Irish holidaymakers travelling to Europe warned of risk of mosquito-borne disease
Irish holidaymakers travelling to Europe are facing a double threat of soaring temperatures and a rise in mosquito-borne illnesses this summer.
The double dangers of heatwave and illnesses such as dengue – a viral infection transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes – could pose a risk and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has launched a new series of weekly surveillance updates to help public health authorities monitor mosquito-borne diseases.
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bernard O'Shea: Observe the Constitution of the Irish Family Holiday
There's a particular look Irish people get when you mention a family holiday. It's a mix of hope, dread, and a kind of facial tension. On paper, it sounds idyllic: You, your siblings, their spouses, the grandchildren, maybe a stray cousin who's 'between places' — all heading off together for a glorious week of bonding in a rented house by the sea. But in practice? It's like being in a low-budget reality show called Survivor: Inch Beach Edition. Let me say this upfront: I love my family. But I also love silence, wi-fi, personal space, and not being judged for watching endless hours of old Dragons Den episodes on YouTube. The problem is that Irish family holidays have evolved in to something else entirely — a pressure cooker of good intentions, passive aggression, and 17 breakfast preferences. And it's time we acknowledged the truth: Without formal governance, Irish family holidays descend into chaos. This is why, dear reader, I am proposing something bold. Something brave. Something entirely unnecessary, but deeply satisfying: A family holiday constitution. Let's examine how we arrived at this point. IV. The Constitution of the Irish Family Holiday (Ratified somewhere between a broken beach chair and a tray of cocktail sausages) Article I: The Person Who Books the Accommodation Is Automatically the Taoiseach They are not the Mammy. They are not the boss. But they are the Taoiseach for the duration. You will respect their Google Sheets. You will not question the mattress's firmness. And you will definitely not say, 'Could we have gotten somewhere closer to the beach?' Article II: No Single Fry Is Truly a 'Shared Fry' If someone cooks a fry, they are not expected to also clean up, entertain children, or fetch brown sauce. And under no circumstances should anyone say, 'Are there no mushrooms?' That person may be legally ejected from the group. Article III: All Discussions of 'The Budget' Must Happen Before the Holiday There shall be no whispered accusations of overspending after the third bottle of rosé. If someone didn't chip in properly, bring it up in April, not now, while they're slicing brie beside the fire pit. You shall adopt the 'sure, it's only once a year' rule. Yes, the children will need braces, but you also need another pair of Raybans. Article IV: The Wi-Fi Password Must Be Shared Promptly and Without Attitude The smug withholding of the wi-fi password shall be considered a hostile act. You may not say, 'Oh, I have it, but I don't know if I should share it; it's acting up.' You shall share it. You shall do so gladly, even with that nephew who will absolutely use it to Google 'giant tractors' all day. Article V: Silent Judgement of Parenting Styles Is Permitted. Verbal Comments Are Not. You may raise your eyebrows when someone lets their toddler eat a Cornetto at 10am. But you may not say, 'Interesting technique.' That is an act of war. The full realisation of your own parenting limitations must be fully realised before raising one's eyebrow. Article VI: Dishwasher Tetris Is a Sacred Ritual Only the designated dishwasher priest may perform re-stacking ceremonies. Any interference shall result in a mandatory, three-day rotation of the tea towels. Article VII: Day Three Is for Fighting Everyone shall be allowed one passive-aggressive meltdown midweek. This is healthy and traditional. After which, all parties must apologise, blame tiredness, and go for a walk they don't enjoy. The participants shall be allowed to hold a grudge over the tiniest issue until the day they pass away formally. Article VIII: One Person Shall Cry. That Is Normal. It could be the toddler. It could be the gran. It could be you sitting in the car eating a breakfast roll, while Spotify plays an unskippable ad about a weight loss meditation app. Let it happen. Article IX: There Shall Be No Conversations About Fridges After 9pm All rows about who left what uncovered, what's going 'whiffy,' or whether the feta is yours must be postponed until the morning. Especially if there's drink involved. Article X: No One Is Allowed to Say 'Sure, It's Only a Week' Unless They're Doing All the Cooking If you say this while sitting down, holding a glass of wine, and watching someone else try to get sun cream onto a screaming child, you will be fined €50 and assigned bin duty. If anyone consistently brings up the day you have to leave, they shall be asked to leave. If someone tries to force the entire house to 'go to bed' on the last night of the holiday, so they don't miss the flight, they shall be ejected immediately. V. Final Reflections From the Car Journey Home You'd think we'd learn. You'd think, after the cold showers, the burnt sausages, the five-hour board game row about Monopoly rules, that we'd say, 'Never again.' But no. We're Irish. We thrive in this exact kind of chaos. We complain, we cry, we rebook. Because somewhere in between the burnt toast, the dodgy wi-fi, and the mysterious smell in the utility room, something real happens. The children bond. The cousins laugh. Someone finds a jelly shoe from 2003. And you remember that it's not really about the house, or the rota, or even the sleep. It's about family. The weird, wonderful, maddening, lovely family. So, yes — next year, we'll do it all again. But this time, I'm laminating the constitution.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Water fixes will come at a delayed cost
One of the most counterintuitive news stories of the year surfaced on Wednesday when we learned of the threat to our drinkable water supply. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that the water supply for half a million Irish people is at risk, naming several areas that have a supply which is neither robust nor resilient. Among the areas under threat are Limerick City (115,000 people), Co Kildare (81,000), one supply in Louth (46,000), Glashaboy in Cork (23,000), and almost 21,000 people in Wexford town. To the lay person, it may seem extraordinary that a country with such plentiful rainfall should have issues with its supply of drinkable water — the issue is, of course, more complicated than that. Micheál Lehane, director for the EPA's office of radiation protection and environmental monitoring, has stated that long-term sustained investment in water infrastructure is needed, while there are also more immediate challenges. For instance, only 37% of public-sided lead connections have so far been removed. While this is slow work by Uisce Éireann, that organisation is not helped by the failure of the Department of Housing and the Department of Health in publishing a plan on lead replacement in public buildings. That failure means nobody knows how many public buildings have unsafe levels of lead in their drinking water. Lately, we have seen a focus on the challenge of water supplies for major infrastructural projects, and by calling these issues out, the likes of Seán O'Driscoll of the Economic and Social Research Institute have done the State considerable service. However, when Dr Lehane says sustained investment in our water service infrastructure is needed to provide drinking water resilience, that means money. And money means charges. Despite the ham-fisted way in which water charges were mooted a decade ago, and the widespread protests against those charges, we will eventually have to face a hard fact. A safe, reliable water supply costs money, and we will have to pay for it. Powerful message in the name of Pride Last weekend, the Budapest Pride march took place in the Hungarian capital, attended by more than 200,000 people. In a piece for this newspaper, Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman wrote: 'In 30-degree heat, this enormous crowd slowly walked the 2.5km Pride Parade route from the City Hall, crossing the gigantic Elizabeth bridge, and finishing along the west bank of the Danube river. There were so many people, it took over three hours to cover the short route.' The significance of the march and the vast crowd who participated is that it took place in the face of strong opposition from the Hungarian government. The country's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, issued a statement earlier this year advising the organisers of Pride 'not to bother preparing for this year's parade. It would be a waste of money and time'. Participants in the Pride march cross the Elisabeth Bridge in Budapest, Hungary. Picture: Rudolf Karancsi/AP Mr Orbán is close to leaders such as US president Donald Trump and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and has openly sympathised with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Widely regarded as an authoritarian presence, after telling the Pride march organisers 'not to bother' running their event, he and his government gave permission for up to four 'counter-demonstrations' to take place — including one by the Our Homeland Movement, a haven for far-right extremists. In contrast, those who took part in the Pride march risked fines, while facial recognition technology was deployed to identify participants. The event organisers themselves were liable for criminal prosecution. Those marching sent a powerful message to their government, rejecting their efforts to spread a message of hate. In the modern world, we are often at a loss when it comes to registering our opposition to the creep — both gradual and swift — of intolerance. Those marching through the streets of Budapest last weekend showed by their presence that they want no part of Mr Orbán's vision for Hungary, and they deserve huge credit for their bravery in doing so. Sheer generosity of Brother Crowley The death was announced on Wednesday of Brother Kevin Crowley, founder of the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin. He was 90. Brother Crowley was born in Enniskeane in West Cork and founded the day centre in 1969, which provides food and services for approximately 800 people every day. The contribution he made to Irish society was immense. President Michael D Higgins paid a warm tribute, describing him as 'a warm, caring, yet fearless man, who dedicated his life to living his Christian faith in dedication to those most in need', and itemising the invaluable contribution of the day centre: 'The hot meals, food parcels, clothing, showers, family services, and medical and dental services have not just extended care of the most vulnerable, but has been exemplary in showing a fundamental respect for the dignity of each person and allowed so many of those who have availed of the services to rebuild their lives.' Brother Crowley and his colleagues saved many lives through practical intervention rather than by formulating plans or muttering platitudes. As noted by the president, they also respected the dignity of those people using their services. The record of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been terrible in many areas of Irish life, but it would be remiss not to acknowledge the contribution of someone who helped thousands of people through deeds rather than preaching. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Read More Irish Examiner view: Education is a priceless asset
Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Irish Independent
HSE issue safety alert as two brands of ‘nicotine-free' vapes found to contain nicotine
The warning from the HSE's National Environmental Health Service (NEHS) said the products have nicotine at concentrations of 18.8 mg/ml to for than 30 mg/ml following analysis by the State Laboratory. In comparison, a single traditional cigarette can contain anywhere from six to 28 mg of nicotine, but the average is around 10-12 mg. The products involved are: In a statement, the HSE said that people can return them to the shop where they were bought and retailers have been asked to stop selling them. Margaret Ruddy, Principal Environmental Health Officer, HSE said: 'We are continuing to identify non-compliant products on the Irish market. These six most recent alerts are for products labelled as containing 'no nicotine', but following laboratory analysis by the State Laboratory we found that they have concentrations as high as 30.0 mg/ml. In response to finding non-compliant and unsafe products on the Irish market, the HSE National Environmental Health Service will continue to exercise its full legal powers to protect public health, this includes product seizure, product destruction and prosecutions. 'Retailers should be checking both the products themselves and their suppliers' details before selling them on to consumers. Otherwise, they may not only be putting the consumer at risk, they may be breaking the law and making it more difficult to trace and seek the recall and withdrawal of dangerous batches of such products.' As a precautionary measure, the HSE is advising consumers to check the electronic cigarettes they may have, against the products involved in these alerts. If they have any of these products, they should stop using them and return them to the shop where they were purchased. If they have used these products and experienced any ill effects, they should contact their General Practitioner for advice and notify the HSE at The message to retailers is that if they have any of the products in these alerts they must remove them from sale and contact the HSE at providing product and full traceability details. If they have sold or distributed any of the products above, a recall notice must be displayed in a prominent position in your retail premises and on your website and social media. The HSE said it has contacted distributors and importers of vapes and refill containers known to the HSE and made them aware of this issue and will be following up as required. The HSE National Environmental Health Service has published advice leaflets for retailers and importers/manufacturers to advise them of their legal obligations. These leaflets are available on the HSE website. Each year the HSE samples a variety of e-cigarette and refill containers that are for sale on the Irish market. The samples are analysed for nicotine concentration and volume of liquid. Where the HSE establishes that an electronic cigarettes and refill container poses a serious risk to public safety an European Safety Alert notice is initiated. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer, importer, distributor and retailer to ensure that products they sell complies with legislative requirements.
