GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. An internal investigation has been launched after allegations were made that an unconscious patient, who later required resuscitation, was left by a paramedic at an emergency department with a note on his chest saying the paramedic was finished his shift and that someone would be with the patient soon, The Journal has learned.
The incident happened at a Dublin hospital on 23 March.
The patient had been picked up by a Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance following a 999 call. He was brought to the emergency department at the hospital where he was in an unconscious but stable state.
The patient was then allegedly left at the hospital by DFB until he required resuscitation, Garreth MacNamee writes in today’s lead story.
2. Intense fighting is raging in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region where Russia has been concentrating its forces without making significant progress, while “very difficult negotiations” were underway over the fate of the last besieged defenders in the city of Mariupol.
Europe yesterday pledged another €500 million in military support for Ukraine as it resists the Russian invasion that began on 24 February, while Sweden and Finland’s moves towards joining Nato hit multiple obstacles.
3. The US and EU is leading an international outcry today after Israeli police charged the funeral procession in Jerusalem of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and beat pallbearers who almost dropped her coffin.
Thousands of people packed Jerusalem’s Old City yesterday for the burial of the veteran Al Jazeera journalist, two days after she was killed in an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank.
Television footage showed the pallbearers struggling to stop Abu Akleh’s casket from falling to the ground as baton-wielding police officers charged towards them, grabbing Palestinian flags from mourners.
The United States said it was “deeply troubled” by the scenes, while the European Union said it was “appalled” by the “unnecessary force”.
4. Two men were arrested after a man in his 20s was shot in a supermarket car park in the St Margaret’s Road area of Finglas yesterday evening.
Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene in the North Dublin suburb at around 5pm.
The man was discovered with what gardaí described in a statement tonight as an apparent gunshot wound. It’s understood he was shot in the leg.
5. Planning is currently underway for the HSE’s autumn Covid-19 booster campaign.
Whether or not this campaign will be for everyone, or just specific groups of people, will be fleshed out closer to the date. The fine print will likely be dictated by whether or not second-generation vaccines are available.
“What we’re doing is we’re planning on that basis [that there will be an autumn booster campaign]. And then obviously, if the advice comes that we don’t need to do that, then we’ll be able to step back from that,” Damien McCallion, the HSE’s national director for vaccination, told The Journal.
6. Irish Water has faced some issues replacing lead piping within homes around the country, with the organisation reporting that some homeowners are not giving permission to have work completed.
The issues were raised in a recent report by the Water Advisory Body, which said that the difficulties have particularly come from getting permission to replace back garden piping, where consent may be needed from multiple homeowners.
“The WAB also notes that Irish Water has continued to encounter difficulties in accessing shared and backyard service replacements, as some homeowners have refused to sign the necessary consent forms for works to be carried out on private property,” reads the report.
7. There is a set process in deciding where the Eurovision Song Contest is staged next year in the event that Ukraine win the final in Turin’s Pala Alpitour tonight, the head of the European Broadcasting Union has said.
Speaking to The Journal at the Eurovision press centre yesterday, EBU Director General Noel Curran – who previously held the same role at RTÉ – also said it was unlikely Russia would take part in the 2023 contest as a process is under way to fully suspend its broadcasters from the organisation.
Folk hip-hop act Kalush Orchestra are overwhelming favourites to claim the top prize for Ukraine tonight with their song Stefania.
8. The new citizens’ assembly on biodiversity is meeting in person for the first time today to begin its work forming recommendations on how Ireland can tackle biodiversity loss.
Over the next six months, 99 randomly selected citizens and chair Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin will convene regularly to hear from experts and ultimately send recommendations to Government on how to restore biodiversity and prevent further loss.
The long-awaited assembly, first put forward in 2019 as the government declared a biodiversity emergency, is meeting physically today at Dublin Castle for the first time after formally launching its term last month.
9. And finally, the weather.
Any lingering mist and fog patches will clear this morning to leave a dry day in most areas with varying cloud and sunny spells, according to Met Éireann.
It will be warm with top temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees Celsius.
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