GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. Students should be taught more practical skills in schools, according to Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who said the current state exams system was too much about “rote learning”.
His comments followed the decision to delay the introduction of teacher-based assessment for the Leaving Cert. The mooted change will now be assesssed by the State Exams Commission, with Education Minister Norma Foley citing fears about generative AI as the reason.
Other reforms of the Leaving Cert are being accelerated – with students having access to nine new and revised subjects in 2025, two years earlier than planned. These include biology, physics, chemistry and business.
2. The Health Products Regulatory Authority has warned of a shortage of the weight loss drug Saxenda, citing an “unexpected increase in demand”.
The state began funding the cost of Saxenda to treat people with obesity in January under the drug payment scheme, capping costs at €80 per month for some.
The shortage is linked to ongoing shortages of a related product, Ozempic, from the same manufacturer, Novo Nordisk.
3. HOLLYWOOD WRITERS AND studios will meet for a fourth consecutive day of high-level talks today, as the industry hopes to end to the costly 145-day Writers Guild of America strike.
Thousands of film and television scribes downed their pens back in early May over demands including better pay for writers, greater rewards for creating hit shows, and protection from artificial intelligence.
They have manned picket lines for months outside offices including Netflix and Disney and – having been joined by striking actors in mid-July – have brought the entertainment industry to a costly standstill.
4. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called for reform of the UN Security Council and its veto power in the nation’s address at the United Nations General Assembly.
In Ireland’s national address, Varadkar said during Ireland’s recent term on the Security Council saw first-hand the positive effect that its work can have.
“But we also saw its efforts stymied, its mandate undermined; crucial decisions and actions blocked by the use of the veto.”
5. Russell Brand has thanked his supporters for “questioning” the allegations of rape and sexual assault made against him.
The 48-year-old has strongly denied accusations made by four women in an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
In the three-minute clip, posted on YouTube, Rumble and X, Brand said the week since the claims were published had been “extraordinary and distressing”.
6. There are more than 12,000 vacant properties across Dublin, more than one quarter of which – just over 3,200 – are in the city centre.
The Irish Times reports on the in-depth data for the city centre postcodes of Dublin 1,2, 7 and 8, broadly defined as the area within the Royal and Grand Canals, which shows for the first time a breakdown at street level of the number of vacant buildings, and whether they are commercial, residential, or mixed use – generally with ground floor shops, restaurants or offices and flats above.
7. Sinn Féin has pledged to deliver an “Irish NHS” system within two terms of government, promising to “recast” the existing cross-party plan for universal healthcare.
The party is also promising to make digital transformation of Ireland’s health service a priority if they get into government after the next general election, stating that a lack of political will to fund the change has stalled plans to date.
Ireland’s health system has for years been beset by long waiting lists, hundreds of people waiting on trolleys in emergency departments during the winter months, as well as a series of health controversies.
8. At least 1.1 million people – representing a majority of Ireland’s full-time workers – are hit with the highest, 40% rate of PAYE, new figures from Revenue show.
The Irish Independent reports that the number is significantly higher than previously reported and reflects a change in Revenue’s methodology.
9. Late night trains will likely not operate when pubs and clubs are allowed extend their opening hours next year.
Speaking to The Journal, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan indicated that the focus will be on expanding 24-hour buses only.
Pubs and nightclubs will have the option to remain open until 6am from next summer.
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