Ireland plans for Phased re-opening

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The Taoiseach (Irish PM) has announced tonight a 4 phase period for re-opening the country but has said that schools will remain closed until September.
Must admit, I’m happy about the delay as I was worried about how I’d manage DS attending school with his dad cocooning as DH has a blood cancer.
Also, that small social gatherings of friends can begin on 18th May outdoors, providing still maintaining social distancing rules. That’s really lifted my spirits as I’m missing seeing my friends.
Any other Irish mumsnetters on here?
What are your thoughts about tonight’s announcement?

@ohmargo i am not staying with my parents.

Yes, All of my friends. I have four close female friends in Ireland, and something bad has happened to every one of them. And, also to me in ireland. I was raped in ireland before - I couldn't get anything done about it.

Anyway, I have to be here for now

@MondayTuesdayWednesday what are you talking about "women are respected and hold high profile roles",

We have an 80% male government!!!
And that is the bes

MondayTuesdayWednesday

Absolutely and thank you for the balance.

Every single one of Anna's friends has been raped as have some of her family. Well now....

t it has ever been, with regarding to letting women into government.

@OhMargo thanks for not believing me. It doesn't surprise me some how.

@Annamaria14 don't let people victim shame you Anna. You know the truth.

Doesn't sit right with me Anna.

Talk to a professional.

@MondayTuesdayWednesday you said "women are respected and hold high profile roles"

We have an 80 per cent male government.

We have never had a female taoiseach (prime minister).

@OhMargo maybe you should. Your head is firmly stuck in the sand.

@Annamaria14 I'm really not feeling that Irish looking out for each other on this thread. Yet the British are the ones who aren't friendly . I really hope you get some relief soon and get to somewhere you feel safe.

@OhMargo remember when we had national protests about rape, and abortion in the last few years?

Thank you very, very much @Peppafrig, that was lovely of you, and appreciated. Thank you for the kind words, sweet.

I hope that you have a really great night

We have never had a female taoiseach (prime minister).

We have had female presidents.

Ireland is coming out of being under the Churchs thumbs.Its going to take time.But to me we are a very open minded country.

Abortion legalised
Divorce legalised
Gay marriage legalised.The first country to do that by the people vote.
A openly gay Taoiseach living with his partner.

We are not the back of beyond.Sadly we are lacking in some places,but thats every country.We have come on a great deal.

Anna, Get professional help my love. We are just going to do what we do on an anonymous board.

Have you tried that?

It's not normal for a man to be talking about raping other attendees at a retirement group.
Was there a facilitator there? Had they been informed? I wonder had he done sort of neurological issue leading to a lack of filter.

Leading on from that. I dont disbelieve that a lot of your friends have suffered sexual assaults. A lot of mine have too . Sadly, a lot of mine have too, it's a massive problem.

But it's a massive problem everywhere not unique to Ireland. I don't think you will find a country on this earth where rapists don't exist, and where they dont get away with it more often than not. I am sorry you had to fo through that.

Thank you @7days!

You said that it is not normal for a man to to talk about raping women in a group in Ireland. I said that it happened to my mother.

I have also experienced this in Ireland. I was attending a weekly group. It was a philosophy group. It was really interesting, with debate, and I loved to go.

However, the men there were really disrespectful to the women. When another woman talked in the group, the men would laugh at her, every time that she talked.

Our group had a Christmas party. At the party, one of the men joked about having sex with children. I said to the people there that I didn't like it, and it was brushed off as just a joke.

I went to the group one last time. When I went in, a man in the group said that he would sexually assault one of the women there.

We all felt so uncomfortable, that me and the other women left after this.

I complained to the person who ran the group, who was a University lecturer. He told me that he had a discussion with the men about it, but they said "they had been going there for years, and could do what they like"

I left a philosophy group because the 'leader' (who did know a lot) dismissed feminism. It made me lose respect for him.

If these guys are quoting Aristotle then you're pushing water uphill. However their rigidity is not in the spirit of original teachings I'm sure as even Aristotle did not want to be so fixed in his opinion that new arguments couldn't change his mind.

My philosophy was a philosophy for living type of course and the moment they dismissed feminism I thought, no, I can research all of this on my own.

HOWEVER, no way on earth would that guy ever have made a comment about assaulting any woman! I think reporting these dinosaurs to the guards if they won't listen to ''wimmin'' can be in order.

Annamaria14 I am so sorry that you have gone through what you have here but that is not the Ireland I know and not the Ireland my friends and family know. I do feel bad for your experiences but reading your posts makes me think a lot because I have lived my entire life here as a single mother of colour and never once have I had any abuse directed at me so this is not a whole country thing. Also the woman that dragged her own kids to the police station that night is a con artist and it is not the countries fault that she chose to bring attention to herself that way and force her own kids to sleep on a garda station floor for the evening. That woman had loads of other options but she chose to make the state pay for her and fund everything for her instead.

I think Leo is doing a great job in the unprecedented times we are in. I feel safe in his hands and will worry when he is not in charge to be honest.