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GOOD MORNING. Here’s all the news that you need to know about as you start your day.
1. In a follow-up to our Irish housing stories, we take a look at what it’s like living in a variety of countries across Europe and beyond.
In today’s lead story, Aoife Barry speaks to readers about their experiences of living abroad – how it compares to their experiences in Ireland; how much rent is; what rights renters have; and what the buying process is like. While some people had a positive experience, others highlighted that high house prices are not an Irish-only issue.
2. HSE staff members have been advised to prioritise patient safety and “protect unscheduled and urgent care” as the organisation continues to grapple with the impact of a massive cyber attack.
In a memo sent to staff outlining clinical guidance, Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said the advice is “underpinned by the need to prioritise patient safety and is focussed on unscheduled, urgent and time-critical care”.
3. Sticking with the cyber attack, the Business Post is reporting that hackers have demanded a ransom of three bitcoin or $150,000 (about €124,000), citing multiple sources. A higher ransom figure is being quoted in some other outlets, but the HSE has not confirmed the exact amount.
“According to multiple sources who saw the text file which appeared on the computer in one hospital affected by the attack, the criminal hackers sought payment in the cryptocurrency,” the BP reports.
4. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has condemned the killing of children as violence continues in the Gaza Strip. Dozens of children have been killed in recent days and Coveney has called on the UN Security Council “to speak with one voice to hold those responsible to account”.
Meanwhile, thousands of people across Ireland took part in protests in solidarity with Palestine yesterday.
5. It’s Ireland “most affluent constituency” and a Fine Gael heartland, but Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan has a lot riding on the Dublin Bay South by-election.
The TD, considered one of the leading contenders to succeed Taoiseach Micheál Martin as Fianna Fáil leader in the years to come, is the director of elections for the by-election.
DBS is O’Callaghan’s own constituency, and the party has two potential candidates – councillors Deirdre Conroy and Claire O’Connor. Political correspondent Christina Finn writes that pressure is mounting on the TD to deliver a decent Fianna Fáil vote, though the party won’t be optimistic that it can take the seat.
6. A major incident has been declared after a suspected gas explosion which reportedly destroyed up to three terraced houses in Lancashire in England.
A young child has died and four other people have been injured, two seriously, local police have confirmed.
7. As Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 comes to a close, footballer Clare Shine opens up further on her ongoing battle.
She writes: “I spent a year-and-a-half working on myself to be a better person and to learn how to live my life sober and happy, for it to be turned upside down in seconds. I still wore a smile, I still went about my days, but I was hiding the most powerful thoughts inside me again. I was shattered into a million pieces to be put back together a different way.
“Please speak out before it’s too late.”
8. After cancelling last year’s event due to the pandemic, Eurovision is set to come back with a bang next week as the Netherlands hosts the 65th edition of the popular song contest.
With Covid-19 very much still with us, the contest won’t be held in the same way as it has done in previous years. But there will be an audience in the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam as 39 countries vie for the crown. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s contest.
9. And finally, it’s a mixed bag in terms of weather today.
Scattered showers will break out through the morning and afternoon with dry and sunny intervals also. Showers will be most frequent through the midlands and south, and some heavy showers will develop with localised thundery downpours and spot flooding possible. Highest temperatures will range from 13 to 16 degrees.
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The next general election will be tough too Joan…
They are not helping people get back to work.the only reason the number signing on is lower is because of emigration.i had to leave the country to find work leaving my wife and kids behind.thats one of the hardest things I have ever done or will do.those idiots in the dail sacrifice nothing.we the people take all the hits.
Too true.
“She said the level of social welfare abuse “is relatively low” but that in a budget of €20 billion, even 3 per cent of people abusing it amounts to millions of euro.”
Last week World Bank figures on remittances showed tha Nigerians in Ireland sent back 490 million euros to Nigeria – that’s 26,000 euros for each Nigerian man, woman and child in the State.
However, children are ineligible to work, so the figure is close to 40,000 euros.
But wait, Nigerians also have the highest rate of unemployment in the country than any other group – 45% (Lithuanians are second at 25%) – so the actual figure is more than 55,000 euros sent to Nigeria each year.
Most Nigerians are working in unskilled, low-paid jobs.
Monies sent from Ireland by foreign migrants are three times higher than the amount of money being sent home to Ireland by the Irish abroad.
World Bank statistics show that Irish people living in other countries sent more than $750 million (€560 million) back home in 2011, but foreign workers here sent remittances of $2.4 billion (€1.8 billion) home in the same year.
Wake up, Joan.
Quickly.
I think we’d all have a different outlook to these budgets if those writing them up took a significant pay cut and led by example. I’m talking knocking 80k a year off their wage slips.
Poor Joan, she hasn’t got a clue who is even writing the budget coz it sure isn’t noonan. Wonder if the furer over in Germany is telling her to give all these “exclusive” interviews with the journal?
Why oh why are you giving her airtime. Her village is missing her…..
Labour must finally be looking at the polls. Local elections coming up so they send out Joan the Moan to spew out her usual drivel.
Hell, if you throw enough mud at the wall some of it will stick, or as we’ve witnessed over the past couple of days, if Joan starts commenting on everything, then maybe we’ll actually believe some of this tripe.
At the last General Election I was foolish enough to believe your ‘bile’ & actually gave Joan my first preference vote, a mistake I can gladly say will never happen again. As soon as Labour got into bed with their counterparts in Government, they turned their backs on the very people who voted them in.
In saying that you have done one good thing whilst in power & I thank you for it.
Thank you Joan for showing me the error of my ways. Roll on 2016!!!
What a lot of hot air
Things won’t be tough in her house. An overpaid ministerial salary will make sure of that.
Tough experience Joan? Possibly you should try living as those who your decisions effect for a couple of months. Tough experience my arse. Silly minister.
The rich and wealthy won’t feel the pain, you can count on that!
“Hard decisions and trying to be fair’. .. Roll on the next elections .
.
Ah Aoife my morning was going so well until about 2min ago when I read the headline and then saw the sour frown on Burton.
Let them know how you’s all feel when the next election comes around
Clueless woman.
She is my third favourite Burton.
whats she moaning about sure the lads over in the european comission look after that for them now every body knows that , all you have to do joan is pretend that you have read it when they send it to you and your miserable party … lets be serious she’s not going to feck up her chances of jumping on the Mep gravy train to brussells by disagreeing with next years round of taxing the poor.. VOTE SF
Labour no answers, no solutions, a spent force thats passed it best before date.
Exactly! Hopefully they’ll go the same way the Greens did last time round
Bullshit they have…
She and her colleagues don’t know what tough means – muppets, all of them!
Not a tough experience for you, Joan, insulated as you are from a falling income (or no income) and constantly mounting taxes, levies and “charges”. The tough experience is for the generality of the population and you needn’t try and fool us into thinking you are agonizing over any of the “tough decisions”. How dare you? Your Government have had, admittedly little room for manoevre, but have consistently made the choices which would punish and disadvantage the ordinary working population – and the ‘vulnerable’ about whom you were so vocal in the general election campaign. If you think people are going to overlook that, you have another think coming.
All benefits should be slashed by 50%
Unless you have worked to pay into it
Personally if your long term unemployed 5 yrs or more you should be on side road cleaning in parks working cleaning beach
You should not get benefit for nothing
must be local elections coming up Joan THE MOAN, sure you dont have to worry about money, but dont forget the people dont forget the punishment labour imposed on its voters LIARS
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