LAST UPDATE | 12 Dec 2023
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our lead story this morning, Jane Moore reports on a serious rise in the seasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, there were 985 cases of RSV recorded between 27 November and 3 December, up from 730 cases notified the previous week.
One GP has urged parents to be aware of symptoms of RSV in their children due to a surge in the number of cases, which has put pressure “on all parts of medical care”.
2. SSE Airtricity is to cut residential electricity and gas prices from the beginning of February next year.
The standard unit rate of electricity will drop by 12.8% while gas will decrease by 11.5%.
The company said that this decrease will see a typical dual fuel customer save almost €380 per year.
3. Climate talks in Dubai are set to run past a deadline for a deal as at-risk nations voiced fury over a proposed compromise that stops short of phasing out fossil fuels.
The Emirati president of the COP28 summit has repeatedly pressed the nearly 200 nations to reach an ambitious deal by the official end of talks at 7am Irish time, in an effort to force decisions.
Yesterday, Ireland’s Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan was among those adamant that the draft deal will not be accepted by the EU unless significant changes are made.
4. Gardaí are investigating all circumstances surrounding the death of a man (40s) in a house in Tallaght last night.
One man was arrested at the scene and is currently being detained by Gardaí.
Gardaí and emergency services were alerted shortly before 9 pm to an incident in a house in the Castle Park area of Tallaght.
While the man received treatment at the scene, he was later pronounced dead.
5. Cabinet is to approve far-reaching legislation relating to surrogacy and assisted human reproduction today.
Ministers are expected to approve proposed committee stage amendments to the proposed legislation, that passed second stage in the Dáil last year.
The Bill was paused to allow for the insertion of new provisions in respect of the regulation of international surrogacy agreements and the recognition of certain past surrogacy arrangements.
It is now proposed to insert a number of complex provisions into the legislation that will have the potential to provide hundreds of Irish families with a route to formal recognition by the State of surrogacy arrangements they have undertaken, or will undertake, in other jurisdictions.
6. A planned Christmas dinner at the US ambassador’s residence tonight is to be boycotted by several politicians over the country’s backing of Israel’s war in Gaza.
An invitation has been extended by the US ambassador Claire Cronin to a ‘Holiday Reception’ in her residence in Phoenix Park.
But People Before Profit and Dublin City Council’s Independent group said it was “unconscionable” to try to “continue the pretence that we can celebrate the holiday season while innocent people” are killed in Gaza by Israel’s onslaught of the region.
Victim speaks out
7. Alanna Quinn Idris, the woman who was “cowardly” attacked in an “unprovoked” assault in 2021, has said the punishment her attacker received doesn’t fit the crime he committed.
Josh Cummins, aged 19, was jailed for three years yesterday after he pleaded guilty to the assault in Ballyfermot on 30 December 2021.
“With everything that I have to go through – that I’ve been going through and that I have to go through still for the rest of my life – it doesn’t just end for me.
“For him just to serve three years and then after that he can just forget about it when he grows up. It just doesn’t feel fair whatsoever.”
8. The US Supreme Court has been asked to rule quickly on whether former US president Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results.
A federal judge ruled the case could go forward, but the Republican former president signalled he would ask the federal appeals court in Washington to reverse that outcome.
The request filed for the Supreme Court to take up the matter directly reflects prosecutors’ desire to keep the trial, currently for 4 March, on track and to prevent any delays that could push back the case until after next year’s presidential election.
9. Poland’s parliament has elected centrist party leader Donald Tusk as prime minister, paving the way for a new pro-EU government after eight years of stormy national conservative rule.
Tusk becomes prime minister nearly two months after a national election that was won by a coalition of parties ranging from left-wing to moderate conservative.
The parties ran on separate tickets but promised to work together under Tusk’s leadership to restore democratic standards and improve ties with allies.
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