QUOTES OF THE WEEK
■ “Summer is not lost... explore our country as if for the first time and rediscover the beauty that is all around us. Irish people have earned the right to be hopeful about the future again.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as he announced the five-stage roadmap would be cut back to four phases and lockdown would end in July.
■ “They are a beautiful family and he was a beautiful boy with the biggest, brightest eyes you have ever seen. Everyone constantly commented on his eyes. He was just gorgeous. The wind picked up and he drifted and it all happened within a matter of minutes. We have to pray for them all and pray for his beautiful soul.” Parish priest Fr John Kenny pays tribute to five-year-old Ben Duffy who drowned when a dinghy he was playing in was blown out on a lake in Co Mayo
■ “It’s interesting that when you walk around, the animals are startled because they are not used to visitors any more, so it will take a few weeks to get settled into the ‘new ordinary’.”
Dublin Zoo director Leo Oosterweghel on how the animals reacted after it reopened last week.
■ “My responsibility is to speak the truth and to tell the truth, this week there have been no significant areas of progress.”
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier after the fourth round of post-Brexit trade talks.
■ “I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that I wouldn’t or it would get picked apart and I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing, because George Floyd’s life mattered and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered and Philando Castile’s life mattered and Tamir Rice’s life mattered and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know.” Meghan Markle speaks out over the death of George Floyd.
■ “All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice. We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but, whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace.”
Kate and Gerry McCann after police identified a new suspect in the disappearance of their daughter.
■ “We think it’s irrational, we think it’s disproportionate and we are giving consideration to a legal challenge to this legislation. We’re reviewing that with the lawyers.”
Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways parent company IAG, says the firm is considering taking legal action against the UK government’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine on international arrivals.
■ “It has been ongoing discussions and they will find a way to do it. I did send an example of distancing dancing, so you can do that. A little bit more difficult, challenging, but interesting.”
Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas hints at how the show may be able to go ahead if restrictions continue into autumn.