Government to clarify maternity hospital details
The Government is set to clarify details of a contentious phrase within documents relating to the new National Maternity Hospital.
Concerns have been raised about any possible religious involvement in the maternity hospital if it is co-located on the St Vincent’s site, as planned.
Campaigners and opposition politicians have said the phrase “clinically appropriate” in the new hospital’s constitution is “a major red flag”.
A delay to Cabinet approval for the move has been used by the Government to attempt to quash and alleviate concerns that the new maternity hospital could be open to religious interference.
DUP to block election of Speaker
The new Northern Ireland Assembly is meeting for the first time today with the DUP set to block the election of a Speaker.
Some 90 MLAs will gather in the chamber after last week’s Northern Ireland Assembly election saw Sinn Féin emerge as the largest party for the first time.
The DUP had previously indicated that it will not nominate for the position of deputy First Minister, which will prevent the forming of a new Executive, as part of its protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.
HSE advise parents over Hepatitis
The HSE is advising parents to be aware of Hepatitis following the death of one child here.
As of April, at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children have been reported in 11 countries, with 114 of these cases reported in the UK.
Since March, the HSE said there have been six probable cases of children with hepatitis in Ireland, which it said “is more than would usually be expected over this period of time”.
Just two of Ireland’s swimming spots of ‘poor’ water quality
Just two swimming spots in Ireland have been classified as having “poor” water quality in the latest annual report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Bathing Water in Ireland report found the water quality of the country’s beaches and lakes continued to improve in 2021, with 97 per cent (144 of 148) of bathing sites meeting or exceeding the minimum standard.
Water quality at 115 of these sites (78 per cent) was deemed “excellent”, up from 111 in 2020.
Mini heatwave forecast
Ireland is set to enjoy the warmest weekend of the year to date as Met Éireann forecasts temperatures soaring to 20 degrees.
The forecaster has predicted the areas of the country set to see the best of the weather, with the mercury to “possibly” hit 20 degrees in the southeast today.
Saturday will be another balmy day with top temperatures of 19 degrees, while it is expected that Sunday will see temperatures hit 20 degrees more generally.
