Refugee housing plans
Vacant social homes will be brought back into use and local authorities will have greater flexibilities to acquire certain homes under an expanded acquisition programme, as part of plans to house Ukraine refugees.
Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien is set to bring a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday which outlines medium and longer-term housing options for addressing the refugee crisis.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the State will not put a cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland, after he toured Green Glens Arena in Millstreet, Co Cork and met with families living onsite.
He said he was moved by the feedback he received from the refugees, but conceded that the crisis was proving challenging for the Government to handle.
Ashling Murphy murder trial
A 31-year-old man accused of murdering school teacher Ashling Murphy in Tullamore will go on trial at the Central Criminal Court in June next year.
Jozef Puska, with an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly is charged with murdering the 23-year-old primary school teacher at Cappincur, Tullamore on the afternoon of January 12th, 2022.
Ms Murphy was fatally assaulted while she was out jogging along the Grand Canal in Tullamore.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott set June 6th, 2023 as the date for Mr Puska's trial before a jury at the Central Criminal Court. The case is expected to last between three and four weeks.
Retrial over Urantsetseg Tserendorj killing
A 16-year-old boy accused of the murder of a mother-of-two who was stabbed on her walk home from work will go on trial for a second time at the Central Criminal Court later this year.
The boy, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, is charged with the murder of Urantsetseg Tserendorj on January 20th, 2021.
Ms Tserendorj, a Mongolian national who lived in Dublin for a number of years, died at the Mater Hospital two weeks after she was stabbed on a walkway between George’s Dock and Custom House Quay in the IFSC, Dublin.
Earlier this month, a jury at the Central Criminal Court failed to reach a verdict in the teenager's first trial.
Elsewhere in the courts
A 28-year-old man who “set upon” a father-of-one at a homeless camp in Cork city centre before punching and kicking him to death was jailed for 11 years on Monday.
Meanwhile, the family of a baby who died suddenly two days after his birth at Cavan General Hospital settled a High Court action for €60,000.
A judge elsewhere issued a jail threat to a farmer after stating that he prioritised spending €5,000 on feed for his animals ahead of providing for his two children.
Two men accused of murdering Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready-Woods were also given a provisional trial date early next year at the Special Criminal Court.
Ibec downgrades growth forecasts
Ibec has downgraded its growth forecasts for the Irish economy amid the rising cost of living and global supply chain issues accelerated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the latest Economic Outlook report published by Ibec, economic growth is forecast to be 4.3 per cent in the year ahead, a reduction from the 6.1 per cent which was predicted for 2022 in Q4 2021.
The group has forecast that rising energy prices will force consumers to cut back on consumption elsewhere, which will have an impact on sectors of the economy that rely on discretionary spending.
It comes as Irish business sentiment is still above pre-pandemic levels according to a Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse survey, despite soaring inflation.
Limerick and Clare jobs
A total of 200 jobs are to be created in Ireland by Vitalograph, a producer of respiratory diagnostic devices and clinical trials.
A €10 million investment has fuelled expansion plans in Limerick and Clare as it grows operations over the next two years.
New sites at Engine Innovate Building, Limerick and the Clare Technology Park in Ennis are to be established to accommodate the new jobs.
