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The minister has invited the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, their officials and the chief medical officer to a meeting with live event sector on Wednesday. Sam Boal

Minister wants indoor arts and dance classes back in September in line with schools reopening

The Taoiseach, Tánasite and the chief medical officer have been invited to attend a meeting with live entertainment reps.

INDOOR ARTS, DRAMA and dance classes should be back in September in line with the schools reopening, Arts and Culture Minister Catherine Martin has proposed. 

The minister’s office has given an updated note to senior government figures, in addition to her priority proposals for the reopening of the cultural and live entertainment sector, which she submitted two weeks ago. 

In her latest submission, the minister has also requested “a return to full capacity indoor events” with admission on presentation of proof of vaccination.

It is understood she is seeking this from the earliest possible date citing the successful roll out of the vaccination programme and its recent extension to younger cohorts.

The minister is believed to make the case in the note that it is “vital” for producers and festivals to salvage what they can right now and to give them vital lead in times to plan for future events.

Martin is due to meet with representatives from the live entertainment industry on Wednesday. 

Last week there was some controversy that the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the chief medical officer did not attend the stakeholders meeting, despite an invitation being issued. 

When asked if Micheál Martin, Leo Varadkar or Tony Holohan will attend the meeting this week, a government spokesperson told The Journal that the government will shortly publish its roadmap for managing Covid-19, which includes the further re-opening of various sectors from the arts and live entertainment to indoor sports, and the workplace.

“NPHET will meet on Wednesday to provide the latest public health advice, and the sub-committee on Covid will then meet on Friday.

“Cabinet will sit on August 31 to decide and sign off on a comprehensive plan on the next stages, and timelines, for re-opening,” said the spokesperson. 

“Government will work with each sector to facilitate the next stages of that re-opening.

“The Taoiseach regularly meets with various groups and has no issue meeting with the sector when one can be scheduled,” he added. 

The Taoiseach is promising “a comprehensive roadmap” for how restrictions will be lifted over the coming months and the beginning of “a new era in the management of Covid-19″.

Martin said last week that the roadmap will provide a plan up to “hopefully to the end of the year, maybe beyond”. 

The major outstanding issue is the plan, or lack thereof, for the live music and entertainment industry. Advocates within the sector have been pleading for a specific roadmap for their sector for some time but nothing so far has been signed-off. 

Invitation

It is understood that an invitation from Minister Martin’s department arrived today inviting the Taoiseach or an official from his department to attend on Wednesday.

An official rather than the Taoiseach is likely to attend, it is believed.

The sector has for some time looked like the forgotten child as various sectors reopened over the summer months but additional pressure is now being brought to bear.

This is largely because comparisons are difficult to ignore with the massively increased crowds at sporting events and the regularity of live gigs north of the border.

Over the weekend, 40,000 people attended Croke Park for the All-Ireland Hurling final,  with another 40,000 at the football in three weeks’ time. 

Irish bands Kodaline and Fontaines DC have each played large gigs in Northern Ireland in the past week with concert organisers in the Republic pointing out that they cannot even sell tickets let alone host an event. 

NO FEE KODALINE Over 5,000 people attending the Kodaline concert in Belfast, held without restrictions for patrons fully vaccinated or proof of negative Covid test. James Rollins James Rollins

Government sources have said that the live entertainment sector is already front and foremost in the government’s plans, stating that the Minister Martin is free to make a presentation on her proposals to the sub-Cabinet meeting on Friday. 

There is frustration at Cabinet level over the slow pace of some of the easing of restrictions, with some ministers questioning the benefits of some of the rules relative to those being imposed in Europe

While ministers have said there is no real sense as to what NPHET will recommend on Wednesday in terms of the easing of restrictions, though it is believed they are concerned about the rising case numbers. 

However, ministers are concerned that the high level of vaccinations is not being fed into the recommendations, as it is in other countries.

In terms of live music events, senior sources have said they are afraid the window to organise any large-scale music events in September has now been missed, with the summer being lost for the sector. 

With a push for both indoor and outdoor events to reopen, sources stated they would hope to see events in venues like Vicar St, Whelans, and The Olympia operating in October, by the latest.  

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24 Comments
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    Mute ObsidianShine
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:06 PM

    It’s the Fine Gael way!

    391
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    Mute Brian Madden
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:26 PM

    @ObsidianShine: they waste money. That’s their way

    209
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    Mute Brianto
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    Feb 17th 2020, 12:03 AM

    @ObsidianShine: the things I couldn’t do with 70 million…

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    Mute Mathas308
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    Feb 17th 2020, 2:17 AM

    @ObsidianShine: your right it’s their way and Finna fail . The drug companies are a legalized mafia.

    20
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    Mute Jimmy Farrell
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:16 PM

    God the government just can’t help themselves when it comes to spending money!

    268
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    Mute Daimhín De Naois
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    Feb 16th 2020, 8:39 PM

    @Jimmy Farrell: seems that way, doesnt it? You’d imagine knowing the reason behind this would be of great interest. They’re not stupid, they are however cunning individuals and spending large amounts in something quietly, as important as this, without any chance of useful worth for the country’s citizens, is of some benefit to somebody, somewhere. As usual, when its tax money, not any of us.

    83
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    Mute Noely Kelly
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    Feb 16th 2020, 10:02 PM

    @Daimhín De Naois: not tax…it’s all about insurance down the road…

    18
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    Mute Eddie O'Neill
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    Feb 16th 2020, 7:16 PM

    Who signed off on this, was it debated, what was health minister and finance ministers statement?
    What does the private company give back to the state in return for the €75m and what does the state then do with it?
    What does GDPR Office think of this, did they sign off on it?
    What’s to stop this company copying the data and sending it to HQ in China?
    And what if no 400,000 volunteers want to give DNA samples, is the project over and E75m gone then, also will they pay the donor for the sample?

    196
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    Mute Charles McCarthy
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    Feb 16th 2020, 9:58 PM

    @Eddie O’Neill: And in other news today we have a slight front of low pressure from the east of the count,…………………………

    1
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Feb 18th 2020, 11:26 AM

    @Eddie O’Neill: there are a lot of questions that need to be clarified around this issue for sure…….I do wonder about how accurate the author is about the GDPR implications though – the claim that they can move the data to outside the EU and so GDPR protections are gone is just not the case….that’s not how the protection standards work -

    GDPR does apply outside Europe
    The whole point of the GDPR is to protect data belonging to EU citizens and residents. The law, therefore, applies to organizations that handle such data whether they are EU-based organizations or not, known as “extra-territorial effect.”

    I think the author is mistaken or just plain wrong using GDPR to make her case. There are plenty of real concerns about this subject but I don’t think it is helpful to be stoking more confusion and spreading misguided information about data protections .

    2
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    Mute Tony O'Regan
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:09 PM

    “they will have to use public research money to access this data; this means the Irish taxpayer will be paying twice.” That’s the FG way, also sounds like a legal clusterf**k.

    343
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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:19 PM

    So what exactly are we getting for this 70 million! It would make you sick the way our government run this country!

    271
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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:27 PM

    Unbelievable wasters at this stage

    148
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    Mute Darren
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:34 PM

    Government can’t sequence waiting lists never mind the human genome

    108
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    Mute Matthew O'Kane
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:27 PM

    You would be surprised how interested health insurance companies are in your genetics they even give discounts on family tree research its good business to know who has a genetic leening to heart attacks and all kind of genetic illnesses that run in the family that info iz gold dust

    97
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    Mute Mirabelle Stonegate
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    Feb 16th 2020, 7:54 PM

    @Matthew O’Kane: the great thing about health insurance in Ireland, is that they can’t increase the cost of your cover based on medical issues, addictions, smoking, or anything like that.

    13
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    Mute Noely Kelly
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    Feb 16th 2020, 11:17 PM

    @Mirabelle Stonegate: not the truth at all I have been uninsurable since I was 35, as CF should dome in…18 years with no insurance, ma mam took out a “loaded insurance policy”…. as in it had to be paid every 3 months with an extra cost, in case I popped my clogs…my policy matured when I was 35 and Royal Liver said they wouldn’t give me another policy as the stats weren’t in my favour…things might be different now, but that’s the way I and my mam had to handle it… it’s not worth insuring people with an illness as they won’t make their money back…
    Thank this day I am uninsurable.

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    Mute Noely Kelly
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    Feb 16th 2020, 11:22 PM

    @Noely Kelly: to this day I’m uninsurable* and the only policy I ever got, had a surcharge of 33% per year compared to other kids when I was growing up, there is always a load on an insurance policy if your numbers don’t stack up against the average, let no one tell you different

    12
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    Mute Mirabelle Stonegate
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    Feb 17th 2020, 10:01 AM

    @Noely Kelly: royal liver parent an irish health insurer. The only health insurance companies in ireland are vhi, laya, and irish life health.

    Yes, if you are over 35 when you first take out a policy, or take one out after being without for more than 13 weeks, there is an extra loading. This was set in place by the government, and insurers worked hard to ensure the public had every chance to avoid it (the day before this loading came into play, I worked 9am to midnight, taking calls to set up new health insurance policies). This loading is to prompt people to take out insurance younger, rather than to punish for chronic illnesses. I’m 32, with a family history that basically says I should be dead by now. I cant be charged more than someone with zero issues in their family history.

    I worked 6 years in health insurance. I have a degree in it. What you are in about has nothing to do with health insurance. At least, not in ireland. You might be on about life insurance, which is a totally different kettle of fish.

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    Mute Paul Jude Redmond
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    Feb 16th 2020, 7:54 PM

    Further proof if any was needed that successive Irish governments simply cannot manage any project regardless of size. From the children’s hospital to Dail printers, it’s just one screw up after another. This is a fine piece of journalism from the journal. Ie. Credit where it’s due.

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    Mute delmatey
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    Feb 16th 2020, 7:03 PM

    70 million would build 280 houses if construction costs were 250k per house.The mind boggles as to where priorities lie.

    91
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    Mute Daniel Kelly
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    Feb 17th 2020, 12:03 AM

    @delmatey: They probably want to know our (Male/Female) estimated life expectancy so that the pension age can starts after it?

    24
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    Mute Nomad
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:08 PM

    There’ll be a few gingers in China soon

    86
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    Mute Patrick Condon
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    Feb 16th 2020, 10:35 PM

    This data can be severely misused,this data will be sold to insurance companies etc..The government has no right to give such personal data to a Chinese company without individuals consent.

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    Mute Jimmy Cully
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    Feb 16th 2020, 7:37 PM

    It’s probably half for the company and half for their pensions

    38
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    Mute Phil Quinlan
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:04 PM

    If it leads to miracle cures, I’m all for it…

    26
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    Mute Lydia McLoughlin
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:36 PM

    @Phil Quinlan: you’ll only hear about it if it does and then it’ll be such an expensive cure it’ll be out of reach of many.. If it doesn’t work it will be buried!

    78
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    Mute Jensen Bhroin
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:40 PM

    @Phil Quinlan: if it was freely accessible to Irish researchers you would have more people being able to work on it. It was a short sighted decision that leaves the data in the possession of a private company. Since the State funded it it should have done so in a way that allowed the data be used for our benefit most effectively

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    Mute Teresa Ryan
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    Feb 17th 2020, 7:34 AM

    @Phil Quinlan: Why, we all die in the end? Medicine doesn’t really cure anything, only innocolate against certain illnesses.

    1
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    Mute Sean Salmon
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    Feb 17th 2020, 12:05 PM

    @Lydia McLoughlin: 20 years ago we were promised cures for all genetic diseases within 10 years at the most. Needless to say we are still waiting for the first cure. I’d be looking elsewhere for the motive behind this massive funding I doubt that ultimately it will have anything to do with health

    4
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    Mute Noely Kelly
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    Feb 16th 2020, 9:45 PM

    I’m a man, 53 years of age, a CF fighter since birth, I volunteered to be a guinea pig for the new CF drugs a few years back, and was one of the people who helped get Ivacaftor ( Kalydeco ) over the line for other CF’s and myself, it has totally changed my life, I did it for free 6 weeks, 3 times a week with no hesitation, sort of like paying it forward to the people who did the same years ago to keep me going. it wasn’t about money, it was about responsibility to the next generation of CF’s… I’ll be fcuking pissed if I was ever to find out that my Dna was given to a private harvester.. That’s just wrong.

    42
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    Mute Noely Kelly
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    Feb 16th 2020, 9:49 PM

    @Noely Kelly: we are all numbers in this country, not people anymore… private foreign companies, harvesting our DNA, shouldn’t be allowed happen…it’s not right, what is yours, is yours.. unless you choose to share if by signing a form/ contract saying you agree, ..

    38
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    Mute TheDublinGirly
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:25 PM

    Eh – did anyone see the ‘please contribute to our cause’ clickbait. Suspicious?

    26
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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Feb 16th 2020, 6:32 PM

    @TheDublinGirly: no

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    Mute Pauline Fedigan
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    Feb 16th 2020, 8:36 PM

    DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST

    16
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    Mute Hello DAVE!
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    Feb 16th 2020, 7:12 PM

    Tis to create more pixieheads.

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    Mute MOD
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    Feb 16th 2020, 9:58 PM

    Imagine creating a bug that targets certain genomes!!!

    16
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    Mute Michael O' Carroll
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    Feb 16th 2020, 10:43 PM

    How does this compare with the Icelandic project which was done a few years ago? Will participants get any feedback? Will TCD, RCSI and the universities be able to tap into the results? This should be debated more. – MOC

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    Mute Pat Redmond
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    Feb 17th 2020, 8:51 AM

    Do not buy those family DNA home kits to find out about your family tree! The data is harvested in the same way. They are regularly bought as Christmas or birthday presents by unsuspecting families.

    13
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    Mute Moorooka Mick
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    Feb 17th 2020, 3:37 AM

    To protect their mates in the Insurance Business

    12
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    Mute Dnom
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    Feb 16th 2020, 9:40 PM

    This is the work of the civil service. Hard to fathom this. Why at least not use a British firm where there might be some gnome mixing

    12
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    Mute Mary Ward
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    Feb 17th 2020, 4:41 AM

    The govt has failed us. The Govt owe u or me no duty at Al the givt is a count to dail it the dail who has failed failed when td voted to give power to min to use the funds. Our funds.

    9
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    Mute Shirley Moran Breslin
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    Feb 17th 2020, 2:56 AM

    Would it not answer them better to address our problems sitting on their doorstep such as the health system and housing crisis. What about all the sick people in the here and now. People who have to go abroad for treatment with no support of any type from here. Yet they’ll give 70 million to some lab in China…. China

    FG & China – If the cost was quadruple they’d still hand it over.
    Hello… CHINA!! F¤¥<$N

    CHINA!!! Whereùý uh 66e majority of vaccines come from

    11
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    Mute Mary Ward
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    Feb 17th 2020, 4:46 AM

    Sorry up to voter now to go to your own td who voted to pass legislation giving min the key to funds and who refused to exercise mandat they were elected to dail. On 9 year ago to send b lenihan deal back to Brussels req min not dail min lay bill before dail and we do not elect a taoiseach td do. As u are seeing

    5
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    Mute Anthony Clark
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    Feb 17th 2020, 2:17 PM

    Some proper details can be found in link below (no details in above article) – the investment was probably due to them promising 600 jobs in South Dublin.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/dna-collection-company-genomics-medicine-ireland-reports-37-7m-loss-1.4148219

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    Mute aqua5boy
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    Apr 26th 2020, 1:44 PM

    and the final insult? Having sequenced your DNA, they will refuse to give you a copy of what is YOUR OWN DATA. The public need to be urgently educated on the risks outlined here, before consenting to take part – contact your TD.

    1
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