The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has called for negotiations on the introduction of consultant status for public health specialists to begin as “soon as possible”. According to a statement from the union, public health specialists from the IMO met to consider the “recent refusal of the Government to set out a definitive timeline for the introduction of consultant status for public health specialists”. Earlier this month, IMO members agreed to delay a decision on strike action for two months given the Covid-19 crisis.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said the government is preparing next year’s Budget on the basis that there will be no UK-EU trade deal and no widely available vaccine programme. Updated preparation details suggest that some estimates for the Irish economy are better than previously forecast. Economists at the Department are also estimating that the country’s GDP is to fall by 2.5% this year and grow by only 1.4% next year.

The State’s political ethics watchdog has said it hopes the Government will strengthen its powers to police “revolving door” rules in a review announced in the wake of controversy regarding former minister Michael D’Arcy’s move to the private sector. The new powers would include the right to seize documents and compel testimony from people suspected of breaching the rules, which stipulate a 12-month “cooling off” period before former ministers or senior officials join the private sector. Read more on that here.

Debenhams workers' representatives have presented a letter to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) yesterday, calling for more support in their dispute with Debenhams, asking that the level of active support for strike to be increased and for ICTU to send a delegation to the Waterford Occupation. Debenhams staff have now gone over their 170th day of picketing.

According to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the State should increase its investment in social and affordable housing now to offset a future supply crunch caused by Covid-19. A new paper from ESRI concluded that the long-term effect of Covid-19 on the housing market is likely to be a reduction in supply of homes in coming years caused by a dip in investment now, as builders find it harder to secure development finance from banks whose profits are down.

The Cabinet has approved new legislation which will be the first step in plans to introduce new pay and contractual arrangements for public health doctors and medical consultants working in the public system. Ministers on Tuesday backed proposals for new legislation which would permit the Government to sanction pay rises for groups in the public service.

Bus Éireann has said that its Expressway service from Dublin to Belfast will be suspended indefinitely from November. The route was among a number which the State-owned transport company said earlier this week it would cease to operate due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A new Commission on the future of media is to be set up, chaired by former DCU President Brian MacCraith. Responding to the Government’s announcement, Labour Party Media Spokesperson Senator Marie Sherlock said she was concerned about the lack of trade union representation, specially as the Commission will make recommendations affecting the livelihoods of countless journalists and print workers across the country

Green Day bring us our zen today with their classic 'Wake me up when September ends’, which came out over 9 years ago. It’s only right for this to be the zen on the last day of September. Enjoy!