Roads never completed
Revisions to the National Development Plan may result in a number of flagship road projects not being completed.
A two-to-one rule which will favour public transport may mean road projects are downgraded, Government sources told The Irish Times.
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform meanwhile said the government will “honour” its commitment to a two-to-one spending ratio on public transport to roads.
The €165 billion 10-year National Development Plan (up from €116 billion in the last NDP) will set out the State's capital spending between now and 2030.
It will be launched in Cork today by Taoiseach Micheál Martin following a full Cabinet meeting.
Dublin road crash
A man has died following a car crash in Dublin on Sunday night.
The single-vehicle collision happened at around 10.35pm in Sarsfield Road, Ballyfermot.
The man, who was in his 20s and was a passenger in the car, suffered serious injuries and was taken to St James’s Hospital, where he died.
Another passenger in the vehicle, a woman in her 20s, was taken to the same hospital. Gardaí said her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Flu vaccine launches
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has urged those most vulnerable to get the free flu vaccine as the country heads into the winter.
Mr Donnelly called on anyone eligible for a jab to ensure they were protected from the flu and said that high uptake would also help ease the toll on Ireland’s fragile health system.
Anyone aged 65 and over is eligible for a free flu vaccine, alongside healthcare workers and children aged between two and 17.
Pregnant women are also able to receive a free flu jab, as well as those with certain medical conditions.
Ireland a de facto 'offshore' location
People and businesses in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and other countries in eastern Europe and central Asia are using Ireland as a de facto offshore location, according to leaked documents.
The records — dubbed the Pandora Papers — were obtained by the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and shared with 150 news organisations worldwide, including The Irish Times.
The leaked files also include the affairs of more than 330 public officials in more than 90 countries and territories.
An empty office in a serviced office building on Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, is the registered address of more than 800 limited partnerships, a type of legal structure designed to allow investors invest in businesses with limited exposure.
Michaela McAreavey murder
Police in Mauritius have confirmed that the lead witness in the Michaela McAreavey murder trial has been found dead.
Raj Teekoy's body was found on a wasteland in Beau-Plateau in Goodlands on the north of the island last night. An investigation into his death is now under way.
Mrs McAreavey, 27, was strangled in her hotel room in Mauritius on January 10th, 2011. The Co Tyrone teacher, who had got married 10 days earlier, was attacked as she returned to her room alone on the Indian Ocean island and disturbed a burglary.
Her widower, John McAreavey, has vowed to fight on for justice despite reports of the death of the key witness in the case.
“When it comes to getting to the truth about Michaela’s murder, nothing has been straightforward in Mauritius and neither the Hartes or myself will be deterred from pursuing justice and truth. Not today, not tomorrow and not ever," he said.
