ESB profits
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said it is “right and proper” that the Government takes back some of the huge profits energy companies have been making on the back of the energy crisis.
Mr Varadkar made the comments after the ESB Group reported a significant increase in profits for the first half of the year.
The Fine Gael leader said that with ESB, the Government can claim some of its profits in two ways, either through a windfall tax or taking a large dividend from the energy firm.
As customers face soaring energy bills, ESB saw revenues of €3.7 billion in the first six months of 2022, a €1.5 billion increase on the same period last year.
Protest at Navan Hospital
Hundreds of people have gathered in Co Meath to protest against the HSE proposal to close the emergency department in Navan’s Our Lady’s hospital.
The HSE plans to change the hospital to a “model 2” facility, which will see the intensive care unit and small emergency department close and a 24/7 medical assessment unit and injuries unit take their place.
The move has sparked fury and prompted protests in the county, with many describing the proposal as a “disaster”.
The closure of the A&E would see critically ill patients taken to the emergency department in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
RTÉ to televise funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth
RTÉ will air live coverage from the funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.
The broadcaster confirmed it will cover the event both on television and online, with Ray Kennedy presenting the special programming.
Kate Egan will also provide commentary of the state funeral which will be held at Westminster Abbey in London.
The funeral will be attended by leaders from around the world, including President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
The coverage will begin at 10.30am on Monday on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player.
Wider coverage of the day's events will also be broadcast on the RTÉ News channel throughout Monday.
Fire crews attend blaze at business premises in Claregalway
Fire crews from three stations attended the scene of a major fire at a commercial premises in Co Galway on Friday.
The blaze broke out at around 11am at the Xerotech facility in the Claregalway Corporate Park in Claregalway.
Units of Galway Fire and Rescue Service from Galway City, Athenry and Tuam stations attended the fire while crews from Athenry were dispatched to the city to provide cover.
Staff were safely evacuated from the premises to fire assembly points, while staff from neighbouring businesses were also requested to leave their buildings as a precaution.
Xerotech confirmed the incident was caused by an electrical fault which led to an equipment fire, adding the fire has been brought "fully under control".
"Nobody was injured and a full investigation is now underway," a statement from the company added.
Johnson & Johnson to invest €100m and create 80 new jobs at Limerick site
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care has announced a €100m investment and the creation of 80 new jobs at its Limerick site.
The company has announced an expansion of its existing facility in Plassey,
The Johnson & Johnson Vision site in Limerick is one of the largest contact lens manufacturing facilities in the world.
The investment will expand the facility's manufacturing capacity, with the installation of fully automated flexible manufacturing lines.
Construction is currently underway with production expected to commence in 2024.
Recruitment is currently underway across a range of roles including in operations (process and production technicians), engineering (manufacturing engineers and supervisors), and quality (lab technicians and engineers).
More information on the roles is available on www.careers.jnj.com.
