Dowdall evidence
Jonathan Dowdall, a former co-accused of Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch who has turned State's witness, will "finally" give evidence in the Regency Hotel murder trial on Monday, despite the status of his Witness Protection Programme application remaining unknown, the Special Criminal Court has heard.
After the non-jury court was told on Friday that a decision on Dowdall's status within the Witness Protection Programme (WPP) would not be made until the middle of January next year, Mr Hutch's barrister Brendan Grehan SC said his client was "anxious" that his trial proceed as he was not at all convinced about the timetable suggested or that it would necessarily "yield any fruit".
Before Dowdall takes the stand on Monday, a Detective Superintendent will give evidence that the former Sinn Féin councillor's admittance into the WPP is "separate and distinct and not tied in any way to his performance in the witness box.
Cold snap
Yellow warnings for snow, ice and freezing fog are in place as temperatures are expected to plummet to between -4 to -1 degrees overnight.
Earlier, Met Éireann extended its winter weather advisory and issued further warnings for hazardous conditions, adding the cold spell is likely to last well into next week.
Snow fell across parts of the country late on Thursday evening, with social media users posting videos and photos of snow falling in counties Donegal, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow and across Dublin.
ESRI report
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has warmly welcomed the findings of an Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) report which indicates that house prices could fall by 12 per cent by 2030 if output was increased by 10,000 units a year for the remainder of this decade.
Speaking at the launch of the Macroom Bypass in Cork, he insisted that building houses with more speed and increasing supply is key in terms of getting to grips with the crisis in housing in this country
“I welcome the report because it points in the right direction and that is exactly what we want to do in Government is to really increase the level of house building."
No confidence vote
A motion of no confidence is being tabled against Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien.
The Government is expected to table a counter motion calling for a vote of confidence in the Fianna Fáil minister.
The People Before Profit-Solidarity motion will note that “up to 20,000 people” demonstrated on the streets of Dublin on November 26th as part of a Raise the Roof rally demanding an end to homelessness and calling for more social and affordable homes.
Fatal stabbing
A man has denied fatally stabbing an elderly mobility scooter rider in London.
Lee Byer, 44, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran in Greenford, west London, on August 16th.
Mr O’Halloran, a grandfather who was said to be well known in the local community, collapsed from his mobility scooter outside Runnymede Gardens having been stabbed repeatedly.
