LAST UPDATE | 29 Mar 2023

GOOD MORNING.

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

Women of Honour

1. ‘Sadistic violence’ and ‘predatory behaviour’ are just two terms used in the report into bullying and abuse in the Defence Forces published yesterday. 

‘Tubbing’ is one of the hazing methods within the Defence Forces described in the Independent Review Group’s report.

‘Tubbing’ refers to the placing of an individual in a barrel, which may contain any combination of chemicals, oil, airplane fuel, deceased animal carcasses, or other substances, for the purposes of hazing or punishment, according to the report.

Eviction ban

2. The Government is due to face a confidence motion this morning following their decision to end the eviction ban.

The motion was tabled by the Government after Labour sought to table a no-confidence motion and will be debated at 9.12am this morning.

Daft.ie

3. House prices fell slightly in the first three months of this year, according to the latest report from property website Daft.ie.

The latest house price report shows that housing prices fell by 0.3% in the first quarter of the year. 

Ukraine 

4. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned defeat in the battle for Bakhmut would enable Russia to start building international support for a deal that would require his nation to make unacceptable compromises.

He has also invited Chinese President Xi Jinping, long aligned to Russia, to visit.

Economy

5. The Irish economy is set to grow this year and next as inflation is expected to moderate, according to a new report by the ESRI. 

The think tank has predicted that Ireland’s domestic economic activity is to grow by 3.8% in 2023 and by 3.9% in 2024.

Nashville shooting

6. The 28-year-old who shot dead six people at an elementary school in Nashville was able to buy and conceal multiple weapons in the family home despite evidence of mental health issues, police said yesterday.

Two nine-year-old girls, a nine-year-old boy, two teachers and a school custodian died in the Monday attack, which recharged the bitter debate over gun rights in the United States.

Rip

7. TV star and comedian Paul O’Grady has died at the age of 67, his partner Andre Portasio has said.

The TV star, also known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, died “unexpectedly but peacefully” yesterday evening, a statement shared with the PA news agency via a representative said.

Abuse

8. Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman has told the Commission of Investigation into the Grace case that it is “imperative” it completes its work by March next year. 

Cabinet recently granted yet another 12-month extension to the Commission of Inquiry into the Grace case, meaning the inquiry will now take five times longer than originally intended. 

Planning

9. Housing developments in city centres could radically increase in density as the Government prepare to bring new planning guidelines to consultation.

New policy proposals went to Cabinet yesterday, with Minister Darragh O’Brien due to publish a paper on reforming the existing Sustainable Residential Development Guidelines.