LAST UPDATE | 24 Oct 2023

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

Ashling Murphy trial

1. A woman has described how murder accused Jozef Puska made her feel uncomfortable when he cycled behind her “very slowly” and fixed her with what she said “felt like an intimidating stare”, less than 90 minutes before Ashling Murphy was stabbed to death by the Grand Canal in Tullamore.

Annemarie Kelly was speaking at the trial of Jozef Puska, who denies murdering the 23-year-old schoolteacher, where she said that she contacted gardai both on the evening after hearing of Ashling Murphy’s death and the following day.

Kelly told the court this was because, “There was a man following me as I was out on my walk and he was following me for quite a bit of time.”

Flooding

2. A scaled-up flood relief scheme for victims of Storm Babet could mean affected businesses may qualify for payments of up to €100,000.

A proposal will be brought to a meeting of Cabinet ministers today on flood relief for small businesses, as well as sporting and voluntary organisations, that were affected by the storm.

The Journal understands that existing humanitarian relief scheme for businesses will be stood up with quick payments of €5,000 and assessed and audited payments of up to €20,000.

Additionally, a second exceptional humanitarian relief scheme for businesses will be stood up with quick payments of €10,000 and audited and assessed payments of up to €100,000 under the proposal coming before Cabinet today.

Health budget

3. Budgetary control, more efficiencies and savings in the health service is what is needed in the short-term, according to Secretary General Robert Watt.

In his opening statement to the Oireachtas Health Committee, where he is appearing today alongside HSE boss Bernard Gloster today, Watt will defend the health budget for 2024.

Criticism over the €22.5 billion health budget has been levelled at the government, with a blame game playing out between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as to who signed off on it.

With just €100 million for new measures, there are concerns that a number of programmes will not have sufficient funding to continue next year.

Israel

4. French President Hamas Macron has arrived in Tel Aviv to express his country’s “full solidarity” with Israel after the deadly 7 October attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

He is also expected to call for the “preservation of the civilian population” in Gaza, amid Israel’s relentless bombardment, and as it prepares for a ground invasion of the overcrowded Palestinian enclave.

Macron will in particular call for a “humanitarian truce” to allow desperately needed aid into Gaza, whose 2.4 million people have been largely deprived of water, food, electricity and other basic supplies after an Israeli blockade, the Elysee Palace said. 

Sligo murderer

5. Serial killer Yousef Palani, who killed two men in Sligo because they were gay, has been jailed for life.

At the Central Criminal Court yesterday afternoon, Justice Mary Ellen Ring sentenced the 23-year-old to the mandatory term for the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee.

She also sentenced Palani to a concurrent sentence of 20 years for causing serious harm to a third man, Anthony Burke, by stabbing the victim in his left eye with a kitchen knife.

Ukrainian accommodation

6. A proposal to offer Ukrainians three months in State-provided accommodation before they must find their own home has been “deferred” following a meeting of coalition leaders last night.

The plans had been mooted to be brought to Cabinet today, however, following a meeting between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, the item was pushed off the agenda.

A senior source confirmed that it was decided that “more work” was needed on the specifics of social welfare.

Tenancies

7. Landlords selling up will be obliged to invite their tenants to bid on the property under legislation going to Cabinet today.

Such measures were first announced ahead of the lifting of the eviction ban in March, however, the General scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill, which sets out a new statutory ‘right to purchase’ for tenants, is only going for government approval today.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien had previously promised to push the new tenant right to first refusal through the Dáil before the summer. However, it will be some time before the legislation is enacted.

Maui

8. All but the worst-hit areas of Maui will reopen to tourism on 1 November less than three months after the Hawaiian island was hit by the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century.

Maui County mayor Richard Bissen said all but the burned-out sections of Lahaina will reopen after discussions with his advisory team, the Red Cross and other partners.

Travellers were evacuated from hotels in West Maui when the fire raged through Lahaina on 8 August, killing at least 99 people and destroying more than 2,000 buildings.

New Orleans

9. At least seven people have been killed after a “super fog” of smoke from marsh fires and dense morning fog caused a series of crashes near New Orleans in the US that left a long stretch of mangled and scorched vehicles.

An estimated 158 vehicles were involved and 25 people were injured in the incident on Interstate 55, according to the Louisiana State Police.

They warned the death toll could climb as first responders worked into the night looking for victims.