Ryanair features heavily across news outlets this morning, following a letter sent last night to crew in Cork and Shannon which threatened to pull the plug on flights from Cork and Shannon airports this winter if the Government does not lift flight restrictions. Ryanair DAC chief executive Eddie Wilson said Government “mismanagement” had exacerbated damage to its operations, and “forward bookings this winter in Cork and Shannon, and to a lesser extent in Dublin, have suffered irreparable harm”. Fórsa has previously called on Government to act to ensure the future of aviation in Ireland, and to engage collectively with all interests directly involved in the aviation sector.

SIPTU has been made aware of a group of workers at a meat processing plant who have been told their contracts will not be renewed because of the high risk associated with their living situation in a Direct Provision centre. Read more on that here.

Trade unions and officials of the Department of Public Expenditure are expected to meet again later this month to discuss the potential for a new pay deal for 340,000 State employees. Initial talks between the two sides which took place yesterday were described as “exploratory”.

People in Dublin and Limerick are facing a ban on visiting other people’s homes if the spike in Covid-19 cases in both cities does not stabilise by the weekend, according to The Times. The broadsheet reports that Government is considering introducing restrictions on people’s movements similar to those introduced in Glasgow, where household meet-ups are seen as the driver of a rise in infections there.

The Taoiseach has weighed in on the Debenhams strike saying that the workers ‘badly let down’, but that Government cannot not legally intervene. He urged KPMG to get back to the negotiating table, as workers from Debenhams Ireland vowed to escalate their ongoing campaign for a “decent redundancy package”.

The Times reports that prospects of a trade deal between Britain and the European Union dimmed to a flicker last night, after London admitted that it plans to break international law by overriding the withdrawal agreement Boris Johnson signed last year. Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis told the House of Commons that the internal markets Bill to be published on Wednesday will see Britain reneging on its treaty commitment to the EU.

And finally, a foreign policy adviser to Joe Biden has said that the Democratic presidential candidate is committed to preserving the hard-earned peace and stability in Northern Ireland. It comes amid concerns over plans by the UK government to introduce a new bill to override elements of Prime Minister's Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with Brussels.

Our zen this morning is this heartwarming report from RTÉ which explores a Men's Shed in Waterford for men in Direct Provision, inspiring dignity and confidence while building practical skills. 

Have a good day folks.