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Hauliers accuse RSA of 'massaging' driver testing figures

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has accused the Road Safety Authority (RSA) of "massaging" driver testing figures by moving testers from one category to another.

It accused the RSA of moving testers from articulated truck, bus and truck tests to car tests in order to reduce wait times for car driving tests, adding that waiting times for commercial driving tests have increased "exponentially".

Hauliers have said that this has caused the waiting lists for driving tests for a car to fal...
RTE.ie •

Rise in parents facing debt over school costs - survey

A survey has suggested that parents and guardians of children are bearing a greater financial burden in back-to-school costs this year than last year.

The total back-to-school spend in 2025 is €1,450 for primary school parents and €1,560 for secondary school parents.

This is an increase for primary school parents of €364 compared to 2024, and €159 for secondary school parents.

The research, which was carried out by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU), noted an increase in costs this year...
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Calls for Blood Bikes to be given access to bus lanes

Blood Bike volunteers are calling for the ability to use bus lanes and be exempted from road tolls under a new bill that will be debated in the Dáil.

Blood Bikes assist the health service by transporting essential goods for patients, often while the patient is in the operating theatre.

Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh tabled an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill that would extend exemptions from road tolls and the right to use bus lanes, which currently apply to ambulances, to also cov...
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'I have to have hope,' says Tuam relative amid excavation

The daughter of a woman whose child died in the Tuam Mother and Baby Home has described as "absolutely momentous" the beginning of excavation work at the site in Co Galway.

Annette McKay's mother Maggie O'Connor was sent to an industrial school when her mother died in 1936.

While there, Ms O'Connor became pregnant after she was raped by a caretaker when she was 17.

She was then moved to Tuam Mother and Baby Home.

Ms O'Connor was separated from her child after the birth and was moved to St An...
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'Nee-Naw' service to help Dublin revellers feeling unwell

A new service is being launched this week to provide support to people who feel unsafe or unwell during a night out in Dublin city centre.

Known as the ‘Nee-Naw’ van, the Dublin Nights Help Zone has been launched by Dublin City Council, supported by the Department of Justice, as a late-night welfare initiative.

'Nee-Naw' will operate as a mobile unit stationed on Camden Street, running every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm to 3am, starting 4 July, for a 6 to 8-week pilot period.

It will b...
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Opt-out organ donation act to come into effect tomorrow

The first phase of the Human Tissue Act 2024 is due to come into operation from tomorrow, meaning everybody will be considered an organ donor unless they opt-out or are included in a so-called excluded group.

The act will introduce an opt-out system of consent for organ donation and will allow for altruistic living organ donation to strangers.

The National Advocacy and Projects Manager with the Irish Kidney Association said the new laws governing the process of organ donation consider everybod...
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Expert warns parents over AI deepfakes of children

Only 20 images of a child are needed to create a deepfake video of them, a leading expert in cybersecurity has warned.

The study, conducted by Perspectus Global, focused on 2,000 parents with children under the age of 16 in the UK, and showed that parents upload an average of 63 images to social media every month.

Over half of these photos include family photos (59%), with one in five parents (21%) uploading these types of images multiple times a week.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrn...
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Changes needed to meet housing targets - Uisce Éireann

The Government's target of building 50,000 homes a year is possible, but would require some change, not only in terms of financing but also regarding "key enablers", according to Uisce Éireann.

Assets Strategy Manager with Uisce Éireann Angela Ryan said that they had contacted the Government late last year to say that it had sufficient funding to address just over 30,000 houses per year, but identified that additional funding would be needed if targets were to increase.

"We will need more mone...
RTÉ •

Priest says Pope's calls to Gaza parish were 'beautiful'

Pope Francis called the Holy Family Church in Gaza every night, including just two days before his death

A priest has described Pope Francis' daily phone calls to his small parish in Gaza as "something very beautiful".

In the 18 months prior to his illness, the Pope called the Holy Family Church every night, including just two days before his death.

At 8pm local time, the papal calls would happen over WhatsApp video through the phone of Fr Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of the Church, in what Gaza...
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Woman calls on others to be aware of heart attack signs

A woman who did not realise she was having a heart attack has called on other women to take notice of the symptoms and seek medical help.

Ellie Byrne was working from home when she experienced symptoms of a heart attack, which her daughter recognised and sought emergency medical help for.

A recent study by heart and stroke charity Croí revealed that one in two women are unaware that heart attack symptoms in women may differ from those experienced by men.

Chest pain is the most common symptom...
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Richard Boyd Barrett being treated for throat cancer

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has announced that he is stepping back from politics for a period as he receives treatment for throat cancer.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Boyd Barrett said: "I wanted to take the opportunity to say I recently got a cancer diagnosis and I found out a few weeks ago.

"And I have to enter into a fairly intense period of cancer treatment over the next ... well, it's going to certainly take a couple of months probably.

"All in all, we c...
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Donohoe 'concerned' over potential impact of tariffs

The Minister for Finance has said he is "extremely concerned" about the potential impact of proposed United States tariffs on pharmaceutical exports, warning they could deliver a major blow to Ireland's economy.

Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time programme, Paschal Donohoe said the Government is preparing for "real and significant" difficulties if US President Donald Trump follows through on threats to impose tariffs on drug imports, including those from Ireland.

"I want to underline the scale of th...
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Govt directly engaging with US, OECD on trade - Donohoe

The Government is engaging directly with both the Trump administration in the United States and the OECD regarding the possibility of a disruptive trade war, the Minister for Finance has said.

Speaking during Leaders' Questions, Paschal Donohoe told the Dáil that he met OECD officials twice as well as talking to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

He said Taoiseach Micheál Martin will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week ahead of St Patrick's Day and Tánaiste Simon Harris wa...
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'Plenty of engagement' with Opposition over speaking row

'Plenty of engagement' with Opposition over speaking rowFine Gael TD Barry Ward has said that there has been "plenty of engagement" with the Opposition over the Dáil speaking row. Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme, Mr Ward added "there can't be agreement if the opposition isn't willing to actually give anything on it."I work in a democratic parliament and at the end of the day, there must be an agreement as to how we proceed and the way we do that is by a vote, but I don't know if that vote...
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'Crucially important' Govt engages with all parties

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has said it is "crucially important" that the Government is reminded of a commitment that the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform would engage with all parties to find a resolution acceptable to both Government and the opposition. Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme, Mr Carthy said "it appears that Government have moved away from that position". He said that the Government's position on the matter "would unde...
RTE.ie •

'Plenty of engagement' with Opposition over speaking row

'Plenty of engagement' with Opposition over speaking rowFine Gael TD Barry Ward has said that there has been "plenty of engagement" with the Opposition over the Dáil speaking row. Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme, Mr Ward added "there can't be agreement if the opposition isn't willing to actually give anything on it."I work in a democratic parliament and at the end of the day, there must be an agreement as to how we proceed and the way we do that is by a vote, but I don't know if that vote...
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Over 400,000 registered to vote since January

Over 400,000 registered to vote since JanuaryThe Chief Executive Officer of An Coimisiún Toghcháin has said that over 400,000 people have registered to vote since January. Speaking on RTÉ's Six One News programme, Art O'Leary urged people to use their vote tomorrow. "We've done dozens of in-person events all over the country, and we have targeted, in particular, areas of low turnout," he said. "We've spoken to disability groups, traveller communities, people who generally don't engage with the e...
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More housing to bring migrants home - Harris

More housing to bring migrants home - HarrisTaoiseach Simon Harris has said that he feels very passionately about young people wanting to return to Ireland from Australia. He said that he has spoken to parents across the country who want their children to return home. "They have a future in this country, they have a very bright future in this country, we need them in this country" he said. He vowed to "ramp up housing supply further, as we refuse to pull the rug from under first-time buyers tha...
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Transfer to 'centrist parties' - Harris

Simon Harris has urged people to transfer to other "centrist parties" when casting their vote tomorrow.The leader of Fine Gael said that he is focusing on asking voters to give their priority to his party, but asked people to consider parties which are similarly aligned and parties "which they believe Fine Gael has or could work well with in the future"."I'd ask people to think when they vote about how we're going to try to form a government after this elec...
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"My party has never bankrupt the country" - Harris

Simon Harris has said it's about 14 years since the IMF came to town, and "my party has been called upon time and time again to work with the Irish people in difficult times". He said that Fine Gael is proposing spending plans of €52bln extra over the course of the lifetime of the next government, which, he says, is €27bln less than Sinn Féin is proposing. "We don't promise people to spend money that we're not sure the country will have, and the...
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Aontú's Operation Shamrock would build accommodation for people who have emigrated from Ireland

Peadar Tóibín, leader of Aontú, has said that his party's Operation Shamrock initiative would build accommodation for people who have emigrated from Ireland.Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, the candidate for Meath West said that many Irish young people have "voted with their feet" and have had to go to Australia and Canada.Mr Tóibín said that there are exemptions in current planning laws which allow for the building of homes for construction workers."I'm being told by builders that they can'...
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Gender-based violence survivors urge legal system reform

Survivors of gender-based violence have called for urgent legal changes to the justice system.

People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger will introduce a ten-point plan as part of a Private Members' motion in the Dáil next week calling for action.

United in a quest for justice a number of sexual violence, survivors held a press conference calling for reform.

They said they felt let down by the State and described their experiences of the judicial process as "retraumatising".

The grou...
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As it happened: US, Russia meet to discuss Ukraine war

European guarantee of security 'weak' Tymofiy Mylovanov, Ukraine's former economy minister and current president of the Kyiv School of Economics, has said that the European guarantee of security is "weak." Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Mylovanov said that without the US, the security guarantees will not be meaningful. "If there are no troops on the ground, that's basically nothing for Russia and they will interpret it as a ticket to be able to engage and invade anytime they wish," he...
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Irish Independent

Galway Pulse

Left On Red - Take Over Show -

A themed show on music festivals around Ireland. We have lots of exciting stuff including guest interviews, an overview of festival history, and expert knowledge on festival finances and safeties.


With Molly O’Connor (presenter)Aiza Saeed Akhtar & David Cendon Garcia (researchers/reporters)Robbie Kindregan (producer)


For more Galway Pulse stories click here


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A themed show on music festivals around Ireland. We have lots of exciting...

Galway's Guide to Great Guinness with Molly O'Connor and Tomás Herlihy

Photo Credits: Tomás Herlihy


Co-written by Tomás Herlihy and Molly O’Connor


As the weather has improved to “beer garden weather,” it was only right that Galway Pulse sent two of their harshest critics to investigate the most important question to any person coming to the West. 


Is the Guinness any good? 


Tomás Herlihy and Molly O’Connor took to the streets of Galway and to some pubs recommended by friends and passersby to try the Guinness and to “check the vibe” of these establishmen...

Spud Game (Irish Trivia Game) -

Irish trivia game hosted by Molly O’Connor and Robert Kindregan where they quiz Aiza Saeed Akhtar and David Cendon Garcia on cultural aspects of Ireland. Tallying a score throughout the podcast that will culminate in the winner receiving a prize.


For more Galway Pulse stories, click here.


Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Irish trivia game hosted by Molly O’Connor and Robert Kindregan where they quiz Aiza Saeed Akhtar and David Cendon Garcia on cultural aspects of...
Galway Pulse •

President critical of the state's treatment of travellers

President Michael D Higgins has said that the “failure of State policy” across decades has left Travellers isolated from Irish society.

He spoke in NUIG at the start of a week of events marking six year anniversary since the Irish Government officially recognised the Travelling community as a distinct ethnic group.

President Higgins said that Ireland had not recognised the “the degree of exclusion and the neglect” of ethnic minorities.

“I’ve been thinking as I come to this point in my Preside