Cost of living: Ministers meet to consider extra supports for households
Coalition leaders and senior ministers will consider a new round of cost-of-living supports on Thursday, ahead of announcing their decision on Tuesday.
Extra supports, including a double social welfare payment and an additional energy credit, are under consideration.
Working families are among the groups set to be supported through the additional supports.
The meeting will be attended by Minister for Finance Michael McGrath, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe, the three party leaders and Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government will take a "targeted approach" to the measures, and will prioritise pensioners, social welfare recipients and families.
However, Mr Varadkar re-iterated that this new package would be no mini-budget, and added that the Coalition needs to strike a balance between being affordable for the taxpayer, and offering sufficient help to businesses.
Man (40s) dies after van crashes in Co Mayo
A man has died following a single-vehicle collision in Co Mayo in the early hours of Thursday.
The incident involving a van happened shortly after midnight on the N60 at Ballygowan in Claremorris.
The driver, aged in his 40s, later died from his injuries.
His body has been removed to Mayo University Hospital, where a postmortem will take place.
The road has since re-opened following a technical examination.
Hundreds of complaints over taxis refusing card payments
The transport watchdog has received over 200 complaints about taxis not accepting card payments, or not having a card payment machine.
The complaints, released under the Freedom of Information Act, were made in the space of five months.
Since last September, every taxi in Ireland must accept credit and debit card payments, as well as cash.
By the end of last month, the National Transport Authority had received 229 complaints relating to this new law.
Jim Waldron, from the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, said drivers are adapting to the new regulations.
"I think there are bound to be some problems in the transition period," he told Newstalk radio. "I don't think 229 complaints ... is that much to be honest".
Police decision to reveal Nicola Bulley details slammed as ‘deeply troubling’
Police in Lancashire searching for missing Nicola Bulley have been slammed for disclosing that the mother-of-two suffered “some significant issues with alcohol” in the past, which had resurfaced over recent months.
Senior officers said on Wednesday that Ms Bulley was “vulnerable” and classed by police as a “high-risk” missing person immediately after her partner Paul Ansell reported her disappearance.
After Police in Lancashire revealed her issues with alcohol “brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause”, the force was strongly condemned by MPs and campaign groups.
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Twitter: “I am deeply uncomfortable with the police releasing Nicola Bulley’s so-called ‘vulnerabilities’ on menopause and alcohol.
“I struggle to ascertain how this will assist police in their search & investigations. I do see how it would assist those wishing to victim-blame or diminish.”
Half of drivers considering switch to electric, survey finds
Almost half of Irish motorists would consider buying an electric vehicle, according to a recent survey.
While 32 per cent said they would not make the switch to a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), 49 per cent were open to making the change. Just under one fifth of the survey's respondents said they were unsure.
The research, carried out by Liberty Insurance and Red C, comes after the Government's announcement of a €100 million investment to expand the number of electric changing points around the country.
Another factor which will impact drivers further down the line is the EU's move to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2035.
In the meantime, 'range anxiety' - the fear that an electric vehicle does not have enough range to cover longer journeys - continues to be one of the biggest deterrents for drivers thinking of changing to a PHEV.
