Covid figures
There have been a further 1,207 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic, the Department of Health said.
As of Thursday morning, there were 355 patients in hospital with the disease, including 60 in intensive care.
Speaking on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland is on track to lift remaining Covid restrictions on October 22nd.
The Taoiseach also said the vaccine booster shot campaign would be extended to younger age groups in the coming weeks.
Corporate tax deal
Ireland has received an assurance that companies with a turnover of less than €750 million will continue to pay the 12.5 per cent tax rate, Leo Varadkar has said.
The Tánaiste said Ireland will be able to operate two tax rates if it agrees to sign up to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) deal on a global minimum corporate tax rate.
The Cabinet is meeting on Thursday afternoon to decide if Ireland’s 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate will be increased to 15 per cent.
Ireland has come under increasing pressure to sign up to the OECD deal on global tax reform.
Donald Trump report
A new report details Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the 2020 US presidential election that he lost, with the Justice Department brought to the brink of chaos and top officials there and at the White House threatening to resign.
The report by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Democratic majority describes how the Republican incumbent tried to undo the vote and exert his will on the department, asking leaders to declare the election “corrupt”.
His actions led to a near-revolt at department headquarters that receded only after senior officials warned of a mass resignation.
Possible human remains
Suspected human remains have been found under the floorboards of a pub in Barrack Street in Cork city, which closed around twenty years ago and is now being demolished to make way for apartments.
Building work has been halted at the site of Nancy Spain's, on the outskirts of Cork city centre, after bones were discovered under the floorboards.
Works on new social housing have been ongoing on the street for a number of weeks. 32 housing units are being built in the area, with many of those being located in what was the back of the old Nancy Spain's bar.
ICHH liquidator
The Charities Regulator has secured a High Court order appointing a provisional liquidator to the operating company of the Dublin-based homeless charity Inner City Helping Homeless.
The regulator’s application on Thursday was made as a “last resort” in the public interest, James Doherty SC said.
There is “urgent need” for court intervention and the legal test for appointment of a provisional liquidator to North Inner City Homeless Company Ltd in advance of hearing a winding up petition has been met “in spades”, he said.
The application by the Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA) was made on just and equitable grounds in the public interest and the interests of vulnerable service users and stakeholders, particularly in light of the “grave” situation in which the charity has found itself, he said.
All-Star nominations
Limerick have equalled the all-time record PwC GAA-GPA All-Star nominations haul of 15, in turn emulating their impressive return from 2018.
Their collection is one more than last season’s and all three of the hurler of the year nominees hail from the All-Ireland winning team — three-time All-Star Seán Finn, former young hurler of the year Kyle Hayes and Cian Lynch who is aiming for his second such accolade in the space of four seasons.
It is the third occasion in six seasons that all 15 of the Liam MacCarthy Cup victors have been honoured — Tipperary’s full complement comprised a third of the 45 in 2016.
