Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE NUMBER OF bomb squad callouts in 2015 has remained almost unchanged compared to last year.
The Defence Forces has released its stats for army operations over the past year, revealing the explosive ordnance disposal team were called out 145 times.
This is slightly more than last year, with 141 callouts, and far less than 250 in 2013.
Last year 53 viable devices were found during callouts, although a figure for the breakdown this year is not yet available.
Bomb disposal comes under the army’s remit for providing aid to civil powers. Other examples from this year include:
Across the world there are currently 424 military personnel serving in fifteen different countries. The two largest deployments are UNIFIL in Lebanon (198 troops) and UNDOF in the Golan Heights (139 troops).
Back home, the largest deployment by far was to tackle flooding earlier this month. A total of 1,000 members of the Defence Forces, along with 160 vehicles, four aircraft, and two boats were brought in.
Another large-scale deployment is likely in the coming days, with more flooding expected as Storm Frank hits the country.
Other deployments at home included:
In September the Defence Forces conducted its first Transfer of Appointment ceremony to mark the handover from the Chief of Staff outgoing, Lt Gen Conor O’Boyle to the incoming Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Time to relax the most stringent lockdown in Europe or risk facing economic fallout.
@Darragh Bowes: if it was stringent from the start we’d be a lot future down the road of recovery.
@Diarmuid Hehir: how much further? From extinguished to extinguished in the world? Or should we wait until they guarantee immortality for all??
@Darragh Bowes: most stringent in Europe.i’d say the Spaniards & Italians might have something to say about that considering they couldn’t leave their homes except for shopping & we had everyone running around for weeks
@Diarmuid Hehir: stringent from the start your not being factual allowing travel to and from affected northern Italy and Cheltenham was not stringent
@Richard Doherty: The governmental propaganda was the most stringent, however. No doubt those listed as essential workers would have preferred more than a weekly national cheer, complete with pictures in places like this.
Maybe make the 20km rule a 50km rule? Open barber shops and bring back the nice weather.
@Peter Cavey: An extra steak on the barbie for every man, woman and child, too?!?
@Hana Barbera: Yum. With a baked potato and pepper sauce.
Get rid of the travel restrictions. Let people visit their families who live in other parts of Ireland
@Just Some Guy: absolutely no good if your family and friends live more than 20 km. Haven’t seen any of them since early March distressing and not good for mental health
Anyone seeing a great reduction in following restriction guidelines among family, friends and neighbours? Not much social distancing happening where I am now.
@Just Some Guy: let the infected areas stay where they are
Makes a plan and then refuses to stick to it or enforce its rules.playing a blinder this week Leo .
Unbelievable
@mac: the government always said it would be under constant review and would change. And it makes perfect sense when dealing with a constantly changing situation. Would you prefer if they stuck to a lockdown that’s no longer needed?
We might be allowed our right to freedom of movement eventually however from the above it’s clear that we will only be allowed that right as we are economic units that can help the tourism industry. That’s it – the only reason.
The proposed roadmap only allows this movement in conjunction with re-opening of hotels, restaurants etc. There is absolutely no empathy with our wish as Irish citizens to see our partners and families as there is no clear economic benefit associated with our doing that.
M Martin is correct that it will be as easy to travel abroad as to travel domestically – and that goes for residents of the ‘pure’ counties as well who will be allowed to return to those ‘pure’ counties from where ever they travel.
Incoming tourists may be offered a test which if clear will allow them travel around the country. Are Irish people being offered a similar test? No – that’s shows the contempt they have for us.
No criticism of Leo allowed on the Journal.ie.
@Paul Mc: God forbid!!!!
@Paul Mc: There’s criticism and then there’s the constant bashing on the journal. Most people see past that sh*te at this stage
About time.
Our lockdown is the strictest in Europe. People are starting to turn on one and other. I heard of someone reporting a neighbour to the Gaurds because they looked like they had a professional looking hair and colour job done.
Simon Harris with his statement: “100,000 people would of died if we didn’t introduce these measures…” – really?!
Time to get back to some sort of normal life with certain restrictions before our economy is wrecked.
Any hopefully for the next pandemic (which shouldn’t be far away) we will have a proper healthcare system.
Nice to know the government leave national decision making to a bunch of unelected civil servants
@Jesus Christ: I’m glad they rely on experts rather than make random uninformed decisions like in the UK
@Bananaquit: One man’s expert may be another man’s idiot. I would seriously question the competence of some of our id…. / sorry experts!
@Bananaquit: remember one of those ‘experts’ was at the centre of the cervical smear scandal last year.
Also the government keep reminding us that they are following WHO guidelines. Yet are making decisions with stricter measures than the WHO guidelines
These same “experts” didn’t recommend travel bans back in March
But yeah, go experts
Let people travel in their own cars and visit family members anywhere in the country in their homes NOT at the beach or in parks. I along with thousands haven’t seen my family in months and going from 5km to 20 km is just madness.
Keep safe everyone and the best of health to all the family.
Moving things from phase 4 to 3 and from 3 to 2 but nothing from phase 5 to 4, which is a direct hit at pubs.
@Peter O Donnell: We might get to have a €7 pint of canned, tepid Guinness in a seat outside a cafe before summers end. If we’re lucky of course!
@Peter O Donnell: they are literally all over the place on the road map – insisting that the 5km rule worked and that people would have spread all over the place without it is not in line with reality – the facts are people have strayed beyond 5 km for 3 weeks now and the cases have not spread all over the place – they emphatically said at the outset the map was a working plan that needed constant review and even though all the measures are met they are being ultra cautious
@Peter O Donnell: unfortunately pubs and restaurants cannot operate profitably until the distancing rules can be abolished. But one would hope that these rules can be changed and that these businesses can be allowed to open sooner. Alternatively the payment of assistance would have to continue in order for these places to survive.
@Dave Hammond: I take it you have proof of these “ facts”?
@Michael Byrne: yep , the same data that was used by nphet using mobile location data of movement – that and my own F&&&&&g eyes
@Peter O Donnell: What pub could open with 2m social distancing. Some pub calculated that he could use 13 percent of its capacity if all seats are taken by groups of 4. To be profitable the pub would need to charge 50 quits for a pint.
There is no room for pub culture with given rules.
@Dave Hammond: what percent of the population did you survey with your own **** eyes? We’re you able to count all the people staying inside their own homes?
@Peter O Donnell: Phase 5 is too far ahead to change before we’ve even entered phase 2.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: stop being so idiotic – i’ve been on the national roads every day for the past 3 weeks – the volumes of traffic are easily up 30% or more since phase one started – and they have that data as I said because the nphet team accessed the patterns of movement and referenced it in their press briefing 6 weeks ago -the point is that extra movement has not resulted in increased deaths or cases and they are being fast and loose with the facts claiming otherwise – i can only summise that you are either in your own la la land for the past 3 weeks if you think that the population has stayed within the 5km rule – venture out over the sunny long weekend and you would have witnessed it yourself – i find it hard to believe you didn’t actually.
Genuinely seeking a scientific answer to the following Q. If I get in my car and drive 5km / 10km / 20km / 50km, what difference does the actual distance make in terms of spreading the virus?
@Virus-free Turkey: None, they can easier trace it but km alone make no sense as you can’t enforce it.
The general view was that you could separate areas from the infected ones. That’s true but could have been done differently.
@8-Bit-Relic: Right-i-o! Thanks for that.
So then, when our acting Min for Health muses over kms., with what is supposed to appear as an intelligent frown, he is actually behaving like the clown he really is. OK. Got that. Progress.
@Virus-free Turkey: 45km
Hold on a second. The government made proposals to nphet to consider moving some restrictions from different phases? Make a decision yourselves. Get your advice from nphet and make the decision, that’s what you are been paid for. Anyway so much about the restrictions re 20k. The emergency powers expired on the 18th of May. And please don’t post a link to citizens information which says they had been extended. They have not. They wont say it in fear people wont be in fear. Remember when they did exist there was regular reports of how many times they were enforced. But after the 18th. nada a mention
@John Doyle: Precisely, we have no political leadership. I’m sure there is decent competent people in Irish politics but none with courage to lead, create the narrative not follow it
@John Doyle: I reckon the recommendation to ‘ask’ came by recommendation by IPEC
@John Doyle: 100%! Government should govern. They should take advice from nphet and then make the decision themselves. They’re too terrified to make a decision in case there’s a second wave and they’re blamed for it.
@John Doyle: 100%! Government should govern. They should take advice from nphet and then make the decision themselves. They’re too terrified to make a decision in case there’s a second wave and they’re blamed for it. Ass covering I think is the political term.
Would have to imagine when they asked NPHET about this the response was positive otherwise he wouldn’t have mentioned it. Cant get peoples hopes up.
@Christopher Fagan: Or can they?
Hope they do the airport testing. Family I haven’t seen in a year were supposed to be visiting next month.
Given the statement of Martin. Are we allowed to drive to the airport if it’s outside the 5/20 km?
I was under the impression that it wasn’t.
How can it cost 200e to be tested seems somyone making a lot of money from this dr on telly last night said it would onely cost him 15e to test
@Paddy Sweetman: i was surprised there wasnt more of an issue around that cost – but then this is ireland – and ya can be sure based on the HSE and the track record of billions wasted that eventually all the details will
Emerge , probably after the inevitable covid tribunal is established to enable legals profession line the pockets on the back of the crisis of the decade – as has been the case fir the past 50 years or so
OPEN THE GYMS
@Emma ⎊: go for a run
Inevitably the Economy will Dictate the speeding up of the relaxation of lockdown..Money will talk..!
Buns to a bear stuff scrap the two week quarantine and get things really moving
The Irish economy relies heavily on tourism particularly on the Dublin high streets until the planes get flying in with tourists we are at nothing.
Reports going around that all retail will be allowed reopen….
Has anyone any idea what phase the kids gaa/football etc will be allowed along with astro pitches/training etc? Kids are starting to be really affected by this lockdown. I can’t find a definitive answer anywhere.
Sad that there is always people who think that it is their God given right to flout the laws / health recommendations.
Those people travelling up the country 70Km to attend funerals then perfoming at the church service, which was attended by way more than the permitted number (10) close relatives/friends
have your say