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PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have said they would support a pilot study to assess the potential effectiveness of antigen tests in the aviation sector.
Speaking to the Oireachtas Transport Committee today, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said he is not aware of any well-conducted validation studies internationally to support the use of these tests in this sector.
“There is still much we need to learn about these tests, and their actual, as opposed to hypothetical benefits and limitations,” he said.
He said significant caution is urged in regard to any move towards employing rapid action testing for ‘green lights’, enabling activities that we would otherwise deemed to be unsafe in the current epidemiological situation. He said it would be a risk to the individuals engaging in the activities and to those around them, as well as to the wider public health response.
Dr Holohan said as evidence emerges, if it is in support of the use of rapid testing, NPHET is “more than willing” to support its further use, if an appropriate real-world evaluation indicates it can bring added benefits.
“Ultimately, however, based on knowledge to date, the safest way to reopen society, including to international travel, will be to continue to control disease incidence through a range of public health measures which are continuously reviewed, along with progressing the national vaccination programme to ensure as many people as possible within the population are protected through immunisation.”
“What we can’t do is start rolling out tests on the basis of people think they’re a good idea,” Holohan said.
Officials said it is the case in other countries that antigen tests are used because those countries do not have the capacity to carry out the same level of PCR testing as Ireland is doing. They also pointed out that antigen tests may miss half of infectious cases.
At one point in the meeting Professor Mary Keogan Consultant Immunologist and National Clinical Lead for Pathology demonstrated, using a number of antigen tests, how antigen tests do not indicate whether there is any biological material in the sample.
When she used butter as the sample, there was a negative result, but when she used tonic water as the sample she was able to get a position result on an antigen test.
Had to post this as a video because words couldn't do it justice: Prof Mary Keogan shows the Oireachtas Transport Committee two antigen tests, one of which is 'positive'… in which the sample given was tonic water. pic.twitter.com/l7eHE2e86X
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) June 16, 2021
Members of the committee clarified to health officials that their questions about the use of antigen tests for air travel related to a system that would be run by qualified professionals, rather than self-testing.
Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, gave an example of 60,000 people gathered in Croke Park. He said at a prevalence of 150 cases per 100,000, with a test sensitivity of 70% – which he added was “generous to antigen testing – about 90 infections in that crowd would be expected.
“Maybe your test would pick up 40 of them, miss about 20 and it would also generate about 120 false positives,” he said.
He added: “Of those 90 people, perhaps 40 or 50 of them would be symptomatic. They shouldn’t even be considering going to the event, they shouldn’t be going for antigen testing, they should be phoning their GP and seeking a PCR test.
“So we’re now down to 45 asymptomatic people in that 60,000 people and we’re talking about deploying all of those staff to rapid antigen test.”
Professor Nolan said that in designing a pilot to assess whether it would be a useful addition for safe air travel, it “might have to be a very large study”.
He said it is “not particularly plausible” that antigen tests directly ahead of a flight would pick up case that were not picked up by pre-travel PCR tests done 48 hours beforehand.
“It would mean that you’d have to go from a position of having almost no virus or no virus detectable to having a very large viral load within 24 or 48 hours.”
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We just need more judges who have some bottle and aren’t afraid to hand out the most stringent possible sentences which they have at their disposal. Someone with 40 previous convictions getting a 4 year custodial sentence with a year or 2 suspended just isn’t acceptable anyone.
Came here to say exactly that. It won’t make a blind bit of difference if we have fancy new courthouses, more judges and any more or less impartiality of the judiciary. Judges in criminal law are not doing their job. Simple as.
Brian, the girl was 14 and the boy was 15 at the time of the incident, which took place in 2006.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-spared-jail-in-romeo-case-26876923.html
Under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences Act) 2006, the DPP has discretion in cases where young people who are under the age of consent have sex with each other. If there is simple consent (as opposed to legal consent) between both parties, then the DPP won’t prosecute. However, the girl said that she did not consent to having full sex with the boy. Therefore, the DPP had to take the case. Although she said that she did not consent to full sex, the boy was not charged with rape because it carries a much stronger punishment than the offences to which he pleaded guilty carries.
An example of the DPP’s discretion in such cases is the Tramco nightclub case of alleged rape in 2011.
http://www.ybig.ie/forum/alleged-rape-in-tramco_topic30649_page4.html
Yes.. but the ruling upholds the accepted practice that only boys are charged with statutory rape.. regardless of age.. because the girls are faced with the possibility of getting pregnant… so again if a 14 year old boy has sex with a 16 year old girl … only he goes on the sex offender list……. women still cannot be charged with rape ……
As I said, Brian, the DPP has discretion. If there is simple consent between both parties or if coercion cannot be proven, the boy will not be charged. If the girl in your hypothesis forces herself on the boy then it would be her, not him, who would be guilty of an offence. Even if she is not charged with rape, she could still be charged with defilement or sexual or indecent assault.
My neighbour was a judge soo I’ve met a lot of politicians and legal people and all I can say is they really don’t live in the same 3D space we live in.
Again … why should a male or female be charged with different crimes for the same offence????? Women get charged with sexual assault. . A far lessor crime than rape….
furthermore I was talking about underaged consentual sex in the above case… and in that case the law states that only the boy can be charged with statutory rape… and Denham supported that stance…. So a supreme court judge supports discriminatory laws… disgraceful
Brian, the DPP does not prosecute if there is simple consent between to underage persons who have full sex with each other. If it was the case that both were charged then there would be a possibility that the girl would accuse the boy of rape. Furthermore, a woman being convicted in a circuit court of sexual or indecent assault probably still gets a custodial sentence, still has a criminal record and is also a registered sexual offender. Therefore, she wouldn’t be much better off than a man who is convicted of rape.
Ciarán,
How can the underaged consent? The DPP will prosecute and have done where there has been consent between two underaged.
Paul, there is simple consent, as opposed to legal consent. Have the cases that you refer to been in the news?
Ciarán
I’m more interested in the cases where “simple consent” has been successfully used as a defence.
So-called “statutory rape” is a strict offence, if she’s underaged, you’re guilty – anything else is mitigation.
I’m really curious how a judge acting in the best interests of a child could accept simple consent as a defence.
@Paul Roche
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/icrime/dpp-to-get-file-on-teen-rape-case-160079.html
“While it is illegal for people under 17 to have sex, the DPP can exercise discretion not to institute proceedings against the boy if the girl gave consent or if he believes he will not be able to prove to a court that consent was not given.”
There is no case of “simple consent” being used as a defence because the DPP’s decision not to prosecute meant that it didn’t arise.
That predates the 2012 SC ruling on the “Romeo and Juliet” case Ciarán… I’m more curious about “simple consent”…
The 2012 ruling changes nothing about the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006, which gives the DPP discretion with regard to such cases. As is said in the ybig.ie forum that I have linked above, the DPP decided not to prosecute in the Tramco nightclub case (the post which says this looks like the contents of a newspaper article that have been copied and pasted so I think it’s reliable).
The DPP can decline to prosecute not just because of insufficient evidence but also if it’s not in the public interest to prosecute.
Maybe if the judges handed out proper sentences their workload would be reduced and no need for more resources wasted on the free legal aid gravy train.
I would be curious to see how the salaries & pensions of Irish judges compare to the rest of the 47 Council of Europe Member States.
second highest in Europe….because they are worth it……………..
Ireland’s judges are useless.
Because?
They abhor garlic
Agreed.. Catherine McGuinness, ex supreme court justice was heavily involved in the LRC review of family law… she made sure that a mother’s new lover ( be they male or female) would have more right to a child than an unmarried father …….. The effects of this came true when a dead mother wishes for her child to remain with her new partner were upheld … despite the actual father see his child10 days a month……. turns out the new dad/partner was very wealthy……. We need a Judge ombudsman commissioner to police the judges. …..
@Brian Keelty
“The effects of this came true when a dead mother wishes for her child to remain with her new partner were upheld”
“Judge Catherine Murphy highlighted a psychiatrist’s report, prepared following the mother’s death, which recommended the child remain where he was. A move to his natural father’s home would create further significant loss, the report said, and could reduce the child’s resilience when older.
A more recent psychiatrist’s report ordered by the court made the same recommendation. It described the child as bright and sociable and its author also said she believed the child wished to remain with the mother’s partner. “
well it they would stop revolving door prisons and sentences a judge wouldn’t need to see the same criminal 80 times over a 10 year period
Well it they didn’t skip early for golf and masonic meetings we might get more bang for buck.
Why did they go through the motions of pretending to close Tallaght , Swords, & balbriggan courthouses while now they are saying they want more judges and are building more courthouses through public PRIVATE partnership how do the private investers get payed back I wonder.?
The second highest paid in the world and they are “struggling”. Give us a break.
1st office /Susan denham CEO of the courts service private company for profit.
2nd office/ Susan denham Chief Justice, constitutional office of law.
So who is the master law or profit.?
Vinny, she is the Chair of the Courts Service Board not the CEO. The Courts Service is not a private company. It is a State body. Her primary role is as Chief Justice. Try to get some facts correct if you are going to comment.
Ireland Needs More Judges…THEY HAVE ONLY JUST COME BACK FROM 4 MONTHS HOLIDAYS…FFS…GIVE ME A BREAK….SICK OF THIS @@@@’N Country….
While we’re at it why don’t we follow the recommendations of just about every EU and UN review in the last decade and reform the legal industry. Whatever about lack of judges the disproportionately high wages that experienced and skilled barristers and solicitors means that what ones we do get tend to be of lower quality. My law friends tell me we currently have an excellent supreme court but that recent entrants to lower courts have been of especially low quality. Of course with the number of legal professionals stuffing the seats in the Dáil I don’t exactly see that happening any time soon
Built with public/private partnership… Will we be paying a toll to go to court when these are built?
I wonder how many relatives she has in the legal profession.
Judges are away with the fairies , not living in the real world and are on too much of the taxpayers money . Plus they can’t do their job properly .
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The legal system is only for the wealthy people of Ireland.
The ordinary citizens cannot afford the legal system of Ireland.
McRedmond received over €2,500,000 in unjust payments for Planning Favours yet was found NOT Guilty!
Ireland must be the most corrupt Country in the world!
What action has our elected Government taken to “right the wrongs”!
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