GOOD MORNING.

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

Mammograms

1. Recruitment issues have been blamed for long wait times for mammograms and other scans at two Dublin hospitals, with Beaumont Hospital considering outsourcing some appointments.

Patients have raised concerns that, in some cases, it is taking months to get an appointment for vital scans at Beaumont and the Mater Hospital.

While initial referrals are generally seen within weeks, some follow-up scans are reportedly taking months to arrange.

Murder investigation

2. Gardaí have launched a murder investigation after a post-mortem examination confirmed that the remains found in Co Cork earlier this week are those of missing man Kieran Quilligan.

The 47-year-old had been missing since September last year.

The remains were discovered on Monday, 29 January by a search dog at a location in Rostellan in east Cork.

Gaza

3. More than 100 people were killed in Gaza overnight, according to the region’s health ministry, as Israel continued its bombardment in the wake of talks between both sides.

Qatari, US, Israeli and Egyptian officials met in Paris for talks, with Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari saying yesterday the discussions had arrived at an agreement for exchanging hostages and prisoners.

However, a Hamas source told news agency AFP that there was “no agreement on the framework of the agreement yet” and that “the Qatari statement is rushed and not true”.

Climate finance

4. New figures show that Ireland spent €120.8 million on international climate finance in 2022 – halfway to a target of €225 million by 2025.

Developing countries that have contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions historically are now suffering from the worst impacts of the climate crisis and have the fewest resources to deal with it, prompting wealthier countries to allocate aid towards climate projects.

A new report released today by the Department of Foreign Affairs details that government departments collectively put €120.8 million towards climate finance in 2022.

Nairobi fire

5. At least three people have been killed and more than 270 injured in a massive fire when a truck laden with gas exploded in the Kenyan capital.

Firefighters managed to bring the blaze in Nairobi under control by around 9am (6am Irish time), more than nine hours after it erupted, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

The explosion ignited a “huge ball of fire that spread widely”.

Crash

6. A pedestrian has been hospitalised with serious injuries after being struck by a car in Co Cork yesterday evening.

The incident happened at around 6.20pm at Upper Cork Hill in Youghal.

The pedestrian, a man aged in his 60s, has been taken to Cork University Hospital with for treatment for serious injuries.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh

7. Cork’s largest stadium is officially set to be renamed “SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh” with immediate effect following a Cork GAA County Board meeting yesterday evening.

Cork GAA had confirmed it intended to rename Páirc Uí Chaoimh to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh as part of a 10-year partnership with the retailer.

Earlier this month, reports of plans to rename the stadium “Supervalu Páirc” drew national criticism from GAA fans, politicians, as well as the grandson of Pádraig Ó Caoimh, who fought for Irish independence and was General Secretary of the GAA.

Collision with garda motorcycle

8. A referral has been made to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) following a collision yesterday afternoon in Dublin involving a pedestrian and an official garda motorcycle.

Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of the road traffic collision on Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 1.