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LAST UPDATE | 16 Dec 2021
MAIDIN MHAITH.
It’s the usual stuff making the headlines this morning: housing, Covid, and the economy – there’s also a NPHET meeting later today. Here’s a quick run through it all.
1. The Housing Minister talks to you
“Radical measures” to develop vacant above-shop units are under consideration by government to help deal with the housing crisis, according to Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.
In an interview with The Journal, O’Brien said he would tell readers ”genuinely not to despair”.
I know people have been despairing, people who’ve been in this space and caught for the last few years with high rents, who are living with their folks, saving every cent they have and still not going to be able to buy a home or rent a home at an affordable rate – that changes next year, it genuinely does.
The Housing Minister also said he is not expecting any “drastic” recommendations from NPHET after it meets today, but perhaps a tweaking of the restrictions already in place.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said yesterday that he was expecting new curbs on social gatherings and international travel, as well as changes to the close contact management system in the run-up to Christmas.
We’ll find out soon – and sooner than we think if anyone leaks the advice…
3. Boosters boost
A lot was announced about the booster programme being extended yesterday – it’s yesterday’s news that it extending into today, so we’ll just leave this piece here for you.
4. Bouncy castle tragedy
Four children were killed and several others were seriously injured when a gust of wind blew their bouncy castle into the air at an end-of-term party in Australia.
Police said the pupils at a primary school in Devonport, northern Tasmania were celebrating the last week of class before the Christmas break when they were thrown from a height of about 10 metres.
“I can now sadly confirm that four children have died and four are in a critical condition and one in a serious condition,” Tasmanian police commissioner Darren Hine said.
5. Sleaze-triggered English by-election
Boris Johnson will suffer another major blow to his authority if the Tories lose an ultra-safe seat in a by-election triggered by Owen Paterson’s resignation as a Tory MP.
Voters head to the polls in North Shropshire today, with the Liberal Democrats eying a real chance to overturn a near 23,000-vote majority.
Stranger things have happened. In fact, it’s all strange these days.
6. Modelling the Omicron variant
The Irish Independent is reporting that the Government has been warned there could be over 20,000 Covid cases per day in Ireland in early January as a result of the far more transmissible Omicron variant.
7. A 14% growth
Despite continued uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, the ESRI is expecting overall strong growth this year, with Irish GDP set to increase by 13.6%. The double-digit growth rate is largely due to multinational related activities, in particular strong export figures.
But if you measure the domestic economy by modified domestic demand (MDD), it’s expected to grow by 6.2% in the present year. Into 2022, the ESRI is predicting a continued strong performance of the economy, with both MDD and GDP set to increase by 7%.
8. Posthumous pardon
President Michael D Higgins is expected to sign a posthumous Presidential pardon today for a man who was executed in January 1895.
John Twiss was executed in 1895 after being found guilty of murdering John Donovan near the Cork-Kerry border in 1894.
9. Christmas post dates
An Post has reminded people what the key dates are to ensure any post arrives before Christmas.
Saturday 18 December is the last day for letters to Europe, other than Great Britain; Monday 20 December is the last day for sending cards and parcels to the UK; while Thursday 23 December is the final date for cards and packages in Ireland.
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… I give up.
The headline explains exactly why he got the job.
Wall St. Banks gave 100′s mil $ to Hillary
Hunter Biden Joe’s son (democrats) got a gas company now in ukraine thx 2 suport f the coup from Hillary
The amount of support Trump received on here before the election was staggering. How anyone can defend him at this point is beyond me.
@Seán Ó Briain: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Czpyyn2UAAAe_Gj.jpg
Most of them are trolls. The others are gullible or fools. The handful that genuinely felt he had legitimate solutions proved themselves utterly lacking in compassion (‘of course his comments about women are unacceptable, BUT…). And they still go on as if it’s only whinging Clinton supporters that are rightly concerned about Trump.
I wonder why he was so keen to drill in Alaska when he was running for President.
oh
“……a sizeable portion of his wealth in recent years has come from energy investments and consulting work for a Texas equipment firm that provides heavy machinery for oil exploration work.”
@Eyepopper: or maybe it’s because it is the quickest, most common-sense route to energy independence. Drill Baby Drill! Frack Baby Frack!
@Eyepopper:you didn’t “give up” for long
Steven, common sense doesn’t involve destroying the planet you live on
He’ll drain the swamp you know!! yeah right, I’m just going to watch the inevitable ” how did I vote/support this guy” response that we’ll slowly start to see in the coming weeks and months.
Actually most Trump supporters are happy with his picks thus far, most have just given up commenting because liberals continue to whinge at everything he does.
He’s hammered if he picks someone outside of the political establishment for that person having no experience and if he picks someone inside it he’s criticised for not draining the swamp.
Good to know you’ve spoken to ‘most Trump supporters’ Robert, fair play to you.
@Philip Mc dermott: another one who clearly doesn’t have a notion what was meant by “Drain The Swamp”.
“If I am elected President, I will push for a Constitutional Amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.
It is time to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.
That is why I am proposing a package of ethics reforms to make our government honest once again.
First: I am going to institute a 5-year ban on all executive branch officials lobbying the government after they leave government service.
Second: I am going to ask Congress to institute its own 5-year ban on lobbying by former members of Congress and their staffs.
Third: I am going to expand the definition of lobbyist so we close all the loopholes that former government officials use by labeling themselves consultants and advisors when we all know they are lobbyists.
Fourth: I am going to issue a lifetime ban against senior executive branch officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
Fifth: I am going to ask Congress to pass a campaign finance reform that prevents registered foreign lobbyists from raising money in American elections.”
@Robert Burke: Mr. Trump has chosen winners for his team, not moaning lefties who can’t wipe their own bums without assistance
@MackPilon: He didn’t win Dancing with the Stars .LOL
@MackPilon: a ‘winner’ who twice failed to win his parties nomination to run for POTUS.
Why do leftards continue to froth and foam following Clinton’s smack-down by Americans ? Is it because of the threat that hangs over their heads that they might have to take one of the jobs that Mr.Trump will create when he takes over ?
@Eyepopper: Great response there. Thankfully social media enables us to gauge the reaction to each of his cabinet appointments thus far and the overall reaction online has been positive from Trump supporters, whether you like it or not. I know most liberals are still upset at the election outcome and are still making pathetic excuses like the Russians swayed the elections or that people who supported him were conned. The reality is most liberals are too arrogant to even bother asking why people throughout the rust belt in many cases voted Republican for the first time in 30 years. Trump represents change from the failed Obama/Clinton doctrine which has left the working and middle class behind.
The appointments of Bannon and Priebus were popular appointments among his base, along with the appointments of Generals Flynn, Mathis and Kelly. Dr. Carson supported Trump throughout the election and most were happy Trump rewarded his loyalty and made him HUD Secretary. Perry is the longest serving Governor of Texas and well liked among US conservatives, even though I’m actually not his biggest fan and Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the UN was met with praise from both sides of the aisle. Tillerson was definitely the preferred choice by Trump supporters over Romney after the criticisms he made of Trump throughout the election and received great praise from Bob Gates and Condi Rice in recent days. The reality is that no matter who he chose for any cabinet position would have been met with consternation from most people on the left.
@Robert Burke: You do know that the former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is being paid by Exxon Mobil ,yes?
@West Cork Lad: You just got there before me! Seriously,if these lads did even the slightest bit of research,they mightn’t post the amount of stuff that they do..Oh well..
Yeah he hasn’t mentioned doing any of that since he got elected and as for number 4 on your list did you not hear who the new secretary of state is? Actually everything on your list is already null and void after the people he has appointed to different departments,it is you my friend who really hasn’t a clue..
I’m well aware they both are on the Exxon payroll, I just wasn’t aware that being colleagues with someone means their opinion is void. By that logic, shouldn’t Obama’s opinion of Clinton been disregarded?
Who needs a lobbyist for a corporation when the president just hires staff from the corporation itself?! United states of Exxon
Ross, would that be ExxonMobil or are you just stuck in the past?
Good thing you pointed that out joseph- no one would have known I was talking about ExxonMobil when I said Exxon, eh?!
The amount of Trump sycophants on this website is staggering. If you support him, that’s fair enough, but blind support and standing up for him when he appoints grossly un-qualified people for key roles.. I’ll never understand.
@Showbiz Babyyy: “I’ll never understand.” nor will your snowflake chums.
It’s just mind boggling, and they think just can’t see it…yet.
How did the appointment of the “qualified” Hillary Clinton to Secretary of State work out again? Largest migration of people since WW2 due to her and Obama’s policies in Syria and Libya.
I have an image of the US in a few years being a large strip mining site…..
What’s wrong with that?
Mother nature will come back and bite them back.
Oh no! Trump is appointing Generals and Businessmen to his administration to boost the economy and create more job growth.
No no no no no just no!
But we don’t want to have to go out and get jobs and work for a living. We’re happy just living on Liberal-Arts College campuses for the rest of our lives and protest about the environment and things that offend us.
@The_Techno_Mage: Yep, thats it alright, you’re right on the money.
Totally dispelling the myth that Trump supporters are gullible fools, incapable or critical thought, who’ll swallow soundbites without question.
Well, they’re a mix of gullible fools and
billionaires screwing the American people for even more proud.
^^ profit even
What? No! Surely they’re just honest god fearing philanthropists, prepared to forego millions they could earn in private industry to create jobs and make america great again?
@The_Techno_Mage: Liberal-Arts College? That’s where snowflakes are created bless’em
In the words of the Big Lebowski: Your revolution is over, Mr. Lebowski. Condolences. The bums lost. My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?
Techno, “………and things that we think should offend us, and will, if enough of us agree to be offended”. Lemmings.
Booming U.S. oil production from the shale revolution has put America back near the top of oil and gas exporters and taken us out from under the heel of the Arabs. Putting Mr. Perry in charge will guarantee American power supplies unlike in Australia where power outages are ruining their industry while they sit on enormous coal reserves. In South Australia the September 28 blackout cost a loss of $367m. America was heading down that road under Obama but it looks like Mr. Trump will insure the US against that sort of carry-on.
PS The Shannon estuary would make a perfect distribution point for American oil and gas exports to Europe and leave Rotterdam at the mercy of the Arab blackmailers
Sure! Perhaps you could start on the farside of the estuary. Doonbeg.
Wish him all the best with the pipelines and tracking. Either it is going to cost a lot bypassing and changing routes or it is going to take a lot of police and national guard to hammer down the locals, natives and veterans.
You have to give Donny an A+ when he says things like this about Mr Perry : “one of the most successful governors in modern history, having led Texas through a sustained period of economic growth and prosperity by developing the state’s energy resources and infrastructure, and making low-cost energy available to companies and families.”
Here are the facts ::
It is next to last in education.
It is number in the % of uninsured adults and children
It is 42nd in the number of physicians per capita
It is 4th in the percent of people living below the federal poverty level
It is 48th in median net worth of households
It is 1st in the amount of recognised cancer-causing carcinogens released into air
It is 43rd in high school graduation rate
It is last in worker’s comp coverage
And is 46th in homeowner’s insurance affordability
Sorry Trumpies..
@West Cork Lad: You obviously missed the part where he was appointed as Secretary of Energy not Education or Health for that matter.
@Steven Casey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj7spLBfMHY
Yikes!
@Steven Casey: You must have missed the part where he was the Governor of Texas .
@Steven Casey: You obviously missed the part where Trumps said that Perry was : ” one of the most successful governors in modern history ”
Poor pet!
West Cork lad. I didn’t read the piece just that it was American. But i gotta sat there are a lot of America lovers here tonight.
Trump is shaping up to be the worst US president ever. Corrupt, incompetent, lazy and down right stupid.
He stacks his cabinet with tin pot generals, billionaire donors and their party flunkies, (including this goon Perry). He shafts his loyal supporters, he is taking terrible advice from whoever is controlling him. When he slashes taxes for his wealthy donor there will be nothing left for any capital investment.
He will quickly alienate the poor mugs who turned up at his rallies, believed his bullshit and voted for him. They will turn on him forcing the Republicans to find any excuse to dump him.
I wish they would stop putting their noses in where its not wanted, for me they can run their own Country to the ground and if i’m honest i wish they would.
@von: Mr Trump has not been sworn in yet. Clinton lost , didn’t you hear ?
@von, a trump supporter and you don’t even know it.
Mackpilon I don’t get your comment can you elaborate
Mackpilon and Shane. I asked for America not to interfere in any Country unless asked. I don’t like America or most of its people, i don’t care who they vote in as President as long as they do not interfere with Countries that do not wNt them. I have no liking for Clinton Obama or Trump is that more comprehensive fot both pf you.
@von, out of the two candidates Trump is the least likely to interfere with other countries unless asked. Clinton was 100% guaranteed to carry on where Obama left off.
Forgetting the Energy Department is not mush of a gaff. Ireland has a Minister for climate change, the subject was never mentioned even once in our election, no ever voted on it. it has no mandate. By that standard, Ireland should have a department of toilet paper
REALLY?????
So the GOP are looking for a Reagan like figure then?
have your say