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LAST UPDATE | 14 May 2021
IRELAND’S GP AND Close Contact referral system is currently down following a major ransomware attack on the HSE’s IT systems.
The Health Service Executive has shut down its IT systems after a “significant ransomware attack”, in what the HSE chief executive called a “major incident” for the health service.
The HSE was made aware of the attack during the night, and it is currently being contained by shutting down all national and local IT systems in order to protect them.
As a result of the attack GPs are to advise patients to attend walk-in testing centres with priority given to symptomatic and close contacts at these centres, the HSE said this morning.
People who had a recent COVID-19 test appointment and are awaiting their results will still have their tests processed in our laboratories. There may be some delay in receiving your test results. pic.twitter.com/nLMgHeTeJ6
— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) May 14, 2021
If a person had a scheduled test today this will go ahead, however tests are not available through GPs.
The HSE is advising people with symptoms to call their GP who may then refer them to a walk-in centre. Close contacts can also use these centres.
In a statement, the HSE said: “We have moved all contact tracing to two of our contact tracing sites which remain operational.
“Contact tracers will call you with detected results and will gather the required data. Importantly they will gather close contact information and call close contacts to ask them to attend a walk in site for testing. This process may take longer than usual and we appreciate the public’s patience as we work through this.”
The HSE has said if a person if awaiting a test result their result will still be processed in its laboratories but there may be some delay in a person receiving their result.
“It is critical that anyone who is awaiting a Covid-19 test result self-isolates until they receive their test result. This is an important change from the usual restricting movements advice.”
In addition to walk-in centres, anyone who feels they might have symptoms can attend any HSE static testing sites without a GP referral.
A list of HSE walk-in centres can be found here.
The GP and Close Contact testing Referrals system is down. GPs can advise patients to attend any walk in sites if they need a test.
— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) May 14, 2021
Priority will be given to symptomatic and close contacts at open walk-in testing centres. pic.twitter.com/2fJ3QKP0ST
HSE CEO Paul Reid described the ransomware attack as a “major incident” for the health service, and is a “human-operated” cyber attack. He said that information technology systems and data stored on, and transferred across, central servers is being targeted.
A ransom demand has not yet been made.
Equipment in intensive care units, and other ‘standalone’ infrastructure in hospitals, has not been affected by the attack.
“We are at the very early stages of fully understanding the threat, the impacts,” Reid said on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. He said there would be an update on what the attack means for the healthcare system’s services later in the morning.
“[For now] everyone should continue to come forward [for hospital appointments] until they hear something different from us, in terms of services impacted.”
Reid said the vaccination programme has not been affected by the attack.
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I grew up in a farming community and this kind of thing, as well as environmental damage, is rampant. “This does not represent the farming community” just does not cut it anymore.
@Don Johnson: The abuse of bull calves has also been heavily highlighted in New Zealand since 2015. Farmer’s chase profits over everything else.
@Don Johnson: the live export has now been banned in NZ. What we do to animals in the name of food is appalling
It certainly doesn’t look like a rare or unusual occurrence in the trade, it appeared RTE and the other people investigating abuse, didn’t have to look very hard to find it.
The thugs, whether they are farmers or Mart staff who abuse defenceless animals are dangerous psychopaths. Animals today, people tomorrow. I don’t want to imagine how they act at home when their doors are closed. We need an investigation by Gardai into this cruelty and abuse. We need sackings, jail time and heavy fines. We need them put on a list of animal abusers and banned from keeping or working with animals for life. We need this to not be swept under the carpet. We need action, and we need the abuse to stop. Now.
@Playmisty4me: the thugs would appear to be the norm. I’m sure they’re not all psychopaths. And of course it will be swept under the carpet: people don’t want to face up to the realities of where their food comes from and what’s actually involved in meat and dairy production. Look up a movie called Dominion. It’s free to watch on YouTube.
@Playmisty4me: Totally Agree! If the farming community, esp the purveyor of alternative truths, McCormack of ICMSA are true to their words, which I seriously doubt. They will see that all of those individuals, guilty of animal cruelty, are very easily identifiable on the RTE film, of which there are 100′s of hours of filming and which has been sent to Dept of Agriculture. What is stopping them from looking at the film, identify the criminals, sack them and fine them and stop them working in the industry again. As for the lorry drivers, they have the footage and reg plates and can easily identify the driver/s. Why have an investigation when their guilt is blatant. In regard to dumped bull calves, why tag cattle, when you can’t trace them back to the owners, who in these cases, dump the calves in ditches.
@Dermot Lane: that’s a pretty wild accusation. Have you visited many family farms? Because I can tell you the vast majority care for their animals the same way you would a cat or a dog. While you may not agree with the industry or people who eat meat and dairy be mindful before labelling the majority of farmers “thugs” because it couldn’t be further from the truth.
@neil holland: no, bull calves are not treated like pets, they’re treated as waste in the dairy industry.
@Playmisty4me:
Plenty of comments on animal welfare no problem in regards babies being aborted every day
It seems at least every few years going back decades we pretend to be shocked by the discovery that our farming sector have been involved in disgusting practices
@Robert Halvey: And it’s always just a few bad eggs, (pardon the pun). Yeah, right.
@Robert Halvey: We are dealt all of these lovely propaganda programmes regarding the farming industry and have to dig deep to find out about the darker side. Most of us didn’t even know about bull calves, til last night, so the wool is consistently being pulled over our eyes. McConologue, Farmers and their leaders deal in ‘alternative truths’ so easily, which is shocking. And things just get worse. We are not guilty of ‘PRETENDING’, we may be guilty of not joining the dots but that is only because of the endless, continuous and excessive abuses that is the bulk of farming e.g. 90% exports. We can’t keep up with their constant lies.
@BarryH: many have known about bull calves and have campaigned for a ban on live export. Killing them at birth would be preferable to the abuse they’re subjected to in their short miserable lives. Male chicks in the egg industry are also considered waste and are either gassed to death or else ground up alive.
The multi billion Dairy industry need to get real here.There is no need to export any calves.If European countries can develop a thriving veal industry why cant we do it here.As for the abuse at marts that should be dealt with by the Gardai.
@Willie Marty: The Gardai.
Hahahaha…
When was the last time you saw a Gard in the countryside?
@Chris O’Brien: good point -but this issue is serious and needs the intervention of the state whether that be gardai dectectives the courts etc..
@Willie Marty: The Gardai know farmers treat animals badly. This isn’t news in the sense people didn’t know. The Courts know as well. The entire world knows.
It’s ridiculous to claim otherwise.
Farmers around the world treat cattle exactly the same way. As objects they own and control.
An utter disgrace
Now, I hope that R.T.E. can conduct an equally comprehensive and expensive investigation into the practices of the meat baron cartels of this country. It is their practices in pursuit of their billion Euro per year profits racket that is the major cause of calf exports in the first place. Thousands of tons of cheap South American and Eastern European beef are imported into this country each year, then re-packaged and sold on as “Prime Irish Beef”
It is a well known fact that the said meat barons have the media firmly within their grasp , so I expect that this challenge will be ignored .
@John McDonagh: RTE have done many many docs on this. Check out Larry Goodman, Iraq payments and Albert Reynolds etc. It puts most scandals in the shade.
@John McDonagh: how about you email the rte investigates team if you feel stronly about this issue
Dairy cow numbers increased 52% between 2005 – 2022, from 0.996 million to 1.51 million dairy cows, jump provoked by the ending of the EU’s milk quota in 2015 (CSO Table: AAA06) and in 2021. And the dairy industry produced 8.4 billion litres of milk in 2021, of which 94% was exported.
As a result, Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy industry increased by 95% between 2000 and 2017, to 61% of agricultural emissions (310.9 out of 503.09 thousand tonnes CO2eq).
As a result, the proportion of national GHG emissions from Agriculture increased:
2021 37.50%
2020 38.20%
2019 36.40%
2018 36.40%
2017 35.30%
2016 33.70%
2015 34.10%
The Dairy industry is now responsible for c. 25% of national GHG emissions, a share that almost doubled since 2000.
Finally, last year dairy farms witnessed record profits, despite inflation and higher costs, with an average Family Farm Income (FFI) of €150,884, a 53% increase year-on-year.
Refs.:
Läpple, D., Carter, C.A. and Buckley, C., 2022. EU milk quota abolition, dairy expansion, and greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural Economics, 53(1), pp.125-142. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/agec.12666
@David Jordan: If you look at the bigger picture cow numbers in Ireland are broadly similar now to what they were in 1984 before quotas were introduced.
https://www.farmersjournal.ie/dairy-cow-numbers-similar-level-to-1984-asa-714914
It’s all too easy to demonize agriculture for its environmental impact, how about aviation emissions? How about councils pumping raw sewage into various waterways around the country.
@Andrew Helen: couldn’t agree more Andrew but this specific programme was about farming and it wasn’t pleasant viewing to say the least
@Andrew Helen: Pre-1984 wasn’t without its downsides. The EU bought beef and dairy produce regardless of demand, this resulted in oversupply, and the development of beef and butter mountains and milk lakes (intervention stocks). This from 1984:
“The EEC intervention stocks of butter at the moment amount to 765,000 tonnes of which 53,000 tonnes are stored in Ireland. The intervention stocks of skim milk powder amount to 970,000 tonnes of which 124,000 tonnes are stored in Ireland.”
The the 1990s, butter consumption was 12,000 tons per annum. Our butter mountain could have lasted us nearly 4.5 years.
The EU quota successfully tackled oversupply by levying fines (28.6 cents/litre in 2015). The milk quota ended in 2015 because the EU increased dairy exports to Asian markets, the increased demand was linked to this event and other scandals…
@Liam O’Connor: Definitely not pleasant viewing, I wouldn’t condone the treatment of animals shown for a second. However it seems to be all to convenient to over emphasize agricultures environmental impact.
@Andrew Helen: “how about aviation emissions?”
Aviation emissions are 2.5% of national emissions, and less than 1/10th of agriculture.
“How about councils pumping raw sewage into various waterways around the country.”
There are 32 urban areas discharge untreated swage, 25 discharge into the sea, 7 locations discharge into rivers. The areas that discharge into rivers are:
Kerrykeel, Ramelton, and Coolatee, Donegal.
Ahascragh, Galway.
Clarecastle, Clare.
Inchigeelagh, Cork.
Avoca, Wicklow.
31 out of the 32 are due to be connected to swage treatment plants by end of 2024.
Also, shown in these maps, there is no connection between nitrate and phosphorous pollution and raw swage discharge from urban areas:
https://i.imgur.com/ILNikbI.png
Donegal, Galway and Clare show low levels of pollution. Rather, rivers with high levels nitrate and phosphorus pollution correlate with dairy, cattle, poultry and pig farms.
@Andrew Helen: that classic whataboutery defense doesn’t cut it anymore. This PT should result in major changes to how the dairy industry operates. A watershed moment – well done, Mr. McNulty and the rest of the RTE Investigates team
@Andrew Helen: One more thing, in 2021 we exported 7.9 billion litres of milk, this would fill FIFTEEN of the world’s largest supertankers.
https://youtu.be/4bkrqpdBbo8?t=48
And Methane emissions from dairy cows in 2021 was c. 122,210 tonnes (3 million tonnes CO2eq). This would fill the Gail Bhuwan, one of the world’s largest LPG tankers:
@Andrew Helen: this about how the animals are treated
It’s disgusting they should be locked up for a long time send a strong message out
Tip of the ice berg. I visited a farm a year ago to collect a turf trailer and two holstein calves were rotting beside the wheel. 17 6-7 day old calves were in a shed with fresh hay and bedding away from their mother’s. 6 of these had scours. It wasn’t hay they needed it was a drop of mothers milk. Farmer (a nice chap) who was new into dairying didn’t know what to do with the bobbies as they were not worth feeding. I left that farm depressed at how little we care about life of others. Life is life. Roll back the clock 50 years ago a cow or pig was part of the family. Had a purpose but was allowed live a life before the inevitable kill day. Dairy is dirty.
Live exports should be banned immediately!
This will be another greyhound fiasco all talk from politicians but nothing actually done
Just listening to Leo the usual political bluster
@james mc namee: if they do anything it will be an ‘attack on rural ireland’ and Danny Healey Rae and Mattie McGrath will have a joint hairy conniption.
@james mc namee: Have your contacted your local td or the relevant gov minister to demand what the government is going to do about this issue or are you just sitting in front of a keyboard just giving out , which solves nothing imho
@Liam O’Connor: yes I contact al the relevant people in government and got the usual standard email back and as I said nothing done
@james mc namee: Thats disappointing but at least you made the effort , fair play to you as alot of other people are all mouth and no action ,
Strong responses from politicians who kept their heads down and seems surprised because its easier this way.
List of people surprised by any of this:
@Chris O’Brien: the vast majority of farmers treat their animals with kindness and care
@Willie Marty: why do I doubt that
@Willie Marty: it’s absolutely not possible to produce meat and dairy without a certain amount of cruelty.
@Dermot Lane: Agreed and hopefully lessons will be learned
@Willie Marty: hahahahahaha
This is of course not born out by any available evidence.
The auld politicians favourite response…. it’s unacceptable.
Journal and RTE/Pravda ramping it up now to demonise Agricultural sector in Ireland. Regular Florence Nightingale types running mega farms owned by corporations. People outraged, regulate farmers (make them unviable).. Corporations will feed you from here on in…..Useful idy ots weigh in..
@Alan O’ Reilly: Agreed our future has to be a well regulated and profitable for family farms . As an aside this docu did not set out to demonise farmers rather to highlight one aspect of farming that being the treatment of bull calves. No farm was filmed showing farmers abusing there cattle.In fact they had a very decent and brave couple on who were sickened by the behaviour of the transporters and mart handlers . RTE got this one right imho
The mistreatment of animals shown in this should not be tolerated. The necessity to export large numbers of calves is a direct result of cheap food, Supermarkets can only compete on price so it becomes a race to the bottom. The percentage of household income spent on food has fallen by half since 1980, 30% to 14.7% in 2016. some perspective is needed before farmers are brandished as cruel monsters. Farming practices have had to change to respond to the market prices. Margins are tight and our national agriculture and food research body have pushed a low cost dairy production system where the calf has no value.
Reduce cattle by 50%, it’s useless and wasteful.
@Tasered grandma: not ,sure people are going to take much advice from someone called taseredgrandma , use your real name for pity sake
Farmers for the most parts don’t see livestock as sentient beings, rather as just another form of farm produce.
Massive cruelty delivered every week up and down the country by roaming dogs on sheep flocks, if RTE ever cover it, it will hit international news too.
@Michaela: @Michaela: google rte moneygall sheep kill
@David Jordan: your on here again with your usual carbon footprint copy and paste bull, you know as well as I do that agriculture is the only industry in the country that operates off a gross carbon footprint with all their grassland that they own given to FDIs to cover their asses. They in no way contribute 40% of the countries GHGs only figures in a book
The only damming evidence of animal cruelty was from an abattoir in France. Also a video from New Zealand was shown while talking about killing young bull calves, which doesn’t happen here. They showed a dead calf from a factory farm in the Nederlands too for some reason. It’s like they didn’t have enough film for a forty minute documentary despite what looked to be like a fairly big budget and a fairly long recording period.
“Didn’t know about the bull calves”??
Anyone with a basic understanding of animal reproduction (including human animals) should be able to figure out that for every (desirable) female on average one male is also born.
Look at chickens, everyone who buys eggs (we keep our own, discarded former battery hens) is potentially overlooking the egg’s producing hen’s male counterpart.
In laying breeds there is no demand for little roosters of the laying hybrid kind.
So potentially half of all mass produced hybrid chicks are gassed after hatching.
Moo
Evil industry. This disgusting industry needs a root and branch reform
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