Media

Ireland’s Covid-19 restrictions now second lightest in world

Seen & Heard: Downing tools, new whiskey mark and a lotto ban in bookies

Face masks on Grafton Street, Dublin. File photograph: Dara MacDónaill/The Irish Times

Sun Mar 27 2022 - 12:08

Ireland’s response to Covid-19 is the second lightest in the world, an analysis of 185 countries has found, according to the Sunday Times.

Ongoing tracking of the severity of government measures by the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University puts Ireland above only Mongolia in terms of current restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

There were growing calls last week for the Government to reintroduce some public health restrictions, such as mask wearing on public transport, following a surge in hospital cases, which stood at 1,452 on Saturday.

Construction firms threaten to down tools

Construction firms are threatening to pull out of State housing schemes and road projects which are central to the Government's plans, the Sunday Business Post is reporting.

READ MORE

The companies have warned that “hyperinflation” means the works are no longer viable and that they cannot afford to deliver them, as the costs of steel, timber, diesel and other materials have soared in price.

New US Irish whiskey mark

The Department of Food has said it is committed to engaging with industry on options for a new application of a certification mark for Irish whiskey in the US, according to a report in the Sunday Independent.

Earlier this month, the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) abandoned its application to register the Irish whiskey certification mark in the US. The move had been challenged by West Cork Distillers.

The IWA’s application, made in 2018 but first reported in the Sunday Independent last November, sparked a row in the Irish whiskey industry over who should hold the right to certify the sector’s products as legitimate in America, the largest market for the drink.

Lotto could be €228m winner

The National Lottery could potentially get a €228 million revenue boost – if a proposed new law to ban bookies from offering bets on the Lotto is passed, according to a report in the Sunday Independent. Such a ban would mean that as much as €63.8 million extra would be paid into the Lotto's "good causes" fund, according to a new Red C report commissioned by the operator of the National Lottery, Premier Lotteries Ireland.

The good causes fund is used for community projects and receives 28 per cent of the lottery's revenue. Senator Barry Ward of Fine Gael has brought forward a private members' Bill to ban bookies taking bets on the Lotto.

Welcoming Ukraine into EU

Seven out of 10 Irish people are in favour of Ukraine joining the European Union, significantly higher than the EU average of 52 per cent, a Gallup poll has found, states a report in the Sunday Times.

Ireland is also well ahead of other European countries in terms of support for Ukraine, with 64 per cent wanting the EU to do more, second only to Portugal among member states.

Ireland is more willing to accept refugees from Ukraine without red tape, with 58 per cent of people believing the country should take in “as many as possible” without worrying about bureaucracy.

Renewable energy industry has ‘no confidence’ in Government

The renewable energy industry has “absolutely no confidence” that key State agencies can deliver the major infrastructural upgrades needed to decarbonise the economy.

In a letter sent last week to Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien, Wind Energy Ireland (WEI), an industry body, outlined how renewable energy projects are waiting well over a year for a planning decision, which is more than three times the target deadline of 18 weeks set for strategic infrastructure applications.

In the letter, seen by the Business Post, WEI asked O’Brien to triple the number of in-house staff within An Bord Pleanála’s marine and climate unit, and to also direct the planning agency to prioritise and fast-track wind farm applications immediately.

LATEST STORIES