LAST UPDATE | 10 Nov 2021

GOOD MORNING.

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

Rental supply

1. In our main story today, Céimin Burke reports the number of homes available for rent across Ireland has dropped to an “all-time low” leading to further price spikes around the country.

In its latest quarterly rental report, Daft.ie notes that there were just 1,460 homes available to rent on 1 November. This is the lowest amount since Daft began tracking availability in January 2006.

Renewable electricity

2. Ireland has a new plan for how it will reach 70% renewable electricity generation by the end of this decade. 

The government’s revised Climate Action Plan released last week set out that the emissions generated from electricity must fall by between 62% and 81% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. This is the biggest goal of any sector.

The national grid operator EirGrid has released the details of a roadmap for how it says this can be achieved.

Draft COP26 pact

3. Sticking with climate news, a first draft of a pact that could be agreed at COP26 urges countries to strengthen their emissions-cutting plans for the 2020s in the next year.

A draft “cover decision” published this morning also urges them to set out long-term strategies by the end of next year to reach net-zero emissions by around mid-century, to curb warming to 1.5C.

Collision in Co Meath

4. Elsewhere, woman has died following a collision between a car and a lorry in Co Meath yesterday afternoon. 

The incident happened at around 4.40pm on the Bush Road in the Gibbstown area. 

Local Property Tax

5. Homeowners have until 5pm today to submit the valuation on which their Local Property Tax will be based.

The tax applies to all residential properties in the country and homeowners are obliged to submit a return on the basis of the value of their home as of 1 November.

Human rights

6. Ireland is set to have its human rights record reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Working Group today.

Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman will lead the Irish delegation and deliver a speech at the hearing this afternoon.

Austin Currie

7. Austin Currie, who served as an MP for East Tyrone and as a TD for Dublin West, has died aged 82.

Hurling incident 

8. In Kilkenny, a 13-year-old boy has died after being struck by a sliotar at a school.

The boy was pronounced dead in St Luke’s Hospital following the accident yesterday.

Capitol riot

9. And internationally, a federal judge has rejected former president Donald Trump’s request to block the release of documents to the House committee investigating the 6 January Capitol riot.

In denying a preliminary injunction yesterday, US District judge Tanya Chutkan said Congress had a strong public interest in obtaining records that could shed light on a violent insurrection mounted by the former president’s supporters.