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Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Health
- Extra.ie
Everything we know so far as one adult dead after listeriosis outbreak
An adult has died with a confirmed case of the bacterial infection listeriosis amid an 'extensive' outbreak linked to hundreds of types of ready meals, officials have said. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said its National Outbreak Control Team was investigating the outbreak, with nine confirmed cases identified as of Tuesday. It said this was linked to its precautionary recall of ready-to-heat meals. The FSAI had recalled on Tuesday night over 200 different types of ready meals sold in major supermarkets, which it warned could be contaminated with listeria. An adult has died with a confirmed case of the bacterial infection listeriosis amid an 'extensive' outbreak linked to hundreds of types of ready meals, officials have said. Pic: Getty Images The HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre confirmed that it was investigating the death. It said it could not disclose any further details to ensure medical confidentiality. Consumers are being warned not to eat the meals and side dishes as they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacterium. The 201 products include chicken curries, lasagnes, bolognese, pasta bakes, cottage pies, and chow mein. Affected side dishes include ready-made mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, green cabbage and pilau rice. They have been sold in Tesco, SuperValu, Centra, Lidl, Aldi, and other outlets. Affected side dishes include ready-made mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, green cabbage and pilau rice. They have been sold in Tesco, SuperValu, Centra, Lidl, Aldi, and other outlets. Pic: WD Stock Photos/Shutterstock The FSAI has said retailers must remove the implicated products from sale, and display recall notices in their stores. Wholesalers and distributors are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated products, while caterers should not use these products. Consumers are advised not to eat the listed products, and to check their freezers and throw out any of the ready meals mentioned. The products are produced by food manufacturer Bally-Maguire Foods, from Lusk, Co. Dublin, which describes itself as a market leader in chilled ready meals. Its products are marketed under the private label brands of its customers, and the affected products include Tesco's Meals Made Easy, Irish Classics and Finest products. The FSAI has said retailers must remove the implicated products from sale, and display recall notices in their stores. Pic: Sam Boal/ The Happy Pear, Food To Go, Clean Cut, Fuel'd Foods, and Kitchen products are also listed. SuperValu's Signature Taste, SuperValu and Freshly Prepared ranges contain affected products, the FSAI said. Products from Centra's Centra and Freshly Prepared range are also listed, as is the Inspired Cuisine and Special Selected range of Aldi. Other affected products are in the From the Farm and Good Food Locally Sourced brands, sold in various retailers. The full list of products recalled by the Food Safety Authority can be seen at online. Food safety inspectors are working to trace any further products that may have been potentially affected. The FSAI said symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, the infection can be more severe. Some people are more vulnerable to Listeria monocytogenes infections, including pregnant women, babies, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Ballymaguire Foods said that it had taken 'immediate corrective actions' and has apologised to its customers for any concern caused. It said it had issued a full 'precautionary recall' of all products prepared at one of its facilities, after a quality control check identified Listeria bacteria. 'Incidents of this nature are extremely rare for us. We are treating it with the utmost seriousness and are working closely with all parties to manage the situation swiftly and responsibly,' it said in a statement. The company said it had undertaken a full pharmaceutical-grade clean-down of the facility, and 'will resume production once it is confirmed safe to do so'.
Extra.ie
02-07-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Parents of primary school pupils now collecting cans to fund schools
Primary schools across the country have become reliant on the Deposit Return Scheme to raise money to 'keep the lights on'. Parents are increasingly being asked to chip in through fundraisers to make up shortfalls in capital grants, which are used for day-to-day running expenses, including heating and insurance. While the grants are set to rise from €200 per child to €224, teaching unions have said they are at 2007 levels. As a result, parents and children have been asked to take part in multiple fundraisers, including collecting bottles and cans, which can be redeemed for up to 25c via the Deposit Return Scheme. Parents and children have been asked to take part in multiple fundraisers, including collecting bottles and cans, which can be redeemed for up to 25c via the Deposit Return Scheme. Pic: Sam Boal/ Séamus Mulconry of The Catholic Primary School Management Association has said that in many schools, this has now become an 'integral part of their financial planning. They're desperate to raise cash and we have a lot of schools now who are dependent on money from collecting plastic bottles to pay for school essentials,' he told Pat Kenny on Newstalk yesterday. When contacted by the Department of Education said: 'The manner in which voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management.' A spokesman said fundraising must not create a situation where parents or pupils could infer the contributions are compulsory in nature'. The Irish National Teachers Organisation has attributed the increased reliance on fundraising to the insufficient capitation grants offered to schools. It said: 'The capita – tion grants stand at €200 per pupil (due to rise to €224 per pupil from September), the same as it was 14 years ago, despite significant inflationary pressures that have increased operational costs.' Primary schools across the country have become reliant on the Deposit Return Scheme to raise money to 'keep the lights on'. Pic: Maskot/Getty The INTO has called on the Government 'to deliver an increase of €75 per primary pupil' on the capitation grant in the budget. They say the current rate of capitation grants 'has placed an intolerable burden' on school principals, and has seen a rise in teachers and parents participating in fundraising to keep the lights on. Mr Mulcroney noted that by September, there would be €224 per pupil to run schools, but they will receive €536 per head to feed pupils via the School Meals Scheme. 'We're taking good care of pupils in that respect… but we're not taking care of the running costs of the school. We interviewed over 90 schools, and from 2019 to 2024, costs have gone up by 60%. This included cleaning bills going up 60%, insurance 30% and heating 80%. It's all these things together that leave schools struggling. We have always been underfunded, now we're under water.' Labour education spokesman Eoghan Kenny TD has called on the Government to raise the capitation rates in line with inflation. Pic Stephen Collins/Collins Photos Labour education spokesman Eoghan Kenny TD has called on the Government to raise the capitation rates in line with inflation. 'I don't think the department realises the extent of the costs facing schools. Very basic needs are not being met. This is the fault of the Department of Education and this Government,' he said. Social Democrats' education spokeswoman Jen Cummings also called for rates to match inflation. 'Parents are not fundraisers. They are taxpayers who deserve a free education system, not one built on endless appeals for voluntary donations to plug State funding gaps.' Primary schools are also grappling with updating software systems. This comes after the department announced in June that there would be a 30% cut to the ICT minor works grant, used by schools to buy and maintain computer equipment. Ms Cummins said the cuts put extra pressure on schools after Microsoft said it will no longer be servicing Windows 10, a software many schools still rely on. This has created financial difficulties for schools that will soon need to upgrade their systems.
Extra.ie
02-07-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Plans for new Luas lines 'should be fast-tracked'
An ambitious plan for the future of the Luas would see two new circular lines running on the outskirts of Dublin city centre, along with an orbital route outside the M50 motorway. One of the suggested circular lines would run from Finglas past DCU, through Drumcondra, along Griffith Avenue, and on to Marino and Fairview. The Luas 2050 vision would also include new lines to Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Balgriffin, and Clongriffin, according to an internal presentation from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). A new Luas line 'should be fast-tracked'. Pic: Getty Images It said light rail would be a key part of future public transport in the capital and plans for new lines should be accelerated. However, it found issues with the existing Luas network and highlighted that there are not enough trams on the Red Line which connects the Docklands to Tallaght and Saggart. It said there are constraints to increasing services and managing future demand, but there may now be an 'appetite to address' some of the challenges, given the success of the Luas network. TII said longer 55-metre trams might not be a solution as they are slower, and so much of the Red Line is shared with cars. Pic: Sam Boal/ It said that this has created possible safety issues, and more trams are needed instead of longer vehicles. The presentation said the capacity of the Green Line, which runs from Broombridge to Sandyford and Bride's Glen is 'OK for [the] short term'. It said some changes and increases in service were possible, and this could be accommodated with the existing fleet of trams. TII said there were issues with depots, with the main facility at Sandyford 'land constrained' and unsuitable for expansion. The presentation said there is room at Broombridge for an increase in size, but this is not ideal 'for operational reasons.' Pic: It said an option around land acquisition and possible expansion at the Red Cow could also be looked at in the future. The slideshow also put forward the possibility of adding lines, including an ambitious plan for circle routes over the next 25 years. It said in the short term, work should continue on an extension to Poolbeg as well as studies on the efficiency and flexibility of the Red and Green Lines. The slideshow suggested a 'new Luas project' should be examined, with one possibility being a connection to UCD. It also recommended moving forward with an extension to Bray with an indicative start date of between 2028 and 2030. The document said workshops on accelerating project delivery would be useful to help speed up development of new projects. The presentation said, from 2029 onwards, they should be starting work on a new Luas line every one to two years to have an advanced network by 2050. A spokesman for TII said: 'Transport Infrastructure Ireland, taking a strategic look ahead to 2050, allows for public and decision-making bodies – such as the Department of Transport and National Transport Authority – to see where potential investments can be made to support the country's future growth and development.'
Extra.ie
25-06-2025
- General
- Extra.ie
Watch: Moment lorry driver rescues man from burning building in Dublin
A lorry driver who reversed his truck up to a burning building in Dublin is being hailed a hero for saving a man's life. The man had been trapped on the third floor of the four-storey building on Granby Row in Dublin 1, as smoke billowed from the windows out onto the street, when the quick-thinking lorry driver reversed his lorry directly outside the burning building. After a minute or so, a man can be seen jumping from a window onto the top of the lorry to the amazement of a group of onlookers who had gathered at the scene. Dublin Fire Brigade and An Garda Síochána at the scene of a fire on Granby Row. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos The lorry driver, who has since been identified as Polish man, Tomasz Zareba. Fire in Dublin this morning 😯 weldone to the truck driver 👌 👏💯 — ThisisDublin (@Thisisdublin0) June 24, 2025 Three people were hospitalised following the blaze, with gardai and Dublin Fire Brigade attending the scene. The street remained closed on Tuesday afternoon with local diversions in place, and Dublin Bus were among public transport operators implementing diversions as a result.
Extra.ie
22-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Jarring details as 150 attacks on Irish Rail trains were reported in 2024
Nearly 150 attacks on passengers and staff were reported to Irish Rail last year, including an alleged sexual assault on the Dublin to Cork service. The incidents were among over 1,500 cases of anti-social behaviour or criminal activity which occurred on trains or in stations during 2024. These included a number of hate speech episodes – including a case of racial abuse that happened on a train from Dublin to Waterford – and a 'hate incident' on board another intercity service. Pic: Rolling News In May, a customer alleged they were the victim of a sexual assault while travelling on the Dublin to Cork route, according to data released by Irish Rail under Freedom of Information legislation. Dozens of other assaults were also reported, which included attacks on passengers, on employees of Irish Rail, and on contractors working for them. On one rail service from Mallow to Tralee last spring, there was an allegation of 'inappropriate touching' on board the train. Pic: Getty Images In another case last March, a customer claimed they were the victim of an assault by gardaí and staff at Cork's Kent Station. Last December, a passenger spat in the face of an Irish Rail employee after they were refused travel at Newbridge Station in Kildare. Other incidents of anti-social behaviour included a man brandishing a knife and another person who was filming fellow passengers on board a train to Portlaoise. Pic: Sam Boal/ In one case, a threat was made to bomb a station on the X social media platform, while pickpockets were reported on one train service. There were a total of 278 incidents where a member of the public or a member of staff suffered an injury. This included a case where a passenger was hit by part of a lift that fell off at Mallow Station in Co. Cork. Another incident involved 'lewd behaviour' on board a Galway train that caused psychological distress to witnesses, which was one of at least 30 similar reports of 'lewd' activity. There were at least a dozen cases where people fell onto platforms or tripped in the gap between the platform and the train. Other incidents included a person hit by a falling piece of luggage, another who walked into a pole, and multiple passengers who were hit by ticket validator machines. One person sustained a needlestick injury at Portlaoise Station while numerous passengers either fell while getting on board or alighting from trains. Irish Rail also reported 27 cases of what they call 'category one' near misses, where people get onto tracks or are narrowly missed by trains. This included trespassers walking on railway lines, graffiti artists trying to spray paint trains or buildings, and other similar incidents. There were also numerous reports of damage to trains. The windows of one train were shattered, with two separate incidents of 'soiling'. Other incidents logged by Irish Rail last year included a catalogue of cases involving aggressive behaviour—a large number of these involved intoxicated people. Reports of begging and selling of tissues were also reported to Irish Rail.
