LAST UPDATE | 1 Jun 2022

GOOD MORNING. 

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

Taxi shortages

1. In our lead story this morning, Michelle Hennessy reports that the shortage of taxis operating in Dublin has left people feeling unsafe trying to get home at night.

The shortage at peak times on weekends in the capital has left revellers waiting sometimes hours for transport while others were forced to walk long distances to get home at the end of a night out.

Airport queues

2. Representatives from Dublin Airport’s operator DAA will appear before a Dáil committee today to outline plans to address delays faced by passengers.

DAA chief executive Dalton Philips will meet with the Oireachtas Transport Committee  to discuss the chaotic scenes at the weekend that resulted in 1,400 people missing their flights.

Emissions targets

3. Greenhouse gas emissions rose by an estimated 6% last year following a pandemic-linked decrease in 2020.

A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency says that urgent implementation of existing climate plans and policies, alongside further measures, are needed for Ireland to meet its 2030 and 2050 emissions targets. 

Rocket systems for Ukraine

4. US President Joe Biden has announced the US is sending a small number of high-tech, medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine to aid its forces as they struggle to stall Russian progress in the Donbas region.

The rocket systems are part of a new $700 million (€653.3 million) tranche of security assistance for Ukraine from the US that will include helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more, according to two senior administration officials.

Rescue 116

5. An inquest into the deaths of four Irish Coast Guard aircrew in the Rescue 116 helicopter crash is set to resume later.

Rescue 116 crashed off Co Mayo at 12.46am on 14 March 2017 during a search and rescue mission with four crew on board after it struck Blackrock Island, 19 kilometres off the west coast.

At the time of the accident, the crew were offering support to an operation to airlift an injured man from a fishing trawler.

Traveller protest

6. Traveller groups and campaigners gathered in front of Leinster House yesterday to raise awareness of the mental health crisis facing members of the Traveller community.

During the demonstration, musicians played songs and speakers told demonstrators that they had been let down by promises made by successive governments to help improve Travellers’ mental health.

Partygate

7. Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser has suggested that the UK Prime Minister’s partygate fine may have breached the Ministerial Code.

Christopher Geidt, the independent adviser on the Ministerial Code, said a “legitimate question” had arisen as to whether the case of the fixed penalty notice (FPN) might have constituted a breach of the “overarching duty within the Ministerial Code of complying with the law”.

Rice Krispies FactCheck

8. In our latest FactCheck Brianna Parkins debunks claims that Rice Krsipie manufacturer Kellogg’s announced that its mascot “Pop” indentifies as a trans woman. 

A fake article making the claim prompted strong reactions on social media platforms with one tweet declaring “the woke mob strikes again” which was liked 56.2 thousand times. 

Data retention legislation

9. Justice minister Helen McEntee is set to have revised legislation passed before the summer recess that will amend the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011.

The revised legislation is in response to the recent judgements by the European Court of Justice as well as the legal challenge taken by convicted murder Graham Dwyer.