LAST UPDATE | 28 Nov 2023

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s everything you need to know as you start your day.

Gaza

1. A truce between Israel and Hamas has entered a fifth day after both sides agreed to an extension of two days as more hostages were freed from Gaza in exchange for the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

11 more hostages were freed from Gaza overnight, along with the release of another 33 Palestinian prisoners – the last exchange under the existing deal.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the extension “a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war”.

Peacekeeping

2. Cabinet will be asked to approve continued Irish Defence Forces involvement in two overseas missions later today.

The first mission would be to continue the provision of up to five members of the Defence Forces for the UN authorised mission Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, up until 31 December 2024.

The second mission is for Irish Defence Forces participation in the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Entebbe, Uganda.

Garda force

3. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is set to announce a review on the use of force by gardaí responding to public order incidents similar to last Thursday’s riot in Dublin.

The Fine Gael TD, who has come under mounting pressure amid calls by the Opposition for her and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to resign, is putting forward the review as part of an examination of the support available to An Garda Síochána when dealing with scenes similar to that seen in the city centre.

McEntee has also asked the Policing Authority to review how frontline Gardaí dealing with serious public order events can be further supported.

East Wall

4. A man has been arrested after protesters surrounded Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald’s car in East Wall last night.

McDonald was at East Wall’s Sean O’Casey Community Centre yesterday evening.

Upon leaving the venue, she was accosted by protesters who shouted at her and surrounded her car.

Recycling

5. Only 28% of Ireland’s plastic packaging is recycled, with the remainder sent for incineration (70%) and disposal (2%), according to a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

It’s well short of the EU target of 50% due to take effect from 2025. Targets for household and commercial waste are also some way off, at 41% instead of 55%.

Mother and Baby Homes

6. Religious orders should be compelled to pay compensation to survivors of mother and baby homes and related institutions, the chair of the Oireachtas Children’s Committee has said.

Kathleen Funchion said it is “laughable” that the government is writing to religious orders and asking them to pay into the fund rather than compelling them to do so.

Speaking at a survivor-led event in Dublin last week, Funchion said the approach of “somebody writing to you hoping that you’re going to send back a cheque” is “actually laughable really”.

Caitriona Lucas

7. The inquest into the death of Irish Coast Guard volunteer Caitriona Lucas, who died while assisting in a search and rescue operation off the west coast seven years ago, has heard how she and two other volunteers were thrown into the sea when their boat was hit by a huge wave. 

The inquest heard that Ms Lucas, of the Doolin Coast Guard unit, was assisting members of Kilkee Coast Guard unit because they were short of volunteers.

The 41-year old librarian and mother-of-two from Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, was the first Coast Guard member to die on active duty.

Public transport

8. There are “too many cars” on our roads and Dublin needs to “go on a car diet”, the CEO of Dublin Bus will tell the Oireachtas Transport Committee today.

Billy Hann will also discuss last Thursday’s riots in the city centre at the committee, stating that while the company has had to suspend services before, it has “never been forced off the streets” because of public order.

“Our buses were burnt out. A driver was forcibly removed from his cab and intimidated,” Hann will outline.

Fine Gael

9. Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd has announced that he will stand down at the next General Election.

In a statement yesterday, O’Dowd said it was an “honour and privilege to represent the people of the Louth constituency for a total of fifty years as an elected representative”.

O’Dowd is the latest in a string of Fine Gael TDs to announce that they will stand down at the next election.