Taoiseach calls for Holohan secondment to be 'paused'
The Taoiseach has said the planned academic role for Dr Tony Holohan should be paused and “reassessed”.
Micheál Martin said the appointment should wait until he receives a report from Minister of Health Stephen Donnelly on Monday.
Meanwhile, a private meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Health on Thursday heard that the Department of Health Secretary General, Robert Watt, signed off on the controversial secondment of Dr Holohan.
It comes as Mr Watt is due to compile the report into the secondment.
Government to consider measures to tackle cost of living crisis
The Tánaiste has played down hopes for another major Government intervention in tackling the rising cost of living.
Leo Varadkar said on Friday that while the Government is meeting next week to consider further action to deal with rising inflation and offset the planned increase in carbon tax, such moves will not amount to a “big bazooka measure”.
Opposition parties have called variously for action on the minimum wage and an emergency budget, with the war in Ukraine adding to rising costs for households.
Increase in new electric and plug-in hybrid cars
New electric and plug-in hybrid cars accounted for 21 per cent of all new cars licensed in the first quarter of 2022, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.
The total number of new cars licensed in March rose by 11 per cent compared with the same month last year.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2022, 26 per cent of new private cars licensed were diesel, compared with 36 per cent in the same period in 2021.
According to the figures, there was a fall of 2,688 (41 per cent) in the number of used private cars licensed in March.
Taoiseach visits Finland
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is currently visiting Finland, where he said he had a “very good” meeting with Finland’s president Sauli Niinisto.
The war in Ukraine, climate change and digital transformation are understood to be on the agenda.
Ireland and Finland are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2o22.
While speaking in Helsinki, Mr Martin admitted that Ireland will face challenges housing the refugees set to arrive into the country.
