Demand driving up rents
The chair of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has said that tenants bidding against each other for limited available accommodation is increasing rent prices, and not landlords.
Tom Dunne also admitted that “effectively” only those on high wages can access security of tenure through paying higher rents that institutional landlords charge.
The comments come after the Irish Examiner reported that Mr Dunne said that the best type of rental accommodation people could have in the private market is with so-called 'vulture fund'-owned properties.
National Maternity Hospital settlement
An eight-year-old boy with autism who sued over the circumstances of his birth at the National Maternity Hospital has settled his High Court action for €10 million.
Aston Shiels Flynn, the High Court heard, is on the highest scale of the autism spectrum, has limited speech and has developmental delay.
The settlement marks the end of an eight-year battle for Aston’s family and came about after prolonged negotiations, the High Court heard.
The case, Mr Justice Paul Coffey was told, is the second only such case before the courts where it was sought to establish an alleged link between autism and alleged hypoxic events at delivery.
Truss fires Kwarteng
British prime minister Liz Truss has fired chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, the BBC reported on Friday, shortly before she is expected to scrap parts of his economic package in a bid to survive the market and political turmoil gripping the country.
Downing Street confirmed that Ms Truss, who has been in power for only 37 days, would hold a press conference later on Friday. Minutes earlier, Mr Kwarteng landed back in London after he left International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings in Washington early to work on their economic plan.
Enoch Burke case to be heard 'as soon as possible'
A High Court judge has said he wants the underlying legal dispute between jailed teacher Enoch Burke and his employer heard and determined as soon as possible.
On Friday morning, Mr Justice Brian O'Moore made directions while case managing the action between Mr Burke and Wilson Hospital's School in Co Westmeath regarding Mr Burke's suspension from his teaching position in August.
His case came before the High Court on Friday when Mr Justice Moore put a timetable in place for the exchange of legal documents in the full hearing of the action between the school and Mr Burke.
After putting in a timetable for the exchange of legal documents between the parties in place, the judge said while he was not fixing a hearing date at this stage he hoped to fix a date for the hearing of the action either before Christmas or early in the New Year.
The judge adjourned the matter to a date in November when it will be mentioned and reviewed by the court.
Creeslough funeral
The funeral Mass for the oldest victim of the Creeslough explosion has taken place at St Michael’s Church in the village.
People lined up on the village’s main street for the seventh funeral of the 10 people killed in the blast at a service station a week ago.
Hugh Kelly (59) was the oldest of the victims.
He had recently received news that he was in remission after battling cancer, mourners at his funeral were told.
