Munich abuse report
A long-awaited report on sexual abuse in Germany’s Munich diocese on Thursday faulted retired Pope Benedict XVI’s handling of four cases when he was archbishop in the 1970s and 1980s.
The law firm that drew up the report said that Benedict strongly denies any wrongdoing.
The report also faulted the current archbishop, a prominent ally of Pope Francis, in two cases.
Nphet meeting
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that he hopes to be in a position tomorrow to give a “clear” message to the public about the easing of restrictions.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is meeting on Thursday and the Government will meet on Friday after which he would give a “clear and comprehensive” statement.
The situation was very positive, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
“We have come a long way,” Mr Martin said.
Ashling Murphy murder
A man has been remanded in custody after being charged with the murder of primary school teacher Ashling Murphy.
Jozef Puska, 31, of Lynally Grove, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was heckled as he was taken from a Garda car to a special sitting of Tullamore District Court on Wednesday evening.
A large crowd gathered outside the courthouse as he was taken away by gardaí.
Bonus payments
GPs will not be included in the bonus payment for frontline healthcare workers which was agreed by the Government on Wednesday.
As reported in The Irish Times, a spokesperson for the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the €1,000 pandemic bonus will not be paid to GPs despite their role throughout the pandemic.
The new bonus was announced on Wednesday along with a new public holiday to recognise the efforts of the country during the Covid-19 pandemic and to remember those who lost their lives has been agreed by the Government.
Ryanair flights
Ryanair has announced a record schedule for flights out of Dublin Airport this summer, with 120 destinations and 900 flights planned per week.
The airline is adding 22 new routes to it's Dublin schedule with destinations including Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia and Portugal.
Eddie Wilson, chief executive of Ryanair DAC, mentioned the company has launched the plan with the help of a €90 million incentive scheme funded by the Government.
Fixing schools
Maintenance work on 40 schools with structural and fire safety defects has now exceeded the original building cost of €160 million.
The cost of remedial work, which was started in 2015 when fire safety defects were detected in a north Dublin school, has increased significantly.
In October 2020, the Public Accounts Committee was told the cost had reached €90 million.
However, a number of sources told the Irish Examiner that the cost has now exceeded €160 million with the work not yet completed.
