Snow fall
The first snow of winter began to fall across parts of the country late on Thursday evening as several low-temperature warnings were issued for Ireland over the coming days.
Social media users posted videos and photos of snow falling in Co Donegal, Co Meath, Maynooth in Co Kildare and across Dublin.
Temperatures dropped well below zero in much of the country overnight.
Dónal de Róiste exoneration
“This is a proud moment, he can walk tall and walk proud today,” Chernobyl campaigner Adi Roche said of the Government's decision to formally exonerate her brother Dónal de Róiste, who was forced to retire from the Defence Forces more than 50 years ago.
The decision at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting comes after a review which began more than two years ago into the circumstances of his forced retirement. He has been cleared of any wrongdoing, will receive a State apology and receive compensation.
Ms Roche told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that it was going to take her brother a long time to adjust and recover. He had carried a very dark shadow for 53 years. “His life begins today.”
Dublin Airport lasers
An aviation security expert has called for stiffer penalties to combat incidents where lasers are pointed at aircraft.
Laser pen attacks on planes at Dublin Airport last week sparked a series of security responses.
It is believed at least five flights were targeted while trying to land last Friday night though none were forced to divert, according to the Irish Independent.
Kevin Byrne, a former air corps officer, told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne that such actions were very dangerous and a “serious compromise of safety”.
Food Safety closures
The canteen of the Dublin City Council building is part of seven closure orders issued in November by the Food Safety Authority (FSA).
Four of the closure orders were served under FSAI Act, 1998 and three including the Dulin City Council canteen were served under European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
Some of the reasons for the closure orders in November included: procedures were not in place to deal with pests gaining entry to the premises as well as a dead mouse being found in a trap underneath shelving used for storing food and equipment.
House prices
House prices could drop by as much as 12 per cent if housing output increases by 10,000 units a year, according to a new paper by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
The study also found that increasing output would not necessarily lead to significant wage inflation in the construction sector.
The paper by ESRI researchers Paul Egan, Eoin Kenny, and Kieran McQuinn, which focuses on the economic impacts of increasing future housing supply, advises the Government to add construction trades such as carpentry and plumbing to the State’s critical skills list, which would make it easier for qualified workers from outside the European Union to get visas here.
