Government set to unveil fresh cost-of-living measures on Tuesday – Varadkar
The Government is set to unveil an additional package of cost-of-living support measures on Tuesday, the Taoiseach has said.
Leo Varadkar told the Dáil the package would include both targeted and universal interventions to help people struggling with rising bills.
He insisted the measures would not amount to a “mini-budget” and would be delivered within the fiscal parameters set by Budget 2023.
However, he said the Government had “some room to manoeuvre” by using additional funds derived from reserves; underspend on a business support scheme; and anticipated revenue generated from the planned windfall tax on energy companies.
Mr Varadkar told TDs the measures may require a short finance Bill in the Oireachtas.
Boxers form guard of honour at funeral of teenager who died at Galway pier
Boxers formed a guard of honour at the funeral of one of three teenage boys who died when their car entered the water at a pier in Galway at the weekend.
The funeral for John Keenan, 16, took place at the Church of the Resurrection, Ballinfoyle, on the outskirts of Galway on Wednesday morning.
A funeral for Christopher Stokes, 19, will take place at the same church on Thursday.
The pair, along with Wojciech Panek, 17, died after their car entered the water at Menlo Pier, north of Galway city, at around 2.40am on Saturday.
Mr Panek’s ashes are set to be interred at Calvary Cemetery, Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny on Friday.
As mourners gathered for the funeral of Mr Keenan on Wednesday, the Olympic Boxing Club formed a guard of honour outside the church for the former Galway County Champion.
Ryan Tubridy remains the highest-paid presenter at RTÉ
Ryan Tubridy remains the highest-paid presenter at RTÉ, despite taking a cut to his yearly fee in 2021.
RTÉ on Wednesday released information on fees earned by its ten highest-paid presenters in 2020 and 2021.
Tubridy's media company, Tuttle Productions Ltd, was paid €440,000 in 2021 for the Late Late Show presenter's services. Tubridy was paid €495,000 and €466,250 in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Joe Duffy was the second-highest paid presenter in 2021, earning €351,000, with Claire Byrne following in third on €350,000.
Duffy was paid more in 2020 (€360,650), while Byrne saw her earnings increase by almost €70,000 in 2021 from the previous year (€282,917).
Cuts of 15 and 16 per cent were made to the total earnings of the broadcaster's highest-earning presenters in 2021 and 2020 respectively, Director General at RTÉ Dee Forbes said.
House price growth continues to slow - CSO
The price of residential properties increased by 7.8 per cent in the 12 months to December 2022, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
In December, 5,213 dwelling purchases by households at market prices were filed with Revenue, up 0.8 per cent on the same month of 2021.
The median price for a house in the year to December was €305,000 overall, while Longford had the lowest median by area (€152,000) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the highest (€625,000).
Although the price of homes was up almost 8 per cent in the year, it showed a slight decline on the corresponding figures for earlier months.
In the 12-months to November 2022, prices jumped 8.5 per cent, trending downwards from October's 9.6 per cent annual increase, and September's 10.7 per cent.
Houses in the west of the country showed the largest annual increase, rising by 14.9 per cent, followed by houses in the Border region (up 11.5 per cent).
Nicola Bulley: Social media sleuths have 'distracted' police investigation
Social media sleuths have “distracted” the investigation into missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, police in the UK have said.
At a press conference at Lancashire Constabulary’s HQ on Wednesday, the force said “TikTokers have been playing private detectives” near the scene of the 45-year-old’s disappearance.
Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith said investigating officers have been “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours” relating to the case.
Ms Bulley vanished in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre on January 27th while walking her springer spaniel, Willow, after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school.
At the press conference in Hutton on Wednesday, Ms Smith said her “main working hypothesis” remains that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.
Asked if “social media video-makers and wannabe detectives have been an annoyance or a hindrance in the inquiry”, she said: “Yes, it has significantly distracted the investigation.
