Roscommon fire
Two people have died in a house fire in Co Roscommon in the early hours of this morning.
Gardaí are investigating the circumstances of the fire at Gurth in Ballinasloe after they were alerted to the incident at approximately 2am.
The fire was brought under control by three fire brigade units, after which the bodies of a man and a woman, both aged in their mid-40s, were discovered inside the house.
The bodies will now be taken to Galway General Hospital where post-mortem examinations will be carried out.
20-year mortgages
Non-bank lender Finance Ireland is launching a range of long-term fixed rate mortgages for homeowners in Ireland, with options up to 20 years available.
The company, which entered the residential mortgage market in 2018, will also offer 10 and 15-year fixed rate mortgages, with rates ranging from 2.40 per cent to 2.99 per cent, depending on the loan to value and the period.
The maximum term of 20 years is twice as long as currently available to Irish mortgage customers.
The rates will be available for up to 90 per cent loan to value mortgages, and customers will be able to move their mortgages to new properties during the term without incurring penalties, Finance Ireland said.
Two million doses
Ireland is on course to pass a milestone two million vaccine doses administered on Thursday.
Around 27 per cent of people have now received their first vaccine dose, while 14 per cent have received both doses, making them fully vaccinated.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin paid tribute to vaccination teams across the country in advance of the target being hit.
“Another important milestone in our rollout – and tribute to the dedication of vaccines teams up and down the country.”
Taoiseach meeting with Boris Johnson
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will travel to the UK for a meeting with British prime minister Boris Johnson on Friday.
The meeting will take place at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence, according to The Irish Times.
Tensions in the North over the Northern Ireland Protocol will be the main topic of discussion, it is understood.
Unionist and loyalist unrest over the protocol surrounding the EU-UK withdrawal treaty has led to pockets of violence recently.
