Agriculture emissions
The Government has agreed targets to limit emissions in key sectors of the economy after reaching a compromise rate of 25 per cent for agriculture, it is understood.
It is believed that a reduction rate of 75 per cent was set for the electricity sector and a 50 per cent reduction for the transport sector.
It comes after the Government failed on Wednesday to come to an agreement during the last scheduled Cabinet meeting before the summer recess.
Covid testing
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly is understood to have accepted a recommendation from chief medical officer Professor Breda Smyth to wind down mas Covid-19 testing in the autumn.
The Irish Medical Organisation's Dr Denis McCauley said news of the changes has led to a "certain level of confusion" among the public, but he explained only those at high-risk will be sent for Covid testing if they present with symptoms.
Those deemed not to be at high risk will continue to be advised to stay at home and isolate until their symptoms subside.
Coercive control case
A man who raped, assaulted and coercively controlled a woman in the course of a six-week relationship has been jailed for 17 years.
On various occasions, Dean Ward (36) sprayed mace into the woman’s face, tied her up, choked her and then raped her, threatened her with a hammer and punched her in the face.
He controlled her access to friends and family, took over her online banking, monitored her whereabouts and her mobile phone, and removed her contraceptive device as she slept.
At the Central Criminal Court on Thursday morning, Justice Kerida Naidoo suspended the final year of an 18-year sentence for the most serious rape offence. He imposed a four-year term, to run concurrently, for an offence of coercive control, which has a maximum sentence of five years.
Housing completions
There were 7,654 new dwelling completions in the second quarter of 2022 (April to June), up 53.4 per cent from second quarter of 2021, and up 58.8 per cent from the same period in 2019, according to figures released from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
This is the most completions seen in any quarter since the series began in 2011.
There was an 88.1 per cent increase in apartments completed in second quarter of 2022, up from 1,284 in 2021 to 2,415.
Scheme dwellings were also up 53.3 per cent to 3,905, while single dwellings also rose by 15.1 per cent to 1,334.
