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Updated 8.42am
“THE BEAST FROM the East is coming our way,” warned Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who asked people to pay “close attention” to any weather warnings that are issued in the coming days.
Yesterday, the Taoiseach said any advice issued in relation to workplaces, travel and whether people should turn up for work “will be clear”.
The polar vortex from Siberia, referred to as “the beast”, is expected to bring heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions on Thursday and Friday.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy said that the forecast is “looking increasingly as predicted”, and the snowfall starting this evening “could potentially cause severe disruption for the country”.
The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) outlined its preparation plans yesterday.
It’s predicted that a red weather alert could be put in place for later in the week. The last time a code red was issued was for Storm Ophelia in October 2017.
At the time, the NECG advised people to remain indoors and stay safe.
However, there was confusion as to whether all businesses should close, and if people should go to work or remain at home.
In the aftermath of the storm, Labour’s Brendan Howlin said there were lessons to be learned, and said the government should commit to issuing guidelines to the private sector as to what a red alert means for them and their employees.
‘Genuine confusion’
At the time, the Taoiseach admitted that there was “genuine confusion for some people in the private sector because it was unclear to people as to whether they were to go into work or not”.
He also acknowledged that a “better understanding of what a red alert means beyond the public sector and what it means in the private sector” needed to be developed.
As a result, the government said in future, employers in the private sector will have to set our specific policy and guidelines as to whether they should remain open during red alerts.
However, progress on mandatory guidelines has not yet been reached to date.
When asked about the issue yesterday, the Taoiseach suggested that the NECG advice issued later in the week could include advising people not to travel to work.
“As it stands, the weather warning has not yet been issued, but I would ask people to pay close attention to any weather warnings and advice that is issued in the coming days.
“Where advice is issued in relation to workplaces and travel, that will be clear and we’ll either be asking people to stay at home and not make unnecessary journeys or if they are in work already to stay in work and not make unnecessary journeys. But as I said, we are not in that position yet to issue that weather warning,” Varadkar told reporters.
Speaking today, Murphy reinforced that no advisories were being issued as of yet. He said: “We try to be as clear as possible.
Businesses need more direction. We can’t tell a business how to operate [but] the onus is on the employer to put the safety of staff at their forefront.
Potential schools closure
Murphy was asked about the possibility of schools closing due to the bad weather.
He said that, if the current orange and yellow warnings were upgraded to a nationwide red alert, that would mean a directive would be issued to close all schools.
“We keep very much a close eye,” the Minister said. “When we had Storm Ophelia, we went to a national red. That was a decision that had to be made.”
He said that, as conditions change throughout the week, the advice issued would be updated.
On the potential of school and road closures, Murphy said: “It’s a different type of weather event [to Storm Ophelia].
We want to keep the country as open as we can. It’s too soon to make that call now.
Duty of care to employees
Business group Isme, meanwhile, has advised employers that they have a duty of care to their employees under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act.
It said businesses need to consider if it is safe to ask employees to travel to work during a code red, adding that employers should consider how it will decide if it is necessary to close, and whether a red weather alert will mean an automatic closure.
Isme also said that where a business closure does not occur, employers should ensure employees are aware who they should contact in the event that they are unable make it into work due to the weather conditions.
“Flexibility should be allowed for employees, especially those who have some distance to travel. Where employees are present in the workplace, care should be taken to remain vigilant for any worsening conditions. Consideration should also be given to how long it will take somebody to commute home safely,” it added.
With reporting from Sean Murray
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I don’t have access to a medical card either…just saying
@John Horan: that article is absolutely misleading anyone in the direct care of the Government has access to free medical care this applies to people in prison ,juvenile homes or direct provision . The fact that they don’t hold a physical card does not deprive them of any service.
@DavidOReilly: Insult to injury……. criminals get free healthcare whilst the workers pay for it for them and also have to pay for themselves
@DavidOReilly: people in the care of the state have a physical medical card. They cannot get free health care without it. A pharmacy will not issue medicine for free if you don’t have a card. The article is referring to the lack of services and support workers. They are put in a B&B and no body is there to tell them to process or what to do next. Blame the system not the people.
@John Horan: what about the overcrowded Hopitals wards not enough staff and beds because this country is bringing in people without being prepared
@Bee Johnson: give us a break most of these people come here and transit trough another country .they have educated themselves on what’s available here. The article makes it look like we’re leaving them to suffer with us misleading. Citizens advice would quickly put them on the right track. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/asylum_seekers_and_refugees/services_for_asylum_seekers_in_ireland/medical_services_and_entitlements_for_asylum_seekers.html
@John Horan: No they don’t! Your taxes pay for them.
@John Horan: yes John but we the tax payer are entitled to 1 dental check and an eye test wahay ! Prsi paid and yet we still fork out for medical care
@DavidOReilly: and meat from FX buckley,
How many of the 500 have had their applications rejected? How long can they stay her while they appeal the decision?
@John Walsh: Info from asylumineurope org. The rejection rate of asylum seekers in Ireland: Albania 99%, Georgia 97%, Zimbabwe 82%, Nigeria 94.4%, Syria 1.75%. In 2018 there were 3673 applications for asylum in Ireland, total rejection rate is 70.3%.
The most countries asylum seekers coming from: Albania 459, Georgia 450, Syria 333, Zimbabwe 282, Nigeria 251. Gender breakdown: Men 1902 or 51.8%. Women 914 or 24.9%, Children 840 or 22.8%. But yeah I agree “facts are racist”…
There are Irish people in tents in our cities FFS
yet another d.p. story on the journal — are you being sponsored by R.I.A. these days ? these people have a roof over their heads ,food in their bellies and somewhere to sleep – far more than the thousands of homeless people of this country have ! yet all we hear is “we want this – we want that ” be bloody grateful for what you have and the fact that this country is giving you the chance to be here . if you dont like the system then leave – after all most of those ‘asylum seekers’ must have passed through other EU countries to get to ireland -so why didnt they apply for asylum there ? and a little idea for our government to think about – if our dp centres are full to bursting as this article suggests – THEN STOP LETTING ANYMORE IN TO THE COUNTRY UNTIL YOU HAVE PROCESSED THOSE ALREADY HERE !!
Do these people seeking asylum get screened health wise before being placed in the general population via hotels & B&Bs?
@icaniwont: Yes, they are screened. The HSE’s operates a Mobile Health and Screening Unit and the Safetynet Primary Care team that serves homeless and newly arrived asylum seekers and run health screening…
“Safetynet’s Mobile Health and Screening Unit (MHSU) is a new service provided by Safetynet in partnership with HSE Social Inclusion. The MHSU will provide health services and screening services initially to vulnerable migrants and later other vulnerable groups. The MHSU aims to complement current health services, identify and treat health problems and reduce threats from communicable diseases. It aims to facilitate integration of specific population groups including asylum seekers to mainstream services. This will be a national service delivered throughout Ireland by means of a vehicle specifically designed and equipped with XRay and consultation room.
Most recently the service integrated the health care needs of 214 Syrian refugees into Ballaghadereen in County Roscommon.”
@David Jordan: Is screening voluntary or mandatory?
@Josh Hanners: It’s voluntary, in 2017, 1,544 out of 1,955 asylum seekers invited to heath screenings by the HSE attended appointments, 79%.
There is also no evidence that mandatory health checks are beneficial. Instead, the World Health Organisation recommends voluntary general health checks, improved sanitation and vaccination programmes.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend compulsory mass screening of the asylum seeker population for infectious diseases because there is no clear evidence proving the effectiveness of screening. Instead, the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) advise European countries to provide general health checks and improve sanitation and vaccination programmes to prevent outbreaks of infections like measles and influenza.”
References:
Beeres et al., 2018. Screening for infectious diseases of asylum seekers upon arrival: the necessity of the moral principle of reciprocity. BMC medical ethics, 19(1), p.16. https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12910-018-0256-7
500 and the rest
It’s Sunday and right on cue…
@Alternative for Ireland:
Yes the journal needs an excuse to the the neanderthals riled up
@Patrick Nolan: If you are white, you are part Neanderthal, so suck that up.
Emergency accommodation: OVER 10,000 IRISH PEOPLE NOW LIVING IN B AND B`s ACROSS IRELAND.
There – that looks better
@Pixie McMullen: *HOTELS AND B And B`S
There is international monetary support for asylum seekers, where has this money been spent?
Plenty underused religious buildings / convents, buy some of those and put them to use.
@Caroline Otoole: Why? Since when has the whole world become our problem?
Thai does not make sense, Europe are making Ireland government take in asylum seekers but Ireland can not accommodate properly.
@Mickomacko: for your sake I hope the National Party doesn’t demand that everyone ‘speak proper English’ as is the case with alt-right wingers in the UK and US.
Deport them all. Problem solved. No more issues with accommodation
At what cost and 10 Thousand plus Irish homeless.. EU and FFG are no good …
Thai does not make sense, Europe are making Ireland government take in asylum seekers but Ireland can not accommodate properly. The National Party will sort out this country
@Mickomacko:
The national party? How many votes did they get last time out?
yet air BnB is seen as the problem then Joe public tries to make a little extra income. All these problems are then told its our fault.
Don’t want migrants here cos more crimes
@Brian Flavin:
Surprising someone with such a poor command of English complaining about foreigners?
In other news…..
Absolutely unacceptable that asylum seekers should have to live in these conditions. They should at least be put on top of the housing list when they get their asylum status as they have suffered enough without having to wait years to get a home.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: so do a lot of honest workers that also pay taxes…
@Dominic Leleu: we need to look after the most vulnerable in society first.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: Hope you have a pleasant fishing expedition.
I see you have caught a few already.
@Diogenes O’Mahoney: could you explain more? Why do you think i may be going to fish today?
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: You’re clearly fishing those unaware of your amateur and time consuming trolling. You’d be better off being a paid troll for the Russians or the EU.
@Windom Earle: So we now live in a society where if a person has sympathy for the less well off and vulnerable in society they are a a troll..
But if i was to write up hateful, tasteless and racist comments i will receive green thumbs and fanfare cheers.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: You’re either a troll or you’re intellectually challenged.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: You’re either a troll or you’re intellectually challenged.
@Diogenes O’Mahoney: curious when they got they they are gone fishing..
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: Dont feed Humphrey he has no friends and just want attention.
Luxury tents…large ones that can accomodate whole families…and given services and amenities. This would be cheaper to provide.. it could be the solution to the problem. That’s my tuppence..
Maybe the shinners & lefties should hang a flag over civic buildings in Dublin. That might help
Deport now
Not one to dismiss the dire importance of the situation at hand, but over 10,000 other people are trying to find accommodation at the moment.
If I was to point a finger, it would be towards the FF/FG landlords in governance that the well-heeled population of Ireland consistently re-elect back into power for 71 years running.
Something needs to change. I’m only sad that it will not happen in my lifetime.
@EillieEs: Take a look at Sweden. Germany new years night when a thousand women raped.Give at another two yrs and the ghettos and no go area’s start popping up everywhere.
I believe the campaign focus should be on housing policy change … not hate for refugees.
Plenty of places for everyone to live in if the vast empty property came on the market, and a better working economy if these new people could set up their skills.
Thankfully, another DP story. I was beginning to suffer withdrawl!
Some of the comments here are disgusting. Who’d have thought that Ireland, a country of emigrants, would be so unwelcoming to people who have fled unimaginable hardship.
@EillieEs: How many received handouts when they went abroad? How many demanded that their host population change to suit them? How many moaned about discrimination? You and your ilk hate your own people.
Where not alot of the Eastern European countries not sending ex prisoners over here, I mean actually giving them money to come here?.
have your say