Relaxation of Restrictions, Part IX *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

zerosugarbuzz

Bit of a Uturn for you Donald...

fin12

Won’t it be great when all these Covid threads will be no longer relevant,

Real Donald Trump

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Bit of a Uturn for you Donald...

The mood has changed, IRL and Online the past few days

domrush

Donald Trump wrote: »

Just fed up listening to the snowflake drama queens going on about their imagined constitutional rights to an immediate passport renewal.

There is no such thing. Passport staff are working from home (and have been reassigned to other duties in some cases). They cannot access systems securely and so only emergency cases are being processed by the skeleton staff that still go to their offices

It's not a conspiracy of the evil lizard overlords to ruin your day/week/month/year.

You have the right to leave the country. What you do not have the right to do is to put other citizens at risk by risking public health with unnecessary travel in the middle of a global pandemic.

So get yourself a job or house somewhere else and go. Nobody is stopping you.

Completely missing the point again with talk like “lizard men” etc.

I get where you’re coming from completely, but your arguments are so abrasive when people have been suffering and out of work for months now.

gozunda

domrush wrote: »

You’re not coming off particularly smart with this attitude of “you don’t know the legalities of the constitution as well as I do” lark as if it’s some kind of gotcha.

Regardless of the legalities, the public have been locked in their houses for far longer than anyone expected. This was bearable when there was at least somewhat consistent messaging about timelines in the first and second lockdown.

However since Christmas the communication has been abysmal, and further civil liberties are being denied such as the issuance of passports. Is it any surprise that something as the right to leave the country is now being eroded? This wasn’t an issue in the previous lockdowns so I don’t really see why it is now. Whatever about fines, the right to leave the country is something I do value.

You could try find a bit of empathy for people’s frustrations rather than try win meaningless arguments over trivial points.

Much hyperbole there I think. The 'public' are at present free to exercise within 5 km (whether you agree with that limit or otherwise) of their residence and to travel for essential reasons outside that. So no no one is 'locked' in their house.

As recently as December to just before Christmas -anyone here could go visit family, go shopping and travel to do so etc. In comparison during this period Germany was strictly locked down from the beginning of December with no roll back of restrictions at all over Christmas. Germany is only now considering some lessening of restrictions for March on the basis that they have succesfully kept a lid on their infection rate.

As to passports. I'm remember having to renew mine in a hurry some years back. The person in front of the queue was refused a passport as they had failed to provide a reason why they had lost two previous passports.

Your right to leave the country for essential reasons remains unaffected.

Everyone is fed up at this stage tbf - it doesn't follow that everyone wishes to act the maggot because they can...

ypres5

gozunda wrote: »

Much hyperbole there I think. The 'public' are at present free to exercise within 5 km (whether you agree with that limit or otherwise) of their residence and to travel for essential reasons outside that. So no no one is 'locked' in their house.

As recently as December to just before Christmas -anyone here could go visit family, go shopping and travel to do so etc. In comparison during this period Germany was strictly locked down from the beginning of December with no roll back of restrictions at all over Christmas. Germany is only now considering some lessening of restrictions for March on the basis that they have succesfully kept a lid on their infection rate.

As to passports. I'm remember having to renew mine in a hurry some years back. The person in front of the queue was refused a passport as they had failed to provide a reason why they had lost two previous passports.

Your right to leave the country for essential reasons remains unaffected.

Everyone is fed up at this stage tbf - it doesn't follow that everyone wishes to act the maggot because they can...

just wondering gozunda could you answer my earlier question as to when international travel can start again as there'll always be new variants of the virus. it's not a recent development and it's not one that's going to stop any time soon so is traveling off the cards indefinitely

domrush

gozunda wrote: »

Much hyperbole there I think. The 'public' are at present free to exercise within 5 km of their residence and to travel for essential reasons outside that. So no no one is 'locked' in their house.

As recently as December to just before Christmas -anyone here could go visit family, go shopping and travel to do so etc. In comparison during this period Germany was strictly locked down from the beginning of December with no roll back of restrictions at all over Christmas. Germany is only now considering some lessening of restrictions for March on the basis that they have succesfully kept a lid on their infection rate.

As to passports. I'm remember having to renew mine in a hurry some years back. The person in front of the queue was refused a passport as they had failed to provide a reason why they had lost two previous passports.

Your right to leave the country for essential reasons remains unaffected.

Everyone is fed up at this stage tbf - it doesn't follow that everyone wishes to act the maggot because they can...

Obviously no one is physically locked in their houses, thanks for clarifying that. A real revelation you’ve given us there.

Yeah three weeks at Christmas means the previous lockdowns and current lockdown are irrelevant. Excellent point again! Tell that to the people who were out of work since March, those 3 weeks should pay off any debts they’ve incurred!

Germany was locked down at December but it was not the equivalent of our level 5, and also had a far lighter 2020 than us, insane comparison to be honest. You’ve chosen an arbitrary period to justify your opinion, do you really think Germany has had tougher restrictions than Ireland. You’ve even given away that Germany will be lightening restrictions months before Ireland in your post even.

I’m not saying act the maggot. I think there’s a legitimate query to be raised as to why the passport office can’t process applications. I work in financial services and we have people in the office processing documents for customers. Why is the passport office any different?

Penfailed

domrush wrote: »

l work in financial services and we have people in the office processing documents for customers. Why is the passport office any different?

It's not any different. If it's essential, you'll get a passport.

domrush

Penfailed wrote: »

It's not any different. If it's essential, you'll get a passport.

I don’t see why the passport office should be differentiating between essential and non-essential?? Surely that’s up to the guards. If I’m applying for a renewal of my passport do I need to state what I plan to use it for?

Bizarre

gozunda

ypres5 wrote: »

just wondering gozunda could you answer my earlier question as to when international travel can start again as there'll always be new variants of the virus. it's not a recent development and it's not one that's going to stop any time soon so is traveling off the cards indefinitely

Did you ask me that question?

ceadaoin.

Graham wrote: »

They do, issuing passports for essential purposes.

I did mention that.

No they aren't issuing passports for essential purposes. They are issuing them for "emergency" reasons only which are traveling to see a dying relative or to receive essential medical treatment. thats it.

Pretty sure an Irish citizen living abroad with an expiring passport and who needs to travel at some point in the near future for visa purposes would be considered essential by most people but apparently it isnt by the Irish passport service

Penfailed

domrush wrote: »

Regardless of the legalities, the public have been locked in their houses for far longer than anyone expected.

domrush wrote: »

Obviously no one is physically locked in their houses

Make up your mind.

gozunda

domrush wrote: »

Obviously no one is physically locked in their houses, thanks for clarifying that. A real revelation you’ve given us there.

Yeah three weeks at Christmas means the previous lockdowns and current lockdown are irrelevant. Excellent point again! Tell that to the people who were out of work since March, those 3 weeks should pay off any debts they’ve incurred!

Germany was locked down at December but it was not the equivalent of our level 5, and also had a far lighter 2020 than us, insane comparison to be honest. You’ve chosen an arbitrary period to justify your opinion, do you really think Germany has had tougher restrictions than Ireland. You’ve even given away that Germany will be lightening restrictions months before Ireland in your post even.

I’m not saying act the maggot. I think there’s a legitimate query to be raised as to why the passport office can’t process applications. I work in financial services and we have people in the office processing documents for customers. Why is the passport office any different?

You will have to excuse me laughing at that.

This is what you said in your previous comment

domrush wrote:

Regardless of the legalities, the public have been locked in their houses for far longer than anyone expected. 

Germany' most recent lockdown restrictions started at around the same time and has been more or less directly comparable to our own. With one major exception - They didn't roll their lockdown back for a "meaningful Christmas " and didn't have the ****efest which happened here with us winning the global gob****e award for the highest global rate of infection here in January!

Germany (unlike us) has now been under strict lockdown for nearly continously for 3 months. Despite rising numbers there - they managed to keep a lid on their rate of infection and are only now looking at reducing restrictions in March because they kept a lid on things unlike here. While we're still dealing with high levels of new cases and Hospitalisations

If only we could have have had the same level of cop on ....

Donald Trump

Donald Trump wrote: »

So get yourself a job or house somewhere else and go. Nobody is stopping you.

...unless your passport happens to be out of date.

ceadaoin.

Penfailed wrote: »

It's not any different. If it's essential, you'll get a passport.

What do you think an essential reason for a passport is just out of interest? What would meet your requirements? According to the DFA, the only reasons anyone would need a passport right now is to see a dying relative or to receive medical treatment. Dont you think there are actual essential reasons to be in possession of a passport besides those things? So you are wrong, even if it's essential you aren't getting a passport.

ypres5

gozunda wrote: »

Did you ask me that question?

Page 3 at 21:21 fair enough if you didn't see it.

Well tbf if you are undertaking essential travel then you can still apply for a passport.

However if you mean non essential travel which is subject to the current government advisory against all non-essential international travel to protect public health and to mitigate the risk of new variants of COVID-19 entering the country - then no.


but a passport is a constitutional right the government shouldn't be allowed to just stamp on it like that. also you need a passport for more than just travel potentially. also when does the new variants argument end for you because there's been countless variants already and it's not going to magically stop so when does travel get to resume?

hynesie08

ceadaoin. wrote: »

No they aren't issuing passports for essential purposes. They are issuing them for "emergency" reasons only which are traveling to see a dying relative or to receive essential medical treatment. thats it.

Pretty sure an Irish citizen living abroad with an expiring passport and who needs to travel at some point in the near future for visa purposes would be considered essential by most people but apparently it isnt by the Irish passport service

They're covered

A weekly urgent service is still also being provided for Irish citizens resident overseas who require a passport for local immigration purposes.

ceadaoin.

hynesie08 wrote: »

They're covered

Thank you. I actually didn't know that. Do you have a link? I've emailed them several times with no response. All I see is where it says to contact the embassy (which I did)

gozunda

ypres5 wrote: »

Page 3 at 21:21 fair enough if you didn't see it.

Well tbf if you are undertaking essential travel then you can still apply for a passport.

However if you mean non essential travel which is subject to the current government advisory against all non-essential international travel to protect public health and to mitigate the risk of new variants of COVID-19 entering the country - then no.

but a passport is a constitutional right the government shouldn't be allowed to just stamp on it like that. also you need a passport for more than just travel potentially. also when does the new variants argument end for you because there's been countless variants already and it's not going to magically stop so when does travel get to resume?

No I didn't see that. But no matter.

Your comment.

ypres5 wrote: »

but a passport is a constitutional right the government shouldn't be allowed to just stamp on it like that.

also you need a passport for more than just travel potentially.

also when does the new variants argument end for you because there's been countless variants already and it's not going to magically stop so when does travel get to resume?

1st point: No idea. Maybe contact a TD to raise that question for validation whether a passport is a constitutional right or otherwise.

2nd point. True but afaik - most requests for ID etc allow for a range of options. Not everyone has a passport.

3rd point. On 'variants - a small number with significant differences have been highlighted as being able to cause the virus to become more aggressive- increased transmissibility etc. As to when non essential travel should restart. No idea tbh.

YURTSAN

Clique wrote: »

I’ve been a gambling addict a long time, from my youth, right up to a couple of years ago when I finally realised that something was wrong. I always knew it was wrong but then I realised I needed to change. I’d accrued debts, I continued to pay back but was always struggling to enjoy things in life. I decided to stop. Not only was this for my benefit, it was for my friends and family as I had embroiled them in my madness and my mental health suffered leading to a night where I had decided to end it all. I didn’t do it, I couldn’t do it. Time for change and I had to give up gambling. I did so, with a few hiccups along the way, I started to feel somewhat relieved again, I’d let money rule my life.

For 2yrs and more, I had continued paying back debts and continue to this day to do so. In this time, I also continued to save and enjoy some things I’d probably not done so before, like going on small holidays be it here in Ireland or away abroad, not worried about where the money would come from. It was a place I’d never been in adulthood, not relying on handouts from others.

For 2yrs this continued, through this current pandemic it wasn’t a problem to me, I went to work, stayed in and when I did venture out, I did so with as much safety as possible. This lockdown has been different though, a very busy Christmas in work and a truly forgetful Christmas period without having our usual pints and friend’s visits. I can handle that and did so. Another few weeks of lockdown we were told, fine I can get through this and a light is seen at the end of this tunnel with production of vaccines and the possibility of normality along the horizon.

Come to this week. Yesterday in fact, I just lost the plot. Hearing of another lockdown, don’t get me wrong, I am completely understanding of this situation, I see why lockdown is in place but can also some ridiculous decisions being made regarding areas of the lockdowns and closing certain places. I was never a big drinker so closing pubs didn’t bother me, I do however think it is abysmal the way they have treated such establishments.

Anyway, yesterday. 9 weeks more he says, officially or unofficially I don’t know, inside I cried, it was like a trigger was pushed. Merely 20 minutes ago, I completed my trashing of 2yrs work. An account was opened after finding a site I hadn’t barred myself from, I uploaded the first of my payments, I was physically sick when I first seen the money but I just couldn’t resist and had a bet. The bug had bitten me again, add another payment, another and another. It just went on and on until bang. The bank total that was well over four figures now only had a few cent beside my name. Gone, all gone. Shame, disgust and now broke again. I don’t mean broke money wise, broken inside, thoughts of things are racing through my mind. Anger, hitting out at things, asking questions in my mind, Why? How? What do I do now. My first thought, to write this.

Now though, the hardest part, telling my family before it's too late, stay safe everyone.

Only one person replied to this poor fellas struggle with support .We live in a time where people would rather argue and blame each other for what's going on around us instead .

Don't let one night ruin all your hard work man. You can do this.

gozunda

Clique wrote: »

I’ve been a gambling addict a long time, from my youth, right up to a couple of years ago when I finally realised that something was wrong. I always knew it was wrong but then I realised I needed to change. I’d accrued debts, I continued to pay back but was always struggling to enjoy things in life. I decided to stop. Not only was this for my benefit, it was for my friends and family as I had embroiled them in my madness and my mental health suffered leading to a night where I had decided to end it all. I didn’t do it, I couldn’t do it. Time for change and I had to give up gambling. I did so, with a few hiccups along the way, I started to feel somewhat relieved again, I’d let money rule my life.

For 2yrs and more, I had continued paying back debts and continue to this day to do so. In this time, I also continued to save and enjoy some things I’d probably not done so before, like going on small holidays be it here in Ireland or away abroad, not worried about where the money would come from. It was a place I’d never been in adulthood, not relying on handouts from others.

For 2yrs this continued, through this current pandemic it wasn’t a problem to me, I went to work, stayed in and when I did venture out, I did so with as much safety as possible. This lockdown has been different though, a very busy Christmas in work and a truly forgetful Christmas period without having our usual pints and friend’s visits. I can handle that and did so. Another few weeks of lockdown we were told, fine I can get through this and a light is seen at the end of this tunnel with production of vaccines and the possibility of normality along the horizon.

Come to this week. Yesterday in fact, I just lost the plot. Hearing of another lockdown, don’t get me wrong, I am completely understanding of this situation, I see why lockdown is in place but can also some ridiculous decisions being made regarding areas of the lockdowns and closing certain places. I was never a big drinker so closing pubs didn’t bother me, I do however think it is abysmal the way they have treated such establishments.

Anyway, yesterday. 9 weeks more he says, officially or unofficially I don’t know, inside I cried, it was like a trigger was pushed. Merely 20 minutes ago, I completed my trashing of 2yrs work. An account was opened after finding a site I hadn’t barred myself from, I uploaded the first of my payments, I was physically sick when I first seen the money but I just couldn’t resist and had a bet. The bug had bitten me again, add another payment, another and another. It just went on and on until bang. The bank total that was well over four figures now only had a few cent beside my name. Gone, all gone. Shame, disgust and now broke again. I don’t mean broke money wise, broken inside, thoughts of things are racing through my mind. Anger, hitting out at things, asking questions in my mind, Why? How? What do I do now. My first thought, to write this.

Now though, the hardest part, telling my family before it's too late, stay safe everyone.

You have my sympathies on this. If tlyou feel you are able there are a number of good services and agencies who may be able to help ...

Just one thing. A numer of posters have already highlighted the abysmal click bait media reports which have been circulating. That is one of them unfortunately.

Just to correct that.

Varadkar: Taoiseach did not say Level 5 would last until May

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-40230062.html


Mind yourself and Stay safe.

ypres5

gozunda wrote: »

No I didn't see that. But no matter.

Your comment.



1st point: No idea. Maybe contact a TD to raise that question for validation whether a passport is a constitutional right or otherwise.

2nd point. True but afaik - most requests for ID etc allow for a range of options. Not everyone has a passport.

3rd point. On 'variants - a small number with significant differences have been highlighted as being able to cause the virus to become more aggressive- increased transmissibility etc. As to when non essential travel should restart. No idea tbh.

the main problem i have with the new variants hysteria the media have whipped up with an example being the UK variant being 30% deadlier than the other variants but upon further inspection it actually means that a man in his 60s has had his chance of dying increase from 1% to 1.3% but that detail buried under the headline.

the new variant argument basically gives nphet carte blanche to drag out the argument for lockdowns and bans on non essential travel abroad indefinitely as theres always going to be new variants it's just it suddenly seemed to become an issue after the mink farm ado that vanished as soon as it started.

ceadaoin.

hynesie08 wrote: »

They're covered

Further to this, I see it was only in the news articles that this was stated so you cant supply an official link. Its not on the dfa site at all and I can categorically say that they aren't doing this, I've been in touch with the consulate, explained my situation. It's not an option. But it looks good on the press releases I guess. We arent "covered". Bull****

themacattack.

personally i think we are start to move to a better place purely because of the changing opinion of the population...talk to your friends,your collegues if you are working,your family...nobody is calling for more restrictions,everyone is questioning the wisdom of lockdowns and feeling hugely let down by the government and nphet one year on that we are not dealing with this in a more targeted balanced smart way....everytime we leave our front door we accept a level of risk...and so it is with covid...common sense has been thrown out the window...

If lockdown lasts until May as it seems it will and you live in a different county to your parents like me, you’ll have had 1 week in the last 7 months were you were “allowed” to see your family.

Let that sink in!

And then knock it off with this nobody is locked up rubbish.

Europe’s longest and strictest lockdown has failed miserably time and time again and yet we still keep it.

Penfailed

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If lockdown lasts until May as it seems it will and you live in a different county to your parents like me, you’ll have had 1 week in the last 7 months were you were “allowed” to see your family.

Let that sink in!

And then knock it off with this nobody is locked up rubbish.

Europe’s longest and strictest lockdown has failed miserably time and time again and yet we still keep it.

Nobody is locked up.

walus

Penfailed wrote: »

Nobody is locked up.

How is not being able to travel more than 5km from home not a lockup?

Penfailed

walus wrote: »

How is not being able to travel more than 5km from home not a lockup?

It's a lockdown. You're not locked up though.

Happydays2020

walus wrote: »

How is not being able to travel more than 5km from home not a lockup?

I do think we are being locked up, but that 5km limit is for exercise (and is unfair for many who don’t have sea/mountains in their doorstep) - you can go further for other reasons.

walus

Penfailed wrote: »

It's a lockdown. You're not locked up though.

That is your own narrow perspective. For some of us our worlds are bigger than within 5 km from where we live. Consider that for a moment.