LAST UPDATE | 21 Mar 2023

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.

Road projects

1. In our main story this morning, Eoghan Dalton reports that Fingal County Council went ahead with work on a number of multi-million euro projects without going through a competitive tender process.

The work included a combined €1.245 million for engineering consultants to design an upgrade to a busy road interchange in Blanchardstown, and a more than two-fold increase in the costs for developing cycle lane schemes which were awarded to a company without the usual tender procedure.

Eviction ban

2. The Cabinet is due to meet this morning to finalise the government’s counter-motion to Sinn Féin’s proposal to extend the eviction ban.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan held a “good meeting” yesterday evening, according to government sources, with broad agreement reached on the counter motion.

Windfall tax

3. Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan is set to look for Government approval today for the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023.

This legislation would implement the temporary solidarity contribution and the cap on market revenues to address windfall gains in the energy sector.

Garda recruitment

4. The Cabinet will hear today of plans to launch a new garda recruitment campaign which will begin this Friday, The Journal has learned.

Minister for Justice Simon Harris will bring a proposal to the Government with the plan to run the campaign for three weeks.

Stalking victims

5. An Irish study of 892 people who were the victims of stalking or harassment has found that most respondents had been uncomfortable reporting incidents to the Gardaí.

The University College Cork study was undertaken in partnership with the Sexual Violence Centre Cork (SVCC), and also found that most victims had known their perpetrators. 

Wexford A&E

6. There are calls for the HSE to implement an emergency plan to combat growing waiting lists as Wexford General Hospital’s emergency department is set to stay closed for up to another six months.

Norovirus

7. The HSE is warning members of the public to be aware of the symptoms of the winter vomiting bug as cases increase in Ireland. 

In the first 10 weeks of 2023, there have been 394 cases of norovirus recorded, according to the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Met Police

8. The Met Police is institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic, a damning review has found.

The Metropolitan Police has failed to protect the public from officers who abuse women, organisational changes have put women and children at greater risk and female officers and staff routinely experience sexism, the report said.

Minimum unit pricing

9. The introduction of minimum unit pricing on alcohol in Scotland has saved approximately 150 lives per year since it was introduced in 2018, according to a study by medical journal The Lancet.