June 7, 2020 · Issue no 10,213 · thesundaytimes.ie RoI €3.20 (inc Vat) · NI £2.90 AL FRESCO YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINING OUTSIDE FREE THIS SUMMER INSIDE SUNDAY A SPECIAL EDITION WRITTEN BY THE READERS KELVIN BOYES/PRESS EYE Thousands turn out for HSE pays out Black Lives Matter rally €25m to rent Julieanne Corr “It’s not fair that we constantly need to keep fighting for our human rights,” said Aghogho ‘empty’ Citywest Sophie Okpara, who was born in Nigeria but has lived in Ireland since she was three. April 10. The peak number of A spokesman for health minister Mark Tighe “We shouldn’t have to die at the Covid-19 cases requiring intensive Simon Harris said: “Citywest is not hands of people just because they The HSE is paying Tetrarch, the care came on April 9 with 160 at capacity due to the success of the don’t like our skin. I’ve experi- hotel group that owns the Citywest being treated. Irish people in suppressing the enced a lot of racism in different hotel and convention centre in The HSE said the €31.6m bill was virus. Its field hospital is not needed ways in my life. Sometimes it’s west Dublin, at least €25m for the inclusive of VAT and rates. It will be as surge capacity for this reason. someone pointing out, ‘Oh your properties’ use until the end of seeking rebates on those elements “Citywest has been offered to English is good,’ even though I October as a Covid-19 isolation of the bill, as HSE emergency individuals living in direct provi- have lived here my entire life.” facility and field hospital. facilities are not subject to those sion who can’t self-isolate. The Okpara and hundreds of other Details of the deal, obtained charges. The deal includes food arrangement is constantly under protesters gathered outside the US under freedom of information law, and beverages for patients in isola- review, but an ability to isolate embassy yesterday in Ballsbridge, show the HSE has an option to tion as well as normal mainte- cases when there are outbreaks Dublin, for a two-hour demonstra- extend the deal to the end of the nance, laundry and cleaning will remain essential, and retaining tion to support the Black Lives year, which would cost a total of services by the hotel’s staff. capacity for that makes sense.” Matter movement following the €31.6m. The contract stipulates a mini- Last week Liam Woods, the death of George Floyd in Minne- Although the hotel has 756 bed- mum term of seven months for use HSE’s director of acute operations, sota last month. rooms with 1,138 beds, last week of the facility — until the end of told the Dail’s Covid-19 committee The protest, which was orga- there were just 26 people using it October. The HSE must give four that the field hospital was being nised by Black Pride Ireland, Move- as an isolation facility. The HSE months’ notice if it intends not to “closely studied” with a view to ment of Asylum Seekers in Ireland says there were 533 admissions extend the licence for use until the opening it for post-Covid treat- (MASI), and Migrants and Ethnic- between April 1 and last Friday. end of December. ment. “We are also thinking about minorities for Reproductive Jus- As well as leasing the hotel at a Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Fein’s using the facility for outpatient tice, invited people living within a cost of €22.63m for seven months health spokeswoman, said she treatment because the space 5km radius of the embassy to take at a rate of €142.50 a room per believed the deal with Tetrarch required for outpatients will be part. Organisers handed out per- night, the HSE deal includes leas- was a “phenomenal waste of much greater than what we have, sonal protective equipment and ing the Citywest convention hall money” as the extra bed capacity even with the heavy use of virtual urged people to respect social dis- for €1.945m. The hall was pre- was not being used. clinics,” he said. tancing measures. pared as a field hospital with more “While it was very necessary to The HSE said the self-isolation The lord mayor of Dublin had than 300 beds, as authorities antic- ensure capacity was there if facility in Citywest was receiving asked people not to join the pro- ipated a surge in Covid-19 cases. It needed, there surely must have referrals daily from a range of test. Tom Brabazon said people has not been required. been another way to arrange it so health services countrywide. could show their solidarity by sign- Internal HSE modelling from we don’t have to pay for this until Tetrarch said: “We completed a ing an online book of condolence late March, when the Citywest deal the end of December,” she said. multimillion-euro investment in instead. But although gardai are was agreed, showed the most opti- “A field hospital there wasn’t works to prepare the campus to already investigating a similar mistic forecast was that a peak of used when patients were moved operate as the country’s principal protest staged last weekend, at 2,983 Covid patients could require out of hospitals into nursing self-isolation and step-down facil- which social distancing was not A young protester holds a sign at the Black Lives Matter demonstration in Belfast yesterday acute hospital care by April 11. The homes. They had over 100 people ity. None of these costs are recover- observed, there was a large attend- peak number requiring intensive on [hospital] trolleys yesterday, yet able under the licence. The hotel ance again yesterday. measures. A police spokesman rounding direct provision centres. thing we don’t need in our society. care was expected to be 1,229, at we are paying for additional space provides all available services on Similar protests took place in Gal- defended the action, saying: “These “We felt it is important for us here Most people think that it is not clear about April 13. This would have that is simply not being used. site, other than healthcare and way, Limerick, Waterford, Derry are no ordinary times.” in Ireland to say that racism is not that racism is here, but we are say- overwhelmed the existing hospital Unless they can produce a plan to medical services. This includes and Belfast. At the demonstration in Lucky Khambule, group co-or- just an American thing,” he said. ing, as black people in Ireland, we system. show how they will use that addi- catering, housekeeping, cleaning Belfast, police said they had issued dinator for MASI, said the protest “It is important for us to stand in do feel racism everywhere we go.” The number requiring hospital tional capacity to alleviate pres- and sanitisation, waste disposal, “a significant number” of fines due in Dublin was to raise awareness of solidarity and to raise the aware- care for Covid-19 actually peaked sure on the acute hospital system, maintenance, utilities, extensive to breaches of social distancing racism in Ireland and issues sur- ness in Ireland that racism is some- Full coverage, pages 10-11 at about 880 for five days from then it doesn’t stack up.” Continued on page 2→ Creed, Flanagan and Ring face cabinet axe Public ‘misled’ on H1N1 vaccine Stephen O’Brien Political Editor Murphy, his political ally; Richard appoints a second woman to Carroll MacNeill is a first-term The actions of chief medical officer for any adverse reactions to the Bruton, Fine Gael’s former deputy senior cabinet rank, Helen TD but is also a qualified solicitor Tony Holohan and other senior vaccine. Up to three senior Fine Gael leader; Joe McHugh, the education McEntee is regarded as the most and barrister who has served as health officials who dealt with the Blackwell is now suing the health INDEX ministers are facing a double minister; and Josepha Madigan, likely candidate for preferment on special adviser to Alan Shatter and H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009 minister, the HSE, the Health Prod- Lotto News 2 demotion from the cabinet to the the arts and culture minister; as the basis of her strong perform- Frances Fitzgerald as ministers and 2010 were called into question ucts Regulatory Authority, and GSK. Weather News 21 back benches if the party goes into well as Creed, Flanagan and Ring. ance on Brexit as European affairs for justice, Murphy as housing in a personal injury claim by a Among his claims is that Holohan government with Fianna Fail and Some are likely to be “eased down” minister throughout 2019. minister, and Fitzgerald as chil- teenage boy before the High Court gave incorrect assurances about Letters News 16 the Greens. to the junior ministerial ranks. Hildegarde Naughton, the dren’s minister. last Friday, writes Mark Tighe. Pandemrix’s safety record in Sudoku News 20 Party sources say Michael Simon Coveney, Fine Gael’s dep- Galway West deputy, is widely The formation of a three-party Benjamin Blackwell, 15, claims media interviews, which pre- TV & Radio Culture 29 Creed, Charlie Flanagan and uty leader, and Paschal Donohoe, tipped for promotion to at least the coalition will force all three party the state was negligent and misrep- vented Blackwell’s parents from Michael Ring could all face demo- the finance minister, are regarded junior ranks. Martin Heydon, the leaders to disappoint members of resented the safety of the Pandem- giving informed consent for him to tion because of the need to add as certainties to remain in cabinet.