St Patrick s Day Ireland LIVE updates as Dublin on garda lockdown ahead of planned protests
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Happy St Patrick s Day 2021 - the second annual Irish holiday we ve spent in lockdown.
While there may be no Paddy s Day parade, and the public are being urged to stay at home, many are planning to head to the city centre today.
A number of protests are planned, including an anti-lockdown gathering, and garda are in full force in the capital today.
A policing plan is in place for Dublin and those heading into the city centre can expect cordons and difficulty heading there.
Dublin Correspondent
Around 15 Dublin Fire Brigade staff have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent weeks as frontline workers face delays in the vaccine rollout.
Acting Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley told a meeting of the city council that the vaccine delay is a supply problem that is affecting the health service across the board .
In answer to Fianna Fáil Councillor Keith Connolly, Mr Keely confirmed 15 new cases among operational and control room staff in the past couple of weeks.
A total of 240 firefighter/paramedics, or a quarter of Dublin Fire Brigade staff, have received their first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but some of those waiting have had their vaccinations cancelled.
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There s been more fatal crashes on our roads this year compared to 2019 already - and that s before the most dangerous season of the year.
Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon says Gardai are concerned about the potential for road accidents as county restrictions lift and people travel home for Christmas. Attending one of these fatal accidents, dealing with the families, breaking this news, it s enormous stress on the members as they go to those scenes , he told us.
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