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Updated at 11.50am
A STATUS ORANGE snow-ice warning has been issued for seven counties in the east of Ireland, as the country gears up for an “exceptionally cold” week.
The wintry chill from Siberia has already began sweeping across Europe, with Ireland set to get hit with snow showers on what is to be a very cold Monday, according to Met Éireann.
The snow-ice warning has been issued for Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Louth, Wicklow and Meath.
The warning will be valid from 3pm tomorrow until 11am on Wednesday.
Met Éireann has warned that scattered snow showers later tomorrow evening will lead to accumulations of between 4cm to 6cm by Wednesday morning.
The government’s National Emergency Coordination Group for Severe Weather is meeting today to make preparations for the coming days.
A weather advisory warning issued yesterday said that air and ground temperatures will be five to 10 degrees below normal, with “significant wind chill and penetrating severe frosts”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Met Éireann’s Evelyn Cusack said it’ll be close to “blizzard conditions” at stages throughout the week.
She added that it is possible that a red nationwide warning could be issued this week, which would be the first time since last year’s Storm Ophelia.
The forecast for today predicts “very cold” temperatures and “generally dry, but some snow flurries are likely later today in eastern coastal counties”.
Temperatures will plunge overnight, ranging from -2 to -5 degrees.
Snow showers are set to become fairly frequent across Leinster, east Ulster and southeast Munster tomorrow night.
Wednesday looks set to be the day the “Beast from the East” bites hardest, with daytime temperatures only ranging from -1 to 2 degrees.
Again the snow will be heaviest in the east of the country with frost and ice nationwide, before plunging to -7 degrees overnight into Thursday.
To prepare for the freezing conditions, the government’s severe weather task force will meet at 10.30am this morning.
Homelessness
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government advises that this “weather event is likely to have a significant and disruptive impact”.
It advises the public to be aware of Met Éireann’s yellow, orange and red warnings, and to take appropriate action.
Irish Water has mobilised its crisis management arrangements to deal with the expected weather, as severe weather can result in big demand increases on its network with additional pipe bursts and additional water use.
Minister Eoghan Murphy, meanwhile, has said that extra beds will be made available to rough sleepers in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford during this week. He said that rough sleepers require additional supports and the government is “working hard to implement solutions”.
Also speaking on Morning Ireland, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) director Eileen Gleeson urged anyone who sees a rough sleeper in the capital to report it using its online facility so that they can respond.
Gleeson said that it is possible that people sleeping on the streets may not be aware of the weather that is being forecast.
She said: “That is our biggest challenge. They may not be aware of what’s coming. It’s also vital that anyone who sees someone homeless out there report it so we can respond.”
Inner City Helping Homeless will be issuing thermal clothing from its office on Amien Street today, after receiving the donation of clothing from Marks and Spencer.
Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, said the charity has been working with the DRHE and local authorities “to coordinate our response” and “will be putting in place a series of exceptional measures this week in order to get as many people out of the extreme cold weather which represents a clear threat to life for people who sleep rough”.
Older people
Alone, the charity that supports older people to age at home, has encouraged members of the public to look out for older people in the community who may live alone.
Seán Moynihan, CEO of Alone, said: “Cold temperatures can have a serious effect on many older people, in particular those living alone, those with health issues, and those with limited mobility.”
Moynihan encouraged older people to prioritise their spending on heating during the cold weather, noting that half of so-called ‘excess winter deaths’ experienced in Ireland can be linked to heating issues.
He said that, based on 2013 figures, one in 10 people aged over 65 who lived alone were unable to keep their homes adequately warm.
We are calling on all members of the public to remember their older neighbours living alone, and to consider their needs.
“We’re advising older people to stay warm in the cold weather by ensuring they have adequate home heating, wearing layers of light but warm clothing, eating at least one hot meal a day and staying indoors where possible,” Moynihan said.
Workers
Employers are being advised to remain vigilant this week in relation to the weather conditions over the next few days.
The Irish SME Association has noted that unlike Storm Ophelia, employers now have the opportunity to prepare for this weather event.
The association is advising employers to take time to put measures in place to reduce the potential business impact the weather could have.
It said employers should have up-to-date contact information for all employees within the organisation in case a last-minute decision needs to be communicated to staff members. It also said a plan should be put in place regarding how to communicate to customers and clients about the potential impact closing the business could have.
“Flexibility should be allowed for employees, especially those who have some distance to travel. Where employees are present in the workplace, care should be taken to remain vigilant for any worsening conditions and cancelled/amended travel services throughout the day,” a statement from the association said.
With reporting by Órla Ryan and Hayley Halpin
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How bout longer sentences for the people committing the crimes and then in turn there will be less people needing to hide behind the screens
@Dlow Brown: careful, the liberal left brigade and their allies the Irish Council for Civil Liberties will have you shut down for hate speech!
@Damien Mooney: your an idiot the vast majority of people want longer sentences regardless of political leanings
@Kevin Finnegan: can please elect some of this vast majority so that they reflect they opinions of the vast majority.
@Dave Doyle: Judges aren’t elected.
@Lisa Saputo: the elected officials make laws….those laws can include mandatory minimum sentences or whatever the law makers set as the law. The law makers need to be tougher…IMHO. Then the judges will not be able to squirm out. We could very easily have a 3 strikes out law
@Dave Doyle: @Dave Doyle: well said. The ‘vast majority’ are happy to peddle faux outrage. Signing the latest petition on change.org to have Martin Nolan fired while banging furiously into their keyboards such inane comments as “there are no words”
“Should rot in hell”
“Suspended sentence a joke”
“Down with this sort of thing”
“Have they no homes to go to”
@Kevin Finnegan: ah right, so this elusive bunch of people known as ‘the majority of people’ elected you as their spokesman? What are you and your merry band of followers doing about lenient sentences then, apart from writing asinine, meaningless sentences into the journal.ie ? How many letters have you sent to the dept of justice and law reform, and the DPP herself, asking that lenient sentences be reviewed? Perhaps we could meet up and pursue a strategy, I’ve sent several so far this year with a few more ready to go.
Or are you happy to peddle your faux outrage on Facebook in the faint hope that Ms Loftus will log into the journal.ie and read your comments and discover the horror of Martin Nolan’s work?
@Damien Mooney: haha I’ve never met or talked to anybody who was like you know what our criminal justice system really does the job well why should people get long sentences sure just give them a slap on the wrist and it’ll be grand! And as to what I do about it I try my best to be informed and vote for someone who shares my belief that there needs to be serious reform. It’s gas that you started going of on all that when my original comment was about you basically saying only people on the right care about stuff like this
@Damien Mooney: haha faux outrage you know f&ck all about me but sure believe whatever you want and just smear people on the left to make yourself feel good
About time this has been the norm in the UK for years
@Sonya Couch Dillon: VERY TRUE, & also in fact, ( to save some extra, IMO, monies on the transport of Criminals, as they are mostly brought to & from the Courts by private securicor type firms ) Judges & Govenors can order a video-link from the prison to the Court, & that goes from your Tax evader to the more Heinous Murderer type crimes & Screens & video-link testimonies have been in use in the UK for some time now, although there is some speculation that the “evidence” may not be as pure as an actual person in the Courtroom as opposed to a “link”.https://www.eyenetwork.com/judicial/court-video-link/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxtPYBRD6ARIsAKs1XJ5wX0SUMQncL-BPsfdJr4WF7O-F_chW3TUUB9Y0sWu05GVoEJE1GcYaAvHVEALw_wcB
@Michael Kelly: Video link in operation here too, but our system is slightly different. A prisoner has a right to be present . As for the private security companies , too easily infiltrated by crime gangs.
@Michael Kelly: Careful there, You’re interfering with the super incomes of the legal profession!
Now get wrid of the stupid “reducing”of sentences and let them serve a full sentence. Also lock up repeat offenders for robbery, serious assault or any repeated crimes.
@Mick12:
The reduction in the sentence on foot of a plea of guilty is pragmatism on the part of judges to reduce the waiting list of cases. The reduction is relatively small and criminals convicted of serious sexual offences are listed on the sex offenders register so that there are legal grounds for monitoring them closely after they have served their sentences.
@Mick12: Will never happen here. Sure would’nt it be an injustice not to fill the pockets of the poor auld Ambulance chasers.
Long over due ,glad to see some one is listening .
More prisons please and longer sentences. That is what people want. Imagine the money saved from criminals not being able to father children, save on children’s allowance, save on future criminals ever being born, save on council housing, save on dole money for future offspring etc etc.
Indeed , aren’t we all behind a screen giving evidence in some way
@Noel Walsh: deep
@Noel Walsh: give it a rest noel
@Noel Walsh: Did you forget to switch accounts before replying to yourself?
@Free comment ratings: Ha ! He’s got you there Noel !
This is all about gradually changing the rules of evidence in order to tip the balance against the accused (who in any just society must be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law). What it will lead to is the thwarting of justice, where more innocent men, who have been maliciously (falsely) accused of rape or sexual assault, will be convicted and their lives destroyed. It is the holy grail of feminazis and the large misandrist element within the media, and certain political organisations, to prevent the full and fair cross-examination of complainants in court (such cross-examination being necessary in order to get to the truth and a just outcome in such cases). It is all part of the downgrading of evidence and examination.
Where man-haters want to get to is the point where all requirements for evidence and examination are dispensed with, and a potentially innocent man’s life can be destroyed in law simply by the word of a woman, even if she is not telling the truth.
I agree entirely with the contents of the ministerial order (and a new sentencing guideline) however the aspect preventing cross examination (as reported above) is incompatible with Art 38.1 and the established dicta in [In Re Haughey, 1IR1, 1971] and European conventions. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a challenge to that section of the order alone. Imagine acting for yourself and, in your own defense you weren’t allowed ask certain questions or challenge the prosecution evidence or put your own case forward in rebuttal. Just doesn’t seem right.
Even the headline in this media article is deliberately misleading. Complainants during such cases are not “victims”, as in the middle of a trial (particularly trials involving alleged sexual offences) it has not yet been proven that a crime has been committed, nor that the accused has done it. One only becomes a “victim” if it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt in court that a crime has been committed, and that the accused is guilty.
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