GOOD MORNING, HELLO.

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

1. Booster programme boost

The booster programme is to be accelerated, with appointments for a third dose of the vaccine to begin to be offered to people in their 30s and 40s before Christmas, The Journal understands. Happy Christmas to them.

It comes as questions have been raised about whether people are not showing for booster vaccine appointments, as the Taoiseach suggested this week, or whether the booking system for booster appointments is flawed.

2. Tory party party

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing further questions as it emerged Conservative aides threw a party during coronavirus restrictions last December, as the fallout over the rule-breaking Christmas bash in Downing Street continued.

The Times of London reports that the “raucous” party took place in the HQ’s basement featured dancing and wine-drinking into the early hours despite indoor social mixing being banned at the time.

In the wake of this revelation, it’s worth remembering what Boris Johnson told the House of Commons yesterday about the first Christmas party controversy:

…I can understand how infuriating it must be to think that people who have been setting the rules have not been following the rules because I was also furious to see that clip.

We’ll see how far that fury goes…

3. Covid restriction supports

The Government is expected to announce new supports for companies affected by Covid-19 restrictions today – Minister for Public Expenditure and Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath is expected to appear on radio after 8am, where more details might be revealed.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said before that the supports should be targetted at hospitality, late-night, and entertainment sectors, instead of the previous supports which were more scatter gun. 

Keep an eye on The Journal for the latest.

4. A Capitol riot row

Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows has filed a lawsuit against the congressional committee pursuing him for criminal contempt over his refusal to testify in their probe of the US Capitol riot that took place on 6 January.

The lawsuit, filed a day after the panel told Meadows it was taking action over his defiance of a subpoena to appear for a deposition yesterday, challenges the legality of the “unduly burdensome” summons and asks the Washington district court to strike it down.

5. A world-first smoking ban

New Zealand announced plans to effectively ban smoking by lifting the age at which tobacco products can be bought, in a “world-first” bid that means today’s young teens will never be able to buy cigarettes legally.

From 2027, the age ban would increase by one year annually to keep the cohort smoke free, “because the truth is there is no safe age to start smoking,” as Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall put it.

6. New Brexit laws

Non-Irish EU citizens living in Ireland may need to fill in a US-style ETA (electronic travel authorisation) in future if they are going to Northern Ireland, according to the UK’s immigration minister Kevin Foster.

He gave evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee yesterday, who said that these documents would be available online and would not be checked at the Irish border.

Campaigner and NWCI member Emma De Souza said that this proposal was “unworkable“, and represented a “hardening of the border”.

7. ‘Child-friendly’ vaccine centres

The Irish Independent reports that the HSE has been told to set up separate “child-friendly” Covid-19 vaccination clinics for 5- to 11-year-olds to avoid them getting upset or risk their vaccines being mixed up with adult booster shots.

8. Whistleblower protections

The Garda watchdog has called on Government to pass legislation that will give greater protections to whistleblowers and provide for a new dedicated office to handle complaints.

In a press conference to be held later today, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) it is set to call on the Irish State to immediately bring EU protections into Irish law to protect people who speak up.

9. The outlook 

Storm Barra has now well and truly left us and the outlook for today is pretty good. 

Met Éireann says the rain will move eastwards across the country this morning and early afternoon and will be followed by sunny spells and scattered showers.

Top temperatures of 5 to 11 degrees.