when all this is over. WHO has even said cash is a very small risk, so I don’t get the whole cashless thing really.

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    Mute thomas chamney
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    Sep 16th 2020, 6:10 AM

    @Darren Anthony Corr: it costs a business money to deposit cash into the bank. ‘Security’ fees….cheaper to accept card only. I’m in sweden and no shops take cash anymore. Been that way for years. Get used to it.

    4
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    Mute Winston Smith
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:43 PM

    “Sorry there annoying uncles, aunts and cousins, the aul COVID 19 restrictions your know yourselves. Just put the presents on the door step and back off”

    159
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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:59 PM

    How can they do a six month plan when emergency powers finish on November 9th. They’re already sure they’ll have these renewed. That’s how. Nobody will be able to sustain this limbo until March 2021.

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    Mute Twitruser2020
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:34 PM

    Happy Christmas everyone!

    84
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    Mute Optimus Prime
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:39 PM

    @Twitruser2020: and a happy new year!. 2021 had better got its acts together and be better than the “year that shall not be named”.

    79
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    Mute Alan
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:28 PM

    This year it will be just me and a Turkey, hopefully one of us will be alive and well.

    69
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    Mute billy bound
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:59 PM

    Yep. I’ve had enough of their bleating on. The bubble is about to burst

    75
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    Mute Darren Anthony Corr
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:52 PM

    Take necessary precautions to keep each other safe, practice social distancing and hand hygiene, wear a mask on public transports, shops and enclosed places.

    Everything else is just nonsense. The whole household thing doesn’t even make sense and is unlikely to be enforced anyway. The whole contactless payments only thing that some stores are doing is a joke and the excessive measures taken by certain businesses using Covid as an excuse just to cut corners and save money, I’ll remember you when the pandemic is over.

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    Mute Gene Johnston
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:15 PM

    Great out for avoiding the annual pilgrimage to the in laws gaff

    56
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    Mute James Hayes
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:37 PM

    What about Halloween first,will there be no trick or treating!!!

    59
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    Mute Maria Hickey-Fagan
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:51 PM

    @James Hayes: it’s outdoors and most will be wearing masks anyway

    127
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    Mute InvaderSkoodge
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:13 PM

    @James Hayes: visions of people dosing kids with hand sanitiser at every gate and placing double wrapped treat size lidl bars into a bag from 6 feet away with one of those mobility aid grabbers. Then leaving the bag of sweets outdoors to quarantine for 3 days

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    Mute ckr00
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:27 PM

    @James Hayes: Bangers going off in my area since August so looks like it’s going ahead.

    12
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    Mute Mark
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:33 PM

    @James Hayes: will be catapulting mini mars bars from the upstairs window

    31
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    Mute Lydia McLoughlin
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:56 PM

    @James Hayes: that I will not miss! A bonus.

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    Mute James Hayes
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:09 PM

    @Maria Hickey-Fagan: excellent comments Maria et all, they all made me giggle. Ya it seem like we’ll be leaving buckets of goodies out by the garden gate.;-)

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:19 PM

    @InvaderSkoodge: Sound plan. I got out the Halloween window decorations today. Have to have something to look forward to!

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    Mute Mark
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:37 PM

    Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Covid Tuesday, Stay at home Thursday, Social Distance Sunday – Amazon marketing train on the move.

    40
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    Mute Virus-free Turkey
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:44 PM

    Christmas!!!
    Jasus.
    Gotta run !

    34
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    Mute Peter B
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:42 PM

    Levels 4 and 5, no Santa I presume…..

    28
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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:49 PM

    @Peter B: You would think he is vulnerable considering his weight and age

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    Mute Brendan
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    Sep 15th 2020, 2:41 PM

    Can’t wait to get home to see ye all, oh wait

    23
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    Mute Susan Higgins
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:07 PM

    Oh rite I’ll put a 6 month plan in place and not discuss Christmas….!
    Jesus Christ!!!

    29
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    Mute Raymond Dennehy
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:34 PM

    An excuse to avoid “the most wonderful time of the year”. Instead of a drink and biscuit for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph it will be a facemask and hand sanitiser.

    24
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    Mute David Clements
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    Sep 15th 2020, 3:27 PM

    They’ll give us 3 days off then bring out the jackboots for NYE…

    15
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    Mute Dissisus Corr
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    Sep 15th 2020, 5:57 PM

    Will santa be able to visit houses

    10
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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Sep 15th 2020, 6:45 PM

    I got a frozen turkey in Lidl last new year so I’ll be ok.

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    Mute Bikes rule the world
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    Sep 15th 2020, 8:38 PM

    Halloween- cancelled
    Xmas- cancelled
    virus = under control
    New Years eve – people ignore rules, Virus takes off again

    8
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    Mute j.k @irishpoint
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    Sep 16th 2020, 4:27 AM

    Mícheál Martin Christmas is a time for families and hell will freeze over before you or your government will say who can & can’t visit my home Christmas or any other time for that matter Gardaí already under Resource and need to be dealing with crime not following up on people who have family or friends in their homes

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    Mute Chris Purnell
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    Sep 15th 2020, 6:28 PM

    Why write this in September? Nonsense

    9
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    Mute Tom Bombdadil
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    Sep 15th 2020, 9:05 PM

    Will be the same as every year no change and that’s that.

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    Mute Brian
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    Sep 17th 2020, 10:26 AM

    There’s gonna be panic buying of the turkeys isn’t there !?! Sigh…

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    Mute Mary Catriona Clancy
    Favourite Mary Catriona Clancy
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    Sep 16th 2020, 1:08 PM

    Me too, absolutely

    1
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