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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has told the Dáil he intends to seek advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on whether individuals can be permitted to go fishing without breaking the current restrictions in place upon the Irish public.
Current exceptions to leaving home include essential workers travelling to work, and people going to shops for essential items, for vital family healthcare reasons or to take physical exercise within a 2km radius. People over 70 are also being told to stay at home – which is referred to as cocooning.
These restrictions were set to last until 5 May but the government looks set to extend them following guidance from NPHET tomorrow. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said last night he didn’t anticipate the advice would change.
Those restrictions don’t reference if people can go fishing, and Varadkar said today it has come up a few times in discussions he has had.
Government chief whip Sean Kyne had previously raised angling with the chief medical officer and suggested people should be allowed fish in rural settings during a meeting with ministers.
Today, independent Clare TD Michael McNamara raised the matter directly with the Taosieach in the Dáil.
He said: “Tomorrow is May Day. It is the start of the mayfly season on Lough Corrib and Lough Derg. Fishing is something that people have done for generations, through the Spanish influenza, which was far more deadly than this disease has proven to date, and before that. By definition, it is a solitary activity by its nature.
I would ask the Taoiseach to look at that issue in how mayfly fishing is treated. I am not talking about people on jet skis and dangerous activities. I am talking about something that has happened for generations.
Varadkar responded: “I will certainly seek advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, on mayfly fishing. The issue of solitary fishing in general – people fishing on a local lake or river on their own – has come up on a number occasions. It is something that I will seek advice on.”
NPHET is due to meet tomorrow morning before its recommendations on further restrictions are brought to Cabinet at 3pm. The Taoiseach is then due to address the public tomorrow evening.
Ok the journal has mentioned snow so where’s the video of ya man falling on his arse?!
Tis slush at best! Any self-respecting snow’s gotta stick!
Could have picked a better time to switch on the vacuum cleaner!!!
Link to the guy slipping on ice. Never gets stale.
http://youtu.be/RZvCK2o6Zbo
It just had to be Meath, they are in a world of their own up there.
In Meath and all I see is rain :(
@ siobhan, That’s because you’re so hot it melts before it gets near you ;)
Niiice. Modern day Romeo right here
Smoooth Mark, very smooth…..
1 cm of snow in Ireland/ London: airports closed, no shops delivery, schools closed-total disaster. Oslo airport: 50 cm of snow and all flights on the time. Yes, it’s a big suprise in the last week of December you can see snow in North Europe… If the climate changes, all of us should expect winters in Ireland with average -20 C deg. (Like in continental Europe in 18 century-called “small Ice Age”-sun activity was very low). Baltic Sea was frozen per 12 months in a year and there was a pub on ice, in the middle of the sea. It may happen sooner than you think. Sciencists said it may happen in the next 10 years (they discovered sun activity becames very low lately). Anyway, Irish and Polish will survive here-a lot of good vodka and positive attitude let us survive :-D
Jaysis Amaciej. Did Santa not bring you that toy you wanted?
The records show that 2014 will have been the hottest year globally since records began.
As regards the freak cold some regions have experienced, I think meteorologists now understand that because the Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the world, the warm air disrupts weather (eg the polar vortex), and that is what has caused the exceptional freezing weather we have seen channelled down to northern Europe and the US. All part o what is being called global ‘weirding’ of the weather.
We may be in for some of this if the correct confluence of conditions arise. But overall, the whole planet is warming at an alarming rate. Let’s hope we are all smart enough to push for that temperature rise to be kept as low as possible so we can avoid runaway climate change.
We get the wrong sort of snow apparently
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Loving it
White rain ,is all it is
Is there enough to build a snowman? Methinks not!
Maciej- well he can burn the coal santa gave him to keep warm when it goes to -20 – think of it this way Maciej u have a whole year to try be good to make up for last year
It’s not sticking though is it? Get it right up ya
It’s that fine snow that soaks ya through…
Its Snowing in Hucknall, Nottingham.
That’s up in Moylough, strange things happen up there
Wow snow who cares
have your say