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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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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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As it happened: Candidates make final pitches to voters

Transfer to 'centrist parties' - HarrisSimon 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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As it happened: Candidates make final pitches to voters

"My party has never bankrupt the country" - HarrisSimon 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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As it happened: Election campaign enters final few days

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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State failed to plan for asylum seeker increase - IHREC

Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) Liam Herrick has said that the increase in asylum applications was something which the State had failed to plan for.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Mr Herrick said that recent wars had led to an increase in applications across Europe and is an issue which the State had "full notice of" for several years.

"The State had also failed to implement its own policy commitments to provide reception accommodat...
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Building 93,000 homes a year 'not immediately doable'

A former member of the Irish Housing Commission has said that building 93,000 homes a year to meet demand between now and 2031 is "not immediately doable".

A report published by Davy Stockbrokers last week forecasted that the housing shortfall is now 230,000 homes, on the basis of the estimate that the population will reach six million by 2031.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne programme, Michael O’Flynn, Chairperson and CEO of the O'Flynn Group, said that in his experience, the "crisi...
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Hundreds attend Carlow funeral after appeal by undertaker

More than 300 people have attended the funeral of a woman in Carlow, after an appeal on social media by a funeral director who was concerned there would be very few people present.

Mary Regan, 89, had lived in Carlow for several years and since the passing of her husband Fred, over a year ago, the west Cork native had no next-of-kin. She also did not have many visitors to Hillview Nursing Home where she resided.

Following her death, Funeral Director Rory Healy went on social media and asked lo...
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Green Party leader preparing for election to be called

Green Party leader and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth, Roderic O'Gorman has said that he is preparing for an election to be called this week.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One programme, Mr O’Gorman said that he is eager to get into the campaign to discuss the various plans of each party.

"The posters are threaded and ready to go and we’ve been out canvassing busily in my own constituency and Green Party candidates have been out canvassing across the country," he...
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Colin Farrell raises fundraising goal to €1 million

Irish actor Colin Farrell has set a new goal to raise €1 million for the charity Debra ahead of the Dublin City Marathon this weekend.

The Golden Globe-winning actor is running the marathon to support people living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare genetic skin condition, in honour of his close friend Emma Fogarty, Ireland's longest-surviving EB patient.

EB, often referred to as "Butterfly Skin," causes severe blistering and open wounds, making it feel like living with third-degree burns...
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Public asked to help carry out survey of urban foxes

Researchers at the University of Galway are appealing to the public to register sightings of urban red foxes.

The survey is particularly focused on the largest cities across the island - Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Derry and Waterford.

The increased sightings of Irish wildlife in cities is attributed to the availability of food and shelter.

Red foxes in particular have been known to thrive in built up areas because of increased food opportunities, such as discarded food, insects...
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Campaigners call for XL bully 'amnesty' in place of ban

An Animal welfare group has called for an "amnesty" for XL bully dogs rather than a ban on the breed, which is due to come into effect next month.

Dozens of campaigners, alongside their dogs, gathered by Stephen's Green in Dublin to protest the upcoming ban.

The legislation was introduced by Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys in July, following a series of dog attacks.

The new rules will come into effect from the 1 October, with the legislation set to ban the breed on a phased b...
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Campaigners call for XL bully 'amnesty' in place of ban

An Animal welfare group has called for an "amnesty" for XL bully dogs rather than a ban on the breed, which is due to come into effect next month.

Dozens of campaigners, alongside their dogs, gathered by Stephen's Green in Dublin to protest the upcoming ban.

The legislation was introduced by Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys in July, following a series of dog attacks.

The new rules will come into effect from the 1 October, with the legislation set to ban the breed on a phased b...
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Bank of Ireland's plan to increase protection from fraud

Bank of Ireland has outlined a four point plan to better protect consumers and businesses from fraud amid a 76% increase in investment fraud this year.

The Bank of Ireland plan calls for action in a number of areas where consumers are especially vulnerable to fraud, and where change is urgently required.

Its plan includes restricting online advertising for financial products and services to financial services providers that are regulated, the development of a shared fraud database, the introdu...
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Over 120,000 expected to attend 149th Dublin Horse Show

The 149th Dublin Horse Show is under way with more than 120,000 people expected to event between today and Sunday.

Some of the world's top-ranked show jumpers will compete at the RDS.

Riders, horses and ponies will take part in over 160 classes and competitions.

There are also more than 350 exhibition stands.

Director General of The Irish Horse Board Alison Corbally described the event as "the pinnacle of Ireland's equestrian calendar" and an "opportunity to showcase Irish horses and riders...
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Appeal for 2,000 blood donations over next four weeks

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has issued an appeal for an additional 2,000 blood donations over the next four weeks to help the national blood supply, as some blood groups have fallen to less than three days of stock.

Director of Donor Services and Logistics Paul McKinney said that while the aim is to have seven days worth of supply, current levels, including O- and B-, are at just two days of supply.

There are just over three days supply of O+ blood type which relates to nearly h...
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Ukrainian dancer takes the lead in Irish dancing

Ukrainians in the Ukrainian Community Centre in Rathmines, Dublin are hopping, skipping, and jumping into a core element of Irish culture: Irish dancing.

The troupe are led by 17-year-old Ukrainian, Kristina Bondarenko, who came to Ireland last year with her mother, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The young dancer started Irish dancing five years prior to her arrival here, in her hometown of Odesa. The teenager used YouTube videos to teach herself the first steps.

"We have two schools...
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