LAST UPDATE | 27 Aug 2023
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our lead story this morning, Jane Moore, a migrant rights group has called on the Government to put a realistic timeline in place to end Direct Provision or risk “talking about this forever”.
It comes as the Department of Integration prepares to revise its plan to end the system by 2024 following the war in Ukraine, an increase in the number of asylum applicants and the ongoing housing crisis.
Under a new model proposed in 2021, international protection applicants would spend no more than four months in six State-owned, not-for-profit centres before moving into their own accommodation.
It had been heralded as a major shift away by committing to a Government-led, human rights-based approach – but it is now clear that the State-run, privately operated system of accommodating asylum seekers will still be in place next year.
2. The community of Clonmel, Co Tipperary remains in mourning following the unexpected deaths of four young people on their way to a Leaving Cert results party on Friday.
Vigils and masses will take place today paying tribute to Luke McSweeney (22), Grace McSweeney, Nicole Murphy and Zoey Coffey (all 18). The three teenagers were being brought to the party by Luke, an older brother of Grace.
Flowers were laid in their memory yesterday near the site of the crash, while president Michael D Higgins said that “the hearts of all parents and relatives, indeed the whole community, will have gone out to the families” of all four young people.
3. The highly anticipated review of Dáil and European Parliament constituency boundaries will be published on Wednesday, with nerves building among politicians who may find themselves in territory for the next general election.
With currently 160 TDs in the Dáil representing 39 electoral constituencies, Ireland falls far short of the number there should be when based on the population-based calculation.
It’s now expected that the final number will be at the top end of the scale, most likely 180, writes Christina Finn.
4. Three black people were shot and killed in Florida yesterday in what police called a ‘racially motivated’ attack.
According to the sheriff’s office, the shooter, who has not yet been identified and who died in a standoff, entered a Dollar General store wearing a tactical vest, armed with an AR-style rifle and a handgun.
Manifestos discovered by the gunman’s family shortly before the attack “detail the shooter’s disgusting ideology of hate,” police said, and at least one of the guns had hand-drawn swastikas on it.
5. Does it really matter if Stormont returns when it has failed over and over?
That’s the question posed by former BBC correspondent Brian Rowan who says that the parliament has to prove itself to be functional if its return is to be worthwhile.
“It has failed too many times; perhaps the biggest failure of the peace process. Stormont for the sake of Stormont, is not worth having,” Rowan writes.
6. Staff at Iceland stores in Clonmel and Waterford have reached an agreement with the supermarket’s examiner to “fast-track” statutory redundancy packages and secured all monies owed to them.
On Wednesday, Waterford staff staged a sit-in over claims that the store is set to close despite trade union Siptu claiming staff were stilled owed wages, holiday pay and redundancy pay.
This latest sit-in was one of the many across the country who have been protesting against the franchise’s operator, Metron Stores, inside the store for over 60 days.
Nadine Dorries resignation
7. British politician Nadine Dorries resigned her parliamentary seat with a scathing attack on prime minister Rishi Sunak, accusing him of “demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy” against her.
The Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire, who was an ally of Boris Johnson, aid she had submitted her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, publishing the blistering text on social media.
In it, she accused Sunak of leading attacks on her resulting in “the police having to visit my home and contact me on a number of occasions due to threats to my person”.
8. Ireland’s 4x400m relay team have qualified for tonight’s final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
They finished 4th in the second of yesterday evening’s heats, securing one of the fastest non-automatic qualifier places with a time of 3:26.18 SB – which was just 0.12 off the national record.
The four – Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC), Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC), Kelly McGrory (Tír Chonaill AC) and Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport A.C.) – will appear in the final tonight at 8.50pm Irish time.
9. Ireland limped to a win over Samoa in their Rugby World Cup warmup game, but it wasn’t without concerns.
Cian Healy was forced off with a worrying injury, while Andy Farrell’s men had to turn around a half-time deficit to beat an impressive Samoan outfit in Bayonne.
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