LAST UPDATE | 24 Mar 2023

GOOD MORNING.

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

Retrofitting

1. The government is to transfer €150 million of EU funding from the Brexit fund – aimed at sectors including agri-food and fisheries – to the Covid-19 Recovery Fund, where a sizeable chunk will be put towards retrofitting, according to the Taoiseach.

Speaking in the Dáil this week, Leo Varadkar said that the Government “would have liked” to spend the money from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) Fund on businesses and the “agricultural sector”, but that it has come up against a range of obstacles in doing so.

The amount being transferred represents 20% of the €1.165 billion Ireland secured from the EU to help businesses, local communities, the agri-food sector and fisheries cope with the impact of Brexit.

Graham Dwyer

2. A court is due to decide on an appeal by architect Graham Dwyer against his conviction for the murder of childcare worker Elaine O’Hara.

Dwyer pleaded not guilty to the murder charge in the 2015 trial, but was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

He launched an appeal on numerous grounds, including the admissibility of mobile phone data evidence.

Kerry Babies

3. Gardaí have arrested a man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s in relation to the discovery of the body of a male infant known as Baby John in 1984.

An extensive investigation has been ongoing since 2018.

“The arrests are a significant development in this investigation in an effort to establish the truth surrounding the death of Baby John in 1984 and deliver justice for Baby John,” said Superintendent Flor Murphy, who has been leading the investigation.

Windsor Framework

4. The new post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland is set to be formally signed off on today at a meeting in London amid hopes for better UK-EU relations.

European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will together chair a meeting that will see the UK and the EU formally adopt the new arrangements for Northern Ireland after the UK Government won MPs’ backing for the Windsor Framework earlier this week.

The vote by MPs in favour of regulations to implement the Stormont brake, a key part of the Windsor agreement, came despite former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss joining the Democratic Unionist Party and hardline Brexit-backing Tory MPs in voting against the deal.

Right to work

5. A new study from the Economic and Social Research Institute found the majority of international protection applicants have the right to work but still face challenges that prevent them from getting a suitable job.

Ireland began granting right-to-work applications to international protection applicants during the middle of 2018. Since then, 12,000 applications have been granted as of the end of 2022.

While the total rate of approved applications reached 80%, the ESRI states that international protection applicants cannot meet the eligibility requirements to allow them to receive tailored employment, relevant to their qualifications.

The ESRI highlights that “key barriers” are hindering progress on getting a job, or the individuals end up working in an unsuitable job, as they still face many challenges such as a scarcity of jobs, access to childcare, and discrimination.

Planning permission

6. An Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission to over 1,000 homes planned for Baldoyle in Dublin 13.

In response to Strategic Housing Development (SHD) plans by Lismore Homes Ltd for 1,007 apartments, the appeals board has refused planning permission after concluding that the scheme would result in an excessive scale, bulk, and massing at the interface with a greenbelt.

As part of its comprehensive refusal, the appeals board has ruled that the north Dublin scheme is not justified due to the planned height and density of the scheme located to the north west of Baldoyle village 6km south east of Dublin airport.

Ukraine

7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told European leaders that “delays” sending fighter jets and long-range missiles could extend the war, after he paid a visit to the frontline southern region of Kherson.

On the train home from the war-ravaged areas, Zelenskyy gave an emotional account of what he had seen as he addressed a summit of his EU counterparts gathered in Brussels via video link, an EU official said.

While he welcomed a recent EU plan aimed at sending Kyiv one million artillery shells, he kept up his demand for modern warplanes and missiles he believes will be more effective at pushing back Russian forces.

Settlements

8. Close to €1 million was paid by financial providers to settle complaints during formal investigations last year, including a case where a bank put a woman’s house up for sale without informing her.

The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) today published the overview of complaints that it received last year.

The role of the FSPO is to resolve complaints from consumers, including small businesses and other organisations, against financial service providers and pension providers. 

Garda recruitment

9. Gardaí are launching a campaign to attract emigrants to return home to join the force as they begin a new recruitment drive.

Cabinet has cleared the way for the gardaí begin a major drive to recruit 1,000 new guards to fix an ailing campaign for trainees.

The new campaign will see a major media spread of adverts across social media, radio and television.