Latest news with #StVincentsUniversityHospital
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
‘Trusted and admired' court reporter Aodhan O'Faolain dies aged 50
Tributes have been paid to journalist Aodhan O'Faolain who has died aged 50. Mr O'Faolain, who had been diagnosed with cancer, worked as a reporter on High Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court cases for national media organisations. Ray Managh, who worked with Mr O'Faolain for many years in the High Court, said: 'Aodhan was especially trusted and admired for his professionalism and work ethic, his ever-present chirpy smile and his most casual of dress codes, a stand-out feature amid the austere garb of the judicial and legal eagles who deeply respected and admired him ... 'Integrity is defined as moral uprightness, honesty, wholeness and soundness, a single word that describes Aodhan O'Faolain as the outstanding person he was in his personal and professional life. No other news reporter acknowledged better the importance and humanity of integrity in his caring court coverage of some of the saddest civil and criminal cases he had been called upon to cover.' READ MORE Mr Managh noted 'Aodhan was an avid supporter of the Irish rugby and soccer teams' as well as Connacht Rugby and Athlone Town AFC for which he had frequently acted in a public relations capacity. Mr O'Faolain, who formerly worked at Clonmel Nationalist newspaper, died at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin. He is survived by his wife Janet, and parents Micheal and Maura.
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
One in four regular e-scooter users has been involved in a collision, says RSA
Nearly a quarter of regular e-scooter users have been involved in a collision, while one in three have experienced a near miss, research published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has found. All reported collisions involved male riders. The report published on Friday found that e-scooters were now perceived as the most dangerous form of transport in Ireland, surpassing motorcycles in terms of perceived risk. Of those surveyed, 80 per cent said they believed e-scooters were 'not very safe' or 'not at all safe', compared with 70 per cent of participants who thought motorcycles were unsafe. READ MORE The research also found that 5 per cent of adults (classed as those aged 16 years and older) had used an e-scooter in the past 12 months, with 4 per cent being regular users – that is, using an e-scooter at least monthly. Most people who used e-scooters were male (76 per cent), under 35 (75 per cent) and living in Dublin (65 per cent) or urban areas (97 per cent). Dr John Cronin, emergency medicine consultant at St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, and an RSA board member, said e-scooters 'offer real mobility benefits', but also 'bring a high risk of injury'. 'E-scooters have quickly become a popular mode of transport, particularly in our cities, but with that popularity comes vulnerability,' he said. 'As an emergency medicine consultant, I've seen just how frequent and serious the injuries can be when things go wrong – from broken bones to serious head trauma.' Dr Cronin said that e-scooter users 'have very little protection and very little room for error, especially when mixing with larger, faster vehicles'. 'We're seeing a high and growing number of incidents, particularly among younger people, often involving no helmet or use in inappropriate or unsafe settings.' The research also found that one in three e-scooter users rode on footpaths. Using e-scooters on footpaths is not permitted under new regulations as these can pose a safety risk to pedestrians. Speaking further on Drivetime on RTÉ Radio 1, Dr Cronin said e-scooter users had 'limited ability to hit the brakes' when travelling at speed. 'When those small wheels hit something or collide with something – a rock or a stone or an object, a person – you're going to go over very quickly. 'We've seen very severe head injuries. We see a lot of head injuries – a lot of them are minor, but there's a potential for very severe brain injury.' Approximately one in 10 e-scooter users said they carried a child passenger (13 per cent) or an adult passenger (8 per cent). Three in five users said they wore a helmet and two in three wore reflective gear when using an e-scooter. Three in four users surveyed were aware that e-scooters were now legal to use on Irish roads. Though there has been some public uncertainty regarding how e-scooter laws will be enforced, regular users said they considered it likely that they would be caught by the gardaí if they broke the rules. Half of respondents said they believed the new 20km/h speed limit was appropriate, compared to 35 per cent of regular e-scooter users. More than a third (36 per cent) of all respondents said they believed the speed limit was 'too high', compared to 30 per cent of regular e-scooter users. Sarah O'Connor, director of partnerships and external affairs with the RSA, said the findings 'show that while there is support for the new laws among all adults, risk-taking behaviour by e-scooter users is of concern, as is the safety of these users on our roads'. 'As e-scooter use continues to grow, it's essential that riders, pedestrians, and all road users remain aware of and respectful toward one another to ensure everyone's safety,' she said. The research was conducted online by Ipsos B&A last October and comprised a sample of 1,254 participants. A further sample of e-scooter users was included in the survey and was made up of 254 adults under 35 living in urban areas.
Irish Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Artificial intelligence already in use in many parts of public service as guidelines are announced
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being used in parts of the public service including hospitals and the Revenue Commission, the launch of new guidelines for the sector heard on Thursday. Free AI tools such as ChatGPT are not advised for use due to lack of suitable and management under the guidelines, however. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said AI offered 'the potential to radically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public services'. He said the new guidelines 'provide a framework for public servants to really embrace and to use AI across their daily lives'. READ MORE Thursday's event heard how AI was already being used at St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin , where they were exploring the potential for AI to assist with performing heart ultrasound scans to help reduce waiting times for patients. The Revenue Commissioners are using computer-based large language models to route taxpayer queries more efficiently, ensuring faster and better responses. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is developing an AI-supported solution to detect errors in grant applications and reduce processing times for applications. 'Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant reality. It's already shaping our lives, our economy and crucially how governments serve their people,' Mr Chambers said at the launch of the document entitled Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service. The guidelines stated that AI could be used for a number of tasks in the public service such as identifying and categorising data, detecting and monitoring patterns, outliers or anomalies often in real time. It could also use past and existing behaviour and data to predict future outcomes to inform decision making, tailoring services, content or experiences to the needs of users. In addition it could improve communication and interactions between users and systems. AI algorithms could also optimise processes or decision-making. Mr Chambers stressed that humans would remain at the forefront of how AI was to be deployed as a way to enhance public trust in how the government used the technology.
