LAST UPDATE | 22 Jan
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. Storm Isha hit Ireland last night and left a trail of destruction in its wake.
While it has now passed, it had a significant impact on travel, and tens of thousands of people have been left without power.
Keep updated with us here for the latest throughout the morning.
2. More than 235,000 homes, farms and businesses are without power across the country in the wake of the storm.
ESB Networks said the worst impacted counties were in the north-west, with “hundreds” of additional crews contracted to help ESB crews assess and repair the outages this morning.
As of 6:30 am, approximately 235,000 homes, farms and businesses are without power.
3. Two people sadly died last night in road crashes during the storm.
A man in his 40s died after his car left the road during difficult conditions at about 6.15pm in Lisduff, Claremorris in Mayo.
In Louth, a woman in her 20s received fatal injuries after a van crashed into a tree at 1.50am.
4. Workers at two 999 call centres have called for mediators to intervene over a series of workplace problems, including some staff allegedly “bidding” for holidays 18 months in advance.
Union members at the country’s two Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) centres in Meath and Donegal voted overwhelmingly for industrial action late last year.
However BT Ireland, which runs the centre, has rejected an invitation to resolve the dispute at the Workplace Relations Commission and has pointed to recent payrises as evidence of its running of the State contract.
5. The Supreme Court is today to make a ruling in a case taken by a man who was denied access to a Widower’s Pension because he was not married to his late partner.
The ruling may have an impact on the campaign for the upcoming referendum which seeks to provide for a wider concept of family, that is, not one only based on marriage.
Johnny O’Meara and his partner Michelle Batey had been together for 20 years and planned to marry, but Batey died of Covid-19 in 2021 and they sadly never got the chance.
When he was denied access to the payment, he and the couple’s three children Jack, Thomas and Aoife challenged the constitutionality of legislation governing the Widower’s Pension Scheme.
6. The Tánaiste has critised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments rejecting a two-state solution with Palestine, and urged the Israeli leader “to lead” and back the policy.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Saturday that Israel “must retain security control over Gaza to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel”, adding that this was a requirement that “contradicts the demand for Palestinian sovereignty”.
Martin is taking part in a summit of EU’s foreign ministers this morning to discuss the Israeli invasion of Gaza and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
7. Ian Bailey, the self-confessed chief suspect for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has died.
It is understood Bailey, 64, suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed in Bantry, Co Cork.
Bailey had last year said on social media that he was receiving treatment for heart disease having suffered two heart attacks.
8. Donald Trump celebrated rival Ron DeSantis’ decision to end his presidential campaign and endorse the former president.
At a rally in New Hampshire yesterday, Trump congratulated the Florida Governor on “a very good job”, and thanked him.
“He was very gracious, and he endorsed me. I appreciate that, and I also look forward to working with Ron,” Trump said.
9. Tánaiste Micheál Martin has defended the Government’s stance in relation to a case taken by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and said Ireland would consider joining the case once it had passed the preliminary stages.
South Africa has taken the case over Israel’s actions in Gaza, where 25,000 people have been killed since October last year, according to local health authorities.
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